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“What I want in life has changed since I left Texas,” Maddie said again.
“What I want in life has changed, too, Maddie. We want different things, have different needs now than we did back then.” He tilted her chin up and leaned close again. “All I know is that you should watch out, because I intend to cater to the part of you that still responds to me when we kiss.”
“It’s sheer foolishness that there are moments I can’t resist you,” she replied. His words made her heart pound, and now she was ensnared in his crystal blue gaze. Panic gripped her. She was tumbling rapidly into a situation she’d hoped to avoid. There was the matter of their daughter—who he knew nothing about. “We’re not going to rekindle what we had. We’ve both moved on and our lives have changed.”
He ran his index finger down her cheek. “Some things haven’t changed at all.”
Dear Reader,
Once again, I have set another book in Texas with its glittering, down-to-earth, friendly people and larger-than-life ways. This last story in my series about the handsome millionaires who have been friends since earliest childhood focuses on Gabriel Benton, Jake’s younger brother. It is a story of reunion involving Gabe, the handsome blue-eyed rancher, and Madeline Halliday, a woman he has grown up knowing and once viewed as his best friend.
Their romance encompasses the triumph of love and forgiveness, qualities that belong in the deepest and longest-lasting relationships. I’ve said before that families are close to my heart and enter into the themes of my books, including this one. Family has a big influence on our lives, and that is true of Maddie and Gabe.
Friends and former lovers, the two encounter each other along a Texas highway. Gabe, a man accustomed to getting his way, cannot resist wanting to be with Maddie and talks her into dinner. He re-enters her life, stirring passion, guilt and—finally—the revelation of the secret that changes both their lives.
This book is a farewell to the four CEOs who all wear Stetsons, call Texas home and fall in love with exciting women.
Thank you for selecting my book.
Best wishes,
Sara Orwig
About the Author
SARA ORWIG lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.
www.millsandboon.co.uk
To my family with all my love.
One
Gabe Benton spotted the car pulled off the straight West Texas highway—a speck on the flat, mesquite-covered horizon—and he pulled to a stop expecting to find a stranger.
When he stepped out of his car, the woman, who’d been changing a flat tire, glanced over her shoulder. A thick blond braid hung beneath her baseball cap. She wore jeans and a short sleeved, cotton shirt.
“Got trouble?” he inquired.
She stood. “Gabe?” she asked in disbelief.
“Maddie?”
His heart missed a few beats. Startled to hear a voice he knew as well as his own, he looked at the woman more closely. Yes, it was Madeline Halliday, and she was even better looking now than she had been at twenty-one.
The curves shaping her white blouse were lush, her waist tiny, her legs as long as he remembered. Her skin was creamy, stirring a vivid memory of how she had looked naked in his arms. His pulse sped up. His breathing altered. She was a knockout, now more than ever.
He was shocked at how glad he was to see her. It took an effort to resist closing the distance between them. And then he couldn’t hold back. In two strides, he reached her, wrapping his arms around her, fighting the temptation to kiss her long and hard.
Their last tense week together had been six long years ago. But now Maddie was back in his life.
She was soft, warm and sweet smelling. He held her tighter, his pulse racing. When she embraced him in return and stepped back, he wanted to pull her into his arms again.
“It’s great to see you,” Gabe said. “You look terrific.”
“Thanks, Gabe,” she said.
“I’m sorry about the loss of your grandfather,” he added, looking into dark brown eyes surrounded by thick lashes. After their breakup, Maddie had moved to Florida.
“Thank you. And thank you for the flowers you sent.”
“The flowers were in lieu of my offering condolences in person. I’m sorry I missed the memorial, but I was in Wyoming buying cattle. By the time I got word, I couldn’t have made it home in time.”
“Some things don’t change. You’re still traveling for business,” she said, and for a moment her smile faded.
“Not as much these days. Sorry I wasn’t here. Sorry, too, about the loss of your father. I didn’t know about his death three years ago until a year later.”
“Thanks. Dad’s loss was difficult. My mom has adjusted pretty well. When I came for Granddad’s memorial, there was a big crowd. Since my family has lived here almost as long as yours, there were lots of people from the area.”
“What brings you back again after only three months?”
“Mom and I inherited the ranch. Neither of us wants it, so I’m here to make the arrangements to place it on the market.”
“That’s a surprise. I hope you’ve given it some thought,” he said, easily falling into the closeness he had once felt with her, “because that’s a fine ranch.”
“We’re sure about what we want to do. I hope to be back in Florida by next week and have this place sold by July.”
When he grasped her hand and looked at her bare fingers, relief flooded him. “No wedding ring.”
She smiled again. “No. I’ve been too busy with work. Let me guess—you’re not wearing one either.”
He grinned. “You know me too well. Will you be here long?”
“Just long enough to get everything arranged to sell. I’ll stay at the ranch while I’m getting the house ready and while I find an agency to deal with the property.”
“I’ll finish changing your tire and then let’s go where we can talk. I’ll take you to dinner tonight.”
She glanced at her watch. “I shouldn’t—”
“Come on. You can give one evening to an old friend,” he said, gazing into eyes that could, apparently, still make him weak in the knees.
“I never could resist you,” she replied, smiling. “Yes,” she added, and turned away, walking back to the car before he could reply.
You resisted me once was what he wanted to say, but he kept quiet. His pulse jumped another notch now that he was reassured she was not carrying a grudge about the way they’d ended things six years ago. Already, he was anticipating the evening with her and thinking about dinner. He hurried to get to the tire before she did.
“We’ve lost touch,” he said as he hunkered down to remove the flat. “I heard you got that business degree.”
“Yes. I transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville where I majored in business. Now I work for Clirksonie Realty in Miami.”
“Like it?” he asked while he dropped a lug bolt onto the hubcap lying on the ground.
“Very much. I’m busy. I heard you moved back to the family ranch.”
“I did. That year after you left, I spent more and more time there. Finally, I retired to the ranch last year. I was restless in my job and wanted the move. Maybe life wasn’t the same without you here,” he said, giving her a crooked grin.
She smiled, shaking her head in disbelief.
“I can’t imagine you leaving your Dallas job for the ranch, but that is what you always said you wanted. I’m glad to be away from our spread. Ranching is hard work.”
“Not when you love doing it. If I recall accurately, you always wanted to get away from here. Hard for me to understand. You’re in Miami? No way is it as peaceful as it is out here.”
She smiled. “We could argue that one forever. The ocean can be peaceful. I love the beach. I love the activity of a big city, too. Miami, Houston, Dallas—they’re all exhilarating to me. I’m surprised you don’t miss the office.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes I do,” he said. “You have grandparents in Miami, don’t you?”
“Yes. My mom’s parents. They’re both still there and Mom is. We all live close to each other, so that’s nice.”
In the silence, as he worked on the flat, he couldn’t help reflecting on their breakup. Maddie had been getting serious while he hadn’t wanted to. When she broke off their relationship, she wouldn’t talk to him or tell him why. At the time, the only disagreement between them had been his decision to accept a temporary position in Nigeria, where his company wanted to send him, rather than agree to stay in Texas with her.
It was while he was in Nigeria that he heard she’d moved to Florida. As far as he knew, the only time she’d returned to Texas was for her grandfather’s memorial service.
He stood and brushed off his hands. “There,” he said, carrying the flat tire to her trunk. “You picked up a nail somewhere.”
“I can’t imagine. This is a brand-new rental from Dallas. I got it at the airport and definitely didn’t expect a flat. I’ve called them. They’re sending out a replacement tomorrow and they’ll drive this car back.”
“Good deal.”
“Thanks for stopping to help,” she said, gazing up at him. She had pushed the baseball cap back and he looked down into her dark eyes. Strands of blond hair fluttered around her face.
“Wouldn’t have missed you for the world. I’m glad to see you again. I’ll pick you up at your grandfather’s ranch about six.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “Thanks again, Gabe.”
He nodded and fell into step beside her as she walked to the front of the car. He reached ahead to open the door for her, his gaze running over her as she climbed into the driver’s side. After closing the door, he leaned down, speaking to her through the open window. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“It’s only for a short time,” she replied solemnly.
“I’ll get you to stay longer,” he said, deciding that’s what he wanted.
“Still so totally confident,” she said with a smile. “Another thing that hasn’t changed.”
“I’ll see to it that you’re glad to stay longer,” he stated, smiling, but beneath his light tone, he wanted her to know that he intended to do what he said. “See you in a little while.” When he stepped back, she turned the key in the ignition.
Driving home, all he could think about was Maddie. Recollections of summer evenings spent with her came back with clarity. After she’d left, it had taken him a while to admit to himself how much he missed her. He had always expected her to return home, but she never had. Until now.
Six o’clock. Would she have let him know she was back in Texas if he hadn’t happened to pass her on the road? He suspected she would not have contacted him. Even so, eagerness filled him and he looked forward to the evening with her.
His ranch house loomed into sight. He’d had the place built a mile from his brother’s house, which had been the family home. His brother Jake liked to stay on the ranch some of the time and they both owned shares in the ranch operation.
Gabe looked at his sprawling house. The main hall and one wing were finished. They were still working on the other wing. The roof of the house sloped over a screened-in porch, giving the structure an old-fashioned look, which he thought suited him. Every time he saw the house, it gave him satisfaction. Enough that he could almost forget that he sometimes missed Dallas.
He parked in the back and hurried to the kitchen to see what food he had stocked. He wasn’t taking Maddie out to eat. Anywhere in the county she would be besieged by old friends and he wouldn’t get time alone with her. She used to be warm, loving, ready for fun. He wondered how much she had changed.
God knew he’d changed in the past six years. At one time, he’d avoided all serious relationships, even with Maddie. But this past year, more and more, he’d been thinking about marriage. He’d begun avoiding long, empty nights by himself on the ranch.
His brother and his brother’s friends were all married now and appeared happier than ever. His closest friend, Luke Tarkington, had married last year and Gabe saw less of him. Gabe had recently had another birthday. He was in his thirties and he’d felt a growing restlessness, an urge to settle down, but there was no one in his life he wanted to settle with.
Now, here was Maddie. He couldn’t help imagining the possibilities.
When Maddie parted from Gabe, she had glanced in her rearview mirror as he walked back to his car. The same purposeful stride, the same lanky, long legs covering the ground easily. His black Stetson rested squarely on his head, the brim rolled in the typical fashion for their area of Texas. His shoulders looked broader than she remembered and she knew his lean look was deceptive, because he was stronger than a lot of men who were heavier. A persistent knot in her chest ached and she held tightly to the steering wheel as if it were a lifeline.
As she drove away, she focused on the stretch of flat highway ahead, seeing heat waves shimmer beneath the afternoon sun, too aware that Gabe was not far behind her. She waved when she turned into the Halliday ranch.
Tonight she was having dinner with Gabe.
She had always let him take charge and get his way, but she was a grown woman now and she should have refused the date.
When she had turned from her flat tire to find him standing behind her, her pulse had jumped. He was still the most handsome man she’d ever known with his startling blue eyes fringed with brown lashes. She had intended to avoid him while she was here. She definitely had not planned to spend any time with him. There was too much unresolved between them.
They had been friends since she was a kid. Later, it became so much more. Sometimes she wished she’d guarded her heart, but then she wouldn’t have Rebecca. And she wouldn’t have known what it was to love Gabe.
Their last summer still pained her when she thought about him walking away without making arrangements to see her again. While they had been arguing about the future, she had received the shock of her life.
The final week Gabe had been in Texas, before he’d traveled to Nigeria, she had learned she was pregnant with his baby.
Memories rushed at her now: the first shock of learning she was pregnant; the thrill of knowing she was carrying Gabe’s baby. She had shared her life with Gabe since she’d been about eight, and she’d loved him almost as long. So, in some ways, the pregnancy was joyous news. It had been a bond with Gabe that was forged for life.
When she’d realized what she had to do—keep the baby a secret from him—she had been devastated. But always, no matter how she looked at the situation, the best thing for both of them had been to keep the news to herself. Gabe hadn’t been ready for fatherhood or marriage or a binding commitment. He wouldn’t even commit to a serious relationship with her before the pregnancy! Even now, she was still convinced that revealing the truth would have been disastrous to Gabe. She had saved them both. She’d saved Gabe from a marriage and responsibility he hadn’t wanted. She’d saved herself from settling for life on the ranch when she wanted something more.
As she drove the familiar road to the home where she had grown up, she tried to ignore the tingly feeling that had started the moment she’d seen him and continued even now.
At the first sight of him her palms had gone damp and her breathing had altered. After all this time how could he still do this to her?
Memories of being in his arms, of making love to him, tormented her. Memories she had tried to forget through the years. But now that she’d seen him, they came tumbling back as fresh as if they had happened yesterday.
“I won’t get involved with you again.” She whispered the promise to herself, knowing that in some ways she would always be involved with him. There was Rebecca. And it had taken only one look into his blue eyes for the years to fall away. Could she still love him?
When she neared her family home, she looked at the tall wooden house that had belonged to her family for generations. She didn’t mind selling it. While she had been happy here, she didn’t want to move back. In Miami, she had a great place, with a big patio and a great bay-front view in a thriving metropolis she loved.
Stepping out of the car, she heard someone call her name.
She waited, watching a lanky, brown-haired man jog across the driveway toward her. Smiling, she waved.
“Maddie, welcome home.”
“Thanks, Sol. You look the same as ever,” she said, stepping forward to give the foreman a hug.
“Older now. It’s good to have you here.” He smiled at her and pushed his broad-brimmed Western hat back on his head. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s fine, so are my grandparents.”
“You should have brought your mom with you. Tell her hello from all of us.”
“I will. This is a fast business trip and then I need to get back to my work in Florida. It was easier to come by myself.”
“Let me get your things. You leave all this to me.” He moved past her to take her bags from the car after she opened the trunk. She shouldered a bag and picked up a suitcase.
“Leave those, Maddie. I’ll get everything.”
“Thanks, Sol. I’ll bring this much. You can get the rest. I’m going in anyway so there’s no need to go empty-handed.”
“Things are in pretty good shape here. When will you have somebody out to look at the place?” he asked as they walked to the house.
“I have an appointment this afternoon in Lubbock with an agency. Tomorrow I’m meeting a broker who is driving here from Fort Worth. I have a third appointment with a representative from another agency in Dallas. I’ll choose one to handle the sale and then I’ll better know the schedule for placing the ranch on the market. I’m glad you’ve found a job you want.” She entered a side door, smelling a vacant, stuffy odor as she turned off the alarm.
“Hard to leave this place, but life changes,” he said, glancing around. “It’s not the same with your granddad gone.”
“I know it’s not. It was good of you to stay for as long as I need you. It’ll be a lot easier if we can sell the place as is, with cattle included and some of the furniture still in the house. If we can’t sell it that way, then we’ll do what we have to do. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I hope we sell quickly.”
“I’ll pass the word along. We’re down to a skeleton crew now. Most hands have taken jobs elsewhere. Some have been hired on places with the stipulation that they can’t start until you’ve sold the ranch.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “Leave the bags here at the foot of the stairs. I can get them.”
“I’ll take them to your room,” he said, moving past her to carry the bags upstairs.
“Would you like a cup of coffee? I can have a pot brewed in no time,” she called after him.
“Thanks. I’ll come have coffee later if that’s all right. I have to get back to work now.”
She returned to the kitchen to get a glass of water and followed him to the back door. “Thanks so much for unloading my car. I’m not certain how long the arrangements will take, but I hope to get everything done this week and head back to Florida.”
“The men want to say hello to you, but most of them are out in the field right now. It’s good to have you home. Sorry it isn’t the happiest occasion.”
“Thanks again, Sol,” she said to the man who had been their ranch foreman since she was two years old.
He left, striding across the porch, jamming his hat farther down on his head.
She hurried up to the room that was still hers—white furniture, frilly white curtains, a view of the front and the big oaks that had been planted years ago by her grandfather.
She paused to stare at her canopied bed. Swamped with memories, she could envision making love in that bed with Gabe the summer she had been twenty-one. They’d had the house to themselves and she had wanted to show Gabe her home. In her bedroom, he had prowled around the room looking at everything until he drew her into his embrace for a kiss. They had made love right here, in her bedroom.
She thought now about the result of that afternoon, Rebecca. At this point in time, she couldn’t guess how Gabe would feel if he discovered the truth. She suspected he’d feel the same as he would have six years ago.
Except for himself, Gabe had never really had any responsibilities. He was immensely wealthy, a millionaire; his older brother had grown up running interference between Gabe and their strong-willed father. She’d worried over her decision countless times, but she always came to the same conclusion—for her sake and for Gabe’s, to save them both and to save their child from upheaval and unhappiness, Rebecca would remain a secret.
An ache deep inside started and she gave herself a small shake, closing her eyes as if that would shut out all memories of him. She busied herself unpacking and getting ready for her appointment with the agency in Lubbock.
Picking up her phone, she called home. First, she talked to her mother and then she listened to her daughter’s high-pitched voice as she came on the phone.
“I miss you, Mommy,” Rebecca said.
“I miss you, too,” Maddie replied, feeling her insides clutch. She always hated to be away from Rebecca, especially overnight, and she missed her daughter intensely. It had been a couple of hours since the call she made after landing at DFW. She could imagine Rebecca’s big blue eyes, her brown hair falling almost to her shoulders. It was Rebecca’s blue eyes that would give away the truth if Gabe ever saw her. “I miss you terribly,” she said.
“Come home.”
“I will as soon as I can. Grandma is with you and she said you are baking cookies. You will get a cookie soon.”
Maddie sat in a rocker and talked to her five-year-old for the next twenty minutes. Finally, Rebecca said goodbye and Maddie’s mother, Tracie, came back on the phone. They talked another fifteen minutes before Maddie ended the call.
Touching her phone, Maddie looked at Rebecca’s picture, clutching it to her heart for a moment and then staring intently at it. Long ago she had locked away wishful thinking. She had stopped imagining what might be between her and Rebecca’s father, always reminding herself that Gabe was not ready for fatherhood or marriage. He probably never would be. And she had her own dreams, for a career and a life in the city. She didn’t want to spend her adult life on a ranch.
These painful thoughts and memories were what she had dreaded about this trip. She’d hoped she wouldn’t encounter Gabe, and now that she had, she was still certain it was best he didn’t learn about his daughter. If she could get through this week, she would leave Texas for good and her heartache over Gabe would fade, as it had before.
Maddie reassured herself that she could spend this evening surrounded by old friends, cut the time short and tell Gabe goodbye early. If so, their time together would be over and she wouldn’t see him again.
Two
Gabe walked across the familiar porch, remembering all the times before when he’d taken the same walk to pick up Maddie. Now, when she swung open the door, his heart pounded just as it had six years ago. She wore a dark blue, knee-length, sleeveless dress with a scoop neckline that revealed gorgeous curves. Her blond hair was caught up high on her head and fell freely in back.