Crazy For You (3 page)

She shook her head as she drove the old ranch truck into town, trying to scatter thoughts of Clint. It had taken a long time to forget him, or at least not think about him as much, and he’d gone and unbalanced her world all over again.

When she reached Hatch’s Feed and Tack, she parked the beat-up Ford in front of the store, not bothering to lock it. The vehicle was so old and rusted, the paint oxidized, that she doubted anyone would touch it.

She pocketed the keys and jogged up the steps and into the feed store. Immediately the smells of chicken scratch, leather, oats and molasses, washed over her. Harnesses and other tack hung from the walls and the small, cramped store’s dusty shelves were packed with farm and ranch supplies.

Tobias Hatch stood behind the scarred wood counter, an old-fashioned cash register in front of him. He looked up as he shut the cash register drawer and gave Ella a smile. His yellowed teeth were crooked and his skin wrinkled, but in his youth, from what she’d been told by Aunt Madge, he’d been a good-looking young man.

“Well, if it isn’t our little girl, Ella.” Tobias placed both hands on the countertop. “What can I do for you today?”

Ella smiled as she approached him. She liked the older man. “We’re about out of feed.”

He nodded. “What do you need?”

“Fifty-pound bags of sweet oats, cracked corn, horse pellets, and six bales of alfalfa.” She glanced around the shop. “I have that mare that’s getting close to foaling, and I need more of the supplements we’ve been using.”

Tobias rang up all of the supplies and Ella’s belly twisted as she wrote the check. She’d known approximately how much she’d be spending, but it still wasn’t easy paying it. The ranch hadn’t been doing so well, and it was all Ella could do to keep up with it now that her dad wasn’t able to do a whole lot.

“Pull your truck around back.” Tobias put the check in the register and slammed the drawer shut. He handed Ella the canister containing the supplement for her pregnant horse. “We’ll get you loaded up.”

She dug the keys out of her pocket as she descended the stairs and reached the truck. In moments she’d backed it up and had driven around to the back of the store to the dirt lot where hay bales, along with various farm and ranch supplies, were kept beneath metal overhangs.

Tobias and his son, Tom, loaded up the old truck, which sagged with the load. When they were finished, she waved goodbye and drove the truck from behind the store to the front street. Every pothole caused the truck to bounce hard and jostle her from side to side. The shock absorbers on the old Ford were shot.

On her way out of town, she decided to stop at Sweet Things. She parked in front of the bakery and hopped out of her truck. Through the plate glass window she could see Ricki, the owner, who was engaged to Clint’s cousin, Garrett McBride, a local private investigator.

Ella headed into the bakery, bells tinkling at the door as she pulled it open. “Hi, Ricki,” she said as she walked in.

Ricki smiled. “Good afternoon.”

If you say so.
Ella took a deep breath and inhaled all of the wonderful scents of fresh baked breads and pastries, along with sweet icings and coffee. “Man, I love the smell of this place.”

Ricki laughed and leaned on her forearms on a glass case. “What’s up with you these days?”

With a shake of her head, Ella said, “Not much. Same old same old.” She wasn’t about to mention Clint. Ricki had only been in town for a couple of years so she likely didn’t know him anyway. Ella approached the case containing some of Ricki’s delicious pastries. “I think I’ll take home a treat for Mom and Dad.”

“What would you like?” Ricki stepped back from the cases.

Ella put her hands on her hips as she studied all of the goodies. “Too many choices.” Her mother, Alice, made everything from scratch, so Ella wanted to get something Alice didn’t make and they both loved. “How about a dozen of your chocolates?”

Ricki grabbed a small box. “Which ones?”

“You pick.” Ella tapped her hands on the case. “Just make sure there are a couple of your awesome peanut butter chocolate truffles and some that are dark chocolate. Mom loves dark chocolate and of course I love the peanut butter ones.”

“You’ve got it.” Ricki opened up the case and selected a dozen chocolates. When she was finished, she set the box on top of the glass, closed the case, and sealed the box. “Would you like coffee or anything else?”

Ella shook her head. “That’ll do it.”

The doorbells jangled and Ella looked over her shoulder to see her friend, Cara, walk in. The beautiful dark-haired woman had gone to school with Ella since junior high when Cara’s family had moved here from New York.

“Hiya.” Cara hugged Ella and gave Ricki a quick smile and a little wave in greeting. “I sure don’t see you around here much,” Cara said to Ella.

Ella shrugged. “There’s a lot going on at the ranch now and that’s been keeping us busy. Especially since Pistol took off for Wyoming last week.” Pistol had been the Fishers’ only cowhand and he hadn’t given them more than a day’s notice that he was leaving.

Cara sighed and shook her head, her shoulder-length black hair swinging. “So you’re stuck with just about everything until you can hire some new help.”

“At this point I don’t know if we can afford to hire anyone.” Ella pushed her braid over her shoulder. “Unless we find someone who’s willing to work for room and board, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

The concerned look in Cara’s dark eyes told Ella she’d said too much. Ella put on a bright smile. “But everything always has a way of working out for the best.”

Cara rested her hand on Ella’s forearm. “Are you making time to sculpt? I know it’s important to you.”

“I get in what time I can.” Ella tried to remain positive. “It’s all fine.”

Cara nodded but didn’t look satisfied with Ella’s answer. Cara’s expression changed as she said, “Can you believe Clint McBride is back in town?”

Ella felt slow heat rise through her. “He’s in town?”

“You didn’t know?” Cara raised her eyebrows. “Night before last he came into the motel, sometime after two in the morning.”

“No, I wasn’t aware of that.” Ella ground her teeth as her skin started to tingle. “I did see him at the Cave Creek rodeo over the weekend.”

“I swear he looks even hotter now than he did the last time we saw him.” Cara shook her hand like she was trying to cool it off. “Damned hot.”

Ella tried to keep her voice calm. “Do you know where he is now?”

Cara pointed north. “I just passed the Highlander bar and saw the black Mustang he’s driving parked there.”

“Back to his old ways?” Ella muttered.

Cara shrugged one slim shoulder. “Maybe it’s nostalgia.”

“Maybe.” Ella reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty and gave it to Ricki who made change and handed it to Ella. She looked from Cara to Ricki. “The three of us should get together for a girl’s night.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ricki said and Cara nodded.

Ella took the box of chocolates and headed out the door to the old Ford and climbed in. She set the box on the seat and inserted the key into the ignition. It took two tries but the engine coughed and sputtered to life.

With her jaw set, she backed up the truck and headed toward the Highlander bar.

The Highlander wasn’t far and it didn’t take Ella more than five minutes to get to it from Sweet Things. Brakes squealed when the truck came to a stop and she cut the engine. The door squeaked as she opened it and then slammed it shut after she’d climbed out. She’d take a can of WD-40 to the door if it weren’t for the fact that the entire truck creaked, groaned, and squeaked. Lot of good it would do.

She strode toward the Highlander and her worn boots thumped on the wood floor as she stepped through the open door of the bar. She blinked and it took a moment for her eyes to get accustomed to the dim interior. When she could see clearly, she swept her gaze around the place until she saw a familiar figure sitting on one of the stools at the end of the long bar.

Clint was leaning over the bar and hadn’t looked up from his beer when she’d entered. He gripped a Corona, his long fingers wrapped around the clear bottle as he stared down at it.

Ella narrowed her eyes and headed straight for him. When she reached him, he still hadn’t looked up. “It’s only noon and you’re already drinking?”

He slowly looked up from the full bottle, a wedge of lime still at the mouth of the Corona, and met her gaze. His eyes were clear, his expression focused, and she was certain he wasn’t intoxicated. At least not yet.

A shiver ran through her and a pang of longing that she hadn’t expected. Out of nowhere, an image of them naked, their bodies pressed together, flashed through her mind and her skin prickled from head to toe.

Something flickered in his eyes. “Hi, Ella,” he said quietly as he moved his hand away from his beer.

She put her hands on her hips. “You’re in town two days and you haven’t even called Mom and Dad?”

And you haven’t even called me.
The thought unsettled her. Why would Clint think to call her? She’d just been his best friend’s kid sister, after all. And the last time she’d seen him, she’d smacked him good.

He pushed the brim of his western hat up and she got a better look at his beautiful brown eyes. “I don’t think Alice and Carl would want to see me.”

Ella scowled at Clint. “I can’t believe you would even think that after all those years that you weren’t like a part of the family. You were a second son to them.” Although, she sure hadn’t thought of Clint like a brother since her teens.

Clint’s gaze never moved away from hers. “I was responsible for Bucky’s death. They have no reason to want to see me.”

Confusion made Ella frown. “What are you talking about?” You weren’t—”

Moose, the heavy-set bartender with thinning hair, moved in front of them. He gave her a mock frown. “Gonna have to see your ID, little girl.”

“I’m not staying.” Ella pushed her long braid over her shoulder so that it was hanging down her back. Moose never really carded her but liked to tease her. He’d known her family since she was born. She tried to smile and failed. “I just need to talk to Clint for a moment before I head back to the ranch and get to work.”

Moose seemed to get the hint. “Let me know if either of you need anything. I’ve got to get a case of beer out of the back.”

The big man left and Ella turned her gaze back to meet Clint’s.

For some reason the fire in Ella’s eyes made Clint want to smile but he didn’t. She looked sexy and vibrant with her chin raised and her hands on her hips. He was seated but they were almost at eye level. He wanted to reach out and touch her, smooth his thumb over her cheek. He wanted to kiss her.

The thought made him grind his teeth. He had no business even thinking about kissing Ella Fisher. Hadn’t he already taken enough from her?

She narrowed her gaze. “I don’t suppose you’re planning on hanging around Prescott for long.”

“No,” he said. “I’m not.”

The intensity in Ella’s eyes grew fiercer. “You’re a selfish S.O.B., Clint McBride.”

“I’m sorry,” was all he could think to say.

“You’re expected at Sunday dinner.” She glared at him as he looked at her with surprise. “Five o’clock. Don’t be late.”

With that, she turned and walked away from him. He watched her leave the bar with her head held high and his gut twisted as one thought after another hit him.

He couldn’t stop the erotic images that went through his mind. Her lips had been full, inviting him to kiss her or have her take him deep into her mouth. Her jeans were snug, her ass well rounded, and her T-shirt tight across her breasts. He imagined having her in his bed and taking her all night.

The thought had him grinding his teeth again as she walked out of the bar’s entrance. Damn, but he had no right thinking about her that way. She didn’t need a hard, killer cowboy. She needed someone to love her soft and long. She was a forever girl.

He turned back to the untouched beer. He swiped the rim of the bottle with the lime and set the wedge on the counter before taking a long pull at the now warm beer. It tasted like crap, but after talking with Ella he needed a drink.

Maybe he should have called the Fishers and his brother sooner, but since he’d arrived he’d done his best to stay low and visit old haunts alone. He’d needed that time to face ghosts of his past. Now it was time to face the living.

Moose came through the door to the left of the bar, carrying a case of beer. He took one look at Clint and said, “Whiskey?”

Clint gave a single nod. “Straight up.”

It was late afternoon, a couple of hours after Ella had left, when Clint finally called Cody. He hadn’t been looking forward to calling his younger brother because he knew Cody would be pissed. It was time to get it over and done with.

Now that he’d had a few drinks, he felt a little more relaxed but he still couldn’t get Ella off his mind. Talking with Cody would probably take care of that problem.

He hadn’t had a cell phone in Argentina and hadn’t picked one up since he’d made it to the States. He asked Moose if he could use the bar’s phone and the bartender handed it over. When the big man moved away, Clint pulled a piece of paper with Cody’s cell number out of his wallet.

The phone rang twice before Cody answered in a slow drawl. “Cody McBride here.”

Clint let out his breath. “Hi, Cody.”

Silence and then Cody said, “Clint?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Clint gripped his whiskey glass.

“Where the hell are you?” Cody asked. Clint couldn’t get a read on his brother and tell whether he was pissed or glad to hear from him.

“At the Highlander,” Clint said.

Silence and then Cody said, “In Prescott?”

Clint nodded even though Cody couldn’t see. “Yes.”

“I’ll be right there.” Cody disconnected the call.

With a grimace Clint placed the phone on the bar top then tossed back the rest of the contents of his whiskey glass. As he put the glass down, his old mentor, Walt, took the chair next to him.

“Good to see you made it to town, son.” Walt gripped Clint’s shoulder as he greeted him. “When did you get here?”