What a Man Needs (8 page)

Cynthia was taken aback by the request. She had never done endorsements before, and wasn't crazy about doing this, even for Dr. Richie. “I'll need some time to consider it. So I'll have to get back to you.”

“Of course, that's understandable.” Abby Edwards smiled, then reached out her hand and Cynthia shook it. “I'll give you a call in…two weeks?”

“Sure. Goodbye.” Cynthia turned to leave and saw Kelly coming into the room. They'd made a date to meet for dinner.

“When you didn't come out to the car, I wondered if I missed you.”

“No, I was talking to Dr. Richie's PR person. She wants my endorsement of NoWait.”

Kelly raised an eyebrow. “I hope you didn't say you'd do it.”

“Of course not.” Together they walked through the doors into the hall, passing several couples holding hands, or with their arms around each other. Some pairs were boldly exchanging kisses. “I said I'd get back to her in a few weeks. I'll just hand it over to my lawyer.” She smiled sweetly. Although her sister was a divorce lawyer, she handled a lot of Cyndi's affairs.

“Good, this NoWait oil hasn't been thoroughly tested. I'd hate to see you on a TV infomercial selling the stuff, then end up being sued.”

“Always the practical one.”

“Someone has to be.” They pushed through the doors that led to the parking lot.

People turned as they walked by. She was recognized, but most fans just smiled at her, a few asked for autographs, and she willingly obliged.

“Where do you want to eat?” Kelly asked.

“I don't care. Just someplace quiet. I really don't feel like being bothered tonight.”

Kelly sighed. “Well, that's what you get for being famous.”

Cynthia thought about her life. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Maybe it was because she'd turned thirty-five and time seemed to be slipping away. She had no one special to share it with—no husband…no children.

“Kel, did you ever wish your life had gone in another direction? That you hadn't become a lawyer?”

Kelly paused at the driver's side of her Mercedes. “The only other thing I wanted to be years ago was a fireman.” She shrugged. “I love being a lawyer, but I've been thinking about doing more pro bono work. Forest has been telling me about the shelter kids.”

“Forest!”

“Yes, Forest.” Kelly climbed in the car.

A surprised Cynthia got in the passenger side. “I didn't know you were seeing Forest.”

“We haven't exactly been
seeing
each other.” She put the key in the ignition and started the car. “Okay, we had dinner once, and he brought me lunch at the office.” She smiled. “No man has ever done that for me.”

Cynthia was envious and happy at the same time. “You deserve special treatment.”

“Anyway, he suggests I donate time for the kids at the shelter.”

“Some of those kids were at the ranch the other day. Patrick and Nora have been teaching them to ride.” Cynthia thought about Davy, wondering how he was doing, whether someone was taking care of him, reading him a story and tucking him into bed at night. Or if he was afraid. She shivered. “I got to help, too. So you're serious about helping out?”

“Yeah,” her sister announced. “It'll be a nice change from couples bickering over who gets the beach house or the cabin cruiser.” She raised a hand. “Okay, so their money keeps me in a lifestyle I've come to love. But I'm realizing there's something I've missed in my life.”

From an early age, Kelly had been the original material girl. “Oh, my, that's quite a revelation.” Cynthia was thinking the same.

Her sister glanced in her direction, then pulled out onto the street. “What about you, sis? There was a time when you wanted to teach school. I know Mom had pushed you to keep making movies, and we all relied heavily on your financial support, especially me for college. I always
wondered if you gave up your dream to give me mine.”

“Oh, Kelly, no.” She touched her sister's arm. “I was happy that I made enough money to help out the family. If I'd wanted to go to college, I could have.”

Kelly looked doubtful. “Mom didn't exactly make the decision easy for you. She was good at encouraging guilt. You've made her life pretty comfortable. You've even helped our father. God, I hate to call that man that.”

“I just helped that one time.”

Cynthia remembered when their father had called her out of the blue. In the previous twelve years he'd never called or paid child support. And they had gone without a lot as kids. She'd ended up giving him money, but only after he promised to stay out of their lives.

“You bought him a house.”

“And it's all the way across the country,” Cynthia stressed. “He would have sold his story to the media and made our lives a living hell. It was simpler to help him out.”

“When is it going to be time for you, sis? When do you take time for some happiness?”

She laughed. “You make me sound like a martyr. I do plenty for me. I've had a great career.”

“But are you happy, Cyn? I don't think you have been for a long time. You're in a rough business. It's cruel and you deserve better. I think finding Patrick could be a good beginning.”

“What are you talking about? Patrick Tanner is teaching me to ride. There's no beginning.” Cynthia had to push aside any dreams of a man like Patrick in her life. He wanted nothing to do with an actress.

“Not according to Forest. He says Patrick has feelings for you. Of course, he's just as stubborn as you.”

Cynthia would love it if that were true. “One minute Patrick can barely stand having me around, then the next he's kissing me. It's confusing. As things stand now, there's no future for us.”

“Never say never. Forest let it slip that there was a woman in Patrick's past. She did quite a number on him and he doesn't trust easily. You could change that.”

“No, I'm staying clear of the man.” Cynthia had had her fill of his rejection. She didn't need him telling her again that he didn't want her.

Why did love have to hurt so badly? Her heart tightened in her chest. Oh, God, no. She sucked in a gasp. She couldn't be falling in love with the man. But it looked like it was too late. She was well on her way.

T
he following day, as usual, Cynthia had gotten up at six o'clock and was downstairs by six-thirty. For a change she decided to fix bacon-and-egg sandwiches for breakfast. She knew that she should be watching her diet, but with the amount of exercise she'd been doing and her NoWait oil, she could splurge a little.

She had also increased her muscle tone, especially in her legs and rear end. She rubbed her tender bottom. All this was due to the fact that she'd been riding a horse. No wonder cowboys had such great-looking backsides.

When Patrick came through the back door she tried not to be affected by his overwhelming presence, but it didn't work. Her pulse pounded in her veins as she gave his well-toned body the once-over. She'd worked with a lot of the leading men in Hollywood, but it was Patrick Tanner who made her lose control. Lord, he had her hormones doing a jig.

“Good morning,” she managed.

“Good morning,” he greeted her and took off his hat, causing his blond-streaked hair to fall across his forehead. Cynthia had trouble drawing air into her lungs when he ambled over to the coffeemaker. She quickly took the bread from the toaster and slapped together the makings of a sandwich. Just a few more days and she'd be gone. There would be an end to the temptation.

“I made us egg sandwiches.”

Patrick leaned a hip against the counter and took a sip of his coffee. “Sounds good,” he lied. It didn't matter what she cooked, he hadn't had any appetite lately. He eyed Cyndi's shapely little backside in her jeans and his body stirred. Not for food. He went to the table and sat down. That wasn't any better. She sat across from him, giving him a perfect view of those incredible brown eyes and that sexy mouth.

Food. He needed to concentrate on food. He reached for his sandwich and took a huge bite, but his gaze was drawn back to her. His eyes lingered on her slender hands and long fingers as she held the bread. Her nails were short. His gaze returned to her face, scrubbed clean of any makeup, her red hair pulled into a no-nonsense braid. There was no sign of the pampered Hollywood starlet he'd once thought she was. Cyndi had worked hard, both at riding and ranch chores, and without complaint.

Patrick identified the problem. He wanted her. Had done every day, every minute since that night at Morgan's. Nothing he'd done had made it stop, either. For the past few days he'd tried to keep his distance. It wouldn't have been so hard if he hadn't had the memories of their one night together. But he'd already known what it was like to touch her, caress her flawless skin, then sink deep inside her. He groaned.

She looked at him. “Something wrong?”

He shook his head. “Just eating too fast.” He swallowed hard. “We've got a lot to do today. Are you up for a ride outside the corral?”

Her chocolate eyes rounded. “You mean it?”

Patrick found her excitement contagious. “Yeah. I think it's time I broadened your horizon. So let's go get saddled up.” He stood, took his
plate to the sink and she followed. When she started to rinse the dishes, he reached for her hand to stop her. The electrical shock nearly threw him backward.

She frowned. “What?”

Patrick released her. “Leave them. I'll do 'em later.” She followed him to the door. He grabbed his hat, then handed one to her. “Come on, the sun's up.”

Twenty minutes later, Forest held open the gate that led out to the open pasture and Cynthia walked Daisy toward the trail. The high grass waved in the summer breeze. Rows and rows of tall pine trees met the majestic mountain range, and the crowning glory was the clear blue sky. Cynthia sat in the saddle, holding Daisy's reins, but the scenery had her attention until Patrick rode up beside her.

“How do you feel?”

She couldn't hold back her smile. “Great. This is a whole different world than any I've ever known. I grew up in the city with noise, smog and freeway traffic.” She drew another deep breath. “This is heaven.”

“I feel the same. I don't know if I could ever live anywhere else.”

“You were lucky you had parents who wanted their kids to have this kind of life.”

She watched the light fade from his eyes. “Yeah, I was lucky. Maybe we should get to work on the lesson. I have a lot of other things to do today.”

“I'm ready,” she said, trying not to let his sudden mood change bother her.

“Okay. Let's pick up the pace.” He kicked his horse's side, and Cynthia did the same. She was determined to keep up with him. Daisy cooperated and obeyed her every command. Cynthia felt the wind in her hair as she began to canter, trying to remember how to sit, to be one with the horse. For a while she bounced up and down, then finally caught the horse's rhythm.

Patrick rode up beside her and critiqued her posture, then urged her to go faster. She lowered her head and nudged Daisy's sides and they shot off. After about a hundred yards, Patrick called to her to stop. She pulled back on the reins and slowed at the edge of the trees.

She turned around and saw Patrick come up. “Well, how did I do?”

“Not bad.”

“Not bad!” She worked to slow her breathing. “A week ago I wouldn't have come near a horse, let alone ride one.”

“I know and you're doing great, but you have
to work on your posture some more. You're a little stiff. A few more days of practice and you should look a lot better.”

He rode ahead of her and Daisy followed. “Where are we going?” she asked. The trail led them under the tall trees that filtered out most of the sunlight, and the temperature dropped.

“You ask a lot of questions,” he called over his shoulder.

“And my mother taught me never to go off into the woods with men.” After a while the sun again brightened their path as the trees changed. Now they were smaller and planted in neat rows that seemed to go on forever.

“You're not in the woods anymore. You're in the middle of the Tanner Christmas Tree Farm.”

“I thought you raised horses.”

“Ranch land has to be multipurpose to survive these days. I raise cattle and horses, grow trees and have been known to plant a few crops.”

“I'm impressed,” she said. “You have quite an operation.”

Patrick shifted in the saddle. He didn't like to talk about his business, but Cyndi's interest drew the words from him. “We do what we have to do,” he told her. “I had sisters to care for, so there wasn't much of a choice. I didn't want to
lose our home.” He'd been too close to that possibility twice and he never wanted to be there again.

He shook away the thought. “There's a line shack up on the ridge. We'll stop there and rest the horses.”

He should just turn around and take her back to the barn, but he wasn't ready to end this time with her.

They pulled up in front of a crude structure. About twenty yards away was a small stream, so he hobbled the horses and let them drink and graze.

“When I hire a crew to cut the trees, we use this place as the base.” He walked her up to the porch, wondering what she thought about the simple shack.

“Oh my, it's like I've stepped back in time about a hundred years. How old is this place?”

“Not sure. It's been around since my dad was a kid.”

The cabin had been his escape from Michael Tanner when he went on a drunken rage. More than once, it had been a safe haven where he'd brought his sisters to hide. He only wished he could have found a way to save his mother. That pang of guilt would always be with him.

Patrick pushed open the door and allowed Cyndi to go in ahead of him. The inside was anything but fancy. Just a scarred table, a few mismatched chairs and built-in bunk beds up against the far wall, with rolled-up bedding on the metal springs. The kitchen area had a couple of cabinets, and a rust-pitted sink with a pump that drew its water from a well. Heat was supplied by a potbellied stove, and Patrick had bought a generator a few years back so they would have electricity.

“It's not the Ritz, or your mansion in Hollywood.”

Cynthia swung around. “You really must think I'm such a snob.” Her eyes flashed. “I'll have you know that you'd be appalled at some of the places Kelly and I had to live in when we were kids. Our father walked out on us years ago, and our mother couldn't seem to hold a job—or her second husband or her third.” She shrugged. “Of course Kelly and I were happy when she stopped bringing strange men into our lives—men who always seemed to take an unhealthy interest in her young daughters.”

Patrick cursed and started toward her, but she backed away.

“So don't go assuming you know me,” she spat out as she turned and walked out the door.

Patrick drew a frustrated breath and released it. She was right. He didn't really know Cynthia Reynolds. Suddenly he found he did want to know everything about her.

He walked out to the porch. She faced away from him looking out toward the creek. “You're right, Cyndi. I shouldn't have judged you.”

She shook her head. “No, I apologize. I have no idea what got into me. I've made a considerable amount of money in the movie business. And I do have a nice home in L.A. Not a mansion, just a nice house. I'm not a showy person. And I will always remember where I came from.”

He'd never forget his past, either. He had his father's legacy to remind him. “I don't think our childhood ever leaves us.”

“No, I guess that makes us who we are.”

She looked so vulnerable and that made him vulnerable. She made him feel so many things, a connection for one. But their lives were so different. She'd be going back to Hollywood, and she'd forget he ever existed. No, they didn't have a future, but that didn't stop the wanting.

Cynthia felt like throttling Patrick, but she also wanted him. How could she desire him so much when he was such a crazy-maker, one minute kissing her, the next minute pushing her away.

He closed the distance between them and surprised her when he reached for her. Her heart drummed in her chest as he drew her against him. She never knew whether this man was going to run hot or cold, but when he touched her, she didn't care. His head lowered to hers and he captured her mouth. She thought she was going to melt there on the spot, but he held her up, holding her against him.

He broke off the kiss. “This is dangerous,” he whispered, just before his mouth returned to hers. Teasing her lips apart, he pushed his tongue inside to taste her. She moaned as his arms wrapped tighter, holding her close, causing her to feel the imprint of his arousal. Then suddenly he released her.

His breathing was ragged and his eyes didn't hide his desire. “You are one sexy woman, Cyndi. We better get back or I'm going to break my promise to you.”

Before Cynthia could say anything, he walked off the porch and headed for the horses. Okay, maybe he was right. He wanted her, but he'd let her know there wasn't any future for them. That was one of the things she admired about this man—his integrity.

Only not right now.

 

That evening, Carrie Martin found herself back at the Healthy Living Clinic attending another meeting. This time the evening seminar was packed. Standing room only. She recognized several faces in the crowd, famous people like Cynthia Reynolds. Carrie almost didn't realize it was the actress without her makeup and styled hair. Like most of the people here, she was dressed casually, having come from working out in the fitness center.

Carrie was still amazed that her ex-husband had caused such a stir in Portland. His new product was the buzz throughout the clinic, and she'd even heard rumors about it going national. People had nothing but praise for the doctor. She tensed. She wondered how they'd all feel if they knew the truth about their precious Dr. Richie. He was a womanizer and an absentee father.

Carrie's thoughts turned to her late husband, Ralph. For fifteen years he'd loved her dearly, and she'd loved him, but they'd both known that someone had stood between them. Richard.

Even when Ralph had been dying, his only worry had been for her and Jason. She hadn't deserved her husband, because she'd still carried feelings for the man who'd deserted her and their child.
And Dr. Richie needed to pay the price for what he'd done.

All in due time, she told herself. She wasn't ready yet to announce her presence back in his life.

 

Around midnight, Patrick wasn't in a good mood. He'd spent the evening with Nora, who'd been far too curious about what was going on. She had asked too many questions, especially about Cyndi. Where had she gone tonight? When was she coming home? He wanted to know the same things, but Cyndi hadn't told him a thing. There had only been a note that said she wouldn't be home for dinner. Why should she tell him anything? He'd pushed her away so many times. He didn't have a claim on her.

Not that he didn't want to lay claim, but in the long run, this was best for both of them. He reminded himself of that as he stood under the cool shower spray, hoping to ease the tension in his body. He'd never gotten so aroused by a woman that he couldn't concentrate on one damn thing. He hated that Cyndi had that power. She'd managed to be on his mind too much. During the day, he'd find himself thinking about her; at night he dreamed about her lying next to him…about making love to her.

Stop it! He shut off the water and stepped out of the stall. After drying off, he wrapped the towel
around his waist, then raked his fingers through his wet hair as he walked into his bedroom. He needed sleep. He'd worked hard today so there shouldn't be any reason he couldn't fall off once his head hit the pillow.

Yeah, right. Patrick had just jerked the blanket back when a sudden noise alerted him that someone was in the house. Cyndi. So she'd come home. There was a crash and then her cry, sending him running into the hall. He flipped on the light and looked over the banister to find Cyndi sprawled at the bottom of the stairs along with a toppled end table.