lips. “This is genuine turquoise. It’s huge. It must have cost you a fortune .” She lifted the wide cuff bracelet from its bed of velvet and looked at the smooth, inlaid stones. With expressive eyes, she looked up him. “Chance, I’m—I don’t understand. This was tremendously expensive.”
She was about to say more when he placed his fingertips over her soft, full lips. “I don’t care how much it cost. I wanted to make you happy. Will you try it on?”
“But, Chance…” She looked confused, and that was his fault. He’d walked in on her naked and embarrassed her, then she’d hurt herself, and now he was springing expensive gifts on her without preamble.
He lifted the necklace and carefully undid the catch. “Baby, let’s try it on you and see if you like it.” Wishing he had his reading glasses, he fumbled with the necklace, and the ends slipped from his callused fingers. She caught it and smiled at him as he muttered, “I’m going to make a big mess out of this with my clumsiness.”
Thinking that was true in more ways than one, he paused for a second, watching as she fastened the catch and caressed the pendant thoughtfully. He decided to go for broke.
“I wanted to give you something nice because I care about you, Lydia. Being around you makes me happy, but I don’t enjoy when it’s time for me to say good-bye to you. I want you to come back with me to the Rockin’ C Ranch. We have a huge kitchen and a bunch of hungry men who would love to taste your cooking, but more than anything else I just want you to come back to Divine with me.” Please!
“What about Clayton?” She looked really uncertain on that point. “What does he think?”
“I talked to him about it tonight. He wants you to come, too, if you’re willing. You want out of Fort Stockton. You want to be a chef. We want you— I want you with us, and you’d have lots of men who would be at your whim and beckoning once they taste your cooking. But more than anything, Lydia, we just want you to come to the Rockin’ C. See how it will work out.”
He rattled on for another minute while she listened, but she still seemed confused. He’d probably hit her with too much information all at once.
“Did you say Clayton wants me?”
Chance bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t just fucked things up royally. He could lie to her and say he misspoke, but he didn’t want to start off that way.
Nodding hesitantly, he watched her face. “Yeah. To be honest, he’s just as smitten with you as I am.”
He couldn’t get a feel for how she was reacting to that news. Her eyes blinked tiredly, and he suddenly questioned the wisdom of hitting her with that revelation in her present state.
“Why isn’t he here with you?”
That was the million-dollar question. “He was worried that it might overwhelm you, to discover out of the blue that we’re both attracted to you. He doubted that you’d be interested in both of us.”
Brushing her long, dark hair behind her ears, she said, “Let me get this straight because I’m a little punchy right now. You want me, and…Clayton wants me, too?”
“Yes, Lydia. He knows I’ve been sweet on you for a while.” A little smile crossed her face, and he was encouraged by that. “Clayton wanted me to have a chance to talk to you first. He hopes that there’d be room enough in your heart for him, too.” Chance placed a fingertip on her breastbone beneath the pendant. “We don’t want a fling, baby. That’s not what I’m talking about. And you don’t have to make a decision about any of this tonight. I just figured I’d better put it all out there for you.”
Lydia smiled at him and stroked the pendant with her fingertips. It looked gorgeous on her, and he told her so. The greenish-blue turquoise that Summer had suggested was perfect with her eye color and complexion. Placing her hand on the other package, she said, “I wonder what’s in this one.”
He almost stopped her because now did not
She was about to say more when he placed his fingertips over her soft, full lips. “I don’t care how much it cost. I wanted to make you happy. Will you try it on?”
“But, Chance…” She looked confused, and that was his fault. He’d walked in on her naked and embarrassed her, then she’d hurt herself, and now he was springing expensive gifts on her without preamble.
He lifted the necklace and carefully undid the catch. “Baby, let’s try it on you and see if you like it.” Wishing he had his reading glasses, he fumbled with the necklace, and the ends slipped from his callused fingers. She caught it and smiled at him as he muttered, “I’m going to make a big mess out of this with my clumsiness.”
Thinking that was true in more ways than one, he paused for a second, watching as she fastened the catch and caressed the pendant thoughtfully. He decided to go for broke.
“I wanted to give you something nice because I care about you, Lydia. Being around you makes me happy, but I don’t enjoy when it’s time for me to say good-bye to you. I want you to come back with me to the Rockin’ C Ranch. We have a huge kitchen and a bunch of hungry men who would love to taste your cooking, but more than anything else I just want you to come back to Divine with me.” Please!
“What about Clayton?” She looked really uncertain on that point. “What does he think?”
“I talked to him about it tonight. He wants you to come, too, if you’re willing. You want out of Fort Stockton. You want to be a chef. We want you— I want you with us, and you’d have lots of men who would be at your whim and beckoning once they taste your cooking. But more than anything, Lydia, we just want you to come to the Rockin’ C. See how it will work out.”
He rattled on for another minute while she listened, but she still seemed confused. He’d probably hit her with too much information all at once.
“Did you say Clayton wants me?”
Chance bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t just fucked things up royally. He could lie to her and say he misspoke, but he didn’t want to start off that way.
Nodding hesitantly, he watched her face. “Yeah. To be honest, he’s just as smitten with you as I am.”
He couldn’t get a feel for how she was reacting to that news. Her eyes blinked tiredly, and he suddenly questioned the wisdom of hitting her with that revelation in her present state.
“Why isn’t he here with you?”
That was the million-dollar question. “He was worried that it might overwhelm you, to discover out of the blue that we’re both attracted to you. He doubted that you’d be interested in both of us.”
Brushing her long, dark hair behind her ears, she said, “Let me get this straight because I’m a little punchy right now. You want me, and…Clayton wants me, too?”
“Yes, Lydia. He knows I’ve been sweet on you for a while.” A little smile crossed her face, and he was encouraged by that. “Clayton wanted me to have a chance to talk to you first. He hopes that there’d be room enough in your heart for him, too.” Chance placed a fingertip on her breastbone beneath the pendant. “We don’t want a fling, baby. That’s not what I’m talking about. And you don’t have to make a decision about any of this tonight. I just figured I’d better put it all out there for you.”
Lydia smiled at him and stroked the pendant with her fingertips. It looked gorgeous on her, and he told her so. The greenish-blue turquoise that Summer had suggested was perfect with her eye color and complexion. Placing her hand on the other package, she said, “I wonder what’s in this one.”
He almost stopped her because now did not
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