Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn #4)(21)
Lucy’s eyes rounded, then she burst out laughing. “You’re pulling my leg.”
Wyatt flashed a quick smile. “Yes, ma’am. It’s good to see you laughing, Miss Lucy. The kids are better behaved than I ever was, better than even you and your brother were, but they’re missing their old life. My son and his wife were in Dallas until he lost his job. They moved in with us in our rental in town, but no one was happy there. The kids play video games and hide in their rooms all day. I’m hoping it’ll be different for them here.”
“How old are they?”
“Brianna is eleven. Cooper is nine. I’d love to see them get into riding. I tried to take them out once, but they don’t know teeth from tail on a horse. I get that my son doesn’t want this lifestyle. He’s working with some big headhunter, and as soon as they land him a job, he says they’re gone again. They like to live large, and that’s why they had no savings when he lost his job. But you can’t tell him that, can’t tell his wife that, neither. There is a whole lot of living that could be done while waiting for that perfect job, but I didn’t have a place where I could really show them what that means. I appreciate you letting us come back.”
Tears of gratitude filled Lucy’s eyes. “Don’t you dare make me cry, Wyatt. I’m already a mess.”
“You’ll be fine soon enough. Things are already turning around. Was that David’s truck I saw in the drive?”
Lucy wagged a finger at him, although it was impossible to be irritated with him. “You know good and well it is. He said you hired him.”
Wyatt took his time answering. “I’m not as young as I used to be, Lucy. There’s trouble brewing, and I want to do right by you, but I have my family to think of, too. My son’s a good businessman, but he couldn’t fight his way out of a brawl with kittens. This town needs a David. York doesn’t scare him, and seeing that reminds the men around him that we all had a life before York took over his daddy’s place and did his best to make sure he was the only game in town. He’s slowly buying out all the ranches in the area.”
Lucy glanced at the door, then back at Wyatt. “You think having David here will change that?”
Wyatt replaced his hat. “Hope is a powerful thing. When you ain’t got it, you got no fight in you. Everything changes as soon as you believe it can. Do you believe you can keep this ranch?”
Lucy clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m going to try my damnedest to.”
“That wasn’t answering my question, and if you can’t say yes, I don’t know what we’re all doing here. Good night, Miss Lucy.”
Ouch. It was impossible to be upset with Wyatt for speaking so bluntly because Lucy knew his concern was genuine. “Good night, Wyatt.”
No longer hungry, Lucy left the kitchen and went to her father’s office. She unlocked it, flipped on the light, and then stood over the large box she hadn’t yet had the nerve to open. If I don’t believe I can do this, then I don’t know what I’m doing here, either.
She knelt, opened the box, and took out the largest package inside. It wasn’t labeled. Opening it, she unwrapped a rose-colored velvet base a woman was apparently supposed to straddle. Included in the box were several screw-on dildos in an assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes. The front of the base had enough buttons on it to make Lucy laugh out loud. A woman could kill herself on that thing trying to program it. Stop laughing. This is a career, not a joke. No wonder the site didn’t have a clear photo of the product; there’s not much that’s sexy about it. Lucy frowned, but with determination, reached for the directions. I can do this. She read the highlights listed in the description. “Remote control included. Bluetooth ready.” Bluetooth? “Downloadable apps to increase your pleasure and your fantasy. Write your own interactive story or use one of ours.”
Lucy sat back on her heels and threw the directions along with the base back into the box. I need to start simpler. She leaned back into the box and pulled out a smaller parcel. She opened it and took out what at first looked like a tangle of wires and Velcro. There was a remote control attached to a larger band of Velcro. Lucy figured the large band would fit on a wrist, so that was where she put it. She untangled the wires and saw attachments for three fingers. Which three? She glimpsed another control device in the box. It was the size and shape of a phone with a label that read “Waterproof.” Because it’s not intimidating enough as is, why not add the chance of getting electrocuted in the bath? She reached for the directions, then tried and failed to figure them out. Either the first device recorded what the phone-sized device told it to or it was the other way around. Once again, there were apps to download and directions that weren’t written for regular people to understand. Lucy threw the toy back into its container in frustration.
Whatever happened to a good, old-fashioned vibrator?
She shoved the box away from her.
I wanted to sell something with a high profit margin. These are supposed to be the wave of the future.
Lucy sighed and stood.
I’m screwed.
Hopefully all of this will make sense to me tomorrow. She closed and locked the door behind her. I know you’re right, Wyatt. If I don’t believe I can do this, we’re all wasting our time here.
Lucy slipped off her boots and placed them in the hall before heading up to her bedroom. She stripped to her underwear, slid a light nightgown over her head, then tucked herself into bed.