Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch #1)(16)

Without thinking of anything other than comforting her, Blake kissed her on the forehead. “So did I, and all I could think was that the roof wasn’t nearly finished.”

She stiffened and took a step back. “I should be going. Thanks for not letting me fall.”

In seconds she was outside and Blake wondered what in the hell just happened. It was a simple kiss, nothing passionate or demanding, and yet there was no denying that fear in her eyes. Was it just him or was she afraid of all men? And why?



With a racing pulse and feeling more than a little like a teenage girl who’d just gotten her first kiss, Allie crawled into the driver’s seat of the van. She touched her forehead and was surprised to find that it was cold as ice and not on fire.

Granny had crossed her arms over her chest, which wasn’t a good sign.

Allie started the engine and turned to face her grandmother. “Granny, you could have hurt yourself crawling out the window like that. Promise me right now that you won’t do that again.” She backed the van around to her left so she could straighten it up and drive down the lane. “You are going to fall and hurt yourself one of these days and then the doctor will make us put you in a nursing home.”

“I did not crawl out a window. I drove over here to get you. Don’t you be making me out to be the one who did wrong. It was you and I’m tellin’ your mother what you’ve done. I told you to stay away from this place and I’m getting tired of having to get out in the cold and come get you,” Irene said.

“Okay.” Allie reached the end of the lane and turned left. “Who is Walter?”

Irene stuck her lip out in a pout. “I don’t know why you keep asking me that. I don’t know anyone by that name, but your mama fell in love with a boy from over there and he was bad news. The apple never falls far from the tree and you are going to fall for that sexy cowboy who wants to get into your pants.”

“Was Walter the man Mama fell in love with?” Allie asked.

Irene stomped her foot against the floorboard. “Hell, no! And we’re not talking about Walter. We’re talking about you and that cowboy. You need to stay away from him. Nobody ever stays long on this place and you’ll get your heart broken like lots of women have in this part of the state.”

Allie parked in front of the house, but before she could get her seat belt unfastened, Irene was out of the van and marching toward the porch with purpose. When Allie reached the foyer and shut the door, her grandmother was tattling, pointing at Allie and her old eyes were flashing anger.

Dementia was a demon disease and nothing could explain the way it worked other than what the doctor told them about the jigsaw puzzles. It must have been frightening to grab a piece from this part of her past and a piece from that one, and try to create a world that made sense when she was losing control of everything.

Allie could not imagine living in such a constant state of turmoil and hoped that someday only one puzzle remained and her grandmother would have a few days of lucid peace before everything was completely gone.

“Alora Raine won’t do what I say and she’s got a boyfriend and you know those men at the Lucky Penny are drifters who never stay in one place. I’m going to get a cookie and go to my room,” Irene said tersely.

Katy winked at Allie. “I’ll see to it that she’s punished real good. You get your cookie and go on to bed.”

Allie hung her coat on the hall tree and kicked off her boots. “Mama, who is Walter? She keeps going over there and flirting with Blake because she thinks he’s Walter. And tonight she talked about you being in love with a boy from the Lucky Penny.”

Katy looped her arm through Allie’s and led her to the kitchen. “I’ve got a pot of hot spiced tea made.”

Allie poured two cups of tea. “Granny said that you got mixed up with some no-good man from the Lucky Penny, too. Is that true, or just another one of her crazy stories?”

“She’s remembering Ray Jones. He was about eighteen when his mama and daddy bought the ranch. I was seventeen that year and we rode the school bus together.” Katy busied herself cleaning an already spotless countertop.

“And did you love him?” Allie asked.

“It was a long time ago.” Katy disappeared into the utility room and returned with half a basket of kitchen towels and washcloths. She set it on the counter and started folding them. “And yes, I loved him very much, but Mama threw a hissy fit because he was wild. He was damn good lookin’ with that hair combed back in a duck’s tail and those pretty blue eyes and Lord, have mercy, but he could kiss good. But trouble followed him around like a little puppy and he liked taking risks.”

“What kinds of risks?”

Katy’s mouth twisted up in a grin. “Like throwing stones at my window at midnight and talking me into sitting on the front porch and making out with him. Mama caught us one night and she almost sent me to a convent over it.”

“We’re not Catholic,” Allie said.

“She would have kissed the pope’s ring if it kept me away from that wild boy, and he was really pressuring me to do things I didn’t want to do and that I’m not talking about now so I listened to her.”

“So you broke up with him?”

Katy sighed. “Yes, I did and then I fell in love with your father and figured out what real, mature love was.” Her hands shook as she folded the last towel in the basket.