LITMIR.BIZ

      Two

      Nick entered the ranch’s business office and perched on the edge of his mother’s desk. “Well, what’s on the agenda for the rest of today?” He picked up the clipboard, giving the schedule a quick glance. “Any problems that I need to know about?”

      Gloria Clayton looked up at her older son, emitted a little sigh of resignation and took the clipboard away from him. “Nothing out of the ordinary that can’t be handled as part of the daily routine by the people whose job it is.” She released the brake on her wheelchair and started across the room.

      Nick jumped to his feet. “What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”

      Gloria wheeled around to face him. “Nicky . . . I’ve been confined to this chair for a little over eight years now. I’ve adjusted to your father being gone and I’ve adjusted to not being able to walk more than a few steps unaided. I’m more than capable of getting whatever I need by myself.”

      A moment of sorrow swept across her features and her words came out barely above a whisper. “One moment, a blink of an eye, and the entire world is turned upside down. Your father is dead, my legs are almost useless, and the drunk driver who ran the red light and crashed into our car walks away without a scratch.”

      She looked up at her son, a gentle smile coming to her still-beautiful features. “And out of that terrible happening came a new beginning. A modest cattle ranch becomes a successful dude ranch. You and Danny stepped into your father’s shoes and did a terrific job of making the difficult transition and running the business.” The gentle smile turned to an amused chuckle. “Now, if I could just get you to stop trying to be all things to everyone and start thinking about yourself for a change.” A pensive look crossed her face. “There must be some kind of a middle ground between your serious approach to responsibility and Danny’s frivolous, good-time attitude.”

      “Ah—Danny’s frivolous, good-time attitude.” He nervously shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “Well, maybe he’ll grow up one of these days.”

      “He’s twenty-eight years old, Nicky. And you’re thirty. Neither of you are children anymore.”

      Nick carefully sidestepped Gloria’s comments about what she had often referred to as his overinflated sense of responsibility, preferring to allow Danny to be the topic of conversation. “There is one thing Danny does that I’m happy to let him handle without any interference. He works real well with the kids. I . . . uh . . .” One of Nick’s very few chinks in his armor of confidence was now visible. “I haven’t a clue what to do with children. I sort of freeze up when I’m around them and am at a loss for something to say. I guess I just don’t know how to talk to kids.”

      “Well, one of these days you’ll come face-to-face with the perfect woman and that will be the end of your objections. You’ll look up and there she’ll be. You’ll get married and have a family of your own. I remember when your father and I met. One look and we both knew that was it.” Gloria shot him a half teasing, half serious glance. “One of these days I’ll finally be a grandmother. I’m the only one of all my friends who doesn’t have any grandchildren.”

      Nick chuckled nervously. “Now, Mom. There’s plenty of time for that.” He placed a loving kiss on her forehead and grinned at her. “You’re far too young to be a grandmother.”

      He felt the tension building inside him. It was a conversation that always made him uneasy. He really had no interest in getting mamed. He had a business to run and too many people depended on him for their jobs, a responsibility that took most of his time and weighed heavily on his shoulders. There was no way he would be able to take on the additional commitment that marriage required. Besides, why tie himself down to only one woman when there were so many out there to choose from?

      He and Danny had both found that the unmarried female guests at their dude ranch provided a perfect short-term, no-strings-attached type of relationship. They arrived in groups of two or three and quickly made their availability known. As ranch guests they were there to have a good time and forget about the problems of everyday life. No one was looking for anything serious. It lasted for two or three weeks, everyone enjoyed themselves, then the guests returned to their homes and new guests arrived.

      Danny flirted outrageously while Nick was more selective and usually more discreet, but each had no problem attracting feminine companionship. Danny called it the best of all possible worlds.

      It always made Nick uncomfortable when his mother started talking about grandchildren, which meant she was really talking about his getting married. That was one responsibility he was definitely not ready to accept. And then, as if on cue, an image of Lexi Parker’s face popped into his mind...again. It was a situation that had repeated itself at least ten times in the past couple of hours.

      There was no denying the fact that she had assaulted his senses in a way no other woman ever had. Everything about her . . . the shapely tanned legs, the way the soft fabric of her blouse caressed the curve of her breasts, the tilt of her head, the intelligence in her beautiful hazel eyes, her flawless skin, a throaty voice that sent tremors of longing through his body, a perfect mouth that absolutely begged to be kissed—

      His mother’s voice intruded into his errant thoughts. “Isn’t it at about this point in the conversation when you decide you have some very urgent business that slipped your mind and then you hurry out of here?” There may have been teasing in her voice, but there was seriousness in her eyes.

      The interruption was a welcome one, especially considering where those tempting images were taking him. He began to edge toward the door as he flashed his best “trust me” smile. “I don’t know where you get these crazy ideas.” He glanced at his watch. “Uh-oh. I didn’t realize it was so late. I have some paperwork to take care of.”

      Nick headed down the hall, Lexi Parker continuing to invade his thoughts and linger in his mind. He had even gone so far as to check her reservation information. He knew she had arrived alone, but she had also requested a single cabin, which told him she was not expecting anyone to join her. He thought back to her mention of her sister, someone who had been a previous guest at the ranch. Why would she come alone rather than with a friend or even her sister? It piqued his curiosity, but then everything about Lexi Parker piqued his curiosity as well as heated his desires.

      It had been quite a while since a woman made his blood race that hard and

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