Lacy

He glanced down at her with one eye. “About half,” he said. That eye went down to her full breasts and lingered, then went back up again to catch her blush. “Embarrassed?”

“You’re the one who won’t talk about sex,” she reminded him.

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he shrugged and closed his eyes again.

If only he could talk to her, she thought miserably. If only they could just communicate. She sometimes thought that there was a loving, giving man locked up in those suppressed emotions. That Cole was a keg of dynamite, waiting for a match—that as a lover he’d be everything she could want. If she could only find the spark to ignite him. But he seemed not to care about that side of his nature. And only occasionally, like just now, did any hint of it come out. He was the most complex and puzzling man she’d ever known. Perhaps that was why, after all the years she’d known him, he still fascinated her.

Ben was waiting for them at the siding, dressed in a beige city suit with a derby on his head, hands in his pockets as he leaned back against the building. The aging but jaunty black runabout was parked nearby, its top down.

Lacy couldn’t help but grin at the picture of gay youth he presented. “The future famous writer,” she murmured. “Do you think he’ll make it, Cole?”

“I suppose he’ll keep trying until he dies, at least,” he said. “Don’t encourage him,” he added unexpectedly.

She glared at him as he got up to let her out of the seat. “I never did.”

“He’s still got a wild crush on you,” he said. His dark eyes narrowed. “This time, if he makes one move toward you, brother or no brother, I’ll beat him to his knees.”

“Cole!” she gasped, shocked by the hard look in his eyes.

“You remember what I said,” he told her, and took her arm firmly in his hand as he retrieved the carpetbag with her clothes in it and walked off the train with Lacy in tow.

“Lacy, darling!” Ben said in his most sophisticated tone, spreading open his arms. “How are you?”

“She’s fine,” Cole said, with a cutting edge in his deep voice as he dared Ben to come one step closer. “How’s Mother?”

“Upset…” Ben started, obviously nonplussed by his brother’s sudden possessiveness. “Katy’s gone.”

Standing next to him, Lacy actually felt the tension grow in Cole’s lean, powerful body. “She’s what?” he demanded.

“It’s okay; she’s not going to live in sin or anything,” Ben said quickly. “She’s going to marry that Danny Marlone. He’s taking her to his mother’s until the wedding.”

“It’s too quick,” Cole said shortly. “They’ve only known each other for a few weeks. And where the hell was Turk while this was going on?”

“At the ranch. He said she was of age. Besides,” he added ruefully, “she was long gone before he knew about it.”

“He could have gone after her!” Cole shot at him. “So could’ve you!”

“And done what, for God’s sake?” Ben demanded coldly. “She’s over twenty-one!”

Cole glared at him until he actually moved backward a step.

“He’s right,” Lacy interrupted gently. She touched his arm, noticing with a faint hope that he didn’t jerk away this time. “She’s a grown woman. You can’t force her to come back. And knowing Katy, she’d never go off with a man she didn’t love.”

“You don’t know her lately,” he replied quietly. “She’s changed. Gone wild.”

“It’s just the new age.” Ben laughed. “Times are changing, for the better. Everything’s looser, less rigid. Girls are getting liberated, that’s all.”

“They’re getting loose, that’s all,” Cole returned curtly. “Short skirts, cussing, drinking, running wild with men…The younger generation’s going to hell!”

“Well, yours sure did the world a lot of good, didn’t it?” Ben shot back. “The war to end all wars…isn’t that what they called it? How many men did you kill, big brother?”

Cole hit him. The movement of the taller man’s fist was so fast, Ben didn’t even see it coming. And Lacy didn’t say a single word. If anything, she moved even closer to Cole, her accusing blue eyes on Ben’s bruised face as he got slowly to his feet, rubbing his chin.

“Okay, I was out of line,” he muttered, glaring at his brother. “But so were you. The world’s changing. If you can’t change with it, you’ll be left behind. Car’s over here.”

He went ahead of them, looking so ruffled and trying so hard to be dignified that Lacy had to fight back a smile.

“No censure?” Cole chided, glancing at her. “I thought you’d jump to his defense.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry you didn’t hit him harder,” she replied calmly.

He stopped walking and looked down at her, finding the same wild spirit in her eyes that he’d seen and liked when she was still in her teens. It would have matched his own—in another time, another place. What a hell of a pity, the way it was between them. Perhaps he should have told her in the very beginning how little he had to offer. He should have told her the truth.

His fingers touched her hair. It was soft and cool, and he wondered why she was so rigid, hardly breathing.

“Does that frighten you?” he asked, searching her eyes. “You’ve stopped breathing.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” she confessed in a whisper, returning the soft scrutiny. “I was afraid that if I moved, you’d think I didn’t want you to touch me.”

His fingers actually trembled. “Lacy—”

“Are you two coming with me or not?” Ben called belligerently from the car.

Cole couldn’t help laughing. “Young rooster,” he muttered. “Okay, son. We’re on our way.”

Lacy sighed softly as Cole moved ahead. Thanks, Ben, she thought viciously. Someday I’ll do you a favor!

Just as they reached the car, a small blond whirlwind erupted from a horse and ran pell-mell toward Ben.

“Hi!” Faye Cameron burst out, jumping on to the running board to plant an airy kiss on Ben’s cheek. “I didn’t know you were back from the big city! How are you? Hi, Lacy. Good to see you again. Cole, you’re looking good.”

“What do you want?” Ben muttered, glaring at her. “I told you—I don’t have time to come calling right now. I’m busy.”

“But it’s my birthday party,” Faye told him, her big blue eyes wide and hopeful. “I’ll be eighteen. Oh, Ben…You promised you’d come. It’s tonight!”

Ben shifted his hat on his head and looked and felt uncomfortable. That was the trouble with women, he thought irritably. You took them to bed once or twice and they tried to own you. Still, he thought, watching her, she was a hot little thing in bed, all soft little breasts and hot skin—and she’d do anything in the world to please him. If it hadn’t been for her father, he’d have been over to see her before this. But the old man didn’t like him, and Ben wasn’t sure what Ira Cameron might do if he found out Ben had seduced his only child.

“Gee, honey, I’m sorry,” Ben said soothingly, tweaking her hair gently. “But I’ve just got myself a nice job in San Antonio, writing for a newspaper.”

“Ben, how great!” she burst out, all smiles.

Well, at least he had one person to share his triumphs with. He grinned. “I’ll be the only reporter on the staff, too. Mr. Bradley said I was so good that he wouldn’t need anybody except me! I get a pretty good salary and my own office, and I’ve even been invited to visit the Bradleys at their home.”

“That’s swell, Ben,” Faye said. She frowned. “But doesn’t a big city newspaper need more than just one reporter?”

Ben had wondered about that himself, but he glossed it over. “I’m good, I tell you. And even people in San Antonio know about the ranch and that we’re solid citizens. Mr. Bradley said that was good for business. I’ll come over in a week or two and tell you all about it, okay? But just now I’ve promised to meet my employer and his daughter at their home for dinner,” he added, and Faye seemed to understand. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Sure,” Faye said, but it was with a pale smile. So the boss had a daughter. And her Ben was so ambitious…She moved back from the car, all her bright laughter gone, her beauty diminished. “Sure. Well, nice seeing you. ’Bye!”