Cowboy Defender

“Nothing for me,” she replied. She wouldn’t even be in here right now if Clay hadn’t manipulated her into an awkward position in front of her kids. He could treat the kids, but she didn’t need a treat from Clay Madison.

“Ah, come on, surely you want something,” Clay protested.

“No, thanks, I’m good,” she replied.

“Then why don’t you and the kids go get us a table and I’ll bring the goodies over when they’re ready,” he said.

“Okay,” she replied and corralled the kids to one of the tables across the room from where Wally and his nosy wife Dinah sat.

She settled into a chair and watched Clay at the display counter. The blue shirt he wore was stretched taut across his back muscles and nobody wore jeans better than him. He said something and Mandy threw back her head and laughed. There was no question the man was a charmer...the town’s Romeo. Well, Miranda wasn’t interested in anything he was selling.

Clay Madison was the last man on earth she’d want to hook up with for anything. Hopefully the kids would eat their cupcakes fast and that would be the end of it.

She pulled her gaze away from Clay and, instead, glanced across the room to see Dinah staring at her and then leaning closer to her husband to talk. Of all the couples to be here at this precise moment, why did it have to be that particular couple?

“This is so cool,” Henry said.

“We asked Daddy to bring us here last weekend but he said no. He always says no when we want to do stuff with him,” Jenny replied. “He just mostly sleeps when we’re at his house.”

“And he snores really, really loud,” Henry said with a giggle. “But Ms. Lori plays games with us and stuff. She’s real nice.”

Ms. Lori was Lori Stillwell, the attractive woman who lived with Hank in the small ranch house he rented. She worked from the house as a medical transcriber. She didn’t seem to mind Hank’s drinking or that she was assuredly paying all the bills. All Miranda cared about was that the woman was kind to her children when they were with Hank on the weekends.

Clay walked over with a tray that held the kids’ treats and then returned to the counter and brought back two more. He slid a chocolate-covered creation in front of Miranda.

“I’ve never known any woman to turn up her nose at chocolate,” he said.

“And you of all people should know about women,” she replied stiffly.

“Ouch. I see my reputation has preceded me.” The sparkle in his eyes appeared to dim a bit. “And you should know you can’t believe everything you hear.”

“What kind of a cupcake did you get, Mr. Clay?” Jenny asked him.

“This is a banana cupcake with rum-flavored frosting,” he replied. “I love bananas.”

There followed a conversation between him and the kids on what kinds of fruits they liked and what ones they thought were yucky.

Miranda listened to the conversation absently. She was just grateful that his beautiful eyes were no longer focused on her. Despite her intense wishes to the contrary, when he gazed at her she subtly warmed, as if he’d caressed her with his work-roughened hands.

She suspected that was his super power, that with just a look he could make a woman feel like she was the most important woman in the entire world.

She had no idea why he had decided to treat them all to cupcakes and ice cream, but if he had thought in his head to somehow seduce her then he had another thought coming.

She refused to be just another notch on Clay Madison’s bedpost. There was no way she was going to play Juliet to his Romeo.

As far as Clay was concerned, Miranda Silver was not only one of the prettiest women in town but she was also a respected teacher and had the reputation of being a terrific mother.

He’d had his eye on her ever since she divorced Hank just over a year ago. For the past year Clay had been on a quest to find his forever gal.

He’d watched as his fellow cowboys at the Holiday Ranch had found happiness and begun to build futures with the women of their dreams, but so far Clay hadn’t found the special woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And he wanted that. He longed for that.

As much as he found Miranda extremely attractive, her ice-princess facade had always been off-putting and had kept him from approaching her for a date. Buying cupcakes for them all was the perfect opportunity for him to break the ice and get to know her a little better. Hopefully, by the end of this time, he’d feel comfortable enough to ask her out on a real date.

“So, do you have big plans for your summer vacation?” he asked her.

She tucked a strand of her shiny blond hair behind one ear and picked up her fork. “The kids are involved in a lot of activities and that always keeps me busy, and I volunteer at the community center when I can.” She met his gaze for just a moment and then looked down at the cupcake in front of her.

Being close to her was even better than he’d expected. She smelled like summer flowers and her skin looked so soft and touchable, but it was obvious she would rather be anywhere but here with him. At least she had begun eating the cupcake he’d bought for her.

“Is it good?” he asked.

“It’s like a little taste of heaven,” she said begrudgingly.

“Mine is delicious,” Jenny said, her lower lip sporting a glob of pink frosting. Miranda gave her daughter a napkin.

“So is mine,” Henry said. He wiped his mouth with the napkin Miranda also handed him.

“I know you work at the high school. Do you enjoy teaching?” Clay asked.

“I do.” She stared down at her cupcake as if it was the most amazing object she’d ever seen in her life.

“You teach English, right?”

“Right.”

Clay bit back a sigh of frustration. It was obvious she didn’t intend to have much of any conversation with him. He didn’t get it. He’d never done or said anything to make her any kind of angry with him. Was she this way with all men? He’d never heard of her dating anyone since her divorce.

“Mr. Clay?” Henry eyed Clay with speculation. “Do you know how to play baseball, Mr. Clay?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Clay replied. For just a moment he remembered being young and on a ball field, the only place on earth where he managed to escape his father’s wrath for just a little while.

The scent of fresh-cut green grass had replaced the sweet violet fragrance of his absent mother and a coach’s pat on the back was the only nice touch he ever got from anyone.

“Mr. Clay?” Henry’s voice pulled Clay from his thoughts. “Would you come over and teach me how to play ball better? I asked my dad to help me but he said he likes football and doesn’t know anything about baseball.”

“I’m sure Mr. Clay has far more important things to do with his time than teach you how to be a better baseball player,” Miranda said quickly. She looked positively panicked at the very idea of Clay helping her son.

“Actually, I’d love to help you out,” Clay said to Henry. “I could come over to your house a couple of days a week after school.”

“That would be totally awesome,” Henry replied.

“In fact, we could start tomorrow.” Clay actually looked forward to helping the boy. Playing a little ball would bring back some good memories for him.

Henry’s smile fell. “I can’t tomorrow. We always go to our dad’s on Saturdays and Sundays.”

“Then Monday after school,” Clay said. And maybe in helping Henry he’d have a chance to get to know Miranda better, and more importantly, she’d get to know him and not just his reputation.

He now smiled at her. Darn, but she was one fine-looking woman. The royal-blue blouse she wore enhanced the hue of her blue-gray eyes, and sitting this close to her he could see her long, beautiful dark eyelashes. Unfortunately, she didn’t return his smile.