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Chapter 9.1
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LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 9.2
Now if he didn’t find the right words for what he had to say, he could hurt Ben and Tate, and that was absolutely the last thing on earth he wanted to do. So, please God, let the right words be there for him.He started up Dixie’s street, and there they were, those two bright, happy, fun boys of hers, running toward him as if he was their best friend in the world and they hadn’t seen him in years.It had been two hours. “Wade! Wade!”“Mom says you’re coming for supper.” “Flowers? What’re those for?” Ben asked.Tate jabbed his older brother in the ribs with his elbow. “That’s what guys do, they bring flowers to the lady when they have supper.”“What do you know.” Ben shoved Tate away. “Do you know what etiquette is?” Wade asked.Dancing around and beside him as he walked up the street, the boys snorted and giggled.“That’s like, Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Ben said. “Yeah, and saying please and thank you,” Tate added.“That’s right,” Wade said. “It also means that when a lady inv
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 9.3
“Why not?” Wade said.“What about the tongue? Would they want Tippy’s tongue?”Wade smiled at Tate’s sudden enthusiasm. “I don’t know. It would depend on whether or not another dog needed a new one, I guess. Would all that be all right with you guys?”“Sure,” Tate said.“It’s the same as organ donation in people, right?”“You know about that?” Wade asked. “About people donating their organs when they die?”“Sure,” Ben said.Dixie ran her fingers through Ben’s hair. “Where did you learn about organ transplants, honey?”“I dunno.” Ben shrugged and flopped his hands out. “School. We talked about it a lot last year when the teacher’s daddy had a kidney transplant up in Dallas.”“How about you?” Dixie asked Tate. “Did you talk about this at school, too?”“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “But that was about people. We didn’t talk about dogs.”“Okay, wise guy,” Dixie said to Wade with a smile. “Now you have to turn it around.”“I’ve got it,” he told her. “Would it surprise you boys to know that
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 10
“Mom?”Dixie stopped in the bedroom doorway in the act of turning off the light. She’d just put her boys to bed and kissed them good-night, twice. “What is it, Ben?”“Do you mind that they cut Dad up and took out his heart to save Wade?”“No,” she said softly. “I don’t mind at all, honey, because I know it’s what your dad wanted. He wanted his organs to go to people who needed them after he was through with them.”“I guess that ol’ taxicab saw to it that he was through with them, huh?” piped up Tate.The resilience of children never ceased to amaze her. She was still shaky on the inside, and they were so matter-of-fact about it all. “It sure did, Tater. Now, you two need to get to sleep.”“G’night, Mom.”“’Night, Mom.”“’Night-’night, sweethearts. I love you.”Dixie turned off the light, stepped out of the room and pulled the door closed. She leaned her back against it and closed her eyes, saying a quick but heartfelt prayer of gratitude that the boys seemed to have understood about t
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 10.1
“I went to the track and ran.”“Oh, well, it was none of my business, anyway. I shouldn’t have just dropped in on you this way. Shouldn’t have presumed—”“Dixie.” His voice was softer than the air around her. His fingers touching her cheek sent a shiver of heat racing down her spine. “You can presume anything you want about me. Or you can just ask. Or drop by and sit on my stoop whenever you want.”She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She stepped back far enough that his hand dropped away from her face. All she could think to say was, “Okay.”“Come on in.” He pushed the door open and motioned her inside. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”She knew she should turn around and go home, but she found herself stepping through the door and into his apartment. “Not much” was an understatement. From what she could see, there were only two rooms, and they were small. There was a water stain on the ceiling. The furniture must have come with the place; she couldn’t imagine Wade purchasing the worn
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 10.2
And she was, he thought. She was trim and tight, her muscles toned from keeping up with two boys, an old man, a business and hundreds of customers. His hand wasn’t quite steady when he reached for the snap on her jeans.She pushed his hands away. “My turn.” She unbuttoned his shirt. Her fingers fumbled the job a couple of times, and it warmed him all the way through.They stood there in the lamplight beside the bed, two people, both nervous, both eager, cherishing each other and the new love they’d found. When she opened his shirt and saw the long, thick scar down his chest, she nearly wept.“I’m so sorry they had to do this to you. But I’m so grateful, too.” She placed her hand over his heart and felt the strong, steady beat. “It’s a good heart, for a good man.”Wade felt her words seep clear into his bones.They finished undressing each other, and he took her down onto the bed, where he braced himself above her on his forearms. “Are you sure you want to do this?”She met his gaze sq
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 10.3
“I’m going to make him an offer.” “You? A small-town newspaper?”“Don’t scoff at small-town newspapers. The entire Harrison Corporation and our personal family fortune began when my great-great- grandfather started a small-town weekly in Montana. I want to take the Tribute Banner and see what I can do with it. I want to edit it myself, manage it myself, the whole works. My father and sisters are going to be pea green with envy. My mother is going think I’m out of my mind, and then she’s going to quietly have a stroke.”“Maybe you should talk it over with your family before you commit yourself to it.”“And maybe I shouldn’t. This is something I want to do. I want to prove to myself that I can. I want to contribute something to this town. I want to live here, with you and our children—Ben and Tate and any others we might have—and Pops.”“Have you talked to Bill Gray yet?” she asked.“No. Tomorrow morning. I can transfer some funds to the bank here.” “I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 11
Winter 2003New York, New YorkThe dream came again, as it did most nights. Never let it be said that Nick Carlucci made it through a week without the horror of it. The blinding,choking dust and ash. The flames. Rubble so hot that it melts the soles of your boots.The frantic search for survivors. Any survivors, but especially his father and brother, please God.Then the moan, the hand that moves. Frantic digging. Hold on! I’ve got you, man. Spirits soar. Breath rasps. Dig faster!Then he has him. The man speaks. Elation!A minute later, the stranger dies in Nick’s arms.He tries to hang on to the man’s lifeless body, but others take it from him.Failure. He’d failed to save that man.Search more. Dig more. Shout. Maybe someone can hear.Then the beam, still smoking from the inferno, twisted now into a grotesque shape. It sways.Look out!They don’t hear him, the men standing in the path of the deadly steel.With arms outstretched, he leaps, knocking the men out of harm’s way.Pain!
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 11.2
“Kidding.”“No.” She shook her head.He swore. “You followed me across half a damn country?”It was difficult, considering lust still fogged her brain, but she managed a shrug. “You wouldn’t return my calls.”“So you followed me?” She shrugged again.“Did it ever occur to you that I didn’t return your calls because I didn’t want to talk to you?”She couldn’t do this, Shannon thought. She couldn’t push or cajole him into an interview when she was still so off balance from this unreasonably fierce attraction that still gripped her.“Look,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even. “I know this is a bad time. I’ve caught you by surprise at your job.” She took a step backward. “I’ll be in touch later to set up a time that’s more convenient for you.”And she fled. For the first time in her life, she fled from a man, from an interview subject. From herself.Nick stood in the hall and watched her go. He could have stopped her. Part of him wanted to. But the smart part ruled. He turned awa
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