Taming the Troublemaker (The Hills of Texas Book 3) Read online

  “I’m teasing.” He scooted his plate toward her. “You can have it.”

  Beth narrowed her eyes and gave an imperceptible shake of her head. A warning about the teasing, he suspected. He flashed her his best sheepish grin by way of apology. He still wanted that kiss, but it wasn’t worth making Beth uncomfortable.

  Clearing his throat, he sat up in his chair, chuckling when she dug into his cake. Then he happened to glance up to find the rest of his entire family watching with a motley crew of expressions—everything from idle curiosity to amusement to something bordering on impressed, probably for Beth. And a speculative frown from his father.

  Damn.

  “A woman who’s immune to Autry,” Jennings mumbled beside him. “I didn’t know they existed.”

  Autry smacked his younger brother in the back of the head, satisfied when he garnered a grunt of discomfort.

  Beth lifted her gaze at that and chuckled. “We’re a rare breed. I’ve classified us as femalicus vituperator.” She paused for effect, blue eyes already sparking with laughter. “A woman who speaks her mind.”

  His dad gave a bark of laughter that sounded over the rest of his family’s hilarity. “She’s got your number, Son.”

  “Yeah.” Autry cocked his head to give her a considering look. “She’s a tough nut to crack.”

  “I’m not so hard,” Beth said around a bite of cake. “I’m a sucker for good books, chocolate…” She lifted her fork in a salute. “And sincerity.”

  Was she implying she found him fake? Or insincere?

  That stung.

  Except it shouldn’t matter to him. Other good girls had tried reverse psychology on him in the past, and he hadn’t been remotely affected. After today, now that she’d got his family off his back about the jail thing, he doubted he’d see much of her. He was confident he and Dylan could handle their time without her there as a buffer. So, he and Beth would go back to the infrequent times they bumped into each other and leave it at that.

  Except that idea didn’t sit well, either, leaving a dark hole in the center of his chest.

  His mom pushed away from the table, and immediately several of them jumped up to help clear. Before Holly could though, Beth grabbed her plate.

  “I could’ve got that,” Holly called after her departing form.

  “Now you sound like my grandmother.” Beth’s words floated back through the door.

  Everyone in the room froze and waited for Holly’s reaction. Normally pretty even-keeled, she’d been easier to trigger lately, what with the hormones and what she called feeling like a beached whale.

  Only she didn’t seem to get upset beyond a small frown puckering her brow. Beth came back in to clear more.

  “Are you accusing me of waving my cane at oncoming traffic just to be difficult?” Holly asked slowly.

  Beth paused midway to lifting the bowl of leftover salad. “Of course not. Nona doesn’t do it to be difficult. She does it to be independent. I’m saying that a pregnant woman gets a rare treat… to have a man do all the things for a change. I’d take advantage of that if I were you, sweetie. When the babies come…” She gave a little shrug as if to say Holly’d be out of luck.

  Only she’d somehow managed to put it so nicely, that even Cash couldn’t take offense. Certainly not Holly, who’s frown cleared as she glanced at her husband with a speculative light in her eyes.

  “She does have a point,” she said slowly.

  Cash looked to the ceiling as though he’d find salvation there. “Didn’t I say the exact same thing last week?”

  “Yes, honey.” Holly patted his hand. “But she said it better.”

  Beth caught her words as she bustled back into the dining room for more dishes, and grinned at Cash’s disgruntled scowl. “Don’t worry. Mama says it’s a gift. It drives my family nuts, too.”

  Autry kept his own opinion to himself. Because damned if he didn’t find her way of speaking truth with such grace that the listener actually heard something close to sexy. Except that couldn’t be right. Sexy was about curves and locked gazes and confidence.

  Maybe that was it. Beth was completely confident in her ability to deal well with people.

  “On that note,” Autry said. “I guess I’d better take Beth home.”

  “Let me finish helping clean up,” she insisted, before scooting back to the kitchen.

  Autry stared after her, trying to figure out why she held this sudden, strange appeal for him. Bordering on an obsession, if he was honest. Even helping clean up made him want to pin her against a wall, just to get her to stay still, and kiss her until her eyes went all hazy with need. Like they had in the courthouse and Harry’s parking lot.

  Deliberately, he turned his head to find his dad watching from where he sat at the head of the table.

  John Hill gave a small shake of his head. He didn’t say anything, but Autry understood all the same—Autry had signed up for no women, and Beth was way too innocent for the likes of him anyway. He had to pull back a scowl at the subtle hint, forcing himself to respond with a mouthed, “I know.”

  His dad gave a satisfied nod and let it go.

  As soon as the kitchen was spotless, Autry pulled Beth out the back door to a chorus of goodbyes and promises not to be a stranger to his family.

  He started up the truck with the usual roar of sound. The tires spun a bit before gripping the gravel drive and he pulled away. On the way here, he hadn’t noticed anything weird about having Beth with him alone in the truck. However, darkness had fallen, cocooning them inside in a strangely intimate way. The almond-blossom scent of her bodywash filled the space and had him growing harder by the second.

  Needing to get a damn grip, Autry wasn’t in the mood to talk. They sat quietly with a country station softly playing on the radio, and he tried not to give into the irritation that had been spiking since that last exchange with his dad.

  They were halfway down the long, winding drive that lead to the road before Beth spoke up. “I forgot how lovely your family is.”

  “Yeah.”

  He caught her glance from the side of his eye. Probably he should say more.

  “Cash and Will seem happy with Holly and Rusty.”

  “Wedded bliss, I guess.” He didn’t mean to sound surly, except Beth had inadvertently hit a sore spot. His brothers were paragons of virtue now that they’d settled down with women his parents loved. Carter wasn’t far behind with Brian. Meanwhile, Autry was the screwup and banned from all things female.

  “Do you know what Holly is having?” Beth asked.

  “A girl and a boy.”

  “That’s nice. Will she name them after country singers like your family, or after Christmas like hers?”

  Autry flicked a glance her way before returning his attention to the road. “How’d you know about that?”

  “Well, your family, I think everyone knows. Williams after Hank Williams. Cash and Carter after Johnny Cash and June Carter. Jennings after Waylon Jennings. And you, after Gene Autry. Right?”

  “Got it in one.”

  “I always thought that was cool. My sisters and I only have old-fashioned names in common—Juliet, Alexandra, and Elizabeth.”

  Autry didn’t comment.

  “Holly’s family I figured because her brother and sister were Kris and Noel. The Noel really gave it away.” He could hear the grin in her voice.

  Huh. None of his family had caught that until Holly told them. Not even when Cash had been married to Holly’s best friend, Georgia, Sophia’s mom who’d been killed in a car crash. Not that Holly had talked about her siblings much before.

  When he didn’t respond, she kept talking. “I’m glad your parents went with the last names, instead of the first names.”

  “Yeah?” Autry turned them onto the road, the ride smoothing out as they transitioned from gravel to asphalt.

  “Yeah,” she said this with a bit of a snip. “I don’t think you look like a Gene at all.”

  He turned to
find her wrinkling her nose at him and fought back an answering burst of humor. Autry gripped the wheel tighter because now he was dealing with the return of that odd desire to taste her lips again on top of the frustration still aimed at his dad and two separate promises—one to his family and one to Beth.

  “Okay, buster.” Beth scooted around in her seat, hitching her leg up to face him more fully. “What crawled up your behind?”

  Shit. Autry went for casual and shrugged. “Nothin’.”

  “Wrong. You’ve been doing a great Dylan impersonation since we got in the truck.”

  How did he get her to let it go? “What? He’s a great kid.”

  She reached across the wide console between them and pinched his arm.

  “Hey!” He rubbed at the spot. “What was that for?”

  “For deliberately misunderstanding. You knew what I meant. One-word conversation isn’t your style.” He didn’t dare turn his head, because he suspected the glare she was trying to level him with would fall under the adorable column in his Beth ledger and add to his struggle.

  “What is your deal?” she demanded. Poking him in the cheek this time.

  Frustration boiled over like a pot of overcooked rice. With an aggravated huff, Autry braked and pulled off the side of the road where he put the truck in park.

  He turned in his seat, putting his arm up along the seat back behind her and caught her wide-eyed gaze.

  “My deal is I really want to kiss you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Hell, if I’m honest I want to do a lot more than kiss you, Beth Cooper. And I’m trying not to. Okay?”

  “Oh.” She did a rapid blink, then licked her pretty pink lips which only had him biting back a groan. “Why?”

  Autry did groan at that. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “I made promises. That’s why.”

  He put the truck back in gear and whipped it onto the dark, empty road.

  “No. I know you promised no flirting. I mean why me?”

  That drew his frowning gaze her way to find her watching him with a truly perplexed expression.

  Autry tightened his hands on the steering wheel. Did she seriously not know how appealing she could be? Still, he needed to pump the breaks on whatever this was. “It’s just me, Beth. I chase anything in a skirt. I’ll get over it.”

  “Oh,” she said again, then settled back in her seat and fell into silence.

  This was going to be a long drive to town.

  Chapter Seven

  “What is this?” Dylan asked from the back seat of the truck.

  Who knew that new laws said kids couldn’t ride in the front until they were twelve? But Mrs. Wright had been happy to update Autry along with various other rules before handing Dylan over the next time they’d hung out. This time, though, Autry had planned a different activity from Holly’s horses, who they’d been riding the last couple of times.

  “I thought we’d try out different sports and see if any float your boat. It might not be too late to join a baseball team for the spring season or get ready for football for sixth grade.”

  Dylan looked out the windshield at the large open field in the park near the La Colina downtown… and the men waiting there. “With a bunch of old dudes?” Doubt dripped off the words.

  “Hey!” Autry protested. “Those are my brothers. They’re not old.”

  Dylan snorted. “Whatever you say, man.”

  Autry grunted at that. Apparently, he was old now. He’d passed up his midtwenties, but he certainly wasn’t over the hill. When had old happened? “Come on.”

  They hopped out of the truck and Autry grabbed what appeared to be a Santa Claus sack, but made of black mesh and full of different sporting equipment he’d rounded up from home. Mostly balls for various sports.

  Dylan stared at the bag. “We’re going to try all the sports?”

  Autry shrugged. “I figured it would be better to be prepared. I wasn’t sure what you’d be interested in.”

  “What if I’m not into any sports?”

  Another shrug. No way was he letting this kid’s natural disdain take the fun out of this. “Then you find another hobby.”

  He led the way to where Cash, Jennings, and Will all stood waiting and did a quick round of introductions.

  “So, you’re Miz Holly’s husband?” Dylan eyed Cash with more interest. “I like her horses.”

  Cash grinned, his usually serious expression lightening in a way that only happened when it came to Holly. “So does she. I’m also the sheriff.”

  “That’s cool.”

  Autry had to hide his laugh behind a cough at Cash’s face. Usually kids really got into the cop thing, wanting to see the gun or ride in the car.

  “Can I see your gun?” Dylan asked.

  There it was.

  Cash gave his best stern scowl. “No.”

  “Whatever.”

  Will, Jennings, and Autry burst into laughter, and Jennings slapped Cash on the back. “That’ll teach you to think you’re hot stuff.”

  Dylan didn’t laugh, but Autry still caught the secret glow of pride. Progress. Autry would take it anywhere he could get it.

  Dylan turned to face Jennings. “I know you.”

  His brother glanced between the kid and Autry, who shrugged.

  “Yeah. You were making out with some chick on the balcony at a party at the community center a while back. Mrs. Wright made me go and I was hiding outside.”

  “Wait. What?” Autry shoved Jennings in the arm. “Who was this? And why didn’t I know about it?”

  Jennings shoved him back. “It wasn’t me.”

  “Sure, it was,” Dylan said.

  “What’d she look like, kid?” Will leaned down with an eager grin.

  “Do not tell them another thing.” Jennings was getting desperate now, based on the tone in his voice.

  “I didn’t get a good look at her,” Dylan said.

  Jennings relaxed instantly, giving a triumphant grin. The brotherly need to get under his sibling’s skin had Autry thinking up all sorts of ways to find out. To get Jennings that worked up, she must’ve been important.

  Only one woman Autry could think of fit that description for his brother, but he kept his guess to himself. He and Jennings were closest in age of the Hills—not counting Cash and Carter since they were twins. He might joke, but he’d always have his brother’s back. That particular woman—if it was who he thought—was an off-limits subject for Jennings.

  He’d find out for sure and pester him about it when he wasn’t expecting it.

  He dumped the bag of balls, bats, rackets, and other odds and ends out on the newly green grass that, today at least, was not a quagmire after the rains. “Right. What’s your favorite sport in PE?”

  Dylan eyed the stuff with a dubious frown. “Dodgeball, I guess.”

  “Hmmm… We don’t have enough people for that. Or any dodgeballs. How about baseball?”

  “I guess.” Dubious to the end, that was Dylan.

  Autry bent over and fished out two gloves and a ball. “Let’s try it out at least.”

  *

  Beth stared across the table at Jason’s handsome face. He seriously was one of the better looking men she’d been out on a date with—sandy hair, dark eyes that held an intelligent spark, a nice mouth that smiled more often than not, and obviously took care of his health based on the muscles stretching his button-down shirt.

  What the heck is wrong with me?

  She should be rapt with attention. Shortly after school let out for the weekend, he’d picked her up at her house with sweet baby-pink roses in hand, driven her in a nice but not too flashy car, held open doors, held out her seat, asked her for her opinion on the menu, and been nothing but charming since.

  The man had taken her to the relatively nearby town of Macon for what was supposed to be some of the best German food in Texas. In this area of Texas, that was saying something. They sat in a lovely restaurant in the historic downtow
n—a combination of dark woods and modern furniture and lighting setting the perfect romantic ambiance.

  The perfect guy, thus far. But instead she found her mind wandering to a rough and ready cowboy with more charm than a snake and an edge of devilry that called to the good girl inside her to join his mischief. She wanted to let loose and have fun, and Autry promised to be lots of fun. The problem would be the heartbreak—for her—when it ended.

  She didn’t need a flashlight in the dark to see that one coming.

  Jason raised his eyebrows and she realized, while pondering what was wrong with her, she’d managed to miss the conversation, or the part where she was supposed to respond.

  What was he discussing again? Oh yeah, the three different cases that had involved what sounded like incredibly stupid people to her. Not that she could cast any stones. After all she’d got Autry arrested for trying to save a skunk on another man’s property and getting into a fight over it.

  “Beth?”

  Right. Answer him, dummy.

  She cleared her throat. “Sounds like you had a crazy day. How do you get through it without telling people off? Or laughing in their faces?”

  Jason flashed a grin. “I guess it helps to have a sense of humor in this job, probably a lot like yours.”

  “The kids do make me laugh every day,” she agreed.

  “I have to hold it in until I get to my office. It’s either that or throw things at people.”

  He continued, but Beth was back in her head telling herself off for comparing Jason’s smile, which was perfectly lovely, to Autry’s, which she knew for a fact was practiced, but still came across as… easier. At least the butterflies taking up permanent residence in her tummy thought so. They seemed to be asleep right this second, but the moment Autry came around…

  What is wrong with me? This man is the best catch to come through La Colina County in years. You should be marching him down the aisle as fast as you can get him there. Except…

  “Beth?” Jason waved a hand in front of her face. “I get the feeling that I’m here, but not all of you is.”

  Beth sighed and plucked at the napkin in her lap. “I’m so sorry, Jason. I have a lot on my mind.”