Taming the Troublemaker (The Hills of Texas Book 3) Page 9

  Good people, as her father would say.

  She tugged at her skirt, then stopped herself from doing it again. I’m not even on a date. I’m a buffer to get him out of trouble for the jail thing. No need for nerves.

  The stern reminder helped.

  She left her bag of work that needed grading in his truck and hopped down to follow him into the house via a massive mudroom with a large utility sink, hooks on the wall for hats and jackets, and a floor mat filled with well-used boots. A familiar sight that tugged at her heart. She’d chosen not to continue in the ranching business, wanting to help kids, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss it. She still went out to her parents’ place as often as she could, given her schedule. They were even further out than the Hills, but in the opposite direction.

  Autry left the boots he was wearing on his feet—nicer Justin’s rather than his working boots—and grabbed Beth by the hand. She tried not to focus on how his hand was warm and strong, callused from hard work.

  “Come on, honey.” He dragged her into a massive kitchen that had obviously been updated in recent years.

  Dark pine floors that showed darker spots in the natural grain. Pristine white cabinets. A huge island in the middle, with rustic iron stools. A kitchenette off to the side that sported a darker wood table and chairs. All the hardware—handles, faucets, and whatnot—gleamed in antiqued metal. Several pots sat on the large stovetop, bubbling away with something that smelled garlicy and wonderful.

  She absorbed all this while flying by, then through a dining room already set for dinner, and into a great room.

  “I love your house—”

  “Mom?” Autry shouted, interrupting her, still tugging on her.

  Beth jumped.

  But before she could remonstrate him for yelling rather than simply going to find his mother, Evaline Hill appeared in the doorway. “Oh, wonderful, you did bring Beth.”

  Used to Texas hospitality, Beth returned the big hug she was treated to. While Autry’s mom was slightly smaller than Beth herself, she gave great, squeezy hugs. “It’s so good to see you, sweetheart. It’s been years.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Beth grinned, then happened to glance up to catch Autry frowning at her.

  She gave a quick frown back before his mother pulled her attention back.

  “How are your folks? Your sisters?” she asked.

  “All great. Thanks for asking, Mrs. Hill. Juliet and Lexi’s store is doing fantastic in town.”

  “You can call me Evaline.” The older woman waved a hand. “And I bet. It’s my new favorite place to shop.”

  “I’ll tell them you said so,” Beth assured her. Her sisters would love to hear it.

  Autry gave Beth’s hand a squeeze, maybe trying to be supportive. Beth couldn’t take the time to interpret it because she was dealing with the shock that zipped through her at the realization that he was still holding it. That and how she’d gotten so comfortable with that fact that she hadn’t pulled away. With a tug, and then a second tug when he didn’t immediate let go, she put a stop to wishful thinking that had no place in her head.

  “Where is everyone else?” Autry asked, obviously not remotely affected by their byplay.

  I shouldn’t be affected either. Her head got that, but her fluttering heart and the way her hand felt… weirdly lonely… told Beth her body wasn’t getting the signal.

  “Down at the barn. Rusty’s got a new barrel racer to train, and he’s a bit nutty.”

  Autry turned to Beth. “You used to compete, didn’t you?”

  How’d he remember that? “Not since high school.”

  “Still, you’ll love talking to Rusty, I bet. Holly, too. They’re horse crazy. So is Will for that matter.”

  Given that both women seemed to live and breathe horses, and everyone knew Will had stepped back from the cattle ranching side of the business to get into rodeo stock and horse training, Beth suspected she’d be out of her depth. But with Holly about to give birth, maybe she could keep the discussion more around kids. Kids she could talk all day.

  Luckily, she didn’t have to say so right then as the entire Hill clan invaded the kitchen, the sound reaching them in the great room and filling up the whole house.

  “Come on. Let’s get this over with.” Autry grabbed her by the hand again to lead her back to the kitchen, much to her chagrin as heat spread from his touch to all her other parts leaving her tingling and restless.

  In the kitchen, Holly waddled in first, her long hair swinging down her back in a ponytail. She lit up when she spied Beth. “Oh good, you came!”

  Hugging around the girth of Holly’s belly was tricky, but they managed it, Holly chuckling as they did. Cash actually smiled as he followed his wife, then helped her into a chair at the kitchen table. Nowhere to be seen was the flat-lipped sheriff of the other night.

  “Where’s Sophia?” Autry asked. His niece from Cash’s first marriage?

  “She’s spending the night at a friend’s in town,” Cash said.

  Jennings came in next. Closest in age to Autry, the youngest Hill could’ve been Autry’s twin except he sported the distinctive blue eyes of the Hills while Autry’s hazel eyes had come from Evaline. He gave her a lopsided grin that couldn’t quite compete with his brother’s charm, at least in her opinion. “Nice to see you, Beth.”

  Carter filed in next with her fiancé, Brian McCain. Beth hadn’t spent much time with Cash’s twin since she and Cash had been ahead of her in school. “I hear congrats are in order,” she offered.

  The expressions turned her way appeared to be on the stiff side to Beth, but a quick glance around revealed the rest of the Hills undisturbed, so she let it go.

  “If I can get this one to decide she wants the ranching life,” Brian said. He poked his soon-to-be-bride in the ribs.

  Carter yelped, then swatted him playfully. “Do you know how hard it is to get a job when you have to drive hours to get to meetings?” She shook her head.

  “It’ll be worth it, though,” Brian insisted.

  Carter’s put upon frown softened to an answering smile. “Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “Definitely worth it.”

  Williams—or Will as he went by most often—the oldest of the siblings came in next, a slender woman beside him, beautiful with striking red hair. This had to be Rusty, his wife. Will got married suddenly in Wyoming or Colorado. In fact, they’d had a second ceremony here recently, but Beth hadn’t been able to go and so hadn’t met Rusty yet.

  “Hi.” She offered a hand to shake. “I’m Beth Cooper.”

  “Your sisters own the shop in downtown La Colina, right?” Rusty asked.

  Given the pink T-shirt with a hot pink glittered “Girlz Rule” across it, Beth had figured she’d like the store. “Yes, they do. That must be your truck with the Silly Boys, Trucks are for Girls sticker on the back?”

  Rusty laughed. “That’d be mine, all right.”

  Beth liked her already.

  Will snuggled into his wife. “I knew the first time I saw that sticker I was in trouble with this one.”

  “Beth has a sticker,” Autry piped up.

  All eyes turned to him, and for the first time maybe ever, she saw the confident cowboy shift uncomfortably. He shrugged. “It says, I’m not short, I’m fun sized.”

  Beth held her breath and waited for him to explain exactly where and when… and why… he’d noticed that sticker. Or maybe one of his family to bring it up. Only he didn’t, and no one did. Had he not told them that story too?

  Beth kept her relief to herself, glad not to have that story bandied about on top of the skunk thing.

  Mr. Hill brought up the rear of the group, and immediately the source of the Hill siblings’ shared beauty became obvious. Even in his sixties, the rancher was still a looker. Evaline was lovely, too, of course, Beth guiltily added the mental tag. Not that anyone could hear her thoughts.

  “Little Bethie Cooper?” he boomed. Like his wife, he pulled her in for a big hug, more bon
e crushing than Evaline’s though. “Last time I saw you, you were a scrawny teen. Maybe at high school graduation?”

  Beth laughed. “Yeah. I grew.” She winked.

  Beside her, Autry shook his head like she’d said something ridiculous. “She’s still scrawny. Check out those chicken legs.” He lifted up her skirt, but only got a few centimeters before she slapped his hand away.

  “Autry.” Evaline Hill gasped, clearly offended on Beth’s behalf, though her twitching lips gave away that she wasn’t taking her son seriously.

  But it was John Hill’s sudden frown that caught Beth’s attention. He aimed a pointed glare over her head directly at his son. “It hasn’t even been two months.”

  What was this about? Beth whipped her head around to catch a flash of irritation tugging at Autry’s lips before he switched to his customary grin. “Beth and I are just friends, Dad.”

  “That didn’t look like friends, Son.” He waved at Beth’s skirt with an accusatory hand.

  Beth figured she’d better step in before things got more awkward.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Hill,” Beth assured him. “If he gets out of line, I’ll find another skunk for him to deal with.”

  Under the cover of the raucous laughter that filled the room from floor to rafters, Autry leaned in close, the spice of his aftershave drawing her in.

  “Traitor,” he whispered in her ear.

  To cover the shiver that tickled down her neck, Beth shrugged. “Chicken legs?” she asked. “Seriously?”

  “Who says I don’t like chicken legs?” He waggled his eyebrows.

  Beth rolled her eyes in response, determined not to take him, or the way her stomach clenched at that idea, seriously.

  “Well, make sure to leave me out of it, next time,” Cash rumbled through his laughter. “My car still reeks.”

  “It does.” Holly chuckled. “I make him shower when he comes home.”

  “I hear your version is more entertaining than my son’s,” John Hill said to Beth.

  Beth raised her eyebrows at Autry, who waved a hand as if to say, “The floor is yours.”

  So, she recounted what had happened. At first, she tried to stick to facts and make it brief, but since they kept asking for details, she gave them the full-blown story. By the end, the Hills, Autry included, were practically rolling on the floor.

  “Stop,” Carter begged, rubbing at her face. “My cheeks hurt from laughing.”

  “Smooth, Brother.” Jennings clapped Autry on the shoulder before wiping tears of hilarity from his eyes.

  Once they calmed down, John leaned back against the counter, crossing one booted foot over the other. “I don’t think I can be mad about the arrest after all that. Seems like you’ve been punished enough, Autry.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Autry’s grin remained in place, but Beth got the distinct impression he’d suddenly stopped being amused. She had no idea what tipped her off to that fact, though. What should worry her more was how she wanted to sneak her hand into his in a show of solidarity.

  Silly, silly Beth.

  John cocked his head—maybe she wasn’t the only one who caught Autry’s shift in mood.

  “Why’d you believe her and not me?” Autry asked.

  He hadn’t changed positions or stiffened, but tension rolled off him anyway.

  “I’m way cuter than you,” Beth supplied, in an attempt to defuse the tension. She elbowed Autry who grunted and rubbed at the spot.

  He glanced down at her and blinked, then a slow, sexy smile spread across his lips. One that had her heart tripping over itself. “I guess you are,” he said in a quiet murmur that almost made it feel as though they were the only two people in the room.

  Rather than give into the illusion, Beth took a deep breath and turned to his mother with more effort than she cared to acknowledge. “Do you need any help?”

  *

  Those dimples of Beth’s might just put him in an early grave.

  More than once during dinner he’d had to adjust himself under the cover of the table. All because she made him laugh? She made his entire family laugh, actually. He’d heard her described as the funny one of the Cooper sisters, but had always assumed that was because Juliet and Lexi outshone her in the looks department. Except they didn’t. At least he’d never thought so.

  Beth might not be the bombshell type, but her girl-next-door beauty wasn’t to be knocked—perfect skin, lush pink lips, crystal-blue eyes. Not to forget the dimples.

  Tonight, Beth—in full Beth Cooper mode with an obvious goal to entertain and give everyone an enjoyable night—glowed.

  There was no other term for it.

  And I shouldn’t be noticing that, anyway. Because he’d promised to behave and made that bet with his dad about no women, but also because Beth was a good girl. She had white picket fence practically branded on her cute behind. He had strict rules about not messing around with good girls.

  In his younger days, it had more to do with having no interest in being lassoed into marriage before he was ready. With Beth, however, picturing breaking her heart stirred a sickness inside him. Not that she’d given an indication beyond responding to his kisses that she’d even be interested.

  “How’s your grandmother, Beth?” Evaline asked during a lull in the conversation while they all tucked into the Texas chocolate sheet cake with fudge icing she’d made for dessert. “I haven’t seen her since she moved down to Florida.”

  Beth’s dimples flashed yet again, and Autry shifted in his chair. “She’s great. Feisty as ever. I expect all those people in Florida don’t know what to do with themselves.”

  Evaline and John both chuckled. Autry barely knew Loretta Cooper, Beth’s grandmother, other than in passing. Given the way she loved to deadeye teenagers, and lecture them if they got in shouting distance, most people his age had avoided her.

  “In fact,” Beth continued, fork paused midway to her mouth. “She’s dangerous if left to her own devices.”

  “Oh?” Evaline prompted.

  “Her apartment is across from a large strip mall that has a ton of restaurants. She eats there almost every night, from what I understand. Except, she refuses to walk down to the cross walk. The street is four lanes, fifty miles an hour speed limit, and very busy. But does Nona do the logical thing and cross at the designated spot with the lights telling her when to go?”

  “I’m guessing, no?” His mother was already chuckling.

  Beth nodded, eyes wide. “Nope. She crosses wherever she pleases. She raises her cane and shakes it at the cars.”

  Beth raised her fork in an imitation. Only the piece of chocolate cake flew off and smacked Autry in the face before dropping in his lap.

  Amid another round of laughter—at his expense again—Beth gasped. “Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry.”

  She whipped the napkin off her own lap and leaned close, dapping at his face with it.

  “Beth,” he muttered, his body going hard and hot with this much touching, given where his head had been all night.

  She wasn’t listening through. “Where’d the bite go?” Apparently oblivious to the location, she reached for his crotch.

  Autry snagged her wrist before she could touch and find out exactly how disturbed he was. At the abrupt movement, she jerked her head up and smacked him on the bottom of his chin, his teeth clacking painful. “Ouch.”

  “Sorry,” she said again, big blue eyes full of remorse. All he wanted to do was kiss it away.

  “I’ll get it,” he said in a voice gone gruff.

  “Yeah.” Carefully this time, Beth sat back, and he released her wrist.

  “Now I can see how the skunk thing went down,” Cash murmured with such dry humor it set the entire table off again.

  Though Beth chuckled with them, the twin flags of red on her cheeks showed her embarrassment, and Autry was suddenly glad he hadn’t shared the purse incident with his family.

  “Back to your grandmother,” his mother
said.

  Autry gave her a grateful look over Beth’s head and got a smile in return. “The mental image of your frail, white-haired grandmother shaking her cane at honking cars is not one I can wrap my mind around,” she continued.

  Beth jumped back into that topic with visible eagerness. “And this is Florida, with lots of East Coasters. Nona says she’s never been honked at so many times in her entire eighty-five years on this planet.”

  “But she won’t change?” Holly wondered, eyes wide with mirth.

  Beth shook her head. “Dad blames it on Grandpa. Says he spoiled her and gave in to every crazy whim over the years, and now she feels entitled.”

  “Sounds stubborn to me,” Autry said.

  “The kind of stubborn that runs in ranching families, I guess.” Beth aimed those dimples his way, and he found himself leaning forward, wanting another kiss. Enough that he had to straighten when her blue eyes turned a shade confused.

  She glanced around, as though desperately searching for another topic, and finally landed on his plate. “You don’t want any of your cake?”

  The woman had no filter. No one else on this planet would bring up cake again after what just went down. Still, he followed her gaze, surprised to find someone had put a piece in front of him at all. “Nah.”

  “Autry isn’t much of one for sweets,” Evaline explained.

  “Oh.” Beth gave him a cockeyed stare as if trying to figure that out. “Weirdo. Can I have it?” Her plate was practically licked clean.

  Her eager question had him huffing a laugh. Despite all his good intentions about behaving though, he couldn’t resist teasing. Just a little. Autry leaned closer and tapped his cheek. “You gotta pay a toll if you want my cake.”

  Beth sat back, putting distance between them. “That’s an awfully steep price for chocolate.”

  He turned at the dry note in her voice to find her watching him with a wariness that hit him like the way Trigger landed that kick to Saul’s chest earlier today.