Dinner that evening was the start of weeks of every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday together. Marti had explained that given the time of the year, the cattle and horses could pretty much take care of themselves, so that gave her more free time than other seasons.

Thank goodness for spring.

Their lovemaking, which had been hot at the beginning, took on an erotic, desperate need as Eli’s time in Whispering Springs would be ending in less than three weeks. The only dark shadow in his life was that he’d never heard from Midtown Orthopedics. A position there, especially a partner position, would set him up in New York and put him back inside his circle of influential acquaintances. It would be like the old days, before Gina’s death. He kept in touch with doctors in NYC, and last he’d heard, they’d hired no one, but interviews had abruptly stopped in June.

When he’d taken this position, he’d assumed the New York job would be his. He’d made sure that Hank had understood that Eli would need to leave Texas before the end of July so he could be ready to start a new job in August. Given that his contract for Texas ended on July twentieth, he’d started putting out feelers for other potential positions about a week ago.

It was a Sunday in early July when everything came tumbling down around him. Like a lot of weekend mornings, the first thing he did was roll over and look at the incredible woman lying beside him. He’d gotten so used to Marti being a part of his life. Sometimes it seemed like she’d always been there.

The riding lessons, after that first disaster, had continued. Not only could he actually stay on a horse, he enjoyed their outings.

He thought back to yesterday. Joe had come out to the Flying Pig. He’d climbed from the car on two prosthetic legs. The progress he’d made in the last couple of months was nothing short of amazing. He was now talking about learning to run again. Of course, Joe was still a teenager and had those days when everyone around him wanted to lock him away, but Eli wrote all that off as being a typical teen.

Joe’s parents had driven him out, but also along for the ride was an attractive teenage girl. She looked at Joe like he’d invented ice cream. It was obvious to anyone watching them that she was hooked on Joe, prosthetic legs or not.

Joe had clapped, whistled, and whooped when Eli rode out of the barn on Bikini, and then took off in a gallop. Eli had whirled the horse in a circle and ridden back. At first, Joe accused Eli of lying about his fear of horses, but Marti had set him straight.

It’d been a good day.

Heck, it’d been a great couple of months. He didn’t want it to be over. He had feelings for Marti, and she for him. But were those feelings enough? Or had they just been keeping each other company, knowing there was a deadline?

“Hey,” Marti said, looking into his eyes. “You’re awake early.”

“What man wants to sleep when he has a sexy woman in his bed?”

She smiled. “You say the nicest things to me. Be right back.” She hopped from the bed and closed the bathroom door behind her. In a minute, she was back with minty, fresh breath.

“Good morning,” she said, her sweet breath blowing across his face. “Did I remember to thank you for dinner last night?”

“Marti. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Oh, but I do.”

She flipped the bedcovers over her head and began leaving a line of kisses down his chest to his abdomen. His cock took notice immediately and tented the sheet in racecar speed. Her tongue trailed down the narrow strip of hair that led to his promise land. He felt her warm breath a second before her lips wrapped around the crown on his dick.

He pushed the back of his head into his pillow and let out a low groan. The only way to make a blow job better was to watch. He tossed the covers on the floor, and the erotic vision before him make his heart leap into his throat. Marti’s sexy body was between his legs. Her auburn hair had been pulled to the side and draped over his thigh. His dick disappeared into her mouth, and he almost came.

“Damn, Marti. You’re too good at this. You’re killing me.”

She withdrew him from her mouth with a pop. “So you’re wanting me to stop?”

The small smile on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes made him grin.

“God, no! Not if you still want blueberry pancakes for breakfast.”

She licked her lips. “You taste so good, maybe better than blueberry pancakes.”

Their gazes locked, she poked out her tongue and ran it along the thick vein that ran along the underside of his erection. She circled the base, then gently sucked a ball into her mouth. His breath held as his pulse pounded in his ears.

She rolled his other ball between her fingers then licked his sac, separating the two testicles. Heat flared even as a shiver ran through him. He lost his ability to think. Every drop of blood raced to his rigid cock.

After leaving a soft kiss on his ball sac, she moved back to his shaft, running the tip of her tongue around the base and up, until she once again drew him deep into her mouth.

He groaned. “Honey, I can’t take much more. I’m about to come.”

She sucked him deep. His cock head hit the back of her throat, and she hummed. The vibrations shook through him. His balls pulled up, ready to fire.

“Marti. Honey. I’m going to…” He groaned, fighting the urge to release. Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled off the side.

She withdrew, but kept her head bent over his cock. “Let go,” she said. “Let me do this for you.” Then she sank down his length.

In their time together, he’d never come in her mouth. And now, she was asking him to. His gut pulled tight. Furnace-degree heat shot through him. His heels dug into the mattress as he was overwhelmed with an orgasm so powerful, it left him breathless. Her lips clamped tight around him as she swallowed.

Afterward, she kissed the tip of his dick and laid her head on his stomach. He stroked her hair as he panted to catch his breath. Realization hit him like a kick to the gut.

He loved her.

He hadn’t been looking for this. Really didn’t think love would strike twice in his life. He was lying there stunned with this new awareness when she climbed from the bed.

“I’m taking a shower.” She looked back with a smile. “Want to join me?”

* * *

An hour later, Marti sat in Eli’s living room sipping on her last cup of coffee for the day. It was close to eleven and she needed to get home. Grisham was back, but the broken ribs had hit him harder than she would have thought. Her parents were due back in less than a month, and she wanted to make sure everything at the ranch was exactly as it should be.

Eli’s doorbell rang.

“Can you get that?” he called from the master bathroom. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Marti opened the door.

A tall, slender woman dressed in an expensive-looking suit gave her a quizzical look. She looked to be in her late thirties, but Marti wasn’t really sure. However, she was sure that the woman reeked of money and class.

The woman’s brows drew together. “I must have the wrong address. I’m looking for Dr. Eli Boone.”

“No, you have the right address. Hold on. I’ll get him.”

Marti left the woman standing on the porch while she hurried to the master bedroom. “Eli. There’s a woman at the front door looking for you.”

The bathroom door opened, and he entered the room dressed. “What’s she selling?”

“Oh, trust me. She’s not selling anything.”

“Did you get a name?”

“Nope.”

He sighed and walked to the door. Instantly, his back stiffened. “Mother. What are you doing here?”

Still in the bedroom, Marti shut her eyes in embarrassment. His mother? She’d left his mother standing on the porch.

“Hello, Elias,” his mother said in a smooth voice. “I didn’t think you’d have company so early in the day.”

“Company? Oh, you mean Marti. Where is she? Marti! Come meet my mother.”

Marti finger combed her hair, straightened her shirt, and tugged at the hem of her shorts. She was not dressed to meet his mother.

She reentered the living room positive her face was flaming red. “I am so sorry, Mrs. Boone. If I’d known you were Eli’s mother, I wouldn’t have left you standing on the porch.”

Mrs. Boone smiled. “I understand.” She held out a hand. “I’m Tessa Boone.”

“Sorry,” Eli said. “Mother, this is Marti Jenkins, a very good friend. She has been wonderful helping me settle in. Marti, this is my mother Tessa Boone.”

Marti shook her hand and said, “Nice to meet you.” She looked at Eli. “I’d better run. There are things I need to get done.”

“Oh, you work?” Mrs. Boone asked.

“Work?” Eli slung his arm around Marti’s shoulders. “She is running the family cattle ranch while her parents are away.”

“How nice,” Mrs. Boone said. “An honest-to-goodness cowgirl. Don’t see many of those from where we’re from, right, Eli?”

He squeezed Marti’s shoulders. “That’s what makes her special. Now, not that I’m not thrilled to see you, Mother, but what are you doing here?”

Mrs. Boone glanced at Marti and back to Eli. “I brought you some news and I thought you might enjoy hearing it in person.”

“Great. What is it?”

She looked at Marti again and said, “We can talk later. I don’t want to bore your friend with business talk.”

Marti might be only an honest-to-goodness cowgirl, but she was smart enough to know when it was time to skedaddle. “No problem. I was just getting ready to leave.” She stepped from under Eli’s arm. “I’ll talk to you later, Eli. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Boone.”

As soon as she made it out the front door, she sighed with relief. Wow, talk about awkward. She rounded the corner of the house to where she’d left her car.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” she muttered. Her purse, with her car keys, was in Eli’s office. The last thing she wanted to do was to walk back into that house. “Think, Marti, think.”

A figurative light bulb flashed. They’d hauled the deck chairs inside last night because of the threat of rain. Was it possible they’d left that door unlocked? She crossed her fingers and said a prayer. Then, she eased up onto the back deck and tried the handle. The door to Eli’s office opened noiselessly. She entered and was stopped short by the loud voices.

“Mother, that’s not fair,”

“Darling, you know it’s true. It’s fine to sleep with a woman like her. I mean, I do understand men’s needs. But she’d simply will never fit into our world. Society can be so unforgiving. You wouldn’t want to put her through that. And now that you’ve gotten the partnership offer from Midtown, you have to be thinking about your future. You need a woman who understands what it is to be the wife of a prominent physician. Can you picture her in New York City?”

“Mother,” he said with a long sigh. “Marti is a wonderful woman.”

“I’m sure she is—for a different man. Now, Dr. Vincent wants you to call him on Monday to confirm everything. I’ll be so happy to have you home where you belong.”

The backs of Marti’s eyes grew hot as tears filled her eyes. She snatched up her purse and let herself back outside. A wave of nausea swept over her, and for a second, she thought she was going to lose her breakfast. She swallowed against the tang in her mouth and raced to her car. The urge to fly down the drive bit at her gut, but she didn’t want to confirm his mother’s impression that she was nothing but a Texas hick. She might have controlled her speed, but she couldn’t control her tears. Salty drops of her soul leaked down her face and dripped off her chin.

In the time it took to get back to the Flying Pig, she’d talked herself off the ledge. She’d known going in that Eli was only here for a short time. He’d never promised her anything except good food, and on that, he’d delivered. There’d never been a discussion about the future, no plans beyond a week at a time, and she’d been fine with that.

So why did his mother’s words hurt so much? Was it because she was right?

There was some reality in Mrs. Boone’s comments. Marti didn’t belong in New York. She’d been there. Seen some plays. Went to the museums. Had some wonderful food. But the thought of all those people crammed on that tiny island, everyone on top of one another, was not for her. She needed space. She needed open skies. And most importantly, she loved ranching. She wasn’t going anywhere.

So, if all that was true, then why had she let herself fall in love with him? She knew better. She’d fought it, but her heart hadn’t listen.

Eli had landed his dream position at that clinic in New York. She was thrilled for him. Sad for her but elated for him. He’d talked to her about it and about his dreams. Everything he wanted was within his reach, and she would do nothing to stand in his way.

Her feelings were hers to deal with. She’d never tell him how she felt, and he would never know. She would live through his departure. Knowing him as well as she did, he would feel awful if he thought she was in love with him and leaving would break her heart. He was a gentle soul, a caring man. She would never hurt him.

As soon as she got home, she broke their date for that evening. He should spend time with his mother since she’d come so far to see him.

Monday evening, Marti was lying on her sofa reading a romance novel, when Eli knocked on her door.

“Hey, stranger,” she said. “Come on in.” She forced her voice to be light and carefree. Her heart swelled at seeing him. Lust swirled in her gut. She tamped down her emotions. She knew what she had to do, and it wasn’t going to be easy.

“She’s gone,” he announced and dropped on the couch beside her. “Finally.”

“I’m glad you spent time with her.”

“You should have gone out to dinner with us last night.”

She smiled. “You mother came to see you.”

Putting an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer and kissed her. “Yeah, but it would have been nice to have you there, too. I missed you.”

The kiss wasn’t deep and erotic. It was just a simple kiss between lovers exchanged as a hello. She would miss those. “I missed you, too.”

“We need to talk.”

She sat back and looked into his gorgeous brown eyes. “I know. Let me go first.”

He nodded and waited.

“This…” She gestured between them. “This has been great, but I think we’ve run our course.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve accomplished what you came to me for. You can ride. You’re over your nervousness around horses. You’ve come a long way. But it’s also getting close to time for you to leave. I’m assuming your mother’s good news has to do with Midtown?”

He grinned. “That’s one of the things I came to tell you. Associate partner the first year, with full partner the second year. Unbelievable. They never do that for anyone.”

She smiled, but her heart was shattering. “They’re smart. They knew a good thing when they saw it.” She bumped his shoulder. “You’re a good thing. Wise move on their part.” She cleared her throat, pushing that rock lodged there down an inch. “I know you’ll do wonderful things.” She hugged him, inhaled his scent, and tried to store it in her memory banks. “I’m proud of you.”

“Now, my turn.”

“No, I’m not done yet.” She drew in a breath. “I think that we should stop seeing each other before feelings get involved.”

“What?” His brow furrowed. “Why? I don’t understand. Feelings? Of course I have—”

“Let me make it simple,” she interrupted. “I want to stop seeing you.”

“You’re breaking up with me?” His voice held an incredulous tone.

She forced a chuckle. “If I had your letterman jacket, I’d be handing it over.” She added a wink, trying to keep this light and get him out the door before she totally lost it. “Yeah, I think it best to end this now. No harm, no foul on either side.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off. “Look, Eli. This was fun, but we’re not in love. There’s no reason to drag this out. I have plans for this coming weekend, and the next, you’ll be packing.” She stood. “I’m going to grab a glass of water. Need anything?”

He wore a stunned expression as he shook his head.

In the kitchen, she sagged against the counter. She’d never been a good liar, but she hoped, this one time, he didn’t see through all the lies she’d just told. She loved him more than she’d known was possible. In all her life, she’d never felt this way about anyone, including Theodore. People survived loss every day. She’d survive this.

“I don’t believe you.”

She startled and looked up. “Well, believe it. I’m done. We had fun, right? Let’s not fight about this. We knew there was an expiration date. I just moved it up a little.”

“You said there were no feelings involved but there are. I…I care about you.”

She sighed. “Oh, Eli. I care about you too, but your life isn’t in Texas and mine is. Don’t make this difficult.”

“Will you visit me in New York?”

She shook her head. “No. We’re finished. Good luck.” She turned her back to him. “You know the way out.”

As soon as she heard his car drive away, she released the dam holding back her tears.