Back Where You Belong by Vonnie Davis

daisies on the bench seat beside him. Surely, women still liked flowers. He’d taken pains with his appearance, made sure he had no dirt under his fingernails. No doubt women still frowned on that. What he wasn’t sure of was his outfit. Olivia, in her excitement, laid it out for him. He grinned and glanced out the side window as a semi rolled by. Hell, she’d even shined his boots.
    When his phone chirped, he glanced at the display and slipped in his Bluetooth earpiece. “Now what?”
    “Make sure you hold her hand, Daddy. Cassidy said to tell you that.”
    “Any other instructions, boss lady?”
    “Flattery. Lots of flattery, but don’t be fake about it. Women are too smart for that.”
    How had he raised such an intelligent daughter?
    Nerves dive bombed in his stomach when he knocked on the back door of the LaRoche ranch house ten minutes later. The door opened, and his tongue nearly rolled out. Lacy wore a top to match her name, white lace over a red camisole. A generous amount of cleavage drew his attention. Her black skirt hit those thighs about midway. Thighs he longed to stroke.
    “Hey, beautiful.”
    Her mouth opened and closed twice before a large smile spread. “Hey, cowboy. Come on inside.” She stepped back and motioned for him to come in.
    That’s when he nearly dropped to his knees. She wore red stilettos with ankle straps. Hot damn .
    Before he allowed his sex-starved hormones to turn him into a rutting bull, he hobbled inside and handed her the bouquet of flowers. “Here. These reminded me of you. Vibrant and full of life. Yet feminine, very feminine.” Olivia would be proud of him.
    “Oh, my.” Lacy held the bouquet to her nose and inhaled.
    Then he saw a contradictory sight, a wide smile and tear-filled eyes.
    “I’m speechless.”
    Cold day in hell, Sugar.
    “I love orange roses. Most women like red roses or, if they’re from Texas, they prefer yellow. But my favorite has always been orange roses. Always. They say orange roses are a sign of passion and excitement. I don’t know how passionate I am, but I’m certainly excited.” Her glossy lips pursed. “Guess a lady shouldn’t say that.” She sashayed over to the sink with the bouquet. “Daisies signify purity and loyal love.”
    He followed the swaying hips, and then backed against the counter so he could take weight off his foot. He watched the expressions play out on her face as she talked. She was a study in energy and frankness. Whatever was flitting through her mind tumbled right out of her mouth. After Anna Beth’s deceit, this young woman’s honesty was appealing. No wonder he was drawn to her.
    What expressions would play out on her face as they made love? And he would make love to her. Suddenly, his need for this woman eclipsed any hesitations he’d wrestled with on his drive here.
    She opened a cabinet door and pulled out a vase. “There’s ferns here, too. Ferns signify magic and mystery.” Her gaze slid to his. “I read a lot.”
    “So does Olivia. In fact, I sometimes worry she hides from life between the covers of books.”
    As she sniped off the ends of the flowers, her blonde curls bobbed when she nodded. “Yes, I’ve done that, too. I was an awkward teenager. Shy, yet driven. Clumsy, yet skilled on the back of a horse. Does she ride? ’Cause the relationship between a horse and its owner is a sacred, powerful, healing thing.” She glanced at him with earnest turquoise eyes. “Remember when you told me that years ago?” A blush kissed her cheeks. “If I remember correctly, those were your exact words, too.”
    “You were always crazy about horses. Guess that’s why we spent time together. I could sense your need to know everything about them.”
    Nervous hands shifted and rearranged flowers. “You were a good teacher.”
    Tyler slowly trailed a finger up her arm. The barest of touch, and yet it affected him so badly he wanted to take her in his arms. By the sight of her parted lips and nipples