Texas Gold by Liz Lee

it.
    “Must have been difficult raising a girl alone after all those boys.”
    She nodded. “You know a little about that, I suppose. But Daddy did the best he could.”
    “I suppose he did, and he has you as the payoff. State champ coach. He must be proud.”
    “Shoot yes, he’s proud. I’m the only chance he’s got since none of his sons followed in his footsteps.”
    She was done talking about the past.  
    She moved on down the short hall and opened the last door. Peeking inside, she held out her hand. “Hold on a second. I wasn’t planning on this.”
    After a few seconds of perusal she waved him on. “All right I guess. You can look from here, but don’t go in.”
    He wanted to go in her room, wanted to take her with him and show her the wonders of who she was. The men in Mallory’s life might love her, but her family had done a miserable job helping her love herself. She’d become exactly what they all expected.  
    Coaching trophies lined her dresser. As if they defined who she was.
    Suddenly he didn’t feel a bit jealous of the life Mallory led or of the family she surrounded herself with.
    How a family like hers could let a row of trophies symbolize her best accomplishments was beyond him. And he swore as soon as he returned home, he’d make sure Nina’s sporting trophies were relegated to a back corner somewhere.
    At the very end of Mallory’s dresser, he could just barely make out a black and white photo of a woman who looked so much like her, it had to be her mother.
    Her smile was full of warmth. Hey eyes laughed through time.
    “How’d your mother die?”
    “An accident.”
    There was more to the story he was sure. But she didn’t want to share, and he wasn’t going to pry.
    She on the other hand had no such compunction. “What happened to Mrs. Alexander?”
    “She hated the hours. Left Nina with me when she was three and took off for bigger and better. She lives in California now. Has no desire to see Nina, and we like it that way.”
    He watched her look back toward the picture on the dresser. “Don’t bet on it.”
    With that, she closed the door on his inspection.
    He’d barely even noticed the room itself except he could say it was the only feminine place in the house, and that was just barely.
    If he hadn’t promised her a week of hands off, he’d take her in his arms now. The laughter was gone and in its place a sad acceptance hung in the air.  
    They both felt it. He couldn’t be certain why she did, but he knew his feelings stemmed from the reality that a family, not one like the Babers exactly, but one where family reunions and pictures hanging on hallway walls had no real place in his future.
    As it was, he did his best to forget his own past. He certainly didn’t tell stories about it with the same wistful longing he heard in Mallory’s voice.
    Still, he was determined to lighten the mood.
    “My turn next, right?”
    She looked at him in confusion. “What?
    “You know, today you tried to kill me running. Tomorrow I get to take you out.”
    “Oh.” She shrugged. “I guess.”
    “Good.” He stopped there, knowing she’d hate asking more, and knowing she’d ask anyway, even though she hated it.
      “So what’s on your agenda?”
    She’d told him to dress comfortably. Sure he’d known to be ready to work out, but she’d definitely left him in suspense. Turn about was fair play.
    “I don’t think I’ll tell. But I better warn you.”
    She looked worried when he stopped, and he let her stew for a moment. Back in the living room, he picked up their glasses. Putting them in her hands he grinned the same grin he gave before he moved in for the kill on a more than difficult deal. Full of boyish persuasion and a man’s promise.
    “You’ll want to dress formally.”

Chapter Six
    Oh God, she’d tried to kill him and now he had revenge on his mind.
      “How formal are we talking here?”
    “I don’t know. Better than Sunday but not senior prom.”
    What