Blame it on Texas by Amie Louellen Read Free Book Online

back to his usual devil-may-care. “My life is an open book.”
    “A very short book.” Shelby immediately wished she could call back the snarky remark. What did it matter to her if Ritt wanted to waste his life lounging at the lake and working part-time at the bait shop? It was no skin from her schnozz if he had no ambition beyond the city limits of the tiny Texas town. He might not be the biggest go-getter around, but that was no reason to be mean.
    He cocked his head to one side then released her. “You wound me, Shel. We’re married. We’re supposed to be on the same team.”
    “We wouldn’t be married if someone would sign the papers.”
    Ritt shrugged then opened the refrigerator and studied the contents. “Of course, it would be easier if you would stop hiding stuff from me.”
    “I have nothing to hide.”
    “Oh yeah, Miss Finalist for a James Beard Award two years running?”
    Shelby didn’t know what to say. “How did you know about that?”
    “I Googled you.” He emerged from the fridge with a bottle of water in hand.
    “Google?”
    Ritt nodded and unscrewed the cap. He took a drink then pointed the bottle mouth toward her. “You really should get out more.”
    “I should get out more?” She wasn’t the one living…no, existing in Nowhere, Texas.
    Ritt nodded, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.
    Suddenly all she could think about was the night before, pressing her mouth to Ritt’s, him kissing her back, at first reluctantly, then with the same passion they had shared so many years ago. Except it was different now, with a more controlled urgency. Or maybe that was the wine.
    The heat that filled her left no room for argument. She shrugged it off. She wasn’t about to get into another battle with him. He was pushing her buttons on purpose. For sport. This time she wouldn’t be a part of his game.
    “You gonna call her?”
    “Mom? Right. Of course.” Calling her mother again wouldn’t do any good. When Stormy Patterson didn’t want to be found, it was useless to go looking. Still, it beat the hell out of reliving last night over and over in her head.
    Shelby dialed the number and not surprisingly got her mother’s voicemail. Even less of a surprise, it was full so she couldn’t leave a message. With a sigh, she hung up.
    “She not answer?”
    Shelby shook her head. “You know Mom.”
    Ritt nodded in reply, and Shelby was proud of him for not commenting further. There had been no love lost between her mother and her husband.
    The clock ticked off seconds between them. Shelby wondered if he was as caught up in yesteryear as much as she. She wanted to ask but was unable to form the words.
    “Why did you come back here, Shel?”
    The question was so quietly spoken that at first she thought she had imagined it. “It’s time, don’t you think?” She didn’t add what it was time for—he knew.
    Ritt shrugged but didn’t meet her gaze. “I s’pose.” Then he grabbed his shirttail pulled the garment over his head.  
    Anything else she had thought to say vanished in an instant. She could only stare at the mouthwatering planes and rippling muscles of his chest. As if last night’s kiss hadn’t been enough.
    Her husband seemed oblivious to her drooling as he wiped his forehead on the shirt. He wadded it in one hand and propped his fist on his hip.
    “What?” he asked innocently as she continued to stare.
    “I…I mean…” Before she could form a coherent thought, the shrill ring of the phone cut between them.
    Shelby’s heart gave a painful thump. Ritt’s gaze locked with hers as he answered. “Hello? Slow down, Delilah. Okay.” He handed her the phone. “It’s for you.”
    She pressed the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”
    “Oh my gawd, Shelby! I’m so glad I caught you. I need a cake.”
    “What?” Her brain was still a little fuzzy from the wine, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with Ritt’s little striptease or his thigh brushing against hers as he