Free End Zone: Texas Titans 2 by Cheryl Douglas Page B

behind the reception
desk.
    “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Nancy
asked, crossing her arms and looking as though she was in no hurry.
    Matt’s lips twitched as he stared his
mother down, trying not to smile. “You’re right. Please.”
    “Better.” Nancy nodded her approval.
    “Nancy, wait.” Kristen reached for her
wrist. “Please, I can’t let you do this. Matt’s not thinking clearly. Give me
some time to make him see that.”
    “You’re wasting your time, hon.” Nancy
grinned. “If there’s one thing I can tell you about this one, it’s that he’s as
stubborn as a mule. Once he’s made up his mind about something, there’s no
sense trying to change it.”
    “She’s right.” Matt appeared totally
unaffected by his mother’s less-than-favorable characterization.
    “But you can’t force me to agree,” Kristen
said through clenched teeth.
    “I’ll leave you two to work this out,”
Nancy said, looking from Kristen to her son. When neither of them responded,
Nancy laughed. “It looks like you’ve met your match, Matt.”
    Matt waited for her to slip into the back
room before he asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t like that piece?”
    “Are you out of your mind? It may be the
most beautiful piece of art I’ve ever seen.”
    Kristen loved to visit galleries and
antique shops, but she’d never seen a piece that moved her quite the way
Nancy’s painting did. When she closed her eyes, she imagined wandering through
the brightly colored flowers, holding her lover’s hand and talking about the
life they hoped to build in their little cottage. She often looked at art that
way or tried to imagine what the artist had been thinking when they painted it,
what or who inspired them, and who they saw in the faces of the people they
painted.
    “Then I don’t see the problem.” Matt seemed
frustrated, like her stubborn refusal was the only thing standing between him
and something he desperately wanted. Clearly Matt Hudson was used to getting
what he wanted.
    “I do love the piece, and I’d love to own
it, more than anything, but I can’t let you buy it for me. It wouldn’t be
right.” Kristen earned a good living, but she invested a good portion back into
the business so she could grow her support staff without having to worry too
much about the lean months. “It may take me a year, but I’d like to pay you in
installments.”
    “Kris, that’s really not necessary.” Matt
looked remorseful. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to back you into a corner or make
you uncomfortable.” He sighed and reached for her hands. “It’s just that I saw
how your eyes lit up when you walked in and saw that piece, and I want you to
have it.”
    Kristen couldn’t remember when a man had
given her a gift just because he wanted to make her smile. She felt like an
ungrateful shrew, throwing Matt’s generosity back in his face. “I’m the one who
should be sorry. You tried to do something unbelievably nice for me, and I
respond by getting upset.”
    “I usually date women who expect expensive
gifts from me.” Nuzzling her hair, he said, “I keep forgetting you’re not like
anyone else. That’s why I can’t seem to let you go.”
    Kristen let his words sink in and warm her
all over. The more he said he wanted to be with her, the easier it was to
believe him. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
    He looked her in the eye, obviously trying
to decide if she was softening. “Does that mean you’ll agree to have dinner
with me tomorrow night? It doesn’t have to be at High Rollers. We can go
anywhere you want.”
    She wrapped her arms around his waist and
tipped her head back to look at him. “We should stick to High Rollers. If your
mother and I are going to plan this anniversary party, I’ll need to get a feel
for the place, won’t I?”
    Matt picked her up and kissed her
thoroughly. “You won’t regret this, I promise.” He set her down when she nudged
his shin with her dangling