A wide-eyed fawn stopped nibbling on leaves and froze, staring at them through the thick forest. A large white-tailed doe joined the frightened fawn and they fled back into the woods.
Jared nudged the gelding forward and bent his head beside her ear. Warm breath floated by her neck, under her hair. “Sorry Matt woke you. He was real quiet when he saw the other animals. Did you have a nice nap?” Jared brushed errant tendrils back from her face. His hand lingered on her cheek. Her heart sputtered as his hand moved, placing the strands behind her ear.
She almost sighed at his touch, but fought the surrendering sound back down. He was nothing but trouble, and the fact that she was forgetting it was the proof. And
The green and white wooden barn returned to view as they rounded the bend. She heard the babbling of a small waterfall and running water from a nearby river. “How long was I asleep?” She looked down and realized he'd opened his coat and had it wrapped around her so they shared its warmth.
He pulled her against him. She resisted, craned her neck around to glare at him. He smiled that dangerous smile. Against her will, she leaned back into the warmth of down and man, curbing the next sigh that threatened to arise. “Almost an hour. I thought I'd make some hot cocoa with marshmallows when we get back to the ranch. Later, I'll fix us a picnic lunch and we can eat on the patio. I'm curious to learn what else Matt likes to eat besides roast beef, cookies, spaghetti and lobster.'
She smiled. “Anything that doesn't bite or isn't nailed down. His legs are hollow. That's where the food goes.'
Jared chuckled.
Ten minutes later, they reentered Jared's barn. A horse in a nearby stall nickered at the sound of their hoofs on the floor. Jared turned toward the sound.
“Midnight Star's hungry. Matt, I stowed a little lettuce, a few carrots and apples in a bucket hanging on a nail over on the far wall. I thought you might like to feed the animals after we get the saddles off the horses and cool them down.” Jared pointed to a wire cage that held two bushy tailed white rabbits with ruby eyes.
Matt giggled, bent forward and hugged the pony around the neck. “Hear that, Sweet Pea? You get treats, too.'
Katherine smiled. “I think the horseback ride was a huge success.” She glanced at Matt. He yawned and had difficulty keeping his eyes open. “I'm going to put Matt down for a nap at noon. He's worn out. Can we talk afterwards?” she whispered.
Jared reined Flying Leap to a halt inside the barn. “Sure,” he said with a quizzical glance.
Matt stopped behind them and climbed off Sweet Pea. He reached in his saddlebag and took out a bouquet of wilted wildflowers. “Mr. Randall asked me to pick ‘em for you since you didn't get to see the colors.” He laid them on a bale of hay.
She felt a lump in her throat as she glanced down at the rainbow of squashed flowers. “I'll dry them and save them in our favorite books. Thanks,” she said with a shaky voice.
Dismounting from the gelding, Jared held his hands up to help Katherine down. Her foot caught on the saddle horn and she tumbled forward, landing in his arms. As he held her close, her body shuddered. It felt wonderful to be in his arms.
He set her on her feet, leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You've got one hell of a dismount.'
“What can I say, it's just natural talent, good sir.'
As the clock in Jared's den chimed twelve, Katherine sipped her coffee, sinking into chocolate mocha heaven. Alan Jackson's “Don't Close Your Eyes” drifted from the stereo as she put the empty cup on the table. Matt had been so exhausted he'd gone down for his nap without a fuss. Her fingers traced the buttery leather seams as she lounged on the couch with Jared. They stared at the flames curling upward from the wood burning in the large fireplace.
“I know you didn't come in here to talk about how beautiful my ranch is, or to thank me for helping Grace from time to time, or to ask me about the four employees that run the ranch in my absence. You've been in a funny mood ever since we got back from the ride. Something wrong?” Jared reached beside him and threaded his fingers through hers. “I'm your friend. Talk to me. You know I'll help, if I can.'
She leaned her head back and looked up at the high wooden beams. Her eyes burned. Today had been so perfect. The way a family should be. The way hers never could be. She felt like bawling, but knew it wouldn't solve anything. “When we had lunch on the patio, you told a dumb knock-knock joke and Matt doubled over with laughter-'
Jared's voice sounded angry as he interrupted her. “If you expect me to stop telling them, I won't. Matt enjoys my dumb jokes. Let him be a giggling, silly five-year-old, Katherine. I never had much of a childhood, but I know it's important for Matt to have a happy one. By the way, he still wants a puppy.'
Katherine cleared her throat and glanced at Jared. “I wanted to thank you,” she whispered. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eyes, remembering Paul kept telling Matt to stop being a baby and grow up.
His jaw dropped. “Oh.” He released her hand, pulled one knee up on the couch and angled himself to face her. With his finger, he caught the tear that fell onto her cheek. “I hope this isn't because of my big mouth.'
She shook her head, extended her hand and held onto his arm. “Why didn't you have much of a childhood?'
The muscles in his jaw tightened. He took a deep breath and the pattern on his shirt seemed to expand in width. “It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now.'
It mattered and she knew it. “I'd like to know,” she coaxed.
He released a quick sigh. “My father dumped me and my mother for another woman when I was eight.” His gaze searched her face. “I suppose Matt's going through the same feelings of rejection. I thought if my father had come back things would be better for us, but seeing Paul with Matt reminds me that was a lie.
She took a shaky breath. “I know.'
He looked tenderly at her. “You don't plan on returning to Paul?'
“No,” she said, gnawing her lower lip. “Once Christmas is over, I don't plan on ever seeing him again.'
“How do I know you won't change your mind?'
Smiling faintly, she squeezed his arm and released it. “Trust me.” She studied his face and saw doubt cloud his eyes. “Is that what happened to your fiancee? She went back to her ex?'
He nodded.
She slumped deeper into the couch. “I kept thinking if I pushed Matt and Paul together, let him really get to know his son, he'd change the way he felt about Matt.” She swallowed hard. “Paul never wanted children.” Her face heated. “I always wanted at least four, but I didn't purposely get pregnant. It just happened. Matt's my life and Paul wants to ship Matt off to a boarding school when he turns six in January.'
The muscles in Jared's arm tightened.
She averted her eyes. “I've been thinking about how I treated you at the party. I do owe you an apology. You had a right to get mad and feel I'd used you.'
He placed his finger under her chin and brought her attention back to him. He shook his head. “I don't feel that way anymore.'
“You don't?'
He stroked her lips with his thumb. “No. Want to know why?'
She nodded as he slid closer. His blue eyes flickered with desire. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached up and smoothed her hair around her shoulders. “We can't help ourselves. Remember?” he whispered, his fragrant breath warming her cheek and causing chills to lick along her spine.
'We can't help ourselves,’ her body coaxed, overriding any logical objection as the tip of his tongue fired a trail down her neck. When he reached the hollow at the base of her throat, his teeth nipped. His tongue licked at her skin. She shivered and moaned softly.
His mouth skimmed her arched neck to her lips and sipped hers until she wanted more of him. “Open for me,” he said huskily, tugging her chin gently with his thumb. He moved back, staring into her eyes. Her heart pounded
