“What about her music?” Dalton asked. “She thinks you want her to give it up after the baby comes.”
Grady’s shock was evident. “No way. I’d never ask her to do that. Joss is too talented to give it up. And she wouldn’t have to if I was there to help out. That’s what I keep telling her. She’s got a great future. But not the way Crystal does it, moving from one casino to another. That’s no way to live. No way to raise a kid. Joss can do better than that, especially with me helping her.”
Raney looked at Dalton. Is this guy for real?
He gave a slight shrug. Looks like it.
Grady didn’t seem to notice. “In fact,” he continued, “she’s already on her way. I heard back from one of the producers I sent her demo to and he said—”
“Stop!” Raney held up a hand like she was directing traffic. “Don’t say anything else. Tell Joss first.” She rose from her chair. “I’ll see if she’s awake.”
As soon as Raney left, Dalton said, “You’ll have your hands full.”
“I know.” Grady’s expression indicated he was looking forward to it.
“And not just with Joss,” Dalton warned. “Raney, too. These Whitcomb girls stick up for each other. And then there’s Mama.”
“I heard.”
Dalton had to laugh at the look of mild panic on the other man’s face. “She’s not so bad. Get on her good side and treat her daughter right, and you’re solid.”
“Glad to hear that.”
They sat in silence for a moment, then Dalton said, “You serious about Joss making it big?”
“It could happen. People are showing interest. And she’s definitely got the talent to be a big success.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“About her being a success? I’m all for it. Always have been. But it’s a tough business. And it’s not always pretty.”
Dalton figured the sisters would be coming down soon. If he was going to speak his mind, he’d best get to it. “I know you didn’t ask, but here’s my advice. Be patient. Don’t even try to rein her in. Let her go full gallop. It won’t be easy with a kid in tow, but let her find that out for herself. In the long run, she’ll do what’s right. For herself and her baby. She’s already more worried about being a good mother than being a big star.”
“I think she can do both.”
Footsteps sounded in the hallway from the kitchen. Dalton sat back. “Then I wish you both good luck.”
Dalton and Raney excused themselves when they saw there would be no fireworks from Joss. In fact, it was just the opposite. As soon as she came out onto the veranda, Joss went straight to Grady and put her arms around him.
That was good enough for Dalton, especially when she started crying and blubbering into the guy’s shirt. “I’m out of here,” he said to Raney.
“I’m right behind you,” she muttered, shoving him toward the steps to the lawn.
Their reunion must have gone well, since Grady was still there for the evening meal. And judging by the suitcase he carried up to Joss’s room earlier, he planned to stay for several more.
The mutes stayed mute, staring from one to the other while the newly reunited couple grinned and sighed at each other throughout the meal. Dalton couldn’t look, afraid it would ruin his appetite.
“How come he can stay in Joss’s room,” he complained to Raney later, when Joss and Grady headed upstairs for the night, “but I can’t stay in yours?”
“They’ve already hanky-pankied. We haven’t.”
“Yet,” he said, and pulled her in for a kiss.
She met him with enthusiasm, which told him he was making progress. But all this tiptoeing around was starting to get on his nerves. This wasn’t high school. They were adults. Time they acted like it. “Come to my room tonight,” he whispered into her ear. “I’ll give you a ride you’ll never forget.”
She didn’t refuse him outright, which he took to mean she was actually considering it. He pulled back to study her face. Saw the wanting in her expressive blue eyes, but he also saw indecision. “What?”
“If this goes bad, I’ll lose a trainer. Rosco will lose his chance to make a name for himself, and you’ll have to start over somewhere else.”
He wouldn’t let that happen. “And if it goes good?”
“Then we’ll expect more. More time together. More commitment. We’ll be a couple then, which brings its own problems and expectations—especially with my family. That would be a huge distraction. We’ve both worked hard to make a good showing at the Futurity. Do we really want to lose focus this late in the game?”
Dalton didn’t know how to respond to that. Women overthought and overcomplicated the simplest things. He’d been hoping for sex. Raney was hoping for a lifelong commitment. He certainly wasn’t ruling that out, but they both needed more time. Meanwhile, couldn’t they maybe fool around a little?
Her expression said no. She still had doubts.
He was disappointed, but not surprised. He knew sex with Raney wouldn’t be a simple hookup. It would change everything. And it would definitely be a distraction. Hell.
She must have seen his frustration. She gave him a slow smile that put a spark in her eyes. “But now you can tell me you think you love me, if that’ll help.”
“Will you say it back?”
“I’ll say it first.” She slid her palm up his chest, around the back of his neck, and pulled his head down. It was a whole new kind of kiss and revved him up so much he thought his heart would bust out of his chest. When it ended, he was gasping and she just smiled. The
