Harlequin American Romance May 2014 Bundle: One Night in Texas\The Cowboy's Destiny\A Baby for the Doctor\The Bull Rider's Family (67 page)

Smart went out the window when he feathered soft kisses across her forehead. She drew in a breathy sigh and tipped her face to his. Instantly, he covered her mouth with his own. The press of his lips against hers sent tingles racing along every nerve in her body. With the first brush of his tongue against her lips, she opened to him. He tasted of excellent single malt mingled with mint. Beneath the crisp, clean smells of fresh air and soap, she caught a hint of his own musky scent. His fingers cupped her face. His thumb traced the tender skin beneath her jaw.

Her breath caught in her throat and she gave herself to the heady sensations of Colt’s touch, his taste. She moaned her pleasure, refusing to listen to the voice of reason that practically shouted that kissing Colt Judd was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

One thing for sure, she thought when they both finally came up for air, Colt had succeeded in erasing all thoughts of four-legged predators from her mind. Except a new worry had taken its place and, she feared that, unlike the cold-blooded kind, this one wouldn’t let go.

* * *

B
REE
’
S
FEET
SKIDDED
to a halt halfway to the barn. She turned, clutching Mrs. Wickles to her chest. “Are we gonna see horses?”

Colt eyed the girl’s mom. Usually attentive to her daughter’s every need, Emma studied the distant horizon without answering. Was she thinking about their kiss? Did she regret it? He scuffed a boot through the dust. He could think of dozens of reasons they should stay at arm’s length. She was his employee. He, her boss. She wanted to put down roots. He lived a rootless existence. All things considered, common sense told him he should maintain a healthy distance from the cook.

Except fate kept throwing them together. Fate, and a little girl who needed rescuing far too often. Then there was the little matter of last night. Or, more precisely, this morning. How was he to know a restless night would land them in each other’s arms? That her kisses would have knocked his boots off if he’d been wearing them. Her touch was so tempting he wished he hadn’t promised to take Emma and her daughter on a tour of the ranch. Or to spend his evenings helping her re-create the Circle P’s traditional recipes. How he was going to manage either of those tasks without slipping his arm around Emma’s slim waist, or stealing a kiss from her perfect lips, he had no idea.

He looked down at the little girl who danced around on her toes. At least they had Bree along with them this afternoon. The pint-size chaperone would keep things from getting too heated.

“Just Star and Daisy,” he said, answering her question. “I bet they’d like some company.”

“Horses, Mommy!” Bree’s head bobbed up and down so fast, she sent her pigtails flying. She tugged on her mom’s hand. “I’m gonna ride one all by myself!”

The boast earned Emma’s full attention. “Horses are not toys,” she warned. “We have to be careful around them. Listen to Mr. Colt and do exactly what he says.”

Knowing Emma trusted him with her daughter sent warmth spreading across his chest. He treated them both to his best teasing grin. “She’s got a bit of daredevil in her, doesn’t she?” He pulled one of Bree’s ponytails. “Are you sure you’re not a tomboy?”

Both of Bree’s little hands landed on her hips. “You’re silly, Mr. Colt. I’m a girl.”

“Bree, mind your manners.” The glint of humor in Emma’s eyes softened her stern words.

“It’s okay.” Colt laughed. “I
was
being silly.” He reached for his hat brim and was momentarily thrown off-balance when his fingers encountered nothing but air. Playing Frisbee with a full-size alligator was mighty hard on a cowboy hat. Not that he was complaining. When he got right down to it, he didn’t really mind that a few shreds of leather were all that was left of his best work Stetson. Not if it meant Bree and Emma were safe.

“How ’bout if I carry you.” Colt didn’t wait for an answer but swept the featherweight child into his arms. As he strode into the darkened barn, two long faces appeared over Dutch doors at the far end of the row. Star and Daisy nickered, hoping for a treat.

“Oooh!” Bree huddled against his neck. “They’re big!”

“Yep,” Colt agreed. To give both mom and daughter time to get used to the idea, he showed them the layout.

“Ty made a lot of changes once Jimmy and Sarah moved in.” He pointed to the pitchforks, rakes and shovels that hung at shoulder height near the entrance. A ladder to the upper level collapsed into the ceiling. “It’s meant to keep inquisitive youngsters from testing their wings from the hayloft.” He winced remembering the day Hank had broken a leg when he missed landing on a pile of hay. He sure didn’t want that happening to Bree.

“Saddles, bridles and riding gear are stored in here.” Crossing to the tack room, he inhaled the familiar scent of leather when he opened the door on racks of neatly hung equipment. Cowboy hats of various sizes and colors hung on a peg wall. With Bree’s help, he chose one that would do until he made a trip to Eli’s Western Wear for a replacement. He grabbed a couple of carrots from a fifty-pound bag by the door. Leading the way, he headed down the wide, clear aisle to the horses’ stalls.

“Want to give Daisy a treat?” Colt broke the vegetable into smaller pieces.

Worry lines crisscrossed Bree’s little face. “Does she bite?” Looking for reassurance, she swung a hopeful look toward her mom.

Emma’s lips parted as if she wanted to protest, but Colt intervened before she had a chance. “This old gal has the best manners of any horse on the Circle P.” He held a carrot out to Bree.

Bree pursed a pair of rosebud lips, clearly torn between fear and daring. He grinned at Emma when her daughter finally gathered enough courage to say, “Okay.”

“Here, hold your hand flat,” he instructed. “She has big teeth, but her mouth is soft as velvet.”

One arm curled tightly around Colt’s neck, Bree held still while Daisy lipped the piece of carrot from her open palm.

“Mommy, she tickled me!” Light sparkled in Bree’s eyes. “Can I give her another one?”

“That was really good, Bree.” Colt gave the kid points for bravery. “You can pet her if you want. She’d like that.”

Carefully, Bree reached out to the gentle mare. She ran a hand along the shiny coat and giggled when Daisy signaled her contentment by blowing air through soft lips.

Colt locked on Emma’s eyes. The fear he’d glimpsed in them had turned to wonder. Her wordless
thank you
sent another wave of warmth through his chest. He took a deep breath. Staying away from the petite brunette was going to be harder than he’d ever imagined if something as simple as introducing her daughter to a horse put a glow in Emma’s eyes.

But the moment passed when Bree turned up her nose. “She’s pooping!” the little girl screamed in a mix of horror and delight.

“Yep,” Colt chuckled. “Horses do that.” He turned to Emma. “We muck the stalls twice a day, every day, replacing soiled hay with fresh bedding. Keeps the horses healthy.” He nudged Bree’s tummy. “And everything smells nice.”

Figuring they’d spent enough time with the horses, he lifted one finger to his lips. “If you can be real quiet, we’ll take a peek at Maize’s puppies.”

“Puppies!” Bree’s eyes widened.

She scrambled to get down, but Colt had been around the four-year-old enough to hang on to her. “They’re too small to handle,” he cautioned. “We can only look. No touching.”

The little girl gave him a solemn nod. With Emma at his side, they peered over the Dutch door at the end of the aisle. Maize sprawled across a bed of fresh hay and old horse blankets while three of her six pups nursed. Two of the others slept in a pile, one on top of the other. The runt of the litter nosed his way across the straw.

“Oh, Mommy, they’re so cute.” Bree wrapped one arm around Colt’s neck. “Can I have a puppy? Please, please, please?”

Looking into the child’s pleading eyes, Colt felt his heart lurch. He’d give her a puppy. Hell, she could have the whole litter if she wanted. He was on the verge of saying so, when Emma’s voice reminded him the decision wasn’t his to make.

“Bree, it’s not nice to ask for presents.”

“She’s a good dog, with a kind heart,” Colt chimed in. “Her pups’ll likely take after her. Shouldn’t every kid have responsibility for a dog?”

“Do not fall under her spell, Colt Judd,” Emma admonished, though the amused expression on her face told him she was only half serious. “We’ll have to wait and see. How long before they’re weaned?”

“Another six weeks, give or take.” At her quick nod, he turned to Bree. “Right now, the puppies’ eyes are shut.” Almost as if he’d timed it, the wandering pup bumped into the stable wall and fell in a heap. “They need to stay with their mom till they grow a bit. Let’s let the pups go back to sleep for now.”

When Bree shook her head and pouted, it nearly broke his heart, but a glance at Emma helped him stay firm. “We’ll come back to see them again,” he swore. “You have to promise me you won’t come out here alone, though. Your mommy or me, we have to come with you.”

Bree took a big, shuddery breath. “Okay, Mr. Colt,” she agreed. She waved one hand at the dogs. “Bye-bye, puppies,” she said in a sad little voice that ripped another hole in his heart.

Torn between standing at the door watching the pups for the rest of the day, and taking Emma on the promised tour of the ranch, Colt hesitated. He shot her a questioning glance. The knowing smile she wore told him he wasn’t the first to fall prey to her daughter’s charms. Unless he missed his guess, he wouldn’t be the last.

Heaven help the boys,
he thought, putting his feet in motion. Behind the barn, he settled Bree and Mrs. Wickles in the backseat of a canvas-topped vehicle.

“Horseback’s the best way to see the ranch, but we’ll save that till after you and Bree have a few riding lessons under your belts.” He wasn’t much older than the little girl the first time he rode solo. As for Emma... For a moment he lost himself in the image of his hands at her hips as she climbed into the saddle for the first time.

“You leave the keys in the ignition?”

Emma’s voice snagged his concentration, dragging it back to the present. He looked down. The keys for the Rhino dangled from his fingers.

“Who’s gonna steal anything?” He shrugged. This was farm country, where neighbors looked out for each other. “Let me gas ’er up, and we’ll get moving.” He cranked the engine and drove the sturdy golf cart toward the tank at the edge of the building, where he used the little car’s battery to jump-start the pump. With the tank topped off, he slid behind the wheel.

Space was tight in the four-seater. He eyed the trim legs that stretched from the hem of Emma’s shorts to her sandals, where sparkly nail polish glittered on her toes. An urge to trace his fingers along her smooth skin nearly overwhelmed him, and he gulped, almost thankful for their backseat chaperone.

To give his hands something to do, he shoved the stick into gear. Bree let out a happy giggle when he eased the Rhino off the graveled path and onto a deeply rutted track that led away from the buildings. “Parkers have owned the Circle P for more than a hundred years,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over the throaty engine. “Judds have managed the land for just as long. Round here, this is considered a small ranch, but Ty’s been adding to the holdings. In a couple of years, we’ve gone from a thousand acres to twenty-five hundred. We lease another couple of sections. It takes a lot of land to feed cattle on grass and silage.”

He pulled to a stop at a gate that stretched between two sections of fence. Hopping out, he unlatched a heavy chain and shoved the gate open. He slid behind the wheel again and drove through. Once he cleared the gate on the other side, he repeated the process, this time reattaching it. Emma gave him a curious look as he climbed in beside her.

“If we’re coming back through here later,” she asked, “why bother closing the gate?”

Colt shifted into first. “The field we just left—the cattle grazed it last week. Nothin’ to it but nubs. It’ll need a month or so to recover. Cattle don’t care. They always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” He nudged Emma with one elbow. “We spend a lot of time rebuilding fences.” He let the engine idle while he grabbed a hammer and nails from the back of the truck. A couple of taps tightened a loose strand of wire. Returning to the car, he spotted a small herd of deer.

“Look there, Bree,” he said, aiming a thumb toward several does and their young parading across the road as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

“Oooooh, I see one with spots.” Bree bounced in her seat.

“That’s a fawn. She was born this past winter, and she’s just a baby.” He pointed to a slightly larger doe whose spots had been replaced by tawny-brown hair. “That’s her sister. She’s a year older.”

Bree settled against her seat back. “I want a sister. Mommy, can I have one?”

The hint of color that rose in Emma’s cheeks sent his thoughts in the direction he’d been trying to keep them from going ever since the first day they’d met. He shook his head. Though he had to admit the image of Emma on the front porch waiting for him to come home at night was a tempting one, he wasn’t ready to settle down. Or was he? He goosed the gas pedal so hard, Emma nearly ended up in his lap.

“Hang on.” He laughed as if he’d planned the move. “We’re gonna go for a while.”

Dark green grass brushed the sides of the little car as they bumped over the narrow, rutted road.

“Why don’t you let me drive us through?” Emma asked when he stopped to open the next gate.

Surprised, he turned to her. “You drive a stick? The clutch on this one’s awful stiff.”

“I told you my dad was military,” she said without explaining further. “Trust me, I can handle it.”

“I bet you can,” he said, pitching his voice low and loving the way her tongue darted out to lick her lips. “C’mon, Bree. You wanna help?”

Bree scrambled out of her seat so quickly he had to jump to keep up with her. The little tyke watched, seemingly fascinated, as he unthreaded the chain. He wished he’d thought to bring a camera when she threw her weight into helping him swing the gate open. He could get used to the warm, fuzzy feeling he got whenever he showed the kid the basics of ranching, the way his dad had taught him, he thought, as Bree stuck to his side while Emma drove the Rhino through. It must have been the bright sun that made his eyes water, he decided. He swiped a hand over them as he climbed back into the ATV.