Jesse (15 page)

“We're going to the Circle G?” Lacy clapped her hands together and started to stomp her feet.

“Save some of that spark for learning how to ride, little June bug.”

“OK, Unca Jimmy. Do you think the horsies will 'member that I spooked them?”

The worry in her voice tore at Danielle's heart. “I don't really know, sweetie, but we'll find out together.”

“I gotta go put on my best cowgirl shirt and jeans.”

While her daughter raced up the stairs, Danielle flopped down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Sometimes she makes me feel so old.”

Her uncle laughed and shook his head. “You're only as old as you feel.”

“Right now,” she said, closing her eyes, “I feel a hundred.”

“Good thing you aren't that old, or else that Garahan boy wouldn't be interested in you.”

Her eyes shot open and she glared at her uncle. “Who said that he's interested? Who have you been talking to since we've been gone?”

“No one.” But his answer didn't fool her. Living in a small town like Pleasure, her uncle would have to be deaf not to hear the gossip going around town. “Why don't we get started on those pies before I get cleaned up?”

“I think I can handle things,” he reassured her. “I've been doing it all along without you, but it's been a treat to have you and Lacy help me.” He nodded toward the doorway. “Git on up those stairs and into a hot shower. By the time you're finished, I'll have the coffee made and something hot to eat.”

Love for her uncle swamped her. Tears threatened to spill over, but that would only make him feel bad, and she'd never do that to one of the only men in her life who ever truly loved her—her uncle or her father. Brothers… the Lord knew what he was doing when he created the Sullivan men. But he broke the mold; there couldn't be any other men, anywhere in the world, who were as wonderful as James and John Sullivan… except maybe the Garahans.

Walking up the stairs, her gut clenched as a vision of three handsome-as-sin cowboys crowded closely around her while she looked up at them filled her mind. She just might have to change her mind about that mold being broken. The Garahan brothers were similar in temperament and thoughts to the Sullivans.

“I can't think about that right now. I've got to focus on Lacy and her riding lessons.”

A half hour later, she and Lacy were sharing leftovers while her uncle pulled the first batch of pies out of the oven. A car pulled up outside and Lacy was opening the back door, rushing outside before Danielle had a chance to react. “Stay on the porch!”

“Yes'm.”

At least Lacy had learned a valuable lesson yesterday at the Circle G—the importance of listening. She'd been frightened when her mother hadn't been able to breathe or speak. It had been hard on Danielle too, but at least for the next little while, Lacy would be paying a lot closer attention to what her mother had to say.

The screen door swung open and Lacy leaned inside. “It's Ronnie!” The door slammed shut and her daughter was calling out a greeting to their friend.

“Are you ladies ready?” Ronnie asked following Lacy inside.

“As promised,” Danielle said. Turning to her uncle she asked, “Are you sure you don't need me to stay and help?”

Frowning, he put his hands on his hips and opened his mouth, but Danielle had seen that look and stance before, so she quickly kissed him on the cheek, grabbed Lacy's hand, and waved good-bye.

“What was that all about?” Ronnie asked as Danielle buckled Lacy into the backseat.

“That was Uncle Jimmy's I-told-you-what look. Best not to rile him after he's told you what.”

They were laughing as they drove toward the ranch. Lacy pointed out the big tree they'd seen from the day before. Ronnie turned down the long road leading to the ranch. “Here's where we got losted yesterday,” Lacy piped up from the backseat.

Ronnie smiled as she turned toward the right and the road that would lead them to the house.

“It's beautiful out here,” Danielle whispered. Trees, interspersed with wide open spaces, caught her eye and had her wondering what it would have been like living out here one hundred fifty years ago. “Has it changed much?”

“The ranch?”

“Mmmm… do you know if the house was added on to, or if it's the original structure?”

“I've never really thought much about it,” Ronnie admitted. “You could ask Jesse when you see him later.”

Danielle's heart dropped to her feet. “Oh, but I thought the men would be working until late and that we wouldn't be seeing any of them today.”

“That depends on how the work goes. We might just see them come six or seven.”

“Hooray!” Lacy squealed from the backseat. “Mommy?”

Danielle resigned herself to the fact that she'd have to work doubly hard from now on not to fall under the cowboy's spell and be distracted by his hypnotic gaze.

When she didn't answer right away, Lacy asked, “Can we move in with cowboy Jesse and live on the ranch too?”

Ronnie was smiling at Danielle's discomfort, but Danielle was too busy trying to do damage control, to ensure that her daughter wouldn't be asking a certain cowboy the same question when she saw him later… if she saw him.

By the time Ronnie parked the car and they all got out, Lacy was crossing her heart, promising Danielle not to ask cowboy Jesse if they could move in with him. “Can I go to the corral yet, Ronnie?”

“Let's go find Emily first.”

Reluctantly, Lacy trailed after Ronnie. Danielle wondered what was up, because she spotted the two horses standing by the fence. They'd noticed the arrival of the car and had watched with interest.

“Be right back, Trigger!” Lacy called out. “See you soon, Champ!” Satisfied that her horsey friends would be waiting for her return, she hurried to keep up with Ronnie. “Will they miss me?”

Ronnie opened the door and held it for Lacy. “I'm sure they will, but we won't be long. Em?”

“In the laundry room!”

“Company's here.”

When Emily walked into the kitchen, she was smiling. “Well, we're glad you came back. Things weren't the same without you two.”

“Really?” Lacy asked.

“Danielle… are you all right?”

“What? Oh.” Rubbing her damp palms on her thighs, she smiled. “Just thinking about something.”

“Mommy does that sometimes,” Lacy said, taking hold of Danielle's hand.

Bittersweet pain lanced through Danielle's heart. Love for her little girl brought tears to her eyes. Lacy's compassion humbled her. How her daughter had learned to recognize the need in others and respond to that need was beyond her. “We're a team, right, Lacy?”

“Right!”

She bent and pulled Lacy close, hugged her tight, and reluctantly let go. Thank God and His infinite wisdom for giving her a gift beyond compare. Even if Jesse decided he wasn't interested in more than a fling, Danielle had something far more important—Lacy.

“Did you bring the bag in?” Emily's question distracted Danielle.

“What bag?”

Ronnie shook her head. “Would you please go get it? Lacy and I are going to go out to the corral now.”

Before Danielle could ask what was going on, Ronnie nodded toward her. “Would you please give Emily a hand?”

“Of course. With what?” But Ronnie and Lacy were already out the door and Danielle was left talking to the four walls.

“You're going to love these.” Emily said, walking into the room and laying a bag in the middle of the kitchen table. “Ronnie just asked me to help her down at the corral; Champ's feeling left out and starting to act up.”

“I'll go—”

Emily held out her hand to stop Danielle. “Ronnie thought you could use a little alone time, so why don't you just relax. Lacy's in very good hands—ours. Take some time, drink some of the iced tea I left in the pitcher on the counter, and try on some of the yummy underthings Ronnie brought from her store.”

“But I—” Danielle was talking to the swinging screen door. “Well,” she mumbled, stalking over to the pitcher. Pouring herself a tall, cold glass of tea, she hoped it would cool her temper enough for her to chase Emily down and demand to know what they were thinking and who they thought they were to arrange Danielle and Lacy's lives.

A few sips later, she realized that she was overreacting. Emily and Ronnie were just trying to help ease some of the burden Danielle carried as a single parent. Suddenly feeling very selfish, she sat down and toyed with the edge of the bag.

“I wonder what things Ronnie brought.” Remembering some of the lacy confections she'd touched and admired, Danielle gave in to her curiosity and opened the bag. Sheer fantasies spilled into her hands.

“Oh!” she breathed, separating the waterfall of color. “Lovely.” The periwinkle gown with the deep ecru lace hem tempted her until she gave in and lifted the soft satin to her cheek and brushed it back and forth, absorbing the cool, smooth sensation, storing it away for a future time when she could splurge and buy something so decadent.

She set it aside and lifted a pair of sassy tap pants, slit up to the waist band, so that if she turned quickly, her hip and thigh would be totally exposed… but she didn't have anyone who would see her, did she?

The sharp memory of being pulled against Jesse's muscled frame and surrendering to his lips assaulted her senses. Pinpricks of awareness started out low in her belly and shot to her fingertips. With his busy life out at the ranch and her taking care of Lacy, when would they find the time to be together? Unbearably sad, she set the silky clothes in a heap on the table and wandered to the back door. Looking out, she could see all the way to the corral and watched her daughter leaning out of Ronnie's arms tentatively reach out to stroke Champ's muzzle. Lacy's laughter was worth its weight in gold.

She
wished
she
could
guarantee
her
daughter
would
always
be
this
happy.

She looked over her shoulder at the booty from Ronnie's shop. A swathe of black lace beckoned her back to the table. Pulling it free, she wondered what it was about the dark lace that called to her. A long ago memory surfaced, of her great-grandmother telling her that if a woman wanted to have a baby the first thing she needed was a black lace nightgown.

Letting the material drift through her fingers, she finally laughed. Unable to resist, she swept the gown off the table and held it against her. “Maybe I could wear it just to please myself.”

One more look out the back door reassured her that Lacy would be occupied for a little while longer. Knowing the men wouldn't be home for a while yet, she stepped into the laundry room, stripped out of her T-shirt and denim skirt, and lifted her arms above her head. The swirl of lace settled against her like a glove.

“Oh!” She twirled and watched it flare out around her and then cling. She ran a hand down her side, amazed at the fit of the gown as it hugged her curves, accentuating them. “Maybe I should treat myself.”

Wondering how the satin tap pants and bra would fit, she dashed out to the kitchen and grabbed the turquoise satin pants and matching bra. Slipping out of the gown and stepping into the pants had her feeling younger, sassy. She did a little hip shake movement that had the material flaring out and flashing her toned quads. Chasing after an almost four-year-old had its advantages. “Look out, world, trouble's coming!”

Delighted with the feeling of freedom sprinting through her, she took her time mimicking the sound of the brush hitting the cymbals on a drum set as she sauntered out to the kitchen. “Che, de, che che, de, che che, de de de.”

She had one more nightgown to try on. The feel of the slinky material as it flared out again and then settled against her hip and the top of her thigh had her wishing Jesse was hers to tempt. She had a feeling he would appreciate what she had to offer. But it had been so long, would she even remember how?

The low whistle of appreciation had her heart stopping in her breast. “You pack a lethal punch, Dani darlin'.”

Her sharp intake of breath as she prepared to scream got caught in her throat as the shock of being caught nearly naked mingled with the realization that the man she'd been dreaming about was standing right in front of her.

She couldn't find her voice, so she slid her hand to her throat to reassure herself all of the working parts were still intact. Finally, she finally rasped, “You weren't supposed to be here yet.”

His eyes lit with desire—dark, dangerous, and just this side of desperate. “Thank God we finished early, or I would have missed the fashion show.”

That's when she noticed he held the periwinkle gown on the tip of his finger. “Were you gonna put this on next?”

Her voice failed her for the second time. His look told her so much more than words. His reaction to her fueled her own. The overwhelming need to be held against him, to touch the tip of her tongue to the hollow of his throat and savor his flavor, had her by the throat. “I… uh… yes.”

He closed the distance between them, clutching the gown to his heart. “I'd be happy to wait and give you an honest opinion. But I already know you're gonna look amazing.”

The note of sincerity in his deep voice poured over her like syrup on a stack of hotcakes. She shivered.

His eyes widened.
He
noticed.

“Jesse, I—”

“Would love to put this on for you.”

His certainty that she would added to the charm of his crooked smile and hit her hard and deep, but it was the dimple winking at her that was her undoing. Before she could think, she was reaching for the gown and back in the laundry room changing into it.