by Lisa Jackson
“Good luck,” Max said, and Jenner smothered a smile. Kiki was outwardly gruff, complaining about kids these days being spoiled, but the old cook had a soft spot in her heart for all the McKee children and grandchildren—she’d even done her share of the spoiling. Jenner guessed that with one sly little look, Hillary would have all the pie she wanted.
Hillary took off in a cloud of dust, her tiny red boots pounding the dry earth, her hair streaming behind her, Max followed her with his eyes, his grin suddenly wide and proud, and Jenner understood, really understood, the bond between father and child for the first time in his life.
Because he might just have a child of his own.
He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m here about work,” he said.
Max eyed his crutches, and the smile that he’d had on his face for Hillary, disappeared. “You can’t—”
“I damned well can, Max. I told you I’m tired of being a charity case.” That much was true. He wanted to work, needed to feel his hands doing something, anything, to get rid of the restless energy in his blood. There was another problem, as well. He wanted to be closer to the Rocking M, to the investigation into his father’s murder because of the worries that gnawed at the back of his brain—worries about Beth and Cody’s safety. “Just because I’m on crutches doesn’t mean I’m useless.”
“I know, but you should take your doctor’s advice and—”
“To hell with my doctors! I want to work, and I’m gonna do it. Either here or someplace else.” That was stretching the truth a bit, but he didn’t care. “I already told you—”
“Okay,” Max said, his eyes narrowing. “You can have your old job at the ranch back. You know it’s waiting for you, anyway, but you’ve got to agree to keep seeing the physical therapist and the doctor.”
“You can’t tell me—”
“I can and I will. As long as you work for the Rocking M—” Max bit back the words. “Oh, hell, Jenner, just use your head for something other than a spot to hang your hat.” He ran stiff fingers through his hair and cast a wary glance toward the dark-bellied clouds moving slowly across the sky. “Besides, I need you around. We got problems.”
“That much I know.”
“All of a sudden we’ve got more witnesses than we can handle—witnesses who claim they know who killed Dad and started the fire.”
Jenner’s muscles tensed. “You believe ’em?”
“None so far. All just fortune hunters.”
“Big surprise.”
“But we’re generating a helluva lot of interest.”
Jenner’s mouth curved into a cynical smile. “Ain’t it amazing what a few dollars can do?”
“I’m not taking any chances. I hired a couple of security guards to keep an eye on things. Chester’s not too happy about it, but I think they’ll work out.”
Jenner glanced back at the two cowboys who didn’t quite fit in, undoubtedly the men who were supposed to guard the ranch. From whom? Who was out to get the McKees?
So Max was concerned enough to take some extra precautions. That worried Jenner. It worried him a lot.
The first drops of rain plopped against the Nova’s windshield as Beth parked her car next to Jenner’s truck. The sky was slate gray, the clouds shifting in the rain. Any plans for Cody to go riding would have to be postponed now. She didn’t like thinking about arguing with her two-year-old, who wouldn’t understand that sometimes promises had to be altered. No, she thought as she glanced at her son asleep in the car seat, Cody would give her a hard time when she tried to explain about the weather.
Great.
He barely roused as she unbuckled his seat belt, pulled up the hood on his sweatshirt and dashed through the raindrops to the front porch. With her free hand, she rang the bell as Cody yawned and settled against her shoulder.
The door opened and Jenner stood framed in the doorway. Backlit by the lights in the hall, he seemed as rugged as the rocky gorge of Wildcat Creek. For a brief second, they stared at each other, gazes touching, Beth remembering what it was like for his work-roughened hands to caress her skin. Her throat was suddenly dry and she licked her lips nervously as he stood aside.
“Come on in.” He held the door for her and she walked into the fortress of the Rocking M. “Great day for a ride, eh?”
“You explain it to him.”
“Thanks a lot,” he said sarcastically. “Everyone’s in the den.”
Beth wasn’t sure she was ready for ‘everyone,’ but she took a deep breath and walked into the room. A fire crackled against pitchy wood and gave the room warmth against the coming storm. Beth’s spine stiffened when she saw Virginia, huddled in a corner of the couch, her face without a trace of warmth. Max was seated behind the desk and Mavis rocked in a chair near the fire. At the sight of Cody, the little old lady found her cane, stood stiffly, and made her way across the room. “Well, here he is,” she said as Cody’s eyes blinked against the soft lights. “Been sleeping, haven’t you?”
“He’s usually a little grouchy when he wakes up,” Beth cautioned.
“Am not!” Cody’s expression was dark and mistrusting. “Not grouchy!” He clung to her.
“It’s all right.” But she felt as if she was lying because the hostility in the room fairly sizzled.
Mavis knew when to retreat. “Well, when you wake up, dumpling, come on over and see me. I think we have a book to read or—”
“No!”
“It’ll just be a few minutes,” Beth apologized, embarrassed at Cody’s behavior. He was only two, but she wanted him to show his best side, to be the adorable little boy she loved, to prove to the whole McKee family that he was as special and bright as she thought he was.
But why? So they would accept him? Part of her heart squeezed as she saw the censure in Virginia’s features. She would never love this boy, nor would she ever believe that he was her grandson. And Beth would never put Cody in a position where he was judged by a bitter woman who couldn’t face the truth.
“He just needs some time to wake up,” she explained to Mavis, who, diametrically opposed to her daughter-in-law, seemed anxious to welcome the boy into her family.
Mavis crackled a laugh. “Don’t we all? Sometimes I’m a little grumpy when I first wake up. So was that son of mine, rest his soul.”
The room turned suddenly quiet at the mention of Jonah, as if his ghost had entered the room.
“Oh, Lord,” Virginia whispered.
Jenner, shifting his body so that he stood between Beth and his mother, ruffled Cody’s head. “I think I promised you a horseback ride.”
Beth’s stomach clenched. “But it’s raining.”
“Never stopped a good cowboy.”
Cody managed a shy smile. “I ride?”
“Right now, if you want to.”
Beth felt everyone’s gaze rest on her. “I don’t—”
Jenner grabbed her arm and turned her toward the door. “We’ll discuss it in the barn.” With a glance over his shoulder, he said to his brother. “We’ll be back in a little while. Beth and Cody are staying for dinner.”
“Oh, no—” Beth protested.
“Of course you are.” Resting both hands on her cane, Mavis beamed while Virginia’s eyes slid away to stare out the window at the darkening countryside.
“Glad to have you,” Max said, though his smile seemed a little forced.
Outside, Jenner moved quickly, and Beth, protecting Cody’s face with her body, dashed across the parking lot. Rain splattered against the pavement and pounded on her head as she ducked into the barn. Jenner switched on the lights and the fresh scent of rainwater was overcome by the odors of horses, dung and dust.
“We used to let the cattle in here, but until the new stables are built, Max keeps only the most valuable horses inside.” Where there had once been a large area for the cattle to mingle and feed, there were now new stalls constructed out of fresh lumber, individual boxes that broke up the large space. Horse
s snorted and hooves rustled in the straw.
“Lots of horses!” Cody said, his eyes round with wonder.
Jenner paused near a small box with a palomino gelding. “This guy—” he hooked a thumb at the horse “—isn’t worth all that much, but he belongs to Hillary, Max’s daughter. Docile as a lamb. Come on, fella, let’s give you a thrill.”
Rather than protest, Beth relinquished her baby to the strong arms of his father and watched as Jenner, without his crutches, opened the stall gate, braced himself on the rails and limped through. He placed a beaming Cody on the palomino’s bare back and was rewarded with a grin that stretched across Cody’s face.
“Hang on... and be careful.” Jenner kept a firm grip on his son’s back. “Now, don’t kick old Cambridge.”
“I ride, Mommy!” Cody announced proudly.
“You sure are.”
“Take a handful of his mane—this stuff—so you won’t fall off. There ya go.”
“I not fall!”
“I’ve said that before and been wrong. Got the scars to prove it.”
All of Beth’s apprehensions fell away. Jenner’s hands were always on the boy, and the horse was calmer than any she’d ever seen. Cambridge’s eyelids nearly drooped and one back leg cocked as Cody sat, short legs barely able to straddle the gelding.
“What you need is a pony,” Jenner said.
“And a puppy!”
“That, too.”
“Wait a minute,” Beth said, though she couldn’t help the warm feeling in her heart as she watched Jenner smile at his boy. “My apartment barely holds the two of us. I don’t think it could handle a dog or a horse. Besides, the manager might object.”
“I want!”
“I should strangle you right here and now, Jenner McKee,” she said, but she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from twitching into an unwanted smile.
“Like to see you try,” Jenner drawled, his gaze suddenly intense enough that she could barely breathe and the large barn seemed to close in. “The results could be interesting, but you might get caught,” he warned.
“Caught?”
“Mmm. By the law.”
She couldn’t stop the pulse at her throat from fluttering. “Justifiable homicide,” she said quickly. “Any mother on the jury would agree with me.”
His lips curved into a sexy smile.
“Ride outside!” Cody said.
“Not now. It’s raining.”
“Ride outside!”
“Tell ya what.” Jenner’s attention was focused on his boy and Beth thought her heart might break as she watched father and son communicate. “You come back here tomorrow, and if the sun’s out, I’ll see that you ride outside.”
“Now!”
“Can’t happen now, cowboy,” Jenner said. “This here horse’s tired, gonna take himself a nap. But when he wakes up tomorrow, he’ll be roarin’ to go. Then you can ride him.”
Cody might have argued his case longer but the door to the barn swung open, and Casey, along with Hillary, hurried in. Wind whipped through the building, scattering loose hay and dust.
“Hey! That’s my horse,” the five-year-old proclaimed, her face knotting into an angry scowl. “Cambridge is mine. My daddy gave him to me.”
One of Jenner’s eyebrows rose. “And now you’re sharin’ him for a few minutes.”
“I don’t wanna share him!”
“Hey, Hillary, is that any way to act?” Casey said with a mock frown. “You’re a big girl. You can share.”
“Not Cambridge!” she said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the usurper astride her horse.
Jenner lifted Cody from the gelding’s back. “Haven’t I shared my horse with you?”
“Yes, but—”
“We’ve been riding and I never complained, did I?”
“It’s not the same!” Hillary said, her little lips tightening over her teeth, her eyes sparking with fire. “He should have asked.”
“That’s right and it’s my fault. I apologize,” Jenner said. “Next time I’ll ask.”
“Hey, come on, let’s not get into a tiff.” Casey smiled at Beth and rolled her eyes. “Hillary and I thought that Cody might want to see the new kittens.”
“Kitties?” Cody asked.
“Yup. Five of ’em. On the back porch.”
“I see!”
“But you have to promise not to touch them, okay?” Casey said gently. “The mama cat, she can be mean when she wants to and she won’t want you to disturb them. They’re only a few weeks old.”
Cody squirmed out of Jenner’s arms, much to Hillary’s obvious relief. She stopped glaring at her uncle as Cody’s feet touched the floor and he raced out of the barn.
“Hey, wait up!” Casey took hold of Hillary’s hand and they ran from the barn together. Beth started after them, but Jenner clamped a hand over her arm, forcing her to spin up against him.
“Wha—” she said as his head lowered quickly and his lips captured hers in a kiss that seemed to draw the breath from her lungs. When she lifted her head, her heart was knocking and her bones felt weak. Jenner, as he braced himself against the wall, pulled her closer still, so that her legs fit between his. “But Cody—” she said, motioning toward the door.
“Will be fine. Casey’s got a way with kids.”
“He doesn’t know her very well.”
“Won’t matter.” He looked at her long and hard. Her insides seemed to melt under his direct gaze and she licked her lips. With a groan, he kissed her again, his arms wrapping around her, his mouth branding hers with his own unique taste. The floor seemed to shift beneath her feet and she sagged against him.
Don’t do this, Beth. Don’t get involved with him again.
But she was already involved. As much as she wanted to deny what she felt for him, it was impossible. His lips were hungry and hard, his hands flat against her back. The outside of her legs rubbed against the inside of his, denim moving against denim, creating friction, creating heat.
Beth closed her eyes as he drew her shirt from the waistband of her jeans, and his fingers crawled up her ribs, searching and exploring. In frustration, he worked at the buttons of her shirt, parting the soft flannel and reaching inside to cup both breasts in his palms, pushing them upward so that they nearly spilled out of her bra. Groaning, he buried his face in the deep cleft he’d created and his breath was hot and wet against her skin, causing a tingle to race through her nerves. Her insides turned to molten wax.
He kissed the top of each mound while his thumbs, through the lacy fabric of her bra, teased her nipples. Inside she was burning, and when he touched a nipple with his tongue, her back bowed, her fingers twined in his hair, and she drew his head closer still, cradling him against her, feeling his tongue and mouth suckling through the lace.
“Beth,” he growled, “sweet, sweet Beth.” He found the clasp of her bra, unhooked it, and let her breasts swing free. With eager haste, he pulled off her shirt and the flimsy scrap of lace, then began his ministrations again. This time he kissed her, flesh against flesh, wet tongue on anxious nipple, hands splayed over her spine, one between her shoulder blades, the other at the small of her back, his fingertips brushing under the waistband of her jeans.
A sensual, moist heat swirled inside her and she rubbed against him, wanting more, needing to feel all of him. Her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt and soon she’d discarded it onto the hay-strewn floor with her blouse. His hands burrowed lower, past her waistband, to her buttocks, and she gasped when he reached into her panties, delving to the moist cleft that awaited him.
“Beth...” His finger plunged deep into her and she was on her toes, bracing herself with her hands on his shoulders. “Make love to me.”
“Here?” she whispered, vaguely aware that it was dangerous, that anybody could come along and open the door.
“Anywhere.” His mouth found hers and cut off further protest as his fingers delved and retreated and delved
again, and she moved against him, wanting more, images of their sweaty, naked bodies swimming in her mind. He touched her in that oh so sensitive spot and she bucked, arched against him, rubbed her jeans against the bulge in his. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her body, like a tightly coiled spring, suddenly found release in a burst of ecstasy that brought beads of perspiration to her face. Her mouth found his and she kissed him hard with a fierce abandon that she couldn’t deny.
She reached for his zipper, but he grabbed her wrist. “This...isn’t enough,” he said, his eyes mirroring her own feelings. “I want more.”
“I—”
“I want all of you, Beth.” His voice was a raspy whisper that seemed to echo in her soul. “I want to make love to you. All night long. Over and over again until we see the morning together.”
She sagged against him and pressed her lips to his neck. “I want it, too.” Though she knew she was playing with fire, that she most certainly would be burned, she couldn’t resist.
“Soon,” he promised, kissing her crown. “Very soon.”
“You know, I’m looking for another nurse at the clinic,” Skye said, her smile infectious as she stared across the table at Beth. The entire McKee family was seated around the long dining-room table, which was laden with roast pork, potatoes, squash, beans, fruit salad and fresh hot rolls. Max sat between Skye and Hillary, across from Jenner, Cody and Beth. Virginia and Mavis were seated at opposite ends of the table and Casey was wedged between Hillary and Kiki, who, as Beth understood it, was considered part of the family. Reaching for her water glass, Skye continued, “I thought you might be interested in the job.”
Conversation and the ever-present sound of flatware scraping against plates seemed to stop. Beth felt Jenner’s gaze move toward her. “I don’t know how long I’ll be in Rimrock,” she managed to say. “I’ve got a place in Oregon City.”
Skye lifted a shoulder. “No law says you can’t move. I pay the same scale as the city, but the cost of living is cheaper out here.” She winked at Beth. “You might want to apply.”
From the corner of her eye, Beth saw one of Jenner’s eyebrows rise in expectation. “I’ll think about it,” she said, “but Cody and I are pretty settled.”