by Jill Limber
At least he was talking. If they had to start with food, that was fine with her. “What kind of food do you like for dinner?”
He thought for a minute. “Steak. The chest freezer in the mudroom is full.”
Of course he would like beef. He grew them, didn’t he? She hadn’t looked in the chest freezer that took up half of one wall.
The top of the appliance was piled with newspapers and bags of empty beer cans. Her hands had been full with Riley and she hadn’t taken the time to clear it off so she could check inside. She had discovered the ice-incrusted package of chicken breasts in the freezer section of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
“We need to talk about Riley.” Jolie laid her fork on her plate.
He glanced down at the baby, who stared back at him. “What about him?”
Jolie started with something small and worked her way up. “He doesn’t have any toys.”
Griff shrugged. “Isn’t he too young for toys?”
“Not at all. He needs things to help develop his hand-eye coordination.”
He frowned and threw her a skeptical look, then shrugged.
Jolie groped around for something else to say to keep him talking to her. “And he has very few clothes.”
His features tightened up. “Can you drive a stick shift?”
“Yes.” She noted the change in his expression and wondered if money was a problem for him.
She’d gladly charge everything the baby needed, but the only thing her credit cards were good for now was scraping gum off the bottom of her shoe.
He waved his hand. “Take the truck and get what he needs.”
Embarrassed to ask, she saw no alternative. “I’ll need money.”
He rolled on his hip and worked his wallet out of a back pocket, pulled out a handful of bills and put the money in the middle of the table.
“What about a baby’s car seat? Do you have one of those?” There hadn’t been one in the truck he had driven last night.
Jolie watched Griff’s features tighten up even more as he shook his head.
Getting answers out of him was a painful process. What did he do, lay the baby on the seat of that big truck of his? She felt a spurt of anger at his disregard for his son’s safety.
He pushed his chair back, and she grabbed his arm to stay him, feeling the hard, warm muscle under the fabric of his shirt. “There’s more I need to say before you leave again.”
She had waited all day to talk to him, and she didn’t have time to put this off.
He looked down at her hand clutching his arm and she felt the hard muscle under her fingers tense. “Hurry up and get it over with. I’ve got work to do.”
Jolie dropped her hand, sorry that she had touched him like that. He obviously didn’t like it.
“I’m worried about Riley.”
Griff looked quickly at the baby, then back at Jolie. “He looks fine to me. Is he sick?”
Jolie took a deep breath. No parent wanted to hear that something might be wrong with their child. She chose her words carefully.
“No. Physically he appears to be fine. But you must have noticed that he doesn’t crawl or reach for things.”
Griff sat very still, studying fingers splayed on his knees. What was he looking for, bamboo strips under his fingernails? she thought sourly. He acted as if he was being tortured.
Finally he glanced up at her and spoke. “Isn’t he too young to do those things?”
“No. He should be reaching and crawling and even pulling himself up to stand.”
Griff rubbed his palms against his blue-jean-clad thighs and stared at Riley.
Jolie waited for him to absorb the information, then asked gently, “What has his pediatrician told you about his development?”
“Pediatrician?” He looked at her blankly.
“Do you take him to your regular doctor?” Maybe he used a family practice doctor.
Griff shrugged, still staring at the baby. “I haven’t taken him to the doctor.”
Jolie was appalled. What about his well-baby checks and vaccinations? “Never?”
“I just got him, okay?”
Jolie’s head jerked up at his rough tone that didn’t quite mask the pain underneath. “What?”
Just got him? It hadn’t occurred to her that Riley might have been living elsewhere. She assumed his ex-wife had left him and the child.
“You heard me.” He clamped his mouth shut so tightly a muscle twitched in his jaw.
She had heard him, and what he said made a big difference. She decided to try another approach. “Look, I know you think I’m prying, but there are things I need to know if I’m going to take care of Riley.”
Agitated, Griff told himself he had wasted too much time eating the rabbit food she passed off as dinner, and he had heard more than enough talk. She may have a degree in some field about children, but she didn’t know what she was talking about.
Dread he didn’t want to face had him standing up so fast his chair tipped over and crashed against the floor.
Furious at himself for reacting to her, he jerked the chair upright and turned on her. “You are prying. There’s nothing wrong with the kid. I hired you to feed him and watch him. That’s all.”
If he didn’t get out of the kitchen he was going to say something he’d regret about her nosy ways. He walked out the door, leaving her with her pretty little mouth hanging open.
Griff stopped in the middle of the yard and ran his hands through his hair. It was a wonder he could keep his temper at all around her. She was a managing kind of female with a body that made him want to weep.
There was nothing wrong with Riley. If there had been, the social worker would have said something.
The problem was her. It had to be her. He couldn’t handle it if it wasn’t.
Exhaustion dragged at him. It would be hours tonight before they finished riding the fence line. He tipped his head back and stared at the stars, just starting to show in the evening sky.
He had awakened several times last night with the thought that she was sleeping just down the hall. Usually when he was working as hard as he had been lately, he slept like a rock.
He was horny, tired and hungry. None of the conditions improved his disposition.
Last night, on his way back to the house, he had decided that he wasn’t going to sleep with her. He had learned the hard way that the hotter his blood ran for a woman, the colder his bed was when she left.
The decision seemed reasonable until he was in the same room with her.
To get his mind off her sweet little body, he thought about what she had said about his nephew.
She was wrong about Riley. The kid was fine. Just quiet, like him.
There was such a thing as too much education, and he suspected that was Jolie Carleton’s problem. She wanted to see things that weren’t there.
Riley had looked okay to Griff, sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. The kid didn’t need toys. He didn’t play with the spoons and stuff he had. And if he hadn’t started to crawl yet, that just made her job easier. She didn’t have to chase after him.
Better she should spend her time cooking a decent meal, he thought sourly, hopeful the boys hadn’t eaten the whole pot of chili he had smelled when they had come in.
Did she think he could ride all day and get filled up eating sissy food for dinner?
If Griff had any sense at all he’d have one of his hands drive her back to town tonight.
But he couldn’t spare anyone, he told himself, and until he found a baby-sitter he couldn’t spare her.
He rolled his stiff shoulders. It had taken all day to find all the cows that had wandered into the coulees, and he still had a lot of work to do. The moon was so bright they could mend the last of the fence tonight.
Griff headed for the bunkhouse to round up the evening crew.
Tomorrow he’d find time to place another ad in the paper for a baby-sitter. Someone like Margie.
Old.
<
br /> Cantankerous.
And blessedly quiet.
The sooner he got rid of Miss Jolie Carleton, the better off he was going to be.
Jolie stood in the dark mudroom and watched Griff as he stalked across the yard. The newly risen moon gave off enough of a glow that she saw him stop and tilt his head back to stare up into the sky.
Moonlight turned his hair to silver. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he started howling like a wolf.
He might think of himself as a loner, not wanting anyone intruding into his life, but she hadn’t missed the look of fear and pain that had crossed his features when she had mentioned she was worried about Riley.
She suspected this man was carrying around some deep wounds he didn’t want anyone to see.
Even if he didn’t want to show it, he had feelings for his baby. Now she had to figure out a way to get the two of them together. It didn’t take a genius to see how closed off and stubborn the man was. Whatever she decided to do, he would need to think it was his idea in the first place.
When Griff disappeared around the side of the barn, Jolie turned back to the kitchen. Riley was on the floor, just where she had left him.
She went toward him to scoop him up. He didn’t make a sound, but his little chin quivered.
Jolie felt a rush of emotion as she hugged his little body and felt him settle against her shoulder. “Did you think I wasn’t coming back?”
She nuzzled his neck. “I’m going to make sure your daddy will be able to hug you and love you just as much as you need him to before I leave.”
She shifted the baby so that she could see his face. “Because he needs you just as much as you need him.”
Planting a kiss on the end of his little nose, she pulled him back into a fierce hug. “He just doesn’t know it yet. I’m staying until he figures it out.”
Chapter Four
Griff walked into the kitchen and waited until Jolie turned to look at him. She was a fine-looking woman, he thought. He held out the keys to his truck.
Just as Jolie reached for them with her slim, smooth hand, he pulled them back. “Are you sure you know how to drive a stick shift?”
His move obviously annoyed her, and her eyes flashed at his challenge. “Yes. I had a boyfriend in college who had a manual transmission.”
“What kind of car?” Not all transmissions were the same.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A sports car.”
“I think you need a lesson.”
She started to say something, then just stared at him.
Why didn’t he just let her go? She could get the hang of the truck before she got to the main road.
He chided himself for even asking the question. You’re not letting her go because you want to sit beside her up in the cab of your truck and spend some time inhaling that incredible perfume she dabbed on this morning under her sexy sweater.
She stared him down, her chin jutting forward. “All right. If you’re worried about your truck, I’ll take a lesson.”
He resisted the urge to tip that little chin up and find out how she tasted.
“I’ll get the truck. Meet me out front in five minutes.”
Griff trotted down to the tractor barn and drove his truck to the front of the house.
Jolie came out carrying the baby. “Here.”
She thrust the baby into his arms, then opened the back door to the cab and climbed in. Griff held Riley awkwardly with both hands. He ignored the baby to concentrate on Jolie. He enjoyed the view as her trousers pulled taut across her very fine butt.
She turned and held out her hands. “Give him to me, and I’ll strap him in.”
She put him in the middle of the back seat and tightened the seat belt around him.
“That will have to do until we buy a car seat.” She scooted over to the door and turned to climb down, giving Griff an encore.
He cleared his throat. “Okay. Go ahead and get in the driver’s seat.”
Jolie went around and hoisted herself back into the truck while Griff hopped in on the passenger side. When she strapped on her seat belt he noticed that her feet wouldn’t reach the pedals.
“Hold on.” He grasped the buckle of her seat belt, his hand brushing her hip, and snapped the clasp open.
She jumped and glared at him. “What are you doing?”
“If you’re going to drive, your feet need to reach the floor.” He leaned over, his head practically in her lap, and grabbed the bar at the base of her seat, scooting the bench seat forward.
Damn, the woman smelled good. “Try it now.”
She had one foot on the brake and one on the clutch. When he glanced up, her cheeks were pink. Ah. The lady wasn’t as cool as she let on. Griff smothered a smile.
He showed her the gear pattern, then took her through it a few times.
“Okay, start her up.”
With the tip of her pretty pink tongue between her teeth, she turned the key and shifted into First. She let out the clutch too fast and the truck leaped forward, sputtered and stalled.
Jolie turned to check on the baby. “It makes me nervous that he isn’t in a car seat.”
Her sweater pulled taut against her breasts as she twisted in her seat. It felt like the temperature in the cab had gone up twenty degrees.
Griff adjusted his hat and cleared his throat. “Well, as soon as you get the hang of this you can take care of that.”
Jolie said, “Right,” through gritted teeth. She started the engine, let out the clutch and smoothly pulled away from the house, then turned her head toward him and smiled.
Damn she was pretty when she smiled.
“Just head out to the main road.” He gave her a few more pointers on when to shift.
She was doing okay. If he didn’t get out of the truck soon his attraction to her was going to be obvious to everyone.
“Now stop and turn around.” Need made his tone harsh.
“Is anything wrong?” She glanced over at him.
“No. Drop me off in front of the barn.” As soon as the truck came to a stop he bailed out and didn’t look back.
Jolie watched him stalk away and then turned to Riley. “Your daddy sure is hard to figure out.”
She shook off the feeling that she had done something to annoy him and concentrated on her driving.
She’d counted the money Griff had given her last night, made a list of stores from the phone book and planned her shopping trip. Now she was in an arena where she excelled. Shopping was something she understood. She’d never done it with a limited budget, but she was ready for the challenge.
She searched the street names and finally located the one she was looking for, pulling to a stop in front of a resale shop for children.
She undid Riley’s seat belt, then hurried into the store through the cold morning air. After entering and closing the door behind her, she hesitated, resting her chin on the top of Riley’s head.
A bored-looking teenage girl with a metal stud in her lip was behind the counter staring out the front plate-glass window.
“Good morning.” Jolie tried not to stare at the metal adorning the girl’s face.
The teenager shrugged.
Well, Jolie thought, no help would be coming from that direction. She turned her attention to her mission.
The store smelled musty. She’d never been in a resale shop before. Maybe they all smelled this way, she thought as she surveyed the jumble of clothes, toys and equipment.
She could do this. After all, her new motto was to live with courage, wasn’t it?
As she wandered past the racks, she spotted a corner, set aside for children to play, that looked reasonably clean. She sat the baby down on the colorful squares of carpet, pulled a few toys within his reach, which he ignored, his eyes never leaving her.
She gave him a smile, leaned down and kissed his soft hair and said, “I’ll be right back.”
There were car seats and strollers in one corner. The best deal was a seat th
at looked sound but grubby. She shuddered a little and reminded herself of the amount of money she had to spend. She could do this. After all, it just needed a good scrubbing. No problem.
Gingerly Jolie picked up the car seat and carried it to the front of the store. “I’ll just leave this here while I pick out some other things.”
The girl glanced over at her and shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever,” she said in a thoroughly bored tone.
Jolie suppressed a smile. Only a teenager could pull off that kind of apathy.
She walked back to where the baby sat. His eyes followed her. “Are you doing okay, buddy? I’m right here.”
He showed no sign of emotion as she walked past him over to a rack of clothes marked twelve to eighteen months. As she decided on each item of clothing, she brought it over and held it up to him.
One little shirt, the exact color of his eyes, reminded her of another pair of blue eyes that had looked her over last night and this morning, raising her blood pressure by several notches.
She had ignored Griff’s looks and would continue to do so. Her project was Riley.
The last thing she needed so soon after her disastrous wedding day was another romance. Even if she was living in the same house with the best-looking man she had ever met.
Resolutely she returned to the selection of baby clothes. Denim overalls and pants, long-sleeved knit shirts. Mostly red and blue, so the outfits could mix and match. With so little to spend, things needed to be interchangeable.
She found a brand-new soft-blue blanket with satin binding, sleepers, and a knit cap and mittens, adding them to her pile.
After spending some time selecting a jacket, she peeked around the rack to check on the baby. He was watching for her, and she thought she noticed a look of relief when he caught sight of her.
She smiled at him, drew back behind the rack for a moment, then stuck her head out again and said “Boo!”
She couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if he was going to smile.
Watching him closely, she repeated the action several more times until his lips curved up in a tentative smile.
Exhilarated by this first small show of emotion, Jolie walked over and picked him up, hugging him to her chest, then pulling back to kiss his cheek.