The 15 lb. Matchmaker

by Jill Limber

  Jolie rolled out of bed, pulled on her jeans and headed for the kitchen. She felt terrible to have misjudged him so badly. She had mistaken his surly reticence as…what? She pondered as she got eggs and milk out of the refrigerator. A part of his personality? Now she realized he was hiding his pain by being gruff and uncommunicative.

  Understanding what had happened to him helped, but a few things still nagged at her. Obviously, Griff and his wife had been separated for a while, because he told her he knew little about Riley. And why would he act as if he didn’t want to be involved with his son? If he was grieving over his wife, wouldn’t he want to be close to the part of her she had left behind in his child?

  She mixed up batter for pancakes and made a decision. She had already misjudged the situation so badly, she decided not to make any more assumptions when it came to Griff Price.

  She’d heard him come in about midnight. Instead of being able to sleep once she knew he was home, she’d listened to the water running through the pipes in the wall beside her bed as he showered, and imagined what he looked like with water pouring over that big, long body.

  No assumptions, she thought as she poured herself a cup of coffee, and no more fantasies.

  Griff heard her in the kitchen as he came down the stairs. The smell of coffee and pancakes rose up to meet him. His mouth watered. How long had it been since he’d awakened to the smell of breakfast?

  Since his dad died last year. In the last few years before his death his father’s arthritis had become so bad he hadn’t been able to spend a full day doing ranch work, but he had cooked every morning.

  Griff missed those early mornings with his dad, the conversations about the ranch and even the silence when they ran out of things that needed to be said.

  He rounded the door and there she was, in her fancy jeans and a butter-yellow sweater that clung softly and outlined the shape of her breasts. She put a platter of pancakes on the kitchen table, then looked up and smiled.

  He suddenly felt breathless, as if someone had punched him in the gut. If he hadn’t been sure he was awake he’d have pinched himself.

  “Good morning.” She greeted him cheerfully.

  “Morning.” What was she up to? When a woman did something nice like this she usually wanted something. “Where’s the baby?”

  “Still asleep. He usually sleeps until about seven.”

  She hadn’t gotten up early because of the baby. His suspicion kicked into full gear as he pulled out one of the ladder-back chairs and sat down, taking note of the place mats and napkins. The syrup was in a little glass pitcher instead of the bottle, and there was a saucer under his cup of coffee.

  Jolie had turned back to the stove and was pouring more batter onto the sizzling griddle.

  He eyed her with wariness. What was going on here?

  Then he remembered the conversation as supper ended last night and the impression he’d left her with concerning his grief for his dead wife.

  He forked pancakes onto his plate and felt a little guilty, then he took a bite and decided if that’s what it took for her to get up and cook for him he could handle a little guilt.

  “This is really good. Thanks.”

  She’d moved to the counter beside the refrigerator and was busy pulling things out of the fridge. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him again. “You’re welcome.”

  She had a great smile. It made her look less aloof and more approachable. He’d been thinking a lot about approaching her. Especially in the middle of the night when he woke up in a sweat after some fine dreams about her.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked, admiring the way her jeans fitted snugly over her butt. Day and night her sweet little body was driving him nuts.

  “Later. My stomach wakes up about nine.”

  Sure it did. Rich girls could have breakfast any time they wanted. He finished up the last bite of pancake and sighed with pleasure. He liked starting work on a full stomach. Somehow it made his outlook on the whole day better.

  He looked up, and she was standing next to his chair, paper and pen in hand.

  “I need you to do something.”

  Oh, boy. He knew there would be a payoff. “What?”

  “I need your permission to take Riley to the doctor. If there were ever an emergency, I couldn’t make any decisions without your authorization.”

  That made sense. He took the pen and paper from her and wrote out his permission, then signed it.

  Jolie heard him stand up. Getting him to sign had been easier than she thought.

  She felt guilty not telling him she intended to take Riley to a doctor, but until she had a professional opinion, she didn’t want to bring up her suspicions that something was wrong with the baby.

  Hurriedly she finished wrapping his sandwiches. This was not a man who hung around for idle conversation.

  She turned quickly to tell him to wait and found she was inches from his large warm body.

  Without saying a word he slid his arm around her waist. Startled, she took a quick step back and found herself pinned between the counter and the cowboy. He made no move to step back.

  Senses reeling, she was immediately aware of two things. He smelled of pancake syrup and soap, and her breasts were up against his chest.

  “I, uh, didn’t want you to leave without your lunch.” Her voice sounded a little breathless, as if she had just taken several flights of stairs.

  He grinned down at her. “You fixed me lunch, too?”

  “Uh, yes. You work so hard and I…” Whatever she had been going to say slipped right out of her mind. He was staring at her mouth.

  “Funny, all I can think about now is dessert.” He leaned into her a little more.

  The edge of the counter pressed into her back as he reached up and tugged gently on her hair until her head tipped back. He lowered his face to hers and brushed his lips across her mouth, exploring the texture and shape of her lips.

  He drew back for just a moment, making her want to whimper, and gave her a long, smoldering look. Then he lowered his head again and kissed her hard and long.

  When they finally came up for air Jolie realized he had turned her until he was leaning against the counter. She was plastered full against him, breasts to knees, with her arms around his neck. His hands were cupping her bottom, pulling her up against the obvious bulge in his jeans.

  Totally befuddled, Jolie untangled her arms and pushed herself away. She felt giddy and shaky. Perhaps the nickname Wild Man wasn’t as unbelievable as she had thought.

  He grinned again. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said politely, then realized she sounded like a fool.

  She gestured vaguely at the sandwiches. One of them was as flat as the pancakes she’d just served. It must have gotten squashed when they were…what were they doing anyway?

  As good as the kiss had felt, somewhere in the back of her flustered mind she knew it hadn’t been a good idea.

  “Don’t forget your…” She couldn’t seem to come up with the name for the midday meal.

  “Gotta go.” He scooped up the sandwiches and disappeared out the back door.

  Jolie made her way to a kitchen chair and sat down to get her wits about her.

  She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to pull herself together. Letting him kiss her had probably been a huge mistake.

  But it didn’t feel like a mistake.

  And that, she realized, was the danger.

  Then she decided she was being silly. One kiss didn’t mean anything. She was blowing things out of proportion.

  She was just a little unsure of herself when it came to men after being dumped on her wedding day, and his attention was flattering, nothing more.

  Sure, said a little voice in her head. Did Charles ever make your brain go numb when he kissed you?

  Not even once, she thought and rubbed her fingers across her mouth. She glanced at the clock and realized she’d been sitting and starin
g into space for quite a while.

  She got to her feet, reassured when her legs seemed to have regained their strength, and headed up the stairs.

  Riley was awake in his crib, sitting in a corner quietly waiting for her.

  She picked him up and nuzzled his neck. “You know, buddy, it’s okay to holler when you want to get up. Babies do it all the time.”

  She changed him and carried him downstairs. Since there was no high chair, Jolie put him on a kitchen chair and tied a dish towel around him to hold him there. Not that he made any effort to move, but she didn’t want to take the chance of him pitching onto the floor.

  Just as she finished feeding him, the phone rang. Jolie picked up the receiver of the old wall phone. “Hello, Circle P.”

  “Jolie? It’s Aunt Rosie. What is a Circle P? You aren’t working in one of those dreadful convenience stores are you?”

  Jolie smothered a laugh. “No, Aunt Rosie. The Circle P is a ranch.”

  “I just got home and got your message. I spoke to that wretched brother of mine. He told me he cancelled your credit cards.”

  She felt an absurd need to defend her father. “Well, he didn’t want me to drive cross country.”

  Rosie went on with her tirade. “He told me under no circumstances was I to help you. He thinks he can force you to come home by cutting you off.”

  “I know, but—”

  “Don’t you even think about buckling under to that kind of intimidation! I just wired money to you care of Western Union in Billings.”

  Jolie had always been able to count on her Aunt Rosie. “Thank you.”

  “And I want you to come here as soon as your car is repaired.”

  “I will. Rosie, did you tell Daddy where I was?”

  “Of course not. He’d come and drag you back by your hair. I told him you were safe. You are safe, aren’t you, dear?”

  Jolie thought about Griff’s kiss. That depended on what Aunt Rosie meant by safe.

  “Yes, I’m safe. The ranch is wonderful, and I’ll stay here until the car is ready. I’ll call you when I’m on my way to New York.”

  Jolie didn’t want to explain about Griff and Riley, which was strange because she told Aunt Rosie everything.

  “You enjoy your resort and call me if you need more money.”

  “I will. Thanks again Aunt Rosie.” She’d explain to her aunt later that the Circle P was far from a resort.

  She hung up the phone and went to Riley and untied him. She picked him up, held him out with her arms extended and spun around. “Bless Aunt Rosie!”

  The baby smiled and squealed in delight. It was the first sound Jolie had ever heard him make. She hugged him. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about money to pay for the doctor.

  “Riley, we’re going into town and we’re going to celebrate. A high chair for you and some clothes for me.” She couldn’t very well do housework and take care of a baby in dry-clean-only designer clothes.

  She looked in the yellow pages, picked out the pediatrician with the most foreign-sounding name, and made an appointment for later in the morning.

  She headed toward town in Griff’s truck, still feeling as if she were driving an eighteen-wheeler. What a day this was shaping up to be. Riley had responded to her, Aunt Rosie had come through with some money, and Griff. …

  The thought of his kiss this morning brought a rush of warmth. He was a mighty fine kisser, but she suspected he’d kissed her just because she was…well, there.

  After all, he’d just lost his wife and was still grieving for her. Jolie had gotten in his way at a moment when he was feeling…what?

  Whatever it was, she thought, as she pulled up and parked in front of the Western Union office, she wasn’t going to take it seriously.

  For heaven’s sake, she still hadn’t figured out why Charles had dumped her. He hadn’t had the nerve to tell her to her face, but instead sent her a message through his sister, who was one of her bridesmaids.

  It was very humiliating to be dumped as you stood in the back of the church with the wedding march playing, but even more so to be dumped through a third party.

  None of that changed the fact that Griff was a mighty fine kisser, she thought as she hauled the baby out of the car seat.

  She picked up the money, more than enough to last her until she got to Aunt Rosie’s, and stuffed the cash into her pocket, then put the baby back in the truck and headed to the doctor’s office.

  After a short wait while she filled out paperwork, they were ushered into the exam room. She removed his clothes and blew a raspberry on his bare tummy and then laughed at his look of surprise.

  The nurse came in and weighed him.

  “Fifteen pounds, even.”

  The doctor arrived and introduced herself, then checked Riley from head to toe.

  “He’s a bit underweight for his height. How’s his appetite?”

  “He’s a good eater.” She outlined his daily diet.

  The doctor sat him up. “Well, sometimes at this age they are so active you can’t get enough food in them.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about that.” Jolie explained as much of the situation as she knew, then expressed her concerns over how quiet he was.

  The doctor picked Riley up and he looked over at Jolie. “How long have you been taking care of him?”

  “Just a few days.”

  The doctor consulted her chart and frowned. “No medical history?”

  “No. His father just got custody of him. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I gather there was very little communication between the father and mother, then the mother died suddenly.”

  “Give him as much attention as you can. Interactive games, peek-a-boo, that kind of thing. He’s suffered an emotional trauma, but he should start to respond.”

  Relieved, Jolie took him from the doctor. “I’ve already seen a bit of improvement.” She didn’t mention Griff’s distance to the child. That was something she intended to work on.

  “Well, in a case like this when we don’t have a history, we like to give all the vaccinations.”

  “What if he’s had his shots? Won’t it be dangerous to have them again?”

  “No. The danger is leaving a child unvaccinated. Bring him back in a month and we’ll see how he’s doing. The nurse will be in to give him his injections.”

  “All right.” The new nanny would be bringing him back, she thought with a pang. “Thank you.”

  He howled as the nurse gave him two shots, and Jolie felt awful as she fought back tears.

  As soon as the nurse was finished, Jolie scooped Riley up and hugged him, crooning soothing words as she patted his back.

  The nurse smiled. “Vaccinations always hurt the mom more than the baby. You watch, he’ll recover before you do.”

  She gathered up the syringes and left the room, then stuck her head back in through the door. “He may get fussy later. Just give him a dose of liquid Tylenol.”

  Riley quieted down and Jolie stood there holding him as he sniffled against her shoulder. The nurse thought she was his mom. With a pang she realized how much she wished she was. She sat him down on the exam table and dressed him.

  When she’d agreed to marry Charles, she knew she wasn’t madly in love with him, but she was in love with the idea of having a home and children.

  “You know, buddy,” she said to Riley as she snapped the fastener on his overalls, “I think we need to go have lunch before we shop. What do you think?”

  Riley hiccuped and held out his arms, and Jolie’s heart melted as she gathered up his small body and hugged him.

  Chapter Six

  Jolie whistled as she drove back to the ranch, trying not to think about the way Griff had kissed her this morning. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. It was like trying to not breathe all day.

  She forced her thoughts to the contents of the cab. Bags of groceries and clothes filled the floor at Riley’s feet. Clothes she had bought for herself at a discount store
. Jeans and T-shirts and sweatshirts. And canvas shoes. And in the truck bed a used high chair from the resale shop.

  She’d never worn anything but designer clothes, but then, she’d never worked on a ranch.

  She laughed out loud thinking of what her father, a terrible snob who would only buy the best, would say if he knew where she’d been shopping. He’d probably want to have her committed.

  She hummed along with the radio, listening to a song that admonished the listener to “stand by your man.” As soon as she pulled up to the house, cowboy Chris was there to help her unload.

  She eyed him as she slid from the high seat of the truck. “If you work all night, when do you sleep?”

  He grinned at her. “Oh, I get enough.” He gave her a wink.

  She turned away to get the sleeping baby, aware of the blatant flirting. She decided to ignore the innuendo and take advantage of his help.

  “If you’d take the high chair around the side and leave it on the cement slab where the hose is, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Sure thing.”

  She carried Riley up to his bed. The poor child was worn out from his visit to the doctor and their busy trip to town.

  She needed to run her new clothes through the washer before she wore them, but didn’t have nearly enough for a full load. Riley’s hamper was nearly empty, but Griff must have things that needed washing.

  His bedroom door was open and she hesitated on the threshold. His room was a reflection of the man. Plain solid furniture and no personal belongings that would give anyone a hint as to who occupied the room.

  Hesitantly she entered and found a wash basket full of dirty clothes in his closet. Jeans, flannel shirts, and plain white underwear.

  Briefs.

  She would have figured him for briefs.

  If she was the kind of woman who guessed that sort of thing.

  The scent of him wafted up from the dirty clothes. Heaven help her, even his dirty clothes were sexy.

  “Get a grip on yourself, Jolie,” she muttered as she hoisted the laundry basket against her hip.