Explosive Memories

by Sherri Thomas

  “Let me know if you’d like help.” She peeked over at the maddening male on her right, and a rush of heat ran the course of her body.

  “I hoped you’d say that.” Darcy faced her future brother-in-law. “Jordan’s a registered nurse.”

  “I’ve heard.”

  “Wouldn’t it be great to have her on hand in case of an emergency?”

  “Sure.” His attention didn’t waver.

  After another quick eyebrow raise, she headed inside. “I’ll…ah…go get those papers.”

  Sooner or later he’d have to look away, right? Jordan straightened in her seat and sipped the coffee to wet her parched throat, then made a project of wiping an imaginary spot off her shorts. The sun’s rays caused perspiration to bead between her breasts. Shifting in her seat, she wondered how long they could sit in silence. Where the heck was Darcy? The documents couldn’t be that hard to locate.

  Trent drank more of his coffee and set the cup on the railing, never taking his gaze off her.

  “Here ya go.” The brunette returned and handed over the folder.

  “Thanks.” He snatched the file, tipped his hat back, and stalked over to stand in front of Jordan.

  Her heart rate tripled, and her breathing became shallow as she gazed up the length of his never-ending body and over the hard contours his clothing outlined. A surge of desire ignited low in her belly.

  Leaning down, his lips brushed hers, barely making contact, yet touching her too much.

  Her toes curled against her sandals.

  “I’ll see you later.” Angling his Stetson, he descended the stairs, remounted, and glanced up once more before heading toward the barn.

  Oh, man. He was lethal.

  Chapter Six

  “Okay, well, today certainly turned into a scorcher,” Darcy chortled. “Why don’t you go change and meet me at the barn. I’ll introduce you to TJ.”

  Jordan’s legs refused to move. She didn’t know if she was angry at Trent for the public display, or angry at herself for sitting there and letting him kiss her. How could the mere brush of his lips cause her to go all tingly everywhere?

  A giggle caught her attention.

  “It’s either that or a cold shower.”

  A ride sounded much better than icy water. Besides, she could use time away from the tempting and distracting cowboy tying her insides in knots. “You talked me into it.” Getting up with her empty mug, she crossed to the door.

  “I’ll take that. You go get ready.” Her friend plucked the cup from her hand, and Trent’s from the railing.

  “Thank you.”

  Feeling the strain of the last few minutes in her chest, she drifted down the steps and headed toward the cabin, only to spot the troublesome man atop his horse. Not wanting to draw his attentions, she slowed her pace and hung back in the shadows.

  Trent made an absolutely devastating, sexy image in the saddle, from the way he sat tall to the wide berth of his shoulders to the hat shadowing his handsome face. Her equilibrium tilted and dizziness washed over her.

  A movement off to the side caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks. The small boy she saw with the pregnant mom earlier snuck out from between the cabins and ran in the same direction as Trent. His feet traveling faster than his body, he stumbled, toppling over on to hands and knees. A cry broke through the air.

  Instinctively, Jordan hurried to his side. “Are you okay, honey?”

  The child struggled to right himself.

  “Here, let me help you.” She guided him to his feet.

  Shrugging her off, he rose with tears streaming down his chubby freckled cheeks. Torn jeans revealed spots of red on the skin beneath. Eyes wide, he reeled toward the sound of a horse approaching and groaned.

  “I’m okay.” His bottom lip puffed out. “I’m tuff.”

  The envy on his little face as the rider neared tugged at her heart strings. “Let’s bandage these up before you run off into the sunset?”

  “Hey, partner, what happened?” Trent reined in his gelding and swung out of the saddle.

  “Tripped over a stupid rock.” He swiped the wetness off his cheeks.

  Even the kid failed to be immune to the cowboy. The frustrating male bent on his hunches and inspected the damage.

  “Don’t look too bad, but best to let the nurse decide.” He glanced up and smiled.

  She stood motionless, observing the tenderness he showed toward the child.

  “Aw, I don’t need no girl.”

  “All cowboys want a pretty lady to check them out.” Standing up, the large man-child winked.

  A sudden urge to kick dirt in his face propelled her over to the steps. “Bring the patient over to my porch, I’ll be right back.”

  Walking into the living room, she struggled to compose herself. She’d tried over and over to envision Trent with children, but the images failed to materialize. Now, the picture was sure to replay a million times.

  The rumble of the cowboy’s low murmur floated in from the screen door and surrounded her in warmth. She closed her eyes and absorbed this new discovery.

  “You wanna tell me what you’re doing wondering off? Your mama’s gonna be worried.”

  “Nah, she’s gots the new baby coming to worry ’bout.”

  “Huh, I see. You think she don’t care ’bout you anymore?”

  Silence met the statement.

  “Those mamas are amazing people. No matter what happens or what you do, they never stop loving you and have lots of room in their hearts.”

  “Really?” a small voice asked.

  Jordan smiled at the question. She loved working with the kids at the hospital. They were so innocent and impressionable, and the highlight of her week when she’d been scheduled on the children’s wing.

  “Oh, yeah. When my younger brother was born, I was sure my parents would forget ’bout me.”

  “You’re joshin’.”

  “Nope. One time, I even hid to see how long it’d take my ma to find me.”

  “How long’d it take?”

  “Only a few minutes, but you know what?”

  “What?”

  “She cried really hard when she thought I was lost.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yep, and I never hid from her again. And believe me, your ma will always want you around.”

  “You sure ’bout this?”

  “Cowboy’s honor. Now…” Some shuffling noises sounded. “I wonder where that nurse is with those bandages. We have cowboy stuff to do.”

  Boots scraped on the porch as she hurried to the bathroom for the first aid kit.

  “Jordan, you find what you need?”

  “Right here.” She met him in the doorway before he entered farther. “How’s the patient?”

  “Better,” the boy announced from behind the impressive male body blocking the path.

  Trent’s gaze caressed her face, her chest, her legs, only to travel back up at an excruciating slow speed, causing heat along the path.

  She raised a questioning brow, and he stepped aside for her to precede him out the door. Sitting next to the boy, she opened the lid and extracted a band-aid, ointment, and a cleansing solution.

  “What’s your name?” she asked, working the denim up over the injury.

  “P-Peter.” He glanced at Trent and squared his shoulders.

  The brave front he faked for the adult male near broke her heart. “How old are you?” Taking antiseptic, she dabbed his knees.

  He squinted his eyes shut tight. “F-five.”

  Jordan blew on each scrape hoping to alleviate the sting before applying antibiotic cream and the protective pads.

  “That should do it. You’re an excellent patient.” Patting her pocket she confessed, “Unfortunately, I don’t have a lollipop.”

  “That’s okay, ma’am.”

  She smiled at his politeness.

  “You know what, partner? I keep a big stash of popsicles in my freezer. What’s your favorite color?” T
rent asked.

  His face lit up. “Red.”

  “Mine, too. Be right back.”

  The urge to watch the cowboy wander over to his bungalow surged hard. She gazed to the right, down at her knees, to Peter on her left, anywhere but at the gorgeous backside disappearing inside the door.

  “How long have you been on the ranch?” she asked the little redhead.

  “Couple of days. Mr. Trent’s real nice. He showed me the animals and even let me sit on his horse.”

  The admiration in his voice shouldn’t have surprised her, but whenever she thought of Mr. Trent, he was naked in bed, not spending time with a five year old.

  And he liked popsicles. Red ones to boot.

  “You like horses?” she inquired as the distracting male headed back their way.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Here ya go, partner.” Stopping in front of the boy, Trent handed over a frozen treat. “You eat that up, and I’ll give ya a ride back to your ma on Rocket.”

  The boy’s eyes widened. “You’re really gonna give me a ride?”

  He tipped his hat. “How else is a cowboy to travel?”

  “Thank you,” he replied and started in on the flavored ice.

  “You sure? I mean what if his mom gets mad? Some parents might consider the animal dangerous.”

  The side of his lip tipped upward, and he nodded toward the guests’ cabins. “I broached the subject of giving him rides yesterday with Mrs. Parker.”

  Conflicting emotions started. During the years, Jordan spent a lot of time building him into a carefree, irresponsible male out for a hot, wild time with no ties. She never imagined this warm, tender side.

  Strike that. He’d been nothing but that with her. Yet, the way he responded to this child maimed her speechless as the gesture of his kindness worked through the tough shell she’d built around herself and wiggled its way into her heart.

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped from the alluring scene to an oversized apple tree across the dirt path and wrapped her hand around a branch. The rough bark bit into her skin, offering a bit of realism as she gazed out at the animals dotting the pastures.

  How much longer before Dr. Sheffield called? How much longer before she cracked? She glanced over to where Trent stood with Peter and caught him moving his shoulder in a slow circle. Was he doing too much? Not letting the surgery site heal?

  As if sensing her gaze, his traveled her way; a slow grin formed on his lips.

  With a shake of her head, she turned away, focused on the land, and yawned, praying tonight the nightmares wouldn’t come. Being close to this man, feeling his touches, his kisses, caused those taunting images to the surface all the more.

  “Great tree for climbing.” The baritone voice vibrated up her spine.

  She spun around. The cowboy stood not two feet away, his black hat positioned low. The charcoal T-shirt hugged the dips and plains of his upper body to perfection, while the black jeans cupped lower muscles. Everything screamed sex…hot, sweaty sex.

  Not good. Not good at all. Around him, her resolve weakened.

  Guilt washed over her for her wayward thoughts, and she let go of the limb. “I’m too old for climbing.”

  “You might be, but I’m not.” He ambled closer, his gaze not leaving her face.

  “I’m younger than you.” She stood stock-still, waiting, watching, unsure.

  He brushed a strand of hair off her collar bone and rested a hand at the base. “Two years and five months.”

  She raised a brow in surprise. Her last boyfriend never remembered her age let alone the month she was born.

  “Surprised?” he asked in a husky tone.

  “Among other things.”

  A palm slid up the side of her heated neck as his thumb rubbed the skin along her jaw.

  Jordan swallowed the moan working its way out. “Please, don’t,” she squeaked and backed up into the solidness of the tree trunk.

  His arm dropped, but his brown gaze appeared watchful. “Why?”

  Their gazes met and held.

  “I’m not the same person. I’ve changed. I grew up.”

  “Haven’t we all.” He tugged his Stetson even lower and rotated his left shoulder.

  “What happened?” she asked, nodding to his injury.

  “What’s with the dress clothes?” he countered.

  “There’s nothing wrong with my outfit.” She riled, noting the way he avoided her question.

  “And the Miss Priss attitude?”

  “What, because I choose to dress nice I have an attitude?” The gall of the man.

  He drifted closer; heat radiated from his body in waves. Her heart thudded in her ears.

  “Every time I get close, you tense up. Why is that?” His gaze traveled up and down her body. “The girl I remember liked me close, real close and would’ve opted to wear jeans on a ranch. Not that you don’t look amazin’, ’cause darlin’, you’re hot no matter what you wear.” He leaned into her. “Or don’t wear.”

  Her body tingled, and she licked her dry lips. Oh, why couldn’t she muster up the strength to push him away?

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. His finger traced her bottom rim, then with a wink, he turned away as Peter walked over to them.

  “Mr. Trent, I’m done.”

  Not missing a beat, he hunkered down in front of the child with a chuckle. “We should clean you up before we go see your ma.” A dark, hungry gaze swung her way. “We’ll catch up later.”

  Not if she could make herself scarce.

  The pair strutted away, and Jordan was hard-pressed to ignore his retreating backside. He wouldn’t find her later; going for a nice long ride would keep her out of his reach.

  Dang it, she’d lost track of the time and forgot to meet Darcy at the barn. Fishing her cell out of her pocket, she dialed her friend’s number.

  “Hello,” came the breathless answer.

  “I’m sorry. I got delayed,” she explained, biting her lip to keep from babbling.

  “That’s okay, hon, but I needed to get back to work.” A loud bang sounded.

  “You, okay?” she asked, worried over the background noises.

  “Sure, just dropped the bucket, that’s all. TJ’s brushed and ready to go. Chris is waiting for you.”

  “He’s going with me?” Jordan swallowed her alarm and hoped Darcy didn’t hear the distress in her voice. She really needed this time alone.

  “No. He has chores to do, but said he’d watch you do a few laps in the round pen to make sure you and TJ get along. He was saddling the horse when I left.”

  “Thank you. You’re a gem.” Hitting the end button, she crossed to the cabin as Trent and Peter walked out of his bungalow.

  He lifted the child onto the saddle and a grimace of pain crossed his face. She started toward him, but as she approached, he mounted behind the boy and winked in her direction before trotting off.

  ****

  Trent went the long way to the cabin where the Parker family stayed in order to give the boy a longer ride. He tried focusing on Peter’s excited jibber, but his mind betrayed him by straying to Jordan. Back by the tree, he lost track of everything and was lucky the little guy interrupted or he would have kissed her senseless.

  His hands tightened on the reins. Something didn’t sit right about her. The dress clothes and suit of armor confused him, as did the challenge in her eyes. She seemed so tense, like a rubber band ready to snap. Maybe that’s who she was, an inner voice whispered. Lord knew he wasn’t an expert on her after one night together. Hell, if his track record stood correct, he wasn’t an expert on a woman after years together.

  But Jordan tried hard to come across as cold and uptight, yet didn’t stick her nose in the air at him or his family, even treated Darcy with the love of a true friend. And the longing when she laid those baby blues on him, the hot, unheeded passion in her kisses, and the way she dealt with the boy when he fell…the caring and compassion showed a contradiction to what she tried to po
rtray. And a total opposite to the way his ex handled things.

  To April, kids spanned from messy to an irritating nuisance. If she’d spotted the accident, she’d have ignored the child and stomped off the other way.

  Matter of fact, she had made Trent deal with the smaller quests on the ranch, claiming the whiny brats gave her a headache. Why had he wasted a hay wagon full of time with a person he bore nothing in common?

  “Mr. Trent?”

  “What’s up buddy?” he asked, shaking off the unwanted memories.

  “If you tell my ma you took me for a ride, I won’t have to tell her I ran off without permission and followed you?”

  Chuckling at Peter’s logic, he paused long enough for the kid to believe he considered the explanation. “I’ll make ya a deal, if you promise not to wonder off again, I might be inclined to say I saw you outside and offered a ride.”

  “Oh, you are kind, Mr. Trent.”

  “What’s that?” Not sure what the boy rambled on about, he bent forward.

  “You said you’d be kind to tell her.”

  Trent bit back his laugh. “Inclined. It means willing to go along with your plan.” He stopped his horse, dismounted, and helped his passenger out of the saddle as Mrs. Parker came out the front door.

  “Peter John, where have you been? I was worried sick.” She hurried over and hugged her son. “I’m sorry, Mr. Matthews. My husband and older boy went off with one of your brothers, and since Peter was playing, I decided to lie down for a few seconds. I must’ve been more tired than I thought.” She rubbed her protruding belly. “This one tends to zap the energy right out of me.”

  “I can imagine.” Not really, but she sure had her hands full with Peter and the baby to come. “He was no trouble. Matter of fact, I asked him to go with me. Figured it’d be okay since Mr. Parker let him ride with me the other day.”

  “Oh, yes. I trust you. My cousin, Trish, lives up this way. She knows your mama and speaks very highly of ya’ll.”

  “Mr. Trent gave me a popsicle,” the child broke into the conversation.

  “Cherry flavored, I’m guessing.”

  “How’d you know?” He frowned in confusion.

  “Moms know everything,” she told the boy, wiping off his red mustache with her thumb.