A Family to Come Home To (Saddle Falls)

by De Vita, Sharon

  And her nerves had relaxed a bit when she saw the apparent camaraderie between the two men.

  Until she looked at Jesse.

  Then her nerves—her female nerves—the ones she’d ignored for so long began to squeal in feminine alarm just as they had this morning when she’d first seen him.

  If only the man wasn’t quite so darned attractive she might not be behaving like a lovelorn teenager, she thought in disgust.

  “But how come you didn’t just go outside and watch them?” Riley frowned, little golden eyebrows drawing together like a caterpillar across her forehead.

  Good question, Hannah thought, watching as her daughter’s tiny tongue, purple and sticky, took one final lick of the iced treat.

  “Well, sweetheart, remember how I told you Jesse has just come home?” Hannah asked, removing the sloppy, wet purple stick from Riley’s hand and tossing it into the trash.

  “’Cuz he went away for a long time, right?” Riley swiped the back of her hand over her sticky mouth.

  “That’s right, honey.” Hannah stood, grabbed another paper towel, dampened it, then took each of her daughter’s hands and wiped them clean. “So, I thought it might be a good idea to let Uncle Tommy and Uncle Jesse have some time to talk alone.” She gave her daughter’s mouth a final swipe with the damp, and now purple, paper towel. “Do you understand?”

  “I guess so, Mama,” Riley said with a shrug, the confusion on her face clearly indicating she didn’t quite understand. “But why were you watching them?”

  With a smile, Hannah brushed a hand over Riley’s head. “Well, honey, I love Uncle Tommy and I just want him to be happy.”

  “Don’t you think Uncle Jesse will make him happy?” Riley asked with another frown, making Hannah realize she was only making the situation worse.

  “No, honey. I’m sure Uncle Jesse is going to make Uncle Tommy very happy.” She couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder to give another look at the two men, relieved to see them still deep in conversation.

  “Mama, I’m bored,” Riley said. “No one’s here. And I don’t know where they went. Even Ditka and Ruth are gone,” Riley said with a frown and a barely suppressed yawn.

  “Everyone should be home soon, honey.” Hannah smiled as she glanced at the kitchen clock. She had less than two hours to finish an elaborate celebratory dinner. And that didn’t include the time she needed to make her special chocolate mousse cake. It was Tommy’s favorite. “Remember the note Uncle Tommy left for us?”

  “The one you read to me, Mama?”

  “Yes, honey. Uncle Tommy said he thought it would be best if he and Uncle Jesse had a chance to talk privately for a while, so he sent everyone out for the day.” She pressed a hand to Riley’s cheek as her precious daughter struggled to hide another yawn. “Everyone will be home for dinner. Remember we’re having a big get-together tonight to celebrate Uncle Jesse coming home?”

  “I ’member,” Riley said, rubbing her eyes with a fist. “And Ditka and Ruth can come, too?” Riley asked, since she considered the dogs as much a part of the family as everyone else.

  “Absolutely,” Hannah confirmed with a smile. “But I think, sweetheart, that maybe you should take a little nap.”

  “But I’m not tired,” Riley protested, moving her fist to rub her other eye.

  “Oh I know, sweetheart,” Hannah said, reaching for her daughter’s hand. “I know. But if you don’t take a nap, you might fall asleep and miss the celebration. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” Slowly, she began to lead her daughter out of the kitchen, toward the back of the house and the numerous guest bedrooms, bedrooms that Tommy insisted she or Riley use whenever they felt the need.

  “No, I like celebrations,” Riley admitted with a grin. “Could we have cake and ice cream?”

  Hannah laughed. “I’m making your and Uncle Tommy’s very favorite chocolate mousse cake right at the moment,” Hannah said, leading her daughter into one of the bedrooms, decorated in pastel colors. She bent down and untied Riley’s tennis shoes, then pulled the beautiful yellow comforter down, folding it neatly at the bottom of the bed. “And we’ll have vanilla ice cream as well.”

  “Will Timmy and Terry be there, too, Mama?” Yawning, Riley climbed onto the bed, slipping quickly under the cool sheets.

  “Absolutely.” Hannah bent and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “We couldn’t have a celebration without Timmy and Terry, now, could we?”

  “And can Matilda come, too, Mama?” Riley snuggled deeper into the bed, her eyes drooping. “She likes chocolate mousse cake and celebrations, too, Mama.”

  Hannah laughed, trying not to shudder at the mention of Matilda, Timmy and Terry’s pet tarantula. “Yes, honey. Everyone will be there.” Hannah kissed her daughter again. “You sleep now, baby, and by the time you wake up, everyone should be home.” Tiptoeing out of the room, Hannah closed the door with a smile and hurried back to the kitchen.

  “Good Lord,” she muttered when she saw the splattered spots of chocolate everywhere. Grabbing a damp cloth, she quickly wiped down the counters, the walls, then got down on her hands and knees to clean up the floor.

  The snap of the back door shutting had her almost groaning. The last thing she wanted to have to do today was explain why she’d splattered chocolate over the previously spotless kitchen, especially when she was so busy and had so much to do.

  When she saw the toes of the large Western boots right under her nose, she did groan.

  “Darlin’, what are you doing down there?” Jesse’s deep voice was filled with concern. He reached for her hand, sending a shiver of awareness and nerves coursing through Hannah. “You shouldn’t be down on your knees scrubbing floors,” he said with a frown, helping her to her feet, trying to take the rag from her hand. “I thought you said you were a cook?”

  Hannah brushed her damp, shaky hand over her white apron, hanging on to the rag with the other hand so Jesse wouldn’t see how desperately his presence made her hands, and just about everything else, shake.

  “I am a cook, Jesse,” she insisted, rattled because he was so big, so masculine, and so intimidatingly gorgeous. How was she supposed to keep her composure when he set those laser-blue eyes on her, staring at her as if he could see straight into her heart and all the secrets she’d buried there? “It’s just, I had a little accident,” she said with a sheepish shrug.

  Leaning against the counter, one eyebrow lifted in amusement as Jesse glanced at the floor and the few spots of chocolate she’d missed on the counter and walls.

  “A chocolate accident is my guess,” he said, unable to conceal the humor in his voice.

  Hannah sighed. “Good guess,” she admitted, trying to force herself to relax. “Jesse?” She dared to meet his gaze and felt her stomach tumble over.

  “Yes, darlin’?” He surely enjoyed looking at her. She was dressed differently from this morning. Her hair was swept up in some kind of knot atop her head. But it was a little lopsided, and a few tendrils were rebelling, slipping free to frame her beautiful face. The shorts had been replaced by a pair of comfortable-looking jeans that hid those sinful legs. Pity, he thought, letting his gaze wander over the rest of her. He sure enjoyed looking at those long, gorgeous legs of hers. The white blouse she wore was covered by a large apron with a big red heart in the middle.

  His gaze shifted, and for the first time he noticed her mouth. It was bow-shaped, with a sexy little indention right in the middle of her top lip. Devoid of color, they had something shiny on them, something that made a man ache to see if she tasted as good as she looked. His tongue suddenly itched to trace the outline of that sexy mouth. Slowly. Leisurely. Carefully. He shifted, diverting his thoughts to try to bring some relief to his suddenly tense body.

  “Jesse, how did things go with Tommy?” She studied him, trying to read his face, his eyes, but the only thing she saw was amusement—and, if she wasn’t mistaken, desire.

  She wanted to flush again. She couldn’t remember a man ever
looking at her that way before, at least not with such naked, blatant interest. Even though she might not ever have experienced it, it didn’t mean she couldn’t recognize it.

  Or respond to it.

  She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, feel it shimmer through her, evoking a heated response of her own.

  “How’d it go?” Thoughtfully, Jesse crossed his arms across his chest, still thinking about that sexy little mouth of hers. Satisfied he’d have to taste that mouth—sooner or later—just to find out for himself, he turned and glanced out the window where Tommy was sitting at the patio table waiting for him. “About as well as could be expected, I guess,” he said, turning back to her with a smile.

  Swell, Hannah thought. He was just a fountain of information. “Is Tommy all right?” she asked nervously.

  “All right, darlin’?” With a wry smile, Jesse shook his head. “You mean, have I done anything to warrant having you chase me around the kitchen with one of your frying pans?” He laughed at the look of horror that swept over her face. “No, darlin’. I promise I’ve done nothing to harm him or to warrant one of those pan-bashings.” He lifted a hand to her cheek, unable to resist being so close and not touching her. It was something he could quite easily get accustomed to, he realized. “And I don’t intend to do anything to harm him, Hannah. At least not intentionally.”

  “You know, you would have been fine had you stopped just a few seconds before,” she admitted in irritation, chewing her bottom lip and resisting the urge to move her face so he wouldn’t be touching her. It was hard to think with him so close, and his hands on her.

  He laughed. “Well, darlin’, I do believe we covered that this morning.” He let his hand drop and cocked his head to look at her. “Remember?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I remember,” she admitted, blowing out a breath. “You don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “That’s right.” He started to reach out to her and was surprised when she reared back like a frightened filly. His eyebrows lifted. “Are you afraid of me, darlin’?” he asked quietly, stunned that he could have frightened this beautiful, incredible woman. He’d never frightened a woman in his life.

  “Afraid?” Hannah repeated shakily, trying to ignore that his voice was like a soft, gentle caress, sliding over her and leaving her shaky. Her chin came up and Hannah struggled for pride. “Of course not, why on earth would I be afraid of you?” she asked indignantly, unwilling to admit that for the first time in her life she was afraid of what a man made her feel.

  “Don’t rightly know, now.” He studied her for a moment, their gazes locked. Hannah watched as if in slow motion his hand lifted again and he gently brushed a finger down her cheek, then lifted it to his mouth.

  Her eyes widened and it seemed as if everything inside her stilled as his mouth slowly opened, his tongue snaked out and he leisurely licked his finger. The gesture was so blatantly sensual the pulse in her neck began to throb like a sore thumb.

  “Grape,” he finally said, a twinkle in his eye.

  Hannah blinked, certain her temperature had jumped at least ten degrees. She had to swallow. Hard. “Ex…excuse me?”

  “Grape.” He showed her his finger. “You taste like grape.” His deep voice was like a wave of warmth flowing over her, making her aware of every nerve in her body.

  “Grape,” she repeated dully. Her mind couldn’t seem to register anything at the moment. She merely continued to stare at him. The amusement in his eyes finally forced her mind to kick in. “Oh, yes, I forgot.” She managed a smile, trying to regain her composure. “Riley had a grape Popsicle.” Hannah shrugged. “It dripped all over her.” Hannah touched her cheek, not realizing it was sticky. “And apparently me as well.”

  Jesse glanced past her. “Well now, where is little Miss Riley?”

  Hannah’s grin was instant and she couldn’t help but be touched by the fact that he thought enough to ask about her daughter. “Taking a nap. She wore herself out practicing on her new bike this morning.” Following his lead, she crossed her arms across her breasts and leaned against the counter, grateful to have something to support her. “And she’s been wandering around like a lost soul since we got here because everyone is out. I convinced her to take a nap so she could stay awake for the celebration tonight.”

  “Yes, the celebration,” Jesse said with a sigh.

  “You don’t sound very happy about it.” She watched him carefully.

  “Happy?” Jesse thought about it for a moment. “Would you be happy knowing that you were going to meet about a dozen people you didn’t know, or worse, couldn’t remember, and yet be expected to act perfectly natural around?”

  “Oh Jesse.” Unconsciously she touched his arm to comfort him, her heart going out to him for the entire miserable situation. “I can imagine how difficult this must be for you.”

  “Not just me,” he admitted, glancing back at Tommy again. “It’s got to be difficult for everyone concerned.” He turned back to her and the wariness and pain in his eyes touched her heart.

  She smiled at him, wanting to reassure him, to ease some of the wariness she saw in his eyes. “Jesse, look, just try to take this one step at a time. There’s no rush, really. You certainly can’t make up twenty years in just a matter of hours or days. It’s going to take some time.”

  “Well now, darlin’, time is the one thing I truly don’t have,” Jesse said, rubbing the back of his neck to ease a spot of tension that had settled there.

  “What are you talking about, Jesse?” Ignoring her own inner warning signals, she took a step closer to him, close enough that she could almost feel his body heat reach out and engulf her. She ignored it and focused on their conversation. “What do you mean time is the one thing you don’t have?”

  “Well, darlin’, I’ve got my own ranch to run back in Texas. And if you know anything about ranching, you gotta know that I can’t be away from it for too long.”

  “You’re not staying?” Her words edged upward in shock and bewilderment.

  Jesse stared back at her with equal shock and bewilderment. “Stay?” He shook his head. “Now, darlin’, why on earth would you ever think I was staying?”

  Temper and frustration had her fists clenching again. “Because this is your home, Jesse!”

  He shook his head. “You know, darlin’, I do believe I’m growing to detest that little word.”

  “What word?” She glared at him, annoyed beyond belief. “What are you talking about?”

  “Home, darlin’. Home.” Rubbing his neck again because the tension had increased, Jesse shook his head. “I thought I explained all this to you this morning. Texas is my home. Has been for as long as I can remember.”

  “But what about Tommy?” she fairly cried. “What about your family?”

  Jesse looked at her long and hard. “Well, darlin’, I’m here now, aren’t I? And for the moment that’s all I can promise.”

  Her eyes slid closed and Hannah prayed her famous Irish temper wouldn’t boil over. “Jesse,” she began, choosing and spacing her words carefully. “How on earth can you simply turn your back on your family?” She shook her head, emotions spilling over. “My God, do you have any idea how lucky you are to even have a family? Let alone a family that is so welcoming and accepting, not to mention wonderful?”

  He said nothing, he simply watched her, realizing that she was talking about a lot more than his family.

  Something far more than her love and affection for Tommy and the Ryans was fueling this passionate display. Of that he was certain.

  Watching her eyes light with fire and her cheeks flush with emotion, he felt two distinctly different emotions: the first was concern. Obviously someone had hurt her. The kind of hurt that remained deep in your heart and memories for a long time, coloring your emotions and your views. He suddenly wondered about Hannah’s own family, and Riley’s father as well.

  The second emotion that caught him was pure unadulterated lust. And Jesse felt a hint of
guilt for it, knowing that she was hurting. But any woman who was as obviously passionate as she was, was bound to be just as passionate in all areas of his life. And dang if it didn’t just raise up all the wonderful possibilities a passionate woman like her would bring to an encounter.

  It was truly a shame he wasn’t going to be here long enough to find out.

  “How can you simply walk away from them?” Hannah demanded, unable to even comprehend such a thing. In her entire life, the only thing she’d ever truly wanted was a family; a real family that would love and accept her. Jesse had one and he was simply turning his back on them. “Don’t you have any feelings?” Biting back tears, she refused to allow him to see how upset she was. Refused to let him see that his mere words, his intended actions, had wounded her on a level she didn’t feel comfortable or capable of dealing with at the moment.

  Jesse pulled himself upright. “Hannah, darlin’, listen to me.” Gently, he took her by the shoulders, felt her trembling, then instinctively gathered her close, slipping his arms around her to press her against him. “Good Lord, darlin’, you’re so upset you’re trembling.” Concerned, Jesse gently caressed her back the way he might an injured foal. “It’s not good for you to get yourself so riled up like this.” He drew back to look at her, and caught her blinking back tears. “Truly, it’s not.”

  Fists clenched against his chest, Hannah sniffled, trying to gather her composure. “Jesse.” She glanced up at him and swallowed hard. He had the most incredible eyes. Every time she looked into them it made her feel things—want things—she knew better than to want or yearn for. That was a dream she’d given up years ago, and she wasn’t about to let herself walk blindly down the path of misery and disappointment again. Not because of a man. “Does Tommy know you’re not staying?”

  “Well now, I must admit we really haven’t gotten around to talking about that yet.” He continued to caress her back, liking the feeling of having her in his arms. She was so small and delicate, and having her pressed against the length of him was causing his mind to come up with some incredibly imaginative fantasizing of what having that small, delicate naked body pressed against him might be like.