“It’s one of the special spots at the Circle G, and unless you’ve experienced it firsthand,” Emily said, “it’s hard to explain about the intriguing scent and feeling of coming home.”
Danielle glanced at Emily. “Exactly.”
“Now that you’ve met two of our horses,” Ronnie said, “would you like to see the swing and the ranch house?”
Lacy immediately starting jumping up and down again, and in her excitement forgot about the horses. But Ronnie moved to grab Trigger by the halter while Emily did the same with Champ.
Danielle realized a few minutes too late that her daughter had spooked the horses. “Lacy and I will wait outside. We’re sorry.” She looked down at her daughter. “Aren’t we?”
Tears gathered in Lacy’s eyes, making them appear bluer. But instead of breaking down and crying, she wiped her eyes with her knuckles and sniffed. “I broke the Code, didn’t I? Now cowboy Jesse won’t ever teach me to ride.” Crestfallen, her little shoulders slumped forward as she quietly walked toward the front of the barn.
Danielle was worried about her daughter’s infatuation with the man… Good Lord, what now?
They stepped out in the sunshine just as the ground started to rumble.
“Is it an earthquake?”
“No, sweetie,” Danielle called out looking toward the sound. “The birds are still chirping and one of the horses whinnied. When it’s an earthquake, there is an eerie calm right before it happens.”
“So what’s making that sound?”
Emily and Ronnie joined them and Emily smiled. “Look’s like you’ll have a chance to see cowboy Jesse again.”
“Cowboy Jesse!” Lacy called out, racing toward the three riders headed their way at a fast trot.
Fearing the men wouldn’t see Lacy in time to stop, Danielle raced after her, scooping her up in her arms. But her toe caught on a dip in the driveway, and she lost her balance. Her protective instincts were screaming for her to hurry, as she cocooned Lacy in her arms and twisted so she took the brunt of the fall on her back.
She couldn’t catch her breath, but from the way Lacy was squirming, she knew that her daughter was unharmed.
“Hell’s fire, woman,” a familiar deep voice ground out. “Where are you hurt?”
Jesse! But Danielle couldn’t answer, she’d knocked the wind from her lungs and couldn’t get enough air back in to breathe, let alone speak.
“Just take it easy.” He sounded so confident, the fear that she’d pass out from lack of air dissipated. “It’ll get easier to breathe in a minute.”
“Mommy’s hurt and it’s my fault,” Lacy whispered. “Can you fix her?”
For her daughter’s sake, she willed her eyes to open and wished she hadn’t. Jesse’s dark eyes, filled with concern, looked down at her while the grim set of his mouth had her wondering if the Lord had a sense of humor. This was the second time they’d met in the daylight and the second time he’d had to rescue her. But that thought slipped away as the memory of their first kiss filled her. They were so close; if she lifted up just a few inches, their lips would touch.
A moan of sheer pleasure slipped out before she could get her scrambled brains to work.
“Maybe she busted a rib,” another voice rumbled from somewhere close by.
“I’m checking, damn it!” Jesse ground out, though his strong hands gentled as he probed her sides, checking for any slight variation in the pattern of her ribs.
She winced as his fingers brushed closer to her spine. She’d landed hard enough to have a couple of sore spots that would probably be bruises tomorrow.
“Did I hurt you?” The strangled sound of Jesse’s voice had her gaze lifting from where it had gotten stuck—the middle of his chest. When their eyes met, the concern was still there, but it was mixed with another emotion, one she could lose herself in—desire.
Needing to find her balance and not give in to what her body clamored for, she answered, “No, but it hurts where I hit the ground.”
“Her ribs are good,” he called out, not breaking eye contact. While she watched, the look in his eyes changed, and he was back fully in control of his emotions. She envied his ability to do that. Her belly was filled with butterflies and her body sparking like exposed wires everywhere he touched.
Danielle closed her eyes and willed her heart to slow down and her lungs to work properly, so she could draw in a deeper breath. Thankfully, the men surrounding her distracted her long enough for her body to take over and get its rhythm back. Although the first breath was painful, the next one was easier to draw.
Lacy squeezed around Jesse and was clinging to Danielle’s arm like a burr and crying. Before she could soothe her baby girl, Jesse reached out to brush away Lacy’s tears. “Your momma will be fine.”
“I’m OK, sweet pea,” she rasped, agreeing with Jesse. Well, she would be in a few minutes. “I guess this is how it feels to get thrown from a bull.”
The intense look in Jesse’s eyes softened, as if he realized she wasn’t badly hurt if she could joke about it. She tried to push herself up, but a big hand pressed against her shoulder to keep her still. An indefinable sizzle arced from where Jesse touched her, but had it come from him or her? Using all of her willpower to separate herself from the delicious vibrations surrounding this man, she ignored the fluttering in her belly and heady rush of excitement tingling in her shoulder, sprinting through her body.
“Best give it a few more minutes. If you did fracture a rib, it could poke through something important.”
Lacy’s hands covered her mouth and her eyes grew round as saucers. The strangled sound she made had Danielle shaking off the last of the feelings Jesse elicited with just one touch, and she scooted sideways, glaring at him as she reached out to take hold of her daughter’s hand. “I’m fine. I had the wind knocked out of me, but that’s all. Jesse’s just being overly cautious.”
“Can’t be too cautious,” one of the men warned. “He still has to check your limbs, so lie still.”
The deep voice must belong to the oldest Garahan. Although she’d met them years ago, she didn’t remember, but it was easy to recognize the familial traits. They were still the spitting image of one another: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and go-to-hell smiles on their three handsome faces. Good Lord, they were dangerous to a woman’s heart.
“I’ve got it under control here. Ty, why don’t you and Dylan take care of the horses.” Jesse turned to speak to Lacy again, reassuring her that Danielle would be fine, and the memory of her daughter throwing her arms around his neck and claiming she loved him filled Danielle. A lump formed, and she had to blink back tears that threatened to fall. She had been just as swept away last night by the man kneeling at her side.
“I’m gonna check your momma’s arms and legs to make sure she didn’t break anything,” he said soothingly. “OK, little darlin’?”
Lacy sniffled and nodded.
Her daughter’s permission received, he turned back to Danielle and her heart tumbled over in her breast. The desire was back in his gaze, and for a moment, she was afraid that if he touched her, they’d both go up in flames.
“Jesse, I’m OK—”
In a heartbeat the look in his eyes changed and a feeling of déjà vu filled her. He was frowning down at her—the exact same frown he’d had the day he’d pulled over to help them. “You gonna let me drive you to the hospital for X-rays?”
“No.”
“Then lie still and behave.”
“Yeah, Mommy,” Lacy said, patting her mother’s cheek. “Behave.”
Digging deep for a calm she surely didn’t feel, Danielle snapped, “Fine.”
He snorted and she wondered if he was covering up a laugh. Her gaze met his, but he was all business as he warned Lacy to ease back so he could show her how he checked his steer and horses for injuries.
“But she’s Mommy, not a cow.”
“That’s right,” he agreed. “But the funny thing is, a leg bone is a leg bone.” H
e slipped his hands around her left ankle and she struggled not to moan. His tender touch set fire to her skin.
He hesitated. “You all right?”
She nodded and he turned back to Lacy. “We have to be careful, but there’s no cuts or bones sticking out—”
“Don’t scare her—”
“I’m not a’scared, Mommy.”
Jesse smiled at his little helper. “Now, I’m going to run my hands along her legs to make sure the bones don’t feel like they’ve separated or cracked.” His eyes deepened to a rich, dark brown, reminding her of the bittersweet chocolate she loved.
When she licked her lips, he froze and closed his eyes. He was just as affected as she by his hands smoothing along the length of her legs.
“Did you find something?” Lacy asked, poking him in the shoulder.
***
Jesse shook his head and moved to test her other leg. The sight of her smooth and supple quads shot right to his core and the heart of his problem. He wanted Danielle so badly he ached. It was next to impossible not to be affected by the beauty lying on the ground before him. Praying for the strength to finish the job, he turned toward Lacy, and said, “Now, we check her arms.”
“But I didn’t land on them,” Danielle protested.
“You won’t know just what you hit until tomorrow or the day after, when the aches and pains start making themselves known.”
She frowned up at him but relaxed again so he could check her arms.
“Can I try it?” Lacy asked, obviously wanting to help.
“Let me check first.”
She nodded and waited. After he was certain nothing was out of place, he eased back and urged Lacy to put her hands on her mother’s upper arm, then he placed his on top of hers and said, “Now, close your eyes and imagine your mom’s arm bone all in one piece, and then let your fingers tell your mind what’s going on beneath the skin.”
Lacy’s concentration went right to his heart. That she trusted him to take care of her mother added to the growing affection he felt toward the little cowgirl.
“It’s good.” Lacy’s excitement was infectious.
“That’s what I think too.”
“Can I get up now?”
“We gots to check your other arm first, Mommy.”
Danielle sighed and let them finish. It was the hardest thing she’d done in a long time, subjecting herself to Jesse’s touch without giving in to the desire that threatened to pull her under. She wanted this man with a desperation that she’d never felt before. Whether or not her mind was ready to accept what her heart was telling her, she knew they wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off one another once they were finally alone.
She sat up and pulled Lacy onto her lap. Her daughter had stopped crying but was still sniffling. Before she could soothe her, Jesse ground out, “What in Sam Hill do you think you were doing running out like that in front of the horses? You could have been seriously injured.”
Disbelief shot through her system like a bolt of lightning, blasting all thoughts of lovemaking from her mind. She gave him tit for tat. “Making sure you didn’t run down my daughter.”
It was his turn to look shocked. Shaking his head, as if he could not believe what she’d just said, he grumbled, “Out here, people give us credit for having a brain and quick reflexes. Lacy would have been far safer running out to greet me and my brothers than you were lying in the road barely breathing.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. It was hard, but she held on to her temper—by a thread. “So your reflexes only work if the target is moving toward you and not immobile?”
His eyes grew impossibly darker, as if his pupils were swallowing his irises and nothing was left but endless black. Her father had a hair-trigger temper, and it looked like Jesse did too. But he surprised her; while she watched, his eyes grew lighter again and his jaw relaxed. It was as if he gained control over his anger one degree at a time. She liked him better for it, but would be damned before she admitted it.
“I broke the Code,” Lacy admitted, looking like she’d just confessed to a cardinal sin.
Jesse nodded and patted her hand. “Why don’t we get your momma inside and get her a nice cool drink, then you can tell me all about it.”
Danielle didn’t want him to be kind to either one of them, and she didn’t want a cool drink, damn it. Before she could voice her opinion, she was unceremoniously hauled to her feet and into Jesse’s arms.
“I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“Best not to take any chances.”
“Need a hand?” Tyler called out walking toward them.
“Yeah,” Jesse answered. “Lacy, this is my big brother Tyler. You can trust him.”
“OK,” she said, grabbing a hold of his hand, but instead of walking her back to the ranch house, he swept her up onto his shoulders.
“Look, Mommy!” Lacy called out from her high perch. “I can touch the sky!”
Wondering if she and her daughter were going to get their hearts broken if they got any more attached to the men of the Circle G, she bit back what she wanted to say.
Jesse leaned down and rasped, “Let her enjoy herself for a little while. She might forget how scared she was when she thought you were hurt.”
Their eyes met and she wanted to disagree, but Lacy’s giggling was infectious, and she realized he was right and thanked Jesse for his help.
Just as Danielle was about to warn Tyler not to bang Lacy’s head on the doorjamb, he swept Lacy from his shoulders and into his arms. Her squeals of excitement were balm to Danielle’s aching heart.
Instead of Lacy’s father making her laugh, it was a family of brothers Danielle’d met years ago, men who were all but strangers to her now… but wouldn’t be by the time their visit was over.
Jesse was so gentle with her and kind to Lacy.
“You’re quiet.” His deep voice summoned her from her thoughts. “Where do you hurt?”
She laughed; she couldn’t help it. He set her on her feet by a chair and urged her to sit. When she had, she finally answered him. “All over.”
“I could still drive you over to the hospital,” he offered.
She shook her head. “It’s just sore muscles from the added weight of falling with Lacy braced against me. Besides, you and Lacy checked, and my bones are all in one piece. I think I’d know if it something else was wrong.”
He studied her closely, as if he could see through to her heart and discern whether or not she was telling the truth. He finally nodded, satisfied. “You’ll tell me the minute something doesn’t feel right?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile; he obviously wanted her to know how serious he was. Finally, he said, “We’ve got cold tea, juice, or water.”
“Water would be wonderful, thanks.”
“How about you, little Lacy?” he asked.
Danielle’s resolve softened when he smiled down at her daughter. There was an innate kindness in him. Rather than worry about how dangerous it would be, she relaxed and followed her heart.
“Juice, please.”
His smile widened as he handed Danielle her water and reached for a smaller glass to fill with juice. “Your momma raised you right.”
Lacy sipped her juice as Tyler and Emily were pouring tea into glasses filled with ice. Her daughter was taking it all in, until she finally sighed, a really big sigh for such a little person. “I gots to tell you what I did.”
Jesse squatted down next to Lacy’s chair. “I’m betting it’s not as bad as you think, but go ahead and tell me.”
Lacy set her glass down and twisted her hands until Danielle reached out to still the movement. “You aren’t going to get into trouble, sweet pea. Just tell him.”
“I got excited about learning to ride and maybe I danced and shouted in front of Trigger and Champ and scared ’em till they scared me back.” The tremor in Lacy’s voice had Danielle taking her daughter’s hand and sque
ezing it to reassure Lacy.
Jesse pushed his Stetson to the back of his head, and finally said, “Well now, that could have ended badly if they weren’t in their stalls. You could have been hurt.”
“But what about the horses and the Code?”
The way he paid attention to her daughter eased Danielle’s worry that he’d be upset with Lacy.
“You care about Trigger and Champ, don’t you?”
Lacy nodded.
“And I think you really didn’t try to upset them.”
Lacy hung her head, but finally answered him. “That would be mean.”
He touched his knuckle beneath Lacy’s chin and coaxed her to look up at him. “Then I think we should go apologize by feeding them an apple. What do you say?”
Happiness shone from her daughter’s bright blue eyes. Danielle’s throat constricted as emotions long buried tried to surface. Lacy started to bounce, and then seemed to change her mind. Her little girl was smart and learning from her earlier mistake. “Can I, Mommy?”
“If you do exactly as Jesse tells you.”
“Can Mommy come too?”
Jesse slowly pushed to his feet and frowned down at Danielle. “I think she should rest some more. She’s still as pale as flour.”
Lacy tilted her head to one side and asked, “Like Unca Jimmy uses for his pies?”
Everyone laughed at the image Lacy planted in their minds… everyone except Danielle. She wasn’t happy to be relegated to the kitchen while her little girl went back out to the barn with the cowboy Danielle was too attracted to and Lacy worshipped. But she’d already caused enough of a problem by interrupting the Garahan men.
She kept her troubled thoughts to herself and smiled as Jesse got two apples from the bowl on the kitchen table and reached out his hand for Lacy’s. That simple action caused her heart to skip a beat, and in one painful moment, her worst fears were realized—Lacy wasn’t the only one who was over the moon about cowboy Jesse… she was too.
The door closed and Tyler sat down across from her, pulling Emily onto his lap.
“Tyler, we have company.” Emily struggled to her feet.
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