Heart of a Texan

by Charlene Sands

  “Hi, Amy.”

  “Hi. How’d it go over there tonight?”

  “It went really well. Jared’s got a nice family. Dinner for Cooper and his wife turned out pretty great, but I’m beat and—”

  “Sorry to interrupt, Bella. I have something to tell you. I hope it doesn’t ruin your sleep.”

  “What sleep? I don’t usually indulge. So what’s up?”

  “Today the car valet at my condo building said some guy approached him with a picture of you. I got Travis his job at the parking garage, so out of loyalty he didn’t say a word, even though the guy offered him a hefty bribe for any information regarding your whereabouts.”

  “Oh, no.” Bella’s heart pounded hard.

  “Yeah, I know. Crazy, isn’t it? Travis is going to get a nice bonus from me, that’s for sure. But there’s more. Your father has been personally calling my office. He’s left a few messages today and I finally had the receptionist tell him I’m out of town. I don’t know how long I can get away with that. But even if he finds me, I’ll play dumb. He has no idea that we’ve been in touch. But I’ll say one thing—it’s a blessing that you’re way out there on the ranch, Bella. It’s probably the last place your father would ever look for you.”

  “I hope so.” But she wasn’t entirely convinced. Her father didn’t give up on something when he wanted it badly enough. And now she felt the walls closing in on her. She didn’t know if she should leave town or stay put for a while to see if things died down.

  She bit her lip hard to keep tears from falling. Except for baby Sienna and her best friend Amy, she didn’t trust a soul in the world, and that was a very lonely place to be. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Oh, Bella. You’re upset. I’m sorry, honey.”

  “No, I’m glad you told me. I’ll have to be very careful from now on.”

  “Honestly, I think it’s going to be okay. There’s no way he can trace you to Stone Ridge Ranch. And I’m certainly not going to tell him what I know. But just to be extra careful, I don’t think I should visit you. We probably shouldn’t see each other for a while.”

  “No, probably not.” Her heart plummeted. She’d been looking forward to seeing her best friend soon, but Sienna had to come first. Bella had to be beyond cautious now. “I’m bummed about that.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Amy, thanks for everything. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re the best friend a girl could have.”

  “Ditto to you, Bella. We’ll talk soon. Now, try to get some sleep, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “’Bye for now.”

  * * *

  Three hours later Bella was downstairs in the kitchen. She’d fallen into an exhausted sleep and now she was wide-awake and jittery, Amy’s call a few hours ago having thrown her into a tizzy. The best way to remedy her anxiety was to dive right into work. When she was cooking and planning out new recipes, she’d get caught up in the moment and forget her troubles.

  From the refrigerator, she grabbed a big loaf of sourdough bread, two cheeses, a slab of bacon, a slice of thick ham and a carton of eggs. She was grateful Marie had stocked up on the groceries she’d requested the other day. She had plenty to work with now.

  She buttered a casserole dish and then, wielding her new chef’s knife, began cutting off the crust on six slices of bread. At the sound of footsteps approaching, she lifted her head, and her stomach did a little flip as Jared walked into the kitchen. He was rubbing his head, making chunks of his blond hair stick up at odd angles. His mussed, drowsy-eyed look did a number on her already raw nerves.

  “Hey,” he said quietly. “Didn’t think you’d be up tonight. You seemed pretty tired after dinner last night.”

  After she’d served dessert and said goodbye to Cooper and Lauren, she’d dashed upstairs with Sienna. That kiss, though chaste, combined with Jared’s compliments, had ignited something in her that could spell trouble. And she had more than enough trouble right now.

  “I was. But my body clock said it was time to get up and so here I am. How about you?”

  “Same old. Can’t seem to get comfortable in bed.” He glanced at her workstation. “What are you making tonight?”

  “Your breakfast.”

  “Really? What is it?”

  “Kind of a cheesy egg soufflé. It’s really rich, but I’m trying to cut down on the fat content.”

  “With bacon and ham? Sounds like my kind of dish.”

  “Hold on, buster, I’m not putting all of this into the dish. Bacon and ham will be added for flavor. And I’m going to cut the eggs down to three whites and three whole eggs.”

  “Okay, so burst my bubble. Want some milk?” he asked, heading to the refrigerator.

  She shook her head. “No, but please leave it out. I need some for the recipe.”

  Jared poured himself a tall glass of milk and then took a seat across from her at the workstation to watch her. It was getting to be a thing, these after-midnight meetings.

  He sat quietly for a while, sipping his drink. She was fully aware of his eyes on her. “Am I disturbing your quiet?” he asked.

  As in, was his presence here making her nervous? Heck yes. But she didn’t mind him being here. He was a nice diversion after that disturbing phone call from Amy.

  “Actually, if I’m totally honest, I don’t mind. Sienna is always interrupting my thoughts and I love her beyond belief, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to have a conversation without being disturbed.”

  “I get that. You can turn off being Mommy for a little while.”

  “Something like that.”

  “You know, Cooper and Lauren were impressed with you,” he said. “And Lauren’s amazed at how you keep it all together, work and baby and single parenthood.”

  She kept her eyes on her task. Was she keeping it all together? She was on the run, trying to protect her baby and lying through her teeth to some very decent people about who she really was.

  During dessert, she and Lauren had had a long talk about babies and pregnancy, and she’d shared with her a little about her life with Paul. But she’d had to omit so much from that conversation to keep her identity a secret.

  “To tell you the truth, you impress me, too,” Jared said.

  She shrugged. Normally, Jared’s compliment would have gone to her head, but tonight she was trying to keep things real. And nothing was more real than learning her father may have sent his henchmen out to find her. “I’m doing what I have to do. Sienna’s the most important thing in my life. And as you can see, I can survive on very little sleep, so I have that over other women. I have a few more hours in my day.”

  “I guess so,” he said, polishing off his milk and setting the glass down with a soft thud. “Can I help with anything?”

  He was a gorgeous hunk of a man—how could she not notice?—but that wasn’t why she was drawn to him. The bond of her saving his life would always be there, but more than anything she truly liked him and enjoyed talking to him. He was easy and nice and...well, she needed a friend so badly right now. “Can you cut up bacon and ham?”

  “I can do that.”

  He came around the granite counter and she handed him a knife. “Just call me your sous chef.”

  “Do I have to?”

  He laughed and it was the first time she’d seen him laugh without visible pain. It soothed her heart to witness him healing. “Yes.”

  “Okay, if you say so. You’re the boss.”

  “Not in the kitchen, I’m not.” Jared smiled. “You’re in charge in here. From now on, I’m gonna call you the Midnight Contessa.”

  Contessa? She actually liked the sound of it. Deliberately, she hadn’t made reference to her Italian heritage to Jared, and it was just one more thing she felt guilty about. But the name had a nice ring.

  “Fe
el free to use it as the title of your cookbook.”

  She could only return half a smile tonight. He had more faith in her than she had in herself. The cookbook and her dream of opening a restaurant had been put on hold indefinitely. She couldn’t think that far into the future. She had to take one day at a time right now.

  She hoped Jared didn’t notice her anxiety. It would only lead to questions that she couldn’t answer.

  “Maybe someday, Jared.”

  They worked together, cooking up the diced bacon and ham, lining the casserole dish with bread and then adding the rest of ingredients. When it was all assembled, she put the dish into the oven and set the timer.

  “What now?” he asked.

  “Now I clean up the kitchen and wait. But you don’t have to, if you’d rather try going back to sleep.”

  “Not on your life. This is my first sous chef creation.”

  “It’ll take at least half an hour.”

  “Hey, I have an idea. Wait right here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, dumbfounded. “I’ll just start cleaning.”

  But Jared was already out of the room. Not three minutes later he came back holding a suede jacket and a plaid wool shirt.

  “What’s all this?”

  “We need some fresh air.” He picked up the baby monitor and then grabbed Bella’s hand and tugged her to the French door leading out to the large stone patio area. “Here, put this on,” he said, handing her the suede jacket.

  He left her to fiddle with knobs and buttons on a fire pit and the next thing she knew, she was sitting on a comfy outdoor sofa in front of a blazing fire. Jared sat beside her and warmth surrounded them.

  “I haven’t come out here in a long while,” he said. “I’ve forgotten how beautiful the stars were. Look at that sky, Bella.”

  She glanced skyward. “It is quite amazing. So why haven’t you come out here? Is it because of your injuries?”

  “No, happened way before that. It used to remind me of...never mind.”

  “What?” she asked softly. “What did it remind you of?” She was really curious. Jared usually didn’t speak much about himself and she was eager to learn more about him.

  “Just a girl I once...cared for.”

  “Oh, so you would come out here with her?”

  “Yeah, and we’d talk for hours about our future.”

  “I take it it didn’t work out.”

  “No, it didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry, Jared.”

  He took his eyes off the stars to glance at her. “I’m over it. Just kicking myself for being stupid.”

  “I doubt you were ever stupid.”

  He scratched his head. “No, I was. I trusted her, believed in her, even when I should’ve been more wary. Things weren’t adding up and I was too damn blind to see it. She lied to me over and over, and it was her betrayal that really did a number on me.”

  Bella shivered. She could put herself into that equation and the results would be the same. Lies and betrayal and abuse of his trust.

  “Hey, you’re trembling.” Jared rose and sifted through a patio box, coming up with a soft gray woolen blanket. He sat beside her and tucked her into the blanket. “Sorry, didn’t realize you were cold.”

  “I...shouldn’t be.” Her trembling had nothing to do with the temperature.

  “Better now?” he asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

  “Much.”

  Satisfied, he leaned back and put his arm around her. Cushioned by his warmth, she gazed at a sky full of twinkling specks of light. She sighed and her guilt about lying to Jared was immediately replaced by a soothing calm. “Thank you for bringing me out here tonight. It’s just what I needed.”

  “Welcome,” he said, smiling. He seemed pleased that he’d pleased her. A girl could let that go to her head. “You seemed a little... I don’t know, sad? Or upset. I thought the fresh air and bright stars might brighten your mood.”

  He’d picked up on her anxiety? Here she’d thought she’d covered it so well.

  “I’m...okay, Jared. Some days are more difficult than others.”

  “I get how hard this is for you. You being a widow and all,” he said ultra quietly, as if the word would somehow set off a whirlwind of emotion. “And if you ever need anything, I’m here, Bella. All you have to do is ask.”

  She turned her body slightly, looking him in the eyes. She lifted her hand to his cheek and the fine stubble tickled her fingertips. “Thank you.”

  She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. And then he turned toward her and their mouths brushed, a gentle, tender caress that felt as natural as the sun shining. His lips were warm and firm and she waited for guilt to summon her, for a backlash of forbidden emotion to warn her off, but none of that happened. Instead she relished the kiss, savored the taste of him, enjoyed the sweeping sensations her body was experiencing.

  She’d been wound tight lately and Jared coming to her rescue tonight soothed her nerves. And now kissing him was...well, putting only wonderful thoughts in her head.

  “Bella.” He called her name reverently, his tone humble and seemingly surprised. His hand cradled her face as his lips became more demanding. Kissing him was like a balm to her internal wounds, a safe haven where she could forget. “Tell me to stop, Bella. If you don’t want this.”

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered.

  A pent-up groan rose from Jared’s throat and he took her into his arms, wrapping her in an embrace. The glow of the fire, the twinkling stars and the fresh bite in the air together gave her a sense of amazing peace and comfort.

  She felt safe with Jared. It was as simple as that.

  And she ignored all the warnings screaming at her to be careful. To be wise. To be smart.

  She’d needed solace and Jared was providing it. Her body was slowly awakening from a yearlong slumber. How good it was to feel alive again.

  Jared kissed her deeper now and she accepted him into her mouth. The touch of his tongue on hers changed from sweet sensations to pulse-pounding heat, and she gave in to the yearnings to touch him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the blanket separating them slipped away, bringing her body up against his.

  Her breasts crushed his chest.

  “Oh, man, Bella,” he muttered. “I wanted to be conscious if you ever brought your mouth to mine again, but this is better than I’d ever imagined.”

  It amazed her that he’d been imagining kissing her. She sighed into his mouth, the temptation to touch him further, to unsnap his shirt and feel the heat pulsing in his chest was battling with her sense of decorum. So far, they’d only kissed, but if she was bold enough to undress him, it would be an open invitation for him to do the same and she didn’t know if she was ready for that.

  A buzzing rattled in her ears.

  The timer to her soufflé was going off.

  They both froze and Jared backed away first. “My breakfast,” he said, heat glimmering in his eyes.

  “Your breakfast,” she repeated, the burn of his lips imprinted on her.

  Jared rose first and gave her a hand up. She took it and they faced each other. “Bella, promise me you won’t be sorry about any of this.”

  He stared into her eyes, her answer important to him. “I promise. I won’t be.”

  He nodded and took a gulp of air. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Good night, Jared.”

  And as if he meant to hold her to her promise, he bent his head and kissed her once more before opening the door for her to reenter the house.

  * * *

  The next morning she and Sienna strolled hand-in-hand along the path next to Jared. Good on his word, he was taking them to see the horses. “Cooper’s got a bigger string of horses at his place, but I kinda like our stable. And we’ve got
a new foal, a filly to show Sienna. I think she’s gonna like Pumpkin Pie.”

  Sienna’s ears perked up. “Punkin.”

  “Yes, baby girl. That’s the horse’s name,” Bella said. “It’s a little one, just like you.”

  Sienna stared up at the tall rancher. “Tared’s horsie.”

  “That’s right, Sienna,” he said to her, smiling.

  Sienna smiled back and reached for Jared’s hand, her fingertips touching his knuckles. Jared’s blue eyes melted for an instant as he folded her daughter’s hand into his. He glanced at Bella, shrugging, an awed expression on his face.

  Her instincts were telling her this wasn’t a good thing, but she couldn’t dismiss seeing the joy in Sienna’s eyes as they approached the corral.

  “Here we are.” Jared stopped at the fence, where half a dozen horses were frolicking around the perimeter of the corral.

  “Let’s take a better look, Sienna.” Bella lifted her daughter up, setting her little boots on the second rung of the fence to give her a better view of the animals.

  “Mommy!” Sienna pointed to the filly, the smallest creature in the corral with a reddish-bronze coat.

  “That must be Pumpkin.”

  “It sure is,” Jared said. “She’s sticking close to her mommy.”

  Sienna took it all in, fascinated.

  “It’s a big corral,” Bella said. “How many horses do you have here?”

  “About a dozen. Make that thirteen,” he said, tipping his hat back on his forehead. “If I’m counting the new filly.”

  “Do they all get along?”

  “Seem to. But we build our corrals oval, which keeps the horses from bunching up in corners and getting too territorial. Makes everyone happy.”

  “If only people were like that,” she said, thinking aloud.

  Her cryptic comment brought Jared’s head up and he stared at her, his brows raised in question. She swallowed hard, condemning herself for letting down her guard.

  “You all right, Bella?”

  She looked into his eyes, wishing she could tell him the truth.

  As much as she thought things might’ve gotten weird between them this morning, they hadn’t been at all. Jared had been as earnest and forthright as usual and she’d sort of fallen into a sweet ease with him. Slowly her qualms about the kiss they’d shared had disappeared, though it helped that she had Sienna as a buffer.