“A man in my life,” Jazelle repeated wryly. “That’s not going to happen, Tessa. At least, not with Connor. This date with him isn’t anything like that. We’re really just kind of becoming friends. He’s not serious. And neither am I.”
Tessa was all smiles. “It’s too early for you to predict whether this will turn into something serious.”
Jazelle’s short laugh was cynical. “Now you’re the one who must be kidding. You’ve known Connor for a few years now. You know exactly what he is.”
Tessa’s brows shot upward. “Hmm. And in your opinion, just what is he?”
Jazelle turned her gaze to the wide windows at the front of the room, but she wasn’t really seeing the stand of blooming purple irises growing beyond the glass panes. She was actually seeing Connor’s rugged features, tasting his lips as they’d roamed recklessly over hers.
Forcing herself to answer Tessa’s question, she said, “He’s a fun, handsome guy. A responsible deputy and a devoted friend to you and Joe. Marriage material, he isn’t.”
“Well, maybe he’s not looking to have a family right now, or even a few weeks from now. But that might eventually change. And when it does, you two might just click perfectly together. Haven’t you thought about that?”
Where Connor was concerned, she’d thought about many things. The main one being that she was going to have to be very careful around the man. To let herself get emotionally or physically close to him would be like sticking her finger into a pot of boiling water and hoping the flesh wouldn’t be scalded.
Purposely glancing at her watch, she said, “I’m thinking I’d better get going or I won’t be ready when Connor does arrive.”
After dropping a goodbye kiss on the top of Raine’s head, she headed to the door with Tessa following on her heels.
“I hope you have something sexy picked out to wear,” her friend said.
“My closet isn’t exactly bulging with sexy clothing.”
“Just make sure you don’t look like an old-fashioned schoolmarm,” Tessa advised.
Jazelle slanted her a clever glance. “That might be a good idea.”
“Oh, Jazelle, stop it! You’re a young, beautiful woman. You need to celebrate that fact. Not run from it.”
Jazelle reached for the doorknob. “Once I didn’t run,” she said ruefully, “and look what that got me.”
“I have looked. It got you a wonderful son. You can’t regret that.”
Jazelle leaned over and gave Tessa a brief hug. “Thank you, my dear friend. I needed to be reminded of just how blessed I really am.”
Smiling, Tessa patted her cheek then practically pushed her out the door. “Get gone. Go have a good time tonight.”
* * *
If Connor had been holding on to any last-minute doubts about seeing Jazelle again, they totally vanished the moment she opened the door and invited him into the house.
Dressed in a silky blue dress and a pair of nude-colored high heels that fastened around the ankles, she looked nothing like the woman who’d stirred him up a Paloma before dinner at Three Rivers.
“Would you like to sit a few minutes before we go? Have something to drink?” she asked as she fastened a dangling pearl earring to her ear.
The majority of her hair was swept up and pinned to the crown of her head, leaving the remainder to fall in sexy disarray against her neck. A shade of rose pink dusted her cheeks, while her lips were the color of dark cherries. He didn’t have to wonder if her mouth would taste as good as it looked. Ever since he’d kissed her, he’d not been able to put its sweet softness out of his mind.
Connor cleared his throat and tried not to gape at her like a besotted fool. “Thanks, but I’ve made reservations in Prescott. I’d hate for us to miss them.”
She looked at him with surprise. “Prescott?”
“Yes. Is anything wrong with going up there?”
“Uh, no. Nothing is wrong. I, uh, just assumed we’d be dining in Wickenburg.”
He smiled at her, thinking if she looked any more beautiful, he wouldn’t be able to stand it.
“I thought you might enjoy seeing something different tonight.”
She turned and picked up a handbag and shawl from a nearby end table. “I should’ve told you that I didn’t need fancy. Certainly not anything that required reservations.”
“You work hard taking care of the Hollisters. You deserve a bit of fancy, too,” he told her.
She stepped up beside him and Connor’s insides nearly wilted as her sultry scent assaulted his senses. What would she do, or think, if he pulled her into his arms and kissed her? he wondered. Would she respond as eagerly as she had a few nights ago? Or had that been one magical moment that would never happen again?
“Ready?” she asked.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
He placed his hand against the small of her back and ushered her out the door before he could change his mind and pull her straight into his arms.
* * *
Minutes later, as the two of them traveled northward through the falling twilight, Jazelle managed to settle herself comfortably in the plush leather seat of Connor’s truck, but she wasn’t making any headway at calming her spinning thoughts. Not with every cell in her brain laser-focused on the man sitting next to her.
Tonight he looked like a sexy dream in dark blue jeans and a pale blue shirt that made his azure eyes even more vivid. Without his cowboy hat, his blond hair was a tousle of loose curls that fell around his ears and tickled the back of his neck. Each time she looked at him, the more she realized what a fool she’d been for thinking a dinner date with Connor could be casual.
From the moment he’d helped her into the truck and taken his seat behind the steering wheel, she’d wondered if something had happened with the vehicle’s electrical wiring. The air inside the cab had felt so charged, she’d half expected to see smoke drift out of the air-conditioning vents.
Silly. The only thing that’s about to ignite inside this truck is you, Jazelle. One look at Connor’s rugged face and all you’ve been able to think about is having the man kiss you again, of feeling his hard, strong arms wrapped around you. Do you honestly think you can keep your distance from him when every part of you wants to get closer?
“Would you like for me to turn the air-conditioning to a warmer setting?”
Her churning thoughts were interrupted by his question and she suddenly realized she’d unwittingly wrapped her arms around herself as though she was freezing. Thank goodness he didn’t know that thoughts of him had brought on the shiver, not the cool air blowing from the dash vents.
“I’m okay.” She gestured to the interior of the cab. “You have a nice truck. I’m sure you’ve noticed that mine is heading toward antique age. But it’s still going strong and since I have to drive back and forth over very rough roads to work every day, it works for me.”
He cast her a curious glance. “Is working for the Hollisters something you always plan to do?”
She’d not expected him to be interested in her future plans. All along she’d been trying to convince herself that, other than his work as a deputy, he didn’t have a serious bone in his body. Now she was wondering if she’d been cutting him short.
Squaring around in the seat so that she was facing him, she said, “When I first graduated high school, I was saving up and making plans to go to college. I wanted a degree in mine engineering. My dad works in mining and there’re plenty of those type jobs in the state. But...” She paused and sighed. “All of those plans came to a halt when I became pregnant with Raine. After that, I’ve had to focus on making a living for the two of us.”
Several seconds ticked before he finally said, “I’m assuming Raine’s father never offered any monetary help to raise his son.”
Her cynical snort sounded awful, but she couldn’t help it. The idea of Spence t
aking any kind of responsibility for the child he’d helped to conceive was ludicrous.
“No. That never happened,” she said and shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t have accepted it anyway. It would’ve felt like dirty money—from a thief. You know what I mean?”
“Unfortunately, I do. When you know something is given grudgingly, it changes everything.”
She thoughtfully studied his profile. In many ways, he’d been like her. Left without family support at a very young age. He understood what it was like to have to scrap for himself. “I think you really do understand.”
He grunted. “Sure, I do. After Dad died, my uncles did a good job of teaching me all about selfishness and what it meant to be tolerated rather than loved. Uncle Felton especially despised me. He only let me stay at his place because he didn’t want all his friends to view him as a jackass. Funny thing, though, when he died, he willed part of his estate to me. Not that it amounted to much, but in the end, he thought about me. Guess his conscience got to bothering him.”
“Did you accept the money, or whatever it was?”
“It was a bit of money and two vehicles. I donated all of it to my grandmother’s church. She wasn’t alive to see my contribution, but I knew she’d be happy with me, and that’s all that mattered.”
Pride tempered by generosity and sentimentality, Jazelle thought. What else was she going to learn about the man before the night was over?
“My mother has already made it clear that she’s not leaving me anything whenever she dies,” she said with a nonchalant lift of her shoulders. “But that’s perfectly okay with me.”
“What’s she going to do? Leave whatever she has to Raine?”
“Oh my, no! She doesn’t view him as her grandchild. She’s sees him as an illegitimate mistake, one created by her loose daughter.”
He scowled. “That’s pretty harsh, Jazelle.”
“Well, in her mind, she has more reason than that to cut me out. She’s never forgiven me for wanting to go live with my father. I don’t expect she ever will.” Pausing, she shook her head. “Actually, she might forgive me if I went to her and groveled... But everything about that would be phony. I don’t need that kind of conditional love.”
Nodding, he said, “So back to your idea of college, are you still holding on to that plan?”
“For a long time I debated about doing online classes. That’s how Tag’s wife, Emily-Ann, is getting her nursing degree and she’s close to being finished. But to be honest, I don’t want to leave Three Rivers for another job. It’s become my home and the Hollisters are my family. I don’t want to move away from them. I suppose that sounds like I don’t have any goals for myself. But I like being a part of what makes Three Rivers the great ranch that it is and I’m happy there. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”
He turned his head just enough for her to see a wide smile on his face and then he reached over and clasped his hand around hers. “Happy. Yeah. I’d say that counts for everything.”
His touch caused her heart to leap into a joyous thump and she realized that, no matter what happened in the future, she was glad she was here with him tonight.
* * *
In Prescott, they had dinner at a small but highly recommended Italian restaurant that put more emphasis on the quality of its food than the ambience of the interior. Jazelle had appeared delighted by his choice of dining places and, all through the meal, she’d exclaimed how delicious everything tasted.
Connor had been expecting Jazelle to focus most of their dinner conversation on Raine, or at least, express a concern about being away from him for the evening, but she didn’t. Instead, she seemed perfectly happy to focus her attention on him, which was an unfamiliar situation for Connor. Until Jazelle, he’d never had a woman ask him questions that actually required him to think about himself and his life.
By the time they’d ended the meal with dessert and strong cups of espresso, Connor realized he didn’t want the evening to end. He wanted to take Jazelle to some quiet club where they could slow dance in the dark and he could pretend that she belonged to him. Not just for the night, but forever.
The thought had come at him out of nowhere and he’d been so shaken by it, he’d hustled her out of the restaurant and headed the truck straight back to Wickenburg.
“You didn’t mention who’s watching Raine tonight,” he told her as he neared the turnoff to the country road that led to her house. “I’d be happy to take you wherever to pick him up.”
“Thanks for offering, but that won’t be necessary. He’s staying overnight with Tessa and Joe. I’ll be picking him up on my way to the ranch in the morning.”
“Oh. I thought—that’s why I didn’t offer to go anywhere else after dinner,” he said, thinking that was partially the truth. “I figured you would need to pick Raine up before it got too late.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw her shake her head. “I’m sorry. I should’ve explained the situation.” She looked at him then let out a soft laugh. “I thought you left Prescott early because you were getting tired of my company.”
“No,” he said and then chuckled. “I’ll bet Joe and Tessa are having a high old time entertaining three kids.”
Her groan was full of misgivings. “Don’t make me feel any worse than I already do. The only reason I agreed to let Tessa babysit Raine in the first place was that she kept insisting. Honestly, though, he’s pretty obedient for Tessa, and he and Little Joe get along great.”
When Connor didn’t make any sort of reply, she turned slightly in the seat and looked at him. “I imagine you already know that Tessa and Joe are trying for a third child.”
Stunned by this news, he glanced at her. “Another baby? No! I didn’t know. Joe doesn’t talk about such things to me.”
She pressed fingertips to her lips. “Oops. I just assumed. Please don’t mention to Joe that I said anything. Tessa and I were just having girl talk and...well, I expect he’ll tell you whenever it does happen.”
He whistled under his breath. “A third baby. Spring is just now getting good at walking and talking. I can’t imagine taking on another one. And so quickly.”
“No. I don’t expect you can imagine having that many children for yourself. But Tessa and Joe are perfect together and they know how they want to build their future. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had six children before it’s all said and done.”
“Well, if anybody can handle being the father of six, it’s Joe,” he replied.
If you’d change your mindset and have a little confidence in yourself, you’d be perfect for Jazelle.
From out of nowhere, Joseph’s words drifted through his mind. How could his partner picture Connor as being perfect for Jazelle? In many ways, she was like Tessa. She was meant to be a wife and mother. She was meant to be loved and cherished. Not enjoyed for a few weeks then tossed away like Raine’s father had tossed her away.
So why did you ask the woman out again, Connor? Why didn’t you just move on to someone else, to a woman who’d be perfectly content with a night or two of hot sex?
Maybe because he was tired of moving on. Connor attempted to answer the questions darting around in his head. Maybe because he was bored with those kinds of shallow women. Most of all, he might be sick of being truly alone.
He was still deep in thought when the truck topped a rise and Jazelle’s mailbox appeared in the glow of the headlights. He parked in the driveway next to her house and shut off the engine.
She said, “I can’t believe the trip back is already over. You will come in, won’t you? I’ll make coffee this time. You can even have a second dessert, if you like. I brought home bread pudding that Reeva made for dinner tonight.”
Coffee, dessert and Jazelle. How was he supposed to survive that kind of temptation? All through dinner, he’d struggled to keep his gaze anywhere other than her plush lips, creamy
skin and the curves pushing at the fabric of her blue dress. He’d tried not to imagine himself making love to her, but he’d failed miserably.
He turned to look at her. “I don’t think I should,” he said honestly.
The warm smile she gave him very nearly caused Connor to groan out loud.
“Why?” she asked. “Worried about getting a belly? Or are you tired of listening to my chatter?”
Something pierced him right in the middle of his chest and before he could figure out what was happening to him, he leaned across the console and cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand.
“I’m not tired of your chatter or anything else about you,” he said gently. “But I am tired of waiting—to do this again.”
A question flashed in her eyes, followed by the sudden dawning of what he was about to do.
“Connor.”
His whispered name was more like a plea and the sound of longing filled him with the need to give instead of take, to cherish rather than use. What did that mean?
Before he could answer the self-directed question, Jazelle suddenly closed the tiny space between their faces and planted her lips on his. The contact was all it took to push everything from his mind and, for the next few seconds, he let the exquisite pleasure of her kiss wash over him.
When she finally pulled away, she gazed at him with eyes that were warm and smiling.
“You know,” she said softly, “I was getting pretty tired of waiting on you to do that.”
His heart thumped hard against his chest. “I wasn’t sure. I thought—”
She placed a finger on his lips. “You’re thinking too much—about everything. And so am I.”
He sucked in a deep breath, but it felt like his lungs were still starved for oxygen.
“When did you decide that?” he asked, his voice so husky he hardly recognized it.
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