by Lauren Canan
“That was my fault.” His chin rested on the top of her head while his large hand rubbed her back. “This is a stallion here for breeding. The crew is working on the stud barn, but it isn’t ready yet. I should have warned you not to open this door. His...job...keeps him a little testy.”
Kelly closed her eyes, letting the deep reverberation of Jace’s voice calm her. Then, taking a deep breath, she stepped out of his arms and felt a chill that hadn’t been there before.
“I should have realized it wasn’t a filly by the sheer size of him.” She looked at the gleaming black stallion, still aggressively pawing the ground, nostrils flaring, and couldn’t help but shiver. That had been a close call. “He’s beautiful, though.”
She shifted her gaze to Jace’s face. Hot fire blazed in his eyes. Despite knowing better, she wanted to walk into that flame until it singed every part of her. In that moment, she wanted Jace to put his arms back around her and hold her forever, consequences be damned.
His gaze held hers as his hands cupped her face. “Kelly,” he whispered, his voice graveled and deep.
Every cell in her body screamed for his touch; her lips ached to say yes. But Kelly knew there was no future with Jace. He would go back to making his films. Back to the worldwide party scene that was his life. It was inevitable. The ranch was not his home. He’d even told her he’d bought it for some downtime. How could she walk into a situation knowing firsthand how it would end? She hadn’t had that foresight before, but this time there was no excuse. And she was frightened. Of herself. Because she loved him. And her resolve to keep Jace at arm’s length was weakening more every day.
She stepped back, out of his arms, and he let her go. She knew he could see the desire in her eyes, but she wouldn’t say the words he wanted to hear. The words she longed to say.
One of the ranch hands came around the corner, his gaze taking in the two of them standing next to the stall. “Hey, Jace. Glad I caught you. Evening, ma’am.”
Kelly gave a forced smile and nodded.
“Lee got the papers for that last colt you bought and said they didn’t look right. He told me if I saw you to ask if you could stop by his place in the morning or give him a call.”
While the two men talked, Kelly ambled on toward the back of the massive structure. Off to the right she heard something, a small sound coming out of one of the stalls. Curious, she walked in that direction, and the sound gradually got louder. It was a cat. Kelly opened the empty stall door and peeked inside. In the far corner, encased in shadows, a small gray-striped tabby lay on the straw.
“Hi, little one.” It meowed in response and sat up. When it did, Kelly spotted more gray underneath where it had been lying. The cat was a female. And she had babies. Three tiny kittens, two gray, one gold, lay sleeping, cuddled together in the bed of straw. The mother showed no fear as she walked to Kelly and rubbed against her legs. Bending over, she ran her hand over the soft fur. Then felt the ribs. The cat was half starved.
Kelly lit out of the stall at a dead run, no second guessing, no consideration needed when an animal, especially a mother, needed help. She didn’t slow when she passed Jace and the cowhand, still talking in the center of the isle.
“Kelly?”
“I’ll be right back.”
She ran out of the barn and down the path to the main house. Entering the kitchen, she grabbed milk from the fridge, and from the pantry, a tin of potted meat, a can of tuna and a breakfast bowl. Racing to the bathroom, she snatched two towels, deep pile and velvety soft. Dumping the food and bowl into one of the towels, she grabbed the carton of milk and ran back to the barn, again passing Jace and the cowboy. She couldn’t help but notice a look of curiosity on their faces.
Kelly carefully lifted the kittens and placed them in the center of one of the towels. She folded the second one in half and spread it over the little indention in the hay before gently placing the babies back in the little nest. Mama cat was watching but voiced no concern, as if she understood the human was trying to help. Soon the little cat was enjoying her meat, milk and then some fresh water, eating as if she hadn’t had food in a week. Which she probably hadn’t.
Kelly felt exhilarated. To be able to help out such tiny, helpless little things in a place that, to them, must be so big and scary was a good feeling. It was with that glow of happiness she turned and saw Jace standing behind her.
He didn’t speak for a long moment. “I take it we have guests?”
Kelly quickly shook her head. “Aren’t they precious? The mother was so hungry, you can feel her ribs.” The smile on her face wavered. “You don’t mind, do you, Jace?”
He entered the stall and knelt down next to her, shaking his head. Reaching out, he stroked the cat’s back, and then returned his gaze to Kelly. “So what’s her name?”
Kelly was radiant. Her face glowed with the innocence of a child on Christmas morning. It was the first time since he’d been back he’d seen that smile and the sparkle in her eyes.
She chewed her bottom lip and damned if he didn’t feel a surge of hot need in his groin.
“How about Jacemina? Or...”
“How about Cat?”
“No,” she scolded in that you-should-be-ashamed mother’s tone. “It has to be a real name. She deserves a real name.”
“I had an aunt named Martha,” Jace offered. Where that came from he would never know. “Mom’s older sister.”
“Martha.” She said it out loud. He could see the name rolling around in her head. She looked up at him, grinning ear to ear. “It’s perfect.” And before he had time to let the idea soak in that he now had a cat named Martha who was, apparently, the proud mother of three, Kelly hurled herself toward him. His arms automatically went around her. “Thank you, Jace!”
Jace swallowed hard. Kelly was exactly where he wanted her to be. And she was happy and bubbling. Not because she was in his arms, but because she’d found a cat. His male pride took a hit, but hell, he’d take what he could get.
She finished her spontaneous hug and sat back on her heels. Her eyes moved over his face and a more intense look came into them.
“You’re really a very sweet and kind person.” She frowned, tilting her head. “I don’t know if I ever realized that about you. It’s not the same thing as being nice.” Of her own volition, she leaned toward him. “Or sexy,” she added, placing her lips against his.
His erection jumped to full attention. One arm pulled her closer while his other hand threaded through the silken strands of her long hair. He deepened the kiss, immediate need surging through his body.
“You taste so good,” she murmured and he almost lost it. Right there in front of Martha Cat and her babies. Gently, Jace turned her into his arms, her head resting on his upper arm as he held her, his mouth never leaving hers. The moist heat of the kiss sent a shock wave rolling through him. His heart raced, showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Her hands cupped the sides of his face and for long moments he enjoyed the pure delight of her touch, the warmth of her body against his, every breath she took. Finally, reluctantly, he pulled back, knowing where they were headed and realizing it would embarrass her if one of the crew walked by.
As she lay in his arms, with her long hair falling over his sleeve and against his shirt, those blue-green eyes holding him spellbound, she reached up and played at his lower lip with her finger, exploring, bringing him to the edge of madness. With a slight movement, he took her finger inside his mouth, sucking, nipping lightly with his teeth. She was killing him. He wanted her beyond anything he’d ever wanted in his life.
“Who’d have thunk it?” She grinned, popped her finger out of his mouth and tapped him on the nose. “Tough guy Jace Compton is a mush melon inside. A sweet, kind man who rescues little kitties.”
“Yeah,” Jace muttered, reluctantly rising to his feet, pulling Kelly with him. “Who’d have thunk it?”
Ten
Together they headed back to the main house to get Henry. His mo
ther did a double take when they walked into the den, laughing and clearly happy, Jace’s arm around Kelly’s shoulder. Henry was in the playpen next to where she sat on the sofa paging through fashion magazines.
“Has someone been playing in the hay?” Her smile of welcome turned into a grin of speculation. Her eyes twinkled.
Jace ran a hand through his hair, dislodging several twigs of straw. He then reached over and pulled some from Kelly’s long strands.
“Sorry we’re late,” Kelly said as she walked over to give Mona a hug. “The horses are incredible. There’s one that’s the color of a copper penny. Mona, you must come out and see her. And the best part—we found kittens.” She turned and looked at Jace, excitement lighting up her face. “Tell her, Jace.”
“We found kittens.”
“A mother and three tiny babies. She is almost starved. But I think she’ll be okay. She is so sweet. I owe you and Jace for a can of tuna and milk.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart. I love cats.”
“So do I.” Kelly reached for Henry. “Jace named her Martha.”
“Did he?” There was a wicked light in her eyes. “Martha Compton. Who would have ever thought?”
“Aunt Martha hated my father,” Jace dutifully explained, seeing the confusion on Kelly’s face. “The names Martha and Compton are not synonymous with any feelings remotely seen as warm and fuzzy. That should be a very strong cat.” His mother chuckled and Jace leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to walk Kelly back to the cabin.”
“I won’t wait up.” She stood from the sofa. “You both have a good evening. Kelly, perhaps tomorrow you will take me to see the kittens?”
“Absolutely.”
With Jace carrying Henry, they walked through the evening shadows to the small house in the trees. Jace followed her inside.
“Do you have time to hold him while I warm his bottle?”
“Sure.” As Kelly headed to the kitchen, Jace wondered at the feel of his tiny son in his arms, the weight of his compact little body. It did strange things to Jace’s heart. His son. He rubbed his face against the downy hair, loving the smell of baby powder, captivated by the little baby sounds. Henry’s fist was again planted in his mouth, the sound of his lips smacking interspersed with words only Henry could understand. His head bobbled as he perched on his father’s arm. Too soon he began to squirm and whimper.
“What’s a matter, Henry?” No amount of coaxing would calm him down. “Kelly, is something wrong?” Jace asked in a concerned tone. “Is he sick?”
“Just hungry.” Kelly came forward with the bottle. “Our little man has a very good appetite. Want to feed him?”
His eyes shot to her. It was an offer he hadn’t expected. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Find a seat.”
Kelly found it hard to suppress a grin at Jace’s intense expression. He sat down, still holding a fussing baby against his chest.
“You need to lay him back in your arms. Pretend he’s a football,” she suggested.
Nodding, Jace positioned Henry on his left arm, cuddled against his chest.
“Good.” Kelly handed him the bottle.
Seeing Henry in his little blue rompers held so lovingly by his big tough dad caused her throat to constrict with emotion. She’d never let herself envision the picture in front of her. A small twinge of sadness touched her heart at the way fate had set their course adrift in different directions. Over the few weeks Jace had been back in her life and now seeing him like this, she knew he would be a great father. If onlys flooded her mind. But there was no going back. And there was no going forward. Not together. Destiny wasn’t that kind.
Jace seemed to have fallen into a trance as he stared down at the baby in his arms. Henry took his bottle with gusto, his tiny hand gripping Jace’s little finger.
“He’s amazing,” Jace murmured, and then gazed up at Kelly. “He looks just like you.”
“No.” She shook her head, quick to disagree. “He looks like you. Even has your dimples. I hope he doesn’t become as bullheaded.”
Jace made a huffing sound. She leaned against the wall, content to watch as Jace fed his son.
“I never intended to have kids,” Jace said unexpectedly, his eyes glued on his son. “I never pictured a child in my life. Like you said, I’m gone more than I’m home. And even then, there’s always something I have to do, something going on. It never stops. Meetings, overnight trips, PR campaigns... This is the longest I’ve ever managed to stay put.”
She shrugged. He hadn’t said anything she hadn’t already suspected. “It’s your job. It’s what you do.” It’s your choice.
“Yeah.” His tone was not happy. He glanced over at Kelly. “Do you think about his future? Who he will be? What he’ll want to do with his life?”
“Every day.”
Jace’s gaze returned to the baby in his arms. The look on Jace’s face was intense. It was as though his mind had taken him to another place. And not necessarily a good place.
“He’s so amazing. From his fingers to his toes...he’s perfect. And so innocent.” He watched Henry slurp on his evening feeding. After a few long moments, Jace’s gaze returned to Kelly. “I don’t understand people who would ever hurt a child,” he blurted out.
Kelly’s eyes widened in surprise. Where did that come from? Had Jace witnessed abuse at some point in his past? Might that be a reason Jace didn’t want a family?
“There are all kinds of people, Jace,” she said gently, wanting to take away the misery in his expression. “You above all know that, with the oddball fans you have to deal with. You just have to make sure to keep your child safe and well away from any potential harm. That’s just part of the job of being a father.”
She saw his jaw muscles clench. He nodded and swallowed hard.
“Yeah.” Then he seemed to realize the path his mind was on and changed the subject. “When did your grandfather pass away?”
“Um...about a week after you left.”
“Was he sick very long?”
“No. Some developers were after his farm and I think he was really stressed over that. They claimed his title was invalid. I came home from school the week after New Year’s and found him. He’d had a massive stroke. By the time the paramedics got there it was too late. A letter of eviction was on the floor next to him.”
She couldn’t stop the sudden rush of moisture that burned her eyes. She lowered her head, hoping Jace wouldn’t notice.
“What happened to your parents, if you don’t mind my asking?”
It was Kelly’s turn to take a few minutes to formulate her answer. She hadn’t expected the question, didn’t quite know what to say and wasn’t at all sure she wanted to go there. It had been a really great evening, and talking about her parents was jumping off a very high cliff with no possibility of a good outcome at the bottom. Finally, she decided to leave off the sugarcoating and tell him the truth. Let him read into it what he would.
“My father, apparently, wasn’t happy at home. Like you, he traveled a lot. But even when he was home, there were other women. Lots of other women. A couple of them were the mothers of my classmates. That was fun.”
Jace frowned. “How do you mean?”
“My classmates blamed me for breaking up their homes...” It wasn’t something she wanted to remember. “Gossip was rampant. The stories grew bigger and bigger. It...it was a tough time for us.” Her dad was the playboy of the year if the rumor mill was to be believed. But Kelly didn’t say it out loud. What good could come of it? “Mom refused to leave him. She just numbed her pain with liquor and pills. She finally got the right combination when I was sixteen.” Tears sprang to Kelly’s eyes. She put her hand over her mouth, taking a few seconds to get her emotions under control. She rubbed the tears away and blinked hard. “Sorry. Anyway, Dad came to the funeral, but we never saw him again after that.”
“Damn. I’m sorry, Kelly.”
She shrugged. “He didn’t c
are. He wasn’t meant to be married. All he wanted was a good time. Gramps was a kind man and we loved him. I hate to think what might have happened had he not stepped forward and taken us in. I finished high school, got a student loan, started at the university and for a while, life went on. Until he died. Then it was Matt and me against the world.” She had to smile. “I think we did pretty good. You couldn’t ask for a better brother, but don’t you dare tell Matt I said that.” Keep it light. Grit your teeth and get through this.
She’d lost her parents because her father was a two-faced cheating bastard who was too spineless to end the marriage. Her mother had been too weak to leave him. She’d lost Gramps after a wealthy man and his high-priced attorneys found or fabricated a loophole in the deed and took his farm. And here she sat, smack in the middle of a lion’s den, Jace being both a philanderer and as wealthy as they come. She’d given birth to his baby and already experienced the temptation to return to his bed. She was as big a fool as her mother.
The silence that filled the room was deafening. Gone was the lighthearted camaraderie from earlier. It would be so easy to let the rest of the tears fall. But she refused. The very last thing she wanted was Jace’s pity. She had to wonder if he saw the similarities between him and her father. At least Jace hadn’t gotten married before he’d begun chasing the skirts, as Gramps used to call it. He’d never had anything good to say about Kelly’s father. She couldn’t help but speculate what her grandpa would have thought of Jace.
The loud sound of Henry sucking on an empty bottle suddenly filled the room.
“I think he’s finished.” She stepped forward and took the bottle, glad for the interruption.
“What’s next?”
Kelly placed a cloth over Jace’s shoulder. “Hold him upright next to your chest. Be careful to support his head. Put one hand under his butt and gently pat his back with the other. Just pretend your favorite starlet needs consoling.”
Jace shot her a warning glance, and then wrestled Henry around until he was against his shoulder. It was a sight to behold. Jace’s hand was as big as Henry’s entire back. But his touch was gentle, as though Henry were so fragile he might break. In fact, Jace was only patting the folds of Henry’s shirt.