J.J. did as he was bid. Squeezed into the narrow area where the slanted black rock met the gravelly ground, his black coat barely visible in the gloomy darkness of the tiny cave, lay Rum. The dog panted, breathing heavily from the hard run to shelter.
Josh felt the little boy relax and J.J.’s hands loosed their punishing grip on his arm where it wrapped around his small waist.
A scant two feet from his right side, hail slammed onto the ground, white pellets bouncing to ping against the yellow slicker that protected his legs.
As swiftly as it had started, the hail ceased. And the rain started. The skies opened and released rain that poured down in torrents, replacing the hail with water that splashed close, dampening Josh’s legs and right side through the opening of the threesided shelter.
He turned his head, swiftly assessing Sarah and Caitlin’s features, both pale in the dim light. “Everyone okay?”
Caitlin nodded solemnly, her eyes wide and frightened.
“Yes,” Sarah said.
“Good.” He nodded and turned his head to look out at the storm. Outside the shelter, Baby and the bay mare stood guard, their heads bowed against the lashing downpour of rain, their tails turned into the driving wind.
Sarah, too, watched the storm, but her gaze was continually drawn back to Josh’s profile. Etched against the faint light outside, the bone structure of his face was sculpted and strong, with high cheekbones and a straight nose, stubborn jawline and firm lips.
Inside the low-ceilinged enclosure, weighted down by the children in their laps, their bodies were locked together, shoulder, hip, thigh and leg, but strangely enough, Sarah didn’t panic. Instead of her feeling threatened by the contact, Josh’s warm, hard body pressed firmly against her side made her feel protected and safe.
She sat perfectly still for long moments, trying to absorb the bewildering, unexpected reaction of her body to his. His gaze left the downpour outside, his chin dropping to brush against the down-soft blond hair on the crown of J.J’s head. He glanced sideways, trapping Sarah’s gaze with his, and she shivered, her body heating deep inside at the dark intensity of his stare.
“Is Baby safe outside?” Caitlin’s subdued voice was edged with worry.
Sarah tore her gaze from Josh and glanced down at the twelveyear-old’s bowed head. “Yes, I think so.” She looked back at Josh. ’The horses weren’t harmed by the hail, were they?”
“No, I don’t think so.” He fixed Caitlin with a stern look. “But you kids could have been—and so could Rum. What were you doing this far from home?”
“We were going to visit Uncle Wes’s wild horses,” Caitlin responded. “But J.J. had to go to the bathroom and when we got off Tornado, he ran away.”
“I’m sorry, Josh.” J.J. twisted around to look up into Josh’s face. “Caitlin told me to go before we left home—but I didn’t need to then.”
Sarah stifled a laugh and saw Josh’s lips quiver before his mouth firmed into a hard line once more. Her gaze met his over the top of the children’s heads, and they shared silent laughter in a rare moment of complete understanding.
“Yes, well…” Josh cleared his throat, hiding a chuckle behind a cough. “That’s not the point, J.J. The real issue here is that you kids didn’t tell your mother where you were going before you left home. Not only did you scare her, but if anything had happened to you, it might have been hours before we found you.”
“I’m sorry.” J.J.’s bottom lip quivered. “And I’m sorry, Mommy.”
“It’s not J.J.’s fault,” Caitlin said. “It’s mine. I wanted to visit Uncle Wes’s wild horses and he didn’t have time to take us. I thought we’d be back in an hour or two and Aunt Sarah would never know.” She bent her head, her long ebony braid falling forward over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Aunt Sarah,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
Sarah smoothed her palm down the mussed braid and patted Caitlin’s shoulder. “Just don’t disappear like this again, Caitlin. If you’d told me you wanted to go visit the horses, I would have taken you.”
“But you’re always busy at the hospital with Grandmother Patricia,” she protested. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
A stab of guilt pierced Sarah. Was she too busy, spread too thin? Was she neglecting Caitlin and J.J.?
“You wouldn’t have been bothering me, Caitlin,” Sarah reassured her. “I would have found time to take you.”
Josh read the swift expression of worry and guilt that flitted across Sarah’s face. Dammit, who did she think she was, Superwoman? The kid was right; Sarah was doing too much. “Next time, ask me,” he said gruffly. “I’ll take you.”
Sarah’s gaze raced to meet his, and she found him frowning at her, an emotion she couldn’t read darkening his eyes.
“The kid’s right,” he declared abruptly. “You’re doing too much already. I’ll take them to see Wes’s horses.”
Chapter Seven
Overwhelmed by his offer and the ability to read her feelings that precipitated it, Sarah could only nod in agreement.
Josh felt as if he were drowning in her eyes, where gratitude swirled with something deeper, darker.
“Will you really, Josh?”
J.J.’s voice claimed his attention, and Josh tore his gaze from Sarah’s to look down at the little boy.
“Yeah, I really will.” He fixed the little boy with a stern look before moving to include Caitlin. “But that doesn’t mean you’re not going to get punished for running off today without telling your mother where you were going and asking for permission.”
“Uh-oh.” J.J. tucked his chin against his chest and glanced sideways at his mother.
The trepidation on his face was echoed on Caitlin’s features when she twisted to look up into Sarah’s face. “I really am sorry that we worried you, Aunt Sarah, and I’m ready to take my punishment.”
Sarah felt the twelveyear-old’s slight body tense, as if the child expected a blow. Sarah’s first impulse was to pull her close and reassure her, but she stifled the instinct.
“What the two of you did could have had grave consequences,” she said instead. “And I agree with Josh, your actions require discipline. Therefore, I’m grounding you for a week. That means no television, no movie this weekend and no riding lessons.”
J.J. opened his mouth to object, but quickly snapped it shut when Caitlin glared warningly at him.
“And you have to replace the time you would have spent during your riding lessons doing chores for Josh—whatever he decides to assign you—to repay him for the time he spent and the trouble he went to to find you today,” Sarah continued firmly. “If that’s all right with him,” she added.
Josh felt a surge of pleasure that Sarah had included him in what was clearly a wielding of parental authority within her family circle. He had little time to savor the unfamiliar feeling, however, for two sets of solemn eyes switched from Sarah’s face to his.
“Is it, Josh?” J.J. asked.
Josh nodded slowly. “Yeah,” he said, his deep voice a judicious drawl. “I guess so.”
Caitlin let out the breath she’d been holding. “Is that it?” she asked, her gaze flicking between the two adults. “That’s the punishment?”
“Yes.” Sarah looked back at her, meeting Caitlin’s disbelief with straightforward seriousness. “I think sentencing you to additional chores and taking away your privileges for a week is punishment enough.”
Caitlin’s green eyes darkened, her gaze shifting to search Josh’s face before returning to Sarah.
She drew a deep breath, her chin firming with resolve. “All right. We won’t ever leave again without checking with you first”.
Outside the enclosure, the rain slowed and then stopped. Josh lifted J.J. off his lap and set him on his feet outside before crawling out himself. He bent to look back into the tiny cave.
“Rum, out.”
The big dog inched out from beneath the narrow overhang, lunging to his feet outside and s
haking himself before sniffing the rain-clean air.
“You’re next, Caitlin.” Josh held out his hand, and the twelveyear-old caught it, allowing him to tug her into the open air.
Wordlessly Josh turned back and held out his hand once more. Sarah’s palm met his, his callused fingers and palm closing with easy strength around her much smaller hand. He supported her as she inched her way out of the rock-walled lean-to, pulling her easily to her feet.
The ground was drenched and her boots slipped on wet rock, sending her staggering into Josh. He caught her, one hand holding hers tightly against his chest, while the other arm instinctively wrapped around her shoulder to brace her safely against his solid bulk.
Startled, Sarah stared, up into his face. Even through the jeans, shirts and heavy slickers that separated them, her body was achingly aware of the hard male angles she pressed against. His thick lashes half lowered in an effort to conceal the quick heat that leapt in his eyes, while his pulse throbbed swiftly at the base of his throat. Inches from her lips, black stubble shadowed his jawline. When they were dating, Sarah remembered with sudden, vivid clarity, he’d had to shave twice daily to keep from marking her sensitive skin.
As quickly as he’d caught her, Josh released her, his hands moving to her shoulders to set her away from him. She staggered from the suddenness of movement, caught herself and quickly stepped backward and out from under his grasp. He turned away from her, his face set in stern, uncompromising lines, and moved to the horses.
“The saddles are soaked,” he said over his shoulder, bending to run a hand over Baby’s left front leg. He ducked under the big stallion’s neck and continued his inspection on the far side, his voice carrying easily to the three watching him as he crooned softly to the horse. He ran an assessing eye over Baby, then did the same with Zach’s mare. “They’re fine,” he pronounced at last. “A few bruises from the hail, but no serious damage.” He caught JJ. around the waist and swung him up into Baby’s saddle. “Caitlin, you’ll have to ride behind Sarah.” He waited until Sarah had mounted before giving Caitlin a boost up.
Caitlin grimaced as dampness from the drenched mare’s coat soaked through her jeans. “Yuk. She’s all wet!”
“You’ll be wet, too, by the time we get home,” Josh said.
Never humble for long, Caitlin turned, and her green eyes shot sparks as she glowered at him. He responded with a swift, teasing grin.
Josh turned away, swung into the saddle behind JJ., and led the way toward home, hot baths and dry clothes.
As they neared the Rocking D, he found himself increasingly torn by his conflicting feelings for Sarah. The anger and sense of betrayal was still strong, but so was the undeniable depth of feeling that wouldn’t let go of his heart. He stubbornly refused to admit to himself that any possibility existed that he still loved her; instead, he wrote it off as lust and grimly swore to ignore his hormones and avoid Sarah.
Several days later at high noon, the thermometer hit ninety-three degrees. Sarah held the door to Connie’s Cafe open while J.J. bounced past her, followed by Caitlin, before she stepped into the blessedly cool, air-conditioned interior herself. The popular cafe was busy with the lunchtime crowd. Each red-vinyl-covered stool at the counter was occupied; wheat farmers from outlying farms perched next to office workers in summer dresses. Young mothers and their children, dressed in bright summer shorts and sandals, filled two of the booths; an elderly couple drank iced tea in another; and two more booths held single occupants with all but the crowns of their heads concealed by the high-backed booths. A crew of cowboys in dusty boots and jeans had their hats hung on hooks beside the last three booths at the back of the restaurant.
Sarah scanned the cafe but couldn’t find a single vacant seat.
J.J. nigged impatiently on her hand. “Mommy, I’m starvin’.”
“I know, kiddo,” she answered, smiling sympathetically as he rubbed his stomach and grimaced dramatically. “But it doesn’t look like there’s any place for us to sit”.
J.J. groaned and shifted from foot to foot, his green gaze inspecting the occupants of the cafe.
“Hey.” He brightened and pulled his hand from Sarah’s. “There’s Josh! We can sit with him.”
“No—wait, J.J….” Sarah’s quick grab for his hand was too late. The little boy darted around a waitress juggling three steaming plates, and between two white-haired men in shirtsleeves, to climb up onto the bench of a booth with only one occupant halfway to the rear of the cafe.
J.J. chattered, pointing toward the door, and the man sitting with his broad back to Sarah twisted to look over his shoulder at her.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we don’t have a table open.”
The harried young waitress’s words distracted Sarah, and she tore her gaze away from Josh’s.
“We’ll wait. How long do you think it will be?” she asked.
“Mommy!”
J.J.’s treble carried over the hum of voices and the clatter of crockery, down the length of the cafe to Sarah. The waitress turned to follow Sarah’s gaze, and saw J.J. waving enthusiastically.
“There’s room for us, Mommy!”
“Good.” The waitress’s face brightened and she flashed Sarah a relieved look. “I’ll bring menus right away,” she assured her before bustling off.
“Oh, but…” Sarah began, her voice trailing off as she realized that several women at nearby tables were watching with interest. Two of the women were members of Patricia’s bridge club. Sarah nodded at them, forcing herself to smile pleasantly as she slipped an arm around Caitlin’s shoulders and gently urged the twelveyear-old ahead of her toward the booth. “Come on, Caitlin. It seems J.J. has found seats for us.”
Josh saw Sarah and Caitlin start toward him, and slipped out of the booth.
J.J. promptly scrambled off the opposite bench. “I get to sit with you,” he declared as he ducked under Josh’s arm to clamber Up on the seat. He scooted across the bench to the far corner and smiled sunnily up at Josh.
“J.J., what are you doing?”
Sarah’s voice drew Josh’s attention from the little boy. He glanced around to find her and Caitlin standing next to the booth, their expressions equally doubtful.
Short of hauling J.J. out of the booth and telling them all to get lost, there was nothing Josh could do without causing a scene, especially since most of the occupants of the cafe were watching avidly. So much for avoiding Sarah, he thought
“He’s joining me for lunch,” he said, gesturing abruptly toward the empty bench opposite JJ. “And so are you—have a seat.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah hadn’t missed his reluctance. “We can wait until another booth or table is empty if you’d rather not have company.”
“No.” Josh shook his head. “Sit down, Caitlin.”
The girl obeyed him, sliding across the bench seat to the far corner. Sarah hesitated, but the harried waitress chose that moment to appear at her elbow, and Sarah quickly joined Caitlin. The waitress slid vinyl-covered menus in front of all four and hurried off again.
“I want a cheeseburger with everything.” J.J. announced firmly. “With extra pickles—lots of extra pickles.”
Josh’s grim humor evaporated and he couldn’t stop the answering grin that lifted his mouth when he looked down at J.J.
“Oh, yeah?” he drawled, delighted and intrigued that the little boy’s preference matched his. “Me, too.” He lifted an eyebrow in inquiry. “How do you feel about chocolate milk shakes?”
J.J. beamed up at him. “They’re my favorite.”
“Good.” Josh slapped his menu shut and glanced across the table at Sarah. “That takes care of the men. How about you two?”
Caught staring, Sarah dropped her gaze to her menu and chose the first item she read. “I think I’ll have a turkey sandwich and iced tea.”
“Caitlin?”
“I want a cheeseburger and a strawberry shake.”
“Yuk!” J.J. grimaced. “Strawberry’s di
sgusting.”
Caitlin rolled her eyes and closed her menu, sliding it across the tabletop to Sarah.
Josh glanced over his shoulder and lifted a hand to catch the waitress’s attention. Busy though the cafe was, it wasn’t long until they were served.
“This is the best cheeseburger ever,” J.J. announced. A chocolate mustache decorated his upper lip.
“You say that about every cheeseburger you eat,” Caitlin scoffed dismissingly, daintily sipping her own strawberry ice cream through a straw.
“Nuh-uh,” the little boy protested.
“J.J.,” Sarah said warningly, shaking her head at him when he turned a militant green gaze her way. “No arguing—eat your lunch.”
He subsided, and Sarah turned her attention to the turkey-on-wheat sandwich that she’d been pretending to eat for the past twenty minutes. Fortunately, JJ. and Caitlin had plied Josh with questions, preventing what Sarah was sure would otherwise have been awkward silence. She was achingly aware of the man across the short width of the table.
The bell over the cafe’s front door jingled and Caitlin looked up, breaking into a smile and waving at the entrants.
Sarah glanced past Josh’s shoulder and found Jennifer Hightower and Trey Weber, Wayne perched on his shoulders, walking toward them.
“Hi, guys.” Jennifer’s smile lit her face and the hand she dropped to Josh’s arm brought his gaze up toners.
“Hey, Jen,” he responded. He reached out and caught one of Wayne’s boots where his little foot rested against Trey’s chest, waggling it and making the little boy giggle. “How you doin”, slugger?”
“Fine, Unca Josh,” he answered.
“You want to join us?” Josh asked Jennifer. “It might be a little crowded, but we can pull up a chair or two.”
“Thanks, but we’re meeting Annabel for lunch.” She gestured toward a booth in the rear of the cafe, waving at the occupant before returning her attention to Josh and Sarah.
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