by Mindy Neff
“I need to call and check on the girls.”
“I already did. I talked to both of them…well, Jessica talked for Kimmy. They wanted to stay longer. I said we’d pick them up this afternoon.”
“I hate to impose on Hannah that way. And why aren’t you at work?”
“I gave us the day off.”
“You can’t do that. You’ve got patients to see.”
“Nope. When I went to get the Demerol yesterday, I brought home the appointment book. While you slept, I rearranged the schedule. If anyone has an emergency, they’ll page me or use the radio.” He brought her the mug of coffee, bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips, grinned when she drew in a breath and looked around.
“Where’s Maria?”
“I gave her the day off, too.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re here. Alone.”
“Chance…”
She’d yet to take a sip of her coffee. He took the mug back from her, set it on the table, drew her into his arms and kissed her. Her mouth automatically opened beneath his. He tasted of coffee and masculinity, and that alone quickly banished all her unease. The emotions rushing through her were simply too huge to ignore, to battle.
She was playing with fire, she knew it. Time was moving much too fast. Soon the clock would stop.
But for now, for as long as she was here, this man was hers. They had the day off. Erotic possibilities were taking shape in her mind.
He lifted his head, stepped back.
“How about giving me a hand in the barn?”
“The…” She was still thinking about him taking her back to bed.
“You know, that building out there with hay and horse stalls?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know what a barn is. What do you need help with?”
“The horses like to eat now and again, too.”
She glanced outside. Snow was on the ground, but not falling from the sky. The bare branches of a willow didn’t seem to be moving, so the wind wasn’t gusting.
“Come on, Hollywood. You’re not going to melt.”
“I’m not worried about melting. I’m worried about freezing.” But she grabbed her coat and scarf, and tugged on a pair of gloves.
Chance grinned and put the coffee mug back in her hands. He saw the flair of desire in her green eyes, but he’d seen the reserve that had preceded it. If he wasn’t careful, she’d be pulling back, making excuses for why they shouldn’t take their relationship to this next step. He wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.
Holding the door for her, he waited until she’d stepped out onto the back porch. Brisk air bit at their cheeks. He saw her immediately start to bury her hands in her pockets, realize she was still holding a cup of steaming coffee and debate which she wanted more—caffeine or warm hands.
He took the mug from her and gathered her close to his side. “The barn’ll be warmer.”
“How can something that’s so beautiful be so darn uncomfortable?”
“You get used to it. Encourages snuggling.” And sex.
She slid her arm inside his coat and burrowed closer to his side, matching her steps to his. “I bet you deliver a lot of late-summer and fall babies.”
“Actually they’re pretty spread out.” He glanced down at her. “We’ve been known to get snow in June, too.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Nope.” The expression on her face was so horrified he couldn’t help but pause, bring her around to his chest and drop a kiss on her startled lips.
He’d miscalculated. He hadn’t expected her to plaster herself against him. Even through several layers of clothes, his body responded to hers. Holding her coffee away from their bodies so he wouldn’t spill it, he drew in a breath. “Maybe we should go back inside.”
Now she was the one to grin, to tease. “And let Lolly and Peppermint starve? Uh-uh.” She plucked the mug out of his hand and strode in front of him toward the barn. She’d show him she could handle a little cold.
As it turned out, she did more watching than helping. She knew nothing about feeding or caring for horses.
Scout was perched on a bale of hay, looking forlorn because the girls weren’t there to play with him. Heaters kept the barn warm. The smell of damp hay, leather and animals permeated the air. They were unfamiliar smells, but tapped into something deep inside her nonetheless.
It was odd. She’d never been on a ranch before, yet it felt as though she had. Removing her glove, she stepped forward and ran her hand over Peppermint’s soft nose, cheek and silky neck.
“Want to take a ride?” Chance asked.
Apprehension swamped her. “I don’t know how. I mean, I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“I’ll give you lessons.”
For some reason the thought of him giving her lessons made her uncomfortable. She’d probably embarrass herself to death. Bundled up in bulky clothes, it was doubtful that she’d even be able to get up in the saddle without falling right back out. At least she’d be cushioned, she thought.
Still, she’d been weak in front of Chance one too many times for her peace of mind. First the mortifying possum incident, then the debilitating headache. She wasn’t used to looking inept. And she didn’t want to appear that way in front of him again.
“Come on,” he urged. “You didn’t skip high school and go into college without a healthy dose of gumption.”
As dares went, that one was pretty blatant. She lifted her chin. “Saddle up.”
He grinned. “That’s the lady I’m so crazy about. We’ll take an easy ride, keep it to a walk.”
Although her heart leaped, she told herself not to dwell on that “crazy about” comment, even though he was looking at her like he expected her to.
“What if the horse has different ideas?” Peppermint looked sweet enough, but she was awfully big. And she didn’t come equipped with a steering wheel or a brake pedal.
“I told you, Stony trained them well. I’ll be right there beside you on Lolly, and Peppermint will do exactly what she does. Trust me.”
Oh, she did. And for some ridiculous reason that made her want to cry. “Okay.”
He handed her a brush. “Why don’t you go ahead and brush her down, take a minute to get used to her.”
She took off her other glove and put it in her pocket, then stroked the brush over the silky chestnut coat while Chance saddled Lolly.
“Don’t be afraid to press hard. It feels good to her.”
“Mmm, I imagine it does. Like a soothing back scratch, doesn’t it, beauty,” she crooned to Peppermint, sweeping the brush over the horse’s coat and smoothing her hand behind it.
This wasn’t so bad. And it did help to get close to the animal, relate to her up close and personal. Kelly felt an instant bond, and was surprised.
She stepped back as Chance came over to saddle Peppermint, then followed as he led both horses out of the barn. In the corral, he dropped Lolly’s reins and placed a small stool beside Peppermint.
“Step up here and put your left foot in the stirrup, then use the saddle to pull yourself up.”
“It won’t slip off or anything?”
He grinned. “Promise.”
She stood on the stool and he steadied her. “This seems like cheating. What if I fall off once we get out of the corral? I won’t have a stool to get back on.”
“You won’t fall off, Kel.”
She gave Peppermint a pat and hoisted herself up into the saddle. “Be patient with me, girl.” When the horse shifted her weight, Kelly grabbed for the saddle horn, her heart racing.
“You’re doing fine,” Chance said as he adjusted the stirrups for her.
Feeling like a goalie on a hockey team with all these padded layers of clothing, she undid the buttons of her coat, then pulled on her gloves, hoping the horse wouldn’t decide to move until she got a good hold.
Chance put the reins in her gloved hands.
“What do I do with them?”
“Very little. She’ll mainly respond to your body movements. When you think about going left, your body will unconsciously lean that way. It’s subtle, but she’ll pick up on it. Give her a hand, though, and lay the reins lightly on her neck, and she’ll turn whichever way you want to go.”
“What about stopping?”
“Same thing. Just pull back gently. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be right beside you. After a few minutes you’ll realize that Peppermint’s taking you for a walk, and all you really have to do is sit there in the saddle and enjoy.”
Well, if she fell out of the saddle, at least she was in good company—with a doctor. That thought was comforting.
With Scout trotting beside them, they left the corral at a walk. After a few minutes Kelly began to relax. The sensation of being on horseback was exhilarating.
Clumps of dried grass and brush poked through the snow. Bare gray trees lined the frozen creek. No claustrophobia here, Kelly thought. For as far as she could see, there was wide open space and a sky that stretched forever. Off in the distance, cattle dotted the prairie and snow clung to fence posts.
“What do those cows do for food out here when it snows?”
“Right now, they can get to the grass. When the snow gets high, the ranchers will be out dumping hay daily.”
“Do the cows stick together?”
“Mostly. Sometimes a few stray and have to be rounded up.”
“I wouldn’t want that job.”
“It can get pretty miserable.”
She glanced over at him. “You do it?”
“Sure. People aren’t sick all the time. When I can, I help out the neighbors—mostly during spring roundup and branding. But there have been times a storm’s moving in and the neighbors are shorthanded. Also times when someone’s injured out on the range or caught in a blizzard.”
“Don’t tell me you make house calls—or outdoor calls—in a blizzard.”
“Not intentionally. I’ve been caught a time or two, though.”
“Chance, that’s insane. You’re the doctor. Shouldn’t you take care of yourself so you can tend to others?”
“Out here, men don’t go out in the elements without being prepared for just about anything. We’re generally pretty safe. And there are plenty of line camps around if we have to ride out the weather.”
She rode in silence, thought about that. Chance’s life here wasn’t just about doctoring. He was part of the community, helped out wherever and with whatever he was needed for. Which included ranching and working on horseback.
A cowboy M.D.
Just looking at him sent a tickle through her midsection. He held Lolly’s reins easily, sat tall and relaxed in the saddle. Thick, buff-colored gloves covered his hands. A fleece-lined denim jacket hung open over his chest. His black Stetson shaded his eyes, gave him a sexy dangerous look.
Her pulse skittered and her knees tightened on the saddle. Peppermint stepped up her pace, and Kelly whipped her attention back to what she was supposed to be doing.
“Whoa,” Chance said, and maneuvered Lolly so that Peppermint immediately slowed down. “Try not to squeeze your knees. She’ll think you want her to trot.”
“I didn’t mean to.” That’d teach her to allow her mind to go off on a sensual tangent while sitting on horseback. But darn it all, the sight of the man beside her, together with the rocking motion of the animal beneath her spread thighs, was causing a throbbing awareness she couldn’t seem to ignore.
A half-dozen hours ago, she and Chance had been making love. Her body was still sensitized and raring to go another round…or three.
As they walked the horses the perimeter of Chance’s land, the house, barn and corral were always in sight, an unobstructed view across the flat land. Smoke curled from the chimney. Patches of snow clung to the roof. Redbrick siding made a beautiful contrast to the landscape.
Kelly had always loved brick houses, but they didn’t stand up well to earthquakes in California.
“You mentioned getting the girls a pet for Christmas,” Chance said. “Have you thought more about that?”
“A little. But they haven’t been hounding me for animals since they’ve had Scout and the cats to play with.”
“I imagine that’s going to change when they get home. The Malones have a litter of border collies that have just been weaned. When I talked to Jess on the phone, I think ‘puppy’ was mentioned about every other word.”
Chance turned Lolly and headed them back toward the house. Peppermint smoothly followed, as he knew she would.
“I told Wyatt to watch and see which one the girls were partial to and save it for me. Figured I’d better clear it with you, though.”
“So the puppies are old enough to be separated from their mother now?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe we could go ahead and get it, then, and give it to them early.” She looked at him a bit sheepishly. “I’m afraid I don’t have any experience caring for a puppy and neither do the girls, but I imagine you could give us a crash course. If we wait until Christmas…”
Her words trailed off, but Chance didn’t need her to finish the sentence. She planned to leave soon after Christmas. By the end of the year, she’d said. Christmas was a week from tomorrow. The new year a week past that. Not a lot of time to learn about the care of a puppy.
“We could do that,” he said. “It’d be a gift from us, instead of Santa.”
She smiled at him and he felt his heart skip. Man alive, this woman moved him. What would he do when she left? He’d never had a woman living in his home, never had someone to ride the property with, work with him, sleep with him, laugh with him. Now that Kelly and her daughters had permeated his life, how would he walk through the halls or travel these paths without them?
He had two weeks, he told himself. A lot could happen in fourteen days.
WHILE CHANCE FINISHED putting the horses away, Kelly remained outside, taking a deep breath of the bracing air. It wasn’t really so bad, she thought, surprised. Or else she was getting used to the winter weather.
The sky was brilliantly blue with a few puffy clouds hanging low like giant cotton balls held aloft by an invisible wind. It was only midmorning, and she’d had very little sleep the night before, yet she felt energized.
Montana wasn’t only good for her children, she thought. It was pretty good for her, too.
She was still staring at the sky in wonder when a snowball smacked her in the back with an audible splat. Astonished, she whirled around. Chance was already forming another missile. Before she could act, powdery snow hit her square in the chest, sneaking inside her coat, icy cold moisture dripping down her neck.
Stunned, it took her a moment to gather her wits. She saw the intent in his eyes, saw him gearing up to softly pelt her again. His movements were unhurried, nonchalant, like a lithe panther on the prowl, stalking, mesmerizing, moving closer.
His blue eyes locked onto hers like laser beams. His hat was cocked low, his cheek dimpled by a half smile that screamed sensuality, as well as devilish intent.
Well, he wasn’t going to catch her off guard again. She scooped up a double handful of snow, packed it into a ball. Before her arm could rear back, another clump of snow glanced off her shoulder.
“This is war, Hammond.” She hurled the snowball and dived down for another scoop, hardly taking time to pack it before she let it fly. She crowed and punched the air like a prizefighter when she beamed him on the forehead, nearly knocking his hat off.
“Not bad for a city girl.” He wiped his face, but kept coming toward her.
It was thrilling in a dangerous sort of way. “We played a hospital softball game for charity,” she said. “Much to my surprise, I excelled at pitching.” She had another snowball in her hands and was backing up.
She ducked his next pitch and fired off two of her own, laughing, shrieking. Switching tactics, she changed directions and charged at him, instead of backing away, flinging snow as fast as she could. She
went to make a running pass around him, but she miscalculated.
He reached out and snagged her waist, taking her down in the snow with him, breaking her fall with his body. Laughing, freezing, she shoved against his shoulders. “No fair.”
He winked. “All’s fair in love and war, Hollywood.”
The cliché was delivered in a teasing tone, but Kelly felt her heart stutter, then start up again with a vengeance.
The next thing she knew, they were kissing. His nose was cold against her cheek, his tongue hot in her mouth. He rolled on top of her, their legs tangling. Her arms went around him, knocking his hat off. Both vying for control, they rolled in the snow, angling this way and that in a frenzy of need and a frustration so keen Kelly actually whimpered.
Chance, on top again now, lifted his head and looked down at her. “All this exertion has made me work up an appetite. And there are way too many clothes between us.”
She knew which appetite he was referring to. Her own hormones were leaping in an edgy, urgent way. “If we didn’t have on this many clothes, we’d be freezing—or at least I would. I’m on the bottom.”
“We can fix that.” He stood and scooped her up in his arms.
The man moved faster than anyone she’d ever known. “You know, we might have to talk about this tendency you have to cart me around.”
“This isn’t carting, sweetheart. It’s carrying. There’s a difference.”
She grinned, because he was so indignant—playfully so—and endearing. And for the next little while, he was all hers. What did it matter who was taking control?
“I beg your pardon, Sir Galahad.”
“And well you should.”
Despite his teasing tone, the kiss he pressed to her lips was anything but. It was hot and tender, and sent her anticipation right through the roof. She wanted these heavy coats and clothes off. Now.
Chance pushed open the back door, remembered to lock it behind him. Setting her on her feet, he yanked off his coat, watching as Kelly did the same. Their movements were frenzied, as though fire ants had crawled inside their clothes.
He needed to get his hands on her skin. Slinging his gloves halfway across the kitchen, he snatched her to him, his palms sliding beneath her shirt, up her sides, pulling her sweater off.