The Cowboy and the Bride

by Thomas, Marin

  Jake sat in a chair, with Annie snuggled in his lap. They were both sound asleep. He must have gone to check on her when the storm started. As she watched the two from the doorway, a surge of loneliness assailed her. Turning her back on the homey scene, she shut the door, then returned to her room to dress for the day.

  An hour later, Jake stepped into the kitchen. “You’re up early.”

  He hadn’t taken the time to shave, and Madeline thought his beard stubble made him look like an outlaw.

  “The storm woke me.”

  He ran a hand through his mussed hair and headed for the coffeepot on the counter. She didn’t want to pry, but she was curious. “Is Annie all right?”

  “She’s fine. Did she wake you when she cried out?” He finished pouring his coffee, then gestured toward Madeline’s half-empty mug.

  She slid the cup across the counter. “No, I didn’t even hear her.”

  “She’s always been frightened of storms. She used to crawl into bed with Sara, but…” He cleared his throat. “I sat with her until she fell back asleep.” The warmth in Jake’s voice gladdened Madeline, yet at the same time made her sad. He was finding his way with Annie…without her help.

  “As soon as this storm blows over, I’m taking a couple of horses to the Winstons’ place. I want to get the horses used to being around cattle, and the Winstons are castrating calves today.” He grinned over the rim of his cup. “I’d invite you along, but I don’t think you’d like listening to a bunch of bawling babies.”

  “No, thank you. Annie and I will be just fine at home.” She shuddered at the picture that came to mind of what ranchers did to the poor calves. “Sit down and eat.” She shoveled a stack of pancakes onto a plate and set the plate in front of Jake.

  As she stirred another batch for herself and Annie, she realized that she’d never shared breakfast with Jonathon. She could count on one hand the number of nights they’d spent together and awoken the next morning in the same bed. But why hadn’t it ever occurred to her to offer him breakfast?

  What was it about Jake that made Madeline want to please him?

  “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll call if I’m going to be late for supper.”

  She stared at him over her shoulder, thinking how like a married couple they acted sometimes. “Have a good day.” All that was missing was a kiss on the cheek goodbye.

  The door slammed. She stared at his half-eaten breakfast and tried not to smile. He still didn’t like her cooking.

  “Where’s Daddy going?” Annie stood in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her knuckles across her sleep-swollen eyes.

  “Good morning, sweetie. He’s taking the horses to your neighbors to introduce them to the cows.”

  Annie smiled as she hopped up onto a chair. “I like pancakes. Daddy doesn’t never cook ’em.”

  “Most daddies don’t know how. Here you go.” She set the bottle of syrup next to the plate and poured a glass of milk. “What should we do today when it stops raining?”

  Annie shrugged. “We could look for frogs.”

  Frogs? Good grief. “You sure do like frogs.”

  “Yep. We gots big bullfrogs down the hill.”

  “What hill?” Madeline admitted she hadn’t seen much of the ranch except the backyard, barn and the pond where they’d picnicked yesterday.

  “Behind the barn. Daddy says I can’t go there alone ’cause it’s a steep hill and the stream’s too deep.”

  Madeline took her coffee to the table and sat down. “You mean there’s a stream back behind the barn?”

  “Yep. Has lots of frogs.” Annie stuffed another bite into her mouth. At least she liked Madeline’s pancakes.

  “When the rain lets up I’ll take you down there and we’ll try to catch frogs. But I’ll warn you right now, I’m not a good frog catcher.” She glanced around the kitchen, wondering what on earth they could use to scoop up frogs with.

  By midmorning, the storm had passed on, giving way to sunny skies and a spike in humidity. Annie stood in the kitchen doorway, a green fishing net in one hand and rubber boots on her feet. “You can wear Daddy’s boots.”

  “I guess you’re eager to go?” Drat, she’d been hoping Annie would forget all about frog hunting. No such luck. She followed Annie onto the utility porch and slipped into Jake’s rubber boots. “Do I need a net?”

  “No. You gets to hold the bucket.” Annie stood on tiptoe and grabbed a pail from a hook on the wall.

  What would her co-workers think if they could see her now? Grinning, Madeline grabbed Annie’s hand and off they went. Twenty minutes later, they stood on the banks of a fast-rushing, narrow stream a hundred yards beyond the barn.

  Madeline warned Annie not to walk too far ahead, then they spent the next half hour poking the muddy bank with sticks, hoping to find a frog. Just as Madeline was beginning to think they’d go home without one, a huge bullfrog croaked when Annie pushed her stick in the mud. Annie got down on her knees and scooped away handfuls of mud from around the frog until she exposed most of its fat body. Then she wiggled the net under the frog and scooped it up.

  Madeline laughed. “Good going, Annie. Looks like you found your Prince Charming.” They put the frog in the bucket, added some mud and water, then left the bucket in the grass and walked farther downstream.

  She didn’t know how long they’d been poking around when Annie’s scream rent the air. Shocked that they’d become so separated, Madeline turned around and sprinted back to where Annie stood as if her feet were set in cement. At the look of fright on the little girl’s face, Madeline’s chest clenched with icy fear.

  She reached Annie’s side only to suffer a second jolt. Slithering around Annie’s rubber boots was a snake. A menacing one.

  “Good girl, Annie. You did the right thing by standing real still.”

  When Annie didn’t answer, she glanced at her face. Her skin was pasty white, as if she’d dusted herself with talcum powder. Panic pounded inside Madeline’s chest. Had the snake already bit Annie? Please, God, no. She edged closer, watching the reptile’s movement, slowing as it wound itself around Annie’s ankles.

  Don’t panic. Whatever you do, don’t panic. Nothing in her college education or career in corporate America had prepared her for something like this. She looked around frantically for something to attack the reptile with. Then she thought of the frog. “Annie, I know you want to show the bullfrog to your dad, but honey, I need that frog to coax the snake to move away from you.”

  Annie’s eyes glazed over. She was so scared her little lips had turned blue. Madeline had to entice the snake away before Annie fainted on top of it. “If I set the frog down near the snake, the snake will go after it.”

  Tears welled in Annie’s eyes, but she nodded her agreement.

  “Promise me you won’t move. Please, Annie, it’s important.” As she ran back to get the bucket, she prayed the little girl would obey.

  In what seemed like hours but was only seconds, she returned to Annie. “That’s a good girl. You’re being very courageous. Your daddy will be so proud of you.”

  Gritting her teeth, Madeline reached into the bucket and folded her hands around the frog. The amphibian squirmed in her grasp and she jumped, but she didn’t drop it as she lifted it out of the pail. Then she inched around Annie’s backside, pausing when she heard the telltale rattle.

  Annie whimpered.

  “Be brave, honey. This’ll be over in a minute.” Madeline took a few more steps, then stopped when she was within three feet of the snake. Striking distance for the reptile. The proximity couldn’t be helped, though. She wanted the frog close enough to tempt the snake. Slowly, she crouched until her hands rested on the ground. Gently, she let go, praying the snake wouldn’t lunge before she got out of the way.

  The frog didn’t move and neither did the snake. She held her breath, backing up one slow step at a time, her eyes never leaving the snake. After a long minute, she wondered if she’d have to offer her own ankle to entice the re
ptile away from Annie.

  A few moments later the snake relaxed its hold on Annie’s boots. It slithered a few inches toward the frog but made no move to strike. “Keep still, Annie. Just a bit longer.”

  Another minute, and Madeline was beginning to think the stupid snake wasn’t hungry. Then the frog croaked and the snake pounced, striking its prey. Annie screamed and Madeline rushed forward, scooped the child up and bolted. Running in Jake’s large rubber boots was no easy task, but Madeline kept her footing over the slippery grass and mud. Until she reached the hill.

  By the time she saw the rock poking up out of the ground, it was too late. Her wet boot crashed down on the uneven surface, sending her flying through the air. Annie hit the soft wet grass, but Madeline wasn’t so lucky. She half fell, half slid against a patch of gravel. The stones tore at her knees and the palms of her hands, but she managed to turn her face at the last minute to avoid scraping it.

  Her body throbbed as she struggled to catch her breath. “Annie? Are you all right? Did you hit your head?”

  “I’m okay. You’re bleeding, Ms. Maddy.”

  She glanced down. Her jeans were ripped, exposing her bloodied knees. She looked at her hands and groaned. Bits of dirt and gravel were embedded in the torn flesh. “I’ll be okay, sweetie. Let’s get out of here before that snake decides to bother us again.”

  Annie held her wrist as they made their way back to the house. Madeline tried not to limp, but her knees were stiffening up on her. They made it to the porch steps just as Jake was driving into the ranch yard, towing an empty horse trailer. Drat. Why was he back so early?

  “What happened!” he yelled, hurrying around the hood of the truck. His worried gaze swung from Madeline to Annie, then back to Madeline, where it stayed.

  Even though she yearned for Jake to hold and comfort her, Madeline bit down on her lip to keep from crying. She didn’t want to upset Annie further. The little girl had already suffered enough fright for one day.

  “Maddy fell down saving me, Daddy.”

  Jake took hold of Madeline’s wrists and studied her palms. “You’re a mess.” His gaze dropped to her torn jeans. “Annie, run and get the first-aid kit out from under the kitchen sink.” As soon as Annie sprinted away, Jake cupped her cheek with his warm, calloused palm. “Do you think you broke anything? Twisted your ankle?”

  She lost her battle with tears. First one, then two, then a whole stream, rolled down her cheeks. Jake wiped them away with his fingers, then pulled her close and rocked her. “Aw, babe, I’m sorry you got hurt. What’s this about saving Annie? What were you two girls up to?”

  “A snake,” she muttered, using his shirtfront to wipe her runny nose.

  He held her at arm’s length. “Snake? What snake?”

  “Behind the barn, down by the stream.”

  “You went down to the stream? Annie knows she’s not supposed to go down there.”

  “Sorry, Daddy.” They both looked up to see the little girl standing several feet away, rubbing the toe of her rubber boot in the wet dirt.

  “I’ll deal with you later, young lady. Let’s get Maddy patched up first.”

  Jake’s big cowboy hands were gentle and tender as he cleaned and bandaged her cuts and scrapes after he’d walked her inside. He gave her some pain medication, then helped her to the couch, insisting she keep ice packs on her knees. “I’ll make some sandwiches for lunch,” he offered. He was halfway across the room, when he stopped and came back to the couch. Leaning down, he gently kissed her lips. “Thank you for keeping Annie safe.”

  Chapter Six

  Madeline pointed the remote at the TV and pressed the Off button. She was restless. Lonely. Annie had been sent to bed early as punishment for disobeying Jake’s orders to stay away from the stream. Annie hadn’t protested. The day had been traumatic for her and she’d promptly fallen to sleep at seven when Madeline and Jake had tucked her in. Madeline had hoped Jake would spend the evening with her, maybe watch a movie, but he’d excused himself and hurried to the barn to check on the horses.

  She knew Jake was hiding from her. Hiding from his strong reaction to seeing her hurt this afternoon. She went into the kitchen and stared out the window toward the barn. A yellow glow spilled from the open doors.

  She pressed a fist to her stomach. Myriad emotions twisted her insides into a tight little ball, making her queasy and light-headed.

  Tomorrow she had to leave.

  It didn’t matter that Jake hadn’t found someone to watch Annie. Or that he hadn’t really tried. Her two weeks were up.

  She admitted, much to her shame, that the main reason she’d volunteered to take care of Annie the past two weeks had been for her sake more than the child’s. Jake intrigued her. And what woman in her right mind could resist a cowboy?

  She hadn’t considered that Annie might start thinking of the three of them as a family. Or that she might start thinking of Annie as her little girl. Tomorrow’s goodbye would not be easy.

  Stupidly, she’d allowed emotions to get in the way of common sense. She waited for the knot in her stomach to unravel, but when it didn’t, she let out a long, keening moan of frustration.

  It was too soon for her battered and bruised heart to admit anything more than falling in lust with the cowboy. But the picnic had changed things. Changed her feelings for Jake. He was raising a child who wasn’t his and had married a woman who’d been raped. She’d never known a man more honorable, more committed, with such a deep sense of goodness and unconditional love.

  She sensed that Jake had held something back from her when he’d talked about his marriage to Sara, but she didn’t care. His tender looks and touches made her wonder if she was already halfway in love with the man. Jake deserved a little happiness in his life. Was she crazy to believe she might be the one who could make him happy?

  She’d never considered having an affair before, but didn’t think one night of lovemaking qualified as one. A few short hours of intimacy. Nothing more. No strings. No regrets. Besides, one evening wasn’t enough time to fall the rest of the way in love with the man. Her heart would be safe.

  Before she lost her courage, she left the house and marched stiff-kneed to the barn. The smell of fresh hay filled her nostrils as the soft whinnies of the horses met her ears.

  His back to her, Jake stood several feet away, scooping feed into pails. “Annie still asleep?” The sound of his husky voice floated back to her.

  She wasn’t in the mood for mundane conversation. “I wasn’t sure if you remembered or not. My two weeks are up tomorrow.”

  For a second he froze. Then slowly, his arm came up and out of the grain barrel. When he turned around, the shocked expression on his face startled her. Had he truly forgotten the two-week agreement?

  He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He was speechless. A tiny sliver of hope worked its way into her heart.

  He walked toward her, one rolling hip at a time, then stopped a foot away. She could smell him now. A trace of woodsy aftershave and hardworking male. She breathed deeply, amazed that it took as little as his scent to arouse her. She yearned to bury her nose in his chest and let herself drown in his essence.

  He stroked a strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. “Ah, Madeline.”

  She pressed a finger to his lips. “I like ‘Maddy’ better.” She leaned forward, and felt hope spring loose in her chest when he didn’t move away. She noticed a small scar at the base of his neck and touched it with the tip of her index finger. His skin was moist and warm.

  She raised her head, and the heat simmering in his gaze was enough to melt her. “Being with you can’t be wrong, Jake. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I can’t walk away tomorrow wondering what it would have felt like to be in your arms, to feel you love me.”

  He shoved a hand through his coal-black hair, mussing it, making her want to smooth it back in place. “It’ll only lead to heartache.”

  She sensed him wavering and grip
ped his arm, ignoring the sting from her scraped palms. “We won’t let it.”

  The muscle along his jaw clenched and unclenched until a great shudder wracked his body. He closed his eyes as if praying for strength. When he opened them, she saw aching arousal mixed with anguish and pain.

  He cupped her face, his hand flexing against her skin. She turned her head, nuzzling the center of his palm. Oh, how she wanted to comfort this man. To receive comfort in return.

  The first touch was tentative. The second bold. The third buckled her sore knees. He hauled her up against him, his hand pressing her bottom closer, letting her feel how she affected him. She smoothed her hands up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. Clinging to his strength, she opened her mouth to his thrusting tongue, answering the rumble in his chest with her own breathless whimpers.

  He chanted her name over and over, the adoration in his voice filling her with joy. She relished his rich, dark flavor, his mouth hot, gentle, yet firm.

  Never had she wanted a man more or thought she might perish if she didn’t have all of him around her…on her…in her. He clutched her leg, lifting it over his thigh, arranging her more snugly against the hardness at the front of his jeans. Both hands on her bottom, he rocked against her, and she gasped, sure she would burst into flames.

  Then he stopped.

  He pressed his face to her neck, his breath blasting against her skin, his chest falling and rising like great ocean swells. Aroused, stunned and shaky, she clung to his shirt.

  His hands clutched her hips, and she feared he’d push her away. Instead, his fingers moved upward, caressing her rib cage. She wiggled sideways, wanting him to touch her, to knead the aching mounds near his fingertips.

  He did.

  Flinging her head back, she emitted an unladylike sound and dug her nails into his upper arms. She was terrified of the sensations flooding her body, yet at the same time she reveled in her first taste of true ecstasy.

  Without warning, he thrust her from him roughly, reaching out at the last second to steady her when her foot slid on the uneven floor. His smoldering blue eyes pleaded for mercy. “Go back to the house.”