by Lexi Post
“Oh, spare me the excuses. We both know I was just some easy lay for you.” She stepped closer to him, staring him down even though she was at least ten inches shorter than him. “For your information, I don’t do one-night-stands. There was nothing easy about it for me.”
Her blue-green eyes sparked with anger, but that very energy called to him as it had that night. Damn. He grabbed her by the shoulders to push her away, but instead, pulled her toward him, his mouth descending.
“I heard Macy was foaling. How’s it going in—” Cole’s voice stopped him cold.
What the hell was he doing? He dropped his hands from Jenna and stepped to the side, ignoring the surprise in her face. “It started out sticky, but Dr. Jenna got the mare back on track. They’re bonding now.”
Cole, still in his fire department t-shirt, looked at him then to Jenna then back again. He must have just come home from his latest shift. What timing.
Logan’s cousin frowned before retuning his gaze to Jenna. “Were you leaving? I’d like it if you could check on them in a bit. Could you come inside for a cup of coffee?”
She faced Cole. “I would be happy to if you could switch out that coffee for a beer. It was a little nerve-wracking there for a while.”
“Of course, whatever you want.” Cole opened his arm toward the ranch house, but after Jenna walked by, he shook his head at Logan before following.
Logan could hear him as they walked away. “I hope Logan didn’t get in the way. He can be hardheaded at times and that foal is important…”
He fisted his hands to keep from running after them, mainly because he didn’t know if he could keep himself from punching Cole or kissing Jenna. Either action would cause a hell of a lot more clean-up than he was willing to commit to, so instead, he strode outside and around to the side of the barn where Black Jack was housed beneath a roof, but with just a steel pipe fence to keep him in.
The horse snorted and moved toward him.
He felt a certain sympathy for the claustrophobic horse. He certainly understood wanting to remain free. “What do you say we go for a quick ride? Then I’ll come back and see how the new foal is doing.”
Black Jack lifted his nose over the fence.
Logan shook his head, but stroked the horse on its nose, the white star in the middle impossible to ignore. “If you let me in, we can head out.”
The horse nudged him, looking for a treat.
“You have a one-track mind, my friend.” Stepping away, he moved to the small shed he’d built against the outside of the barn, next to Black Jack’s cover. He hefted the saddle from the bench and grabbed the horse’s bridle.
In no time, he had the Quarter Horse ready to ride and jumped up on his back. Though Black Jack wanted to head for the valley, he turned him toward the long dirt road that connected the ranch to civilization. The valley terrain was too rough to risk at night. Black Jack had enough trauma for one lifetime.
He had thought he had too.
Jenna followed Cole to the house. She’d made it appear that she needed a drink after helping Macy, but it was Logan’s almost-kiss that had her wanting a beer. He’d rattled her far more than the new foal’s malposition had. Animals she understood. People she understood. Logan, she didn’t.
As she walked up the steps to the porch, she was thankful he’d disappeared. She didn’t want to lose the Benson-Hatcher business, but every time she arrived, if Logan was around, he argued with everything she said. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was afraid of her knowledge, though his concern for the horses was real.
She refused to be intimidated. The horse rescue ranch needed her more than any other client she had and they were quick to pay, especially since Whisper had set-up a trust for the care of the horses. She just had to forget she and Logan had one amazing day and night together.
The house was a bit warmer than the cool September evening. At least the heat of the days dropped below triple digits on occasion now, always a welcome reprieve for native Arizonans like herself.
“I’m sure everyone is anxious to hear the good news.” Cole looked back at her as they headed for the kitchen. “We haven’t had a baby born here since I turned it into a horse rescue ranch.”
She smiled, happy to have another topic to focus on. “The foal shouldn’t have any long-term complications from the difficult birth. I’ll make sure in a few minutes. I don’t want to infringe on the bonding period.” And hopefully, Logan wouldn’t either.
They turned the corner into the large kitchen. The matriarch of the family, Annette Benson, grandmother to Logan and Trace, and their cousins, Cole and Dillon, greeted her first.
“You must tell us. Do we have a new baby to welcome?” The fit, older woman with pristine white hair pulled back in a ponytail, stood, reaching out her hands in welcome.
Jenna grinned as she took them in her own. “You sure do.”
Annette squeezed her hands. “This is wonderful news. Cole, get the lady a drink.”
Cole, already at the refrigerator, smirked. “On it.”
“Come sit down and relax a bit.” Annette pointed at Trace who sat on the other side of the empty high chair. “Give your seat to Jenna. She’s worked twice as hard as you today.”
Trace laughed as he rose. “Gram, I don’t doubt it.”
Jenna rolled her eyes at Trace, who since falling for her odd friend, Whisper, seemed to be in a perpetually good mood. “Thank you.”
He bowed before moving around the table to sit opposite her.
Cole handed her a cold beer after first twisting off the cap.
She took a very unladylike gulp then raised it toward him. “Thanks. I needed that.”
Annette frowned, resuming her seat. “Was it that difficult?”
Trace answered before she could open her mouth. “Macy wasn’t the problem. She had to deal with Logan.”
His words hit far too close to home for her to come up with a suitable response. Luckily, she didn’t have to.
“That boy.” Annette shook her head. “He needs a good kick in the pants.”
Surprisingly, Trace came to his brother’s defense. “Now, Gram, I think he’s probably had a few too many of those already.”
“Well, he obviously needs one more.”
Not sure what Trace referred to and uncomfortable with the subject, Jenna changed it by addressing Cole. “Where’s Lacey?”
Cole’s face softened from firefighter/ranch owner to totally smitten husband in a split second. “She’s on her way. She and Whisper just got back from Poker Flat.”
Jenna swallowed the beer she’d just sipped and raised her eyebrows. “Poker Flat? Lacey took Whisper to the nudist resort?”
Cole grinned and nodded toward his brother.
She turned her head to find Trace frowning. “Yeah. Supposedly, there was a wild burrow there who wouldn’t leave one of the guests alone. Followed him everywhere. Lacey said she needed Whisper’s help to find out what was wrong with the animal.”
Cole laughed. “He thinks it was all a ruse to get Whisper to the resort. My fine cousin here is jealous.”
She grinned before taking another swig of her beer. To discover easy-going Trace wasn’t happy made her feel appropriately avenged since he enjoyed it just a little too much that she rubbed Logan the wrong way.
Trace grumbled. “Wait until one of the women decide to take Charlotte to Poker Flat, then see who gets pissed.”
Annette shook her head. “Being around Lacey and Whisper would be good for her. Maybe she’ll discover an interest in music or dance. It’s bad enough she’s growing up among so many men folk.”
Jenna doubted very much that Charlotte would be anything but a tomboy, especially with Logan for a father. She might have a chance at girly hobbies with Lacey, but Whisper was more likely to teach her how to suck the moisture from a cactus than discuss the latest boy band. Whisper probably didn’t even know what a boy band was.
Jenna examined the high chair next to her where Ch
arlotte usually sat. When she was younger, she’d had a plan. Go to school, meet the man of her dreams, then on to veterinary school, buy a house, set up practice, and have a baby then two years later have another.
Her entire plan went off track when the man of her dreams turned out to be an avid hunter and her loans from graduate school made it more than difficult to make ends meet.
If it hadn’t been for Whisper keeping her truck at Jenna’s place and letting her use it when she needed it, she wouldn’t have been able to take on the additional ranches she had. Her little sedan couldn’t reach some of the ranches thanks to the rough terrain and Monsoon washes.
Lacey and Whisper walked into the kitchen. Cole was already out of his chair to give his wife a kiss and hug and Trace wasn’t far behind.
The love of the Benson-Hatcher-Williams family just accentuated her own loneliness. Even when she was growing up, it had only been the three of them.
“Jenna? Why are you here? Were there problems with the birth? Is Macy okay?” Whisper’s usual bluntness didn’t bother her in the least.
“There were, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Would you like to—”
Heavy footsteps striding down the hallway announced the newest arrival just before Logan’s body filled the doorway, a scowl on his face as he scanned them all until he settled on her. “You better check on them now. It’s getting late.”
She purposefully looked at her watch before taking another sip of beer. She set the empty bottle down before responding. “I was planning to.” She moved her gaze to Cole. “I appreciate the beer, but you’re still getting a bill.”
He chuckled. “Of course. I just hope you don’t charge me extra for having to deal with him.” He hooked his thumb toward his glowering cousin in the doorway.
She smirked. “Have I yet?”
Cole laughed, and she rose from her chair.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Annette.”
The older woman nodded regally. “You’re welcome any time. Thank you for helping the latest addition to our family arrive safely.”
She smiled before heading for the door.
Logan stepped aside and followed her out. She kept her walk to a stroll despite her growing irritation with the man behind her.
“It’s been well over a half hour. I expected you to have checked on them and left by now.”
That was it. She spun around and he halted, stepping back as his eyes widened in surprise.
“What the hell do you have against me?” She pointed at him, poking her finger into his hard chest, then wishing she hadn’t when the image of his naked pectoral rose inside her brain.
She pulled her hand back as if burned and squinted at him. “Do you think the veterinary school I attended wasn’t accredited? Do you question the validity of the degree hanging on my wall? Or is it that I simply wasn’t a good enough lay for you?” Ah, damn, she didn’t mean to say that part out loud.
Mortified, she ignored his stunned expression and turned, marching across the yard as if she could pound out the humiliation of having revealed her insecurity. When she reached the barn, she softened her steps until she arrived at the stall.
Glancing in at the new baby suckling its mother’s teat helped calm her. Silently, but speedily, she ducked into the stall and stepped behind the two. The placenta had still not been expelled. She certainly wasn’t going to wait for it, not with Logan around.
Reassured the two horses were bonding, she stepped back into the dimly lit barn to find Logan waiting for her at the entrance. Ignoring him, she packed up her bag and hefted it over her shoulder then strode toward him. Her plan was to brush by him without a word, but his hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go.
“Dammit, Jenna.” His voice was husky, like it had been that fateful night when she’d thrown caution to the wind and had fallen for the charming, considerate, cowboy—who turned in to the man before her.
“What?” She tilted her head back to look him in the eye. He was too darn tall and too good-looking.
“I—ah, hell.”
His mouth came down on hers so fast, she froze. But as warm tingles trickled across her skin and her muscles weakened, she pushed away, shaking her head at him. “No.” It came out choked, almost like a cry and she cleared her throat. “No, I’m not going there again. You burned that bridge, buddy.”
He stared at her, but there was no scowl on his face. There was no expression either, or another word.
Ugh, the man was impossible. Hefting her bag from the ground where it had fallen, she stalked away. She tried to get her heart rate to slow, but her breath was still coming too quickly. When she reached her car, she threw her bag in the back and jumped inside, locking the doors to keep him out and her in.
As soon as the car revved to life, she backed out only to see Logan still standing there watching her. Darn, she forgot to tell him to call her if the mare had trouble with the placenta. Screw it. She’d call Cole when she got home. Hopefully, Logan also knew about the umbilical cord, but she’d remind Cole anyway. He might not live in the main house anymore, but he could pass the word on to Logan.
Hitting the gas, she drove down the long dirt driveway, watching for animals in her headlights, refusing to look in the rearview mirror again until a second curve made it absolutely impossible to see him.
Once she turned onto the paved two-lane highway headed toward Wickenburg, she finally gave in to the turmoil inside her heart, angrily wiping away the tears in her eyes.
She didn’t cry for what could have been with the man who kept their relationship to a one-night-stand. That was her fault for falling in love with him after no more than a day at the fair and a night of amazing lovemaking.
Nope, she cried for herself because as long as he kept a piece of her heart with him, she would never find someone else, and she was sick and tired of being alone.
Chapter Two
Logan pulled the diaper under Charlotte’s rump as she reached out to him with her favorite teddy bear. “Da-da, mine.”
He grinned and fastened the tabs on each side. “You bettcha, Sunshine. I’m all yours.”
She giggled and promptly stuck the teddy’s bear’s hat in her mouth, her version of kisses. Whipping it out again, she held it up toward him.
Instead of kissing the slobbered-on teddy, he picked her up and carried her to the dresser. With one hand, he pulled open the top drawer. “What do you want to wear today?”
She pushed the teddy against his cheek. “Kissie.” She pulled it back and slapped it against his cheek. “Kissie, Da-da.”
He grabbed up a pink striped shirt and purple pants with pink butterflies on them before closing the drawer with his hip and walking to his bed.
“Da-da!” Charlotte smacked the teddy against his chest. “Kissie! Da-da!”
He dropped the clothes on the quilt then plopped his daughter on her back on the bed. “You want kisses? I’ll give you kisses.” He lowered his head and kissed her belly.
Squeals of laughter filled their room and his heart thrummed with joy. She was his reason for being. After a couple of wet kisses to her belly, he raised his head. “You want more kisses from Daddy?”
Charlotte’s green eyes sparkled with mischief. She thrust the teddy at him. “Da-da kissies!”
He laughed. “You little scamp.” Pushing her arm aside with his face, he kissed her little belly all over, much to her delight. Her skin was so soft, he was careful not to scratch it with his still unshaven chin.
“You’re going to spoil her.” His Gram’s voice didn’t deter him at all.
He lifted Charlotte high into the air before setting her back on the bed. “She deserves to be spoiled.”
His daughter dropped her teddy and lifted her hands. “Up. Up.”
He scooped up the shirt, quickly inserted her arms and pulled it over her head. Charlotte’s eyebrows lowered as her hand found her teddy bear and she threw it over the side of the bed
.
His gram laughed. “You’re going to have your hands full.”
Grabbing up the pants, he spared a glance toward the door. His grandmother leaned against the frame, her arms crossed and a warm smile on her face. He gave her a quick eye roll before kneeling down and capturing his daughter’s flailing legs.
“Up. Up. Da-da, up!”
“Let me get your pants on and I’ll bring you up.”
She stopped moving for a few seconds as she pondered his words. He didn’t kid himself that she understood that yet.
He’d just finished getting the pants over her diaper when she decided she had to rollover and wiggle off the bed.
He let her go, his anticipation cutting off his breath.
With one hand on the bed, she toddled along it until she couldn’t hold on any longer, but the teddy was still too far to reach. As soon as she took one step away, she wobbled and fell back on her butt. Undaunted, she crawled to her teddy and picked it up, rolling over into a sitting position to hold up her hands again. “Up.”
“I thought she was going to do it this time.” His grandmother sighed. “But better not to rush it. Once she’s walking on her own, she’ll be impossible to keep track of, mark my words.”
He picked up his daughter and swung her up in the air, her laughter wiping out his disappointment. “I know. I just hope she isn’t too far behind the curve.” He brought her back into his arms and returned to the dresser where he pulled out a pair of tiny white socks.
Charlotte wiggled to get out of his arms. “No. Mimi.”
“I think I’m being paged.” Gram walked into the room and sat on the other bed. “Here, give her to me. I’ll hold squirmy while you put on those socks.”
“Thanks.” Logan readjusted his hold on his daughter and brought her over. “Here you go.”
Charlotte held up the teddy bear as he knelt to put her socks on.
“Mimi, kissie.”
His hard as nails grandmother lowered her head and made a big production of kissing the teddy bear. Charlotte giggled.
When he finished pulling on the socks, Gram picked up his daughter. “Come on, sweetie. Time to let your daddy get dressed and out to work. Would you like cereal or toast this morning?”