Delving into the warm wetness of her mouth, he tasted the tartness of the apples mixed with the remaining sweetness of the sugary caramel.
“Come home with me,” he whispered against her lips.
She eased back but didn’t answer as she focused her gaze on the container of melted caramel in her lap. He tipped her head up until she looked at him again, using his thumb to free her bottom lip from where she’d captured it with her teeth.
“What do you say? We’ll get Anthony down for the night and then watch a movie or something.”
“Or something?”
He grinned, feeling like a teenager trying to get a date to hang out at his house, or would’ve if he’d ever been crazy enough to ask a girl back to his childhood home. “Come on, we’ll pop popcorn, open a bottle of wine and find a classic film featuring horses.”
She stayed silent, staring back with an expression he couldn’t read. Didn’t she want this, too? Or was the combination of him and Anthony too much for her? She was so good with the baby, but maybe that was because of her bond with her sister’s kids.
Maybe she wasn’t willing to spend time with a man who came as part of a package deal. But that didn’t explain why she’d agreed to go on a date with him and Anthony in the first place. Or why she’d left that note asking them to go on this picnic.
“Look, things started backward between us—making love first and talking about dating now. Hell, it worked when it came to fatherhood. Maybe it’ll work for us, too?” He lowered his forehead until his rested against hers. “I want to be with you, Kelsey. I want us to be together. We can take things as fast or as slow at you want. How does that sound?”
Wonderful.
It sounded wonderful, because she wanted that, too.
Kelsey hadn’t realized how much until just now when Cooper had put his feelings into words. Words she should’ve said first, words she’d wanted to say from the moment he answered his front door and blurted out that sweet apology.
Yes, it was scary, getting involved with someone again. And this time it wasn’t just one someone. Falling for a single dad came with a whole separate set of emotions and concerns that only heightened the risk she’d be taking. After her engagement ended six years ago she’d only been involved with a couple of men, and all of them had been free from the responsibility that having a child in your life required. Was she ready to take on a relationship that included three hearts instead of two?
Cooper was willing to take a chance.
He’d just said so.
“I want that, too,” she said softly, cupping his face with her hands. Her gaze flitted over the T-shirt that couldn’t hide the well-defined muscles of his chest and shoulders, to the jeans molding themselves to his legs. She quickly looked him in the eye again. “I want to be with you.”
Cooper lifted the plastic container from her lap, replaced the lid and set it to one side. “No sense being messy about this.”
“About what?”
“This.”
He gathered her into his arms and pulled her close until she was practically lying on his chest. She panicked, not wanting to squash Anthony, but Cooper’s hands bracketed her hips, holding her in place. His mouth met hers and his kisses were fervent, yet gentle. Powerful, yet hesitant, almost as if he was afraid to show her the same passion and fire as they’d shared last night.
She wanted that fervor, and tried to tell him in her kisses, but the sound of Anthony coughing again broke through, reminding her now wasn’t the time or the place.
“Hmm, it’s getting cooler now that the sun is about to set. Maybe we should get this little one home.” Kelsey pulled away, her hand on Cooper’s chest. His heart thumped hard beneath her touch. “And us, too.”
“I like the sound of that.”
The low-timbered seductiveness of his words made her smile.
Two days later, Kelsey was still smiling.
Other than spending her daytime hours working with her horses, every spare moment was spent with Cooper and Anthony. They’d made popcorn and found a movie with horses to watch Sunday night after giving Anthony a bath and getting him to bed. A contemporary-cowboy-meets-city-girl story based on a romance novel. Her smile widened. She never got to see the ending of that film thanks to Cooper’s persuasive, butter-flavored kisses.
Monday morning started with breakfast in bed that almost made her late to work, and the evening ended with the three of them having dinner out at Red, where they’d run into everyone from Cooper’s cousins to her parents. When Anthony’s coughing persisted, they returned early to the cottage and enjoyed another night in each other’s arms.
Today she’d spent most of the day at a neighboring ranch picking up a couple more horses, and now she was hurrying through her shower as they again had plans.
She rinsed off her strawberry body wash, willing away the memories of this morning’s exploits in Cooper’s shower that started with her surprising him under the hot and steamy spray.
“Girl, you are just too darn happy,” Kelsey said aloud to no one, then giggled.
Oh, man, she was losing it. She’d never felt so giddy in her life, even when flying wild and free on the back of one of her horses. Over the last forty-eight hours, she and Cooper had talked, laughed and shared stories about their lives.
She’d spoken freely about cherished childhood memories of family holidays, summer vacations and when her parents surprised her on her thirteenth birthday with her first horse, who she named Cupcake.
Most of Cooper’s stories revolved around his brothers and sister, rarely including his mother or any adult except for the times they’d spent at the Fortune’s homestead, the Double Crown Ranch. He talked about leaving home after he turned eighteen having decided at such a young age that being part of a family was too hard to deal with and how that same attitude stayed with him over the years.
He’d talked about his drifter-inspired lifestyle, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he spoke of the sunsets he’d witnessed all over the country, but he really seemed to enjoy the scrapbook she’d shared with him, a book her mother had created for her that detailed every birthday celebration from her first to her eighteenth. After flipping through the pages, Cooper had grown quiet, saying that Anthony was closing in on being six months old and he didn’t have one photograph of his son. A shortfall he planned to remedy by going camera shopping today.
Boy, when the man saw a problem, he went right to work fixing it. That was one of the things she loved—
Kelsey cut off that thought abruptly as she twisted the shower knobs, turning off the water.
Nope, not going there.
Only ten days of knowing this man and she was ready to use the “L” word?
Cooper Fortune was a fascinating and charismatic man and a great father. He was also a man who carried a lot of baggage from what she gathered was a very unhappy childhood, a childhood that must have left scars as deep inside him as those decorating his skin.
And she had to admit he wasn’t the only one with scars.
Her sister was right. The men she’d been involved with in the past had done quite a number on her heart. As wonderful as things were between her and Cooper, she had to take things slowly.
Wrapping her hair turban-style in a towel and grabbing a second one to dry off, she entered her bedroom in time to hear her ring tone touting how her heroes had always been cowboys. She hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her cell phone.
“Hey, handsome,” she answered, knowing it was Cooper. She kept her voice light and flirty, determined to get her happy outlook back in place. “You caught me fresh from the shower.”
“How fresh?”
She grinned. Just the sound of his voice, and her attitude was adjusted. “Birthday-suit fresh.”
A low groan filled her ear. “And you’re way over there and I’m here.”
Kelsey eyed the baby-blue satin bra and panties on her bed. “Well, let me slip into a little something and I’ll be with you in a few
minutes.”
“I would say clothing is optional,” Cooper replied, “but I’m in need of a different kind of favor right now.”
Chapter Twelve
“Hmm, now I’m intrigued.” Kelsey lowered her voice to a husky whisper. “What’s my assignment?”
Cooper’s guttural laughter filled the earpiece. “Nothing covert. I know we had plans for an adults-only night with dinner out and a movie, but I think I need to stay home instead.”
Disappointment coursed through Kelsey. “Did something happen today?”
“Yeah, Anthony’s fighting a cold, so I thought it’d be best if we stayed in. How does a pizza and a DVD sound instead?”
Like heaven, as long as she was with Cooper.
“Sounds great. I’ll run into town.” She dropped her towel and wiggled into her panties while cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder. “Is Anthony running a fever?”
“No, thank goodness, but don’t ask how many times I had to read the section in the baby book on the proper method for taking the temperature of a five-month-old, via the back end no less, before I was brave enough to try.”
At the cringe in Cooper’s voice, she fought to keep the humor from hers. “Can I ask how many tries it took to get the feat accomplished?”
“No, and I don’t know who was more traumatized, me or him.” Cooper paused for a moment, then continued. “But his coughing and sneezing have gotten worse and his nose is all stuffed up. I called the clinic and spoke to a nurse. She recommended saline drops and a baby nasal aspirator. Do you have any idea how those two things work on a five-month-old?”
“Sorry, no clue.”
“I’ll enlighten you when you get here. It’s more fun than video games.”
Kelsey laughed and promised to be there soon. After hanging up, she finished dressing and called the pizzeria in the center of town. Twenty minutes later she headed back to Molly’s Pride with the mouthwatering aroma of melted cheese, hot tomato sauce and spices filling the interior of her car.
She parked outside the cottage and grabbing the pizza, made her way onto the porch. “Knock, knock,” she called through the screen door. “Pizza delivery.”
Cooper met her at the door with a fussy baby in his arms. He gave her a quick kiss, one hand running the length of her hair. “Hmm, a wet head. Just how fresh from the shower were you?”
“Dripping wet and wrapped in a fresh towel.” Kelsey moved past him and put the pizza box on the coffee table. “What did you think that was? Phone sex?”
“With the way this little one is feeling tonight it might be as close as we get.”
Taking an elastic band from her wrist, she tamed her hair into a high ponytail. Cooper was watching so she gave him a quick wink and then held out her hands. “Aw, come here, Anthony. Are you not feeling good?”
“I think it’s been building over the last couple of days.” Cooper handed over his son and walked to the kitchen. Returning with two sodas and a couple of plates, he placed them next to the pizza. “We should probably eat before I demonstrate the nose thing. It’s not pretty.”
Kelsey noticed the gunk built up around Anthony’s nostrils. “Hmm, I think we might have to tag team on dinner. You go first while I keep this little guy busy. Do you have a damp, soft cloth?”
Three hours later most of the pizza was gone.
Anthony had finally settled down, more from exhaustion than anything else, Kelsey suspected. It took a warm bath, a lot of pacing and the two of them taking turns rocking the baby before he finally gave up the fight and closed his eyes.
Cooper had sat in the rocker with him for the last half hour just to make sure his son was asleep. Kelsey stood in the doorway, watching him as he held Anthony to his chest, one large hand spread wide on the baby’s back. When he’d turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to Anthony’s temple, it felt as if her heart tumbled right out of her chest and landed at her feet.
When it finally returned to its rightful place, she heard a different rhythm. A harmonious tempo she’d never experienced before in her life.
I belong to Cooper.
The six-beat cadence matched the words dancing in her head, telling her it was time to face the simple truth. She was in love.
Like a tender breeze or a soft rain, the emotion enveloped Kelsey. The potency and sureness of it was so surprising she had to lean against the doorjamb, her ability to stay upright suddenly in jeopardy. Her heart was telling her what her head refused to accept.
She was head over heels in love, and not only with Cooper Fortune, wandering cowboy and new dad, but with Anthony, too. Father and son, a package deal.
Oh, what was she going to do now? How was she going to tell him? Cooper had said they would go as fast or as slow as she wanted, but Kelsey doubted he’d meant falling in love in less than two weeks. In just over two days of officially dating.
Cooper slowed the motion of the rocking chair and rose. He looked so strong and sure and safe, cradling his son in his arms. In the soft glow of the night-light, he caught her watching him, and smiled.
At that moment, Kelsey realized that trying to put a timeline on what she felt was impossible. The love was there, as physically powerful as the man standing before her.
Two weeks, two days, two hours. It didn’t matter. She loved Cooper and his child with everything in her.
He crossed the room and laid Anthony in his crib. The little guy’s breath was ragged, but thankfully he continued to sleep. Gripping the railing, Cooper stood there, watching his son. Worry mixed with joy on the sharp angles of his face, both emotions reflecting the strength of his connection to someone who’d only been in his life for a short time.
Then suddenly he was there, right in front of her. Tummy clenching, she scooted back into the hall and he followed, stopping her from going any farther by pulling her into his arms. She melted into his embrace, pressing her cheek to his chest, loving the heat of his touch and the steady beat of his heart.
They stood in the quiet of the night, and Kelsey realized that while she couldn’t control her feelings, she could decide where and when to put those feelings into words. There would be plenty of time to find the right moment to tell Cooper how much he meant to her, but until then, she’d hold the precious sentiment deep inside.
“I’m beat.” Cooper leaned back and looked at her, his voice a low whisper. “I know it’s only ten o’clock, but I’m ready for bed. Do you want to stay tonight?”
Kelsey loved how he always asked, never assumed, that she’d stay and share his bed. Being with him meant getting up early and heading back to her place in order to get ready for work, and while none of the other ranch staff had said anything, they had to know about the two of them.
But that didn’t matter because there was no place else on earth she’d rather be than right here.
She nodded and they moved into his bedroom, not bothering to turn on any lights. They stood at his bedside and he tilted her chin up with his fingers and gently kissed her lips. A kiss that deepened quickly and soon they were undressing each other with frantic hands. She slid beneath the covers as Cooper made sure the monitor was on. Then he crawled in next to her and again pulled her into his arms.
“Now what can I do to thank you for coming over,” he murmured into her hair, “and for being so wonderful with Anthony tonight?”
She tangled her legs with his and slowly drew her hand up the length of his arm to his shoulder. Placing her lips at his neck, she kissed along the length of his collarbone. “Hmm, I don’t know, cowboy. What did you have in mind?”
Cooper gently rolled over until she was flat on her back beneath him. “You know, I never paid you for picking up dinner tonight.”
“That’s okay.” She tunneled her fingers into his hair and tugged until she felt his smiling lips on hers. “I’ll take it out in trade. If you’re sure you’re not too tired.”
“Who, me?”
“Kelsey?”
Somewhere between sleep and consciou
sness, she heard Cooper calling for her. His voice carried through the baby monitor. He was in Anthony’s room. Jumping out of bed, she stumbled into the hall, tugging the T-shirt she’d pulled on sometime during the night past her hips. He called her name again as he joined her. This time there was an edge of panic in his tone.
“I’m right here, Cooper. What is it?”
He headed for the bathroom, Anthony in his arms. “He’s not breathing right.”
She followed, hearing the baby’s rapid, labored gasps. “Did you do the syringe thing on his nose?”
“Yes, but this is different. It’s as if he’s not getting enough air into his lungs. Here, take him.” He placed his son in her arms. “I’m going to get the hot water running in the shower to get some steam in here.”
She held Anthony close and checked for a fever. He didn’t seem to have one. She placed a hand on his tiny chest, concern knotting her gut as she felt his struggles to breathe. “How did you know about the steam?”
“From the baby book I’ve been devouring the last few weeks. The steam should help.”
Moments later, the room filled with warm, moist air. They stood huddled together as the minutes ticked by. Anthony’s fussing grew, his cries throatier and deeper, making it even harder for him to catch his breath.
“Maybe you should call the after-hours number at the clinic? Or call Jeremy?” Kelsey forced her voice to remain calm, her heart breaking over what the little guy was going through. “Tell him what’s happening and see what he suggests we do.”
Cooper studied her for a long moment before he nodded and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him to keep the steam inside. Swaying in a gentle motion, she tried to soothe the baby with nonsense babbling, but Anthony’s distress only increased.
Ten minutes later, Cooper returned. The first thing she saw was the fear on his face. Then she noticed he’d traded his sweatpants for a T-shirt, jeans and his boots.
“I need to take him to the emergency room.”
Kelsey froze, that one sentence causing her heart to seize in her chest. “At the clinic?”
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