This Kiss
Teresa Southwick
She swept back into town. No longer plain, awkward Hannah Morgan–now she was sophisticated Dr. Morgan! But one appreciative look and a toe-curling kiss from Dev Hart sent her right back into a teenage swoon. Maybe he'd finally noticed she was a woman!She took his breath away. Hannah's combination of smarts and sexiness awoke in this wary, once-burned rancher desires he'd long denied. All he needed was someone to care for his little boy, not a woman who would turn him inside out. But Hannah would never settle for anything less than all he was….
“Help me out here, Hannah. Kiss me, and help me show my son that it’s not enough to make you stay in Destiny.”
The sheer masculinity of Dev stole the breath from her lungs.
Part of her wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss the guy all the girls had wanted. If the experience was horrible, she could stop wondering about it. But if, as she suspected, the sensation was akin to a religious experience, the memory might be worthwhile. On some dark, cold, lonely night, she could pull out the recollection and wrap it warmly around herself….
by Teresa Southwick
Crazy for Lovin’ You
This Kiss
If You Don’t Know by Now
What If We Fall in Love
This Kiss
Teresa Southwick
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Sandra Ferguson, Sherry Davis, Judi McCoy and Mary Karlik. I’m thankful that y’all kept my “Texas voice” under control. And my profound gratitude for taking this Southern California refugee (I’m still not sure if we decided that makes me a Yankee carpetbagger) under your wing.
TERESA SOUTHWICK
is a native Californian who has moved to Texas. Living with her husband of twenty-five years and two handsome sons, she is surrounded by heroes. Reading has been her passion since she was a girl. She couldn’t be more delighted that her dream of writing full-time has come true. Her favorite things include: holding a baby, the fragrance of jasmine, walks on the beach, the patter of rain on the roof and, above all, happy endings.
Teresa has also written historical romance novels under the same name.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter One
She’d forgotten how good trouble looked in worn denim, scuffed boots and a black Stetson.
Hannah Morgan stood on the bottom slat of the white, split-rail fence and watched Dev Hart’s tall imposing presence dominate the corral where he supervised cutting horse training. With his back to her, she was still safe from his notice. Yet she had an unobstructed view of his assets—muscles, wide shoulders and a spectacular cowboy butt.
She hadn’t seen him since high school. So why would she think of him as trouble?
Maybe it had something to do with the way those soft jeans clung to his lean hips and muscular thighs. Or that intriguing indentation in his chin. She couldn’t see it from where she stood, but ten years worth of remembering produced an instant visual. His brown eyes, too. She recalled they were dark and smoldering. A woman was at risk of going up in flames from just a single glance.
Not her, of course. She was a doctor now, and practically the same skinny blonde he had never acknowledged outside of their physics tutoring sessions.
He turned around and she knew the moment he spotted her. His laserlike gaze scanned the enclosure, passed her by for just an instant, then swung back, settling the full force of his male observation on her. A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth, sending a shiver from the base of her neck to the tips of her toes.
Over his shoulder he said to the other cowboy, “That’s enough for today, Wade. Feed and water him, then turn him into the corral.”
Hannah’s heart beat a little faster as Dev ambled toward her. Was there a sexier, more masculine sight than a Texas cowboy ambling? If so, she’d never seen it. He let himself out of the fenced enclosure and came to stand in front of her. Quickly she updated her decade-old memory. He was taller, broader, filled out—and most important—not that teenage boy any longer.
Dev Hart was a man.
If the butterflies in her stomach were anything to go by, she was still the same awkward sixteen-year-old girl she’d been the last time she’d seen him. But she held her ground, or rather her rung on the fence. She might have grown up in a trailer and worn cast-off clothes from the thrift store, but she wouldn’t give him any reason to look down on her. Even though his six-foot-two-inch height would allow him to stare his fill at the top of her head.
“Hannah?” His tone held surprise that was just this side of shock. “If I hadn’t known you were coming, I don’t think I would have recognized you.”
“Hi, Dev. Have I changed that much?”
“Yeah. How long has it been?”
“I haven’t been back in about six years,” she said. “But I think it’s been longer since we last saw each other.”
She knew for a fact she hadn’t seen him since high school graduation ten years before.
“The blond hair and blue eyes are the same, but everything else is a whole lot more grown up,” he said, touching the brim of his hat politely. “Polly said you wouldn’t be here until tonight.”
Her mother managed his household. After her father had walked out on them, Polly Morgan had cleaned houses, including Dev’s parents’, to support herself and six-year-old Hannah. A year before, Dev had hired her as a full-time housekeeper.
All through college and medical school, Hannah had dreamed of giving her mother a better life. She blamed herself for the fact that Polly had had to work so hard and vowed to make her mother a lady of leisure. She was on the brink of doing it, too, if she got the job in Los Angeles that she wanted, with the prestigious pediatric group.
“I got an earlier flight and rented a car at the airport. Where’s Mom? There wasn’t anyone up at the house.”
“She took Ben to story hour at the library in town.” He shifted his boots in the red dirt, then folded his arms over his chest.
Her mind raced, searching for something to say to fill the silence. This was her first trip home since her mom had taken over his household. Hannah had known she would see Dev, but she hadn’t expected to have to make conversation with him, alone, right off the bat. Polly was supposed to be here to run interference.
“How old is your son now?” she finally asked.
“Almost four. Next week as a matter of fact.” His wonderfully shaped mouth turned up at the corners. “He’s an active little son of a gun. I don’t know what I’d do without your mother. She’s pretty special.”
“You won’t get any argument about that from me,” Hannah agreed.
She knew he and his wife had split up, but not the details. When she’d heard, her first thought had been that golden boys have problems just like scholastically gifted geeky girls who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Her second, that it would be hard on his little boy. She knew from firsthand experience what it was like when a parent turned their back on a child.
He shoved his hat up with a knuckle and she noticed that the glow of fatherly pride lingered in his eyes. She couldn’t help wondering what kind of parent he was. Memories of her own father were memories she tried to forget.
“How are you?” she asked.
“Fine. And you?”
“Good. Although I’ll be better when I get an offer from one of the medical groups that I interviewed with. I’m just waiting to see which one wants me.”
“Who wouldn’t want you—the smartest girl who ever graduated from Destiny High,” he added, his eyes sparkling with surprising interest.
“I don’t know about smartest, but skipping a couple grades was probably noteworthy,” she agreed.
“Are you going to be here long enough for the high school rodeo championships?”
“To be honest, I’d forgotten about that. When are they?”
“Four weeks away. And if I were you, I’d watch my step after a remark like that. In this neck of the woods, forgetting rodeo is practically a hanging offense.” There was a smile in his eyes.
She laughed. “Yeah, Destiny is nothing if not rodeo country. How is the stock business?” she asked.
Ten years ago, it had been profitable and she assumed that hadn’t changed. Dev’s family made a better-than-good living supplying stock to rodeos all across the country as well as breeding and training cutting horses, and raising cattle. He was the guy all the high school girls wanted, as much for his money as his looks. If he hadn’t needed her to tutor him, they probably never would have crossed paths, let alone spoken. Of course, after each session, he’d never looked at her or claimed any association at all when they passed in the school hallways.
He folded his arms over a pretty impressive chest. “Business is better than ever. Keeps me busy. Which is why I’m so grateful to Polly. If I didn’t have her to watch over Ben, the home part of this homestead would have come apart faster than a fat man’s britches.”
Hannah laughed. “She adores your son.”
He angled a hip toward the fence and rested his elbow on top. “She did say you’re unattached and it doesn’t look like you’re going to have kids any time soon. She claimed she needed to flex her grandmothering muscles while she’s still young enough.”
Annoyance cut through Hannah, and she wasn’t sure what bothered her more. That her mother had talked to Dev about her, or that he knew she had no one special.
“How are your folks?” she asked, changing the subject with what she hoped was scalpel-like precision. Her personal life, or lack thereof, was not something she wanted to discuss with Destiny High’s infamous chick magnet.
“They’re traveling from coast to coast in a motor home. It’s what they always dreamed of doing and hadn’t made time for. After Dad’s heart attack last year, they decided not to put it off. He retired and turned the business over to me.”
“Good for him.” In all of her medical training rotations, she’d seen patients forced back to work by economic circumstances when they should have taken off more time for their health. She looked beyond the corral at the red Texas dirt covered by scrub and mesquite as far as the eye could see. “But of course he could afford to. Everyone says that this is the biggest spread in Destiny.”
“Everyone says?” He frowned. “You’ve seen the place.” It wasn’t a question.
“Nope.” She shook her head. Her mother worked for his family, but always during Hannah’s school hours. And she hadn’t been back for several years. Polly had visited her in L.A. “You must be thinking of one of the other girls who followed you around adoringly.”
That had popped out more bitterly than she intended. Funny how coming home brought these feelings to the surface.
“Times have sure changed,” he said, shaking his head. “And I mean that in a good way.”
“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t like all that female attention?”
“Do I have stupid written on my forehead?” he asked, grinning. “I liked it a lot. But that was a long time ago. I’ve got better things to do now. Running the place and being a father doesn’t leave time for a whole lot else.”
“Is that so?” Why should that surprise her? Still, it wasn’t fair to peg him as the same selfish teenage guy she’d known. She had grown up. He must have too. After all, he’d married, become a father and divorced. And he’d had the good sense to hire her mother.
That was the good news. The bad—her mom was a live-in housekeeper and had sold her own home. She’d said it cut down expenses. More bad news—on this visit to her mother, Hannah had to stay on the Hart ranch, under Dev’s roof.
But when she’d arrived, she glimpsed the house from the outside. It was a really big roof and her mother had said there was a separate wing for the hired help. Still Hannah knew she would have to see Dev. For the life of her, she didn’t know what she would find to talk with him about. They had nearly exhausted all topics of conversation in the last few minutes, and her crack about adoring girls had no doubt put her on the verge of wearing out her welcome already. She’d taken classes in medical school dealing with bedside manner, but they didn’t include polite interaction with the opposite sex. Her training had taught her to be assertive, but had been sadly lacking in diplomacy. In other words—she was socially backward. Which could be why she was still unattached.
“Look, Dev, I don’t want to take you away from your work. I’ll walk back to the house and wait for Mom there.”
“You’re not keeping me. I’ve got time to show you around the ranch now if you’d like to see it. I can have Wade saddle up a couple of horses.”
“No thanks,” she said, a little too quickly. “But if you’re sure it’s not an imposition, I wouldn’t mind the walking tour.”
“You have something against riding?”
“Not in a plane, train or automobile.”
“You’re afraid of horses?” he guessed.
She nodded. “I fell off when I was a kid.”
In addition to being a brainer geek, her subsequent apprehension around horses had always made her feel like a fish out of water in ranch country. Just one more thing to prove that she didn’t quite belong anywhere. If there was anyone else who’d grown up in Destiny and was scared of horses, she would like to meet them. All two of them could form a support group.
“In spite of that, I don’t freely admit to being afraid of anything.” She met his amused gaze. “I prefer to think of it as a failure to overcome a high IQ. It’s not especially smart to voluntarily climb up on top of an animal who could squash me like a grape.”
He nodded, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s because of the whole physics thing, right?”
“What does physics have to do with it?”
“A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.”
“Yes, but—”
“Or a body accelerates at thirty-two feet per second per second.”
“You remembered. And here I thought I was wasting my breath all that time.” She couldn’t help smiling. “Except I believe I said objects—because the principle holds true for a feather or a bowling ball.”
He’d had the oddest, sort of intense look in his eyes both times he’d said “body.” And she saw his gaze slip from her face to the chest of her white T-shirt which now felt transparent, then lower still to her khaki pants and white tennis shoes. When he looked her in the eyes again, his held a gleam that she didn’t understand.
Oh, she hadn’t just crawled out from under a rock. She’d been around the block and guys had come on to her. But this was Dev Hart. If their past history was anything to go by, he barely knew she was alive. So how could she trust a look like that coming from him?
He rested his hands on lean hips. “You’re not my tutor anymore. You’re a doctor now. Don’t you think bodies are more interesting than bowling balls?”
His look amped up a notch. She hadn’t expected it from him, or her response—a sort of quiver that started in her abdomen and spread outward generating heat as it went. He’d never looked at her that way in high school. But then, other than their tutoring sessions, he hadn’t looked at her at all.
When Dev Hart was involved, she was much more comfortable discussing physics than bodies and searched for a way to go back there.
“The fact remains, I prefer to have both feet planted firmly on the ground. That way a horse can’t put me in motion for the hard ground to finish me off.”
“That’s true,” he agreed. “But it’s a real shame to let one fall stop you. Nothing compares to the exhilaration of riding.”
This was just dandy. After ten years she’d finally gotten his attention and they were talking—about her deficiencies. “Surely you have better things to do than baby-sit me.”
“Actually turnabout is fair play. Thanks to you I managed to get through high school physics and into college. The least I can do is teach you how to ride.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve gotten by quite nicely without knowing. There isn’t a lot of opportunity to climb on a horse in Los Angeles. Not to mention that there are safer ways to get where you’re going.”
While they’d been bantering, another cowboy had entered the corral leading a saddled horse. From the corner of her eye, Hannah had noticed him climb up on the animal’s back and registered the clip-clop of hooves as he walked him around. Suddenly, the horse reared, startling the rider who lost his grip and fell with a grunt into the dust.
When the cowboy grabbed his shoulder with a groan and didn’t get up, Dev’s relaxed posture disappeared as he instantly went into action. He quickly opened the corral gate and Hannah followed right behind. They ran to the man’s side and knelt down beside him in the dust.
“What happened, Newy?”
“Something spooked him. Caught me off guard—” He stopped and sucked in a breath as his leathery face tensed with pain. “Mean, ornery, lazy cuss. That dang horse just trotted easy as you please right back in the barn,” the man said through gritted teeth. His sweat-stained hat lay beside him and his thin brown hair stood up in tufts on his head.
“Is it the same shoulder? Dislocated?” Dev asked. The man’s pale blue eyes met his boss’s as he nodded then groaned.
“Are you sure it’s not broken?” Hannah asked.
The cowboy shook his head. “Happened before,” he grunted. “If I hit it just right—” he stopped and clamped his teeth against the agony “—it goes out on me.”
“The integrity is compromised,” Hannah diagnosed, knowing the original trauma rendered the joint more vulnerable.
“Dang horse hasn’t got integrity,” he protested, then grimaced in pain as he held the injured shoulder while he rocked from side to side.
“Dang physics,” she said, meeting Dev’s worried gaze. “That pesky hard ground has a way of acting on a body that isn’t pleasant.” She looked at the injured cowboy. “Do you mind if I have a look at it?” she asked.
When skepticism lasered through the man’s discomfort, Dev said, “Newy Tubbs, this is Hannah Morgan—Dr. Hannah Morgan.”
“Lady doc?” The cowboy met his boss’s gaze. “I don’t know—”
Hannah tried to decide what his prejudice was—that she was a woman, or hardly looked older than a high school senior. It wouldn’t be the first time for either.
Dev lifted his hat and ran his hand through short brown hair before replacing it. “We can load you up in the truck and bounce over every rut and pothole between here and Doc Holloway’s office in Destiny. Or Hannah can—”
“Have a look-see,” he clarified reluctantly. “Okay.”
Must be one rough ride, she thought, surprised he’d given in so easily. Dev moved aside to give her room. Hannah gently probed the man’s injured shoulder and the protrusion that told her it wasn’t broken. “It’s dislocated, all right. A first-year med student could make the diagnosis.”
“Guess we’ll have to take you in to see the doc after all,” Dev said.
“Excuse me. Didn’t we just establish that I’m a doctor?” She met Dev’s gaze. “Unless, of course you’d rather torture this poor man with a trip into town? If not, I can take care of him right here.”
Newy appraised her doubtfully. “Little bitty thing like you?”
“He’s right,” Dev interjected. “Doc’s done this before. I’ll go get the truck and—”
“Doesn’t take strength, just leverage,” she assured the injured man. “What have you got to lose by letting me try? Unless you’re afraid of a little pain,” she challenged, looking at her patient. “But then, it’s gonna hurt like hell anyway on the trip into Destiny, and for a whole lot longer.”
He glanced at his boss, then back at her and nodded reluctantly. “Go ahead.”
Hannah nodded, then gripped his wrist and upper arm. “This is going to hurt a bit,” she said, bracing herself. “But I guess you already know that if it’s happened before.”
As he nodded, she gave a quick tug on his arm. He bit back a yell and groaned. Then he looked at her, obviously surprised. “By golly, I think that’s got it. The pain’s lettin’ up.”
She sat back on her heels. “That’s what happens when it’s where it should be.” Without looking away from her patient, she snapped an order. “Have you got something for a sling? That arm needs to be immobilized.”
Newy shook his head. “No need, ma’am. There’s a first-aid kit in the barn. Wade’s workin’ over yonder and he’s wrapped me up before.” Dev helped him to his feet and the cowboy looked down at her as he cradled the injured arm to his chest. “Much obliged, ma’am, I mean Doc,” he said with a wan smile.
“You’re welcome.”
She stood beside Dev and watched the cowboy walk to the barn. Then the rancher met her gaze. “Much obliged.”
“Don’t mention it.” She covered her eyes to shade them from the sun and smiled up at him, glad that he’d seen her as competent and not just a yellow-bellied coward who was afraid of horses.
He folded his arms over his chest. “What can I do to thank you?”
“There’s no need. It’s what I’m trained to do.”
Before he could respond further, the sound of running feet caught their attention. Hannah turned and saw a pint-sized cowboy hurrying as fast as his little legs could go. On his heels and trying to keep up was her mother.
“Hi, Daddy,” the little guy yelled when he was still a few yards away.
“Ben,” Dev called back.
He took her elbow to guide her from the corral. Hannah fought the urge to yank her arm away from the sizzle that swept over her shoulder and down into her breasts. Pulling back would show weakness. And if there’s one thing being the youngest in her class through college and med school had taught her, it was to never let anyone see that you weren’t completely in control.
So she let him guide her out and watched him latch the gate, the muscles in his back rippling beneath his fitted cotton shirt. She swallowed the sound of female appreciation that rose in her throat, but the corresponding flutter in her stomach gave her trouble. It was as if she was plummeting down the longest drop on a roller coaster. She struggled for a facade of sophistication and polite, but cool interest, because inside she was ga-ga and hot enough to melt diamonds.
She watched Dev watch his son run toward him. The man’s lean, strong, muscular body tensed and somehow she knew he was bracing for impact. Several moments later, the little guy hurtled into the strong arms waiting for him. Dev held the boy close for a moment, then unselfconsciously kissed his cheek while he settled his son on his forearm and ruffled his brown hair.
“Hey, squirt,” he said. “Did you and Polly have fun?”
The boy nodded. Then he noticed Hannah. He pointed. “Who’s she?”
“It’s not polite to point, Ben. This is Polly’s daughter, Hannah.”
Her mother joined them, a little out of breath. “Don’t you remember, Ben? I told you she was coming today. She’s a doctor. Hi, honey.”
“Hi, Mom.” Hannah went into the arms her mother held out. Now she was home. It was several moments before they had hugged their fill and stood side by side, arms around each other’s waists. Hannah noticed Ben was still watching her.
The boy’s eyes grew wide. “Do you give people shots?”
“Sometimes. But only if it will help them feel better.”
He rested a small arm around his father’s strong neck and gave Dev’s shoulder a couple of pats. “I don’t like shots.”
“Me either,” Hannah agreed.
“Me either,” Polly said.
Pleasure swept through her again, feeling her mother beside her. She’d been a teenager when Hannah was born and was still a young, attractive woman. People often said they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter—the same blue eyes and blond hair. Hannah had always been grateful that she didn’t take after her father.
For a moment, she rested her cheek against her mom’s. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”
“You’re too busy to miss me,” Polly answered, chuckling, “but it’s sweet of you to say so. You’re a sight for sore eyes. But too thin.”
As if on cue, Ben announced, “I’m hungry. Is it time for an afternoon snack yet? Aren’t you hungry, Daddy?”
“I am,” he agreed, meeting Hannah’s gaze. “How about you? You’ve had a long trip.”
“Starved.” She stared at his mouth, the fine chiseled shape. Before she could stop the thought, she wondered what it would be like to kiss Dev Hart. It was an absurd idea, but she couldn’t help thinking about what those smiling lips would feel like pressed against her own. She shook her head to chase away the image. “Thirsty, too,” she added.
She must be dehydrated from standing in the hot Texas sun too long. It was the only explanation for her wayward thoughts concerning the man’s mouth.
“Then let’s go,” he said. He easily lifted his son to his broad shoulders and started up the gentle rise to the house.
Hannah and her mother exchanged small talk as they walked arm in arm behind Dev. Hannah admired the long, easy stride of the man. The obvious close bond between father and son warmed her heart. She was curious about the woman Dev had married. And what had happened between the two that had left him alone raising his son.
A few minutes later they climbed up the steps of Dev’s imposing, two-story, white clapboard house with wraparound porch and overhang. The roofline was an interesting array of peaks, with a circular turret and balcony in front. She counted two chimneys that she could see and lots of decorative wood adorning the railing.
Her mother led the way into a large foyer with living room on one side, dining room on the other, each decorated with crown moulding and chair rails. Their footsteps rang on the distressed oak floor as they continued down the hall. Entering an enormous kitchen, she glanced around, noting the new-looking appliances, hunter-green granite countertops and cooktop range with oven below and built-in microwave above. Right across from it was a ceramic-tiled island with an overhang on the other side where four oak stools sat.
On the far side of the room in a nook complete with window seat, stood an oak table with ten matching ladderback chairs. Tasteful paper in a floral pattern hung on the bottom half of the walls while light beige paint contrasted beautifully with the white chair rail and decorative mouldings on the top half.
“This is charming,” Hannah said, looking around in awe.
“Thanks. My folks redecorated about a year ago.” Dev lifted Ben from his shoulders. “Go wash up, son.”
“I already did, Dad.”
“How long ago?” Dev rested his hands on lean hips as his son looked up at him with a slightly guilty look.
“In town,” Ben answered vaguely.
“About four hours ago,” Polly confirmed.
“Quit stalling, squirt.”
“Okay,” he grumbled, then disappeared down another hall.
“He’s going to need some help reaching the sink,” Polly said, as she set out cookies, milk, fruit and iced tea. “I’d send his father,” she commented, giving the hunk hovering nearby a phony stern look, “but nine times out of ten more water winds up on the walls and floor than on their hands and faces.”
“I’ll go,” Hannah offered. “I need to wash up, too.”
“It’s down that hall,” Dev said. “If you see the utility room, you’ve gone too far.”
“Thanks,” she answered, and headed off after his son.
She found the room and saw Ben reaching without success to turn on the light. “Need some help, pal?”
“No.” Ben shook his head. Then he looked at her and she realized how much he resembled his father. “Maybe a little.”
She laughed and flipped the switch up with her thumb. The room was charming and functional. It had the same wood floor as the rest of the first story of the house. But the walls from top to bottom were covered with a tiny floral-print wallpaper, containing the same shades she’d seen in the kitchen. Wooden signs enhanced the country decor. The first that caught her eye read, So It Ain’t Home Sweet Home. Adjust! Another advised, Thou Shalt Not Whine.
She smiled, then looked down at the small boy on tiptoe squirming this way and that to reach the spigot and soap pump. “Let me help,” she said, squirting some into his grubby little hand and turning on the water. Lifting him with one arm around his middle, she used her free hand to wet his palms and rub the bubbles around as she chattered. “Your dad told me you’ll be four next week. I bet you’ll be able to reach the light switch then.”
He met her gaze in the mirror and grinned. “Yes, I will.”
“You’re a pretty big guy.”
He nodded and a lock of brown hair the same color as Dev’s fell over his forehead. “When I’m four, Daddy’s going to give me a horse.”
“Wow. You’re pretty brave. I’m afraid of horses.”
“Daddy’s going to teach me to ride. If he showed you how, you wouldn’t be a scaredy cat.”
Hannah was so taken with his utter confidence in Dev that she almost didn’t mind the scaredy cat remark. Having never known that feeling toward her own father, she couldn’t help envying the boy.
“If your dad put me on a horse, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t be scared,” she said. But she wasn’t talking about the horse part.
“How about we find out?”
Dev’s deep voice surprised her at the same time it raised goose bumps on her arms. She’d been so wrapped up in hand-washing and wondering about the things Ben’s daddy could show her, she hadn’t noticed the dad in question in the doorway behind her.
“Find out what?” she asked, setting the child down and giving him the hand towel.
“Let’s see if Ben’s right and I can teach you not to be scared—on a horse.”
“Daddy can help you,” Ben said with absolute confidence.
“How about tomorrow morning?” Dev suggested, leaning against the doorjamb. “Before it gets hot.”
It could be ten degrees below zero and if he was nearby she would be hot, Hannah thought. If she said no, she’d look like the world’s biggest coward to a four-year-old. And she wasn’t too keen on Dev thinking that of her either.
“Okay,” she said, ruffling the boy’s hair. She looked in the mirror, adjusting her gaze up to meet the tall cowboy’s. “I’ll meet you in the corral bright and early.”
Maybe if it was bright enough and early enough, she would be brave enough to face Dev—and the horse.
Chapter Two
After a restless night, Dev had risen earlier than usual. He’d wanted to get work out of the way so he had plenty of time for Hannah’s riding lesson. Except why he should go to so much trouble was what had kept him awake in the first place. Here on the ranch, there were always a million and one things to do. Not to mention the godawful paperwork he avoided as long as he possibly could. Given a choice between four walls and a computer spreadsheet program or outdoors and the horses, there was no contest.
All night long he hadn’t been able to stop factoring Hannah Morgan into the outdoors and horses part. Because he’d thought her presence would be awkward and it wasn’t. Because he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Because he’d watched his son take a fancy to her. Because she’d implied that he’d been Destiny High’s all-around playboy.
That’s not the way he remembered it. She must have him confused with another cowboy she’d tutored.
But for those reasons and probably some he hadn’t thought of yet, it was a fact that he now stood in the corral, horse saddled and waiting for her, at the time they’d agreed on. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he was waiting with more anticipation than he wanted to feel. He hadn’t seen Hannah yet today. He’d been out of the house and working before sunup, same as every other morning. Which was why he was so grateful to have Polly to look after Ben.
Was it gratitude that had goaded him into this offer to teach Hannah to ride? Her mother had bailed him out big time by taking care of the house and his son. Hannah had doctored Newy’s bum shoulder yesterday. And Dev had to admit she’d impressed him with her skill. So he was beholden to both of the Morgan women. Was that enough to explain why the prospect of seeing Hannah had him lit up inside like the grand opening of a Las Vegas casino?
His memories of her in high school were hazy at best. He remembered the tutoring. How could he forget? It had been damned humiliating. His grades had been pretty good—in everything but physics. To maintain sports eligibility, he’d been forced to get help in that subject. His teacher had insisted it be Hannah, who was tops in her honors class. But not only was she several years younger, she was a girl and a brainer. At a time when he was struggling to be a man, she’d made him feel like a greenhorn kid.
She’d been skinny as a boy with glasses bigger than her face. Who knew in ten years she’d grow breasts and curves that would turn her into a package cute as could be? He’d never guessed that behind those Coke bottle lenses she’d had eyes bigger and bluer than a field of Texas bluebonnets.
And so what?
She was here for six weeks, to rest up and see her mother. The visit was nothing more than temporary because her life was on the west coast. He’d been burned once by a woman who’d believed greener pastures were anywhere but Destiny. Hannah had left for college earlier than most and carved out a life for herself fifteen hundred miles away. He would be a fool to let luscious curves and beautiful blue eyes make him forget that. His mission was to get her over her fear of horses. Then leave her be.
He glanced up the hill and saw her approaching. In her jeans, lime-green T-shirt and denim baseball hat, she looked awful darn tempting. She was covered from head to toe, but what she wore highlighted those mouthwatering curves he’d so recently thought about. His pulse kicked up a notch even though he could see very little of her flesh. That thought generated a subtle challenge inside him to see more.
She stopped at the fence separating them and looked up at the horse for a long moment before meeting his gaze. “Good morning.”
He touched the brim of his hat. “Mornin’.” He looked past her, expecting his son. The boy had taken quite a shine to her the day before. When he’d tucked Ben in last night, it was Hannah this, and Hannah that. He hadn’t thought she would be able to leave the house without the little guy tagging along. Especially after he’d pleaded with her to go for it in the first place.
“Where’s Ben?” he asked.
“He was listless when he got up this morning, and felt a little warm, so I took his temperature. It’s a hundred and one.”
“Do you think it’s anything serious? Should I take him to—”
“Doc Holloway?” she asked, raising one eyebrow. “I actually graduated very near the top of my medical school class. Then I did a double residency in pediatrics and internal medicine. I could get a complex about you guys running to Doc Holloway when an honest-to-goodness doctor is within spitting distance.”
“Sorry. I forgot.” It probably had something to do with the fact that every time he laid eyes on her, he felt like he’d been kicked in the head by his favorite horse. That didn’t exactly help a cowboy put his best boot forward. “Did you check him over?”
She nodded. “I always have my medical bag with me. Ears and throat looked okay. His chest sounded clear. At this point, there’s nothing to treat. Some kids just run a temp when they get run down. Mom knows what to do for the symptoms—rest, meds to control the fever, and lots of fluids. He was keeping a low profile when I left the house.”
“The Texas tornado? That’s a miracle.”
She laughed, showing straight white teeth and a world-class smile. Before he could stop himself, he thought that she should do it more often. His next thought—why should he care if she did?
She stepped up on the first rung of the fence. “Since your son didn’t argue with the diagnosis and treatment, I figure it’s probably what he needs.”
“You’re the doc.”
“You finally remembered.”
He looked down as he shuffled his boots in the dirt. “You make it hard for a man to forget.”
“Sorry. It’s gotten to be a habit I guess, because of my medical training. Speaking of which, Ben was pretty vocal about not wanting to drink so much. I suggested that soda was a good fluid to push. That put a sparkle in his eyes.”
“Pretty smart,” he said. “But you always were.”
“Yeah.”
Her smile dimmed a shade at his remark and he wondered why. “Since Ben’s in good hands with your mom, what do you say you put yourself in mine? In a manner of speaking.”
The porcelain-smooth skin on her cheeks flushed pink. He hadn’t intended that as a double entendre. But now that he thought about it, touching her wouldn’t be too hard to take—if the parts of her that saw daylight were half as soft as the parts of her he’d been imagining that didn’t.
“Have you ever heard the expression ‘like father, like son’?”
He nodded. “Why?”
“Because you’ve got the same gleam in your eyes that I saw in Ben’s. Somehow I don’t think yours has anything to do with soda. So I have to assume it’s role reversal.”
“You lost me,” he said, shaking his head.
“Now you’re the teacher and I’m the student.”
“Ah.” He couldn’t suppress a grin.
She raised one eyebrow. “You wouldn’t hold that against me, would you?”
“You mean that whole dictator thing you had going on in high school?” He shook his head. “It never entered my mind.”
“Then why are you smiling like that?”
“Me?” he said, pointing to his chest. “I’m not grinnin’ like the price of beef went sky-high. I never smile.”
She looked warily at the animal waiting patiently beside him. “I don’t have to get on that horse, you know.”
Dev glanced at the gelding. “You mean Trouble? Why he’s as gentle as they come.”
“Then why is he named Trouble?” she shot back.
He shrugged. “Seemed to fit. He was sickly from the day he was born. Took a lot of nursemaiding. But he grew up big and strong. Didn’t you, boy?” he said, patting the horse’s neck.
“I have a bad feeling about this—”
Something deep down inside Dev said don’t let her back out. Don’t let her walk away now. “Look, Hannah, I could shame you into this. The words yellow, coward and chicken come to mind. But I won’t stoop to name-calling.”
“Thank goodness,” she said wryly.
“Unless you force me to.”
“Okay. Challenge noted and desired response achieved,” she said, climbing over the fence.
He noticed that she kept him between herself and the horse. Then her eyes grew bigger and bluer as she stared up at the big, gentle gelding.
“We can ride double until you feel comfortable,” he offered.
“What makes you think riding with you would make me more comfortable?” she asked, looking at him.
He hadn’t thought her eyes could get any bigger or more beautiful, but they did. And he had a feeling when she was talking uncomfortable, it had more to do with him than the horse. Why that should make him feel like grinning, he couldn’t say. The fact was—he wanted to, but of course he didn’t.
“I’ll ride behind you till you get the feel of it up there. Till you’re not as jumpy as spit on a hot skillet,” he added.
“I haven’t heard that one since I left Texas.”
“You ready to give it a go?” he asked.
She caught the corner of her full bottom lip between her teeth as she looked from him to the horse then over her shoulder to the house as if she wanted to take off at a dead run. Finally, she met his gaze and straightened her spine. “Okay. Never let it be said that Hannah Morgan, M.D., is not full of gumption and grit.”
There was the girl from Destiny that he remembered. For just an instant he’d heard the Texas drawl back in her voice. The snappy, husky, seductive tone turned his thoughts to things he couldn’t do on a horse. Well, he could, but it would be damned stupid, and pretty uncomfortable.
Whoa. Down boy, he thought. Rein in that idea pronto. This was a friendly lesson. He only wanted to teach her to ride, as a favor to her mom. The least he could do was pay some attention to Polly’s daughter during her visit, to show her a good time.
Is that why it seemed so important to get up close and personal? Just a good time? For her or him? Not to mention that there were lots of ways to make her feel easy on a horse without riding double.
Ignoring that sensible thought, he said, “Lesson number one—you need to make nice with Trouble.”
“I think I’ve already done that. Just by showing up,” she said. Hesitantly, she sidled up beside him.
He looked at her and wondered who she thought she’d made nice with—the horse or him. “Not even close,” he answered. It was safer not to make it about him. “You’ve got to touch Trouble. Like this,” he said taking her right hand and placing it on the animal’s neck.
Her wrist was delicate, fragile. She was small, barely came up to his shoulder. Something stretched inside him. If he didn’t know better, he would think it was his protective streak stirring to life. But he did know better. Corie had stomped it right out of him. She’d told him over and over: in this day and age, women wanted a lot out of life. Being a wife and mother wasn’t everything. She didn’t need a man to define who she was or protect her. His ex-wife’s putting her money where her mouth was and leaving had hit him like a truck and Dev had gotten the message loud, clear and painful. He could stand back and let Hannah do her thing just fine, thank you very much.
But he stood behind her, close enough that he could smell the fragrance of her—something floral and sassy mixed with soap. Her blond hair was tucked through the opening in the back of her hat and trailed down, skimming her shoulder blades. He wanted to free the silken strands and run his hands through them. Warmth radiated through him and sweat popped out on his forehead. So much for giving her an early lesson before it got hot.
“What do I do now?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder and up at him.
He swallowed—hard. “Just what you’re doing. Let him get used to you.” And me too, he thought. Damn that rusty tone in his voice. With any luck, she was too preoccupied with Trouble to notice.
“I think it’s more like me getting used to him,” she said nervously. “After all, he’s bigger than me. By a lot.”
So was Dev. A fact that fueled his pesky, persistent, protective streak. “I won’t let him hurt you,” he promised.
It was on the tip of his tongue to add that he would never let anything hurt her. But he held back. A fact for which he was really grateful. He didn’t want another woman in his life. Especially a career woman like Hannah.
“I appreciate that. Although if he takes it into his head to pulverize me, I’m not exactly sure how you could stop him.”
“Even if something spooks him, usually there’s warning. Time to get out of the way. There are signs. Restlessness. Shifting. Snorting. Same things that happen to you and me when we get rattled,” he said.
“God knows I snort when I get riled up,” she said.
“And here I thought you were brighter than the average bear. How intelligent is it to smart-mouth your tutor?”
“You tell me. I learned from you.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“Selective memory. It’s a condition that affects a lot of men,” she added.
“Male bashing is not the best way to win friends and favorably influence your riding teacher. But I’m going to take the moral high ground and not hold it against you. Right now Trouble is just standing there as peaceful as you please.”
“I’ll ignore the contradiction in terms of that last statement,” she said as she continued to stroke the horse’s neck.
For several minutes, he just let her do that while the slender, delicate, elegant, smooth curve of her neck tortured him with wondering what that spot would taste like.
Good God Almighty! What in the world had gotten into him? This—whatever it was—was just plain nuts. The sooner he got her on a horse and fulfilled his fool’s promise, the better. He’d just learned another lesson from Hannah. Don’t be too quick to offer a riding lesson to a pretty, big-city, lady doctor.
“Okay,” he said abruptly. “I think it’s time to climb up on Trouble and see how it feels.”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She hesitated for a moment, her hand resting on the horse’s neck. “What do I do?”
“One hand on the horn, left foot in the stirrup and haul yourself up, swinging the right over his rump. Easy as falling off a log.”
She slid him a look over her shoulder. “No form of the word ‘fall’ should be spoken in this conversation.”
“My mistake.” He held back his grin until she glanced away.
“Mistake is another word I don’t want to hear.”
“How about ‘just do it’?”
“Words to live by,” she said, but her voice was tight.
She followed his instructions and hauled herself up a little awkwardly. As badly as he wanted to put his hands on her waist and help, he kept his arms at his sides. In spite of the fact that she was stiff as last Sunday’s corn bread. Apprehension was written all over her, from the tense shoulders down to her shapely little fanny.
“Everything’s fine, Hannah,” he said, trying to reassure her.
“You’re not leaving me up here by myself, are you?” she asked from her perch in the saddle.
He wanted to. But he was the one who’d started this. His daddy hadn’t raised a quitter. Next time, he’d be more careful not to let his mouth write checks that his body would be foolish to cash.
“Nope.”
He took her small, sneakered foot out of the stirrup and stuck his boot in. Holding onto the horn, he swung up onto the horse’s rump, letting her have the saddle all to herself. He successfully fought the urge to put both arms around her. But with his chest to her back, he could feel her shaking. In spite of all his warnings, his hands went to her waist, just to steady her he told himself.
“Relax,” he said, close to her ear, stirring the wisps of golden hair that had slid out from her hat.
She shivered and he assumed it was from fear, since Texas wasn’t even close to cool this time of year. It surely didn’t have anything to do with him and the fact that they were as close as two peas in a pod.
“Relax,” she repeated, as if she were memorizing physics properties. “Focus.”
He picked up the looped reins he’d rested around the saddle horn, then held them out. “These are connected to the bit in his mouth. Pull on the right to make him go that way. Left turns him in that direction. Grip with your knees to keep from bouncing. Your backside will thank you later.”
“You make it sound easy enough,” she said. “I think I’ve got the hang of it. That’s probably enough for today. All that information is just buzzing around in my head. My mind is fairly spinning.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t want to overdo it.”
“Lucky for you I’m here.”
“Why lucky? Aside from the fact that if he throws us, you’ll go first to cushion my fall.”
“Because you can’t get down unless I do. And I don’t plan on it until I know you’re not going to give up on this.”
“I don’t understand why that’s so important to you.”
He shrugged, beyond trying to come up with a reasonable answer, even for himself. To her he said, “Because it’s a damn shame that a girl born and raised in Destiny, Texas, is afraid of a horse. You’ll give the town a bad name.”
“If it’s any consolation, I wasn’t raised here very long. I left for college when I was sixteen.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’ve got Texas in your blood. And the least you can do is take a spin around this corral before you head for the hills. Humor me.”
“Okay.” They sat there for a few moments before she asked, “How do I make him go?”
“Gentle pressure with your knees. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him.”
She nodded. “Go, Trouble,” she said hesitantly at the same time as she followed his instructions. The horse moved forward slowly and began to walk around the corral. “It worked.”
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’m a good teacher.”
“And humble too.”
After several turns around the enclosure, he felt her begin to loosen up. It was time for her to go it alone, but that meant he had to get off. Everything inside him balked at the thought.
But before he could decide what to do, he heard his son calling. “Daddy. Hannah.”
Instantly, Dev covered both of Hannah’s hands with his own, helping her bring the horse to a standstill. Then he slid off Trouble’s rump. He reached up and lifted her down before walking to the fence. Ben got there at the same time, huffing and puffing from running.
“Daddy, hurry.”
“What’s wrong? How are you feeling?”
“Polly said my tem-pitcher’s better. But you gotta come quick. Hannah, too. She’s a doctor. She’ll know what to do.” Then he turned and raced away, in the direction of the house.
Hannah instantly went into doctor mode. Was there something wrong with her mother? In two seconds she was at the gate opening it.
“Mom,” was the only word she could get out when she looked at Dev.
He nodded. “I’m right behind you.”
Hannah hadn’t known she could move that fast. She’d handled emergencies during her training, but it had never involved a family member. She loved her mother so much. The woman had made more sacrifices for her than she could count. Hannah was almost where she’d worked so hard to be—almost in a position to give Polly the easy life. If anything happened to her…
It seemed to take forever, but several minutes later she burst through the kitchen door. “Mom?”
“Here, honey,” the familiar voice said. “In the utility room.”
Hannah raced past the island to the hallway and the door on her left. Her mother smiled at her, then down at Ben who was crouched by a box. Relief flooded her that there was nothing wrong with Polly. Then she inspected the box more closely and saw the cat in it. A moment later, she realized what was happening.
With a wide-eyed, worried expression, Ben looked up at her. “Callie’s havin’ babies. She needs a doctor.”
Hannah nodded solemnly. He was too young to understand that the cat would probably do fine on her own. If not, she needed a vet. But she said, “I’ll get my medical bag.”
She hurried into the family room and retrieved the bag from where she’d left it after examining the boy earlier. When she returned, there was a new arrival. Dev was crouched beside his son, staring at the newest tiny bundle of slick fur.
“Where’s Mom?” she asked.
“She said she had things to do and since reinforcements had arrived, she went upstairs.”
Hannah nodded, then took a paper-wrapped package of disposable gloves from her kit and put them on. Then she knelt on Ben’s other side. Reaching in, she carefully picked up the brand-new kitten then nestled it where Callie could reach if she wanted to clean it up.
A few minutes later, there was another teeny-weeny furball, and she put it beside the first. After about forty-five minutes, three more little ones had arrived.
Hannah rubbed a hand over the mother cat’s side. “I think that’s the last one,” she said.
Ben’s brown eyes were bright as he looked at her. “Wow, five babies. You’re the best doctor in the whole world.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said truthfully. “Callie did all the work.”
The little boy shook his head as he stood. He threw himself into her arms. “I want you to stay here forever, Hannah.”
Chapter Three
Still squatting beside the mother cat’s birthing box, Hannah steadied herself from Ben’s enthusiastic embrace. Over the boy’s head, Hannah met Dev’s gaze. He was so close she could see flecks of gold that made his brown eyes almost hazel. Or maybe it was the fear she saw that made them seem different. In her line of work, all too often she saw parental anxiety and recognized it in Dev now. And she thought she knew the reason for his apprehension.
“Wow,” she said, rubbing the boy’s sturdy little back. Gently, she pulled his arms from around her neck. “Forever is a really long time, pal.”
Dev was still hunkered down beside her. He put his big hand on the boy’s shoulder and protectively tugged him back between his jeans-clad thighs. Then he pulled Ben just a little closer until the child’s back rested against his wide chest and wrapped his forearms around the boy’s middle. “Hannah lives in California, son.”
Bingo. Dev was worried, about his son pinning any hopes on her staying. She’d taken an oath to help, not hurt people, and that included little boys with big crushes. She needed to set him straight.
She nodded. “Your dad’s right, Ben. I just came to Texas for a visit.”
“Does visit mean you can’t move here?”
She looked into the little guy’s sweet, earnest face, then the father’s tight, tense features. Oh, boy. She’d been there less than twenty-four hours and she felt like she was dodging two Texas tornadoes—father and son.
She shook her head. “No, but visit means that I’m only here for a short time and then I have to go back home.”
Trustingly, Ben patted his father’s big hand where it rested against his abdomen. “So you can move here,” he said, his four-year-old logic simplifying everything.
“It’s not that easy, son.”
“Why?” The little guy turned puppy dog eyes on his dad.
“Because Hannah’s things are there and—”
The boy half turned and put an arm around his father’s neck. “I know what. How ’bout if we help? We’ll put all her stuff in your truck and bring it here.”
“Oh, sweetie—” His words squeezed Hannah’s heart. This pint-sized cowboy could grow on her without half trying.
Dev met her gaze and along with his fear she saw the tiniest bit of humor. “I should get out the map and show him how far it is. But somehow I still don’t think he would get it.”
She smiled. “Yeah, kids are pretty literal.”
“I do get it, Daddy. I want Hannah to stay and we should help her.”
Dev curved one hand around the boy’s small shoulders and turned him so they were face to face. “Hannah is a busy lady, an important doctor. She lives in California and her job is there.”
“Makin’ people better?”
“That’s right.” Dev nodded encouragingly.
“Kids get sick here, too,” the child pointed out sagely.
Oh, boy, she thought. Ben Hart, almost four—and pretty precocious for his age—could rip her heart out with one chubby little fist and walk away with it in his back pocket.
“Yes, they do,” she said. “And then you go to see Doc Holloway. He was my doctor when I was a little girl.”
Dev glanced at her, then back to his son. “You know how I work hard to make the ranch grow?” When the child nodded, he continued, “Hannah has worked hard like that to join a practice in California.”
“But she’s already a doctor. Why does she hafta practice?”
She caught her top lip between her teeth to stop the laugh that threatened. “A practice is a doctor’s business, like raising horses and cattle is your daddy’s job,” she explained.
“So bring your business here,” Ben said.
“Oh, sweetie. I can’t.” She searched desperately for the words to make him understand. “Could your daddy move his ranch somewhere else?”
From the safe circle of his father’s arms, the child half turned toward her and she could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. Finally, he shook his head. “Nope.”
“It’s the same way with my business. My patients are a long way away. If I live here in Texas, they can’t come see me to make them better. I have to stay there.”
“But I’m here,” he said, pointing a finger at his small chest.
Oh, mercy, she thought. “Yes, you are here. And I’m going to be very sad when I have to leave you.”
“Don’t leave,” the boy said, as if that settled everything. “Then Daddy and I can make you happy.”
Dev coughed uncomfortably. “Her dreams aren’t here, son.”
The boy’s brow furrowed as he thought that one over. “How come, Daddy? When I have a bad dream it’s here too.”
“I’m not talking about nightmares,” Dev explained patiently. “I’m talking about what Hannah wants in her life. And she doesn’t want a life here. A man can’t make a woman happy if her dreams don’t include him.”
Hannah saw the faraway look in his eyes and the flash of pain. Was he talking about his ex-wife, Ben’s mother? Again she wondered what had split them up. What was his story?
Ben concentrated on his father’s words for a while, then said, “I know. We hafta change Hannah’s dream to ’clude us, Daddy.”
Dev’s mouth curved up at the corners and again she couldn’t help wondering what his lips would feel like against her own. Heat started in her breasts and radiated north and south. If the warmth showed pink in her cheeks, she hoped he would chalk it up to their time outdoors. In a way that was true although not because of the sun. Sitting so close to him on that horse had given her trouble of the man/woman kind.
“One person can’t change another person’s dreams, son,” Dev explained patiently. “Hannah has already made up her own mind what she wants to do.”
“You hafta change her mind.” It was as if his father hadn’t spoken.
Hannah wondered if the child had inherited that stubborn, single-minded determination from his father. If so, and Dev turned the force of it on her, there could be hell to pay. But that wasn’t likely. This was history repeating itself. She’d noticed him, but he wouldn’t give her a tumble.
“I can’t change her mind,” Dev said.
More like he didn’t want to, Hannah realized. That was a relief. But the thought rang just a bit hollow.
“Sure you can, Daddy. You tell me all the time I can do anything if I just try. You gotta try.” His eyes, the same shade as his father’s, lit up. “I know what you can do.”
“I know I’m going to regret this,” Dev said to Hannah. Then he looked at Ben. “What can I do?”
“Kiss Hannah.” The child nodded emphatically.
The heat that had just receded returned to Hannah’s cheeks. “Sweetie, I don’t think your dad wants to do that.”
“Sure he does. He kissed Cassie Gordon once and he did it good because I heard him tell Polly that she wouldn’t leave him alone afterward.”
Her mouth twitched at the look on Dev’s face. He was still wearing his hat. The shadow it cast prevented her from seeing if he blushed, but he was definitely squirming. Chalk one up for the offspring.
“Is this true?” she asked.
“Well—”
“So you’re still the Pied Piper of Destiny’s female population?”
“Not even close.”
“But what about poor Cassie Gordon?”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head over her,” Dev said wryly. “She’s a barracuda in sheep’s clothing.”
“That’s a mixed metaphor.”
“Since when is English grammar your specialty?”
She shrugged. “I’m an all-around gifted gal.”
Ben put his little hands on his father’s face and turned it toward him. “Daddy, you hafta kiss Hannah. You can change her dream. It works in the movies.”
“What are you letting this child watch?” she asked.
He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “That’s a good question.”
“I saw it in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White— all of ’em. Polly said they’re okay.”
“You’re going to have your hands full with him, Dev. He’s a bright one. If anyone knows what a double-edged sword that can be, it’s me.”
He sighed, then looked at Ben. “Life isn’t as easy as a movie or a book—or high school,” he said meeting her gaze.
“High school easy? I prefer to think of it as the school of hard knocks,” she said.
“But Daddy—”
“Ben,” he said firmly, “this discussion is over. Hannah and I are going in the kitchen. You watch the cat clean up her babies. And don’t touch them,” he warned. “Mothers will do anything to protect their babies and she might scratch you if she’s afraid you’ll hurt them.”
“Mothers do that?” Ben asked.
“Yeah,” Dev said. “Except yours,” he added, too softly for the preoccupied boy to hear.
He pushed to his feet, then held a hand down to Hannah. She took it, letting him help her up. As surely as she felt the warmth of his palm enveloping hers, she felt Dev’s concern for his child. Whatever he asked, she would do. If it meant not hurting Ben, she was prepared to leave the ranch.
After dinner and the dreaded paperwork, Dev walked out on the front porch to clear his head. He stretched as he stared at the clear Texas sky sprinkled with thousands of twinkling stars. Was there a prettier sight anywhere? He doubted it. Unless it was the way the sun brought out the gold in Hannah’s hair.
Good Lord. She’d been there twenty-four hours and he couldn’t seem to control his thoughts about her. Especially her full, sensuous lips—a mouth made for kissing.
He recalled telling Ben that life wasn’t as simple as movies or books—or high school. Hannah remembered it as the school of hard knocks. But he disagreed. Back then, it was a whole lot easier to ignore Hannah. He’d never once thought about what it would feel like to kiss her. Since seeing her again, he’d thought of very little else. Now that was a hard knock.
As the refreshing evening breeze washed over his heated skin, he took a deep breath. His gaze wandered over the front yard and the outbuildings in the distance. As it swung in closer, he thought he saw movement in the white-painted gazebo that sat about a hundred yards from the house. Looking closer, he spotted a lime-green shirt.
Hannah.
She’d disappeared as soon as she’d helped Polly clean up the dinner dishes. If she was trying to hide, she’d have to do better than neon green. He was a fool three times over for even considering it, but decided it would be less than Texas neighborly to ignore her. He walked down the steps and crossed the length of the sidewalk, then into the shadowed interior of the small, intimate structure.
“Evening,” he said.
“Hi.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Nope.”
He sat down in a spot he gauged to be a safe distance across from her. Unfortunately she was upwind. A sweet, flowery, feminine fragrance he somehow knew he would always connect to Hannah drifted to him on the breeze. Her hair was loose and caught behind her ears, held there by a headband that matched her shirt. The moonlight turned the silky strands to silver. Sitting ramrod straight, she held her knees together, hands on her slender thighs. Her eyes looked enormous in the soft, romantic light.
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