Suited to be a Cowboy (18 page)

He laughed and ran ahead to open the door.

Sheila turned toward her as she entered the kitchen. “I
saw the truck coming so I put on a fresh pot of coffee. You look all tuckered
out. Are you hungry?”

“Famished, but I’m going to swallow a painkiller and grab
a quick shower first. Thanks for keeping an eye on the kids.”

“No problem. You need help, Melissa?” Concern etched into
her features.

“If you don’t mind. I’m feeling kind of weak and shaky. I
think I might have overdone it today.”

“Hmm, you’re probably right.” Sheila wrapped an arm around
her waist and Melissa leaned on her as they made their way to her room. “Want
me to wait for you?”

“No, that’s okay. I’m hoping a shower will revive me.”

“If not, ring the kitchen.”

Melissa nodded, then went into the bathroom and turned on
the taps. The warm, welcoming spray sluiced over her body, loosening her tense
muscles, and washing away the day’s grime. She emerged feeling marginally
better, pulled on a comfortable sweat suit, and worked her way to the kitchen.
It was slow going and she was grateful Sheila watched for her, assisting her
the last few steps.

“I think you need a raise, Sheila.” She smiled her thanks.

Sheila chuckled. “I wouldn’t say no. Have a seat. I’ll
pour your coffee and fill your plate.”

“It smells good in here.”

“Dinner’s ready and I made lots. Didn’t know who all would
be here and hungry when you finished with the horses. The kids have already
eaten.”

The kitchen phone rang and Sheila answered, “Hello…yep…okay.”
She hung up.

“That was short and sweet,” Melissa said, curious.

“Yep, just Jimmy boy asking if he could invite the vets in
for a bite. John’s coming back with them as well. What did I tell you?”

Melissa giggled. “Sometimes, you amaze me. Thanks for
being prepared.”

“No hardship on my part. I love to cook.”

“And I’m helpless in a kitchen.”

“Not quite. You make excellent coffee and toast.”

They shared a laugh as Sheila set the table, then removed
the covered dishes from the warming oven. “I’ll set these on the table so the
men can help themselves. They’re bound to be hungry.”

“Men and women. Did you meet Amy?”

“The lady vet? Yeah. She’s a pretty one.” Sheila set the
bowl of coleslaw down.

Melissa’s stomach nose-dived at Sheila’s pronouncement. Did
Jimmy think Amy was pretty? “I’ll need you to get a room ready for her.”

“Already done.”

Melissa jerked to attention when the back door opened and
Amy waltzed in, followed by Jimmy, John, and Roger. She heard Jimmy tell Amy
where she could wash up and the men left to do the same.

When they returned, Roger and Amy had removed their lab
coats and the other two had changed their shirts. Jimmy wore a body-hugging
muscle shirt that showed off his upper torso to perfection. She fairly drooled,
knowing what was under that shirt, and had to avert her eyes. She was hungry
for food, nothing else. Well, not with company here anyway.

Chapter Twelve

“I think we might lose two of the horses, Melissa,” Roger
said between bites. “The next few hours will tell. I left your men with
instructions to give them as much water as they could drink and to keep them
walking. We can only hope at this point.”

She nodded. “There’s not a man on the place that doesn’t
love horses. They’ll do what needs to be done. Thank you both,” her look
encompassed Amy as well, “for making time to come to our aid today.”

Talk turned general after that and Melissa marveled at how
much her life had changed. A few short weeks ago, it had been just her, Aaron,
and Sheila. Now the house was filled with family and friends, people willing to
pitch in and help whenever necessary.

She was especially thankful for Jimmy. He’d opened her
eyes and heart to love again. Of course, the sex had been great too.

“What’s that smirk all about?” Jimmy winked.

The telltale heat of a blush crept into her cheeks and she
ducked her head, unable to answer.
He knows
darned well what I was thinking. The rat!

Dinner over, John gathered his grandkids and Jimmy left
with Roger and Amy to check on the horses one last time before Roger headed back
to town. Melissa sat for one more cup of coffee and read for a while, then wobbled
painfully to the front room and settled in front of the TV, waiting for the
news to come on. As she’d figured, her ranch was the main story of the day. The
news crews must have shown up after she came home. The reporter, a woman,
fawned all over Jimmy as she interviewed him—not very professional. The knot of
jealousy forming in the pit of her stomach surprised her, but vanquished in a
heartbeat as sheer jubilance took over.

The next scene showed Marcus being led, handcuffed, into
the police station. He was spitting and sputtering, hollering harassment and
everything else he could think of. Melissa laughed when he took a swing at the
cameraman. That sure wouldn’t earn him any brownie points. When Jimmy came in,
she was laughing out loud and grasping her ribs to still the pain.

“You need to share the joke. After a day like today, I
could use a good laugh.”

Too quick, she turned and her ribs screamed in protest. “Oh!
You startled me.” She wrapped her arms around her middle again.

“Sorry, didn’t intend to.” He paused and looked at her expectantly.

“What?”

“Are you going to tell me what’s so funny?”

“Marcus. He was hollering up a storm on national
television when the police arrested him.” She smiled up at him. Even after
putting in a long, hard day, Jimmy looked spectacular.

“Wish I had seen it.” He grinned. “I’m going to grab a
shower and work on the payroll. The men expect their pay tomorrow.”

“Okay. Need any help?” At his lascivious grin, she
clarified, “with the payroll?”

“No, but I’ll need your signature on the checks later.”

“You know where to find me. I’m too tired to move off this
couch. Where’s Amy?”

“Sheila showed her to her room so she could clean up and
get changed. Can I get you anything?”

“No, but thank you for all your help today. Normally, I
wouldn’t approve your take-charge attitude, but I wasn’t feeling up to making
decisions.”

“Not to worry. Your body still needs rest, time to heal
properly. I was glad to help.”

She stood, thinking she’d find Aaron and say good night.

“Hey, I thought you were too tired to move.”

“I am, but being a mother doesn’t always allow me that
luxury.” She’d only taken one step before her ankle buckled, and she pitched
forward. Jimmy caught her and steadied her against his chest. His heart beat
against her ear, the steady rhythm increasing in pace as he held her close.

“Are you all right?” His voice was velvety smooth as he
spoke softly.

“My ankle…I guess I was on my feet too much today. Either
that or I’ve become a klutz.”

“Never a klutz. You move so gracefully that it sometimes appears
as if you glide across a room. This will pass, but you have to allow yourself
time to heal, woman.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Jimmy picked her up and held her close, bringing his head
down toward hers. When their lips touched, her insides heated. He tasted of
peppermint, yummy pink ones, the kind he kept on his desk. When he sat with her
on his lap, his kisses set her on fire. How long they sat, arms and tongues
entwined, she had no idea. He pulled away and shifted her to sit next to him on
the sofa, which left her feeling bereft, until someone thundered down the
hallway.

Aaron slid around the corner into the room by hanging onto
the doorframe.

“Hey, Mom! Want to play Scrabble?”

“Not tonight, honey. I’m too tired.”

“John’s setting up the board. Come on,” he urged.

“Your mother overdid it today,” Jimmy said.

“She should’ve let me help,” Aaron said, his face set
mutinously.

Jimmy shook his head. “It was too dangerous out there
today, sport. Those kids of John’s haven’t had much experience with horses. You
did a good job keeping them busy here.”

His words brought a smile back to Aaron’s face and his
little chest puffed up at Jimmy’s compliment.

“Can you come and play with us, Jimmy?” Aaron asked.

Jimmy’s gaze briefly fastened on hers. Oh yeah, she could
see he wanted to play, just not Scrabble.

“Not tonight, buddy. I’m in dire need of a shower, and I
promised Amy I’d show her the town.”

“Who’s Amy?”

“The lady vet who helped us today.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Aaron said a hasty good night and hurried off. Jimmy
offered Melissa a hand up. She felt wobbly on her feet. “I’m really done in
tonight.”

“I’ll carry you.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Would he kiss
her again? She jerked away from his touch, remembering his date. “You don’t
have to keep doing that. I don’t want to keep you.”

“For now I will. We’ll see what you feel like in the
morning.”

She sighed in defeat. “You’re probably right. I certainly
don’t want to take another nosedive.”

He got one arm under her knees while
the other wrapped around behind her, the tips of his fingers brushing the side
of her breast as he picked her up. She inhaled on a gasp as exquisite sensations
rioted through her. His soft chuckle was the only indication that he knew why.

Tit
for tat!
Her arm in its cast rested against his chest. The arm might be
broken, but the fingers still worked. She used them to tease his male nipples
into hardened nubs as he carried her down the hall.

“Cut that out. You’re playing with fire,”
he whispered close to her ear.

“A little heat never hurt anybody.”

“Baby, with you a little heat starts a
raging inferno.” He shifted her against him to open her bedroom door, kicking
it shut once they were inside. Jimmy strode to the bed then stopped, allowing
her body to slide down the front of his until her feet touched the floor. “How
likely is it that Aaron will come looking for you?”

She kept her good arm around his neck, playing
with his hair as she pulled his head down until their lips touched, tasted. “Not
likely at all. He’s busy with the game and he knows I’ve gone to bed.”

“Wait right here.” Jimmy left her
standing by the bed to cross the room and lock the door. Next, he checked the
patio door, closed the vertical blinds, and toed off his shoes before returning
to her.

“I like the way you think, cowboy, but
what about your date?”

“No strings…no regrets. That’s what we
agreed on.”

Hopes dashed, Melissa tried to act
nonchalant as she said, “No strings, no regrets, and not tonight. I’m tired.”

His arms came around her, holding her
tight against his chest as he pressed tiny kisses to the top of her head. “You
put in a hard day. Can I just hold you for a while?”

She should say no, and intended to say
no. Instead, she allowed him to lay her down on the bed and cuddle up beside
her. “This is nice.”

“Um, hm.”

She snuggled in closer, her cast
resting comfortably on his chest as the day’s worries drained away and the
steady beat of his heart beneath her ear lulled her to sleep.

* * * *

Jimmy reluctantly slipped from Melissa’s
nice warm bed, quietly dressed, then left through the patio door and crossed
the courtyard to his rooms. He would’ve preferred remaining snuggled up to
Melissa, but he’d promised Amy a night out. After all the times she’d gone out
to the cottage to tend Sherry, he felt he owed her that much.

Twenty minutes later, showered and
dressed, he went looking for her. He found her playing a video game with Aaron.
From the boy’s morose expression, Jimmy figured he was losing.

Amy’s usual attire was lab coat and
jeans, so he did a quick double take when he saw her. Her long, chestnut curls
were brushed to a shine, held back from her face with a silver clip with a few
strands left to hang in soft curls to frame her face. The little black dress
she wore was just that—little. It didn’t leave much to the imagination. Her
shoulders were bare, her cleavage pronounced, and the hem rode high on her
thighs. Dangly silver earrings and necklace, and mile-high heels completed the
picture.

Jimmy couldn’t help it, he whistled. “Lady,
you sure do clean up nice.”

“Darn! You startled me and now I’m
losing.” She concentrated on the game for a few more minutes, but her broad
smile told him she was pleased by the compliment. When Aaron gave a jubilant
shout of victory, she set down the controller.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks for the game, Aaron. It
was fun.”

“Any time.” The boy’s face was wreathed
in smiles.

Jimmy linked his arm with Amy’s as they
left the room and detoured through the kitchen. “Sheila, Melissa’s gone to bed
and Aaron is in the game room. Thought I’d let you know.”

“Thanks, Jimmy. Have a good evening.”

He nodded and left, wondering what he’d
done to earn that look of censure from the cook. They reached his truck and he
shrugged it off as he held the door open for Amy, getting an eyeful as she
climbed inside. He appreciated the view, as any red-blooded man would, but it
didn’t affect his libido like a certain blonde-haired beauty he knew.

His beautiful boss had him lassoed,
heart, mind, and soul, but he determined to enjoy the evening and show Amy a
good time. With that in mind, he climbed in behind the wheel and headed for downtown.

“I’ve missed you, Jimmy,” Amy said as
she scooted closer to his side of the truck.

“I’ve missed you too, darling girl.”

“Thanks for asking me out tonight.”

Jimmy laughed. “I’m not sure who asked
who, but you’re welcome. It’s the least I can do after you taking such good
care of Sherry all these years.”

“I enjoyed the home visits and the
company,” she said, scooting even closer.

He could feel a noose closing around
his neck and tried to ward it off. “Well, it would’ve been awkward to take
Sherry to the clinic for check-ups.”

“Really, I didn’t mind. I love horses
and yours is a beauty.”

“Yes, she is, and I have a question. If
she got impregnated by a horse that’s not a purebred, will it ruin her
bloodline? Taint it in some way?”

She shifted over to her own side of the
cab and turned to look at him. “It could, but doesn’t always. Why? Do you think
one of the ranch stock got to her?”

“I don’t think. I know. The only
question now is, who owns the foal?”

“You do. It’s Sherry’s baby and she’ll
look after it.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,
Amy. By the way, how do you know Melissa?”

“Remember the train wreck just before
you left town?”

“Yeah.” He glanced sideways at her.
“What about it?”

“Melissa is the woman who owned the
horses that ran amok. When I heard there might be injured horses, I grabbed my
medical satchel and headed over to tend them.”

Jimmy chuckled wryly.

“What’s so funny?” Amy asked.

“I’m the city slicker who rounded up her
horses.”

Amy’s sexy laughter filled the cab.
“Oh, I missed that. I can just see you barreling down

He shook his head. “No, that was pure
coincidence.” The rest of the miles seemed to go by fast as he filled her in on
the details. Before he knew it, he was braking to a stop in the bar’s parking
lot. “We’re here.”

* * * *

The sound of an engine brought Melissa
awake with a jolt to find herself alone in the bed. She rose and made her way
to the window in time to see Jimmy’s truck head down the driveway. Her chest
squeezed so tight she could barely breathe as she noticed his passenger—Amy.

He
left my bed and ran right over to dress and take out another woman. How could
he?
Men! That was it!
She was
through with them. Marcus, Jimmy…they were all cast from the same mold and
she’d do well to remember that.
Rats…every
last one of them.

She headed straight for the shower.
She’d wash the scent of him out of her hair and be done with him. And if hot
tears mixed with the stinging spray, she didn’t allow herself to acknowledge
them. Dressed in pajamas, she angrily stripped the bed and took everything to
the laundry room. Then she slipped into the kitchen, made some popcorn and hot
cocoa, and carried it through to the living room. She’d watch television for a
while to get her mind on something else and then head back to bed.

As she munched, she watched TV, but she
hadn’t a clue what was on. Jimmy hadn’t lied to her about going out with Amy.
It’s just that after all they’d been and done together, she felt…what?