But now Kari had got a job in town just to spite him. She had been a little bristly the other day when he made the comment about letting her cousin do all the work? He shook his head, that woman took everything literally.
Chapter 16
JORDAN HUMMED to herself as she rolled up the sleeves of her dress. Normally she dreaded wash day. But not today. Today was different. Today
she
was different.
Her whole life had changed last night. Her body was still humming from being in Gray Hawk's arms when he showed her how wonderful making love could be. Not once, but twice, and then they went for a swim in the pond. He had washed her tender flesh, bringing her to ecstasy once more. Never had she felt so loved--or so alive.
She'd slipped quietly into her bed late last night, and slept in this morning. She smiled as her stomach did a little flip, still finding it hard to believe that they had actually made love.
Grabbing a pair of black pants, she stopped before submerging them under the water. Gray Hawk had worn these very pants yesterday. She vividly remembered the way they clung to his sweaty body while branding. She glanced at the pile of clothes, his shirt was lying there on top. Putting the pants in the tub, she grabbed the shirt, looked around, then brought it to her face, rubbing the soft material against her cheek and smelling the masculine scent that still lingered on them.
"Jordan?"
Guiltily dropping the shirt in the tub, she turned to see Shane coming out the back door.
"There you are. Hey, I wanted to tell you that you may want to get an early start on dinner tonight. I gave the men the afternoon off after our long day yesterday."
"Thanks for the warning," she said, hoping he hadn't seen her smelling her lover's shirt. Lover--the word was so intimate, yet so right, because that's exactly what Gray Hawk was to her.
"Looks like you have your hands full, so I'll leave you to your washing."
She did no more than nod. Taking gentle care of the shirt, she lovingly rinsed out every speck of dirt. With careful fingers she hung it and his pants on the line to dry, her mouth curving into a grin.
As she walked up the back steps to the house, she rubbed her red, chapped hands together. She glanced down at her wet apron, and quickly changed into a fresh one. Wishing she had time to brush her hair, she instead used her fingers to rake through the curls. Already she missed Kari's help, who had taken a job in town at the dress shop. Jordan knew she'd done it to call Shane's bluff, but no doubt it would be Jordan who would pay for it.
An hour later, her exhaustion was forgotten as she took supper out to the men. Her heart began pumping within her chest having waited the entire day to see Gray Hawk. When she neared the door, the sounds of male voices filled the air. As she stepped inside the hall, she was met with smiles and praise on how great the food smelled. To her disappointment, Gray Hawk was not among the hands eagerly awaiting their dinner.
When she brought in the last of their meal, Gray Hawk still hadn't arrived. She lingered a few minutes, making sure everyone had what they needed. What if he'd left? Maybe she'd been a disappointment to him, and he was now headed back to Running Deer. Her heart lurched at the thought. Certainly he would have said something to her.
Suddenly depressed, she walked out the door and ran straight into a ranch hand. His hands went to her arms, steadying her.
"Hey."
Jordan looked up into Gray Hawk's gorgeous face and her hope was restored.
Closing the door behind them, Gray Hawk pulled her around the side of the bunkhouse and out of sight of the others. His arms encircled her waist, bringing her up against his hard length as his lips met hers feverishly.
"I missed you," he whispered against her lips.
"I missed you, too," she replied, leaning into him, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her. "I thought for a minute you had left."
His gray eyes were dark with passion as he kissed her again. "I would never leave you."
Laying her cheek against his chest, she closed her eyes savoring the moment.
"Meet me tonight?"
"Yes," she replied, before pulling his head down for one more kiss. "You better go before someone comes looking for you."
"All right, I'll see you later tonight."
She could feel his eyes on her all the way back to the house.
ALTHOUGH HER back ached like the dickens, Kari felt a sense of satisfaction. After six straight hours of sewing, she headed off in the direction of the schoolhouse where Tanner and Rebecca were at play with the other children. She smiled to herself knowing that a structured school day was exactly what both children needed. As she approached, they waved merrily, then after bidding their new friends goodbye, jumped aboard.
"How was your day?" Kari asked, as they rolled forward.
"Fun," Rebecca said with a wide smile. "We didn't have too much work, but we did play a lot, didn't we Tanner?"
Tanner nodded.
"How was your day?" Rebecca asked, sounding very much like an adult.
"I had a marvelous day. Mrs. Craven is the nicest woman to work for. She is very sweet and mild-mannered." So unlike Shane Catalono, she thought to herself.
They continued on in silence, the kids no doubt reliving their first day at school and Kari was exhausted, but elated she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do. Mrs. Craven hadn't asked many questions, but Kari noticed she mentioned renting the apartment above the shop to her and Jordan. She hadn't asked about their current living arrangements, but Kari had once again lied and said they were Hank's nieces from New York. Even though she detested telling the woman lies, it would be easier that way, less suspicious.
As they crested the hill overlooking the Triple T, Kari stopped so she could gaze at its sheer beauty. "Isn't it glorious children?" She took in a breath of fresh air. "
This
is what it's all about."
She realized Tanner was staring at her, and when she turned he looked away abruptly. He said so little around her, and was almost shy--though she'd seen him with the men and knew he was very outgoing. Obviously a sign of living with men all his life, without a mother's influence. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and she had to resist the urge to sweep the bangs back with her hand, uncertain of what his reaction would be. After all, he was only four years younger than herself. "It must be a good feeling to know that this will all be yours one day," she said instead.
He looked down at the ranch, his eyes so like his father's taking everything in. Then a small smile came to his lips before he nodded. "Yeah, it does feel good."
Kari's hands tightened on the reins as Shane stepped from the stables, his hand shaded his eyes as he looked in their direction. Seconds later he waved. Rebecca and Tanner waved exuberantly in return as she slapped the reins down sending the wagon lurching forward.
She could feel her carefree mood slipping away with every turn of the wagon wheel that brought her closer to Shane Catalono. He was so irritating! How she yearned to slap that sardonic smile from his face whenever she saw him.
"He says you're pretty?"
Kari turned to Rebecca who was grinning at her.
"Who said that?" Kari asked, her brow raised in question while trying to hide the excitement she felt even before Rebecca nodded in Shane's direction.
"Uncle Shane." Rebecca giggled. "He said you're ornery, too."
Kari's heart leapt in her chest. He thought she was pretty! She frowned. Clearly Rebecca had misunderstood him, for Shane Catalono certainly never looked at her with anything but a disapproving smirk. "You must have misunderstood him," she replied matter-of-factly. "He was probably talking about someone else--"
"No, she's right. I heard him," Tanner confirmed. "And he was talking about you. He said you had the face of an angel, hair like a field of wheat, and a smile that would make a priest blush."
Kari kept her eyes pinned on the man that was walking toward them in his long-legged stride. Obviously the children wouldn't lie, or come up with those phrases on their own. Did he really think those things about her? The thought warmed her insides as she stared at him. God broke the mold when He made Shane Catalono, Kari thought, for he was pure, unadulterated male. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she reined in beside him. To know he had said all those "nice" things about her was rather unsettling. For so long she'd built up a wall where he was concerned. A wall she meant to stay intact, she thought with firm resolve, as Shane looked right past her to Tanner and Rebecca.
"How was school?" he asked, helping Rebecca down.
As they rattled on excitedly about their day, he laughed. "Whoa, on second thought, tell me over supper. Go on, get yourselves cleaned up." He smiled after the two as they raced toward the house, and Kari stared at his strong profile. He was a handsome man, so masculine...and so sarcastic.
When he turned back to her, she immediately stood and went to step from the wagon, when he reached out and grabbed her. His large hands nearly spanned her waist as he let her down slowly, his blue eyes not once leaving hers. Once situated on the ground she resisted the urge to hold onto him to steady her wobbly knees. "Thank you," she muttered under her breath before she stepped past him.
"How was your first day on the job, Miss Hoffman?" he asked to her retreating back.
Turning, she found his eyes wandering down her body. Did he have any idea how wicked he looked when his gaze moved over her like that, or what he was doing to her pounding heart? "I had a very good day, thank you."
Shane watched as Kari turned toward the house again, enjoying the enticing sway of her hips as she walked with her chin held high and her back ramrod straight. As she jerked the door closed behind her, he swore under his breath. He had no business messing around with someone as young, and newly widowed as Kari Hoffman. Hoffman? His eyes narrowed, wondering why she didn't use the same name as her husband. Or perhaps she had been married to Jordan's brother--but they were cousins. Or maybe she just hadn't been married long enough to become accustomed to her married name. He wondered not for the first time what her husband had been like. He knew he had been twice her age. Had he been good to her? Did he love her and she him, the way that he and Lily had loved?
He was still pondering those same questions when he sat down to dinner.
Shane nodded as Kari passed him in a clean apron, her golden curls piled atop her head. He watched her as she moved around the kitchen methodically going through the motions, helping Jordan prepare the family's dinner, even though her cousin appeared to have everything under control.
She was at ease here. Familiar where everything was and where it went. Rebecca adored both she and Jordan, and Tanner had taken to the women better than he could have hoped. One day Kari would marry again and maybe even have children. The thought hit him like a fist to his gut. She would be a great mother. She proved that every day with Rebecca and Tanner.
As he stared, he noticed her skin turn a flattering shade of pink. Her back was ramrod straight, and her chin was tilted at that regal level he was becoming accustomed to. Only on rare occasions did she smile, and he realized how much he would love to see a grin right about now.
As Rebecca and Tanner took their seats, Jordan and Kari set the steaming roast on the table and sat down. Throughout the meal Kari kept her eyes on her plate, but she barely picked at her food. He wished they'd got off on the right foot, but it seemed from the first moment they met, theirs was going to be a different kind of relationship...he could only blame himself for starting it.
He ate, not really tasting the food as he tried to make sense of his emotions as far as Kari was concerned.
The physical attraction was obviously there from the very beginning, at least on his part, and he suspected she felt the same way if he wasn't misconstruing those tentative glances that were down right sizzling at times. He wasn't an arrogant man. It wasn't as though women were knocking down his door, but he wasn't a stranger to some of the women of Brogan. Once he even came close to settling down with one. Her name was Rose, a young lady with a quiet disposition and a love for painting. She would have made a good wife. Obedient, loyal, but she lacked a certain spark. Always she wanted what Shane wanted, never giving any thought to her own happiness. He broke things off, and within a year she married a preacher, and moved to a neaby town.
With most women, he made the mistake of comparing them to Lily. They didn't measure up, always lacking in some way. So why this attraction to Kari who was the complete opposite? He and Lily had similar upbringings. She had been content with her life on the ranch, but Kari...sure she had adapted, but what did he really know about her? Something about her and Jordan puzzled him. With their impeccable manners, and the way they carried themselves, made him wonder if they came from money. But if they had money, why did they work? There were a lot of questions where the two of them were concerned.
Why was he thinking about women anyway? He had his son and his ranch. He didn't have time for that kind of trouble. A woman who loved Tanner and Rebecca like her own, and who loved ranching and this country as much as he did. Would it be so bad? He thought to himself.
The children ate quickly, excusing themselves, anxious to play a game of cards.
"I'll be right there," he said, glad to get his thoughts off of Kari.
Jordan cleared the dishes from the table. "Kari, you don't have to help me. You've already worked a long day."
"I want to," she said quickly, her smile tight as she glanced in his direction. "Do you need something, Mr. Catalono?"
Shane's brows lifted at her question. "Can't a man sit and drink his coffee in his own kitchen?"
Kari turned her back on him and rinsed the dishes. Shane could see he wasn't wanted, so he left them.
Shane was sitting on a couch watching the kids play a game of cards, when Kari came into the living room a little while later. She took a seat nearby, avoiding his glance.
A warmth washed over him as she smiled down at the children, who had become so enamored of her. How often had he wanted a woman in his life? For so long he thought he would be alone, never imagining another taking Lily's place. Yet now he had hopes that perhaps this woman at his side could be a part of his life. He cleared his throat, bringing her attention to him. "Thanks for taking the children to school today. I think you're right, it is good for them to be around other kids their age."