скачать книгу бесплатно
“I did offer to let them off, but they preferred me paying them double time for working this weekend,” he said, unaware of her thoughts. “So don’t worry about the horses until your men get back on Monday. I’ll have one of mine go over there again tomorrow and Sunday to take care of them.”
“That isn’t necessary,” she insisted. “I’ll do it.”
He stubbornly folded his arms across his broad chest and shook his head. “You need to take it easy for a couple more days and make sure you’re completely over the flu before you start doing anything too strenuous. You won’t be doing yourself or your little boy any favors if you’re in the hospital with pneumonia.” Something in his tone, as well as his body language, told her than he was determined to have his way in the matter.
Just as determined to have her own way, she shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“That’s what you said last night and this morning,” he remarked. “I wouldn’t consider barely having enough strength to stand doing all that great.”
He probably had a point, but she hated to admit that he was right, almost as much as she hated that she found him so darned good-looking.
“Why do you care?” she asked bluntly. Apparently the flu had removed some kind of filter in her brain. She was unable to keep from blurting out whatever she was thinking.
His easy expression changed to the dark scowl she was more used to seeing from him. “Having the flu isn’t something you should take lightly. It can have serious complications. I’m just trying to make sure you’re around to raise your little boy, lady.”
She knew he was only doing what he thought was right, but it had been a very long time since anyone had cared to lend her their assistance or show they were concerned for her well-being. Even her late fiancé’s parents had severed all ties with her when their son died. And they hadn’t bothered contacting her since, even knowing she had been pregnant with their grandchild. That’s when she had decided she didn’t need them or anyone else. She was a strong, capable woman and could do whatever had to be done on her own.
Shrugging, she stared down at the clothes in her lap. “I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful,” she said, meaning it. “There’s no excuse for my being rude. I do appreciate your help. But I’ve taken care of Seth since I came down with the flu and I’m doing a lot better now. I know I’ll be fine.” She looked up into his hazel eyes. “Really.”
“I respect your need for independence,” he said, his tone less harsh. “All I’m trying to do is help you out for a couple more days. Rest up here, at least until tomorrow. I’ll have one of my men go over to your place, then all you’ll have to do when you get home is take care of yourself and your little boy.”
It was obvious he wasn’t going to give up and she wasn’t up to a full-scale verbal battle. And honestly, it would be nice to not have to take on everything all by herself for once.
“All right,” she finally conceded. “One of your men can take care of the horses for me tomorrow, but now that the road is clear there’s no reason for us to stay here and inconvenience you any longer.” She pointed toward the bathroom door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to take a shower and get dressed so we can go on home. Seth and I have taken up enough of your time and generosity. Besides, we’ll both rest better in our own beds.”
She could tell Malloy wanted to say something about her insistence on going home, but Seth chose that moment to rouse up and start crying. Normally a sound sleeper, he could snooze through just about anything at home. But now that he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, their arguing had obviously disturbed him.
“It’s all right, sweetie,” she said, getting out of the chair. When she walked over to the bed to pick him up, she discovered that it took more effort than usual.
“Here, let me help,” Malloy said, stepping forward to pick up her son.
To her surprise when Seth recognized who held him, the little traitor laid his head on the man’s shoulder and smiled at her.
“Did you give him his medication?” she asked, feeling like a complete failure as a mother. She had slept while a total stranger fed, changed and apparently bonded with her child.
Malloy nodded. “I read the dosage on the bottle’s label and gave the antibiotic to him right after breakfast and then again after lunch.”
“You seem to know a lot about taking care of a child,” she commented, wondering if he might have one of his own. She felt a little let down that he might have a significant other somewhere, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why.
“I have a ten-month-old nephew and a six-month-old niece,” he answered, as if reading her mind. “But other than watching their parents take care of them, I’m a trial-and-error kind of guy. That’s why I had to change this little guy’s sleeper and my shirt after lunch.” Malloy grinned. “I tried to let him feed himself and quickly learned that was an error.”
Heather smiled at the visual image as an unfamiliar emotion spread throughout her chest. There was something about a man being unafraid to hold and nurture a child that was heartwarming.
Not at all comfortable with the fact that the man drawing that emotion from her was T. J. Malloy, she asked, “Would you mind watching him for a few minutes while I take a quick shower?”
“Not at all,” he said, shaking his head. “Take your time. You’ll probably feel a lot better.”
“I’ll feel better when we get home.” She stared down at the jeans and sweatshirt she still held. “Seth is going to need diapers and we both need clean clothes.”
“Not a problem,” Malloy answered. “I had one of my men drive up to Stephenville this morning to pick up a few things I thought you would need. I had him get both of you a change of clothes, as well as diapers and some kind of little kid food.”
“How did he know what sizes to get?” That explained where Seth’s new pajamas came from.
“I told Dan to take his wife along for the ride.” Malloy looked quite pleased with himself. “They have three kids under the age of five and I figured if anyone would know what you both needed, it would be Jane Ann.” He pointed toward the dresser. “Your clothes are over there in the shopping bag.”
“I’ll reimburse you for everything,” she said, thankful to have clean clothes to put on after her shower. “Do you still have the sales slip?”
“No, I don’t and no, you won’t pay me back,” he said, firmly.
“Yes, I will.” She didn’t have a lot in reserve and hoped it didn’t cost much, but she did have her pride. She wasn’t the gold digger her fiancé’s parents had once accused her of being when she’d called to let them know about Seth’s birth. And besides, considering her past with Malloy, she wasn’t inclined to have him complaining about some other way she’d been negligent.
Malloy released a frustrated sigh. “We’ll discuss it later.”
“You can bet we will,” she vowed.
Deciding there was no reasoning with the man at the moment, Heather tugged at the shirt she was wearing to make sure it covered her backside as she got the bag of clothes from the dresser, then walked into the bathroom and shut the door.
When she looked in the mirror, she groaned. Her long hair resembled a limp mop and other than the few freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheekbones, she was the color of a ghost—and a sickly one at that.
But as she continued to stare in the mirror, the weight of reality began to settle across her shoulders like a leaden yoke. A shower and clean clothes could make her feel a little better physically and T. J. Malloy could offer as much neighborly help as he wanted, but nothing could wash away the worry or the hopelessness she faced when she returned home.
Unless something miraculous happened between now and the end of the January, she and her son were going to be homeless. And there didn’t seem to be a thing she could do to stop it from happening.
* * *
When Heather went into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door, T.J. sat down on the rocking chair with Seth and released the breath he had been holding.
What the hell was wrong with him? The woman looked thoroughly exhausted, was just getting over the flu and, without a shadow of doubt, was as irritable as a bull in a herd full of steers. So why was he thinking about how sexy she looked wearing his shirt? Or how long and shapely her legs were?
Earlier that morning, he had damned near dropped the breakfast tray he had been carrying when she opened the door. She hadn’t bothered with the top couple of buttons on the flannel shirt he’d given her to sleep in and he’d noticed the valley between her breasts. What was worse, she had been too ill to even try to be enticing and she had still managed to tie him into a knot the size of his fist.
“You’re one sick SOB, Malloy,” he muttered, shaking his head.
As he sat there trying to figure out what it was about her that he found so damned alluring, he frowned. He wanted her out of his hair as much as she wanted to leave. So why did he keep insisting that Heather needed to stay another night? Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut, help her get her son buckled into his car seat and wave goodbye as they drove away?
Looking down at the little boy sitting on his lap, T.J. shook his head. “Be glad you’re too young to notice anything about girls. They’ll make you completely crazy with little or no effort.”
When Seth looked up at him and grinned, T.J. suddenly knew exactly why he was being overly cautious about them leaving. He couldn’t stop comparing Seth’s situation with T.J.’s own as a kid. Every child deserved to have their mother with them for as long as possible, and although Heather was clearly over the worst of her illness and thought she was ready to go home, he wanted to make sure there was no possibility of a serious complication. If she had her hands full taking care of a kid and a ranch while she continued to recover that would increase the chances of her having a relapse—or worse.
“I’m just trying to keep your momma upright and mobile for you, little guy,” T.J. said, smiling back at the child.
The little copper-haired boy on his lap gave him a big grin and patted T.J.’s cheek as he babbled something T.J. didn’t understand. He figured Seth was thanking him for taking care of his mother and an unfamiliar tightening filled T.J.’s chest. As kids went, Heather’s was awesome. Friendly and well-behaved, Seth was no problem to watch and if he ever had a kid, T.J. wanted one just like him.
He gave Seth a hug. “I’ll make sure to see that you’re both taken care of so that you can be together a long time.”
He had a sneaking suspicion there was more to his interference than that, but he wasn’t going to delve too deeply into his own motivation. He wasn’t sure he would be overly comfortable with what he discovered. Hell, he still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that he found his nemesis even remotely attractive.
The sudden crack of thunder followed closely by the sound of rain beating hard against the roof caused T.J.’s smile to turn into an outright grin. “It looks like Mother Nature agrees with me about the two of you staying put,” he said, drawing a giggle from Seth.
A few minutes later, when Heather walked back into the bedroom after her shower, T.J. noticed she wore the new set of gray sweats Jane Ann had picked out for her. He wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but damned if the woman didn’t manage to make baggy fleece look good.
His lower body twitched and he had to swallow around the cotton coating his throat. Heather was as prickly as a cactus patch and tried to reject everything he did to help her, but that didn’t keep him from wanting to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
Unsettled by the wayward thought, he focused on telling her about how the nasty weather would change her plans. “You don’t have a choice now. You’re going to have to stay here until tomorrow.”
Her vivid blue eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me that you won’t allow me to leave?”
“Nope. I’m not telling you anything of the sort,” he said, quickly deciding that he needed to watch the way he phrased things. He had seen that warning look in his sisters-in-law’s eyes when his brothers made a verbal blunder and he wasn’t fool enough to ignore it. “I’m just making an observation.”
Heather frowned. “Would you care to explain that?”
“Listen.” He pointed toward the ceiling and knew the moment the sound of rain pounding on the roof registered with her from the defeated expression on her face. “It’s coming down like somebody’s pouring it out of a bucket. With as much rain as we had yesterday, the creek is full and it’s a good bet the road is already starting to flood again.”
Groaning, she sank down on the side of the bed. “I have things I need to do at home.”
T.J. shrugged. “The livestock are already taken care of. I’m sure whatever else there is you need to tend to will keep until tomorrow.”
As soon as the words were out, he could tell he had pissed her off again. “Do you dismiss what you need to get done as unimportant?” she asked, spearing him with her sharp blue gaze.
“It depends,” he answered, wondering why she had taken offense to his comment and why he found her spitfire temper a little exciting. “If it needs my attention right away, I take care of it.”
“Then what makes you think the things I need to get done are different?” She stood up to fold the clothes she had worn the day before and stuffed them into the shopping bag. “You don’t have any idea what I have to do or what might need my immediate attention.”
He felt as if he had stepped into a minefield—any way he went could prove explosive. “I didn’t mean to imply that your concerns are less important than mine.” Suddenly irritated with her short temper, he set her little boy on his feet and watched Seth walk over to his mother, then he rose from the rocking chair. “I just meant that whatever you need to do will have to wait until after the water recedes again. And before this escalates into something that could make the remainder of your stay a pain in my...” Pausing, he looked down at the toddler gazing up at him. He wasn’t about to add a word to the kid’s vocabulary that she could take him to task over. “Make the remainder of your stay difficult, I think I’ll go see what I can rustle up for our supper.” Walking out into the hall, he turned back. “I’ll be up later to help you and Seth downstairs. And don’t even think about trying it on your own. A broken neck won’t help you get away from here any faster.”
Before she had a chance to tie into him over something else, he closed the door. He descended the stairs and went into the kitchen to see what he could find for them to eat.
“So much for trying to be a nice guy,” he muttered as he opened the refrigerator to remove packages of deli meats and condiments. Slamming the food down onto the kitchen island, he turned to get a loaf of bread from the bread box on the counter. “If she fell down the stairs she’d probably find a way to blame me and then sue my ass off.”
“Do you need me to help with dinner, Malloy?”
When he turned back, Heather and her son stood just inside the doorway. Closing his eyes for a moment, T.J. tried to shore up his patience.
“You didn’t listen to a dam...dang thing I said, did you?” he asked, opening his eyes to look directly at her. “As weak as you are you shouldn’t have tried the stairs on your own. Did you even consider that you or your little boy could have fallen and been seriously hurt?”
“I’m not a hothouse flower. I can do things on my own. I have been doing things on my own. Besides, we took it slow and I held on to the railing,” she said, shrugging one slender shoulder. “As you can see, Seth and I made it to the bottom without incident.”
He shook his head at her stubbornness. “Do me a favor and don’t try it on your own again. I’d rather you didn’t tempt fate.”
“I’ll think about it.” She was silent for a minute before she asked bluntly, “Why are you being so nice to me and my son? Why do you care what happens to us?”
T.J. stared at her for a moment. He supposed he could understand her wariness. Before last night the only times she had seen him were under less than favorable circumstances. He had been returning her errant stallion—the one who had covered his mares and ruined his breeding program for more than a year—and hadn’t really cared to be overly polite.
“I think before we go any further, I need to explain something,” he said seriously. “All those times I had to bring your horse back to you, I was angry that he’d covered several of my mares. I raise and train reining horses and having them bred by a rogue stallion set my breeding program back by at least a year.” He shook his head. “But I could have been more civil when I asked you to keep him confined, instead of making demands and threatening to get the law involved.”
She stared at him for several long moments and just when he thought she was going to reject his apology and explanation, she nodded. “I can understand your frustration and I’m sorry about him causing a delay in your breeding program. I did try to keep him on the Circle W, but I think Magic tries to live up to his name. He can be a regular Houdini when it comes to getting out of his stall or around a fence.”
“Some horses are like that,” T.J. admitted. “Especially studs when there’s a harem of mares waiting for them.”
They were both silent for several long seconds before she spoke again. “As long as we’re clearing the air, I owe you another apology. You’ve been very accommodating and I really do appreciate all of your help. Earlier I was frustrated that Seth and I weren’t going to be able to go home, but that’s no excuse for taking it out on you. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll accept your apology if you’ll accept mine,” he said, meaning it. “I should have been more understanding about your horse getting out.”
A hint of a smile appeared as she led her little boy over to the opposite side of the kitchen island, where T.J. stood. “And just to put your mind at ease, if I had fallen down the stairs, I wouldn’t have sued you, Malloy.”
He couldn’t help but grin as he opened one of the cabinets above the counter and reached for a couple of sandwich plates. “The name’s T.J. and I’m glad I won’t have to be calling my lawyer.” As he started making their sandwiches, he added, “So what do you say we start over and try being a little more neighborly with each other from now on?”
When he noticed the twinkle in her blue eyes and the dimples on either side of her mouth as she smiled at him, he felt like he’d taken a sucker punch to the gut. He had to have been as blind as a damned bat not to have noticed how pretty she was before.
“I suppose being more congenial is better than wanting to shoot you on sight,” she said, oblivious to his thoughts.
T.J. laughed, releasing some of the tension suddenly gripping him. “Yeah, being friendly is preferable to dodging lead.” He pointed to the slices of meat and cheese in front of him. “My housekeeper is up in Dallas with her family until after the first of the year and I’m not very good at cooking. I hope you don’t mind sandwiches for supper.”
“A sandwich is fine for me.” She shook her head. “I still don’t have much of an appetite anyway. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to find something else for Seth. I try to make sure he gets his veggies every day.”
“When I sent Dan and his wife to Stephenville, Jane Ann got a few frozen dinners she said were especially for little kids.” T.J. nodded toward the refrigerator. “She said they weren’t her first choice for feeding toddlers, but they would be better for Seth than some of the things I’d probably try to feed him.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “I zapped one of them in the microwave for lunch and I can honestly say, he really enjoyed flinging the macaroni and mini meatballs at me.”
“He behaves pretty well for being almost two, but he still has his moments,” she said, laughing as she and the kid walked over to open the freezer door on the side-by-side refrigerator.
The sound of Heather’s laughter caused a warm feeling to spread throughout his chest. He didn’t have a clue why, but for some reason it felt good to make her laugh.
T.J. frowned as he finished the sandwiches and set them on the table. He and Heather were little more than strangers and he still wasn’t convinced they could be friends. Why did he care one way or the other that he had made her laugh?
He wasn’t sure what his problem was, but he decided that some things were better left unexplored. He was already having enough trouble with the fact that Heather and her son hadn’t been on the Dusty Diamond a full twenty-four hours and he’d noticed—even when she was at her worst with the flu and wearing a baggy set of sweats—that she was sexy as sin. If that wasn’t proof enough that he was one extremely disturbed hombre, he didn’t know what was.
* * *
“This is a very interesting family room,” Heather said when T.J. showed her and Seth around his house after they finished dinner. “But I think this would come closer to qualifying as a man cave than a place where a family gathers.”
He chuckled. “That’s what I usually call it, but I thought it might sound a little more inviting if I referred to it as the family room.”
One wall of the huge space was dominated by an antique bar that looked as if it had come straight from a saloon in an old Western movie. Made of dark mahogany, the intricate carvings on the front were complemented by the marble inlayed top and the highly polished brass boot rail attached along the bottom a few inches above the floor. A large mirror in an ornate gold frame hung on the wall behind the bar Shelves on both sides were filled with expensive-looking whiskey, rum and tequila bottles. Several feet from the end of the bar an old-fashioned billiard table with hand-tied leather strip pockets stood, waiting for someone to send the racked, brightly colored balls rolling across its green felt top. All that was missing from that side of the room was a saloon girl with rosy red rouge on her cheeks and a come-hither look in her eyes.
“Would you like to watch a movie?” he asked, motioning toward the biggest flat-screen television she had ever seen. It graced the wall at the far end of the room. It wasn’t surprising to see that speakers had been hung on the walls surrounding the area, guaranteeing the viewer an audio experience that was sure to make him or her feel as if they were part of the action.
“I’ve got all the satellite movie channels, as well as pay-per-view,” he added. “I’m sure we could find something to watch that you’d like.”
The huge, comfortable-looking, brown leather sectional sofa in front of the television looked extremely inviting and Heather was tempted. “Maybe another time,” she said, hiding a yawn behind her hand. “I’m afraid I’m still pretty tired and it won’t be long before I’ll have to get Seth in bed for the night.”
“It’s understandable that you’re tired. You haven’t regained all of your strength.” When Seth walked past him toward a basket of toys beside the sofa, T.J. grinned. “And before you ask if those are mine, I keep them around for my niece and nephew.”
“Do you babysit often?” she asked. He certainly seemed to know more about watching children than most bachelors.
He shook his head. “I don’t get to watch them all that much because of the rotation. But once in a while one of my brothers and sisters-in-law will ask me to keep one of them when they want to go catch a movie or have a kid-free dinner.”
She frowned. “The rotation?”
“I have five brothers,” he said, shrugging. “Three of them are married and unless they all want to go out together, my other two brothers and I have to take turns with Mariah.”
