Married In A Month

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In her rush of gratitude, Kati leaned forward and placed her hands on the tabletop. The fingertips of one hand made inadvertent contact with the hot pie plate.

“Oh!” she cried out, yanking the burned hand to her chest.

Instantly, Colt was beside her. He pulled her fingers into his and pressed them against his lips for two quick kisses.

Shocked, Kati didn’t know what to do, but her heart reacted violently. No one had ever kissed her fingers. Certainly not a gorgeous man she barely knew who made her heart flutter by just being in the same room.

As soon as Colt realized what he’d done, he froze, blinked at her fingers in confusion, then plunked them into her tea glass. The icy plunge shocked her back to her senses.

“There. That should take the edge off.” Releasing her as though he’d been the one burned, Colt backed around to his chair. After a moment’s silence he cleared his throat. “If you get blisters, Cookie has some ointment that might help.”

“I’m fine, really. More surprised than hurt.” She was surprised all right but not by the hot plate. Kati withdrew her fingers from the glass and laid them in her lap, the gentle heat of Colt’s mouth lingering much longer than the burn.

An uncomfortable silence hovered over the table until Colt ripped off a bite of hot buttered bun and leaned toward her. “Say, do you ride? I’ve got plenty of gentle horses if you’re interested.”

Clearly, Colt was eager to guide the conversation to safer ground.

“I love to ride,” she admitted, struggling to concentrate on horses when all she could think of was Colt’s mouth against her skin. “Though I’m not very good at it.”

“Wes Patterson’s wife, Becky, is an expert rider. She comes out twice a week to do my bookkeeping. I’ll bet she wouldn’t mind showing you around.”

“What about them college gals, boss?” Cookie poked his head around the corner. “They’ll be coming soon and Miss Kati could ride out with them. They ain’t much use for nothing else.”

“College students?” Kati’s curiosity piqued.

Nodding, Colt jabbed a fork into his pie and held it aloft, letting ice cream drip onto the saucer as he spoke. “Every summer we take on a few agri-business interns from the university. We get some cheap help during a busy time and they gain a summer of living and working on a real ranch. Works out pretty well for all of us.”

“Hmpf.” Cookie whipped into the room to whisk the emptied dishes from the table. “Half-baked greenhorns is more of a nuisance than a help.”

“Everybody has to start somewhere, Cookie.”

Impressed and touched that Colt generously allowed greenhorns the opportunity for hands-on ranching experience, Katie couldn’t help smiling when Cookie barked back as he retreated into the kitchen. “I never said they didn’t. As long as they stay out of my kitchen, we do fine.”

With a chuckle, Colt winked at Kati. “The students we get out here would rather muck out barns than cook a meal. I think his kitchen’s safe. But the offer still stands. Anytime you want to take a horse out, just let me know. I’ll arrange for someone to ride with you until you feel comfortable on your own.”

Fingers tingling, insides warming with each kind word, Kati said, “As much as I’d like to, I doubt I’ll have the opportunity. Evan will take up all my time.”

Colt waved off the worry. “Ah, Cookie can watch him sometime when he’s napping.”

Once again Cookie appeared. “I ain’t no baby-sitter. Don’t know a thing about young’uns.”

Carrying a cup of coffee, the rotund cook scraped back a chair and settled his bulk next to Kati.

“Don’t let him fool you, Kati,” Colt said with an ornery grin. “I’ve caught him in the nursery a few times.”

“Some dumb cowboy was off somewhere and the little critter was crying.” With a huff of disapproval, Cookie folded his tree-trunk arms atop his generous belly. “I couldn’t leave the boy like that.”

“Feeds him mashed potatoes, too,” Colt whispered conspiratorially. “If we leave Evan with him too much, they’ll be sporting matching bellies.”

Enjoying the joke, Kati eyed the cook’s sailing battleship with a grin. “Just as long as he doesn’t get the tattoo to go with it.”

As soon as the teasing words popped out, Kati covered her lips with her fingers, aghast. Had she offended the kindhearted old cook?

For two eternal heartbeats both men stared at her, surprised. Then they looked at each other and nearly fell out of their chairs laughing.

The tight muscles in Kati’s neck eased as she joined them.

“I told you she’s a good one,” Cookie said.

Eyes dancing with laughter, Colt sat back in his chair and smiled at her.

Her accursed heart began another, most unwelcome, round of gymnastics. In the interest of self-preservation, experience had taught her to keep emotions firmly in check. But this time her heart paid no attention at all.

Over the years she’d been in enough new places to know how to make herself at home, but Colt Garret, with his innate kindness and warm humor, made her feel welcome. And it was the scariest feeling she’d ever experienced.

Chapter Three

Evan’s screams jolted Kati upright in bed, sending a disgruntled Caesar flying. Scurrying into her robe, she glanced at the clock and rushed across the hall to the nursery. Two hours of sleep again tonight. Little surprise that her head ached and her legs moved like blocks of concrete. Since her arrival Evan had kept her awake most of every night suffering bouts of colic.

No wonder Colt had been so exhausted he’d agreed to marry her.

Anxious not to awaken the entire household, Kati scooped the stiff, squalling child into her arms, rushed to the kitchen for a bottle—which the baby refused to take—and slipped out the back door as quietly as possible.

The rich butter of summer moonlight lit the grassy backyard, and the stars were so bright and near she could see plainly. She paced the yard, jouncing and bouncing, singing and patting, while Evan suffered the misery of colic. Each time she thought he was settling, and started toward the house and precious sleep, the crying began again. Having no other way to ease him broke her heart.

“Poor little man,” she crooned to Evan’s contorted face. “You must hurt so bad.”

The cool summer grass was damp with dew, so Kati took an old blanket from the patio, spread it on the ground and lowered her exhausted body. In the warm night air, frogs trilled and the scent of honeysuckle wafted in gentle waves.

The back door opened and she turned to see Colt silhouetted in the doorway. Quietly easing the door shut behind him, he came across the patio toward Kati and Evan. Kati’s heart lurched. Bare-chested and barefooted, he’d pulled on a pair of jeans without bothering with the top snap. His hair was disheveled and a five o’clock shadow had deepened the color of his cheeks so that he looked dark and dangerous and incredibly sexy.

“Boy sick again?” His quiet baritone carried on the still night air.

She nodded. To prove the point, Evan’s voltage went from whimper to wail.

“He’s miserable.” Kati laid him on his back and tenderly stroked the rigid tummy. The baby’s legs thrashed, but the wail eased to a fussy whimper. He gnawed repeatedly on his fist.

Colt hunkered down beside them. “Can’t the doctor give him anything for this?”

“I don’t know.” Kati’s braid fell forward and she tossed it back, suddenly self-conscious to have the half-dressed Colt so near. “Have you taken him for a checkup?”

Colt blinked at her, bewildered. “Hadn’t even thought of it.”

“We need to do that soon. He probably should start his immunizations.”

“Yeah.” He eased onto the blanket beside her. “Why don’t you give Doc Armstrong a call tomorrow and set up an appointment?”

“Okay.” With all her might, Kati concentrated on Evan. Not that it worked with Colt’s living, breathing body only inches away. Fortunately, he was watching her hands massage and soothe the fussy baby, but when he tilted his head, turning his full attention to Kati, her breath jammed in her throat. “You been coming out here every night?”

“I didn’t want to disturb anyone.” She fidgeted with Evan’s pajamas with one hand while the other patted and soothed. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“Not your fault. And Evan sure can’t help it.” His gorgeous lips tilted in a smile. “Good thing the mosquitoes aren’t out yet. They’d eat you alive.”

Kati replied with a tremulous smile. “If coming out here helps Evan and lets you sleep, I’d still do it. You need your rest to run a ranch this large.”

“Yeah. Well.” He stretched his shoulders upward and rolled his head from side to side. “You’re doing a good job with Evan. I just want you to know I’ve noticed, and I appreciate it.”

A purl of pleasure lifted some of Kati’s exhaustion. “He’s a wonderful baby most of the time.”

“Don’t go getting attached.” He said the words lightly, casually as if he meant them for himself as well as for her, but Kati needed the reminder. Evan was fast winning her heart.

“Don’t worry. I know better than that.” Relationships were unfailingly temporary, as every foster kid learned early on. That’s why Kati’s Angels was so important. The wonderful place filled with children who needed her would be permanent in a way nothing else ever had been. She was sorry Colt felt trapped by their marriage contract, but someday he’d understand all the good that would come of it.

Long legs stretched out on the small quilt, Colt propped himself up on one elbow and curled in toward the baby. “My attorney should find Evan’s mother anyday now, and he’ll be going home where he belongs.”

“You really think so?”

He looked up at her. “Sure.”

Kati’s heart sank like a battleship. As much as she wanted a real home and family for Evan, if the mother showed up before the month was out, Kati would lose her dream, her chance for one permanent thing in her life.

Colt shifted, bringing his warm, partially clad body closer to Kati. The scent of clean sheets and lime soap came with him. “You have to be tired of doing that,” he murmured, motioning to her ever-massaging hands.

“It seems to help. See how he’s beginning to relax?”

“Let me.” He lifted her hand, replacing it with his own. A delicious fluttering began in Kati’s stomach at the sight of Colt’s cowboy-strong hands, large and dark against the small baby’s blue-fleece bunny pajamas. The picture was beautiful, moving. She couldn’t look away.

The baby sighed deeply, his little arms and legs going limp, and Kati couldn’t help thinking, Lucky baby, as Colt’s hands worked a magic rhythm.

“I think you’ve got the touch,” she said.

“Yeah?” Colt looked pleased. “I never thought he liked me.”

Kati grinned at the admission. Who wouldn’t like Colt Garret? “I think he’s finally comfortable enough to sleep.”

Colt withdrew his hand and sat up, resting on his heels.

“It’s late. Maybe we can all get a little shut-eye before the sun comes up.” Very gently he lifted the baby and stood, cradling the child in one arm while he extended the other to Kati. She knew touching him was a mistake, but she just couldn’t help herself. Taking his hand, she let him pull her up until she was no more than a breath away from his naked chest. Moonlight gilded them, the cowboy, the sleeping baby and the nanny. The nanny, she had to remind herself. She was only and forever the nanny.

Colt rinsed the day’s grime from his body and stepped out of the shower, eager to collapse in his big leather recliner and catch the farm market news and tomorrow’s weather report. If rain didn’t come soon, the wheat wouldn’t grow, livestock prices would fall and his profits would decline for the second year in a row. Not that a bad year would break him, but he was in this thing for money, not love.

At the thought of love, he came up short, whisked the oversize white towel across his body, leaving his skin damp and drippy, and stepped into clean jeans and T-shirt. Love was not an emotion that impressed him much. Hadn’t his sister been “in love” at least a dozen times now with a string of ex-loves so long he’d stopped keeping track of her latest husband? And he didn’t even remember when his parents had been married to each other. Nor his grandparents. The Garret family’s notion of love and marriage consisted of two months of bliss followed by two years of fighting and divorce courts. Not his idea of a good time. He shuddered and headed for the living room.

A game show flickered across his big-screen TV. Legs curled beneath her, the nanny, wearing shorts and a tank top the color of a sunset, sat in his recliner. Evan lay on a blanket on the floor babbling to his feet, and that blasted cat snoozed next to the baby. As soon as Colt entered the room, Kati popped up, looking at him with her huge gray eyes. What was she doing in here? In his chair?

“I hope you don’t mind…” She indicated the TV as she vacated his chair and moved to the couch, folding her legs under her again. Dark circles rimmed her eyes.