Reunited...With Baby

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“Luke, I see horses through the trees,” she said a few minutes later, and he swung the pickup in the direction she pointed.

For the next six hours they worked—rounding up horses, finding a few cattle, getting them back to the barn—trying to do it all while it was still daylight. When the horses were finally in the corral by the barn, the cattle in a pasture, Luke closed the corral gate and turned to her.

“You start checking the horses while I get feed to them. They’ve got water now in that tank. Shortly, it’ll be dark, so I’ll get lanterns out now and have them ready, and we can keep working if you can stay. If not, I’ll take you home. I’d appreciate your help if you can.”

“I can stay.”

He looked at her and reached out to hug her. “Thanks, Scarlett,” he said.

As his arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his solid, hard body, her heart thudded. His strong embrace made her tremble and want to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly against her heart. How was she going to work with him into the night without stirring all those old feelings she had for him?

Two (#u2b5b9b39-5c31-5330-8cfa-d5fdbf92e180)

He released her abruptly. “I better get busy,” he said. His words were casual and indifferent. His voice was that hoarse tone he had when he was aroused, so she knew he felt something, too—knowledge which made her heart beat faster. What did Luke feel now? She shouldn’t care or even think about what he was feeling.

Why, oh, why, couldn’t she get Luke out of her system? When he left Texas, he had hurt her terribly, and she shouldn’t feel any kind of desire for him, but she did. How could she ever trust him again? She had to guard her heart and not let sympathy for his problems make her forget their past.

“Luke, I have to call home and then I’ll get busy,” she said, walking away from him.

She talked briefly with her mother, making certain all was well with Carl. While Carl was fine, her mother had warnings about Luke and how he had broken her heart before. The brief conversation just reminded her again how much Luke had hurt her before and made her conscious that she hadn’t gotten over him at all. She had been fooling herself all these years—easy to do when he was in Silicon Valley and she was in Royal.

It was a hot August night in Texas. Luke had lanterns going, and she looked around once just as he yanked his shirt off and tossed it aside. Her mouth went dry and her heartbeat sped up as she looked at his muscles, highlighted by the lamplight. A sheen of sweat glistened on his bulging biceps while he scooped up more hay with a pitchfork. She could remember being in his arms, held tightly against his body. Longing shook her to the core, and she couldn’t stop looking at him while memories sparked more flames inside her. Only now this was a grown man with a man’s broad shoulders, a man’s muscled chest, a still flat, narrow waist and a hard, rippled stomach that disappeared below his belt.

He looked up, catching her staring at him. She boldly met his gaze, wondering if he could guess her thoughts and feelings. After several long, tension-fraught moments, she finally turned away. Heat burned in her cheeks. She didn’t want him to see how easily he could captivate her attention, yet it was evident he knew the effect he had on her, just as she knew when she affected him.

Five minutes later she found her eyes drawn to him once again. She couldn’t resist watching him when she thought he wasn’t aware of it. He must work out in Silicon Valley because he was all muscle, his back and arms shiny with sweat. He’d rolled and tied a bandanna around his forehead to keep sweat out of his eyes as he worked. In the light of the lanterns, he looked incredibly male, appealing and sexy. He also looked fit and strong.

She couldn’t stop glancing at him, desire making her heart pound. She tried to focus on the horses, working hard and fast, and shut Luke out of her mind and stop gawking at him.

Suddenly one of the horses collapsed, and she raced to it, kneeling and giving it a shot as quickly as she could.

It was breathing hard, making gasping noises with each breath. It was bleeding from gashes on its belly and neck.

“Scarlett, I’m going to put him down. You’re fighting a losing battle. Go on to the next one.”

Startled, she glanced up to see Luke standing with a pistol in hand. A cold chill ran down her spine. Instantly on her feet, she faced him as she placed her hands on her hips.

“No, you’re not! I can save him. Put that pistol, away, Luke Weston, and don’t get it out again around the horses unless I ask you to.”

He blinked and then pressed his lips together. She didn’t know whether he was biting back a laugh or was angry at her for telling him what to do with his own horse.

She was earnest, and there was no way she was going to let him shoot his livestock. “This horse will be on its feet tomorrow.” She ground out the words. “I’ve given him a shot that will help. Give him time. Don’t you put any animal down without my permission, you hear me?”

“I won’t, Scarlett, but look at him. He doesn’t have the strength to stand. He’s all bones and he can’t breathe.”

“He can breathe, and I’m going to take care of him. He’ll be on his feet when morning comes. I know what I’m doing, Luke, so you go back to work and leave this horse to me.” She glared at him and met his unfathomable gaze. Without a word, he tucked the pistol in the back of his waistband and stalked away.

She watched him go for a few seconds and then turned her attention to the horse and forgot Luke for the next hour. She paused briefly once for another call to her mother to check about Carl and once again, he was fine and all was well at home.

She went from one horse to another, trying to tend to each one, and she thought of the carcasses they had found, of horses that hadn’t survived. During the afternoon Luke had grown silent, and she knew he was furious with his dad and his fury grew with each dead animal they found. She knew he was still devastated over the dog because, as a kid, he had loved that dog.

Occasionally, as she moved around, she saw Luke working, repairing the corral fence. There were so many places where the fence was down or damaged that she hoped he could get it fixed before some of the horses wandered away. The feed he had put out held the attention of those that were able to stand to eat or drink.

Luke had rounded up some cattle, less than a dozen head. She thought of the big herds they’d had when Luke was in high school. She heard a twig snap and looked around to see him approaching again.

“Unless you’ve changed a lot, I know you love hamburgers more than steaks. I’m having dinner brought out here.”

She tilted her head to look up at him. “How on earth did you get dinner delivered to this ranch? There isn’t a café for twenty miles.”

He grinned and shrugged. “My money’s good for some things. I should’ve asked you who to call, but I remember Rusty’s. They’re still in business. We’ll take a break and eat. Okay?”

She smiled. “Okay. If I’d known you were going to do that, I would have asked you to get more apples for the horses.”

“If we’re still here, I’ll try at breakfast. A couple of the horses are back on their feet already. You’re a miracle worker, Scarlett, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re helping. I’d hate like hell to have to put all these horses down. That would be about my last straw.”

“You’re not going to have to put any down, so forget that. I don’t care how bad they are, we’re going to save them, but if you’d come much later—”

“I already lost some before I got here,” he said, frowning as he glanced at the horses. “I better get back to work.” He turned to leave. “I’ll call you when dinner arrives.”

She barely heard him because she had already turned back to a gash she was stitching. The smaller white horse stood patiently, but she wondered if it would collapse any minute. It didn’t seem to care what she did or that she was even there.

By midnight there were still horses that needed tending to, and Luke was still fixing a stock tank. She wanted to keep working but, mindful of little Carl and her mother, she walked into the shadows, trying to get out of Luke’s earshot before calling home.

As expected, her mother began to argue for her to come home, reminding her again that being with Luke was going to dredge up all kinds of pain.

“Do you really want to go through all that again?” her mother asked.

“Mom, I’m taking care of very sick horses and some of the cattle need attention. They’re in dire shape, and I’m not abandoning them to die when I can save most of them.”

“My heavens! How awful. I haven’t heard anything bad like that about the Double U. Even so, Scarlett, I’m worried about you.”

“Mom, this is my job, to save animals. This is why I became a vet. I’m needed here and we can already see a difference in some horses.”

“Scarlett, Luke is going to hurt you again. Maybe even worse this time because you’re not kids anymore. Please get out of there and come home. Baby Carl and all the family need you. You don’t want to go through all that loss and hurt again, and that’s what will happen if you stay.”

“No, I won’t. I won’t let it happen.” There was a long pause, and she knew her mother was giving up and could not continue arguing.

“Take care of yourself, then. We love you,” her mom said. “And before you start to get caught up in old feelings with that man, just remember that Luke will go home to Silicon Valley in a few days and you won’t hear from him until the next time he pays a visit here.”

She sighed. “I love you, Mom, and I love my family. Luke’s dad has done a terrible thing, and bearing witness to it makes me so thankful for all of you. I’ll take care of myself, I promise,” she said, wondering if she really could keep that promise, or if she would just cave if Luke wanted to hug or kiss her. She almost laughed aloud as she ended her call. Her amusement fled when she looked back and saw the lights, the weak horses, the cows in another pasture. Was she being foolish and risking her heart to try to save horses that might not survive no matter what she did?

But she felt she had to stay. She had taken an oath to help animals, and she took that oath seriously.

She just hoped she could resist Luke, but then again, she might not have any reason to worry about resisting him. He probably had a woman waiting in Silicon Valley for his return.

Her attention was taken again by the ailing horses. She suspected Luke was right about the cattle. There were few left that he had found, and she imagined nearly all the Double U cattle had been rustled long ago. Luke said he would continue searching for more when daylight came, but so far he hadn’t found any. She continued to nurse the horses, wondering if she would have to work through daybreak. Dinner had given her another spurt of energy, but that was beginning to fade. She glanced at Luke as he repaired holes in the water tank, going over them a second time.

He was the golden boy from Royal who had gone west and made a fortune in Silicon Valley. He hadn’t been interested enough in her in high school to want to continue their relationship, to want her with him or to want to return to Royal to be with her. How many times did she have to remind herself that he really had no lasting interest in her? He had liked to kiss and make love, but he could turn around, walk out the door and forget all about her without a moment’s regret. Walking out on her didn’t make her blood run cold, but thinking Luke would do that to Carl did. She couldn’t bear that kind of hurt. She glanced at him again. Flickering lantern lights spilled over him, turning his skin golden and highlighting his firm, muscular back and chest, his powerful shoulders and biceps, his flat stomach. She tingled as her gaze ran over him. Her mouth had gone dry, and her heart thumped swiftly. She wanted his arms around her, his mouth on hers. She could remember his kisses. Absolutely. Too well, she could recall his mouth on hers, making her quiver with eagerness, with steaming lust, with hunger for his hands and his body.

He turned to look at her. Startled, she realized how she stared as his gaze narrowed. She spun away and bent over a horse to cleanse and patch a wound while her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

She lost track of time until she glanced at her watch and saw it was after two a.m. About ten minutes later, Luke appeared and caught her wrist, lifting it as she was about to give a horse a shot.

“I think you should call it a night.”

“Luke, there are still horses here I haven’t treated. I don’t want to stop.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Yes, but I can keep going and I want to.”

He studied her and nodded. “Okay, a little while longer.”

When he turned and left, she went back to work. The next time he appeared, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Scarlett, it’s late,” he said. His voice was husky, his hand lightly squeezing her shoulder.

She turned to look up at him. He stood close, and her heart beat faster as she shook her head. “I can’t quit.”

“Yes, you can, for a little while. Come on. Let’s get a couple of hours of sleep before the sun comes up. I’ve got a blanket in the back of the pickup.”

Luke was bare chested, too appealing, too sexy, too damned handsome. His looks had only gotten better over time. Her gaze drifted to his mouth, to scorching-hot memories of his mouth on her body.

“You remember just as much as I do,” he said in a deep, husky voice that played over her like a caress.

She drew a breath and met his gaze, her cheeks burning. “I may remember, but that’s all. It won’t go any further than that,” she whispered.

“Scared to kiss me, Scarlett? After all this time, it won’t mean anything.”

“Don’t try to goad me into doing something in anger that I wouldn’t do otherwise,” she said, annoyed with him, and with herself, because she wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him until he would wish he hadn’t pushed her into it. But she knew better than to do that.

“Okay, Scarlett, go back to work. So will I. I’ll come back in half an hour or so. If you want to quit before then, just let me know.”

“Of course I will,” she said sweetly, running her hands lightly over a horse, feeling its bones and wondering how it could even stand. She forgot about Luke as she went back to work. She finally began to feel tired, but she still didn’t want to stop. As she worked, Luke appeared again. He reached out, and his hand closed on her wrist. “C’mon. Let’s get a little sleep. The sun will be over the horizon in a couple of hours. We’ll get back to this when the sun comes up.”

Nodding, she didn’t argue. She left him, hurrying to the barn and the tiny room with minimal facilities. Even so, she felt refreshed when she stepped out. She was so tired it shouldn’t matter if they both slept in the back of his pickup, except she knew it would.

“Luke, we can’t both sleep in the back of your pickup.”

“Why the hell not? There’s nowhere else—all of West Texas has rattlers, so the ground is out. The front seat isn’t big enough. You can keep your hands to yourself, and so can I. Don’t tell me you find me that irresistible?”

She knew the last part was said in jest, but she was tired and frustrated because she didn’t want to end up handing him her heart again, and, if they made love, she was afraid that was exactly what would happen.

Annoyed, she stepped close to stab his chest with her forefinger. “You know you’re attractive. You know I feel something, and I know you feel something, too. If we get in the back of your pickup, we won’t sleep. I’m realistic enough to know that and honest enough to admit it. I can sleep inside on the front seat, and that’s where I’ll be. The sun will wake me.”

“You sleep where you want, but after that little speech you just made, there’s no way in hell I can resist,” he growled, drawing her into his arms and leaning down, looking directly into her eyes. Her heart thudded. He intended to kiss her and she couldn’t resist him, either. Especially when he was holding her in his arms and his mouth was only inches away, his blue-green eyes glimmering with raw, unsuppressed desire.

“Luke,” she whispered, wanting him, knowing she was crossing a line she would regret, yet still unable to say no to him. The look in his eyes made it crystal clear that he, too, wanted her with all his being. Then his mouth was on hers, opening hers, and his tongue slipped inside, going deep, stroking and making her tremble, sending lightning streaking through her.

Desire shook her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against him and kissing him in return, pouring all the pent-up longing and aching need that she felt for him into that kiss. She wanted him to remember kissing her, to want her the way she had wanted him. She hoped her kiss haunted him, caused him to lie awake at night to deal with the desire and the memories. And she wanted to relish this moment in his arms, being kissed by him, a dream fulfilled if only for a few precious minutes. His erection pressed against her, urgent, hard, ready, and she wanted him with all her being. But then she remembered her tears, her heartbreak, her longing—he had walked away without a qualm. She wasn’t going back to that.

She tore her mouth from his and then stepped away. “I’ll be up with the sun,” she whispered and turned to climb into the front seat of his pickup, lock the door and lean back against the seat.

She fought the urge to turn to see what he was doing. She fought an even greater urge to go back and join him, but she wasn’t climbing into the back of his pickup this first night he was in town and sleeping with him. Scarlett released a shuddering breath. Was she ever going to really get over him? She thought she had—she told herself she had when Tanner Dupree entered her life, but after Luke’s mind-blowing kiss tonight, she knew that Tanner had never held the appeal that Luke did.