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He wasn’t used to anyone worrying about him. “Okay.” With a nod he followed her into the warmer kitchen. The table was adorned with candles and three place settings.
“Hi, Boone.” Jesse came over and took his hand, leading him to the seat at the table. “Mom made stew for supper. It’s my favorite.”
Amelia placed her hands on her hips. “Hey, I thought you liked my macaroni and cheese best.”
The boy nodded his head. “I like that, too. I like everything you make.” He turned to Boone. “Mom’s the best cook. She makes pies for the diner in town. Everybody loves them.”
“Jesse,” she warned. “Stop bragging.”
“I’m only saying what’s true, Mom. Even Mrs. Hoffman at church said so. She told my teacher, Miss Claire, that Mom’s a good catch.”
Amelia gasped. “Jesse Thomas Hughes you’re not supposed to listen to other people’s conversations.”
“But I didn’t, Mom. They were talking right to me.”
Boone tried hard not to smile as a blushing Amelia came to the table. She avoided his gaze as she placed the soup tureen in the center, then went back for the basket of rolls.
She sat across from Boone. “Enjoy this meal, because if this storm keeps up, no one will be eating anything but canned soup.”
“Are we going to be snowed in for Christmas?” The boy looked worried. “And what about Izzy’s puppies?”
Amelia spooned up a bowl of stew for Boone. “She’s not on her own, we’re here to help if she needs us.”
Boone took the warm bowl. “Thank you.” He looked at Jesse. “I think she can handle it.”
“Have you ever seen puppies born?” Jesse asked Boone.
“No, but I’ve helped with calves and foals. Believe me, mamas know what to do.”
Jesse gave his mother a curious look. “Mom, did you know what to do when I was born?”
Even in the dim light, Boone watched another blush cover Amelia’s face. “Well, not everything, but I had Aunt Kelley and Gram Ruby with me. And the doctor, of course.”
Still looking bewildered, the boy picked up his spoon. “Do I get to help Izzy, too?”
Amelia placed a napkin on her lap. “Well, I’m not sure.”
“It depends on Izzy,” Boone jumped in. “She might just want to do it all by herself.”
“Is that why Mom put a big box in the closet?”
Boone nodded. “So Izzy can have some privacy.”
Before Jesse could ask another question, Amelia spoke up. “Let’s say grace so we can eat.”
Jesse took his mother’s hand, then held out the other to Boone. It had been a long time since he had much to pray about, but maybe it was time he started. He took the boy’s hand, then reached across the table for Amelia’s. For a second he allowed himself to think about a home and family.
Amelia liked the feel of Boone’s large hand. Too much. The man was little more than a stranger. That alone sent up warning signals. She definitely couldn’t let herself romanticize the situation. She let that happen once, not again. She had a lot more at stake this time than to be foolish enough to allow some good-looking cowboy turn her head.
She glanced at her son as he talked with Boone. It didn’t take much to get a five-year-old’s attention. Especially since all he’d ever wanted was a father.
“Are you going to be here for Christmas, Boone?”
“Not sure, son. I’m hoping to be back in Texas by then.”
“What about your job?” Amelia asked.
His gaze shifted to her as he raised his spoon. “It’s temporary. I’d always planned to head back home someday.”
“Texas,” Jesse said. “Do you have kids there?”
Boone shook his head. “No family to speak of. Not anymore.”
The boy’s eyes rounded. “Then why not stay here? You can work for Mom and Aunt Kelley.”
“Jesse,” she said in her best warning tone. Her son had to stop this. “You know we only hire hands during calving season.”
“But, Mom…”
Boone stepped in. “It’s a nice offer, son, but I’m going to buy my own ranch, in Texas.”
“Oh…” Jesse didn’t hide his disappointment.
Amelia felt a twinge of the same. She glanced at Boone to find him watching her. Her breathing grew heavy as she locked on his mesmerizing gaze. This was crazy. She’d only just met the man and suddenly she was wanting him to stay around.
Boone turned back to her son. “You see, Jesse, I’ve been wanting one particular place for a long time, and now I have a chance to buy it.”
The boy looked thoughtful. “Hey, you could buy a ranch in Montana.” He turned to his mother. “Right, Mom?”
Hours later the house was quiet as Boone stretched out on the double bed, staring out into the darkness, trying to sleep. But the words that Amelia Hughes spoke earlier were still swimming around in his head:
Boone’s place is in Texas, and ours is here in Montana.
He knew it shouldn’t bother him, but it had. He’d never had much as a kid.
Years ago, Hank and Jolene Gifford hadn’t been much more than day laborers until they scraped enough money together to buy some land of their own. With their old truck loaded up, their son and all their worldly belongings, they arrived in West Texas and their first home.
Many nights, he’d slept in the bed of the pickup until the house was built. His mother took a job in town to help them survive as his father ran a small herd. Boone had worked hard as a boy and continued as a man, building the family ranch.
Their hard work finally paid off until the day he lost both his parents in an accident. He couldn’t run the place without his dad.
Now at the age of thirty, he was getting a second chance. Nothing was going to keep him from his dreams this time.
He stood, went to his duffel bag and found the manila envelope tucked under a pair of his jeans. He knew what was inside without even looking. All Russ Eldon’s personal effects. Everything his friend had wanted to give his son.
Boone sighed. Coming here wasn’t supposed to be so complicated. He’d planned to hand over everything to Amelia Hughes and just leave. Instead he was trapped here in her home, and he was feeling things for the woman he had no business feeling.
He needed to get out of here and fast.
That same husky soft voice called his name again. Boone looked toward the doorway and saw Amelia. Holding a hurricane lantern, she stood shadowed in the dim light. Her dark hair was slightly mussed and she had a blanket bundled around her trim body. Her gaze was questioning.
Boone drew another breath, trying to fight the urges she invoked in him. He zipped the bag and went to her.
“Is there a problem?” he asked.
“I think we’re going to need more firewood.”
He suddenly became aware of the chill. “Maybe you should turn on the heat, too.”
She released a breath. “I’m just worried that the generator won’t hold out.”
He nodded. “How’s Jesse? Is he warm enough?”
She smiled. “He’s fine and sound asleep. How are you doing in here?”
“It’s not bad.” Hell, it was cold.
She smiled at his lie. “Okay, we turn on the heat. But I’ll need to close the vents upstairs.”
“I’ll help you.”
He followed her through the kitchen, checking on Jesse as they went. The boy was layered with blankets on the sofa. He followed Amelia up the steps to the second floor where she opened the door at the top.
Amelia felt the drop in temperature immediately. “Oh, burr, it’s freezing.”
“Colder than a witch’s…” Boone began. “It’s darn cold.” He stood behind her and held up the lantern. “Go back downstairs, Amelia. I can handle this.”
She turned, nearly bumping into him. “But I know where all the registers are.”
With a nod from him, she headed into her grandmother’s bedroom. They worked quickly to shut off the vents, then moved on to Jesse’s room. Next, they went into hers. This had been her childhood bedroom and not much had changed since then. It seemed strange to have Boone here. There hadn’t been a man in here ever, not even Jesse’s father.
She knelt down next to her twin bed, and worked the iron grate, but it wouldn’t budge. “Stubborn thing.”
Boone appeared, shinning more light. “Here, let me try.”
Before she could get out of the way, he leaned over her, and his hard chest brushed against her back. She felt his muscles strain as he fought the stubborn lever and won.
He didn’t move away, and strangely, Amelia didn’t want him to.
“Where to next?” His voice vibrated against her ear. “Your sister’s room?”
“Kelley doesn’t live in the house anymore. A few years ago she moved into the foreman’s cottage.” She stopped her rambling and took a breath to relax. It didn’t help. Was she so starved for a man that the slightest contact set her off?
With this man, yes.
He finally moved back. “Then I guess we’re finished,” he said. “We should head downstairs.”
Still on her knees, she turned to face him. In the dim shadows, they were close in the confined space. Dangerously close.
Suddenly she heard her name called. “Mom! Mom! Where are you?”
She broke eye contact, got to her feet and hurried into the hallway. “I’m coming, Jesse.”
“Hurry, Mom. Izzy’s having her puppies.”
Chapter Five
BOONE FOLLOWED AMELIA downstairs to find the mother-to-be in her box in the pantry. Seeing her owner, Izzy whimpered.
“See, Mom?”
Amelia knelt down inside the narrow enclosure next to her son and gently stroked the dog’s head. “What’s the matter, girl? Are your babies getting impatient to be born?”
In answer, the animal licked her hand and panted heavily.
“Mom, is Izzy having her puppies now?”
Amelia stood and backed out of the small space. “It looks like it, honey. Maybe we should give her some privacy.”
The boy didn’t like the idea. “But what if she needs us?”
“She might. So we need to get some towels and thread to tie off the puppies’ cords in case she needs help.”
When the boy started to argue, Boone spoke up, “Come on, Jesse, I’ll help you, too. Do you know where the thread is?”
With the boy’s nod, the threesome gathered the things needed and returned for the expected delivery. Wrapped in a blanket, with the lantern next to him, Jesse sat in the doorway waiting.
Boone stood holding another light overhead, and watched in awe as Amelia coaxed the Labrador to push out the first tiny puppy. Jesse gasped in delight, and showed even more excitement as the second and third came along.
“You’re doing fine, girl,” Amelia spoke to her patient as she wiped off each new arrival. “Here comes another,” she said, then amended that. “Oh, and another.”
Boone handed Jesse the light and instructed him how to hold it. Then he jumped in and assisted Amelia so none of the puppies would be lost.
By the end, the litter count added up to eight healthy puppies. Amelia gently helped clean the last arrival, and gave it to the mother to begin nursing. Then she worked quickly to removed the soiled towels and replace them with fresh bedding.
Boone took the dirty towels and set them aside, then helped Jesse bring some food and water for the new mother.
“Mom, can we keep one this time?” Jesse pointed to the yellow pup that was busy trying to find a vacant nipple to feed on.
“Honey, we talked about this. You know we have to sell them. Besides, Mr. Clevenger might want that one to keep.”
The boy hung his head. “What if I don’t want to go to college?”
Amelia looked at Boone. “We started breeding Izzy when our neighbor, Ralph Clevenger, approached us because he had a registered Labrador, too. After Ralph takes his pick, I plan to sell the others and put the money in Jesse’s college fund.”
Boone wanted to tell Amelia that she didn’t have to worry about money for college. Russ had left everything to his son, along with a hefty life insurance policy. But that wouldn’t mean much to a little boy who wanted a dad. Instead, Boone spoke to Jesse. “Your mom will make sure they all have good homes with other boys and girls.”
Amelia glanced down at the new mother. “This is Izzy’s third litter. I usually have the vet come out to check her. That’s not going to happen this time.”
