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“Looks like the kid will be around for a while,” Holt told him. “I’m going to take out Rusty.”
The old man beamed. “That’s a good idea. Why don’t you ask the youngin’ to go along?”
Holt headed to the tack room. “Not now, I need some time alone. Besides, he and Leah are deciding how to fix up his room.” He took the saddle off the sawhorse and carried it to the stall.
Zach followed after him. “You want to know what I think?”
“Not really.” Holt soothed the gelding and slipped the bridle on.
The foreman ignored him. “Since you arrived here, you’ve kept to yourself too much. There’s some good folks around here. Being a little neighborly wouldn’t hurt.”
“I’m a New Yorker. We’re not known for being overly friendly.”
Zach removed his worn hat and scratched his nearly bald head. “Just like your father. For years after your mother took you away, John pretty much stayed here, avoiding people.” The old man smiled. “Until little Leah showed up. She was in high school back then, and cute as a button. All legs, and with braces on her teeth. She was going to be a photographer and she wanted to take pictures of Hidden Falls. Said it was for a school project. John wasn’t too keen on it at first, but she was a pesky thing and finally he gave in. That boyfriend of hers kept bringing her out here …”
“Her boyfriend?”
“Yeah, some big football player. I think they call them jocks now. Whoever he was, he followed her around, doing her bidding.”
Holt didn’t want to hear about Leah’s old boyfriends. “I know the feeling,” he murmured as he spread the blanket over the horse’s back.
“You say something?” Zach asked.
“No.” He lifted the saddle onto Rusty’s back and began to tighten the cinch.
“Well, like I was sayin’, Leah was a frequent visitor out here. John got so he looked forward to seeing her.”
Holt was tired of hearing about Leah’s happy times with John Rawlins. “I’m going to check the herd. I’ll probably finish repairing the pasture fence and be back in a few hours.” He slipped on his gloves with the hope that some physical work would help kill his awareness of Leah.
“You know, Holt, you’re turning into quite the rancher. You haven’t shied away from any of the hard work. Your father would be proud.”
“Too bad it took so long for me to get back here.”
The old man rubbed his jaw. “Maybe there were things John couldn’t control. I wish you could have known him.”
Holt stiffened. “And that’s my fault? The man knew where I lived. He chose not to see me.”
Holt led Rusty out of the stall hoping to find some peace. He sure wasn’t going to get much with a full house.
That next afternoon, Leah went looking for the absent Holt. With directions from Zach, she rode Daisy along the fence into the grassy valley. Since Mrs. Gerard left yesterday she hadn’t had a chance to talk with Holt. Alone. She had a suspicion he was avoiding her. Well, he wasn’t going to ignore her any longer.
She spotted Rusty tied to a tree and not far away was the man she’d been looking for. She rode closer and discovered that he’d removed his shirt, leaving him in an undershirt, revealing his muscular shoulders and arms. Sweat beaded against his skin as he worked to stretch barbed wire along the newly placed post.
Holt looked up as she approached. He didn’t seem happy to see her. “Is there a problem?”
“No, Corey’s fine,” she said as she climbed off her mount. “He’s with Zach.”
Holt went back to stretching the wire. “Then why did you track me down?”
“Maybe if you didn’t just disappear all the time, I wouldn’t have to. We need to talk.”
He finished hammering the horseshoe nail into the wood, then turned to her. “Okay, tell me what’s so important that it couldn’t wait until I got back?”
“I wanted to talk to you …” She was suddenly distracted by the sweat glistening on his shoulders. “I mean about…how we handle Corey. Since it’s summertime he doesn’t have school. And he has a lot of time on his hands.”
“Well, I don’t,” Holt told her. “I have a ranch to run. Next week is roundup. Tomorrow we’re bringing the herd here.”
“That’s what I meant, if you would have taken the time to tell me …”
Anger flashed in his eyes as he dropped his hammer. Pulling off his gloves, he walked toward her. “And why would I feel the need to do that?” Under the shade of the trees, he removed his hat and stopped in front of her. “You’re my pretend wife, Leah, not my real one.”
“Nor would I want to be,” she retorted.
His gaze roamed over her body making her feel exposed. Then he smiled. “Don’t knock it, if you haven’t tried it.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “Maybe we should practice at being loving parents.”
Leah pushed his hand away. “Stop it.” She stepped back. “What is wrong with you? I thought you were okay with having Corey live at your house.”
“I am. He’s not a bad kid. It’s you I’m having trouble dealing with.”
She was hurt. “Me? But you asked me to move in. In fact you insisted on it.”
Holt shut his eyes momentarily. He had insisted, but he didn’t realize the toll her living in his house would take on him, on his sanity. “Yes, but all day every day. You’re everywhere.” If she wasn’t in the kitchen, cooking, he could hear her laughter throughout the house. Even when he walked by the bathroom, he could catch the scent of her soap. His gaze locked with hers. “You’re too tempting, Leah.”
Her face reddened. “I’m not trying to be.”
“But it’s the reality.”
“But for Corey’s sake, it wouldn’t be a good idea to act on those thoughts.”
“So it’s for the kid’s sake that you rode all this way?”
He watched her breathing grow rapid. She gave him a weak nod.
“You’re a liar, Leah” he accused. “You could have waited until I got back. Maybe you’re feeling it, too. This thing between us.”
Against his better judgment, he took a step closer.
She couldn’t get away because Daisy was behind her.
“I should get back.”
He knew she was right. He knew that he should just send her away, but ever since that day at the falls when he’d kissed her, he’d wanted to kiss her again.
“You should have just left me alone, Leah. A man can only take so much.” He never realized how overwhelming just knowing she was sleeping down the hall from him…She was the first person he saw in the morning and the last person at night …
If he let her, she could become an obsession. “You want me to say that I want you? All right, I do.”
His mouth lowered to hers, his lips caressed hers, then he pulled back to see her blink her big eyes at him. He was barely holding on to his control. “Tell me to stop, Leah, and I will.”
She just stared at him, then parted her lips as he dipped his head toward hers. When his mouth closed over hers, she whimpered and placed her arms around his neck and let her lips part so he could deepen the kiss. He did. He tasted her and it was intoxicating. He wanted more. Much more. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his aching body. He was drowning in her, and never wanted to come up for air.
Finally his common sense prevailed, and he broke off the kiss. He gasped for a breath and stepped back. Was he crazy?
“Go back to the house, Leah,” he demanded as he turned away.
Leah stood there frozen to the spot. She’d been crazy to let Holt kiss her. Crazy to get involved with this man. She had to stay focused on a more important problem. “Holt.”
“I said leave, Leah.”
“You can’t keep ignoring Corey.”
He turned around and nodded in agreement. “I’m not that big a bastard. I know I shouldn’t ignore him. It’s just that some of us aren’t the best role models.”
“It’s not as hard as you think, Holt. Just give him some of your time, a little attention. The boy hangs on to your every word. I’ve already seen him emulate your mannerisms.”
“I don’t want him to,” he told her. “His stay isn’t meant to be permanent. Corey will be leaving.”
“Well, while he’s here, he’s chosen you to be his hero.”
The following evening, Holt drove into town and parked the truck in front of the Keenan Inn. Leah’s parents had invited all of them to dinner. It was great for Corey and Leah, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to socialize, to play out their situation in public. And he’d learned that Tim Keenan had been a good friend of John Rawlins.
“Wow! Your house is so big,” Corey said from the back seat of the truck.
“Remember I told you that we only live on the third floor. The rest of the house is for guests,” Leah explained. “Come on, Mom and Dad are waiting.”
Corey eagerly climbed out of the truck’s back door. He was wearing the new clothes that Leah had bought him. His hair, although still long, was neatly combed off his forehead. For all his excitement, the boy moved behind Leah when her parents come out on the porch.
Holt knew the feeling. He found himself putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder as Leah hurried up the steps to embrace her family.
“It’s okay, Corey. The Keenans are nice people.”
The boy still looked frightened. “What if they don’t like me?”
Holt couldn’t help but smile as he pulled off his Stetson. It was funny how quickly boots and cowboy hats had become his uniform. “Just be polite and remember what we talked about.”
“I know, mind your manners.”
It was Mrs. Keenan who came down the steps and smiled at the boy. “My, what a handsome, young man. You must be Corey.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Keenan.” With a nudge from Holt, he reached out his hand.
She shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Corey. And all the kids call me Mrs. K.” She raised her gaze to Holt. “You must be Holt Rawlins. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He shook her hand as Leah’s father showed up.
“Hello, Holt. It’s nice to see you again.” The older man smiled.
“Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Keenan,” Holt said.
“It’s Tim and Claire. And lately, it’s the only way we can see our daughter,” Tim joked. “But what she’s doing is more important. Right, lad?”
The boy nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mr. K.”
A younger woman arrived on the porch. She was a good four inches taller than Leah and had long auburn hair. Holt recognized her as Destiny’s mayor. “Corey and Holt, this is our oldest daughter, Morgan,” Mrs. Keenan said.
“You’re the mayor,” Corey said.
The pretty woman smiled. “Yes, I am. You can call me Morgan.”
“And it’s great to have two more guys to even the odds at the dinner table,” Tim said. “Maybe we can talk sports for a change. How do you feel about the Denver Broncos?”
Holt had been a New York Giant fan all his life. “I’m looking forward to the upcoming season,” he told his host as they went into the house.
As they walked through the house into the warm, aromatic kitchen, Tim Keenan said, “You both are in for a treat. My Claire is the best cook around.”
Holt smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to sampling it all day.”
Leah watched as Corey stayed close to Holt. Seeing his protective hand on the boy’s shoulder something tightened around her heart. Since her trip out to the pasture, Holt had spent more time with the boy. At first it was awkward, but the two were making strides. At least they’d fared better than she at trying to forget Holt’s kiss.
“Everything is ready,” her mother called. “Holt, Corey and Leah, sit over there.” The big table was set for six. A large pot roast, bowls of vegetables and a basket of homemade rolls were placed in the center.
When they were all seated, the blessing was said and food passed out. The conversation was lively while eating the scrumptious supper. By the time they’d finished dessert, everyone was relaxed. Her father took Corey up to the attic to search for some toys and games to take back to the ranch.
They were finishing coffee when Morgan directed her attention to Holt. “From what I hear, you’ve settled into ranch life.”
“I have to admit it’s a lot of work, but yes, thanks to Zach Shaw, I’m getting the hang of ranching.” He smiled. “Of course, I might change my mind after the roundup next week.”
Morgan turned to her sister. “Didn’t you help John with the roundup a few times?”
Leah glanced at Holt. “A long time ago. I was just a kid.”
“Don’t let her fool you, Holt. She was quite the cowgirl back then.”
Holt studied Leah. “Oh, really. You never stop amazing me.”
“Well, don’t expect much. I pretty much followed John’s and Zach’s lead.” She glared at her sister.
“Do you have other men to help out, Holt?” her mother asked.
“Zach has lined up some of the neighbors, Jim Bakersfield and Bart Young.”
“Good, men,” Claire said. “It’s nice that you’re going to meet some of the townspeople…since you’re going to be living here.”
The mayor raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it mighty peculiar you being a New Yorker that you’ve decided you want to live here?”
“I was born here,” he said. “It wasn’t my choice to leave.” He glanced around the room. “I’m sure everyone in town knows about my parents’ marriage. At the moment, I’m where I want to be—here in Colorado.”
Morgan smiled. “And we’re glad to have you.”
