скачать книгу бесплатно
“No problem,” he said. Women were constantly surprised by his manners, but he couldn’t help that. His mother had taught him to stand in the presence of a lady, and he couldn’t change that training now, even if he’d wanted to. “How did you know my name?”
Color tinged her cheeks. “I looked at the registration form before the clerk threw it away.” She held out her hand. “My name is Shelby McFarland.”
“Pleased to meet you, Shelby.” He took her soft hand gently in his, careful not to put too much pressure into his handshake. She was so delicate, he imagined he could leave a bruise if he was the least bit enthusiastic.
He enjoyed the contact, though, enjoyed it more than was good for him. He liked looking into her blue eyes, too. He read basic goodness and honesty there, but she was wary, too, as if something was spooking her. He put that together with the way she’d argued with the Smoky about going up the hill and wondered if she was running from something…or someone.
“And this is Josh,” she said, bringing the little boy forward. “Josh, can you shake Mr. Connor’s hand?”
Josh nodded and stuck out his hand, but his eyes widened as he looked Boone up and down. “You’re big as a elephant,” he said.
“Josh!” Shelby reddened.
Boone laughed out loud. “Can’t argue with the truth, son. I’m about as graceful as one, too.” He glanced around. “I’m afraid all the booths are taken up, so if you’re here to eat, you’ll have to grab a couple of stools.” The prospect of having her sit down beside him gave him a forbidden thrill. Then he thought of the note in his pocket and reminded himself of his reason for being on this road in the first place.
“Oh, we’re not staying,” she said.
He frowned. Surely she wasn’t going back out in that snowstorm now that she had a roof over her head. And truth be told, he didn’t appreciate having his generosity thrown back in his face.
She must have figured out he was ticked, because she put her hand lightly on his arm. “I mean we’re not staying in the café,” she said quickly. “We’ll just get something to go. We’re definitely staying in the room you so graciously gave up. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I would like to do…something in return. Buying your dinner seems inadequate, but I can at least do that much.”
Her touch on his arm felt like the nuzzle of a timid foal. And now that he looked closer, he could see that her whole body was poised for flight. She’d glanced over at the door several times. His curiosity grew.
“How ’bout a star?” Josh asked. “When I’m a good boy, like when I ’membered to pick up my room, you give’d me a star.”
Shelby blushed. “Well, that’s a good idea, Josh, but I’m not sure that Mr. Connor—”
“The name’s Boone, and I’d love a star.” He probably shouldn’t have said that. No doubt about it, he was having trouble keeping his distance from these two.
“Uh, okay.” She looked flustered, but she dug around in her purse and came up with a sheet of peel-and-stick gold stars. She peeled one off. “Where…where do you want it?”
Even if he was creating a problem for himself, he couldn’t help loving this. “On my shirt’s fine.”
She looked him over, and finally stuck the star on the flap of his shirt pocket, smoothing it carefully without looking at him. Her cheeks were bright pink. “There,” she said, glancing up. “There’s your star.”
“And a kiss!” Josh said.
Boone knew he should tell her to forget the kiss, but he couldn’t make himself say it. Only a fool would turn down a kiss from someone as adorable as Shelby, with her ponytail perched on her head and that sweet blush on her cheeks.
“A star and a kiss!” Josh insisted. “You always do that.”
Apparently she decided that giving in quickly was better than making a bigger scene by protesting. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned over and gave Boone a quick peck on the cheek.
Her lips were soft and full, and her scent swirled around him. He fought the urge to close his eyes with pleasure. But he needed to keep the moment light, so he grinned at her. “Thanks. Now I’ve been fully rewarded.”
“I do appreciate the room,” she said shyly.
“You’re most welcome. Listen why not stay and eat here? Taking the food back to the room will be a real hassle in this weather.” Well, hell. He seemed determined to dig himself into a hole. If he didn’t watch it, he’d ask for her phone number next.
Fortunately for both of them, she didn’t fall in with his plan. A wary look flashed in her eyes again, and she glanced away. Boone had the strangest feeling she was thinking of some story to explain why she couldn’t stay in the café to eat dinner.
“Bob wants to stay,” Josh said. “’Cause Bob gots to go potty.”
Shelby looked down at him. “I’m sure it won’t take long for them to whip up a couple of burgers and fries. Can Bob wait until we go back to the room?”
Josh held his crotch and peered up at her. “I gots to go, too,” he whispered. “Real bad, Shebby.”
Shebby. Boone heard it, plain as day. No way had the kid said Mommy just then. Shebby was probably his version of her name, Shelby. This wasn’t her son. The word kidnapper flashed in his brain, but he just couldn’t buy it.
She sighed and looked around until she located the sign for the rest rooms. “Okay.” She glanced up at Boone. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll—”
“Do I hafta go in where the ladies go?” Josh hung back, his gaze pleading.
“Yes.” She took his hand firmly in hers.
Josh hung on her hand and tried to plant his feet. “But last time that lady was laughin’ at me.”
“She was laughing at the Cheerios, Josh, not at you. We don’t have to use them this time if you don’t want to. Now come on.”
Boone had to ask. “Cheerios?”
Shelby glanced back at him. “I throw some in the bowl. It gives him a target.”
Josh gazed up at Boone with a worried expression, as if he now expected Boone to laugh, too.
Boone bit down on the inside of his lip so he wouldn’t. “Great idea,” he said, although his voice was husky with the laugh he’d swallowed.
Josh’s expression cleared and his smile came out like sunshine. He pointed a stubby finger at Boone. “Me and him could go.”
Shelby shook her head and tugged on his hand. “No, I’m afraid not, Josh. Now come on.”
“Please,” Josh wailed, hanging back and dragging his feet. “I wanna be a big boy.”
Boone’s heart went out to him. He remembered a few trips to the ladies’ room, himself, when he was a kid. He’d always been tall for his age, so a couple of women had given him the evil eye when his mother had insisted on taking him in with her. He’d hated every minute of it, although now he completely understood why she’d done that. The world had some sick people in it.
“I’d be glad to take him,” Boone said. “I realize you don’t really know me, but—”
“I know you,” Josh said. “You gived us a room. Please, Shebby. Let me and him go.”
Shelby paused. She looked exhausted, frustrated and scared. “Okay,” she said at last. “If you’re willing to do that, I appreciate it. While you’re gone I’ll put in our order. Can I get anything for you while I’m at it? I’d love to be able to buy you some dinner.”
“No, thanks.” Boone had decided that eating would be his main entertainment tonight, and he didn’t want to rush it. “I’m not really hungry yet.”
She seemed even more frustrated that she couldn’t repay him with dinner, but Josh began hopping up and down, so she put the boy’s hand in Boone’s. “Thank you for everything,” she said. “You’ve been a real godsend.”
“Glad to help.” He touched a hand to the brim of his hat, which coaxed a faint smile from her. Then he had to focus all his attention on keeping Josh’s tiny hand in his. Such a small hand. Boone had to lean to the right to keep hold of it as Josh ran along beside him on the way to the rest rooms.
“Do you gots horsies?” Josh sounded breathless but determined to communicate. “’Cause me and Bob, we like horsies. We’re gonna ride some in Yellowstone.”
Boone realized the little guy was puffing because Boone’s stride was too long. He shortened it. “I have two horses,” he said. “One I keep with my friend Sebastian at the Rocking D, and the other one I keep at my folks’ place in Las Cruces.”
“Rocking D? What’s a Rocking D?”
Boone pushed open the swinging door to the rest room. “A ranch.”
“A ranch? You gots a ranch, like on TV?” Josh seemed beside himself with excitement, so beside himself that he’d obviously forgotten why he was in the rest room in the first place.
“Well, it’s not my—”
“Can I come there? Can I?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now you’d better tend to business.”
“’Kay.” Josh headed for a stall.
“You can do it here if you want,” Boone said as he gestured toward a urinal. “I’ll hold you up.”
Josh turned back to him, his expression confused.
“Come on. I’ll show you. This is how big guys do it.” Boone demonstrated.
Josh watched in obvious fascination.
Boone zipped up and glanced over at Josh. “Ready to try?”
Josh nodded vigorously.
In the end, Boone decided it would work best if he crouched down and let Josh stand on his knees. The little boy chortled happily all through the process, as if it was the highlight of his day.
Boone realized he was having a great time. What fun it would be to show a kid like this around the Rocking D. Sebastian had that gentle gelding, Samson, who would be perfect for Josh to learn on. But that was a pipe dream, for sure. Boone didn’t think Shelby would make a special detour to the Rocking D. She looked like a lady on a mission.
Besides, Boone had no business daydreaming about taking her there. She would be too big a temptation. He’d already caught himself thinking about what sort of body was hidden by the bulky ski jacket she wore, and he was in no position to go down that road with any woman.
As Josh finished washing his hands, he started in again on the topic of visiting the ranch. “I never been to a ranch,” he said. “Can I come? Me and Bob?”
“I imagine you have places to go and people to see,” Boone said.
“Well, we’re gonna see geezers in Yellowstone.” Josh dropped the paper towel neatly in the waste container.
“You mean geysers?” Boone was impressed with the boy’s neatness. Somebody had taught him well.
Josh nodded. “They go whoosh! Up in the air!” He threw his arms up to illustrate.
“Sounds like fun.” Boone decided to do some fishing for information. “Are you going to meet your mommy up there?”
“I don’t think so. My mommy’s in heaven with the angels.”
The casual statement slammed into Boone like a brick to the stomach, but Josh seemed completely at ease about it. Shelby probably wasn’t a kidnapper, not that Boone had seriously thought she was. But she was nervous about something. “Then maybe your dad?”
“Nope.” Josh started marching toward the door of the rest room. “My daddy’s in S’Antonio.”
“Really?” Boone held the door open for Josh.
“Yep.” Josh walked through the door. “He gots a gun.”
SHELBY HAD WATCHED Boone lead Josh away and no warning bells had sounded in her head. Boone inspired trust and a sense of security. She could feel it, and she was sure Josh could feel it, too.
Poor little guy hadn’t had much in the way of male role models. His grandfather had never been particularly interested in kids, not even his own daughters when they were young. Mason had ignored Josh until he’d smelled money, and even with the lure of that money, Mason had a hard time pretending to be a loving dad.
No wonder Josh had latched on to Boone so quickly. Seeing the way Boone abbreviated his long stride to accommodate Josh’s short one made Shelby’s heart hitch.
Not all men brushed children aside the way her father had, she reminded herself. Patricia, the beauty, had eventually gained her father’s admiration by going into the high-profile world of television broadcasting. He and Shelby’s mother had been able to brag about Patricia, who eventually had her own local talk show. Shelby’s modest desktop-publishing business and her more average looks hadn’t been able to compete.
Shelby watched until Boone led Josh away through the swinging door of the men’s room. Then she turned to catch the eye of the waitress working behind the counter. She noticed that her name was Lucy. Shelby’s mother’s name. Another sharp pain sliced through her before she could shut down her feelings.
The woman, who was visibly pregnant, came over toward Shelby. “Can I help you?”
“You sure can. Can I please get two hamburgers and two orders of fries to go?” Shelby knew it wasn’t the most nutritious meal in the world, but she’d worry about getting some green veggies into Josh tomorrow, after they’d put some more miles between them and Mason.
“You and that little boy aren’t going back out on the road, are you?” asked the waitress.
“No, thank goodness. We have a room at the motel, thanks to that gentleman who was just sitting here. He had the last room, but he gave it to us, instead.”
The waitress’s expression grew soft. “Isn’t he the nicest man? He was worried about whether I had a way to get home.”
“Apparently he’s the kind who looks out for others,” Shelby said. “It’s good to know there are still guys out there like that.”
“And he’s pretty darned cute, too, did you notice?”
“I guess.” Shelby thought about the gentle smile that had made her tingle. Oh, yes, she’d noticed. Besides his understanding green eyes, he also possessed a couple of other noteworthy features, like a very masculine-looking jaw and curly black hair. Her heart had raced when she’d leaned over to place a kiss on his suntanned cheek.
He was built well, too. Although some large men tended to look beefy and slightly out of shape, this one didn’t seem to have a spare bit of flab on him. Nice tush, too. Watching him walk away with Josh had given her guilty pleasure.
“It’s a wonder some woman hasn’t snatched him up,” the waitress said. “But he’s not wearing a wedding ring. And he’s the type who would, if he was married.” She glanced pointedly down at the bare ring finger of Shelby’s left hand.
Shelby stuffed her left hand into the pocket of her jacket. The waitress might think she could do a little matchmaking in between serving orders, but whether Boone Connor was married or not was of no consequence to Shelby. She couldn’t think about such things under the current circumstances. Even ogling his cute tush meant she was allowing herself to be distracted from her goal of keeping Josh safe. That wasn’t good.
She leaned closer to the waitress. “Listen, since he’ll have to spend the night in the café, could I leave some money with you to pay for whatever food he eats? I’d like to find some way to repay him for being so kind.”
“I’ll be leaving soon, myself, but I suppose I could arrange that with Mrs. Sloan. Why don’t you just stay and eat your dinner when he eats his? Then you could just pick up the check for everything.”
Shelby trotted out the excuse she’d been about to give Boone. “Well, I would, but Josh has a program he wants to see on TV, so we need to get back to the room.”
The waitress rolled her eyes as if to say that Shelby was crazy to let something like that stand in her way. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” She pulled some bills out of her purse and gave them to the waitress. “That should cover ours and anything he has, don’t you think?”
The waitress looked at the cash Shelby had given her and chuckled. “That’s more than enough. I’ll go put in your order.”
