Home on the Ranch

by Tanya Michaels

  “Oops.” Layla stood. “I’d better get the dustpan. And we’d better settle down and behave. Addie, do you want to help me make more popcorn?”

  But Addie was looking solemnly at Jace. “Do you know Uncle Chris got hurt?”

  He nodded. “I visited him every day in the hospital to help keep him company until you and your mom got here.”

  “He’s not in the hospital anymore,” Addie said. “We went to his house today. But he’s still hurt.”

  “I know, but he’s getting better,” Jace reassured her. “Even though he’s out of the hospital, he has good doctors still helping him. And other people, too. Like your mom. Do you know she came up with a way to help him by taking pictures? She’s a smart lady.”

  “She’s making a calendar,” Addie said. “That’s why I visited the bank this morning with Gena, so Mommy could take pictures. Gena told another bank lady that there were hot men with no shirts, but I think she meant cold men. People with no shirts would be cold.”

  Layla choked on a laugh as Jace flushed red. I should remind Gena that kids overhear more than people think. “So,” she interrupted, “how about we get that movie started?”

  She excused herself during the opening credits to get a glass of water. When she returned, her heart did a slow, sweet somersault at the sight of Addie tucked against Jace’s chest, her sleepy eyes at half-mast. By the time Dorothy met the traveling “fortune teller,” Addie was snoring loudly enough to drown out the musical score.

  “Here.” Layla reached for her daughter. “You’re probably losing feeling in your arm. I’ll take her to bed.”

  Jace met her gaze over Addie’s head. “Let me. Please.” Was it a trick of the flickering light from the TV, or were his eyes damp?

  Layla nodded, struck momentarily wordless by a lump of emotion in her throat. As Jace rose, cradling Addie close to him, Layla hit the mute button on the remote. But she left the TV on to help illuminate the path. She led him down the hallway of the still, silent house to Addie’s room. While Jace tucked their daughter into the blankets, Layla turned on the projector nightlight on the other side of the bed. Dimly lit stars began spinning on the ceiling above Addie. Suddenly, Layla wished she could just telepathically share with Jace the million little things he’d missed—about the day Addie picked out the star lamp during a trip to the museum and how she’d later lost her first baby tooth on the ride home. About how the hand-knit blanket Jace had just pulled over her had been a gift from Layla’s first regular client. About the day Addie met Meredith and made her first real friend.

  If Layla had found the courage to tell Jace she was pregnant seven years ago, would he have been there for all those moments? Would this be their life together; tickle fights after dinner and tucking their daughter into bed? Because of Layla’s choices, they’d never know what could have been. Eyes stinging, she pressed a kiss to Addie’s forehead and retreated from the room.

  Jace followed closely. As always, her body hummed at his nearness.

  “I don’t have to go yet,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “We could watch Twister. It would be like a refresher course for you.”

  Her eyes strayed to the sofa a few feet away as she imagined spending the next couple of hours there with him. “I can’t.” But it was so tempting. She’d like nothing more than to snuggle against him with the same carefree affection her daughter had shown.

  His expression was knowing. “I understand.”

  She was afraid he did. If things were different... “I want to go over the shots I took today, do some editing, get a feel for what’s working before I meet Grayson tomorrow. I think this calendar might actually turn out really well.”

  “Never doubted it.”

  His matter-of-fact belief in her warmed her from the inside like a sip of rich hot cocoa. “Thank you again for tonight. It meant a lot to her.”

  His smile was bittersweet. “Not nearly as much as it did to me, beautiful. This is what I want, more of this. Hearing what she wants to be when she grows up, chatting with her over dinner, getting to tuck her in at night. I don’t want to be Mr. Jace. I want to be Daddy.”

  Would he still feel that way once the novelty had worn off? Or what about when he started dating someone new and having a child was inconvenient? Layla was starting to believe he was capable of the long-term commitment. She just wasn’t sure yet how it would work from two different cities with their very different lives. And she had no idea how her daughter would take it.

  “We’ll figure out a way to tell her, a way to make all this work,” Layla said. “It just takes time.”

  “I’ve already lost six years.”

  She winced.

  “Layla, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to—”

  “I know.” She squeezed his hand, but quickly dropped it. “You were only telling the truth.”

  “How soon can I see her again?”

  “I’ll call you. I’m not sure yet how the next couple of days will play out. I told Chris that Dad was in town, and he promised to think about seeing him. If Chris goes through with it, they may need me there to keep the peace.”

  “You worried Chris will try to beat up your father with his crutches?”

  “I know you’re teasing, but the thought has crossed my mind.”

  “And telling Chris about us?” he pressed. “When can we do that? Now that I know Addie’s mine, I feel like I’ll blurt out the truth whenever I’m in the room with him. I don’t know how you kept the secret so long.”

  “I don’t know how, either.” There were times when the heaviness of the truth weighed on her like a physical burden. As nervous as she was about the truth getting out, it would also be a relief.

  “We have a lot to sort through,” she said. “But another time? I really do have work to do on this calendar.” At least that way, if Chris ruptured stitches taking a swing at Jace, Suzanne would have a head start on his medical bills.

  * * *

  “Can’t sleep?” Gena’s expression was obscured in the dim lighting that came from above the kitchen sink, but the sympathy in her voice was evident.

  “Not sure,” Layla said from the table. “I haven’t actually tried yet.” It was two in the morning. She’d long since finished her photo proofs, yet here she still sat.

  Gena shuffled to the fridge to fill a glass with water. “Stressed?”

  “Yes and no.” Layla idly stirred a spoon in the mug of peppermint tea that had grown cold. “I am stressed about all kinds of family things—whether it’s too late for Dad and Chris to repair their relationship, how to tell Addie the truth about things, Chris’s recovery... But, honestly, it’s not stress that’s keeping me up. It’s almost the opposite. I had such a good time tonight.”

  “And staying awake is your way of not letting the night end yet.”

  “Something like that.” She’d been reliving each moment, frame by frame, right up until the moment when Jace had kissed her goodbye on the cheek. It had been a brief, innocent touch—and yet she’d had to splash cold water on her face as his truck pulled out of the driveway.

  “I heard you puttering around the kitchen a while ago,” Gena said. She nodded toward the mug on the table. “Making tea, I guess. At first, I hoped the noise was you and Jace making out in the kitchen.”

  “Of course not! I told you—we agreed that it was more sensible to keep our relationship platonic.”

  Gena rolled her eyes. “‘Sensible’ does not equal fun. You used to have all sorts of fun, remember?”

  “I also remember I got grounded a lot.”

  “My point is, don’t let being a mom and a grown-up rob you of the best parts of yourself. Addie is a great kid. I love her. But she’s pretty serious for a kindergartner. Tonight, laughing with Jace, she embraced her fun side. You want that for her, right? Then you have to set the example. Don’t be afraid to enjoy your life, t
o go after what you want.”

  “Enabler.” Where had this advice been hours ago when Layla had been talking herself out of cuddling into Jace’s side for a nice long tornado movie?

  “Friend,” Gena corrected. “You know I only want what’s best for you.”

  And that included making out with Jace Trent? Debatable. On the other hand...

  “I’ve thought a lot tonight about regret,” Layla admitted. “Jace helped me get Addie into bed, and watching them together, thinking about what kind of father he could have been—”

  “Still can be.”

  “It’s been seven years since I chickened out of telling him I was pregnant. I’m starting to regret that I didn’t. I’m not sure getting into a romantic or physical relationship with him is wise, but...”

  “You don’t want to look back later and regret not trying?”

  “Do I sound like a wishy-washy person who doesn’t know what she wants?”

  “Yes.” When Layla spluttered in outrage, Gena laughed. “But that’s most of the human race. We’re never one-hundred-percent sure what direction our lives should go. Even when we know what we want, sometimes we can’t immediately define how to get it. Or we get it, and it turns out to be far different than we expected. You never know unless you try.”

  And if she tried and failed?

  Would that be better or worse than returning home without kissing Jace again, without finding out what might exist between them?

  As Gena said, there was only one way to find out.

  * * *

  Jace had never understood the term quit while you’re ahead. He’d quit plenty of things in his life, including college, but only because he knew in his gut that a situation wasn’t going to work out. That’s when you cut your losses and bailed, not when something was actually working. When you were ahead, you graciously accepted the encouragement from the universe and pressed your advantage. So, after last night’s success at Gena’s, here he was, sitting on the tailgate of his truck, hoping to duplicate—or even improve—his results.

  Assuming Layla didn’t kick his ass for hijacking her photo shoot.

  Technically, she was supposed to be meeting Jace’s business partner today at the Whippoorwill farm. Thanks to Jace’s intervention, however, she’d get to take some pictures for the calendar and they would get to continue their conversation from last night. They needed to talk more with no chance of Addie waking up and hearing them. Admit it, talking isn’t all you want to do. True. He wanted Layla, and he refused to feel guilty about it. Based on her pretty blushes and the dewy-eyed glances that lasted a few seconds too long and the way her breathing quickened when he was close, he wasn’t alone in his desires.

  Whether she decided to act on those desires or not, he considered the time alone with her today worthwhile. Worst-case scenario, she’d be annoyed that he’d changed the modeling schedule without asking her. Even if that happened, he’d get to spend a little time sitting in the shade of the barn on a lovely autumn day, and he’d get to see the woman who’d been haunting more and more of his thoughts for the past week. And here she comes.

  She drove down the well-worn dirt path that led to the barn. He couldn’t tell from the other side of the windshield when she realized it was him. She was shaking her head as she climbed out of the car seconds later.

  An oversize pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses hid her eyes, but her lips twitched in the suggestion of amusement, despite the exasperation in her voice. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  He gave her a small wave and his most winning smile. “Grayson had to cancel.” After an hour of cajoling on Jace’s part and input from Hadley, a die-hard romantic. “So I heroically offered to step in.”

  “Uh-huh.” Layla wagged an accusing finger at him as she marched forward, her legs long and tanned beneath the hem of her denim shorts. “You said I had a bad habit of running away. Know what your bad habit is, Trent?”

  “I have so many. Can you be more specific?”

  She socked him gently in the shoulder. “Ambushing people. This makes twice in two days.”

  Guilty as charged. “Well...yeah. When I ambush you, it gives you less of a chance to run away.”

  She shoved the sunglasses on top of her head, her eyes meeting his. There was a wicked glint in her gaze, and, for a second, he wondered if she planned to sock him again. Or worse. Instead, she bent forward. Her breath feathered against his cheek. “I’m not running away now, am I?”

  Jace’s pulse pounded in his ears as she clasped her fingers behind his neck. He slid down from the back of the truck, standing so that he could pull her body against his. A man could easily get addicted to the lush feel of her curves. “Layla.” The whispered word was a declaration of praise and a plea for permission all wrapped in one.

  Her hazel eyes stayed open until the last second, dark graceful lashes sweeping down as his mouth took hers. Damn, he was starving for her. He deepened the kiss, dropping his hands to her hips.

  Wishing he could kiss her everywhere at once, he trailed his lips over the soft skin of her throat, nipping at her here and there, wondering if she’d stop him if he kept going lower. He hesitated, waiting to see if she voiced any objection, before undoing just the top button of her shirt. The sight of lace-covered cleavage left him dizzy and aching. He palmed one breast, and her soft moan of encouragement was as sexy as her body. Without conscious thought, he made quick work of the second and third buttons, kissing her through the silky fabric of her bra, teasing a hard nipple while he ran his thumb across the other one.

  “Th-that feels so good,” she panted.

  For him, too. The only thing he could imagine that would feel better than touching her was being inside her again. He was on the brink of losing control? Make a last-ditch effort for rationality? Straightening, he searched her gaze. “If you want me to stop, now would be a good time to say so.”

  “Stop?” She sounded pained. “No, I... Is anyone home at the farm?”

  He shook his head. His sister-in-law’s family owned the place, but Kate’s aunt was on a senior citizen gambling trip in Louisiana. “There’s no one here to see us, if that’s what you’re worried about.” When she glanced over his shoulder, he followed her gaze to the barn. “Want to go inside?”

  She nodded without hesitation.

  Jace paused only long enough to grab the blanket he kept in the back of his truck. “To give us a comfortable place to sit,” he said, trying halfheartedly to sound innocent.

  Layla gave him a slow, sexy smile. “And here I was thinking that sitting in your lap sounded like a good idea.”

  He groaned. “Woman, you are going to be the death of me.”

  Turning so that she was walking backward, she undid another button. “Complaining?”

  “Hell, no.” He scrambled to catch up with her, so eager that he nearly tripped over his own feet.

  It was cool and dim inside the barn, with beams of light shining through the wood. The sweet smell of hay was nice but not nearly as intoxicating as the scent of Layla’s skin or the shampoo she used. Could he really be this lucky?

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked, barely recognizing his own voice. It was hoarse, scratchy with need and hope.

  Her soft, reassuring laugh was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. “Jace, I already had to seduce you once. Are you going to make me do it again, or will you just accept that I want you and do something about it?”

  Chapter 11

  Layla felt giddy with desire...and power. It was an amazing sensation to have such an effect on a big, strong cowboy like Jace Trent. But the power was a two-way street because that wicked grin he was giving her made her knees weak.

  He tossed the blanket on the ground and advanced on her. “I’ve thought about this so many times, beautiful.”

  “Making out in a barn?” she teased.

  “Yo
u know what I mean.” Looking around, he suddenly laughed. “Although, we really should try a bed one of these days.”

  “Maybe another time.” Would there be another time? Just what was she committing to here? After her talk with Gena last night, she’d fallen asleep with budding determination to go after what she wanted—namely, Jace. And when she’d shown up today to find him waiting for her... It felt as if she’d waited seven years for this moment, and she couldn’t wait any longer.

  He wrapped his arms around her, and they slid down to the blanket in a tangle of limbs and sighs. Her shirt was rapidly discarded, and his followed soon after. She experienced the briefest moment of shyness.

  “I look different now,” she said, aware that pregnancy and birth had changed her body.

  “Yeah.” His hands grazed lightly over her breasts, past her stomach and lower to her thighs. “You’re even more beautiful than before.” The hungry way he looked at her made his words more than empty flattery.

  By brushing away her momentary insecurity, he left her free to enjoy this wholeheartedly. She reached for him, her fingers curling into the hard muscle of his back as they kissed. “You...are...” She managed a few breathless words. “Such a good kisser.”

  He grinned against her lips. “Thanks, but it’s like dancing. You’re only as good as your partner.”

  Then words were lost as he rolled her over, showing her with his every touch how much he wanted her. It had been quite a while since Layla had made love, but it had been far longer since she’d felt this soul-deep yearning. As nice as the foreplay was, she wanted him inside her. She wanted to feel that sense of completion.

  “Jace.” She couldn’t wait any longer.

  “I know.”

  “Do you, um, have protection?” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t remembered that before now, as cautious as she was about birth control, but her thoughts had been too full of him to register anything else.