Home on the Ranch--Tennessee Homecoming

by April Arrington

  Katie swallowed hard. Did she want to force her way into Matthew’s life by arguing with him? Definitely not. What she wanted was for him to be happy again. And right now, leading the school choir was the best chance she had of securing an opportunity to win his trust.

  “It’s not a matter of want,” she said quietly. “It’s a matter of need. I need to do this for Matthew since his mother can’t. So he can learn to trust me and, hopefully, find a way through his grief.”

  A kind light entered Clint’s eyes. “All right. The first practice begins tonight at five thirty. As I said, Melody will assist you and I’ll attend the first couple of practices just to make sure everything’s well in hand.”

  “Thank you. Is it okay if I take Matthew home for the rest of the school day and help him cool off before the first practice? I’d like to try to get him in a better frame of mind before we start, if I can.”

  “That’d be fine, and I look forward to seeing you both again this afternoon.”

  “I’ll be back with Matthew and Emma at five thirty sharp.” Katie shook his hand, thanked him again and left.

  Surprisingly, Matthew had obeyed her for once. He had sat in the chair beside Heath outside the principal’s office and waited for her return.

  “Let’s go. I’m taking you home for a while to cool off.” She motioned for Matthew to follow her and smiled at the little boy still waiting for his turn with the principal. “Goodbye, Heath. I hope your day gets better.”

  Despite the worried shadows in his eyes, Heath smiled and waved goodbye.

  Finally, a break. Maybe Heath would be one of the kids attending choir practice. That way there’d be one more familiar face in the crowd.

  Once they made it outside, Katie led the way across the parking lot to the car. Matthew followed slowly and made no move to enter the car when they reached it.

  “Is Mr. Waterson still letting you lead the choir?” he asked, scowling.

  “Yes. Our first practice is this afternoon, and you, me and Emma are all going.” Katie opened the driver’s-side door then paused, meeting Matthew’s stare over the hood of the car. “I don’t know what to say to you. I was so embarrassed back there.”

  “Good,” he said, his tone hard but his chin wobbling. “I don’t want you to do it. Even Uncle Landon would be better at it than you, and he doesn’t even play the piano.”

  “I know you’d prefer Landon.” Legs shaking, Katie jingled her keys and shifted from one foot to the other. “And knowing Landon, he probably would be better at it than me. He’s better at taking care of you, Emma and Sophia. Better at knowing what to do in situations like this. And you know who else was better than me?”

  Oh, God. She should stop talking, she really should. But that sad, empty feeling deep inside her had become so strong it made her ache to the point that she could barely draw a decent breath.

  “Your mom,” Katie said. “Jennifer was better at everything. She was a wonderful mother and she’d know exactly what to do right now when I don’t. I’d never try to take her place—I never could. But she was my only sister and I miss her just as much as you do. I loved her as much as—” She looked away and watched the traffic pass along the nearby highway, cringing as a hot tear rolled down her cheek. “I loved her as much as I love you whether you choose to believe that or not. I want to do this for you—and for her—because I know she would’ve wanted to hear you sing at that festival. So can we please, just this once, call a truce?”

  He didn’t answer. The silence continued for what seemed like forever and the only sounds were the speeding cars in the distance, but then...

  “Okay.”

  Katie faced him, wiped the tear from her cheek and raised her brows. “Okay?”

  Eyes suspiciously wet, Matthew nodded as he opened the passenger door.

  “Matthew?” She waited until he stopped and looked at her. “It’s been a bad day for both of us. Do you remember what your mom used to say always fixed a bad day?”

  Hesitating, he said, “Ice cream.”

  Katie grinned. “It might not be the best thing for me to do in this situation but I say we take your mom’s advice and go for a rocky road cone on the way back to Landon’s. Might help us both feel better. That okay with you?”

  Matthew watched her for a moment then a tiny but honest-to-goodness smile appeared. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

  Katie smiled back, and the painful ache inside her faded just a tad.

  * * *

  Landon rubbed Sophia’s back and paced the nursery, humming softly, until her breathing grew deep and even. When he was sure she was asleep, he laid her in the crib and smoothed his thumb over her soft curls.

  Man, she was cute. Between inheriting Jennifer’s curls, Frank’s dimples and both of their cheerful demeanors, Sophia was as close to a perfect baby as he’d ever seen. And Emma possessed the same happy outlook as Sophia, making it easy to connect with her, as well.

  If only Matthew had inherited Jennifer’s and Frank’s inclination to search for the positive in negative situations, Katie might have an easier time reaching him.

  Landon kissed Sophia’s forehead then walked to the window. The horses roamed about the paddock beneath the late-morning sunlight, a light breeze ruffled the wildflowers sprinkled across the green grass and the grounds were peaceful.

  Normally, he’d clip the baby monitor to his belt and use Sophia’s nap time to spiffy up the landscape or mend a fence or two. But at the moment, all he could manage to do was stare at the empty driveway and wait for Katie’s sporty car to appear.

  She’d left to pick Matthew up two hours ago. Surely she should be back by now.

  He tugged his cell phone from his pocket and reread her last text message.

  Everything’s fine. We’ll be back soon.

  We’ll be back soon? What had happened? Had Matthew gotten in trouble? Or hurt? Was that what she’d meant by we’ll be back soon?

  Good Lord, worrying accompanied this dad gig more than he’d anticipated. He dragged a hand over his face, grabbed the baby monitor and left the room. At the sound of an engine, his steps paused then sped up.

  He waited on the porch as Katie’s car rumbled over the hill then stopped at the end of the driveway. A cloud of dust settled around it and the doors opened. Both Katie and Matthew emerged, holding ice-cream cones.

  “After you finish eating,” Katie said as they climbed the front porch steps, “I’d like you to lie down for a while so you’ll be refreshed for this afternoon.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Landon frowned when they reached the top step. “Are you all right, Matthew?”

  Matthew nodded as he passed and—dear God—did he actually...smile?

  Landon blinked hard and watched Matthew walk inside, licking his ice cream and looking a little less angry. He turned back to Katie. “What hap—”

  “Shh.” Her finger smooshed against his lips and, brown eyes wide with excitement, she nudged him backward inside the house. “I’m going to tell you everything.” She peeked into the kitchen where Matthew sat to finish his ice cream, placed her ice-cream cone on the table by the door then shoved Landon farther down the hall. “We just have to find somewhere private.” Her hair brushed his cheek as she glanced around then focused over his left shoulder. “Back here.”

  Landon stumbled as she pulled him through his bedroom, into his bathroom and shut the door.

  “He smiled.” She clapped her hands and started that bounce of hers again. The kind that drew his attention to the tempting parts of her he tried to be a gentleman and ignore. “He actually smiled. You saw it, too, didn’t you?”

  Stepping back, he looked down at the tile beneath his boots. “Yeah.” The light fixture over the sink. “I was pleasantly surpri—”

  Something brushed the top of his head then dangled over his face. It was pink. Skimpy.
And had that damned delicious scent Katie sported.

  He tugged it down and it fell into his palm, the silk against his skin stirring latent urges in other parts of his body as he spun around and eyed the shower rod above him. Bras—at least a dozen of them—sprawled over the metal pole, the loose straps swinging flirtatiously at the brush of his shoulder.

  “Oh, I forgot about those.” Katie stopped bouncing. “They should be dry by now. I’ll get them out of here when we finish talking.” She gripped his shoulders, her eyes bright. “Matthew smiled at school, too. Not at first when I volunteered, but afterward when I brought him home to cool off and offered to get him ice cream. Well, I know most kids would smile at leaving school and getting ice cream, but that doesn’t matter as much right now. All that matters is that... He. Smiled.”

  Landon admired the attractive flush in her cheeks for a moment, before asking, “Wait, you volunteered for what?”

  “To lead the school chorus in the spring festival.” She firmed her grip on him and moved closer. “I know what you’re thinking because I thought it myself. I’ve never done something like this before and there are twenty kids and—”

  “Twenty?”

  “Yes.” She winced. “And the festival’s this weekend, so I have to practice with them every afternoon this week. But I can do it. I will do it. For Matthew.” Her smile fell. “He tore up the posters about the festival at school. That’s why the principal wanted one of us to come. And when I asked Matthew why he did it, he said it was because Jennifer was supposed to be here to lead the chorus and that she’d promised to sing a duet with him.”

  Landon closed his eyes briefly, his stomach dropping. “Man.”

  “I know, right?” Katie squeezed his shoulders. “He’s so angry and sad. I couldn’t bring myself to let things end like that. To leave him with the memory that she wasn’t there for something he was looking so forward to. I know it won’t be the same—that I’m no substitute for Jennifer—but I can be there for him in my own way. I can help make Saturday night a little less sad, at least. Give him a good memory to go with the bad. And he smiled because of you. Because you told me to use my heart instead of my head and that’s exactly what I did today.” She paused to catch her breath. “So, what do you think?”

  The eager excitement in her dark eyes and soft smile kicked him right in the chest.

  “I think he’ll love having you there.” He smiled. “And I think you just took your first step toward being a fantastic aunt. Sophia and I will be happy to chauffer you, Matthew and Emma to every practice.”

  She beamed. “The first one’s today at five thirty.”

  “Okay, but...” Something caught his eye across the room. He pointed at a beige ball sitting on one the medicine shelves above the sink. “What is that?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, faced him again and smiled. “A bath bomb.”

  “A what?”

  “Bubble bath in a solid form. Sandra’s Sexy Suds? It’s the brand I’m working on and, believe it or not, you helped me solve one of those problems, too. You inspired the title for that one.”

  Oh, Lord. Bras and bubble baths?

  “No.” Firming his voice, he repeated, “No, no, no. I want that out of here. And these, too.” He held up the bra in his hand, face heating when he realized he was rubbing the material with his fingertips. He dropped it back to his side. “I want it all out of here.”

  She frowned. “The bras were only for today, but I’d like to keep the bath bombs in here, if I could?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Please?” She tilted her head at an adorable angle. “They get cracked in my overnight bag and crumble, and there’s no place to put them in the guest bathroom since all of the kids’ stuff is in there. It’s just one shelf. You have three more above it to put your stuff on.”

  Man, she was gorgeous. Those big brown eyes, long hair and pouty mouth made even his toes tingle. So much so, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.

  “All right,” he forced out. “But just one shelf.”

  “Thank you, Landon. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, I could just...” She stared at him, mouth opening then closing as she stepped forward then back. “I could just kiss you again.”

  And she did, bouncing right into his arms, planting her lips against his and searing him through all the way to the thick heels of his boots.

  He should’ve put a stop to it. Should’ve pulled away and referenced decorum, but the taste of her and the feel of her pulled him in and coaxed his arms around her. Her sweet taste hit his tongue, her soft curves filled his hard planes, her delectable scent surrounded him and he was lost.

  Her silky bras, dangling from overhead, brushed the bare skin of his neck and the vision he conjured up of her reclined in his tub with only scintillating bath bubbles covering the sexiest parts of her body spurred him on. He angled his head and deepened the kiss, absorbing her moan of pleasure and relishing the feel of her eager palms as they roamed over his back and buttocks.

  He groaned, reached for her soft hips and gripped—empty air.

  Breathing hard, he dragged his eyes open and struggled to focus on her face.

  She stood a couple feet away, her hands up in the surrender position, long hair mussed and that beautiful mouth soft and open. She moved to speak once. Twice. And by the third try, she still hadn’t managed to make a sound.

  It took everything he had not to pick her up, carry her to his bed and make love to her for at least a month.

  He cleared the husky feeling from his throat. “Are we through talking now?”

  Expression stunned, she nodded slowly as her attention drifted down his body.

  “Good.” He thrust the bra he held toward her and, when she took it, slipped past her, opened the bathroom door and hauled ass before he could change his mind.

  Chapter 6

  Good gracious, Landon’s kiss could set a girl’s soul on fire.

  Katie secured her seat belt, stared out the window of Landon’s truck at an empty paddock and tried to focus on how to handle her first chorus practice rather than how much she’d enjoyed that sexier-than-all-get-out smooch from Landon six hours ago.

  Oh, but that was a difficult thing to do when her lips still tingled from the memory of his persuasive kiss. And belly flips—good Lord! Despite the long afternoon filled with ranch work and babysitting, her stomach had somersaulted every time Landon’s charismatic presence drew near. The only moments of peace she’d experienced had been when she’d driven into town alone to pick Emma up from school two hours ago.

  “Comfortable, baby?”

  Katie started, all her senses springing to life as Landon’s deep drawl filled the extended cab. She twisted around and gazed longingly toward the back seat, about to answer him, when she noticed Landon smiling down at Sophia, who cooed in her car seat.

  Katie’s stomach dropped. Great. Just great. Here she was getting these delicious shivers over Landon’s huskily voiced concern and it turned out he was talking to a six-month-old.

  She clamped her mouth shut, faced forward again and frowned. And what was up with that icky sensation knotting in her middle? Was it disappointment? Or...jealousy, maybe?

  “Oh, no,” she mumbled under her breath.

  Fawning all over Landon and kissing him twice was bad enough, but allowing her misguided libido to become jealous over him? And, with all people, a six-month-old? Never!

  She clutched her belly and whispered sternly to herself, “Stop it. Focus on the kids and stay out of Landon trouble.”

  The driver’s-side door opened and Landon got in the truck. He cranked the engine then paused and studied her face. “You all right?”

  Face flaming, Katie stared back at him. “I—I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  Expression concerned, he gestured toward her middle. “You’re holding yo
ur belly like you’re about to be sick.”

  She placed her palms flat on her denim-clad thighs. “Nope. I’m fine.”

  A foot kicked the back of Katie’s seat and Katie glanced back at Emma. “Are you nervous about chorus practice, Aunt Katie?”

  “Nope. Not at all.” Katie shook her head and forced a smile, though she had to admit the thought of leading the first chorus practice had definitely contributed to her overall discomfort. “I’m looking forward to singing with you and Matthew.”

  And she really was, even despite the idea of spending two hours with twenty rambunctious children and struggling to combat her growing attraction to Landon.

  “Aren’t you excited about singing?” Katie asked Emma.

  Emma smiled. “Yep.”

  “How about you, Matthew?” Katie looked over her left shoulder at Matthew, who’d just climbed in the truck, sat beside Sophia’s car seat and shut the door.

  Matthew shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Can you turn the radio on so we can sing on the way, Aunt Katie?” Emma piped from the other side of Sophia as Landon drove up the driveway.

  “Sure.” Katie studied Landon’s dashboard—good grief, there were a thousand buttons—and tried not to dwell on the lack of pep in Matthew’s monotonous tone. No worries, she reassured herself. After their arguments in the principal’s office and school parking lot this morning, Matthew had actually thawed a bit and cracked a smile. That one smile alone would help her manage to stand up in front of a small crowd of unfamiliar, and possibly unruly, kids.

  “It’s up here,” Landon said, tapping a preprogrammed button on a touch screen in the center of the dash.

  Moments later, upbeat kids’ music filled the cab’s interior and Emma started singing off-key with the lyrics. Matthew groaned and covered his ears.

  Landon looked in the rearview mirror and joined Emma’s off-key singing. When Matthew laughed, Landon stopped singing and smiled. His tanned cheeks and the faint lines on both sides of his sensual mouth only enhanced his magnetic appeal.

  Boy, he was handsome.