Inside the dome structure, she found Aaron fast asleep under his blankets. She tucked the cover back around his shoulders, then sat down to remove her hiking boots.
Since the air had grown very cool in the early-morning hours, Maggie didn’t bother to take off her clothing before she slipped into bed. Besides, she was too exhausted to deal with putting on pajamas. Every muscle, every nerve in her body was screaming for rest. And she only wished her mind would do the same. But it was racing, jumping in leaps and bounds from Daniel’s lovemaking to the future. What was it all going to mean? she wondered.
Nothing. It can’t mean anything.
The little voice shattered every hope in her heart, but she realized she had to stop and listen to it. Even if she was brave enough to make a life with another man, Daniel had issues of his own. He obviously wanted her physically. But that didn’t mean he wanted to love her. Or that he could love her.
Her hand slid down her belly and rested in the hollow where her womb lay. Dear God, they could have made a baby, she thought. But she’d understood that risk before they’d taken it. And even now a tiny part of her soared with joy at the idea of having Daniel’s baby, at the idea that her lonely life was finally going to change.
But she’d had one son and was now raising him without a father. Did she really want to put herself in a position for that to happen again?
Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed her mind not to think of the future. But after a few minutes she realized she couldn’t stop it, and she fell asleep with the image of Daniel’s face lying next to hers.
In the morning Daniel cooked a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs and skillet toast. Normally, on the days he headed off to school, Aaron picked at a bowl of cereal, but this morning he scraped his plate clean and asked for seconds. Maggie was also hungrier than usual, and she was grateful for the hot food and coffee that Daniel had prepared for them.
After the leisurely meal, Maggie and Daniel took Aaron on a long hike over the rocks and hills that surrounded the camping area. Her son skipped and raced and explored everything around him with wondrous excitement.
As for Maggie, she walked quietly at Daniel’s side. Every now and then the two of them would exchange heavy, silent glances and more than once he reached out and took her by the hand.
The sweet, simple touch stirred Maggie just as much as their hot, urgent lovemaking, and as they walked along, she kept trying to convince herself that she wasn’t falling in love with him. But deep down she realized she couldn’t fool herself.
Maggie wasn’t just falling for Daniel. She was tumbling. Face forward, hard and fast. And the thing that scared her the most was that she couldn’t see any way to stop the crash.
Chapter Nine
Even though they packed up and left the campsite shortly after lunch, it was late in the evening when they finally arrived back at the ranch.
Skinny was parked in front of the yard fence. Apparently he’d just driven up the mountain to feed the horses for Aaron.
The old man waved as he headed down the trail to the barn, and Maggie turned to Aaron as they climbed out of Daniel’s truck.
“You need to run on and help Skinny with the feeding. This is the second day he’s done it for you. And be sure and thank him.”
Aaron shot a look of disappointment toward Daniel, who was busy unloading Maggie’s bags from the bed of the truck.
“Aw, Mom, I want to stay with Daniel,” he argued.
At the sound of his name Daniel glanced up. “Aaron, I’ll be here for a few more minutes. You need to do what your mother tells you. Remember that little talk we had about making her happy?”
Aaron’s petulant expression quickly faded. “Oh, yeah. You’re right, Daniel. I’ll be right back. Don’t run off without telling me bye.”
The boy raced away, and Maggie stared thoughtfully after him before she stepped over to Daniel. “What was that all about? What little talk? One of your telephone conversations?”
A faint smile creased Daniel’s face. “No. That night after he went missing, I reminded him of how upset and worried he’d made you. And that he needed to make it up to you by obeying.”
Maggie ran a shrewd gaze over his face. “Where did you learn about dealing with kids? You didn’t have siblings.”
He shrugged and grinned. “No. But I remember what it was like to be a mischievous little boy.”
“You? Mischievous?” she teased. “I don’t believe it.”
He chuckled and reached for two more bags. As Maggie watched him lower them to the ground, she wanted to tell him what a good father he would make. But the words would sound suggestive to him, especially after last night. And she figured the best thing she could do now was try to keep things as light as possible between them.
Once he had all their bags on the ground, he refused to allow Maggie to carry even one of them into the house. So while he finished the chore, she went to the kitchen and made them each a glass of iced tea.
When she heard the front door open again, she called to him. “In here, Daniel.”
Moments later he entered the kitchen and she held up the iced tea for him to see. “I thought you might like to drink something before you went home,” she offered.
With a grateful smile, he walked over to where she was standing by the cabinets and took one of the glasses from her.
“Thanks, Maggie.”
Funny how two little words were all he had to say to make her heart leap with pleasure. Dear heaven, she never dreamed she could ever feel this giddy or womanly. It was a powerful notion to know that this strong, sexy deputy wanted her in his bed. Especially when she was so much older than him.
“You’re welcome,” she murmured. “But I should be thanking you for giving Aaron such a wonderful weekend. I’m sure he’ll never forget it.”
His gaze met hers, then wandered downward to her lips. “Neither will I.”
Suddenly Maggie was remembering, too. Remembering the intimate places his fingers and lips had touched her. And how the driving rhythm of his body had sent hers splintering into a million glittering diamonds.
Her heart thumping heavily, she said, “Daniel, I—”
She didn’t finish as he stepped forward and slipped his fingers into her hair. She closed her eyes and sighed as he bent his head and kissed the side of her neck.
“When am I going to see you again?” he murmured next to her ear.
“I don’t know.” Her throat tightened with unbearable need and the logic that she couldn’t always have what she wanted or needed.
“You—don’t regret what happened, do you?” he murmured.
She tilted her head up, and their gazes locked.
“No. I don’t regret even one moment. But I’m not sure it should happen again.”
His fingers stroked her hair. His expression turned solemn. “I’m not so sure it should happen, either. But I don’t think we’ll be able to stop it. Do you?”
She turned her back to him, and he placed his glass on the counter, then put his hands on her shoulders.
“You make it sound like we have some sort of affliction we can’t cure,” she said with a bit of dismay.
“If I sound like that, I don’t mean to. Just tell me—when will you see me again?”
She turned to face him, and the moment her eyes met his, she felt a sinking feeling of surrender. How did she ever expect to get over him when just looking at his face gave her such pleasure? How could she deny them time together, when all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and hold him forever?
Drawing in a shaky breath, she said, “I don’t know. Call me tomorrow or the next day and we’ll figure something out.”
He bent his head and was kissing her softly when the sound of footsteps tapping across the back porch broke the silence.
Knowing Aaron was about to burst into the kitchen, the two adults pulled back and put a measure of distance between them.
The moment Aaron stuck his head around the door, he
spotted Daniel and his mother standing near the kitchen sink. He raced over to them as he sucked in rapid breaths of air.
“Daniel, you’re still here,” Aaron said with relief. “I ran all the way from the barn! I thought you’d be gone.”
Daniel had never had a connection to a child before and it still amazed him that Aaron seemed to consider him his hero or, at the very least, his mentor. The idea never failed to swell Daniel’s chest.
He reached down and curled his thumb and forefinger around Aaron’s chin. “I promised you I wouldn’t leave. Remember what I told you about a man keeping his word?”
Aaron shot a furtive glance toward his mother before he turned his attention back to Daniel. “Yes sir, I remember.”
Daniel released his hold on Aaron’s chin and patted the boy’s head. “Good. Now, it’s time I was heading home. But I want to know one thing,” he told the boy. “Did you have a good time this weekend?”
Aaron’s eyes sparkled and he grinned. “Boy, did I ever! Thank you, Daniel! Thank you!”
Before Daniel guessed the child’s intentions, Aaron’s little arms were wrapped around his waist and he was holding on tightly.
For a moment the boy’s unexpected display of affection caused a lump to form in Daniel’s throat. He tried his best to swallow it down as he hugged Aaron’s slender shoulders.
“Okay. I’m convinced that you liked the camping trip,” Daniel said as he pried the boy’s arms from around him. “And you’re very welcome. I enjoyed it, too.”
Aaron jumped back and bounced eagerly. “Does that mean we can go again soon?”
Daniel cast Maggie a covert glance. If he could spend every weekend in a tent with her, he’d be glad to drive for miles and build a camp. Hell, he’d stand on his head and sing just to get to kiss her again.
“Uh, maybe,” he told Aaron. “We’ve got to rest up over this one first. And that means that I’ve got to say goodbye and drive home.”
Aaron appeared to be faintly disappointed, but in a matter of seconds his expression brightened. “Okay. I’ll walk out to the truck with you and we can say goodbye man-to-man-like.”
Smiling, Daniel took him by the shoulder and headed them toward the kitchen door. “Sounds good to me.” He glanced back over his shoulder at Maggie. She was watching the two of them with an expression so wistful it nearly broke his heart. “Goodbye, Maggie.”
“Goodbye, Daniel.”
Besides being a big, tall man with a huge presence, Sheriff Perez was one of the most observant people whom Daniel had ever met in his entire life. It was no wonder that, on the following Monday morning, he took Daniel aside from his group of deputies.
“Come on into my office,” he told Daniel after their regular Monday-morning meeting had broken up and officers were heading out of the building to follow the sheriff’s orders.
“What have I done wrong now?” Daniel asked as he followed Quito Perez into the dimly lit room the sheriff called an office. It contained an old metal teacher’s desk, a rolling chair that had seen better days and two wooden straight-back chairs with padded seats for visitors. One thing the people of San Juan County could say of Sheriff Perez, he believed in putting the taxpayers’ dollars into fighting crime rather than decorating his office.
“You haven’t done a thing wrong.” The sheriff pointed to one of the visitor’s chairs as he lowered his big frame into his own seat. “I just happened to notice you were very quiet this morning. I got the feeling that something is wrong. Want to tell me about it?”
Not really, Daniel thought. He didn’t want to talk to anyone about Maggie. What he felt for her was too private, too special to put into words to a friend.
“There’s nothing wrong. I just had a…long weekend. I’m not quite rested up yet.”
The sheriff looked surprised. “Oh. Working cattle?”
Daniel owned only twenty head of cattle. He dabbled in raising them just for a hobby, and he’d already done all the vaccinating and dehorning he needed to do for this summer. Daniel focused his gaze on the toe of his black boot. “No.”
The sheriff’s brows lifted faintly. “Hell’s afire, Daniel, don’t tell me you broke the mold and went out partying.”
Daniel’s lips twisted as he prayed for some emergency to come in on 911. He felt like a kid in the principal’s office. Not that he didn’t like Quito Perez. He liked him very much. In fact, he’d admired the man for years and so had the people of San Juan County. That’s why he’d been voted into office for his fifth term without any opposition to speak of. Still, that didn’t mean he wanted to use the man as his personal therapist.
“No. Nothing like that. I took a little boy camping. Jess’s nephew, as a matter of fact.”
More surprise swept across the sheriff’s face. “Hmm. You’re talking about Maggie Ketchum’s son. That must have been an experience.”
Quito Perez made a point of knowing everyone in the county. It was no shocker that he understood who Jess’s nephew was.
“It was,” Daniel admitted. “That’s why I’m still a little tired,” he lied.
Hell, he wasn’t tired. He could probably jump ten barbwire fences on foot and then ride a horse twenty miles before he felt fatigued. Whatever Maggie had done to him still had his blood hopping with energy. Yet he was worried, and he supposed that worry was the thing Quito had picked up on.
The sheriff rose from his creaking chair and walked over to a plastic percolator that had once been ivory in color but was now stained brown from coffee running down the sides. The old appliance should have been thrown away years ago, but the sheriff liked his coffee perked, and no one had the nerve to tell him he was old-fashioned.
As he poured the dark liquid into a mug he said, “Guess you talked with Maggie. How’s she doing?”
Talked? For a second Daniel closed his eyes as erotic images of her nude body flashed through his mind. “Uh, fine. Actually, she went on the camping trip, too.” Hell, there wasn’t any use trying to hide anything from this man, Daniel decided crossly. He’d find it out, anyway. “I didn’t feel comfortable taking Aaron by myself.”
Quito slowly stirred cream into his coffee. “Hmm. That’s nice. That’s good.”
Daniel rose from the visitor’s chair and wiped his hands down the front of his jeans. “I’d better go, Sheriff. The men have already left. And I’m supposed to be gathering evidence for that pawnshop robbery.”
Turning, Quito motioned Daniel back into the chair. “Sit. The evidence will be there when you get there.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” he butted in brusquely. “If a beautiful woman like Maggie Ketchum went camping with you, then why do you look like you do?”
Daniel’s thumb and forefinger thoughtfully stroked his jaw. “I didn’t know I looked different.”
The sheriff shook his head in a helpless way. “Well, this morning, when you were supposed to be listening to me, you were frowning and staring off into space. And now I see that the frown is still on your face. Why? What’s that all about?”
“Oh hell, Sheriff, you don’t want to hear any of this,” Daniel muttered while he sent up another prayer for an emergency call. Even if it were only a cat up a tree, he would jump at the chance to race to the rescue.
Quito settled back in his chair. “Actually, I would. In fact, Jess has asked me many times what the deal is about you and women. Maybe it’s time we both found out.”
“Me and women,” Daniel repeated irritably. “There is nothing.”
“That’s just it! Nothing!” The other man leaned up in his chair. “A guy your age…who looks like you. It isn’t normal for you to avoid women.”
Daniel’s frown grew deeper. “Well, I never tried to pretend I was anything close to normal.”
The sheriff rose from his chair and walked behind Daniel in order to shut the door of the office. With their privacy assured, Quito rested his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and shook it once with affection.
“Look, Daniel
, this is man-to-man now. Not boss and employee. If you’re upset for some reason over Maggie Ketchum, then maybe—”
“I’m not upset,” Daniel interrupted, then groaned with misgivings. “Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. I’m worried. And I don’t know what to do next. Sheriff, how do you make a woman understand how much you…love her?”
Quito gave Daniel’s shoulder another pat, then walked back around the metal desk and took a seat. There were no family pictures on his desk or walls. No wife or children for him to go home to. In that way he was much like Daniel, only a few years older.
“If I knew that—” he paused and shook his head “—well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be sitting here alone.”
By the time Wednesday came around, Maggie hadn’t heard a word from Daniel, and she was beginning to wonder if she’d made a mistake about the deputy. Maybe he didn’t want her that much after all, she couldn’t help thinking. Maybe that night at the lake was more than enough sex for the soft-spoken Ute.
The notion had barely had time to thread through her brain when the phone next to her right elbow rang. Since she was at Victoria’s clinic, doing her usual volunteering stint at bookkeeping, she certainly wasn’t expecting to hear Daniel’s voice on the line. And when she finally realized it was him, everything inside her felt as if it stopped. As she waited for him to speak, her heartbeat, her breathing, her voice quivered as though they were gripped by a strange force.
“You’re a hard lady to keep up with,” he said. “I called your home and the hospital. Finally a woman took pity on me and told me to try here. I didn’t realize you worked for Victoria.”
Finishing a convulsive swallow, she said, “It’s not work. I volunteer every week to help her with the bookkeeping. Doctors have so much of it, you know.”
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