Rich Rancher's Redemption

by Maureen Child

  “Am I blind suddenly?” Jesse demanded. “I can’t see a beautiful woman so you and Mom have to point it out to me?”

  “Mom, too, huh?” Will nodded. “Interesting.”

  Irritated with himself and his whole family, Jesse snapped, “No, it’s not interesting. There’s nothing interesting, damn it.”

  “Yeah, I’m convinced.” Grinning now, Will walked back to his chair, sat down and propped his boots up on the coffee table again. Turning his gaze to Jesse, he said, “Beautiful woman, great kid who already likes you, yeah, nothing to see here.”

  Jesse’s gaze shot to his brother’s. Now he saw the same speculative gleam in Will’s eyes that he’d seen on his mother’s face just a little while ago.

  Well, they could just get over it. He wasn’t looking at Jillian any more than any other red-blooded male would. He could appreciate a hot woman with great legs, a wide mouth, full breasts and a first-class behind without it meaning anything. His insides fisted, and his groin went hard enough that his jeans felt like torture.

  Fine. He wanted her. He could admit that—to himself. But want didn’t mean anything. It was temporary. Want could be eased by having. And that was what this was coming to. But being with Jillian wasn’t going to turn out like his mother and brother were clearly hoping. He wasn’t looking for a family.

  Jesse already had Brody to look out for. He owed that boy because if it hadn’t been for Jesse, Brody’s daddy wouldn’t have died. So his job now was to be there for Lucy. For her son. He didn’t have the right to go looking for something just for himself. Selfish needs had to be buried for the sake of doing the right thing.

  But knowing that didn’t make this any easier. Tossing the rest of his scotch down his throat, he set the glass down and headed for the door.

  “Where’re you going?” Will called after him.

  “Home.” To take a cold shower.

  Five

  The first day at Jillian’s new job went great.

  She loved working with Ginger and the two other women, Patti and Teresa. The kids were terrific, with only a couple of tantrums thrown here and there, and best of all, Mac was with her during the day and making friends already. Jillian had a good feeling about how this was going.

  When she’d first come to Royal she’d hoped only for a settlement from her baby’s father. Instead, she’d found friends who had helped her get started on a whole new life—and she was eager to make the most of it. Already, her apartment felt like home as she and Mac decorated and made it their own. Not long ago, she’d worried about the future, and now, all she saw were possibilities.

  She even enjoyed her new routine. People could complain and say their daily chores were a rut, but to Jillian, a rut just meant “comfort zone.” Every morning on the way to work, she stopped at the Royal diner to get herself a cup of coffee and some chocolate milk for Mac. And what really pleased Jillian was that already she was being treated like a regular. Now she and her baby girl were part of other people’s routines.

  Only that morning, Amanda Battle had called out a hello and said she had Jillian’s order ready to go. It was a special kind of feeling, Jillian told herself, knowing that she was finally in a place where she and Mac could belong. Far from the neon and crowds of Vegas, in this small town, she could build something good and strong for her and her daughter.

  Letting her gaze sweep around the bright room filled with young voices, she felt more confident about her life than she ever had before.

  With one exception.

  Her mind kept drifting to thoughts of Jesse Navarro.

  She’d tried to stop, but her brain was working against her. And not just her brain. Her own body was traitorous, too. Every night, when she tried to sleep, her subconscious provided image after image of Jesse. His thick dark hair. Chocolate eyes. That cowboy hat pulled low on his forehead. The way faded jeans clung to muscular, long legs...

  “Miss Jill!” Small hands tugging at her black slacks, an excitable voice calling a shortened version of her name since the tiny ones had too much trouble with Jillian. A little boy jumping up and down, looking at her with desperation in his eyes and just like that, her fantasies were dead, supplanted by reality.

  “What is it, Cole?” she asked, crouching so she could look the three-year-old in the eye.

  “Potty!” He danced in place as if to let her know he really meant it.

  “Oh!” No time to waste. Jillian straightened quickly and started moving. Taking him by the hand, she said, “Okay, let’s go,” and headed for the bathroom. Then the front door opened, and she stopped dead as Jesse Navarro walked into the room.

  A moment ago, she’d been thinking about him and now here he was. The universe was toying with her. Nerves hurtled through her stomach in a blink and her grasp tightened slightly on Cole’s hand. “Jesse. What are you doing here?”

  “Making a delivery,” he said and stepped aside. Brody raced in, grinning. “Hi, Miss Jill! Surprise!”

  “Hi, Brody, it’s so nice to see you.” She looked up at Jesse again as concern whipped through her suddenly. “We weren’t expecting Brody today. Is Lucy all right?”

  “She’s fine. Got a meeting with an architect is all and can’t really get the work done with—” he paused to give Brody a knowing look “—this little distraction running around. Mom’s off to Dallas for the day, so...”

  “I get to play,” Brody explained and took off for the far corner where the train set was stored.

  “Miss Jill...” Cole’s voice, even more urgent.

  Right. She’d forgotten. To Jesse, she said, “I’ll, uh, be right back.”

  A slight smile curved his mouth. “You go ahead. I’ll wait.”

  Heart racing, stomach spinning, Jillian hurried Cole to the bathroom. By the time she returned, Jesse was perched uneasily on one of the kid-sized chairs sprinkled around the room. Mac sat on his lap, excitedly telling him a story. Her little hands waved, her eyes sparkled, and Jesse was giving her his complete attention.

  Not fair, she thought. Not fair that a man that gorgeous, that dangerous, could be such a softie with her daughter. Most men she’d known put on a show of paying attention to Mac, just to get in good with Jillian. But it didn’t take long before their eyes slid away, their patience dissolved, and soon, it was clear that they either didn’t like children or simply didn’t want to be bothered with them.

  Jesse was different.

  Damn it.

  Not only did he affect Jillian on an almost cellular level, but he cared about Mac. Yes, he was good with Brody, too, but the little boy was his nephew. She would expect him to be kind and patient with family. The fact that he showed the same attention to her little girl really touched Jillian’s heart. And that was dangerous.

  As if he sensed her watching him, Jesse slowly turned his head and met her gaze. Even from across the room crowded with noisy children, Jillian felt the quick jolt of heat that raced from the center of her chest right down to the soles of her feet. A fire burned in her belly and just below, she felt the ache of need pulse into life.

  Oh, don’t do this, Jillian. She had a job, an apartment and the start of a brand-new life. That’s what you need to focus on. Not the gorgeous cowboy that makes you burn. Her internal voice was stern, and she fervently hoped that this time, she’d listen to that voice rather than ignoring it.

  “Horsies?”

  Jillian heard her little girl and sighed. Mac had a serious crush on horses—and the cowboy who’d introduced her to them.

  “When you come back to the ranch, you can ride the horse again, all right?”

  Satisfied with that, Mac squirmed off Jesse’s lap then ran to the corner to play with Brody. Not only was her daughter getting too attached to Jesse, but she was clearly starting to think of Brody as a big brother.

  She turned back in time to see Jesse lever himself out
of the child-sized chair. He headed right for her, and she could only think that watching him move was like seeing a lion slowly uncoil himself and get ready to—Okay, maybe not attack, but to stalk. Not that Jesse was a stalker or anything, it was just—Oh stop, Jillian.

  When he was close enough, she took a breath and told herself to get a grip. She wasn’t some timid virgin, for heaven’s sake. But even as she reassured herself, she had to admit that she’d never dealt with a man who was so completely male.

  “What’s the matter?” Jesse watched her, a quizzical expression on his face.

  “What? Nothing. Really.” Jillian shook her head, took a breath and told her racing heart to slow the hell down.

  “Okay.” He didn’t look as though he believed her, but he let it go. “Lucy will be here in a couple of hours to pick up Brody.”

  “Sure. That’s fine.” He was standing so close to her that she could see tiny gold flecks in his dark chocolate eyes. Why hadn’t she noticed them before?

  “Got a lot of kids in here today.”

  Safe subject. Good.

  Jillian let her gaze sweep over the children in the big, bright room. “I know. Apparently there’s some big dance here at the TCC in a couple days.”

  He nodded. “The black-tie gala.”

  She turned and glanced at him. “That’s it. Well, some moms are out shopping for it and others are working here, getting ready for the big event.” She shrugged and smiled. “So, we’ve got a full house. I don’t mind, though. I love kids.”

  “It shows.”

  Jillian tipped her head to one side, looking at him.

  He shrugged. “Most people would be dangling by the thread of their last nerve surrounded by this many hyper kids.”

  “They’re not hyper,” she corrected. “They’re just excited to be with so many friends.”

  “Whichever,” he said, shaking his head. “Seems like hard work to me.”

  “Harder than training wild horses?”

  He laughed unexpectedly, and the deep sound of it rolled over her, lighting up every cell in her body. What a smile did for that handsome face of his should be illegal. Or at least come with a warning label.

  “Oh, yeah. Give me a mean horse any day over this many kids all at once.”

  “You’re terrific with Brody and Mac,” she reminded him.

  His smile slowly faded as he turned to look at those two children in the crowd. “They’re different.”

  Before she could ask him what he meant, he set his hat on his head and said, “I’ve got to go. Things to do at the ranch.”

  “Okay...” She watched him turn for the door and wondered what had made him change so abruptly from teasing laughter to shadows in his eyes and a curtain dropping over his features.

  “Jesse?”

  He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

  With his gaze on hers, Jillian couldn’t think of anything to say. And since she felt like an idiot, she finally said, “Nothing. Goodbye.”

  “Yeah. Bye.” He left then, and Jillian couldn’t look away as he walked to his truck, climbed in and drove off.

  Probably wasn’t a good sign that her heart was still racing.

  * * *

  By the time Lucy came to pick up Brody, Jillian had had a long day. As much as she loved her darling daughter and every other child in the day care, she wanted half an hour of silence all to herself. It was all Jesse’s fault, she told herself. She’d been doing fine until he showed up with his black cowboy hat, scuffed boots and whiskery jaws. After that, she’d had to work twice as hard to concentrate on the kids who needed her, because her mind kept dragging her back to Jesse.

  “You look a little ragged,” Lucy said, hugging her son to her side while she talked.

  “It’s been a day,” Jillian admitted, though she didn’t tell Lucy that it was Jesse making her a little crazed. “The kids are great, don’t get me wrong, but—”

  “A break would be nice?” Lucy asked.

  “Heaven,” Jillian agreed, glancing around the room. Most of the kids had been picked up already. There were only four left now waiting for their parents. The noise level in the room had dropped dramatically, but still, Jillian longed for quiet.

  “I can fix that,” Lucy said.

  “What?”

  “I’ll take Mac with me. I’ve got an extra car seat in the truck—” She grinned. “Sometimes Brody’s friends need a ride. Like today for example.”

  Jillian shook her head, automatically refusing the generous offer. She just wasn’t used to this level of friendship and though she liked it, it was going to take some getting accustomed to. “You don’t have to do that.”

  Lucy smiled. “I know. But I just had three solid hours of a break. The least I can do is return the favor.”

  Jillian laughed. “You weren’t on a break. Jesse told me you had a meeting.”

  “Yes, but I was talking horses! Trust me, that’s a break.”

  Not surprising that the whole Sanders family seemed crazy about horses. They did live on one of the biggest ranches in Texas.

  “Did you get your breeding/rescue barn all figured out?” Jillian knew absolutely nothing about horses or how to care for them, but she was interested in her friend.

  “We did,” Lucy said eagerly. “It’s going to be gorgeous.” She paused. “Bigger than I’d expected it to be, but that’s okay. Just means I can rescue more horses.”

  “That’s what’s really motivating you, isn’t it?” Jillian asked. “I noticed the other day when you were talking about this that you seemed more excited by the prospect of saving animals than you were by the breeding program.”

  “I’m that obvious, am I?” Lucy laughed a little. “I guess I am. It’s so...satisfying—and that’s not the right word, either—to help neglected animals get healthy and happy again. I just—”

  “You don’t have to explain.”

  “Good, because I don’t think I can.” Shaking her head, Lucy hugged Brody, still attached to her left leg. Looking down at him, she said, “Brody honey, why don’t you go get Mac and we’ll head home.”

  “Oh, Lucy—”

  “No argument. We can have a drink when you come to pick her up later.”

  “That does sound good,” Jillian said, sighing.

  “Excellent. Hi, sweetie!” Mac and Brody raced up together, Brody in the lead and dragging the little girl behind him. “Do you want to go to the ranch for a little while?”

  “Jesse!” Mac looked up at Jillian and grinned. “Horsies!”

  Jillian sighed again. It seemed that despite knowing she should keep her distance from Jesse, she was destined to be thrown into his path.

  “Sounds like someone’s got a crush,” Lucy mused, her gaze fixed on Jillian, not Mac.

  “He’s so good with her...”

  “Handsome, too.”

  “Yeah, he really is—” Jillian broke off and glared at her friend.

  Lucy was unashamed. “Hey, just wanted to see if there was anyone else with a crush and now I’m thinking there might be.”

  “Crush!” Mac yelled, and Jillian winced.

  “I really like you, Lucy, but you’re wrong.”

  “Sure I am. I can see that now.”

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Isn’t it great?” Lucy grinned, leaned down and scooped Mac up into her arms. “I don’t plan to change, either. When I’m old and gray I’ll be nosy, opinionated and people will run when they see me coming.”

  Jillian had to laugh. “I believe you.”

  “Mom, I want ice cream,” Brody said, tugging on the hem of her black shirt.

  “What a great idea! Mac, you want some ice cream, too?”

  “Cream!”

  “I think that’s a yes,” Jillian said, giving her daughter a smile.r />
  “This is why I hang out with kids. They know what’s good,” Lucy mused. “We’ll see you later, Jillian.”

  “I’ll come to the ranch as soon as I’m off work and—”

  “That is not a break,” Lucy chided, shaking her head. “Take some time. Relax. Do nothing for a while. You are not allowed to show up at the ranch before at least seven.”

  Laughing, Jillian admitted, “I don’t know if I remember how to do nothing.”

  “Give it a shot.” She headed for the door, both kids in tow. “Say bye.”

  “Bye, Mama, bye!” Mac waved frantically, and Brody did the same. And when they were gone, Jillian felt a pang that was a mixture of relief and trepidation.

  To pick up her little girl, she’d have to see Jesse again, and that was getting harder and harder. Because every time she saw him, her mind dredged up images that she had no business entertaining. She imagined his body covering hers, his big, callused hands sliding across her skin. His mouth on hers, tongues tangling in a wild, desperate dance. Her blood burned, her heartbeat quickened and her mouth went dry.

  “Jillian?”

  She jolted, dragging her completely aroused self out of her daydream and turned to face Ginger.

  “You okay?” the older woman asked.

  “Probably not,” Jillian murmured.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, nothing.” Taking a deep breath, she emptied her mind and hurried over to keep three-year-old Colton Jackson from eating a crayon.

  * * *

  Jesse and his ranch foreman, Carlos, were in a dead heat. Horses neck and neck as they raced back to the ranch after checking on the herd in the south pasture. The end-of-the-ride race was tradition, with pride and bragging rights the only rewards. Days like this reminded Jesse how lucky he was to live the life he loved. The ranch. The wide-open stretches of land. The horses. Being outside as another storm rolled in with electricity alive in the air. The thunder of the horses’ hooves against the earth sounded like drum beats. The wind in his face smelled of the coming rain. Sunset stained the sky red and purple and gold. And he loved it all.

  He heard the cowboys cheer as they passed and Jesse grinned. He had this one. His horse was younger, stronger than Carlos’s mount—and Jesse liked to win. Hell, he’d lost only one of these races in the last two months.