by Judy Duarte
“That’s Ruben and Rosita’s house.” The foreman and his wife had lived on the ranch for as long as Jeremy could remember. In fact, they’d raised their family there.
After parking in the shade of one of the few trees located near the main estate, Jeremy and his passengers got out of the car.
“Lily should be in the house,” Jeremy said. “I’ll introduce you to her first. That way, Kirsten and the baby can hang out inside while I take Max to meet Ruben.”
He led them through the arched entryway and the wrought-iron gate that opened to the courtyard, with its large purple sage plants, twining vines and bare rosebushes that would be lush and colorful again in a few short months.
“You must love staying out here,” Kirsten said, clearly taken with the Double Crown.
“I do.” And he was glad he could share it with her. Maybe someday the two of them could go horseback riding. He hadn’t done anything like that since he was a teenager.
Jeremy escorted his guests along the curved stone walkway to the adobe steps that led up to the antique wooden door.
He rang the bell to let Lily know they’d arrived, but he didn’t wait for her or the housekeeper to answer. Instead, he let Kirsten and Max inside.
“Lily?” he called. “We’re here.”
“I’ll be right there,” she said.
Moments later, the lovely older woman swept into the foyer, her dark eyes glimmering as she graciously welcomed both Kirsten and Max to her home.
Once the formalities were over, her gaze quickly drifted to Anthony. “What a beautiful baby.”
“Thank you.” Kirsten smiled down at the child, yet didn’t explain that he belonged to her brother. But that was okay; Jeremy had already filled in Lily on the details.
In fact, upon hearing how Max had assumed responsibility for the baby he hadn’t known about and learning that he was trying to better himself by taking the GED, Lily had been impressed and agreed to hire him.
Of course, she might have agreed anyway—strictly as a favor to Jeremy.
“Can I get you some coffee and breakfast?” Lily asked.
“No, thanks,” Jeremy said. “I’m sure Max is eager to get outside and meet Ruben.”
Max, who held his cowboy hat in his hands, nodded. “That’s right, ma’am. Besides, I ate earlier. But thank you for the offer.”
“You’re welcome.” Lily smiled. “Then do what you have to do. I’ll take Kirsten into the great room, where we can visit and play with the baby.” She reached out to stroke Anthony’s cheek with her index finger.
As she did so, Kirsten smiled at the bundle in her arms.
Again, Jeremy was struck with the thought of Kirsten holding his baby, but he quickly shook it off.
Slow down, he told himself. He’d hardly gotten to know her himself. Yet he couldn’t deny the feelings she’d evoked in him, unfamiliar yet warm and blood-stirring feelings he had to admit that he liked.
“I love babies,” Lily said, reminding Jeremy that bringing Kirsten and Anthony along had been a good idea. Having visitors was sure to help her keep her mind off her worries—at least for today. And he couldn’t help feeling a rush of pride, knowing that he’d pulled something like that together.
Of course, it was too soon to know for sure if everything would fall into place, but it appeared that his efforts just might end up being a win-win for everyone involved.
He sure hoped so. In a way, he’d stuck his neck out for Max. And he’d hate to think he’d made a mistake by bringing him to the ranch and asking Lily and Ruben to take a chance on hiring a stranger.
So far, so good, though. Max had been polite and appreciative. He’d also shown signs of having a work ethic, although whether he’d follow through on it was still left to be seen.
Jeremy bumped Max’s arm with his and nodded toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go find Ruben.”
Then he took Max out into the yard, leaving the women alone.
After the men headed outside, Lily turned to Kirsten and smiled. “Would you like to join me in the kitchen for a cup of tea and some blueberry muffins?”
“That sounds nice.” Kirsten tightened her grip on the handle of Anthony’s carrier and followed Lily through the great room, which was dominated by a large open hearth on one wall.
She slowed her pace and noted the curved, wooden-framed glass doors that opened up to a lovely courtyard. Even in February, the plants out there were lush. She wondered what it would look like during spring and summer, with the flowers blooming.
As she followed her hostess to the kitchen, their shoes clicked upon the tile floors, where hand-woven rugs in Native American and Mexican patterns had been carefully placed.
The farther Kirsten went into the house, with its mixture of both modern and antique furnishings, the more impressed she was with the decor.
When they entered the large functional kitchen with all the modern conveniences, Kirsten noticed that it still reflected the same Southwestern influence as the rest of the house and couldn’t help sharing her impressions. “Your home is beautiful, Lily. You must love living here.”
“Thank you. I do. In fact, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Kirsten understood the feeling. At one time, she hadn’t been able to imagine living in any other house but the one she’d purchased on her own and decorated to suit her. Yet the longer she knew Jeremy, the more she was thinking about California.
Would she like it there?
Oh, for Pete’s sake, she scolded herself. How could she allow a question like that to even form in her mind? At this point, she had no reason to believe Jeremy would even invite her to go with him to California. And even though she sensed their relationship was becoming stronger each day and that they were growing closer, she didn’t want to make any unwarranted assumptions until he gave her reason to do so.
As Lily poured water in a teapot and put it on to boil, she asked, “So how long have you and Jeremy been dating?”
“Actually, we’ve only formally gone out a couple times. But we’ve been seeing each other a lot.”
“I thought that you might be.” Lily smiled. “I haven’t seen much of him lately.”
“I’m sorry.” Kirsten knew that Lily was just as worried about Jeremy’s father as he was—maybe more so. And that was why he’d been staying with her and offering his support.
“Please don’t be sorry about him being away from the ranch,” Lily said. “I’m a romantic at heart and can appreciate it when two people are attracted to each other.
Besides, it’s time for Jeremy to loosen up and have some fun. He’s been so focused on his medical practice over the years that I was afraid he would let life pass him by.”
“It’s been fun for me, too. Meeting Jeremy has been a real blessing.” Not only was he a perfect gentleman and one of the nicest guys in the entire world, he’d also taken Max under his wing. And Kirsten would always appreciate that—no matter what direction their relation ship took.
“I felt the same way you do when my friendship with William took a romantic turn,” Lily said. “We were going to get married on New Year’s Day.” Her eyes grew wistful and misty, and the tone of her voice softened. “But he didn’t make it to the ceremony.”
Kirsten’s heart went out to the older woman. “I can’t imagine how terrible that must have been for you. How terrible it still must be.”
“At first, people suspected that he’d gotten cold feet and took off to avoid marrying me, but I knew better than that. He was looking forward to the wedding as much or more than I was.” Lily took two teacups and saucers from the cupboard, placing one in front of Kirsten and the other for herself. “Then three days after his disappearance, his wrecked vehicle was found. He’d been involved in an accident. Or rather, his Mercedes was.”
Jeremy had mentioned that to Kirsten. And the fact that there hadn’t been any sign of William.
“We wondered if he’d been kidnapped, which could be the case,” Lily added, a
s she pulled several choices of tea from the pantry. “But we never received a call or a ransom note.”
Kirsten couldn’t help thinking that there’d been some other kind of foul play, yet what?
And why?
As the kettle began to whistle, Lily removed it from the stove and poured water into each cup. “I can’t explain it, but I have a very strong feeling that William will return. That he’ll be all right. And that we’ll be able to marry one day.”
“I can understand you wanting to hold on to hope,”
Kirsten said.
“It’s more than that.” Lily returned the kettle to the stove. “You may not believe this, but I can almost hear a voice whispering to me and telling me to hang in there, that he’ll be home soon. That everything will be okay again.” Lily gave a little shrug. “I’m sure that sounds odd to you.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Kirsten knew how difficult William’s disappearance had been on Jeremy, and she suspected the other brothers felt the same way. But it had to be especially difficult for Lily, who’d lost Ryan to death and then found love again with William.
How sad to be alone once more. She hoped the family would get news soon—one way or the other. Yet in spite of her best wishes for a happy resolution, a realization shuddered through her.
If and when William was found, Jeremy would no longer have a reason to stay in Red Rock.
The hours seemed to fly by as Kirsten and Lily spent the day together. In spite of their age difference, they really hit it off.
Maybe that was because Kirsten had missed having a mother figure in her life. Or maybe that was only part of it, since she truly liked Lily Fortune as a person.
They’d had a light lunch of lentil soup and homemade French bread, which was unbelievably delicious.
When Jeremy and Max came back into the house in the late afternoon, grinning from ear to ear and clearly having enjoyed their time outdoors, Lily insisted that they stay for dinner, as well.
“It’s up to Kirsten,” Jeremy said. “I’m game if she is.”
Feeling as if she’d somehow become a part of the Fortune family and basking in the acceptance, Kirsten had agreed.
So they’d had an early dinner of grilled chicken with a red sauce, Spanish rice and a zucchini and corn dish that Kirsten thought was especially tasty.
To top it off, Lily had brought out a lemon pound cake and servings of mango sherbet.
All in all, it had been a lovely day. And now they were saying their goodbyes.
“It’s been nice having company,” Lily said, as she walked them out to Jeremy’s car. “I’m afraid that, since William’s disappearance… Well, as much as I believe that he’ll come back to me, it’s not always easy to stay positive. And having company today helped.”
“I had a great time,” Kirsten told the older woman, as Max took the baby from her to secure him in his car seat.
Jeremy gave Lily a hug. “Thanks for being such a great hostess—as always. I’ll be back after I take Kirsten and Max home.”
Moments later, they were on their way to Kirsten’s house. As the car sped along the highway that would take them to nearby Red Rock, Max couldn’t seem to thank Jeremy enough for the day he’d spent on the ranch. Every sentence seemed to start with “Ruben said…”
“I’m glad you’re going to like working there,” Jeremy said.
“I love that kind of work. I can’t wait to start.”
They rode along in silence for a while, then Max said, “Thanks for hanging out all day with me. I know you had other things you could have done.”
“Actually, it gave me an opportunity to relive all the summers my brothers and I used to stay on the ranch with Lily and Ryan. I probably had a better day than you had.”
“I doubt it,” Max said.
Kirsten couldn’t help smiling at her brother’s good fortune. The job was sure to be a godsend for both her and Max, yet she kept quiet, listening to the men talk.
After all, the trip out to the Double Crown had been for Max’s benefit; Kirsten had only gone along for the ride.
But what a ride it had been.
She settled back in her seat, her heart overflowing with warmth and pride. The day had unfolded nicely, leaving her pleased, content and…happy.
Her brother had a job he was excited about. And he was going to register for classes at the adult school on Monday morning, then drive out to the ranch to work for the rest of the day. She’d never seen him so enthusiastic about the future. In fact, he seemed like a whole new person.
And Kirsten had Jeremy to thank for that.
Her life, it seemed, had changed dramatically since meeting him—and in a wonderful way. Just his smile, his woodsy scent and his touch could set a thrill rushing through her.
She wasn’t sure what to make of their romance, but she knew that she wanted it to grow into all that it could be.
The trip home was over before she knew it, and she found herself wishing the night would go on and on.
If Max and the baby weren’t staying with her, she would have invited Jeremy in for a nightcap…and a whole lot more. But when the two of them made love, she wanted the mood and the atmosphere to be special, to be perfect.
So she’d have to settle for a good-night kiss. Though settle was hardly the right word, since Jeremy’s kisses weakened her knees and turned her inside out.
After Jeremy parked the car at the curb, Max got out and removed Anthony from the car seat.
“Kirsten,” he said, “if you don’t mind holding the baby for me, I’ll switch his seat back to your car.”
“All right.” She took Anthony in her arms, glad to help. Yet she hoped Max would take the baby inside when he was finished and give them some alone time. She was eager for an opportunity to kiss Jeremy good-night. Maybe she’d even get an answer to the where-do-we-go-from-here question she’d been afraid to ask.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long. The seat had been transferred in no time at all. Then Max took Anthony into the house, leaving her and Jeremy outside.
As they lingered in the front yard, where the porch light cast a golden glow on them, she was again tempted to ask Jeremy to come inside—and to stay the night. But with Max in the house… Well, it just didn’t feel right.
“Thanks for riding out to the ranch with us,” Jeremy said.
“I had a wonderful time. Lily is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She’s a great decorator, hostess and cook.”
“I’m glad you liked her. She’s always been special to me.”
They stood like that for a moment, caught up in the silence and the buzz of pheromones.
“I’d invite you in,” she said. “But…”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“It’s a little crowded in your house tonight.”
She wondered if he was as disappointed about that as she was.
“So how about dinner tomorrow night?” he asked. “I’ve got to attend a board meeting for the Fortune Foundation on behalf of the medical center on Monday, which is Valentine’s Day. But we can celebrate on Sunday instead.”
Celebrate? The day set aside for lovers?
That certainly sounded as though their relationship was progressing. And that her instincts had been right.
“It sounds great,” she said.
“I’m glad to hear it.” He cupped her face and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks.
Their gazes met and locked. Passion simmered in his eyes, and her heart raced. The anticipation alone made her rethink her decision not to invite him in the house, no matter who was inside.
Had that been a mistake? One she ought to remedy?
She wanted so very badly to drag him into her bedroom, lock the door and turn up the radio so that anything they said and did would be their secret to keep. But she wanted so much more than that for their first time.
As his mouth lowered to hers, she closed her eyes and parted her lips. Her arms looped around his
neck, and she slipped into his embrace.
He kissed her deeply, thoroughly. And as their tongues mated, as their breaths mingled, she held him tight, wanting him. Wanting more.
His hands slid along the curve of her hips, resting on her derriere and staking an intimate claim. So she leaned forward and rubbed her hips against his, making a claim of her own.
She wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted—long enough to make it difficult to stand without holding on. Long enough to stir an empty ache in the most feminine part of her.
Her only complaint was that it ended before she was ready to let go.
But then again, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be ready to pull away from Jeremy.
“Maybe we ought to have dinner at one of the nicer hotels in town,” he said. “We’d have the option of getting a room, which might make things a whole lot easier.”
A boyish grin implied that he was teasing, yet desire had darkened the blue of his eyes, which made her wonder if he was testing her response.
“I’ll wear my favorite dress,” she said. “And I’ll go wherever you want to take me.”
There. She’d said it. And she’d been telling the truth.
She wanted to go wherever their kisses took them, be cause that last one had whispered of forever.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said.
She nodded, even though tomorrow seemed like a very long time from now. Then she stood alone on the porch and watched him turn and stride toward his car.
She struggled with the urge to call him back and to ask him about the future. Instead, she bit her tongue. She would just have to bide her time until he brought up the subject.
But that didn’t keep the questions from bombarding her like buckshot.
Would Jeremy ask her to leave town and join him in California?
If so, would she go?
As much as she’d like to remain living in her house in Red Rock—with him—she realized that wasn’t likely.
Jeremy had a successful medical practice in Sacramento. And being away from his colleagues and his patients had to be tough on him.
Of course he did have family here. And he’d taken a leave of absence and had no immediate plans to return to California—as far as she knew. He’d also started working at the clinic and seemed to like it.
