“Understood,” Jared said. “We’ll leave that up to you.”
She held out her hands for the baby. “Thank you for rescuing me tonight, Jared. And tell the chief and the guys that I said thank you, too.”
Jared held Whit close and whispered, “Little man, you be good for Mama. We’ll see you soon.” He kissed the top of Whit’s head and smiled as he got a whiff of his sweet baby fragrance. He eased him into Presley Ann’s arms and then took advantage of her full hands by brushing the damp strands of her hair back from her cheeks and cradling her jaw as he brushed his lips against hers. Her eyelashes fluttered before she closed her eyes and she lifted her chin to return the kiss. She made a soft murmuring sound as she tilted her head, shooting an arrow of lust straight to his groin.
When he released her she looked up at him, her eyes big pools of blue, and then she licked that delectable lower lip. She placed a hand on the back of Whit’s head and Jared could see that it trembled.
“We’ll check in with you in the morning, kitten,” he said and then backed away so Kendry could say good night.
Kendry said, “I’m glad you changed your mind. You won’t regret it.”
She leaned toward him and kissed him. Whit reached out and grabbed hold of Kendry’s T-shirt as he put his arms around both of them and threaded his fingers into her wet locks. He took the kiss deeper, and Jared was pleasantly surprised by the arousal he felt as he watched them kiss each other.
They locked up behind them at the bottom of the stairs and made sure the building and her car were secure before going back across the street. The chief nodded when they checked in with him and went back to his work. Except for Presley Ann’s call, the night had been a relatively quiet one, and he was grateful for it as he helped Kendry clean up the kitchen.
Ducking his head down, he looked out the kitchen window and could see that her light was still on upstairs. A shadow passed in front of it and a few seconds later the light went out. He smiled, pleased that she was finally able to get some rest. Recalling the feel of her warm lips on his, he knew his thoughts and probably his dreams would be centered on her that night.
Looking over at Kendry, he said, “We’ll need to take this slow with her. She’s only six weeks postpartum, if I’m recalling correctly.”
Kendry nodded. “We got to her tonight. You were pretty insightful.”
Jared reached out to return his brother’s fist bump and said, “I think it was your wisdom that finally got through.”
“When we get off tomorrow we need to do a little Christmas shopping for her and the baby.”
A smile spread across Jared’s lips at the thought. “Think she might spend Christmas with us?”
“With some planning, yeah, she might. Crap, I guess that means we also need to get a tree.”
Jared chuckled. “If we can still find one.” Christmas was only a few days away, but she’d given them the green light and they were two well-motivated men.
Chapter Six
The following night, Presley Ann stood in front of her mirror, biting her lip as she pulled on the new Wranglers she’d bought at Cheaver’s earlier that day. Unsure that they’d have something that would work, she’d hurried in during a quick lunch break and gone in search of Rosemary Garner. After she’d told her what she needed, Rosemary had helped her find the size that would fit her and had then searched up a coupon for her so she could get them at a reduced price. The accessories had tempted her but the jeans were all she’d been able to afford so she hadn’t lingered in the store once she’d thanked Rosemary for helping her.
“What do you think, peanut?” she asked Whit, who was reclining in his infant seat watching her with serious eyes. When she turned to him, he smiled back at her, creating a happy little lurch in her chest.
Kendry and Jared had called to let her know they were off duty that afternoon and they wanted to take her and Whit out on their first date that night.
“They don’t waste any time, do they, peanut?” Whit grinned at her and then jammed his fist in his mouth.
The night before, while she’d been in the shower, she’d had a chance to think about what they were asking for. She’d never thought about it in such concrete terms but they were both right. She’d convinced herself that they were too good to be true and that she didn’t deserve a shot at happiness. The trials she’d gone through had felt like her just desserts and she had no right to reach for fulfillment beyond being Whit’s mother, as if that would make up for past behavior. Continually questioning why they would want her was an unintended insult to their judgment.
Still, circling in the back of her mind was the fear that if she dared to reach for something lasting with Jared and Kendry it would simply be snatched from her grasp.
She’d put her hair up in hot rollers she hadn’t used in months and had begun applying her makeup when her phone rang.
“Hello?”
“I heard from a little birdy that you have a date with two good-looking firefighters,” Grace Warner said with happiness obvious in her voice.
Presley Ann chuckled as she went to her closet. “You talked to Rosemary, huh?”
“I did! I had to call and confirm it.”
“Yup. They kept asking me out and I finally gave in.”
“Okay, Rosemary tells me you got jeans but she didn’t know if you had boots. What size shoe do you wear?”
“Eight, but I was just planning to wear my flats.”
“Nonsense. You can’t show off those Wranglers wearing your work shoes. It just so happens you and I wear the same size. What color top are you wearing?”
“Grace, I—”
“Look, I just want to help. It’s not charity, it’s a loaner.”
A thought occurred to Presley Ann and she said, “What about a trade?”
“I’m listening.”
She pulled out a top that framed her upper body nicely and said, “Let me borrow a pair of boots that would go with a turquoise top and I’ll make you a baby sling for Grant like the one I had on the other day that you liked so much.”
“Seriously? You’re making them? I’ve looked at those slings before but I’ve never been able to find one that fit me and the fabric was always so cheap and scratchy feeling.”
“I found a really nice stretchy blue mesh fabric I bet you’ll love.”
“Okay, I’ll send Jack by your place with the boots, and if you’ll make me a sling I’ll be your advertising for it.”
“Deal!”
“Get some business cards made and I’ll hand them out for you. I’ll bet you’re about to get busy making those. Jack will be in town in just a few minutes.”
Presley Ann sighed happily as she returned to the bathroom. She’d set up her sewing machine earlier that day. She’d cleared space for a work table, which would make her living space even more cramped when it arrived later in the week.
She listened to Whit cooing while she finished her makeup. The crunch of gravel under tires let her know a few minutes later that Jack had arrived and she met him at the back door with three boot boxes stacked in his arms. His face lit up in a big grin.
“Hi, Jack, come on in.” Reaching for the first box, she said, “I’ll just take a quick look and see which ones will work for my outfit.”
“No need. She told me to leave all three. She said there was no hurry getting them back to her and you should feel free to make use of all of them.”
“Are you sure?”
Jack nodded. “Sweetie, she loves boots and with three husbands shopping for her, she has shelves full of them. She wanted me to tell you not to worry about it. She was happy about the sling and was telling Teresa about it when I left.”
“That’s fantastic. I left Whit in his seat upstairs and I need to check on him. Would you like to see him?”
Jack lifted the boxes for her and nodded. “I promised Grace a picture of him, too, if it’s no trouble. I’ll carry these upstairs for you.”
He followed her up the stairs and s
Jack laughed and said, “No problem, sweetie. Grace uses them all the time.”
“That’s no excuse for answering the door like this.”
Jack chuckled. “Sometimes Grace has so many things going through her mind at one time, I think some things just fall by the wayside. Plus, you just had a baby, so you’re entitled to be a little scatterbrained.”
“If you don’t mind, I’m taking the picture for you, Jack.”
There’s not gonna be any photographic evidence of my hot rollers if I can help it.
He stood right by the landing and handed the boxes to her and grinned big when she carried Whit over to him. Whit eyed him curiously as Presley Ann passed him into Jack’s arms and took his smartphone from him.
“Okay, little cowpoke, smile for Uncle Jack and Aunt Gracie,” he said and smiled as she snapped the picture. Picture taking done, Jack gave her the baby and said, “He’s filling out fast, Presley Ann. That’s one good lookin’ little boy.”
Presley Ann felt a blush heat her cheeks and for once she wasn’t swamped by guilt as she thought of his father. Some things she could change and others she couldn’t. It was simple as that.
“Tell Grace I’ll be in touch to come take her measurements.”
“Will do,” he replied and then chucked Whit gently under the chin and said his good-byes.
She had just enough time to try on all three pairs of boots and make her selection before a loud knock sounded at the door. Excitement fizzed through her like bubbles in a glass of champagne as she called down, “It’s unlocked!”
Her heart beat faster as their footsteps echoed up the stairs and she sucked in a deep breath as she took in the sight of them. Jared was dressed in polished boots and dark jeans and a black button-down shirt he’d left untucked. The dark colors served to intensify the contrast with his dark reddish-blonde coloring and pale blue-gray eyes, which were riveted on her. He was a serious man but the barely-there hint of a smile on his lips made her heart beat even harder as she bit her lip in anticipation. Then she turned her gaze to his brother.
Lord, have mercy. Her knees went a little weak.
Kendry was dressed in Levi’s and combat boots with a zippered pullover shirt that showcased his broad shoulders and chest. She had to swallow because drool was pooling in her mouth. He’d trimmed his scruff short and his shoulder-length curly brown hair beckoned her to run her fingers through it.
How had she resisted them this long? “Hi.”
Kendry’s eyes sparkled as he said, “Hello, sexy cowgirl,” and twirled his finger. Stifling a giggle, she turned in place for them, feeling the way their gazes warmed every inch of her skin.
“That color turns your eyes to turquoise. You look luscious,” he said as he came close and kissed her and she breathed in his scent. Ocean and driftwood, and so very Kendry.
Jared’s hand was warm on her hip as he gazed down at her and murmured, “Beautiful.” He kissed her, too, turning her legs to jelly as he made a soft, deep sound in his throat. Her breath caught as he laid a kiss at her jaw and then extended a line of smooches down her throat, smiling at the wave of gooseflesh that rose on her skin where he touched her. Blinking slowly, he lifted his gaze to hers and licked his lower lip.
The sound of Kendry’s voice as he picked Whit up from his seat roused her from the lust-induced stupor Jared had put her in. “Hey, little Whit-Man. You sure got a pretty mama.”
Presley Ann bit her lip and lifted up on tiptoe to kiss and nibble at Jared’s scruffy jaw before turning to Kendry. “You both know a thing or two about making a woman feel pretty.”
Kendry chuckled as he looked her up and down with blatant heat in his eyes as he cuddled Whit and said, “Way more than pretty, kitten. You ready?”
She slipped into her heavy wool coat and said, “I’ll bundle him up and we’ll be ready.”
After the baby was set, Kendry carried him downstairs, keeping up a stream of one-sided chatter that centered mainly on how sexy he thought Whit’s mama was in her boots and jeans. She was surprised when she didn’t have to show Jared how to remove the infant car seat from her car and reinstall it in the backseat of his truck.
He set it up facing the correct direction and said, “As firefighters, we’ve both volunteered our time at car seat inspection stations in Abilene, demonstrating how to install them safely and how to buckle babies in the right way. We’ve been called to accident scenes where babies and kids weren’t restrained properly—or in some cases not at all—and seen the heartbreak that could’ve been avoided firsthand.”
She nodded and said, “Nurse Tracey made sure I knew how to do it the right way the day I left the hospital.”
He put his knee in the seat and yanked once more on the seatbelt. “We lost our mom in a car accident when we were little, so car seat and seatbelt safety are important to us.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Jared.”
“It was a long time ago. Officers told my dad that she wasn’t buckled in. Dad said she did that sometimes if she was only making a short trip.”
She put her hand on Jared’s shoulder as he helped her in, while Kendry buckled Whit into the seat and then climbed in next to him. Not knowing if it would help much, she looked back at Kendry and said, “Patterson wasn’t wearing his helmet…it was sad.”
She felt Kendry’s hand on her shoulder and then Jared was beside her as he climbed in the driver’s side door. “Leah told us about that.”
She wasn’t sure why so many different emotions were crowding in on her, and her voice caught as she said, “He—He was a nice guy. It devastated the community…but you know what?”
“What?”
“Despite the tragedy, it brought you both to us...” To me. When she looked back at Kendry, he was smiling at her, his dimples showing, and there was so much warmth in his eyes it made her heart quiver. Jared closed a gentle hand over hers on the console between the seats.
They were quiet on the short drive to O’Reilley’s and since it was a weeknight, they didn’t wait very long for a table. They were barely seated, with Whit’s infant seat securely positioned in a high chair, when Presley Ann’s Aunt Dorothy suddenly appeared at their table.
“Mmm-hmm. Just as I thought. The damsel in distress needs not one but two men to swoop in and save her from the big bad world. And certainly a questionable situation to expose a vulnerable child to,” she said snippily before she continued on to the ladies’ room.
“Hey, sugar,” her dad said as he came up as well and kissed her cheek as she rose.
“Dad! What a nice surprise!”
“I was having supper with your aunt and Willie.” She could hear his wry tone as he gestured with a thumb at a table on the other side of the dining room where Willie was staring at them with her mouth twisted into a frown.
“I imagine you’ve also been getting an earful about me and my choices, huh?”
“Actually, she’s learned to keep her opinions to herself when I’m around. I’m sorry she runs off at the mouth to you. Dorothy involves herself too much, but she’s family. I reminded them both to mind their own business, but you know how well they listen.”
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Kendry and Jared McCulloch.”
Her dad turned an assessing gaze on both men and shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before squatting down and kissing his grandson on the forehead. “I’ve heard good things about you both. How is work going at the fire department?” he asked as he eyed both men while stroking Whit’s cheek.
“Very well, sir.”
“Heard you bought the Frasier’s place out by the river.”
“Yes, sir,” Jared said. “We wanted a little acreage.”
Her dad nodded and smiled. “Room to run and explore?”
“Something like that.”
Her dad turned to her and said, “I’ve kept you long enough. Sweetie, you look gorgeous, and this little guy is bigger every time I see him. I love you.”
She rose and gave him a hug. “Love you, too, Dad.”
“Gentlemen,” he said as he turned to them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Enjoy your evening and take good care of my little girl and my grandson.”
Presley Ann suppressed a giggle when she recognized the warning steel in his tone.
“Yes, sir,” Jared replied evenly as he shook hands with both of them again and returned to his table where Dorothy and Willie awaited.
“So that’s your dad, huh?” Kendry said as he rubbed at his scruff.
“Yep.”
“Was it just me or was he staring at us like he could see bull’s-eyes on our chests?” Kendry asked with a snort as he handed a toy to Whit.
“His bark is worse than his bite,” she said with a giggle.
“I’m not worried about his bark or his bite. It’s his aim that has me concerned,” Kendry said as he grinned and rubbed his chest.
“I’d be the same way if I was him,” Jared said as he smiled at her.
A lull in the conversation gave her a chance to look at the menu, and after they’d placed their orders, Jared said, “There’s a Christmas Choir concert in Central Park tonight. The wind has settled down some if you’d like to go to it after supper.”
She had an extra blanket she could wrap Whit up in if she needed to. They hadn’t been out visiting since the fiasco when he was just a few days old. “I think that would be wonderful. I’ve been so busy with him, and thinking about making those slings, I haven’t really gotten into the Christmas spirit very much this year…”
“You okay?” Jared asked, noting her pause.
Presley Ann shook her head. “Things are just different now. My priorities have shifted so radically. Last year, I was shopping until the last minute, taking advantage of all the sales.”
“Shopping for Christmas gifts?”
Shaking her head and shrugging, she said, “Some, but mostly I was just shopping. This year, I couldn’t do any Christmas shopping, except for small gifts for Leah, Dad, and Whit. And I don’t really even have room for a Christmas tree in my apartment, especially now.”
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