“Too late for that, man. We’ll have to get this calf out ourselves. I’ll get the puller from the truck.”
Sassy jumped to her feet. “I’ll get it.”
She raced off to the truck, and as she lifted the device from the bed of the truck, she prayed that the men wouldn’t have to use it. And her prayer must have been answered immediately, because as she hurried over to the men with the birthing tool, she heard Jett’s strained voice saying, “It’s coming now, Noah! One more heave and I think we’ll have it!”
She was thankful Jett’s prediction was correct, and Sassy let out a cry of sheer relief as a little red calf slid clear of its mother.
“Thank God, you won’t have to use this now!” She tossed down the puller and moved in for a closer view of the calf. “Is the little fella going to be okay?”
“Don’t know yet, ma’am,” Noah answered.
Jett quickly untied the bandana around his neck and used the green square of fabric to clean the calf’s nose of birth debris and mucus.
“It’s not breathing,” Jett said bleakly. He opened the baby’s mouth and cleared away more mucus, yet the calf continued to lie motionless.
Sassy elbowed her way between the two men. “Let me try.”
Before either of them could guess her intentions she knelt over the calf and positioned her hands just behind its shoulder. In a firm, up-and-down motion she began to pump the calf’s side, and after several long moments, the baby began to splutter and mew with signs of life.
Noah said in an awed voice, “Would you look at that!”
“I am looking,” Jett replied.
Whooping with joy, Sassy leaped to her feet and flung her arms around Jett. He hugged her close for a brief moment, then purposely set her at arm’s length.
“Where did you learn how to do that? I’ve never seen it done. Have you Noah?”
“Nope. I’ve seen old ranchers blow in a calf’s mouth, and I’ve watched them hold a calf up by its heels and shake it. But not this.”
Feeling happy and proud of herself, Sassy let out a breathless laugh. “Well, I learned it from a girlfriend back on the ranch. She’s an assistant to the resident vet there. Well, actually, Lauren is his wife. And she’s worked with him for so many years that she’s almost a vet herself. Anyway, I’ve seen her do this more than once.”
Jett’s head swung back and forth with amazement. “You told me you were learning about ranching during your off time on the Chaparral, but I had no idea you’d learned this much!” Jett exclaimed.
The proud smile on her face belied her indifferent shrug. “I especially like helping Lauren with the sick and injured animals—learning how to care for them.”
Noah said, “Hey, Jett, did you hear that part about the resident vet? Must be a fancy place.”
“I wouldn’t call it fancy,” Sassy declared. “The Chaparral has everything a ranch needs. The house is big but it’s not lavish or anything. And the Cantrells are great folks. You’d never guess they’re worth millions. They even own a gold mine.”
“I’d say your job is secure,” Noah said with a chuckle.
She glanced over at Jett and noticed an odd look had come over his face, but before she could figure what that was all about, he stepped around her and said to Noah, “We’d better see how the cow is faring.”
The three of them waited until both mother and calf were on their feet and the baby had enjoyed its first meal before they climbed into the truck and headed back to the ranch. By then, nearly two hours had passed. Darkness had settled in, and without the sun, the temperature was rapidly dropping.
When they arrived at the ranch yard, Sassy left the two men to finish the last of the chores around the barn and walked on to the house. Inside, she went to work putting away the leftover food and placing all the dishes in the dishwasher.
After she’d fed Walter a can of salmon, then wiped down the table and countertops, she went to the bedroom to change out of her clothes. Mud and stains from handling the newborn calf were smeared down the front of her jeans and along the hem of her sweater. As she tossed them into a wicker hamper, she doubted either garment would come out of the wash spot free, but that hardly mattered. Mother and baby were going to be fine, and that made Sassy feel very good.
Mother and baby. The connotation of those two words caused her to pause and walk over to the dresser mirror. With only a lacy bra and panties covering her intimate parts, she turned sideways and carefully studied her image.
These past few days she’d been noticing the subtle changes in her body. The extra fullness to her breasts, the faint bulge at the lower part of her belly. Touching her fingers to the slight bump, a sudden rush of love overwhelmed her and brought a mist of tears to her eyes. Her own little baby was growing there, and he or she depended entirely on Sassy—now and for long into the future.
The reality of that meant she would need extra income. Not just for the first few months after the baby arrived, but for years to come. As of yet, she had no idea how she was going to deal with that problem. But, somehow, she would. For now, she wasn’t going to worry about the financial ramifications. She simply wanted to relish the fact that she and the baby would be a family and she would do everything in her power to give it a good home.
She might not ever learn the truth of her own parentage, Sassy thought ruefully. But, at least, her own baby would know the truth. It would never have to doubt or wonder about the identity of its mother and father.
“Sassy! Sassy, where are you?”
Hearing Jett calling to her, Sassy turned away from the mirror.
“I’m in here, Jett. In the bedroom.”
As she moved toward the clean clothes draped over the footboard of the bed, the door to her bedroom suddenly opened and she froze in her tracks, stunned to find herself staring straight at Jett.
“Jett!”
“Oh.”
When he failed to shut the door and leave, Sassy grabbed up the clean jeans and clutched them in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
The question was inane, especially when she could see his gaze absorbing her like parched land sucking in sheets of rain.
His answer didn’t come in the form of words, instead, he strode over and pulled her into the tight circle of his arms. The unexpected movement caused the jeans she’d been using for cover to slip to the floor.
“I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since the first day we met,” he muttered. “I’m making love to you.”
Bracing her hands against his chest, the sensible side of her brain said to push him away, but the feel of his hands upon her bare skin and the warmth of his rock-hard body lured her closer to him instead.
And then the rational part of her shut down completely as Jett began to rain starved kisses over her face and lips, down her neck and then on the cleavage spilling over the cups of her bra.
“Sassy, Sassy.”
Her name came out as a choked plea, and the angst in his voice tugged on her senses and drove a shaft of longing deep within her.
His lips hovering over hers, he said, “I know you want this as much as I do. Please tell me that.”
“I do want you, Jett,” she whispered thickly. “So very much.”
His mouth lowered to hers, and as he kissed her over and over, something sweet pierced her, causing a river of pure emotion to flood through her until every cell in her body glowed with incredible pleasure.
They stood for long moments in that same spot, their mouths fused in an erotic feast, until the kiss was not nearly enough to quench the fire that had erupted between them.
With his hands at the sides of her waist, he guided her the few remaining steps to the bed and, with his mouth still fastened to hers, lowered her and himself onto the mattress. Once they were lying side by side, his han
ds were everywhere, gliding over her arms and legs, her face and hair, then finally her breasts.
The barrier of lace had him fumbling impatiently with the hook-and-eye closure at her back. When it finally parted, he peeled the garment away from her and tossed it to the floor. Then, with slow, agonizing leisure, his eyes admired the pale mounds and taut pink nipples before finally settling on her face.
“Saying you’re beautiful would be silly of me, Sassy. You’re beyond that. You’re like an exotic island with soft white sand, bright blue skies and the scent of flowers wafting on the sea breeze.”
No man had ever said such things to her, much less a man with a voice sexy enough to melt her bones.
A blush spread over her face. “Jett, you must have knocked your head on something out in the barn. You’ve lost your vision and your mind.”
His fingers pushed into her hair and cradled the back of her head. “I’ve lost something,” he agreed. “And you’re the reason, Sassy.”
Dizzied by his nearness, her hands curled over his shoulders. “You’re not supposed to be here in my bed.”
One corner of his lips crooked upward. “Then we’ll go get into mine.”
She couldn’t fight him. Not when her body was already humming with delicious anticipation and her heart was singing a song of joyous surrender.
Sliding her hands downward, she began to pull apart the snaps on his denim shirt. “Let’s not waste the time.”
The descent of his head toward hers paused, and Sassy saw the same odd look appear in his eyes that she’d seen in the dry gulch after she’d dealt with the newborn calf.
Compelled by the look in his eyes, she whispered, “Is something wrong, Jett? If you’ve decided you don’t want to have sex with a pregnant woman, I’ll understand.”
A squint narrowed his eyes and then he shook his head. “Nothing is wrong, Sassy. Nothing at all.”
Wanting to believe him, she pulled his head down, and as his lips found hers, she refused to think about love or tomorrow. She didn’t want to ruin what happiness she could find in his arms tonight.
Chapter Ten
He wasn’t supposed to want this much, feel this much. Sassy wasn’t going to be staying. She was pregnant with another man’s baby. He wasn’t ready to be a family man. Getting involved with her complicated his relationship with the Calhouns. Yet even as these troubling thoughts tumbled through Jett’s head, he couldn’t stop his freefalling emotions or the heated desire that was consuming his body.
Sassy’s pale skin was like smooth cream upon his tongue and the warm eagerness with which she caressed and kissed him intoxicated his senses to the point that he hardly knew what he was doing to her or she to him. The only thing he was aware of was that if he didn’t connect his body to hers soon, he was going to die from the wanting.
Finally he managed to pull away from her long enough to jerk off his boots, and while he shed his clothing, Sassy slipped the panties over her hips and tossed them onto the heap his jeans had made on the floor.
Back on the bed, he aligned his body with hers and they reached for each other at the same time. And as the fronts of their bodies pressed close, the connection of bare flesh caused a flare of sizzling sparks that set fire to Jett’s senses.
“Are you sure this is okay? You’re up to this?” he asked.
Her answer was to slip her arm around his waist and thread one long, silky leg between his. “I’m fine. This is fine,” she murmured.
Easing his head back, he looked into her blue eyes, searching for any sign of hesitation or regret. Even though his body was throbbing to connect with hers, he’d force himself to get up and walk away if she had doubts.
But he didn’t detect any qualms on her face. Instead the warm lights flickering in her eyes sent hot arrows piercing right through him. Her fingers skimmed over his hair, dropped to his shoulder, then took a tantalizing stroll down to his chest. As she traced one brown nipple with the tip of her forefinger, Jett fought to hold on to his composure.
“Come here, Red,” he choked, “and let me love you.”
She tilted her mouth up to his, and as Jett kissed her an array of passions and desires burst to life, blinding him with their intensity. His heart and mind were like empty vessels and only now, in Sassy’s arms, were they starting to fill, starting to learn what it was like to really feel and want and need.
He could sense her desire climbing at the same rapid rate as his, and with a needy groan, he rolled her beneath him. Then, planting his hands on either side of her head, he braced himself over her.
Her face was flushed, her fiery hair fanned above her head. The moist curve of her lips was like a sweet confection, luring him to dip his head and take a bite. He was slowly lowering his head to do just that when their gazes met, causing him to pause. The tender, giving light he saw in her blue eyes made his chest swell with something so big, so powerful that it forced the air from his lungs. Fear sliced through him, and for one split second he considered bolting from the bed and running as far and fast as he could from this redheaded siren in his arms. But his body refused to listen to the warning bells clanging in his head, it was too far gone to leave the paradise it had found.
“Jett. My darling Jett.”
Her legs opened to welcome him inside and it was impossible for Jett to hold back any longer. He entered her slowly and gently, until her moist heat surrounded him completely. The sheer ecstasy of having his body connected to hers snapped his head back, while beneath him, he heard a moan of pleasure vibrating deep in her throat.
The next thing he knew she had his face cradled between her hands, drawing him down to her. When he found her mouth once again, the intimate contact sent his mind spinning, his body driving into hers.
She matched his movements with the same reckless need as her hips thrust urgently up to meet him, her tongue tangled with his.
Like a fierce wind, he was caught up in something so strong and overpowering that he became a lost particle, sailing and whirling with nothing to anchor him but her hot, sweet body.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered the sensation of her soft hands gliding across his shoulders and back, gripping his arms, then cupping around his buttocks. The need for oxygen forced him to lift his mouth from hers, but as soon as he hauled in enough air to keep him going, he wasted no time in finding her lips again. He had to keep tasting her, had to sup her sighs and feel her warm breath whispering against his cheeks.
She was driving him up a wild, winding road at such a speed there was no way he could avoid the crash that was sure to come at the top. Still, he fought to slow the journey and keep the thrilling ride going. But the frantic writhing of her body was pushing him higher and higher, shoving him to the very peak of the mountain.
When he took the final plunge, she immediately followed and suddenly he was soaring somewhere in a darkened sky, flying among the stars with Sassy in his arms.
The sensation was so perfect, so all-consuming he wondered if he was dying. And then, somehow, he managed to force his lungs to breathe and to remind his heart that it needed to keep beating.
Collapsing beside her, he sucked in long harsh breaths and waited for his scattered senses to drift back to earth. Eventually he became aware of Sassy’s heated body curled into his side, and the rapid rise and fall of her breasts told him that she was equally spent.
Eventually, she was the first to stir, and through hazy eyes he watched her prop her head on one bent elbow and shove a swathe of tangled hair off her face. When her blue eyes finally settled on his face, he found himself wondering if he was seeing an angel or another type of ethereal creature. She had to possess some sort of magical allure, he thought. There was no other explanation for the astonishing journey she’d just taken him on.
Unless it could be love. Was that what real love felt like? he wondered dazedly
. He’d never experienced anything like that in his life— How could he know?
“Are you okay?”
Her quietly spoken question had him trying to chuckle, but the sound came out more like a weary groan. “Aren’t I supposed to be asking you that question?”
A sweet smile tilted the corners of her swollen lips, and Jett was shocked to feel desire already starting to stir in his loins again. Now that he’d experienced the pleasure of her body, how could he ever get enough?
She said, “I don’t know the protocol of these situations.” Sighing, she lowered her head to rest her cheek upon his shoulder. “With me being pregnant, I suppose that sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”
Reaching over, he rested a hand on her lower belly. The baby would come in late spring when the sage started to bloom and the winds grew warm. Would he be able to see the child? Hold it in his arms? Or would she be long gone by then? These past few days the questions had been on his mind, and now they left a heavy feeling in the middle of his chest.
“You’ve already explained how that happened. And the fact that you’re carrying a baby inside of you only makes you more womanly in my eyes.”
Her eyelids drifted downward as her hand moved gently over chest. “Well, you’ve proved me to be a liar.”
His fingertips stroked across her damp forehead. “Hmm. What did you lie about?”
“I promised that I wouldn’t let you get me into bed. Yet here I am.”
“I didn’t plan for this to happen tonight, Sassy. Not like this. But when I saw you standing there, looking like a goddess in white lace, I had to touch you.”
She opened her eyes and gazed thoughtfully at his face. “Jett, this evening when we were out on the range, after I helped the calf, you looked at me in such a strange way. Were you angry about something?”
His fingers delved into her hair and combed through the silky strands that were spread out over the bedcover. “I wasn’t angry. I was, I guess, stunned. When I saw you working over that calf, I realized that there’s still so much about you that I’ve not yet learned.”
The Baby Truth Page 15
