by Linda Warren
Her tranquility was interrupted by a sound. Dixie barked and Rosie sat up. It sounded like a truck crossing the cattle guard. She listened closely. Yes, that’s what it was. It could be the Tisdales from down the road. Sometimes Mrs. Tisdale baked and brought Rosie a treat. But she usually called. And Rosie had had her phone with her at all times.
Who could it be?
She quickly stepped out of the trough and dried her body. Pulling on her panties and jeans, she groaned. It wasn’t an easy task when her body was damp. She didn’t even bother with her bra. She just pulled a T-shirt over her head.
This was a secluded area, and she usually wasn’t worried about bathing between the trailer and the barn because there was no one around. But today apprehension skittered across her nerves.
She left her boots by the trough and tiptoed around the trailer to see who had invaded her privacy. Her heart raced and anger shot through her like a thousand stinging ants. Phoenix Rebel was getting a child out of a car seat. How had he found her? How dare he!
Living out here alone, she had a gun to protect herself, but it was in the trailer. She’d never had any cause to use it. It was more of a security measure. But she wished she had it now.
She marched over to his truck, ready to tear into him like a wild hyena. But he turned with the little boy in his arms. The boy had short, dark hair and big brown eyes and the most precious face she’d ever seen. All her anger floated away like bubbles in the bath.
For a moment.
How dare he do this to her!
She forced her attention to Phoenix’s face and braced herself against the attraction she saw there. He truly had to have been created when God was in a good mood. His chiseled features were perfectly etched, showcasing warm, dark eyes and a mouth that was molded for laughter and fun. The curve of it spoke volumes. It was a kissable mouth. A touchable, kissable… Oh, heavens. She was in so much trouble. She had to make a stand now.
“Please leave. I did not invite you here, nor do I want to see you. I thought you understood that.”
“Okay. You have a right to be angry. I just wanted you to meet Jake. I know that sounds crazy, and I might be a little crazy. I’m told that a lot.”
She took a deep breath. “How did you find me?”
“If you’ll stop being angry for a minute, I’ll explain. By the way, this is Jake.”
She refused to look at the little boy. She couldn’t. If she did, she would be lost. Phoenix knew that. That’s why he’d brought his son out here. She couldn’t get involved with Phoenix or his child and she had to make that clear.
“Please go away and don’t come back.” She marched to the door of the trailer and went inside without a backward glance. But she’d forgotten one thing: Dixie. She was barking agitatedly. If she was by the door, Rosie could just let her in. The sound was coming from farther out in the yard. She was barking at Phoenix and his son. Dixie loved kids, and she was probably trying to get the boy to play with her.
Oh no.
What could she do now?
Chapter Seven
“Jake. Come back here. Jake!”
Rosie listened at the door, and all she could hear was Phoenix’s voice. Dixie had stopped barking and that bothered her. The dog was always excited around children. There was only one thing to do. She had to face this like an adult instead of hiding in the trailer like a scared little girl.
Gently she eased the door open and peeped outside. She saw no one. They weren’t in the front yard. As she stepped outside, she could hear Phoenix calling, “Jake, come out of there.”
On the other side of the trailer, she found Phoenix squatting and looking under it.
“What’s going on?”
He turned to look at her. “Your dog ran under the trailer, and Jake followed before I could stop him. Now I can’t get him out.”
Rosie knelt in the grass, near the trough she’d been bathing in, and looked under the trailer. “Come here, Dixie. Come to me.”
The dog trotted out without a problem and went to Rosie, licking her face. Rosie scooped her up and held her close.
“Come on, Jake,” Phoenix called. “Come to Daddy.”
The boy began to cry. Loud wails echoed from beneath the trailer.
“Hey, son. Don’t cry. Daddy’s right here. Just come out from there.”
But the wails grew louder.
Phoenix lay flat on his stomach and crawled under the trailer to get his son. In a few seconds, he scooted out with the boy in his arms. Phoenix sat on the grass and cuddled him. “It’s okay. You’re out. See? Look around.”
“’Cared.”
Phoenix patted the little boy’s back. “It’s okay, son.” After a few moments the little boy stopped crying. He raised his head from Phoenix’s shoulder, tears glistening in his beautiful eyes. His father’s eyes. There was no doubt this boy was Phoenix’s son.
“Beer, Dad-dy.”
Rose’s mouth fell open and she closed it quickly. “You’re giving him beer?”
“Now, don’t get your feathers ruffled. I can explain.”
“I can’t think of a way you can justify that.”
He kissed the boy’s cheek and Rosie thought how good he was with the baby. He was a natural father and the boy responded to him. “Play with Dixie and I’ll go get it.”
Jake toddled over and Dixie shot away. The boy followed, giggling, and then they were playing, rolling in the grass. Rosie was mesmerized by the sight. What a gift a child was.
Before she knew it, Phoenix was back, kneeling just a little too close for her comfort. He opened a cooler and poured milk into an empty beer bottle.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“The foster mother told me Jake needs to be weaned from a bottle, but he won’t drink out of a glass. I tried and he refused. Paxton was drinking a beer and Jake wanted it. So I poured the beer out and put milk in it and it worked like a charm.”
“So your plan now is to give your son milk out of a beer bottle?”
“Until I can get him to drink out of a glass. He didn’t even ask for his bottle last night.”
“Cowboy, have you ever heard of a sippy cup?”
His eyes glowed like embers. Once again she couldn’t look away, and she hated herself for that weakness. “Oh, I think my nephew John has one of those.”
“Yes. Doesn’t your family help you with him?”
Jake dropped into his lap, reaching for the beer bottle. Phoenix sat in the grass, cradled the boy in his arms and let him drink. It was only for a few seconds and then Jake shot away again, chasing Dixie.
Closing the cooler, Phoenix said, “Family is my problem.”
“How?” She sat cross-legged, waiting for him to explain.
He leaned back, using his hands for support, his long legs outstretched in front of him. “You see, I’m not known for responsibility or maturity. Sad but true.”
“I can believe that.”
“Hey!”
“Well, you turn up here uninvited. That’s immature and irresponsible.”
His sun browned skin faded a little. “Okay, that was out of line, but I was desperate.” He crossed his boots at the ankles, and she stared at the long length of cowboy. She didn’t understand why she was so aware of him. She was around cowboys all the time, and they teased and flirted and acted crazy. That was typical. She was used to it. But something about Phoenix just pushed her buttons.
“My mother wants me to move into the house. She has a baby bed set up and everything is ready. All I have to do is give in and she’ll raise my son. Quincy and Jude, two of my brothers, have said they’d be willing to take Jake and care for him, especially when I’m on the circuit. They don’t trust me to be a father. They don’t trust me to take care of him like a father should.”
She heard the hurt in his voice and wanted to reach out and hug him, which surprised her. She wasn’t a hugging person. But she wanted him to feel better. That surprised her, too. “What I saw you doing a few minutes a
go was very good. You’ve bonded with your son in a very short amount of time.”
“He’s my son and I intend to raise him. I intend for him to know that I’m his father and I will never leave him with anyone.”
She pointed to his broad chest. “I think maturity and responsibility are taking root.”
He leaned forward, that glow back in his eyes. “Then can I tempt you into going shopping with us? I need to buy Jake some jeans, boots and cowboy stuff. I’m hopeless in the baby department. You were so good at helping me in Walmart, and I thought I’d ask you again.”
“Is that why you came here?”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
“How did you find me?”
The grin broadened. “As easy as Facebook.”
“My address is not on Facebook.”
He pointed to the barn and the numbers she’d painted there for the truck driver who delivered feed for her horses.
“They’re just numbers.”
“And they’re on a photo on your Facebook page. I enlarged it on my phone, and I could see the numbers clearer. I figured it was a county road number and address. With a little more searching I found it.”
She ran her hands up her arms, feeling a little spooked. But oddly not from Phoenix. He was harmless. Now, that was the biggest understatement she’d ever thought. He was not harmless in so many other ways that involved her heart.
“I’ll definitely take the picture off. I don’t want strangers knowing where I live.”
“Aw, no one’s as smart as me, or as desperate.”
“You’re full of it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His eyes traveled over her T-shirt and she realized it was damp, and without a bra her breasts were defined more than she wanted.
“Stop it.”
His eyes traveled to face. “What?”
“Being a typical cowboy with your brains below your belt.”
“Ah, c’mon.”
She lifted an eyebrow and he shrugged. “Okay, I’m out of line again. But I don’t think you realize just how beautiful and sexy you are, especially with those freckles across the bridge of your nose.”
“Another cowboy line. Really? I’ve heard them all.”
“I’m not going to win with you, am I?”
“No, so I’d just as soon you’d be honest instead of sleazy.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Is your house back in the woods?”
A tingle of fear edged along her spine. She didn’t want to discuss her living arrangements. She didn’t want to discuss anything with him. But she’d asked him to be honest so she had to be, too. Maybe then he would go away and never come back.
“No.”
He glanced at the galvanized trough and the chair with her towel and toiletries. “You were taking a bath out here?”
“Yes, until you invaded my privacy.” She wasn’t embarrassed about her living arrangements. “I live in my trailer.”
“Full-time. I mean…” Clearly he was stunned and unable to hide it.
“Yes. I’m on the road a lot, and for now it suits me.”
Jake plopped into Phoenix’s lap, out of breath from playing with Dixie. He held his son close, his eyes on her. “I’m not the gossipy type, but I’ve heard tidbits about you around the circuit, and the news is that you divorced a very rich man. Didn’t you get something out of the divorce?”
“I got my freedom,” she stated in a proud tone. “And that was worth more than anything money could buy.” She wasn’t going to talk about this anymore. She barely knew Phoenix, and sharing wasn’t easy for her. It had been a horrible time in her life. Most days she could wipe it from her mind, but there were times late at night when the horror invaded her peaceful dreams. She shared that with no one.
“I can see you’re uncomfortable with the subject,” he said in a soothing tone, and that threw her. She never imagined a Rebel as consoling. She’d heard otherwise.
He turned his attention to his son. “Jake, ask Rosie if she’d like to go shopping with us.”
Nothing like a little blackmail.
“Ro-sie,” Jake said, and Rosie refused to look at the boy. At the baby voice, her heart swelled as if someone had pumped air into it. Any minute it was going to burst and flood her body with warm emotions she didn’t know how to handle.
“Tell her we’re sorry for invading her privacy.”
“Sor-ry.”
Unable to stop herself, she looked into the baby’s eyes and saw everything that was missing in her life: the joy of a child. A lump the size of the Alamo formed in her throat. She couldn’t cry. It would open up too many emotions, but she felt a crack in the solid steel armor she wore to keep herself safe from the pain. How had Phoenix Rebel gotten past all the security measures she had taken over the years to protect herself?
Dixie dropped one of Jake’s sneakers into Rose’s lap. She realized Jake’s sneakers were missing from his feet and his socks were coated with dried grass.
With his back against his father’s chest, Jake pointed at his shoe. “Mine.”
“Is this yours?” She held up the sneaker.
Jake nodded.
“I wonder where the other one is.” Phoenix looked around and then zeroed in on the trailer. “It’s probably under there.”
“Go get Jake’s sneaker,” Rosie said to Dixie. The dog shot under the trailer and came out with it.
“Now if I could get Jake to mind like that.” Phoenix brushed the grass from his son’s socks and put on his sneakers. With one fluid movement, he picked up his hat, placed it on his head and got to his feet with Jake in his arms. Jake rested his head on Phoenix’s shoulder, closing his eyes.
“No, son. You can’t go to sleep. You haven’t had your lunch yet.”
Rosie pushed to her feet. “You are hopeless, you know. You should have him on a schedule.”
“I’m working on it.” He walked toward his truck. “I’m really sorry I bothered you.”
Suddenly all the energy and life he’d brought with him seemed to dim, and she felt lonelier than she ever had. Something good was within her reach and all she had to do was…
“Phoenix—”
He turned, a smile as wide as Texas on his face. “The lady knows my name.”
She ignored the quakes of delight running through her. “I’ll find something for Jake to eat, because he’s going to fall asleep in the truck.”
“We accept.” He tickled Jake’s stomach. “Don’t we, son?”
“Just give me a few minutes to do a couple of things.”
“Okay.”
She ran to the trough and put the end of a long hose in it. She sucked on the other end until water came through and let it run out into the pasture. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her towel and toiletries and ran into the house to change clothes and put on her bra.
Phoenix and Jake came into the trailer. Suddenly it was too small, too closed up, because she was very aware of Phoenix standing next to her. A woodsy scent mixed with baby powder tickled her nostrils and she wanted to laugh. She was accepting another person into her life, and that warmed and scared her at the same time. Since her divorce, she had avoided this because it brought too much pain. But now, with two sets of dark eyes staring at her, she made the biggest decision of her life because she could do nothing less.
They’d touched her heart. Somehow, just maybe, they needed her as much as she needed them.
*
PHOENIX SAT ON the small sofa at the end of the trailer with Jake on his lap. The trailer was bigger and nicer than the camper he and Paxton used. Neat and organized, too. Something he and Paxton knew nothing about.
There was a blue booth with a table and a small kitchen combined with the living space. A bedroom and bath were at the other end. He couldn’t believe she lived here. It was nice to have a full trailer on the road, but he was always glad to get home to more space. So many questions plagued his mind about her, but he would keep them to himself for now. He was just happy she
wasn’t mad at him anymore.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she worked in the small space. She was completely dressed now in jeans, boots and Western shirt. He rather liked the barefooted, wet T-shirt look. He liked everything about her. Her stubbornness, her fight for independence, her feistiness and something else he couldn’t describe. Something deep inside drew him to her. Maybe it was the loneliness in her. Although he’d never been lonely. There were always family and friends around. But there was something about her that he couldn’t look away from, nor did he want to.
She had food on the table in a few minutes, and he carried Jake to the booth. With no high chair, he had to hold him. His son reached for a piece of cut-up apple on a plate and munched on it.
“I guess he’s hungry.”
“I made macaroni and cheese. Kids love it.”
He guessed he should’ve asked if he could help her, but his mother never let him in the kitchen except to do dishes. And he hated that. Now he had to step up and do more because he had a son.
Jake crawled out of his lap and over to Rosie, holding up his arms.
Rosie looked at Phoenix with panic in her eyes. “What does he want?”
“He wants you to pick him up.” Had she never been around children? Her brothers Gunnar and Malachi had children, and she had to have been around them when she was younger. Maybe the fear in her eyes was about something else.
She carefully lifted Jake onto her lap. “He weighs hardly anything.” Jake pointed to the mac and cheese. “Oh, okay.” She spooned the food into his mouth, and Jake ate hungrily.
Phoenix picked up the grilled cheese sandwich in front of him, eating and watching Rosie with his son. A look of total entrancement was on her face, serene and relaxed. He had a feeling she didn’t let herself relax very often, but Jake was working his magic.
“Ma Ma,” Jake said, his bottom lip trembling. Phoenix put his sandwich down, not knowing what to do. There was no reason for Jake to think of his greatgrandmother unless…his greatgrandmother made mac and cheese for him.
