by Mindy Neff
He raised his left brow. ‘‘Don’t look so scandalized. You know that drawl gets to me every time.’’
‘‘You better hush up and behave. The kids are right over there.’’
‘‘So I see. Where are you off to?’’
‘‘Hannah called and said Wyatt’s folks are coming in today, and she thought Ian should be there to meet his new grandparents.’’
Stony was really glad she’d just handed him a good excuse to go with her, otherwise he’d have been forced to get inventive. He’d seen her holding that little baby the other day, and he’d known it was breaking her heart. Not that she envied or begrudged Hannah and Wyatt their child. It was that she so desperately wanted her own and was so afraid to get her hopes up, knowing that there were no guarantees that her body was even capable of cooperating—of conceiving.
And he didn’t want her facing that reminder alone.
‘‘Mind if I tag along?’’
She frowned. ‘‘Why?’’
Because you might need me. ‘‘Because I haven’t seen Wyatt’s folks in a long time, and I’ve been itching to get my hands on the wheel of that Mustang.’’
Dimples winked in her cheeks when she grinned. ‘‘It is pretty racy, isn’t it?’’ She had the key ring around her index finger and twirled it, teasing him with each jingling revolution. ‘‘But who says I should let you drive?’’
‘‘I do.’’ He bent down and kissed her, slipped the keys off fingers that had gone slack. ‘‘Because, baby, you love it when I drive.’’ He straightened, tossed the keys in the air and caught them, then picked up the bags off the porch and strode to the car, grinning when he made it all the way to the trunk before she came out of her daze and followed.
She went around to the passenger side, opened the door and got in, her breathing not all that steady.
‘‘Cryin’ out loud.’’
Stony laughed, pulled her seat belt across her shoulder, because she seemed to have forgotten, and reversed out of the driveway.
By the time they reached the turnoff to the Malones’, Eden had herself under control. Stony Stratton could kiss the socks off a rooster, that was for sure. And it was absolutely pitiful how she went completely stupid every time he turned on that charm.
She’d wanted him to let their relationship out of the bedroom, but decided she just might have made a huge tactical error. Becoming mindless in the middle of the night was one thing—going through the daylight hours in a stupor would never do.
She tugged at her snug, cotton top. Either she was going to have to learn a little more control or buy some padded bras. Because the flimsy one she was wearing didn’t hide a darn thing. And it was embarrassing to parade around in public looking as if her bosoms had been caught in a deep freeze—especially when the sun was shining and the temperatures hovered around eighty.
‘‘You doing okay over there, wild thing?’’
She barely waited for him to shut off the engine before she opened the door and got out of the car. Pointing a finger at him she said, ‘‘You just keep your distance.’’
He grinned. ‘‘Now she changes her tune.’’
‘‘Sugar, my tune’s singin’ so loud one of us is going to end up red in the face. And since I figure that someone’s going to be me, I’d appreciate you turning down the wattage just a hair.’’
Nikki and Ian bounded out of the car and took off toward the barn as three dogs raced toward them.
‘‘Halt,’’ Eden said.
Kids and dogs alike skidded to a stop. Surprised, Eden glanced at Stony and raised her brows. ‘‘That was fairly impressive, don’t you think?’’
His lips twitched.
She looked back at the kids. ‘‘Y’all have ten minutes. Then I want you to come inside and be sociable. And don’t be bringing the puppies and kittens in the house. Meredith needs time to get used to breathin’ in this world before she has to snort animal fur.’’
‘‘’Kay,’’ Ian said, and Nikki nodded, both kids poised like sprinters waiting for the starting gunshot at a race.
Eden waved her hand. ‘‘Go.’’ She grabbed a wicker basket from the trunk. ‘‘I hope Hannah’s feelings don’t get hurt that Ian was more interested in playing in the barn than speaking to her after being gone two days.’’
‘‘I think she’ll survive.’’
Eden gave a cursory knock on the back door, then went on in. No sense making somebody get up needlessly just to open a door.
Hannah was at the kitchen table nursing the baby. She had the receiving blanket over her shoulder, nicely preserving her modesty, and didn’t appear to be the least bit self-conscious.
Still, Eden stopped abruptly, causing Stony to plow into her, nearly sending her sprawling headfirst into the kitchen. She managed to set down the basket she carried, and Stony managed to keep her upright…and with her dignity intact.
His strength and size continually surprised her. He could lift her with one hand, as though she weighed no more than Nikki. And he did it a lot. And every single time he did it she felt cherished…and so aroused she could hardly see straight.
Turning, she relieved him of the sacks he held, putting them on the floor just inside the door. ‘‘Shoo. Go talk to Wyatt about some cows or something, so Hannah can have some privacy.’’
When she straightened and met his eyes, she went very still. He was watching her, carefully, steadily, gauging her emotions. The sensual teasing they’d been toying with minutes ago had softened the look in his whiskey gaze into something incredibly moving.
She knew that look. It was the one he wore when he held her in his lap, brushing away her tears, the one he wore when he brought her pain medication and rubbed her temples until she fell asleep, the one that still remained when she woke up less than an hour later and raced to the bathroom.
It was a look that said his arms and his strength were there for her, that he wouldn’t let her fall, that he would catch her just as he had seconds ago when she’d lost her balance, that if it was within his power, he’d make all her wrongs right.
He was worried about her. Worried that she’d be sad.
Eden laid her palm along the side of his face and said quietly, ‘‘I know what you’re doing.’’ And I love you for it.
The emotion literally jolted her. She scrambled to cover it by closing her eyes and giving him a quick, friendly kiss. ‘‘Now, git.’’
This man saw way too much.
FALL HAD BARELY BEEN in the air before the snow came, and Eden was learning right quick that she didn’t know squat about driving in the icy stuff.
With clammy, white-knuckled hands, she gripped the steering wheel of the Mustang, her face practically pressed to the cold plastic as she negotiated the slippery highway, driving as slow as a snail. The heater blew full blast, but she still shivered.
Jim and Mary Malone had left Shotgun Ridge, insisting that Wyatt and Hannah didn’t need house guests—never mind that the house was partly theirs. They’d found after years of ranch life that they both had a touch of wanderlust and were enjoying traveling the country and wintering in warmer climates. They promised to be back by Christmas and schedule regular visits with their grandchildren.
And Eden had been cooking up a storm ever since, delivering extras to all the neighbors.
Her period had come in September.
And again in October.
She tried to tell herself there was no correlation between that and her grocery bill—the bill that she and Stony were continually butting heads over.
The strain was starting to take its toll. Eden was edgy and so was Stony. He still reached for her several times each night, but Eden was beginning to worry that he was doing it out of a sense of duty. Oh, he still turned her mindless with his expert touch, but sometimes she got the feeling he was holding back, that it was all for her, just a desperate attempt to connect his sperm to her egg.
Coming up on a curve, she lightly touched the brakes and felt the sporty car slip on a
patch of ice. Adrenaline shot the blood straight to her head, making her see stars.
She made a distressed little sound in the back of her throat and tried not to panic. She’d learned that on icy roads the driver had very little to do with which direction the car was going. Regardless of brake pedals and steering wheels—equipment designed expressly to put the driver in control—it slid willy-nilly at the slightest provocation and there wasn’t a blessed thing she could do about it.
It scared the living daylights out of her, reminded her of those simulators in driver’s ed. Or those video games where the race car was zooming around the track, but the steering wheel didn’t work without putting money in the slot. It was a weird feeling to turn the wheel to the right, expecting to go that way, only to have the silly vehicle keep right on going straight—or sideways as it had done coming out of town. It was a wonder she hadn’t ended up in the ditch.
Embarrassing, demoralizing and thoroughly nerve-racking.
Honestly, what was the point of bragging that the snowplow had scraped the streets if it didn’t do any better job than this.
The back end of the car finally quit doing the snake, and the tires found purchase on the asphalt once more. Thank you, Lord.
Eden took her hand off the wheel long enough to wipe her sweaty palm on her jeans. All around, she had to admit it’d been a bad day to go shopping.
And thank goodness Nikki was spending the weekend at Dora and Ethan’s, helping out with Katie and playing with the menagerie of animals Dora seemed to collect. Otherwise she might have been right here beside Eden, risking life and limb on these gawd-awful, slip-and-slide roads.
When the ranch came into sight, Eden wanted to get out and hug the fence. How in the world would anybody run a catering service in this town when the weather and roads weren’t user-friendly? She threaded the car between the poles of the arched Triple S sign, but evidently got a little too big for her britches when she attempted to negotiate the circular driveway. She missed it completely, and there she went, heading for the barn.
Uh-oh, she thought as the tail end of the car switched places with the front. On the way around, she’d gotten a glimpse of Stony’s astonished face. He was just stepping into a beefy-looking truck with monster tires, and she wasn’t sure if he was arriving or about to depart.
By the time the back end of the car had put itself nicely in the doorway of the barn, Stony was wrenching her door open.
And he was madder than a red ant.
‘‘What in the hell is the matter with you?’’ His hands were on his hips now. Demone and Marcus discreetly disappeared.
Frigid air, fragrant with wood smoke, bit at her cheeks and went right down the collar of her pitifully inadequate coat—which is why she’d even braved the nightmare-causing roads in the first place.
Reluctantly she swung her legs out of the car. A gentleman even through the obvious haze of pique, he cupped her elbows and brought her to her feet, holding on just long enough to make sure she was steady. She doubted he even realized he’d done it.
She flexed her fingers to get the circulation moving again and blew into her palms, but before she could form an appropriate answer to his question of her sanity, he cut loose.
‘‘What the hell possessed you to take this piss ant car out without a decent set of snow tires? My God, have you ever even driven in the snow? And where are your gloves?’’ He snatched her hands, cradled them between his big, warm palms.
The impatience coupled with gentleness stopped her for a moment. A big guy, hopping mad—yet clearly, without thought, he was automatically, innately gentle. Amazing.
However, she’d had a harrowing afternoon and didn’t intend to sit still for a dressing down. She lifted her gaze from their hands to his eyes.
‘‘First, I didn’t realize the piss ant car needed decent tires, since the ones on it have barely got ten thousand miles on them, and no, I wasn’t trying to kill myself or anyone else, and I don’t think anyone actually drives in the snow since the vehicle seems to insist on doing that all by itself.’’ She took a breath. ‘‘Aside from that firsthand observation—no, I’ve never driven in the snow, my nerves are shot, and my gloves are in a King’s Western Wear shopping bag in the trunk—which is apparently warming itself in your barn.’’
He stared at her for a full five seconds. Then he gripped her arms, hauled her flush against his chest, practically lifting her off her toes, and kissed her hard.
For a moment Eden was too stunned to react. Then she understood where all the aggression came from.
By dog, he cared.
She reached between them, slipped her hand inside his heavy coat and rubbed gently right over his heart.
His lips immediately softened. After a minute he let her feet rest fully on the ground and leaned his forehead against hers.
‘‘You scared me,’’ he said quietly.
‘‘I know. I’m sorry. But I was really cold. Texas winters aren’t like this, and none of my clothes were heavy enough.’’
‘‘Why didn’t you wait for me to get back?’’
‘‘I wasn’t sure when that would be. And since Nikki’s with Dora, I figured this was the best time to go.’’
‘‘You should have taken one of the trucks.’’
She shook her head. ‘‘I’ve never driven your truck, and I thought I’d feel more comfortable taking the car since I’m used to how it handles.’’ She shuddered. ‘‘Bad choice. A time or two I was certain I’d ended up on the teacup ride at Six Flags over Texas.’’
The side of his mouth turned up. He shook his head and kissed her forehead. ‘‘I’m sorry I yelled.’’
‘‘Technically, you never raised your voice.’’
He gave her an indulgent look, then opened his coat and pulled her inside, shoving the panels of her thin wool coat out of the way so she could benefit from the fiery warmth of his chest.
Eden had been cold for so long, she decided she might just stay right here for the rest of the winter—fall and winter, she amended. Who ever heard of snow before trick-or-treating?
She breathed in the crisp smell of bracing air and leather that clung to Stony’s skin, beginning to feel somewhat steadier.
‘‘Wyatt’s first wife and their baby boy died in a car accident,’’ he said quietly. ‘‘I don’t know why that took hold in my mind when I saw your car gone, but it did.’’
She tightened her arms around his waist, apologized and soothed with the sketch of her hands over his back. She wasn’t sure when soothing turned into more. Her heart began to thump when she felt him growing hard against her, felt the pressure of his palm increase at the small of her back, drawing her in. She sucked in a breath, shifted slightly and rubbed against him, torturing herself.
The conversation she’d had with Carrie played through her mind, and she smiled against his shirtfront. Jeans molded so perfectly you can see which side of his fly…
And feel it, she thought.
‘‘Do you need any of those shopping bags right away?’’
Oh, my gosh. She knew that deep, seductive tone. It nearly shouted that he was going to take her in the house and turn her inside out.
Her heart lodged in her mouth, and she had a little trouble getting her tongue unstuck from the roof of her mouth. Nikki wasn’t home, and Eden saw by the flare in Stony’s eyes that he’d just recalled that liberating bit of information.
They hadn’t made love during the day since the first weekend of their marriage, and just recalling it made her go weak.
‘‘Depends,’’ she finally said. ‘‘I am kind of cold and there’s a cozy pair of long johns in one of those sacks.’’
He bent at the knees, tightened his arm around her waist, and when he straightened, their faces were level and her feet were nearly a foot off the ground.
‘‘Baby, when I get through with you, you’ll be pitching those long johns and begging me to turn on the air-conditioning.’’
Chapter Thirteen
> Stony parked his truck behind the veterinarian’s office, even though he was going next door to the medical clinic. He didn’t want half the town speculating as to why Stony Stratton was visiting the doctor.
Well, Stony Stratton was getting a little worried about his virility, that’s why. It had been four months, and Eden still wasn’t pregnant. And though he was more embarrassed than he could ever remember being, this discussion with the doctor was something he had to have.
Still, he didn’t want the whole town to know, and since Chance had told him he’d hired a new nurse—one of the women who’d come for the town’s bachelor auction and stayed—Stony was a little unsure if she upheld the rules of confidentiality. He had no idea who the woman was or if she’d end up letting something slip.
He punched numbers into his cell phone, and after barely a minute the nurse put him through to the doctor.
‘‘Stony,’’ Chance said. ‘‘What can I do for you?’’
‘‘I need an appointment, but I’d just as soon no one know I’m here.’’
‘‘What do you mean, here? Where are you?’’
‘‘Behind the clinic. Parked in back of the vet’s office.’’ Stony had always thought it odd that the doc and the vet had set up shop right next door to each other. Hell of a thing if someone got confused and went in the wrong door.
‘‘I take it you’re not anxious to run into my nurse, too?’’
‘‘Yeah.’’ He sighed. ‘‘It’s important, Chance.’’
‘‘Okay. Give me five minutes. I’ll send Grace over to Brewer’s for an early lunch. We don’t have any patients scheduled until this afternoon, anyway. Come through the back door.’’
Stony was sweating and nauseous by the time he got out of the truck and let himself in the back door of the clinic.
Chance Hammond, wearing a white lab coat over jeans and T-shirt, closed the door to his office and sat behind his desk. ‘‘So, what can I do for you?’’
Stony studied the doctor for a moment. Chance wasn’t slouched in the chair waiting like a ghoul for an opportunity to tease as they normally did. As friends did. And neither was his body rigid as if he was dreading a question that might make them both uncomfortable. His posture was relaxed and professional.
