“He’s tough to read,” Naomi admitted. “But it’s the perfect opportunity for you to try out your new look. See if you can win him over. It’ll be great practice for finding donors for the shelter.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Win him over? Lance Cortez?” That was like a duck trying to win over a lion. “Do you know me at all? I have no clue how to charm a man.”
“Well you coulda fooled me,” her friend said, looking her up and down. “Seriously. You look hot. The contacts, the makeup, the hair…” She reached over and fluffed the soft waves Jessa had blown dry earlier. “You’ve always been beautiful, and now everyone’s going to know it.”
Jessa smoothed her hair nervously. “I’m not sure it’ll make much of a difference.”
“Trust me,” Naomi insisted. “It will make a difference. You look great,” she emphasized. “Pretty soon you’ll have donors lined up down the block.”
“If you say so.” But after Lance came over, she canceled all of her meetings. Donors weren’t her biggest concern today. Not right now. She squeezed her friend’s hands, feeling her own tremble. “Do you really think Luis is okay out there?” she asked, almost breathless. Memories of getting the phone call that her father had collapsed out on the mountain bore down on her.
“I was worried, too, honey,” Naomi said, not letting go of her hands. “But Lance is right. His dad is a true mountain man. He’s not lost. He’s not missing. He just needs to be more responsible and remember to bring along his medication next time.”
“Right.” She nodded as though the words had alleviated her fears.
“You and Lance will find him,” Naomi went on, turning back to the driveway.
Somewhere in the distance, an engine sounded. Nerves gripped Jessa’s stomach. She hoped so. She hoped they’d find Luis right away. She also hoped she could spend the day with Lance and somehow resist that dark, hot cowboy thing he had going on…
But when he came speeding around the corner on the ATV, dirt flying from the wheels, that hard body tensed and strong, her heart floated away from her again.
He skidded to a stop in front of the green lawn and pulled off his helmet.
“Uncle Lance!” Gracie squealed, launching herself off the porch and into his arms just as he stood.
Laughing, he swung her around, and that smile on Lance’s face—the unguarded expression of happiness—bolted Jessa’s feet right to the wooden planks beneath her. Then and there her heart dissolved into warm mush and something inside her sang. She knew she could never see him the same way again.
Lance glanced over at her, some of that messy dark hair spilling over his forehead, and their eyes locked. The singing turned into a warm hum. It was like that scene in West Side Story, when Tony and Maria first see each other across the dance floor. Everything else blurs into a meaningless background and it’s just the two of them, staring longingly into each other’s eyes. Well, she was longing. It was hard to tell what he thought.
Lance was the first to blink. “Hey, Jessa,” he said casually, like the universe hadn’t just exploded into a million glittering diamonds that made everything sparkle. Was she imagining it or did his voice gentle the syllables of her name?
“Hi.” Jessa nearly sighed.
“All right, buckaroo.” Lance set a still-giggling Gracie gently on the ground. “I’ve got to go. But we’ll get to that riding lesson later.”
The girl’s eyes were sparkling the same way Jessa imagined hers still were. “Promise?” Gracie asked, hands clasped underneath her chin, the little charmer.
“Pinkie swear.” He held up his little finger to finalize the deal and Jessa could’ve sworn her ovaries ached.
Naomi pushed her from behind, and it was a good thing because otherwise she might’ve stood in that spot all day long staring at Lance.
“So you two have a good time,” her friend said, giving her another good nudge in his direction. “Let me know as soon as you find Luis. Tell him I’ll have his lunch waiting.”
“Will do.” Lance looked at her. “Ready?”
No. She was clearly not ready, seeing as how she could feel her heart starting to wander away from her again. Somehow, with one look, Lance had obliterated her ambition to put romance on the backburner.
Oh God. If that had happened with one look, how would she spend the whole day with him? She shot a desperate look at Naomi, but her friend only nudged her toward the steps, her whole face beaming a calculated smile.
As if she knew Jessa was already in over her head.
Chapter Four
White-hot rays of sun cut across his vision and blinded Lance the second he turned back to the ATV. It was a damn good thing the sun blinded him, too, because something had to direct his attention away from Jessa so he’d quit noticing how the brightness lit her long, sleek hair. And how her hips swayed in that womanly way. Not to mention how her tanned legs tensed with her steps, shaped and strong but delicate, too.
Damn those shorts. Who the hell wore shorts on a rescue operation, anyway?
Someone with sexy legs, jackass. Not like it was a crime. The woman was allowed to wear whatever she wanted. He never used to care what she wore before. Until sexy robe babe, that is. He kept his head down and navigated the path across Naomi’s lawn. Man. His father owed him for this mess. If the man would’ve stayed put, he never would’ve had to call on Jessa. Never would’ve noticed her sex appeal. This is Jessa Mae, he reminded himself for the hundredth time.
Blinking against the morning sun, he casually sauntered to the driveway. Jessa had already made it to the ATV, booking it down the walkway as if she could feel the snort of a pissed-off bull on her tail. Seemed she wasn’t thrilled about spending the day with him, either. When she’d seen him swinging Gracie around, the woman’s face had been stony and expressionless. She’d stared at him for a full minute at first, and her eyes had avoided him ever since. Kind of the way he attempted to carefully avoid looking at her. But that was about to get a lot harder because dear old Dad had taken the other ATV out for his little escape, which meant there was only one left. For him and Jessa. To ride together…
Without glancing back at him, she plunked one of the helmets onto her head and tugged the chinstrap into place. Then she swung a leg over the machine and took the handlebars in her hands, staring straight ahead.
“What are you doing?” Lance asked quickening his pace.
Jessa cranked on the handle, starting the thing up. “I’m driving,” she yelled over the engine noise.
He skidded to a stop. “You’re driving?” He hadn’t counted on…spooning her from behind.
“You don’t know where to go,” she yelled again, handing over his helmet like she wanted to get this over with. “I bet I know exactly where he went.”
He reached over her and shut off the engine. “You can tell me where to go. I should drive.”
Jessa didn’t budge, but she threw up the face shield on her helmet. “I’ve been up there a lot more than you have. I know the terrain.”
“And I can handle the ATV,” he said, before he thought better of it. Not that he wanted to insult her, but she was pretty petite to maneuver a machine like this. Especially with the weight of two riders.
Fire filled her narrowed eyes. “I’m driving,” she said, turning the key to start the engine back up. “So you can either get on the back or I’ll go by myself.”
“Fine,” he ground out, pulling the helmet down so she wouldn’t see the scowl that tightened his face.
Careful not to touch her, he eased his leg over the seat and slid on, bracing his hands against his thighs, unsure where else to put them.
Jessa glanced over her shoulder. “You need to hold on,” she advised him, flicking the helmet’s shield up so he could gaze into her exotic brown eyes. They flashed with determination but wouldn’t quite meet his.
“I am holding on.” To himself. That was much safer. He didn’t want to feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips. Didn’t want to feel anyth
ing for her at all.
With a slight shrug, Jessa flicked down the helmet’s face shield and turned back to the handlebars.
He clamped his legs tight and secured his feet on the ATV’s sturdy base. That’d be enough to hold him in place. How fast could Jessa possibly drive any—
The engine squealed then clinked, there was the grind of metal gears, and they shot off like a missile on target.
“Shit!” His arms flew up and before the momentum threw him right off the back, he wrapped them around her waist, pulling his chest against her back to steady himself.
Her shoulders tensed against him, but she kept her head straight, focused on driving, and it was a damn good thing because they must’ve been going twenty miles per hour straight up the side of the mountain. “You always drive like this?” he growled over the wind. He’d have to think twice about letting her and his father go up the mountain together again.
“I just want to get there,” she yelled back, turning enough that he could see the worry tensing her jaw.
Right. She’d lost her father only a year ago. On the same mountain they were currently blitzing up. And he couldn’t imagine that…losing his dad. He’d already lost Lucas, then Levi. One by one the people he’d cared about had walked out of his life. If he lost his dad, he’d lose everyone who mattered. Everyone he had left. Friends weren’t the same. Parents anchored you to your heritage, reminded you who you were when it got hard to remember. Far as he knew, Jessa didn’t see her mom much. She’d been close with her dad. An ache snuck into his chest as he peered at her profile. Beneath her helmet, her face had hardened into a mask of desperation.
He didn’t like seeing her that way. Worried. A little scared. It did something to him, made sympathy prickle through him, which made his arms soften around her…more like he was holding her instead of holding on for dear life. “Hey.” He leaned in close so he wouldn’t have to shout so loud. “He’s all right.” This was Luis Cortez they were talking about. The man who’d wrestled a mountain lion off one of his horses, according to local legends. “He’s probably gonna be all pissed off that we came up here after him.” In fact, he knew his dad would be pissed.
The ATV slowed, then stuttered to a stop, reducing the engine noise to a low hum. Jessa glanced back at him. “Do you really think so?” she asked in a small wobbling tone. Even with the face shield in place he could see the paleness that had taken over her complexion.
“Yeah.” He flicked up his face shield, then went for hers so their eyes could lock. So he could reach through her fears. “And I’ll tell you one thing,” he said with a smirk. “I’m riding down the mountain with him.”
A shadow of a smile flickered across her lips. “You don’t like my driving.” The revelation seemed to amuse her. “That’s surprising considering you ride maniacal bulls for a living.”
“That’s a hell of a lot safer than sitting behind you on this thing.” He meant that in more ways than one. Because the sun haloed her in a mystifying glow and for the first time ever he realized she wasn’t only pretty. Jessa was stunning—beautiful and real and deep.
“Hey,” she scolded, her eyes narrowing. “I’m being safe. I’d never endanger—”
“I’m teasing you,” he interrupted before she got her leopard-print thong all bunched. “Trying to lighten things up.”
“Oh.” She looked down.
“I’m not worried about him, Jessa,” he said more softly. “Really. The only reason I rushed over to your place was because he doesn’t have his blood pressure medication.” He grinned at her. “That and I’ve gotta get back to my training. The sooner we find him the sooner I can get back on my bull.”
“Right. Thanks, Lance.” Jessa’s eyes shied away from his, unsure and guarded and humble. She cleared her throat and lowered the shield to cover up her delicate face, which definitely wasn’t pale anymore. Color had shaded her cheeks with the same heat he felt flickering somewhere deep.
Her scent reached him, floating into the cloud of exhaust that had started to dissipate. Some type of vanilla, but light and subtle. It’d been a while since he’d inhaled a woman’s scent and a sigh expanded through him, ending in a sharp pain that descended behind his ribs. He’d lusted after plenty of women. The buckle bunnies who’d followed him around the circuit in the early days, who’d always made good on their promise of offering him a fun, uncomplicated night. That had been a different kind of ache, though. It’d never traveled any farther north than his brass belt buckle.
“Ready then?” she murmured, the words muffled. Scooting herself into position, she clamped her hands onto the handlebars again, then cranked the engine.
“Ready.” Heart pulsing in small bursts of a long-forgotten desire, Lance threaded his arms around her waist again, letting her back rest against his chest, this time with no hesitation.
* * *
Heaven help her, Jessa had to start focusing on something besides the way Lance’s hardened muscled chest shielded her back. The way his sinewed arms guarded her in a strong embrace. Something else…something else…
The cool, crisp air. The rays of sun poking through white puffy clouds overhead. Pine trees, tall and gangly. Shit! She dodged one that seemed to jump out of nowhere, jerking the handlebars in a way that brought Lance even closer.
“We almost there?” he asked through her helmet. And yes, she’d be the first to admit that the last twenty minutes of her driving hadn’t been the best in her life. But he was the one to blame for that. Being all sweet to her. Draping his body all over hers from behind. That had made it a bit hard to concentrate on not hitting broad tree trunks or massive boulders. “Getting close,” she yelled so he wouldn’t hear the tremble in her voice.
She’d sworn off men, damn it. Sworn off love. All well and good in her head, but God, she wished she could cut out her heart and leave it behind. Already it had ballooned in her chest, rising higher, soaring with the same sappy emotions that had gotten her into so much trouble in the past. And who was she kidding? Lance. Lance Cortez! Bull-riding god who’d been known to shack up with the groupies who made it their life’s mission to sleep with a bull rider. Or all of the bull riders. She swore those women kept a checklist in their back pockets.
That thought was all it took to deflate her heart. It couldn’t take more disappointment. More pain. Lance Cortez had a certain reputation. Rumor had it that he’d never spent a full night with a woman. He’d slept with plenty of them, but he never stayed in their bed until morning. Remembering that made it easier to focus. They were out here to find Luis. That was all.
Standing up a bit, she peered over the next small rise. This was one of the trickier spots. She slowed the ATV, easing it up the side of a steep incline so Lance wouldn’t be thrust into her again. They were getting close to the boulder field, the place she and Luis always parked when they hiked together.
Easing herself forward, she made a futile attempt to put space between her back and Lance’s chest, leaning over the handlebars as she navigated the rocky slope. Just as they crested the rise, a smear of blue caught her eye. Luis’s ATV. She plowed straight for it, then cranked the brake, skidding to stop right next to it. Hands shaky and tingling, she ripped off her helmet and let it fall to the ground. “He’s not here.” She glanced around. They were high enough that the trees had thinned; only an occasional gnarled pine tree twisted from the snow and wind during the harsh winters. But there was no sign of Luis. No backpack. No evidence of a camp.
“He must’ve gone off on foot,” Lance said from behind her.
An ominous feeling swept over her, thinning her breath. She stared at the boulder field, the scattered granite that stretched all the way to the mountain’s pointed summit. “I thought we’d find him here.” She’d been so sure. They’d gone off on foot many times, but always in different directions. And there weren’t many places to camp past this point. The terrain got rocky, steeper. Less than a mile up from this place was the spot where her own father had collapsed. Where h
is heart had given out. Panic fluttered her nerves.
“He couldn’t have gone very far,” Lance said, coming up beside her, seeming to assess the land. “Looks pretty unforgiving.” For the first time gravity weighted his tone.
“It is,” she whispered. She and Luis had hiked around here. Once, she’d even gotten him to take her to the spot where her father had died. Tears bit at the rims of her eyes.
From here, it took about another twenty minutes to hike up to the place Luis had taken her father that day. Was that where’d he’d gone? Did he visit the place often? Was it still as hard for him as it was for her? Before she could stop them, the tears spilled over in warm streaks, sadness flowing out of her once again.
“Hey.” Lance rested a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yes.” But the tears kept streaming out and she was powerless to stop them. “Sorry,” she muttered, annoyed with herself. She hadn’t counted on this being so hard. “I’m worried.” And God, she missed her father. Missed being someone’s little girl.
Taking her shoulders in those large manly hands, Lance helped her climb off the ATV and turned her to face him, crouching so their eyes were level. “Dad’s fine. Trust me. I know.”
“How?” she whimpered.
He shrugged, shook his head a little. “This’ll sound crazy, but he and I have this connection. If something was wrong, I’d know. I’d feel it.”
The words almost prompted a sob. Why hadn’t she known? The day her father had died, she’d gone about her life, seeing her furry patients, meeting her roommate for a drink during happy hour. That’s where she’d been when she’d gotten the call. She should’ve felt something…should’ve felt the loss even before she knew. He was her father.
She gazed at the boulder field, everything blurred and gray despite the bright sunshine, and once again she wondered if he’d suffered. If he’d been in pain. If he’d been scared. Luis hadn’t told her much, couldn’t seem to talk about it. But he’d said her father had gone ahead and was already on the ground by the time he got there.
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