Her Healing Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 5)

by Donna Michaels

  Kerri raised a finger. “Me, too.”

  Great. Not exactly a comfort. But at least the subject was dropped. And she didn’t give it much thought as they all pitched in to carry the bride-to-be’s loot to her car.

  After Caitlin reassured her and Kerri that the Dalton brothers would unload the car once she drove her sister home, Holly followed Kerri back inside to help her clean up.

  She needed to keep busy. Each day that passed felt like she was living on borrowed time at her real job. Sooner or later, the other shoe would drop and take her job with it. And she couldn’t blame them.

  Arms laded with empty dishes, she headed for the kitchen, only after making sure the pregnant woman was directing the servers on breaking down the buffet table and not lifting a finger herself.

  Happy to be useful, Holly pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen and walked right into…

  Doctor Hottie.

  Despite the shock of literally running into the doctor where she never expected, she was proud the squeak that escaped her lips was a small one. And somehow, between the two of them, they managed to keep her armful from falling to the floor.

  “Whoa, I got you,” he said, steadying them.

  What she got, was her heart fluttering and pulse pounding in her ears. “Sorry. I-I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

  He grabbed half her load and carried them to the sink. “I’d just finished taking out Connor’s stitches.”

  “Oh.” She set her stack next to his, then turned to face him. “I didn’t know he had any, or that you made house calls.”

  That caused all kinds of crazy, hot thoughts to rush through her head all at once. And the blood to rush to her face. Dammit.

  Smile tugging his lips, the handsome man stepped close to brush a strand of hair off her cheek. “He did, and I do…when my patients are too stubborn to come to me.”

  Something in his tone told her he had been prepared to seek her out about her arm. Good thing she’d run into him at the office building then, because the last thing she needed was to be alone with the tempting, sexy man.

  Like now.

  She tried to draw in a breath, but her thudding heart was stuck in her throat, blocking passage.

  “How’s your arm?” He was dressed casual today in jeans and a white T-shirt.

  She wondered if he looked as good without his clothes. “What?”

  “Your arm? How is it?” he asked, again.

  She tilted her head back. “Fine.” Truth was, she couldn’t really feel her arm, or the rest of her body for that matter, with him standing so close. Everything was sort of foggy, even her brain; although, thoughts of the kiss they’d shared when he’d last examined her arm were quite vivid at the moment.

  His gaze dropped to her lips and heated. Yeah, he remembered the kiss, too. She opened her mouth, managing to drag some air into her starved lungs, her mind suddenly screaming for her to step back to break the chemistry. But it was no use. Her body was not cooperating with her brain.

  “Very…fine.”

  His voice came out so husky her good parts quivered.

  But what was lethal was the delicious scruff covering his jaw, something she’d only seen a few times on him, always when he was off work for a day or so. And his eyes. Fathomless clear, blue pools, searching deep for her secrets, yet giving nothing away of himself.

  “Like that kiss we shared. We haven’t talked about it. Maybe we should.”

  “The kiss was…fine,” she repeated, and his eyes narrowed. Better than fine. Incredible times infinity divided by amazing with a cherry on top. He just stared at her. “Okay,” she admitted, sagging against the sink. “So, we both know it was great. But I’m not looking for a…a…thing. Or for a guy like you.”

  “Like me,” he said slowly, as if the words didn’t make sense.

  She nodded, regaining a little bit of her thought process. “Look, Jace, we’ve been through this. You know I’m not going to be in Texas much longer, so while I’m here, it’s probably best if I stay away from fun.”

  “So…no fun.”

  “Yeah. It’s for the best.”

  “Yeah.”

  He stepped closer, and since there was no place to go, she found herself sandwiched between the sink and his delectably hard body. He set his hands on her hips, where they squeezed before they slid up her sides, over her ribs, to her arms and her shoulders. By the time his touch trailed up her throat and cupped her face, her body was singing an ‘Ode To Jace’ tune.

  She swallowed. “What are you doing?”

  “Testing a theory.”

  His husky whisper sent a shiver down her spine, and she knew what he was doing. He was building the anticipation, heating her from the inside out. And it was working, dammit. She didn’t want this attraction, and yet, her body strained a little closer.

  “What theory?”

  His gaze met hers and held. “That the chemistry we felt before wasn’t a fluke. Do you still think it doesn’t exist?” he asked softly.

  “I…” She swallowed hard.

  He quirked a brow. “Say it, Holly.”

  “Fine. So, maybe we have a little chemistry,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t—”

  He dipped down and nibbled her lower lip, then stroked and teased her with his tongue until a helpless murmur of arousal rumbled up her throat, and she fisted his T-shirt.

  His eyes were heavy-lidded when he drew back. “Nothing little about that.”

  Warm hands stroked her back through the thin material of her sundress, while he slowly lowered his head, giving her plenty of time to push away. She didn’t. Oh, she should have, but lust had taken over and zapped the smart from her brain.

  Their gazes held until his lips brushed hers, all warm and firm and so damn fine her lashes swept down involuntarily, savoring the feel.

  With a deep, male sound, he threaded his hands through her hair, tilted her head, then kissed her, lightly at first, then urgent and hungry, devouring her strength until all her bones melted. By the time he broke the kiss, her legs were like rubber, and breathing was erratic as if she’d just skied the expert slope. Uphill.

  “I don’t think that helped,” she said between breaths, releasing his shirt to smooth out the wrinkles.

  He stared at her through those gorgeous, heavy-lidded eyes and stood there looking dangerously alluring and hotter than any man, cowboy, or doctor had a right to, all while slowly shaking his head.

  “It’s okay. I’m not looking for a relationship with you either,” he said quietly. “I’ve got enough on my plate between my mom and sister and work. Plus, with me leaving next spring to join Doctors Without Borders, I’d be crazy to bring a woman into my life now.”

  He was joining DWB? Her heart cracked open a little more for the seemingly selfless man. This made him much more dangerous. Good thing they weren’t looking to hook up.

  “So, we’re in agreement,” she said with relief. Too bad she didn’t feel any. Why didn’t she feel relieved? Neither of them wanted a…a…thing. So, where in the world was her relief?

  He nodded, dropping his gaze to her mouth. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “And thank you, too,” she whispered, then bit her lower lip in an attempt to stop it from trembling.

  He groaned, and the sound was so hungry and male, her toes curled.

  “Holly.”

  “I know. This is nuts.” She tried to move away, but whacked the side of a cupboard.

  “Easy there.” He cupped her head in his palm.

  They stared at each other, and without her permission, her dang hands made their way up his chest and over his shoulders. Before she knew it, her fingers were playing with his hair. His dark, silky, sexy hair.

  Another low sound emanated from his throat before he pulled her back to him. Then they were kissing again, and her hands skimmed down his muscles and explored the ones up his back while he did some examining of his own.

  “Hey, Doc, I forgot to mention this new
craving I…oh, sorry.”

  Connor’s voice penetrated her fogged brain. She stilled, then tried to pull away, but Jace held tight, brushing a kiss near her ear.

  “Damn, you’re dangerous,” he whispered before slowly drawing back, making sure she was steady before he released her.

  “No need to stop. My apologies again, for interrupting.” The tall cowboy held up his hands while shaking his head before his gaze settled on Jace. “We can talk about Kerri’s cravings on the mini round up later. Thanks for volunteering to help today, by the way. I appreciate you rushing over, like Tanner, to fill in. This flu that’s going around knocked out three of my men.”

  Holly stepped forward, resisting the urge to glance sideways at the enigmatic man who seemed to wear many hats—doctor, guardsman, cowboy/cattle wrangler, best kisser in the world—and focused instead, on his friend. “I hear ya,” she said. “Two of my uncle’s workers have it, leaving me shorthanded with no choice but to leave Donny in charge today.”

  It had been a hectic week, but she’d been happy to keep busy. She was so over this not knowing when she could leave, and if she still had her job.

  “Donny?”

  A grimace rippled across the rancher’s face, bringing her mind back to the conversation. She laughed. “Yeah, so, if you’ll excuse me. Now that I’m done helping your wife clean up, I’d better go check to see if the shop is still standing, and not painted in ice cream.”

  With a quick nod to both men, she hurried from the kitchen, grabbed her camera from the other room, and double-checked with Kerri to make sure the woman didn’t need any more assistance.

  “No, I’m good.” The pretty mother-to-be smiled as she pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you so much for your help. I can’t wait to see the photos.”

  Holly drew back and returned her grin. “You’re more than welcome, and me, too,” she said, before fleeing the ranch.

  Her rush had everything to do with Donny and the state of The Creamery, and nothing to do with needing to put space between her lips and the good doctor.

  Nothing at all.

  Not a bit.

  Nadda.

  As far as Holly was concerned, that was her story, and she was sticking to it.

  The next day, Jace was at his family’s ranch, trying to cross as many jobs off his list as the day would allow. Every Monday, he stuck a blank piece of paper on the fridge for his mother and sister to jot down things that he needed to tackle on the weekend. With his day unexpectedly devoted to the McCalls yesterday, that left him less than twenty-four hours to accomplish forty-eight hours’ worth of work.

  A quick call to Jesse and Tanner had produced two volunteers to lend a hand. He appreciated the help, especially knowing their time was limited. Jesse had his grandfather’s ranch to run, and Tanner was stretched between helping Kade at Shadow Rock, Connor at Wild Creek, and volunteering as a firefighter. And yet, both men had agreed without question.

  Walking into the barn, Jace had his own question. What was going on between his sister and Jesse? The air was so thick with tension, he needed a scalpel to slice a path inside.

  “So…” He eyed the two who stood at opposite ends of a stall, staring each other down.

  Forget the scalpel. Lacey’s glare was like twin lasers. Damn, he wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end, and did not want to know the cause. Noting Jesse’s thin lips and clamped jaw, he was betting the lean cowboy was doing his damnedest to keep from saying something Lacey would make him regret.

  Jace stepped toward his sister. “You here to help, too?”

  “Yeah, like you’d let me lift anything heavier than a feather,” she scoffed.

  He shrugged. “Maybe two.” Damn right he wouldn’t let her lift anything. She was recovering from a broken back. When she didn’t even crack a smile at his joke, he blew out a breath. “Lace, I know you want to get back to how things were before, but you can’t.”

  “That’s bullshit, Jace. But you’re right. I can’t. Not with you, and the warden, monitoring my every move.”

  The reason for the tension just became clear. He glanced at the still quiet man. Jesse, no doubt, wouldn’t let her help. Probably told her to leave. A smile twitched his lips. Nobody told Lacey to do anything.

  “Don’t worry. I’m leaving. There’s way too much testosterone in here. I can’t breathe,” she said, brushing past him to head for the door as Tanner rolled up on his Harley.

  “Hey, Lacey,” the firefighting guardsman greeted, strolling inside.

  “Hey, Tanner,” she grumbled. “You’re just in time for the penis party, but I think Jesse’s got you beat. He’s the biggest prick I know.”

  This had the firefighter howling as he neared. “Man, Jesse, what in the hell did you say to her now?”

  Jace wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  Chapter Five

  No one could rub Jace’s sister the wrong way faster than the quiet cowboy.

  Jesse ripped the hat off his head and waved it at the now vacant doorway. “I told her to go back in the house. We didn’t need her to muck anything out.”

  Tanner stilled. “Shit.”

  “Yeah.” The dark-eyed cowboy nodded as he jammed the hat back on his head and got back to distributing hay around the stall.

  “I don’t know what’s scarier.” The green-eyed cowboy rubbed his jaw and stared thoughtfully at Jesse. “You telling Lacey Turner to go back to the house, or her wanting to help while still recovering.” He dropped his hand and faked a shiver. “They’re both bad.”

  Jace stepped forward and cupped the Jesse’s shoulder. “Well, I appreciate you looking out for my sister. I know she can be a handful.”

  The man’s lips twitched. “Easier to rope a tornado.”

  “Amen.” Tanner nodded.

  For the next several hours, the three of them took care of every chore on the list, including tending to the handful of livestock his mother had insisting on keeping around because they were his father’s favorites. Jesse had just finished shoeing one of the horses as he and Tanner hung up tools from fixing the south end of the corral.

  “Well, I’d say we earned a beer or two,” he stated.

  The lean cowboy held his hands up. “If it involves going into the house, I’ll pass.”

  “Yeah, me, too,” the laidback guardsman agreed. “We’ve only been back from deployment a few months. I’d rather avoid another war zone.”

  Jace glanced at the house and nodded. “Chances are, Lacey’s in her room sulking.”

  “That makes her even more dangerous.”

  “Yeah.” Jesse nodded. “I think it’s best we leave.”

  “And fast.”

  He laughed as he shook their hands. “Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, Doc. We take care of our own.”

  “Yep. You’ve done it for others in your platoon plenty of times,” Jesse reminded. “We’ll catch you later.”

  The setting sun cast a warm glow over the ranch as Jace walked back to the house after the taillights of a pickup and Harley disappeared down the drive. It had been a long day, and he was dogged tired, but pleased they’d accomplished everything on the list. He’d rest easier knowing there were a few less things for his sister to try to tackle around the ranch. She was making great progress, and he intended to keep it that way.

  Short of hiring a babysitter for the headstrong woman, he had no choice but to make sure there was nothing strenuous to do. He knew it was pissing her off, but he didn’t rightfully care. His sister’s health was more important to him than her pride.

  “There you are,” his mother said, wiping her hands on her blue flowered apron when he entered the cozy three bedroom ranch. “I was about to come out and fetch you boys…” She glanced around him. “Where are Jesse and Tanner? I made chicken and dumplings.”

  “They went home.” He grinned. “I guess that means I get extra.”

  She returned his grin. “You never could pass up seconds on my chicken
.”

  “No, ma’am.” He washed up, then joined her at the table. “Where’s Lacey?”

  “Right here.” His sister waltzed into the room, her gait only slightly stiff, thanks to her rehab. “I was just making sure it was pri—I mean, jerk-free.”

  “Lacey! I don’t know what has gotten into you lately,” their mother scolded. “That’s no way for a lady to talk.”

  “Sorry, Momma, but that man just gets me so mad sometimes.” She blew out a breath, then said grace before she ripped a biscuit in half and shook it at him. “And I don’t know what you said to him, Jace, but Jesse seems to think he can boss me around.”

  Doing his best to hold back the grin that threatened, he studied his younger sister. It was rather interesting to see the unruffable woman all in a huff. “I haven’t said a thing, but if you keep trying to do too much too soon, I just may hire him to work around the ranch every day, just to keep an eye on you.”

  Her biscuit hit the table, crumbs bouncing in the air as she glared at him. “Don’t you dare, Jace Raylon Turner.”

  He shrugged, buttering his own biscuit, watching the golden goodness melt into the nooks and crannies. “I won’t.” He lifted his gaze and stared straight at her. “As long as you stick to your restrictions.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, and a few heated emotions rippling across her face, she finally nodded. “Fine. I’ll be a good girl and do only what my physical therapist allows.”

  “Good.” He nodded, then dug into his chicken, happy to drop the subject and its underlying tension. His life was hectic enough. Last thing he wanted was stress at home.

  “Okay, now that we have that settled,” his mother said, slicing into a dumpling. “I have a question of my own.”

  “Oh?” His sister frowned, shoulders stiff as she braced herself.

  His mother laughed. “Not for you. This is for your brother.”

  “Me?” His chicken-laden fork paused in mid-air as he narrowed his gaze on the brown-haired, blue-eyed woman. With the exception of a few wrinkles and smattering of gray strands, you’d never know she was pushing sixty. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”