She didn’t know why she’d taken his hand. There hadn’t been any thought behind it. It had seemed a natural thing to do in the moment. As they rode across the ranch to the stables, her fingers tingled and she wondered if she would be able to control her feelings.
When they reached the stables, they took care of the horses as usual and then went back outside. The day had started out warm, but it was hot now and on its way to becoming a scorcher.
“What are we going to do now?” Sophia asked.
“We’re going to have lunch.” Gabriella had started the slow cooker at the crack of dawn that morning. “Pulled pork sandwiches.”
“You should eat lunch with us,” Justin said to Carson.
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.” His stomach growled, so Gabriella knew he was hungry. And she knew he liked pulled pork sandwiches because he’d eaten them often enough at her aunt’s table.
“I made plenty,” Gabriella said.
“In that case, yes.”
“Let’s eat on your patio,” Sophia said. “After we eat we can go swimming in your pool.”
“It’s not polite to invite yourself to someone’s house,” Gabriella hastened to say, then laughed at herself. They had been wandering onto Carson’s ranch just about every day. But there was something different about inviting themselves to use his pool, although Gabriella couldn’t say exactly what it was.
“But he won’t know we want to swim in his pool if I don’t tell him.”
“Sophia is absolutely right. I wouldn’t know. So let’s just put it out there. You are invited to use my pool anytime you want. Just make sure that either I or your mother is with you. Agreed?”
“Yes!” Justin joined Sophia in her cheer.
“In that case, I’ll go home and grab the food,” Gabriella interjected. “You kids come with me to get your swimsuits.”
“You put on yours, too,” Carson said, a grin on his gorgeous face. “That is, if you have one.”
“Don’t you worry about me, cowboy,” she said, putting a swing in her hips. “I have a suit that will knock your eyes out.”
He laughed. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Actually, Gabriella’s swimsuit was nothing special. It was a one-piece racer-back suit that she wore to swim laps. But it was red, which was her favorite color.
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting around a table on Carson’s patio. Lemonade and potato chips were his contribution, complementing the sandwich fixings and carrot sticks with dressing she’d prepared for lunch. They laughed and talked while they ate, and Gabriella couldn’t help but notice how happy her kids were around Carson. They were more talkative than they’d been since Reggie moved out. Horseback riding had become the highlight of their lives. But it was more than learning about horses that gave them pleasure. Carson was providing them with the male attention they’d been craving for the longest time.
Gabriella had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, she was thrilled they had someone willing to fill the void their father’s absence had created. They were thriving. On the other hand, she worried that she was setting them up for more disappointment and heartbreak. They were going back home at the end of summer. The more attached they became to Carson, the more it would hurt when the time came to sever those ties. She had no doubt that Carson liked them, but she didn’t expect him to keep in touch with them—or her—when summer was over.
Their relationship—although special—had always been a seasonal one. Just because she was beginning to wish that it could be more didn’t mean that Carson felt the same way. He seemed perfectly content with his life and their temporary place in it.
“This is so good,” Carson said, scooping more pulled pork onto a bun and setting it on his plate. Her heart burst with pride at his words although she didn’t know why. It wasn’t as if she’d done anything special. And it wasn’t even her own recipe.
“Thanks,” Gabriella said.
“Mom is the best cook,” Justin bragged.
“You should eat with us every day,” Sophia said.
Carson laughed and Gabriella’s heart skipped a beat. “Your mom might not want to cook for me every day.”
“She won’t mind,” Sophia insisted. “Mommy’s nice.”
“Consider this a standing invitation. You’re welcome to eat with us anytime you want.”
“Thanks.” His voice sounded huskier than normal. Why would a friendly invitation make him emotional? It had to have something to do with his mysterious past. If only she knew what it was.
“Can we swim now?” Sophia asked, yanking her T-shirt over her head. She unfastened her shorts and started to wiggle out of them.
“Please stop undressing at the table,” Gabriella said. “And no. You can’t swim now. You have to wait at least twenty minutes for your food to digest.”
“You know that’s an old wives’ tale,” Carson said.
“Maybe. But I don’t want to take any chances. They can help me clear the table and then walk around for a while.”
The kids started to complain, but Gabriella silenced them with a look. They picked up their paper plates and napkins, marched into the kitchen and threw everything into the trash. There was a little bit of pulled pork left over and Gabriella insisted that Carson keep it. He didn’t put up even a token argument when she put the remaining meat into a storage container and placed it in his refrigerator.
Every two minutes one of the kids asked whether it was time to swim yet. Although time was apparently dragging for them, it was flying by for Gabriella.
“Yes,” Gabriella said the last time Justin asked. She didn’t know whether twenty minutes had passed or not, but she was a mixed bag of emotions. She was dreading the time when she would have to strip down to her swimming suit, revealing her body. At the same time, she was anticipating the minute Carson put on his swim trunks, revealing what she expected was a muscular chest and powerful thighs.
The kids let out loud whoops while pulling off their T-shirts and shorts. A few seconds later water splashed Gabriella and she jumped.
“You don’t intend to go swimming in your clothes, do you?” Carson asked. He gave her a once-over, running his gaze over her breasts before continuing down to her hips, where he hesitated before moving down to her feet. She’d been restless last night so she’d given herself a pedicure, for which she would be eternally grateful.
“You haven’t changed yet,” Gabriella replied, looking him over from head to toe. Turnabout was fair play. As her eyes moved over his broad shoulders, muscular chest and flat abs, her stomach fluttered and she felt the stirrings of something stronger than attraction. Longing. Desire. Her face heated, but she steadfastly continued her assessment until her eyes reached his boots. “I know you don’t intend to swim in jeans and boots.”
“Nah.” He pulled the T-shirt over his head and dropped it onto the arm of a nearby chair. Then he sat down and began toeing off his boots. Unlike her, he didn’t appear hesitant about revealing his body. But then, why should he be? He hadn’t given birth to two children in twenty-two months. His body was perfection and he knew it. Well, she was no slug if she said so herself. Her stretch marks were the result of two children she loved.
When his feet were bare, he stood and began unfastening his jeans. Did he intend to swim in his underwear? Her confusion must have shown on her face because he laughed. “I put on my suit when you guys went home to change and then put my jeans back on so you wouldn’t be too distracted by my body to eat.” He winked and she knew he was joking, but he was nearer to the truth than she cared to admit.
He stepped out of his jeans, revealing a pair of blue-and-white-patterned swim trunks. Without hesitating, he stepped to the edge of the pool and executed a perfect cannonball, making the kids laugh. His lighthearted manner chased away Gabriella’s self-consciousness and she quickly stripped down to her suit.
Following his lead, she walked to the edge of the pool and then bellowed “cannonball!” as loudly as she could before jumping into the water.
Sophia and Justin stared at her in surprise. She’d never goofed off in the pool with them. When they’d swum at the club, she’d always behaved in the dignified manner befitting a Tucker wife. Had they come to believe she didn’t know how to have fun? Had she tried so hard to be the perfect wife that she’d forgotten how to be spontaneous? Well, it was time to change that.
She swam to where the others were bobbing in the water and began splashing them mercilessly. They blinked in amazement and then began to splash her in return. That quickly morphed into dunking each other. Before long they were all laughing and playing.
After a while, they called a truce and started to tread water.
Justin pointed to a basketball hoop at the shallow end of the pool. “Do you have a ball, Carson?”
He nodded. “Let me get it.”
Carson swam to the edge of the pool with strong strokes, then pulled himself onto the patio. Water sluiced down his muscular back and dripped from his trunks, but he didn’t seem to notice. Gabriella did, and heat bloomed inside her stomach. She couldn’t pull her eyes away to save her life. Lucky for her, he was focused on getting a ball from the storage container near the edge of the patio and didn’t see her expression. He turned around, and she sank under the water in a futile attempt to cool off. When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, she pushed her head above the water and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes, Carson was right in front of her, close enough to touch. The children were at the other end of the pool taking turns shooting baskets.
His hands never touched her, yet she could practically feel when his eyes caressed her bare shoulders, and goose bumps popped up on her skin. She wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly their bodies were mere inches apart. It was as if an invisible band had drawn them together and a magnetic force was holding them in place.
His lips parted slightly and he blew out a soft breath. The need inside her grew, becoming more demanding with each passing second. Suddenly her face and body were splashed with water and she jumped. Carson did the same.
The kids laughed uproariously as they shot Carson and Gabriella with huge water guns. Apparently they’d gotten tired of playing basketball and had taken the water guns from the storage bin.
“You guys look so goofy staring at each other,” Justin said, dodging the water Carson splashed in his direction.
“You really did,” Sophia added. “You guys looked just like statues. This is how you looked, Mommy.” She froze, her hands stretched out in front of her as she mimicked Gabriella. Had she been reaching out to touch Carson? She remembered thinking how smooth his skin looked, how muscular his body was, how much she’d longed to caress him, but she hadn’t known she’d been about to act on it. Yikes. What else would she have done if she hadn’t been interrupted?
She wouldn’t think about that now. Or ever.
Carson went to the bin and returned with two more water guns. He filled one, gave it to Gabriella and then filled his. “This is war.”
He aimed at the kids and then fired. They squirted water at each other until their guns were empty. Dropping his empty water gun, Carson grabbed Justin by the waist and tossed him across the water. Justin landed with a splash and laughed.
“Do me next,” Sophia begged, swimming over to Carson.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Carson said. “I need to pay you back for splashing me.”
He tossed each child three times and then declared that they were much too heavy for him to throw again.
“But you didn’t do Mommy,” Sophia said. “It’s not fair if Mommy doesn’t get a turn.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” Gabriella said, backing away as she saw the mischievous gleam in Carson’s eyes. “I don’t need a turn.”
“Oh, I insist,” Carson said. Gabriella began to swim to the other end of the pool, but he was faster and he caught her before she could escape. His hands wrapped around her waist, slowing her progress. He pulled her against his body and she gasped. Her playfulness was replaced by intense desire. She could get used to being held against his hard chest. Too used to it. If she knew what was good for her she’d slide from his grip, climb out of the pool and run home as fast as she could. The fact that she didn’t only confirmed the power of the need he awakened in her.
Carson turned her so that they were face-to-face. Then he lifted her into his arms. When he held her over his head, he swung her out and then released her. Laughing, she sailed a short distance and then landed with a great splash, submerging slightly before pushing herself to the surface.
“You’re in for it now, cowboy. Come on, kids, let’s get him.”
She and the children surrounded Carson, tugging his arms and shoving his back. When they’d pulled him under the water Justin and Sophia applauded and declared themselves the victors. Gabriella knew that he’d let them win. He was too strong for them to have dunked him without his cooperation. She appreciated him for being a good sport.
“On that note, I’m calling it a day,” Carson said. “I need to get back to work.”
“Oh, but we’re having fun,” Sophia whined.
He tugged on one of her wet braids. “And you can keep having fun. You’re welcome to stay in the pool for as long as you want.”
Gabriella cleared her throat dramatically.
“What I meant to say is as long as your mother says you can stay.”
Gabriella tried not to stare as Carson climbed from the pool, gathered his clothes and went inside. Once he’d vanished, she released a long sigh. That man was hot. And he definitely made her hot in return.
“Can we keep playing, Mom?” Justin asked.
“For about thirty more minutes.” That should be long enough for her heart rate to return to normal.
* * *
Carson shivered as the cold water pounded against his body, yet he didn’t turn up the temperature. Whew. That had been close. Being around Gabriella had awakened feelings he’d forgotten he possessed. But touching her, feeling her soft body pressed against his, had ignited desires inside him with a force he’d never felt before. With each touch, he’d become more aroused, and his resolve to keep her at arm’s length had been tested. He’d won this battle, but he didn’t want to test his willpower too often.
After everything that had happened with Raven, he’d managed to ignore his longing for companionship, keeping his heart protected. He’d never once let his desires get the best of him. But his need for Gabriella had blown past every blockade he’d erected. Even the chilly temperature of the pool had done little to cool him off. This ice-cold shower wasn’t much better. Especially whenever he pictured Gabriella as he was doing now.
She’d looked so sexy in her swimsuit. Although it hadn’t been nearly as revealing as suits he’d seen women sporting at the beach, it hadn’t needed to be. He’d been practically salivating and wondering what delights it kept hidden. Gabriella possessed the sexiest legs he’d ever seen. Long and shapely, with lean muscles, they’d seemed to go on forever. She couldn’t be more than five foot seven, but she was five foot seven inches of tantalizing woman.
Just thinking of her made him grow aroused again, and he forced himself to face the reality of their situation as he got out of the shower and toweled off. First, she was only here for the summer. In a handful of weeks she would be returning to her regularly scheduled life. He’d never ventured to Ohio so he knew nothing of her life there. She could be an entirely different person there than she was here. After all, environment had the ability to change people. Or if not change them, emphasize different characteristics as the situation dictated.
Second, he thought as he pulled on his jeans, he had no idea if she was still in love with her former husband. For all he knew, she could b
e hoping for a reconciliation. After the disaster with Raven, he knew nothing was beyond the realm of possibility. Donovan had been gone and presumed dead for years, yet Raven had continued to love him. He was not going to become involved with another woman who was hung up on someone else.
Frowning, he fastened the buttons on his shirt, stopping his thoughts before they became too morose. It was futile to keep reliving the past. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought of Raven in a long time. His feelings for her had gradually diminished until they were a distant memory. It was only now that he found himself becoming attracted to Gabriella that he thought of Raven at all. And then only as a warning of what could go wrong between them.
He needed to stop letting his thoughts get ahead of him. No matter how strongly he was attracted to Gabriella, the reality was he was just a friend to her. For both their sakes, it needed to remain that way. His life was too big of a mess to have a romantic relationship with her or anyone else.
With that all decided, he stood. He was halfway down the stairs before he realized he no longer heard voices coming from his backyard. Gabriella and her kids had gone home while he’d been showering and getting dressed. And honestly, hadn’t that been his plan? Wasn’t that why he’d taken as long as he had, staying in the freezing shower until he was at risk for hypothermia? Because he hadn’t trusted himself to be around Gabriella again. Despite the fact that the children had been nearby, he’d nearly kissed her earlier. In that brief moment, it had felt as if only the two of them were in the pool. In the world. Nothing and no one else had existed for him. All he’d wanted to do was kiss those soft, full lips, wrap her in his arms and feel those firm breasts pressed against his chest.
But her children had interrupted them in the nick of time, providing the reminder he’d needed. There were more than two people involved. Sophia and Justin mattered. Their feelings needed to be taken into consideration. They were at a vulnerable point in life and didn’t need an added complication.
Redemption on Rivers Ranch Page 9
