The Cowboy Meets His Match (Fatherhood) Read online

  “I won’t breathe a word of it,” she answered, laughing. “Let’s get this done.”

  “I guess you’ve always ridden,” he said.

  She smiled, thinking of happier times from the past. “My dad always said I was born on a horse.”

  “Jake said the same thing.”

  Uncomfortable that Jake had been talking about her, she wondered what Jake had told him. Instead of commenting, she changed the subject. “See those two heifers over there?” she asked, pointing farther out in the pasture. When he nodded, she asked, “Think you can get them here with the others?”

  His eyes narrowed as he looked to where she pointed. “On my own?”

  “You won’t know if you don’t try, right?” She waited for an answer, while he watched the cattle and fidgeted with the reins. “I’ll be here to help, if you need it,” she added. When he turned to look at her, she saw the indecision in his eyes. Expressive eyes. Like Jake’s. She’d always known what Jake was feeling, even when they were kids.

  He sat perfectly still, and then his shoulders rose and fell with a breath, and he urged his horse forward, his back straight and tall. She watched, ready to move if needed. Once or twice, when the heifers were giving him a run for his money, she nearly gave the gelding a soft nudge. But each time, Jonah managed to regain control and was soon heading the cattle toward her, smiling.

  “You were right,” he said when he reached her. “How did you—”

  “Sometimes you just have to believe in yourself and then prove it.”

  Smiling, he shook his head. “You really are something special.”

  Feeling her face heat with embarrassment, she turned away. “Let’s get them to the corral. You stay with those two, and I’ll handle these.”

  “They gave me some trouble there, for a minute,” he said, laughing. “But I got them rounded up, and it was like they knew I wasn’t kidding around, that I knew what I was doing.”

  “That’s what it takes,” she told him, pleased that he’d been so successful on his first roundup. It didn’t matter that he’d only dealt with two. He’d only needed to realize he could do it. Jake had known that.

  As they rode on to the ranch, he asked, “What are your brothers like?”

  She thought about it for a minute. “Dylan is quiet. Or was, especially after our parents died, but he’s coming around. Luke is more happy-go-lucky. He has a son, Brayden, who’s three, and a real cutie.”

  “They sound nice,” Jonah said. “I’d like to meet them someday.”

  “I’m sure they’d like to meet you, too,” Erin answered. “In fact, Dylan is having a barbecue Saturday night. I’ll wrangle an invitation for you. Jake, too.”

  At the ranch, Jake opened the corral gate so they could herd the cattle inside. When Erin rode by him, she smiled and nodded to let him know all had gone well.

  “Good job, Jonah,” Jake called to him, shutting the gate behind them. “How’d it go?”

  Erin remained silent and let Jonah answer. “Good. Really good. But Erin deserves the credit. I would’ve backed out if she hadn’t convinced me I could do it.”

  Jake’s quick glance at her was too brief for her to decipher. “She doesn’t let anybody back out.”

  Except for you, she thought. That one time. But she hadn’t had much choice. He’d told her they both needed to go their own way, him back to college and her to the rodeo circuit.

  “Go on up and get some water,” Jake told him. “Or some orange juice. I put some out for you.”

  “You can leave your horse out here,” she added. When Jonah had hurried away, she turned to Jake. “You knew it, didn’t you?”

  “Knew what?”

  “That he needed to do it on his own to get the confidence he needed.”

  He nailed her to the spot with his gaze. “Not on his own, exactly. You were there.”

  “But how did you know?”

  His soft smile did its usual trick of making her heart somersault, before he answered. “You don’t remember?”

  She shook her head. She’d forgotten as much as she could. It had been easier that way.

  “You did the same thing to me that first time you and your brothers let me ride along with you.”

  At the mention of that day, the scene played itself out in her mind. He’d still been green with the horses. His uncle had rarely allowed him to take one out to ride. But because he was going with the Walker kids, he’d gotten the okay, as long as he did as he was told.

  They’d been rounding up cattle, as she and Jonah had earlier. She’d been the one, not her brothers, who had told Jake to just go do it. And he had. When he’d brought the cattle up to the gate, where she and her brothers were waiting for him, her brothers applauded and whistled...scaring off the cattle and sending Jake to round them up again. The second time had been better.

  “Now that you mention it, I do remember,” she admitted.

  “Yeah, me too. Clearly,” he said, chuckling in that sexy way he had. “I didn’t know whether to hug you or smack you. You were always such a know-it-all.”

  “So you always said,” she replied.

  “Haven’t you learned yet that I’m always right?”

  “Sure,” she answered, flashing him a smile as she walked past him. “Except when you aren’t.” Behind her, she heard him laughing.

  * * *

  BY THE END of the week, the temperature hit new highs. Summer had come on full force, and everyone began wishing for a good, old-fashioned downpour. Instead, they were the ones who were dripping—and not because of rain.

  Jake sent everyone home early and watched Erin until she disappeared from sight, as he always did. Sighing, he started for his house, eager for a cold shower—for more than one reason. He reached the back porch, only to discover Jonah sitting on the steps, fanning himself with the cowboy hat Jake had brought him from Arizona.

  “You don’t look so good,” he told the boy.

  “Headache,” Jonah answered, rubbing the space between his eyes with his fist.

  Jake took pity on him. “Come on inside,” he said, motioning for Jonah to follow him. “But I get the shower first.”

  “I always forget that it’s hotter the farther south you go,” Jonah grumbled. “It’s going to take more than a shower.”

  Jake looked over his shoulder as he reached for the door. “There’s always the big water tank.”

  “With this sun today?” Jonah grimaced. “A cool, dark place is what I need. I’ll go back to the bunkhouse, if that’s all right,” he said, slowly getting to his feet.

  “Why don’t you go on into the house, take some aspirin or something and get cool? You can have the place to yourself. Leave the lights off or whatever you need.”

  “I guess I can. What are you going to do?”

  As soon as Jonah asked, Jake knew. “Take a swim in the pond, also known as Lake Walker.” He turned to walk back down the steps.

  “What about trunks?” When Jake looked at him, he hurried to explain. “You know, swim trunks?”

  “Don’t need ’em. I’ll swim in my Skivvies.” He shot the boy a grin. “Or not. You go get cool and get some rest. Erin’s brother invited us to a barbecue tomorrow night, and you don’t want to miss it.”

  After making sure Jonah went into the house, Jake set out for the pond. By the time he reached the trees, he felt hotter than he’d been before he’d started. But the lure of the water, sparkling in the sun peeking through the leaves of the surrounding trees, promised blessed relief.

  Eager to get into the pond, he quickly shed his hat, boots and clothes, then waded into the water. It cooled him the minute he scooped up a handful of it. Wading a little deeper, he leaned back, ready to float on the surface.

  “Who the hell is in my pond?”

&nbs
p; Erin? Jake nearly fell backward, but righted himself, in spite of one foot slipping on the muddy bottom. Now what?

  “Jake Canfield, is that you?”

  He heard her mutter something else and looked back over his shoulder, debating if he could make it to the bank before she came around the bend in the shore. He was still considering his options when he saw Erin swimming out to the deepest part of the pond.

  “Can’t I even get some quiet, personal time, without you barging in on me?” she asked, obviously treading water.

  With only the top of her shoulders visible, he couldn’t tell if she was as naked as he was, and he almost hoped she was. “I didn’t know,” he answered, making sure the water kept the lower half of him covered.

  “Yeah, sure,” came her sarcastic comeback. But she swam closer. “And I suppose you have permission?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. Dylan’s permission.”

  He watched her moving in the water, getting closer and closer, until he could tell when her feet hit the bottom and she started walking. “You’re welcome to check on that.”

  A smile he recognized from long ago lifted the corners of her mouth, but she hesitated. “Maybe you should head back home. After all, I was here first.”

  Each step she took in his direction, the water level dipped lower. He held his breath, waiting. Is she or isn’t she? But holding his breath didn’t stop anything else that had started to rise to the unusual occasion, and he swallowed hard, just as the waterline moved down a little more.

  A bikini. She had on a bikini. No straps, and no telling how skimpy the bottom might be, considering the small size of that top. He couldn’t seem to move away from her.

  “Stay right there,” he said, holding up a dripping hand.

  “Why?” she asked, still smiling as she moved closer.

  His body throbbed as he wondered how far this might go. He watched a drop of water fall from the hair around her face and trickle down her skin, before it disappeared under the wisp of a top. She was so close, he could have touched her.

  “I suppose I should tell you that I’m not wearing—”

  “How dare you come here and think you can skinny-dip with me.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Move an inch, and I’ll scream so loud Dylan will hear me and come running with his shotgun.”

  “Is that so?” He reached out and traced her collarbone with his finger, smiling at the goose bumps it produced. “And which one of us do you think he’ll shoot?”

  “Jake...” she whispered, shivering.

  “Cold?” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “How’s that?”

  “Better, but...”

  He pulled her even closer and felt the warmth of her body. “Much better.”

  Lowering his head, he kissed her, and she pressed against him. When he thought he might explode any minute, she pulled away. “What?” he asked, thinking he might have scared her.

  “Who did you say you went to see in Arizona?”

  “Bowie,” he answered.

  “That name sounds familiar.”

  “It should,” he said, smiling at her. “You probably know him.”

  Her face scrunched as she thought about it. “Bowie...Bowie...” Her eyes suddenly grew wider. “Bowie McClure? Oh, my— He’s a world champion calf roper! And he’s a friend of yours?”

  “A good friend,” Jake answered. “For several years, in fact. I’ve been trying to talk him into moving here. I have some acreage—”

  “To Desperation?” she asked. “Why would he want to come here?”

  He turned the tables on her. “Why did you come back?”

  Looking away, she shrugged. “Because it’s home. It always has been.”

  “I know that feeling.” He tipped his head back and looked at the sky. “Maybe we should find some shade.”

  “No, I’m fine. But Bowie McClure in Desperation?”

  He couldn’t believe her fascination with someone he knew well. “He wants to move his futurity facility from Flagstaff, and I have some acreage on the other side of town, so I suggested—strongly—that he come take a look.”

  “He hasn’t competed lately, has he?”

  Jake shook his head. “No, he lost his wife a few years ago, and he left rodeo.”

  She ducked her head. “I’m so sorry to hear that. He has so much talent, and he’s a very nice man. I met him a couple of times, and he’s a real gentleman. Not that you aren’t,” she quickly added. “He’d fit really well in Desperation. Did you talk him into it?”

  “I think I did. He’s going to give me a call in a couple of weeks. There’s a half-finished house on the property, and he’ll need to have the buildings for the futurity built. It wouldn’t take all that long, but he has a lot to think about. Should I tell him you’re eager for him to move here?”

  She laughed. “I doubt he remembers me.”

  He hated to tell her, but he had to. “Actually, he does.”

  “Really?”

  At that moment, she looked more vulnerable than he’d ever seen her. Younger. And thrilled that some guy who had roped calves for a living and won a couple of big, shiny buckles would remember her. “You’re hard to forget, Erin.”

  The thrill on her face disappeared, replaced by something soft and warm, and she looked at him. Really looked at him. “So are you, Jake.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he felt something go through him, something he didn’t recognize. Almost peaceful, but more powerful. All he could think of was how much he wanted to make her his, body and soul.

  Chapter Six

  Hayley, Luke’s bride-to-be, held out a bowl of potato salad to Erin. “Would you mind taking this out and putting it on the table? Luke needs more barbecue sauce for the ribs, and bottled won’t do, so I need to get busy with that.”

  “Bottled barbecue sauce?” Erin asked, holding the back of her hand to her forehead in fake shock. “Not in the Walker house.” She took the big bowl from Hayley with a sigh. “Better get used to it. We have our traditions and nothing will change them.”

  Hayley wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have a problem with traditions, but if he’d told me I would need to triple your mom’s recipe, I would have.”

  Cradling the bowl in one arm, Erin gave Hayley a quick hug. “He’s a man. They forget. I’m surprised he trusts you with the recipe. He’s never shared it with me.” She produced a pout that made Hayley giggle.

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Hayley assured her. “I’ll share with you.”

  Erin peeked into the pan of sauce and sniffed. “You know what? I think this is my recipe, that thief.”

  Hayley laughed and stopped stirring. “Yours? It figures.”

  Leaning closer, Erin whispered, “Be thankful I introduced you to Luke, not Dylan. If he had the recipe, we’d have to pry it from his cold, dead hands.”

  “I’ll bet Glory doesn’t have to,” Hayley said with a wink.

  “Probably not,” Erin admitted. “She has him wrapped around her little finger.”

  “Mommy! Mommy!”

  Erin looked toward the door to see her three-year-old nephew rush into the kitchen and throw his arms around Hayley’s knees. Her heart filled with love for the little guy, yet ached at the same time. She would never know what her son had been like at the same age. He would be almost seventeen now, and the thought made her sad. She’d missed so much, but she knew she had made the right choice. For herself and especially for him. Maybe someday—

  She nearly dropped the bowl of potato salad when Brayden latched himself to her legs. “Hey, Brayden,” she said, balancing the bowl as she gave him a hug. “Are you having fun?”

  “Lots of fun!” Brayden yelled. “Daddy says I’m a big help.” />
  “I’m sure you are,” she told him. She looked up at Hayley, who smiled at them as she watched. “It’s so good to see him so happy. If it hadn’t been for you, stepping in as his nanny, and now getting ready to be the mommy he should have had...”

  Hayley put her arm around her. “It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t sent me for the job interview. You’ve made all of us very happy.”

  Erin hated showing emotions, although lately it kept happening more and more often, and she blinked back the tears that threatened. Brayden immediately set up a hue and cry for the cookies that filled a plate on the counter, and she managed to escape the room without notice. On the screened-in porch, she pulled herself together, knowing deep down that she’d been blessed with the life she’d chosen. Maybe she’d left the rodeo earlier than planned, but she would go back again, soon, and come out a winner. Children weren’t in her future, except for Brayden and the nieces and nephews that would come later.

  “There you are,” Glory said when Erin stepped into the yard.

  “Me and the potato salad,” she announced. “Hayley will bring more barbecue sauce as soon as it’s done.”

  Glory waved a dismissive hand. “I think they’ve forgotten about it already. But you haven’t forgotten that Hayley and I want to talk to you about the wedding, have you?”

  Erin answered with a shake of her head, although she didn’t know why her suggestions or opinions would matter. She knew very little about weddings and nothing about double weddings. “I haven’t forgotten. That’s why I’m here.” She laughed at the face Glory made. “Okay, that and being with family.”

  “We’ll sneak off after we finish eating and put our heads together.” Glory tipped her head to one side and smiled. “You know, you’ll be next.”

  “Me? You must have me confused with somebody else.”

  Glory’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Oh, I don’t think so.” She looked toward the road, where headlights from a vehicle could be seen turning into the lane. “The last of the guests.”

  Jonah and Jake. Erin had made sure they’d been invited, and her brothers had seemed especially happy about it.