KISS ME, COWBOY Page 5

  "'Kay," Emily agreed, and climbed the stool again to take her place beside the oak cooking island. Carefully, just as Nora had shown her, the little girl scooped out spoonful after spoonful of cookie dough and gently dropped them onto another cookie sheet.

  Nora kept one eye on the child and one eye on the kitchen window. Outside, twilight deepened. Across the ranch yard, she could see lamplight glinting in Rick and Donna's windows. She was used to looking out her own windows and seeing streetlamps and cars passing along the road. Here, on the edges of town, darkness was more complete. More … dark. Walking across the kitchen, she opened the back door and let the cool evening breeze drift past her.

  Except for the sound of Emily singing to herself under her breath, the silence was awesome. Nora would have thought this much quiet would be unnerving. Instead she found it … soothing. There was a sense of peacefulness about the whole place, the silent house and the wide openness surrounding it that seemed almost magical.

  She glanced at her watch.

  And wondered again where Mike was and just how long he was going to stall before coming home.

  *

  Mike stayed out on the ranch until it was too damn dark to get anything else done. Rick, his foreman, had called it a day more than an hour ago, heading back to the small house on the ranch that he shared with his pregnant wife. But then Rick was eager to get home. He didn't have a woman on a mission waiting for him.

  The first few stars winked into existence and glittered against a deep purple sky. He pulled off his hat, raked his fingers through his hair and told himself that he had to go home sometime. It wasn't just Nora sitting in his house waiting. Emily would be wondering where he was pretty soon.

  He climbed into the truck, slammed the door and fired up the engine. He'd stalled as long as he could. If he stayed out here much later, he'd need a sleeping bag. Besides, why should he let Nora keep him away from his own house? Throwing the truck into gear, he flicked on the headlights and headed toward home. The ruts in the road rattled the truck and shook the rocks in Mike's head.

  "Idiot," he muttered, and braced his left arm on the window ledge. "It's just Nora Bailey. You've seen her at least a couple of times a week for years. Now all of a sudden you can't be in the same room with her?"

  He slapped his hand against the steering wheel and made a sharp right into the drive leading to the house. Gravel crunched beneath the tires and ground out a familiar welcome. As he shut off the engine and climbed out of the truck, he told himself again that there was no reason to be wary of Nora. She'd made it plain enough that he wasn't in the running for the task she needed done. And that was just fine with him. So fine. He snatched his hat off, crumpled the brim in one tight fist and stopped dead outside the kitchen window.

  Inside, two blond heads were bent together. Nora and Emily, side by side at the cooking island, were laughing together and making cookies. At that moment, Mike's daughter lifted her head, looked into Nora's eyes and damn near beamed. Her little face was lit from within. Delight sparkled in her eyes and the dimple in her cheek had never looked deeper. There was only one word to describe the expression on his little girl's face. Adoration. Clearly, she'd found her hero in Nora.

  But before he could wonder if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Emily spotted him and whooped out a welcome. She clambered off the kitchen stool and he headed for the door. His long legs couldn't carry him as fast as an excited little girl could move. In seconds, she had the door open and was jumping at him, arms wide.

  Mike scooped her up, swung her around in a tight circle, then propped his forearm beneath her bottom to support her as she clung to him like a burr. Her small arms wrapped around his neck and hugged tight. And just as it did every night, Mike's heart melted. He held his whole world in his arms, and he never forgot to thank whatever gods had sent this child. She was everything to him.

  "Daddy, I cooked!" She pulled her head back to look at him and gave him a smile that always turned him into a soft lump of clay that Emily could push and shove around any way she wanted to.

  "You did, huh?"

  She nodded so fiercely that her pigtails swung wildly around her head. "I made cookies." Emily turned her head to look at the woman just stepping around the oak island. "Nora helped, but I did it and everything."

  Before he could speak, Nora's voice cut across his child's high-pitched words.

  "Emily told me that she's not allowed to cook, but I thought that just this once wouldn't be so bad and that you'd understand and—"

  Mike held up one hand to cut the stream of conversation off. It sounded as though she was warning him not to be mad. As though she thought he might come down on Emily for a decision an adult made. Did she really think he was that big a jerk? Besides, even if he'd wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to maintain anger while looking into Emily's happy face. She was just so proud of her accomplishment.

  "Do you want one, Daddy?"

  He tore his gaze from Nora to look into the eyes so much like his own. "Absolutely." Mike lifted her off his hip, set her on her feet and gave her backside a pat. "Go pick me a good one, okay?"

  "I'll get you the best one of all," she promised, and practically skipped over to the cooling rack.

  While Emily was busy, Nora sidled up to him. "Thanks for not spoiling her good time by being mad."

  "I'm not an ogre, y'know."

  "Never said you were," she countered. "But Emily told me you don't want her cooking and—"

  He hung his hat on the rack just inside the door, then shoved both hands into his jeans pockets before saying, "That's because Donna's not much of a cook. Almost burned down the kitchen once when she forgot and left a pan on the stove."

  "Yikes."

  "Exactly."

  "Okay then, so you won't mind if Emily and I do a little baking from time to time?"

  From time to time? So then this wasn't a one-time-only visit? He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "You figuring on being here a lot, are you?"

  "Well, at least until we solve my problem," she said, half turning to keep an eye on Emily, who was examining each and every cookie. "How long do you figure that'll take?"

  How long to find a man worthy of Nora Bailey?

  He was just beginning to suspect that it might be an impossible task.

  Then Emily was back, carrying two cookies. She handed one each to the adults. "Taste it, Daddy."

  Nora lifted hers and took a small, dainty bite of the chocolate chip cookie. He watched her mouth and felt tortured as she licked warm chocolate off her bottom lip with a long, slow sweep of her tongue.

  "Aren't you hungry, Daddy?" Emily demanded.

  "I sure am," he said tightly. But not for cookies. Nora gave him a knowing look and a quick smile, then turned and walked across the kitchen. His gaze dropped to the sway of her behind, and he wondered if jeans that tight shouldn't be illegal.

  To distract himself, he shoved the cookie in his mouth and chewed with a vengeance. Emily was delighted. But Mike was still hungry – and there weren't enough chocolate chips in the country to ease the ache building inside him.

  *

  For the next couple of weeks, Nora spent nearly as much time at the ranch as she did at the bakery. She was still up before dawn to do the baking, but nearly every day she left the bakery in the early afternoon to make the drive out to the Fallon ranch. And, each time she did, she caught herself closing just a bit earlier than the last time. Heck, if this kept up, she'd soon be serving the breakfast crowd, then shutting down for the day.

  But she couldn't seem to help herself. Sure, it had all started with the idea of Mike helping her find a man. But it was developing into so much more than that. She really looked forward to spending time with Emily. The little girl touched corners of Nora's heart she hadn't even known were lonely. The child was so hungry for a mother's love and attention that she soaked up whatever affection Nora gave her and then handed it back ten times over.

  Mike, though, was a differen
t story. Nora leaned her forearms on the tall, whitewashed rail fence surrounding a paddock. In the center of the wide ring, Mike stood, holding a long leather leash in one hand. On the other end of the leash, a beautiful horse cantered around the edges of the circle, tossing its head as if trying to shake him.

  But Mike kept up a steady stream of soothing words as he worked the animal. Most of it was nonsense, but the rhythm of his speech and the deep rumble of his voice combined to nearly hypnotize the horse … and Nora. Her gaze locked on him, she followed him as he turned in a slow circle. His faded blue work shirt was worn and sweat-stained. His jeans were covered in dirt and grime. His boots were filthy, and the hat he wore was tilted low over his eyes, shading them to the point where she couldn't even see them. But, then, she didn't have to. She knew only too well the power of that direct stare.

  Hadn't she been dreaming about those eyes of his for nearly a week? Her mouth went dry and her stomach swirled with nerves and anticipation, and with something tight and dark and hot that made every cell in her body sit up and weep for mercy.

  It was torture, pure and simple. But it was also a torture she willingly put herself through every afternoon. It had become a routine. Something she looked forward to. Spending this time with Mike, watching him work the animals with a sure and steady hand was – okay, exciting.

  She shifted her gaze to take in the ranch yard and the wide-open spaces beyond. It was just so beautiful out here. She couldn't imagine being able to wake up every morning and have this be the first thing you saw. Being away from town felt energizing. The lack of people and noise gave her the chance to think. And the slower pace gave way to time for daydreams.

  And that thought brought her right back to Mike. Her favorite daydream.

  "Okay, that's enough for today," Mike called out, and Nora blinked, dismissing those late-night fantasies as the product of a way-overworked imagination. She willed her nerves into submission and watched as Mike tossed the leather leash to Rick, then turn and headed toward her.

  "Pretty horse," she said when she was sure her voice would work.

  "Stubborn, too," Mike pointed out, and, grinning, tugged leather gloves off his hands. "It's going to take me forever to convince that mare to wear a saddle and bridle."

  He sounded disgusted, but Nora wasn't fooled. She'd noted the gleam of admiration in his eyes as he watched the horse being led back to the stable. Chuckling, she said, "You love it."

  Mike glanced at her, almost surprised. "Yeah. Guess I do." Pulling his hat off, he ran one hand through his hair, then leaned an elbow on the top rung of the fence. "Boarding and training horses are the fun part of living on the ranch."

  "And what's the part you don't love?"

  His gaze locked with hers. "Not a damn thing. I like being out here. I like everything about living on the ranch. I don't plan on moving to a town. Ever."

  Nora had the distinct impression that there was a message in that last statement. But since she hadn't a clue what that might be, she took what he'd said at face value. "I don't blame you."

  "Huh?"

  She glanced at him, then turned her face into the wind and stared out beyond the paddock and the ranch yard. Off in the distance, the orchards spread out in neat, orderly rows like soldiers lined up for inspection. Overhead, the sky was a deep, vivid blue, with a handful of marshmallow clouds scuttling across its surface.

  "I said I don't blame you," she repeated. "It's beautiful here. And so quiet."

  "Yeah."

  "I mean," she went on, "I know Tesoro's a small town, but still, sometimes the noise and all the people get to me."

  "Uh-huh."

  Reacting to the tone of his voice, she turned her head to look at him. "You don't believe me."

  "Let's just say, I've heard that one before."

  "Is that right?" she asked. "From who?"

  "Vicky." He bit off the word and his mouth looked as if he'd tasted something bitter.

  Nora's stomach jittered and she told herself she should let it go. Heck, the look in his eyes told her he clearly didn't want to talk about it. But there was something else there, too. Some echo of disappointment. Some lasting shred of hurt that tugged at her and wouldn't allow her to keep quiet.

  "What didn't she like?"

  He inhaled slowly, deeply, and shifted his gaze from hers to stare out over the ranch. "Asking me what she did like would take less time."

  "Okay," she said. "Consider it asked."

  Slowly, he turned his head until he was looking at her again. "Nothing. Not the quiet, not the solitude, not Emily – and at the end, not me, either."

  "She was an idiot."

  He shrugged, but Nora wasn't fooled. Old pain was still too close to the surface here. "So was I," he said. "I thought desire was a good start for a marriage." He turned his gaze directly on her and Nora read regret shining clearly in those dark green depths. "I let my hormones guide me once. I won't do it again."

  "Nobody's asking you to," she reminded him. Though that wasn't really accurate. Since her own hormones were singing, she wouldn't mind a bit if his did a quick dance or two.

  "You seem to like it out here," he said, and the abrupt change of subject startled her for an instant.

  But she went with it and saw relief crowd his features. "I do. It's gorgeous. And the ranch house is so big. The whole place feels big, though. Wide open – you know, 'where the buffalo roam' kind of feel."

  He laughed shortly and Nora relished the deep rumble of sound. "No buffalo. Just horses, a few orchards—"

  "It's enough," she interrupted him, and let her gaze wander briefly again before looking back at him. "It's a great place to raise kids."

  Oops. There went that thundercloud chasing across his face again.

  "That was the plan," he admitted. "But things don't always work out like you think they will."

  His voice had dropped so low that she barely heard the last few words he uttered. It must have cost him to talk about his ex-wife. A part of Nora wanted to go find Vicky and give her a good, swift kick. But since she couldn't very well do that, she settled for changing the subject one more time. The instant she did, she saw relief flood his eyes.

  "Well, you'll just have to do a better job of finding me a man than you did in finding yourself a wife."

  "Shouldn't be tough," he muttered.

  "Good." Resting her chin on her forearms, she looked at him through wide, innocent eyes. "I've been thinking. What about Tony Diaz?"

  He pulled his head back and looked at her as though her hair was on fire. "Are you nuts? He's twenty years older than you."

  Nora hid an inward smile and congratulated herself on obviously striking a nerve. "Experienced."

  "Old."

  "Then he'd probably consider me a sweet young thing," she pointed out, thoroughly enjoying herself now. "That's a definite plus."

  "You're twenty-eight. Not exactly ready for medicare."

  "Hey, age is in the eye of the beholder."

  "Tony sells shoes at a department store." Okay, this wasn't really fair. Nora was getting way too big a kick out of teasing him. She was no more interested in Tony Diaz than she was in dancing naked down Main Street

  . "A steady job," she said. "People with feet will always need shoes."

  "And the fact that he has a daughter the same age as you?"

  "We can raid each other's closets."

  Mike stared at her for a long minute, until he finally noticed the gleam in her eyes and then he bit back the laugh crawling up his throat. "You're pulling my chain."

  Blond eyebrows lifted and one corner of her mouth twitched. "Not yet. Would you like me to?"

  * * *

  Chapter 6

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  He was pretty sure his heart stopped for a second. Images filled his brain, racing through his mind at top speed. He had a feeling she knew it, too. She chewed at her bottom lip and, with every tug, he felt a like tug somewhere deep inside him.

  Mike shifted uncomfortably, s
cowled a bit and refused to take the bait. Instead, he asked, a bit harsher than he'd planned to, "Why are you here?"

  The slight smile on her face faded slowly. "Do you mean existentially speaking or literally, here?"

  "Literally, thanks," he ground out.

  "Our bargain," she reminded him.

  The damn bargain. Talk about making deals with the devil. He hadn't had a minute's peace since agreeing to this whole thing. "You know, that's not really working out so well."

  "Only because every man I suggest, you shoot down."

  True. Damn it. He'd noticed that, but he'd been sort of hoping she hadn't. It's not that he didn't want to help her find some guy – or maybe it was. He couldn't be sure anymore. All he knew was that whenever she suggested one of the men in town, he had a ready reason why she should stay the hell away from the guy.

  Too old.

  Too young.

  Too fat.

  Too poor.

  Drank too much.

  Hell, it was ridiculous. Most of the men they'd talked about had been Mike's friends for years. He'd never had a problem with any of them. Until it came time to set Nora up with one of them.

  For some reason or other, he just didn't like the idea of her being with … hell, admit it. Anyone. Which made for a big problem. Because he wasn't going to be sucked into trouble by his hormones again.

  When he'd first met Vicky, his body had gone on high alert and all he could think about was having her. Then, once he had her, everything had gone straight down the tubes. There was no way he was going to let his body do the thinking for him again.

  So why the heck didn't he find Nora a nice guy and get her out of his hair? His mind? His dreams?

  Pushing away from the fence, he took a step or two farther, as if that extra foot of space between them would make all the difference. Then he looked at her again. "You're right."

  "I am?"

  "Absolutely."

  "You have no idea just how much a woman loves hearing a man say that," she said, "but in the interest of clarity, I'm right about what, exactly?"