A Rancher's Pride(40)

Thanks to Judge Baylor, all the trips to town with Becky and Kayla put Sam closer than he liked to the woman. Yet he knew he had to follow through. And not just to satisfy the judge.

To convince Kayla.

Once she learned what Sam was really like, she would accept that his daughter should stay in his care.

But this undercurrent between them—this electric-fence rush of energy he felt every time he got near her—told the truth. He should stay away from her. Far away.

Even knowing this, he couldn’t seem to get his feet to move far enough to get himself out of the room. Or his mouth to stay shut long enough to stop himself from talking to her. His words ought to take care of her talking to him, though.

“Saw the judge on the way back through town, too,” he said, forcing a light tone. “Told him we’d be having that barbecue he keeps asking about. Sunday.”

“Sunday?” Her brows rose. “You mean this Sunday? Three days from now?”

“Yeah? Something wrong with that?”

“No.”

But she didn’t look like she meant it.

“Don’t go worrying yourself over the cooking,” he said in the same relaxed tone. It got easier with practice. “Jack and the boys and I will take care of barbecuing the roasts. We do it every year. Dori always handles the desserts. And the townsfolk will bring the rest.”

She frowned. “You don’t need me to do anything?”

Oh, hell, yeah, I do.

Clamping his jaw shut, he swallowed the words that felt all too ready to spill out. So much for relaxed and easy. “No,” he said, his voice hoarse but his words final. “I don’t need you to do anything at all.”

On that note, he left the room.

Tried to leave Kayla behind.

He couldn’t think about what he needed and wanted from the woman. Or about how regretful she’d sounded with her question. He had a lot of regrets himself, but no sense giving in to them now. He had to remember the threat she meant to him. The danger she represented. The damage she could still do to his life.

The abuse charge she’d laid against him ought to have been warning enough. Though to give her credit, she’d never said another word about it after he’d proven the ridiculous story Ronnie had fed her wasn’t true.

She seemed to believe what the judge and Ellamae had said about Ronnie’s car accident.

But if he didn’t watch his step around Kayla, if he didn’t hold back on that overwhelming urge he’d been fighting to touch her, to do even more, he could find himself in trouble so deep, nothing anyone could say would get him out of it.





Chapter Twelve





Kayla sat beside the rolltop desk in Sam’s office.

After their conversation, she had been relieved that he’d left the room. The attraction she felt for him only complicated an already intolerable situation.

Through the kitchen window a while later, she’d seen him go out to the barn. She had made a quick check on Becky, still out on the front porch with Sharleen, then had fled into the office for a much-needed break from the stress.

Now she held her fingers over the computer keyboard and began to type an instant message to Lianne, her fingers moving faster and faster as she went.



It’s awful, Lianne. Just awful.



He’s still insisting on hanging around you? Lianne typed back.



You bet he is.



Today had been the longest time they’d spent apart in weeks.

Beginning the day of her terrible accusation of him onward, he had spent every spare minute with her and Becky, even escorting them into town several times to introduce them to more of his friends. She hadn’t had the first opportunity to talk to any of these people without Sam close by. Even when she’d taken Becky to an art class earlier this week, he’d gone along.

Kayla hadn’t taken an easy breath in days.

Constantly having him by her side only made her feel more mixed-up than ever.

Everyone seems to like me and accept me without question. She felt oddly grateful for that. Even Sharleen had come around, and they had slowly developed a polite but friendly relationship. What really gets to me is that they’ve all fallen in love with Becky.

And why not? Lianne shot back. She’s adorable, smart and friendly. And not a bit shy. <grin>

LOL, Kayla replied, laughing.

Though Kayla was always on hand to interpret for her, Becky often got her point across without words when she needed to. Kayla couldn’t help smiling at the child’s resourcefulness.