Rachel's Rescuer

“Rode?”

“A horse.”

“Oh.” Her hope disappeared, and Rachel placed the eggs and the other food on the table, while tears of frustration burned her eyes. Choking back the disappointment, she set an extra place, while the cowboy peeled off his outerwear.

Unlike Lucas, Harley was big and blond, with a grin that probably made flowers grow. His sparkling blue eyes were enhanced by crinkles at the corners when he smiled, and Rachel bet her soul he smiled a lot. He was nearly as tall as Lucas, and his broad shoulders filled out the two-tone western shirt he wore. The two men were complete opposites, and so was her reaction to them.

Lucas moved across the room and flipped on a radio nestled under one of the cupboards. A Garth Brooks song filled the room. “You heard the weather report?”

“Should say somethin’ soon.” Harley took a chair at the table. “How’s that calf?”

Rachel filled the cups with coffee and sat down, listening to the conversation. She was curious to know about ranching, but wouldn’t ask for fear Lucas might think she was being nosy. It really wasn’t any of her business, but since Jenny and her husband also had a small ranch, Rachel wanted to learn as much as she could before descending on them. She couldn’t stay at Jenny’s indefinitely, but if she could help in any way, she would. Deerfork might not offer much in the way of employment.

“I shouldn’t have to call Doc Wellman about him,” Lucas was saying. “He’s stronger this morning.”

“You’d think as big as he is, he’d be chargin’ around,” Harley commented around a forkful of eggs.

“Once he gets a good hold on life, he’ll be the best bull of the lot.”

Rachel’s mind wandered as she half listened. As a little girl growing up in the foster program, going from one family to the next, she had often dreamed of escaping the busy city for a quiet spot. Jenny had been a neighbor for a short time, and they’d become best friends. When Rachel had moved on to a new family, they had kept in touch. They hadn’t spoken since Steven’s death, and Rachel had never mentioned the trouble with his parents. Jenny wouldn’t mind a visit, but she didn’t know they were on their way.

“Mom?”

Her son’s voice jerked Rachel from her thoughts. “You’re up early,” she told him, his arms now wrapped around her legs. She quickly introduced him to Harley, then bent to ruffle his hair and kiss the top of his head. “Would you like some breakfast?”

Cody turned to look over his shoulder, never letting go of her. A sniff was followed by a hesitant nod of his head.

“There’s some cereal up there in that cabinet,” Harley offered. “Maybe he’d like that better.”

Cody gazed up at her with an expectant look in his eyes. Disengaging herself from his hold, she gave him an encouraging pat and steered him to the empty chair. She poured out a bowl of sugared cereal and added milk, then set it in front of him. “Is that better?”

“Better.” Cody’s grin was visible for a split second before he dove into his breakfast.

“You ought to keep him off those sweets,” Lucas announced.

Stung, Rachel stared at him. She was a good mother, but kids just liked sweet cereal over a conventional breakfast. If they had been at home, she might have insisted that Cody eat something more nutritious, or at least add a glass of juice. But they weren’t at home, and Cody deserved a treat.

“And how many children do you have, Mr. Callahan?” she asked in a wounded voice.

“None,” Lucas snapped back.

She could have sworn she saw a flash of pain in his eyes before he turned his attention to his plate. The man hadn’t said a word to Cody since they had arrived except to ask his name.

“I was thinkin’ of the boy.” He looked pointedly at her and then at Cody.

Embarrassment and traces of anger heated her cheeks. Staying here was a mistake, but not one she could do anything about. As long as no one knew her true identity, she and Cody would be safe. For a while.

Lucas knew she was lying. He watched her leave the table, the uncertainty of her steps adding to his conviction. It hadn’t taken him long to know that she couldn’t be involved in a burglary ring. One look in her eyes the night before had told him that much. Whatever she was hiding from had her running scared. A part of him, buried for so many years, wanted to shield her from whatever her troubles might be. But the other part told him her troubles would be his if he didn’t watch it. With a sixth sense, he knew they wouldn’t be something he would want to get involved with. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be smack in the middle of it before long. He could only hope the weather cleared, and she and the boy could be on their way.

While they finished breakfast, she kept busy. His gaze slid over her slender body as she turned on the faucet and started running a sink full of soapy water. Her jeans stretched tight across her hips and bottom, causing his mouth to go dry. He’d dare anyone to guess she had carried a child with hips that slim. The thought crossed his mind that the boy might not be hers, but after a glance at Cody, he knew better. The youngster might not have those same blue eyes, but the mouth was wide and full like hers.

Reminding himself that women, slim-hipped or full-hipped, were nothing but trouble, he watched her for a reaction to his next question. “You have out-of-state plates. Where are you from?”

She stiffened slightly, and her hand, reaching for the griddle on the stove, stopped midway. “Ohio,” she answered. “Cincinnati, to be exact.” She grabbed the pan and plopped it into the water. “We have snow there, too.”

“Not like this, I’ll bet,” he thought out loud.

She turned, offering him a weak smile. “No, nothing like this. And not nearly so early in the year. I never expected anything like this.”

He could see that much was the truth. “Early for here, too. First measurable snowfall usually isn’t until later in September.”

“Does that mean more work with the animals?” she asked, her back to them once again.

“We’ll have to take some hay bales out to the herd.”

“Is it a large herd?” Rachel asked.

“Large enough to keep us busy,” Lucas answered, his long-sleeping hormones awakening. Every time she scrubbed at the pan she was washing, her hips swayed from side to side. He wanted to tell her to put the damn pan down. He wanted to grab her and turn her around, look into her eyes, and demand she tell him the truth.

Only he didn’t want to know the truth, he reminded himself.

“Jenny and Pete have cattle,” she said, as if to herself.

“Different breed.”

“I thought cows were cows,” she quipped over her shoulder with a grin.

“Do you know anything about cattle?” Lucas questioned her.

“Only that they’re raised and sold for meat and sometimes leather,” she answered. “And they moo,” she added with a laugh.

“And milk, Mom,” Cody reminded her.

She dried her hands and approached the table. “And milk,” she agreed, picking up his empty bowl.

Lucas watched her comb Cody’s hair with her long, tapered fingers and imagined how they’d feel skimming through his own hair. “Hell,” he muttered, shoving away from the table.

“What?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

“Are those the only clothes you have?” he answered with a question of his own. And what do you look like without them? He swallowed the groan that nearly escaped him at the picture in his mind.

She looked down and picked at the hem of her shirt. “They’re still in the car,” she said before looking up at him. “I didn’t want to put you to any more trouble.”

If she knew how much trouble she was causing him, Lucas was sure she’d head for the hills. Hell, he hadn’t had insane thoughts that verged on lewd for years. He’d had enough women since his ex-wife to keep him at least close to satisfied. Women who filled his hands much more than this one would. But still, there was something about her….

He stuffed his hands in his pockets at the thought of touching her. “I’ll get them.”

“No!” she blurted. “I mean, I’ll just go out and get what we’ll need for another day.”