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Cowards, Jude thought with disgust. “I’d have insisted on walking you to the door.”
“Then you’re one in a million, Jude.”
“I’m happy you recognize my worth.” He shot her a wink as they climbed the stairs of her father’s porch. “Seriously, my brothers and I were taught it was our responsibility to see our dates safely to the door.”
When she stopped and turned back to him without opening the door, Jude’s heart slammed against his ribs. Stealing a quick kiss in the saloon was one thing. But with those unreadable dark eyes staring up at him now...
Jude had been dating since he was fifteen. So why did he feel as unsure as he had when he’d been about to kiss a girl for the first time? It made no sense. Other than Gabi was different and he didn’t want to screw up.
The air grew thick, so thick he had difficulty breathing. The world around them faded away. All that existed was her. All that mattered was her.
Take it slow. Don’t rush her.
The warning in his head stemmed from good, cold logic. She wasn’t going anywhere, at least not soon. Her father had only recently been moved to rehab. They had plenty of time to build a relationship. For her to see, to accept, to embrace that he was her future husband.
Yes, he decided, he should take a step back. He’d been impulsive in the saloon. He needed to keep his desire for her under tighter control. There would be other opportunities, other nights for another kiss. A lifetime.
Dropping hands to his side, Jude kept his gaze on her eyes and away from those luscious lips. “I had a good time tonight.”
Something that looked like disappointment flashed in her eyes. Her brows pulled together. “Do you have something against kissing?”
He stared, nonplussed. “No. Do you?”
“Not if I like the guy.” She gave him a long stare that fried every brain cell he possessed. “Not if he likes me.”
“I like you.” The second the words left his lips, Jude realized he had reverted back to his teenage self. Except he’d never been this lame.
“Happy to hear it.” Her arms wound around his neck. “For a second I wondered if I’d lost my appeal.”
“Oh, darlin’.” Jude wanted so much to pull her close, to fit her hips against his. He settled for resting his hands on her shoulders. “That’s never going to happen. But I don’t want to rush you.”
“You kissed me in the saloon,” she reminded him.
“Impulse.” He shook his head. “Not very gentlemanly.”
“I believe—” She brought a finger to her lips and pretended to consider. “No, I’m certain. Being a gentleman is highly overrated.”
Jude brushed a strand of hair back from her cheek with the back of his hand. “I doubt Orlando Mendoza would agree with that sentiment.”
She laughed, a silver tinkle of a sound that relaxed the tight muscles in his shoulders.
“True.” She gazed up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “But he’s not here, is he? Besides, I make my own decisions.”
She was right. What her father wanted didn’t matter. With the moon illuminating her face, her eyes shining, all that mattered was her and him and the moment.
Jude lowered his mouth and touched her lips with his. She tasted like spearmint candy. He loved spearmint. He moved his hands down her arms then settled them on her waist.
“I like you, Gabi.” He let the word hum between them. Her brown eyes darkened to black in the dimness, but he didn’t need light to read her expression. Leaning over, he kissed the base of her jaw.
She brushed her lips against his cheek.
“I like you a lot,” he murmured, twining strands of her hair loosely around his fingers.
“Jude.” She spoke his name then paused, as if not sure what she wanted to say.
When her gaze met his, their eye contact turned into something more, a tangible connection between the two of them. Time seemed to stretch and extend.
Then she ran her hands up the front of his coat and leaned toward him.
He made a sound low in his throat then folded her more fully into his arms, anchoring her against his chest as his mouth covered hers. His hand flattened on her lower back, drawing her more tightly against the length of him.
He loved the way she smelled, an intoxicatingly sweet mixture of perfume and soap. Loved the way she tasted. Spearmint.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered into her ear right before he took the lobe between his teeth.
Shivers rippled across her skin.
“You’re soft,” he continued as he kissed her below her ear, then down her throat.
“The scent of you drives me wild.”
The honking of a car horn and wild teenage laughter with a loud male voice yelling, “Get a room,” had Gabi jumping back and Jude stifling a curse.
They’d already been interrupted a couple of times this evening. Enough, Jude thought, was enough. But he reined in his irritation as the night took on a sudden chill. “Gabi—”
“The porch light has flickered,” she said with a rueful smile. “It’s time for me to go inside.”
Damn.
Jude shot a murderous glance at the disappearing taillights. Then he staunched the emotion and met her gaze. “I want to see you again.”
“It’s a small town,” she said in a tone he found a little too cavalier. “It’s inevitable.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. Firmly met her gaze. “I want to see you again.”
Her cheeks went a little pink. “I don’t do casual affairs, Jude. I won’t be in town long enough for anything more.”
Jude wasn’t interested in a casual affair, either. He wanted the more, would have the more, but it was much too early for that discussion.
“I enjoy spending time with you,” he said again, firmly. What had his father once told him, Begin as you mean to go on? “I’ll be calling, asking to see you again.”
To seal the promise, he kissed her again.
Chapter Five
Gabi swore her lips still tingled when she arrived at the rehabilitation center the next day to see her father. The newspaper lay on a dining room table when she walked in.
Her breath hitched when he gave her a big smile. Love flowed through her. Though she adored her brothers, they’d been a unit of four. She’d spent most of her time with her mother. And when her father was home, she’d been a daddy’s girl.
“You’re looking chipper.” Gabi slid into the chair on the other side of the table.
“I could say the same about you.” He studied her thoughtfully. “You’ve got color in your cheeks.”
“I’ve been spending more time outdoors,” Gabi admitted, thinking of the early-morning run she’d taken as the sun painted the sky shades of pink and orange. “Though I’ve had to bundle up. It’s definitely not as warm as Miami.”
Her father laughed. “Not yet anyway, but I hear it’s supposed to hit sixty today, which is really good for this time of year.”
“Actually, I like the cooler weather. And Horseback Hollow is a great little community,” she told him. “I understand now why you’re so happy here.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d be able to see it.” Orlando appeared pleased by her admission. “There’s not much for young folks to do.”
“I enjoyed the barbecue Friday night.” Gabi decided to avoid any talk of last night’s activities with Jude. “I got to know Sawyer and Laurel better. Deke and Jeanne Marie seem like very nice people.”
“Their daughter Stacey is the one who stayed with me until the rescue squad got there.”
“I remembered you telling me that and made sure to thank her.”
“Good girl.” He gave an approving nod then his gaze grew shrewd. “You haven’t mentioned how your date went last night.”
“It wasn’t a date.” Gabi resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. She could have cheered when her tone came out casual and offhand as she’d intended. “We went to dinner at The Grill then did a little dancing at the Two Moon Saloon.”
Her father took a sip of coffee, inclined his head. “Dinner. Dancing. Sounds like a date to me.”
“We had a nice evening.” Gabi lifted one shoulder, flashed a smile. “I learned how to two-step.”
The nurse came in before Orlando could begin a full interrogation. By the time the RN finished checking his vital signs and administering his medications, the talk turned to family. Apparently Gabi’s brother Cisco had called that morning, and he and Orlando had enjoyed a lengthy and pleasant conversation.
“Stacey and I were chatting about older brothers at the barbecue,” Gabi said, then wondered if bringing up the Fortune Jones family was a mistake. “I believe she and Delaney had it worse. They had five older brothers. I just had four.”
“Your mother loved her boys.” A smile lifted Orlando’s lips ever so slightly. “But she cried with happiness when she finally had a daughter.”
Gabi’s heart swelled. “I miss her.”
“I do, too.” He reached over and patted her hand. “It can’t be easy for you now, being the only woman in a family of men.”
“It’s not that—” Gabi’s phone began to play a catchy Latin tune. She shot an apologetic look at her father. “Sorry. I thought I’d put it on vibrate.”
“Get it,” Orlando urged. “It may be important.”
Without even glancing at the readout, she answered the call. “This is Gabi.”
“Good morning, Gabi. This is Jude.” The rich baritone sent a flood of warmth surging through her veins. “How’s your day going?”
“It’s good.” Before she could check her reaction, her voice took on a slightly breathless quality. “I ran four miles this morning, did some housework, and now I’m going to have lunch with my father.”
“How’s he doing?”
Gabi slanted a glance at her father and found him unabashedly staring. In spite of his injuries, he looked strong enough to hop into a plane and soar into the wild blue yonder. Or stride onto a porch and stand between her and anyone of the opposite sex. “Better every day.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jude paused. “I won’t keep you, but I plan to inspect the fence on the southern border of our property tomorrow. I’d like your company. We can take the horses out. The weather is supposed to be good.”
When Jude had called her adventurous, Gabi considered that to be the supreme compliment. She’d been given a second chance at life. She was determined to embrace that life, to live to the fullest each and every day.
“Well, ah—” Gabi glanced at her father. Still staring. “I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“No worries.” Jude chuckled. “We have a mare, Sweet Betsy, who’s so gentle a two-year-old would be safe on her. I’ll have her saddled and ready for you. Is nine too early for you?”
Gabi considered her father’s schedule. Most of his therapies were in the morning when he was fully rested. If she and Jude were back by noon—and she couldn’t think why they wouldn’t be—she could come straight to the hospital and have lunch with her father.
“Nine works.”
“I’ll be by your house at—”
“There’s no reason for you to drive into town to pick me up,” Gabi told him. “I’ll meet you at your place at nine.”
“Actually, why don’t we meet at my parents’ ranch?”
“Sounds good.” Gabi found herself smiling as she ended the call. She’d always wanted to ride a horse. It looked like now she was going to have that chance.
“You’re riding a horse?”
Gabi’s back automatically stiffened at the disapproval in her father’s tone. For a second, she’d been so caught up in making plans she’d forgotten he was sitting there, sucking in every word.
“It should be fun.” When the scowl on her father’s face deepened, she added, “I bet most of the women around here ride.”
“You’re not from this area,” he said pointedly. “And you have to be extra careful.”
Gabi told herself not to go there, to simply let the subject drop. But her mouth seemed determined to open and get her into trouble. “Are you worried I’ll fall? If you are, don’t give it a second thought. Jude plans to saddle up Sweet Betsy for me. Supposedly this horse is so mild-mannered a two-year-old could ride her.”
“Yes, I’m worried about you on a horse. You’re a city girl.” Her father spoke through gritted teeth. “But I’m even more worried about you falling for a man like Jude.”
Gabi counted to five. Lifted a brow. “A man like Jude?”
“He’s got a rep.”
Without taking her eyes off her father, she leaned back in her chair, forced a casualness at odds with her hammering heart. “Tell me more.”
“He likes women,” Orlando said as if that explained it all.
“I’d say that’s a good thing.”
Her father made an impatient gesture with his good hand. “From what I’ve heard he goes from woman to woman, doesn’t stick.”
A knife sliced into her belly and twisted. Jealousy, she realized. Ridiculous, considering she and the handsome cowboy had only recently met.
“Why would that be a problem?” Gabi lifted a brow. “I live in Miami and I’m not looking to relocate.”
“I don’t want to see you hurt.”
The look in his eyes was one of love, and Gabi felt her irritation subside. “Papi.” She covered his hand with hers. “Jude is simply being nice, showing me around the area. He’s not looking for anything more than companionship. I’m not looking for more, either.”
Her father narrowed his gaze. “Does he know of your condition?”
The quick, hot surge of temper took Gabi by surprise. “I don’t have a condition,” she snapped. “I’ve had a heart transplant. I’m all better now.”
Or close enough. She was down to only two meds.
Not surprisingly, Orlando didn’t back down. “Does he know?”
“This may surprise you, but I don’t shout my medical history from the rooftops of every town I visit.” Gabi pushed back her chair with a clatter and rose to her feet. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t, either.”
She bent, kissed his leathery cheek and spoke briskly. Lunch would have to wait for another time. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’m going to run some errands, pick up a few things while I’m here in Lubbock.”
“I love you, Gabriella.” He grabbed her hand before she could move away. “Sometimes my love makes me a little overprotective.”
“A little?” She paused. Sighed. “I love you, Papi, but you need to remember I’m a grown woman. I handle my own affairs.”
“But your heart—”
“My heart—” Gabi spoke slowly and distinctly so there could be no misunderstanding “—is strong and healthy and all mine. You don’t have to worry about me giving it away to a stranger and getting hurt.”
The truth was she didn’t plan on giving her heart away to any man. Not even one who was handsome as sin and wore a black Stetson.
* * *
Jude ran into Sawyer in Vicker’s Corners, just as he finished loading supplies in the back of his pickup. When his cousin crossed the street, Jude shut the tailgate and lifted a hand in greeting.
“Looks like you’re going to be busy.” Sawyer gestured with his head toward the truck. “Don’t you know Sunday is the day of rest?”
“Not on a ranch.” Jude kept his smile easy. Although he didn’t know Sawyer well, so far he liked what he’d seen. He appreciated the way Sawyer and his wife had looked out for Gabi’s father. How a boss treated those who worked for him said a lot.
“Past lunchtime. Have you eaten?”
Jude took off his Stetson and raked a hand through his hair. “Not yet. It’s been one of those days.”
“Me, either.” Sawyer gestured toward a family-style restaurant on the corner. “Got time to grab a quick burger?”
Though there was plenty of work waiting for him back at the ranch, Jude didn’t hesitate. A man had to eat, after all.
Because it was nearly two, the after-church crowd had cleared out long ago and the only people in the place were a couple of grizzled old cowboys playing checkers at a corner table.
The hostess led them to a table by the window.
“How’s Orlando?” he asked, after Arlene, a retired schoolteacher-turned-waitress, had taken their order and brought the drinks.
“You’d know better than me.” Sawyer leaned back and relaxed against the vinyl seat, downing a good portion of his iced tea in one gulp. “I was surprised to see you with Gabi last night.”
Jude smiled and changed the subject. “How’s the accident investigation coming? Is sabotage still on the table?”
Jude had heard all about the anonymous letters received at the post office. Letters alluding that what happened to Orlando could happen again if the Fortunes didn’t pull up stakes in Horseback Hollow. He was grateful neither his brothers nor the ranch hands had brought up the letters at the bar when he’d been with Gabi.
Sawyer waited to answer until the waitress had set the food in front of them and was out of earshot. “The NTSB is still investigating. Until they file their report we won’t know for sure.”
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