“Good. Where are you going?”
“Actually, I’ll be staying on a ranch.”
“A ranch?”
“Yep.”
“Do they have horsees?”
“I believe they do.”
“And cowboys?” Scotty’s eyes had been wide with excitement.
“And cowboys,” he’d confirmed as an idea had formed in his mind.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to bring him along, but even now, some three hours later, Alec still felt it was the right one. Scott’s preschool was over for the summer. Alec spent far too much time away from his son because of the requirements of his work. This wacky situation actually might provide some time to spend with his son, an experience both he and Scotty would remember.
The only negative he could see was the possibility Shea and Scott might bond, which could be tough on the boy when it was time to leave. It was because of this concern Alec elected to not mention the marriage. To tell Scotty he had a mother only to take him away from her a couple of weeks later was just wrong. He wouldn’t do that to Scott.
Alec’s mouth quirked as he thought of Shea and the days ahead. As far as he knew, Shea had no children and possibly no experience with a four-year-old. This unexpected twist could prove very interesting.
He rose from his seat and entered the area of the plane set up as his office. They were still an hour out from DFW. He might as well get some work done while he could. He had a feeling his time away from the ranch had provided Shea with ample opportunity to put some plans in motion to try to make him give up and leave.
Good luck with that.
“Okay, that should do her,” Shea said, removing the rubber surgical gloves and giving the mare’s shoulder a pat. “Take her back to the stall and keep an eye on her.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Hank picked up his hat and slapped it against his leg to dislodge some of the dirt before fitting it firmly onto his head.
The mare carried one of the best bloodlines in a five-state region. It was the boost this ranch needed. That was the only reason Shea tolerated Bonnie Blue’s ridiculous temperament every time the mare needed medical care. Thankfully, it didn’t happen often.
With three cowboys holding the high-strung horse, Shea had still been thrown hard against the side of the barn when she’d attempted to inject a tranquilizer. Her shoulder had absorbed most of the impact, providing a painful souvenir she would no doubt carry for a few days. Once the tranquilizer had begun to take effect, it took no time to stitch the mare’s cut, apply a topical dressing and give Bonnie Blue the added safety of a tetanus booster.
Shea bent to pick up the discarded cotton, linens and syringes, not bothering to watch the three lanky cowboys lead the now docile mare out of the paddock. When she again looked up, the breath died in her throat as she found herself staring directly into Alec’s scowling face.
He’d gone from being like a character from a foggy, half-forgotten dream to suddenly materializing right in front of her as a crystal clear vision. And he was as disturbingly handsome as ever. His tall stature, the broad width of his shoulders and the sheer male essence of him seemed even more pronounced than she remembered.
As she approached the paddock gate, Alec swung it open and then closed it behind her.
“You want to tell me just what in the hell you were doing?”
“What do you mean?” She frowned, clueless as to what he could be talking about.
“You. That horse. You were almost killed.”
Rolling her eyes, she moved to walk past him but the distinctive voice of a child abruptly shattered the tension of the moment, halting her in midstride.
“Boy, oh boy! That was cool!”
Shea’s head snapped around in surprise. She focused on a small boy clinging precariously to the centerboard of the paddock fence, allowing the crown of his head and two large round eyes to peek over the top.
The child jumped from his perch and ran toward the gate to stand directly in front of Shea.
“Are you all right?” His small face held a look of genuine concern. “Did the horse hurt your arm?”
“No, I’m...fine.” She sent a questioning glance at Alec.
“This is Scotty.” He watched her face as if ready to gauge her reaction. “My son.”
Shea blinked. More than twice. Alec had a child? Good Lord! Devils didn’t normally produce such angelic-looking offspring, did they?
“Scotty, this is Shea.”
She knew a look of disbelief covered her features as she leaned over, bringing her closer to eye-level with the boy.
“Hi, Scotty.” She forced a smile and held out her hand. The boy placed his small hand in hers and produced a wide grin. Then, mysteriously struck with a bout of shyness, he stepped back to stand closer to his father, his arm around Alec’s leg.
“You never told me you had a son.”
Alec flexed his shoulders. “So now you know. As I was about to leave I mentioned I would be staying on a ranch.” Alec looked down at his son before returning those tawny eyes to her. “He wanted to come and see the horses and cowboys.”
Are you freaking kidding me? She could only gasp as her blood pressure shot up to dangerous heights. Momentarily at a total loss for words, she forced herself to breathe deep and stared at the man standing four feet in front of her. He was insane. This child had no business on a working ranch. Not only had this conceited lunatic returned, but he’d brought an innocent child along as his backup. And she’d thought the situation couldn’t possibly get any worse.
“Are you ready for the next one, Shea?” Hank asked from the side door of the main barn.
“Take a break, Hank.” Her voice was unnaturally high even to her own ears.
“We need to talk.” She shot an if-looks-could-kill glance at Alec and headed to the house, muttering under her breath.
Her shoulder throbbed. She longed for a nice hot soak in the tub and something to eat, but until she finished checking and treating the remaining horses, she knew she couldn’t stop. The preliminary work for the annual fall roundup and branding would begin in earnest in just a few weeks. There was a great deal of preparation between now and then, and most of it rested on her shoulders. Alec couldn’t have picked a worse time to return. Let alone with a child in tow.
Entering the kitchen, she tossed the dirty gauze into the trash bin before washing her hands. To give herself time to calm down she took a pitcher of tea from the refrigerator and set three glasses on the counter. Adding ice to two before filling them with tea, she then poured fresh milk into the third.
“Have a seat,” she told Alec, indicating the kitchen chairs when he and Scotty followed her inside. Her eyes were drawn to the child. She guessed his age to be four or five. He was a miniature of his father except his hair was several shades lighter than Alec’s dark mahogany brown.
“If you look in the big jar on the cabinet, I think you’ll find some cookies.”
Scotty wasted no time in pulling a chair over to the counter and climbing up to reach the cookie jar.
“Can I have two?” He flashed a smile that would melt the coldest heart. She’d bet he’d learned that from his father.
“Sure.” She tried to return his smile but wasn’t fully convinced she’d pulled it off. “There are some paper towels next to the sink. Grab one and your cookies and follow me. You can watch cartoons while I talk with your dad.”
“I like cartoons.”
With Scotty contentedly watching TV and munching on the homemade cookies in the next room, Shea returned to the kitchen and joined Alec at the table.
He’d shed his usual business suit; snug-fitting jeans now hugged his muscled thighs and a tan sports shirt hung casually from his broad shoulders. Ostrich-skin boots completed the ensemble and to her surprise, they weren’t new. His tawny eyes were as compelling and enigmatic as ever.
“You said you wanted to talk?” Alec sat back in the chair looking completely at ease.
“Yeah.” She set the glasses of tea on the table and dropped into a chair opposite Alec. Where to begin? What to say to a complete schmuck? “This is a working ranch. What you saw out there today happens all the time. It’s what we do. This is not a pony club or a dude ranch. We don’t cater to novices who don’t know the nose from the back end of a horse. A child could get hurt, especially a little one who has never been around livestock. I cannot halt the operations of this ranch to play nursemaid to either one of you.”
He merely looked at her, his eyes sliding from her mouth to her breasts and back to her eyes. It was unnerving. He was unnerving.
“Every year we usually find at least two poisonous snakes near the main barn or around the house,” she continued, determined to ignore the pulsing sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Go into the forested sections and you’re likely to find cougars or bear. There are wild boars that can take a man’s leg off. This is no place for a child.”
“Sorry. Maybe I misunderstood. Didn’t you grow up here?”
She could only glare. What could she honestly say to that?
“I will not be held responsible if an innocent little boy gets hurt.”
He shrugged. “I’ll have a talk with Scott. Tell me his boundaries and I’ll see he stays within them.”
“Then tell him to stay inside this house.”