"Daddy, Daddy, Dad." CJ tugged at his pants' leg to get his attention. "Can we play ball now? Mom won't play."
That was Cord's cue to quirk his brow. "Really? Huh." He knew damn well Jolie had been an all-state softball player who threw harder than many of the guys in their high school.
Jolie rolled her eyes as she popped the rear hatch and dragged out a backpack, a little wheeled suitcase and a very large floppy dog. She carried everything to the top of the steps and handed the stuffed animal to CJ and the backpack to Cord. "I haven't had time."
"Do you have time now?"
Jolie narrowed her gaze. "To play ball?"
"No, to stay for dinner."
She opened her mouth to decline but CJ jumped in to rescue him. "Please, Mommy?" He bobbed his head in an emphatic nod. "What're we havin'? Is Miss Beth cookin'?"
"Nope, bubba. Me. I have the grill fired up for some burgers and hot dogs." He adopted CJ's winsome expression and turned it on Jolie. "Please? Miz Beth did make homemade ice cream, and if it gets any cooler, I thought maybe we could roast marshmallows and make s'mores. You used to love s'mores." He was not above wheedling shamelessly.
"Please, Mommy. You fix my stuff just right. You can show Daddy. Right, Daddy?" CJ transferred his tugs from Cord's jeans to his hand.
"Right, CJ."
"Don't you think for a minute I don't know what you're up to, Cordell Barron."
CJ giggled, and both adults looked at him. "Are you in trouble?"
Laughing, Cord hefted the backpack up on his shoulder so he could ruffle the boy's hair without letting go of his hand. "I'm pretty much always in trouble with your mom, bubba." He glanced at Jolie but she wouldn't meet his gaze. "So how 'bout it, Mom? Will you stay for dinner?"
"I have to go."
"So you have plans?" Cord worked to keep his poker face in place. "Stay for dinner, Jolie. Help CJ get settled in, 'kay?"
She narrowed her eyes, and he fully expected her to start shaking her "mother finger" at him. Miz Beth always did when she knew he'd been up to something nefarious.
"Please, Mommy? Pretty please with gummy worms and whipped cream on top?"
Laughing, Jolie put one hand on her hip in mock dismay. "You're the one who likes gummy worms, CJ."
"Yeah, your mom's weakness is white chocolate."
A flicker of surprise crossed her expression and Cord wondered why. He remembered everything about her.
"Nothing's going to happen, Cord." Yet he saw the moment she capitulated.
He did his best to look innocent before turning toward the front entrance. CJ trotted along, still holding his hand. When the two of them reached the massive wooden door, they both turned to check on Jolie. She still stood rooted to the spot where they'd left her.
"S'mores, Mom." CJ had his best look of entreaty firmly in place.
Cord grinned and winked. "Yeah, Mom. S'mores. I even have white chocolate for yours."
Jolie threw up her hands, grabbed the handle of the suitcase and dragged it along with her. She laughed when Cord and CJ high-fived and did her best to nip the warm feelings budding inside her. She'd wanted this her whole life-this teasing closeness that families had. Well, families other than her own. An only child, she'd envied her friends their siblings, including Cord with all his brothers and cousins. One big rowdy family. Like musketeers. She'd wanted to be a musketeer.
Leaving CJ's paraphernalia tucked into an alcove in the entry hall, Cord ushered them through the house toward the back patio. Jolie dragged her feet, turning in the occasional circle to see everything. She'd never been inside. There were soaring ceilings with open beams, a stacked stone fireplace, oversize leather couches and chairs, thick rugs on the heart of pine floor. Native American and Western art adorned the walls.
They passed a formal dining room with a deer-antler chandelier and she got a peek at the gourmet kitchen before Cord opened the French doors leading to the flagstone patio. There was an outdoor kitchen nicer than most people had in their homes out there.
Cord played the perfect host. He'd thought of everything. Drinks-red fruit punch for CJ, sweet tea with a fresh slice of orange for her. A tray with fixings for their burgers. Chili and cheese.
And then there was the man himself, presiding over the grill while CJ played with one of the ranch dogs and she lounged near the fire pit crackling with piñon wood. How many times had she dreamed of just such a scenario back when she was young and dumb? More times than she wanted to admit.
A beautiful heated pool was built into the edge of the patio. Steam rose as the temperature continued to cool, and the lulling sound of a man-made waterfall murmured in the background. Beyond the pool, a beautifully landscaped yard stretched toward the working part of the ranch-barns, corrals and cottages where the ranch hands lived. It was a revelation, and she understood now why all the Barron brothers loved the place. The mansion in Nichols Hills had been their residence during the school year. The ranch was their home. Christmas. Birthdays. Summer vacations.
Jolie had attended parties at the Nichols Hills house. She'd never been invited to the ranch. Until now. She didn't want to wonder why, didn't want the insecurity, anger and hurt from that long-ago time to rear its ugly head. Tonight they could be friends. They could share her son... She sighed and rethought that. Their son. Being honest, she was terrified Cord would somehow steal CJ away, turn him against her the way Cyrus Barron had turned Cord. And she wasn't ready to share CJ's affection, even as she watched him run to Cord and throw his arms around his dad's thighs and babble excitedly.
She didn't want to see the honest emotion on Cord's face as he listened patiently, as his hand rested on CJ's head, fingers mussing hair the exact same color as his. She didn't have to see their eyes to know they were two peas in a pod. Barron DNA didn't fall far from the tree.
"Mom!"
She blinked from her reverie to realize that CJ had called her several times and now stood in front of her, hands on his hips. "What, baby?"
"I'm not a baby. Daddy says food's ready. I need you to fix my hot dog, 'cept I wanna try some chili and some cheese and lots and lots of mustard."
Jolie glanced at Cord. Chili was his condiment of choice. He ate it on his hamburgers. Hot dogs. Eggs. He'd probably put it on ice cream if the ice cream wouldn't melt. She pushed off the lounger and walked over to the counter next to the built-in grill. With CJ telling her exactly how much of everything he wanted, she fixed his plate and installed him at the wrought iron table, cloth napkin firmly tied around his neck. When she returned to start putting together her own meal, Cord handed a plate to her. Hamburger with sliced Parmesan cheese, Romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing.
He remembered. How did he do that? And did he realize she hadn't eaten a burger dressed this way since they'd broken up? Her throat closed and burned as she blinked back unwanted tears. This was the man she remembered-the sweet one who spoiled her. But she really needed to remember the bastard who'd ripped out her heart and then stomped on it, grinding it beneath the heels of his expensive Western boots.
"Mom!" CJ stood up in his chair, waving his arms at her. "C'mon, Mom. I'm hungry."
"Go sit down, sunshine. I'll refill your tea and be right there."
With a warm hand on the small of her back, Cord urged her toward the table. Did he know? Could he feel the blood rushing through her veins so fast it pounded in her ears? She hoped not. She needed every advantage to keep him at arm's length.
Dinner was a blur, so much so she didn't even fuss at CJ for blowing bubbles-egged on by Cord-through the straw in his fruit punch. He ate everything on his plate and asked for seconds. This time his father fixed his hot dog. Perfectly, just as he'd done with her burger. Ice cream followed, and then CJ headed out into the yard dotted with lights to play tag and fetch with the dog, a huge, shaggy beast of indiscriminate heritage.
"You realize he's going to want a dog now, right?"
"What?" She glanced over as Cord settled onto the giant lounger next to her. His burned-honey eyes glowed warm and tempting in the incandescent shine from the landscape lights.
"He's going to bug you for a dog."
She chuckled. "And? He's been doing that practically from the time he could talk. Why do you think I had to drag Ducky out here?"
Cord got that sexy amused expression that used to melt her panties. "Ah, would that be the shapeless lump of fake fur napping in the entry?"
"Yup."
"Ducky?"
"He's a big Marmaduke fan but couldn't pronounce the name. He finally shortened it to Ducky."
"A kid after my own heart."
Jolie rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you still watch cartoons..."
Cord laughed and every muscle in her body wanted to sing with joy as the sound washed over her. "I could be perfectly happy with only one channel on TV, so long as it was the Cartoon Network."