Charlene Sands - The Heart of a Cowboy

“Good. That must take a load off your mind.”

“It does. I don’t know…” she began and the urge to cry suddenly reached up and grabbed her. Overwhelming feelings of melancholy, of grief, of her gratitude toward her sister, descended on her at once. She managed to hold back tears, but her voice cracked a little. “I d-don’t know what I w-would have done without her d-during the h-hard times.”

The usual hard edge in Case’s eyes softened a bit, and he said carefully, “Your sister wants to help you, Sarah. She loves you.”

“I know. It’s just that she’s sacrificed so much already for me.”

“Delaney wouldn’t think of it that way.”

Her sister had postponed their family vacation to Hawaii just to stay with her for the summer. She’d left her husband for weeks at a time, and disrupted her household. Sarah hated asking anything more of her. Being an independent soul and having lost her parents at a young age, Sarah had gone all through her adult life without depending on anyone. Except Reid. But that was different, she surmised because married people were supposed to help and support one another. Without Reid by her side, Sarah knew she’d be on her own. The grandmother who raised her and Delaney passed away three years ago.

If she had to, she’d face childbirth alone, too, but Delaney insisted she wanted to be a part of the baby’s birth. She’d been enthusiastic about the delivery and so caring that Sarah would never be able to fully repay the favor, or show Delaney just how much her selfless help had meant to her.

“Delaney has been wonderful,” she said, thinking aloud.

Sarah noticed that Case had stopped eating. Half a slice of pie still sat on his plate. Oh Lord, that’s all she needed. Make the man feel so sorry for you that he loses his gigantic appetite, Sarah. “Your ice cream is melting, Case.”

He grinned and lifted his spoon. “Never could take a teary-eyed woman.”

“I’m not teary-eyed,” she said with indignation. It was better to spar with Case than have him feel sorry for her. Sarah hated the moods that came hand in hand with pregnancy. Often she knew she was being irrational or just plain difficult, but she was powerless to stop it.

“Yes, ma’am.”

A dollop of ice cream landed on his chin and stayed there. Without conscious thought, Sarah leaned over and wiped away the droplet with her finger. Case grabbed her finger gently and peered deep into her eyes, holding her hand to his chin. Temptation and danger cast a dark spark in his gaze. Sarah’s heartbeats sped up just looking into those eyes. His touch did things to her, things she didn’t want to encourage or entertain yet she’d certainly felt it and was powerless to slow the pace of her heart. “If you were any other woman,” he said, letting her imagination take hold, “this might have gotten interesting.”

Sarah knew all too well what happened when Case got “interested.” For about five minutes in his life, she’d been the object of his desire on her prom night. That evening had been a disaster. Not only had Case tricked her but he’d also made Sarah doubt herself and her love for Reid. That had been a hard pill to swallow because of all the men in the world, Reid Jarrett deserved her love completely and unconditionally. He was a good man, solid and sure. Sarah had been enraged with Case and his hard-hearted game. He’d proven outright that he could never be trusted.

“But I’m not,” she responded firmly, removing her hand from his chin, “any other woman.”

She was his brother’s pregnant widow and a woman who would always be wary of him. That about sized it up. She couldn’t allow her bouts of loneliness to sway her resolve.

Eyes twinkling now, in direct contrast to the hot look he’d just given her, he had the good sense to back off. “No, ma’am. You’re certainly not just any woman, Sarah.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve always known that.”

The soft way he said those words brought unexpected tingles and Sarah hid her smile. At eight months pregnant, Sarah wasn’t used to hearing too many compliments.

She put her head down and toyed with her salad.

“Well hello, cowboy,” a deep sultry voice called from across the room. Sarah snapped her head up to find Case frowning, then followed the line of his vision. Josie Miller, one of Case’s old girlfriends, sauntered up to the table. The leggy redhead had eyes only for Case.

“Hello, Josie.” Case seemed to eye her with typical male scrutiny.

“How’ve you been, Case. Long time, huh?”

“Yeah, I’d say it’s been a long time.” Case pushed his dish away and stretched out. “Just got back in town, actually. I took Sarah to her doctor’s appointment today.”

Sarah wanted to scream from the proprietary way Case had thrown that bit of information out. She’d just barely allowed him to accompany her to that appointment and Case made it sound as if…as if they would be sharing more than her medical appointments.

Josie’s wide smile faded, glancing from Case to her. “Oh, hello, Sarah. When’s the baby due? You look like you’re ready to pop.”

“Babies don’t pop, Josie,” Case said, coming to Sarah’s defense before she had a chance to respond. It more than irritated her that Case would be answering questions on her behalf.

“The baby’s due in about one month, Josie.”

“Oh, that so?” Josie swung her hip in Case’s direction, but he didn’t appear to notice.

“Yes,” Sarah answered. “I can hardly wait.”

Josie tossed her long red hair off her shoulder. “I bet. You plan on being the surrogate daddy, Case?” The woman seemed truly intent on his answer.

“Well, I, uh.” Case blinked and fumbled with an answer. “Not exactly.”

“My child will know who his father is, Josie. And that Case is his uncle.” Sarah hoped she left no room for doubt.

“I see. Sure. The three of you all, living in that little ole ranch house together. Seems to me, that baby might get a teeny bit confused.”

Heat surged up Sarah’s throat and stung her face. She couldn’t look at Case. She couldn’t look at Josie. The woman hit the nail right on the head. Sarah had been thinking that very thing ever since Case showed up yesterday. She hadn’t expected his arrival and now all sorts of doubts were filtering in about their living arrangements once the baby came.

She’d planned on keeping Reid’s memory alive by speaking of him often and showing her child pictures of his father. But Case was the spitting image of Reid. With all three of them living under one roof, things could get confusing all the way around.

“I’m sure you folks will work it all out,” Josie said smugly, then directed her attention back to Case, “but if you get at all tired of the family scene, Case, you have my number. Don’t hesitate.”

Case pursed his lips and nodded grimly. “’Night, Josie.”

“Same to you all,” she said sweetly.

“She’s not subtle,” Sarah said, once Josie returned to her table across the diner. Sarah decided to keep Josie’s marital problems to herself having never been one to gossip. But the fact remained Josie had been married and divorced twice since high school.

Case chuckled, his tight face giving way to a smile. “She never was.”

“You liked her once.”

“I liked a lot of women, once.” He let out a deep sigh. “Those days are long gone.”

Sarah found that hard to believe. Case Jarrett with his devastating good looks and aloof attitude had been a heartbreaker. He liked women, all kinds of women and had always been the first to admit that. “You don’t mean you plan on settling down, do you?”

That could solve her problem. If Case had a wife, then Sarah wouldn’t feel so doggone awkward with him underfoot.

Case shook his head. “Noooo. Settling down means getting involved with a woman. I’ve just about sworn off females.”

“I give you about a week, Case.”

“I’m serious,” he said, leaning forward. “I’m going to focus on the ranch and…uh—”

“And?” Case was holding something back. She could see it in his eyes and in the way his shoulders stiffened.

“Nothing, Sarah. You ready to go?”

“Yes. I’m all through.”

“Let’s get on back home,” he said impatiently.

Sarah cringed inwardly at how Case used the very same expression Reid would whisper in her ear when he was impatient to get Sarah home. To make love. They’d spend a long sweet night together, loving.

How different her life was now.

There’d be no more nights of love and no more sweet embraces.

The only thing she had to look forward to was the arrival of the baby. That would be enough to see her through long lonely nights.

On the way home, Case pulled up to the Beckman Bridle Homes trailer located just outside of Prescott. The sign out front showed a planned community with a country club, golf course and boasted five hundred new “bridle path homes.” Hell, every damn ranch within a twenty-mile radius was a bridle path home. And if the path wasn’t there, you simply mounted your cow pony and etched one out of the land.

“Case, what are you doing here?” Sarah asked.

“I was thinking I’d go in there and give those land agents a piece of my mind.”

“I don’t think they’ll come around again.”

“Look at that sign, Sarah,” he said, gesturing toward the large painted signpost. “Doesn’t appear to me that they’re going to give up. Looks as though they got this whole thing planned and nothing’s going to stop them. I heard that five ranches have already agreed to their terms.”

“Case, I can’t say as I blame them. The smaller ranches haven’t turned a profit in years. Those folks were just barely holding on. The offer came at a good time for them.”

“And what about McPherson’s barn? Don’t folks care that these people they’re selling to have no compunction?”

“I know it seems suspicious, Case, but we have no proof that Beckman Corporation had anything to do with that fire. Could have been an accident.”

He scoffed at that. Case was certain that barn burned down because of foul play. He wasn’t going to let anything like that happen at the Triple R. He doubted the corporation would buckle under just because one woman lifted a rifle and shooed their agent off the property. Brave as she was, Sarah just didn’t have it in her to truly intimidate another living soul. That Merriman fella probably just decided to leave the pregnant woman be and find another approach.

“Besides, Case. It looks like they’re closed for the day.”

Case did a cursory glance and found Sarah to be right. Everything looked locked up good and tight as the small Closed sign on the far right window indicated.

“Yeah, guess you’re right.” Case would have to deal with them later. It was best Sarah not be around when he did. He wouldn’t want her to get upset if things got ugly.

Case drove off slowly, noting Sarah putting her hand on her abdomen. “Everything okay?” he asked, peering at her from the corner of his eye.

A warm smile graced her face. “Yeah, just fine, Case. The baby is moving a whole lot.”

Case swallowed a lump in his throat. He’d never been the sentimental type, but seeing Sarah so at peace, enjoying the movements of that little babe, twisted something in his gut.

“He gets fidgety this time of night,” Sarah said softly.

“Does it hurt, with him moving around like that?” Heck, it wasn’t as if there was lots of room in there.

“No, doesn’t hurt at all. Oh,” she said sharply, then smiled, “but he’s very active. I think he just kicked my ribs.”