Her Cowboy Hero (The Colorado Cades) (15 page)

“Flatterer.” Pleasure glinted in her bright eyes, reminding him of the way she’d looked at him last night as they eagerly helped each other undress.

With effort, he reminded himself that Evan could interrupt at any moment and that Todd was waiting.

“I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be gone, but I should be ho—” A pang hit him. No matter how comfortable he was growing with Hannah and Evan, this wasn’t his home. They weren’t his family. “I should be back by dinner.”

“Okay.” Her voice carefully casual, she asked, “What about after dinner? Any special plans for tonight?”

The smile she gave him sent need roaring through him. His mouth went dry, and he had to swallow before answering. “I’m at your disposal. Just tell me what needs to be done.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She peered up through her lashes. “Last night, you did an excellent job figuring that out with no instruction from me. I’m confident you will again.”

As he left the house, Colin spared a quick mental apology to Todd. There was only one thing Colin would be able to concentrate on today, and it was not building a shed that was structurally sound.

* * *

A
THIN
SLIVER
of moonlight shone through the window, lighting where her fingers were laced with Colin’s. They were both lying on their sides, with his arm around her. Hannah couldn’t see his expression, but the teasing note in his voice made it easy to imagine.

“I should probably let you go so you can alphabetize your spice rack or spackle holes in a guest-room wall,” he said.

Was he never going to let her live down that first night? They’d been together four times since then, and although sex with him still gave her an incredible rush, she’d never left again with such a frantically awkward goodbye.

“It’s uncouth to mock a woman while she’s naked,” she said primly. “And for the record, my spice rack is already alphabetized.”

That made him laugh, a rumble that went through his chest and vibrated against her back. “You’re right, I shouldn’t mock you,” he said, not sounding the least bit sorry. But he made up for it by trailing his fingers through her hair. He toyed with the strands and massaged her neck until she was thoroughly relaxed and drowsy. It would be so easy to close her eyes and drift off for a little while.

It wasn’t until she jerked herself awake with a sharp jolt that she realized she’d actually started to doze. She should be in her bed. What if Evan called out for her in the middle of the night, or even came looking for her? And heaven forbid she accidentally stay here until morning. It wasn’t just a question of what her son would think, either. She didn’t know how Colin would react if she spent the night in his arms. It would alter the pattern they’d developed, their unspoken agreement.

During the day, they went about their work separately and kept their relationship scrupulously platonic. But she lived for that moment when, once Evan was asleep, Colin held out his hand and silently led her up the stairs. She hadn’t fully realized how much she’d begun looking forward to that until she’d come up yesterday morning to work on one of the guest rooms. The simple act of walking up the staircase had left her besieged with mental images of them together.

And now it was time to go back down those stairs, to reality. With a sigh, she pulled away from him.

He kissed her shoulder. “Leaving?”

She nodded, half wishing he’d try to talk her out of it, at least for a few more minutes. “I need to go.” But it was getting more difficult every time she did it.

* * *

W
HEN
SHE
HEARD
the front door open downstairs Saturday afternoon, Hannah experienced a twinge of vanity, wishing she’d had time to clean up after the past two hours of painting an upstairs bedroom. She knew she had flecks of pale peach on her denim shorts and her arms. With the weather becoming increasingly warm, she was wearing a tank top. Her hair was piled on her head and haphazardly secured with an elastic band. It was not her most glamorous look.

Yet when she reached the bottom step, Colin grinned, looking every bit as pleased to see her as he did when she wore a dress and makeup.

“Just the lady I was looking for. I figured everyone would be in the kitchen.” He cocked his head, taking in the quiet. “Did you and Evan eat lunch already?”

Passing by him, she shook her head, relishing her secret too much to share it yet. “Nope.” She detoured to the front door and let Scarlett outside to run around the ranch. Hannah might have to bathe a muddy dog later, but making sure the dog didn’t interrupt them would be worth it. “Hungry?”

“I could eat.” Lowering his voice, he added, “But mostly I just want to be in a room with you for a while.”

In the kitchen, she poured herself some water while Colin pulled meat and cheese out of the refrigerator. She downed the water, then shared her news. “It’ll just be you and me for lunch today. Evan isn’t here. Annette borrowed him as her ‘excuse to see an animated movie.’ They left for a matinee about fifteen minutes ago.”

Colin had gone completely still. “We have the house to ourselves?”

“For at least two hours.” She felt as wickedly liberated as a teenager whose parents left her alone for the weekend.

His lips curved in that slow grin she’d come to love so much. “And you were going to let me waste part of it with a sandwich?” He advanced on her, scooping her into his arms. Laughter burbled through her, accompanied by need.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, she said breathlessly, “My room’s closer.”

Moments later, he was laying her across her bed. But he didn’t immediately join her. Instead, he stood, staring so intently that she squirmed beneath the scrutiny.

“What? Paint smears on my face?”

“No. I’m taking a second to savor the reality. I think about you down here sometimes, after you leave my room. There’s just one thing...” He slid his fingers through her hair and carefully removed the elastic band, spreading the dark waves in a cascade across her pillow. “Perfect.”

“A sweaty woman in cutoffs and speckled with Apricot Sorbet?” She smirked. “I think you may be confused about the definition of perfection.”

He pulled off his boots, then rolled onto the bed with her, smiling into her eyes. “If I am, it’s only because you redefine the word every day.”

His words were like wine, making her light-headed with their sweetness. She tilted her face toward his, expecting a kiss, but he was preoccupied with inching up her tank top. It occurred to her that, previously, Colin had seen her body only in the dark. Now midday sun streamed through her windows. She had mixed feelings about that, but she got distracted when his fingers began following the path of his gaze, circling her stomach, dipping over her navel, teasing the underside of her breasts.

Arousal shimmered through her, her body liquid with it. But why should he be the only one who got to explore? This was a new opportunity for her as well as him. She let him raise the tank top over her arms, but then caught his hands when he reached for her bra.

“Your turn.” Her voice came out in a husky command. “Lose the shirt, cowboy.”

He was quick to oblige. She swallowed at the strong shoulders and chiseled chest he bared. If the man wanted to know the definition of perfection, all he had to do was look in a mirror.
And I have free reign to touch him.
Giddy with sensual power, she pushed against him with both hands, guiding him onto his back. She straddled him, then went up on her knees to slide off her denim shorts and kick them free.

Colin watched, rapt, his desire for her etched on his face. His obvious appreciation emboldened her. Eyes locked on his, she slowly removed her bra. He groaned, pulling her down for a hot kiss. Working together, they unfastened and removed his jeans. With his hands on her hips, he started to navigate her back atop him, but she had other ideas. They had two hours, and she wanted to make them count. She leisurely kissed her way down his chest and over the taut plane of his abdomen until she reached his erection. His hips bucked, her name a strangled cry on his lips.

By the time she finally seated herself on him, he let her set the pace for only a few minutes before rolling them both over and driving into her with desperate longing. Sensation tingled from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, and her climax was so explosive she felt as if she’d been flung from her body.

Once her vision returned to normal and she was no longer seeing bright red starbursts, her usual postorgasmic delirious energy flooded her. She sat, grinning down at the big, strong cowboy who looked completely poleaxed.

“Still want that sandwich?” she asked. She was starving.

“Forget the sandwich.” His breathing was ragged. “What I really need is medical attention.”

She chuckled. “Should I apologize?”

“Don’t you dare.” He cupped her face in his hands. “That was...”

“I know.” She kissed him, her humor fading into something poignant and a little scary. This was uncharted territory for them. They’d had sex before, but it was more personal, here in her bedroom, in broad daylight.

If they ate lunch quickly, they might have time to share a shower, which would be another first. Unsure where her bra had landed, she simply shrugged into Colin’s discarded shirt. It fell nearly to her knees.

“I will be back with food,” she promised.

“You’re an angel.” He had his arm thrown over his forehead, and his eyes were closed. Would he be asleep when she returned? She had some creative ideas on how to wake him.

In the kitchen, she made two sandwiches and put them both on the same plate. She also poured two glasses of ice-cold water, then carefully balanced it all to carry.

Colin was wearing his boxer briefs but nothing else, and the sight of him sitting in her bed felt so natural that she wondered how she’d get used to his
not
being here. He reached for the plate and one of the glasses. She set the other on the nightstand, then moved away from him.

“You’re not joining me?” he asked, puzzled.

“I’ll be back in a flash.” She’d decided that, as a precaution, she should text Annette with a request to call when they were on their way back. It would be easy for Hannah to lose track of time, and the last thing she wanted was to be caught unaware when her son came barreling into the house at his usual Mach 10. But her cell phone was in her purse on the living room coffee table.

She’d just scooped it up when she heard a vehicle outside. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm as she gauged the distance to the hallway. They hadn’t bothered to shut the storm door, and she’d be visible through the screen.
Crap.
Unless the projector at the movie theater had malfunctioned, there was no way Annette was back so soon. Hannah wasn’t expecting anyone else. Whoever it was, it looked as if she’d be chasing them off dressed only in Colin’s shirt. Luckily, it more than covered her. She tried not to think about her disheveled hair.

A closing door was followed by quick footsteps on the porch. She craned her head around to peek and felt her jaw drop in surprise when she locked gazes with the stranger. He was shorter than Colin and there were crinkles around his eyes, a mobility to his face that made him look as if he laughed easily and frequently. But the handsome features and dark-haired, light-eyed coloring were the same. Although she’d never seen a picture of him, she knew instantly who he was.

“You’re Colin’s brother,” she said through the screen.

He looked every bit as surprised as she was but recovered with a grin. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Justin—the good-looking Cade brother.” There was no come-on in his tone, just a surfeit of humor. “And based on your knowing me, this must be the right place. Hannah Shaw?” His gaze swept over her, his eyes dancing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Chapter Thirteen

When Colin heard the familiar sound of his brother’s voice, his first thought was that he must have fallen asleep while waiting for Hannah to return.
Having a nightmare.
He hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of so much as talking to his siblings about Hannah and her son. Actually facing them here at Silver Linings would be infinitely worse.

But then he heard the murmur of Hannah saying something he couldn’t make out and Justin’s unmistakable laugh in reply. Dear Lord—it wasn’t a dream.
What is he doing here?
As Colin shoved his legs into his jeans, he glanced around for his shirt, belatedly remembering that Hannah wore it. Was she wearing anything else? Jealousy pinched at him. Colin loathed the idea of any man seeing Hannah without all of her clothes, even knowing how devoted Justin was to his fiancée.

Then Colin realized that, for all he knew, Elisabeth had come along with his brother. It could be a damn family reunion right in Hannah’s living room. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he lumbered toward the front of the house, uncharacteristically clumsy and feeling as if he were slogging his way through waist-deep wet cement.

Hannah flashed him a bemused smile over her shoulder. “Look who’s here.” She didn’t seem to mind the intrusion, but he was sure she had questions about why Colin’s brother had suddenly appeared out of the blue.

She’s not the only one.

“Justin, have you eaten lunch?” she asked. Colin had long since recognized that offering food was her default setting when she wasn’t sure how to handle a social situation.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, I insist you stay and join us for dinner,” she said, pointedly ignoring Colin’s scowl. “I don’t know what your plans are, but you’re welcome to spend the night, too, if you’re not picky about the digs. We’re in the middle of redecorating. Colin can show you upstairs. Meanwhile, I’ll go...” She glanced down as if just remembering her unorthodox wardrobe. Her gaze slid to Colin’s bare chest, and her cheeks flooded red. They might as well have been wearing sandwich boards that read We Had Sex. “I’ll, um, let you two catch up.”

She made tracks for the back of the house, where her bedroom door shut loudly.

Justin’s eyebrows shot up, and Colin silently dared him to say anything about their appearances. But for a change, the Cade who had a quip for every occasion was at a loss for words. So Colin started.

“What the devil are you doing here?”

“A guy can’t come visit his big brother?”

Narrowing his eyes, Colin waited for the real answer.

“Could be worse, bro. I could’ve brought Arden with me.”

Colin barely repressed a shudder.

“Hey, if you don’t want our sister sending out search parties, you have to learn to answer your phone. She’s got a bee in her bonnet. With my wedding fast approaching, she’s worried that you...” He looked uncomfortable.

It took a second for Colin to follow the implication. With Justin about to tie the knot, Arden was concerned about the poor widower in the family, afraid the wedding would bring up too many difficult memories for him. Truthfully, her own ceremony
had
been tough for him. But now—

Guilt nailed him with the force of a ricocheting bullet. He realized he hadn’t thought about Natalie or Danny a single time in
days.
It was as if they hadn’t even existed. What was happening to him? When had he made the shift from enjoying an affair that he and Hannah both recognized couldn’t last to playing house with her and Evan?

Justin was talking again, faster now, as if he could patch the gaping awkwardness with words. “Anyway. You know how Arden is. And it’s worse with her pregnant. She almost jumped in the car and tracked you down herself, but Garrett talked her out of it. Our compromise was that I’d take the weekend off and come check on you.”

Justin’s primary job was ski patrol, but during spring and summer months, he worked at the lodge his future in-laws owned, leading hikes and rafting excursions and administering first aid. “I’m sorry I haven’t been taking her calls,” Colin said gruffly.
Very
sorry, now that he was paying the consequences. “But I needed time alone, space to think.”
In other words, get lost.
“Good news, you don’t have to sacrifice your weekend babysitting me. Go back and tell our sister I’m...fine.” He choked on the word. Ironically, he had been doing fine. But the sudden realization of just how well he’d been doing knocked him for a loop. It was if he’d fallen into an alternate reality.

“Go back? I just got here.” An unrepentant half grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he met Colin’s irritated gaze. “Besides, the lady of the house invited me to stay for dinner.”

* * *

H
ANNAH
REALLY
LIKED
Colin’s brother—Justin Cade was funny and charming and quick to offer his help, both with painting upstairs and peeling potatoes for dinner. Yet as enjoyable as his company was, she kind of wished he’d go away and never come back. Because ever since he’d shown up at her front door, Colin had withdrawn so far that he was a shell of himself.

Dinner was bearable only because Justin and Evan carried the conversation. Her son had been delighted by their surprise guest, and Annette had been so openly curious that Hannah had been afraid she’d have to set an extra place for supper. But she’d finally managed to shove her friend out the door, knowing Annette would be phoning later with questions.
Maybe I just won’t answer.

Then again, from what she’d gleaned, Colin was the recipient of this brotherly visit because his siblings had reached their limit with him not taking their calls. She found the evidence of their concern endearing. Judging by Colin’s dark scowls, he did not share this opinion.

Hoping that good old-fashioned comfort food could help defuse the tension that had been building all afternoon, she’d fixed meat loaf, mashed potatoes and some green beans that Annette had canned last year. Justin’s eyes had lit with pleasure at the first bite, but Colin was hardly touching his food.

Colin was also not making eye contact with her. He’d kept his distance ever since Justin’s arrival. They’d always tried to keep their relationship discreet, but his current behavior leaned more toward outright shunning her. She tried not to be ticked off, knowing he hadn’t expected this, but his distance stung. It was as if he were ashamed. No matter how much he avoided speaking to her or touching her, it was too late to hide the facts from his brother. There was no way Justin hadn’t already drawn the correct conclusions after finding them half-dressed and tousled in the middle of the afternoon.

If Justin had been shocked to find his widowed brother cavorting with his new boss, he’d handled it with aplomb. But finding out she had a child was a different story. He’d been openly troubled when Annette dropped off Evan, staring from her son to Colin, surprise warring with apprehension on his handsome features. Whatever worries he had about Colin getting involved with a single mom, he’d pushed them aside to entertain Evan with stories of his own childhood.

Most of the stories were about scrapes Justin had gotten into and Colin’s attempts at creative punishment. “He’s so much
old
er than me,” Justin stressed teasingly over a dessert of butterscotch pudding, “that it was almost like he was my dad.”

Evan nodded, easily relating to Justin’s growing up without a father. “My dad’s dead, too.” His fleeting moment of seriousness evaporated into boyish curiosity. “So what did Colin do to you when he found out about the car?”

As they cleared dishes from the table, Justin made an effort to include Hannah in the discussion, too. “By the way, thank you for the gift basket. Elisabeth and I both loved it.”

She was startled by the unexpected gratitude. “That was from your brother.”

“Who, when left to his own devices, usually sticks a check in the most unimaginative card he can find?” Justin guffawed. “I don’t think so.” Lowering his voice, he reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “You’re a good influence on him, Hannah. Whatever else happens, I hope you’ll remember that.”

* * *

V
IPER
HAD
NEVER
been more ill-tempered, and Colin wondered if the horse was somehow picking up on
his
mood tonight. Somehow, Hannah and Justin had talked him into an evening ride to show his brother the ranch. Alone, either one of them were difficult to argue with, but both together? Besides, he hadn’t put up much of a fight. Being out here was preferable to being inside. Justin’s presence seemed to shrink the house. Colin had been battling a punishing sense of claustrophobia all afternoon.

In an act of petty revenge, he’d saddled Apples for his brother. Next to the elderly Mavis, Apples was the slowest horse on the ranch. On a good day, Viper could leave her in the dust. But tonight, Viper wasn’t himself. There seemed to be a conspiracy to force Colin into his brother’s company. Colin half listened while Justin talked about house hunting and the place he and Elisabeth found. After the wedding, he’d be moving out of his rental home and Elisabeth’s twin sister was moving into the loft where Elisabeth and Kaylee currently lived.

Eventually, Justin wound down. There was an expectant pause, and Colin knew it was his turn to talk. He didn’t have anything he wanted to say. Instead, he let the silence build around him like a protective wall.

He should have known his brother wouldn’t be deterred so easily.

“So.” Justin cleared her throat. “She’s a beautiful woman, and a damn good cook.”

“I am not discussing Hannah with you.”

“I suppose the fact she has a kid is also off-limits?” Justin sighed. “When I got here this afternoon, I jumped to the conclusion that Arden had been overreacting. You look good, bro, better than I’ve seen you in a long time. But, now? I think maybe our sister was right to worry. Giving Hannah the cold shoulder isn’t fair. It’s not her fault I’m here.”

Maybe not, but why had she invited him to stay the night? Because she was Hannah.
She’s bighearted and generous and willing to take in strays.
During a conversation about Scarlett, he’d realized she’d adopted the ugly mutt because she’d been afraid no one else would. Given her history as a foster child, it was understandable that she worked so hard to make everyone feel welcome. In fact, it was one of the qualities he lov—

It was one of the qualities he admired about her. At least, he admired it when the person she was welcoming wasn’t his annoying younger brother.

“I’m not giving Hannah the cold shoulder,” he said. But the guilty note in his tone was unmistakable. He wasn’t angry with her. He just...

“You’ve looked strung out since her kid came home from the movies,” Justin said. “Does she know about—”

“Yes!” In deference to the horses, Colin quickly lowered his voice. But it shook with unwanted emotion. “Hannah knows everything. I’ve talked, I’ve shared. So get off my back.”

Peace and quiet prevailed, but the lack of conversation wasn’t as soothing as Colin had hoped. Justin had punctured his cocoon of denial. It was easier to compartmentalize the facets of his life around Todd and Henry, people who knew him only as a ranch hand, not as someone’s husband. Meshing who he used to be with the life he had now was more difficult with Justin here to witness it.

His brother had been the best man at Colin’s wedding. Now things were coming full circle in a way that left him queasy. Had he been trying to replace the wife and son he’d lost with Hannah and Evan?

“After Mom died,” Colin said, “one of my first acts of taking care of you or Arden was this splinter you got in your foot. Really deep. Dad was so submerged in grief that I think we could have accidentally amputated our thumbs and he wouldn’t have noticed. But the splinter caused you pain when you walked, and I was determined to help you get it out. Every time I came near it, you wailed like the biggest wimp on earth.”

“I have no recollection of this. I think you’re making it up.”

Colin snorted. They both knew better. “It’s like I’ve had a splinter in my heart,” he said haltingly. “It got worse and worse and worse for two years, infected probably. And Hannah somehow drew it to the surface. She has this way of getting me to talk—about the accident, about random stuff like picking out nursery furniture before Danny was born. She’s not only extracting the memories but the pain.”

“She helped you heal.” Justin said it with pride and awe.

“Maybe I’m not ready to give up the pain.” Once he did, Natalie and Danny would be
gone.
“That sounded stupid. Of course, I don’t want to be miserable. But before I came here, I thought I had a handle on who I was. Hannah’s changing me.”

“Like that’s a bad thing?” Justin muttered. “I loved Natalie and Danny, too, you know. They were family. But she wouldn’t have wanted pain for you. It’s selfish to want it for yourself.”

Colin bit back a retort, knowing his brother meant well.

“I’ll leave in the morning,” Justin said. “I’ll tell Arden you’ve been holding a steady job for a month and seem to be doing well. But in the name of pointless optimism, let me remind you that you’re entitled to bring a plus-one to the wedding. Actually, since you’re the best man, I think you might even rate a plus-two. Kaylee would love having someone close to her own age there. Don’t answer now,” he added hastily when Colin started to speak. “Just think about it. I would consider it my wedding present from you if you bring Hannah to the ceremony.”

“That’s not a good enough reason to bring her,” Colin said. He wouldn’t mislead her about the depth of their relationship, not even as a favor to his brother.

Irked, Justin rode on ahead, but his voice carried when he called back, “Bro, from where I’m sitting, you don’t have a worthwhile reason
not
to bring her.”

* * *

H
ANNAH
WASN
’
T
SURPRISED
when Colin turned in early for the night. With his brother sleeping in the room next to him, there had been no chance he’d invite Hannah into his bed. Still, logic didn’t stop her from lying awake long past midnight, on the slim hope that he might knock on her bedroom door. His scent lingered on her sheets and the memories of what they’d done in this very bed earlier in the day tormented her.