She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy (9 page)

Again, she opened her mouth, and nothing came out.

"Breathe, Sweetheart.” He took her hand. “I didn't mean to knock the wind out of you."

In a whoosh, air flowed back into her lungs. She sucked in a breath as though she just came up out of water. “I..."

"I know.” He pulled her out of the truck and into his arms. “I know."

"Well..."

"We'll talk about it later.” He kissed her lips; then he sat her on her feet. “Let's take that ride."

"You know I love it when you're on that thing.” She gulped down the rest of her anxiety and walked hand in hand with Heath toward the big old piece of farm equipment, which happened to be a personal fetish of hers.

"You think my tractor's sexy?” He chuckled.

"When you're on it, I do."

Damn family
.

She knew they wouldn't get together every night for dinner, but she wanted Heath to herself. She never felt so possessive over him before, but now, it was like she owned him. She was like a dog marking her territory.

"What's wrong?” He stepped in behind her, and she could smell his aftershave and soap. He was always warm and spicy. His arms wrapped around her; his lips touched her temple in a gentle kiss.

Sigh.

"I can't say it because I'll go to hell if I do.” She leaned back into his big body and let him overwhelm her.

"Try me.” He squeezed.

"I want you to myself, so I was thinking ‘damn family’ fine time to host dinner.” She felt like an ass for it. His family was her family. They were all eating in the dining facility and deciding on a name for it. Guests would be arriving in less than two weeks. She had a menu ready, two people for staff, and a prayer in with the man that the three of them could handle it. The family seemed to think starting slow and taking it easy was the way to go. Chance had a gut feeling the Johnson Family Ranch was about to break out and become
the
place to be.

"You want me to yourself, huh?” He dropped his voice a notch. The timbre flowed over her and brought her body to full attention. Her vagina clenched; her nipples tightened. Man what he could do with words. “Well then, we'll make a date for Saturday to hide away from the world. How about that?"

"Why so long?” She turned to face him and looped her arms around his neck. How had she overlooked this gentle giant for so long?

"Yeah, well. Bobby John stopped by about an hour after you left. He needs help wrangling a group of cattle that found a weak spot on his fence and took off.” He looked at her with concern in his eyes. He was leaving for a few days, and he didn't have to say it; she could see it. He wondered if she would be there when he got back.

"Can't he get someone else? You're not the only cowboy in Montana.” She frowned, felt the crease in her brow.

"No, but he can't afford anyone else, and I can't let an old friend down when he needs his herd. He has a baby on the way."

"Can I come, too?” She had no idea what the hell she was thinking. She could ride a horse, yes, but drive cattle? Not likely.

He laughed a full belly laugh. “If you want to, come on."

"But I don't know anything about cattle.” She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him. “You'd take me out there and put me in danger like that, Heath Johnson?"

"Sweetheart, I'd take you anywhere you want to go, but I would never put you in danger.” He nodded. “You can just ride."

"But I'd be sleeping in the woods."

"Not exactly since they don't hide in the woods...” She pinched him. “Ouch. Yes, you would be outside, but I'd be with you. Not showered of course..."

"Uh, I should really get the dining hall prepped you know?” She was not expecting him to invite her along. The old Heath wouldn't have acknowledged her request much less agreed to it.

"I guess.” He rolled his eyes. “But we should go out and camp sometime. You got me thinking about being rolled up tight with you in a sleeping bag."

"It sounds good. Next Saturday we'll go out to the creek and camp.” She nodded.

"Settled. So, let's go mingle with the family. You'll meet Layla and the kids tonight.” He picked up her apple pie off the counter and started for the door.

"I can't believe Rafe is involved with a woman who has kids.” She followed him.

"Well, don't tell her.” He held the door with one hand and the pie with the other. “She doesn't know they're involved."

"That's ridiculous,” she said then thought about her own defenses. “Okay. Maybe not so far fetched, but still, Rafe is a good man."

"She knows that. Just watch, they are hilarious to watch.” He laughed.

"Cowboy Corral,” Buck said.

"Uh no,” Jan replied. “I'm not a cowboy."

"Mess hall.” Emmy smiled at Jan.

"That's too military, Mom,” Jack interjected.

"Ms. Emmy, I like this.” A little girl with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes tugged on Emmy Johnson's arm.

"Like what, child.” Emmy smiled down at her.

"All of this.” The little girl expanded her arms and looked about at everyone. “I wish my momma's kitchen was like this."

"Nothing like a momma's kitchen is there?” Emmy asked the child.

"That's it!” Rafe smacked the table, and Layla jerked beside him. “Momma's Kitchen."

"Sounds good,” Bethany chimed in. She was sitting next to Jack and looking at him for approval rather than everyone else.

"I like it.” Jack smiled at her. They were saying a lot more to each other than their lips let out. Chance was almost jealous at the public display of affection Jack so freely gave Bethany.

"Me, too,” Jan and Buck sounded off in unison.

"Me, too!” A little boy rounded the corner of the table and looked at Heath.

"You, too, what, Cowboy?” Heath asked the child.

"What Rafe said,” the boy answered.

"You think Rafe knows everything, don't you, boy?” Heath asked the child.

The boy shrugged.

"Well, I'm his big brother. I know more than him,” he pointed out.

The child made a very concerned face and looked past Heath toward Emmy and the little girl. “So, she knows more than me?” he asked with disgust.

"Yes,” the girl squealed in delight.

"Well, cowboy,
they
always know more.” Heath laughed. “Girls."

"No. Rafe knows more than Momma,” the boy said with certainty.

It was an uncomfortable silence. Layla blushed. Her fine features faded, but her sapphire blue eyes glowed against the red on her face.

"Hey, Cowboy, come over here,” Rafe called, and the child ran to him, crawled up on his lap, and waited for direction. “Your momma is a smart lady. She knows just as much as I do."

"But...” the child started.

"But nothing.” Rafe put his finger to the boy's lips and shushed him. “Got it?"

"Got it.” He nodded. Then he looked at Heath and said, “See."

Everyone laughed at the little monster.

Heath squeezed her hand, and a sensation of longing flowed between them. Layla, a very quiet woman, sat next to Rafe. She had two very beautiful children. They were well mannered and seemed to be in love with Rafe. He pretty much acted like their daddy in Chance's opinion. How the woman next to him hadn't realized they looked at him like he was their daddy was a mystery.

"I told you,” Heath whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her earlobe. Little goose bumps traveled all over her body.

She turned to look at him. For a long moment, they just stared at each other. In her heart, she was telling him she wanted what was climbing up onto his lap. His eyes told her he wanted that, too.

"Savannah, this is my wife, Chance.” He adjusted the child.

"Hi.” Savannah gave her a dirty look.

"Uh-oh.” Jack laughed. “You might not realize this, but while you were away, that little lady put a claim on Heath."

"What?” She smiled at the little girl. “How old are you?"

"Six.” She smiled and revealed a gap where baby teeth once were.

"Don't you think you're a little young for him?” Chance watched Heath blush. The little girl was quite taken with him. She shook her head no.

"I'm going to marry him,” she explained.

"But I'm already married to him,” Chance reasoned with the child.

"So.” She shrugged. “You'll be old then."

Heath bit his lips not to laugh. She wanted to pinch him. “So will he."

Savannah looked at Heath. She studied him for a long moment then looked at Rafe. “Will he get old, too?"

"'Fraid so, Baby-girl. You'd be better off holding out till you meet a nice boy when you're thirty.” Rafe nodded.

"Thirty, Rafe?” Layla looked at him.

Savannah looked at Heath. Her little brows drew together. “It's not fair."

"Never is, little one.” Heath pushed her hair back. “But hey, just ‘cause we aren't getting married doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"I guess.” She seemed put out now. Chance tried not to laugh. “Well, I guess you can have him."

"Well, thank you.” Chance smiled. “Hey, you know we can be friends, too."

"Will you take me camping?” She lit up. “Mom won't. She doesn't like bugs."

"Me, too,” the little boy chimed in.

"Brice,” Layla scolded. “Savannah, you cannot ask people to take you camping."

"Let ‘em go, Layla. Heath and Chance can take ‘em.” Rafe looked at her.

"No.” Layla shook her head. “I can't ask other people to take care of my kids."

Rafe tilted his head sideways.

"You know what I mean.” She stood up. “Look, we have to get going. They need to get home and settle down."

The kids looked at her, and Chance felt her gut twist. Layla needed to get home and settle down. Her kids were fine. Rafe unnerved the woman somehow. She obviously cared for him because she stole peeks at him when he wasn't looking. When she thought no one was looking. She trusted him implicitly with her kids but no one else.

"Rafe?” the kids pleaded.

"We'll discuss it later. Say good night to everyone, okay,” Rafe directed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rafe.” Layla headed for the door. The kids lugged along behind her. “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Johnson, Chance. Good seeing you again, Jan, Bethany."

And she was gone. Rafe sat back down like nothing happened. The family resumed talking the same way.

"I told you they are weird,” Heath whispered in her ear.

"Come outside with me.” She stood. “Excuse us."

Heath followed. Once they got out the door, she snuggled into his arms. Her hands gripped him tightly. Too tightly.

"You okay?” He hugged her then put his big hands on her shoulders and pushed her back to face him.

"I just had to hold you. When that little girl crawled into your lap, I thought...” She stopped.

"Go on.” He waited.

"I thought that right now we'd have a little one about a year old to sit on your knee. I thought how stupid that woman is to not see how much those kids mean to your brother. I thought how smart a six year old was to want to marry you,” she rambled. She felt her throat get tight and tears well in her eyes. “I thought how stupid I have been, and I don't ever want to be that dumb again."

"Hey. You're not stupid. I thought about our child, too.” He swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed. “Then I thought about this afternoon and last night, and I know if we want it to work, it will."

"You mean it?” She knew he did. She just had to hear it again. He was offering her a second chance.

"Yeah. Do you want to keep going?” He clenched his jaw. She worried about his jerk reaction. He was still not sure he could trust her completely. She understood why, but she worried he may never get to the point of total trust again.

"Yes.” She nodded; then she snuggled back into his arms.

"Come on, let's get back in there. It's almost over.” He kissed her forehead and then guided her back into the large dining hall.

Chance took a good look around Momma's Kitchen. The inside reflected the outside, a huge log cabin. Sections of long, short, square, and round tables sat spaced about the place. A buffet bar along the back wall would be the serving area for breakfast and lunch and the salad bar for casual diners at dinner. The room off to the right would be set up for more formal dining and business lunches. This wasn't Momma's Kitchen. It was hers, and she had no plans of leaving it, ever.

Heath stepped around her and went back to the table. When she finally followed, she realized everyone was eating her apple pie with ice cream. There was only one piece left, a small one at that. “Guess you like it."

She started to sit next to Heath, but he looped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. She was shocked and pleased all at once. He whispered in her ear, “Kids are gone."

"Will you stop that?” Jan looked at them and laughed. “If you're going to talk, talk. Stop being so secretive. It makes me nervous."

"Yeah. Especially me.” Buck lifted his butt cheek off the chair and rubbed it.

"You were shot in the other cheek,” Heath pointed out.

"Oh right.” Buck switched cheeks and rubbed the other. Jan swatted him.

"Your Paw would be pleased to see this you know?” Emmy Johnson said seriously. “All the man wanted was for this ranch to be successful again. To keep his family on it."

"Well, Momma, you're the only one not here.” Heath looked at his mother, and Chance detected a lot of tension she never noticed between them before.

"I have good memories here, but I have bad ones, too. Men out west are different. Your father was different. I loved him, but I didn't love Montana,” she said in a slow even tone. “I know you kids do. I can see it in each one of you, but I gave him my life. You're all grown, and he's gone. My sister is in Florida, and that's where I want to be, too."

"That's not the problem, Momma.” Heath squeezed her tightly. She wondered if he really needed her support. He wasn't the kind of man to need anything. Chance stroked his fingers with hers and waited.

"Then, what is the problem?” Emmy asked point blank.

"You feel guilty, and you shouldn't. Daddy was a grown man, and he could have changed his ways. He could have stopped being stubborn somewhere in those fourteen years between Jack and Jan. You could have, too. We all miss him. We all loved him. But Momma, we all love you, too.” The room was silent. A pin drop could have echoed like a bomb at that moment.

"What did you say?” Emmy Johnson was on the verge of tears.

"I said I love you. Just like I loved my daddy. And I love my family. Even Buck, God help me.” Heath tightened his hold on her hand. She prayed someone said it back to the man. He was pouring his heart out for the world to see.

"Damn man,” Buck said quietly. “That's deep. Almost as deep as the buckshot Rafe dug out of my ass."

Heath snickered. Rafe nodded. “Yeah brother. That's my role in this family. I'm the melodramatic one."

"Who are you, Jack, the diva?” Bethany asked her husband, and Jack blushed.

"Woman,” he warned. “I am the wild child not a damned diva."

Jack pulled Bethany into his lap and bit the tip of her nose. She gave him a yeah right look and smiled. “We love you too, Heath."

Jack nodded. “I agree."

Jan sniffed. “You know you're my hero."

Buck gave her a sideways look, and she shrugged. “You, too, honey."

"I got shot for you,” Buck protested.

"Well,” Emmy said through tears. “I had no idea."

"Momma, how could you not know we loved you? We're your children for crying out loud.” Rafe shook his head then went to their mother.

"Well, of course, I knew that. I just didn't know you knew so much about me and your father.” She wiped her tears. “We made some mistakes. I have my regrets. I'm sure you all will, too, but I also have you boys, and I have my little girl to remind me that even after a long hard winter, there will be a spring."