Suspicions of the Heart (18 page)

"Jim Ed's?" the men chimed.

"It's a local hangout. They have a good
band, a little dancing, and plenty of drinks."

"Fun western style?" Fargate queried
with a lilt to his brow.

"Exactly."

Chapter
Eleven

Joe was on his way to the barn when the
phone rang, and he caught it in the den, so as not to wake Candy.
His gaze fell on her as he answered. "Yes, Aggie, how are things on
your end?"

"I don't know. I was invited to the
Arnold's ranch for supper. But when I got there, the trailer was
gone. Did they pull out?" Aggie asked.

"No, Aggie. They are all over here.
It's a long story and I'll tell you all about it. But right now,
why don't you pack up and come on over here?"

"Pack up?"

"Roscoe can throw another burger on the
grill, and I'm going to need some help with Ol' Nell tonight. Candy
is caved in. Bring her some clothes, will you?" Joe
asked.

"Good grief, what's going on over
there?" Aggie asked.

"I'll tell you all about it, later.
Just come as soon as you can."

"I'll be right over."

"Great, I knew I could count on you.
I'll probably be in the barn. See to Candy, will you?"

"Of course I will. Now hang up so I can
get there," she said gruffly.

Joe smiled and hung the receiver up.
His eyes went to Candy once more. Everything seemed unimportant
right now. She stirred the inner core of his being, and whether he
liked it or not, there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He
wanted her and there was no doubting that.

He bent down and scooped her into his
arms, liking the way her soft curves fit against him. She snuggled
against him with a sigh. He carried her into her bedroom, threw
back the covers and laid her against the cool sheets.

The urge to kiss her overwhelmed him.
Softly, he touched his lips to hers. He liked the way she tasted,
sweet.

She sighed and turned her head
away.

Hardening himself with determination he
left the room with long, heavy strides. He was having a hard time
keeping his hands off her. It might not be such a good idea, her
staying here. But he didn't trust her anywhere else.

~*~

Candy woke to a dark house; an
unfamiliar house. She tried to close her eyes and go back to sleep
but it didn't work. She didn't remember getting into bed. She stood
up, then laid back down, hoping that process alone might inspire
more sleep. It didn't. She decided to try some milk. She headed for
the kitchen very quietly so as not to disturb anyone, and poured
herself a glass of milk.

Going toward the bedroom, she spotted a
light on outside and peered through the living room window. It was
coming from the barn. Opening the back door, she heard voices. She
padded barefoot toward the barn.

"I better go round up some bottles and
milk for her. Want me to wake Sam to help with Nell?" Aggie
asked.

"No," Joe said with a strange sadness.
"I'll take care of it, myself."

"I'm sorry, Joe," Aggie said thickly,
as she left the barn and headed for the house.

Candy might have followed her, had the
situation she just overheard not ignited her curiosity and her
sympathy. Instead, she hid in the nearby brush and waited until
Aggie was out of sight, then approached the barn door with caution.
She peeked inside, to see Joe bending over something. Unable to see
everything, she drew closer until she was entirely in the
barn.

The sight of Joe kneeling over a dead
mother cow and its newborn baby had Candy's throat constricted. She
stood there silently as the tears rolled down her face.

Joe reeled about, and Candy quickly
swiped her eyes.

"Feeling better?" Joe asked his voice
low, and emotion laden. He returned his attention to the newborn,
cleaning and stroking it gently.

"Yes, much," Candy replied, leaning
over the gate between them to watch. She noticed the gentle way he
handled the newborn and the low lulling of his voice as though he
alone were trying to comfort the infant. As though he understood
the sorrow she felt. "She's a beauty."

"Not bad for a cross breed," Joe smiled
as the calf licked his fingers.

"Can I help?" she asked, moving to open
the gate.

"Sure, why not. Help me move Nell out
of the barn. If you'll stay with the calf, I'll take care of the
remains," Joe suggested dryly, not giving her a second
glance.

He looked exhausted, and hurt.
Obviously the old cow meant a lot to him. Candy could understand
that. A good rancher valued his stock and took care of them. Candy
acknowledged a feeling of compassion.

She nodded and together they dragged
Nell's body out of the barn. Joe nodded to her. "I'll pull her with
the rope. Now, you better tend to the little one."

Candy scurried back inside the barn, to
tend to the young calf, which looked quite pitiful on its thin
unstable legs.

"Oh, you're a beautiful little thing,"
Candy cooed as she hugged the calf to her, burying her nose in its
baby soft fur.

Aggie came back and chuckled. "Well, I
see you are all right, too."

Candy turned to her and smiled. "Yes.
Is this your nightshirt, by any chance? I found it on my
bed."

"Yes, it's a little shorter on you, but
it's all I had, honey. We'll see about some fitting clothes
tomorrow, don't you fret." Aggie smiled, handing her the bottle she
held.

Candy urged the little one to drink. At
first, it was a battle getting her to take notice, but eventually,
with soft coos in her ear, she began to trust, and nibbled at the
bottle.

"Looks like the little heifer is in
good hands, so I'll leave you to her. I'm bushed. I've got to get
some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Thanks, Aggie," Candy called after
her. She pulled the calf into her lap and began nudging her mouth
against the nipple over and over. "Come on, sweetie, it's not as
good as mother's but it will have to do."

The calf balked a time or two, but a
few soothing words and Candy had it responding.

"Where's Aggie?" Joe asked when he came
back inside.

Propping the calf's head on her knee,
Candy smiled. "She was tired, said she'd see us in the
morning."

"You better turn in, too. I can handle
it from here."

"I'm not a bit sleepy. Besides, she
trusts me now. I can't just leave her. Not when she just lost her
mama."

"Why don't you go eat? We left supper
in the oven for you," Joe said with a hint of agitation lining his
voice.

Now what had set him off? Here she had
finally relaxed around him and he had become a grouchy old
bear.

"I'm not hungry either," she protested.
"Last time I looked at the clock it was late--or should I say
early. I can wait 'til breakfast."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd give Aggie
a hand with it. She usually ends up cooking for the entire spread
and that's a lot to feed," Joe said, his back to her.

"Of course, I'd be glad to help," Candy
said still trying her best not to be insulted by his edginess.
"I'll pull my weight."

"Can you?" He gave her a mocking glance
over his shoulder.

He was rallying for another fight, just
when she decided to make peace. Why?

"I have the distinct impression you are
trying to get rid of me."

"Do you?" he queried, still not giving
her the attention she demanded. He continued to clean the stall and
pay her little heed.

Candy moved closer, laying the bottle
so the heifer could reach it at any time. When Joe nearly backed
into her, they both recoiled from the contact. It was one thing to
make him angry, quite another to purposely pursue him. But she
wasn't going to back down now. He'd have an edge with her she could
never live down. She'd have to show him she could match
him.

But her treacherous heart began to
react to his nearness, racing to that same unfamiliar beat. Her
throat went dry. There was no doubt about it - chemistry was in
motion. She wanted to explore this since it was an oddity. Why did
she always react this way when he was around?

His eyes darkened, mesmerizing
her.

His voice was like a sharp-bladed
knife, cutting her with every word. "I've got work to do, and I'm a
little tired. And you certainly aren't helping matters."

"But I…" she began only to be cut off
by him once more as he closed in on her.

"Yes, I know. You fed the calf, lulled
it to sleep like any good little mother would have done. And that's
fine and dandy. I appreciate it. But I find it just the least bit
distracting."

"What?" She shook her head, confused at
his irritation.

His glance slid lower, taking her in
with open admiration. "You're a beautiful young woman, Candy. And
believe me I can appreciate that as much as the next guy. But it's
a little hard to concentrate on work with you standing around in
next to nothing."

Candy's jaw fell open. He had her on
the defensive and knew it. She hadn't given her attire a bit of
attention. Her hair was mussed, her feet were bare, and she wore an
old, faded flannel shirt. How sexy could that be? It wasn't as
though she deliberately set out to seduce him.

"Now that's rich." She backed away from
him. "Next to nothing? I'm wearing a flannel shirt, much more than
someone in a bikini or something."

She heard him whistle through his
teeth. "Maybe so, but we aren't at the beach, are we?" He shook his
head and busied himself with his tack.

Her face turned crimson. Okay, he
wanted to embarrass her, he succeeded. He had won the battle. But
she hadn't given up yet. What puzzled her was his sudden,
unexpected anger when she was doing her best to put hers aside. It
seemed every time they were together the conversation somehow
became personal.

"Look, for your information I didn't
have any choice. My clothes are gone, too." She felt her own anger
rise. "What did you expect me to wear?"

"I don't care what you wear, but this
is no place for you running around like that."

"Well, excuse me."

"Get back in the house, will ya?" he
said, not daring to look at her.

"Okay, I'm going. I was just trying to
be nice for a change. Just trying to help out, pull my weight. I
know as much about ranching as anyone here."

"And what do you know about being a
woman?" he shot back.

Near tears, Candy backed herself
against the barn wall, feeling trapped, but not afraid. Her anger
drove her on. "You've no right to talk to me like this. You don't
know anything about me."

"Then prove me wrong?" he challenged, a
light dancing in his eyes as he dared to come nearer.

"Why bother?" Her voice almost cracked.
"You've already formed your opinions."

"Exactly." His gaze narrowed on her
trembling lips.

A white-hot heat ran through her. She
felt an aching, growing need spreading through her. She'd never
reacted to a man like this.

"Isn't that exactly what you've been
doing to me all along? Judging me?" His finger shot out to the
small opening of her nightshirt.

Hot and exciting to the touch. Her
cheeks flamed as she drew in breath. She was in dangerous waters
and she wasn't sure she could swim.

"Please, I'm trying to be nice," she
said, trying desperately to hold herself together. Memories of
another man pursuing her and taking what he wanted from her made
her queasy.

But then the world stopped spinning,
her eyes closed, and her arms went against the strong warmth of
him. His lips bore down on hers with a gentle purpose that shocked
her into dreamy awareness. The agonizingly sweet kisses left her
weak and pliant, melding against the barn door like melting
wax.

An inaudible moan escaped her just
before his head lifted and he gazed into her tear-stained eyes. "It
was easier to keep my hands off you when you weren't being nice.
Lord woman, you have eyes like a young fawn - soft, expressive," he
whispered.

Again his lips dipped to hers,
assuaging the growing needs between them. He sighed and pulled her
against him as her arms floated up against his shoulders to his
neck, knocking his hat to the barn floor.

When he lifted his head once more his
lips grazed her nose, and he smiled tenderly. "I've never known a
woman who could take me so far with just a kiss."

The next kiss grew more urgent, and
yes, more possessive. Her fingertips splayed through his silken
hair, as his hands seemed to glide all over her in one long, fluid
motion.

Her head fell backwards against his arm
as his lips began to travel down the slim column of her neck to the
pulse point. She shivered and arched against him.

"Tell me you want me as much as I want
you," he rasped as his lips made a quick trail back to her inviting
lips.