She slid off and lay beside him. He sighed deeply and put his arm around her. “Lord, woman, this feels good.”

  She brought his hand to her lips and smiled, glad that she’d pleased him.

  He whispered, “I haven’t been this happy in so long.”

  She turned and laid her cheek on his chest. Sliding her arm around his waist, she hugged him close. “I feel so peaceful lying here with you. I’m happy too.”

  He ran his fingers through her hair. “Peaceful is good. That’s something I feel as well.”

  After a moment, he gently rolled her onto her back. “Ready for more?”

  She grinned. “You bet.”

  He kissed her then, so softly it made her lips tingle. Then he trailed gentle kisses down the side of her neck and around the curve of her breast.

  She found she was holding her breath and breathed out, pleasure zinging through her as his lips found her nipple, and she gasped as he caressed it with his tongue. Running her fingers through his hair, she let her mind wander as sensation took over.

  He moved to her other breast, and she sighed. His hand trailed down her belly as he sucked, making her shiver with desire. He stopped between her legs, and she bit her lip as his finger slid inside her. He thrust in and out, and she could feel how wet she was.

  His mouth moved lower, trailing kisses down her belly, then he rose and moved between her legs. Her pulse pounded as he spread her thighs. When his tongue touched her, she gasped at the shock of desire that shot through her.

  She moaned as he stroked her, the pleasure so great it was almost unbearable. Then he found her sensitive spot and took it in his mouth. She cried out as he sucked on it, tossing her head to the side. She clasped his head, lost as her pleasure grew. Ecstasy suddenly swept through her. She cried, “Beau!” as her body rocked with wave after wave.

  He rose above her, and she was vaguely aware of him putting on a condom. Then he was blessedly inside her, filling her. She slipped her arms around him as he thrust again, harder this time.

  “Oh, baby, you feel good,” he gasped.

  “Hurry, honey.” She hooked her legs around his hips.

  He thrust again, harder—and God, she loved it. Then he began his rhythm, and she moaned. Her body shook with each powerful thrust, and she clutched him to her. She still pulsed with pleasure, and his thrusts increased the sensation tenfold. He rocked her against the pillows, and she shivered, her passion still growing.

  Suddenly he cried out and thrust one last time, hard, and then froze.

  She felt her spasms slowly fading and sighed, content.

  After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

  She smiled at him. “You’re pretty good at this, handsome.”

  He laughed. “Just pretty good?”

  She grinned. “Okay, you’re pretty damn good. Fabulous, even.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “That’s more like it. And, by the way, you’re pretty damn good yourself.” He rolled onto his side and grinned at her. “I like how you make me laugh.”

  She turned to face him and stroked his chest. “I like your sense of humor too. I think that’s important in a relationship.”

  His face took on a serious look. “I hadn’t thought of that before, but you’re right.”

  She nodded, cupping his cheek. “Life is serious enough. It’s important to have fun too.”

  He kissed her palm, then rose from the bed. “I’ll be right back.”

  When he returned, he took her into his arms. “Do you usually sleep through the night?”

  She nodded, content and getting sleepy. “Sometimes I wake up.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “If you do, wake me up too. I’ll be ready for round two.”

  She laughed. “I promise I’ll wake you up. But, hey?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If you’re the one who wakes up, you have permission to kiss me awake.”

  He chuckled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  She nestled her head against his chest again as he tightened his arms around her. Was there a way to make herself wake up? She’d fall asleep thinking about it. That might work. Smiling, she kissed his chest.

  “I like it when you do that,” he said softly.

  “Good.” Then she thought, Mind, wake me up, will you? Please wake me up!

  The following weekend, Beau rose early and made himself his first cup of coffee. Cat was still asleep. He was so lucky that she slept all night.

  He wondered if Dakota was up yet. Should he call her, or was it too early? He glanced at his phone just as it rang. It was Carson.

  “Hey, what’s going on?”

  “Just checking in on my big brother. What’s happening in the city?”

  “Having some coffee and trying to wake up. Things are going great here.”

  “Great, huh? That must have something to do with Dakota. Am I right?” Carson said.

  Beau grinned. His brother was in full matchmaking mode. “Yes, actually, it does.” He told Carson about their night together the weekend before. “It was awesome. Dakota’s amazing. She really makes me happy.”

  “Nobody deserves it more, Beau. It’s great that she has a sitter for the young man she cares for. It seems like everything’s working out for you.”

  “Yeah, my job’s going well too. This place is starting to feel like home now, and I never thought I’d say that about city living,” he said.

  “Why don’t you bring Dakota up here one weekend? I know we’d all love to meet her.”

  “Actually, I told her I’d take her horseback riding, so that’s a good idea. I’ll see what I can do. Of course, Johnathan will be coming with her. The ranch house has plenty of rooms for them,” he said.

  “I’ll tell Mom and Dad that you’re thinking about it. They’ll be excited. We’re all missing you here.”

  “Sounds good, Carson. Thanks for calling.”

  He smiled as he disconnected. Having his brother as his best friend was great. Of course, they had their disagreements from time to time, as all siblings did. But he wouldn’t change him for the world.

  Chapter Eight

  Several days later, Beau was unbuttoning his shirt after work when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and shock sent ice splinters shooting through his chest. Kara was calling.

  “Hello, Kara,” he said, in a noncommittal tone. He didn’t want to set her off on a tirade.

  “Hi, Beau,” she said in a surprisingly calm voice. “How’s Cat?”

  She’d been gone for seven months, and this was the first time she’d bothered to check. The first inklings of the anger he’d felt for so long began to rise. His daughter deserved so much better from her mother. “She’s fine, Kara. What do you need?”

  After a moment of silence, Kara said, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Leaving Cat was a mistake. I miss her. I’m so sorry I let you all down like I did.” She paused, and he let the silence hang. When he didn’t say anything, she went on. “I want to see her, Beau. Can I do that?”

  He wanted to say “Hell no!”, but he was actually undecided. He had sole custody of Cat, but when she got older, she’d undoubtedly have questions about her mother.

  “What did you have in mind?” he asked. It was up to him whether or not Kara saw her daughter and, if she did, how it happened.

  “I wanted to come to the ranch. Would your parents let me stay?”

  “We’re not at the ranch. I moved to San Antonio so that Cat could get the services she needs. You’d know that if you kept in touch.” He couldn’t keep the anger from his voice.

  “You’re not at the ranch?” She sounded shocked, as if she couldn’t imagine him anywhere else. Well, she should know that he’d do anything to give Cat what she needed.

  “Nope. I bought a house here in a good school district. She has a teacher for the visually impaired, a PT, and an OT.”

  “That’s great. You always were a good daddy.”

  “Damn right I am!” He couldn’t help it. He was getting madder and madder, no matter what she said.

  “I can’t afford a hotel. I’m just working part-time at a café. If I come to see Cat, could I stay with you?” Her voice was tentative, and he could hear the quaver at the end.

  He bit back his instinctive reaction and took a deep, calming breath. “I’ll have to think about it. Honestly, Kara, I don’t want to see you, but I know at some point Cat’s going to want to know about you. For that reason and that reason only, I’m going to consider it.”

  “Thank you, Beau. Thank you.”

  “Let’s get one thing straight. If I do agree, you’d better be sober.” Memories of her drunken behavior before she’d moved out flooded his mind.

  “I will be. You don’t have to worry.” She paused and then said, “When can you let me know? I have to give notice to take time off at the café.”

  He thought about it some more and sighed. He might as well get it over with. “You promise to be sober?”

  “Yes, yes, I promise.”

  “Go ahead and plan on it. Come on a Friday afternoon at five-thirty. You need to leave by Monday morning early. Just let me know when.”

  When he hung up, he had a sick feeling in his stomach, but he knew he’d done the right thing.

  When they’d gotten a divorce, Kara hadn’t wanted any visitation privileges. Her lawyer had advised her to take them, but she’d insisted that she wanted a clean break. Now she was obviously regretting her decision.

  He sighed and finished undressing. After putting on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, he went into the living room and picked up Cat, hugging her to his chest. His poor baby girl. Would she take to Kara? He almost wished she wouldn’t. Kara didn’t deserve such a sweet baby. Not after she’d abandoned her.

  He kissed Cat’s cheek and went into the kitchen for a beer. His stomach was tied up in knots. He hadn’t expected this—although maybe he should have.

  God, he hated the thought of having Kara under the same roof with him. But he’d done the right thing, hadn’t he? It was for Cat. Despite the fact that Kara had been a shitty mom, Cat would need her in her life. He had to do something to make that happen. Thank God he’d made sure Kara wouldn’t stay long.

  He went out onto his small back porch and sat down. He wanted to talk to Dakota. Hopefully she wouldn’t be in the middle of cooking dinner. He tapped her contact. When she answered, he said, “You busy?”

  “Just finishing up making dinner. What’s up?”

  Damn. “If you can’t talk, you can call me later.”

  “No, it’s fine. Tell me what’s going on.”

  He sighed, then quickly told her about Kara’s call and his decision to let her stay with him.

  When he’d finished, Dakota remained silent for a moment. Then she said, “You’re actually going to let that woman stay at your house after the way she abandoned poor Cat? I don’t get it, Beau.”

  She sounded so disappointed in him that it made him instantly second-guess his decision. “Do you think it’s a mistake? I just know that Cat’s going to want her mother in her life, no matter what happened after she was born. That’s just how kids are. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that for her.”

  After a few seconds, Dakota said, “You’re right. It’s just that I’d like to punch Kara in the face. How could she do it? How could she turn her back on her own baby, especially one with so many problems? Cat needed her so badly.”

  He chuckled. “I just visualized you punching Kara. You’re something else.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t understand how she could do it, either. I’m not looking forward to her being here, but I just feel I need to do it. Cat’s going to want a relationship with her mom at some point. I can’t deny her that.”

  Dakota sighed. “You’re such a good man, and you’re right. Cat will want her mother someday. If this is what it takes to make that happen, then it’s a good thing.”

  Beau smiled. “Thanks for the vote of support. The longer I think about it, the more I’m dreading this visit, though. I hope she sets it up quickly so I can get it over with.”

  “I do too.”

  “Well, get back to your supper. Thanks for listening.”

  “Of course. I’ll talk to you later on tonight, okay?”

  “You bet.”

  He felt better after talking to Dakota. That sick feeling in his stomach had gone. Maybe everything would be all right.

  He kissed Cat’s cheek. “Your momma’s coming to see you, honey. You won’t remember her, but she loves you. It’ll be a good thing. Just you wait and see.”

  Dakota set the spatula down on the stovetop, her nerves on edge as she listened for the sound of a car pulling into the driveway next door. Kara had wasted no time in scheduling her visit with Beau and Cat, and Dakota was dreading her arrival as much as Beau was.

  She’d told Johnathan he could have anything he wanted for dinner, and he’d requested pancakes. She took the four puffy cakes from the skillet, then added batter for four more.

  “I’m hungry, Dakota.” He was already seated at the table.

  Her stomach was so tied in knots that she probably wouldn’t eat a thing. “I know you are, honey. I’ll fix your plate in a minute.”

  She hated feeling jealous. It was a new sensation for her and very unpleasant. She’d mentioned how she felt to Beau, and he’d hugged her and told her she had nothing to worry about. He’d assured her that he had no feelings at all for his ex. Then he’d frowned and added, “No good feelings, anyway.” That had made her feel a little better.

  As she dished up the next batch of pancakes, she heard the sound of an engine turning into Beau’s driveway. Her heart fell. After switching off the burner and moving the skillet, she went to the living room window and looked out.

  A pretty blonde stepped out of a dark-blue SUV.

  Dakota bit her lip. She should have known that Beau’s ex-wife would look like that.

  Kara slung her purse over her shoulder and took a rolling suitcase out of the back seat.

  Beau walked outside holding Cat and said something to her, then strode back to the front door and opened it for her.

  Kara stopped in front of him, obviously talking as she cupped Cat’s cheek.

  Dakota could see Beau responding, then watched him open the door wider to usher Kara into the house.

  As they went inside, Dakota’s heart panged hard with dread. Beau had said that he’d call her when he could. Sighing, she went back to the kitchen.

  As she made Johnathan’s bowl of pancakes, she gave herself a mental shake. She was being melodramatic. Beau was a good man, and he cared about her. Kara’s visit shouldn’t change that. She just had to keep her head on straight. After all, this was only for two days.

  She filled a glass with milk, then smiled and handed Johnathan his dinner. “Here you go, honey. Enjoy.”

  “Thank you, Dakota,” he said and picked up his spoon.

  Determined to maintain a sense of normalcy, she fixed herself two pancakes. She could at least eat that.

  Beau led Kara back to the spare bedroom. He hadn’t planned on having company so soon after moving into the house, so he’d had to go out and buy a Hollywood bed frame for the mattress and box spring he’d brought with him. The only other furnishings were a nightstand and lamp that he’d also purchased.

  “This is nice,” Kara said as she walked in.

  “There’s no dresser. I hope you can make do.”

  She smiled brightly and put her suitcase on the bed. “I’ll be just fine. Don’t worry about me.” She came toward him and put her hands out. “Can I hold her?”

  “It should be okay. Cat’s pretty good with strangers.”

  Kara frowned. “I’m not a...” Then she swallowed hard. “I guess I am.”

  He extended his arms, and Cat leaned toward Kara.

  “How’s my big girl?” Kara asked, then kissed Cat’s cheek.

  A knot of anger balled up in Beau’s stomach. Her big girl? Not hardly. She’d done absolutely nothing to raise Cat. He turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets. Gritting his teeth, he tried to ignore Kara’s baby talk as she walked out of the bedroom with Cat.

  In anticipation of Kara’s arrival, he’d made sure he had nothing alcoholic in the house. When they got to the living room again, he asked, “Would you like a glass of iced tea?”

  Kara looked up from the baby, still smiling. “That would be wonderful. I didn’t stop for anything on the way here.”

  As she sat down on the couch, he headed for the kitchen, glad to be away from her. Seeing her with Cat made his skin crawl. She didn’t deserve to cuddle their baby. She hadn’t earned it.

  As he poured the tea, he took a deep breath. He needed to settle down, but he couldn’t go back in there yet. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes. He was surprised at the intensity of his negative response to Kara. He hadn’t anticipated it being this bad.

  He had to knock it off. He’d invited her here, after all. He rubbed his forehead. He had to remember that Cat needed this. Eventually she would want a relationship with her mother, and this was the start of that.

  He took another deep breath and let it out slowly. He could do this. He just had to think of Cat and what was best for her. He pushed off the counter and picked up the glass of tea.

  He walked into the living room and offered Kara the glass. “Here you go. I’m sorry I don’t have a coffee table. If you’ll move to the other side of the couch, you can use the end table.”

  Kara moved down and then took the glass from him. “Thanks for this. I’m really thirsty.” After taking a drink, she glanced at him. “Can I ask you something?”

  He sat down in the recliner and nodded.

  “Why didn’t you bring down more furniture from our house on the ranch?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t need much. I rented a U-Haul when I came down here, and Carson came with me to help unload. There’re a few more things I want to get, but they’ll fit in my truck. I figure I’ll pick them up next time I go back to the ranch.”

 

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