But he was touching her like a lover. And she was letting him. Enjoying it, if her half-closed eyes and racing heart rate were any indication.

  His body wanted to press forward, but his brain told him he was being stupid.

  “Mom?”

  Elaine’s eyes popped open, and her head straightened. Rem dropped his hand as she turned toward her son.

  “Yes?” she asked, her voice even more husky than usual. It curled around his heart. He wanted it soft and low next to his ear while her fingers skimmed over his back...

  “Can Heaven and I get the Legos out if we promise to clean them up when we’re done?”

  Rem stepped in. “Yes. You can. I’m going to take your mother for a snowmobile ride. She’ll give you her phone, and I’ll have mine. We won’t be far away, and you call us if the kids upstairs wake up or if anyone comes.”

  He’d been going to ask her if she wanted to go for a ride with him, but after whatever moment they’d just had, he hadn’t wanted to risk her saying no. He told himself it was because he wanted to see the ranch boundaries, but he knew that was a lie. He wanted her to be with him.

  Elaine got her phone and gave it to Gabe, giving him the same instructions he had probably heard a thousand times as she went out to the barn to feed and take care of the stock.

  The color in her cheeks was high as she ducked her head and went to the door to get her winter things on.

  Rem wanted to grin at her sudden shyness, except he felt the same way. What had they been doing?

  He didn’t need to ask. He’d been seconds away from kissing her. Still wanted to, actually, as his eyes followed the lines of her body, graceful slender curves, delicate features, soft, fragrant skin. Brown sugar and vanilla. He could smell it still.

  Suddenly he realized she was ready to go out, and he’d been standing in the middle of the kitchen staring at her.

  He strode over to the door, annoyed with himself. The stupidest thing he could do right now was fall in love with his wife. He’d been stabbed in the back too many times by people he loved and trusted. The only way to protect himself was to keep an objective distance between them.

  After what her ex-husband had done, Elaine knew it too. He was confident she felt the same. They would both be working to hold themselves back.

  ELAINE FOLLOWED REM to the snowmobile that was parked in front of the barn. She’d grabbed her sunglasses from her car, and Rem had on a pair of mirror shades that made him look like a movie star on TV. Not the look she needed to see right now after she’d almost begged him to kiss her in her kitchen just a few minutes ago.

  Bad move on her part. Not only was she living up to the love-starved divorcee cliché, but she didn’t want to ruin the business arrangement they had going. Most of all, she didn’t want to fall for a guy that was going to leave, and so far, they’d not gotten a hold of the lawyer, and they had no idea if they were even going to get the money she was supposed to have inherited. Without that, his leaving was a certainty.

  And why would she want to kiss a man who wasn’t even here for her but for the money and the ranch?

  Man, she was dumb sometimes.

  She stood back while he yanked on the pull rope and started the machine.

  He got on first, and she climbed on behind him. There was no way to not be close. Her front pressed into his back, and the only way for her to hold on was to grab him around the waist. Through the thick layers of their coats and insulated pants, it should have been impossible to feel heat or hardness. But she felt both.

  “I know we can’t see all the ranch boundaries, but I was hoping to get a little feel for it,” he said over his shoulder in a voice loud enough she could hear it over the rumbling of the machine.

  “How about we go see the lake?” It was pretty with some trees and a few little one-room cabins. They were probably pretty rundown now. She hadn’t been out in several years.

  He nodded, and she pointed in the right direction.

  It was a short ride, less than ten minutes, and the lake appeared, flat white and stretching off into the distance. The cabins sat along the lower shore, and Rem took the snowmobile down the snow-covered trail, motoring to the first one then stopping and cutting the motor.

  They stared in silence at the expanse of frozen water. The cloudless blue sky above and the brown of the cabins the only color other than a few evergreen trees, their branches laden with snow. A few animal tracks, deer, rabbits, and a few cayotes, marred the glistening perfection of the snow. It was quiet and still. Peaceful.

  “I know about a hundred guys who would love to spend a week at a place like this,” Rem said softly.

  “There’s no way to cook in the cabins.” Elaine’s voice imitated his pitch, like if they spoke loudly, they’d break the spell of the beauty that shimmered around them.

  “Bathrooms?”

  “No running water. I think about twenty years ago, my grandfather put holding tanks in for the toilets.”

  “Yeah, make that two hundred. This place is perfect for guys that want to step out of the craziness of civilization.”

  “You can invite anyone you want to stay, of course.” It was as much his as it was hers. “I can cook for them.”

  “You already do enough.” He said it with finality, as though there was no discussion. They hadn’t known each other that long, but she’d already figured out that when he felt something was in her best interest, he used commands rather than requests.

  “It wouldn’t be that hard to throw an extra pan of sweet rolls in the oven and put a couple of sandwiches together along with a jar of soup.”

  He turned and looked at her over his shoulder. “I’m not inviting anyone here that’s going to make more work for you. You have enough.”

  She pressed her lips together, unwilling to get into an argument and spoil their ride. Not to mention he was right. She’d been exhausted since before she could even remember. If she slept for a solid ten years, she doubted she’d be caught up.

  “Mind if I take a few minutes to look inside?”

  “Not at all. I’ll come, too.”

  The cabins were just like she remembered. A bed and a table. A small room in the back with a toilet seat over a holding tank. Nothing fancy.

  “There’s no heat,” Rem said.

  “I think they used kerosene heaters if they needed them. Some guys didn’t use anything, if I remember correctly.”

  “Talk about rugged.” Rem snorted. “There’s something appealing about it.”

  It was the challenge that appealed to Rem. Elaine could have told him that. That’s part of the reason that she wasn’t even sure he’d stay even if they did get the money. Conquer one thing, move on to something else.

  They didn’t stay much longer, and didn’t go on to see more of the ranch, but drove straight back to the house, each quiet and alone with their own thoughts.

  Chapter 10

  Monday, Gabe and Heaven went back to school, the cows got out, and the water froze. It was almost five before Elaine remembered about calling the lawyer while she was cooking supper. The two older kids were out with Rem while he did the evening feeding.

  A woman picked up on the second ring. “Peregrine Law Offices and Petting Zoo.”

  “May I speak to Mr. Peregrine, please?” Relief that it was an actual number and an actual lawyer’s office overshadowed any concern that the place was also, apparently, a petting zoo.

  “He is out with an unexpected medical condition,” the secretary said, not unkindly. “And won’t be back in for several weeks.”

  “I have a letter stating I have inherited money from Sweet Water Ranch owner, Mr. Edwards. Is there anyone else I can talk to?”

  “I’m sorry. Mr. Peregrine is the only lawyer in the firm. I can put your name on the list and have him call you when he returns to the office.”

  Was there anything else she could do? She couldn’t think of another question she could ask that might get her the money faster, so she agreed to receive a phone call and hung up.

  What was Rem going to say about that? A couple of weeks to wait for their money. The lady hadn’t said they weren’t getting it. Maybe Elaine had been raised not to count her chickens before they hatched, because until that money was in her account, she was going to have trouble believing that it was coming.

  She was trying something a little new, a little spicier, for supper. She’d never really eaten or made Mexican food before, and Rem hadn’t complained about anything she’d made. On the contrary, he seemed to like it all and didn’t hesitate to say so. But she couldn’t shake the idea that, coming from west Texas, he was used to something a little different than her normal meals. Not to mention he’d said he liked his food to kick back when he ate it.

  A little before six, Rem, Gabe, and Heaven burst through the door, laughing and shaking snow off their clothes. Elaine stood against the counter and smiled with them as they laughed about the expression on one old cow’s face as she looked at the patch job they’d done on the fence.

  Rem seemed so relaxed and at ease, like feeding cattle in below zero weather with two small children and coming into a shack of a house afterward was something he’d done all his life. Maybe he was just the kind of man who was comfortable wherever he went.

  “Mom, Mom! Rem said he’d do game night with us!” Gabe almost jumped up and down in his excitement.

  “It’s Monday. That’s our game night,” Heaven reminded her. Like Elaine wasn’t the one who had instigated game night to begin with.

  “He’s welcome to join us.” Elaine’s eyes met Rem’s over the children’s heads.

  “I smell peppers and onions and chilis and spices that are making my taste buds dance.” The grin hadn’t faded from his face, but a look of anticipation had entered his eyes.

  “I’m giving it a shot, but it might not be any good.”

  “It could taste half as good as it smells, and it will be awesome.”

  It turned out to not be too bad. Rem seemed to like it. Her kids weren’t overly fond of the new heat in their food. She’d anticipated that and hadn’t put as much spice in as the recipe she’d found online had called for. Plus she’d made sure there was plenty of rice.

  Rem’s thank you at the end of the meal made the extra effort worthwhile.

  The kids loved game night, and they cleaned up the table and kitchen extra quickly. All four of them had gone in to pick up the toys in the living room and spread the Twister sheet out on the floor as Elaine washed the last pot and Rem held a drying towel in his hand.

  “You didn’t have to make that for me tonight.”

  “I wish I knew what you liked and how to make it better.”

  “Elaine, whatever you make is fine. I’ve loved eating your cooking.”

  She scrubbed at the crusted-on food. “I know you’re used to different food, and it won’t hurt us to expand our culinary experiences.”

  “Well, thanks. I don’t expect it, but I appreciate it.”

  Maybe it was his appreciation. Maybe it was her own satisfaction that she’d done something new and a little hard and been successful at it. Or maybe it was just the cozy atmosphere, the feeling of fun and family, and the easy burn of another day filled with work finished, but Elaine found herself wanting to lean her head on his chest and feel his arms come around her.

  She pushed back against the desire, which was almost a longing.

  “The lawyer’s office answered today.”

  “Shoot. I totally forgot all about even calling.” He snorted, like he couldn’t believe he could forget about a billion dollars.

  “It’s not exactly good news. The lawyer is out for surgery and won’t be back in for several weeks. The woman I spoke with couldn’t do anything for me except put my name on a list for the lawyer to call when he got back into the office.” Her hands continued to scrub, but she took a moment to look at Rem. He wasn’t smiling, of course. She couldn’t tell what the bunched muscles in his jaw meant.

  She hadn’t wanted to have the money conversation now, but it seemed like the right time. “I don’t expect you to keep us afloat with whatever money you might have. I can call the butcher in Rockerton and—”

  “No. It’s not going to help anything for you to sell your cows. I have enough in my account to get us through the winter. I probably have enough to do a little more than groceries and regular expenses. I’ll get my stuff together, and you get yours, bills, anticipated feed expenses for the rest of the winter, that type of thing, and we’ll sit down some evening this week after the kids go to bed and figure it out.”

  “Okay.” Her voice was a little uncertain because she’d expected the conversation to be awkward and uncomfortable—it was money, after all—but Rem seemed to be facing it head-on. Although, he really didn’t have to. It wasn’t part of their bargain for him to have to support her and her children with his own money.

  He put a hand, warm and strong, on her shoulder. “Let’s not ruin game night for the kids by worrying about it tonight.”

  “Are you ready, Mom?” Heaven asked from the doorway.

  Elijah ran over and plowed into her, wrapping his arms around her jean-covered legs.

  Elaine gave him a one-armed hug before answering Heaven. “Just about. I have this last pan to do. Is the floor cleaned up?”

  “Yep.”

  Five minutes later, Elaine sat in the recliner with Carson on her lap and the spinner in her hand. Elijah and Heaven stood on the mat with one foot on yellow and one foot on blue.

  “The winner gets to play Mr. Rem,” Heaven said.

  “Oh, no,” Rem said easily from the doorway where he leaned with one shoulder on the doorframe. “Gabe is next.”

  “Mr. Rem might not even want to play,” Elaine said. Rem hadn’t come the whole way into the room, like he was waiting for a chance to duck out. She didn’t think he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t speak up if he didn’t want to do something, but she definitely didn’t want him to feel like he had to play.

  “Nope. I’ll take my turn.”

  “You can come in and sit down.” The couch was where he slept. His blankets and pillow were folded up and set behind it, out of sight. He did that every morning before he left to feed.

  “I’m good here. I can see better. I’ve never played this game, and I need to work out my strategy.”

  The kids laughed.

  Elaine’s eyebrows rose. Strategy, for Twister? “Someone doesn’t like to lose.”

  His lips curved up just a little. “That’s right.”

  “Okay, everyone ready?” Elaine spun the dial. The kids always loved Twister, maybe because it was a full body game. There was a lot of laughing and shouting as Elijah and Heaven got into more and more impossible positions.

  It was a typical family night for them, except it wasn’t. The dark cowboy standing in the doorway changed everything for Elaine. He made the room feel smaller, her skin prickle, and heat come to her face every time their eyes met.

  It was different for her children, too. There was a man, not their father, but a man who looked on them with affection, who encouraged them and laughed at their antics. They definitely were showing off some for him.

  Heaven easily beat her younger brother, though, and then she faced off with Gabe. Gabe won that round when Heaven put an elbow on the mat trying to stretch across it with one foot on a red spot, one on a green spot, a hand on yellow, and the opposite one on another green.

  The game between Rem and Gabe lasted a little longer with Gabe having the obvious advantage of being small and flexible, but Rem had the luck of the spin. Spin being used loosely since it was never really a given what would happen with Carson helping. But everyone knew that’s the way it was, since Carson had to be included too, and so no one complained if the spinner went counterclockwise rather than clockwise or if a baby hand stopped it before it stopped itself.

  Whatever Elaine called out was the only and final color.

  When Gabe fell to the mat, the children yelled and jumped up and down, declaring Rem the winner.

  But the dark-eyed cowboy shook his head, his lips pulled partway back in an easy grin. “Nope, I don’t think so. Your mother hasn’t played yet.”

  “She never plays. She has to spin,” Gabe explained.

  “You can hold the baby, and Heaven can spin and call the colors.” He shrugged. “I can’t be the champion if I haven’t beaten everyone.”

  Elaine’s hand had gone to her throat, while her arm tightened on Carson. But her children had gotten into the spirit of the idea, and they bounced around her, begging for her to get up and take on the winner so they could crown a champion for the evening.

  This wasn’t her game—she was lucky to walk and chew gum at the same time, although it had been so long since she could afford a little luxury like gum the thought was kind of moot.

  But the point of family game night was having everyone participate, so she handed a sleepy Carson off to Gabe and gave the spinner to Heaven. Elijah sat on the couch as the only spectator, unless one counted Banjo who lay stretched out on his side beside Elaine’s chair.

  Already in her stocking feet, Elaine faced Rem across the mat. His mouth tilted in a casual grin, but his stance and the glint in his eye said he was playing to win. Elaine had her share of stubborn determination but not for games where the winner was chosen by luck more than skill. Still, her kids talked in excited voices about who was going to beat whom, and she was going to give it her best shot.

  Rem hadn’t been a trash-talker all night, but as they bent and put their right hands on green, he leaned a little closer to her and said, “I’ll try to make this painless for you.”

  “I don’t think so, cowboy.” She reached over and put her left hand on yellow. “I was going to take it easy on you, since it’s your first time and all, but forget that.”

  His eyes flickered, like he’d not been expecting her to sass him. His hand hit the yellow spot beside hers.

  “You don’t need to go easy on me. I don’t want a pity win.”

  “Oh, this chick is showing no pity.” She slapped her hand down on red and smirked at him. His face was close, and his nearness made her heart race. He smelled like strength and the outside, fresh hay and the musky tones of cattle.

 

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