Heaven called out green, and she adjusted her foot. Her heart jumped into her throat as his foot crossed hers and claimed the green spot next to her.

  He smirked, and his eyes glinted.

  She tried not to allow her eyes to widen or her mouth to gape. How was she supposed to concentrate on the game when Rem had his leg practically wrapped around hers?

  Pressing her lips together, she tilted her head up and gave him a superior look before waiting for him to put his hand on blue then slapping her hand down on the space closer to him, crossing their arms.

  Her move had the unintended consequence of moving their bodies closer together. When, oh when, would she learn to think before she ran into stupid?

  But she’d rattled him because he wobbled back on his heels, his arrogant look slipping a bit.

  Until the next move when he slid his foot between her legs to claim the yellow spot directly behind her butt.

  So she took the yellow spot under his.

  Maybe if she hadn’t looked at him in order to share a laugh, everything would have gone okay. Whether it was the tilting of her head, or maybe it was him being off-balance, she wasn’t sure.

  Whatever it was, one of them swayed, and as mixed up as they were, they both went down together, her shoulder under his chest and their legs tangled up like string on a licorice stick.

  Her children screamed and laughed at the grown-ups on the floor, but all Elaine could focus on was the hard arms on either side of her and the hot breath on her face. The glinting black eyes had darkened from teasing to something that looked a lot like desire.

  Her heart pounded in her throat, and her lips were dry.

  She used her tongue to moisten them, and his eyes tracked the movement, heat flaring in them.

  His head lowered, and her hand found his shoulder, running lightly over the smooth muscles bunched there.

  Her face lifted—if he was going to kiss her, she was going to meet him halfway—then a thump went through both of their bodies, followed quickly by three more. Her children couldn’t stand the adults being on the floor by themselves and had hopped on, making a pile of bodies on the Twister mat.

  Somehow they all managed to climb on Rem who had adjusted his position so his body covered hers, taking his weight on his elbows and knees, protecting her from flailing hands and feet as the kids wrestled over and around them. Even Heaven was in the fray. Elaine saw her long, blond braid flying.

  “Hey, Rem’s a bucking bronc!” Gabe called as he swung a leg over and bounced on Rem’s back.

  Rem rolled, grabbing Gabe and Elijah both and wrestling with them, while Elaine twisted Carson and tried to keep Heaven and him from getting hurt while still letting them feel like they were a part of the action.

  There might have been some tickling going on, too. Everyone was laughing and yelling, and there was general pandemonium as Banjo got up and involved, not wanting to be left out.

  By the time everyone settled down, Rem was on his side with Elaine leaning against his stomach, Carson on her lap, and the other kids breathing hard and lying either on top of her or Rem. They all took the time to catch their breath while Banjo encircled them, tail wagging, occasionally sniffing them to make sure this was really his family. Family night did not usually degenerate into a free-for-all.

  Maybe that was the difference a man made.

  Slowly the children’s laughter died down. Elaine was acutely conscious of Rem’s hard stomach behind her. She wasn’t even sure how she ended up that way. It was just a little awkward, even with Elijah’s body between them so she couldn’t see Rem’s head.

  Rem hadn’t moved since they’d all stopped. In fact, he seemed tense behind her, like maybe he was in pain. Were the kids too hard on him?

  She started to move away. That’s when she realized that the heat that had been pushing up her chest into her throat was coming from his arm around her waist.

  How had that happened?

  Her face flushed. He was a handsome man and, with his high profile as a bull rider, was probably used to women throwing themselves at him. She wasn’t normally that kind of woman.

  She shoved away. “Okay, children. Bedtime.”

  “Thanks for playing with us, Mr. Rem.” Heaven’s cheeks were bright red. Elaine couldn’t remember the last time her little girl had such a big smile on her face. Her throat tightened.

  Now that she was no longer squished against him, Rem was able to get up. The rest of her kids thanked him as they slowly walked out.

  Elaine picked up Carson, took at breath, and spoke to Rem’s shoulder. “It was awfully nice of you to spend the evening with us.”

  He didn’t say anything. Carson squirmed in her arms. Her eyes slid up until they finally met his.

  The cocky grin that usually tilted his lips up was nowhere to be found. His gaze was serious and almost a little humble.

  “Thank you for including me in your family night.”

  Her eyes widened. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he was a part of their family now and of course she would include him, except...he really wasn’t.

  Once more, the thought slipped through her mind: if the money wasn’t there, he probably would leave. Maybe including him had been a bad idea. It could end up hurting her children.

  “I have a feeling,” she said, “that it will never be fun again without you.”

  Chapter 11

  While Elaine put the kids to bed, Rem shoved his coat on and went outside. He’d never been up the stairs in the house, and although tonight seemed like a good time to start helping with the bedtime routine, he didn’t volunteer, and she didn’t ask him to, of course.

  The big, round thermometer on the porch declared that it was well below zero, and the snow squeaked under his boots as he walked toward the barn.

  He must be getting used to the cold, since he felt fine with nothing but his coat on. Funny, because the cold was the thing that bothered him the most when he came.

  He didn’t really have a destination in mind, just needed to get out for a few minutes, and ended up in the barn by the horses’ stalls.

  Midnight. That was the name of the old quarter horse in the stall. He snorted, and hay rustled as the big body shifted, coming to the stall’s gate and nuzzling Rem’s coat.

  “Didn’t think to bring you anything, old boy,” Rem said as he scratched the ears in the dark. He’d spent enough time in the barn that he was comfortable with no lights.

  The scent of hay and musky animals, the sounds of big bodies shifting, and even the scratch of mice by the feed bin were comforting and familiar.

  Unlike the odd warmth and eddy in his chest that made him feel like he was underwater or too close to the fire. There was no fire and no water, but he couldn’t shake the odd feeling.

  Partly brought on from playing with the kids, which he’d never done before, the strength of the feeling was caused by more than that.

  He hadn’t expected to like Elaine.

  No. That wasn’t quite right. He’d completely expected to like Elaine, at least enough to get along with her. Figured they’d be friends. Figured eventually they’d share a room and a bed, once she’d gotten comfortable with him. That’s what married people did, after all.

  He hadn’t expected to be attracted to her. To feel hot and cold when she was around and have his fingertips tingle with the need to touch her when she was close.

  Like she’d been tonight.

  How could he not be aware of every move she made? Her smile, the flow of her hair over her shoulder, the arch of her foot.

  He’d moved, taking them both down to the Twister mat on purpose because he couldn’t stand having her so close and not touching her. Maybe she knew what he’d done. Maybe that was why she had such a hard time looking him in the eye before she’d left the room.

  She’d seemed a little shocked, though, at their position when the kids had quit wrestling.

  How could he not wrap his arm around her and tuck her into the curve of his body?

  He moved his hand down Midnight’s furry neck, scratching under the mane.

  He wanted to protect her and provide for her, ease her burden and take care of her. He’d wanted that from almost the moment he met her. He understood those feelings and figured that was just the way he was. He’d want that with anyone probably.

  But this was more.

  It had nothing to do with her struggles and everything to do with how she handled them.

  She looked delicate but had that backbone of steel. It wasn’t inflexible, though, because she bent gracefully to his will and was somehow able to tell when it was necessary for her to do so and when she could stand up to him.

  His phone buzzed, and he welcomed the distraction. He had no idea why he couldn’t stop thinking about his wife, but he needed to get her out of his mind. The kind of feelings that were growing inside of him were not appropriate for the kind of marriage they had. They were dangerous, as well, because they would give her the power to hurt him. Like Olivia.

  He glanced at his phone before swiping. Ford.

  “Hey, man,” he said, holding it to his ear while continuing to stroke Midnight.

  “Rem, how’s married life?”

  “Guess I could ask you the same question.”

  “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” The slightly amazed note in Ford’s voice could leave no doubt as to his sincerity.

  “Good to hear. I’m happy for you.”

  Silence stretched between them. Finally Ford said, “Did you get your money?”

  “No. I guess the lawyer had surgery or something.”

  Ford made a sound of surprise.

  Rem told him everything Elaine had said.

  “If you need cash to spot you...”

  “No.” He cut Ford off before he could even go there. If they didn’t get the money, it was going to be hard, if not impossible, to keep the ranch. But he wasn’t a charity case and would starve to death before he bummed off his friends.

  He’d take money if he needed it for Elaine and her kids.

  The thought popped into his head, and he knew immediately it was true. He would beg on his knees if Elaine needed something he couldn’t provide for her.

  He wasn’t sure he liked that new discovery about himself. He wasn’t even sure it was appropriate, either, considering he hadn’t known her that long.

  “You seem kind of preoccupied,” Ford said. “Where are you?”

  “In the barn.”

  “She’s making you sleep in the barn?”

  Rem snorted, trying to find the cockiness and self-assurance that seemed to have deserted him this evening.

  “No. I came out to check the stock.”

  “Okay. I’m not going to keep you. I can check into the lawyer and see if he really had surgery, but it doesn’t matter how much money I throw around, I’m not going to get anyone to tell me anything about your situation.”

  “I know. I appreciate knowing I’ve got you on my side.”

  “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will. Appreciate it.”

  They hung up. It was another hour before Rem made the slow walk back to the house, still not sure what he was going to do. He had this fear in the back of his mind that he was very close to falling in love with his wife.

  FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER the supper dishes were cleared, Elaine turned the TV on for her children. There was some kind of rodeo rerun that they found while she was looking for a movie and begged to watch.

  It was going to be on for two hours, and it wouldn’t contain inappropriate language or sex, so she said okay. Her standards had dropped a good bit. Used to be she tried to make sure their TV time was educational. Now, as long as there were no f-bombs dropping and everyone had their clothes on, she said yes.

  When she walked back into the kitchen, Rem already had a stack of papers on the table. “So that’s what you do when you need uninterrupted time. You turn the TV on?”

  “I’m a horrible mom, aren’t I?”

  “I think it’s kind of smart. If you limit the TV, you can really work it to your advantage.”

  “You deserve to know what the finances look like, and I don’t want the kids to be upset.” She pulled her own papers out from where she’d stashed them above the fridge. “Gabe, especially, seems to worry.”

  “Shows he’s not self-centered.”

  “He’s too young to worry.”

  Rem lifted a shoulder like he didn’t agree but wasn’t going to argue.

  “You think I should dump all this on a young boy?” She almost put her hands on her hips. How could he think Gabe was ready to face this type of pressure?

  “Not all of it.” Rem seemed to ignore the anger in her voice, since his was just as smooth and easy as it ever was. “He’s your kid. Do what you want. I’m just saying a little hardship never hurt anyone, and the boy would benefit from thinking that he was a help around here rather than a baby to be coddled.”

  “I don’t coddle him.” Okay, now she was offended. “He and Heaven kept an eye on Carson all the time when I had to go out to feed.”

  “And it didn’t hurt him at all.”

  “It’s too much responsibility for a little boy,” she said firmly.

  Rem held his hands up. “Your call.”

  “You disagree.”

  “I do. The kid’s old enough to know that money is tight anyway. You’re not hiding that from him. What he doesn’t have is any control. He can’t help when he doesn’t know the problem or solution.” He lifted a shoulder. “It’s when you don’t have control that you feel powerless.”

  Elaine glared at him from under her lashes, grinding her teeth together. Thinking. His logic made sense, but she just couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that Gabe could handle the adult pressures she was facing. She was the parent. She was supposed to protect him.

  Rem traced the edge of the papers lying on the table. “You’re also keeping him from seeing how you handle this. It’s a big problem. Hopefully you’re going to stand and fight with courage and integrity. Maybe you’ll take some calculated risks. Heck, you already have by marrying me.” That cocky grin that made her insides turn to melted butter flashed across his face. “He watches and learns. Or you pull the wool over his eyes and shove him in front of the TV.”

  “You think Gabe should be out here at the table with us?”

  “If he were my kid, I’d want him here. I’d want him to know what was going on, and I’d want him to be part of the solution.”

  “You’d let your kids know your finances?”

  “Maybe not the exact numbers, but yeah. The only time I’d want to hide anything from them would be if I were doing wrong. If I were cheating on their mother, I wouldn’t want them to know. If I had a drug problem, I’d hide it.” He spread his hands out on the table. “If your life’s an open book, it’s harder to write the wrong story. The kids’ll keep you accountable. It’s easier to say no to something that might tempt you because you know they’re watching and they’ll know.”

  She thought about Monday night when they’d played Twister. He could have kissed her, and she would have kissed him back in front of the kids.

  But that wasn’t wrong.

  The business arrangement they had for a marriage was more wrong than wanting to kiss her husband on the floor in front of her kids.

  She tilted her head. “So, you’re not hiding anything?”

  His eyes crinkled, and his face seemed to heat under his tan. “I haven’t lived the life of a saint. I was in prison, and you know why. Half the bad stuff I’ve done I was probably too drunk to even remember.”

  “But you’re going to lecture me.”

  “I wasn’t lecturing you.” Frustration leaked out of his tone for the first time. “I’ve watched you. I’ve heard about you. I’ve witnessed it myself. Your kids have a great example right here.” He tapped the table in front of her. “They could benefit by watching you.”

  “I’ll think about it. But not tonight.” She could see his point and even understood. But she wasn’t ready to make that change. Wasn’t ready to expose her children to the harsh reality that was her life.

  He jerked his head up like he understood. “That’s fine.” He pushed the papers that were in front of him over. “That’s a description of the cattle I own in Texas. Eight cows and two bulls. It was a side racket I had in addition to my dad’s ranch.”

  “Side racket?” she asked, glancing over the papers. They didn’t make any sense to her.

  “An elite bucking bull can go for a pile of money. A big pile. But there’s no guarantee a bull’ll buck. It can end up being a ton of greenbacks, or it can be a bust.” He leaned back in his chair. “It doesn’t matter. I’m showing you that because they’re part of my assets. I’ve got a buddy that I’m pretty sure will buy all of them in one shot. He’s doing pretty good on the circuit this year, and he’s got some money to burn.”

  “You don’t have to sell them. Can’t you bring them up here?” There was plenty of grass and no reason why champion bulls couldn’t grow in North Dakota.

  “I could. Except they’re not a sure thing.”

  “Nothing in agriculture is a sure thing.”

  “This is worse than the usual. And I can buy fifty head of good beef cattle for what I’ll sell these for.”

  “Oh. I see.” She did see. But it almost sounded like he was going to start his own herd on their ranch.

  “Yeah.” His breath puffed out. “I sank the rest of my bull riding money, everything I got for endorsements, into my dad’s ranch. Stupid move on my part since he disowned me.”

  She couldn’t stop her head from yanking up.

  He shook his head. “Long story. I was stupid. He was a jerk. That’s what it boils down to.”

  There was pain in his eyes that told there was more to it than that, but she didn’t press.

  “Just so I’m not stupid again, I want to be clear. I checked the laws in North Dakota. If you divorce me, everything we own is split half and half. I’m not going to lose it all again.”

 

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