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  After a quick shower, he dressed for the day then headed for the kitchen to find her pulling a huge batch of homemade biscuits from the oven. He’d hoped to find her alone and luck was on his side. Her curvy ass filled out her jeans to perfection and a simple white tee provided the perfect backdrop for her heavy, black hair. She hummed a little as she set them on the shove and began shoveling the bread into a huge basket. Silently, he moved behind her to tug her against him, his fingers splayed across her belly. Gina squeaked then leaned her head to one side when he nuzzled the curve of her jaw, right next to her ear.

  “Mornin’.”

  “Mornin’,” she whispered, laughter tinging her voice.

  “Spoken like a real Texan.” Taking advantage of the moment and the sweet smelling woman trapped in his arms, he pressed his lips just below her ear. A sigh escaped her as she turned in the circle of his grasp and going on tip-toe, looped her arms around his neck. In his experience, morning afters could be touchy so he was pleased by her easy acceptance. Kissing her seemed like a fine idea so he pulled her flush against his body, following thought with action, his mouth plying her swollen lips until she opened for him with a passion that was undeniable. He took the tasting deep, dipping his tongue inside to sample her intricate flavors but a small sound alerted him and Mitch broke the kiss. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Dawson standing casually in the doorway, his thumbs hooked firmly into the front pockets of his jeans. His brother rocked back on his heels and grinned.

  “Well now,” his brother drawled before tipping the brim of his straw cowboy hat back with the tip of a finger. “I figured I’d grab a cup of coffee and one of those biscuits before heading out.” Dawson’s grin faded into a faint smile as he gave Mitch a nod. “Sleep well, brother?”

  “Fair enough.”

  Two bright spots of color splashed over the high curve of Gina’s cheeks as she quickly grabbed the basket and headed toward the dining table just beyond the kitchen door. As she hurried past Dawson, he reached out and stopped her. Her eyes went wide but Dawson merely grabbed two hot biscuits and sank his teeth into one of them. “Mighty good, Gina. Best I’ve ever had.”

  “Thank you.” She managed a flustered smile before making an exit.

  “You might have taken pity on her,” Mitch grumbled as he pulled two coffee cups from a cabinet and filled both.

  Dawson’s eyes went wide with feigned innocence. “What did I do?”

  “Ass.”

  Dawson just laughed, slapped Mitch on the shoulder and grabbed one of the cups he’d just filled. Carrying his coffee along with the b-0iscuits, he walked to the back door, opened it, and then paused to look at him. “It’s about time you got yourself a life, Mitch. I like her. She’s a good woman. See ya in a bit.”

  Mitch nodded and watched him go. His brother had long wanted him to find someone but how long could this relationship last? Doubts clouded his mind but one thing he’d learned from an early age was that a man took each good moment and appreciated it without question. He and Dawson had lived their lives in survival mode, fighting for respect, and hoping to one day shed the old ghosts that haunted them. They’d get there. Hell, maybe they already had.

  Cowboys began to file in for breakfast within seconds of Dawson’s departure and Mitch could only sit back and watch as Gina served up platters of pancakes and bacon. Steamy scrambled eggs were piled into two large bowls and placed on the big table. The Buck River employed roughly twenty hands most of whom lived in town with their families. The single men stayed in the bunk house located just beyond the utility barns and now they gathered around the table, stuffing their faces with enough food to feed a small army. Normally, the hands were silent in the mornings but Gina’s arrival had changed all that. Mitch held his cup loosely in one hand and leaned against a wall as the men vied for her attention.

  You’d think they’d never seen a pretty woman before.

  Their reactions to her didn’t make him happy. Not one little bit. In a rational moment, he might remind himself they hadn’t a clue what had gone down between them the night before but he wasn’t feeling all that rational at the moment.

  Gina paused as she rounded the end of the table and frowned. “Are you okay?”

  Mitch realized he was scowling. Forcing a smile, he stepped away from the wall. “Yep. I’m good. Hey girls, stop bothering Gina and let’s get to work. Daylights burnin.”

  Chapter Five

  Several weeks later, the lunch rush over, Gina walked through the back door and made her way to a place that had become her favorite over the past few days. Ignoring the oppressive heat of mid-afternoon, she sent her gaze across the area, noting several cowboys working with horses in the corral in the distance. Someone applied tools to a tractor engine and others unloaded boxes and other supplies from the back of Dawson’s pickup. In past weeks, she’d learned more about ranch life than she’d ever imagined she would but she’d made plenty of other discoveries as well.

  Gentle was gentle and the size of the man wasn’t indicative of a damn thing.

  Gina had begun an affair with Mitch with her eyes wide open. There were zero similarities between this rugged man and her ex-husband and that knowledge sent a sense of peace through her system. Mitch never pushed her, barked at her, degraded her, or made demands that might cause her discomfort and, through her time with him, she’d learned to trust again. That didn’t make things easier for her though because she knew deep in her heart that her days here at the ranch were numbered.

  She stepped into the coolness of a white barn at the end of a long line of outbuildings, breathing in the scents of horse and hay. For a city girl, this all took some getting used to but Gina knew the rewards on this particular day were plenty. A soft snuffling sound greeted her and, smiling, she moved down the long row of stalls until she spotted the head of a pretty chestnut male.

  “Hello there, Miss Priss,” she crooned as the beast lowered her white muzzle and Gina drew her hand over its length. “How are you feeling today? Better I hope.”

  Glancing at the object of her love, she smiled at the spindly-legged colt who’d arrived just three days ago. Gina crouched down to peer between the rails and reached her hand toward the little guy. “Well now, aren’t you a sweet boy? Yes, you are.” The colt prodded her hand, coaxing a laugh from her just as the barn door creaked open. A shaft of sunshine split through the shadows leaving Mitch framed in its center.

  “I thought I might find you here.”

  Gina laughed and stood as he walked toward her. “I couldn’t resist. These days this is my favorite place on the ranch.”

  “I think I figured that one out.” Mitch tipped back the brim of his hat then leaned in for a slow kiss. His easy acceptance of their relationship warmed Gina from head to toe and unable to resist him for a solitary second, she opened to the gentle tasting, gripping the sides of his black tee-shirt. He smelled of the outdoors, masculine and so sexy she wanted to just die on the spot. He pulled away to smile down at her then stepped back to transfer his attention to the mare. “Afternoon, little mama.” He reached into his back pocket and withdrew a few sugar cubes then glanced Gina’s way. “Want to give them to her?”

  Another new experience to add to her growing repertoire.

  Hesitantly, she nodded, and doing as Mitch instructed, held the treat on her flattened palm. When Miss Priss gingerly took the sugar, Gina laughed. “I love this.”

  Mitch put an arm around her and gave her a little squeeze. “I thought you might. Since this little guy was born, you’ve been here every day.”

  “I’m surprised you noticed. You stay so busy around here.”

  “Honey, I notice everything you do. Believe it.”

  His words were sweet and so warmly delivered, she settled closer to his side and rested her head against his body, falling just a little bit more in love. “You say the nicest things.”

  It was such a simple statement in the face of the emotion that raced through her system. She gave her
self to him every night as they curled together in his big bed but always she withheld the words knowing that speaking them would make it that much harder when it was time for her to leave. The bittersweet sensation rolled through her mind and wound tight in her belly. Tears filled her eyes as the soft emotion tore through her composure.

  He couldn’t know.

  It would make everything harder in the end.

  Hastily blinking back the tears she glanced up to see him watching her intently. He reached out, as was his habit, to tuck a loose bit of hair behind her ear. “You okay, darlin’?”

  She sniffed and glanced at the colt. “It’s silly. I’m just emotional about him. He’s so beautiful.”

  Mitch pressed his lips to her forehead then released her to bend down and run a hand over the colt’s silky back. “He’s a good looking fella.”

  “He is. Have you come up with a name yet?”

  Mitch shook his head and stood. “Thinking about naming him Brooklyn. Would you like that?”

  She couldn’t resist a smile, absolutely charmed by the thought. “I love it. Brook for short?”

  He laughed. “Something like that. You were here through the birthing and a herd of stampeding beeves couldn’t pull you away lately so I figure you have a big stake in him.”

  “Thank you. This makes me so happy. I’ll have to call Mama and tell her all about this.”

  Mitch stepped back to look at her. “Maybe you could hold off on that call for a while? I could use some company today and thought you might need a break. Come into town with me?”

  “You have errands?”

  “A few. Figured I could drop you off at Wild Horses to spend some time with Jules then we could grab a cup of coffee.”

  Over the past few weeks, she’d gotten to know Juliette and liked her. They’d become friends. “That sounds like a date.”

  “No, that comes tonight.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes ma’am. There’s no reason for you to hide out here at the ranch. Folks in town know you’re here already so it’s time to step out of the shadows, Gina, and the guys who work here aren’t stupid. They’ve figured out that we’re involved.”

  “Have we been that transparent?”

  “You haven’t been,” Mitch said slowly. “But I can’t look at you without wanting to get you beneath me in bed. Those cowboys pick up on that sort of thing. I’m already taking a little ribbing.”

  Gina grinned, oddly pleased that their secret wasn’t quite as on the down-low as she’d thought. Weeks ago, she’d decided that running from Anthony was a losing proposition that didn’t benefit her in the slightest. He could bring it and she’d be ready to face him down once and for all. But now? She wanted to enjoy being with Mitch. She widened her eyes. “Oh are you? Does it bother you?”

  “Not a damn bit. I’m not all that good at pretending so I figured tonight we’d hit Crazy Hank’s and do a little two-steppin’, maybe drink a beer or two. I’d better warn you though, I’m not much of a dancer.”

  Crazy Hank’s, she knew, was the local honky tonk and though she’d never stepped foot in the place, she was curious about the popular night spot. Excitement at trying something new reached up and grabbed her. She nodded. While in Texas, she wanted to soak up the culture and, she was honest enough to admit that going anywhere at all with Mitch McBride was too tempting to refuse. “That sounds like a date to me and I could care less if you can dance. I don’t know a damn thing about country dancing but I’m willing to try anything once.”

  Mitch laughed and took her hand. “That’s my girl.”

  Later, she sat in the back room of Wild Horses with Jules. Mitch had business at the bank and so she kicked back with her new friend and sipped a soft drink while Jules unpacked boxes of new merchandise that had arrived just today. The warm, funny blonde perched on her knees on the floor as she pulled out a stack of novelty Texas tees. “Oh these are cute. They’ll sell like hotcakes.”

  “You have a great store here,” Gina admitted. “You have a nice variety of things. It’s just too bad the town isn’t a bit bigger. Sales have to be fairly slow some days.”

  Jules rolled her big, blue eyes. “Like today, you mean. I know. Mom and Dad thought I was silly as hell opening this place but the idea of being a shopkeeper appeals to me. Commerce makes the world go round after all.”

  “I thought love made the world go round.”

  A bright grin spread across Jules pretty face. “As if. I don’t trust love any farther than I could throw it. But cash? It does wonders for a girl’s self-esteem. Anyway, sometimes we get tourists driving through and sales can be pretty good. Not far from here, we have beautiful fields of bluebonnets and lavender and the semi-annual rodeo always draws a crowd, too. I love those times. Ca-ching! Ca-ching!”

  “I’ve never been to a rodeo,” Gina admitted, a bit wistful at the idea of man versus animal in a battle for supremacy. There was such a mystique about the west and sometimes she still found it hard to believe she was actually here and experiencing it first-hand.

  “Now that’s a shame. We’ll have another at the butt-end of summer and you can catch it then. We can go together, if you want. Mitch and Dawson are big local stars when the rodeo rolls around.” She stood and brushed haphazardly at the knees of her jeans. “They’re not pros, for sure, but they could’ve been.”

  “I can believe that. Those guys are something else.”

  “They are, aren’t they? They’ve had a tough life but they aren’t afraid to keep right on living. You’ve gotta admire that.”

  Such power in words.

  Gina absorbed their impact, no matter how casually they’d been delivered, and applied them to her own life. Truly, she’d come a long way emotionally in dealing with her past. She’d gotten fed up and had run but now it was time to face the fact that running wasn’t in her DNA. She owned it to herself and to the parents who’d raised her to stand up for herself.

  For her, that meant going home.

  Part of her knew that she’d miss Texas and the friends she’d made.

  She would miss Mitch.

  The very idea of leaving made her physically ill. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach and she glanced away, hoping Jules wouldn’t notice that her thoughts had turned decidedly dreary. Leaving Texas, she could fully admit, wasn’t something she wanted to do but saying goodbye to Mitch was heartbreaking.

  Jules walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

  Forcing a smile, she glanced up. “Yes, I’m okay. I just have a few things on my mind.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve been in a great mood today and I don’t want thoughts of my ex to bring me down.”

  “You’re right. He might be far away but he still has power to hurt you if you let him.”

  “You’re a smart woman.”

  Jules grinned. “Smart enough to know that when a woman has a date with a sexy rancher, she needs something new. I have just the thing.” Before Gina could respond, Jules took her hand and led her into the shop. Several rows of ladies cowboy boots lined one wall. She’s eyed them on other visits to Wild Horses and had been so tempted, but then, after a smack down from her practical side, had passed them by. What did a city girl need with such attire? If she planned to remain in Texas, things would be different. Jules pulled a stunning boot from the rack and held it up. “I just got these in a few days ago and I thought of you. This muted shade of blue is just gorgeous as so different from the standard blacks, browns, and gray. Feel how soft it is.”

  Gina stroked a palm over the boot from top to toe then frowned at the severely pointed tip. “Beautiful but these look painful.”

  “Snip-toes? No, they actually aren’t at all.” Jules glanced at Gina’s feel. “Hm. You look to be a seven.”

  “You’re good.”

  “Damn straight, I am. Have a seat and let me pull the size for you.”

  Gina perched o
n a chair unable to wrap her brain around the fact she was actually considering the beautiful leather boots. Once she tugged them into place, she stood and faced Juliette with a grin. “These are amazing. They’re so comfy.”

  “And perfect for your first trip to Crazy Hank’s. You look like a badass.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Jules frowned at the softly-shaded blue boots and tapped an index finger on her chin. “Now let’s find an outfit to set those little babies off. I’ve got just the thing. When I’m done with you, you’re going to look downright irresistible. Mitch won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

  Thoughts of leaving Texas and returning home to face her past were effectively shoved to the back of her mind as she strolled through the shop in a pair of boots she had every intention of claiming as her own. As long as she remained here, it was her new plan to absorb everything and make as many memories as possible. One day, they’d be all she had left.

  Gina had seen plenty of movies featuring Texas bars, more commonly known as honky tonks, but nothing had prepared her for the real thing. It was funny that she’d stressed so much about her clothing when, considering the press of bodies in the joint, it was highly doubtful anyone noticed. Mitch continued to two-step her around the crowded dance floor and when the song ended and a partier inadvertently bumped her straight into Mitch’s arms, she laughed.