*“So what’re you going to do about it?” It’d taken Emily forever to gather her wits and take it all in.
Sadie stared at the woman. Do about it? Why should she do anything? It happened and now it was over. Besides, she wasn’t about to share her deepest, darkest fear with anyone. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Well, seems to me you owe him a thank-you at least. Tyson owes him an apology, but that’s his business. I’m pretty sure he’ll make amends when he settles down and thinks it all through.” Emily pushed her glasses back up her nose and looked at her computer screen. “Just so you know, we don’t have any more appointments today. In case you wanted to go apologize or thank the poor man for being there to rescue what turned out to be two of you today.”
“Thank him?” Of course she should, but it seemed easier to ignore how feeble she’d been in her boss’s time of need and how embarrassed she’d be to face him again. “Of course.”
Emily smiled, scrawled a note on a piece of paper, and held it out to her. “This here’s the address. Thought you might like to have a look around anyways, since you’ll be Jethro’s sounding board for the next couple of months until Layla comes back to work.”
“Right. His sounding board.” She accepted the slip of paper.
What had she gotten herself into? With her boss going into labor early, they hadn’t really had a decent chance to sort out what needed to be done while Layla was on maternity leave, apart from catch Sadie up on the files. No mention of what was going to court, Layla’s game plan for current cases, nothing. Never mind. Sadie would just have to use her initiative and step up, do what she thought was right. Her boss trusted her. That was the reason she was offered the job in the first place. They could always converse over the phone once things settled down.
But going out to his ranch wasn’t what she thought she’d be doing. There would be dust and animals. And Jethro Hansen would be there. Stupid, stupid, stupid idea.
“You okay, Sadie? You have a look on your face that would scare off a hungry mountain lion.”
Sadie schooled her features and stood. “Sorry. Thinking of other things.” Like the way he held on to her when she was terrified of passing out. His kindness to her boss. The touch of his rough skin when he engulfed her hand in his and the shot of electricity that jolted through her arm.
One who was so wrong for her it didn’t even seem worth thinking about, but here she was. Thinking. About the cute dimples when he gave her a lopsided smile as he helped her into a chair. The feel of his hand on her elbow as she wobbled dangerously and the gentle way he held her to his chest. The twinkle in his eyes when she tried to insist she was fine, knowing damn well he didn’t believe a word she said. The soft voice when he soothed Layla through the process of childbirth while Sadie hid in the corner of the room, despite the fact that her boss was screaming at him like a banshee. It wasn’t his fault she was in that position, but he’d taken it like a champion and gone along with the moment, never once losing his calm.
“I’ll go fly the flag for the firm. Offer grateful thanks for what he did today and make sure there’s nothing we can do for him.” She mentally straightened her spine, sucked up the worries niggling the back of her brain about being close to him again. Suffering a man drought, she shouldn’t have been surprised her hormones sat up and took notice, especially in her boss’s time of need, but it did. “I don’t want to mess up the relationship Layla’s built in this town, and I want to stay here for the time I signed up for. I’m not ready to go home and face the music yet.”
“Sounds ominous to me.”
“Not really. I have some hard decisions to make about my future, and I’d rather do that here without the pressure of my family.”
“I can understand that and you couldn’t have picked a better place to gather your thoughts than Marietta. It has a reputation as having a calming effect on people.” Emily held out a piece of paper. “This here’s the way to the ranch. I know Layla has a bit of a soft spot for Jethro. He’s doing a good job of turning his life around since his grandpa died. Now, if only we can get the other two brothers to do the same.”
From what Sadie had seen and heard, the chances of that happening were zero to none. She swallowed and picked up her handbag from where she’d dropped it on the floor. She stood up and smoothed down her dress, ignoring the blood spots from when she’d tried to help Jethro out to the parking lot and he’d leaned on her shoulder, bemoaned the fact it was already creased from her unplanned busy morning, and plastered a smile on her face despite the butterflies swooping around her belly. He didn’t seem the type to worry over little things like a dirty dress. “Right. I’ll see you tomorrow, Emily. If there are no appointments, there won’t be any point in coming back here once I talk to Jethro, I imagine.”
“You have fun now.”
Fun. Right. Not likely but who knew? Anything could happen. Sadie walked out of the law firm without the usual spring in her step after a good day’s work.
The old, white weatherboard house on the ranch had seen better days. Broken treads on the front steps leading up to the front porch raised an eyebrow, as did the peeling paint on the front door. When Layla had said the place needed work, she wasn’t wrong, but it looked sturdy enough despite the shine of glamour that was missing on the old girl.
There was a certain charm to the house though. The wind chime hanging from the corner of the porch created a tinkling sound, soft in the afternoon breeze. With a dusting of snow, it could be a Hallmark card image. The overgrown flowerbed in the front of the house might be filled with weeds, but that didn’t stop the old rose bushes from producing stunning red blooms that made her want to dip her nose down and take a long sniff to calm her nerves.
A straggly black-and-white dog came bounding up to the car from the rear of the house when she pulled over and parked, sending her heart beating wildly. The animal came to a screeching halt when a sharp whistle pierced the air. It glanced down the lane toward the barn, plopped its butt down, and waited for the man coming toward her. Thank goodness.
Jethro tipped his hat in her direction, a big smile on his face. Sadie wound down her window a few inches and stared at the dog beside him, wary of the teeth despite the comical way its tongue lolled out the side of its mouth.
Her nerves fluttered as he walked toward her. Seeing him again was a bad idea. That one smile at the hospital after everything had calmed down and they’d bonded over a coffee for her and an ice pack for Jethro had been her undoing. The moment when it hit her, the attraction, the chemistry between them. The dark shadow of his whiskers, the sense of calm he gave her, the sparkle in his warm, brown eyes. Oh, she was attracted! Regrettably so, considering she had her life mapped out and Jethro didn’t fit into that plan.
But as he came closer, that thought drifted away along with the knowledge that the relationship she was contemplating would cause her nothing but trouble.
*
“Ms. St. Martin. Feeling better?” Was she always this pale and nervous looking or was it something he managed to bring out in her? He opened her car door and held out a hand to help her out.
She stared past him at Clumsy and shrank away.
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re scared of this old fool? He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Um, okay. And, please, call me Sadie.” She still didn’t make any attempt to take his hand or move from the car.
“Sadie, but seriously, he’s a dopey old fool, always tripping over my feet, getting in the way, hence the name, Clumsy, but he doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body. More likely to lick you to death than anything. Promise.” He lifted his hand and gestured for her to take it.
Sadie swallowed, stared at the dog for a moment before giving him a feeble smile, and took his hand. Her skin was smooth under his rough, working hands, and when she stepped out of the car, she gripped harder while staying as close to the car as she could.
“Clumsy, here. Sit.” The big dog shuffled closer to Jethro and sat beside him, leaned his meaty head against his leg. Jethro glanced up at Sadie. “See? Like a kitten. Put your hand out and stroke him. You’ll have a friend for life.”
She gripped his hand harder, tremors going through her body. “No, I…”
“Trust me on this.” Jethro kept her hand in his and reached out to touch Clumsy’s head. The dog closed his eyes and a low rumble came from his broad chest.
“See. He likes you. Nothing he loves more than to be touched.” Jethro untangled his hand from Sadie’s and kept his fingers crossed. Her nervous grimace turned into an uncertain smile as she played her fingers over Clumsy’s head, smoothing down his ears. His body leaned into Jethro’s leg more as the dog relaxed. “Told you. Sometimes you just gotta go with your gut, and trust.”
“Dogs don’t like me.” Wonder filled her voice.
He burst out laughing, and she stared at him. “What? Who’re you trying to fool? Animals know people, like little kids do. They can tell if you’re nice or nasty. There’s no bullshit where they’re concerned.”
Sadie frowned but didn’t remove her hand. Her fingers worked around the dog’s ears again, and a grin appeared on her face.
“Sorry, don’t mean to swear, but it’s true. You can’t pretend with animals. They know right away if you’re fake. If he thought you didn’t like him, he’d steer clear of you.” Clumsy moved closer to her—did she even notice what was happening? “Whatever gave you the idea you don’t like them?”
“My father. We never had pets growing up because he said animals don’t like me.”
“And you never thought to argue the point or prove him wrong?”
She shook her head, lines forming between her perfect eyebrows. “No. That wouldn’t be right.”
The sound of a truck coming up the drive caught his attention. “Oh, crap.” His heart raced in anticipation. Not again, not twice in one day.
“What’s wrong?” Sadie grabbed his arm.
“Tyson Watson. Guess he’s come to finish off the job. You might want to step back out of the way. Last thing I want is you getting hurt while he lets off steam.”
Huge, baby-blue eyes turned to him. “No. I can talk to him. I was there, remember? I know you were only doing what Layla wanted.”
Jethro ignored her and stepped in front of her when Tyson got out of the truck and slammed the door. “Jethro.”
He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. “Tyson.”
The visitor walked toward him, adjusted his hat, and stopped a step in front of him. This was it. Jethro took another breath and looked him in the eye. May as well get this over and done with. No point fighting back and dragging things out. Experience had taught him that.
“I’ve, ah, look… I’ve come to say thank you.”
“What?” He held his breath, sure his hearing had been damaged. His cousin never thanked him for anything.
Tyson huffed out a breath. “And to say I’m sorry. Look, I know we’ve had our differences over the years and we should be over that by now. What you did today, well, it was real kind of you. Layla needed someone, and that should’ve been me, but it wasn’t.” He cleared his throat, looked over Jethro’s shoulder at the hills in the distance, breaking eye contact. Embarrassment tinged his cheeks. “I’d rather it was anyone but you with her, to be honest, but under the circumstances, I’m grateful for what you did.”
“Right.” He didn’t know what to say.
“Yeah. The little fella is doing well, and Layla’s pretty happy it’s all over, even if it wasn’t expected this early. Evan is happy with him but wants to keep an eye on him for a while. Make sure he doesn’t have any breathing issues. And she asked me to apologize for screaming at you when she really meant it for me.”
“I kind of got that. Considering I wasn’t the one who got her in that condition.”
“Don’t push it, kid. I’m apologizing and giving my thanks. Doesn’t mean we’re best buddies all of a sudden.”
Sadie moved to Jethro’s side, still clinging to his hand. “Really, Mr. Watson. I don’t think that’s called for, do you? After everything Jethro did today and what he took from you, I think you can cut him a little slack. After all, he isn’t laying charges against you for assault when in all honesty, he has every right to.”
Jethro squeezed Sadie’s hand, willing her to be silent. The last thing he needed was to piss Tyson off again. It was time to bury the family rivalry once and for all, but he relished the idea she would stand up for him. There was more to her than met the eye, and Jethro liked it. “It’s okay, Sadie. Tyson and I go way back. Lots of anger on both sides.”
But having this gorgeous woman by his side sent a tingle down his spine. Her warm hand tight in his was something he wanted to hold onto for as long as he could, and if it took arguments with his cousin to make it possible, he wasn’t going to complain. Nobody’d ever stepped between him and Tyson before. It’d always been the two of them facing off with each other, and sometimes over the stupidest things. Sadie didn’t come across as the kind of girl who would be interested in the same things as him, but while she was here, he’d make the most of it.
Tyson scratched his chin and stared Jethro down. “Yeah, well, she’s right. I think it’s time we moved on, don’t you? We’re not kids in school anymore.”
“Sure. So long as I don’t have to watch what I say every time we meet, that’s fine by me.”
Tyson grinned sheepishly. “I think after what you did today, sure. Besides, Layla has a soft spot for you. Reckon I need to give you a chance. Said you’re doing your best to make a go of things here.”
Pride shimmied up his back. “Yeah. Better late than never, I guess. I want to make Grandpa proud. Pity I didn’t step up before.”
Tyson shrugged. “Sure, but hey, you’re doing it now. I brought you something.” He held out a bag. “A cake. I didn’t want to come and say thanks empty-handed, and I’m not gonna bring you flowers.” He held out the offering. “Don’t love you that much.”
“Thanks.” Jethro took the bag and peeked inside at the cake box. “Does that mean you want a coffee and a chunk of this?”
Tyson shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ve gotta feed the horses before I go back to see Layla and the baby.” He sighed, a big grin on his face. “Gives you a different perspective on life once you have a baby, that’s for sure.”
“Congratulations, Tyson. He’s a healthy-looking boy.” Jethro held out his hand and Tyson took it. “Sure as heck has a good set of lungs on him as far as I can tell.”
“Look, about what you did for her. I appreciate it, but I need you to forget everything you saw. Got it?” A dangerous glint shone in his eyes.
“No problem. But it’s not like I haven’t seen…”
Tyson held up his hand. “Stop right there. This is my wife we’re talking about, not one of your cows, understood?”
“Yeah, loud and clear.” He didn’t react to the subdued giggle coming from beside him, but he could feel her body tremble with the effort to hold it in.
“Anyway, I gotta go. And thank you, Sadie, for being there as well. We both really appreciate it.” Tyson tipped his hat, walked back to his truck, and climbed in. “And if I can repay you in any way, let me know.” With a final wave, he drove off.
Jethro’s shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh of relief as Tyson disappeared down the driveway. He looked down at Sadie. “That went better than I thought it would.”
“Hmm. He really does have a high opinion of himself though.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like he hasn’t been poor himself. Comes off as better than you are. From what I hear, he was the poor boy of the family and had it pretty tough until Layla came along.”
Jethro wiped a bit of dust from his jeans. “Maybe, but I don’t think it’s the money that’s done that to him. I think it’s finding his place in the world.”
“Explain yourself. I’m not sure I understand.”
“It’s given him more confidence to have the woman he loves by his side.”
“Oh, I see what you mean.” She moved her hand away from Clumsy’s head, and the dog nudged her to continue to stroke him. “This dog is rather needy.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand how the idea of having a pretty girl stroke my ears would be so enthralling myself.” He copped a nudge to the ribs. “Ooph.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that so hard.” Her lips twitched with a restrained smile.
“Don’t lie. You’re paying me back for making you stay at the birthing room today.”
“Maybe. It’s not something I want to repeat in a hurry.”
He gave her a grin and watched the way her pupils dilated. She really didn’t know how cute she was. “See, that’s where you and I are different. I grew up around that kind of thing, birthing. Always animals here having offspring. Hard to get away from it, but to be honest, I never tried. I like the idea of new beings coming into the world.”
She looked him in the eye—if only she could walk away before she got in too deep. He wasn’t the man for her no matter what her hormones were screaming out for. “You’re a fresh breath of air, Jethro Hansen.” And for the life of her, Sadie couldn’t say what she was going to do about it.
He waggled his eyebrows. “Why, thank you, ma’am.” He lifted the bag with the cake box. “Can I interest you in cake and coffee? We can celebrate the new arrival together since we were both there when the cutest Watson boy made his entry into the world.”
Sadie rubbed her fingers together, pulling a face at the grime from the dog’s fur. “If you don’t mind showing me to the bathroom first, I’d really like that.”