His Country Cinderella by Karen Rose Smith

Author:Karen Rose Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-12-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Did I do something bad?” Jonah looked up at Zane with questioning eyes that expected an answer.

They sat at the kitchen table in Jeannette’s apartment, coloring a dinosaur in Jonah’s coloring book. Jeannette had disappeared into the bedroom to change clothes for her waitressing shift.

Zane’s answer was quick and decisive. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I should have told you to stay by my side. I should have warned you you could get hurt if you ran off the path.”

Tentatively, Jonah touched his chin. “Feels funny.”

“It’s going to and then it might hurt some.”

With a frown, Jonah started coloring again. “Gran says if I stay in the house, I won’t get hurt.”

Not wanting to step on anyone’s toes, yet knowing that overprotecting a child wasn’t good parenting, either, Zane asked, “Do you like staying in the house?”

After a shake of his head, Jonah gave Zane a sly smile. “I like lookin’ for elk.”

“Even though you got hurt?”

Jonah nodded. “Can we look again?”

Zane suddenly became aware of Jeannette who was now standing in the doorway. He wondered if she’d overheard their conversation. “Maybe you should ask your mom.”

Swiveling on his chair, Jonah faced her. “Can I, mom? I promise I won’t fall again.”

Jeannette cast a glance at Zane, then crouched down at her son’s chair so she was at his eye level. “I think looking for elk is a fun thing to do. But I think you might have scared Zane when you got hurt. If you go with him again, you have to promise to listen and not go running off.”

Jonah grinned at Zane. “I promise. Can we go?”

“After your stitches heal. Until then, we’ll find something quieter to do.”

Jonah thought about that, then slipped off the chair. “I’m gonna get another coloring book.”

As soon as Jonah left the kitchen, Zane stood and focused his full attention on Jeannette. Her shorts gave him a spectacular view of her long legs. Her slim waist and flat belly were revealed by the short, tight T-shirt. Feeling like one of the jerks who eyed her instead of the ribs at LipSmackin’, Zane lifted his gaze to her face. But that wasn’t much better. He was as turned on by the curve of her mouth and her beautiful blue eyes as the rest of her.

“You’ll let him go hiking with me again?” He was trying to concentrate on the conversation rather than the way she looked…and the way she made him feel. He’d shut down most of his feelings over the past few months and their reawakening was uncomfortable.

“I’m not like Edna,” she said. “I know I can’t keep Jonah in the house. That would only make him afraid when he does go outside. Ed wasn’t adventurous and I think his parents’ attitude was the reason.”

With Jonah returning any minute and Jeannette on her way to work, Zane didn’t probe more about her deceased fiancé. But he wanted to. He wanted to know how attached she still was to him.

Yet right now, with

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