The Midwife's Glass Slipper by Karen Rose Smith

Author:Karen Rose Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2009-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Last night had shaken Jared to his core.

The scent of sage drifted with the wind as he glanced at the cotton fields in the distance, then watched Amy and Courtney toss a sponge ball to fourteen-month-old Natalie. Emily sat on a blanket with ten-month-old Sean in front of her. With his shoulder still mending after surgery earlier in the summer, he didn’t yet have full use of his arm. But Vince had told Jared his son had come a long way.

Jared stood at the edge of the yard where the foundation of the new barn lay waiting for the construction crew.

Tessa strolled toward him, her blond hair blowing in the wind. She was a beautiful woman but…he’d never been attracted to her. So why did Emily pack such a punch? Why could she turn him on with a lift of her brow, a smile, a look?

“Don’t you love to watch them play?” she asked Jared.

“I do. I really love to hear them laugh.”

“I know. Laughter means everything is right in their world.”

“I think about when Amy and Courtney grow up. If they’ll still be close…if they’ll go to the same colleges.”

Amy ran over to Emily, dropped the ball into Sean’s lap, then laid her head on Emily’s shoulder.

“Your twins like Emily.”

“They do.”

Tessa didn’t say anything for a few moments, but he could tell she had something on her mind. He waited.

Finally she looked away from the kids to him. “Emily’s still vulnerable.”

“Meaning?” He didn’t like anyone poking into his life, but he knew Tessa meant well.

Last night you and Emily seemed…closer than boss and employee. Today you’re staying a room apart. I know this is your business and hers, but she’s a good friend, Jared. I want to see her happy. Not hurt again. When she first moved to Sagebrush—” Tessa stopped and her expression said she might have revealed too much.

All Jared had to do was think about the way Emily had given herself to him last night. She’d been free, passionate, erotically sensual. He’d even trusted her word she was on birth control. And he didn’t trust women easily anymore.

“Her husband was a bastard, wasn’t he? She hasn’t said much. But I’ve gotten the feeling she felt used…put down.”

He could see Tessa didn’t know whether to answer or not. Finally she replied, “I think you’re on the mark.”

After last night, Jared knew Emily deserved a man who wasn’t closed off to her…a man who trusted wholeheartedly and could dream. He was closed off. He didn’t dream anymore except for a happy future for his twins. He wasn’t the man for her.

He assured Tessa, “I won’t hurt Emily.” He knew he wouldn’t because he was going to keep his distance. They would work together amicably and he would shut down his desire for her. He could do it.

He’d had a lot of practice shutting down and burying his feelings ever since he was ten. It shouldn’t be hard to do now.

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