This Cowboy’s Son by Mary Sullivan

Author:Mary Sullivan [Sullivan, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Home On The Ranch, Category
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2010-08-04T23:00:00+00:00

MATT HAD BEEN TRYING for over an hour to get Jesse settled down in the bed beside his, but the other ranch hands were playing cards at the far end of the bunkhouse. He’d already told them Jesse was his son. They’d taken it in stride.

Jesse’s head shot up at every remark, every question, every game won or lost.Jenny had been right. This was a terrible idea. Still, in for a penny…

He read Buttercup’s Favorite Hat for the tenth time, then turned off the light for the tenth time. The only other lights on were over by the card game, and for Jesse’s sake, the boys had turned on just enough to see their hands.

Matt tucked the covers around Jesse and kissed his clean, soap-scented forehead. For the tenth time.

“Now, stay put and go to sleep.”

Matt lay down in the semidarkness and stared at the ceiling.

“Matt?” Jesse said. He sounded sleepy. At last.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

My God. Dear God. Matt had had no idea how this would feel, to hear his child’s sweet high voice murmur that he loved his dad. And Matt was that dad, even if Jesse didn’t know it yet.

Matt drifted off to sleep on a high.

He was awakened by a massive crack of thunder and Jesse screaming, “Mommy! Mommy!”

“You okay?” one of the ranch hands mumbled to Jesse.

“I got him,” Matt answered. He picked up Jesse, hugged him and rubbed his back. “Hey, it’s okay, partner. It’s just a little thunder.”

“It’s dark in here.” Uncertainty and tears shook Jesse’s voice.

“Yeah, that’s how the ranch hands like to sleep.”

“I want my mo-o-om,” Jesse said, sobbing.

“You sure? She’s probably asleep.”

“I want her.”

He sounded so miserable, Matt couldn’t deny him. Maybe if Matt could get Jesse to sleep in his own bed, he wouldn’t awaken Jenny.

“Something smells stinky in here,” Jesse said, calmer now that he knew he’d see his mom.

“One of the guys farted.”

“Mine don’t smell like that.”

“You weren’t drinking beer tonight.”

“Beer makes farts stinky?”

“It’s been known to.”

“I’m never gonna drink beer in my whole life.”

“Want to bet?”

Matt heard someone chuckle, then roll over.

He pulled Jesse’s robe on over his pajamas, slipped his own boots on and covered both their heads with a raincoat from beside the door.

Then he ran out into the night. Rain pounded on the coat as they crossed the yard.

Matt entered the house just as a furry pink thing threw herself at him and Jesse. Jenny.

“What’s wrong?” she cried. “Jesse, are you okay? What happened?”

“Nothing serious,” Matt answered. “Thunder woke him.”

Jenny grabbed Jesse and squeezed him.

Matt shook the rain off the coat and hung it on a hook by the door.

“Mom,” Jesse said, but it came out muffled since Jenny had his face crushed against her chest. Her soft, braless chest. Her very nice chest.

“I can’t breathe,” Jesse said, and Jenny eased her grip. Cripes, you’d think she’d never had the kid out of her sight before. Did she always worry when Jesse was away from her? Or only when Jesse was with him?

“How’d you know we were coming over here?” Matt asked.

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