“And you’re right about breakfast. I have to eat for my baby now. Not just myself.”
Bella gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. “Don’t beat yourself up, Sassy. So much has been going on since you got here that your head has to be in a mixed-up whirl. And now Jett tells me that Bart has been hospitalized and you’re feeling somewhat guilty about it.”
“Feeling guilty is putting it mildly,” Sassy admitted.
“That’s hogwash. You’ve done nothing to the man. So don’t fret about it.” She nudged Sassy toward the door. “Come on. Let’s eat and then I thought we’d drive into town and do some shopping.”
Sassy shot her a blank look. “Shopping?”
Bella chuckled. “Yes, shopping. I need to pick up a few things before I go to work tomorrow. I thought you might like to look around and see what Carson City has to offer. You don’t need maternity clothes yet, but you will pretty soon. You might find something on sale. Besides, I want to be the first one to buy the baby a gift.”
“You’re too nice, Bella. And yes, it would be fun. Thanks for asking.”
Spending the day with Bella, shopping for the baby and seeing Carson City would be far better than moping around here, fretting about Bart and dreading the time she would have to board a plane that would take her back to New Mexico and away from Jett Sundell.
You came here searching for your family. But I think you want to leave because of me.
As she and Bella walked to the kitchen, Jett’s words continued to drift through her mind. He had it wrong, she thought dismally. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay here and enjoy his company, to let herself believe that something real and strong could develop between them.
But that would be like letting herself believe in fairy tales. And even fairy tales had to come to an end. Didn’t they?
Chapter Six
T he next morning Jett was walking back from the barn when the sound of a vehicle caught his attention. Pausing on the hard-packed earth, he glanced around to see a pickup truck rising over the crest in the road. From the dark blue color, he knew it was a Silver Horn ranch truck, so he waited for it to pull alongside him.
When the driver’s-side window slid down, Finn Calhoun appeared behind the wheel. He was dressed in cowboy work gear, including a dark burgundy scarf wrapped around his neck and secured tightly with a band of braided rawhide. In spite of looking unusually tired, there was a friendly smile on his face.
“Morning, Jett. You headed toward the house or the barn?”
“The house. With the snow starting to fall again, I thought I’d get my feeding chores done early. What brings you out?”
“If you’ve got the time to spare I have something to show you and Sassy. She’s still here, isn’t she?”
“She is.” But for how long, Jett didn’t know. She’d spent the whole day with Bella yesterday, and last night she’d purposely avoided being alone with him. She’d not mentioned anything about her plans to book a flight, and each time he’d even tried to head the conversation in the direction of her plans, Bella had jumped in and steered it to another track.
“Go park,” Jett told him. “We’ll go through the back door.”
Moments later, the two men walked across the ranch yard to the house until they reached a small, screened-in back porch. The dogs followed them and quickly ducked into a doghouse sitting a few steps away from the door.
“Damn, but I don’t like this cold,” Finn said as he stomped his boots and brushed at the snow that had collected on his oiled duster.
“Better get used to it,” he said. “Winter isn’t half over yet.” Jett made an attempt to rid himself of the white stuff, then opened the door and motioned Finn into the house.
Inside the kitchen, the two men deposited their hats and jackets on a coatrack, then Jett gestured toward a small breakfast bar that created an L shape at the end of the cabinets. “Have a seat, Finn, and
Bella gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. “Don’t beat yourself up, Sassy. So much has been going on since you got here that your head has to be in a mixed-up whirl. And now Jett tells me that Bart has been hospitalized and you’re feeling somewhat guilty about it.”
“Feeling guilty is putting it mildly,” Sassy admitted.
“That’s hogwash. You’ve done nothing to the man. So don’t fret about it.” She nudged Sassy toward the door. “Come on. Let’s eat and then I thought we’d drive into town and do some shopping.”
Sassy shot her a blank look. “Shopping?”
Bella chuckled. “Yes, shopping. I need to pick up a few things before I go to work tomorrow. I thought you might like to look around and see what Carson City has to offer. You don’t need maternity clothes yet, but you will pretty soon. You might find something on sale. Besides, I want to be the first one to buy the baby a gift.”
“You’re too nice, Bella. And yes, it would be fun. Thanks for asking.”
Spending the day with Bella, shopping for the baby and seeing Carson City would be far better than moping around here, fretting about Bart and dreading the time she would have to board a plane that would take her back to New Mexico and away from Jett Sundell.
You came here searching for your family. But I think you want to leave because of me.
As she and Bella walked to the kitchen, Jett’s words continued to drift through her mind. He had it wrong, she thought dismally. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay here and enjoy his company, to let herself believe that something real and strong could develop between them.
But that would be like letting herself believe in fairy tales. And even fairy tales had to come to an end. Didn’t they?
Chapter Six
T he next morning Jett was walking back from the barn when the sound of a vehicle caught his attention. Pausing on the hard-packed earth, he glanced around to see a pickup truck rising over the crest in the road. From the dark blue color, he knew it was a Silver Horn ranch truck, so he waited for it to pull alongside him.
When the driver’s-side window slid down, Finn Calhoun appeared behind the wheel. He was dressed in cowboy work gear, including a dark burgundy scarf wrapped around his neck and secured tightly with a band of braided rawhide. In spite of looking unusually tired, there was a friendly smile on his face.
“Morning, Jett. You headed toward the house or the barn?”
“The house. With the snow starting to fall again, I thought I’d get my feeding chores done early. What brings you out?”
“If you’ve got the time to spare I have something to show you and Sassy. She’s still here, isn’t she?”
“She is.” But for how long, Jett didn’t know. She’d spent the whole day with Bella yesterday, and last night she’d purposely avoided being alone with him. She’d not mentioned anything about her plans to book a flight, and each time he’d even tried to head the conversation in the direction of her plans, Bella had jumped in and steered it to another track.
“Go park,” Jett told him. “We’ll go through the back door.”
Moments later, the two men walked across the ranch yard to the house until they reached a small, screened-in back porch. The dogs followed them and quickly ducked into a doghouse sitting a few steps away from the door.
“Damn, but I don’t like this cold,” Finn said as he stomped his boots and brushed at the snow that had collected on his oiled duster.
“Better get used to it,” he said. “Winter isn’t half over yet.” Jett made an attempt to rid himself of the white stuff, then opened the door and motioned Finn into the house.
Inside the kitchen, the two men deposited their hats and jackets on a coatrack, then Jett gestured toward a small breakfast bar that created an L shape at the end of the cabinets. “Have a seat, Finn, and
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