I’ll get us some coffee. I’m not sure if Sassy is up yet. Maybe she’ll show in a few minutes.”
Finn made himself comfortable on one of the wooden barstools while Jett went to work preparing the coffee.
“Any news about your grandfather?” Jett asked. “I’ve not heard anything else from your father.”
“He’s doing a bit better, I think. After I leave here, I plan to drive to the hospital and check on him.”
“That’s encouraging news. Maybe he’ll get to go home soon.”
Finn grimaced. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. When he’s on the ranch, you can’t slow him down. He wants to oversee everything. As far as he’s concerned, I’ve still not learned what to do with a horse. Even though I manage the ranch’s remuda and broodmare production,” he added sardonically.
“Bart is just Bart,” Jett reasoned as he carried two steaming mugs of coffee over to the bar. “But I’ll be honest with you, Finn, that behavior of his the other night was bizarre.”
Grimacing, Finn stirred a dollop of cream into his coffee. “Yeah, he embarrassed the hell out of all of us with that outburst.”
“He also hurt Sassy. That’s what I hated about it.”
Finn glanced ruefully at him. “We’re all sorry about that, Jett. If we’d had any idea he was going to pull such a stunt we would have warned you.”
“No matter. It’s done. I expect Sassy to be leaving soon. Maybe even tomorrow.” And the idea of never seeing her, touching her again was eating a hole right through him. From the very first day he’d met Sassy, he’d been telling himself over and over not to get involved. But with each passing day she continued to surprise and enchant him. It was too soon to give her up. Way too soon.
“No!” Finn blurted, the cup pausing halfway to his lips. “She can’t do that!”
Jett’s eyes narrowed on the younger man. “Why?”
“Because I— We—”
Finn’s words broke off abruptly as he lifted his gaze to a point above Jett’s shoulder. Following the other man’s gaze, Jett looked around to see Sassy entering the room. To his relief, she wasn’t wearing her bedclothes as she had been yesterday morning. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of black corduroys and a red sweater that draped low against her chest. The color of the fabric made her thick hair look like a copper blaze and her skin a smooth shell pink.
The moment she spotted Jett and Finn at the bar, she stopped in her tracks and stared fearfully at them.
“What’s wrong? Is Mr. Calhoun worse?” she asked in a rush.
“No. He’s doing better,” Jett quickly reassured her. “Come have coffee. Finn has something he wants to show us.”
* * *
While Sassy prepared herself a cup of decaffeinated coffee and loaded it with cream and sugar, she tried not to let curiosity over Finn’s appearance lead to hope about finding her real parents. Especially since she’d been convincing herself that it was time to go home.
With coffee in hand, she walked over to where the two men sat at the breakfast bar, and though everything inside of her wanted to sidle up to Jett, she forced herself to stand a respectable distance away from him.
“Morning, Sassy,” Finn said with a warm smile. “You’re looking beautiful this morning—in spite of resembling me.”
She laughed softly. “Thank you, Finn. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Jett tells me you’re thinking about flying home soon. Is that true?”
She darted a wary glance at Jett. After that kiss they’d shared yesterday morning, all sorts of emotions and questions had been pushing and shoving their way into her thoughts. And the only sure thing she’d been able to take from any of them was that Jett made her feel things she’d never experienced in her life. Special things that made her heart feel warm and full, her pulse beat with excitement. If she ran back to New Mexico now, she might never know if a real relationship could build between them. Losing that chance
Finn made himself comfortable on one of the wooden barstools while Jett went to work preparing the coffee.
“Any news about your grandfather?” Jett asked. “I’ve not heard anything else from your father.”
“He’s doing a bit better, I think. After I leave here, I plan to drive to the hospital and check on him.”
“That’s encouraging news. Maybe he’ll get to go home soon.”
Finn grimaced. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. When he’s on the ranch, you can’t slow him down. He wants to oversee everything. As far as he’s concerned, I’ve still not learned what to do with a horse. Even though I manage the ranch’s remuda and broodmare production,” he added sardonically.
“Bart is just Bart,” Jett reasoned as he carried two steaming mugs of coffee over to the bar. “But I’ll be honest with you, Finn, that behavior of his the other night was bizarre.”
Grimacing, Finn stirred a dollop of cream into his coffee. “Yeah, he embarrassed the hell out of all of us with that outburst.”
“He also hurt Sassy. That’s what I hated about it.”
Finn glanced ruefully at him. “We’re all sorry about that, Jett. If we’d had any idea he was going to pull such a stunt we would have warned you.”
“No matter. It’s done. I expect Sassy to be leaving soon. Maybe even tomorrow.” And the idea of never seeing her, touching her again was eating a hole right through him. From the very first day he’d met Sassy, he’d been telling himself over and over not to get involved. But with each passing day she continued to surprise and enchant him. It was too soon to give her up. Way too soon.
“No!” Finn blurted, the cup pausing halfway to his lips. “She can’t do that!”
Jett’s eyes narrowed on the younger man. “Why?”
“Because I— We—”
Finn’s words broke off abruptly as he lifted his gaze to a point above Jett’s shoulder. Following the other man’s gaze, Jett looked around to see Sassy entering the room. To his relief, she wasn’t wearing her bedclothes as she had been yesterday morning. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of black corduroys and a red sweater that draped low against her chest. The color of the fabric made her thick hair look like a copper blaze and her skin a smooth shell pink.
The moment she spotted Jett and Finn at the bar, she stopped in her tracks and stared fearfully at them.
“What’s wrong? Is Mr. Calhoun worse?” she asked in a rush.
“No. He’s doing better,” Jett quickly reassured her. “Come have coffee. Finn has something he wants to show us.”
* * *
While Sassy prepared herself a cup of decaffeinated coffee and loaded it with cream and sugar, she tried not to let curiosity over Finn’s appearance lead to hope about finding her real parents. Especially since she’d been convincing herself that it was time to go home.
With coffee in hand, she walked over to where the two men sat at the breakfast bar, and though everything inside of her wanted to sidle up to Jett, she forced herself to stand a respectable distance away from him.
“Morning, Sassy,” Finn said with a warm smile. “You’re looking beautiful this morning—in spite of resembling me.”
She laughed softly. “Thank you, Finn. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Jett tells me you’re thinking about flying home soon. Is that true?”
She darted a wary glance at Jett. After that kiss they’d shared yesterday morning, all sorts of emotions and questions had been pushing and shoving their way into her thoughts. And the only sure thing she’d been able to take from any of them was that Jett made her feel things she’d never experienced in her life. Special things that made her heart feel warm and full, her pulse beat with excitement. If she ran back to New Mexico now, she might never know if a real relationship could build between them. Losing that chance
Similar Books
