Boone’s Bounty Read online

  “Not by a long shot.” He sounded embarrassed. “We’re a couple of ornery cusses, if you must know. Travis, he’s the charming one.”

  “Travis?”

  “Travis Evans. You’ll meet him, too. In fact, as long as we get out of here at a decent hour in the morning, you’ll get to come to his wedding.”

  The conversation had taken on an unreal quality. “Boone, hold on a minute. You’re planning on putting me, with all my problems, smack-dab in the middle of wedding festivities? You can’t do that.”

  “Like I said, my friends would have a fit if I did anything different.”

  “Some friends you have, Boone.” She was beginning to believe she’d stumbled onto the cowboy equivalent of the Knights of the Round Table. Still, taking advantage of such gallantry wasn’t her style. “Listen, you’re wonderful to offer, but I simply can’t put you or your friends to that kind of trouble.”

  “Okay.” His tone was patient. “What’s your alternative?”

  Good question. She thought of Mason lurking in the café, coiled like a rattlesnake ready to strike. She could watch for him to leave before she ventured out of the room in the morning, but that would mean being trapped without any way of getting food for Josh. Explaining that problem to Josh without telling him about Mason would be tricky.

  She faced the fact that she had no plan unless someone offered to be her ally. Boone had offered. “I guess my biggest problem is how to get food to Josh if the road doesn’t open right away in the morning,” she said.

  “I can help you with that.”

  “I would appreciate it.” She was embarrassed by how constrained her position was. She tried for an attitude of independence and self-reliance. “Once Mason leaves, Josh and I can be on our way. Kind as your gesture is, we really wouldn’t need to go with you.”

  He sighed. “Shelby, I’ve seen the guy. He’s a tough customer, and he won’t stay fooled forever. Sooner or later, he’ll catch on and come back looking for you. When he does, your self-defense courses aren’t going to do you much good. If you really want to keep Josh out of his hands, you need help.”

  She knew he was right. Damn it, he was so right. She’d been foolish to think she could protect Josh by herself. Reckless and foolish. Humbled by her monumental ability to miscalculate, she finally understood that her pride could endanger Josh. Because she loved him far more than her stupid pride, she had no choice but to be indebted to Boone and his friends. “Okay,” she said softly. “But I’ll find a way to make it up to you. I’ll—”

  “No need,” he said. “Don’t even worry about it.”

  Of course she would. The debt already sat heavy in her chest. But Josh was more important than her own comfort zone right now. “What about my rental car?” she asked.

  “You can call the office in Santa Fe and tell them you were afraid to drive it over the pass. That makes sense. You shouldn’t drive it over the pass, at least not for a day or two. But you can say you found other transportation. They might charge you something extra if they have to come get it, but—”

  “I don’t care about that.”

  “Okay, then it’s settled.” He turned toward the door. “I’ll come over here in the morning when I’m sure Mason’s gone.”

  “Wait a minute.” She’d been so caught up in her own problems that she hadn’t thought about how Boone had engineered this visit to her room. “Mason’s in the café, right?”

  “Right.”

  “When you left, where did he think you were going?”

  “To my room.”

  She gazed at him standing by the door. “But you don’t have a room.”

  “He doesn’t know that.”

  “You can’t go back in the café now, can you?”

  “No, but I’ll be okay in my truck.”

  His willingness to sacrifice himself for someone he’d just met left her speechless. Finally she recovered enough to stop him before he opened the door. “You will not sleep in the truck, Boone. Share the bed with Josh. He doesn’t take up much room. It’s the least—”

  “Not in this lifetime.”

  The steel in his words told her it was useless to argue the point. “Okay, then take the chair, or the floor. But you are not going out to that truck. If you do, then the deal’s off. I won’t go with you to the Rocking D.”

  “But…you don’t know me.”

  She smiled at that. “Yes, I do. Stay with Josh and me for the rest of the night, Boone. I feel rotten enough about the trouble I’m causing you. Let me at least offer you shelter from this storm.”

  “You shouldn’t feel bad. You’re not the one causing the problem. Fowler is.”

  “Well, I do feel bad, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink knowing I sent you out to stay in your truck tonight.”

  He hesitated. “Well—”

  “You’ll be doing me a big favor.” She pressed her advantage. His only weakness seemed to be his very soft heart. “I haven’t been able to sleep hardly at all since I left San Antonio. I have a feeling with you here, I’ll be able to finally relax.”

  “Then go on back to bed.” Boone took off his jacket and hat before settling down in the room’s only chair. “Don’t be afraid to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”

  4

  BOONE SHIFTED his chair so that it blocked the door, just in case. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes, although he didn’t expect to sleep. The room was too full of Shelby—her flowery scent, her soft breathing, her rustling movements as she turned over in bed.

  His sexual urges were coming out of hibernation, and the timing sucked. For the first time in more than a year, he was seriously interested in a woman. But in spite of the lousy timing, he was somewhat reassured by the ache in his groin. After Darlene had dumped him, he’d felt more like a steer than a bull, except, apparently, when he’d downed a pint of good Irish whiskey and taken Jessica to bed. That hardly counted.

  This counted. Nothing about Shelby reminded him of Darlene. Darlene was tall and big-boned, with brown eyes and hair. And damned impatient about getting a ring on her finger. He’d wanted to wait awhile to get married, so he could save enough money to give her a better style of life. At least that’s what he’d assumed was his motivation. Sebastian had thought all along he was stalling because deep down he wasn’t sure Darlene was the one.

  No matter what the reason, his method of operation hadn’t suited Darlene, and he’d lost her. Maybe she hadn’t been the one, but she’d been a big part of his life for a good many years, and he still couldn’t think of her without getting a lump in his throat.

  Except now he could. Boone’s eyes snapped open as he realized he’d been thinking about Darlene for several minutes, and his throat felt perfectly fine. Testing himself, he conjured up the pictures that usually sent him into deep depression—Darlene in a wedding dress, Darlene standing in front of the preacher with Chester Littlefield, Darlene and Chester in bed together.

  The scenes that had once evoked such morbid curiosity and deep pain barely kept his attention now. Instead his thoughts were firmly anchored on Shelby. When he’d first seen her, he’d been fascinated with the way her hair spilled out of her perky ponytail, so silky and blond, reminding him of a corn tassel. The bounce of her hair when she moved had made him smile.

  But tonight when she’d opened her door to him, he’d had no urge to smile. Instead his mouth had gone dry and his heart had begun to pound. In the light from the motel courtyard she’d looked like an angel, pure and untouched in her simple cotton nightgown with her hair falling gently to her shoulders.

  Then his attention had settled on the swell of her breasts under the soft flannel, and he’d forgotten about angels and started thinking of naked bodies writhing on hot sheets. The urge to protect her had brought him to her door, but once there, he’d fought the equally powerful urge to claim her as his, to put her in an ivory tower away from the reach of other men. But within his easy reach.

  Boone didn’t generally believe in imp
ulse, and he hadn’t acted on it this time, either. Instead of pulling her into his arms and branding her with his kisses, a concept that made him tremble with temptation, he’d stood just inside the door while she went over to quiet the boy.

  By the time she’d come back to stand in front of him, he’d had better control of himself. Marginally better. He’d still wanted to skim off her nightgown and make love to her until his name poured from her lips in a moan of delight. Totally uncharacteristic of him. His buddies would never believe he’d had such wild thoughts about a woman he’d just met.

  But he did. She’d never know how hard he’d clenched his hands at his sides to keep from reaching for her, especially when she’d told him about her sister and her folks. She might have appreciated the comfort of a man’s strong arms at that moment, but he hadn’t trusted himself to keep his touch confined to comfort.

  He’d have to be mighty careful in the next few days while he helped her sort out her problem. And no matter how much he might want to be, he couldn’t be her solution. His first obligation was to Elizabeth and Jessica.

  Shelby’s breathing took on a slow, steady rhythm, and Boone dared to open his eyes and glance over to where she and Josh slept. The glowing red numbers on the bedside clock showed him it was after three in the morning. He really should try to sleep, too, but he couldn’t stop looking at Shelby.

  A sliver of light from a break in the curtains angled across the bed and shone on her golden hair. It touched the line of her jaw and moved across to pick out a narrow section of Josh’s tousled curls.

  The boy would help keep him straight, Boone thought. Without Josh in that bed, the impulse to climb in with her would be too great. But Josh was there.

  Then, abruptly, both the red numbers on the clock and the light from the window winked out, and the heater fan whirled to a stop.

  Boone muttered a curse. The storm had knocked out the power.

  “Come back on, damn it,” he muttered under his breath, but the world had fallen silent except for Shelby and Josh’s quiet breathing. Boone figured these motel units were made of cardboard and chewing gum. He could already feel the chill seeping through the wall behind him, and soon the room would be very cold.

  Putting on his jacket and shoving his hands in the pockets, he sat in the chair and waited. Still no heat. Eventually Shelby and Josh began moving restlessly in the bed and Boone knew the cold had penetrated the blankets.

  He stood, walked over to the closet and took their coats off the hangers. He arranged the coats over them as best he could. Working carefully so Josh wouldn’t wake up, Boone draped Josh’s special blanket around the little boy’s shoulders. Then he returned to the chair and hunched down into the sheepskin lining of his coat.

  The temperature of the room fell a few more degrees and the restless movements from the bed continued. Finally Boone stood again, took off his jacket, and walked toward the bed. Josh had curled up as close to Shelby as he could get. They were both shivering. Boone was, too, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t ever been cold in his life. He could stand a little shivering.

  The toe of his boot caught the edge of the nightstand, making a clunking noise that must have awakened Shelby, because she turned over and mumbled his name sleepily.

  He paused. “I’m here.”

  “Why is it so cold?”

  “Power’s out.” He leaned down and draped his jacket over her and Josh. “It’ll be morning soon. Try and get some rest.”

  She rose up on one elbow. “What are you doing, covering us with your jacket? You need it,” she whispered urgently.

  “I’m not cold,” he lied.

  “But I’m c-cold,” Josh said, his teeth chattering. “S-so’s B-bob.”

  Shelby gripped Boone’s arm. “Take off your boots and get in here with us.”

  Panic gripped him. He wasn’t sure he could trust himself. “I don’t think that’s a good—”

  “Are you going to stand on ceremony when a little boy is shivering like this?”

  “No.” He had to risk it, for the boy’s sake. “No, I’m not.”

  “Good.” She released her hold on his arm. “Come on, Josh, move over closer to me. Boone’s getting in on your side. The heat went out so we have to snuggle to stay warm.”

  Heart racing, Boone walked around the bed and sat on the edge so he could pull off his boots. The boy would be between them, he reminded himself. But this still felt way too risky.

  “I like t-to snuggle,” Josh said.

  “I know you do,” Shelby replied, her voice playful as she rustled under the sheets, obviously gathering Josh close to keep him warm. “You’re my little snuggle-bunny.”

  In spite of his misgivings about getting in bed with Josh and Shelby, Boone had always yearned for a scenario exactly like this one. He’d counted on being a husband and a father by now. Darlene had taken away his plan to be a husband, and although he might be Elizabeth’s father, nothing about that situation felt good to him. He took off his belt so the cold buckle wouldn’t press against Josh.

  “I love you, Shebby,” Josh said, his voice muffled. “More’n all my Legos.”

  “I love you, too, sweetheart,” she murmured. “More than all my Billy Joel albums.”

  “I love you more’n all my Tonka trucks.”

  “I love you more than my salt-and-pepper-shaker collection.”

  “Even the duck ones?”

  “Even the duck ones,” Shelby said.

  “’Cause I quack you up, huh, Shebby?”

  Boone chuckled.

  “Exactly,” Shelby said. “You totally quack me up.”

  From the way Josh giggled, Boone knew this must be a game they’d played many times over. He envied their closeness. Shelby and Josh had a good thing going. Mason Fowler had no business coming between them, no matter what his biological rights might be.

  “Okay, I’m getting under the covers now,” Boone said as he eased into bed next to Josh. The bed was a standard double, too short for him. With Shelby and Josh already in the bed, it was a tight fit.

  Balancing on the edge of the mattress, he tried to find a place to put his sock-covered feet and brushed them against Shelby’s bare calf. “Oops, sorry.” He felt as if he’d touched an electric fence as the jolt of awareness traveled through him. He wondered if she wore anything at all under that nightgown. Probably not. He swallowed.

  “Put your feet back over here,” Shelby said. “Let me help you warm them up.”

  “That’s okay. They’ll warm up on their own.” No way was he playing footsie with her under the covers. He laid his head on the pillow and figured if there was more light he’d be looking directly into Shelby’s eyes. But as it was, he couldn’t see much of anything.

  Not being able to see sharpened his other senses, though. He breathed in her perfume mingled with the soapsuds scent of a little boy who’d had a bath only hours before. He tuned in to her breathing, and the rustle of sheets that telegraphed her every move. He scooted closer to Josh.

  “You’re a ice cube!” Josh shrank away from him.

  “Help warm him up,” Shelby said. “And then he’ll keep you warm.”

  “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” Boone held himself away from Josh so his chilled clothes wouldn’t get the little guy cold. He was about ready to fall on the floor.

  “His shirt’s cold, Shebby,” Josh complained.

  “Unsnap your shirt, Boone,” Shelby said.

  “What?”

  “No, really. I read about this. Your skin is a lot warmer than your shirt. Actually the most efficient way for us to maximize body heat would be for everyone to cuddle without any clothes on at all.”

  Boone choked. “We’re not doing that,” he said in a raspy voice. He unsnapped his shirt though, because he knew she was right about the most efficient way to transfer body heat.

  “No, of course we’re not doing that,” she said. “I’m just making a point.”

  “I wanna,” Josh said brightly. He star
ted wriggling on the bed.

  “No, Josh.” Shelby held him still. “Keep your pajamas on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s not necessary to take them off. We’ll be fine.”

  “But I would like it.”

  “I’m sure you would, you little streaker.” She chuckled. “Josh grabs any opportunity at all to take his clothes off, don’t you, buddy?”

  “Yep.”

  All this talk about nakedness naturally led Boone to think of undressing Shelby, which wasn’t helpful. But he smiled at the picture of Josh running bare-assed through the house. He’d forgotten how little kids loved to do that, and how much joy they took in the simplest of things. Their world could be uncomplicated and filled with wonder, so long as some adult didn’t mess it up for them.

  Without warning, Josh laid his small hand on Boone’s chest. “Now you’re warm,” he said.

  The trusting acceptance of that casual touch was deeply moving. “Good,” Boone said.

  “Let’s cuddle,” Josh said.

  “We are cuddling,” Boone said.

  “Uh-uh. You gots to be closer.”

  Boone edged farther onto the mattress.

  “You gots to put your arm around us,” Josh said. “’Cause you’re the biggest.”

  Boone wasn’t too sure about the wisdom of wrapping his arm around Shelby and Josh. And Shelby had suddenly become very quiet over there. Maybe she was rethinking this, herself. He hesitated.

  “Come on,” Josh said, grabbing his arm. “Don’tcha know how to cuddle?”

  He did know. In fact, he was hungry for the chance. With a sigh of resignation, he reached over Josh and slipped an arm around Shelby. As he drew them both into the shelter of his embrace, Shelby’s breath caught.

  So this bothers her some, too. Boone’s ego welcomed the boost. Given a choice, he wouldn’t have put either of them in this position, but with the power out, he had no choice. He closed his eyes and savored the pleasure of holding Shelby, even if they did have a three-year-old between them.

  “Now you, Shebby,” Josh said.

  “Okay.” Her voice sounded husky.

  Boone nearly stopped breathing when she hesitantly brushed her hand across his rib cage. With the way he’d pulled his shirt open, she had no option but to slide her hand underneath it as she wrapped her arm partway around him.