Boone’s Bounty Read online

  Josh started jumping up and down. “What, Boone? What, what, what?”

  He crouched down in front of Josh and brought his hand forward. “A snowball.”

  Josh gasped in wonder and reached out a finger to poke at the glistening white ball. “Brrrr!” He glanced at Boone. “Can we throw it?”

  “Sure. If Shelby will open the door again for a minute, you can throw it right outside.”

  Shelby followed instructions and opened the door. Now that the sun had come out, it wasn’t nearly as cold, anyway.

  “Go ahead, Josh,” Boone coaxed. “Pick it up.”

  Josh made one attempt to hold the snowball and dropped it back in Boone’s hand with a squeal.

  “Just do it fast,” Boone said.

  “Awright.” Josh grabbed up the snowball and pitched it about three feet beyond the doorway. “I did it! I throwed a snowball, Shebby!” He danced up and down and waved his cold hand. “I throwed it out there. Right there. Can you see it?”

  “I sure can.”

  “Bob wants to throw one.”

  “Oh, I forgot.” Boone reached in the pocket of his coat and took out an imaginary object. Here’s Bob’s snowball.”

  Josh peered down at Boone’s palm. “Yup. There it is. Throw it, Bob.”

  “I’d better close the door now,” Shelby said. “We’re letting out the heat.”

  “Wait!” Josh said. “Bob gots to throw his.”

  “Okay. But tell Bob to hurry.”

  Josh studied the open doorway. “Okay. He throwed it.”

  “Then let’s close the door.” As she pushed it shut she dared to glance down at Boone still crouched on the floor. She discovered him gazing up at her. He was practically kneeling at her feet.

  Silently he mouthed the words I’m sorry.

  Her heart did a somersault. God, his eyes were green. “It’s okay,” she murmured softly. Then she took a deep breath and spoke normally. “Well, I guess we need to eat, huh?”

  “Yeah, before it gets cold.” He broke eye contact and levered himself to his feet. “I hope you don’t mind about the snowball, but I thought maybe, if Josh had never played in the snow, he’d—”

  “I wanna play in the snow!” Josh tugged on her hand and looked up at her with pleading blue eyes. “Please, Shebby? Can me and Bob please play in the snow?”

  Boone stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “It’s all clear.”

  Shelby looked quickly at Boone and was once again drawn in by the beauty of his eyes. They reminded her of a summer meadow, lush and tempting. “You’re sure?”

  Boone nodded.

  Shelby couldn’t look away. Boone’s gaze was so warm, so full of life. Slowly Josh’s pleading voice faded from her awareness as her attention drifted to Boone’s mouth. She imagined at first it would settle tenderly over hers, but as he caught fire, his kiss would become more demanding. Then he’d move from kissing her lips to kissing other parts of her body, and…

  “Shebby.” Josh hung his whole weight from her hand, nearly pulling her over.

  Dazed, she looked down at the little boy. “What is it, Josh?”

  Josh spoke with great deliberation. “Can…me…and…Bob…play…in…the…snow?”

  “Maybe for a little while. After we eat some breakfast.”

  “Whoopee!” He started running around the room. “Snow, snow, snow, snow.”

  “Okay, settle down.” She caught him by the shoulder as he ran past.

  “Might be a good idea at that,” Boone said. “To play awhile after breakfast. He can work off some of that excess energy before he gets into the truck.”

  Josh stopped his wiggling and stared up at Boone. “What truck?”

  “You and Shelby are going to ride with me to the Rocking D.”

  “The ranch?” Josh’s eyes widened. “Where you gots horsies?”

  “That’s right.”

  Josh turned slowly and looked up at Shelby. “We really are?” he whispered, as if he couldn’t believe such good fortune.

  Her heart wrenched. Perhaps this was a terrible idea. The more time Josh spent with Boone, the harder their eventual separation would be. She should probably tell Boone that she’d changed her mind. They’d drive the little rental car on through Colorado and into Wyoming, as she’d intended.

  “Shelby.”

  The sound of her name spoken in Boone’s deep, gentle voice sent shivers of pleasure up her spine. She glanced at him.

  He cleared his throat. “I know what you’re probably thinking. Listen, please don’t let what happened last night…. Well, it won’t ever happen again.” He swallowed. “I swear to God it won’t. You need to come to the Rocking D. Everything will work out better that way.”

  She wished they were alone so she could let him know that what had happened last night, or rather early this morning, hadn’t bothered her a bit. Poor guy, he thought she was offended and that’s why she was hesitating. She could hardly explain in front of Josh, especially considering that her main concern was for the little boy. She didn’t want him to get his heart broken.

  But neither could she send away a good man like Boone, letting him think he’d horrified her with his perfectly natural urges. They needed time to sort out this tangle, and a day or so at the Rocking D might be the answer for that.

  Besides, given a little time, maybe she could figure out a way to keep some contact with Boone, for Josh’s sake. Once she and Josh knew where the ranch was, they might be able to go back for a visit someday, after the mess with Mason Fowler had been handled. The thought cheered her. She’d like to reconnect with Boone once she was no longer on the run. Something might even come of it.

  She looked down at Josh, who stood there with a very worried expression on his face. “We’ll go to the Rocking D for a day or so,” she said. “Long enough for you to ride a horse, Josh.”

  Josh beamed as he looked from Shelby to Boone and back to Shelby again. “Me and Bob, we’re gonna love it there,” he said.

  As she absorbed the happiness shining from the little boy’s eyes, Shelby found tears gathering in hers. He so needed a wonderful man in his life, a man like Boone. Come to think of it, she wouldn’t mind having a wonderful man like Boone in her life, either.

  “Well, now,” she said, forcing cheer into her voice as she quickly blinked away the tears. “We’d better get going. We have lots to do before we get on the road!”

  6

  SHELBY INSISTED Boone use her calling card to phone his friends at the Rocking D and explain the situation. Then she looked for an excuse to vacate the room while he shaved and showered, and came up with an errand she and Josh could run. They’d head for the café to get plastic bags to tape over their shoes so they could play in the snow more easily. She even mentioned she might stay for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

  But even hot chocolate couldn’t sway Josh. The little boy begged to stay with Boone, which showed how much he was beginning to attach himself to the big cowboy. Shelby could see the way Josh constantly watched Boone, looking for clues as to how a man behaved. Shelby finally gave in and left him there. After all, she was the only one who needed to get far away from the erotic pull of having a sexy man in her shower.

  Norma Sloan was behind the counter when Shelby walked in, and she hauled out the café’s lost-and-found box. The box produced mittens and boots that would work for Josh, and an old pair of boots, a stocking cap and some gloves for Shelby.

  Caught up in the excitement of such unexpected treasures, Shelby forgot to stay for coffee. She remembered after she was out the door but decided not to worry about it. Boone probably took quick showers.

  On the way back to the room, she noticed his truck for the first time. She identified it easily because his name was on it, painted on the side panel of the door. Boone Connor, Farrier. So he was a blacksmith. That fit him, she decided. The job seemed to be made for someone who was both strong and gentle.

  She continued on to the room, eager to share her succe
ss, and opened the motel door without thinking to knock. “Hey, guys, you’ll never believe what I—” She came to a screeching halt and almost dropped the boots at the breathtaking sight that greeted her through the open bathroom door. Boone, naked except for a towel knotted around his hips, was helping Josh pretend to shave. Tension curled deliciously within her.

  Boone turned immediately, and a dull red crept over his cheeks. He’d probably meant to be dressed by now, but Josh had slowed him down. “Uh, don’t worry,” he mumbled. “I took the blade out.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She hadn’t gotten far enough in her thinking to be worried about that. She was too busy assimilating the picture Boone made. And salivating. She might have known his chest hair would be dark, curly and thick. And talk about a hard body. The blacksmithing job kept him very fit indeed. She grew warm just looking at all that muscle. Much more of this view and she’d be ready to attack him.

  The bathroom mirror was still fogged, but he’d rubbed a clean spot so that Josh could see himself from where he was kneeling on the vanity, a towel tied around his neck to protect his clothes. While Boone steadied him with an arm around his waist, he carefully stroked the shaving cream from his face with Boone’s razor.

  “I’m shavin’, Shebby!” Josh called out. “See me?”

  “I see you.” But she had a tough time concentrating on her nephew.

  She should turn away, but she didn’t have the willpower. Not only was he beautiful in body, but his sensitive treatment of Josh displayed a beautiful spirit, too. Pride radiated from Josh as he carefully worked the razor in obvious imitation of the way he’d watched Boone do it. He’d probably pestered Boone the whole time the big guy was in the shower, until Boone had finally given up and agreed to help him shave when he got out.

  She imagined Boone in the shower. With no towel…. She almost groaned aloud. If Josh hadn’t been here… But he was. He most certainly was.

  Shelby wondered if Boone realized that Josh would now be his slave for life. In all his three years, Josh had never had a man take as much time for him as Boone had in the past few hours. Shelby had given him all the attention she could, but some things were beyond her. Teaching him how to shave was only one in a long list of male-oriented activities.

  No doubt about it, she’d need to find a way to keep Boone a part of Josh’s life. The two had taken to each other from the beginning.

  Boone cleared his throat. “What did you find?” he asked, keeping his attention on Josh.

  Bless his heart, he was trying to keep this moment from being awkward, for Josh’s sake.

  “Uh, boots.” She held them up, even though he wasn’t looking in her direction. Damn, but he was gorgeous. He’d already surpassed her fantasies about big strong cowboys, and now he looked like the perfect father, too. “Mrs. Sloan had a lost-and-found box under the counter and these were in there. She also had mittens for Josh and some gloves for me.”

  “Good.” Boone gazed into the mirror. “How’re you coming, there, buddy?”

  “Almost done.” Josh had shaving cream everywhere—all over the towel and dabbed on the mirror and the sink, even on Boone’s chest, but he’d managed to get most of it off his face.

  “Looks good,” Boone said. He reached over and snagged a hand towel from the rack. He rubbed it over his chest before handing it to Josh. “Wipe with this. Then you can slap on some shaving lotion.”

  “Yeah.” Josh nodded. “Shavin’ lotion.” He wiped his face and peered at himself in the mirror. “All shaved.”

  “Okay. Down we go.” Boone lifted Josh effortlessly from the sink using only the arm he had wrapped around the little boy’s waist. He acted as if Josh were no heavier than a feather.

  Shelby knew better. She’d hefted Josh enough times to know how much he weighed. She watched in fascination as Boone’s back muscles flexed with the motion. She’d give her entire salt-and-pepper-shaker collection to feel those muscles move under her hand.

  Boone untied the towel from around Josh’s neck, careful to keep his gaze on the boy and not let it stray toward Shelby. “Now hold out your hands, like this.” Boone cupped his hands in front of him.

  Josh mirrored him perfectly. Shelby thought what a wonderful video this would have made. She’d left her camera back in her apartment because it hadn’t seemed necessary under the circumstances. Now she was sorry, although Boone would never have agreed to be filmed, now that she thought about it.

  “I’m going to sprinkle some shaving lotion in your hands,” Boone said, “but don’t do anything yet. We’ll slap it on together.”

  “Okay.” Josh gazed up at his idol with reverence.

  Boone shook some lotion into his own hand. “First you rub your hands together like this,” he said, demonstrating. “Then slap your cheeks like this.” He patted his face briskly.

  Josh clapped his hands against his cheeks and grinned. Then he ran over to Shelby. “Smell!”

  She crouched down, put her nose against Josh’s cheek and took a deep sniff. “Mmm, good,” she said. “Good enough to eat.” She nibbled his ear.

  “Don’t bite on me!” Josh said, giggling.

  “I can’t help it,” Shelby said. “You smell so good.” Now if only Boone would let her do the same thing, her world would be complete.

  Instead he closed the bathroom door. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he called. “You two can start putting on your boots.”

  Shelby glanced at the closed door and sighed. The show was over.

  MASON FOWLER calculated that he had some heavy-duty driving to do before he could hope to catch up with that bitch Shelby. She’d probably stopped for the night somewhere around Colorado Springs, but by now she’d be back on the road, hell-bent for Wyoming. Good thing her apartment manager had told him about Yellowstone. If he had anything to do with it, she’d never make it that far.

  She was a sentimental little twit, and not all that smart about covering her tracks. As if a rental car would throw him off. All he had to do was look for a Texas plate on a compact sedan and see if she and Josh were in it. He figured she was about two or three hours ahead of him, but he’d make that up. She wasn’t the type to speed and he made good use of his fuzz-buster.

  Once he found her, he’d force her off the road and take the kid. Any court in the country would back him on that one. Aunt kidnaps man’s only son, man goes berserk and chases woman until he gets his kid back. Aunt loses custody. She’d played right into his hands, exactly as he’d hoped she would if he crowded her long enough.

  The only thing he hadn’t counted on was the snowstorm. But the folks at the café had been real helpful. At least he knew for sure she was on this road, which had to mean she was going for the Yellowstone experience, back to her childhood. Dumb broad.

  He’d about puked the night she’d raved on to him and Patty about that Yellowstone vacation. She’d loved having the whole family in one room, like some Little House on the Prairie fairy tale. Nobody had ever taken him on a pansy-ass vacation like that when he was a kid. Good thing, too, because he would have hated it. Only real reason for going out in the woods was to shoot yourself a bull elk.

  His stomach began to pinch and he realized he’d better stop for some food. He started watching the billboards. Nothing but damned fast-food chains. He hated big business. Big business and big government, the scourge of the independent spirit in this country. Then he saw a small billboard for the Shooting Star Café. Falling Star was probably more like it—some poor guy trying to make ends meet while he shoveled most of his income to Uncle Sam. Mason decided to stop there and get something to go.

  Even the star on the billboard needed some paint. They should have done it in that reflective gold. Maybe he’d suggest that when he got there. A little gold paint wouldn’t cost much. Maybe…

  Oh, shit. The gold star. The goddamned gold star on the pocket of that big cowboy in the café.

  Swerving to the shoulder of the road, Fowler slammed on the brakes. Then he sat there cussing hims
elf, that cowboy and his idiot sister-in-law. She’d been there, at the motel, all night long. The motel was out of rooms, the cowboy had said. He’d been sitting there at two in the morning, not using his. It had seemed weird at the time, but lots of things seemed weird at two in the morning.

  Fowler slammed his fist against the steering wheel. That bitch was forever putting little gold stars on Josh for some stupid reason or other. Sure as the world that shit-kicking cowboy had given up his room to her and she’d rewarded him with a goddamned gold star. Fowler had sat there looking at the guy and for some reason that stupid little star on his pocket hadn’t registered.

  But it registered now. He looked for a break in traffic, cut across the highway, barreled the Land Rover through the weeds on the median and headed back the way he’d come. So the café owners had lied to him. He’d have to decide what to do about that, too. But first he had to find that little bitch and get his son. Nobody was going to stand in his way. Nobody.

  JOSH WANTED a big snowman, taller than Shelby, so Boone decided Josh should have a snowman. Boone hadn’t built all that many, himself, growing up as he had in Las Cruces, so he completely understood how Josh felt about making Frosty. Got snow, gotta have a snowman.

  Shelby seemed to be having a good time, too, and Boone enjoyed watching her relax and play in the snow. He wondered if she’d noticed how many times they’d accidentally touched or brushed against each other during the snowman project.

  Boone had sure noticed. The whole time they’d been working his mind had been filled with the thought of pushing her gently down in the snow and covering her body with his. He’d never been so obsessed with sex in his life.

  Towards the end of the project, Eugene Sloan got into the act, coming out with an old battered hat and a carrot for the snowman’s nose.

  Making the head was Josh’s job, and after Shelby helped him roll a snowball big enough, Boone lifted it on top. Then Boone held Josh while he positioned stones for eyes and a mouth, the carrot for the nose, and crammed the hat over the snowman’s head.