Read Online Natural Born Daddy by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B

the way, they circled around the barn. He spotted Kelly less than a hundred yards along the fence line, the sunlight glistening off her hair. Despite the heat, she was wearing a long-sleeved blouse, jeans and heavy gloves to protect herself fromthe barbed wire. Even so, as they approached, he could see a rip in one sleeve and a tiny nick on her flushed cheek.
    An irrational surge of anger boiled up inside him, followed rapidly by a tide of protectiveness. She shouldn’t be doing this. Even if she insisted on ranching, she should have a foreman and half a dozen hands to deal with the heavy labor. He knew in his gut, though, that she wouldn’t thank him for suggesting that. With that damned pride of hers, she wanted to do it all herself. It was as much a matter of principle with her as it was a financial necessity.
    â€œHi, Mommy,” Dani shouted, running ahead. “Jordan’s here to help.”
    Kelly’s head snapped up at the sound of her daughter’s voice, then her gaze sought his. He could see the dark circles under her eyes and knew at once that he was responsible. Oddly, though, he didn’t feel the same sense of triumph he’d felt earlier when he’d suspected she might have spent the same sort of restless night he had. This was the reality. She looked exhausted. And on a ranch, people who were exhausted could make dangerous mistakes, as he knew only too well. A careless mistake was what had cost them his brother Erik, when his tractor had overturned at Luke’s.
    â€œDamn,” he muttered under his breath. He should never have let this happen.
    He approached her slowly, then hunkered down next to her. He touched a finger to the torn sleeve, but his gaze went at once to her cheek. The nick there was as tiny as he’d first suspected, but it had bled. “You should clean that out.”
    â€œIt’s nothing,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “I’m up-to-date on my tetanus shots. I’ll wash it out and put some peroxide on it when I go inside. What are you doing here?”
    â€œI told you I’d be back to help with the fences.”
    â€œIt’s not necessary.”
    â€œA promise is a promise.” He stood and slid his hands into the pockets of an old pair of jeans he hadn’t worn in years and rocked back on his heels.
    She fell silent and, for the life of him, Jordan couldn’t think of another thing to say, either. He wondered why after years of having so much to talk about, they were suddenly so awkward with each other. The quiet serenity he’d come to count on had vanished. If it was lost forever, he had no one to blame but himself. He’d tried to change things between them and in doing so had cost himself the one thing that had mattered most—Kelly’s friendship.
    With Dani assigned to walk along the fence line to look for additional breaks, Jordan was left alone with Kelly.
    â€œGet much sleep last night?” he asked eventually.
    â€œEnough,” she replied tightly, concentrating on her struggle to stretch the next length of wire taut.
    Jordan leaned down to help her. “Doesn’t look that way to me,” he observed.
    She scowled at him. “Thank you.”
    He grinned at the testy note. “Not that you’re not always beautiful,” he told her.
    She glanced up, her face just inches under his. The nearness was too tempting for Jordan to resist. He dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose.
    â€œJordan!” she warned, casting a harried look in Dani’s direction.
    â€œShe might as well get used to it,” he said. “The same goes for you.”
    â€œNot now,” she snapped impatiently, jerking on the wire. She lost her grip and the line snapped back, snagging her sleeve. She muttered a colorful expletive under her breath as Jordan reached for her hand.
    â€œLet me see.”
    â€œNo. It’s nothing.”
    He chuckled, suddenly recalling how often she had