Her thumb was poised over Redial when Nell appeared out of nowhere and sat herself down a few feet away. Maddy’s blood pressure climbed and she reached for Beau who, unconcerned, gnawed on a length of his rattle. But Nell’s attention was elsewhere … fixed on the hazy distance, her ears perked high.
Maddy breathed—slowly in, calmly out.
If the dog wanted to sit around, okay. She didn’t have dibs on this square of lawn, as long as Nell didn’t get any ideas about wanting to socialize. But when Beau began to grumble, Nell trotted over and the hairs on the back of Maddy’s neck stood up straight. Thankfully the collie didn’t stop and soon Maddy knew why. The sound of an engine. The same sound she’d heard leaving the property early that morning.
Jack was home.
Maddy’s heart began to thud. How would he tackle the subject of last night? Maybe he wouldn’t bring up that kiss at all, which was fine by her. During the hours before dawn, she’d reflected enough on the blissful way his mouth had worked over hers. Useless thoughts had wound a never-ending loop in her mind, like what if Cait had discovered them? Where would it have led if she hadn’t pulled away?
Maddy shuddered. The fallout didn’t bear considering. If not another word was mentioned about that accident, she’d be happy. Surely Jack—a man considering marriage—felt the same way. As far as she was concerned, that caress never happened.
Nell belted a path out into the open space and a few moments later reappeared, ushering in the late model four-wheel drive. The vehicle braked and when the door opened, Maddy’s limbs turned to jelly. Setting his Akubra in place, Jack angled out, looking taller and more formidable than she remembered.
Everything about him spoke of confidence and ability. Raw outback masculinity and pride. Good thing he was practically engaged or she might forget her resolve about last night’s embarrassment and launch herself at him.
He made a motion. Nell rolled over and he rubbed her belly with the toe of his big boot. Patting her damp palms on her khaki pants, Maddy pasted on a nondescript smile. When Jack’s gaze tracked her down, she gave a business-as-usual salute. He acknowledged her with a short nod and headed over. With each long, measured stride, her heart beat more wildly. She looked at those strong, large hands and felt them kneading her nape, pressing meaningfully on her back. She saw the shadow on his jaw and relived the delicious graze against her cheek, around her lips.
The next thirteen days would be tantamount to torture—not wanting to say goodbye to Beau, yet having to get back to Sydney. Needing to leave the memory of that kiss behind yet craving to know the sensation again. Talk about chronic inner turmoil.
Jack hunkered down beside the baby, his boots dusty and blue jeans stretched at the knee. When Beau’s rattle slipped from his tiny grasp, Jack picked it up and shook the plastic keys until Beau grabbed and stuck one back in his mouth.
A side of Jack’s mouth hiked up. “Guess he’s hungry.”
“He’s had lunch. I think he’s ready to be put down.”
Jack tickled Beau’s tummy and, enjoying it, the baby squawked and threw the keys down. Jack chuckled softly. “He looks like Dahlia. Same cheeky grin.”
Maddy smiled. Cheeky grins must run in the family. Whenever Jack smiled at her that certain way, whenever his gaze dipped to stroke her lips, she could dissolve into a puddle, no problem at all. Guess he’d worked that out last night.
Cait called from the top of the stairs. “Want some lunch, Jock?”
Still on haunches, he swiveled around on the toes of his boots. “I’ll get something later.”
Cait nodded. “Can I put the bairn down for you, Maddy?”
“I can do it,” Maddy called back.
But Cait was already on her way. “You can indeed. But he hasn’t been out of your sight since seven this morning.”
Jack scooped the baby up and gave him a little bounce in the air before handing him up to Cait.
Beaming, Cait brought him close. “Now it’s my turn for a wee cuddle.”
Beau looked so at home in Cait’s arms, Maddy had no reason to cut in … except, after Cait and Beau’s departure, she and Jack would be left completely alone. The idea set her pulse hammering all the more.
As Cait and the baby vanished back into the house, Maddy gathered her highly-strung nerves. She’d simply have to deal with this situation in an adult-like manner. She’d offer a sentence or two while keeping communication friendly but unquestionably aboveboard. Then, after a reasonably short amount of time, she could follow Cait inside. Distance, and safety from possible humiliation and regret, accomplished.
With a blithe air, she collected her BlackBerry off the blanket. “Interesting that Cait calls you Jock.”
“Jock. Jack. Jum. All short for James.”
Maddy’s insides clutched. Jack was James?
She remembered his reaction—the flinch—that first day she’d told him the baby’s name. He and Dahlia hadn’t spoken in years and yet she’d named her baby in part after her big brother—Beau James. Maddy could only imagine the stab of guilt when he heard. The gut wrench of regret and humility.
Her voice was soft. “It must’ve meant a lot to know Dahlia remembered you that way.”
He removed his hat and filed a hand through his thick hair. “It was our grandfather’s name, too. A family name. But, yeah, it was … nice.”
Staring at his hat, he ran a finger and thumb around the felt rim then pushed to his feet. Squinting against the sun sitting high in the cloudless sky, he glanced around.
“Great day. Not too hot.” He cocked a brow at her. “How about a ride? “
Maddy couldn’t help it. She laughed. He never gave up. Which could be a problem if he applied that philosophy to what had happened outside the stables last night. But he hadn’t needed convincing; when she’d put up the wall, reminded him of a couple of facts, he’d promptly taken his leave.
At his core, Jack was an old fashioned type. He’d had an emotional wreck of a week. Their talk beneath the full moon—the comfortable, dreamy atmosphere it created—had caught them both unprepared. Now, however, they were fully aware of the dangers close proximity could bring. He was involved with another woman. Maddy had no intention of kissing Jack Prescott again.
She had less intention of jumping on a horse.
With a finger swipe, she alleviated her phone’s screen of fine dust. “Think I’ll leave the rodeo tricks to the experts.”
“You don’t have to leap six-foot fences. We can start off at a walk. Or we could double.”
Maddy guffawed. With her arms around his waist, her breasts rubbing against his back … After seeing reason so soundly last night, surely he knew that suggestion was akin to teasing a fuse with a lit match.
“I’ll get you riding,” he went on, setting that distinctive hat back on his head, “even if I have to seize the moment and throw you on bareback.”
The oxygen in her lungs began to burn. Quizzing his hooded gaze, she knew she wasn’t mistaken. He wasn’t talking about horses anymore and he wanted her to know it.
“In the meantime—” he offered her his hand “—what say I take you on a tour of Leadeebrook’s woolshed.”
Her thoughts still on riding bareback, Maddy accepted his hand before she’d thought. The skin on sizzling skin contact ignited a pheromone soaked spark that crackled all the way up her arm. On top of that, he’d pulled too hard. Catapulted into the air, her feet landed far too close to his. Once she’d