“You’re kidding.” Luke zipped his pants. “Damn it. Where did I set the binoculars?”
“On the table. You’d better put on your shirt.” She scurried around getting her clothes back on. Fortunately they always looked rumpled. She used the stool to balance as she put on her socks and hiking boots. That stool would always have the memory of what they’d used it for today.
Luke peered through the binoculars. “It’s Jack. And he’s got little Archie in the saddle with him.”
“Oh.” Naomi felt silly for not remembering. “That’s my fault. I told him to bring Archie to see the eagles sometime.”
“And he picked today. I wonder if that’s pure coincidence.” Luke put down the binoculars and picked up his shirt. “Emmett’s supposed to be the only one who knows I’m out here with you.”
“So you talked to him?” She took the elastic out of her hair and redid her ponytail.
“Last night on the way home.” Luke buttoned his shirt and tucked it into his jeans. “He reluctantly accepted the idea that you and I would be hanging out together during my time off.”
“Then it’s probably coincidence that Jack decided to come out today.” She was grateful that she hadn’t been wearing makeup. She turned toward Luke. “How do I look?”
He smiled. “Like a woman who’s been up to no good.”
“Really? What’s different about me? Is my mouth red?”
“A little, but not much.” He rolled back the sleeves of his shirt instead of fastening the cuffs.
“Doggone it.”
“Hey.” He took her by the shoulders. “I was kidding you. You look fine. I’m probably the only one who would notice a postorgasmic gleam in your eye.”
“Luke! I don’t want to have a gleam in my eye!”
“Sorry. You probably can’t do anything about it. I’m pretty good at detecting that gleam, but most people aren’t.”
“I’ll bet Jack is. Before he married Josie, he was quite the ladies’ man. I wish I had a mirror.”
“Trust me, you look fine. That’s not what’s going to get us in trouble.”
She stared at him. “What’s going to get us in trouble?”
“I unsaddled my horse and took the time to stake him out in a grazing area. A short visit wouldn’t have required all that. I would have left Smudge ground-tied beside this tree.”
Naomi groaned. “Then I guess we’ll have to see what kind of reaction Jack has to that. He’s not a blabbermouth, so maybe this won’t get back to my folks.”
“Yeah, Emmett said they wouldn’t like it.”
“Only because they want me to find a guy who’s steady. That’s not you.”
“Nope. Not me.”
The sound of hoofbeats grew louder. Naomi glanced at Luke. “We could sit down against the tree and pretend we’re not here.”
“Like you tried to do with me?”
“Right.”
“Forget it. If Jack brought his son all the way out here to see the eagles, he’d haul him up on this platform even if he thought nobody was here. Then he’d find us hiding and looking guilty as hell.”
“You’re right. That would be embarrassing.”
“And because we’ve stood here debating the issue for too long, there’s no time for me to climb down and disappear into the woods.”
That made her laugh. “Hardly. Even if you made it down the ladder, you couldn’t get away without Jack hearing you sneaking away through the trees. That would be just as bad as staying here and facing the music.”
“At least we’re dressed. And we’re not actually in the midst of—”
“Oh, God.” She put her hands to her hot cheeks. “What if he’d ridden up twenty minutes ago?”
“Little Archie would have gotten an education.” Luke shrugged. “He’s a ranch kid. He needs to understand the facts of life.”
“He’s only two,” she said in an undertone. “He doesn’t need to understand anything yet.” She took a calming breath. “This could have been so much worse. I’m grateful that it wasn’t.”
“Naomi!” Jack’s deep baritone drifted upward. “You there?”
She walked to the edge of the platform. “Hi, Jack! I sure am. Hi, Archie!”
The little blond toddler waved wildly. “Hi, hi! Birds! See birds!” He didn’t look much like his dark-haired, dark-eyed father. Instead he’d inherited his fair coloring from his mother, Josie.
He was an adorable kid, beloved by his parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Naomi’s heart did a little flip-flop. No matter what awkwardness the situation produced, this child deserved to see the eagles. He was very young, but even early memories could have a lasting impression, if only in his subconscious.
“Come on up,” she called. “I have a surprise for you. Luke’s here.”
Jack tipped back his hat and gazed up at her. “Oh, is he, now?”
Archie bounced on the saddle. “Luke! Wanna see Luke!”
Luke joined her at the edge of the platform. “Hey, buddy! How’re you doing?”
“Luke!” Archie stretched his arms up. “Wanna see Luke!”
“We’ll be right there,” Jack said. “Make sure the eagles are ready for their close-up.” He dropped his reins, gripped Archie around his chubby middle and dismounted.
“Archie seems excited to see you,” Naomi said quietly.
“I’ve done some babysitting now and then.”
She glanced over at him. The drifter babysat for little children? That didn’t fit his supposed philosophy of not becoming attached to his surroundings. Little kids like Archie could grab hold of your heart and refuse to let go. “You’re a man of many parts.”
“I am.” He gave her a cocky smile and lowered his voice. “After they leave, I’ll show you some of them.”
FROM THE MOMENT Jack arrived on the platform, Luke knew that he’d come to check out the situation brewing with Naomi. Jack was easing into the role of reigning monarch of the Last Chance, despite the fact he wasn’t yet forty. But he considered everyone on the ranch, and most of the people in town, too, as his people—people who required his guidance.
Luke had found it kind of amusing until today. Yes, Jack was his boss, and technically what happened on his property was under his control, but…Okay, maybe Jack had some authority here. Luke didn’t have to like it.
Archie, though, was another story. Luke couldn’t resist that rosy-cheeked little boy. He dragged the stool over to a spot that would give Archie the best view of the eagles and sat with the kid on his lap and helped him look through the binoculars. It was tricky because Archie didn’t quite get the concept of the binoculars.
Luke had a little trouble managing both child and binoculars. He didn’t want to