Page 42 of Unforgettable Cowboy
“Son of a bitch,” Hayes muttered, while Bailey let out a frustrated groan.It was going to take some keen maneuvering to get the baby back in the corral without having other calves escape, but that problem was soon a moot point; mama bellowed back to her calf, then hit the gate hard, bending the top rail under her weight and popping the latch.Hayes reeled sideways as the gate slammed into him, but Bailey grabbed hold of his arm, keeping him from going down as four or five cows shot out of the corral.Hayes regained his balance and they both heaved at the gate, shutting it again as the cows milled, upset at having their leader on the other side.
“I’ll hold it while you get some wire,” he said.
Bailey returned with length of hay string instead of wire and Hayes tied the gate shut.He examined the bent top rail and shook his head.
“Let’s see if we can find them.”
Twenty minutes later they had the escapees safely corralled in the adjoining pen, then opened the connecting gate so that the calves could mother up.
“This will do until tomorrow.”Hayes turned to Bailey who looked almost as out of breath as she’d been the night he found her in the barn.“Saved my ass back there, didn’t you?”
Bailey gave him a let’s-drop-it look, and he lifted his eyebrows as if in surprise.“Oh, it’s okay whenyou’rethe hero.”
Instead of answering, she studied his face, her gaze traveling slowly over his features, a faint frown drawing her eyebrows together and making him wonder what she was looking for and what she saw.Then she gently took his face in her hands, holding it for a moment with a light pressure before easing his lips down to hers.Hayes’s arms automatically went around her, pulling her against him, where she belonged.Damn but he loved the feel of this woman.He could hold her like this forever.
But he wasn’t sidetracked.
“Nice diversional tactic,” he said, loosening his embrace and letting his hands slide down to link behind her back.She leaned her upper body away from him, meeting his gaze in a matter-of-fact way.
“It’s easier when I’m the hero.”
“I feel the same way, but,” he continued as he pulled their lower bodies closer together, “sometimes I suck it up and allow people to helpmeout.”
“I’m accepting help,” Bailey pointed out.“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Because you have no choice.”
“What do you want?A bow on top?”she asked, an exasperated edge creeping into her voice.
“I want you.”
Her lips parted as she stared up at him.But she didn’t move away, didn’t automatically step back, and he took that as a positive.
“I mean…” He bent his head until his lips were almost touching hers and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin.“I really want you.”
“Hayes.”She whispered his name before dropping her forehead against his shoulder.He felt the energy of indecision rolling off her, and he wasn’t going to put her into the position of acting and then regretting, no matter how much he wanted her.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said, reluctantly breaking contact instead of kissing her again as he so badly wanted to.She gave him a look as he stepped back, part grateful, part rueful.
“I should go.If you need anything—”as in if something spooks you“—do not hesitate to come to the house.”Then he turned and headed across the driveway before he did something stupid like tell her he wasn’t a danger, when honestly, he was.
He was at the gate when her voice caught up with him.
“I think I want you, too.”
He stopped dead in his tracks, then turned toward her, doing his best to appear unfazed so as not to break the fragile bond that was forming.“You let me know when you’re certain, okay?”
“I will.”She lifted her chin, and he couldn’t help but smile at her forced nonchalance.Pure Bailey.
“See you in the morning.”
Wade was waiting to pounce on him when he came back into the house.“And…?”
“Cows got out.”
“Oh.”There was a marked note of disappointment in the old man’s voice.
“Bailey wants to stay in the trailer.”
