A Diamond In The Rough: One Good Cowboy / Pursued by the Rich Rancher / Pregnant by the Cowboy CEO

Hillary’s gaze scanned the low rolling hills around their home. “We bought this place to give T.J. the kind of upbringing neither of us had.”

Johanna angled her head to the side. “Where did you grow up?”

“Here in Vermont actually, but much more scaled back and...well...not secure.” She looked back at Johanna. “I love my mom, but she was troubled. Actually, she was an alcoholic. It took us a long time to reconcile, but I’m glad we found a way to make peace before she passed.”

“Oh, um, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she said, feeling totally inadequate. Sorry was such a lame, overused word. “Is the rest of your family still nearby?”

“My sister, yes. Troy and I have extended family, as well, the kinds of friends that are as close as relatives. We visit each other as often as we can, but we all bought vacation homes in Monte Carlo so our kids can have a sense of growing up together like cousins.”

Hillary’s shoulders lost much of their tension at the mention of her husband’s close friends, and she launched into a story about their most recent trip to Monaco for a Formula One racing event.

The baby boy squawked awake in his swing, stopping Hillary midstory. With already expert hands, she scooped up her newborn and declared, “He needs changing and I didn’t bring enough diapers out here. If you’ll excuse me for a few minutes, I’ll be right back.”

“Of course. Take your time. I’m enjoying the sunshine.” And trying so very hard not to be envious of Hillary’s glowing happiness.

As if to rub salt in the wound in her aching heart, Troy noticed his wife’s departure and took off after her in a slow jog, Gem loping alongside him having already transferred his doggy allegiance to the Donavans.

Stone peeled away and strode back toward her, so damn handsome he took her breath away. Yet she knew even if he turned gray and paunchy, the essence of the man would be the same.

Strong. Driven. Accomplished. Charismatic.

And still determined to deny himself—both of them—the family happiness she craved. As much as she wanted him, she couldn’t bring herself to settle for less than everything.

* * *

Taking a seat beside Johanna at the picnic table, Stone saw the wistfulness in her eyes as she watched the family tableau. He knew, without question, he’d put that pain there. Guilt threatened to drive him to his knees.

This whole afternoon of domestic bliss had been tough for him, as well, reminding him of all the times he’d seen his cousins with their parents while he sat on the periphery. He’d moved past wanting that for himself and realized he was better off not inflicting the same disappointment on offspring of his own. He knew his limitations. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to be a parent, and he refused to let down a kid. A parent had to be 100 percent in. Otherwise it wasn’t fair to the child. Johanna would expect—and deserved—to have a spouse every bit as committed to home and hearth as she was, rather than some stonehearted guy with a crack baby past.

He didn’t want to think overlong about the man who would offer her that fairy-tale future, especially not with the feel and taste of Johanna still so fresh in his memory. The sun kissed her shoulders, which were bared in her sundress. He allowed himself at least a small indulgence and grazed his knuckles along the tanned skin, sweeping aside her golden French braid.

He cupped the back of her neck and massaged lightly. “Are you okay with the Donavans adopting Gem?”

“What do you think?” Her head lolled back into his touch. “I’m thrilled. Gem is going to a wonderful family. There’s nothing not to love about this.”

“I have to confess, it’s going even better than I’d hoped.” His thumb worked at a knotted muscle at the base of her skull. The silkiness of her skin and the light sigh passing her lips stirred him.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, her face a study in bliss. “Your grandmother will be relieved to hear the news.”

“I already texted her.” He waggled his cell phone before tucking it away again.

“You what?” Her emerald-green eyes snapped open, surprise and a hint of something else sparking. “That was mighty confident of you. What if I’d disagreed? I am a part of this process, you know.”

“I could tell you were okay with this about thirty minutes in.” His thumb brushed along her cheek before returning to the back of her neck again. “I may not be the right man for you, but I know you well.”

She swatted at his chest lightly. “Then why did you bother asking when you sat down with me a few minutes ago?”

“It was an excuse to talk to you, and God knows, I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to touch you.” His voice went gravelly. His self-control was shot around her these days.

Her chest rose and fell faster in a tangible mirror of his arousal. “Why are you torturing us both this way?”

Hell if he knew the answer. “How about we both just enjoy the outdoors and sunshine? We have red clover instead of bluebonnets, but the love of the land is still here. Nothing is going to happen between us out here in the open, especially not with the Donavans nearby. There’s no harm. Accept the neck massage and relax.”

Some of the anger melted from her kinked muscles and she sagged back into his touch. “You always did give the best neck rubs.”

“It’s been a stressful couple of days.” He hadn’t wanted to leave Texas and now he couldn’t envision what life would be like after they returned. “I sent my grandmother photos of Gem with the Donavans.”

“That was thoughtful of you.”

“She texted back that she’s happy and relieved.” And he had to confess knowing he’d eased that worry for her made him as happy as if he’d landed a big new contract. “So yes, our task is twenty-five percent complete.”

“I know those photos must have brought Mariah a lot of joy.” Angling toward him, Johanna stroked along his eyebrows before cupping his face. Her fingertips were callused from work, but gentle, soothing, the hands of a healer. “We may not be meant to be married, but there was—is—so much about you that’s special. Otherwise I never could have fallen for you.”

“Yet, here we are.”

Silence settled between them, highlighting nature’s sounds of branches rustling in the wind and birds chirping.

Johanna’s eyes went sad, unshed tears glistening. “I wish things could be different for us, I truly do.”

He agreed 100 percent. But where did that leave them? “We haven’t talked about what happened between us earlier on the airplane.”

“What almost happened,” she amended.

“Right.” That sure put him in his place. Still, he couldn’t stop the urge to indulge in a week of no-strings sex, to make the most of one last chance to be with Johanna. “Do you still feel like I was trying to manipulate you?”

She eased back, her hand falling from his face, and she ducked her head to avoid his touch. “Nothing’s changed. We both know an affair can’t lead anywhere.”

“Not even a temporary fling,” he said in a joke, though he was more than half-serious.

She didn’t laugh. But she didn’t say no, either. She simply sat in silence as the wind sent a couple of stray maple leaves skittering across the picnic table.

Hope surged through him along with a pulse of heat in his veins. He knew they couldn’t have a long-term relationship, but he could feel her giving in to this week together. He pressed ahead. He just had to figure out what was holding her back. “Is there someone else?”

She choked on a laugh. “Are you serious? I live on your land, and I work at your family’s ranch. There aren’t any secrets.”

No secrets? She was wrong there. He’d been clueless about Alex’s feelings for her. “My cousin has a thing for you, and I didn’t know about that.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, plumping the gentle curves of her breasts along the neckline of her yellow sundress. “I told you there’s nothing between Alex and me.”

“But he wants there to be more.” Stone’s jaw clenched at the thought of her with someone else. The possibility that someone could be his cousin, and that Stone would have to watch them together every day for the rest of his life, was still more than he could wrap his brain around without blowing a gasket. “That’s clear to me now. Although why I didn’t see it earlier is a mystery.”

“I can’t control what your cousin feels, but I can assure you those feelings are not returned.” She touched his wrist lightly, tentatively. “This isn’t Alex’s fault. People don’t always make wise choices about who to...be drawn to.”

“Are you talking about us now?”

Chuckling wryly, she squeezed his hand. “You truly are clueless if you even have to ask. No wonder you didn’t notice how Alex feels.”

Even though she insisted she didn’t want Alex, Stone still had to know more. “How far did things go with Alex before you realized you weren’t interested in him that way?”