Cowboy for Keeps

He suddenly straightened, reason prevailing.

She was pregnant. With Richard’s baby.

He should not, under any circumstances, be having these kinds of thoughts about her.

“Please, Conner.” Her index finger drew tiny circles on the back of his knuckles. “There isn’t anyone else I want to work with on this assignment.”

So much for reason prevailing.

Instead of telling her to stop, he prayed she would go on indefinitely.

“Does, um, Gavin know about the baby?” he managed to ask in a hoarse voice.

“No.” The tracing of circles abruptly stopped. “I haven’t told him.”

“Because you’re afraid he wouldn’t give you the job?”

“I’m only ten weeks along.” She withdrew her hand and squared her shoulders. “I can do this. My pregnancy will not interfere. And if you’re considering telling Gavin—”

“I’m not telling him.” Conner picked up his coffee mug. It didn’t feel anywhere near as nice as Dallas’s fingers. The haze surrounding his brain, however, had dissipated. “You are.”

“What?”

“Seriously, Dallas. He has a right to know.”

“Are you making that a stipulation of working with me?”

“No. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” He’d also do whatever was necessary to protect her.

“Except into the mountains.”

“Not until you tell Gavin and he agrees.”

“You’ll let me ride a horse?”

“Hell, no!” His loud response had several heads swiveling in their direction.

“You just said—”

“We’ll take the wagon. Less jarring than on horseback.”

Her eyes lit up. “I’ve never ridden in a wagon before.”

“We can’t go everywhere we could on horseback.”

“What about the canyon where you captured Prince?”

“I’ll check the maps, verify the trails. We might have to take a longer route, but we’ll get there.”

She sat back, a satisfied and most appealing grin on her face. “Thank you, Conner.”

“Promise you’ll let me know if the going gets too rough.”

“I will.”

“I’m serious.”

“Taskmaster.” Her brown eyes sparked with delight.

“You have no idea.”

“Right.”

Clearly, she saw straight though him. The last thing Conner would do was push her, physically or emotionally.

“We’ll find Gavin when we get back to Powell Ranch.”

Dallas made a face. “I have to tell him today?”

“It will take me a while to ready the wagon and the team of horses. I’m not starting until he gives me the okay. The ranch is liable, after all.”

“You going to make me get a note from my doctor, too?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Dallas grumbled, then dived into her remaining salad, polishing it off in a few bites, along with the rest of her meal.

Conner watched, forgetting about his coffee. Did all pregnant women inhale their food? He hadn’t paid much attention to Sage and Caitlin’s eating habits during their pregnancies.

“I’m not keeping you from your work?” Dallas asked when the last bit of sandwich had disappeared.

“You heard Gavin. You are my work for the next few weeks.”

“Good.” Rising from the table, she smiled seductively.

Conner waited a moment before snatching the tab and following her to the front of the restaurant, his legs alarmingly unsteady.

Had she just flirted with him?

No, he must be mistaken. Dallas was always that way, friendly and outgoing, with a thousand-watt personality. It was the reason men found her so attractive, Conner included.

Only his interest in her went well beyond casual.

He reminded himself yet again of her current condition and the man responsible for it. Acting on his attraction would surely result in trouble. And until Conner’s life was back on track, trouble was the last thing he needed.

* * *

THE FRONT DOOR OPENED even before Dallas came to a complete stop in the driveway. Her mother stepped onto the porch and raised a slender arm in greeting, the folds of her vibrantly colored peasant skirt hugging her legs. Gold bangles on her wrists and neck glinted, catching the last rays of a disappearing sun.