Cassie's Cowboy Daddy

“Not at all.” Hank tucked Ginny to his side and, staring down at her, added, “I’d be more than happy to help you do anything, honey.” He kissed her forehead. “All you have to do is ask.”

Logan felt the knot in his stomach tighten further when Ginny giggled and wrapped her arm around Hank’s waist. Following the enamored pair into the house to see what the two women had done to his home, Logan refused to acknowledge the sensation as anything other than hunger. It was getting close to lunchtime and he’d skipped breakfast.

Envy for the freedom Hank had to give his heart to a woman was an emotion Logan didn’t feel. Ever.

Cassie watched the men pick up the massive couch as if it weighed nothing and move it to the far side of the room. They’d both rolled up their shirtsleeves, and she found herself fascinated by the play of muscles on Logan’s forearms, the bulges tightening the fabric around his biceps.

Ginny walked in from the kitchen, and her brown eyes sparkled with admiration as she whispered, “Well, I’m in love.”

“It takes more than bulging biceps and brute strength to impress me,” Cassie said just as quietly.

Ginny gave her a knowing look. “Uh-huh. Sure.”

“Really.”

“Whatever you say, Cass.”

Saved from further defending her little white lie by the distant cries of her unhappy daughters, Cassie looped her arm through Ginny’s. “Come on. You can go back to enjoying Hank’s brawn later. Right now I need help getting the twins downstairs for lunch.”

“I don’t know what Hank has, but if he could bottle and sell it, I’d buy a whole case,” Ginny said, looking over her shoulder at the men while Cassie pulled her along.

“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Cassie whispered. “Unless I miss my guess, you’ll get all the free samples you want.”

“And I’ll take all I can get.” Grinning, Ginny added, “Just remember, I saw Hank first.”

Climbing the stairs, Cassie laughed. “You’re welcome to him.”

I’m more attracted to Logan.

The unwarranted thought made her stumble. Now, where had that come from?

She shook her head to dislodge the silly notion. She was about as interested in Logan Murdock as she was in rotating the tires on a car.

Ten minutes later, Cassie had Chelsea and Kelsie strapped in their high chairs and had just removed the warmed baby food from the microwave when she turned to find Logan standing in the doorway, watching her.

“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” he said, referring to the huge bowl of beef stew on the table.

Cassie shrugged as she spooned the baby food into divided plates and set them on the table. “We had to eat, and I like to cook.” Turning back, she took a towel from the counter, opened the oven door and bent to remove a pan of freshly baked bread. “I hope you like what we’re having.”

“Uh…yeah, it’s fine.” The air in Logan’s lungs stalled and he had to force himself to exhale.

Oh, he liked what she had, all right. Her loose khaki camp shorts were by no means tight, but bent over as she was, they clung to her shapely little backside and caused a certain part of his body to come to full alert. Damn! As bottoms went, the Widow Wellington had the best-looking rear he’d seen in a month of Sundays. Maybe ever.

When the babies slapped their trays and let out high-pitched squeals, she turned to grin at them. His heart stopped right then and there. Dimples. Cassie had tiny little dimples denting her porcelain cheeks. Why hadn’t he noticed them yesterday?

Damn! Ever since he’d sat next to Rosie Collins in second grade, he’d been a sucker for females with dimples. And that didn’t bode well. Not well at all.

The toothless grins the twins flashed back at their mother revealed they both had dimples, too. As far as little kids went, they were cute. Real cute.

Logan felt a chunk of the wall he’d carefully constructed around his heart fall away. The little girls almost had him wishing for kids of his own. But that was ridiculous. Having kids wasn’t, and never would be, an option for him.

Sliding into the chair at the head of the table, he felt sweat pop out on his forehead and he cursed himself as nine kinds of a fool. So Cassie had a pretty smile, a shape that would tempt a eunuch and cute little kids. So what? She was trying to take over his ranch. He’d better not forget that.

“What do you lovely ladies have planned for this afternoon?” Hank asked, entering the kitchen with Ginny.

“I have to return the rented trailer before I’m charged for another day,” Cassie answered. Logan watched her tie bibs around the twins’ necks, then seat herself in the chair facing them.

“I’m driving down to Bear Creek for supplies. I could take the trailer back for you,” Hank offered, holding Ginny’s chair. He sat next to her. “By the way, do you think you could spare Ginny for a few hours this afternoon? I’d like to show her around town.”

“I really should help Cassie,” Ginny said. “She’ll need me to watch the babies while she finishes the living room.”

As distracted as he was by Cassie and her killer dimples, even Logan could detect the lack of enthusiasm in Ginny’s voice.

He watched Cassie spoon lumpy-looking orange stuff into one twin’s mouth, while she held a bottle for the other. No wonder the babies were slapping their trays. He would, too, if he had to eat that unappealing stuff.