Page 25 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

His heart skipped a beat. “It didn’tdisappear.”

“Itdidn’t?”

The hopefulness in her tone struck him like an arrow. After all this time, did she still love him? Even with everything that had happened? And even more importantly, did he stillloveher?

“You can be really mad at someone and still care about them,” headmitted.

She turned to face him. “After Jimmy’s operation, I think weshouldtalk.”

He sighed. “I don’t know if I can trust youagain.”

“I know I’ll have to earnitback.”

He nodded but couldn’t get the lump out of his throat. Fortunately, the town came into view and saved him from having to further discuss the tenuous nature of their relationship. He drove through the quiet streets and pulled into the parking lot behind thebakery.

He spotted her car parked near the back of the lot. “Looks like you got your carfixed.”

“Mom has a friend at thegarage.”

“That’s good. She has a lot of friends in town. Everyonelovesher.”

After jumping out of the truck, he hurried around to the passenger door and opened it. Rachel’s shocked face helped lightenthemood.

He chuckled. “I can’t have you falling out of the truck flat on your face. What would our son think aboutmethen?”

She smiled as he grabbed her waist and hoisted her to the ground. His hands lingered on her hips a few seconds longer than necessary. Warmth spread up his arms to fill his body with a hot awareness that he couldn’t deny. Liar or not, she was still the sexiest woman alive. Images of her prone, naked body flashed through his mind. When he’d laid her down on the bed two nights ago, he’d wanted to devour every inch of her perfection. Now, he wanted to carry her back to his bed and kiss every quivering curve of her pliantflesh.

He dropped his hands to his sides and shook his head to clear it. He couldn’t keep indulging in fantasies about getting her wet, naked, and willing. At least not right now. He couldn’t afford to get distracted when he had so much more atstake.

As she climbed the stairs to her mom’s apartment, his bear roared with approval. He licked his lips and jammed his hands into his pockets. Already semi-erect, he didn’t want to walk into June’s house with a huge hard-on and lust inhiseyes.

Rachel held her hand up to knock but paused. “I don’t think we should tell Jimmy that you’re his dad yet. We don’t want to confuse him right now. He has enough to deal withalready.”

He grudgingly agreed. “All right, but after he recovers, I want himtoknow.”

“He’ll know. Ipromise.”

He wasn’t sure how much her promises meant anymore, so he’d have to trust her fornow. “Okay.”

She knocked on the door. June opened it. Her flour-streaked cheeks plumped up as she grinned and waved them in with oven-mitt-covered hands “You’re right on time. The last batch of cookies are coming out of the ovenrightnow.”

Inside the home, a timer beepedfuriously.

“I have to grab them before they burn,” she said as she hurried into thekitchen.

Jimmy sat at the small dining room table. Plates of Christmas cookies in all shapes and sizes decorated the table. Jimmy shoved half of an angel-shaped cookie into his mouth. When he looked up, his eyes widenedwithfear.

Brady silently cursed himself for acting like a jerk in front of his son. Now he’d have to win the child’saffection.

“What kind of angel are you eating?” Bradyasked.

“Chocolate chip.” As he spoke, crumbs spewed from his mouth to bounce across the table. Bits of colored sugar and sprinkles covered his tinyhands.

“Are you having fundecorating?”

“Yeah,” he said slowly as if unsure of whether or not he could trustBrady.

“Do you think I could decorate one?” Bradyasked.