A Fallow Heart (20 page)

“Let me wash these off and find you a bag.” As Loren pushed to her feet, Jo Ellen cringed, wishing she could somehow make the older woman sit down and relax. She seemed perpetually on the go.

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

But Loren had already disappeared into a back pantry. As Cooper’s mother rustled around, searching shelves, Jo Ellen glanced at the plate of beckoning cookies. Feeling her butt grow bigger just looking at them, she popped to her feet and hurried into the Gerhardt’s living room to avoid further temptation.

As she found herself alone in the front room, impatiently waiting for her sister to finally arrive, a totally different kind of temptation surrounded her. Cooper Thaddeus Gerhardt. His brown eyes stared at her from a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree angle. Pictures of him took up a good portion of the family photographs, in all ages of school from kindergarten to his senior graduation. Other pictures of who-she-assumed were his two older sisters also adorned the walls and fireplace, as did portraits of Loren’s grandchildren. But Jo Ellen’s attention kept landing on shots of Cooper. His image made her skin feel tight and extra warm.

One of his sisters looked more like him than the other did. Jo Ellen didn’t even know her name. Both girls had been much older than him and had moved off when he was young, but that was the extent of her knowledge about his siblings.

She veered back to study his senior picture. In the past ten years, he’d certainly filled out in all the right places. Now, he was solid and bulky and yet still appeared as if he didn’t own an ounce of fat.

When she heard an approaching engine outside, she gave a guilty lurch, unreasonably afraid she’d been caught ogling his photograph. The motor didn’t sound like Emma Leigh’s car, but Jo Ellen hoped against hope anyway as she wandered to the window and peeked out the blinds to spot a two-seater UTV pull up to the side of the house. With its bed loaded with toolboxes, the small vehicle hid under a thick layer of red dust. And behind the steering wheel sat temptation himself.

Her pulse lurched.

Unable to stop herself, she lifted the space a little wider in the window blinds and craned her head to see him better. For a moment, she lost sight of him as he drove around a corner. Then the engine of his UTV stopped and the cadence of boot heels striking against the Gerhardts’ concrete patio echoed through the front screen door, their rhythm telling her he was sauntering at a leisurely pace. Her stomach churned in anticipation.

Unexpectedly interested to catch her first glimpse of him for the day, she pressed closer to the window—the glass almost smashing her nose against the blinds—just as he stepped into her line of sight.

Even knowing how well he’d turned out, her mouth simply dropped. “Well, God bless Texas.”

In a dark t-shirt, dirty boots, a beat up straw cowboy hat, and greasy denim jeans held up by a huge belt buckle, he personified the perfect farm boy, the perfect man actually. Lust pooled warm and fluid in her limbs.

He paused, and Jo Ellen had to stand on her tiptoes and winch her neck just a little more awkwardly to continue seeing him. He took off his hat, revealing a head full of damp blond hair matted to his head. Helpless to control her eyes, she licked her lips as her gaze wandered south. My, oh my, but the man knew how to wear a pair of jeans.

With his hat off, he palmed the crown and used the back of his forearm to wipe at his sweaty face. Then he did the unthinkable. He paused at a water pump, which looked as if it might connect to an old-time, hand-dug well. Then he set his hat aside and pumped the lever a handful of times, the muscles in his arms and back bunching and shifting under his tight shirt. When water gushed from the spigot, he leaned down to stick his head under the stream.

Jo Ellen pressed her hand against her chest, hoping she didn’t have a heart attack before he was done because there was no way she wanted to miss the rest of this show.

The cool well water sluicing over his heated body made a slight steam rise around him and as wet cloth plastered itself to his torso. He drenched his hair, making it a shade darker than its usual light blond. After rinsing, he shifted his face around to the flow and opened his mouth, welcoming a nice, hearty drink.

Never in her life had Jo Ellen thought a man getting a mere drink of water could look so intoxicating. She watched his throat work as he swallowed. Then his eyes closed as he finished and he lowered his head to the spray again, obviously relishing his rinse down.

“Oh, Emma Leigh,” she whispered to her absent twin. “You are missing the view of a lifetime.”

It was a wonder every female with a heartbeat didn’t pant after Cooper Gerhardt, begging to bear his babies. A frown puckered her brow. And here, his eyes had been set on her in high school;
her
of all people. The idea made no sense. She was nothing special. Why had this fine specimen of male beauty even spent a second glance in her direction?

And yet, he swore he had, which caused a bloom of possessiveness to fill her. A part of that hottie out there belonged to her. Years ago, he’d given his heart to her. She liked that concept. Too much; so much it intimidated her.

If she could induce a raging jerk like Travis Untermeyer to dump her like yesterday’s news, no way could she keep a man as perfect at Cooper Gerhardt. He’d discover all her faults and eventually leave her too, except Cooper’s abandonment would hurt a million times worse than being abandoned by Travis. It would completely crush what little confidence she’d accumulated over the past ten years. She didn’t know if she could give so much of her faith, her love, her
control
to any man again, no matter how good he looked all wet and steamy. He’d only break her.

Unknowingly arguing his own case, Cooper promptly peeled his soaking wet shirt off as soon as the water slowed to a drip from the spigot. When he commenced to wringing it dry, Jo Ellen let out a whimper. His newly exposed muscles worked, flexing and shifting under his taut, golden skin, and he seemed to use every one of them to twist his discarded shirt into a tight rope and squeeze the water out.

“Here’s a bag full of vegetables to take with you, dear,” Loren said as she hobbled into the room.

A squeak of alarm escaped Jo Ellen. She whirled from the window and quickly clamped her mouth shut, her face scorching hot as she flashed Cooper’s mother a small guilt-ridden smile.

Frowning in confusion, Loren shuffled forward and opened the blinds with her finger.

Jo Ellen gulped.

But Loren didn’t seem to notice what kind of lusty thoughts she’d been having. When she spotted Cooper, pain filled her features. Her lips trembled and Jo Ellen swore she saw tears collect in the older woman’s eyes.

“So Cooper’s finally made it home,” she said and promptly turned away from the window as if it physically hurt her to look at him. Jo Ellen frowned, shocked and confused. Were Loren and Cooper having problems? It didn’t seem possible. Cooper had always absolutely adored his mother.

“Here’s your sweet potatoes,” Loren said, thrusting them forward, unable to meet Jo Ellen’s gaze. “They’ll keep longer if you store them in a cool, dry dark place.”

Jo Ellen accepted the plastic grocery bag, nodding over her instructions, and the back door opened. A moment passed—just long enough for her to suck in a sharp, anticipatory breath—then his voice broke the air.

“Mama? I’m going to take a quick shower before Emma Leigh and her husband get—” He entered the front room, still bare-chested with his wet shirt slung over his shoulder and a dirty pair of dusty boots held in one hand to keep from tromping mud across the floor. The only thing he wore was a pair of socks, snug jeans, and his hat.

When he saw Jo Ellen, he pulled up short.

She swallowed, deciding once and for all, coming here had been a big mistake. She had to figure out a way to escape gracefully. Forget repaying him for a good deed done ten years ago, if she wasn’t careful, this man could crush her soul and she’d hand him the tools to do it.

“Jo Ellen,” he rasped. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

She opened her mouth, but no words exited.

Loren sniffed as if insulted on Jo Ellen’s behalf. “Of course, she came. You invited her, didn’t you?”

Cooper transferred his shocked stare to his mother, but he couldn’t seem to look at her long before he jerked his gaze away and cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. I did.”

“Emma Leigh will be along soon,” Jo Ellen rushed out the words, curious and concerned about the awkward vibe emanating from both Cooper and Loren as if they were two strangers trying to get to know each other.

But thank goodness, a car drew up the lane and parked behind her Kia almost as soon as she spoke, relieving her from the tense moment. She wasn’t sure what else to say next.

“And there she is.” Loren hurried to the front door so she could greet Emma Leigh from the porch.

Left alone with Cooper, Jo Ellen opened her mouth to ask about him and his mom, but when she glanced his way, she found herself eye level with his dusky, flat nipples circled by light tufts of golden hair.

Her throat went too dry for her to speak. Not only would she hand him the tools to hurt her, she’d probably wrap them with a bow and hand them over with a goofy smile on her face while she did it.

“Excuse me.” He turned away, leaving her forced to watch his nice backside in those sexy jeans as he exited the room.

At the last moment before disappearing from view, he glanced over his shoulder. Caught peeking again, Jo Ellen zipped her eyes up and found him watching her. With a slow, sensual smile, he winked.

Oh, Goodness.

The muscles in her stomach cramped with too many emotions. Relieved he didn’t seem ticked about her presence, the warmth gripping her grew intensely uncomfortable. He made her body respond too easily. And yet his confidence made him even more attractive and irresistible.

Cooper wasn’t a vain man by any means, but he certainly seemed comfortable in his own body, and he knew good and well when a woman appreciated what she saw when checking him out.

She wanted to run—flee the sensations bubbling inside her—but she was soon swept up into the activity of Emma Leigh introducing Bran to Loren, and her brother-in-law bombarding the poor farmer’s wife with all sorts of strange questions like, “Do those chickens really cock-a-doodle-do at dawn?”

Jo Ellen laughed, and Emma Leigh made fun of him, while Loren patiently answered his questions. When Cooper showed up a few minutes later, Jo Ellen had resisted another cookie but downed her tea, draining the cup. Yet still, her mouth went dry when he stepped into the room.

All cleaned up, but still donning blue jeans and a t-shirt advertising the local grain elevator, Cooper looked even better than he had ten minutes before. His gaze met hers as soon as he entered the kitchen, but he just as quickly turned his attention to Bran and Emma Leigh, greeting them. For the next hour, he ignored her. Not that he had a lot of opportunity to pay her any special notice. With Branson and Emma hogging the conversation, he didn’t have any reason to even glance her way, which he didn’t bother doing. She wasn’t sure why that disturbed her so much when it was best if they just stayed away from each other. But it did.

When Cooper agreed to take Branson for a ride on a ‘real’ tractor, she and Em stayed behind to catch up with Loren. Finally, she learned the names of Cooper’s two sisters—Brendel and Stacia. From his mother’s scattered bits of conversation, it was obvious the old woman had grown lonely since Thad’s admission to the nursing home. Every time she spoke his name in passing, her lashes blinked rapidly. Then she’d mention Cooper and looked even worse.

Emma Leigh popped to her feet when they heard the men return, but Jo Ellen wanted to linger in Loren’s company just a little longer, maybe find out what had happened between mother and son.

Her sister, however, urged her outside.

“Damn,” Emma Leigh muttered, clutching Jo Ellen’s arm as she practically dragged her down the front porch. “I swear I was gonna burst into tears if I had to listen to Loren say Thad’s name one more time. She looked so sad.”

“I know.” Jo Ellen sighed sympathetically. “She sounded lonely too. We shouldn’t have left her so soon. We should’ve stayed and talked just a little while longer.”

“Are you crazy? Since Brand was born, I’ve been an emotional time bomb. I can’t cry now. Once I start, I won’t stop. And another minute in that woman’s company would turn me into a perpetual fountain.”

“Okay, fine.” Jo Ellen gave in. But she glanced back to wave when she saw Loren in the doorway, watching them from dejected eyes.

“Dear Lord.” Emma Leigh fanned at her face, already forgetting Cooper’s mother. “Is it ever hot out here or what?”

“I told you to borrow one of my thin shirts,” Jo Ellen argued, growing more tense the closer they moved to the men who’d parked Cooper’s tractor by the barn.

“Uh, hello. If you haven’t noticed, we no longer wear the same shirt size.”

When Emma Leigh splayed a hand over her chest, Jo Ellen groaned. “Yeah, you do look like the porn star version of me now that you’re breastfeeding, don’t you?”

Emma laughed. “Branson doesn’t seem to mind.”

With a snort, Jo Ellen rolled her eyes. “I should think not.”

As if hearing his name, Bran glanced their way. Emma Leigh waved and stuck out her huge boobs. Her husband grinned and his gaze grew heavy, making Jo Ellen feel like a voyeur for watching the two simply look at each other.