That couldn’t have been one of her students.Lily looked up from Jesse to his dad.She blinked.Wow!Lilystared without realizing it.Jesse’s dad was probably over six feettall with sandy-colored hair about the color of Jesse’s.It fell inhis face in a very attractive way and he brushed it back out ofhabit.Blue eyes?She felt she was drowning in those gorgeous deepblue eyes.Could he be any more attractive?He wore a blackWestern shirt and jeans while holding on to his black cowboy hat.His cowboy boots told a story of years and work.Lily’s mind was ina muddle all of a sudden, as she tried to think of something,anything, to say.She swallowed and stood up.
He crossed the room in three strides and putout his hand to shake hers.At their first touch, some kind ofspark went through her.
“How do you do, Miss Cable?I’m Jesse’sfather, Sandy Johnson.Nice to meet you.I hope you’re not keepingJesse after school.”He smiled and rubbed his hand on hisjeans.
“Please call me Lily and we were justdiscussing horses and your ranch.”
Lily managed to get out from under thescrutiny of his blue-eyed stare.And what was wrong with her hand?It felt like she had stuck her finger in a light socket.Her mouthwent dry just looking at him.She squared her shoulders, licked herlips and gave him a professional ‘teacher meeting the parent’ look.At least, she hoped that was what she was doing.
Sandy looked her over too.What was hethinking?The look on his face reminded her of a contented catlicking his paws after a nice saucer of milk.
She felt her cheeks warming.
“What was he saying about the ranch?”
“Daddy, I want Miss Cable to come ride horseson Saturday.Could she do that, huh?What do you think, Daddy?Please?”Jesse took his dad’s hand and grinned up at him.
“I think that can be arranged if Miss Cableis up for it,” Sandy smiled.Lily quit blushing and decided thisflirting would come to an end.He was, after all, the parent of oneof her students, albeit a very attractive one.
“Thanks very much, but I have a mountain ofpaperwork to do this weekend.Maybe another weekend.”
“Miss Cable, don’t you want to see my horse?”pouted Jesse.He looked so crushed that Lily started to backtrack.His lower lip jutted out and he looked like he might cry.Jesse wasa special student and she didn’t want to crush his enthusiasm.Yet,this father was a bit too much to take.
She had heard stories in the teachers’ loungeabout him.How he was a widower and considered the catch of thecounty.Lily was new in town, probably out of her league and offmen anyway.The last thing she wanted right now was some sort ofromantic entanglement.One this century was enough.Why temptfate?
She smiled at Jesse but reluctantly shook herhead.She nervously pushed a few strands of hair from her face andSandy smiled again.He exhaled a slow breath and looked down at hisson.
“Miss Cable is busy this weekend, Jesse.Maybe we can try again some other time.What do you think aboutthat?”
She thought Sandy looked as eager for her toturn down the request as she was.Maybe he wasn’t interestedeither.Just as well.
“Thanks, Mr.Johnson.”She cupped Jesse’sface.“Jesse, can we do it another time?”
“Oh, okay, but Daddy’s horse is about to havea baby.It will be excitin’!”
Jesse’s innocent expression just about didLily in.She felt defeated by a five year old and the sweet,smiling dad.They turned and walked out of the classroom together,Sandy holding his son’s hand.What a nice father.Whyisn’t he remarried?There must be a hundred women in the townand another hundred in the surrounding areas who would snap him upin a heartbeat.Just as well.Not interested.
Sandy turned to look back at her.Beautifulwoman.Shoulder-length black hair that fell around her face in softwaves.She wore a straight black skirt and ruffled blouse thathugged her figure and gave him ideas.Why in the world isn’t shemarried?No ring, he checked.Never mind.She probably has halfthe guys in the state pursuing her and he wouldn’t be one of them.Not interested.
CHAPTER TWO
The Johnson Ranch was five miles out of townon a sprawling one thousand acres.The flat land rolled on and onwith occasional sagebrush bushes and pinion pine dotting thelandscape.Cattle roamed slowly and quietly while coyotes trilledin the distance.The hills rose up to meet the sky with one strokeof God’s paintbrush.One thousand acres was not really enough to doall the grazing Sandy had wanted to do for the past few years andhe was discussing it with his ranch foreman, Jason Bates.
“Look, Jason, didn’t Weatherby say he wouldsell me those five hundred acres?What’s the hold-up?”Sandy’svoice rose.“This transaction was supposed to have gone throughmonths ago.”
“His son has put a stop to everything and oldman Weatherby is in no condition to do anything.After that cowkicked him in the head, he really is in a fog.Finances are beyondhim, so Kyle took over.”
Sandy wanted those five hundred acres.TheJohnson Ranch was well known and had been in existence since the1800s.His ancestors had come out West on a wagon train, stoppedright here and hadn’t moved since.Sandy was a fifth generationNevadan.The cattle bred at the Johnson Ranch were unique,expensive and sold all over the world.
Sandy and Jason sat astride their hugePalomino horses, as comfortably as sitting in rocking chairs on afront porch.A ringtone jingled from Sandy’s cell phone.His horsesnorted and flicked his tail at some offending flies.Jason tookout his logbook to make the day’s entries.
“Johnson.”Sandy listened for severalminutes.Jason looked up questioningly.
“That’s real nice of you, Amy, but I don’tthink I can make the dance… No, Icandance, but I’m doingthe cowboy poetry gathering first and then I think I’ll just wantto take Jesse home.He’ll be pooped after the day’s excitement.”Helistened a few more minutes and then rolled his eyes at Jason.
“Yeah, sure.No, I don’t think so.I justcan’t, Amy.Maybe some other time.”Sandy ended the call and shookhis head.“That gal won’t take no for an answer.She calls me everyother day with some invitation or another.A person would thinkshe’d give up after a while.”Sandy’s brow knit tightly and heshifted the reins.“Damn…”
Jason got down off his horse to fix thehalter.“At least you’ve got a woman who likes you.I just gotturned down flat.”He straightened out the saddle blanket, put onefoot in the stirrup and got back on his horse.
