Without thought, she tipped her face toward him.
He blinked, tweaked her nose, stepped back, and then headed for the steps while she stood rooted to the spot. She pressed a hand against the feelings tangling in her tummy. Had he been about to kiss her? Did she want him to? She dampened her lips with the tip of her tongue.
Did she? Should she? Why couldn’t she focus her thoughts? And why did her heart lie so still in her chest?
Chapter Fourteen
The only thing keeping Jace from taking the stairs three at a time was consideration for Dianne. He didn’t want her to think he was trying to get away from her when quite the opposite was true. He saw the possibility of them both being on the ranch and her smiling across the table at him each mealtime. That wasn’t possible. His plans to leave hadn’t changed. But being around Dianne and her son tugged at him to stay. If he lingered in the cellar with her any longer, he’d have asked permission to kiss her. And how did that fit with leaving? Racing up the stairs seemed like a good way of outrunning his thoughts.
He held out a hand to help her from the last step and closed the trapdoor after her. His palms burned at how hard he rubbed them up and down on the side of his trousers—time to pull himself back to rights.
“Why don’t I bring the wagon, and we’ll take Eddie exploring?” Before she answered, he was out the door and rushing across the yard.
“I come?” Eddie called.
Jace slowed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Tell your mama to prepare a picnic lunch.”
Whooping, the boy raced inside to tell his ma.
Skip stopped at the door and whined for his newfound friend.
At the little pasture, Jace studied the borrowed horses and wagon. He had to get them back to their rightful owner. He shrugged. Not today.
Chet had a much better wagon and finer horseflesh, and Jace hitched the animals to the wagon and headed back to the house. His path took him by the ashes of the barn, and he clenched his jaw. He didn’t deserve to enjoy any of the things Chet had acquired and built up.
He set the thought of Chet’s death from his mind. Today, he would allow himself to enjoy the sunshine and the company. Besides, he needed to show Dianne the place and convince her to stay. She only needed the help of a competent foreman. One he had yet to find. Part of him said it wasn’t his responsibility to do so, but a louder, more insistent portion argued he couldn’t leave Dianne and Eddie to figure out things. After all?—
No, he didn’t carethatmuch. He simply knew she didn’t have the experience to choose such a man.
Eddie waited as Jace drew to a halt in front of the house, bouncing up and down on the steps.
“I ready. I ready.”
Dianne came out holding a cloth-draped basket and carrying a quilt.
Neither of them moved as they studied each other across the distance.
“Skip can come?” Eddie’s question jolted Jace into action. He jumped down, took the basket and quilt, and put them in the back. Should he leave the dog here to guard the place? Though what could he do if Al showed up? And he didn’t trust an angry Al to treat the dog kindly. It might be safer for Skip if he was with them. “Sure, Skip can come.” He lifted Eddie into the back, tightening his arms about the small body. His warmth and little-boy scent burrowed into Jace’s heart as if seeking a home. Then he opened the tailgate and whistled for the dog to jump in.
Both the woman and the child had his thoughts twisting like a piece of hanging laundry attacked by a wind.
Rubbing his palms against his legs, he went to help Dianne to the seat.
Did he dream her fingers lingered longer than necessary, and her gaze lasted for several seconds?
Blinking away his unsteady thoughts, he climbed up, and they were on their way.
Dianne’s attention went from side to side. “Where are we going?”
Good question. He hadn’t thought of their destination, and yet he was headed toward one of his favorite spots. “It’s a place with a beautiful view.” Though why this particular place came to his mind without planning, surprised him.
Rather than try to understand, he pointed out the way the trees clung to the rocky side of the nearby cliff and helped her locate where a hawk’s nest hung in the tallest tree.
The trail, more often used by a rider on horseback than a wagon, remained rough enough in places to force her to hang on to her seat. In other places, it spread out grassy and smooth with spring wildflowers dotting the landscape. He might have stopped to let her examine them, but she’d see plenty when they reached their destination.
Minutes later, he halted the horses. “We’re almost there. We’ll walk the rest of the way.” He helped her down and let Eddie and Skip from the back, grabbed up the picnic things, and then led them down a gentle slope, through a growth of trees, and into the open. They stood on a green hillside that dipped down to a gurgling stream. Rocky ridges rose on the other side and, behind them, the craggy mountains.
“Look!” He pointed out the mountain goats on the rocks.
