Her Baby Dreams

Beth was still talking when Ashby came through the gate. Not wanting to be rude, he placed a hand on Beth’s arm, halting her words momentarily with his touch.

“So how’d that feel?” he asked Ashby. She paused, her eyes meeting his, then flicking to Beth and back again.

“It was interesting.”

The surprise in her voice made him grin. “Told you it would feel good to loosen up.”

She tensed at his words and her eyes darkened. “Yes, you were right,” she said, then turned and walked away.

Chapter Four

“Hey, Ash, wait up, would you?” Having finally gotten through the crowd, Dan reached her just as she opened her car door. She was looking at the interior with a perplexed expression, as if it had just dawned on her that she had a problem. Knowing her the way he thought he did, Dan figured she probably hadn’t realized the state she’d be in coming out of that arena. Not that everyone had suffered the misfortune that she’d had, landing in that specific patch of dirt.

“What do you want?” She shot him a glare.

“Hold on to your bonnet. I didn’t mean anything by what I said back there. I come in peace.”

Her expression remained tense, but the hostility in her eyes eased as her gaze shifted from him to the inside of her T-Bird.

“How about I give you a ride into town? You can get cleaned up and come back for your car later tonight.” Her look turned skeptical. “Or tomorrow,” he amended. “You can get someone else to swing you by.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll mess up your truck.”

“Naw, you can ride in the truck bed.” When alarm flared in her eyes, he chuckled. “Just kidding. My truck’s built to handle the worst and keep on going. I’ll just take a hose to the floorboards and some soap and water to the seat.”

She stared at her car again. Dan took in the plush carpet lining the floor and the sporty bucket seats that were half cloth and half leather. “Those cow patties you rolled in aren’t going to come out of that cloth anytime soon. If ever.”

“I know. I’m a mess.”

It suddenly hit him that she sounded depressed. He’d first thought it was because she was less than happy at seeing him, but now he wasn’t so sure. He looked closer.

“Are you okay?”

Her lip trembled. “I smell like an outhouse. I don’t know what is in my hair and—” She clammed up suddenly but her lip still trembled.

That did it. Dan reached around her and picked her purse up off the seat. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

She didn’t move, just stared at him. He held in a frustrated breath. “Look, I know you don’t have a stellar opinion of me, but unless you have a better offer, I’d suggest you take me up on this one.” Well, that was a low blow. But she was being obstinate again. Just as she’d been the day of the bike race. Without waiting for her, he closed and locked her door and headed across the parking lot toward his truck.

When he reached it, he set her purse inside on the console and waited as she approached, almost dragging her feet. She really was a mess. It was going to take a gallon of heavy-duty cleaner to restore his truck after he dropped her off at her apartment. Still silent, she eased into the seat with a squish. She closed her eyes as the scent filled the interior of his truck.

“If they’d warned me about what was mixed in with the dirt after a rodeo, I would never have done this.”

Dan chuckled, pulled the seat belt out and reached across her to buckle her in. She looked a little too shaken to manage it herself. The smell was worsening. He patted her knee before he closed the door. “Tomorrow you’ll be glad you did it.”

He was smiling as he hurried around to his side of the truck. She might be as prickly as a porcupine, but she sure had been something tackling that pig.

And he knew he wasn’t the only cowboy who’d noticed.

Ashby had never been so relieved to see the big Victorian where she rented a small apartment come into view. Dan’s kindness in the face of her dilemma had surprised her. She guessed she really was too much of a city girl to have realized she would be such a mess when the pig scramble was concluded.

Somehow, most of the others hadn’t seemed to be in such a hideous state. Just her luck.

Dan whistled as he drove her into town, but didn’t try to talk, almost as if he knew she needed time to wind down.

“Here you go,” he said, pulling into the driveway. “Anything else I can do for you?”

What did he mean by that?

“Don’t look so horrified. I only wanted to know if you needed me to hose you down in the backyard, or help you pull off those boots.” He grinned, and in the light of the dash, she could see his eyes twinkling.

“Thank you, but I’m fine.” Ashby climbed stiffly out of the truck and gasped when she looked back at the seat.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get this cleaned up the minute I get home.”

That was the most optimistic thing Ashby had heard all day. She nodded. “Well, thanks again for the ride. Good night.” The mortification of the entire evening was rapidly collapsing in on her. She closed the door and hurried toward the apartment house. She’d just stepped onto the sidewalk when Dan called her name. She turned to find him watching her through the open window.

“Sweet dreams, Ash. You did good.” He tipped his hat, then drove off.

She watched his taillights until they disappeared, reminding herself that the man had charming women down to a science. She could not let a nice gesture and a couple of kind words get to her.

Dan was trouble. He couldn’t be trusted. Men like him could appear sincere when it suited them. With a simple smile they could draw women like the proverbial moth to flame. Steven’s charm had worked the same way. She had believed every word of his lies until she’d found him kissing his secretary. Yes, charm was shallow. Men like Steven couldn’t be trusted and she’d do well to remember that every time Dan opened his mouth.

Easier said than done, Ashby thought the next morning as she looked up from her sweeping to see Dan sauntering down the sidewalk toward her. He was smiling that slow, easy smile of his, and though she’d been avoiding meetings like this for the past month, etiquette required her to stand her ground today, given his courtesy the previous night.

“Mornin’, Ash,” he drawled, coming to a halt a few steps away from her. “Letting your hair down agrees with you. You’re looking as pretty as an apple blossom this morning.”

Ashby’s pulse skipped. This wasn’t a personal observation, it was just Dan. He’d been at the candy store and he had probably spent thirty minutes flirting with all the ladies who worked there. It was a usual stop for him, but he didn’t have her fooled—no one ate that much candy.

“Good morning,” she said, her hands tightening on the broom. Her resistance was irrational today and she knew it. The man had given her a ride home when, frankly, no one else had come near her—with good reason! She’d almost cried when she’d seen herself in her bathroom mirror last night. “I hope your truck is okay today.” She had awakened feeling totally embarrassed about the entire evening before.

“It’s good. Told you it would be.” He leaned forward and inhaled deeply. “You smell much better today.”

Ashby felt her cheeks warm. From embarrassment, plain and simple.

He grinned and wiggled the bag in front of her. “Would you like a piece of candy?”

Okay, so maybe he really did have a sweet tooth, and he wasn’t just over there flirting. The ladies from the women’s shelter, who ran the store, did make some of the best confections she’d ever tasted. And it wasn’t her business, anyway, what this man did and didn’t do.

“No, thank you,” she managed to reply. “I wanted to thank you once more for your help last night.” She resumed sweeping, hoping he would pass on by.

He nibbled a chocolate peanut cluster and continued to study her. “Got any dates lined up yet?”

“No,” she snapped. Humiliation spurred her to sweep faster. A moment passed, and then he bent his knees and playfully peeked up at her, with irritatingly happy eyes.

“You’re mad about last night, aren’t you?”

Ashby scowled at him and kept working.

“C’mon, Ash. You don’t have anything to be ashamed about. You gave it your best shot and you proved me wrong. And you clean up nice—did I already say that?”

Knowing that he actually knew why she’d scrambled for the pig was the problem. She couldn’t tell if the burn she felt was from sunshine or embarrassment.

Well, he could just go away. Nothing would suit her more. As a matter of fact, all the rotten men of Mule Hollow could keep their distance. She didn’t need any of them. For the moment, she was so upset that sounded exactly right. Gave her some semblance of satisfaction.

And still Dan lingered.

“I’m on my way over to Sam’s to grab a cup of coffee and catch up on the morning news. Join me? We can have an early lunch.”

Did the man never give up? “I’m working.” She inhaled slowly, calmly. “But thank you, anyway,” she added, looking up at him as she struggled to hang on to her manners. She was five-eight—five-eleven in the three-inch heels she wore—and still she had to look up at him. Her lips curved in a tight smile of dismissal.

To her dismay, he leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his booted feet. His spurs sang, drawing her gaze. It was apparent that even though it was ten in the morning, Dan had already been working. There was a fine layer of dust covering the lower edges of his sun-faded jeans, and traces of red mud on his boots. The man might move with a slow grace that made him seem lazy, but Ashby knew he was a hard worker, splitting his time between his horseshoeing business, his cattle-buying operation and running his own herd. That was the reason he could eat all that candy and not have it show up on his waist.

“Ash, didn’t your mamma teach you it’s not nice to stare?” he drawled.

“I wasn’t staring. Your spurs distracted me.” Amazing, just amazing, how easy it was to let her guard slip around him. And he knew it, too. Her eyes narrowed as she met his smug expression head-on.

Not affected in the least by her ire, he nodded toward the interior of her store. “I couldn’t help noticing that you don’t have any customers, Miss Templeton,” he teased. “If a man didn’t know any better, he’d think you didn’t want to be seen with him. It’s just lunch, Ash. Or coffee. Take your pick. I’m easy.”

“No, thank you,” she said, fighting to remain aloof. She’d been doing so for a year now and the man’s persistence was amazing. She was probably the only woman on the planet who had ever turned him down—thus she understood she represented a challenge. He might even feel sorry for her. That stung. She held his gaze, refusing to give in to the dark emotions.

He bit into the peanut cluster and mimicked her aloof expression. “Sure you don’t want one of these? You know, the ladies next door do know how to make chocolate.”

Ashby shook her head, while her mouth watered.

For the candy.

“Don’t tell me you’re on a diet.” He regarded her skeptically.

“That, cowboy, wouldn’t be any of your business.”

He chuckled and his eyes sparked. “That’s not my fault. It’s not like I haven’t been trying to get to know you better.”

And that was all the reminder she needed to get her head on straight. “That, in a nutshell, is why I’d never go out with you. You are incorrigible, Mr. Dawson.”

He beamed! “Well, thank ya, darlin’. I was wondering when you were going to notice.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” she said dryly. “You try to ‘get to know’ every woman within driving distance.”

“Oh, now you’re wounding me.” He covered his heart with the bag of candy.

She’d heard him make that statement many times and end it with his hand over his heart. Personally, Ashby felt it was a bit clichéd. Still, it made her own heart skip a beat. “We both know that’s impossible,” she snapped.

He startled her when he pushed away from the building to step close to her. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do, Ash.”

Unnerved by his proximity, she reached for the door. “I’ll take your word for it. Enjoy your coffee.”

He reached for the door, too, and his hand covered hers. Their eyes locked and held as every fiber of her being sizzled to life. She couldn’t move, and she hated herself for it.

He tugged on the handle, his smile blooming. “Don’t look so shocked, Ash. My mom taught me to open doors for ladies.”

When she noticed the twinkle in his eyes was verging on mirth, her good sense started making a comeback. This man knew the effect he had on her. He knew the effect he had on all women.

She yanked her hand back. Anger flashed through her that she’d reacted in such a pedestrian manner. “Thank you, but I could have done it myself.” She started to step past him. His hand on her arm stopped her.

“Like I said before, you need to loosen up, Ash.” His voice softened. “Is that why you’re afraid of me?”

Afraid? She lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid of you. You are just not what I’m looking for in a man.”

His eyes said he didn’t believe her. The way her pulse was going haywire, she wasn’t so sure she believed herself. But she knew what was good for her and what wasn’t.

“Ash, I think we both know you’re not being honest. Go out with me.” His voice grew husky. “Or at least have lunch with me. What could it hurt?”

Ashby’s resolve faltered. She stiffened her back and squared her jaw. “My name is Ashby and I’m not interested in having lunch with a playboy.” It sounded ugly, but it was as much for her own ears as for his.

His jaw tensed, but surprisingly he said nothing as she strode past him across the threshold, all too aware that he was watching her. All too mad at herself for losing control. The door closed with a refined click, as if to chide her.

The man took nothing seriously.

And she would do well to remember that bit of important information. She was looking for a husband. God’s man for her. Dan Dawson…

She watched him saunter toward Sam’s Diner, then turned her back to the window, putting the carefree flirtation out of her thoughts. Dan wasn’t that kind of man.

Not when she knew he’d probably stopped thinking about her the moment he’d stepped off the sidewalk and walked away.

Chapter Five

“Morning, Applegate and Stanley,” Dan said as he entered Sam’s Diner. It was midmorning, so the only customers were the two old-timers huddled over their perpetual game of checkers.

“So, did she turn ya down agin?” Applegate almost shouted, his wrinkled frown lifting into a craggy grin.

Dan slid onto a worn buckskin stool. “You know she did.”

The two old men stared at him.

Last night after dropping her off at her place, Dan vowed to back off, yet one look at her this morning and there he went…. “I guess either I’m a glutton for punishment, or I just like needling her.” He pushed his hat off his forehead. “What do you boys think?”

Sam came out from the kitchen, a small, wiry man with a brisk walk. Lifting the pot of coffee, he filled a cup for Dan without even asking. “It’s both,” he said as he poured. “I gotta warn ya, though, you better be watching yor back.”

“Look, fellas,” Dan said, not at all concerned with Sam’s unvoiced fears. “I’m well aware that the matchmakers have their eyes on me. Why do you think that is?” They’d seemed happy to leave him alone all this time.

“Why?” Stanley’s jovial expression changed to a smirk. “’Cause now that they’ve got the hang of this matchmaking, it’s like they can’t stop.”

Applegate nodded solemnly. “It is kinda enjoyable. I done got into it myself. But I ain’t so sure they’re gonna have thar way with Dan here.”

Sam slapped the towel he’d been wiping the counter with over his shoulder. “I told my Adela that very thang. I told her Dan was a born bachelor if ever thar was one.”

Dan nursed his coffee and listened to the boys. He probably did look like a born bachelor to them, and he was, to an extent. But he planned to get married someday. He wasn’t sure about having children…but marriage was something he hoped for, when the time was right. Despite what most people saw on the outside, he was a very cautious man. Marriage wasn’t something to rush. He was only twenty-eight and had a lot to accomplish before taking on that kind of responsibility. When he offered his name to a lady, there would be nothing more serious in all of his life. Though for the time being, the matchmaking ladies of Mule Hollow would have to be content fixing up others.

He wouldn’t hold it against the ladies for trying. They would realize the futility of their efforts soon enough. In the meantime, he didn’t mind in the least being their entertainment.

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