Fit To Be Tied

“You don’t have to do that.”

Devlin was pleased to note that her voice was as unsteady as his. Made him feel ten times better. “You’re right, Blondie, I don’t have to, but I want to. If I’d jumped out to fix your tire you wouldn’t have twisted your ankle.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” she insisted.

“No? Try telling that to my conscience,” he said before he walked into the rain, hoping it would cool him down.

THAT KISS was definitely a mistake of gigantic proportions, Devlin scolded himself as he shoved the pickup into reverse and backed from the driveway. Yup, that kiss was going to be right there between them when he returned. He probably should apologize, but he wasn’t sorry to discover that she tasted sweet and passionate and was so damn responsive that desire hit him between the eyes when she kissed him back.

Devlin shook his head and sighed, knowing he had become too direct, blunt and straightforward for his own good these past few years. The lessons he’d learned with Sandi Saxon were still controlling his life to some extent.

After that humiliating episode, he had made his intentions perfectly clear to the women who came and went from his life. Not that there had been many of them. He’d been chased on a regular basis, but he refused to get caught just because he was considered good marriage material. Truth was, it had been a long dry spell for Devlin, which was probably why he’d gone off like a ticking time bomb when he leaned down to kiss Jessica.

Nowadays, if he was attracted to a woman he said so. He also set limitations, because he’d had no intention of getting serious again. He wanted that understood up front.

His mind wandering in a dozen different directions, Devlin stepped into the rain to make short shrift of the tire that had given Jessica fits. Then he hooked up her car to a sturdy chain and towed it to her house.

Devlin glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes had passed, and he still wasn’t certain if he was ready to face Jessica again. But there was no postponing the inevitable, he told himself. He’d just play it cool. If she wanted to discuss that explosive, lip-sizzling kiss that rocked his world, then she could bring it up.

Devlin dashed through the downpour, then shouldered through the front door to see Jessica’s ruined business suit piled on the coffee table. Thank goodness she had covered herself up with the handcrafted quilt. He didn’t need to see her in that skimpy pink robe, because his imagination was already doing a number on him.

“Your flat is fixed, but you’ll need a new tire,” he said, striving for a nonchalant tone. “Anything else I can do for you before I fix supper?”

“Well, yes, but I doubt you’ll want to do it,” she murmured, then glanced quickly away.

Yup, she was definitely uncomfortable about that impulsive kiss he’d laid on her without warning. “Your wish is my command, Blondie.” Yeah, that’s it, Callahan. Keep things light and impersonal, and maybe you both can relax.

“My animals haven’t been fed,” she announced.

Devlin smacked himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand. “Damn, did I ever walk right into that. Now I have to feed the nuisances that started this feud between us.”

Jessica grinned, but she couldn’t maintain eye contact for more than a couple of seconds. He figured she felt as awkward as he did after that impulsive, electrifying kiss.

“Don’tcha just love the irony of this, Callahan?” she asked.

Good girl, Blondie, keep it light and we’ll get past this awkward moment, he mused. “Yeah, and when I get eaten by a bear you can tend my wimpy cattle herd. I’d probably appreciate the irony of that even more.”

“I’m really sorry about the extra work and all the trouble my animals caused,” Jessica apologized. She stared at the air over his left shoulder. “I realize we have a problem, and I tried to solve it by moving some of the cages farther west. But since it’s raining, and I can’t walk, it will be a while before I can move the loud-mouth animals away from your fence.”

“I appreciate your effort. Now where’s the feed and who gets how much of what?”

Jessica grabbed a pen and notepad off the coffee table, then made a list of the rations for her exotic animals.

“Criminey, your feed bill must be staggering,” Devlin said when she kept writing and writing.

“The association picks up part of the tab, but the rest comes out of my pocket. Not that I mind. The animals are my hobby, and they have become like family to me.”

“A husband might be cheaper,” he retorted.

Jessica picked up her credit-card bill and thrust the invoice at him. “Think so? My ex-fiancé sneaked a peek in my wallet and jotted down the account number and charged a cruise for two to my tab. He was clever about spending my money more often than his after we started dating.” She gave herself a self-deprecating smirk. “Being a number cruncher by profession, you’d have thought I’d notice. Go figure.”

“A fine pair we make,” Devlin said, then snorted. “Your ex-fiancé wanted to get his hands on your money and my ex-fiancée didn’t think I could make enough of the green stuff to keep her in the manner to which she aspired. If I ever find myself on the verge of what feels like love, money sure as hell isn’t going to enter into the equation. If the lady doesn’t love me for who and what I am, doesn’t approve of the same things I stand for, and against, doesn’t return my loyalty, then I want no part of it.”

“Same goes for me,” Jessica quickly affirmed. “I hated playing the fool.”

“There, you see? Despite our conflicts we have something in common. We both got tripped up once in our search for the real thing. And, Jessica, about that—” Devlin slammed his mouth shut and nearly clipped off his tongue. He had promised himself that he wasn’t going to bring up that kiss, which had an impact equivalent to the detonation of a heat-seeking missile. “About that list of which animals get what,” he finished.

She handed the list to him, and he breathed a thankful sigh that he hadn’t crammed both feet in his mouth.

“If you want an umbrella, there’s one on the back porch,” Jessica informed him.

“Naw, I can’t imagine how I could get wetter than I already am,” he said as he made a beeline for the back door.

JESSICA SCRUNCHED sideways on the couch, then winced when agonizing pain shot up her leg. This twisted ankle was going to be a major inconvenience.

And speaking of inconvenience, that kiss had hit her with the force of a nuclear bomb—which was very untimely, because she had vowed not to let herself become interested in a man for at least half a decade. Time enough to learn to control her defensive mechanisms, which locked into place when she found herself the slightest bit attracted to a man. Plus, she didn’t have time to devote to a meaningful relationship or to get to know a man. The accounting business was hectic several months of the year. And there were always chores and repairs that needed her attention on the farm. When could she possibly fit in time for a man?

Better yet, Porter, answer this question. Despite all your excuses, how are you going to ignore the effects that impromptu kiss had on you? Hmm? Devlin Callahan may be quick-tempered, stubborn and opinionated, but he blew your mind with that searing kiss. Wanna deny it? Go ahead, turn yourself into a pathological liar. Then try to tell yourself that you haven’t learned more about Devlin Callahan in a week than you knew about that devious, underhanded baseball jock after six months.

“Okay, so Dev is nothing like Rex,” she admitted to herself. “Yes, he’s drop-dead handsome, but he also has substance.”

Indeed he did, Jessica acknowledged. Although Devlin could be mischievous, he was honest, sincere and hardworking, and he had dealt with humiliation and rejection and survived a broken heart. He was also reliable. Why, at this moment he was outside feeding the animals he wanted packed up and gone. He was willing to do the chores Jessica was physically unable to do. That said something about his personality and character, something Jessica couldn’t ignore and greatly admired.

Yet there was still a niggling little voice inside her that warned her to be cautious. Despite what Devlin said, he might very well be charming her into relocating her sanctuary. At present, she suspected he was operating on guilt because he held himself personally accountable for her twisted ankle.

Did she dare let her guard down completely and retest her reaction to his mind-boggling kiss?

After several minutes of concentrated deliberation Jessica decided to give Devlin the benefit of the doubt. She wouldn’t purposely antagonize him to protect herself. She’d stick her neck out a bit, test the waters, let him get to know the real Jessica Porter.

Yeah, she could do that, ease from her protective shell an inch at a time. Besides, she kinda liked the way he fussed over her, tended to her while she was injured. It had been a long time—as in never—since Jessica had felt protected, cared about. Though it might feel awkward and unnatural for her, she would allow Devlin to help her in her time of need. She would be gracious and appreciative—without constantly probing for hidden motives.

Smiling, Jessica snuggled beneath the quilt and closed her eyes to catch a few z’s. Devlin was here, and he was taking care of things. She could relax for a few minutes and catch up on lost sleep.

WITH A BUCKET of feed in each hand, Devlin hiked toward the first of dozens of pens and cages that sat a hundred yards from the house. The rain had let up, but lightning still flickered in the distance, indicating the drought-breaking storm approaching from the northwest had yet to vent its full fury. Devlin drew in a deep breath of rain-scented air and sent a prayer heavenward, thanking the man upstairs for the relief needed to bring life back to the pasture grasses and provide the needed moisture for planting crops. Mother Nature hadn’t been kind to farmers and ranchers the past two years. It had been a struggle to provide forage for his livestock….

His thoughts trailed off and he halted abruptly when a growl erupted from the shadowy cage in front of him. Devlin stared uneasily at the brown bear that paced its narrow confines. Then Devlin noticed the animal was missing the bottom half of a front leg. The crippled bear sniffed the air, testing Devlin’s scent, then growled threateningly.

“Okay, buddy, so I don’t smell like Jess, but I’m bringing the grub tonight, so don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Cautiously, Devlin opened the trap door to fill the food tray. The bear, which Jess had named Winnie the Pooh, stared him down for a full minute before hobbling over to sample the vittles.

Devlin repeated the process at the second bear cage, noting that the animal called Teddy had a handicap like Winnie’s. On and on he went, making the rounds, feeding the lame and declawed animals Jessica had taken in. There were four battered cougars, three hobbling wolves, two foxes, a couple of bobcats, two jungle cats that stared at Devlin as if he was their meal of choice, three unusual-looking raccoons, an assortment of peacocks, a boar and a couple of species Devlin didn’t recognize. That wasn’t counting the aviary cage, which was built around dwarf apple trees and housed a slew of exotic birds.

As he made the rounds with Mother Goose at his heels, Devlin wondered what compelled Jessica to care for these animals. He understood why they couldn’t be returned to the wilds. Each animal had an imperfection that made it difficult to protect itself from predators or hunt for its own food.

Devlin was thoroughly annoyed with himself for not gathering all the facts about this unusual zoo before he’d gone off half-cocked and confronted Jessica. Maybe this zoo wasn’t his thing, but he respected Jessica’s efforts to care for and protect these animals.

Devlin was feeling exceptionally sympathetic toward the exotics until a llama strode past him, halted, then spit in his face. “Ungrateful jerk,” he muttered as he wiped his cheek on his shirtsleeve. “Expect to have your kibble poisoned tomorrow, pal.”

When thunder clamored and raindrops pattered against the leaves of the overhanging trees, Devlin sprinted to the barn to drop off the feed buckets, scattered seed for Mother Goose, then hightailed it to the house. Lightning popped and crackled as he leaped onto the back porch.

Devlin had spent enough years on horseback and on tractors, studying the weather, to know when a full-fledged thunderstorm was about to break loose. This, he predicted, was going to be a real toad strangler. His ranch was likely to go from drought to flood in the course of one night.

The instant he stepped into the kitchen his stomach growled, reminding him that it was long past suppertime. He veered toward the refrigerator to see what he could scrape together. To his amusement and distaste, he discovered the freezing unit was jam-packed with frozen dinners.

Devlin remembered those years when he and Derrick had burned out on packaged meals. They had made a pact several years ago to take turns cooking Monday through Thursday so they didn’t have to eat out constantly.

Devlin poked his head in the fridge to find a dozen eggs, bread, cheese and milk. While he was fixing breakfast for supper, he predicted his brother would be dining on a gourmet meal at Cassie’s restaurant. Maybe Dev should have made a play for the pretty restaurateur instead of granting his twin exclusive rights.

That was the thing about being a twin, Dev reminded himself. You had to check with your look-alike before showing any interest whatsoever in a female. That kind of sibling rivalry could get real tricky. Thus far, Devlin and Derrick had avoided potentially uncomfortable situations, but they had worked at it. Of course, that wasn’t counting that first-and-only fistfight over a cute little babe with pigtails when they were in the fifth grade.

With ingredients in hand, Devlin strode to the counter, then rummaged to find a skillet. Yeah, at this moment he could be sprawled in a padded booth, being fussed over by a wonderful cook and restaurant owner. But for some reason Devlin found himself more interested in the zookeeper who had come up lame herself.

That feisty blonde stirred something in Devlin that he couldn’t name. Although she was tough, prickly and defensive at times, he admired and respected independence in a woman. Heaven knew he’d been chased by enough clingy types to realize they couldn’t hold his interest.

Now that Devlin could step back and review his first two confrontations with Jessica, he could chuckle about the incidents where zinging insults flew like bullets. They set off fiery reactions in each other from the get-go. If that kiss was any indication, they could ignite explosive sparks of an entirely different nature—if they could put the bitterness from past relationships gone sour behind them.

Humming a country and western song, Devlin set to work on supper. The electricity flickered momentarily, but he managed to cook the eggs and toast before the storm came crashing down like gangbusters.

“Dinner is served,” he called as he carried two plates into the living room. When he saw Jessica stir beneath the quilt, her hair a mass of curlicues, his heart fluttered oddly. “Hey, sleepyhead, if I’m gonna wait on you foot and hand the least you can do is wake up and appreciate my efforts.”

Jessica blinked like a subterranean creature emerging from a tunnel. When she spied the food she tossed aside the quilt and reached eagerly for a plate. “You cooked?” she said drowsily. “This looks wonderful!”

Devlin inwardly groaned when the quilt fell away and he got an appetizing view of satiny cleavage exposed by that flimsy robe. The damn thing could be the death of him if he wasn’t careful where he looked.

“Lordy, real food,” she said after the first bite, then sighed in appreciation. “I haven’t had any in months.”

He hadn’t had any in months, either, but he didn’t figure Jessica was referring to the same thing.

Devlin forced himself to look the other way when Jessica propped herself on her elbow to balance the plate. The cursed robe gaped, partially exposing the creamy mounds of her breasts.

The lusty side of his nature silently begged her to lean a teensy-weensy bit to the left so he could admire all the appealing scenery.

The gentlemanly half of him strenuously objected.

Hell!

“Oh, God, this is fabulous,” Jessica complimented after taking a second bite of the omelette.

“Thanks. My brother and I alternate shifts in the kitchen. I’ve been at this cooking business for several years now. It was a real struggle after we lost our parents in a small plane crash. It’s a wonder we didn’t burn down the kitchen that first year.”

Jessica studied him pensively. “You took care of yourselves? How old were you?”

“Eighteen,” Devlin reported, then munched on his toast.

“No family or grandparents to take you in?”

Devlin shook his dark head. “There was a bachelor uncle in the armed forces who stopped in during furloughs, but Derrick and I were determined to keep the ranch going. We already had the necessary skills, but it took time to learn the financial end of the operation. We approached older, knowledgeable ranchers in the area for advice and managed to come through the crisis without losing the ranch. Then we took turns attending college every other semester so we could complete our education, just as our parents would have wanted. It took seven years, but we earned our agricultural degrees.”

He glanced quickly at Jessica, trying very hard not to dwell on the tempting swells nestled beneath that flimsy pink fabric.

Jessica shifted uneasily. She wasn’t in the habit of discussing her past with anyone, but she acknowledged that she felt more comfortable with Devlin than she had with anyone—ever. In fact, she had never confided much of anything to Rex, because the time never felt right and she never got the impression that he was all that interested in her past. Turned out his main interest in her was the money she made on her property.

“I don’t even know who my parents are,” she confessed. “I spent my childhood in one foster home or another. Then I ran away from an undesirable situation because the man who was supposed to be my substitute father began to take a slightly different interest in his role.”

Obviously, Devlin understood what she implied, because he muttered a foul oath that voiced her sentiments exactly. “If he laid a hand on you, I’ll look him up and tear the son of a bitch apart, limb from limb.”

The fact that he cared enough to defend her honor gave Jessica a warm, fuzzy feeling. “I appreciate the offer, but I saw it coming and skipped out. When I graduated high school I took a job as a waitress, then figured that if I wanted to get anywhere in this world I needed more education.”

Jessica relaxed when Devlin nodded and smiled. He wasn’t the least bit judgmental, thank goodness. Of course, she hadn’t gone into detail about living a hand-to-mouth existence, hadn’t mentioned the near misses with men who waited like vultures to take advantage of a vulnerable woman living on her own.

“Tough way to grow up, I expect,” he commented as he reached out to brush corkscrew curls behind her ear.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“Any time you feel like getting it off your chest, I’m willing to listen, Jess. I want you to know that.”

Head downcast, she fiddled with her robe. “Thanks.”

Having seen Jessica’s zoo of outcasts and hearing the boiled-down version of her life story, Devlin figured she was accustomed to keeping her own counsel. He knew she felt a close attachment to the stray animals who lived on her forty acres. He also suspected that she considered herself like them.

Feelings of tenderness and compassion for this woman overcame him. He understood why she thought it was necessary to put up that tough, keep-your-distance front. No doubt, that defensive attitude was essential in getting her through the unsung ordeals in her life. She had admitted that she was unaccustomed to being cared for. He also remembered what Reed Osborn said about Jessica taking in a young woman on the run from an abusive ex-husband, about the generous donations to youth groups and charities benefiting needy children.

Yup, there was definitely more to Jessica’s story, he realized. Incidents that made deep, lasting impressions structured her life and made her wary. His protective instincts stirred. He wished he could have been there to make her life easier, though his had been no fairy tale. But a young woman alone? No doubt, there had been dozens of pitfalls awaiting her, dozens of harrowing experiences that made her mistrusting and cautious.

“Where did you collect all your animals?” he asked as he reached for his glass of iced tea.

“Some were placed by the association,” she informed him. “Some were brought to me out of desperation. You wouldn’t believe how many people purchase exotic animals, thinking they can be domesticated. The jungle cats are especially cute kittens…until they grow up. Then people find a full-size African lion on their hands and don’t know what to do with it. It takes special training to care for those animals, and without intensive seminars, the average person is totally at a loss.”

“You’ve had training, I take it.”

Jessica nodded. Tangled curls bobbed around her face. “Yes. I’ve also been taught to look for signs of illness. The local vet stops by once a month to check the condition of my animals.”

“I’m impressed.”

Startled, she glanced up. “I thought you disapproved of my exotic misfits.”

Devlin shrugged. “I didn’t say I was all that crazy about ranching next door to your zoo, but I admire your dedication, especially after I saw, firsthand, the handicaps of your charges. I guess a declawed cougar with a crippled hind quarter wouldn’t fare well in the wilderness. Kinda like a young kid fighting her way through the jungle on the streets, I suspect. Interesting similarity, I’d say.”

Jessica shifted uncomfortably. “Okay, Freud, so you figured out that I see myself in some of those animals, feel a strong kinship toward them.”

“How can I not? As I recall, you came at me with teeth bared the first time we met.” He chuckled good-naturedly, then winked in amusement. “Not that I wasn’t spoiling for a fight, mind you, because I definitely was.”

“You reminded me of a roaring lion. It was a learned response to fight fire with fire,” she replied.

Devlin set his empty plate aside, then came down on his knees in front of her. “How about if we get past our lousy start? I’m willing to admit you are nothing like my gold-digging ex-girlfriend. I sure as hell hope I’m nothing like your ex-fiancé.”

“I’ll concede that you aren’t,” she murmured.

He noticed that Jessica swallowed nervously when he got up close and personal. The room shrank to the space she occupied, stealing much-needed air and making it impossible for him to breathe normally. The woman was so darn appealing. Even when she didn’t look her best, she was still the embodiment of every man’s wildest fantasy. Devlin felt the impossible lure and wondered if he needed a refresher course in willpower to withstand the kind of temptation Jessica Porter represented. If Devlin hadn’t known it before, he knew it now. He was wading in over his head.

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