A SWEETHEART FOR JUDE FORTUNE Read online

  The band took a brief break, and he and Gabi were on their way back to the table when they ran across Sawyer and Laurel. While Gabi chatted with them, Jude excused himself.

  When he returned, her head jerked up at the Richie Ray tune that the band had begun to play.

  “That’s salsa music.” Delight filled her eyes even as they narrowed suspiciously. “Did you have anything to do with this?”

  “Do you want to stand here and talk?” he asked then held out a hand. “Or shall we dance?”

  “You can salsa?” Delight filled her voice.

  In answer, he led her to the dance floor and proceeded to show her some of his moves.

  The night passed quickly. Jude couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun or danced to so many songs. By the time she grabbed his arm and pulled him from the dance floor, his breath came in short puffs.

  Gabi’s own breath wasn’t all that steady. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”

  Her cheeks were pink and her lips reminded Jude of a plump, ripe strawberry from his mother’s summer garden. She looked so pretty, and he wanted her so badly that he almost kissed her right then, in front of half the citizens of Horseback Hollow.

  Then he remembered what Sawyer had said about her father being overprotective. If Jude Fortune Jones kissed Orlando Mendoza’s daughter on the dance floor of the Two Moon Saloon, news would be all over town by morning.

  And even some sixty miles away in Lubbock, before Orlando finished his breakfast, someone would mention the incident to him. There was no reason to get the man stirred up when he was trying to recover. Besides, the way Jude saw it, what happened between him and Gabi was personal. That’s how he preferred to keep it. For now.

  Gabi paused at the edge of the dance floor, leaning close to ensure he could hear her over the twang of the steel guitar. “My father’s house isn’t far so—”

  “Hey, Jude.” A leggy redhead he’d dated last summer sidled up to him, her fingers traveling up his sleeve. “I got the band to promise they’d do the electric slide next. Told them it’s our song.”

  “Sorry, Lissa.” He put his hand on the small of Gabi’s back. “We were just leaving.”

  Gabi opened her mouth as if to protest, but he closed it with a brief, hard kiss.

  His pretty Latina’s long lashes fluttered, and when he pulled back, she appeared slightly dazed.

  “Oh.” Lissa frowned, her gaze shifting between Jude and Gabi. “I saw you dancing, but I didn’t realize you two were together, together.”

  “We are. Great seeing you, Lis.” Without giving the redhead a chance to respond to his pronouncement, he took Gabi’s arm and propelled her out the front door.

  Once they reached the sidewalk, Gabi dug in her heels. “Stay. Dance with your friend. My father’s house isn’t far. I can walk myself home.”

  “Not alone.”

  The flat quality to his voice must have raised red flags. Concern filled her eyes. “Isn’t it safe?”

  “It’s not that.” No matter how much Jude wanted her to stay with him and not take off on her own, he refused to lie. “You’d be perfectly safe. The fact is, I’m not nearly ready for the night to end.”

  “Oh,” she said, then again. “Oh.”

  “Unless this is your way of saying it’s been fun but it’s time for me to get lost?”

  Gabi slowly shook her head and the tight knot in his belly dissolved. She rested her hand on his biceps. “I enjoy being with you.”

  “Good.” He tucked her fingers more firmly around his arm.

  In no particular hurry, they strolled down the sidewalk, soon exchanging the noise and lights of the downtown district for an occasional barking dog. Still warm from the dancing, Jude let his coat hang open.

  Gabi kept hers firmly cinched around her waist. Thin blood from the hot Florida weather, he decided.

  Jude gently locked his fingers with hers. Their hands swung slightly between them as they walked. For a second, he could see his parents strolling down the lane in the evening after supper, holding hands in companionable silence.

  He and his siblings had thought it strange. For the first time, though, he understood that contentment. Feeling the warmth of Gabi’s hand against his, seeing her face bathed in moonlight, he was happy sharing this moment with her, simply being with her.

  They were almost to her father’s house when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her lips twitch. “Something funny?”

  “Just remembering my high school days.” She gave his hand a squeeze and smiled. “Back then my father would be waiting up for me with the porch light blazing.”

  Her dad didn’t sound much different than the fathers of some of the girls he’d dated in high school. “I bet he’d miraculously appear on the porch just as you and your guy reached the steps.”

  Your guy.

  Jude didn’t like the sound of that, then reminded himself that while someone else may have been the first to kiss her, to caress, to make love with her...he would be the last.

  “He wouldn’t immediately appear.” Gabi offered a wry smile. “Once the car hit the driveway, I had, oh, thirty seconds to get inside before the light began to flash. If I ignored that warning, he’d come outside.”

  “Half a minute doesn’t give much chance to say good-night,” Jude observed.

  “Any good-night kissing had to be done before I got home.” Gabi grinned then sobered. “Not that I dated all that much.”

  “That surprises me.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re pretty,” he said honestly, knowing the word didn’t do justice to her beauty. Long, dark, wavy hair and big brown eyes. A slim, compact body with curves in all the right places. A smile that arrowed straight to his heart. “I’d have thought the boys would be flocking around.”

  “Two words.” She exhaled a sigh and wiggled four fingers. “Older brothers.”

  Jude thought of Stacey and Delaney. He and his brothers had considered it their mission to protect their sisters from predatory males. “I can relate.”

  “I bet you can.” Gabi rolled her eyes. “Because of my brothers and my dad, most guys ended up dropping me off in front of our house and speeding away.”

  Cowards, Jude thought with disgust. “I’d have insisted on walking you to the door.”

  “Then you’re one in a million, Jude.”

  “I’m happy you recognize my worth.” He shot her a wink as they climbed the stairs of her father’s porch. “Seriously, my brothers and I were taught it was our responsibility to see our dates safely to the door.”

  When she stopped and turned back to him without opening the door, Jude’s heart slammed against his ribs. Stealing a quick kiss in the saloon was one thing. But with those unreadable dark eyes staring up at him now...

  Jude had been dating since he was fifteen. So why did he feel as unsure as he had when he’d been about to kiss a girl for the first time? It made no sense. Other than Gabi was different and he didn’t want to screw up.

  The air grew thick, so thick he had difficulty breathing. The world around them faded away. All that existed was her. All that mattered was her.

  Take it slow. Don’t rush her.

  The warning in his head stemmed from good, cold logic. She wasn’t going anywhere, at least not soon. Her father had only recently been moved to rehab. They had plenty of time to build a relationship. For her to see, to accept, to embrace that he was her future husband.

  Yes, he decided, he should take a step back. He’d been impulsive in the saloon. He needed to keep his desire for her under tighter control. There would be other opportunities, other nights for another kiss. A lifetime.

  Dropping hands to his side, Jude kept his gaze on her eyes and away from those luscious lips. “I had a good time tonight.”
r />   Something that looked like disappointment flashed in her eyes. Her brows pulled together. “Do you have something against kissing?”

  He stared, nonplussed. “No. Do you?”

  “Not if I like the guy.” She gave him a long stare that fried every brain cell he possessed. “Not if he likes me.”

  “I like you.” The second the words left his lips, Jude realized he had reverted back to his teenage self. Except he’d never been this lame.

  “Happy to hear it.” Her arms wound around his neck. “For a second I wondered if I’d lost my appeal.”

  “Oh, darlin’.” Jude wanted so much to pull her close, to fit her hips against his. He settled for resting his hands on her shoulders. “That’s never going to happen. But I don’t want to rush you.”

  “You kissed me in the saloon,” she reminded him.

  “Impulse.” He shook his head. “Not very gentlemanly.”

  “I believe—” She brought a finger to her lips and pretended to consider. “No, I’m certain. Being a gentleman is highly overrated.”

  Jude brushed a strand of hair back from her cheek with the back of his hand. “I doubt Orlando Mendoza would agree with that sentiment.”

  She laughed, a silver tinkle of a sound that relaxed the tight muscles in his shoulders.

  “True.” She gazed up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “But he’s not here, is he? Besides, I make my own decisions.”

  She was right. What her father wanted didn’t matter. With the moon illuminating her face, her eyes shining, all that mattered was her and him and the moment.

  Jude lowered his mouth and touched her lips with his. She tasted like spearmint candy. He loved spearmint. He moved his hands down her arms then settled them on her waist.

  “I like you, Gabi.” He let the word hum between them. Her brown eyes darkened to black in the dimness, but he didn’t need light to read her expression. Leaning over, he kissed the base of her jaw.

  She brushed her lips against his cheek.

  “I like you a lot,” he murmured, twining strands of her hair loosely around his fingers.

  “Jude.” She spoke his name then paused, as if not sure what she wanted to say.

  When her gaze met his, their eye contact turned into something more, a tangible connection between the two of them. Time seemed to stretch and extend.

  Then she ran her hands up the front of his coat and leaned toward him.

  He made a sound low in his throat then folded her more fully into his arms, anchoring her against his chest as his mouth covered hers. His hand flattened on her lower back, drawing her more tightly against the length of him.

  He loved the way she smelled, an intoxicatingly sweet mixture of perfume and soap. Loved the way she tasted. Spearmint.

  “You are beautiful,” he whispered into her ear right before he took the lobe between his teeth.

  Shivers rippled across her skin.

  “You’re soft,” he continued as he kissed her below her ear, then down her throat.

  “The scent of you drives me wild.”

  The honking of a car horn and wild teenage laughter with a loud male voice yelling, “Get a room,” had Gabi jumping back and Jude stifling a curse.

  They’d already been interrupted a couple of times this evening. Enough, Jude thought, was enough. But he reined in his irritation as the night took on a sudden chill. “Gabi—”

  “The porch light has flickered,” she said with a rueful smile. “It’s time for me to go inside.”

  Damn.

  Jude shot a murderous glance at the disappearing taillights. Then he staunched the emotion and met her gaze. “I want to see you again.”

  “It’s a small town,” she said in a tone he found a little too cavalier. “It’s inevitable.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders. Firmly met her gaze. “I want to see you again.”

  Her cheeks went a little pink. “I don’t do casual affairs, Jude. I won’t be in town long enough for anything more.”

  Jude wasn’t interested in a casual affair, either. He wanted the more, would have the more, but it was much too early for that discussion.

  “I enjoy spending time with you,” he said again, firmly. What had his father once told him, Begin as you mean to go on? “I’ll be calling, asking to see you again.”

  To seal the promise, he kissed her again.

  Chapter Five

  Gabi swore her lips still tingled when she arrived at the rehabilitation center the next day to see her father. The newspaper lay on a dining room table when she walked in.

  Her breath hitched when he gave her a big smile. Love flowed through her. Though she adored her brothers, they’d been a unit of four. She’d spent most of her time with her mother. And when her father was home, she’d been a daddy’s girl.

  “You’re looking chipper.” Gabi slid into the chair on the other side of the table.

  “I could say the same about you.” He studied her thoughtfully. “You’ve got color in your cheeks.”

  “I’ve been spending more time outdoors,” Gabi admitted, thinking of the early-morning run she’d taken as the sun painted the sky shades of pink and orange. “Though I’ve had to bundle up. It’s definitely not as warm as Miami.”

  Her father laughed. “Not yet anyway, but I hear it’s supposed to hit sixty today, which is really good for this time of year.”

  “Actually, I like the cooler weather. And Horseback Hollow is a great little community,” she told him. “I understand now why you’re so happy here.”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to see it.” Orlando appeared pleased by her admission. “There’s not much for young folks to do.”

  “I enjoyed the barbecue Friday night.” Gabi decided to avoid any talk of last night’s activities with Jude. “I got to know Sawyer and Laurel better. Deke and Jeanne Marie seem like very nice people.”

  “Their daughter Stacey is the one who stayed with me until the rescue squad got there.”

  “I remembered you telling me that and made sure to thank her.”

  “Good girl.” He gave an approving nod then his gaze grew shrewd. “You haven’t mentioned how your date went last night.”

  “It wasn’t a date.” Gabi resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. She could have cheered when her tone came out casual and offhand as she’d intended. “We went to dinner at The Grill then did a little dancing at the Two Moon Saloon.”

  Her father took a sip of coffee, inclined his head. “Dinner. Dancing. Sounds like a date to me.”

  “We had a nice evening.” Gabi lifted one shoulder, flashed a smile. “I learned how to two-step.”

  The nurse came in before Orlando could begin a full interrogation. By the time the RN finished checking his vital signs and administering his medications, the talk turned to family. Apparently Gabi’s brother Cisco had called that morning, and he and Orlando had enjoyed a lengthy and pleasant conversation.

  “Stacey and I were chatting about older brothers at the barbecue,” Gabi said, then wondered if bringing up the Fortune Jones family was a mistake. “I believe she and Delaney had it worse. They had five older brothers. I just had four.”

  “Your mother loved her boys.” A smile lifted Orlando’s lips ever so slightly. “But she cried with happiness when she finally had a daughter.”

  Gabi’s heart swelled. “I miss her.”

  “I do, too.” He reached over and patted her hand. “It can’t be easy for you now, being the only woman in a family of men.”

  “It’s not that—” Gabi’s phone began to play a catchy Latin tune. She shot an apologetic look at her father. “Sorry. I thought I’d put it on vibrate.”

  “Get it,” Orlando urged. “It may be important.”

  Without even glancing at th
e readout, she answered the call. “This is Gabi.”

  “Good morning, Gabi. This is Jude.” The rich baritone sent a flood of warmth surging through her veins. “How’s your day going?”

  “It’s good.” Before she could check her reaction, her voice took on a slightly breathless quality. “I ran four miles this morning, did some housework, and now I’m going to have lunch with my father.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  Gabi slanted a glance at her father and found him unabashedly staring. In spite of his injuries, he looked strong enough to hop into a plane and soar into the wild blue yonder. Or stride onto a porch and stand between her and anyone of the opposite sex. “Better every day.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Jude paused. “I won’t keep you, but I plan to inspect the fence on the southern border of our property tomorrow. I’d like your company. We can take the horses out. The weather is supposed to be good.”

  When Jude had called her adventurous, Gabi considered that to be the supreme compliment. She’d been given a second chance at life. She was determined to embrace that life, to live to the fullest each and every day.

  “Well, ah—” Gabi glanced at her father. Still staring. “I’ve never ridden a horse before.”

  “No worries.” Jude chuckled. “We have a mare, Sweet Betsy, who’s so gentle a two-year-old would be safe on her. I’ll have her saddled and ready for you. Is nine too early for you?”

  Gabi considered her father’s schedule. Most of his therapies were in the morning when he was fully rested. If she and Jude were back by noon—and she couldn’t think why they wouldn’t be—she could come straight to the hospital and have lunch with her father.

  “Nine works.”

  “I’ll be by your house at—”

  “There’s no reason for you to drive into town to pick me up,” Gabi told him. “I’ll meet you at your place at nine.”

  “Actually, why don’t we meet at my parents’ ranch?”

  “Sounds good.” Gabi found herself smiling as she ended the call. She’d always wanted to ride a horse. It looked like now she was going to have that chance.