Page 29 of The Cowboy and the Stray

She followed them across the yard, her boots kicking up little puffs of dust. I found myself admiring the way she moved, all coiled energy and easy grace.

Hell. Get it together. Now's not the time.

They reached the trough, and Eli made a show of scanning the horizon for the wayward horse. "I think he went around back," he said, pointing toward the barn. "Why don't you check that side, and we'll look over here?"

Tess nodded, moving to step past them. That's when everything went sideways. Noah, in his excitement, stepped forward at just the wrong moment. His foot caught on a rough board, and he pitched forward with a yelp, arms windmilling. He crashed into Eli, who in turn slammed into Tess. All three of them tumbled toward the trough in a tangle of flailing limbs.

The impact sent water surging over the side of the trough in a great arc. Tess hit the ground first, Eli and Noah landing in a heap on top of her. Water sluiced off them in sheets, soaking into the thirsty ground. For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence.

Then Tess started laughing. It bubbled up out of her in great, whooping peals, her shoulders shaking with the force of it. She sat up, shoving the boys off her, and dragged a hand down her face, wiping away the water. "Oh my god," she gasped. "You should see your faces!"

I stared, completely dumbfounded. This unrestrained, joyful laughter transformed her whole face, lighting her up from within. I couldn't look away. Damn. It looked fantastic on her.

Something warm and unfamiliar bloomed in my chest as I watched her. She was absolutely soaked, her shirt plastered to her skin and her hair in dripping tendrils around her face, but she was radiant. Beautiful. The thought brought me up short. When was the last time I'd found a woman beautiful?

I realized I was smiling. I quickly schooled my features back into a neutral expression, but not before Eli caught my eye, one brow raised. I ignored him, pushing off the railing and striding across the yard toward the sodden trio.

"You three planning on taking up swimming?" I drawled, keeping my voice deliberately light.

Tess looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Nah, I think I'll stick to dry land from now on. The company's a little rough in the water." She shot Eli and Noah a mock glare.

I huffed a laugh, then surprised myself with my next words. "You know, if you wanted to stay on a bit longer, get a little more experience under your belt, you'd be welcome." Damn. Where'd that come from? I'd been planning to tell her we'd figure out a timeline for her to move on.

Tess blinked, her smile fading into something more uncertain. "You sure? I don't want to put you out."

"Wouldn't have offered if I minded," I said gruffly. "Besides, it's good for those two hellions to have someone around who can keep up with them."

Eli and Noah traded indignant looks, but for once they kept their mouths shut. Tess bit her lip, considering. "Well, if you're sure. I guess I could stay a little longer."

I nodded, trying to ignore the little flip in my stomach at her words. "Good. That's settled then." I turned to head back to the house before I could say anything else foolish, then paused. "Better get dried off," I threw over my shoulder.

I didn't wait for a response, just lengthened my stride until I hit the porch steps. I bypassed the screen door, heading around the side of the house toward the laundry room. Grabbing a clean towel off the shelf, I retraced my steps until I found Tess right where I'd left her, wringing out her hair while Eli and Noah made themselves scarce.

"Here," I said gruffly, thrusting the towel at her. Our fingers brushed as she took it from me, and I jerked my hand back like I'd been scalded. Christ.

"Thanks." Tess smiled up at me, seemingly oblivious to my inner turmoil. She scrubbed the towel over her hair, then draped it around her shoulders as she plopped down on an overturned bucket to dry in the sun. "Guess I should learn better than to trust those two."

"You'll learn." I lowered myself to sit on a hay bale, a careful distance away. "They're good kids, but they live to stir up trouble." And they liked her more than they let on. They weren't the only ones.

"Keeps things interesting, I suppose." Tess leaned back, tilting her face to the sky. The sunlight lined her profile in a soft glow. I swallowed hard.

The damp fabric of her t-shirt clung to her skin, to the curves beneath. I wrenched my gaze away, heat prickling up the back of my neck that had nothing to do with the weather.

Tess glanced over at me, the corners of her mouth curving. "See something you like, cowboy?"

"What? No, I—" I stammered, kicking myself for getting caught staring. "Just making sure you're not going to catch pneumonia on my watch."

Her smile widened, the laugh lines around her eyes crinkling. "My hero. It's like a thousand degrees out here."

I needed to get out of here before I made an even bigger fool of myself. I pushed to my feet, brushing bits of straw off my jeans. "I've got work to do. Holler if you need anything."

I beat a hasty retreat to the barn with Tess's soft laughter chasing me across the yard. As I stepped into the shadowy coolness of the barn, I leaned against the rough wood wall.

What the hell was wrong with me? I'd faced down angry bulls and stallions spoiling for a fight without breaking a sweat, but one conversation with Tess Talbot and I was acting like a tongue-tied teenager.

Watching her laugh like that, seeing that flash of spirit, of defiance, it stirred something in me. A longing, an ache in my chest that I'd thought I'd buried years ago. I wanted to make her laugh again. To coax out that radiant smile, to be the reason joy sparked in those remarkable eyes.

I was in trouble. The smart thing would be to keep my distance, to remember all the reasons entanglements and distractions were a bad idea. I had a ranch to run, a pack to lead. I didn't have time for whatever this was. I was a damn fool, but I wanted it.