Bring On The Night. Sara Orwig

to do so,” she added, glancing at the child. She didn’t want to talk about visitation rights or custody battles in front of Henry, who, now that he had a full tummy, was beginning to turn his attention completely to Jonah. Henry’s big eyes were fixed on his newfound father, studying every inch of him, from the watch on his wrist to the loafers on his feet. Henry scanned Jonah’s features slowly, as if memorizing them.

      “If we’re finished here, we can talk as we walk to the car,” Jonah suggested, standing and coming around to hold her chair.

      She nodded, wanting to get rid of him before he saw her years-old vehicle, piled high with the only belongings they owned.

      Stepping outside into the sunshine, they headed for Jonah’s car.

      “If you’ll just take us back to the drugstore, my car is parked there,” she said. “You can give me your phone number. I don’t have one yet, but you know where I’ll work, and I can give you that number.”

      “Kate,” Jonah said, taking her arm while Henry hopped on one foot ahead of them. “I think I have a temporary solution for you that would save you money and enable me to get to know my son.”

      Feeling weak in the knees at his touch, she turned to face him. Even though she was five feet nine inches tall, she had to look up at him, because he was six-two.

      “What are you referring to?” she asked.

      “I just inherited a ranch. That’s why I’m here in San Antonio.”

      “You’re going to live on a ranch?” she asked in disbelief. “You’re not in Special Forces?”

      “No, I’m not,” he answered. “I got out of the military, and yes, I’m going to live on the ranch.”

      “You won’t last six months,” Kate remarked swiftly, without thinking, “unless you’re raising and riding wild bulls. You like life on the wild side too much, Jonah.”

      A muscle worked in his jaw, and she knew she had deepened his anger, but she had blurted the truth.

      He watched Henry while he took deep breaths in an obvious struggle to get his temper under control. “I have a lot of room. Move into the ranch house with me. You can commute to work and I can get to know Henry.”

      Stunned, she stared at him, caught unaware by an offer she had never dreamed of getting.

      Chapter 3

      “That’s crazy, Jonah! I’m not moving in with you!” she whispered, wanting to avoid Henry overhearing them. So far he seemed wrapped in his own world. She didn’t know if Jonah was propositioning her, or what he had in mind, but it was impossible.

      “It’s a large ranch house,” Jonah said calmly, as if he were explaining the situation to Henry. “If we don’t want to, we don’t have to see each other. Living on my ranch would save you paying rent until you get your feet on the ground.”

      “Jonah, I can’t imagine—” she began, but he interrupted her.

      “Wouldn’t it help you to live rent-free for the next six or eight months?”

      She thought of what that would be like—a gift, heavensent. An enormous break. At the same time, it would mean living with Jonah.

      If she did, she might risk falling in love with him and being hurt all over again. She knew that because she was responding to him now. Yet, undoubtedly Jonah was in her life and would be until Henry was grown.

      “Yes, it would help,” she murmured, possibilities spinning in her mind.

      “If you’d like, I can take you out to look at the place. It’s furnished, and you and Henry can move in today. I’m staying out there tonight, and tomorrow I’m going home to get my things.”

      “This is so sudden,” she said, rubbing her forehead. She wished she could choose a different course, but this was such a godsend for her.

      “It’ll solve some of your problems,” he said, as if the matter was settled. “Cancel your appointment to look at that apartment, and let’s go to the ranch.” Jonah held out his cellular phone.

      She looked up to meet his gaze. What was she doing? she wondered. Did he know what he was asking? The past hour had been strained, and Jonah was steeped in anger that she knew was going to last a long time. And this volatile chemistry between them—did he feel it, too, or was she the only one who would have to fight that magnetic attraction, as strong as it had been when they first met?

      “Kate, you could save the money to get a better place,” he reminded her. “During the day I can keep Henry with me, and if we need to, I’ll hire a nanny. Henry is my son, and I want to do things for him.”

      She was weak in the knees again. After all the responsibilities she had shouldered alone for the past five years, to have such an offer of help was overwhelming.

      “I know you’ll be a great dad to him and a role model,” she said, convinced there was only one answer to give. Yet she felt an enormous reluctance. She didn’t want to rely on Jonah any more than she wanted to find herself loving him again. If she had ever been completely over him…

      Kate didn’t want to think too much about that, either.

      Bright sunshine spilled over him, highlighting his black hair. Looking relaxed, with his hands splayed on his narrow hips, he stood close enough that she could catch a faint scent of his woodsy aftershave. His jaw was clean-shaven. He was still dangerous to her heart, and she was sure that, ranch or no ranch, he was still as wild and impulsive as ever.

      “Are you going to let Henry do risky things?”

      Jonah looked at the boy, who was squatting down and watching a bug crawl along the edge of the sidewalk.

      “Kate, you don’t have a right to ask me what I’m going to do. I can go to court and take him away from you for what you’ve done.”

      She gasped, pain shooting through her because his words terrified her. At the same time, guilt swamped her, because to a degree, she knew he was right.

      “And you think, under the circumstances, that we can stay under the same roof? I don’t think so, Jonah.”

      “We won’t see much of each other at all. It’s a big house, as I said, and we can arrange it so we aren’t together.” He looked at Henry again. “And to answer your question, I won’t let him do anything beyond the ordinary kid stuff. He can climb a tree, dabble in the creek, learn to ride.”

      “Horses?”

      “Right, Kate. I’ll find a gentle one for him. I don’t want him hurt, either. Let’s go look at the place.”

      Standing on the sidewalk, she stared into his brown eyes and debated with herself. Her life had just changed, but how big would the changes be? She wanted to tell Jonah no and walk away, as she had five years before, but this time she couldn’t. Because of Henry, her life was tied to Jonah’s now.

      She sighed and nodded. “It would help a lot if I didn’t have to pay rent for a while.”

      “All right. Let’s go.”

      “Let me cancel my appointment,” she said, doing so quickly. As soon as she returned his phone, she said, “I can follow you in my car.”

      Jonah shook his head. “Come with me, and we’ll stay there tonight,” he said, and in spite of the circumstances, his words made her tingle. “I’ll send someone into town to get your car.”

      “Fine,” she said reluctantly, yet seeing little choice. Free rent would give her and Henry a wonderful financial boost.

      “Henry,” Jonah said, raising his voice to normal level, “let’s go look at where you might live for a time. You and your mom might move into my house. It’s out in the country.”

      Henry brightened and walked beside