“Yes,” Faith answered, simply. “I do.”
“Then, my girl, I’m afraid you’ll have to take the first step.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s probably afraid to touch you.”
“Reese afraid? That’s impossible,” Faith scoffed.
“Not really,” Tempy told her. “Especially after Kevin warned Reese not to touch you.”
“Dr. Kevin did that? When?”
“When he felt you were in danger of losing the baby.”
“Did Kevin tell you that?”
“In a roundabout way,” Tempy said. “I happen to mention Reese seemed to be bad tempered and unapproachable at our wedding. Kevin said it was a pretty common thing for a man who got…you know…whenever he looked at his wife and wasn’t doing anything about it. He’s…” Temperance whispered a word that Faith was sure her aunt had never uttered before. “It’s up to you to do something about it.”
“Did Dr. Kevin say it was all right?” Faith’s eyes began to sparkle in anticipation.
“Yes.” Tempy smiled. “He even told Reese after our wedding, but Reese obviously doesn’t believe him.”
“Or he no longer finds me appealing.” Faith turned to her aunt. “Look at me, Tempy! What man would find this bulk attractive?”
“That man over there who keeps sneaking glances this way.” Tempy nodded in Reese’s direction. “The man who hasn’t yet realized he’s in love with you.”
Faith followed Tempy’s gaze. Reese stood up, wiping the sweat from his face with a red bandanna. He had removed his shirt and the perspiration on his body shimmered in the sunlight. He looked wonderful.
Reese glanced over at the porch. His eyes met Faith’s. Her mouth went dry at the hunger in his deep, chocolate-colored eyes. She swallowed convulsively. Her breasts began to heave up and down in response to her shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat. Tempy was absolutely right. Faith did lust after Reese. And it was time she did something about it.
She smiled at Reese, then very deliberately wet her lips with the tip of her tongue before she turned back to face Tempy.
Reese felt the impact of her tiny gesture across the length of the yard. His heart seemed to slam into his ribs. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other to accommodate the sudden swelling in his groin. He could almost believe she’d done that on purpose. He shook his head. No, not Faith. She was still too much of an innocent. She just didn’t realize the effect she had on him. Even now.
Especially now.
He ached to touch her. He wanted to feel her full breasts and place his hand on her stomach. He wanted to feel his child move within her. To share the miracle. But he didn’t dare. He wasn’t about to risk Faith or the baby. Reese was determined to prove he was not a rutting beast. He could control his desire. He would.
“Reese!” Charlie shouted. “Are you gonna stand there ogling the ladies all day, or are you gonna help brand these beeves?”
Reese jumped at the sound. He had no idea how long he’d been standing in the sun mooning over Faith like a schoolboy. He shrugged, then turned back to Charlie and the bawling calves. “I guess I’m going to help brand these damn cattle.”
“Yeah,” one of the cowhands snickered. “But later on tonight, you can bet he’ll be brandin’ his wife.”
Reese glared at the cowboy, then bent to pick up one of the white-hot branding irons resting in the fire. He shook his head as if to clear it, but the cowboy’s remark stayed with him throughout the rest of the afternoon.
* * *
Doctor Kevin McMurphy drove up to the main house of the Trail T an hour or so before supper to collect his wife. He had spent the day checking the progress of his patients on the neighboring ranches. Temperance had been thrilled at the opportunity to spend an entire day with Faith, but now it was time to head home to the house they occupied outside Cheyenne.
“Are you sure you won’t stay for supper?” Faith asked, accompanying Tempy and Kevin onto the porch.
“Well,” Kevin began, Sarah’s cooking always a temptation.
“Thanks for the invitation, darling,” Tempy said. “But if we stay for supper, we’ll have to stay the night and Kevin always sleeps better in his own bed.” She winked at Faith.
“What she means to say, lass, is that you’ll sleep better without us,” Kevin teased. “Temperance makes quite a bit of noise at night. She’s always moaning and groaning.”