Pregnant with the Rancher's Baby: Reclaimed by the Rancher

Before he could tell her that he was sorry he hadn’t asked her to watch him before and that just knowing she was in the stands was all the incentive he needed to make a better ride, Nate could tell by her even breathing that she had fallen asleep. Kissing the side of her head, he closed his eyes and willed himself to relax.

Even though he wanted her more than he wanted his next breath, he could feel himself start to get sleepy and briefly wondered if he was just that exhausted or if it was due to the fact that he had her in his arms. But as he lay there enjoying her soft body against his, an unfamiliar protectiveness settled over him. And his last thought as he finally drifted off into the first peaceful sleep he’d had in a week, was that he would move heaven and earth to keep this woman in his life and in his bed, even if he was scared spitless that he was going to screw things up.

Five

On Sunday afternoon, Jessie sat in the rodeo grandstand with Bria, Summer and their children, watching the bulls being loaded into the bucking chutes for the bull-riding event. Nate had made it through the past couple of days unscathed and won the right to compete in the final round. Now if he could just get through this ride without being hurt, she could breathe a little easier—at least until the next time he climbed onto the back of one of the ill-tempered beasts.

As she continued to watch the activity around the bucking chutes, Nate walked into view and her breath caught. He was without a doubt the sexiest cowboy she’d ever seen. Wearing a Western-cut red plaid shirt with the long sleeve rolled up to the biceps on his riding arm to keep it from getting caught in the bull rope, her heart skipped a beat. His muscles were strong, well-defined and felt absolutely wonderful wrapped around her as they slept.

Thinking about the past two nights, her chest tightened with emotion at how solicitous he had been. Each night he had let her rest her back against his chest and snuggle close to him. And she knew what a sacrifice that had been on his part. She’d felt his arousal several times against the back of her upper thighs, but he’d been a perfect gentleman and hadn’t tried to coerce her into making love. He’d told her nothing would happen unless she wanted it to and he had been true to his word. The only problem was, she had struggled both nights to keep from turning to him, to once again feel the strength of his lovemaking.

It was so tempting to throw caution to the wind and give in to what she knew they both wanted. But she had to stay strong, and not just for her or the baby’s sake. She had to consider the effect it would have on Nate as well. She could tell he was trying so hard to make this work between them—something that he’d never done before. If they made love again and he discovered that he couldn’t commit to anything long-term, she knew for certain he would end up hating himself for hurting her again. Rather than allow that to happen, it was better for all concerned if they didn’t go there at all.

“Nate’s up next,” Bria said, bringing Jessie out of her musings.

“What kind of temperament does the bull have that he’ll be riding?” she asked, hoping the animal wasn’t as mean as some of the others she’d seen.

Bria winced. “I’m afraid the bull he’s riding is known for wanting to hook a rider with his horns.”

Jessie gasped. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Don’t worry, Jessie,” Summer said, grabbing her hand to give it a gentle squeeze. “Ryder will be there to turn the bull when it’s time for Nate to dismount safely.”

Unable to take her eyes off Nate climbing over the side of the chute to ease himself down onto the back of the bull, Jessie could only nod as she continued to hold Summer’s hand. Her gaze riveted on him, she held her breath when he leaned back slightly, gave a short nod of his head to signal he was ready and the gate to the chute swung open wide.

The bull immediately jumped straight up, then bumped into the chute as it bucked its way out into the arena. Lurching and twisting, the animal seemed to pull out all the stops to get the man off its back before it settled into a dizzying spin as if chasing its own tail. When Nate started to slip sideways, Jessie was certain her heart quit beating until he managed to straighten himself back onto the middle of the animal’s broad back.

When the horn blared, signaling the eight seconds were up, everything seemed to move in agonizingly slow motion. Ryder ran forward to gain the bull’s attention so that Nate could dismount, but she knew instantly that something was wrong. He continued to hold on to the bull rope as he slid to the bull’s side.