Free Heart's Desire by T. J. Kline Page B

again.
    â€œShe comes by it honestly,” Bailey said. “That’s the Hart way: act first and worry about the consequences later. I think we get it from our dads.”
    â€œShe’s going to get herself killed one of these days,” he muttered, leaning back in the chair and watching the two women prepare their own meal for the evening.
    Julia paused and looked at him curiously. He’d better be careful to watch what he said around her. She was far too observant. “But, it was pretty amazing to watch. It was like she could read that animal’s mind.”
    He’d never seen anything like what Jessie did. Seeing her with the two mares, abused and beaten, broke his heart. He’d never seen anything so brutal up close, and it made him wonder what sort of a person would do such a thing. But watching the stallion refuse to give up, then be calmed by Jessie’s patience and gentle determination, made him wonder if Jessie wasn’t doing exactly what she was meant to.
    She shouldn’t be taking people for trail rides and campouts. He’d seen the look in her eyes while she worked with each of the horses. It was pure joy, in spite of the danger. There had to be some way for her to market the ranch as a rescue facility instead of a dude ranch. He wanted to help Jessie keep that light in her eyes.
    Jessie entered the kitchen, and Nathan’s gaze immediately gravitated to her before he closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. He shook his head. He should have known better.
    He’d assumed dinner out meant dressing up, so he’d showered and put his own clothes on again. While still casual in slacks and a polo shirt, his clothing was far dressier than her jeans and T-shirt combination. Although, he had to admit the rhinestones on the back pockets of her jeans accentuated the ample curve of her rear as she turned and reached for her truck keys.
    â€œReady to go, Wall Street?”
    â€œYou know I hate that nickname, right?” He slid the chair back under the table amid the laughter of all three women.
    â€œReally?” Jessie spun the keys around a finger and arched a brow before reaching for her purse and sticking out her lower lip. “That’s funny. I don’t remember asking.”
    Nathan caught the slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She was beautiful when she smiled, and he wondered why she didn’t do it more often.
    Because it would contradict her hard-ass facade.
    He arched a brow and returned the smile with one of his own. “Okay, Badass, let’s go eat.”
    Bailey guffawed and Julia hid her laugh behind her hand. Jessie bit the corner of her mouth in an attempt to hide her smile.
    She still intrigued him, as much as she ever had. No matter how many women he’d met growing up in the political limelight or at college, he’d never met a woman quite like her. How could she be so patient and tender with the animals and yet so tough on the people around her? He’d seen glimpses of the woman beneath the armor, but only enough to make him want to see more.
    J ESSIE DIALED THE volume up on the local country radio station as she drove into town. She wanted to avoid talking with Nathan as much possible. The more time she spent near him, the less she seemed to be able to control the heat that warmed her, forcing her to remember their history. And not the part where he left.
    She kept finding herself drifting back to that last night and the way his hands had moved expertly over her body, guiding her into the passionate oblivion of desire. She swallowed as her breath caught in her chest, and she glanced sideways to find him watching her. Nathan made her uncomfortable, like she was dazed and off balance, and she couldn’t have that. She’d spent too many years trying to piece her heart back together.
    Jessie wasn’t the type of woman who fell in love easily. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to other men, but