Free Jane's Long March Home by Susan Lute

morning, he would have had no intention of shouldering.
    He shouldn’t do it. Was absolutely certain there would be ramifications down the road he couldn’t foresee. But it was too late to change his mind. Deep in his gut he knew Jane needed these kids as much as they needed a safe place to land.
    “I expect a good day's work.”
    Bobby hesitated, but not for long. “Okay Mister, you’ve got a deal.”
    Jane’s look of approval lured him in. About to dive headfirst into those compelling blues of hers, he pulled himself back just in time. “I have to go see about some horses. I want you to watch the boys.”
    The sassy smirk left her face. “That's not part of our deal.”
    “It is now. You know the homework I mentioned earlier? We’ll discuss what it entails when I get back.”
    Sidestepping the picture of an unlikely family that mushroomed in his head, with ground-eating strides Chase walked as quickly as possible away from the scowling lady Marine, who was making a mine field of the simple, quiet life he’d left Seattle and a thriving practice to find.

CHAPTER
    VII
    “B obby and Pete were asleep before their heads hit the pillow. I appreciate you watching them for me today.”
    He’d crept up on her. Jane opened her eyes at the husky voice that scraped an unwanted tremor of need up her spine. He leaned against the porch railing, his feet crossed at the ankles, arms folded over his chest. The snaps of his shirt were open, revealing a sprinkle of dark hair.
    She gave the porch swing a firm push. She was not going to fall into the trap of being charmed by her therapist. She was on the ranch to get whole and healthy, so she could return to her duties, prepared to handle any situation the Corps threw at her.
    In the meantime, to stay on her toes, she had no qualms lobbing a few shells into the Doc’s camp. “You didn’t give me much choice.”
    He met her accusation with a level gaze. “No, I suppose I didn’t.”
    Thunder clapped overhead, followed quickly by fat drops of rain plopping on the roof of the porch. The patter wrapped them in a cozy intimacy that had a faint flush warming her cheeks.
    “Did you get the horses?”
    “The lady’s thinking it over.”
    Lady? Out of nowhere jealousy pricked Jane, which made no sense. Chase Russell didn’t belong to her in that way, and never would. Quickly dismissing the unreasonable resentment, she raised an inquiring eyebrow.
    “My next door neighbor, Maxine Connor, has a few horses to sell. She’s just not all that keen on selling them to a city boy.” For the first time since she met him, Russell smiled. A genuine smile that made it to his gorgeous eyes, then reached out to her. “Her words. Not mine.”
    Her stomach plummeted. She gave the rocker another push, trying not to notice how truly hot the man was with his jeans riding low and his feet bare.
    “You could get them from someone else.”
    “I could, but Gus says Maxine has the sweetest horses in the area.” He paused, then without explaining why that was important, changed the subject entirely. “You were good with the boys this morning.”
    She shrugged. “I’ve had a little experience.”
    “At the orphanage?”
    Jane stared at him. Russell was just doing what he’d agreed to do. His job.
    “Sister Mary Margaret liked the older kids to help out.”
    On a sudden, crazy impulse, she left the swing and joined him at the railing. Her thigh brushed his. A spark of acute awareness snapped along sensitized nerves like a loose high voltage wire. She sucked in a breath as his outdoor, woodsy scent pushed her into wanting more.
    Don’t be stupid. She shoved her hands into her front pockets.
    “Were you ever able to find out anything about your mom, or her family?” Russell’s smoky tone was easy, more like one friend talking to another than a counselor engaged in talk therapy with his client, which was what this little impromptu conversation had turned into.
    Everything about Chase Russell was