Free A Baby And A Wedding by Lorhainne Eckhart Page A

anyone within a fifty mile radius felt the sparks, as was pointed out by Brad’s foreman, Cliff, who had said on more than one occasion that the couple made it damned uncomfortable for anyone to be in the same room alone with them. And that was why he always slipped away.
    But Emily couldn’t help it. Brad twisted her insides up with such longing that everything else became secondary when she was with him, except for the kids, of course. The children, too, were caught up in the joy and love that now filled this house. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Crystal had finally left, taking her lies and deception with her. The entire farm had breathed a sigh of relief on that day.
    “You,” Emily breathed, answering Brad’s question. She felt herself being pulled into the mischievous twinkle that lit his eyes.
    “Me, what about me?” he asked.
    Now he definitely was teasing. Emily couldn’t help it when her face warmed. He was a fiend truly, in how comfortable he felt talking about their intimacy. She was only just beginning to crawl out of her prudish shell, and Brad took great joy in dragging her out faster than she wanted.
    “What you did yesterday, here on the porch, to me. That’s what had me… you know…” She couldn’t say it.
    Brad must have realized it, as he slid both hands up her back, over her shoulders and pressed them to her cheeks, holding her face up for him to sample her lips, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. He leaned in, his lips molding themselves to hers perfectly as she opened her mouth for him. Lord, how the man could kiss! That alone made her knees weaken.
    The porch step creaked and a heavy thud rocked Emily’s insides. A man chuckled and she jumped, trying to pull away from Brad, but he wouldn’t relinquish his hold. She turned and blinked at the very tall, rugged-looking cowboy who was standing on the bottom step. A canvas bag rested on the whitewashed porch.
    “Hate to interrupt, but it was getting kind of embarrassing to watch,” said the man.
    The stranger wore a ratty, tan cowboy hat that shadowed his eyes, but the crooked grin he flashed was identical to Brad’s. Emily was positive that she was gaping. The man tilted his hat back and looked at her with a pair of light brown eyes that let her know he wasn’t a man to be trifled with. He had a square jaw on his hardened face that was etched with tiny lines, which showed he worked outdoors. But make no mistake, thought Emily, as she leaned in closer to Brad, this cowboy watching her was a devastatingly handsome man.
    “Jed, I’d like you to meet Emily. Emily this is my baby brother, Jed.”
    Brad didn’t let her go. Instead, he wrapped both arms around her waist as she turned to face his brother. Pulling her against him, he rocked softly back and forth.
    “Jed, it’s wonderful to meet you,” said Emily. “Would you like a coffee or maybe I could make you a sandwich? I was going to start something anyway.”
    Brad squeezed her waist and she stopped talking, because she was rattling on. He knew she did that when she felt nervous—nervous for being caught necking by his brother. Unlike Brad, Emily couldn’t just shake it off. He knew her so well that it terrified her sometimes. It was as if he knew her better than she knew herself.
    Jed must have understood, because he grinned again and lowered his gaze from her burning cheeks. “Emily, if it isn’t too much trouble, I am hungry. I haven’t eaten. Drove straight through to get here, so I’d be much obliged for a sandwich and cup of coffee.”
    “N-no trouble at all,” she replied.
    Emily stepped away from Brad, who finally relinquished his hold, perhaps because he saw the relief that she knew must show on her face; allowing her to escape and regroup.
    “Em, we’ll be right in.”
    How she loved to listen to his deep, baritone voice. As Emily stumbled through the doorway, she let out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.