Jessica's Cowboy Daddy - Melinda Barron Page 0,52

glanced around the room, expecting the snake she’d seen the last time to pop out of the floor and say hi. Hawk was back moments later with two large dress boxes.

“What’s this, Hawk-Daddy?”

“Open them and find out,” he said after he’d set them on the bench beside her. She pulled the ribbon from the first one and tossed off the lid. Inside was a Cinderella costume. She clapped her hands in delight and then jumped up and threw her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, Hawk-Daddy!” She kissed him on the cheek, and then on the lips.

“Open the other one.”

Jessica totally forgot about the fact there might be snakes in the house. She pushed the opened box aside and pulled the ribbon from the second one. It was a Jasmine costume. Both were from two of her favorite movies.

“Try them on,” he said as he sat back down at the picnic table.

Jessica quickly stripped and tried the Jasmine one first. It was tight across the bust and hips, but she supposed it looked better that way. She flitted around the room, wishing she had a magic carpet that could take them both away, anywhere.

“You look spectacular, sweet pea.”

“Thank you, Hawk-Daddy.”

“Try the other one.”

She picked up the Cinderella dress and ran her hand over the satiny material. “Do I have to choose between them?”

“No, they’re both yours,” he said. “I ordered them about a week ago. They came in yesterday.”

Hawk stood and took her hand. When he kissed it she felt a wonderful tingle in her stomach.

“I want to show you something,” he said. He led her down the hallway, and she wondered if he’d had someone clean it because it seemed spotless. They passed a bathroom, two bedrooms, and at the end of the hall he led her through a doorway. It was obviously the master bedroom. The room was large enough for a bed and sitting area. To the left was a bathroom that had a separate shower and tub. The only thing she thought needed to be changed was she’d like a tub with jets.

When they were back in the bedroom he led her to a doorway. When he opened it she stepped into what was, she supposed, a smaller bedroom. There was no other doorway, but there were French doors that led to a small outdoor veranda.

“This is amazing,” she said.

“This could be our playroom,” he said. “We could add to it so we could have a Little space, and a BDSM space. I don’t think it would take much to knock out the back wall. And, as far out in the country as we are, we can make lots of noise. What do you think?”

Was he kidding? She felt more at home in this space than she ever had in any place she’d ever lived.

“Should we buy it together?” she asked. “That would sort of let our secret out before the wedding.”

“I can buy it and Kyle and I can start the renovations. He’s good with a hammer.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She nestled her head against his chest after the kiss broke.

“I want to redo the kitchen, too,” she said.

His laughter made their bodies shake. “I thought you might,” he said.

“And I want a soaker tub.”

“Anything else?” he kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’ll make a list.”

Chapter 16

A week later Jessica wondered if Jackson could read people or not. There had been no sign of Grant. True to form the retirees had shown up every day to eat donuts, drink coffee, and talk. The only difference was they stayed until she closed the doors at four. Jackson had shown up twice, saying he’d had little contact with Grant, and when he had it was for Grant to show his anger because Jessica was not behind bars.

“I’ve told him the same thing over and over, but he’s not picking up on the bait,” Jackson said. “I might have misjudged him. I have men searching for other evidence against him, but we’re not finding anything. He may not push it.”

“I know Grant, Ranger Jackson, and I can assure you he’s just planning something that he thinks will end with me going to trial and him laughing all the way to the bank. He’s not giving up. He’s strategizing.”

“And I will plan accordingly.”

After another week, Nate Willis showed up just as Jessica was turning the key in the lock. He was in his personal truck, and out of uniform.

He honked at her, gave her