The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,34

oversee the gala in Dallas next week, not to mention her efforts to try and convince Rafe that they belonged together.

“Hey, glad you made it.”

JC turned at the sound of Linc’s voice. The judge was handsome in his slacks and deep blue t-shirt with beat-up loafers on his feet, but the only womanly affect his charms had on her was mild female appreciation. “Hi, Linc. Nice to see you again. Looks like quite a party.”

“Yeah, Garrett and Ellie go all out.”

“Are Rafe and Molly here?”

Linc grinned. “They’re in the pool. Talk to you later,” he said and sauntered toward an attractive young woman arranging pastries on a table.

JC walked to the large kidney-shaped pool and searched the crowd of kids until she spotted Rafe’s dark head. Sunlight shown on his wide shoulders and the hair on his chest glistened with water droplets. How could she have missed him? The man stood out like a life-saving beacon on a cold, stormy night. He stood in the deep end, his arms held out to Molly, her body encased in a blue suit with little mermaids on it, standing on the side of the pool. She leaped without any doubts into her daddy’s waiting arms and Rafe snuggled her to his chest.

Something softened and stretched inside JC as attraction grew stronger and stronger. Not because of his good looks, but because of his love for Molly. What would it have been like to have a father like that growing up?

Molly spotted her. “JC!” she exclaimed.

Rafe turned his gaze on her as well, and her pulse nearly stopped. His eyes, blue as the sky above, pinned her in her tracks.

“Hey, you two.”

Rafe set Molly on the side of the pool, and she ran to JC. “How do you like my suit?”

“I love it.”

“Where’s yours?” Molly asked.

“Yeah, where’s yours?” Rafe said rubbing his head with a towel, soaking up some of the water, leaving his wavy locks in sexy disarray. With sunlight streaming over his skin and water trickling down his muscular chest, JC nearly melted into the concrete.

She held up the tote in her hand. “Right here. I’ll go change and meet you in the pool.” She’d been using the treadmill at the ranch every morning since she arrived to stay in shape after eating so many of Linc’s delicious meals. The treadmill didn’t give her a model’s body by any stretch of the imagination, but after she’d been working so hard, there was no way she was going to miss having some fun.

* * *

When Jennifer strolled out of the pool house, Rafe nearly swallowed his tongue. The black, strapless one-piece clung to her curvy body like a second skin with a bright pink and orange flower made into the fabric covering one breast. The woman was smoking hot. Good thing she was headed for the pool because somebody had to douse those sensual flames she was emanating.

“JC,” Molly said, “I love your suit.”

She smiled at his daughter as she walked slowly down the steps in the shallow end, her hips swaying in a gentle motion, the tops of her breasts giving him an eyeful. She was like Venus rising from the water. Where was a large scallop shell when you needed one?

“Thank you,” she said to Molly stepping into the water. She lowered herself into the water until it covered her head. Standing, she lifted her face to the sun and slicked back her wet hair. Water droplets beaded her skin as the sun’s rays washed over her.

“The water feels great.”

No shit. He’d feel pretty damn good too if he was covering her from head to toe.

“Want to watch me practice my dive?” Molly asked.

“Sure.”

Rafe helped Molly to the side of the pool and lifted her out. She stood with her toes on the edge, her arms extended with her hands together and her head bent between her arms.

“Remember to keep your head down, punkin .”

The first two tries were mostly belly flops but the third one she didn’t lift her head.

Molly burst through the water and smiled. “I did it! I really did it!”

“You’re a champ,” Rafe shouted and swam to Molly’s side but found his arms full of more than just his little girl because Jennifer hugged her at the same time. Her breasts graced his arm and her slick, toned legs tangled with his. A palm landed on her waist then slid down to her hip. He heard her breath catch and he lifted his head to find her