Savage in a Stetson (Crossroads #4) - Em Petrova Page 0,23

not to cause her hugely pregnant sister to bounce in her seat. She sliced a look at Joss. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She smiled but then placed her hand on her baby bump. “Where is this car anyway?”

“Just outside town limits. It shouldn’t take long for me to write him a check.”

“How do you know the car is sound?”

“It’s newer. And the description says it’s in good condition.”

“You’re so trusting, Jada.” She chuckled and then gripped the armrest.

“Are you okay?” Jada’s brows pinched as she watched her sister. “Am I driving too erratically? Bumping too much?”

“No, you’re good.”

“Okay. If you need me to slow down, let me know.”

A few minutes later, they passed by the Crossroads Winery and then the Bellamy Ranch with its sprawling fields dotted with horses and cows. “I bet Cort’s excited about the baby coming in a few weeks,” Jada said.

“Yes, he is.” Her sister’s tone took on a breathy quality. Raspy almost.

Jada stared at Joss’s face. Her cheeks were a little more pink than usual. Jada directed her attention to her lips to find them parted on a silent gasp.

She quickly applied the brakes. “You’re not okay! Are you in labor?”

For a moment, Joss didn’t speak. “I think I might be.”

“Oh my God! How long has this been going on?”

“I felt a little off this morning.”

“Did you tell your husband?”

“He suggested I take the day off.”

“Well, why didn’t you?” Jada stared at her sister, exasperated that she was out here as far from the Crossroads Hospital as possible with a woman who hadn’t heeded her own body’s demands. Thoughts of buying the car exited her right ear.

“I had things to pack up and ship. I didn’t get to the post office.” Joss gripped the armrest again.

“Oh my God! How fast are your contractions coming?”

“I think a few minutes.”

“A few? Woman, you’re crazier about running this business than I thought.”

“Speak for yourself, dragging me off to help you buy a car after you didn’t even look at it!” Her words broke off on a panting breath.

“Oh my God!” Jada cried out for the third time. “I’m turning around and driving to the Bellamy right now.”

Joss gripped her forearm instead of the armrest. “I think you better just call Cort and save the time so you can drive me to the hospital faster.”

Her stomach bottomed out. “You better not plan on having this baby in my truck.”

“Then drive faster or I might.” She gritted her teeth and moaned through her contraction.

Chapter Five

Dom was behaving. Trying his damnedest to stay away from his sexy little blonde competitor—and succeeding too.

When he saw her wiggle her little round ass while wiping down picnic tables, he forced himself back inside his restaurant to avoid looking at her.

But when he spied her new delivery car parked outside of the tractor supply store later that afternoon, he couldn’t stop himself from whipping his truck in next to her.

He drew in a deep breath and realized how hard he was gripping the wheel. Why did he want to torture himself with her?

Because he missed spending time with her. Missed her sass and wit.

And her lips, dammit.

Though his grandpa told him she’d visited him several times, Dom hadn’t bumped into her at the nursing home. In a town this small, she sure did a good job of avoiding him.

Staring at the front door, he thought about driving away before she noticed him sitting here. Then he considered going inside after her, cornering her…maybe finding a desk to claim her on.

Great—now he could almost taste her, smell her sweet vanilla bean perfume…and feel her fingers digging into his spine.

He either had to drive away before she came out or stop being a coward and go after what he wanted.

He opened his door and climbed out of his truck. He was just about to go inside the tractor supply store when she came out, a delivery warming bag tucked under her arm. She spotted him and stopped dead.

“Hi, Dom.”

“Jada,” he drawled, pulling away from the side of his truck that he’d not-so-casually thumped against the minute he saw her emerge from the building.

She looked him over. He eyed her right back. Did she have to be so damn adorable? Today she wore her hair pulled off her face in a ponytail that made his fingers clench with the urge to wrap his hand around it, tip her head and dip his mouth to that pulse point on her throat.

He latched his stare onto her neck. Flicker flicker. He ran