Josh Gordon was the very last man her heart should be fluttering over. If he and some of the other funding committee members had their way about it, the day care center would close and she would be out of a job—her dream job. She would be much better off focusing on that than to be thinking about how passionate he had been or how cherished she’d felt when he’d made love to her.
* * *
When he and Kiley rode the horses back into the corral, Josh was careful not to wake Emmie as he dismounted the bay. He had never before noticed how cute a little kid was when they were sleeping. Of course, he hadn’t been around kids enough to know whether they all looked innocent and sweet or if it was just Emmie.
How in the name of hell could Roberts have walked away from her and Kiley? Why hadn’t he at least wanted to be a big part of his kid’s life?
Josh shook his head as he turned to help Kiley down from the mare. “Emmie’s going to be disappointed that she slept through most of her first horseback ride.”
Kiley nodded as she took Emmie from him and lifted her daughter to her shoulder. “Thank you, Josh. She really enjoyed it while she was awake and she’ll be talking about petting the horses for days.”
The sound of her soft voice saying his name and the sweet smile she gave him caused a warmth like nothing he had ever known to rush through him. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “It was my pleasure, Kiley. We’ll have to do it again soon. Maybe Emmie will be able to stay awake through the entire ride next time.”
Emmie stirred against Kiley’s shoulder and, raising her head, sleepily looked around. “Ponies.” When she realized the ride was over, tears filled her eyes and she looked as if her heart had been broken. “Wide…a pony.”
Josh felt like he’d taken a piece of candy or a favorite toy from her. “Do you mind if I hold her on the saddle while I lead the horses into the barn?” he asked Kiley. “You know, give her a little more riding time?”
“No, I don’t mind,” she said, wiping a big tear from Emmie’s round little cheek. “Would you like for Josh to give you another ride on the pony?”
Emmie nodded and held both of her arms out for him to take her. “Wide a pony.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he took her from her mother and set her on the gelding’s saddle. “Hold on to the saddle horn,” he instructed, showing her where to put her hands. Emmie gave him a smile that he wouldn’t have missed for anything. “We’ll come back for the mare,” he said, turning to Kiley. “That way, she’ll get to ride twice.”
Putting his arm around Emmie to make sure she didn’t slide off the saddle, Josh loosely held the reins as he urged the gelding into a slow walk. All of his horses had been well-trained and he was confident the animal wouldn’t just take off. But he wasn’t taking any chances, either.
Once the bay was tied to a grooming post inside the barn, Josh and Emmie returned to the corral to get the mare. From the look on Emmie’s face, he had made some major points with her. The child was grinning from ear to ear by the time the mare was tied beside the gelding.
“Bobby Ray, would you start grooming the mare?” Josh called to his foreman at the far end of the barn. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take care of the bay.” Lifting Emmie from the saddle, he walked back out to where Kiley stood by the corral gate, talking to Bobby Ray’s wife. “I see you’ve met my housekeeper, Martha,” he said, smiling at the two women.
“Oh, my word,” Martha said, her face splitting into a wide grin when she spotted Emmie. “What a beautiful little angel!”
“Would you like for Martha to show you her new kittens?” Josh whispered to Emmie as if they were sharing a big secret. For reasons he didn’t want to dwell on, he wanted to prolong her and Kiley’s departure.
“Wanna see kitties,” Emmie said happily.
“Is it all right to take her to see the two kittens we adopted from the animal shelter?” Martha asked Kiley.
“That would be fine,” Kiley answered, smiling. “I’m sure she would like that.”
When Josh set Emmie on her feet, she readily took Martha’s hand and waved at him and her mother. “Bye.”
“She’s a great kid,” Josh said, watching his housekeeper and Emmie walk back into the barn.
“Thanks.”
“I feel like I should be the one thanking you,” he said truthfully. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to see the wonder on her face.”
Kiley nodded. “Every day is a big adventure for a two-year-old.”