Cindy Kirk - A Sweetheart for Jude Fortune

“They can be a real pain,” Stacey and Delaney said at the same time then laughed.

“Mine used to do all sorts of horrible things.” Gabi shuddered, remembering. “Matteo once dropped a frog down my shirt. And Joaquin put a snake in my bed.”

“If you think that’s bad—” Delaney went on to share some of the trials she’d endured at her brothers’ hands with Stacey chiming in with another long-ago incident her sister had forgotten.

“The strange thing is, now that they’re grown and gone, I miss them,” Gabi said, feeling a bit melancholy.

“We don’t have a chance to miss ours.” Delaney expelled a long sigh. “They’re all still around.”

Across the room a baby’s voice shrieked with the gurgling laughter of the very young.

Gabi pulled her brows together and fixed her gaze on Stacey. “Didn’t I see you holding a baby earlier?”

Stacey smiled. “That’s my little girl, Piper. Colton has her now.”

“Her fiancé.” Delaney emphasized the word, gesturing to where a slim man with brown eyes and brown hair stood, holding the baby and talking to Gabi’s mystery man. “Isn’t he handsome?”

Gabi pulled her gaze from the cowboy she’d begun to think of as hers to Stacey’s fiancé. “He is a cutie.”

“I think so.” The older sister’s red lips curved. “But then, I’m partial.”

“Colton isn’t just good-looking, he’s super nice.” Delaney shot her sister a warm smile of approval.

“Who’s he speaking with?” Gabi asked in what she hoped was a casual tone.

“That’s Jude.” Delaney rolled her eyes. “One of our crosses to bear.”

Gabi inclined her head.

“A brother,” Stacey clarified. “Number three of our seven. I’ll introduce you.”

Before Gabi could respond, Stacey called out, “Colton. Jude. Over here.”

The two men turned together. Gabi swore she saw a light flare in Jude’s eyes. Jude. She rolled the name around on her tongue, liking the feel of it.

He crossed the room with a rolling, confident gait and a lazy smile on his lips.

“Hey, pretty lady,” Jude said immediately upon reaching her side. “Can a cowboy buy you a drink?”

Delaney and Stacey looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“With lines like that, no wonder you’re not dating anyone,” Stacey teased.

Delaney made a gagging noise, worthy of any younger sister.

Jude ignored them both, keeping his eyes firmly focused on Gabi.

“I wouldn’t mind a ginger ale,” she told him.

“Be right back,” he said with a wink.

“He’s got you in his crosshairs.” Delaney spoke in a theatrical whisper.

“Run,” Stacey urged, her eyes dancing, “while you still have a chance.”

Colton shook his head. “Women.”

“Hey!” Stacey gave her fiancé a playful punch. “You’ve got two women in your life now, remember. Me and Piper?”

He brushed his lips across her cheek. “And I’m extremely glad of it.”

Jude returned with a beer in one hand for himself and a ginger ale in the other for Gabi.

“Thank you.” Gabi took the glass, her hand brushing his. Electricity traveled up her arm at the contact. But if he’d experienced a similar jolt, it didn’t show.

Once again, Gabi suffered through introductions and expressions of sympathy for her father.

“I wouldn’t have left him in the rehab center alone,” Gabi explained, “but he’s watching the ball game with another patient.”

“I bet it makes him feel good to know you’re out enjoying yourself.” Colton looped an arm around his fiancée’s shoulder when she moved to his side.

“I hope so,” Gabi said, then made a fuss over Piper, rather than focusing on Jude, which is what she wanted to do. Though she was definitely in the mood for a little fun flirting, there was no need to be obvious.

She’d barely lifted Piper from Colton’s arms when several more handsome cowboys stopped over. None of them made her pulse skip a beat like number three of seven but Galen, Liam, Toby and Christopher Fortune Jones were all fine specimens.

When Piper began to fuss, Gabi handed the baby to Stacey. Without missing a beat, Jude took Gabi’s arm and announced he was giving her a grand tour of the buffet.

Before she knew what was happening, she was halfway across the room with the charming cowboy.

“A grand tour of the buffet?” Gabi slanted a playful glance in his direction. “Seriously?”

“Improv isn’t my strength.” Jude looked faintly embarrassed. “But sometimes there’s only so much family a man can take. I’d like us to get better acquainted. We can’t do that with everyone listening to our every word.”

“Or your sister making gagging noises?”

He laughed. “That can be a deterrent.”

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Running into you this morning.” She kept her tone light. “Now here.”

“Fate,” he said.

“Perhaps.” She traced a finger around the rim of her glass and watched his eyes darken.

Without a word, he took her elbow, maneuvered her around several older couples sharing appetizers and conversation.

By the time he spoke again, the darkness in his eyes had lifted. “How is your father?”

“Much better,” she told him. “Thank you for asking.”

“It was a sacrifice for you to come all the way to Texas to be with him.”

It was a statement, not a question.

“Nothing could have kept me away.”

“As it should be” was all he said.

The conversation shifted to her life in Miami. Gabi kept it brief when telling him about her job at the bank. Though she enjoyed her work, she’d learned real estate lending wasn’t all that interesting to those outside of the industry. She sipped her ginger ale. “What is it you do, Jude?”

“I have a ranch not far from here.” Jude took a pull from his beer. “I do whatever needs to be done.”

Though he shrugged, the pride in his voice told her he was one of the lucky ones who’d found his passion.

She’d opened her mouth to ask about his duties when one of his brothers—Christopher?—walked by and deliberately pushed Jude against her.

Jude’s arm shot out, slipping around her, steadying them both.

For a second Gabi thought she heard Christopher laugh, but then the outside world disappeared as she gazed into Jude’s eyes.

“Sorry ’bout that,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers.

She swallowed and found her voice. “I’m not.”

He grinned. “Hell, I’m not, either.”

Yet she noticed he took a step back.

Gabi tried to collect her rioting thoughts. Say something, she told herself, get the conversation back on safe ground. She found herself blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “You grew up in Horseback Hollow?”

“I did.” A twinkle filled his eyes, as if he could read her mind and found her unsteadiness amusing.

“Do you plan to stay?” Her tone held a hint of coolness. Gabriella Mendoza drooled over no man, at least not so he could notice.

“I like it here.” He took a barely perceptible step forward. “Lubbock is close and with the recent growth in Vicker’s Corners, there’s enough to do.”

“I guess I’ll have to take your word. I haven’t had the chance to do much exploring.”

“I’d be happy to show you around.”

She gave a little laugh, took another sip of her drink. “I wasn’t hinting for a tour guide.”

“I know.” His eyes met hers and then slid downward to linger on her mouth. “But since I’m already taking you on a tour of the buffet, why stop there? Let’s take it a step further.”

Gabi arched a brow, touched the tip of her tongue to her lips and watched his eyes change. “A step further?”