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having her drop the boy. And, in truth, James wanted a moment to watch her, to feast his tired eyes upon her beauty without making her uncomfortable.
    It also gave him a chance to catch his breath, slow his heart and plan what he wanted to say. Maybe then, when he spoke to her, he wouldn’t sound like some great big lubber who’d never been around women.
    He drew courage from the fact that back in Westport, the ladies had found him attractive—as did several single women on the trail. When the emigrants gathered for an impromptu potluck and night of music and dancing, he never lacked partners. But this was different. He’d never actively courted a woman before. He had never wanted more than the entertainment of the moment. Working his struggling farm and raising his siblings had taken all his time and energy.
    But now, the closer he got to Eirica, the tighter the neck of his faded blue shirt seemed. He removed the bandana he kept tied there so he didn’t have to breathe the dust from the cattle and unbuttoned the top two buttons. After running his finger around the inside of the collar, he checked to make sure his hands were reasonably clean. There wasn’t much he could do about the dust coating his clothing. When he realized what he was doing, he stuffed the square of material in the back pocket of his well-worn denims. Damn, facing a herd of stampeding cattle seemed easier than exposing his heart and soul to the woman who’d captured both.
    His gaze slid over her profile. Her haunting beauty stole his breath. The glow of the sunset brought her hair to life and heaven’s goodness shone in her ethereal features. She was an angel, sweet and gentle—vulnerable—made more so by the swell of her rounded belly where her unborn babe nestled. The miracle of that new life made him sigh.
    He longed to put his hands on her and feel the movements that could sometimes be seen from beneath the apron she wore over the long skirt of her dress. An unexpected memory of his parents sitting on the wide porch swing in the evenings slid through his mind. Their zest for life had filled their home with love and laughter. James remembered hearing shouts of laughter one night from the porch and having gone to investigate. He’d found his pa sitting with his big hand spread over his wife’s swollen belly, exclaiming with delight every time the baby—his sister, Jessie—had moved.
    And when his ma had invited him to also feel, he’d done so, not expecting anything. But the bumps and movement of his baby sister had given him that first rush of wonder that came with the discovery of life. He’d never forgotten it, and had looked forward to the day when he could have his own family, feel his own babes’ movements before holding them.
    Eirica shifted her position. James felt his heart thud against his rib cage. His blood raced anew as their gazes met across the short span separating them. Conscious of her wariness, he stopped a respectable distance from her, content with the sheer pleasure of gazing into eyes as blue as bittersweet nightshade. Tendrils of golden-red hair framed her small oval face and he fought the urge to reach out and sweep the silky strands away from her face.
    “Afternoon, ma’am.” He jerked the felt-brimmed hat that had seen better days off his head and clutched it tightly between his fingers.
    “Mr. Jones.” She dipped her head then hesitated, as if about to say something more. But she remained silent, staring down at her son, her front teeth nervously pulling at her lower lip.
    James allowed his eyes to dip to her moist mouth. Full and soft, her lips drove him crazy with desire. A man could spend a lifetime tasting her lips, discovering the hidden charms of her inner mouth, and never learn all her secrets. One part of him strummed with life, causing him to shift uncomfortably.
    He swallowed a sigh of intense desire and reminded himself to go slow, have patience. More than anything, he longed to see love and