Chapter Three

      “Would you like to see the outside?” Jacob gestured toward the French doors leading to the back patio.

      “Sure.” Mariana smiled politely.

      He hadn’t yet broached the subject of visitation, wanting to ease into it. A tour of the house seemed like a good starting point. As they’d gone from room to room he felt like a private standing nervously by while the general conducted his inspection. She seemed satisfied, other than the fact that he was lacking child protection devices. A lot of them, apparently. Outlet covers. Cabinet locks. Baby gates. The list went on and on.

      She’d assured him all the items needed could be easily purchased and installed. If he didn’t have the time, a service could be hired to handle it.

      A service? Jacob was impressed. What will they think of next?

      He flipped on the patio light, and Mariana stepped outside. Her gaze traveled the yard.

      “No pool,” she said with obvious relief.

      “I’ve been considering putting one in.” At her horrified gasp, he asked, “Don’t kids like pools?”

      “Toddlers should never be around water.”

      “I guess I can wait a few years.”

      “That’s a good idea.”

      Man, she was obsessive-compulsive where Cody was concerned. Or he was completely ignorant when it came to young children.

      Okay, guilty as charged. And given that Leah had recently passed, Mariana’s overreacting really wasn’t unreasonable.

      The subject of their discussion was still enamored with Buster and paying no attention to the adults. He walked alongside the Queensland heeler, his small hand resting on Buster’s neck. Periodically, he bent and whispered into the dog’s ear or kissed the top of his head. Jacob admitted it was kind of cute.

      “Is that a corral?” Mariana peered at the back of the property.

      Uh-oh. She had that look on her face again. What had Jacob done wrong now? “I have a full acre, so I built a paddock and a couple covered stalls.”

      “You have horses?”

      “One horse. Amigo. I keep my working horses at the Roughneck and ride there. Amigo is retired. He was my first horse when my mom married Brock. I take him out about once a week for old time’s sake.”

      She tilted her head. “A retired show dog and a retired horse?”

      “What can I say? I have soft spot.”

      “That’s nice.” The warmth in her voice was a pleasant change.

      “Cody can ride Amigo if he’d like.”

      “No riding.”

      “Not tonight,” he agreed. “Another day.”

      “He’s too little. And horses run off.”

      Well, that didn’t last long. Mariana was back to bearing her mother-grizzly-bear teeth.

      “Amigo’s crippled in his back legs and couldn’t run off if he tried. A slow walk is the most I can get out of him.”

      “Absolutely not,” she stated firmly.

      For some reason, her bossy attitude rankled Jacob. Cody was his son. Didn’t that give him say in what the kid could and couldn’t do?

      Jacob opened his mouth to speak, then promptly shut it. The feelings to nurture and protect that had started yesterday while at the Roughneck were growing stronger and stronger. He had a responsibility, and he’d assume it gladly and without reservation. But shouldn’t he also feel love? An automatic and unbreakable bond between the two of them like the one Luke shared with Rosie?

      Jacob studied Cody, who was still lavishing affection on Buster, and guilt pricked at him. This was the child he’d fathered. What was wrong with him?

      Maybe they just needed more time together. The idea made sense. A lot of sense.

      The three of them returned inside after a short walk around the yard. Jacob won back some lost points by having a large grassy lawn that Mariana proclaimed was perfect for playing.

      “I could install a swing set,” he suggested.

      “When he’s older.”

      Of course. Why had he even asked?

      She was a puzzle, and he found his attention drifting away from Cody and toward her. She wore another suit, except this one had pants rather than a skirt. Too bad. Jacob was a confirmed leg man, and despite the stress that marked their initial meeting, he’d noticed her legs, which were long and shapely enough to appear in a bathing suit ad.

      He’d like to see her in a bathing suit. A bikini. Maybe one day soon he could suggest they all three go swimming at the Roughneck. The pool was heated year-round.

      On second thought, she probably wouldn’t allow Cody within a mile of the pool. Not unless it was drained of water.

      Inside, Mariana offered to wash the dishes. “It’s only fair since you cooked.”

      Jacob saw an opportunity and took it. “Great. Cody and I will get acquainted.”

      “O...kay.”

      Before she could protest, Jacob took Cody into the family room. Buster and Cody both, that was. The kid wouldn’t go two feet without the dog.

      There, Jacob sat on the couch and called Buster over. His ploy worked. Cody came, too.

      “Watch this,” he said and waved his hand in front of Buster’s face. It was a technique he used to get the deaf dog’s attention. “Green ball.”

      Instantly, Buster dashed over to a wicker basket in the corner of the room filled with dog toys. He stuck his nose in the basket and came up with a bright green tennis ball, which he brought back to Jacob.

      Cody stared in amazement.

      “That’s nothing,” Jacob said and told Buster, “monkey.”

      The dog dashed off again to the toy basket and brought back a stuffed monkey with one arm and one eye missing. Buster was a little hard on his toys.

      “Okay, here we go.” As Cody watched, Jacob set both the ball and the monkey on the floor in front of Buster. The dog sat and stared intently but didn’t move. “Buster, if I say three, you pick up the ball. If I say four, you pick up the monkey. Ready?”

      Thump, thump, thump. The dog’s wagging tail hit the floor.

      “Seven,