Renegade Father by RaeAnne Thayne Page A

with his body heat.
    While he rubbed at her icy fingers he tried fiercely not to think about how soft her skin felt beneath his hands or just how his mouth could warm her trembling lips.
    He didn’t realize he was staring at those lips, picturing his mouth fitting perfectly over hers, until they parted slightly as if on a sigh. He lifted his gaze to hers and found her staring back at him, her eyes huge and color now high in her pale face.
    The atmosphere pulsed with sudden tension. He sawawareness in the widening of her pupils, felt it in the fluttering of her hands in his, and realized with a stunning jolt that she wouldn’t stop him if he leaned forward and gave in to the impulse to kiss her.
    Her mouth would be soft and cool and would probably taste like apples, just like the rest of her.
    He couldn’t help himself, he focused on her mouth again, and he saw her breath catch. It was just a tiny hitch, not even a full-fledged gasp, but it was enough to yank him back to his senses.
    He jerked back, appalled at himself. Dropping her hands, he shoved the ottoman back so he could stand and tried to focus on her reason for being here instead of all the hundreds of reasons he wanted to kiss her—and the thousands more why he couldn’t.
    â€œTell me why you’re so worried about Dolly,” he asked abruptly. “She can take care of herself.”
    She blinked a few times at his curtness and at the rapid mood shift, then that dazed awareness in her eyes changed back to worry for her dog. “She’s getting old, Joe. She’ll be fourteen this summer. I don’t know where she finds the energy to even keep up with the other dogs, let alone work them into the ground like she does.”
    â€œShe’s always been one great cow dog. The kind that could win contests if you ever entered her. You did a real fine job training her.”
    â€œI think she trained me more than the other way around.” A smile twisted her mouth then faded quickly. “I’ve started bringing her inside to sleep lately because the cold seems to bother her so much, but she didn’t come up to the house tonight like she usually does. I went to look for her and she’s not with the rest of the dogs in the big barn.”
    â€œWhat about the hay shed? You know how she likes to sneak in there and make a little nest for herself on the loose hay.”
    â€œI thought of that. That’s the first place I checked after I went to the barn, but she wasn’t there either. She always— always —comes when I call, but tonight she didn’t. It scares me.”
    A hundred things—hell, a thousand—could happen to an aging dog on a spread the size of the Double C. She could have fallen through the thin layer of ice at the creek or been caught by a falling hay bale or dropped her guard around one of the cattle and been gored.
    Damn. Annie loved that dog. He hated to think of her heartache if the dog was lying hurt somewhere. Or worse.
    He headed toward the coatrack by the door for his own winter gear. “I’m sure she’s fine but why don’t you stay here by the fire and I’ll go out and see if I can find her.”
    Annie stiffened. “Forget it. She’s my dog. I’m going with you.”
    â€œYou’re still so cold you’re shivering.”
    The subtle trembling of her shoulders inside her coat brought all his anger flashing back. “What were you thinking, anyway? Even if you were only going out for a moment, a single-layer denim coat is worthless against this kind of cold. You know that. You’re not dressed to go running around outside any more tonight, so be sensible for once and stay right here where it’s warm and dry.”
    She shook her head and rose from the easy chair. “I’ll hurry over to the house and put on my warmer coat and gloves. It will only take a couple of minutes,I promise, just the time it will take you to saddle a