Read The Baby Truth for Free Online

when she was just seventeen. Now she’s having the baby of a man who was tragically killed only two months ago. The woman deserves a little helping hand, don’t you think?”
    Bella’s sigh was rueful. “Okay, I sound awful. I admit it. And I’m sorry. Especially because I like Sassy. I even wish she’d stay with us for a while. But taking her to meet the Calhouns—that’s another thing. Let her go alone. Otherwise, if she uses this meeting to start questioning them about relatives, Bart might get angry at you for aiding and abetting her. He might even fire you.”
    Jett’s chuckle held little mirth. “Not likely. Bart trusts me to keep the ranch’s business private. But the roof wouldn’t fall in if he did fire me. I’ve been thinking I’d rather hang my shingle out in town, anyway.”
    Bella stared at him. “I’ve never heard you talk like this. Are you serious?”
    “Very.”
    Shaking her head with disbelief, she said, “The Calhouns pay you an enormous salary. Why would you want the headache of a public practice?”
    “I didn’t go through eight years of education to work exclusively for one family. I’d like to think all that learning could help others, too.”
    Bella laid her hand on his forehead. “My Lord, something has come over you. What is it?”
    “I believe it’s called maturing.” Rising to his feet, he looked down at his sister’s worried face. “Now, what do you say about having spaghetti for supper? After the day she’s been through, Sassy could probably use a decent meal.”
    “Are you cooking?”
    “I am.”
    Grinning impishly, she said, “Then it sounds great.”
    * * *
    A few minutes later, after changing into clean clothes, Jett left his bedroom and was walking down the hallway when Sassy suddenly stepped through her bedroom door and straight into his path.
    Trying to stop his forward motion without bowling her over, he grabbed her by the shoulders and rocked back on his heels. “Whoa, Sassy! I didn’t see you coming.”
    Reaching out to steady herself, her palms landed on his chest. “Jett! Oh, I’m sorry—I wasn’t looking.”
    “No harm done.” Easing his grip on her shoulders, his hands slipped to her upper arms. As she looked up at him, he took a moment to survey her lovely face, and the notion suddenly struck him that he couldn’t recall the last time he’d enjoyed looking at a woman and touching her, even in the simplest of ways. But he was definitely enjoying it now. “I guess this must be my day to stop you from falling.”
    “Let’s hope tomorrow improves,” she said jokingly. “I’ll try my best to stay on my feet.”
    A pale pink color warmed her cheeks, and on closer inspection he noticed that faint freckles were scattered across the bridge of her nose. Her lashes were so long they created crescent-shape shadows beneath her eyes, yet it was her lips that completely stole Jett’s attention. They were wide and soft, and he figured that once a man kissed them, he’d want to do it again and again.
    Clearing his throat, he forced his gaze to the cascade of fiery curls falling around her head and onto her shoulders. “Oh, I don’t know,” he told her. “This is starting to get fun.”
    The color on her face deepened. “I seriously doubt that.”
    He wanted to ask her what she meant, but kept the question to himself. Just because he found her attractive didn’t mean she was feeling any magnetic pull toward him.
    And why would you want her to feel anything toward you, Jett? Wasn’t Erica enough punishment for you? You don’t need a woman messing up your life again and making you crazy.
    He needed to heed the voice of warning in his head, he told himself. Just because Sassy was stirring up a hot yearning in him didn’t mean he should forget the painful lessons he’d learned in his broken marriage. But, oh, she was tempting him, making him want to believe that a woman couldn’t lead him back into hellish misery.
    In an attempt to get his mind