Kelly returned to Blackstone Farms Saturday morning with Ryan, wrapped in a cocoon of contentment. She woke up to find him lying on his side, his head resting on a folded arm, smiling at her. They had not made love again, but lay in bed for several hours talking. She told him how it had been to grow up in New York City and how different Virginia was from the fast pace of a city that never slept.

Ryan had revealed that he'd visited New York twice, both times for professional conferences. He said he'd been shocked by the number of people crowding into a single subway car, but admitted that while he loved the pulsing excitement he knew he could never survive living in a big city. After a wonderfully long night, they'd finally left the bed, showered and eaten breakfast in their suite before checking out.

Kelly stood on the porch to her house, a hand resting in the middle of Ryan's chest. "Pick me up at one." He'd promised to take her into Staunton where she could buy a pair of riding boots.

Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly. "I'll see you later." He smiled, turned and walked back to his car.

She unlocked the door and was met with the shrill ringing of the telephone. Rushing into the bedroom, she picked up the receiver before the answering machine switched on. A blinking number indicated two calls had been recorded.

"Hello."

"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you since last night. I left two messages on your machine. Leo had to talk me out of driving across the state to find out what happened to you."

Kelly smiled as she kicked off her shoes. "I didn't know I was on work-release this weekend."

"Very funny, Kel."

"You bitch and moan when I call you every Friday or Saturday night, and when I don't you overreact."

There was a pulse beat of silence before Pamela's voice came through the wire again. "You had a date?"

"Yes, I had a date." Kelly held the receiver away from her ear as her sister let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"Who is he? Where did you go? What did you do?"

"Dang, Pamela."

"You can say damn, Kelly."

"All right. Damn, Pamela."

"You don't have to tell me what you did," she said. "But you have to tell me who he is."

"His name is Ryan Blackstone."

"He's one of the Blackstones?"

"He's the eldest son."

"Hot damn! My little sister struck the mother lode."

"Back it up, Pamela. It was just one date."

"One, two, three, four. It doesn't matter. The fact that you went out with him, and apparently spent more than a few hours together, says a lot."

Kelly wanted to argue with her sister, but decided against it. Pamela Andrews-Porter refused to accept that she was exactly like their mother, Camille Andrews. She just could not resist meddling.

"I'm going to ring off because I have to go into town to do some shopping."

"Don't hang up yet, Kel. I was calling to let you know that Leo and I are hosting a Fourth of July cookout. Mama and Daddy are driving down for the weekend, and cousins Bill, Flora, Verna and her kids said they're coming up. It's going to be somewhat of a mini family reunion."

"I'll be there."

"Are you bringing your man?"

"No! And he's not my man."

"You said that a little too quickly, little sis."

"Goodbye, big sis."

"Goodbye, Kelly," Pamela crooned, chuckling softly.

Kelly hung up, mumbling to herself. Just because she had slept with Ryan that did not mean he was her man or she his woman. What they had become were lovers before they'd become friends. How different it was from her relationship with Simeon. He had been her friend since first grade, and it wasn't until she was twenty that she offered him more than friendship: her body and a promise to love him forever.

She glanced at the clock on the table next to the phone. She had an hour to blow out her hair and ready herself for an afternoon of shopping with Ryan.

Ryan found his father by the pool. A few of the employees had gathered around the Olympic-size pool to cool off from the unseasonable ninety-degree temperatures. Two hundred feet away smaller bodies frolicked in the kiddie pool like baby seals under the watchful eyes of their parents.

Sitting down at the table under one of a dozen large black and red striped umbrellas positioned around the deck, he nodded at Sheldon. "Good afternoon."

Sheldon stared at his son through a pair of sunglasses. Missing was the tailored suit from the night before. This afternoon he wore jeans, T-shirt and a pair of running shoes.

"Good afternoon. How was your date?"

"Good."

He smiled, nodding. "How's Kelly?"

Ryan bit back a grin. "She's good."

Sheldon turned to stare out at the blue-green water. "I'm glad to hear it."

Ryan patted his father's bare shoulder. The sun had darkened his caffe latte complexion to skin to a rich cinnamon-brown. The muscle under his hand still hard for a middle-aged man in his prime.

"I like her, Pop." He inhaled a lungful of hot air. "I just hadn't realized how much l liked her until I was able to spend time with her. She has a quick mind and a wonderful sense of humor. She also has a sharp tongue."

Sheldon lifted his left eyebrow. "She sounds a lot like your mother."

Ryan chuckled. "It helps that she's beautiful and sexy."

Just like your mother was, Sheldon mused. "I'm glad you found someone you enjoy being with," he said aloud.

Gaze narrowing, Ryan searched the kiddie pool for his son. "Where's Sean?"

"He's in the dining hall eating lunch."

Ryan was pleased that Sean had begun eating again. During their stay in Alabama he'd refused to eat with the other children at the child care center. "I'm going to take him with me."

"Where are you going?"

"To Staunton. If Kelly's going to learn to ride, then she's going to need boots." Pushing to his feet, he said, "I'll see you later."

"Enjoy," Sheldon said in parting.

Sean sat between Ryan and Kelly in a specialty shop that featured leather goods, talking non-stop as she tried on several pairs of riding boots.

"Cook's gonna cook the three little pigs before the wolf eats them up." Kelly smiled at Ryan, who winked and returned her smile.

"Cook plans to roast a couple of pigs for the Memorial Day cookout, Sean, but I can assure you they are not the three little pigs," Ryan said in a quiet voice.

"Are you sure, Daddy?"

"Ask Miss Kelly."

She cut her eyes at Ryan who gave her a please help me out expression. "Your father's right, Sean. When we go back to school on Monday - "

"Monday is no school, Miss Kelly," Sean interrupted. "You said it was Me - more Day."

She made a show of hitting her forehead with the heel of her hand. "That's right. I did forget that Memorial Day is Monday. Thank you for reminding me."

Sean patted Ryan's shoulder to get his attention. "We made flags in school."

"You didn't show it to me."

"You can't see it until Monday."

Sean explained to Ryan how they had counted the stars and stripes while Kelly indicated to the salesperson which pair of boots she had decided to purchase. Rising from his chair, Ryan reached into his rear pocket for a wallet, removed a credit card and handed it to the clerk.

Kelly reached for the card, but Ryan caught and held her wrist. "Let's not make a scene," he warned softly.

"There won't be a scene if you let me pay for my own purchases."

Curving an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to his side. "What if we compromise?"

"How?"

"I pay for the boots and you pay for ice cream for the rest of the summer. It's going to work out equitably because Sean and I eat a lot of ice cream."

Sean bobbed his head up and down. "That's right."

Kelly knew when she was outnumbered. "How often do you eat it?"

"Every day," they chorused.

"I think I've just been had," she murmured under her breath.

They left the store and Ryan drove Sheldon's SUV to Shorty's Diner on Richmond Road. The restaurant looked like a 1950s jukebox. All stainless steel with neon lights and glass, it was colorful and inviting. Ryan ordered a monstrous ice-cream concoction large enough for four people.

Kelly, who rarely ate sweets, could not stop eating the homemade vanilla, strawberry and pistachio ice cream topped with nuts, whipped cream and fresh berries.

"You're going to make me fat," she whispered to Ryan as he helped her up into the SUV for the ride home.

"You'd look good with a few extra pounds."

"Not in the belly and butt," she growled.

"Especially in the belly," he countered, still holding the door open.

She went completely still, her gaze fusing with his. She berated herself for telling him she wanted a baby. And did she really want Ryan to father her child?

Was she ready for motherhood?

Did she want to marry again?

The questions taunted her because she had grown up believing one fell in love, married and then had children - in that order. She had done that with Simeon, but had not completed the cycle because he had been taken from her.

Turning to look out the windshield, she stared straight ahead. She had offered Ryan her body, but not her heart. She wasn't certain when she would - if ever.

Kelly met Ryan in the stables early Sunday morning. She found him kneeling in one of the stalls, examining the right foreleg of a stallion. A large black bag filled with rolls of bandages stood open on the floor.

She watched as he wrapped at least four layers of cotton wool and a bandage tightly around the leg. He removed a pair of latex gloves, dropping them in the bag and closing it.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

Ryan stood up, his gaze taking in everything about Kelly in one sweeping glance. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail under a baseball cap. She was dressed for riding: blouse, jeans and boots. She held a pair of leather riding gloves in one hand.

"He sustained a simple fracture a couple of months ago."

"Will he be okay?"

He smiled. "He's healing nicely." Curving an arm around Kelly's waist, he led her to a door near the entrance. He punched several buttons on a panel, and the door opened automatically.

He ushered her into a large space where he had set up his office. It contained a large stainless-steel examining table, sinks, cabinets filled with bandages, vials of drugs, and surgical instruments.

"Do you perform surgeries here?"

He opened the bag, discarded the latex gloves, and then stored the bag on a corner shelf. "Only in an emergency. I'm a registered on-call vet with a hospital in Richmond."

He washed his hands in one of the sinks with a strong antiseptic-smelling solution, dried them on several paper towels, discarding the towels in a plastic-covered container.

Smiling at Kelly, he said, "Are you ready for your first riding lesson?"

She returned his smile. "Yes."

Taking her hand, he led her out of the stable to an area where Mark Charlesworth stood waiting with two saddled horses. Mark's expression brightened when he saw Kelly.

"Good morning, Miss Kelly."

"Good morning, Mark."

"Mark, please hold my horse while I help Miss Kelly."

Spanning her waist with both hands, Ryan swung her up effortlessly onto a horse. The horse sidestepped and he caught the reins, handing them to Kelly. "Hold them either in your right or left hand. Your fingers should close over the reins with your hand turned over so that the wrist is straight and your thumb up."

Kelly felt half a ton of muscle and raw power between her legs, refusing to acknowledge her fear as Ryan adjusted the stirrups to accommodate her legs. She'd never sat on a horse in her life, and the fact that she was at least six feet above the ground made her stomach roil.

"Put your feet in the stirrups, then lean forward in the saddle." She reacted like automaton once he showed her how to use her knees and reins to control the animal.

The horse Ryan had chosen to ride reared up, his forelegs pawing the air. Mark tightened his hold on the bridle. "He's a little flighty this morning, Doc."

"That's because he wants to run." Ryan put his left foot in the stirrup, mounting in one continuous motion. Mark handed him his wide-brim hat. Reaching over, he held on to the bridle of Kelly's horse and he led her away from the stables.

Once she became accustomed to the rocking motion, she found herself relaxing. She followed Ryan as he cantered toward the open portion of the property.

An hour later Kelly sat under a tree watching Ryan as he raced his horse across the verdant landscape. Horse and rider became one as the Thoroughbred established a long, low, raking stride. Sinking down to the grass, she closed her eyes.

Ryan returned to Kelly, finding her reclining on the grass, asleep. He tethered his horse next to where hers grazed on the sweet tender grass. He sank down beside Kelly, resting his head on his folded arm. She had taken off her cap. Without warning she opened her eyes.

"How do you like riding?"

"I like it, but I'm sore."

"Where?"

"My behind and between my legs."

Moving from his reclining position, he sat back on his heels. He did not give Kelly time to protest as he removed her boots. Her socks followed, then he unsnapped her jeans.

She slapped at his hand. "What are you doing?"

He pushed her hand away. "I'm going to give you a massage."

"No-ooo," she wailed in protest.

"Yes," he insisted, lifting her hips and easing her jeans down her legs. Any further protest ended once Ryan turned Kelly over to lie on her belly. "Rest your head on your arms."

She moaned once as gave herself up to the strength in his strong fingers as he kneaded her buttocks and the flesh of her inner thighs. After ten minutes he straddled her, his chest pressing against her back.

"You look as beautiful from behind as you do in front," he whispered against her ear.

Her breathing halted then started up again. "What are you doing?"

"It's not want I'm doing but what I want to do." Curving an arm around her middle, he eased her gently to her knees.

Kelly groaned inwardly when she felt the solid bulge in his groin pressing against her hips. The only shield between them was his jeans and her navy-blue thong panties.

Reaching between her legs, he cupped her feminine heat and desire shot through her like a jolt of electricity, leaving her wet and pulsing against his palm.

"Kelly," he growled deep in his throat.

"Now, Ryan," she gasped, praying she wouldn't climax before he penetrated her.

He unsnapped his jeans, pushing them and his briefs down around his knees and pulled aside the narrow strip of fabric. He entered her in one, swift, sure motion.

She felt his hot breath in her neck, raspy breathing in her ear, and the power in his thighs as he pushed into her pulsing flesh. Resting the back of her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes, trying unsuccessfully not to explode.

Kelly had become a mare in heat as Ryan inhaled the feminine musk rising from between her legs. And like a rutting stallion, he gloried in the pleasure that came from pumping in and out of her lush body. Cupping his hands over her breasts he cradled them, measuring their weight as her nipples hardened under his fingertips.

He loved her, each deliberate thrust, joining their bodies, every gasp, groan, moan bringing them closer to the brink of a spiraling ecstasy and fulfillment. It was no longer flesh-to-flesh, man-to-woman, heart-to-heart, but soul-to-soul.

Pressing his face against the nape of her neck, Ryan caught the tender skin between his teeth, biting gently and leaving his brand. His lips left her neck and seared a path along the silken column of her neck.

Mouth open and gasping for her next breath, Kelly felt herself slipping away from reality. She writhed against Ryan, the curve of her buttocks tucked neatly against his groin. They had become a perfect fit.

Her body flamed and froze at the same time. Her world tilted and careened on its axis. She cried out for release and seconds later she exploded in a floodtide of shimmering fire that shattered the barrier she had erected around her heart to love again.

Kelly's passion spread to Ryan as her heat swept over him like a raging forest fire. His fingers tightened around her waist, holding her fast as he spewed liquid love into her still-pulsing flesh. He eased her down to the grass, gasping loudly.

Ryan pulled Kelly against his chest and buried his face in her hair. Everything that was Kelly Andrews seeped into his pores. He loved her!

He had fallen in love with her.

Easing back he stared at her staring back at him. In that instant he saw his unborn children in her eyes. The realization he had made to love to her without protection squeezed his heart. Splaying a hand over her hip, he kissed her moist forehead.

"I wanted to make love to you, but not without a condom."

She offered him a tender smile. "Don't beat up on yourself, Ryan. I'm safe right now."

"Are you certain?"

She nodded. "Yes. I woke up this morning with the familiar symptoms telling me I should see my period in a few days."

He wanted to tell her that it did not matter if she was or wasn't pregnant, because he loved her enough to ask her to share his love and his future.

They waited until their passions cooled and then dressed. Ryan led Kelly to her horse, helped her mount before he mounted his. Their return to the stables was unhurried as they rode side by side in silence.