“He curled his fingers around the lip of the pot, and under the sick gelding they began a vicious little tug-of-war. He would have laughed, was on the point of it, when he looked at her face and saw that her eyes were wet.He let go of the pot so abruptly, Keeley fell back on her butt. "What are you doing?" he demanded."I'm applying a non-irritating blister to a knee spavin.Now go away and let me get on with it..""There's no reason to start that up. None at all." Panic jingled straight to his head, nearly made him dizzy. "This is no place for crying.""I'm upset.It's my stable.I can cry when and where I choose.""All right,all right,all right." Desperately he dug into his pockets for a bandanna. "Here, just blow your nose or something.""Just go to hell or something." Rather grandly, she turned her shoulder on him and continued to apply the blister."Keeley,I'm sorry." He wasn't sure for exactly what,but that wasn't here nor there. "Dry your eyes now, a ghra, and we'll make this lad comfortable for the night.""Don't take that placating tone with me. I'm not a child or a sick horse."Brian dragged his hands through his hair, gave it one good yank. "Which tone would you prefer?""An honest one." Satisfied the blister was properly applied,she rose. "But I'm afraid the derisive one you've used since we got here fits that category. In your opinion,I'm spoiled, stubborn and too proud to accept help."Though the tears appeared to have passed, he thought it wise to be cautious. "That's pretty close to the truth," he agreed, getting to his feet. "But it's an interesting mixture, and I've grown fond of it.”

“But right now he wanted nothing more than a hot shower, a shave and a decent cup of tea.Though he'd have traded all of that for one more taste of Keeley.Knowing it irritated him had him scowling in the direction of her paddock. The minute he was cleaned up, he promised himself, the two of them would have a little conversation.Very little, he decided, before he got his hands on her again. And when he did, he was going to-The erotic image he conjured in his head burst like a bubble when he rounded the house and saw Keeley's mother kneeling at the flower bed.It was not the most comfortable thing to come across the mother when you'd been picturing the daughter naked. Then Adelia looked over at him, and he saw the tears on her cheeks. And his mind went blank."Ah...Mrs. Grant.""Brian." Sniffling, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I was doing some weeding. Just tidying up the beds here." She tugged at the cap on her head, then she lowered her hands, dropped back on her heels. "I'm sorry.""Ah..." Said that already, he thought, panicked. Say something else. He was never so helpless as he was with female tears.”

“Will you just tell me, Brian.I need you to tell me you love me.""I'm getting to it." He turned back. "I never thought I wanted family.I want to make children with you,Keeley.I want ours. Please don't cry.""I'm trying not to.Hurry up.""I can't be rushed at such a time.Sniffle those back or I'll blunder it.That's the way." He moved to her. "I don't want to own horses, but I can make an exception for the gift you gave me today.As a kind of symbol of things. I didn't have faith in him, not pure faith, that he'd run to win.I didn't have faith in you, either.Give me your hand."She held it out, clasping his. "Tell me.""I've never said the words to another woman. You'll be my first, and you'll be my last.I loved you from the first instant, in a kind of blinding flash. Over time the love I have for you has strengthened, and deepened until it's like something alive inside me.""That's everything I needed to hear." She brought his hand to her cheek. "Marry me, Brian.""Bloody hell.Will you let me do the asking?"She had to bite her lip to hold off the watery chuckle. "Sorry."With a laugh, he plucked her off her feet. "Well, what the hell.Sure, I'll marry you.""Right away.""Right away." He brushed his lips over her temple. "I love you,Keeley, and since you're birdbrain enough to want to marry a hardheaded Irish horse's ass, I believe it was, I'll go up now and ask your father.""As my-Brian, really.""I'll do this proper. But maybe I'll take you with me,in case he's found that shotgun."She laughed, rubbed her cheek against his. "I'll protect you."He set her on her feet.They began to walk together past the sharply colored fall flowers, the white fences and fields where horses raced their shadows.When he reached to take her hand, Keeley gripped his firmly.And had everything.”

“I can't remember when I've spent a more...enjoyable Saturday." She sighed, then teased his tongue with hers."Since I don't intend to move for at least twenty-four hours,we'll see how you like Sunday as well.""I think I'm going to love it." She slid a hand over his shoulder. "I don't like to be pushy, Senator, but when are you going to marry me?""I thought September in Hyannis Port.""The MacGregor fortess." He saw by her eyes the idea appealed to hre. "But September's two and a half months away.""We'll make it August," he said as he nibbled at her ear. "In the meantime, you and your roommates can move in here, or we can start looking for another place. Would you like to honeymoon in Scotland?"Shelby nestled into his throat. "Yes." She tilted her head back. "In the meantime," she said slowly as her hands wandered down to his waist. "I've been wanting to tell you that there's one of your domestic policies I'm fully in favor or,Senator.""Really?" His mouth lowered to hover just above hers."You have-" she nipped at his bottom lip "-my full support.I wonder if you could just...run through the prodecure for me one more time."Alan slid a hand down her side. "It's my civic duty to make myself avaiable to all my constituents."Shelby's fingers ran up his chest to stop his jaw just before he captured her lips. "As long as it's only me, Senator." She hooked her arm around his neck. "This is the one-man one-vote system.”

“You should be up celebrating.""This is part of it." She ran her hands carefully up the gelding's leg before pinning the wrapping to the line. "Finnegan and I are going to congratulate each other while I clean him up.But you could do me a favor." She pulled her ticket out of her pocket. "Cash in my winnings."Brian shook his head. "At the moment I'm too pleased to be annoyed with you for betting my money." With one hand on the horse he leaned over to kiss her. "But I'm not taking half the horse."Keeley hooked an arm around Finnegan's neck. "You hear that? He doesn't want you.""Don't say things like that to him."She laid her cheek against the gelding's. "You're the one hurting his feelings."As two pairs of eyes studied him, Brian hissed out a breath. "We'll discuss this privately at some other time.""He needs you.We both do."The muscles n his belly twisted. "That's unfair.""That's fact.”

“I don't like to make mistakes. Which is why I haven't been with a man before now."He as thrown off balance so quickly and completely, he coud hear his own brain stumble. "Well,that's...that's wise."He took one definite step back, like a chessman going from square to square."It's interesting that makes you nervous," she said, countering his move."I'm not nervous,I'm...finished up here, it seems." He tried another tactic, stepped to the side. "Interesting," she continued, mirroring his move, "that it would make you nervous,or uneasy if you prefer, when you've been...I think it's safe to use the term 'hitting on me' since we met.""I don't think that's the proper term at all." Since he seemed to be boxed into a corner,he decided he was really only standing his ground. "I acted in a natural way regarding a physical attraction. But-""And now that I've reacted in a natural way, you've felt the reins slip out of your hands and you're panicked.""I'm certainly not panicked." He ignored the terror gripping claws into his belly and concentrated on annoyance. "Back off, Keeley.""No." With her eyes locked on his, she stepped in.Checkmate.His back was hard up against a stall door and he'd been maneuvered there by a woman half his weight.It was mortifying. "This isn't doing either of us any credit." It took a lot of effort when the blood was rapidly draining out of his head, but he made his voice cool and firm. "The fact is I've rethought the matter.""Have you?""I have,yes,and-stop it," he ordered when she ran the palms of her hands up over his chest."You're hearts pounding," she murmured. "So's mine.Should I tell you what goes on inside my head,inside my body when you kiss me""No." He barely managed a croak this time. "And it's not going to happen again.""Bet?" She laughed, rising up just enough to nip his chin. How could she have known how much fun it was to twist a man into aroused knots? "Why don't you tell me about this rethinking?""I'm not going to take advantage of your-of the situation."That,she thought,was wonderfully sweet. "At the moment,I seem to have the advantage.This time you're trembling,Brian."The hell he was.How could he be trembling when he couldn't feel his own legs? "I won't be responsible.I won't use your inexperience.I won't do this." The last was said on a note of desperation and he pushed her aside."I'm responsible for myself.And I think I've just proven to both of us,that if and when I decide you'll be the one, you won't have a prayer." She drew a deep, satisfied breath. "Knowing that's incredibly flattering.""Arousing a man doesn't take much skill, Keeley. We're cooperative creatures in that area."If he'd expected that to scratch at her pride,and cut into her power,he was mistaken. She only smiled,and the smile was full of secret female knowledge. "If that was true between us, if that were all that's between us, we'd be naked on the tack room floor right now."She saw the change in his eyes and laughed delightedly. "Already thought of that one, have you? We'll just hold that thought for another time.”

“He stroked the filly's neck, and she sniffed at the pouch on his belt, then turned her head away."She wants to let me know she doesn't care that I've apples in here.No, doesn't matter a bit to her." He looped the line around the fence and took an apple and his knife from his pocket. Idly he cut it in half. "Maybe I'll just offer this token to this other pretty lady here."He held out the apple to Keeley, and Betty gave him a solid rap with her head that rammed him into the fence. "Now she wants my attention. Would you like some of this then?"He shifted, held the apple out. Betty nipped it from his palm with dignified delicacy. "She loves me.""She loves your apples," Keeley commented."Oh,it's not just that. See here." Before Keeley could evade-could think to-he cupped a hand at the back of her neck, pulled her close and rubbed his lips provocatively over hers. Betty huffed out a breath and butted him. "You see?" Brian let his teeth graze lightly before he released Keeley. "Jealous.She doesn't care to have me give affection to another woman.""Next time kiss her and save yourself a bruise.""It was worth it.On both counts.""Horses are more easily charmed than women, Donnelly." She plucked the apple out of his hand, bit in. "I just like your apples," she told him, and strolled away. "That one's as contrary as you are." He nuzzled Betty's cheek as he watched Keeley walk to her stables. "What is it that makes me find contrary females so appealing?”