“She’s just getting back at me for my guys embarrassing her earlier,” Kash said. Absently, he wondered if the piece of paper in his pocket might catch fire. Celia’s hand against his chest, even through the cotton of his shirt, felt like she’d branded his skin.
Eager to pull out that paper and see what it said, he had a hard time maintaining his usual cool reserve as they loaded the stock and wrapped things up after the rodeo.
Two hours later, he sat in his pickup and unfolded the slip of paper he’d stuffed into his wallet to make sure he didn’t accidentally lose it.
He smiled at the simple note:
Can’t wait for Monday night.
Thought you might need my number.
Red
She’d finished the note with her cell phone number followed by a heart and a smiley face.
He studied the paper in his hand for a long moment as a smile slowly formed on his lips. Kash had no idea what a heart and smiley face meant, but he anticipated finding out.
Chapter Ten
In the hour before Kash was due to arrive at her apartment for their date Monday night, Celia tried on fourteen outfits and hated them all.
Ever the gentleman, Kash called Sunday afternoon. He confirmed what time he’d pick her up, and mentioned how much he appreciated her sharing her cell number with him. He kept the call brief, but Celia could have sat for hours listening to the deep timbre of his tone rumbling in her ear.
Flustered by the man and his seductive voice, she’d failed to ask him what he had planned for their date. She had no idea if she should wear jeans, shorts, something dressy or something in between.
Clothes littered her bed and floor as she tried them on and tossed them aside. About to run out of time, she finally settled on a cream-colored cotton dress with a spray of pale blue flowers across the shoulders and cap sleeves. A garden of pale blue, pink and yellow flowers bloomed upward from the hem.
Quickly returning her discarded selections back to her closet, she hurried into the bathroom and rolled the sides of her hair upward from her crown to her nape then gathered the ends into a loose bun at the back of her head. A few strands hung around her face and along her neck to soften the style. She added another coat of mascara and spritzed on her favorite perfume.
As she raced back into the bedroom, she tried to decide between flats and heels. Finally, she settled on a comfortable pair of wedge sandals that added three inches to her height.
The doorbell rang as she stuffed her wallet, phone, gum and lip gloss inside a handbag.
On her mad dash to the door, she almost knocked a photo off the wall and grabbed it before it teetered off the hook. The doorbell rang again as she steadied it then hurried to answer the door.
The sight of her date left her thoughts snarled while her tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth like she’d just licked a spoon full of peanut butter.
Unable to speak and barely able to think, her once-over started at his black cowboy hat and worked down to his feet. Based on the shine of his boots, he’d recently polished them.
Her gaze slid up his long legs, taking in the creases in his dark blue jeans, to the teal-colored dress shirt he wore. It turned his eyes into the most entrancing shade of blue she’d ever seen.
In fact, those eyes seemed to glow, lit from something deep inside. An unwarranted thrill shot straight through her.
“Wow, Kash! You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” he said, brushing a hand down his shirt while the other remained behind his back. “You are incredibly beautiful.” He held out a bouquet of sunflowers.
She smiled as she took it from him. “These are lovely. Thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure what flower you liked, but the florist said sunflowers are popular this time of year.”
“I love flowers of all types, but red and white carnations are my favorites. However, these sunflowers are spectacular.” Celia held the bouquet like a treasured prize. “Come on in while I find a vase for them.”
Kash stepped inside and closed the door then followed her into the kitchen. She bent over to dig around in a cupboard while he leaned against the counter and admired the view.
The collar of his shirt felt unreasonably tight while his gut tied itself into a hard knot. A sudden awareness of just how long it had been since he’d been out on a date clouded his mind.
“Focus, man,” he muttered under his breath.
Celia glanced at him over her shoulder. “You say something?”
“No, ma’am. Just thinking how pretty you look in that dress.” So pretty that I’d much rather stay here with you all evening than go out to dinner.
She lifted a vase and filled it with water then removed the cellophane from the flowers. After arranging the stems, she carried the vase to her living room and set the flowers on a side table.
“They really are beautiful, Kash. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” To keep from wrapping his hands around Celia’s waist, he shoved them into his pockets. “Are you ready to go?”
“I am ready.” Celia picked up her handbag from the counter in the kitchen then opened her apartment door. After Kash stepped into the hall, she locked it, dropped the keys in her purse, and grinned at him. “It’s only fair to warn you I missed lunch. I’m starving.”
“Then I guess I better feed you.” Kash took her hand in his and led her out to his pickup. Since he didn’t have running boards on his truck, he picked her up and set her inside.
She raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled, shutting the door as she fastened her seatbelt.
On the way to the restaurant, they talked about the winners in each event at the rodeo. Kash teased her about Cooper’s joke before the bull riding and she pointed out it was his fault for dragging her into his trailer in the first place.
“How’s the bull that got hurt?” she asked as he helped her out of his truck at a trendy restaurant located on the Boise Greenbelt along the banks of the river.
“The bull’s fine. I’m giving him some time off for good behavior. He won’t compete again until that scratch heals completely, but honestly, he’s raring to go.”
Celia smiled as Kash held open the door and followed her inside. The hostess stared at him with undeniable interest as he gave her his name and the time of his reservation. She located it on the seating chart, picked up two menus, and smiled at him.
“Right this way, sir.”
She led them through the restaurant and out a door to the patio.
Celia glanced around, taking in the dreamy atmosphere. She’d eaten at the restaurant a few times with her mom. The food was generally good, but she’d never eaten outside on a warm summer evening.
Surprised Kash would choose it for their first date, she wondered if he’d eaten there before.
When he held her chair out for her and waited until she took her seat to sit down across from her, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. He removed his hat and hung it off the back of his chair.
Most of the men she knew, Cort and Tate withstanding, exhibited manners one expected from cavedwellers. They didn’t open doors, hold out chairs, or bring women flowers.
Curious if Kash was a throwback to a bygone era, Celia decided not to question her good fortune. She was out on a date with a gorgeous, attentive man any woman would be thrilled to know.
One of his most admirable traits, in Celia’s opinion, was his humility. Kash didn’t appear to have any idea about how entirely good-looking and appealing he was to women.
Celia thought of Ransom, with his conceited, arrogant opinion of himself. She should have realized Kash would never act like that. Any number of telltale signs should have tipped her off that Ransom and Kash were two completely different individuals, even if they looked exactly alike.
Determined not to let memories of Ransom’s obnoxiousness take away from her pleasure in the evening, she focused on the kind-hearted cowboy sitting across from her.
“Have you
eaten here before?” she asked as she opened her menu.
“Nope. Have you?” Kash browsed over the menu, wishing he could order a plain grilled steak with a basic baked potato.
“Occasionally, Mom and I come here. Dad refuses to eat the ‘weird, girly food,’ as he calls it.”
Kash grinned at her. “I can relate to your dad.”
Celia gave him a saucy smile over the top of her menu. “I’m sure you can, cowboy. I’m here to tell you, though, they have excellent lamb and seafood. Embrace the opportunity to expand your palate.”
“Now you sound like one of those foodies from the cooking network.” Kash lifted his voice in a falsetto and raised his hands to demonstrate stirring something in a bowl. “And now, gently fold a healthy seasoning of tasteless herbs no one can pronounce into our lovely purified pulp. Isn’t it outstanding? Have you ever seen such marvelous pulp? Sauté for twenty minutes with a cup of designer wine and serve over a bed of organic greens that cost more than normal people spend on a week’s worth of groceries.”
Giggles escaped Celia’s mouth. She checked to see if anyone heard Kash’s perfect impersonation of one of the chefs she’d seen on television. They were the only people out on the deck, so she sat back against her chair and laughed aloud.
“That was pretty good. I take it you aren’t a fan of the food or the chef.”
“Not so much.” Kash picked up his menu, found something he thought he could choke down and took a long drink of ice water. In all honesty, he didn’t care about the food. The romantic atmosphere of the restaurant drove his decision to dine there. He wanted his first date with Celia to be special, something she’d remember.
He’d eat buttered cardboard with a side of ketchup-covered nails if that’s what it took for her to enjoy her evening.
However, as she sat back and gazed out at the Greenbelt, he didn’t think that would be necessary. The soft light in her eyes and the smile riding her lips let him know she enjoyed her evening.
Once the server took their order, Kash asked if she’d seen Cort lately and she told him about staying at the Hanging P Ranch for almost a week.
They discussed plans for upcoming rodeos while they ate dinner and concluded they wouldn’t see much of each other in the next few months. Kash would leave Wednesday for a rodeo in Montana. He’d spend the next eight weeks traveling to rodeos in Wyoming, Montana, Utah and California.
“I’ll be at the Pendleton Round-Up, though. I’m assuming with Cort living nearby, you’ll be there,” Kash said as he finished the last bite of his pan-fried Idaho trout. Much to his surprise, it was quite tasty, especially with the side of new red baby potatoes coated in olive oil and herbs.
“I wouldn’t miss it. I guess I won’t see you again until September,” Celia said, sipping her iced tea to hide her disappointment.
“Probably not.” Kash hated to think of the long weeks ahead of him. With his busy schedule, he’d be lucky to find a few hours to sleep every day. Yet, that wouldn’t keep him from thinking about the beautiful redhead sitting across the table from him.
The flicker from the candle burning in a glass holder in the center of the table reflected in her luminous green eyes. Twinkle lights blanketing the shrubs and bushes around them added to the ambiance that filled his head with any number of thoughts he shouldn’t entertain.
The server appeared and removed their plates then left a dessert menu.
“You want something sweet?” Celia asked as she picked up the menu and perused the selections.
Kash nearly choked on his lemonade. He set down his glass and held the napkin to his mouth as he coughed.
You, Red. I want you. I can’t think of a thing that would be any sweeter than those pink lips pressed against mine.
“What’s on there a meat and potatoes kind of guy would like?” Kash asked as Celia held the menu out for him to read.
“There’s berry cobbler or chocolate cake.” Celia tapped her finger on the menu. “I’m holding out for the French silk pie.”
Whether it was Celia’s perfume, the intimate setting, or the fact she appeared so indisputably feminine, when she said the word “silk” visions of something far different than pie filled his thoughts.
“What do you think? Could you handle some berry cobbler or do you prefer cake?” She set down the menu and leaned back in her chair.
“Cobbler.” Kash caught their server’s attention and ordered the desserts.
“If you like berries, I’ll have to make a marionberry pie or crisp for you sometime.”
“I do like berries,” Kash said. He clasped his hands together beneath the table to keep from reaching out and taking hold of one of her hands as it rested near her tea glass. “I might just hold you to that.”
“I might just let you.” Celia grinned and sipped her tea, forcing herself to look away from him. Inexplicably drawn to him, the attraction defied logical explanation, not that she wanted to be logical. Her thoughts drifted more toward the illogical ideas of sitting on his lap and kissing him until she had to gasp for breath.
Since Celia had never allowed anyone to kiss her that way, she didn’t know why visions like that kept surfacing in her head.
She gave herself a mental shake and gazed at the Greenbelt. A couple rode by on their bicycles and Celia smiled as she watched them. A picture of Kash riding a bike with his boots and hat made her swallow back a giggle.
Despite her best efforts to hide her amusement, Kash noticed. “What’s so funny?”
“I was picturing you on a bicycle with your hat and boots.”
A grin creased his face. “Hey, I used to tear up our driveway riding my bike. I even built a few jumps. Dad made me tear them out when Ransom crashed and knocked out two of his permanent teeth.” He pointed to his two bottom front teeth.
“So other than two teeth and your obvious personality differences, how can people tell you two apart?” Celia tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow. “If you and Ransom stood side by side, and neither one of you spoke, how would anyone know the difference? I’ve never seen identical twins that looked like exact clones.”
He held up an index finger, motioning for her to lean closer. When her face was just a few inches away from his, he dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’ve got a six-inch scar on my left thigh where I tangled with a bull when I was eighteen. Ransom has a birthmark smack dab on his behind shaped like a mushroom. Dad said it was easy to tell us apart as long as he stripped off our britches.”
Celia smiled. “I’m sure you’re glad that is no longer necessary.”
“You have no idea. It’s humiliating to have your dad try to pull your pants down when you’re in the second grade to see if he has the right kid.”
Her laughter echoed around them. “You’re teasing me.”
Kash shook his head. “No, ma’am. I am not. Ask Dad if you don’t believe me.”
Quiet for a long moment, Celia studied him. “You’ve never mentioned your mother, Kash. Is she around?”
A sigh rolled out of him as he sat back in his chair. The number of people who knew his mother’s story could be counted on one hand, but he wanted to tell Celia. He picked up the knife the server had left on the table and twirled it between the fingers of his left hand, studying the way it reflected the lights around them.
“Dad met my mother at a rodeo. She was beautiful and wild, which was probably fun for dating reasons, but didn’t make for good wife or mother material.” Kash’s eyes held a mixture of sorrow and pain. “Dad realized not long after they wed that Darlene only married him because she liked the idea of catching a rugged cowboy and she thought he was rich. Ransom and I arrived right before their first anniversary. A few months after that, she started running around with other men.”
“That’s awful, Kash.” Celia reached across the table and squeezed the hand that wasn’t fiddling with the knife. “What did your father do?”
“He was heartbroken, completely devastated. When Ransom and I were three, Darlene sent
us outside to play, locked the doors to the house, and left. One of the ranch hands found us and took care of us until Dad got home from a rodeo. We never saw her again. Dad received word when we were five that she’d died in an accident. She drove her car off an embankment after spending the better part of a night in a bar.” Kash took a deep breath then released it. “I often wonder if Ransom doesn’t take after her.”
Celia nodded, aching for the two boys who never knew a mother’s love. With an insight that caught her by surprise, she realized Kash had trust issues with women. It had to be why someone as attractive and good-hearted as him remained single.
Dessert arrived and they spent a few minutes savoring the delicious concoctions. Celia offered Kash a bite of her pie and she accepted a taste of his cobbler, dripping with melted vanilla bean ice cream.
“Mmm, that’s good.” Her tongue darted out of her mouth and licked away a crumb of the flaky pastry clinging to her lip. Kash almost dropped his fork as he watched her. He forced his attention back to his dessert instead of the woman who scattered his sense like confetti in a whirlwind.
Kash forked the rest of his cobbler into his mouth, drank the remainder of his lemonade, and caught the server’s eye to bring the bill.
A distraction needed to present itself immediately, or he’d forget about propriety, being a gentleman, and behaving appropriately. Right there, in front of shocked restaurant patrons and staff alike, he’d gather her in his arms and plunder that pretty little mouth with kisses.
While she finished her chocolate confection, he paid the bill and visited the restroom. The cold water he splashed on his face did little to alleviate his amorous mood. He stared into the mirror, reminding himself he wouldn’t see Celia for nearly two months.
The last thing he wanted was to do something to create a bad impression with her.
A calming breath, then another settled him as he returned to the table to find her finishing the last of her iced tea. He picked up his hat and held out a hand to her. “Care to go for a little stroll?”
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