The Nine-Dollar Daddy

by Day Leclaire

  Cassidy studied the taut planes and angles of Ty’s tanned face, wishing she could read his expression as easily as she used to read her ex-husband’s. Unfortunately, Ty was more self-contained, which unnerved her no end. The need to escape intensified, growing in direct proportion to the aggressive gleam in his eyes.

  She tumbled into speech. “You’re doing this for your grandmother’s sake, right? I know from what you said at the Yellow Rose that you weren’t supposed to be in the computer. It was all an...an accident. These dates...they’re just for show. Aren’t they?”

  He circled the pickup, his movements slow and measured and deliberate. Even so simple an act spoke of tightly caged power. “Yes, I agreed to date you for my grandmother’s sake. No, I wasn’t supposed to be in the computer. As to whether or not it was all an accident, only my grandmother and Wanda know the answer to that.” He stopped directly in front of her. “And finally, if imagining our dates are for show makes you more comfortable, then go right ahead and believe it. As far as I’m concerned, they’re to test whether or not a ninety-nine percent match is good enough.”

  She forced herself to stand her ground, refusing to scurry from his approach. It was tough, especially considering how her feet itched to do some fast backpedaling. But she managed. “Good enough for what?”

  “To go from dating to something more.”

  That’s what she’d been afraid of. From the start, she’d run scared. Now it turned out she’d been justified. “Maybe we could give this one date a try and not worry about the rest. In fact, if it’s a really lousy date, you might not want another,” she suggested hopefully.

  “I agree.” He swallowed her elbow with one huge hand and escorted her to the front door of his home.

  “You do?” Relief washed through her, as revitalizing as a cool spring shower.

  “Yup. You don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ll take care of all that, particularly the worrying.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” she began. Stepping across the threshold, she lost track of what she’d been saying.

  “Oh, my.”

  “Like it?”

  “What’s not to like?”

  Cassidy looked around with hungry eyes. Now here was a home, well loved and well-worn. In the entranceway, wide, pegged-oak planks gleamed like mellowed gold in the late-afternoon sunlight. The wood was slightly trenched in places, giving evidence of generations of traffic. In front of her extended a long hallway. Off to one side she glimpsed a parlor, while off the other was a spacious living room. Above her, attached to a heavy iron chain, hung a wagon-wheel chandelier.

  Ty noticed the direction of her gaze. “It came off the wagon the first Merrick bride rode in on.”

  “I’ll bet everything around here has a history.”

  “Just about.”

  “I don’t.”

  Ty cocked his head to one side. “You don’t what?” Cassidy indicated the pioneer antiques that dotted the parts of the house she could see. “Have a history like this.”

  “Everyone has a history. Some know it and some don’t.”

  “Well, I don’t.” She didn’t understand why she was making such an issue of it.

  “Does it bother you?”

  Truth vied with the need to protect herself. As usual, honesty won out. “Yes.”

  “Progenitor envy? I never would have thought you capable of it,” he mocked lightly.

  Her mouth twitched. Unable to help herself, she turned to smile at him, realizing her mistake an instant too late. He stood lounging against one of the rough-cut support pillars, looking for all the world like a gunslinger from the old West—tall, broad, lean and deadly. And resolute. Very resolute. His eyes glinted in the dusky foyer, reflecting endless patience and determination, as well as a heat more scorching than El Paso in August.

  “Damn,” she whispered.

  He inclined his head, his comprehension instantaneous. “My thoughts exactly.”

  Escape became imperative, the urge driven by sheer, unadulterated panic. Not safe, not safe, not safe! shrieked the voices. She backed toward the door, untangling her feet as she went. “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

  “You can’t have dinner with me?” he asked gently.

  “You know what I mean. I can’t do...” Her hand darted through the air, just missing an heirloom hat rack. “This.”

  “Ah. Much clearer.”

  She glared at him. “Stop it, Ty. I don’t know what you want from me. But whatever it is, I can’t give it to you. Please take me home.”

  He hadn’t moved from his position against the support post. But she noticed that all his many impressive ripples tensed. “What will you tell Hutch?”

  Oh, no. Hutch. How could she have forgotten? “I’ll...I’ll tell him it didn’t work out between us.”

  “You’d lie?”

  That stopped her. She released her breath in a long sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. So much for escaping unscathed. “No.”

  “I didn’t think so.” He uncoiled from his position. “Come around back. We’ll have dinner by the pool. I hope you don’t mind if it’s casual tonight.”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled airily. Not that she fooled him. Oh, no. Not this guy. Not for one little minute. “Sounds great.”

  The pool area was dazzling and looked slightly out of place—too much for such a basic, stark environment. Slabs of various sized and hued rocks were cemented into a free-flowing patio with flowers dotting the area, some in halved whiskey barrels and others in stone planters. Mexican petunias were on the verge of blooming, while the verbena lobelia and portulaca had already flowered in a stampede of color. Off to one side was a trellised area with tables and chairs beneath. Overhead, the broad leaves of a hearty mustang grapevine provided shade. One of the tables had a gorgeous floral arrangement made up of yellow roses and baby’s breath. Had he known how much she loved yellow roses, or was it in honor of his grandmother’s business? Unwilling to consider the possibility they were for her, she turned her attention to the pool.

  It was an amazing sight. Constructed of some sort of dark rock, it had three levels with waterfalls flowing from one section to the other. Jagged stone slabs provided platforms for lounging on each of the levels. Thrift spilled from some of the rock ledges, the hot pink, blue and white flowers providing a brilliant floral cascade.

  Overwhelmed, Cassidy didn’t know what to say. “Wow” struck her as the safest comment.

  “It was my father’s contribution to the homestead,” Ty explained dryly as they crossed to the table decorated with the roses. “The top pool is a hot tub. Useful during the summer, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Oh, dear. “I gather you don’t use it much.”

  “Sure I do. I just turn off the heat and dump in a block of ice.”

  “Try squeezing in a bucket of lemons and adding a bag or two of sugar,” she suggested brightly, taking a seat at the table. “You’ll have it made.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.” A short, rawboned woman appeared then, carrying a tray with drinks. “Cassidy, this is Edith, my housekeeper.”

  Edith set a brimming glass of iced tea in front of Cassidy and a long-necked bottle of Shiner Bock beer in front of Ty. Drying her hands on her apron, she subjected Cassidy to an intent examination. An instant later, her expression relaxed and she smiled. “Willie was right. You’ll do fine. Anything I can get for you, just holler. Hear?” .

  Cassidy couldn’t decide how to answer the first part of the housekeeper’s comments. As for the rest... “Thanks. I will,” she finally said, deeming it the most appropriate reply.

  “She doesn’t mean any harm,” Ty explained as soon as Edith left. “She’s lived and worked here for so many years, she’s become family. Unfortunately, that means she speaks her mind whether we want to hear it or not.” Her expression must have been more revealing than Cassidy had intended because he sighed. “Okay, so it’s a strange first date.�
��

  She let him off the hook with a laugh. “It’s a relief to hear you say so. I was beginning to think the past twenty-four hours were normal for you.”

  He grimaced. “Yeah, right. I’m always inundated by ten-year-old brainiacs who want me to date their mothers. My grandmother is constantly computer-generating my women while my housekeeper gives them her personal stamp of approval.” His mouth twisted to one side. “All they leave me to do is convince my date that she wouldn’t rather be anywhere except with me.”

  If only that was true. “Well...not anywhere,” she allowed. “There’ve been one or two side benefits to dating you.” Including one brief instance when she’d been all too happy to curl up in his lap and let the world drift by while they shared some of the most exquisite kisses she’d ever experienced in her life. She forcibly buried the memory as deep as she could.

  Apparently, it wasn’t deep enough. Ty easily read her mind. Ignoring the glass Edith had provided, he hefted the beer and saluted her. “Thank heaven for ripples,” he muttered, taking a long swallow directly from the bottle.

  She gave him a cheeky grin. “You can say that again.”

  His gaze took fire, though he answered prosaically enough. “Since this isn’t a normal first date, I thought we’d go over the application Hutch filled out and make sure it’s right. Willie said she’d run it through the computer and see if there aren’t more matches.”

  Cassidy choked on her tea. “More?”

  “Three to half a dozen is typical. But for some reason the computer only came up with one for you.”

  Gazing across the flower-dotted patio, she strove for a nonchalant shrug. “Guess I’m not an easy match.”

  “Good.”

  Startled, she glanced at him. “Why is that good?”

  “I don’t feel like sharing.”

  She straightened in her chair. Uh-oh. “Look...I thought I made myself clear about this. Your kisses might knock my socks off, but I’m not interested in any sort of relationship. Not ever. Got it?”

  “Not even for Hutch?”

  Ice clinked as she returned her glass to the table with more haste than care. “That isn’t fair.”

  “He wants a father.”

  “He has one. He doesn’t need another.”

  “Then why did he turn up on Willie’s doorstep?” Ty didn’t give her a chance to concoct an answer to that one. He shoved his chair away from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get your application form and let Edith know we’re ready to eat.”

  Cassidy scowled at his back as he strode across the patio. He must be aware that his leaving forced her to stew over his parting shot. Then why did he turn up on Willie’s doorstep ? It was an excellent question. Did Hutch really want a father so badly? He’d never said so. Of course, buying those dates didn’t leave a lot of room for misinterpretation.

  She nibbled on her lower lip. Why was he suddenly so anxious for a father? Was it something she’d done? Something she hadn’t done? She thought they were managing well enough. Sure, they had to watch their pennies. But she’d always assumed they shared the same goals. They both were after a home of their very own and a place to put down roots. She reached for the floral arrangement and fingered a velvety rose petal. Not to mention a place to grow her yellow roses.

  But apparently her son wanted more. A lot more.

  The instant Ty returned, she asked, “Since you have all the answers, tell me why Hutch wants a father.” Her voice had a husky, defenseless quality she hated. Had he heard it? She couldn’t afford to betray any weaknesses. Not to him. Not when she was already so susceptible to him.

  “Most boys want a dad,” he replied, dropping a folder on a vacant chair. “Is that unreasonable?”

  “Yes.” The word sounded whisper soft and gutwrenchingly painful. Cassidy could sense him absorbing her reply. She expected a pitying expression to creep into his eyes. To her surprise, he shrugged matter-of-factly.

  “Not all men are like your ex. You should know that by now.”

  She shivered. Not really. After Lonnie, she hadn’t allowed a man close enough to risk getting hurt again. Nor would she. She’d barely survived the five years of hell she’d called married life. If she gave her heart into another man’s keeping and he walked out on her...

  “I won’t marry again,” she stated implacably.

  Ty’s mouth tightened. “I know you want me to accept that as your final word on the subject.” He leaned across the table toward her, spearing her with those clear, souldeep eyes. “But I won’t.”

  It was that kiss. That damned kiss. She’d always been brutally honest with herself and this time was no different. She preferred facing facts squarely on, and the fact was... she and Ty made for a combustive combination. From the minute he’d pulled her into his arms, she’d been lost to everything but his touch. In fact, she’d been so lost in a sexual haze, she’d even allowed him to slip his hand beneath her skirt, something she hadn’t done since... Just remembering brought a hot flush to her cheeks. Of course, he noticed.

  To her eternal relief, Edith’s arrival prevented him from commenting. The housekeeper placed steaming hot plates piled high with green hickory-smoked ribs and pinto beans in front of them. How odd to be on the receiving end of a meal instead of the one serving it.

  “Real meat,” she said appreciatively, not realizing until a second too late how her comment would sound.

  Ty stilled. “Is that a treat for you?”

  Crud and double crud. “Yes,” she admitted, scrambling for an explanation that fell somewhere between the truth and a salve for her pride. “We try to limit our consumption of red meat.” Although in her case it was because of cost rather than for health reasons. “Nice weather, isn’t it?” Great. That was about as subtle as a train wreck.

  Edith let her off the hook by slapping a small plate on one side of the table. “Thought you might also appreciate some damp towels,” she said. “So I brought those along with the napkins.”

  “You thought right,” Ty agreed. He glanced at Cassidy, his expression more tractable than earlier. “Ribs might be messy, but they’re a guaranteed icebreaker. It’s hard to be formal when you’re covered in barbecue sauce.”

  To her amazement, his comment enabled her to relax. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had gone out of his way to put her at her ease. And though she might not be happy about the situation she’d been forced into, she could certainly be gracious about it. “Aren’t you upset that you’ve been caught up in this dating mess?” Kisses aside, that was.

  “If the circumstances had been different, I would’ve been.” He gave her a level look. “If the circumstances had been different, I would’ve put a stop to it.”

  What circumstances? she wondered uneasily. Perhaps she wouldn’t risk asking. “So why didn’t you stop it?” she demanded instead.

  “Simple. I wanted to date you.”

  Her breath caught. Well, that was sure frank. It also gave the exact answer she least wanted to hear. “But I saw you arguing with your grandmother about it.”

  He shrugged. “That was before we kissed.”

  Damn! Why in the world did she have to give him such an enthusiastic come-on? “It was a simple kiss, Ty. Get over it.”

  He actually had the nerve to laugh. “It was more than that and you know it.”

  Maybe. All right, definitely. That still didn’t change how she felt. “I told you. I’m not interested in dating.” She shoved her plate aside. “I’m through with that.”

  “At twenty-nine?”

  Her gaze darted away again. “What does age have to do with anything?”

  “You’re far too young to allow one bad experience—”

  “You know nothing about it!” she snapped.

  “I know what Hutch told me. And if I didn’t think we’d suit, I’d have told Willie to run the application again.”

  “Aren’t you doing that anyway?”

  “I’m having her rerun the form for you
r sake, not mine.”

  That brought her up short. “Oh.”

  “It’s the truth, Cassidy.”

  She released her breath in a gusty sigh. “I believe you.”

  And she did. Ty hadn’t made any bones about his attraction to her. She was the one running scared, not him.

  “But trust comes hard, doesn’t it?”

  There was no point in denying it. “Sure does.”

  “Then why don’t we make an agreement? No shading the truth. I think it’s important we be honest with one another.”

  She wouldn’t have too much trouble with that. The truth had a way of tumbling out of her mouth whether she wanted it to or not. “Okay.”

  He nudged her plate back in front of her. “When we’re done eating, why don’t we go over that application and make sure Hutch got it right.”

  “Okay.” Her mouth pulled to one side in a half grin and her hunger returned with a vengeance. Good gravy, had she really been about to waste all these great ribs? “Worried about that one percent?”

  “Terrified.”

  The minute they were finished and had cleaned off the excess barbecue sauce with the damp towels Edith had supplied, Ty picked up the folder and removed a stapled packet.

  “Let’s take a walk while we go over the application.”

  “Fine.” Did she sound as nervous as she felt? It had been one thing to answer Ty’s questions believing he was a kid working on a science project. But to let down her guard with the man striding beside her was another matter altogether.

  He handed her the papers. “Here. Start with the first page. It’s just the basic statistics. Age, height, weight, educational background, hair and eye color. That sort of thing. Does it look right to you?”

  She glanced over the information, slipping swiftly past the line with her age. She always winced seeing it in black and white. “How did Hutch know my weight?”

  “He didn’t. I guessed after meeting you.”

  “You’re two pounds off.”

  He reached into his shirt pocket. “Here’s a pen. Feel free to change it.”

  “Not much point,” she admitted ruefully. “After that meal we just ate, it’s probably right on the mark. Oh, and you’ll have to change my occupation. I’m not a waitress anymore.”