“Really?” Her brother had come up with a decorating idea! Amanda held that thought close to her heart since it was one of the first personal things she’d ever been told about him. “Who would think that a soldier and rancher would know much about design?”
“Lucky guess on his part.”
“Sounds more like a great suggestion,” she said, firm in her belief that her brother was a man with good ideas, despite what some people said about him being stubborn when it came to his ranch.
“Hmm,” Leo said.
He didn’t start the truck right away, so she glanced at him. He watched her, a contemplative expression on his face. Finally he looked away and turned the key.
She hoped he hadn’t gotten the wrong impression when she’d defended Cal Crawford. Or even worse, the right one.
“HOW ABOUT GOING OUT to dinner with me again tonight?” Leo asked as they sat in the tea room of an antiques mall in Graham. Christie was eating a salad plate and he’d opted for a more hearty chicken salad sandwich, although he couldn’t really call the serving man-sized. Everything looked very dainty, from the floral china cups to the fancy silver spoons and forks.
“Oh, that’s…that’s very nice of you, but I shouldn’t.”
“Why? We both need to eat.”
“After taking me out last night and chauffeuring me around all day, I think I’d be wearing out my welcome if we also went to dinner.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I tell you what. I’ll let you buy lunch if you’ll come with me tonight. To tell you the truth, you’d be doing me a favor. I’ve been invited to celebrate Cal’s birthday with the Crawfords, my sister and her husband, and if I go alone, I’ll be the only single guy there.”
“The Crawfords and the sister we met last night?” Amanda sat up straighter in her chair.
“Toni’s my only sister. What do you say?”
“I… Well, I would hate for you to feel uncomfortable with the other couples.” She snatched the handwritten bill from the table. “I’ll be glad to buy you lunch. Oh, and I need to get Cal a present.”
“Cal, is it? You haven’t even met him yet.”
She stopped gathering her purse and jacket and looked at him. “I know,” she said, flushing, “but it’s his birthday. I should get him a gift.”
“Cal won’t expect anything from you.”
“Maybe not, but it doesn’t seem right, going to his birthday dinner without one. Will you help me pick something out for him? I don’t know what he likes.”
That was an interesting comment from someone who was a complete stranger to the Crawfords. “No reason for you to know.”
“Of course not, but still…I’d like to find something.”
“I’m not the best at picking out gifts.”
“Well, let’s look,” she said, gulping down the last of her hot tea from the dainty little china cup. “I think I saw some picture frames on the way in. Maybe he’d like those.”
Leo shook his head in amazement as Amanda changed from serene to fluttery with just one mention of Crawford. What was it about the family that sent her into a twitter?
She did know Cal was happily married. Leo was sure he’d mentioned that several times, including the fact he had two small children. Amanda couldn’t be flustered because she was interested in Cal that way. Honestly, her curiosity seemed more about the family than Cal himself, although Leo had to admit she was pretty excited about seeing him tonight.
A twinge of jealousy zinged through Leo. Was she only spending time with him to get close to Cal?
He didn’t like the feeling that he’d set himself up to be used. Amanda wasn’t taking advantage of him; he’d offered to do everything, from showing her around to arranging for a place for her to stay. She hadn’t suggested a darn thing, so why was he feeling so left out? Because she had a secret. It was burning him up inside, making him wonder why she was in town and what she wanted. He didn’t think she was up to anything shady, but he’d been deceived by a woman before….
No, he wouldn’t let that happen. He’d keep an eye on Amanda—not a difficult task when she was so darn cute—and he’d continue gently investigating what she said and did.
“Are you ready?” she asked, standing over his chair. Apparently she’d already paid for their lunch.
“I’ll get the tip,” he offered.
“Already taken care of,” she answered, waving the credit card receipt. “Let’s go look at guy stuff.”
“Okay.” He allowed her to pull him toward the booth with the frames she was intent on buying for a man she’d never met.
Chapter Five
Amanda’s original intention had been to place a copy of a picture of her with their mother inside the frame she bought. The photo had been snapped at the funeral of her grandmother, whom Amanda lived with from birth to age seven. She’d been devastated, feeling alone and scared of the future, but her mother had come to Arkansas from Texas to tell her everything would work out. She’d clung to that hope for months, living with Tammie’s parents and sharing a room with her cousin.
The photo of her and her mother had meant that she wasn’t really alone in the world. Somewhere in Texas she had a real family. Now it was also tangible proof that she, Cal and Troy shared the same parents. At the last minute, she’d chickened out showing it to her brother now. She took the photo out of the weathered-wood and faux barbed wire frame and put it back in her notebook.
A birthday dinner in a public place was no time to tell Cal Crawford that he had a sister.
But at least tonight she’d get to meet him. She was so excited and nervous and scared that she could barely think about putting away the rest of her belongings. She knew she had to tidy up the condo, just in case they wanted to show it to a potential buyer, but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to unpack her suitcase.
“Get a hold of yourself,” she murmured, just like her mother used to when she got all antsy. I’m not like my mother, Amanda told herself as she hugged her arms. She wasn’t bipolar and she didn’t have bouts of depression. This was a normal state of fear at meeting her brother. She let go of the grip on her upper arms and forced herself to relax.
After wrapping the frame in tissue, she placed it inside the gift bag she’d purchased at the store where she and Leo had stopped before returning to Brody’s Crossing. She’d reminded him to get a birthday card for his friend.
For someone with lots of friends and family, he seemed very casual about his relationships. And for someone who owned and supposedly managed a hardware store, he sure took a lot of time off. Maybe business was slow, but he seemed to have enough money to eat out, pay for gas, buy coffee morning and night, and invest in property development. He’d said he was good with math, but being able to add and subtract didn’t mean you could multiply profits from thin air.
She didn’t understand him. But then, he probably didn’t understand her, either, if his sly looks and subtle questions were any indication.
She fluffed the tissue and squared off the gift bag. There. Perfect for her brother. No personal photo, no big revelation.
At least not tonight.
She glanced at her watch: five minutes before Leo said he’d come and get her. She decided to put away the last few things in her duffel bag while she waited. His condo was upstairs, he’d explained, while the model was on the second floor. All the retail space and offices were on the ground level. The building retained most of its original character, with beautifully restored metal banisters on the wide staircase and gleaming old wood on the floors and railings.
She placed her remaining clean socks and underwear in the middle drawer of the dresser. Hopefully any prospective buyers wouldn’t be looking there if they toured the condo. Not that they’d be shocked by her white bikini panties.
She tugged at the bottom of her lightweight green cotton sweater, which had shrunk when she’d put it in a dryer. Now it barely covered the waist of her jeans. She had no festive or fancy clothes, so she hoped this
was okay for Cal’s birthday dinner. She also hoped Leo didn’t give her one of those looks that made her wonder what he was thinking. She couldn’t tell if he was simply interested in what she was doing or saying, if he was thinking about his next move or if he was feeling sorry for her. She’d let a few things slip that she should have kept to herself.
For example, she should have never told him that all her belongings were in her car. That sounded kind of pitiful when she thought about it, but it was her choice to live light. Why burden herself with lots of things when she wasn’t sure where she’d finally settle?
She had to be careful around him. Math wasn’t his only skill.
She placed the box of postcards on the desk, ready to look through them later and see if she had any real gems. Rare places, famous photographers or unusual printing techniques could raise the price of any individual card. Also, if it was signed by someone famous, she could market it as an autograph, not just a postcard.
The box tempted her to start sorting, to take her mind off her brother and her escort for the night, but she knew she didn’t have time. And just then, to emphasize her point, a knock sounded on the door.
Leo was here. She glanced in the mirror and noticed that her hair had static electricity and her cheeks were too pink.
Drat. Now she had to go and meet her brother looking like a chafed frizz ball. She ran her fingers through her fine hair and placed her cool hands on her cheeks. Too late to do anything about her looks now.
She walked quickly to the door. What would Cal think of her? Would he be like Leo, hard to read? Or would he just accept her as someone passing through, someone who’d caught Leo’s attention so he’d brought her to dinner?
“Hi,” she said as she pulled the door wide.
“Hi, yourself,” Leo said, smiling as he gave her a quick glance. “You look adorable—and young,” he added, his smile fading.
“I’m twenty-six.” And flustered as hell.
“You look eighteen in that cute little sweater.”
“It shrunk,” she said, pulling the hem down again. “I couldn’t wait for it to dry naturally last time I washed it.” That had been in Denver, Colorado, which seemed a world ago.
“Hmm. I like your hair, too.”
She ran her fingers through the unruly strands again to try to get them to behave. “I trimmed my bangs.”
“Really?” Leo looked around the room. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” As ready as she was going to get. “I just need the gift.”
“Okay. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Yes.” She hoped she wasn’t so nervous that she lost her appetite. The food at Dewey’s was really good and it would be an absolute sin to waste such tender steak. Given her mixed feelings about meeting her brother, maybe she should settle for some soup and crackers.
“You’ll get to meet a lot of people tonight. A few more friends will be there. James and Sandy Brody for one. I think you met James’s mother at lunch the other day.”
“Yes, I did. Caroline Brody, right?”
“That’s right. And I already told you Toni and Wyatt are coming.”
“Right,” she answered as Leo held open the door.
“I think maybe Cal and Christie are bringing the kids, too, which probably means Darla Maxwell will be there.”
“Is she related to Bobbi Jean Maxwell?”
“Darla is Bobbi Jean’s daughter. She’s Cal and Christie’s nanny and practically a member of the family.”
“Oh. Is she married?”
“No. She’s too busy with their two kids. She used to be a kindergarten teacher, but she works at the Rocking C now.”
“Okay.” Having a nanny would be a great thing for a working woman, especially one who was qualified as a teacher. Cal and Christie were lucky…or else they were just excellent planners and had enough money to do whatever needed to be done.
Maybe inheriting money from their mother’s former customer wouldn’t be a big deal for Cal. He might have everything he wanted already.
“Oh, and Cassie McMann might be there. She’s Toni’s assistant at the office. She used to work for Wyatt, and is Darla’s roommate. I’m not sure, though.”
“Is she married?”
“No.” He frowned. “Why do you keep asking if people are married?”
She shrugged. “Just trying to learn who everyone is.” And figure out why Leo found it necessary to ask a newcomer to his friend’s birthday dinner when there were already two single women who might be going. Maybe he wanted a buffer. Maybe he didn’t find them attractive or personable. Whatever his reasons were, she wouldn’t have enough time to discover them, which was a shame. She really liked getting to know people, even the ones she met through her online business or at garage sales and thrift stores.
And tonight, she was going to meet her brother. She picked up her purse. “I’m ready.” Or as ready as she was ever going to be.
LEO LOOKED AROUND THE semi-enclosed dining area at Dewey’s, Amanda at his side. The tables had been arranged in a long row and it looked as if Cal and Christie had brought the kids, because a group was huddled at one end, where a bunch of baby gear littered the floor and table. He wasn’t sure why anyone needed all that stuff for two small children, but they seemed to be prepared for anything. Since he didn’t have kids of his own and his sister hadn’t produced any offspring yet, he was fairly ignorant of what it took to look after babies.
He’d like to keep it that way for a few more years, but eventually, he hoped to become a father. His parents were still young enough to enjoy having several grandkids and Toni would make a wonderful aunt. Brody’s Crossing also had that feeling of extended family. Yes, this would be a good place to raise children, but not yet.
First, he had to decide that he’d absolutely satisfied his wanderlust. Second, he had to find someone to marry who didn’t appeal to him more as a friend than a lover.
At the moment, there was only one woman who intrigued him, and she claimed she was leaving town in a few days. Why, he didn’t know, just like he wasn’t sure of the real reason she was here.
“Hey, sis,” he said, spotting Toni as she lifted little Callie from her baby seat.
“Look,” Toni said, walking over with the baby. “She just woke up. Isn’t she adorable?”
He peered at the rosy-cheeked baby with the downy hair peeking out from a little flowered cap. “She sure is.” But then, most babies looked alike, didn’t they?
Was that what Amanda’s baby would look like? The thought made him turn his head and stare at her. What was she thinking as she gazed in awe at the little Crawford?
“She’s so precious,” Amanda said, touching the baby’s little fingers.
Christie walked up. “You say that now, but she can have a real temper. Hopefully this isn’t the calm before the storm. She’s teething, so we never know.”
“Oh, I don’t care,” Toni said. “Wyatt, I think I want one of these. Could we arrange that?”
“I’ll do my part, babe,” he said, giving Toni a kiss on her temple.
“TMI for the brother,” Leo said, not wanting to imagine his sister and Mr. Right making a baby together.
“We’ll spare you the details,” Toni said with a laugh.
He turned to Amanda, who seemed reluctant to look away from the baby. Did she want one of those also? Or maybe all women just acted a little goofy around babies.
Well, not all of them, he thought, adjusting the heavy ring on his right hand. He was pretty sure the women he’d known on the blackjack circuit hadn’t spent a lot of time oohing and ahhing over infants. They were too wrapped up in themselves, strategizing and working their way into the best casinos in the world.
Cassie and Darla walked up and he introduced them to Amanda. Although they were a few years older than she was, they could possibly be friends if Amanda stayed in town. He sensed she could use some friends. She seemed lonely.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Amanda said, shaking their han
ds before looking back at the baby.
“Look at me! Look at me!” three-year-old Peter said as he ran up. “I’m Diego!”
Leo wasn’t sure who Diego was, but Peter was wearing a safari-style hat and held a stuffed baby leopard in one hand.
“Who is Diego?” Amanda asked, gazing down with a smile at the little boy with bright blue eyes.
“He rescues animals. I’m Diego!”
“You’re a big boy,” Amanda said.
“He’s a handful, but sharp as a tack,” Darla said, obviously feeling pride at the accomplishments of her precious charge.
“He wears me out,” Cassie confessed, “when he comes to our apartment to visit. I wish I had that much energy.”
Christie put one hand on Cassie’s shoulder and the other on Darla’s. “I’m just thankful that Darla is there to take such good care of him. I know he’d wear me ragged if I watched him all day long.”
“I guess I’ll have to find someone almost as talented as Darla if we get our little bundle of joy,” Wyatt said, returning with a couple of beers. “Ready for a cold one?” he asked Leo.
“Sure am. All this talk about babies is making me a little queasy,” he teased.
Toni laughed. “And here I thought women were the ones who got morning sickness.”
“I really wouldn’t know,” Leo said, holding up his beer. “Not even close.”
“TMI, brother,” Toni teased.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked Amanda, looking down at her fluffy hair as she watched Christie adjust Peter’s hat.
“A beer would be fine. A light draft if they have it.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.” He turned to his family and friends. “Don’t give her a hard time while I’m gone.”
“Wouldn’t dare think of it, little brother,” Toni teased.
AMANDA LOOKED INTO THE handsome, if rather tough and chiseled-looking, face of her older brother. Cal Crawford barely resembled the youthful photo she had from their mother. A couple of scars, one on his temple near his eye, gave character to his face.
Suddenly Texan Page 6
