by Leanne Banks
“No need for that,” Cade countered.
The waitress laughed. “I like her sense of humor. Got a little kick behind that sweet face. Good for you. I’ll get your coffee and hot chocolate,” she said and walked away.
“You handled her pretty well,” he said. “Dani’s known for ribbing people.”
“I have a feeling she’s trying to get your attention. She looked at you like she wanted to gobble you up. I guess I can’t blame her,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.
He chuckled at her. “You keep surprising me. I just never would have expected sweet little Abby to have a wild bone in her body.”
“I’m pretty sure I have more than one. I just haven’t discovered all of them yet,” she said.
He groaned. “Heaven help me. What do you think of the ride so far?”
Dani delivered their beverages and scooted to another table.
“It’s glorious,” she said. “We are spoiled with all these beautiful views and I think we see them so much we stop really looking at them. You can’t avoid it when you’re on the motorcycle. The mountains and hills and lakes are right there in your face.”
“That’s one of the things I like about riding. Nothing between me and nature,” he said. “Did you get too cold?”
“No,” she said, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “You kept me warm.”
His eyes darkened in sexual awareness. “You’re asking for trouble again,” he said. “Do you say these kinds of things to other men?”
“No. Why would I do that when it’s you I want?”
Cade felt the need ripple through him at the look in her eyes. It was amazing how such an innocent girl—woman, he mentally corrected himself—could get him stirred up with just a side comment or the way she looked at him. Even the way she sipped her hot chocolate was sexy to him. Abby Cates was looking like a lot of trouble, but he didn’t feel like running the other way. At least, not yet.
After he talked her into sharing a few bites of his club sandwich, they hit the road again. He slowed as they drew close to Silver Stallion Lake. The lake served as a recreation area for local families and visitors. He’d spent a few summers lifeguarding during the summers.
He pulled to a stop and cut the engine. “I have a lot of memories from here.”
“Me, too. It was the first time you held me in your arms,” she said.
He swung his head to look at her and pulled off his helmet. “What?”
“Yes,” she said, pulling off her own helmet and the ski mask. She had an impish gleam in her eyes. “You were giving swimming lessons. Some water went down the wrong way and you rescued me,” she said in a melodramatic tone.
Cade rolled his eyes.
“You don’t remember?”
“I can’t say I do,” he said, racking his brain. “In my defense, I pulled a lot of choking kids out of the water. How old were you?” he asked, then shook his head and lifted his hand. “Don’t tell me.”
She laughed and swatted at his shoulder. “Feeling old?”
He thought of everything that had happened in his life since those carefree summers at Silver Stallion Lake and the truth was he did feel old. Between the loss of his mother and Dominique, and his work at the shop, he’d felt gutted and empty more often than not.
“You’re not old, Cade. You just need to get out and have a little more fun,” Abby said. “I can help with that,” she offered in that sexy voice that made his blood heat. She squeezed her arms around him and he felt a surprising corresponding squeeze on the inside, somewhere near his heart.
“I might just take you up on it,” he said and started the engine. “Get your helmet on,” he said and followed his own advice. He accelerated, leaving the lake behind him, but he longed for that lighthearted young man he’d once been.
Abby sat on Cade’s sofa wrapped in his arms. A fire blazed in the fireplace and they both sipped hot cider. She couldn’t imagine anything better. She leaned her head against Cade’s chest and stroked his hand. After several more moments passed, it occurred to her that Cade hadn’t spoken for quite awhile.
“You’re quiet,” she said. “What are you thinking about?”
He sighed. “Nothing,” he said. “Lots of stuff.”
She smiled at his response. “I think I’ll go with your second answer. What kind of stuff?”
“Oh, what things were like before my mother died. How quickly it all changed. My father changed overnight. My younger brothers went a little wild. I considered it, but I saw how much my dad was hurting. I didn’t want to add to the pain. My sister, Holly, she just seemed lost. Dad doted on her, but for a while, there, he was a dead man walking.”
“I know that was hard for you,” she said.
He nodded. “It was,” he said. “And the holidays were the worst. My mother was the one to make holidays happen, so when she was gone, we didn’t know what to do. The holidays would hit and we didn’t plan for them, so we would fumble around and throw something together.” He chuckled. “I can’t tell you how many cooking disasters we had. Lesson number one, you need to thaw the turkey.”
Abby stroked his hand and studied his face. “Well, at least that’s a funny memory.”
His smile faded. “Yeah. One of the few.”
“I bet there were some other funny ones,” she said.
Cade nodded. “The gifts we bought. One of my brothers bought Holly bubble bath that made her break out. My father gave us savings bonds and stale chocolate my mother had bought a long time ago. He forgot to buy the new stuff, so he gave us the old chocolate. We all ate it, wanting to feel like we had when we were younger, when she was alive, but it didn’t work.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry she died.”
“Yeah, I am, too. And then there was…Dominique,” he said.
Abby’s stomach clenched. She’d heard very little about Dominique, the woman who had stolen Cade’s heart. Her family had lived in town briefly and she’d attended the same local university as Abby. Abby had heard Dominique had been a one-of-a-kind dark-haired beauty. A lot of guys had chased her, but she’d liked Cade best.
“You were serious about her,” Abby said.
He nodded.
“Everyone said you were going to propose to her when she returned from her trip to California,” she added.
“Everyone was right about that,” he said. “She took off between Christmas and New Year’s to meet some friends in California. I figured I would surprise her when she got back. I’d bought the ring.”
As much as she wanted Cade for herself, the thought of his loss stabbed deeply at her. “I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been.”
“Pretty damn bad,” he said. “And her parents partly blamed me because I didn’t propose before she left. They were convinced she would have never gone if I’d asked her first.”
Her breath stopped in her chest. “They blamed you? That’s horrible.”
He shrugged. “Maybe they were right. I wanted her to have a break. She’d been working hard at school. She was looking forward to the beach.”
Abby shook her head. “It’s just wrong. You were being sweet and—” It was hard for her to say the words, but she swallowed back her own pain. “And loving. Couldn’t they see how hurt you were?”
“They were devastated. They couldn’t see past their own pain,” he said. “I can’t blame them.”
“So all of this is why the holidays suck for you,” she said.
He paused a moment then nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Abby took a deep breath and slid her hand to Cade’s jaw. “I would if I could, but I can’t bring back Dominique or your mom. I can’t make things the way they were, but if you’re open to it, I can probably make things happier than they have been.”
He lifted an eyebrow at her. “You think?”
“Only if you’re open to it. If you’re not open, I can’t do anything. I’m no Houdini.”
His lips twitched. “And if I’m open?�
� he asked, lifting his hand to push a strand of hair from her face.
“I’ll surprise you,” she said.
“You’ve already done that.”
“Well, I’ll do it again.”
Chapter Eight
The following night, Cade arrived home and was surprised to find a Christmas wreath hanging from his front door. What the— He opened his front door and smelled the delicious scent of something he definitely had not cooked. His dog greeted him with a wagging tale and anticipation of a few bites of whatever was cooking.
“I love you, darlin’,” he said, rubbing her soft, furry head. “But the vet says you should only get dry dog food. And this smells so good I may not be able to share.”
Cade walked farther into the house, noticing the sound of his television playing the sweet music of Monday-night football. “Hello? I hope you’re not an ax murderer, but if you are, can I eat before you kill me?”
Abby poked her head from the kitchen doorway and smiled. “No plans to kill you,” she said. “Unless you complain it’s overcooked. Have you looked at the time?”
“You need to remember I had to make up for all the time I lost doing that stupid interview instead of my real work,” he complained.
“Yeah, eating a meal at the Hitching Post with a pretty woman making eyes all over you,” she said. “Pure agony.”
“I guess I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
“I guess you shouldn’t have,” she said. “But we could change stations if you’re interested in some beef stew.”
“Do I have to beg?”
She gave a slow smile. “That’s a tempting image,” she said. “But I think I’ll save it for another time. Come on and I’ll pour a bowl. I have biscuits, too.”
Cade’s mouth drooled. He tried to remember the last time he’d had homemade biscuits and couldn’t. Striding into the kitchen with the dog at his heels, he blinked at a turkey decoration, this one hanging from one of his kitchen lights.
“That’s something,” he said, pointing at the bird.
“Pull his foot,” she said, arranging biscuits on a small plate.
Curious, Cade pulled it. Nothing happened.
“Other foot,” she said as she placed his meal on the table.
Cade pulled the other foot and the turkey gave a gobble-gobble sound. Cade stared at the stuffed bird and couldn’t resist pulling the leg again. The turkey gave another gobble-gobble.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said, tempted to pull the foot again, but the aroma of the beef stew called to him at a cellular level. He sat down at the table. “Where the hell did you find it?”
“Addictive, isn’t it?” she said with a lone biscuit in front of her. “Seems silly, but it’s hard to resist pulling the turkey’s foot.”
“Is that all you’re going to eat?” he asked, his spoon poised over the stew.
She gave a gentle, crocodile smile. “I ate hours ago.”
He growled then took his first bite. “Food of the gods,” he said. “Who fixed this? Your Mom?”
Quicker than he could take his next breath, she pulled his bowl away from him and he realized he’d made a huge mistake. “Because you’re too busy to cook. You have a wicked-crazy schedule. No time for cooking something this amazing.” He paused. “Is this when I beg?”
She slid the bowl back in front of him. “Your habit of underestimating me is getting a little old. Even old Mr. Henson tried to tell you I was a good cook.”
“You’re right,” he said, taking another bite and swallowing a moan of pleasure and satisfaction. Cade was a bachelor, all too familiar with frozen dinners and restaurant meals. A home-cooked meal was a thing of wonder to him. “I will never underestimate your cooking again.”
“That’s good to know,” she said, as she leaned her chin on her palms and watched. “Is that the only way you won’t underestimate me?”
Cade thought of how she’d made love to him and desire thudded through him. “No, but I won’t finish this meal if you keep reminding me.”
She smiled. “So, are you rooting for the Eagles?”
He met her gaze and felt his heart lift at her effort to let him enjoy the meal she’d prepared for him. It occurred to Cade that with the exception of that turkey hanging from the light in the kitchen, he could get used to Abby greeting him with a hot meal and a welcoming smile. Tension eased out of him. She kept surprising him, and he wasn’t inclined to ask her to stop.
After he finished his second bowl, he built a fire and they watched the game. In a manner of speaking, anyway. Cade couldn’t tell you the score at halftime because he’d been too busy taking off Abby’s clothes and making love to her. He pulled her on top of him and she rode him, bringing herself and him to climax. He watched her smooth, creamy skin shimmering in the firelight. Her face glowed with arousal. The expression in her eyes called to him. At the same time, it frightened the hell out of him.
A half hour later, he cradled her in his arms.
“I should head home soon,” she said. “It’s getting late.”
“It would be nice if you could stay all night,” he said, brushing his mouth over her soft jaw.
She gave a soft sound of pleasure. “It could be arranged, but it would take some planning.”
“Oh, really,” he said. “How’s that?”
“I’ve pulled all-nighters with study groups before. I’ve gone out of town on girl trips.”
“If you stayed overnight with me, you wouldn’t be studying schoolwork, I can promise you that,” he growled.
She laughed. “No, I would just say something along those lines to my parents.”
“I don’t like the idea of you lying to your family about me,” he said.
“Well, you want to keep it on the down low. And I’d just as soon not get grilled about it, either.” She sighed. “Maybe I can figure something out. But I should head out now.”
“See you tomorrow night?” he asked reluctantly, standing with her, pulling on his jeans as she got dressed.
“No. Tomorrow night I’m with my ROOTS girls. During the day, I’m helping with the community-center Thanksgiving production. Thank goodness, they’ll be giving their performance soon. Then they’ll be out on break. That reminds me, I should stop by and check on Mr. Henson, too.” She glanced up at Cade. “So tomorrow I’ll be slammed. Do you want to try for lunch on Wednesday or is that too public for you?”
“I can do lunch on Wednesday,” he said, but was surprised at his eagerness to spend more time with her. Maybe it was the sex. Lord, he hoped so because a big part of him wanted to occupy all of her free time.
“You’ll have to keep your hands off of me,” she warned him with a sexy tilt of her lips. “You’ll have to pretend we’re just friends. Are you sure you can do that?”
With the way she was looking at him, he suspected it might be more difficult than he would have expected, but Cade had a long history with self-restraint. “I guess I’ll just have to buck up and do my best,” he said, pulling her back into his arms. “We’ll make up for it some other time.”
Cade insisted on following her home. It didn’t feel right to have her drive home by herself. If they’d been officially dating, he would have always walked her to her door. As she got out of her car, she waved at him and walked into her family home.
Cade stared after her. She was so young, tender and sweet. He knew she was stronger than he’d originally thought, far more of a woman, but he still feared that he would hurt her. He couldn’t help believing that eventually Abby would want all of him, and Cade had lost part of himself a long time ago, and that part would never come back.
Abby helped at the community center and spent the afternoon in class. Afterward, she squeezed in some time at the university library. Since she’d been spending so much time with Cade, she was really having to maximize her study time. Sipping a bottle of water, she made notes for yet another paper she was writing.
“One of your friends told me I might find you her
e,” a male voice said.
Abby glanced up to find Daniel looking down at her with a smile. “Uh, hi,” she said, completely surprised. “Who—”
“Char,” he said and sat down next to her. “You disappeared the other night at the Hitching Post. I was concerned about you. That guy looked pretty intense.”
“Cade?” she said. “Cade would never hurt me. No, I’ve been crazy busy and I can’t talk now because I need to work on this paper.”
“Rain check?” he asked and, when she paused, he covered her hand with his. “You gotta give me a rain check after I tracked you down.”
Uncomfortable, she moved her hand away from his. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“I see a woman who makes me curious and I gotta find out more,” he said. “But I can wait. Take care. I’ll keep in touch,” he said and strolled out of the library.
Abby frowned after him. She would definitely need to speak to Char about passing any further personal information on to this guy. The more often she saw him, the more uncomfortable he made her and he didn’t seem the least bit discouraged. She shrugged off her uneasiness and refocused on her paper, wondering what Carl Jung would have to say about Daniel.
A half hour before her meeting with the ROOTS girls, Abby left the library and grabbed a fast-food burger and soda. She usually skipped caffeine this late in the day, but she could feel herself starting to fade. From her first visit at ROOTS, Abby had learned she had to be on her toes with the girls.
The group started out small and quiet, so she helped the girls with their homework. Since many of the girls came from such disrupted homes, it was often difficult for them to find a quiet place to concentrate. Thirty minutes into their meeting time Katrina and Keisha burst into the room.
“You have to report him. You have to. What if it gets worse?” Keisha asked Katrina.
“Shut up,” Katrina hissed. “If I ignore him, he’ll go away.”
Abby stood, alarmed at the bruises she saw on Katrina’s face. “Girls,” she said.
