by Cora Seton
“Surely I can. Besides, it’s none of your business what I eat or don’t eat. Oh, and Andy was looking for you.”
Cade frowned. “Andy?”
“Some problem with the fence.”
Damn.
Cade glanced at Lisa, trying to assess her mood. He hated to leave her like this, with no words between them. It was a relief to see her smile. As much as he really wanted to finish their…conversation, that wasn’t going to happen with Claire around and—apparently—he had business to attend to. It would have to wait. But they would finish this. They would.
“I’ll see you later,” he said to her. And surely that wasn’t a question in his tone.
He loved that she nodded. Loved the rise of pink on her cheeks. The sparkle in her almond-shaped eyes.
And then, grabbing a cupcake—and licking it thoroughly before Claire could snatch it back—he sketched them both a salute and headed out the back door.
He couldn’t hold back a satisfied grin.
He’d kissed her.
He’d made her come.
And he’d gotten a cupcake.
Chapter Seven
‡
That had been magnificent.
Long after Cade left the house, Lisa’s body hummed. She could barely pay attention to Claire’s chattered conversation as they cleaned up the mess she’d made in the kitchen. Thankfully, once everything was done and Claire got her goodies, she headed to the office to work on the books.
She took the cupcakes with her. Each and every one.
Evidently, growing up with two strapping brothers had taught her to get while the getting was good.
At something of a loose end—because seriously, how many cupcakes could she make in one day?—Lisa headed for the library. She found a wide selection of books ranging from agronomy to romance. There were a lot of women’s magazines scattered around as well, which made sense if the ranch’s customer base was female. It was a comfortable room with wide-open windows and lots of cushy chairs.
It was the perfect place to relax and partake in one of her favorite pastimes. She searched the shelves, found one of her favorite authors and curled up in the window seat.
“Well, hey there.”
Lisa glanced up as Cody meandered into the library. He tended to meander. Everything was slow and easy for him. “Hey, Cody.” She closed her book on her finger and scooted over so he could join her on the window seat.
“Whatcha doing?”
She waggled the tome. “Reading.”
He tipped his head to the side so he could check out the title and he grimaced. “Romance?”
She didn’t like his tone so she smacked him with the book. “Shut up. It’s a good one.”
He chuckled and took it from her, which she found annoying. It was also annoying that he tossed it on the floor. “You know, Lisa, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again.”
“Really?” She leaned down to rescue her read.
“You’re as pretty as you always were.”
Oh hell.
He eased closer and tucked her hair behind her ear. He was way too close. To her horror, she realized he intended to kiss her. She stopped his approach with a palm to his chest. “Thanks.”
Ignoring her hand, he pressed even closer and offered a crooked grin. “Don’t you think it’s interesting that you came back to Snake Gully right now?”
“Right now?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Seriously? Did he still believe the world revolved around him?
He did, apparently. He took her hand in his and kissed it and, now that the way was clear, he kissed her…on the forehead, on the nose. On the lips.
“Cody,” she said through his lips.
“Mmm.” He deepened the kiss. He probably would have deepened it more, but she turned her head. It was a damn shame that as she did, she caught a flicker of movement in the doorway. Cade.
Her stomach dropped at his expression. Damn.
Without a word, he whirled away.
Damn, damn, damn.
Cody, oblivious to this byplay, moved to nibble on her neck. Lisa pulled back and, when that didn’t dissuade him, stood. Cody flopped onto the pillows and then stared up at her with a pout. “What’s wrong, Lisa?”
“What’s wrong?”
He righted himself and fixed her with a curious expression. Not a heartbroken one, as she suspected Cade’s had been. Merely curious.
“I would prefer it if you didn’t do that again,” she said.
He gaped at her. Obviously Cody wasn’t used to hearing no from women. “I…what?”
Lisa folded her arms around her book and stared back at him. “First of all, I’m not the girl I was when we dated. We sure as hell are not going to pick up where we left off. Second of all, I’m really not in the market for a ‘boyfriend’ right now. And third of all, if I were looking for a man, do you really think it would be you?”
He stood and raked his hair. Befuddlement wreathed his features. “It wouldn’t be me?”
She snorted a laugh. “Not a chance in hell.”
For some reason, he found this confabulating. As annoying as his arrogance was, there was a certain sweetness to it. He was like a clueless puppy dog who couldn’t understand why anyone would refuse to love him.
“Why not me?”
Lisa blew out a breath. “Did you really expect me to forget about Jenny Sanders?”
His mouth dropped open. “Jenny Sanders? Shit, Lisa. That was ten years ago.”
“I don’t care if it was a million. You cheated on me with another woman. In my book, that’s a deal breaker.”
“We were fifteen.”
She shrugged. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t. It couldn’t. It was something she could never forget.
But there was more to it than that. More reasons why she couldn’t slip into a relationship with Cody again. She wasn’t that girl anymore.
And he didn’t fascinate her the way he once had.
Oh, he was handsome. And charming. And funny. And—when he wasn’t cheating on his girlfriend—he was a good person. But she’d outgrown him.
She wanted more in a man.
Someone who had lived a little. Sacrificed for what he wanted. Worked for it.
She wanted a man who was solid and steady. Who wouldn’t leave her in the lurch or use her. Someone who wouldn’t siphon off her energy and love and leave nothing but an empty husk. Someone with large hands and strong arms and blue-gray eyes. Someone whose kiss made her feel safe and loved and on fire at the same time.
Her heart stalled.
Oh, she knew she was attracted to Cade. She’d known it from the second she plowed into him at the bar. Before then, maybe. But she hadn’t realized how much until now.
A sudden realization hit her with the force of a tsunami. As much as she wanted to explore whatever it was between her and Cade, she had to be careful. It would be too easy to fall for him.
“Lisa?” Cody called her back to the conversation. No doubt he still felt they needed to negotiate.
There was no negotiation here. There was no point.
She hit him with a somber frown. “My father cheated on my mother, Cody. It ruined my life.”
“I’m sorry. I—”
“And my husband cheated on me too.”
“Oh. God. I—”
“It’s a deal breaker for me, Cody. Plain and simple.”
Oh hell. She hated the way his face fell; it wasn’t disappointment as much as remorse. It probably wasn’t fair for her to flail him for something he’d done ten years ago, but she needed to drive the message home. She couldn’t have him hitting on her if she stayed. “Look, you’re a nice guy. A good guy. You’ll find someone. It just won’t be me.” She patted his hand for good measure, but couldn’t help adding, “And when you do find her?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t cheat on her.”
Shit.
Shit, shit, s
hit.
He’d known.
He’d known Cody would fuck this up. But Cade hadn’t figured it would be this quick.
Walking by the library and seeing Lisa in his brother’s arms had devastated him. Ripped through his gut like an RPG, exploded his hope, strafed his fantasies.
Had he really thought he had a chance with her with Cody around?
No one had a chance with Cody around. No one.
Cade pulled up on the reins, realizing he was riding too recklessly. It wasn’t Champion’s fault his life sucked. He shouldn’t take it out on his mount. As he rode the fence line, checking for problems, he managed to calm himself. He reminded himself that he and Lisa had shared something amazing this morning. At least it had seemed amazing. At the very least, he owed her a conversation.
Aside from that, he wasn’t going to walk away without a fight. He’d vowed as much to himself. If he did that, he’d only be reinforcing the patterns of the past, where Cody always got his way and Cade was left with the scraps.
That wasn’t happening this time.
It wasn’t.
Though he was calm, his anger flared when he saw his brother waiting for him at the barn when he returned.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cody muttered as Cade pushed past him into the paddock. “You’ve been like a horse with a burr all afternoon.”
“Me?” He forced a laugh, though it was tinged with bitterness. “I’m deliriously happy.”
“No. You’re not. What the hell is it? I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Really? You don’t have any idea why I’m ticked? Not one inkling?”
“No!”
“You kissed her. You fucking kissed her.”
“Kissed who? Lisa?”
“Oh. Have there been so many women you kissed today you aren’t sure?”
“Don’t be an ass. We just—”
Cade didn’t wait for him to finish. He did the thing he’d been wanting to do since he came upon his brother cornering Lisa in the library…fucking kissing her.
He curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it into Cody’s perfect, charming, handsome face.
It was damn satisfying. His brother reeled—probably in shock—and then fell onto the ground with a thud.
Yup. Damn satisfying.
He towered over Cody and glared down at him. “Was it worth it?” he snarled. “I hope it was.”
Cody sat up and gingerly touched his nose. Winced. “Why’d you do that?”
“Because you deserved it. God, Cody. You always got it all. Always got everything. Did you have to take her too?”
“I didn’t take her. She’s still there…”
“You know what I mean. And shit, do you know how much it hurt back then? To see you with her?”
Cody gaped at him. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“I wanted her. I liked her. And what did you do? You asked her out.”
“Wait. You liked her?”
“I had a thing for her.” A huge thing.
“You never said anything. I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t care.”
“Okay, this is totally unfair.”
“Isn’t it?” A hiss.
Cody stood and set his hands on Cade’s shoulders, which, frankly, was dangerous, because it left his vital organs utterly exposed. “Wait. Stop. Let me process this. When we were in high school, you had a crush on Lisa?”
“I told you I thought she was special. And you still asked her out.”
“Damn. I…didn’t realize.” Cody went pale. “Is that… Is that why you left? Why you joined the marines? Because I was dating the girl you liked?”
Hell. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know that. “I needed to get away.”
“Shit. Shit.” Cody dragged his fingers through his hair. “I am so sorry. If it’s any consolation, we didn’t date long. I…ah, well, I blew it.”
“I heard.” Hell, in a town like Snake Gully, everyone heard. “But that’s all history. It is what it is. What’s infuriating me now is that you kissed her again.” Of its own accord, his fist formed. Cody shot it a leery glance and backed away.
“Wait. Wait. Listen. Yeah. I did kiss her.” Oh. He needed to die… “But she didn’t kiss me back.”
Cade stilled, his fist poised to strike again. He stared at his brother. Swallowed. “What?”
“She’s not interested in me, brother. And she never will be. Never. Not. Ever.”
He let his arm drop. “How do you know?”
Cody laughed, but there was little humor in it. He scrubbed his face. “Because she told me. In no uncertain terms. I guess when her dad cheated on her mom, it hurt her really bad. I cheated on her and her husband cheated on her… It’s surprising she hasn’t given up on men all together.”
“Wait. Her husband cheated on her?” The fist was back. Too bad Guy Peckerwood wasn’t around to punch.
“That’s what she said. But listen, Cade. The point is, there’s nothing between me and Lisa, and other than a few school dances and a handful of good-night kisses on her front porch, there never has been.”
Cade glared at his brother, but his fury was slipping away. Try as he might, he couldn’t hold on to it. “How many kisses?”
Cody winced. “I don’t know. Seven?”
Seven?
Seven too many.
Chapter Eight
‡
Lisa spent a totally enjoyable afternoon with Claire, which was surprising, because she was worried about what Cade had seen and how he’d reacted. She itched to talk to him, but he simply wasn’t around.
Thankfully, Claire helped distract her.
It was funny how some people could pop back into your life…and the two of you picked up where you left off years ago. Claire was a friend like that. It didn’t take long before they were laughing and joking and teasing each other as they had when they were in high school.
It was a wonderful feeling. Like coming home. After the misery of the past year, the loneliness, the isolation, it was exactly what Lisa needed.
Claire explained that they had a housekeeper named Molly, but she was visiting her daughter in Houston who’d had a baby, so Claire and Lisa made dinner together, which was uproariously fun. But that could have been the merlot. It was an excellent vintage of boxed wine.
While she loved to bake, Lisa wasn’t much of a chef, so she just followed Claire’s directions and tried not to ruin everything. In the end, they were howling with laughter.
Again, probably the merlot.
Despite Lisa’s disastrous attempts at tossing a salad, and a suicidal spud that decided to explode in the oven, they managed to put together a palatable meal of steak and potatoes.
They were still chuckling when the guys clomped down the stairs to join them at the dining-room table. Her attention snapped to Cade, of course. He’d showered and changed after a dusty day on the range and his hair was slicked back. While she preferred the carefree tumble of curls, the look emphasized the hard, bold lines of his face, making him even more striking. To her relief, he met her gaze and even smiled a little.
The moment hung between them until Claire shattered it. “What the hell happened to you?” she barked.
Lisa turned to Cody and stilled. A dark shadow circled his left eye. He frowned at her perusal. “Nothing.” A grumble.
Claire propped her fists on her hips, frowning from one brother to the other. “Were you two fighting?”
Judging from their chagrined flushes, they had been, but they both offered innocent looks and said, “No.”
Claire wasn’t fooled. “What was it this time?”
Lisa’s heart thudded when both men glanced at her and then quickly looked away. Hell. Had they been fighting about her? She wasn’t sure if she should be worried…or thrilled.
“We weren’t fighting,” Cody insisted as he took his place at the table and speared one of the steaks. One of the larger ones. Claire and Cade followed suit in a rush. Ap
parently, in this family, he who hesitated got the smallest steak, but Lisa didn’t mind. She doubted she could eat all of hers anyway.
“How’d you get that shiner then?” Claire was like a dog with a bone.
Cody scowled and sawed at his meat. “It was nothing. We were just…goofing around.”
“Right.” Claire pinned her frown on Cade. “You know it’s not fair for you to fight him. Not now.”
Cody huffed a breath. “We weren’t fighting—”
“It was one thing when you were kids. But now, you’re trained in lethal force.”
“Hardly lethal,” Cody muttered through a mouthful.
Claire’s attention whipped to Cody. “Come on. He was a marine. He can kill a man with his bare hands.”
Cade chuckled. “Where do you get these ideas?” he said, but Lisa noticed the flush on his cheeks had deepened.
“I watch movies.”
“Which are totally accurate.” There was a thread of sarcasm in his tone.
“Besides, you never talk about your time in the service.”
Cade went silent. He toyed with his fork. Then he said softly, “Trust me, Claire, you don’t want to hear about that.”
“Where were you stationed?” Lisa had to ask. She wanted to know. Needed to know.
He glanced at her and nodded; there were shadows in his eyes. “One tour in Iraq. Two in Afghanistan. It was pretty rough.” He blew out a breath and forced a smile. “But now I’m home.”
Claire lifted her wineglass. “Ooh rah to that.”
The conversation shifted then as Claire began recounting some of Cody and Cade’s more epic boyhood scraps for Lisa’s edification—much to their chagrin. The rest of the meal played out to the accompaniment of rollicking laughter and a great jockeying of position to tell an even funnier story. Lisa’s sides hurt by the end of it.
However, when it was time for dessert to be served, silence fell.
It was a near reverent hush, which Lisa found extremely gratifying, because she’d made her triple-chocolate-fudge cakelettes with caramel surprise. The surprise was, when you cut into each individual cake, a gooey blob of thick, handmade caramel oozed out.
