She blinked, trying to find words that wouldn’t hurt Ally. What was Casey thinking, giving an oven as a birthday gift? He had no right doing this. He should’ve consulted her. She wouldn’t have allowed him to buy such an expensive gift. Good deed or not, she wasn’t a charity case. But how could she send it back now that Ally had seen it?
Casey had her boxed in a corner.
“If your auntie says it’s all right,” Casey said to Ally, “I’ll have the new oven moved into your house tonight. You can help your auntie bake tomorrow.”
“I frosted cupcakes for my party.”
“I know you did. They were delicious. You’re the best baker’s helper. And now you have an oven that will work every time.” Casey smiled at Ally, giving her one last squeeze before rising up. Finally, he met Susanna’s eyes. “So, is it okay?”
“Is it, auntie?” Ally bounced up and down, smiling and bobbing her head. “Is it?”
What could she say? How could she disappoint her little girl on her birthday? Debating with herself, she peered at Casey a long moment. He stared back, locking eyes with her. She found no smugness in the tilt of his chin or satisfaction written on his face. Instead, she saw hope glisten in those deep azure eyes.
The same hope registering on Ally’s expectant face.
Susanna’s shoulders fell, not in defeat or resignation. Oddly, she felt a sense of liberation in allowing herself to accept this gift. A sigh whispered from her lips. “Yes. It’s okay, Casey. Thank you.”
He nodded.
“But I would like to talk to you about this later.”
“I figured.” He grinned. “Hey, Ally, I have one more present for you.”
Rosy color brightened her cheeks. “You do?”
“It better not be a puppy,” Susie muttered.
Ally didn’t seem to hear, but Casey’s mouth quirked up. “Don’t worry.” With a remote control, Casey beeped the trunk of his SUV open, revealing a big box professionally wrapped in cotton candy pinks and powder blues. Casey hoisted the box from the back.
“Might be better to open this in the house,” he said. “It’s heavy for you two.”
Well, thank goodness, it wasn’t a dog. At this point, she didn’t know what Casey had up his sleeve. Or in his arms.
“Follow me,” Susanna said.
* * *
Minutes later, Casey and Susanna looked on from the sofa as Ally knelt on the living room floor and ripped away at the prettily wrapped package. Ally’s eyes widened when she unwrapped the gift and saw the colorful images on the bulky box. “Oh! Auntie, Auntie...lookee. A princess dream castle!”
“I see it. Ally, it’s beautiful. Looks like there’s a fairy princess doll in there too.”
Susanna slid to the floor and helped Ally open the flaps on the box. It contained a nine-room dollhouse, completely furnished, including a winding staircase and a set of clothes for the crimson-haired doll.
“Be sure to thank Casey for your present, Ally.”
“Thank you,” she squealed, too enraptured with the gift to give Casey a glance.
“You’re welcome, Ally. I’m glad you like it. Happy birthday.” Casey rose from his seat. “Well, I’d better get going. I’ll call my installer and have—”
Susanna rose too. “Wait just a sec, Casey. I have some extra muffins to give you in the kitchen. Ally, will you play here for a few minutes with your new things while I talk to Casey?”
“’Kay!”
Susie marched into the kitchen, keeping her eyes peeled on the old clunker oven that had served her well over the years. Only lately had the ol’ girl begun to fail her. She tamped down her mounting frustration at her own helplessness over this situation—she’d been saving up for a new oven, but it was admittedly going slowly because there was always something else that needed doing. Something costly. She squeezed her eyes closed and reminded herself Casey had done a good thing.
When she whirled around, Casey was leaning against the counter, arms folded around his middle.
“I’m ready to take my muffins.”
“I bet you are.”
He gave her a quick grin.
“This is hard for me, Casey. I know you mean well, but do you have any idea how I feel not being able to provide for Ally the way I want to?”
He shook his head and pushed away from the counter. He sauntered over to her and stopped inches from her face. She gazed at him, touched by the shocking sincerity rimming his eyes. “You’re providing for Ally just fine, sweetheart.”
“No, I’m not. I can barely...”
“Ally is happy. That’s a remarkable feat, after what she’s been through. And you’re making that happen.”
“Am I?” Her eyelids fluttered. She needed to hear those assurances now. “That’s the most important thing.”
“It is.” There was a gentle look in his eyes now.
“The oven is a generous gift, but I can’t deny my pride’s suffering a little bit.”
Casey entwined their fingers, his thumb playing softly over her skin and giving her goose bumps. “Your pride shouldn’t be suffering, Suse. Mine should. Your folks took Audrey in, housed her, looked after her and fed her on too many occasions to count. Hell, I’m remembering how many times they sent me food too, when I was in town. The Thomas family is responsible for a lot of the wear and tear on that ol’ oven.”
“My folks did it out of the goodness of their hearts, Casey.”
“Now let me do the same.”
She’d never stopped to think about it from Casey’s point of view. Now that she did, she understood his measure of pride too. Susanna chewed her lip, drawing his attention. A hungry gleam entered his eyes. He brought her hand to his lips and brushed it with a soft kiss.
“Oh, Casey. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Grasping her hand tighter, he gave a tug. She fell into his chest, the tips of her breasts flattening against hard muscle. A slow burning fire twitched between her legs.
“I can think of a way.” His breath fanned her cheeks and when he turned his head, his beautiful mouth captured her lips. The taste of him combined with his heady male scent turned her inside out. She was stuck on a fickle elevator of emotions, shooting up, then plunging down, then up again.
Her hands flew to his hair, the long locks a thrill to comb through with needy fingers. He walked her backward and the cool texture of the kitchen wall halted his pursuit. He trapped her there with the firm stance of his body, bracing his hands on the walls. She welcomed the pulsing heat surrounding her.
The kiss deepened as he swept his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. The ache between her legs began to throb. This was crazy. Insane. Her breaths heaved hard, nearly bursting from her chest.
Suddenly, Casey dropped his hands and rolled away, so that his back was to the wall as well. As they stood side by side, a clunk resounded in the room—it was his head hitting the wall. He reached for her hand again, his grasp loose this time, but seemingly necessary. Staring straight ahead, he said, “I wasn’t bartering an oven for sex. I hope you know that.”
She didn’t doubt it. If anything, Casey was overly cautious around her, which made this whole thing even more astonishing. He certainly didn’t need to barter anything for sex. Not with the way the single women at the party were flirting with him today. “I do know that.”
“I got caught up in...”
“The moment?”
“In you,” he rasped.
Susie squeezed her eyes shut. Her pulse went on a wild jumping spree. Casey knew how to thrill. He knew just the right words to make squash of her brains, too. He was gifted with that particular trait, but was she fooling herself into believing him?
She was well aware of Ally playing in the next room. She was also well aware that whatever was happening bet
ween her and Casey, she didn’t want it to end. What had Mindy said today? She deserved a little fun in her life. But dare she chance it? She turned her head and gazed at his pronounced profile. “Casey?”
His head met with the wall again. Thump. Then he turned her way. “I’m thinking I could stop by tonight with a bottle of wine after Ally goes to bed.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out softly. “I wouldn’t turn you away.”
He winced, as if he had been expecting a refusal. The pain reached his eyes as he stared at her for a long moment. She found more questions there than answers. Then he nodded and pushed himself away from the wall. She watched him saunter out of her kitchen and exit the house, her heart pounding up in her ears.
Seven
“Okay, that’s the end of storytelling,” Susanna whispered, closing the Dr. Seuss book. Ally had fought against sleep, but she’d finally lost the battle. Her eyelids lowered gently and Susanna tucked her into her covers and kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, big girl. You had a busy day.”
“Uh...huh.” Her tiny breaths instantly became steady and her head fell to the side of her pillow.
Susanna smiled and rose quietly. Setting the switch of Ally’s Tinkerbell lamp to nightglow, an amber hue settled on the room and she tiptoed out, shutting the door partway.
As soon as her feet hit the hallway floorboards, her nerves rattled.
Would Casey actually come over tonight?
Susie walked into her bedroom, plopped down on the bed and picked up her cell phone to put in a quick call to her mom, something she liked to do several times a week. Her mother had called earlier to wish Ally a happy birthday and Susie promised to call her back tonight after the party. Things always seemed better after she spoke with her mother. Tonight especially, if even just for a minute or two, she needed to hear the soothing tone of her mother’s voice.
When Susanna got through, her mother said, “I’m sorry I had to miss Ally’s birthday party.”
“It’s okay, Mom. She loved the doll you sent her.”
“That makes me happy. So, all went well?”
“Mom, I think Ally had a great time.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, honey.”
After a few minutes rehashing the games, the cupcakes, the guests in attendance, Susie said good-night to her mother and ended the call.
With a turn of her head, she caught her reflection in the mirror and cringed. The ghastly person staring back at her had a chalky complexion, smudged eyeliner and hair in a tangle. “Oh, no....”
Lifting the hem of her blouse, she counted four stains; at least two of them were identifiable as chocolate. Had she gone around looking like this all day?
Geesh.
She bounded up from the bed, stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower. A warm refreshing spray hit her body and sank into her bones. She soaped up and scrubbed her hair and then after the shower, poured vanilla-scented lotion all over her skin. She picked out her clothes, but nothing too adventurous—a pair of snug-fitting black jeans and a clean Sweet Susie’s T-shirt that she decided to tuck into her waistband.
Ambling to the kitchen she did a double take, seeing the stainless steel appliance where her mother’s oven once sat. It was shocking, but in a good way. It definitely added contemporary style to the workspace. She couldn’t wait to try it out. Just as Casey promised, the installer had come an hour after the party ended and hooked it up.
Now glancing at the digital clocks on the microwave above and oven below, she had two reminders of the time. It was well after nine. Fear mingled with relief. What if he didn’t come? What if he did?
A sudden droning buzz from the tile counter made her jump. She glanced at the source of the sound...her cell phone. Relaxing her shoulders, she picked it up and viewed the screen. It was a text from Casey. Is it too late to come over?
Her great relief surprised her. She didn’t know how she’d face him if he’d stood her up. A new sort of trembling took hold and she breathed in steadily to calm her jittery nerves.
She stared at the message. Thankfully, tomorrow was Sunday and not a work day. She’d hoped to spend part of the day experimenting with the oven, but other than that, she had no excuse to give him except that it was a ludicrous idea. She punched in her reply. Do you have wine?
Seven-year-old cab, he texted back.
Come over. Susie’s fingers trembled as she typed in the words, then hit Send.
Now, it was too late to back out. She hadn’t done an impetuous thing in all of her adult life. The last time she had, she’d been eighteen and it had been with Casey. Was history repeating itself?
Two minutes later she heard a soft knocking on the back door. Casey had discreetly come through their backyards. She walked over to open the door and true to his word, he stood on the shadowy porch holding a bottle of claret wine and two goblets that twinkled in the moonlight.
“Hi,” she whispered. “Come inside.”
Silently, he entered the house and waited for her to close the sliding glass door. When she turned, Casey stood in the shadows towering over her.
“Would you like to sit down?” she asked.
Opting to keep the lights off, she drew the drape all the way open, and an infusion of pale moonlight skimmed the room.
She took her seat first. The sofa creaked beside her when he sat in the same spot where he’d been speaking with Lana today. He placed the wine and glasses on the cocktail table and then turned to her. “Is Ally sleeping?”
“Yes, she’s out. She had a big day.”
He nodded. “So did you. Are you exhausted?”
Yes, she was pooped, but not too tired to spend private moments with him. She sighed and told the truth. “A little. The wine will help.”
“I uncorked it at my house. It’s had time to breathe.” Leaning forward, he poured wine into each glass and handed one to her.
“Thanks.”
“Wanna toast Ally’s birthday?”
“Of course,” she whispered. “As long as I can toast your generosity too. The oven was installed after dinner. I still can’t believe it. You must’ve pulled some strings to get an installer out here on a Saturday night.”
“Maybe one or two. It was worth it,” he said quietly.
“Ally was thrilled at the gifts you gave her.” So was she. The new oven meant stability and peace of mind for her. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on it to bake something fantastic. She offered up a toast. “To Ally and to you.”
Casey met her glass with the softest clink and then brought the goblet to his mouth.
She sipped her wine. “This is delicious,” she said, studying the ruby liquid in her glass. She was no great connoisseur, but the wine was as pungent as the earth with a hint of oak and berries.
“It’s from my friend’s wine cellar.” Crossing one leg over his knee, he leaned back against the sofa cushion and relaxed.
“That’s a great friend,” she said, savoring the flavor.
“He is. He and his wife are good people. He owned Sentinel before I took over. He’s taught me just about everything I know about the business. Austin and I go way back to when I was a young pup learning the ropes.”
“You met him at the rodeo?”
“No, not exactly. I met him accidentally. It was after the rodeo in Carson City. Man, I was in a hellfire hurry to get home that night, when I saw this Cadillac broken down on the highway. I could tell the driver didn’t know squat about cars from the way he was trying to open the hood. It wasn’t in me to drive by and leave him and his wife stranded on the deserted highway. I stopped to help him out. Turned out his car needed a jump and I helped get the car started for them. I was ready to climb back into my rattletrap of a truck, when the man offered to buy me dinner. Of course, I refused. Audrey needed me
and I explained to him about the younger sister I was trying to raise on my own. She was sick at home with a virus and waiting on me. That impressed the hell out of him, he admitted to me later. I’ll never forget the look of regard in his eyes right before he handed me his business card. He told me I had a job if I ever needed one in the off season. All I had to do was give him a call. Which I did.” Casey’s gravelly voice took on a reverent tone. “Meeting him changed my life.”
Susanna sipped wine, listening as he continued to talk about his past, about how he’d feared he was messing up Audrey’s life, about how he didn’t know if he’d done right by her completely. Sometimes his rigid rules had only made Audrey rebel more.
Susanna had always taken Audrey’s side, even as infatuated as she’d been with him, but now she understood his motives and couldn’t find fault with him. Well...not so much.
As crazy as it seemed, Casey put her at ease tonight. The hunk of a man sitting beside her, who’d kissed her senseless earlier in the day, was also capable of soothing her frazzled nerves. He was giving her a better understanding of who Casey, the man, actually was. She was so wrapped up in his stories, an entire hour flew by.
When Casey stopped speaking and they’d finished the wine, he reached over and linked their fingers together. Warmth seeped into Susanna’s bones. Her heart pounded. She feared taking a swallow because the noise might break the moment. She felt connected to Casey right now and welcomed the sensations rippling through her.
He leaned over and kissed her, gently, sweetly, brushing his lips over hers. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone those things,” he whispered.
“I’m glad you told me.”
“Are you?” He stared at her lips, his voice a deep rasp. “And you’ve forgiven me?”
“Yes. I’ve told you that before.”
“I don’t want to make another mistake with you.”
“It was a long time ago. We’ve both changed.”
“Yeah.” Casey touched her face, his index finger tracing along the line of her cheek. His eyes darkened and his head tilted again as he brought his mouth down on hers. She heard a breathy gasp and for a second she didn’t know if it came from him or her, until the reverberation echoed again inside her throat.
Redeeming the CEO Cowboy Page 11
