Kayden whipped the rope out against the floor with a sharp snap, causing them all to jump.
“Easy, now.” Dominic reached out, big palm up, for the rope. “And they’re paint and quarter horses,” he stressed with another dimpled grin.
“Yeah. That’s what I said.” Kayden’s face puckered in affront but he handed over his prized possession with no resistance.
Cissy fought to keep her jaw from hanging open. Who would’ve thought this handsome, muscled flirt would be so good with kids? Most men only thought of kids as a nuisance. They dropped tail and ran at the sight of them.
Jayden squeezed her hand. “Mr. Dominic promised we could feed the horses.”
“Regardless—” Cissy bent and steered the boys by their elbows through the door “—we all need to freshen up a bit. And I’m sure Mr. Dominic has other things to do.”
Dominic cocked his head and shrugged. “Well, I did promise them. And I try not to break my promises.”
His deep tone made her blood rush. It was husky and warm. The kind of voice a woman would expect a man to have first thing in the morning, his arms wrapped around her and his body hard.
Cissy firmed her mouth. Promises. She’d made one of those, too. And so far, she hadn’t delivered. She had to get her feet back under her, regain her focus and avoid distractions. She averted her gaze from Dominic’s knowing eyes.
All distractions.
“Yeah,” Cissy muttered, “most men try not to break promises. But they’re usually not successful.”
Dominic’s bright smile dimmed.
Cissy cringed at the bitter tone lacing her words. He’d been nothing but kind and she was being an ungrateful guest. Crystal would’ve kicked her square in the rump right about now.
She dragged a hand across the back of her neck and regrouped before speaking with more care. “That was nice of you to offer. But I’d hate to interrupt anyone’s day.”
“It’s not an interruption.” Dominic moved closer, bracing his hand on the door frame above her head. “I’ll bring your bags up and tell Ms. Betty you’ll be down soon. After you’ve had some breakfast, we’ll head out. I’ll show you around.”
Cissy deliberately avoided the bulge of his biceps and focused on a point over his broad shoulder.
No distractions. If she had any sense about her, she’d turn him down flat.
But she couldn’t disappoint the boys. It was rare for the three of them to be able to spend a day of leisure together. And lately, a day where she wasn’t dragging them around in search of work from sunup to sundown.
“Okay.” Cissy paused at the threshold. It was best to be straight with him from the get go. She clarified over her shoulder, “For the boys. I’d hate to disappoint them.”
“I’ll take it.” Another grin crinkled the corners of his eyes and sparked a flirtatious glint in the dark pools.
She spun back around, placing the door between them with no finesse. Dominic’s genteel tone and rugged charm were enough to reduce a woman to a puddle at his feet. And she refused to melt.
A quick shower, fresh set of clothes and pair of sneakers had her feeling halfway decent again. The boys showered next, taking full advantage of the toiletries provided in the en suite bathroom. Most of which ended up on the floor.
Mouth full of toothpaste, Cissy rubbed a towel over the boys’ wet heads. Her cell phone vibrated with a clatter across the nightstand. She froze. It could only be Jason again.
“I can’t breathe.” Kayden’s whine barely broke through the fluffy cloth of the towel draped over his face.
“Sorry,” she muttered absently, slinging the towel away and rinsing her mouth in the sink. “You two finish up.”
Unplugging her cell from the charger, she scrolled through and found over a dozen missed calls since last night. All of them from Jason.
Cissy shoved the cell in her pocket, her jaw clenching. That was it, then. She had to take his next call. If she didn’t, she’d only make things worse. There was no way around it.
She helped the boys dress, then they made their way down to join Dominic. A large plate of pancakes, warm syrup and crisp bacon was waiting for her. Ms. Betty turned out to be a small, bubbly woman with a bright smile. And the boys weren’t exaggerating. She had to be the best cook in Georgia. Kayden and Jayden even found room for second servings.
After waiting patiently for the boys to refill their bellies, Dominic led them outside and down a trail to the paddock. Cissy followed behind him and the boys, taking in the sights around her.
The bright morning sun hadn’t quite begun blazing yet, making the air less humid. Several guests strolled about the grounds or splashed in a large pool on the side of the main building. Azaleas, grouped around the walkway, boasted brightly colored blooms.
Cissy inhaled, pulling in the sweet fragrance of the flowers and savoring the stroll down to a paddock below. The boys’ giggles mingled with Dominic’s deep tones, stretching a smile across her face. It was nice to ease her vigilant grip on them and relax.
She glanced around once more, noting the extensive grounds peppered with bunkhouses, roaming horses and guests enjoying outdoor activities of all kinds. Surely a bustling business like this would have a need for extra help.
Cissy smiled wider. A job. The first step of a solid plan to salvage the mess she’d made of her life. She’d ask if there were openings. Hopefully, there’d be something. If she could secure a job and board here, she could earn enough money to fix the car and save to pay for a new apartment. She’d work every hour of the day if she had to.
That was it. A strategy she could swing. A job, money and a new home.
She turned back and sighed with satisfaction at the boys’ excited skips ahead of her. They bounced at Dominic’s side with glee, stretching up every now and then to snag his jeans and tug for his attention. Each eager pull drew the denim tighter across his muscular thighs and buttocks.
Cissy’s skin tingled. Dear Lord, that man had a fantastic a—
Stop. She had a plan now. Job, money, apartment. There was no room for diversions. And there sure as heck wasn’t any room for a man. Even if he did have the sexiest butt on the planet.
Kayden released his hold on Dominic’s jeans and tore off to clamber up a white fence surrounding the paddock. Jayden held Dominic’s hand, pulling at it as he ran.
Dominic’s attention clung to the lithe man who’d opened the door to them last night, who stood a few feet from them, grooming a horse. “I brought you some help, Logan.”
Jayden added, “Mr. Dominic said we could pet the horses.”
Logan’s arm stilled, the brush hovering over the horse’s back as he smiled at the boys. Tipping his hat, he stepped forward and held out his hand to Cissy. “Morning. Don’t think we had a proper introduction last night. I’m Logan Slade. Dom’s older brother.”
She took his hand, his warm greeting putting her at ease. “Cissy Henley. I’m sorry about us barging in on you last night.”
Logan waved away the apology. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I wasn’t more cordial.” His eyes cut to Dominic. “Just didn’t know company was dropping by.”
“Yeah, well, that’d be my fault.” Dominic moved to the fence, lifting Jayden up on the rail beside Kayden. “Didn’t think I needed to call seeing as how I’m family.”
“You don’t,” an older man said, ambling up to the fence. “Both my sons can come and go as they please.” He gripped Logan’s shoulder, then stretched an arm out over the fence to shake Cissy’s hand. “I’m Tate Slade. Dominic and Logan’s dad. But you can call me Pop. Everyone else does,” he added with a wink.
Cissy smiled, briefly shaking his hand and thanking him for allowing them to stay the night. He had a kind face and gentle voice. She could easily see where Dominic and Logan got their gentlemanly qualities.
Sidestepping the men, Cissy took up a piece of the fence, too. She lifted a foot and braced it on the lower rung. The rail’s warmth seeped into her palms.
“Can we pet the horses?” Kayden asked.
He seemed fascinated by Logan’s movements. His eyes clung to Logan’s hand as it pulled a brush through the horse’s hair with whispering sweeps.
“Sure.” Pop retrieved an apple from a bucket. He handed it to Kayden and motioned toward a horse lingering nearby. “That one’s named Oreo. Call him.”
“Come on, Oreo,” Kayden urged, holding out the red apple.
“Gentle,” Dominic said. He lifted Kayden higher on the fence. “Stretch your arm out a bit farther. And hold your hand as flat as you can.”
“What if he’s not hungry?”
“Don’t worry. Oreo never turns down a treat. He’ll come when he’s ready. You just have to be patient.”
The large horse moved with ease toward Kayden’s arm. Spots of midnight black and creamy white covered the horse’s sleek muscles. Oreo dipped his broad head and nuzzled Kayden’s hand with his nose, tugging on the apple with his teeth and chomping off a generous bite. Kayden dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“Oreo likes it,” Jayden announced, promptly scooting closer to Dominic to lean over the fence, as well.
The boys’ eyes sparkled and their faces flushed. Cissy smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen them this excited over anything. Of course, Crystal’s illness had cast thick shadows over them for so long.
But watching them now, they seemed like their old selves for the first time in forever. Their laughter was genuine. Their comfort obvious.
Cissy closed her eyes and dropped her head back, enjoying the peaceful moment. The sun’s heat poured into her muscles and her body relaxed on a deep exhale.
This was her promise to Crystal. Providing the boys with full bellies and the comfort of a permanent home. A life free of poverty and displacement. Something she and Crystal had never known growing up.
A buzzing in her pocket shot vibrations down her thigh. Cissy snatched the cell phone out, her fingers fumbling to keep it from falling to the ground. Here we go.
“Aunt Cissy, come look at this,” Kayden called.
Pop had taken over with the boys and laughed with them as Oreo nuzzled their palms.
“In a minute,” she hastened, shrugging as Dominic twisted to survey her. “I have to take this.”
Spinning, she moved a few steps away and pressed the phone to her ear.
“Jason.” It was impossible to drudge up a more polite greeting than that.
“Damn it, Cissy,” he hissed. “Where the hell are you?”
She clenched her teeth and forced her voice to remain even. “Things weren’t working out in Atlanta so I decided to move.”
“The hell you say,” Jason returned. “I stopped by the apartment yesterday. I know you got kicked out.”
Cissy’s temper rose, burning her face and neck. Sleazy landlord. No doubt, he’d been all too happy to fill Jason in with his version of the truth.
“Is that what that nasty piece of trash landlord told you?”
She grimaced as the words blurted out and glanced over her shoulder. The boys were focused on feeding the horse with Logan and Pop’s assistance. Dominic, however, fully faced her. His arms crossed over his broad chest as he studied her.
Cissy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stepped farther away. “Look, I was behind on rent. I had it all worked out, but the landlord and I had a...disagreement.”
Silence descended on the line. The soft push of a breeze was the only whisper on the phone for a few moments.
“Jason? Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.” His voice softened. “A disagreement?”
“I handled it.” She stomped on an anthill, watching a puff of dirt rise and the insects scramble.
“Yeah, you did,” Jason stated matter-of-factly. “And then he evicted you.”
“Look, I didn’t have much of a say in the matter. I made the only choice I could. And it was the best thing anyway.”
“Are you okay? Are the boys okay?”
“They’re fine.” Her throat constricted, choking her next words. “What do you want, Jason?”
He sighed. “You knew this was coming. You can’t keep running from it.”
“I’m not running from anything. You and Crystal were the ones always skipping out. You’d show up out of nowhere, take her away for months at a time. Drop her back off then leave again.” Her chin trembled. “You drove Crystal crazy, you know? Broke her heart a thousand times.”
“Crystal understood. I never lied to her. She knew how important my career was to me. She knew I wasn’t ready for anything permanent.”
“Yeah? And what about the boys?” She lowered her voice. “Do you have any idea how confused they are about you? They don’t even ask about you anymore. Jayden’s too hurt and Kayden’s too afraid of what the answer might be.”
“Stop it.” His voice cracked. “Crystal and I had this talk a long time ago. She knew I didn’t want kids and it was her decision to go through with it anyway. I helped out when I could.”
“How chivalrous of you,” Cissy snapped.
“I loved her. You know I did.”
She gripped the phone tighter. “Yeah. But not enough.”
There was a scuffling against the phone. She could almost see him clenching his fists at his sides in angry frustration. Lord knew that was his usual posture when he was around her.
“I’m not going to fight with you, Cissy.” Jason’s tone tightened. “I’m calling because it’s time. I got the adoption paperwork last week.”
She froze. “No.”
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“No. You’re not doing this. Crystal left them to me. I promised her I’d keep them.”
“I know this is hard for you. I know you love them.” His voice shook. “In my own way, I love them, too. And this is the best thing we can do for them.”
“It’s the best thing for you, maybe.” She shook her free hand violently in an attempt to fling off some of her anxiety. “It’s not the best thing for them. I don’t know how you can even suggest it.”
“How can you suggest keeping them?” Jason shot back. “It won’t be as easy to hold on to that pride of yours with two kids hanging on you. And you barely made ends meet before you had them, much less now.”
“I’m working on that. I just need to get my feet under me and then we’ll be fine. You won’t have to lift a finger. Or a dime,” she bit out.
“It’s not just about the money. You oughta know that by now. Shit, Cissy. You and I would’ve made a lot more sense. Both of us loners. No ties, no obligations. Knowing our place and keeping it. You’ve always been realistic.”
She froze, her heart slamming against her rib cage.
“We’re not the type of people that get lucky in life,” he continued. “And I’m not gonna gamble with my boys. You got nothing and nobody. That’s just how it is. How it’ll always be. There’s no way this will end well,” he scoffed. “Do you really expect it to?”
Cissy swallowed hard. The view before her began to blur. The blue sky melted into the green fields. She snapped the phone shut.
There was nothing she could say.
* * *
DOMINIC STEPPED CLOSER and studied the tense line of Cissy’s back. She remained motionless, the cell phone clamped by her side.
“Everything okay?”
Her head tilted. The silky strands of her hair slid back, revealing the jut of her chin.
“Yeah,” she gritted.
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
He waited. The boys’ laughter in the background rose. Snatches of chatter from guests strolling down nearby paths punctuated the stillness. But she didn’t move or speak.
Damn sure wasn’t anything worse than a stubborn woman.
Dominic shrugged. “Can’t help if you don’t let me.”
Cissy jerked around, hands balled into fists. “Did I ask for your help? Did I ever once ask you for any help yesterday? Or today fo
r that matter?”
His chest flooded with anger. Stubborn wasn’t the word. Hardheaded woman wouldn’t give an inch if her life depended on it.
“No. Can’t say you did.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “But all things considered, you should have. For those boys if nothing else.”
The anger melted from her face and an embarrassed flush stamped her cheeks. She swung away and smoothed a hand over her hair before facing him again.
“Look, I...I’m sorry.” Her throat moved on a hard swallow. “Can I talk to you and Logan? In private?” She bit her lip, peering over his left shoulder. “Away from the boys?”
Dominic nodded, caving at the unexpected display of vulnerability. “I’ll get ’em settled with Pop. He loves kids. He’ll keep them busy.”
Cissy dipped her head in response but maintained her silence. He pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything more. She wasn’t skittish. But damned if she didn’t keep throwing bricks on that mile-high wall she stacked around herself.
A small bundle hurled into Dominic’s hip, jostling him. He looked down to find Kayden leaning against him. Jayden jumped down from the fence and rushed to Dominic’s other side, weaving his fingers through his.
“Aunt Cissy missed the paddleboats this morning.” Kayden grabbed Dominic’s other hand and strained, trying to pull him forward. “So can we go again to show her?”
“Kayden, stop it.” Cissy threw Dominic an apologetic glance.
Dominic stood firm and let him yank. The kid had a strong grip for such a small thing. He laughed when Kayden stopped tugging to let out an exhausted breath.
“Not right now, Kayden. There’s plenty time for that. Your aunt and I need to talk.”
“Can’t me and Jayden just go by ourselves?” Kayden begged.
“No,” Jayden said, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Mr. Dominic said we weren’t to never, ever go in the water without an adult. Or a life per-suh-va.”
“Preserver,” Cissy corrected, waiting for him to repeat it. “That’s good advice.” She tossed Dominic a surprised glance. Her eyes warmed. “Thank you for watching out for them.”
Twins for the Bull Rider Page 5
