Playing With Fire

by Ruth Staunton

  Before now, she’d always assumed sweet guys were weak. They were easy marks, and it was all too simple to get them to do anything she wanted. Cade was anything but easy. She was quickly learning that the man had a will of iron and when he made up his mind about something there was simply no shifting him. He hadn’t even batted an eye when she’d thrown sex at him that first night at Joe’s, and no amount of arguing had deterred him this morning either. That was disconcerting in the extreme. She was used to getting what she wanted by way of her body or quick thinking. The fact that she could do neither with Cade left her at something of a loss. She just couldn’t figure out how to handle him.

  “So,” Glory said, coming back over to plop back on her stool, “let’s hear it. Tell me about the lawman.”

  Stacey looked up, startled. She’d been so deep in thought she hadn’t even heard Mrs. Patterson leave, but the older woman was nowhere to be found. Noticing Glory eyeing her impatiently, she said, “He’s very sweet.”

  “Sweet?” Glory echoed, utterly incredulous. “Honey, you must be confused because there’s no way anyone could describe a man like that as sweet. He looks like he’d tear you to pieces if you looked at him sideways.”

  Stacey smiled. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure he could under the right circumstances, but he’s really very sweet, in an old-fashioned kind of way. He opens doors for me. He always walks me in, even at my own house. He’s bought me dinner every time we’ve eaten together.”

  Glory grinned. “In other words, you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger, just like every other man you’ve ever dated.”

  Stacey laughed. “Not on your life. Cade is the most stubborn man I’ve ever met, and he seems immune to my usual routine. I can’t get a handle on him to save my life.”

  Glory howled with laughter, slapping a hand down on her thigh. “Sounds like you’ve met your match, sister.”

  “Glad you find this so funny,” Stacey huffed. “I’m serious. I don’t know how to deal with him. He has all these ideals and principles, and it’s not just talk, not with him. He really means it.”

  “So he’s cramping your style,” Glory said.

  Stacey sighed. If only it were that simple. If it were only a matter of him cramping her style, she could walk away and never look back. This was far more complicated. “No,” Stacey said, shaking her head. “It’s more than that.” She paused, fumbling for the words to explain. “He expects more. He demands more of me.” And though she’d never dare say it aloud, she found herself responding to those demands and liking it.

  Glory’s eyebrow shot up. “Demands? What is he, some throwback to the fifties? In case you’ve forgotten, this is the new millennium. No man has the right to order you around anymore. You’re not just ‘the little woman’. You’re in charge here. You, of all people, know that, and you’d best be sure he doesn’t forget it. You better take that man in hand, girl, before you end up barefoot and pregnant in some ratty little house with a half dozen snotty-nosed kids running around.”

  “See?” Stacey pushed off the desk and began to pace, fueled by restless energy. “That’s exactly what I mean. I know that. You shouldn’t have to tell me that. With any other man, I wouldn’t think twice. Why does this guy throw me for such a loop?”

  Glory shrugged. “We all have ones like that from time to time. They get under your skin. You get drunk on the emotions and go a little stupid. It happens. What matters is that we caught it before you did something you’ll regret.”

  “Amen to that,” Stacey said, thinking back to how just moments earlier she’d held her tongue and struggled to be polite just because Cade would have expected her to. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, but it was setting a dangerous precedent. She couldn’t allow him to change her. She couldn’t let herself fall into that trap of trying to please him. She’d done that for years with her parents, and she’d sworn she’d never do it again. Thank goodness Glory had helped her see sense.

  She reached out and caught Glory in a one-armed hug. “Thanks, girl, you’re a life saver.” She picked up the debris of her lunch and tossed it in the trash, downing what was left of her soda and heading for the door. “Got to get back to the salt mines.”

  Glory waved, pushing herself off the stool and grabbing the broom to sweep up the hair that covered the floor. “Remind that lawman who’s in charge,” she said, “and bring him by here sometime. I want to meet him.”

  “Will do,” Stacey replied. She stepped onto the sidewalk with renewed confidence. She could do this. It was just a matter of taking charge and not letting him bully her into changing for him. That ought to be simple enough. She was her own person, and no one was going to change that, least of all some bull-headed small town lawman. She’d just have to let him know that, even if it meant ignoring that small part of her that resolutely insisted she not only liked Cade taking the lead but wanted it. That was ridiculous. She was a grown woman. She made her own decisions, and it was high time Cade accepted that.

  By the time Cade brought his godson to meet her three days later, Stacey was sure she’d been overreacting. Despite Glory’s dire predictions, Cade hadn’t come in trying to take over. They’d shared a very pleasant evening sprawled across her living room floor watching videos and munching on a pizza Stacey had dug out of the freezer. They’d discovered a shared appreciation for pepperoni, comedy, and The Duke. Cade’s eyebrows had shot up in surprise when he’d commented that True Grit was one of his favorite movies, and Stacey had agreed.

  “What?” she’d said in response to his look. “Cowboys are cool.” What wasn’t to like about a strong, silent type like John Wayne? She might not like being told what to do, but even she could admit that commanding air was sexy as hell. Cade was proof enough of that. They had similar food preferences as well. Neither was a picky eater. Instead, both would, as Stacey put it, eat anything that didn’t eat them first. It had been a fun, comfortable evening with none of the demanding behavior or nagging questions that drove Stacey so crazy. It had, in fact, been much like hanging out with an old friend, and Stacey had enjoyed herself immensely.

  She smiled to herself, remembering Cade’s demeanor the next day when he’d called to say Nicky had his heart set on going fishing. He’d been nervous as all hell and totally sure she’d want nothing to do with it. He’d been stunned when she’d agreed without hesitation. “Please, lawman,” she’d said, rolling her eyes. “I’m not some sissy little city girl. What did you think, that I’d run screaming in terror at the sight of a worm?” He’d denied it, but his hesitation had told her she’d hit it square on the head. “Just for that, I’m going to do my dead-level best to out fish you both. It’s on.”

  As if conjured by the memory, she heard Cade pull up at that moment, followed quickly by Rufus’s frantic barking. She stepped onto the porch just as Cade and the little boy she’d remembered from town and now knew to be Nicky stepped out of Cade’s truck. “Hey there,” she called, waving. “You must be Nicky.”

  Nicky nodded, but at a nudge from Cade, added, “Yes, ma’am.” He had wary brown eyes, a shock of messy black hair, and the sort of inherent scruffiness that seemed to be common to boys his age. Despite his polite reply, it was perfectly obvious he didn’t appreciate her presence. Stacey shot a glance at Cade, suddenly feeling like an intruder. She supposed it was to be expected. His times with Cade were usually his alone. They both should have considered that. She raised a brow, questioning, offering. Maybe it would be best if she backed out after all. Cade shook his head, pinning her with a stern look that promised dire retribution if she backed off so much as inch. She shot him a questioning look, not at all sure of the wisdom of that decision, but nodded.

  “Please,” she said, giving Nicky an easy, slightly mischievous grin, “don’t ma’am me. My name is Stacey.”

  “Miss Stacey,” Cade corrected, with a piercingly direct look that practically dared Stacey to comment.

  Stacey didn’t comment. S
he didn’t think the formality was necessary, but she was used to it since she was commonly addressed that way by all the neighborhood children. Instead, she asked Nicky who he thought would catch the biggest fish.

  That brought out a cocky grin, as she had thought it might. “I will,” he said confidently. Above his head, Cade stifled a chuckle.

  Stacey responded with light-hearted defensiveness. “Oh you will, will you? What if I think I will?”

  Nicky laughed, full of youthful confidence. “You won’t,” he told her, eyes bright with amusement and energy.

  “And why not?” Stacey countered. She’d expected him to say something about her being a girl. She was fully aware of the ‘Girls are icky’ syndrome common to all little boys. Nicky, however, surprised her.

  “‘Cause I’m going to,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “Not because I’m a girl?” Stacey questioned.

  “Nope.” Nicky shook his head, sending thick black locks flying in every direction. “Uncle Cade says girls can do anything guys can do except pee standing up and anybody who doesn’t believe it should meet his sisters.”

  Cade was studying the tips of his boots, blushing redder than Stacey would have thought possible. She caught his eye and smiled. She was learning more and more that he was a complex man. His thoroughly modern attitude about women’s abilities seemed completely at odds with his seriously old-fashioned attitude about protection and discipline; yet, he wore them both like a second skin. It was clear he believed equally fiercely in both.

  “He’s right,” she told Nicky.

  Nicky nodded sagely. “But you’re still not gonna beat me in fishing,” he told her.

  Stacey laughed. “You might be right about that,” she conceded, “but that’s ok. You know why?”

  “Why?” Nicky asked.

  Stacey knelt down close and whispered in his ear, “Because we’re both going to beat your Uncle Cade.”

  Nicky exploded with giggles, and Cade immediately demanded to know what they were up to. Stacey kept silent, flashing him an innocent smile and climbing into the truck. Nicky followed her, still laughing, all hint of resentment gone. Cade groused good-naturedly, but he was smiling too.

  In the end, Nicky’s prophesy proved to be self-fulfilling. He did indeed catch the biggest fish. None of the fish they caught were that big, but he was delighted nonetheless. When they returned, Cade was relegated to the yard to clean the few fish deemed big enough to eat while Nicky and Stacey made cookies. The baking eventually disintegrated into a flour fight that might have destroyed the entire kitchen had Cade not walked in and interrupted them with an ear-piercing whistle that froze them both in their tracks.

  “What on earth is going on here?” he demanded.

  Stacey and Nicky exchanged grins. “We’re making cookies,” Stacey said innocently.

  “I see,” Cade said slowly. He stepped carefully over the flour-strewn floor and sat the pan of cleaned fish on the counter. “It looks like things might have gotten a little out of hand. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you two were having a food fight.”

  Nicky resolutely studied his feet, and Stacey, while not precisely hanging her head, looked distinctly sheepish. “Maybe a little one,” Stacey admitted.

  Cade swung his gaze over the flour-covered kitchen, clearly disagreeing with the characterization of anything that made a mess of this magnitude as minor, but didn’t comment. Instead, he turned to Nicky. “Nicholas, do we throw things in the house, especially in the kitchen?”

  “No, sir,” Nicky said quietly, “but we were just playing.”

  Cade smiled then. “I know, buddy, but I don’t think a food fight is such a good idea. Let’s get it cleaned up ok.”

  Stacey had already moved to the sink and was wetting dishcloths. She tossed one to Nicky with a smile. “What’s say we call a truce?”

  He nodded. “Ok.” Together, they began wiping up the mess. Cade grabbed a broom and pitched in to help. Within moments, they had the room set to rights and all was well again.

  Stacey thought about those few moments again later that night after the cookies were baked, the fish were fried, and an exhausted but happy Nicky was on his way home. Part of her wanted to resent Cade’s heavy-handedness. After all, what right did he have to tell her what was appropriate and what wasn’t in her own kitchen? Wasn’t this exactly the kind of controlling thing that Glory had warned her about? On the whole though, that seemed to give too much importance to what was really nothing more than a momentary blip in an otherwise very good day. That was overreacting. Today had been good, getting to know Nicky had been fun, and everything was going to be fine.

  Chapter 6

  Cade watched the fiery summer sun sinking slowly below the horizon. Even this late in the day, heat and dust still shimmered up from roads and fields. After serving in the Middle East, he could handle the heat, but even he had to admit it was damn hot. Texas in the summer always was. Still, he didn’t think there was a better way to spend a hot summer evening. Linda, who worked part-time with Cade as a dispatcher, and her husband, Ed, hosted cookouts like this one regularly, and he had to admit he enjoyed them.

  He shifted against the rail of the deck, propping one booted foot on the bottom slat and lifting a hand lazily to take a swallow of his drink, soda rather than beer since he was driving tonight. Behind him, Ed, who taught history and coached football at the local high school, manned the grill and kept up a spirited commentary about his fall team’s chances of making it to the state championship. Cade listened with half an ear, tossing in an occasional comment now and then, but his mind was elsewhere.

  Though he wasn’t even consciously aware of it, he was listening for Stacy. She’d had to work today even though it was a Saturday, since they were having a big sale and anticipating a lot of customers who could potentially need help with the loan paperwork, which Stacy dealt with most often. Cade completely understood. Given the hectic and often unpredictable nature of his own work, he certainly had no right to complain when she had to work the occasional extra shift. Even so, he was more than a little miffed at what he perceived to be Stacy’s bosses taking advantage of her willing nature. The Bowron brothers had been running that place since Stacy was in grade school. They could certainly get through one Saturday sale without her. He had said as much to Stacy, but she had just rolled her eyes, and said while that was probably true, it would be far less of a headache for her come Monday morning to just do it herself in the first place. Since he’d agreed to come early to help Linda and Ed get set up, they had agreed to drive separately and meet up here. It was getting late now. Shouldn’t she be here by now? She’d never been to their house before. Maybe she had gotten lost. He knew he should’ve just picked her up. Even as the thought crossed Cade’s mind, he dismissed it as ridiculous worry. Stacy had grown up in this town. If anything, she knew it better than he did. She’d said she would find her way fine, and she would. He knew Stacy well enough now to know that being late was nothing unusual for her. Still, it bothered him. She was nervous about coming tonight. This would be the first time she’d met any of his friends. She knew quite a few of them, of course, from crossing paths in high school or around town, but she didn’t know any of them well. To say that until now the two of them had traveled in different circles would probably be an understatement. He knew it would be fine. Stacy was a born chameleon who could blend into any situation and charm anyone. He tried to tell her so, but it had done little to soothe her. Surely she wouldn’t have stood him up, would she? He knew she was worried, but he never known her to back down from a challenge. Even so, maybe he should call her just to be on the safe side.

  He reached into his pocket for his cell phone, but even as he did, he heard her voice and stayed his hand, breathing a sigh of relief. He turned, spotting her immediately. She had stopped to talk with Linda and a group of women on the other side of the deck. As he watched, she laughed at something one of them had said and then lifted her eyes to him, breaking inst
antly into a big smile. He felt his own face light up in answer and moved toward her. They met up in the middle, and he draped an arm around her and pulled her into a kiss.

  “Nice,” she murmured against his lips.

  He maneuvered her over to stand against the rail where he had been. “I was getting worried,” he said. “Didn’t know if you had gotten lost or if you had just decided to ditch me.” Though there was truth in the words, his tone was light and teasing.

  “Would I do that?” Stacy asked mischievously.

  Her eyes never left his and for some reason, the combination of that unshakable gaze and the fact that she was confident enough to tease without taking the slightest offense at his doubt, reassured him more than any assurances from her could have. “Your butt would have regretted it if you had,” he said in a low voice against her ear.

  Ed broke in then and offered Stacy a beer. He saw her about to accept and caught her eye, raising an eyebrow. He thought for a minute she might argue, but she conceded and asked for a soda instead, though she shot him a lethal glare. “You’re driving,” he reminded quietly her when Ed stepped away.

  “I know that,” Stacy hissed back, “I was only going to have one, and I assume were going to be here plenty long enough for me to sober up before I have to drive. I’m not an idiot. You don’t have to babysit me.”

  Cade frowned at her tone, but could acknowledge that she had a point. “I’m not trying to babysit. I just don’t want you to do anything dangerous. I’m old-fashioned and overprotective remember.”

  “As if I could forget,” Stacy huffed. She sighed, clearly frustrated, but took the drink Ed offered without complaint.