by Gigi Moore
Chapter 10
Cade liked solving puzzles, and he liked to know what made people tick. He especially liked to know what made a woman in whom he was interested tick.
He couldn’t get a bead on Maia Jensen, though. Of course, it was early in the game. They had only met yesterday, and he hadn’t had the opportunity to turn the full power of his charms on her. He hadn’t had a chance to solve the puzzle that was Maia.
Coming home drunk last night, he had to admit, had not been the best way to charm her or crack her code. In fact, he feared that he had totally ruined everything and turned her off, which didn’t bode well for his getting-Maia-Thayne-and-Cade-intimate campaign.
More like Mom and Dad’s campaign.
Not that he disagreed with them. On the contrary, he couldn’t wait to put his parents’ plans for him, Thayne, and Maia into action.
He just needed to make the room stop spinning first.
Cade struggled up to a sitting position, head pounding. God, who told him to drink so much last night? What had he been trying to prove and to whom?
He’d probably alienated Maia with last night’s antics and most definitely gotten a heavy-duty hangover in the bargain. All he needed now was for Thayne to bust in the room any second with his zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay vibe to start Cade’s morning off correctly.
He had to beat his brother to the punch.
Thayne knocked on the door.
Damn, it’s too late.
Cade muttered something unintelligible, even to him, and held his head between his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be down in a minute.” Shit, saying that hurt.
“Hurry up. I’ve got breakfast ready for you.”
The thought of food sent a wave of nausea washing over him. At least his brother didn’t burst in and open up all the blinds to assault his corneas like he had yesterday morning. Thank God for small favors.
Cade got up and lurched to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time to upchuck the contents of his stomach, which amounted to all the alcohol he’d consumed last night and…corn, peas, and carrots! Where the hell did those come from? Had Thayne force-fed him mixed vegetables last night before getting him to bed? He didn’t think his brother that sadistic even if Thayne wasn’t a meat eater.
When he was sure that nothing else would come up, Cade rinsed his mouth out with cold water from the sink then stripped out of his boxer shorts. He slid open the glass door to the shower, turned on and adjusted the water, then slipped under the spray with a long groan.
Never again, he thought. He wasn’t in college anymore, and he was getting way too old for the overdoing-it shit.
Cade washed and rinsed as quickly as he could, not wanting his brother to make a second trip to get him.
Once done and out, he dried off and threw on the typical ranch uniform of cowboy boots, jeans, and flannel shirt from the bag Thayne must have brought in last night. God bless his organized brother.
Cade slapped on some aftershave, ran a dab of gel through his hair, and headed downstairs.
He didn’t smell any heavenly odors coming from the kitchen this time and wondered what the deal was before he remembered Thayne had told him not to get used to the fare, especially the meat.
Thayne turned from the kitchen counter with a smile when Cade came through the swinging doors. “Have a seat. We’re short on time, and I have to take a car service into work this morning.”
Cade took a seat at the island, glanced at the clock, and knew his brother was right. Thayne had an hour to get to the hospital, and Cade himself wanted to make a good mark and get to The Double R fairly early.
Thayne made his way over to the island with a tall, frosted glass of…what the heck was it? He placed the glass on the island in front of Cade. “Drink up!”
“What is it?” Cade asked and caught the distinctive aroma of banana as he lowered his nose to the glass.
“Banana milkshake with cinnamon and honey. It’ll calm your stomach, help rebuild your depleted sugar levels, and also replace electrolytes, magnesium, and potassium.”
“My brain can’t handle all the scientific discourse. Just tell me it’ll make me feel better.”
“It’ll make you feel better.” Thayne chuckled. “Drink it all, Cade, and when you’re done, have a bottle of one of the sports drinks in the fridge. And drink plenty of water. You need to rehydrate and restore salt and minerals.”
“Yeah, sure.” Cade tipped the glass to his head and took a big gulp. Lucky for him, he liked bananas. Swallowing down another gulp, he thought Thayne’s concoction actually tasty. It wasn’t his first choice for a meal, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
After draining half the shake, he put his glass on the island top and pointed his chin at his brother’s glass. “What are you having?”
“Protein shake with strawberries, banana, yogurt, oatmeal, and peanut butter.”
“Wow, all the food groups in a glass. How healthy.”
“Don’t knock it.”
“I’m not, not really. It seems to do your body good anyway.”
“That healthy eating I told you about the other night.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Cade reached for his glass and took another gulp. He could swear his stomach calmed down as he swallowed. “So, um, what happened last night?”
“You mean when you got home?”
“Yeah. Did I do or say anything…crazy?”
“You don’t remember?”
Cade sighed. “Vaguely. Nothing specific.” Truthfully, most of the night remained a blur after the last few drinks.
When Thayne didn’t answer Cade pierced him with a look. “Well, what happened?”
“You mentioned that you had spoken to Mom and Dad.”
“Oh God, I did? I thought I dreamt that confession.”
“No, you didn’t dream it.” Thayne took a swallow of his own shake, looking at Cade until he started to fidget.
“How much did I say?”
“Everything, as far as I know.”
“I told you about…about what they said about Maia?”
Thayne nodded, drumming his fingers on the island top.
Cade reached out to still his brother’s busy and noisy fingers. “Please.”
“Sorry.”
“So, what do you think? About what Mom and Dad said?”
“I don’t know,” Thayne murmured. “What am I supposed to think?”
That was the $64,000 question.
If he thought Cade’s meeting with Mom and Dad a little freaky and unbelievable, then he’d just love the vision Cade had received when Maia had wrapped her arm around his waist as she and Thayne had escorted him upstairs last night.
He didn’t understand all the images that had flashed through his mind but got enough to know Maia’s emotional torment over the incident. There had been kids screaming, kids bleeding, injured, and dying in a school-bus crash. He didn’t know Maia’s connection to the kids or the crash. She hadn’t been among any of the kids on the bus, but he knew that she was connected to at least one of the kids on the bus. That’s the way his psychometry worked, like six degrees of separation it connected dots, connected people, and when he touched something with a history or someone in emotional flux with a troubled history—which included just about everyone in the human race—he got visions like he did last night.
He had enough to deal with the headache that at least had leveled out to a dull throb. He didn’t want to think about what he had seen when Maia touched him. He didn’t want to think about what would happen the next time she touched him or he touched her. He didn’t even want to think that the flash he’d had had been a vision of the future.
“I invited Maia over for dinner tonight,” Thayne said.
“Good idea. We can air things out.”
“That’s not why I invited her over.”
Cade stared at him. “Isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not.”
“So what
, you want me to make myself scarce or something?”
“That would be nice.”
Cade couldn’t do that. Not with what was at stake. “I’ll do my best.” He’d see what Maia had to say about it. He knew she was attracted to him, and he had a feeling she’d welcome his company. He vowed to be there for her come hell or high water.
* * * *
His brother had definitely pursued the right calling. Thayne was a natural healer.
Cade’s hangover symptoms dissipating for the most part by the time he made it to The Double R proved a testament to his brother’s medical skills.
Cade could have kissed Thayne right then but figured he’d save his affections for the woman he needed to see after he checked in with Jesse.
He parked his car in the lot dedicated to employees of the ranch and headed for the main house, where Jesse maintained an office.
Cade rang the bell when he reached the front door and waited a moment before the housekeeper, Maria, opened it.
“Ah, you are here for your first day!”
Cade smiled, knowing he would like working here. He’d known it yesterday, but Maria’s greeting and the fantastic smells emanating from inside the house cinched his feelings.
“Yep.” He playfully saluted. “Cade Malloy reporting for duty.”
“Come in, come in. There is still French toast left over from breakfast. You can have some while you wait for Jesse.”
“You have leftovers from breakfast?”
“Aye, yes. I do not know how to cook for little bit of people. I always seem to cook too much, so we have the leftovers. I am glad you are here to eat them.”
Cade was glad that the queasiness had settled down and he might be able to enjoy Maria’s offering.
“Is there anyone else home now?” he asked as he followed her through the great room and dining room to the kitchen.
“No. Everyone is out and about.” She nonchalantly waved a hand in the air. “Jesse is at the stables giving his brother some last-minute instructions before you will all meet up. I believe Jax said he wants you to start at the Old Western town and the gun range. They will have your saddle, tack, and a horse for you there.”
“Okay, great.”
“Sit.”
Used to his brother’s bossiness, Cade took a seat at the island and waited while Maria bustled at the toaster oven on the counter across the room, sliding in a tray of French toast.
She returned to the island, pouring him a glass of orange juice and setting an empty plate in front of him. “It will be ready in a moment. The microwave would be faster, but I do not like the microwave.”
Cade smiled, wondering if Maria was as old-fashioned in other areas of her life.
She evidently didn’t have a problem with her employers’ marital status. In fact, from all the interactions he’d witnessed, she seemed pretty fond of the Reynolds, including Jesse’s wife, Tamara. Not to mention she appeared to have a special place in her heart for Desiree and her two men, Carson and Sam.
Knowing all this, Cade felt comfortable in Maria’s company. He didn’t think she could fake that kind of affection or loyalty. She was too genuine. She was someone he could count as a potential confidant. With everything that went and would be going on in his life very soon he needed all the friends and confidants he could get.
Cade hadn’t realized he had soaked up so much domestic minutia during his tour with Jesse and Maia yesterday. By osmosis, however, he had absorbed not just things about his duties and responsibilities but intimate details about all the various people who lived and worked on the ranch and their relationships. It all made him feel good about following his brother’s advice and accepting the position here. He could do a lot worse, he realized, especially considering how he had just up and left LA without a backward glance or an idea of what he would do with his life once he reached his brother.
As usual, Thayne had come through for him, providing room and board and securing him gainful employment.
He was a good brother, and Cade didn’t know what he would do without him. He hoped he never had to find out.
The whole idea of Maia coming between them instead of bringing them closer together bothered Cade. He knew that if he didn’t handle things just right, a rift between him and Thayne remained completely possible.
He couldn’t let that happen.
* * * *
Four hours, one intensive orientation, a brief stint on the range, and a command performance at the Old Western town later, and Cade was exhausted but finally free and prepared to track down Maia.
He hadn’t seen or run across her all day and wondered if maybe she was hiding from him. He wouldn’t put it past the woman to be so contrary.
Cade made it to the cookhouse, starving for lunch and some good conversation that didn’t involve branding or shoeing horses or even preparing foals for their first trim. He’d forgotten how eventful and intricate work on a ranch could be but also how much fun. He hadn’t realized until this minute how much he had missed working on the range with animals.
Animals were easy, simple creatures. They didn’t carry the same emotional baggage as humans, so working and coming into physical contact with them didn’t present the same potential for turmoil to Cade’s mind. Touching animals didn’t bring on sudden visions from which he needed to calm down and recover. He’d loved the rodeo so much for this very reason.
Gloves, of course, helped, and since work gloves and leather wrist cuffs were an invariable part of a cowboy’s gear, Cade didn’t get too many askance looks keeping them on most of the time.
When he’d done a brief stint as a bartender, however, he’d gotten lots of sideways looks at the latex gloves he wore at work. Turned out bartending had been the perfect job for him. Listening to other people’s problems took the focus off of his own. He’d had to wear the gloves, however, to mitigate the effects of his gift. His employers thought it weird, but the customers liked it, and he mixed great drinks, so he kept the job as long as he was happy doing it. Like everything else in his life, however, he hadn’t stayed happy with it for long.
Next to doing the rodeo circuit and gambling on a professional tour around the world—poker had been his specialty and the most lucrative—Cade hadn’t stayed at anything as long as he had working on retainer for the LAPD. That had alternately been the most devastating and rewarding job to his psyche and soul than anything he’d ever done.
“Hey, mister, you wanna move it along? The rest of us wanna eat.”
Cade shook himself at the irate tone, coming out of his nostalgic fog just as someone bumped a hip against his. He turned, ready to apologize, when he laid his gaze on the culprit.
“Funny meeting you here.” Maia smiled.
“I’ll say.” He moved along in the line, looking over the large selection of food behind the sneeze guard and pointing out to the server what he wanted. “Been hiding out all day?”
“I’ve been around.”
“I haven’t seen you.”
“Were you looking for me?”
Cade turned to her and grinned. “You know I was.”
“Well, here I am.”
Cade reached the end of the line and waited for Maia as she got her food. When she made it to his side with her tray, he noticed she had a good amount and wide array of food on it, even if there wasn’t any meat in sight. He liked a woman who enjoyed eating. “Where to?” he asked and watched as Maia scanned the crowded dining area for a suitable table.
Cade caught a few empty ones, but for some reason when he pointed them out to Maia, none of them met with her approval. He noticed that these empty tables were in close proximity to her family members and suspected Maia wanted to be as far away from them as possible when she sat down to eat with him.
Was she ashamed of him, or did she not want to expose him to all the gossip that would certainly follow her and get back to Thayne about how she had had lunch with his brother?
“Over there.” Maia finally pointed out a tab
le secluded from the rest in the back of the dining room where a family of three prepared to leave.
Cade followed her, negotiating a path through the myriad tables and their occupants before they finally made it to the empty one and set down their trays.
Cade remembered his manners just in time to prevent Maia from pulling out her own chair and waited until she seated herself before he helped her slide it in. Once done, he took his own seat opposite her.
He felt her staring at him and looked up from his tray. “What?”
“I thought it was Thayne who was old-fashioned, but I see it’s a family trait.”
“Contrary to popular opinion, chivalry is not dead.”
“Guess not. At least not out here, anyway.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You’re a city slicker from New York.”
Maia chuckled. “Look who’s talking, Mr. Hollywood.”
“It wasn’t Hollywood. It was LA. Slight distinction.”
“I suppose.”
A lull fell over the table, but it proved a relatively comfortable one, one that allowed them both to dig into their meals without acting self-conscious.
He chewed his steak and washed it down with iced water as he watched her, not speaking until he had swallowed. “I hope I didn’t run you off last night.”
“Run me off?”
“Coming home drunk,” he said. “Did I cramp your and Thayne’s style very much?” Before she could answer he got a flash of her, tousled and ruddy faced, standing beside Thayne at the bottom of the staircase, and he knew that he had ruined their night.
Good. No need for them to do anything without him, especially that.
“We were getting our groove on when you showed up, but no harm, no foul.”
Cade laughed at her allusion to her and Thayne’s aborted lovemaking, liking her candor. In fact, he liked a lot of things about Maia and knew that he only scratched the surface of what she was really made of. He was eager to learn more.
“You know he invited me to dinner tonight,” she said.
“He mentioned something about it to me.”
“Are, um…are you going to be there?”
