The avoid-at-all-cost road.
The last one held the most appeal. Then she wouldn’t have to choose a course of action.
Embarrassment.
Pretence.
Apology.
See? None of them appealed to her. Yeah. She liked avoidance best. Then she could pretend she wasn’t embarrassed and didn’t have to apologize. She really was tired of having to apologize to that man. It was getting old. And annoying as hell. If only her brain cells would function around the handsome sheriff.
But her deficiency wasn’t just because of his looks. No. She had no trouble functioning around Connor or Cole McCall, and those two men were gorgeous. And what about Kevin Dalton? Gorgeous with a capital G, yet she functioned just fine around him. Then there was Jace Turner. Drop dead gorgeous, and a friggin’ doctor. Trouble? No. All systems were a go around the guy.
Enter one gray-eyed sheriff, Guardsman, rancher, whatever the heck he was, and her brain immediately took a hike, closed up shop, hit the road. It’s a wonder she didn’t walk into walls. Yeah, when that guy was around, she was a hazard to herself and others.
The best thing for her to do was concentrate on work. Safe, reliable work. A world she was comfortable in. A world where she was in control. Her own element.
She walked to the back of the house and smiled when chaos met her gaze. Holes and trenches dotted the landscape where the underground electricity and sprinkler system lay ready for tomorrow’s scheduled inspection. After a quick word with her foreman confirming they were indeed ready for the city to come in and inspect the setup before they could proceed with cement, sod, pavers and landscaping, Brandi went in search of Mrs. Masters to see how the woman was holding up with all the chaos in her back yard.
Spotting the pretty, older woman handing out glasses of iced tea to the workers, she picked her way around the maze of projects.
“Brandi, hi,” her client said on her approach, a genuine smile lighting her face. “Please join me for a glass.”
And before she could decline, her friend’s mother grabbed her hand and tugged her to a nearby table and chairs, the only untouched area out back.
“Thank you,” she said, having no choice but to sit and drink. The woman really was good at that.
“How are you doing, dear?” Mrs. Masters pointed to Brandi’s bandage. “I heard about your accident. I’m glad Old Charlie didn’t hurt you too bad.”
She rubbed her temple and smiled. “Yeah, it’s just a small bump. The stitches in the arm weren’t his fault. I did that trying to get Ace out of the hole.”
“I heard that, too. You’re such a sweetheart.” A slight breeze blew a strand of silver-streaked brown hair in her client’s face as she leaned forward to pat her hand. “And I’m glad Kade came by to help. He’s a sweetheart, too.”
At the mention of the sheriff’s name, Brandi’s mind went on alert. She was well aware of the matchmaking efforts the woman deployed to hook up her daughters with the McCall brothers. And because those tactics worked, the older Masters and McCalls where no doubt looking for new prey.
Well, it wasn’t going to work. She was more than happy to be ‘married’ to her career.
She sipped her drink and nodded. “Yes, he is good at his job.”
“Oh, honey, from what I hear, you’re more than a job to him.”
Brandi’s heart sank while her face heated. Shoot. She’d hoped her lack of sense hadn’t reached the older generation just yet. Unsure just exactly what Mrs. Master had heard, she knew better than to give the woman any ammunition.
“You probably heard wrong, then. We’re just friends, and he was just doing his job.” She nodded toward the workers building a stone wall. “Speaking of jobs, how are you faring with all this going on? You still have a good ten more days of the chaos to go.”
The smiling lady sat back in her chair and nodded. “It’s all good. And we can’t wait for the final reveal. In fact, my husband and I are throwing a party two weeks from now and you must be here. It is your design, after all, and we’d really love to show it, and you, off. We’re quite certain the get-together will bring in more work for your business.”
“Thank you.” Touched, she reached for her client’s hand and squeezed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’ll be here.”
“I’ll be here.” She smiled, really understanding where Kerri and Jordan got their warmth and compassion.
“Good.” Sitting back, her friends’ mother reached for her tea. “Will your stitches be out by then? I’d hate to see you get them wet in the hot tub.”
Hot tub?
Oh, hell no. No way in hell she was going in a hot tub…especially with others around. That required a bathing suit. Of which she owned none. She hadn’t been in one in over five years—when she was younger, thinner and a lot less self conscious.
But she knew it was best to keep that to herself. “Yes. I have an appointment with Doctor Turner on Thursday,” she said, and deliberately kept quiet about the hot tub. There would no doubt be plenty of guests more than happy to use the water feature.
Steering the conversation back to the project, Brandi gave her client a quick breakdown of the week’s upcoming work schedule, finished her drink and stood. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I should get going. Jen and Brock are dropping Cody off at my house while they run to visit his grandmother in the hospital.”
“See? You are a sweetheart.”
Sweet had nothing to do with it. She was lonely. “Nah. Cody reminds me of my nephew, Tyler, back in Pennsylvania.”
He had been the hardest one to leave. She Skyped with the four-year-old every chance she got, as well as her brothers, but it wasn’t the same as holding him or sitting on the floor playing Legos.
Mrs. Masters slipped an arm around her as they walked through the house toward the front door. “You miss him, huh?”
“Yeah. My brother, Ethan’s, wife died three years ago while he was on deployment.” Her heart still lurched whenever she recalled that horrible time. She’d stepped in to help, despite her personal struggles and complaints from Ed that she was spending more time with the child than him. And considering he didn’t do anything to her but put her down, she had no idea why he complained.
“How awful. I’m sure they both are missing you pretty good right now, too,” her client said. “Is your brother still in the Guard?”
“Yeah. All four of my brothers are.”
“Oh, my.” Stopping at the door, the pretty lady turned to her and frowned. “How do you manage to stay sane? The worry must eat you alive.”
“It does, and I’ve never claimed to be sane,” she joked, both of them laughing as they stepped onto the front porch.
“Is Ethan deployed now, or did he come back in February like Kade?”
“They were actually back last September.” And as soon as the power of attorney and custody for Tyler reverted back to Ethan, Brandi summoned the courage to pack up and head for Texas.
Mrs. Masters nodded. “Well, at least they’re stateside now, and you can worry about you.”
Brandi smiled. “True. That’s exactly what my brother told me.”
Although, she never stopped worrying.
Leeann McCall sat on her front porch enjoying a cold glass of lemonade as she watched several horses grazing in the far pasture. A light breeze helped to ease some of the heat from the late June day.
“I thought I might find you here.” Her husband kissed her quick on the cheek before dropping into the Adirondack chair next to her.
She smiled and poured him a drink. “Yes, I thought I’d sit out here while I waited for Hannah to call. It’s so pretty this time of the day.”
Alex nodded, and they both sipped their drinks, watching the horses in a companionable silence. This was exactly what she wished for her boys. All her boys. Not just her sons, but the Dalton cousins, too. Kade and Kevin had been a part of her heart for as long as she could remember. If they wanted to be single, that wa
s okay. She just didn’t want them to be lonely. Her heart ached at the thought. And after she and Hannah had both witnessed envy in the cousins’ eyes whenever Cole and Jordan or Connor and Kerri were around, she and her friend had vowed to help fate find happiness for all their boys.
As if fate heard her thoughts, the phone rang with Hannah’s name appearing on the screen.
She glanced at her husband as she answered the call. “Hi. So…what’s the verdict? Is Brandi going to be there?”
“Yes, and I didn’t even have to prod,” her friend said.
“Well, that’s a first.” Leeann gave her husband a thumbs up and he smile.
“I know. She seemed happy at the prospect of gaining more clients, which I’m sure she will, but we both know that’s not the real reason for the party.”
“True,” she replied. “Kade has already confirmed he isn’t on duty that day, and that it’s not a drill weekend, so he’s agreed to attend.”
“Super. He thinks it’s to celebrate my new back yard, too?”
She sat back in her chair and smiled. “Yep.”
“Okay, then I guess our work is done,” Hannah said, and Leeann could almost see her friend nod through the phone. “We won’t push. Just get those two together in a relaxed atmosphere and let nature do the rest.”
“And don’t forget about fate.” She clinked her glass with her husband’s as she continued to talk. “You’ve seen them together.”
“I most certainly have. They’re fated, and you can’t escape fate.”
“True.” Over the past year, she’d watched both her sons give it a go to no avail. “Cole tried, but he proved it’s impossible, so we just need to toss Kade and Brandi together every once in a while and let fate do its thing.”
“Agreed. Starting with my party.”
Her friend’s voice came through the phone loud enough to make Alex smile.
“Yes.” She nodded with a grin. “I’m excited. I have a feeling it’s going to open doors for our Pennsylvania transplant…and not just in a business aspect.”
Walking out of the meeting he’d called with his platoon leaders just before final formation, Kade was pleased to hear each MOS, Military Occupational Specialty, had accomplished their goals that weekend. Scheduled and planned weeks in advance, the training had gone without incident, injury or anyone AWOL.
All and all, it had been a good drill.
“First Sergeant Dalton,” his superior, Captain Hernandez called from behind.
He swiveled around. “Yes, sir?”
“Just wanted to make sure I can count on you to attend the meeting with the full-timers this Wednesday at oh-nine-hundred to discuss last minute issues before annual training next month.”
“Of course, sir,” he replied.
“Good.” The captain slapped his shoulder and they fell into step together. “Now, let’s call final formation and send these soldiers home.”
“Yes, sir.”
Twenty minutes later, Kade walked through the nearly deserted armory, mentally cataloging information he’d need to bring to the full-timer’s meeting that week, when he passed the collage of photos on the bulletin board by the door. The one of Sergeant Bobby Nylan never ceased to pull the breath from his lungs. He stopped to silently pay homage to the fallen soldier.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Lieutenant Turner said, appearing by his side out of nowhere.
Kade turned to Jace. “Not your fault, either.”
“I was the first medic on the scene.”
“And we both know he’d lost too much blood…and body parts to be saved.”
The doc sucked in a breath, and then let it out slow as he nodded. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”
Kade turned back to the photo of the soldier who’d been his responsibility for such a short time. “No, it doesn’t.”
He’d let the man down.
The overwhelming urge to hit something shook through Kade, shooting a wave of heat up his body that burned his scalp.
“You did your job,” Turner said, still staring at the photo. “We all did.”
“Yes, we did.”
Too bad it wasn’t enough.
“So…” Jace twisted to face him, subject change apparent in his steady gaze. “How’s your back?”
“Fine.”
“And Brandi’s arm?”
“I’ve no idea.”
And he hadn’t thought of the woman for oh, a good half hour now. The doc just had to go and bring up the sexy designer. Now the memory of how soft, hot and responsive she was would haunt him for the rest of the day. Great.
“So, you haven’t seen her since Thursday?”
“Nope.” A whole three days had gone by since the woman begged him to be insider her. If it weren’t for drill, Kade probably would’ve come up with a reason to accidentally run into her.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
Instinct told him the connection he’d felt when she’d shoved his hand on her hip was not going to go away just because he willed it.
A familiar knot began to form in his stomach. The more he saw her, the stronger the feeling got, so keeping his distance was a smart maneuver…and a necessary one.
“I’m seeing her on Thursday,” Jace stated, smug smile on his lips.
Funny how the knot in Kade’s stomach morphed to the size of a watermelon. He clenched his jaw to keep from asking something stupid, or saying what he most certainly did not want to hear.
“Yeah, I’m taking her stitches out at two,” the doctor clarified with a big grin splitting his damn face. “Oh, buddy. You should see your expression.” Jace snickered, hand cupping Kade’s shoulder. “You don’t know it yet, but you, my friend, are snagged.”
Then the idiot released him and laughed as he walked away. Laughed. There was nothing funny about the foreign emotion shaking him up from the inside out. Turner was just lucky they were still in the armory, and in uniform, or the merry doctor would be stitching Kade’s hand after plucking his missing teeth from the wound.
“It’s called disgust,” he said, and would’ve been happy to elaborate to the doctor’s retreating back when his phone started to ring. Thrilled with the interruption, he fished the cell from his pocket and frowned. His cousin usually never called when he had drill. “Jen, is everything okay?”
“Yes, sorry to bother you, Kade.” she said. “But they’re running more tests on Brock’s grandmother and we’d like to stay. Could you pick Cody up from Brandi’s? Kevin is still in Dallas on business.”
Brandi’s? Shit. Why couldn’t it be Kerri or Jordan watching his nephew? Well, not technically his nephew, but close enough. The little boy called him uncle, so he treated the little rascal as such.
“Sure,” he said, cursing his luck as he pivoted on his heel and headed to the locker room to change into his civilian clothes. Heaven forbid he should show up at the designer’s door in his fatigues. “Take as long as you need.”
His cousin’s sigh echoed through the phone. “Thank you so much, Kade. We really appreciate it.”
Now he felt like shit. He knew how much Brock’s grandmother meant to them both, and how worried Jen had been when the woman had been admitted with chest pains last night.
By the time he pulled up to the cottage, he had his emotions under control and hoped to God he could say the same about his body. A few good, solid inhales on his way to her door helped to firm his resolve. He was not, under any circumstances, going to throw her on the couch and pick up where they’d left off on Thursday. He was not.
Knocking a little louder than necessary, he stood back and waited.
The sexy designer opened the door, and her eyes widened while color rushed to her face. “Kade?”
The blush deepened the brown of her mesmerizing gaze, and his gut took an invisible blow.
“I…what…” She drew in a breath. “Why are you here?”
Apparently she didn’t get the memo. “Jen’s tied up at the hospital. She ca
lled me at drill and asked if I could fetch Cody.”
“Oh. I hope everything is okay.”
He shrugged. “More tests.”
She stepped back to let him in. “Cody’s asleep on my bed. We had a great day on the beach. He’s tuckered out. Do you want me to wake him?”
Once his brain caught up to her questions, he shook his head. “No. Unless you’d like me to leave.” He had no idea why he was acting and feeling so strange around her.
Probably because he wanted to throw her on the couch and pick up where they’d left off last Thursday.
She shook her head, the pretty blush deepening as she turned and began to pick plastic dinosaurs up off the floor. “No, of course not. Why would I want you to do that?” Dropping the toys onto the coffee table, she avoided his gaze and bent to pick up some more. “I mean, it’s not like I have anything to be embarrassed about. Oh, wait…yeah…yeah, I do.”
A strange giggle-hiccup followed her words along with inaudible mumbles and head shaking. He wondered briefly if she was having some sort of seizure until she stood and brushed past him to shove a box of crackers from the coffee table into a kitchen cupboard.
“And the award for biggest poopyhead goes to…yours truly.” She slapped a hand over her chest and laughed.
God, she was adorable. He knew he should stop her, but he honestly couldn’t get enough of the ruffled unrufflable woman.
She swiped the salt shaker from the table and cradled it to her chest with both hands. “I’d like to thank the academy, and a stupid ex-boyfriend for making me the idiot I am today.”
“Okay, enough.” He sprang into action, removing the shaker from her hand and cornering her against the fridge when she stepped back. “Hey…hey. It’s all right. Calm down.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. “God, I’m so embarrassed, Kade. And so, so sorry for what I said…and did to you…”
“Brandi, look at me.”
She opened one eye.
“Both eyes, Brandi,” he said, a smile tugging at his mouth.
Her Uniform Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 3) Page 8
