by Cindy Kirk
Granted, this was a far different atmosphere than a dance at the Spring Gulch Country Club with fine cuisine and music from a band attired in black tie. This was loud and dusty and a bit uncivilized. Enjoyable, but in an entirely different way.
The rock song ended and the band immediately launched into a sultry rhythm that quickly became a pulsating beat in his blood. Cassidy’s hands encircled his neck and her hips began to sway in a sexy samba.
Their eyes locked and Tim found himself drowning in the liquid blue depths. The people surrounding them faded into nothingness and all he saw was her.
Tim barely noticed the music had ended, scarcely heard the lead singer announce the band was taking a break. His hands were on Cassidy’s waist and his eyes trained on that sexy mouth.
God, he wanted her.
“Break it up, you two. This is a family event.”
Tim groaned and dropped his hands from Cassidy’s waist.
Liam Gallagher, old friend and the reason that Tim was on this date in the first place, slapped Tim on the back. “Haven’t seen you in weeks and where do I run into you? At a street dance of all places. Unbelievable.”
“Cassidy. Good to see you.” Liam’s smile widened. He jerked a thumb in Tim’s direction. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for bidding on this guy.”
“My good deed of the month,” she said with a cheeky smile, not appearing off balance by Liam’s unexpected appearance. Then again, Cassidy always seemed to handle whatever life tossed her way with a smile and an impudent attitude.
The two bantered like old friends about the auction, or as Liam dubbed it, the “Jackson Hole Meat Market.”
Tim watched the two, an uneasy knot forming in his gut. Women liked Liam. He was a good-looking guy with thick brown hair, and his smile always seemed to make the ladies swoon. Not to mention the psychologist could converse easily with anyone. Over the years Tim had developed that skill but the art of small talk still didn’t come naturally.
Liam paused, as if suddenly realizing only he and Cassidy were engaged in conversation. “Am I interrupting?”
Tim met his friend’s gaze. “Ever heard the saying ‘three is a crowd’?”
Liam laughed uproariously as if Tim had made a joke. But within minutes, the psychologist had come up with an excuse to leave.
Tim thought he’d once again have Cassidy to himself but Liam had barely disappeared when he caught sight of Jayne Connors headed in their direction.
Though known for her tailored dresses and heels, apparently in concession to the casualness of the event, tonight Jayne wore navy pants and a sleeveless white shirt.
When her gaze landed on Tim, she waved and smiled. Her bright smile dimmed when she caught sight of Cassidy. The look of disbelief she shot him made no sense. Tim distinctly remembered mentioning his date with Cassidy to her.
“What a surprise.” Tim offered a welcoming smile when she drew close. “I thought you didn’t care for these kinds of events.”
“Back at you.”
Tim sensed Cassidy’s watchful gaze on him.
“I was wrong,” he told Jayne. “It’s fun.”
Cassidy offered the woman a friendly smile. “Good to see you, Jayne.”
“You, too, Cassidy.”
To Tim’s surprise there seemed to be genuine warmth between the women. He hadn’t realized they were so well acquainted.
“The Jackson Chamber of Commerce has been plugging Old West Days all week,” Jayne explained. “Since I didn’t have plans for the evening I decided I’d wander around and see what the hype was all about.”
Cassidy lifted a hand as if in mock toast, approval in her eyes. “I salute your spirit of adventure.”
Though she looked pleased, Jayne lifted one shoulder. “It’s not as enjoyable when you’re by yourself.”
“Join us.” Tim spoke without thinking.
“Yes, please join us,” Cassidy echoed, though with less than her normal exuberance.
“That’s kind of you both to offer, but you caught me on my way back to the car.” Jayne pressed two fingers against her temple. “The music, the heat, the noise is giving me a headache.”
Tim was struck by the words. Only moments before Cassidy had confessed to Liam that the crowds and the noise energized her. Still, he could understand how Jayne might find the whole scene overwhelming. If he’d ever been able to drag Caro here, she’d likely have headed home with a headache, too.
“Feel better.” Cassidy touched Jayne’s arm. “I’ll see you Monday. If you need to reschedule—”
“I’m fine,” Jayne assured her. “I’ll definitely be there.”
Tim tilted his head.
“Haircut,” Jayne informed him. “Nobody cuts hair like Cassidy.”
“You’re too kind.” Cassidy’s quicksilver grin flashed. “Though it’s completely true.”
The band launched their next set with a Southern rock favorite from the sixties. The popular tune was apparently familiar to many in the crowd and en masse they began to sing the words.
The librarian winced. “That’s my exit cue.”
With a pained look on her face, Jayne said her goodbyes and hurried off.
When Cassidy tugged on his arm, Tim leaned close, inhaling a whiff of her perfume. Something about the enticing scent made him want to move closer.
“Let’s explore.” As she spoke her hand slid down his arm and her fingers laced with his.
Her hand wrapped in his felt so natural, Tim didn’t even think of pulling away. Deliberately heading in a direction away from the band, they wove through the crowd. It took several blocks before the streets and sidewalks became less crowded. Instead of loud and pulsating, the music became festive background noise.
With no destination in mind, he and Cassidy wandered, strolling side by side, enjoying the warm summer breeze and each other’s company.
After several blocks the streets grew crowded once again and Tim quickly discovered the reason. Vendors. Booths stood like soldiers at attention, lining both sides of the street. Tim’s gaze swept over signs touting everything from cotton candy to rings made from horseshoe nails. Cassidy paused at one of the first booths, where an older gentleman dressed as an Old West sheriff stood selling tin stars.
“Give me your opinion.” Tim slanted a questioning look in Cassidy’s direction. “Think the girls would get a kick out of one?”
For a moment Cassidy silently stared at the badges, her expression unreadable.
“I wanted one in the worst way when I was their age,” she said finally, almost to herself.
“Really?”
She nodded. “I had this crazy idea the badge would give me superpowers and allow me to control those around me. Stupid.”
Something in the way she spoke, or maybe it was the turbulent emotion in her eyes, had him reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Did you ever get one?”
A shadow passed over her face. “Naw. But that was okay. It wouldn’t have helped anyway.”
Glancing away, she focused on a teenage girl walking by with a cone of rainbow-colored cotton candy. She touched his arm. “Be right back.”
She did that a lot, he realized, little squeezes and pats. His family wasn’t overly demonstrative but he liked it when Cassidy touched him. And the contact made him want to touch her back.
The line for the tin stars moved quickly. After making his purchase, Tim started down the sidewalk toward the cotton-candy seller. He thought back, trying to recall what he knew of Cassidy’s childhood. She’d been several years behind him in school. There had been a lot of talk when the pigtailed blonde from the wrong side of the tracks had worn a Halloween cat costume to school most of her kindergarten year.
But the incident Tim recalled most vividly was the time Cassidy had sha
ved her head. She’d been in fifth or sixth grade at the time. The buzz she’d created when she came to school demanding everyone call her Sinéad had lingered for weeks.
As far as Tim knew no one ever figured out what that was all about. Some blamed the incident on her crazy mother, who wasn’t exactly a stellar influence. Others said it was a need to stand out, brought on by an absentee father.
“Tim.”
He blinked and saw Cassidy approaching him, holding two cones of rainbow cotton candy. “I got one for each of us.”
He took the spun sugar, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to ignore proper nutrition for one evening. “I have something for you, too.”
Reaching into his pocket, Tim pulled out a tin star and pressed it into her hand.
She stared at it then up at him, her expression questioning.
“Better late than never,” he quipped when she remained silent. “Perhaps you’ll finally get those superpowers.”
Her fingers curled around the star and she slipped it into her purse. She cleared her throat before speaking. “Thanks.”
“Thank you for the cotton candy.” He took a bite and had to admit the fluff tasted as good as he remembered. Plucking off another piece, he held it between his thumb and forefinger for a second before popping it into his mouth. “What’s next on the agenda?”
“Do you like rodeos?” She gazed up at him, a hopeful gleam in her eyes, a faint smear of sugar on her full lips.
Tim forced his gaze from the lips that reminded him of delicious pink strawberries.
Rodeos, he reminded himself. They were talking about bulls, broncs and roping. Despite growing up in Wyoming, Tim had little exposure to the sport. His parents had never taken him or his sisters to the rodeo. Caro had never expressed an interest and he hadn’t cared enough to press the issue.
Tim saw the look in Cassidy’s eyes. She wanted to go and he’d made it clear from the start he would go along with whatever she wanted.
Besides, so far he’d enjoyed everything about the evening she’d orchestrated, including riding the bull at Wally’s place. “Sounds like fun.”
She flashed a bright smile and took his arm.
An easy breeze ruffled her hair but Cassidy made no move to push it back into place. He liked that about her, too. Unlike those women who needed to be perfectly groomed at all times, Cassidy gave herself permission to revel in the moment.
Tonight, he’d gone with the flow and as a result felt more like the kid he’d once been than a widowed father of two with heavy responsibilities. As they started down the street in the direction of his car, his gaze kept returning to her mouth.
All too soon the evening would draw to a close. Though it had been a long time since he’d dated, from everything he’d heard and read, a good-night kiss was practically expected in today’s dating world.
Although this wasn’t really a date, not in the true sense of the word, he was determined to savor every moment and fulfill all her expectations. If that meant a good-night kiss, so be it.
He only hoped he could stop at one.
Chapter Four
After spending several hours at the rodeo, watching everything from father-and-son team roping to kids chasing ties on calves, Cassidy noticed Tim stifling a yawn when he thought she wasn’t looking. Reluctantly, Cassidy decided it was time to call it a night.
Still, she dragged her feet as Tim walked her up the flight of steps to the apartment over her salon in downtown Jackson. Hands down, the evening had qualified as the best of her life.
“Want to come inside for a few minutes?” Cassidy unlocked the door and opened it wide, keeping her tone casual.
Tim hesitated.
Cassidy held her breath.
“Sure,” he said after an endless moment. “I’d love to come in.”
She dropped her bag to the sofa and, out of the corner of her eye, saw him survey the tiny apartment. She knew where he lived, a big house in the Spring Gulch subdivision, just outside of Jackson. Though she’d never been inside his home, she’d attended many parties in the area and knew the opulence of the residences.
What did he see when he looked around the small two-bedroom unit she called home? The tiny rooms? The lack of amenities? When his gaze lingered on the overstuffed sofa, she wondered if he recognized it as coming from the big-box store on the edge of town.
At least he would find no fault with her housekeeping. After growing up in squalor, in dirty rooms so crowded with junk you could scarcely see the floor, Cassidy was frightfully neat. Though most of the money she made went straight back into her business, it had been important to Cassidy to create a home, not simply just have a place to sleep.
To brighten the room she’d added a variety of pillows to the sofa. Paintings, done by local artists, hung on the walls, adding additional color.
Tim rocked back on his heels. “Your place has a nice feel.”
Pleasure rippled through her at the obvious approval in his voice.
“Thank you.” Cassidy kept her tone nonchalant. “Can I get you something to drink? I have beer, wine, soda or water.”
“Water sounds good.”
In the kitchen Cassidy retrieved two tumblers from cabinets painted a cheery sunshine yellow and quickly filled them with ice and water. She returned to the living room and placed the glasses on a flat steamer trunk that doubled as a much-needed storage spot and served as a coffee table.
When Tim took a seat on the sofa, she sat beside him, though not as close as she’d have liked. Something warned her if she moved too fast, she might spook him.
Or...perhaps not. When she gazed into his eyes, there was heat smoldering, which she hadn’t expected. Still, Cassidy kept the conversation deliberately light as they talked about the high points of the evening, then about her salon and his medical practice before moving on to his daughters.
Hearing the pride in his voice, seeing the love in his eyes when he spoke of “the girls,” made Cassidy’s heart ache just a little. She had no idea who her own father was, or even if the man was still alive.
Over the years there’d been a succession of men in and out of the shack where she lived with her mother. When Cassidy had once quipped they should put in a revolving door, she’d gotten a backhand across the mouth and a bloody lip.
Not wanting to go down the same path as her mother, Cassidy had been careful in her own life. Some of the men she’d dated had the mistaken impression she was easy. That was far from the truth. Cassidy had only been with two men, both of whom she cared for and she’d been convinced they cared for her. They’d cared, but they hadn’t loved her.
She needed to be loved. Totally. Completely. And she refused to settle for less.
Nearly another hour passed before Tim stretched. “I suppose I should be heading home.”
Her heart flip-flopped but, despite his words, he remained seated.
“What’s the hurry?” She kept her tone light, her smile easy.
“It’s been a long day,” he said, then settled back and told her about twin babies he’d delivered before dawn.
“You should have said something.” At the rodeo she’d observed him yawning. Now, for the first time, she noticed the lines of fatigue edging his eyes. “We could have rescheduled.”
“Never crossed my mind.” His lips tipped upward. “I enjoyed every bit of the evening.”
“Even when the drunk cowboy stomped on your foot at the street dance?”
Tim winced. “Not that, but everything else.”
“I had a fab time, too.” She leaned forward, brushed her lips lightly against his. “Thank you for a wonderful evening and the tin star.”
She waited for him to say they’d have to do it again. Instead he cupped her face in his hands and gazed at her. In seconds the eye contact turned into somethin
g more, a tangible connection between the two of them. “You’re a wonderful woman, Cassidy Kaye.”
Then he did what she’d been hoping he’d do since he arrived at her door. He kissed her, long and slow and deep.
He tasted like the most decadent candy, and like a child who had never been given enough, she wanted more. Lots more.
So Cassidy did the only thing a woman faced with such a situation could do—she wrapped her arms around his neck and took another helping.
* * *
“I’ll definitely consider your offer.” Jewel Lucas leaned forward on the small table at the Hill of Beans coffee shop, her entire attention focused on Cassidy.
“I’m a joy to work with,” Cassidy told her. “Just ask me.”
“Modest, too.” Jewel laughed. The sunshine through the window caught the wisp of red in her auburn hair. She was a pretty woman with thick curls tumbling to her shoulders and emerald-colored eyes. In her jeans and striped summer tee, she could more easily pass for a college girl than a mother of a boy ready for middle school.
Until this morning, Cassidy’s interaction with Jewel had been confined to a smile and a brief hello if they passed each other on the street. Today, they’d bonded over chocolate-chip bagels with cream cheese and lattes made with whole milk.
Playing detective, Cassidy discovered that prior to coming to Jackson Hole to live with her grandparents, Jewel’s life had been one of turmoil. The fact that they both had mothers who cared more for their drugs and boyfriends than their daughters had been an instant bond between the two women.
When Cassidy asked Jewel if she’d like to earn extra money doing makeup for weddings and other events, Jewel had seemed genuinely intrigued. Best of all, she hadn’t said no. Not yet, anyway.
A car backfired on the street, drawing Cassidy’s gaze out the window. Her heart hitched. But as the guy drew closer, Cassidy saw the tall, broad-shouldered man wasn’t Tim. Other than being about the same height and build, the two didn’t even resemble each other.
