by Becky Harmon
Kathleen shrugged. “I guess I should take this opportunity to ask my questions, and then I can get out of your way.”
“What?” Dillon asked. “You can’t leave before the cookout.”
“You guys don’t need an extra body in the way all afternoon and I should head back home.”
“You won’t be an extra body if we put you to work,” Dillon said, trying to persuade her.
“Don’t worry, Dillon,” Cassie said, cutting off Kathleen’s response. “She’s going to stay.”
“I am?” Kathleen asked.
“You are.” Cassie gave her a wink. “We have your clothes.”
Kathleen laughed.
“So, no work for now. You can enjoy the ride.” Cassie smiled. “I’ll give you a tour and answer all your questions when we get back.”
“I like that plan.” Kathleen returned her smile.
Chapter Eight
Cassie listened distractedly as Shelley relayed a phone message she had taken from a returning guest. Acknowledging the information, Cassie quickly stepped around her. She was disappointed to see Dillon had already helped Kathleen down from Angel, and she gave him a glare. His response was a big smile over Kathleen’s head as he helped her remove the bay’s saddle.
Together the four worked quickly to remove saddles and brush the horses before releasing them into the pasture.
“I am going to head over to Mac’s,” Dillon announced.
“I made you a list.” Shelley pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.
“Why don’t you go with him?” Cassie suggested. “We’re just going to be hanging around and he could use the help.”
“You only want her to watch me,” Dillon said, pretending to be upset and stomping off. “Everywhere I go, everything I do, she’s always watching me,” he mumbled to himself. When he reached his truck, he held the door open and turned to Shelley. “Coming, sweetheart?”
Shelley rolled her eyes at Cassie and Kathleen. “You gotta love him.” She handed Cassie the phone. She gave Dillon a peck on the cheek before sliding behind the wheel and across the seat.
Dillon gave them an evil grin, climbing in behind Shelley. When the truck had pulled away, Cassie clipped the phone to her jeans and looked at Kathleen.
“Shall we?” She motioned toward the first cabin before stuffing her hands in her pockets.
Kathleen fell into step beside her. “So, who or what is Mac’s?”
“Oh right, you’re not from around here. It’s a local meat market where we get everything for our Friday night dinners.”
“What’s on the menu? Since I’ve been so kindly invited to stay.”
“Steaks and burgers, but we always have hot dogs or chicken if you prefer. We can even do a portabella mushroom, if you’re against meat.”
“A steak sounds great.”
“They’ll be back in an hour to start prepping everything. Is there anything specific you want to see around here before then?”
“No, I’m perfectly content.” Kathleen slid her hand into the loop of Cassie’s arm.
Goose bumps erupted up and down Cassie’s arms, and her body felt like it was on fire. The flirting earlier had caused Cassie’s stomach to flutter, but Kathleen’s touch was sending electric pulses throughout her body. Talking was the last thing on Cassie’s mind, but she felt like she should be open before things went too far.
“You know…I mean…I’m sure it’s obvious.” Cassie struggled to find the right words and looked up to see Pete and Rory waving from their porch at Cabin Two.
Kathleen dropped her hand from Cassie’s arm, and Cassie glanced at her, surprised. She knew she definitely had to say the words now. She didn’t want a misunderstanding between them.
“Hey,” Pete yelled, waving them over.
“One second,” Cassie called back, turning her back to the guys. She searched Kathleen’s face with her eyes. “You know I’m a lesbian, right?” Cassie asked, her brow furrowed.
“Well, yes. I mean. I assumed.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were shying away from me or them.” She nodded toward Pete and Rory.
“I didn’t want to put you in an awkward situation in front of your guests.”
Cassie gave the guys a wave and took Kathleen’s hand, leading her up the steps to Cabin One. She unlocked the door and pulled Kathleen inside. Closing the door behind them, she turned to face her.
Kathleen’s eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of desire. The speech that had been on Cassie’s tongue seconds before was history, replaced by a desire to kiss the soft lips in front of her. Still holding Kathleen’s hand, Cassie kept space between their bodies as she gently touched Kathleen’s cheek. Before she could think of a reason not to, she slid her hand to the back of Kathleen’s neck, pulling them closer. Kathleen’s eyes were closed, and Cassie gently brought their lips together.
She was about to take a step backward to break the kiss when Kathleen’s tongue met hers. Instantly aroused, she stepped forward and pushed Kathleen back against the door. Deepening the kiss, she slid both hands into her hair. Her stomach muscles twitched under Kathleen’s hands as they moved lightly up and down her sides. Her touch felt hot through Cassie’s T-shirt.
Kathleen dropped her head to Cassie’s shoulder. “I need to breathe for a second.”
“You can’t kiss and breathe?” Cassie asked, struggling to catch her own breath.
“It seems I can’t with you.”
“Well, while you are breathing maybe I should take a step back.”
Kathleen slid her hands across Cassie’s stomach, giving her a little push. “I guess that would be a good idea unless you’re thinking about finishing what you started?”
“I’m willing.” Cassie gave her an evil grin as she stepped into the living room, placing the kitchen bar between them.
Cassie watched Kathleen take a deep breath and let it out slowly as she looked around the one-room cabin. It was sparsely furnished with two barstools against the counter, a love seat and a recliner facing the rear deck. A double bed covered with a patchwork comforter was against the far wall. The wooden floors were covered with rugs of mauve and dark blue that matched the comforter on the bed and the pillows on the love seat.
“This is really cute.” Kathleen walked past Cassie to look out the rear window. “And a hot tub. Nice.”
“Each cabin has one, and we keep them open year round. The bathroom is in that corner, by the way. Dillon did all the renovating.”
Kathleen walked into the bathroom. Cassie heard her praising the detail but didn’t follow her in. Knowing she wasn’t ready to be in a small space with Kathleen, she leaned against the breakfast bar and waited for her to return.
Kathleen stepped out of the bathroom. “I love the space around the sink and the walk-in shower.”
“Those are my favorite parts too. My bathroom and the other cabins are designed the same way.” Cassie spoke without thinking, “If you want, you could stay here tonight.”
Kathleen stopped and looked at her. “Really? That would be great.”
“We do have guests checking in tomorrow, but that’s not until three.”
“I’ll clean up after myself in the morning so you don’t have to clean it again.”
“That’s okay. You can call me when you get up, and I’ll take care of it.”
Kathleen shrugged as she took Cassie’s hand in hers. “Thank you so much. I’m really looking forward to this evening now. Without the drive hanging over my head, I can relax.”
“And have some wine with dinner?”
“Yes, I think I will.” She gave Cassie’s arm a pull as she walked toward the door. “We should leave now.”
“But we’re just starting to have fun,” Cassie joked.
Kathleen stopped and pulled Cassie hard against her. She ran her fingers through Cassie’s hair, pulling her head down into a kiss, a deep one that seemed to caress Cassie’s lips. Before Cassie could tighten her grip, Kath
leen had pulled away and was leading her toward the door again.
Cassie groaned.
“You have guests waiting to talk with you,” Kathleen reminded her.
“Oh, wow. I totally forgot about them.” Cassie shook her head. “You really mess me up.”
Kathleen stopped on the porch and waited for Cassie to lock the cabin door. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while.”
Cassie took her hand and led her down the steps toward Cabin Two. “Get used to it. I have more to say.”
Kathleen smiled.
* * *
“Hey,” Dillon called when Kathleen entered the house, pulling the office door closed behind her.
“Those steaks look awesome.” Kathleen stared down at the slabs of red meat marinating in several baking dishes on the counter. “Cassie’s on the phone. Can I help?”
“Dillon will make the burgers with his special recipe, but you can help me cut the vegetables for a salad,” Shelley suggested as she piled slices of tomato in the plastic container with other hamburger toppings.
Kathleen washed her hands in the kitchen sink and then glanced around the room as she dried them. She had noticed when she arrived how warm and comfortable the house felt. There were a few pictures on the wall and some knickknacks in a corner curio cabinet in the dining room, but mostly the room was free of clutter. Dark blue was the dominant color in both rooms, but the kitchen was brighter with some yellow mixed in. The window behind the kitchen sink and the sliding glass door opposite it in the dining room allowed both rooms to be bathed in natural light.
Kathleen took a seat at the bar separating the kitchen and dining room, and Shelley pushed a cutting board toward her along with a head of lettuce.
“Go ahead and use the entire head. Cassie will eat on it all weekend if it doesn’t get eaten tonight.”
Kathleen cut the lettuce head in half and began slicing it. “So you guys live nearby?”
“About five miles down the road.” Shelley’s voice was muffled as she pulled additional vegetables from the refrigerator.
“Cassie offered to let us build here.” Dillon paused and glanced at Shelley. “We’re thinking about it.”
“That would be convenient.” Kathleen sensed an edge of tension between them. “Is there a drawback?”
“Not really.” Dillon shrugged. “Shelley would like to live in the city though.”
“I certainly understand that. I do like where I live and being in the city has some advantages, but it’s nothing like being out here.” Kathleen couldn’t explain the instant feeling of calm she had felt when she crossed under the Lake View sign. She didn’t understand it herself. “It’s like entering a different world.”
“We’re still trying to figure out how we can do it all.” Dillon again glanced at Shelley.
Shelley gave him a small smile. “I’ve been taking online college classes through City College and I’d like to enroll on campus this fall.”
“I have a two-bedroom townhouse if you would like to split your time between here and there,” Kathleen offered.
“Really? Are you sure?” Shelley’s voice filled with excitement. “I might take you up on that.”
“I’d love the company.”
“We’d really appreciate that.” Dillon grinned, the tension gone from his voice. “I love my job here, but I want Shelley to have what she wants too. I can’t imagine living in the city, and Shelley couldn’t wait to graduate high school and move away.”
“Sounds like a match made in heaven,” Kathleen joked.
Shelley slid the containers holding salad and hamburger toppings into the refrigerator.
“Why don’t you show Kathleen the kids’ rooms while I mix my secret recipe,” Dillon suggested.
“Dillon swears he’s a closet chef.” Shelley bumped her hip into his.
“I’d love to see the rooms upstairs, but I promise not to peek if I’m forced to stay in the room with you.” Kathleen gave him a wink.
“I’m not sure you can be trusted and I know Shelley can’t be.” Dillon bumped his wife back, pushing her toward the stairs. “Get out.”
“We’ll leave the room, but you need to wrap the potatoes in foil after you do the burgers,” Shelley instructed him.
Dillon waved them away with both hands.
“Right this way.” Shelley disappeared into the living room and headed toward the stairs. “You got to see the downstairs bedroom earlier, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but it’s not going to be used for the girls, right?”
“Right.”
At the top of the stairs, Kathleen paused, looking out the window at the scene in front of her. She could see all of the cabins, the lake and the trails where they disappeared into the tree line. The girls would be overwhelmed with the openness and their newfound sense of freedom. It was heavenly. Was it possible to be more in love with the property than with the woman? Love? Where did that word come from? She thought about the gentle way Cassie had helped her off the horse. Tender and caring. Her face flamed when she remembered the possessive way Cassie had pushed her against the cabin door when she kissed her. She preferred one-night stands with no complications, and yet this woman already had her wishing there might be more.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Shelley’s voice stopped Kathleen’s analysis and she turned to follow her.
Shelley stopped at the first door on the left. “This room connects to the bathroom, but the other bedroom for the girls is across the hall. We have two more single beds and four small dressers coming next week.”
Kathleen looked around the large bedroom with one single bed, then stepped into the connecting bathroom. “This is certainly nicer than the group home they’re in now. They might not want to leave.”
Shelley laughed. “Careful, Cassie might let them stay.”
“She’s pretty sweet, huh?” Kathleen looked down the hall toward the two other open doors. One of them had to be Cassie’s bedroom and the curiosity to see it tugged at her. Instead she followed Shelley across the hall into the second girls’ room.
“She pretends to be tough, but she’s pretty good with the kids. We all enjoyed having Greg and Mandi around last summer, but Cassie was really bummed when they left. Do you know who’ll be coming with them to supervise?”
“Not yet. I am trying to get a female, but believe it or not most of our applications come from young men.”
“A female would probably work better with the house arrangements, but I know Dillon would be happy to have another guy around.”
“He shouldn’t feel too left out. I think he’ll find the girls very interested in the animals and in him. None of them have had a male in their lives, at least not one as easygoing as Dillon. I bet they fall in love him.”
“He’s very easy to be around and this place is more than a job to him.”
“That’s very clear with both of you, actually. You’ve all given me a wonderful break from work.”
“How long will your drive back be?” Shelley asked.
“I came from the office. It only took about two hours to get here, but I live closer to the beach so it might take a little longer to get home.” She hesitated, unsure of what Shelley’s reaction might be to Cassie’s offer to use the cabin. “But Cassie offered to let me stay tonight.”
“Really?” Shelley raised her eyebrows.
Kathleen grinned. “Not here, but in one of the cabins.”
“Oh, that’s great. We’ll have a fun evening. Nothing better than s’mores and wine.”
“So,” Kathleen whispered, “are you going to tell on me if I sneak a peek at Cassie’s room?”
Chapter Nine
“Hey, what’s going on?” Cassie glanced around the room, not seeing Shelley or Kathleen. She moved closer to Dillon and whispered. “Where are they?”
“Shelley is showing her the kids’ rooms.”
Cassie took a step back and released the breath she had been holding. She had thought for a m
oment that maybe she had scared Kathleen away. “That’s cool.” She busied herself with opening the bottle of wine sitting on the counter.
“Quit worrying.” Dillon laughed. “They haven’t been up there very long, and Shelley doesn’t know all of your secrets.”
Cassie frowned. “I’m not worrying.”
“What happened while we were at the store?”
“Why? What did Kathleen say?” Cassie tried to control the blush that was starting at the base of her neck. She turned her back to Dillon and began wrapping the potatoes in foil. “I showed her the inside of the cabins.”
“The empty ones?”
Cassie knew his question wasn’t really a question. The heat spread, covering her face. “Well, I couldn’t very well show her the ones that were occupied.” She tried for nonchalance but knew she was failing.
Dillon laughed again. “No, you’re right. You had no choice but to take the beautiful woman into an empty cabin.”
“Geez, man. Give me a break.”
“Give you a break? Why do you need a break?”
Cassie could feel his gaze penetrating her back.
“Cassie?”
She knew he wouldn’t give up so she turned to face him.
Dillon took one look and collapsed with laughter. “You should never in your life play poker.”
“Why?” Cassie raised her eyebrow.
“Confess already.”
Cassie shook her head.
“What did you do? And how good was it?” Dillon asked.
Cassie shook her head again and turned away from him.
“Come on, Cass. I’ve never had the opportunity to give you the third degree.”
Cassie took a deep breath. Dillon was her best friend. It wasn’t like she was betraying confidences in the high school locker room. “We kissed and it was awesome.”
Dillon whooped.
“Hush.” Cassie looked up at the ceiling, hoping their voices wouldn’t carry that far.
Dillon began dancing around the kitchen, and the dogs barked, joining in the excitement.
