by Jane Porter
Tess and Bailey had finished with the merry-go-round and he’d received a text that they’d moved on to the children’s arcade across from the movie theater. They were playing air hockey as he approached, and Bailey spotted him first.
“Daddy!” She rushed toward him, colliding into him with one of her patented tackle-hugs, chatting a mile a minute about all of the things they’d done and seen. “I love the mall.”
“It’s not half-bad,” he conceded.
“Does that mean you’re glad we came?” Tess asked.
“It’s certainly been a productive day,” he said. And the ego boost hadn’t sucked. “We accomplished everything on our list. Plus, this place sells cinnamon rolls the size of small planets. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? But we should probably head home now,” he told his daughter.
Her face fell. “I don’t wanna leave. Besides, you said you’d take me to the movie.”
“What movie?” Nick didn’t recall making any such promise.
She pointed toward the opposite wall, at a poster for an animated movie about a cowboy cat and his adventures with his talking horse. “We saw a commercial on TV and I asked if we could see it and you said you’d take me.”
“And I will, eventually. That doesn’t mean today. Miss Tess probably has dance classes to teach this evening.”
“Actually,” Tess interjected, “I follow the school district’s calendar. On teacher in-service days like today, I close the studio since some families use the opportunity for a miniholiday.”
“And you really want to spend your day off watching a cartoon cat?” Nick asked.
Her smile was sheepish. “I was planning to see it anyway. At least with a kid in tow, I don’t feel so silly about it.”
Backed by an ally, Bailey pushed her advantage. “So can we, Daddy? Please, please, please!”
Why not? After all, he himself was in no real hurry to end their day. He met Tess’s gaze. “Are you sure about this?”
“I never say anything I don’t mean, remember?”
“Yes!” Bailey pumped her small fist into the air.
Worried his excited daughter might run headlong through pedestrian traffic in her enthusiasm, Nick scooped her up with his free arm. “We still have to check showtimes,” he said.
“Okay.” Bailey snugged against him then pulled back in surprise. “Daddy, why do you smell like apples?”
“I was spotted by the enemy,” he said. “A woman all in black ambushed me—an honest-to-goodness perfume-counter ninja.”
“That’s nothing,” Tess deadpanned, her sparkling eyes at odds with her solemn expression. “You should see the ruthless samurai warriors who work in Swimwear.”
Chapter Six
Laughter erupted through the theater, making Tess realize that the on-screen feline in spurs and a cowboy hat must have drawled something funny. She’d missed it, too distracted by Nick’s proximity. Somewhere between now and the “coming soon” previews, part of her brain had forgotten this wasn’t a date. It had been too long since Tess had sat in the cool, dark intimacy of a movie theater with a good-looking man’s arm around her.
It’s not around you. It’s just casually draped over the back of your seat. Which was apparently close enough for her pinging hormones.
Tess tried telling herself that the fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach was simple biology, caused by the total lack of space between seats. Nick’s thigh grazed hers every time he moved. And since he was trying to see over his kindergarten daughter, who was incapable of being still, he moved a lot. Bailey had abandoned her own chair ten minutes into the movie, seeking comfort from her father when the movie’s menacing villain had burned down a town.
Nick had obligingly cuddled his daughter against his chest. “Don’t worry, kiddo, justice will prevail.”
One might think the presence of a six-year-old chaperone would help keep the mood platonic. Tess, however, had always adored children and considered being good with kids a very desirable trait in a man. Watching Nick with his little girl made her feel all gooey inside.
At least he was wearing pretentious cologne. It wasn’t nearly as heady as the masculine combination of sunshine and leather, the way he’d smelled when he’d helped her dismount from her horse the other day. His hands had grazed over her denim-clad hips, and she’d nearly shivered. Sternly reminding herself it was no more than he did for dozens of tourists every year, she’d squelched her inappropriate reaction.
At the moment, it was proving unsquelchable.
Nick leaned in close, his voice a whisper. “Not having a good time?” His breath feathered over her sensitive ear, intangible contact that nonetheless rippled through her body.
She inhaled sharply. “I’m having... This is, um, great. Really.”
“You seem subdued. Highly unlike you.” His gaze went back to the screen, and he grinned with boyish enthusiasm. “Shoot-out scene! My kind of movie.”
Tess forced herself to focus on the climactic showdown instead of the fleeting and completely foolish dizziness she’d felt when Nick had been so near. Near enough to kiss. She blinked, distracted all over again. The next thing she knew, credits were rolling and Bailey was tugging on her hand.
“This was the best day ever,” the little girl announced. “And guess what?”
“What?” Tess asked, hoping for more whimsical conversation about ninjas, something silly to lighten her mood.
Bailey beamed at her. “I’ve decided you should be my new mommy.”
* * *
NICK WASN’T SURPRISED by Tess’s hasty goodbye when they pulled up in her driveway. She was clearly embarrassed by his daughter’s earlier suggestion. Rather than respond to Bailey’s outlandish idea at the theater, Tess had excused herself by saying she needed the ladies’ room. Then she’d sprinted away from them with the speed of a Thoroughbred racehorse. Nick had opted to table the discussion until later.
In the truck, Tess had asked Bailey lots of questions about kindergarten and the ranch, keeping the girl engaged while clearly directing conversation away from marriage. Nick suspected Tess hadn’t wanted to say anything that would hurt Bay’s feelings. But now that he and his daughter were alone, it was his parental duty to make sure she understood reality.
He glanced in the rearview mirror at his daughter. Her face was wreathed in utter contentment after her day of fun.
“I had a good time today,” he began. “I always have fun when I’m with you. You’re the most important person in my life, Bailey. I want you to be happy. I know you’d like me to get married, but that might not happen.”
Trying to head off the scowl he saw forming, he added quickly, “It might happen. But not for a long time. Sometimes men and women date for years before they decide to get married. It’s a very serious decision, and before I could ever take a step like that, I’d have to make sure the woman in question loved you as much as I do.”
“Miss Tess loves me,” Bailey said confidently.
“True, but Miss Tess isn’t my girlfriend. You know that, right? I’m not dating her.”
Bay shot him that look all kids got when exasperated by the idiocy of adults. “Why not?”
Because... As he thought about the beautiful redhead who’d been making him smile all day, he was suddenly hard-pressed for an answer.
* * *
ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, Tess worked the studio’s reception desk while a nineteen-year-old taught a hip-hop class to preteens. For half an hour, the
phone rang steadily, but then it got quiet. Tess had just accepted a late tuition payment from an apologetic Parker Casteel when she realized she was all caught up on emails and messages. She decided to hit the vending machine for some caffeine. Tess hadn’t been sleeping as well as usual and was fighting the unprofessional urge to take a nap at her desk.
When she returned with a cold can of soda, she noticed that Farrah Landon had joined the other two moms waiting in the lobby, both of whom were silently reading books. The conversation Farrah was having on her cell phone carried.
“I desperately need a night out,” Farrah was saying. “Saturday nights should be fun! Do you think your husband would let me borrow you for the evening if I can find a sitter?”
Obviously, Tess wasn’t the only one engaged in benign eavesdropping. As soon as Farrah disconnected her call, one of the other moms cleared her throat. “I couldn’t help overhearing...are you looking for a sitter? We’ve been using Eden Winchester—the Ranger’s daughter? She’s saving up for a car and usually jumps at the chance to earn some money. I don’t know if she’ll be available on such short notice, but I can give you her number.”
“That would be super! I love my girls, but the youngest needs so much one-on-one attention and the oldest is hitting that moody stage. They’re exhausting. And my ex is completely useless,” she added bitterly.
As time moved closer to class dismissal, more parents and guardians filed into the studio. Despite the increased buzz of noise and activity, Tess heard most of Farrah’s follow-up call to her friend, confirming a girls’ night at a locally owned beer-and-burger joint that featured pool tables and darts. It was like the universe was giving Tess a sign. She’d planned to nudge Nick and Farrah together at the Valentine’s performance—maybe pairing them up to help with the lights or set out refreshments together—and this was a golden opportunity for her to lay some groundwork.
Impatience simmered inside her, but she knew she couldn’t call Nick from the studio. She needed to wait until lunch, when she could dial his cell phone from the privacy of her car. He didn’t know it yet, but he was taking her out tonight.
* * *
THE SIGHT OF TESS’S NAME and number had Nick smiling as he stripped off his work gloves to answer the touch-screen phone. “Hello?” He leaned against the section of fence he’d just finished repairing, glad neither of his brothers were here to catch him grinning like an idiot.
“It’s time to implement Phase Two!”
“Of what, your plan for world domination?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. My plan to take over the world is already well past the second stage. I’m talking about your courtship of one Ms. Farrah Landon.”
Right. He should have guessed that immediately. After all, the only phone conversations he and Tess had ever shared stemmed from his interest in Farrah. “Dare I ask what Phase Two entails?”
“You remember when you told me asking a woman to go out with you isn’t as difficult as sustaining conversation through the whole date? You proved yourself capable of casual chatting at the mall. That was like an animated short. Now it’s time for the full-length film—dinner with a woman. Specifically, me.”
Before he had a chance to process her unexpected declaration, she added, “I happen to know where Farrah will be tonight.”
“Oh, Lord. Are you stalking her? I’m having unsettling mental images of you shadowing her to her car and digging through her trash for clues.”
“Okay, first, ew. And second, maybe you should watch more nature documentaries and fewer police procedurals. I’m not stalking anyone!” Indignation sharpened her tone. “She was broadcasting a private conversation in public. I’ve never seen her when she didn’t have that phone in hand. Honestly, she’s probably one of those women who even takes calls in the— Sorry. Not the point.”
“I get why a practice dinner might be a good idea. But why does it matter where Farrah is?”
“Because one way for a woman to notice a man is attractive is to see him attracting someone else.”
“We’re trying to make her jealous?”
“Not exactly. It’s more like... Say you walk by a horse in a stable. It doesn’t really catch your attention. It’s a perfectly fine horse, but nothing about it jumps out at you on first glance. But later, you see someone riding the same horse and realize how much spirit and grace it has. Suddenly, you’re intrigued. I know it’s short notice, but can you find a sitter for Bailey tonight?”
“Almost definitely.” He didn’t think his mom had plans but, given her frequent hints about his dating life or lack thereof, he suspected she’d rearrange her entire social calendar if necessary.
“Wonderful. Pick me up at seven. Wear one of your new shirts.”
He grinned, already looking forward to the evening. “You’re very bossy, Contessa.”
“Try to think of it as an endearing quirk.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
“WOW.” HEATHER WINCHESTER stood on Tess’s front porch, beaming. “You look incredible.”
“Crap.”
“Um...did I say something wrong?”
“I feel like I’m trying too hard.” Tess reached out to take the box of altered ballet costumes from her friend. Heather’s full-time job was at an art gallery, but she did steady side business as a seamstress. “I don’t want to look too nice.”
“Oh.” Heather followed her inside. “Then you missed the mark, because you’ve never been more beautiful.”
“Some help you are,” Tess groused. “If you really loved me, you’d tell me I look mediocre at best.”
“No can do. Given our past, I promised Zane—and myself—that I’d never lie again. Not even little white lies.”
Tess had never been completely clear on the details but she knew that when Heather had first met her Texas Ranger husband, she’d had to deceive him about who she was to protect her daughter Josie from some unsavory people. “You want a glass of wine while I go change?” Again.
“Tempting. I can’t stay long, though. How about half a glass?”
“Perfect. I’ll drink the other half.”
Tess’s kitchen was tiny, but the sunlight spilling through the large picture window created an airy illusion of space. She pulled down two blue-stemmed wineglasses and retrieved a mellow pinot grigio from the fridge, leaving her friend to pour while she darted back to her room and swapped the deceptively simple black dress for a dark denim skirt and turquoise peasant blouse.
She hurried back into the kitchen, the tile floor cool against the soles of her feet. “Better?” she demanded. “By which I mean, worse?”
Heather leaned back in her chair, considering. “The blouse is a great color for you and the skirt shows off legs honed by years of ballet. I think you’re just gonna have to accept that you’re gorgeous. You could try another outfit, but it’s not really the clothes. There’s something...” She stared hard at Tess’s face. “Who’s the mystery guy who put that sparkle in your eyes, the one you’re hoping to impress without being too obvious?”
“No guy!” Tess took the seat opposite her friend. “Well, technically, there is a guy, but not like you’re suggesting. I’m having dinner with Nick Calhoun to discuss a...project we’re working on.”
“Farrah Landon?”
Tess nearly spilled her wine. “How’d you know?” Nick was a private person. If he thought other people were gossiping about their arrangement...
“Lorel
ei mentioned it. But only because you and I are so close! The way she brought it up, I think she assumed you’d already told me. After all, I know firsthand what a matchmaker you are.”
“I didn’t do a thing to introduce you to Zane,” Tess said, temporarily diverted. “I didn’t have to—you were living right next door to him!”
“True, but you pushed me to give him a chance every darn time you talked to me.”
“And now you’re happily married.” Tess raised her glass in a salute to the happy couple. “I am great at figuring out who people belong with.”
“If you say so.”
Tess bristled. “When have I ever been wrong?”
“Maybe you’re not, but... Never mind. You’ve lived here your entire life, and it’s only been a year for me. I don’t know Farrah very well. I wouldn’t have an impression of her at all except that her youngest was in class with Josie at the beginning of the year. Then they hired that new teacher and shuffled some—”
“What is your impression? Of Farrah?”
Heather bit her lip. “She’s very flashy. Take that two-door sports car she drives. It’s sleek and sexy but when I see her in the carpool line, it just seems impractical. You should have seen her older daughter trying to climb out of the backseat with her science-fair project. Not that you have to drive a minivan to be a good mom! I don’t think she’s evil or anything.”
“It’s okay,” Tess said. “I asked for your opinion, remember?”
A moment later, Heather continued. “Her clothes are all name brand. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think she lives in the most expensive subdivision in town. Isn’t Nick more subdued? I guess I just have trouble imagining her being drawn to him. Seems like she’d be instinctively attracted to the ‘hot’ brother.”