Lacy shook her head. "I did see her once, in my back yard. She jumped up and ran away. It's very strange. A friend claims it’s a good luck cat. But I don’t know about that."
"I think she's a good luck cat, too. I feel lucky every time I see her," Sofia claimed.
Lacy had to agree. Maybe she was lucky because Holt and Sofia had come into her life. Sofia started playing with some pebbles in a bowl, colored stones Lacy'd found when she hiked near the copper mine site.
"How was Sofia's first week in her new home?" She asked Holt. "And how are things going with Mrs. Carson?"
Holt seemed eager to talk. "That lady is fantastic with kids. One day Sofia tried to use her clavicle injury as an excuse not to go to Mrs. Carson’s. She wanted me to stay home with her and play. I suppose it's natural for a kid. I told her I had to work. Later, she asked Mrs. Carson to call me to say that she was having a bad day and would I please come get her?" He shook his head. "So, I stopped by for a visit, with some ice cream and when I left, she and Mrs. Carson were busy making ice cream sandwiches with graham crackers. Sofia was happy as a clam. Later they did some art project and gave me several drawings to hang in my office."
"I'm glad it's working out, Holt."
"You were right about Mrs. C. She's excellent. Thanks for recommending her."
Lacy felt herself relax. Being alone with Holt and his darling daughter made her realize just how much she had missed having others in her life. And how strongly she reacted to this man with the big hands and heart.
"Can we roast marshmallows now, Daddy?"
Holt took charge of the event. He roasted, or flamed them, then handed them off to Lacy, who put them on a little plate for Sofia. "Be careful, now. They're hot."
"I hope we haven't intruded too much on your evening, Your Honor."
"I'm really glad you came." The fire was dying down, crackling in a soft, romantic way.
"If it'll make you feel any better, this whole thing was Sofia’s idea. She wanted to come see you. ‘Course, she didn’t have to persuade me."
"It's been a traumatic week for her. Moving to a new home. Plus breaking her clavicle all in one day isn't easy for a six- year-old." Lacy glanced at the little girl lining up the rocks on the floor. "She's a delight."
"In your blessed company—"
"I’m surprised you wanted to come spend any more time with me."
"Why do you say that?"
"After seeing me all this week. And the conflicts at work."
"Those weren't conflicts, just business differences. Besides, that’s work. Completely different. This is where I want to be, or I wouldn’t bother."
Lacy nodded silently, feeling the attraction to Holt as strongly as she felt the heat from the fire.
During the evening, Lacy felt more at ease with Holt. She admitted she'd had fun. Sofia seemed to enjoy herself, even without toys.
"Is this gold?" Sofia held up a shiny rock.
"That's mica, fool's gold," Holt said. "Hey Princess, it's time to go home." He grabbed Sofia and swung her up in his arms. She squealed with delight.
Lacy felt a pang of regret that the evening was soon to end. Sofia begged to stay longer and threw her arms around Lacy in a big bear hug.
Lacy walked them to the door. "I'm glad you two came, Holt. You're a credible grill chef. If the historical district doesn't keep you busy enough, maybe you can hire on as chef in the restaurant."
He frowned. "Are you trying to tell me something? Is the historic renovation plan going sour?"
"No. Not at all. It’s all going to work out. You said so, yourself."
He looked at her closely. "Of course, you have a strategy, don't you Lacy?"
She shook her head. "I'm through with strategies. This evening was totally unexpected, and I enjoyed it very much." She certainly hadn't planned on her emotions rushing to embrace him and his little girl.
"Come back and see me, Sofia." Lacy kissed Sofia’s cheek. "For another rain check."
"I will." She tugged her dad’s sleeve. "Aren’t you going to kiss her goodnight, Daddy?"
"Like this?" Before Lacy had time to think, he pressed his lips against hers. "Thanks for a great picnic, Lacy."
"That was just a little kiss, Daddy."
"I can do better." He kissed Lacy again, bending her backward and holding her substantially against him.
Sofia cheered and clapped loudly.
When Holt released her, Lacy stood spellbound, arms limp by her sides, her face upturned to him, enjoying the intoxicating drink of his kiss. "Oh my, this was definitely not in the plan."
"Some things are better that way."
"You know how I feel about this."
Sofia's shrill voice interrupted. "Are you two finished?"
Holt stepped back and mumbled in a low voice. "Yes, honey. Are we ready to go?"
"I've already said good-night," she said, yawning.
Holt wrapped Sofia in the blanket and lifted her into the wagon. Then he turned to Lacy as he slid one arm into his black jacket. His words were intended only for her. "I'll admit to using her to get to you, Lacy. It was my strategy for spending a winning evening with you. Clever, huh? Next time though, I hope we can be alone."
She opened her mouth, then closed it into a tight little grin. "Your strategy, Holt?"
He touched her lower lip, running his finger lightly along it. "Don't say anything. It worked for both of us, didn't it?"
She nodded. "You're devious."
"No. I'm honest."
"Daadee...." Sofia whined.
"See you. I have a big day with my Kiwanis crew tomorrow."
"I may stop by to see how things are going."
"Please do, Your Honor. We'd love to have you join our cleanup crew. Hope this rain lets up." Holt effortlessly lifted the entire wagon off the porch and, hunching his square shoulders against the drizzle, pulled the wagon with its precious cargo down the street.
Lacy watched them disappear. She was overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness and being left behind. Suddenly, she wanted to go with them, out into the rainy night, slowly walking home. . . to his home.
She closed the door. What was wrong with her, anyway? This man was a city employee, and she had rules about this sort of activity. Plus, she had her own private set of rules, and they didn't include becoming involved with a man who had a child who needed a mo—
She stepped back inside. Don't say it! Don't even think it! You can't! Don’t ruin this happy little family! They’re definitely better off without you.
Lacy sank into a chair. The government reports she'd been reading were scattered. The tea she'd prepared was now cold and forgotten. Her evening had been occupied with Holt and his daughter—completely and fully.
She realized all too clearly that Holt made her feel as no other man had in years. Simply happy. But she couldn't make him happy in the end. She knew that, so she'd better stop it now before things went further than a kiss that left them both shaken.
The next day dawned sunny with clear skies for the cleanup crew. Holt supervised thirty enthusiastic Kiwanis members in a demolition of the old, dilapidated parts of the Sonoran adobe building. Sometime around mid-afternoon, Lacy made a quick stop that included a brief thumbs-up appreciation speech to everyone there.
As he watched and listened to her, Holt admired the spitfire redhead who had captured his waking hours and now had started to haunt his nights.
Amazingly, Lacy had enticed these men, and a few women, into spending their day off working hard for their town, promising it would come back to them tenfold if Silver Creek made it. She was a damn good politician. Good for Silver Creek. And good for him and Sofia, whether she believed it or not.
Holt spent the afternoon thinking of her, knowing he had to do something about their stalemate. But what? One evening of hamburgers with his darling daughter in the mix wouldn't do it. He'd have to think of something else.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"I can’t believe everyone got so much done in one weekend."
Lacy preceded Holt into the echoingly empty adobe building. She had requested a Monday morning walk-through so she could evaluate the quality of work done by her experimental system of volunteers.
Holt moved into step with her, his leather boots clumping on the bare concrete floors. "I'll admit I had reservations about this, but the group on Saturday was terrific. They came here to work, and they did. Several even came back on Sunday with their pickup trucks, and hauled away loads of trash."
"I didn't mean to saddle you with a bunch of novices, but I knew we couldn't afford to hire a crew for you right now. And when the Kiwanis group asked what they could do to help, I said you needed workers."
"It was a good idea, Mayor." He stepped over a small pile of wood and plaster scraps. "As you can see, I still have some cleanup work. A good bit of the interior mess appeared to be caused by people who used the empty building as a shelter over the years."
"You mean vagrants?" Lacy looked shocked. "I'm not aware of any homeless people around here."
"We figured somebody had used it only occasionally, not all the time. There was even a fire pit in the corner of one of the back rooms."
"They started a fire on the floor?" She was quite alarmed by that news.
"It would be too obvious to use the fireplace and have the smoke go up the chimney. Parts of the ceiling and roof are missing in that room, so I'm sure they found it easier to conceal the smoke by letting it drift out. It wasn't a very big fire area."
"But there's the potential for a destructive fire in the building if vagrants use it that way. We simply can't have that. Show me where it is."
"Actually, it was pretty safe since the floor's concrete." Holt led the way to the back room, where all that remained was a blackened spot on the concrete floor. "It's been cleaned up. There were a couple of old mattresses and junk." He walked to the far corner and inspected the ceiling. "Now that I'm working here daily, I can keep a close eye on the place, and before long, we'll be able to secure the building."
Lacy stared at the charred floor with a frustrated sigh. She peered out the nearby open window frames. "It'd be easy for someone to get in, wouldn't it? I'll speak to Sheriff Meyer about this. Maybe he can patrol it more often."
"Right. But I don't think they'll return now that we've intruded on their territory and cleaned them out. Getting that job done Saturday allows me to move forward with my schedule, Lacy. It's slower than if I had a regular crew, but we're progressing, just the same. By next week, I'll be ready to start on the exterior and roof repair."
"This makes the possibility seem like a reality to me." Lacy turned in a circle in the middle of the room, delighted with what she saw.
"The fact that the building has been used at various points in time has kept it in better condition than most hundred-year-old buildings." He propped his hands on his hips and looked around the room. "Oh, yes. It's possible. Lacy, if you get this thrilled when we merely clean it out, you're going to love the finished product."
She clasped her hands and smiled at him. "I knew you could do this, Holt. I just knew it!"
He walked around, talking. "I'll repair the roof first. It'll require pipes projecting from the parapets to drain rainwater from the finished roof and keep the ceiling from leaking."
"Then you’ll move your work to the inside?"
"The first interior job will be to shore up the walls. Then I'll fit the doors and windows with heavy wooden frames."
"This old mud adobe crumbles over the years, doesn't it?" She ran her hand along one wall, and grit fell to the floor.
He nodded. "I'll probably use concrete plaster, even though it isn't as authentic as mud plaster, because of the economic value. Otherwise, it would have to be plastered every few years, especially with our heavy monsoon rains in the summer."
"Right." She looked down, thinking he looked like a dynamo today, talking with great enthusiasm about his work this way, as if it were the only thing on his mind.
Suddenly he turned away from her and rocked back on his heels. "Lacy, this isn't working."
"What are you talking about, Holt?" She looked around at him. "What is it?"
He turned to her and, without another word, only a certain desperate look in his eyes, took her in his arms. "This...." he whispered. "Working together but staying apart is hell." Then he kissed her, long and hard. When he lifted his head, his voice was low and intense. "Your rule about not dating employees is ridiculous. How often do these feelings come around? We have to do something about changing our circumstances."
Her hands rested on his chest, and she felt the heart- pounding warmth of his body. How often, indeed? "So what are you saying?" She held her breath. Surely he wouldn't quit to create the change?
"Go away with me," he whispered urgently. "This weekend. We'll go to Antonia in the mountains, stay in the lodge. Don't tell anyone where you're going. No one will need to know we're together. It'll be a hideaway. And give us a chance to know each other, to take it slow and see if something develops."
"Holt, we hardly know each other. We haven't even had a real date. And you want me to spend the weekend with you?" She tried to step back but he held her close.
"We don't have to sleep together. Just be together."
She sighed. "I don't know. . ."
"Why not? We know each other on the surface, and that's a positive. We're together all the time. I see you every day. And I'm going crazy keeping my distance and acting like we're casual acquaintances."
"In a way, we are."
"No, we aren't. Besides, it isn't enough for me. Lacy..." He sighed and aligned her thighs with his. "Come with me. Give us a chance. Sofia is always with me. And your job is impossible, as needy as a child. It monopolizes all of your time and attention. As long as we stay here, there'll be no privacy."
"Holt, you're fantasizing. I'm a very practical person. Workplace romances never work."
"That's your opinion, not necessarily fact. But all the more reason that we need to get away from all this reality. To give our relationship a chance."
"But, Holt—"
"Lacy, forget you're mayor for the weekend. I'll forget I'm a very responsible father."
"What'll you do about Sofia?"
"I'll get Mrs. Carson to stay with her. It'll be a mini-vacation that we both need. And maybe… just maybe something nice will result."
"You're very convincing, Holt." Lacy's head was spinning, and she couldn't believe that she was actually considering his scheme. Maybe that's why it appealed to her. It was an unconventional thing for her to do. Everyone in town knew about her affair with Colin, which was another reason she didn't want to be thought a fool for men. But this little adventure with Holt sounded daring and exciting.
"Say yes, Lacy." His lips teased hers with little kisses.
"Oh, Holt, I don't know."
"What if. . . we called it a business trip? Antonia, like Silver Creek, has renovated some of its historic old buildings. I'd like to see what they've done to turn their town around. Wouldn't you?"
This approach got her interest and she turned her head slightly, thinking about the possibility.
"Just the two of us. And we'll return with valuable information that might just save Silver Creek."
"Well... maybe." She could feel herself weakening. "I can't believe I'm thinking this."
"Is that a yes?"
"Holt. . . I think. . . " Her voice was barely audible.
"Say yes Lacy..." His lips closed tightly over hers, and his all- encompassing kiss left no doubt about his desires.
As she responded to the warmth he exuded, Lacy felt those same desires for him. And it felt fabulous. "Yessss."
The following Saturday dawned crisp and blue- skied. Lacy didn't remember the colors ever being so brilliant. The mountains behind Silver Creek were painted with a dozen shades of gold, interspersed with deep green from the pines and crimson from the oaks. Autumn was definitely in the air.
Was she actually in Holt Henderson's Jeep, zip
ping out of town with him in the early daylight hours? Leaving everything behind. It was unlike her, this spontaneous decision to leave her responsibilities and personal obligations behind. But she had done it. Only Mrs. Carson knew where they were going and how to get in touch.
Lacy glanced at Holt beside her. He looked so self- assured, as if he definitely belonged here, driving the Jeep, taking her away. Maybe it was the right decision. She felt too good for it to be wrong.
Her gaze traveled over his sexy, masculine body. From his broad shoulders, his muscular arms and sturdy hands, to his legs, stretched out long and firm – oh my God – she wanted to touch him.
Only now, as they whizzed through the golden autumn landscape to an unknown experience in the White Mountains, would she let herself appreciate and enjoy his maleness. After her divorce and that embarrassingly brief affair with Colin, she had closed men out of her life. It was easy to do in Silver Creek, since opportunities were slim in this female-dominated town. But she also knew that it had been too long. Far too long.
She leaned back and heaved a shaky little sigh in an attempt to relax.
He gave her a brief glance with an encouraging smile.
She tried to return the smile, but her apprehension got in the way. Her gaze settled on his hands: capable, wide-fingered, hard-working hands. She reached out and softly touched the one nearest her.
"It feels good, doesn't it, Lacy, to leave it all behind?"
"Yes." She let her hand trail his arm, then drop to the compartment between them. "It's beautiful up here, especially this time of year."
"You've been here before?"
Under The Desert Sky (Desert Sky Series) Page 9