“Sounds perfect.” After that information overload, Cassidy wanted comfort food and then a nap.
He held out the crook his arm and she was so touched by the gesture that she stopped walking for a moment. She looped her arm around his. How long had it been since she’d walked down the street like this with a man? Forever. Part of a pair. Coupled. And this time, with the father of her baby. She was already deeply drawn to Brandon, but their connection made it all the more powerful.
An hour and a half later they’d finished lunch, Cassidy with a happy belly full of a healthful green salad with pregnancy-cleared dressing and a scrumptious twice-baked potato with extra sour cream. She’d been unable to resist trying one of Brandon’s onion rings, and she wasn’t surprised that he was a sharer.
Close to two, they arrived at their bed-and-breakfast, a charming Victorian just a couple of blocks off the main street but tucked away in its own private circle of huge trees. Following her into the inn, Brandon had his duffel slung over his shoulder and Cassidy’s small, wheeled suitcase.
She headed for the front desk and the smiling woman behind it, who introduced herself as the proprietor, Amy Peterman. Cassidy gave their names.
Amy typed at the tablet in front of her. “There’s a reservation for one room for Brandon Taylor. I don’t see a reservation for a Cassidy Ware, and I’m very sorry, but we’re fully booked.”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Brandon. Had he only booked one room when she’d made a point of saying she wanted her own?
He stepped up to the desk. “When I called two days ago to make the reservations, I asked for two rooms and was told I was all set.”
The woman frowned. “By any chance, did the person you spoke to sound like a bored teenage girl?”
Brandon raised an eyebrow. “You know, now that you mention it, kind of.”
“Sarah Peterman!” the woman called toward a room behind the desk. “Come out here.”
A girl around sixteen came out. “Oh my God, what did I do now, Mom?”
Amy had her hands on her hips. “Two days ago, when I asked you to cover the phone for me for a half hour, did you take a reservation for two people, Brandon Taylor and Cassidy Ware, and then only enter one reservation?”
The girl tilted her head. “I do remember the name Cassidy. The new girl at school is named Cassidy. I like it.”
Her mother stared at her. “You entered only one reservation for one of them.”
The girl grimaced. “Sorry. I waited to enter the reservations until after I disconnected because I hate having to hold the phone against my ear while I type, but then the phone rang again and I got distracted. I’m really sorry.”
Amy sighed. “And I’m really sorry,” she said, turning back to Cassidy and Brandon. “We do only have the one room. The good news is that it’s one of our largest and has a king-size bed.”
Now it was Cassidy’s turn to sigh. To Brandon, she said, “Ever see that old movie with Clark Gable and Carol Lombard when they hang a sheet between their sides of the bed? That’ll be us.”
“You take the room,” he said. “I’ll find a room somewhere else. You go relax, and I’ll be back in a jiff.”
The proprietor shook her head. “Oh, you won’t find a room in Lewistown this week. Three conventions in town. Everyone’s thrilled to be booked solid.”
“It’s okay, Brandon,” Cassidy said, maybe a little glad that they were forced to share a room. Maybe some intimacy—of the close proximity kind—would work a little magic on him.
Amy showed them to their room, insisting that her daughter, Sarah, be the porter. The girl scowled but complied, carrying their bags ahead of them up the short flight of steps to the second floor.
The room was lovely. Big and airy, with a sliding-glass door that led to a balcony holding a small café table and two chairs. Soothing pale blue walls with watercolors of the mountains and a couple of Montana landmarks. A huge, white-wood four-poster with a soft down comforter and a ton of pillows. A side table holding a welcome basket and bottles of water.
When the proprietor and her daughter left, Cassidy kicked off her boots and tried the bed, the pillows so cuddly.
“Ah, heaven,” she said. She was about ready for that nap.
“Mind if I try?” he asked.
“Go right ahead.”
She was never so aware of anything as when Brandon lay beside her, both of them looking up at the beamed ceiling.
“Very comfortable,” he said, turning his head toward her. He was so tall and strong and...sexy.
Do not look at him or you will want to kiss him, she ordered herself.
“So, what’s on the agenda for the rest of the day and night?” he asked.
“Definitely a short nap in this amazing bed,” she said. “Then maybe we could go exploring. I haven’t spent much time in Lewistown.”
“Sounds like a plan. You nap and I’ll read the longest class syllabus I’ve ever seen. I want to be prepared for tomorrow so I’m not scared out of my mind.”
She laughed. “Were you overwhelmed today?”
“Maybe just a little. Or a lot.”
“I was, too,” she admitted. “But now that I’m here, on this insane bed with this amazing down comforter, all the info is gelling and clicking instead of stacking.”
“Maybe that’ll happen for me if I close my eyes.” He did, and she smiled. “Nope, just stacks upon stacks of information about bottle nipples and diaper sizing.”
He turned onto his side, propped himself up on his elbow and faced her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
She froze, almost afraid of his touch, of wanting him so bad she might grab him and pull him to her.
“I’m glad we’re here,” she whispered.
He reached for her hand and found it and held it, the warmth so comforting that she relaxed and felt herself drifting off.
When her eyes opened, the room was dimly lit, and Brandon was sitting in the club chair at the desk, reading the class syllabus. She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. She’d been sleeping for almost an hour. Had he been reading this whole time? She smiled at the thought.
“Give me ten minutes to make myself presentable, and we’ll go explore,” she said.
He turned with that smile that always went straight to her heart. “I told you in the stables, Cassidy. You always look beautiful.”
Aw, God. Stop making yourself so necessary to me, she wanted to say, But she was tongue-tied. She slipped out of bed and rummaged in her suitcase for jeans and a sweater and her toiletry bag, then headed into the bathroom, which was practically the size of her apartment’s bedroom. Every amenity was on the counter or bolted into the wall. And two fluffy white spa robes hung on the back of the door. Oh yeah, she would definitely be wearing one of those later.
She washed her face with the delicious-smelling soap, patted her face dry with a soft, thick towel, then put on a little makeup, brushed her hair, and changed into the fresh clothes. Ah, she felt so good now.
When she came out, Brandon was sitting on the edge of the bed with a very large plastic shopping bag with BH Couture written across it. Only the most exclusive, expensive clothing boutique in Bronco Heights.
“Bought yourself a pair of jeans?” she teased. “No, socks. For a hundred bucks.”
“Actually, this is for you,” he said, standing and holding out the bag.
“For me?”
She took the bag over to the bed, set it down, and opened it up—and gasped. She pulled out The Coat. The long red wool coat that she’d fallen in love with in the window of BH Couture but would never in a million years be able to afford.
“Brandon.” That was all she could manage to say.
“I happened to pass the boutique and notice this coat. It looked just like you described it the other day, so I went in and asked the
saleswoman if she happened to notice anyone stopping to ogle this coat. She said that Cassidy Ware stops in front of the window almost every day and stares at it with a dreamy expression, but never comes in.”
Um, a little embarrassing. “Who noticed me?”
“Sofia Sanchez,” Brandon said. “My new sister-in-law’s sister.”
You mean your ex-girlfriend. She knew the two had dated, but she really didn’t know if they’d been serious or not. Then again, did Brandon get serious about any woman?
“Brandon, you can’t go around buying me expensive coats.”
“Why not?”
She knew how much this coat cost. A lot of smoothies and lattes. Months’ worth. “Because it’s not a normal gift. And there’s no gift required. It’s not my birthday.”
“I just wanted to do something nice for you, Cassidy. Besides, the weather’s turned a bit. It’s fifty-five degrees. Now you’ll be warm enough.”
She bit her lip and stared at the gorgeous coat, such a perfect shade of deep red, such fine wool. She loved it so much.
“At least try it on,” he said.
She did. And once it was on, she was never, ever taking it off. She went to the ornate wrought-iron floor-length mirror attached to the wall and buttoned it, then tied the belt around her waist. “I love it to pieces.”
He smiled, and she walked over to where he stood by the bed. She lifted her face to kiss him on the cheek but he turned at that exact moment and their lips met instead.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I feel a little bit like Cinderella right now. But I’ll tell you, Brandon Taylor, I’m my own fairy godmother. You hear me? I don’t need a prince. I love this coat and I’m sleeping it in, but no more gifts, okay?”
“Okay,” he said, leaning forward and capturing her mouth in another kiss. Her knees went slightly weak and she was so intoxicated by him that she didn’t pull away.
“None of that, either,” she said, stepping back.
He didn’t respond, just smiled, and she knew she was in big trouble here. She loved this room. She loved her coat. She loved him.
I love you, Brandon Taylor.
There it was. The truth. And once Cassidy admitted something to herself, she was stuck with it. There was no going back from this. That meant she had her work cut out for her.
* * *
After walking around Lewistown, window-shopping and going in and out of shops, Cassidy looking so beautiful in her red coat, they decided to bring takeout back to the inn and call it a day.
Brandon had heard raves about a Mexican restaurant named Manuel’s, so they picked up burritos, chips and salsa, and walked back to the Blossom Bed and Breakfast, where teenage Sarah was behind the desk, typing away at her own phone instead of answering the ringing inn phone. Her mother came out from the back room, muttering her daughter’s name.
Brandon chuckled as they took the stairs. “When our daughter is a teenager, she’ll answer the phone.” He fit the old-fashioned key into their room door. “She’ll be one of those perfect teenagers who’s never sullen, always smiles, does her homework, doesn’t date till she’s twenty-one.”
Cassidy laughed. “Honestly, I can’t imagine the baby any older than six months. Past that is too scary. Teething? Walking? It’s all too much!”
Once inside, Brandon took off his leather jacket and hung it up, but Cassidy wrapped her arms around herself.
“If I wasn’t so nervous about black beans and salsa falling out of my burrito and onto my coat, I’d keep it on while we eat. But I can’t risk it.” She took it off. “Bye, my beauty.”
He smiled as she hung up her coat beside his. He loved how happy the coat made her. “A bit too cold to eat on the balcony,” he said, setting their food and their drinks on the small table by the window.
They sat and dug in, both agreeing that Manuel’s was delicious. Even the tortilla chips were unusually good, light and crisp with a hint of lime.
Cassidy took another bite of her veggie burrito then a sip of her water. “So, after everything we learned today at class, I think we should talk about how we see things working when the baby comes. I mean, since we’re not getting married.”
“Or we could just get married,” he said, swiping a chip through the excellent salsa.
She moved her burrito from in front of her face to stare at him, a slight frown on her beautiful forehead. “We can’t. I told you, I’m holding out for true love, Brandon.”
His stomach churned. True love. Come on. Hadn’t she been through enough herself? Maybe she hadn’t. “Are you telling me that after your own failed romances, you still believe in love?”
Cassidy nodded. “I learned something from those failed romances. So, yes.”
“Like what?”
She sipped her water, then set down the bottle. “Well, with my most serious relationship, I learned that I give it all I have until I know it’s hopeless. That’s both good and bad. I fell hard for a guy who really couldn’t love. I didn’t understand that at first, though. I thought he was just not demonstrative. I overlooked a lot because I thought he was a very busy ER doctor, dedicated to his work.”
“So you understand, then. I mean I’m sorry you had to go through that, but you understand why I stay uninvolved from the start. That way, no one gets hurt.”
“There’s a big difference between Dr. Dead Inside and you, Brandon Taylor. He was a true cold fish. You’re the opposite of that. You’re warm and kind and thoughtful. He never would have brought me soup or remembered my mentioning a coat I loved in a shop window.”
“I don’t have to be dead inside to know relationships never work out.” He took another bite of his burrito, thinking of how to change the subject without her noticing. “Did you know that by the end of the first month of pregnancy, babies are a quarter inch long? So tiny!”
Yeah, nothing obvious about that change of subject.
She was staring at him, but didn’t respond.
“I brought my fatherhood book with me and was reading while you were napping earlier,” he explained. “I like knowing what’s going on in there,” he added, gesturing at her stomach. “I highlighted a few areas I wanted to ask the Woodsleys about tomorrow.”
She put down her burrito and cleared her throat, then her gaze was back on him. Intensely. “The other day, you asked me what I needed, Brandon. Remember that?”
He sat back in his chair, slightly worried where this was going. “I remember.”
“Do you want to know? Really want to know? Because I know the answer now.”
Oh hell. What if what she wanted wasn’t what he wanted? What if the one thing she wanted was the one thing he couldn’t give her? Even with all his money.
But he couldn’t deny that he did want to know. He wanted to know everything about Cassidy Ware, even the harder-to-deal-with stuff. “Yes, tell me. I don’t want secrets between us. Everything should be out in the open.”
“Good. It means a lot that you feel that way. So here it is—what I need. A real relationship with you. I want you to try. We’re going to have a baby, so we’re going to be in each other’s lives forever. I have feelings for you and I know you have feelings for me. So let’s see where we can take this. You want to get married without love for the sake of the baby? Let’s try a real relationship for the sake of the baby. There, I said it.” She let out a breath. “And trust me, that wasn’t easy, given your stance.”
Brandon shook his head and stood, his stomach really twisting now. “I’m not willing to destroy things between us, Cassidy. Our relationship—as our baby’s parents—is too important. My own parents aside, I had some friends growing up with divorced parents who hated each other’s guts and used their kids as pawns. I’m not going there, Cassidy.”
“So you can’t even imagine that we’ll work out? That we’ll be one of those elderly couples on a porch, shari
ng a glass of sweet tea and waiting for our great-grandkids to come over?”
“Statistics say we have a fifty-fifty shot,” he reminded her. “Those are crap odds. You want to risk us hating each other when we have a child to raise? I don’t want to make trouble for my kid. I don’t want strife in my own house. There’s enough of that in the world.”
She looked so frustrated that he told himself to shut up and sit down.
“How do I fight this?” she asked, her voice cracking. “How do I get you to see that some risks are worth it when everything you’re saying isn’t wrong?” Tears shone in her eyes and she shook her head, turning away from him.
He knelt in front of her and took her hands. “Cassidy, are you kidding me? Being here with you is a risk. Seeing you every day is a risk. I’ve never cared about anyone the way I care about you.”
She swiveled and looked at him.
“There, I said it,” he added with a gentle smile. “And trust me, that wasn’t easy, given my stance.”
His stealing her line got a small smile out of her. She squeezed his hand back, a good sign.
“What if we try,” she said, “and at the first sign that we’re not meant to be, we agree to our old high school bet—to go our separate ways forever, romantically speaking. I think we’ll know pretty fast if we’re not a real match, Brandon. Right now, we’ve got something really huge in common and it’s running the show in terms of a relationship. So let’s find out if we have the fundamentals in common. Let’s find out if we can really talk to each other. Let’s find out if we’re good together.”
Something inside his chest untwisted and twisted, untwisted and twisted. “Damn it, Cassidy. Stop making it impossible for me to tell you no.”
“If you want to give me what I need, this is what I need. Your willingness to try us out.”
He stood and reached out a hand, and she looked at him with so much hope in her eyes. She stood, too, and he pulled her against him, holding her close. “Okay,” he finally said.
But now his chest was tightening in on itself. Squeezing. This was a mistake, he knew. They were headed for heartache and everything was going to fall apart. He was going to disappoint her and then his doomsday predictions for joint custody would come to fruition.
The Most Eligible Cowboy Page 13