“Listen to me, woman.” Kelly came and sat down next to Rhonda. “Just because you’re all married, pregnant, and happy doesn’t mean the rest of the world wants to hitch a ride. I’m content with my life. I don’t see the need in changing it right now. Sloan and I are just friends.”
“Fair enough.” Rhonda nodded sedately. “Brenda still isn’t married. Can I bring her over tomorrow and introduce Sloan?”
Kelly’s emerald eyes flashed furiously before she had a chance to stop them. Rhonda looked up at her friend and smiled.
“Maybe not.”
Kelly’s mouth snapped shut, and she groaned. “I don’t want to like him! You two don’t understand!” She threw up her hands in disgust.
“We understand perfectly, Kel.” Christine hugged her daughter tight. “But you need to realize that some things can’t be denied. And this one may be out of your hands.”
“Shit,” Kelly muttered and sat down.
George and Sloan walked back into the kitchen ten minutes later and sat down.
Kelly studied Sloan and told herself that friends were all they would ever be. But parts of her were wanting so much more. Unbidden, an image of her sitting on Sloan’s lap while his mouth and hands were on her made her stifle a groan.
She shifted in her chair and tried to smile. Sloan nodded and smiled at her, and she knew Mama was right.
He was attractive. That much was obvious. His chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes were unforgettable. But he was also the man who brought her home after her migraine and stayed to make sure she was okay. He was the man who helped her father on the farm today. And he was the man she couldn’t take her eyes off this evening.
Christine served dinner with Kelly’s help, and everyone said grace and ate heartily. When Christine brought out dessert, Rhonda grinned.
“You made cherry pie. My absolute favorite.”
“I made two.” She motioned to Sloan. “You haven’t seen this man eat dessert yet. You may want to give him a little room.”
Sloan grabbed his chest dramatically. “You wound me, Mrs. Marshall.” He brought his hand down and grinned at Rhonda. “But she’s right, you know.”
Christine handed George his plate, and he cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking, love.”
“Yes?” She turned around to look at her husband.
“Perhaps we can hire a couple of men to help around the farm. It’s about time I delegate a little of the work so you and I can take it a little easier. What do you think?”
Christine put down the pie and walked over to her husband. She kissed him squarely on the mouth and then grinned. “I think you are the smartest man I know.” Then she walked over to Sloan and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered against his ear.
Kelly watched the whole scene with amazement and felt a tear spring to her eye. She brushed it away and smiled at Sloan. And then she took his hand in hers under the table. He squeezed it gently and smiled.
Rhonda watched the scene and told herself that it was about time Kelly found someone who could appreciate her for who she was. And who she wasn’t.
* * * *
Everyone finished up dessert, and Rhonda stood and stretched. “I appreciate the invite, but I’ve got to be home by eight o’clock so I can catch Mark’s call.” She turned to Kelly and then Christine. She hugged both. “Thank you, Mrs. Marshall.”
George walked over to her and gave her a bear hug. “You need anyone to follow you home?”
Rhonda laughed. “Thanks for the offer, Mr. Marshall. But I’ll be fine.” She looked at Sloan. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Davenport. I have a few questions about a pen we’re thinking of building. Could you come outside for a minute, please?”
“No problem.” Sloan followed her out.
Kelly started to follow also, but Christine took her by the hand. “You can help me with dishes.”
“But, Mama…” Kelly motioned to outside. “That can’t be good.”
“Rhonda needs advice on a pen.”
“Bullshit,” Kelly said mildly.
“Kelly Marshall!” George’s voice boomed throughout the room.
Kelly winced. “Sorry, Daddy.” She turned to him. “I simply think that someone needs to be out there monitoring the conversation.”
“No.”
She blew out a breath. “Fine.”
George watched his daughter trail his wife into the kitchen and smiled to himself. Rhonda wouldn’t be the only one having a talk with Sloan this week.
* * * *
Rhonda and Sloan walked over to her car, and she turned to him. “Kelly is a good person.”
“Yes.” Sloan nodded.
“She needs someone who will stand up for her in her life. She hasn’t had a whole lot of that.”
“She’s rather overbearing.” Sloan’s lips twitched.
Rhonda nodded. “She’s had to be. It wasn’t easy for her growing up. I met her after high school. A lot of damage had been done by then. And she still has trust issues.”
Sloan thought back to several of their encounters and could only nod again. That would be putting it mildly.
“But she’s worth getting to know.” Rhonda looked into Sloan’s eyes. “That’s all I wanted to say.”
He nodded. “Duly noted.”
Rhonda climbed into her car and rolled down the window. “Don’t be a stranger, Mr. Davenport.” She rolled it back up and drove down the driveway toward the road.
Sloan stood there in the dying light and thought about Kelly Marshall. The woman he couldn’t stand the sight of not too long ago had suddenly made herself at home in his head. And it was still a feeling that didn’t sit comfortably with him.
He turned back around and walked toward the house. Rufus ambled up and stopped in front of him for a little attention. Sloan smiled and reached down and patted the old dog on his head. When he looked up, Kelly was watching him from the front porch. She smiled shyly, and he wanted so badly to touch her then that his hand was shaking.
Kelly stepped down off the porch and walked slowly toward him. She seemed to glow softly in the sunset, and Sloan held his breath as she moved closer. She was beautiful. The sun danced lightly off of her red hair and pale skin. It outlined her body in its rays and accented every curve.
Kelly stopped in front of him and tilted her head. Sloan opened his mouth to speak, and she placed her finger against his lips. When she removed it, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.
Her hands wound around his neck, and Sloan brought Kelly’s body gently to his. Her curves pressed closer, and Sloan groaned in pleasure. When Kelly traced his lips with her tongue, he slanted his mouth across hers and pleasured every inch of her mouth.
Sloan breathed in the scent of her and felt his body tighten again. So soft. So sweet. When Kelly finally stepped back, his breathing was ragged, and he fought for control.
Kelly’s eyes were dilated, and she brought a trembling hand to her mouth. Sloan started to speak, but Kelly shook her head and walked slowly back to the house. He watched her go and knew their relationship had fundamentally changed. And he didn’t know what to do about it.
Chapter 12
Kelly woke up Tuesday morning with a slight headache, and she groaned aloud. Her sleep had been marred with thoughts of Sloan. She thought that if she kissed him once, it would be enough. But the feeling of his mouth on hers and his hands on her body left her on the edge and wanting more than she was willing to give.
She struggled out of bed and immediately took a couple of pills for her head. She wouldn’t let the pain become out-of-control like before. Kelly would nip this one in the bud.
She dressed quickly in jeans and a T-shirt and walked downstairs. Sloan was already at the table, and she smiled at him before she sat down.
George and Christine were arguing over what to have for dinner, and Kelly shook her head. Every once in awhile, her parents would pick something trivial and try to get one over on the other. Her moth
er was winning so far, but George never gave up the fight.
“I want green beans, woman.”
“I’ll tell you what.” Christine slapped her hand down on the table. “You snap the little suckers, and you can have them. I have enough to do without that little extra chore.”
“And you think I don’t?” George’s voice was incredulous.
Sloan looked uneasily from one to the other. He glanced at Kelly, and she grinned. Just watch, she mouthed to him. He nodded and continued to watch the argument.
“I think that if you want them, you’ll work for them. Period.” Christine’s tone was final.
“I see.” George pushed his chair back and stood up from the table. He grabbed Christine and slung her over his shoulder with ease. “We have something to work out. You two go on about your business.” He nodded once and left the kitchen.
Sloan’s jaw had completely dropped. “Are they okay?”
Kelly burst out laughing. “They think they’re clever. Even after all these years.”
He looked puzzled.
“They would ‘fight’ and then reappear sometime around noon for lunch.”
“Oh.” Sloan nodded, and then grinned as he realized what was going on. “I see.”
Kelly looked at her watch. “I imagine they’ll be ironing it out for at least a couple of hours.”
Sloan winced before he could stop himself. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
She shook her head and grinned. “I hope I have that much energy when I’m their age.”
He tapped the table. “We have something to work out, too.”
All the blood rushed to Kelly’s face, and her heart began beating wildly. She worked to calm her voice.
“And what is that?”
“I need to work on your castle.”
“Ah.” The word held a wealth of disappointment in it.
Sloan stood up and offered Kelly his hand. “And I know just the spot.”
She stood slowly and placed her hand in his. He led her back up the stairs and into her room. Kelly watched uncertainly as he shut the door behind him and brought out a sketchbook.
“Now.” Sloan opened the cover and sat down in the rocking chair across from her bed. “Tell me about your castle.”
Kelly sank onto her bedspread and began plucking at the yellow cotton fabric. “What do you need to know?” She refused to meet his eyes.
Sloan studied her and then opened up his sketchbook. He sat back in the rocker and closed his eyes. The book lay loosely in his lap. “When I close my eyes and see a castle, I see something out of a Disney movie. I want yours to be more original. And I need your help.”
She sighed softly and propped herself against her bed’s backboard. “I’ve forgotten some of my girlhood dreams.” Kelly looked at him apologetically. “You might be better off taking something out of your own head.”
He shook his head and pinned Kelly with his hazel stare. “Doubtful. My dream building would look something like Lowe’s or Home Depot. I doubt your fans would be impressed.”
A smile flirted around the edge of Kelly’s mouth. “You could be right. Duct tape doesn’t scream romance.”
“It might.” Sloan’s eyes twinkled.
Kelly threw up her hands and laughed. “You win!” She sighed again and closed her eyes. “My castle had a barn, of course.” She tapped her finger against her leg. “And there were three stories. Beautiful portraits of flowers and women in gardens. Candles of every description lined the walls. The floor was oak.”
She opened her eyes and peered over at Sloan. He watched her intently. Kelly blushed and motioned to the sketchbook. “Are you going to use that thing?”
“Yes.” His voice was low and distracted. Sloan waved his pencil around. “Continue.”
Kelly closed her eyes again, and Sloan watched the little girl inside the woman come alive.
“The stairs were marble and wound through each floor to the top. Polished wooden tables in the foyer held roses and irises. And there was a beautiful glass ceiling at the very top. The sun would shine down on the middle of the first floor and illuminate it.” She paused for a second and then continued.
“I would dance there. The sun would warm me, and I would twirl to the music coming from the ballroom. An orchestra would play softly. And then I would dance with my husband.”
Sloan sat up in his chair and didn’t move a muscle. Even Kelly’s voice sounded different. She sounded younger. Carefree.
“He was handsome, of course.” Kelly grinned with her eyes still closed. “And intelligent. He made me laugh. And he always brought me fresh flowers. A kind man who cared for others and helped everyone.”
“A paragon,” Sloan mumbled.
Kelly’s eyes snapped open. She smiled kindly at Sloan. “Of course. A girl’s heart doesn’t know the pain of a woman’s. It’s a gift we don’t realize we have until it’s taken.” She closed her eyes again and continued.
Sloan watched and listened as Kelly’s girlhood dreams unfolded before him, and he sketched page after page. She was certain of what she wanted back when she was a girl. And her specifics were just what he needed to complete the project.
Christine brought lunch on a tray around one o’clock and left silently. They ate and went right back to Kelly’s castle. She seemed to enjoy opening up and sharing parts of herself that Sloan would never have dared dream. And he absorbed every word into himself.
When Kelly finally stopped, it was dark outside. Sloan’s hand was cramping, but he hadn’t noticed until it was silent in the room. Kelly’s emerald stare met his. And her eyes were vulnerable. For the first time since they had met, Sloan felt his heart lurch painfully at the look.
She wasn’t Felicia Hawthorne in this room. In this house. She was Kelly Marshall. And she did things to Sloan that he couldn’t explain away.
He cleared his throat and sat forward in the rocker. The sketchpad lay loosely across his knees. “Quite a castle you had.”
Kelly smiled slowly. “Yes. Do you think you’ll be able to use the sketches?”
Sloan handed the sketchbook to Kelly and sat back as she thumbed through them. Her fingers traced some of the pictures, and she smiled. When she handed the book back, her eyes were dancing.
“You’re quite a good listener.”
“And you’re quite a storyteller.” Sloan shut the sketchbook and placed it on the dresser beside him. He leaned forward and held Kelly’s hands in his. “Thank you.”
She blushed at his words and tried to find something to say. But no words would come. Sloan studied her intently, and she lowered her face.
He leaned forward slowly. And then there was a knock at the door. Sloan shifted quickly and sat back. Kelly jumped back and stood up. She opened the door and smiled at her mother.
“Time for dinner, you two.”
Kelly left the door open for Sloan and watched as he walked leisurely to his room. Her mouth ran dry at the sight of him, and she told herself it was no good to want something that would never fit into her life.
* * * *
Kelly woke up Wednesday morning and told herself that she only had a couple more days here at the farm with Sloan. Her parents liked him. She liked him. And wasn’t that the biggest problem of all?
She shuffled down to breakfast and was surprised to see only Sloan sitting there.
“Where are my folks?”
“They took off this morning right after they woke up. Didn’t say a word. Just waved and left.”
Kelly frowned. It didn’t sound like her parents at all. She sat down at the table and looked across at Sloan. He was studying her intently.
“Any ideas?” he asked.
“Couldn’t tell you.” She picked at her eggs on her plate and looked up at him. “I have to pick up some things in town. Would you like to go with me?”
“Sure.” A slow, easy smile spread across Sloan’s face. “I’d love to go. Give me about ten minutes.” He pushed back from the table and hurried up th
e stairs.
Kelly mentally kicked herself. Twice. She had invited Sloan to town with her. She had obviously lost her mind. Somewhere along the way, she had started to feel responsible for him. Leaving him at the house by himself didn’t sit well with her.
True to his word, Sloan was downstairs and ready within ten minutes. Kelly smiled and dangled the keys. “You have anything you need?”
“Nope.”
She nodded, and they left the house. Rufus barked enthusiastically at both of them. Sloan reached down to pet him before stepping up into the old red farm truck. The rumbling engine sprang to life, and Kelly automatically reached for the radio.
Country tunes wafted throughout the cab, and she hummed along under her breath. Sloan slanted a look at her out of the corner of his eyes. Kelly was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt once again. Even the simple country clothes looked good on her.
He watched each mile marker in silence and began to notice something. The closer they drove to town, the quieter Kelly became. She turned the radio up, but she had quit humming. And her hands clenched the steering wheel.
They pulled onto Main Street and parked on the sidewalk. Kelly smiled briefly, but Sloan could see that she was anything but happy.
“Kelly…” he began.
“We’re here!” she said cheerfully. Kelly hurriedly hopped out and slammed the truck door. She waited for Sloan to join her on the sidewalk.
“Do you have a list?” Sloan’s voice was low.
“Yes.” Kelly dug one out of her purse and held it up. “There are a few things I can only get here. California doesn’t seem to have a high demand for these.” She waved the list in front of him and tried to smile.
“Kel…” Sloan began.
“Kelly Marshall! As I live and breathe! What are you doing home?” A tall blonde with a baby in a stroller walked over to her. She bent down and hugged Kelly. When she stepped back, Kelly grinned.
She turned to Sloan. “Sloan. This is Trish Yates. She and I did all the leads in the plays around here.” She turned around and bent down. “And who is this?” Kelly’s hands touched the baby’s head softly.
“Heath David.” Trish grinned. “He’s six months old.”
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