“You’ll be the first one I tell.” He leaned in. His kiss was filled with love and anguish.
As she clung to him, she memorized the velvet touch of his mouth and the passionate thrust of his tongue. She didn’t know how soon she’d be back in his arms, but the wait was guaranteed to be tough. And much too long.
* * *
AS THE DAYS went by, Lexi saw Cade whenever she went out to the ranch, but he made sure they were never alone. She sat through a farewell dinner for Finn and Damon without exchanging a single private word with Cade. She had a feeling he’d told everyone about his decision because no one asked questions.
While she didn’t want to imagine what that discussion had been like, she was grateful that their relationship hadn’t been a dinner topic that night. Talk about Thunder Mountain Academy had dominated the conversation instead. The brown-and-green logo had tested best, even with the addition of a lightning bolt to the black and deep blue. Chelsea was almost finished with the website.
Once she’d completed it, they’d pick a date to launch the project on the Kickstarter platform. Damon had taken inventory of the renovations necessary and had decided they needed to build a fourth cabin so they’d have a greater number of beds to offer. He’d blocked out two weeks in July to come back and tackle the work.
Cade’s cousin Molly had been recruited to set up a curriculum. Lexi would oversee the riding lessons built into it, although she wouldn’t be the on-site teacher. She’d made a list of candidates she’d approach in the next few weeks.
The dinner had ended, and she’d hugged both Finn and Damon, who were flying out the next day. She hadn’t hugged Cade, and he hadn’t offered to walk her to her truck. The distance between them was tough to deal with, but she hadn’t expected a quick resolution. He had a lot to work through.
She forced herself not to count the days since she’d last touched him, held him close and made love to him. But she knew they were mounting up. Her clinics absorbed her attention whenever she conducted them, but in her free time, she searched for excuses to go out to the ranch. She told herself she went to see Rosie and check on progress with the academy.
Good thing, because if she’d driven out there to see Cade, she would have been disappointed. He was always busy with the horses. Rosie and Herb didn’t discuss Cade with her anymore, and that felt strange, too. She felt excluded from some grand plan, but she knew he had to accomplish this without her.
Finally, finally, she received a text from Cade.
Can you meet me at the corral tomorrow at ten?
Her adrenaline level spiked and she texted back one word—Yes. His timing was good. Her next clinic was two days away, but she’d secretly hoped he’d show up at her door for the big reveal. She’d imagined a passionate celebration in her apartment.
Yet did it matter in the long run how or where he unveiled his new program? If he’d discovered something significant about what he wanted from life, then any time was a good time to hear about it. He’d chosen the corral for their meeting. That likely meant his plan involved horses, which was promising.
She didn’t sleep much that night and she was ready to leave her apartment way too early. After cleaning out her email inbox she played computer games until the clock on the screen told her she could leave. Thank God.
Once on the road, she had to control the urge to speed. If she got picked up, she’d be late, and if she didn’t, she’d be early. But driving at the speed limit was agony.
When she pulled up beside the barn, Rosie and Herb were both leaning against the railing of the corral. She expected a more private moment, but this was Cade’s show, and if he wanted them there, he should have them there.
They both turned and came over to embrace Lexi.
“He’s so excited,” Rosie said. “I’m glad you were available.”
“Me, too.”
“If you hadn’t been, he was going to reschedule,” Herb said. “He mentioned that he didn’t want you dropping everything to accommodate him.”
“Oh.” She put a hand to her chest, which felt tight with emotion. He’d listened. He’d really listened. “That’s...very sweet.”
Rosie put her hand on Lexi’s arm. “He loves you.”
She swallowed. “I love him, too.”
“Then you’ll both be fine.” Rosie squeezed her arm. “Here he comes.”
She turned, and Cade walked out of the barn leading a fully saddled Hematite. His smile dazzled her as much as it had years ago when they’d been teenagers.
“Hey, Lexi.”
“Hey, Cade.”
“Can somebody please open the gate?”
Herb responded, moving quickly to open it. Lexi was too transfixed by the sight of Cade leading his glossy black horse to do anything but stare. She knew what he intended to do, and he was her hero.
Once he’d led Hematite into the corral, he spoke quietly to the horse. No singing this time. Obviously they were past that. Then he put his foot in the stirrup and swung easily into the saddle.
Hematite stood like a carved statue. Then Cade nudged him into a walk. That forward motion was interrupted when he asked Hematite to back up. The horse responded without question.
With a full heart, Lexi watched Cade take Hematite through a trot and a mellow canter. The horse easily changed leads and stopped on a dime. The gelding that had never been ridden until a few weeks ago now responded to Cade’s every request.
But Cade wasn’t finished. He dismounted. “Lexi, want to try him?”
“Yes, please.” She stepped through the gate and walked over to Hematite. First she stroked the horse so he’d become used to her scent and her voice. She glanced at Cade. “Has anyone else ridden him besides you?”
“No, but he’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let you get up on him otherwise.” He held her gaze. “Lexi, this is what I’m supposed to do.”
“Train horses?”
“Not just that. Rehabilitate the ones who’ve been abused. Who better than me? I get them.”
She sucked in a breath. “That’s perfect.”
“And it’s the funniest thing, but now that I know that about myself, the Chance family isn’t so scary anymore.”
“Makes sense to me. You’ve found your life’s work. That has to be empowering.”
He smiled. “Apparently it is. So climb aboard. Test him out.”
Mounting the black horse, she felt the power radiating through him. As she took the reins and started around the corral, he was the perfect gentleman.
“You’re a sweetie,” she murmured, and the horse’s ears swiveled back to catch the sound of her voice. “And the guy who trained you is also a sweetie. You’re lucky to have found each other.”
Hematite snorted as if acknowledging that.
“Now let’s see what you can do.” She urged him to a trot and then to a canter. Whirling around the ring on Cade’s trusty steed, she rejoiced in his triumph. He hadn’t wanted to train a horse that only he could ride. Hematite had to be safe for the person he loved most. For her.
At last she eased the horse back to a trot and a walk. Then she stopped in front of her audience of three. “Anybody else? He’s a great horse.”
Rosie laughed. “Thanks, but Herb promised to help me make potato salad for lunch. You’re both invited, so come on up when you’re ready.” She hugged Cade. “Fabulous job.”
Herb hugged him, too, and then he slung an arm around Rosie’s shoulders as they returned to the house.
Dismounting, Lexi waited until Cade opened the gate. Then she led Hematite through. “Back to the barn?”
“That works.” He fell into step beside her. “Before I get carried away, and I’m liable to, I have something to say.”
Her heart beat faster. “Cade, this is a wonderful breakthrough, but I hope you’re not
thinking that it means—”
“That you’ll accept my proposal? Nope. That’s what I wanted to talk about. I won’t propose again.”
She gave him a startled glance. “You won’t?”
“No. Don’t get me wrong. I still want to marry you, but I’m leaving it up to you. When you think we’re ready, pop the question.”
“Well, that’s...unexpected.”
“Any problem with it?”
“No! I’m pretty sure I’ll love the idea. I just have to adjust my thinking.”
He laughed. “If you need any help with that, I’ve become an expert.”
“No doubt.” They’d reached the hitching post outside the barn, and she paused. “Mind if I park this horse here for a second?”
“Okay, but I thought you’d want to head right into the barn so we could unsaddle him. Rosie and Herb will have lunch ready any minute.”
“So no fun and games in the tack room?” She hadn’t thought so but wanted to make sure.
“Nah, we’ve outgrown that. I think we’re ready for a real bed.”
She looped the reins loosely around the hitching post and turned to him. “Tonight? My place?”
“I was hoping you’d ask.”
She launched herself into his arms. “Hoping I’d ask? I’ve been going crazy!”
“That makes two of us.” He gathered her close. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
“I would have waited even longer.”
He smiled down at her. “Well, you didn’t have to. And by my calculations, that leaves us all kinds of time to love each other.”
She nestled against him. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me, too.” His mouth sought hers.
As she reveled in the secure warmth of his arms and the familiar heat of his kiss, she sensed a subtle difference, a solid confidence that had been missing before. After a lot of hard work on his part, Cade Gallagher finally knew who he was.
Epilogue
SITTING AROUND A campfire waiting for the steaks to be done felt like old times to Rosie, except for the fact that she’d been told to leave all the work to Lexi and Cade. They’d come up with the idea of grilling over the fire pit down by the cabins, but they’d insisted that Herb and Rosie allow themselves to be waited on. Herb seemed fine with it, but Rosie preferred being useful.
“Mom?” Cade called over to her. “You still like your steak medium rare?”
“Yes! Good memory!”
He flipped the steaks with a long-handled fork. “Then yours will be ready pretty quick.”
Rosie got up from the bench she’d been sharing with Herb. “I’ll get my plate.”
“I’ll get it,” Lexi put down the tongs she was using to toss the salad. “You relax.”
“Lexi, sweetheart, I’ve relaxed enough to last me the rest of my life.” She was halfway over to the bench where they’d stacked the plates and utensils when her cell phone belted out the dwarves’ working song from Snow White.
Cade laughed. “Who did you assign that ringtone to?”
“Damon.” Rosie smiled as she pulled her phone from her pocket and put him on speakerphone. “Hi there! You should be here. We’re cooking steaks over the fire pit.”
“Wish I was! Who’s there?”
“Just me, Herb, Lexi and Cade. What’s up?”
“Well, the two weeks I’d planned to be there just got shortened. I have a buyer for this house and should’ve had it almost finished by now, but the tile company shipped the wrong color. I can get the right stuff, but not until after the Fourth, which screws up the schedule.”
Rosie frowned. “Don’t stretch yourself too thin trying to make it up here.”
“I won’t. I just can’t be there as long, but I’ll be there.”
Lexi stopped messing with the salad and came over to listen, hands in her pockets. She looked worried.
Rosie gave her a smile of reassurance. “Any time you can spare would be great. Don’t stress over it.”
“I’ll try not to. I can squeeze in six or seven days around the Fourth, because I can’t do anything here without the tile, anyway. But after that I have to come back and finish up. The buyer’s desperate to move in.”
“Are six or seven days enough time to build the cabin?”
“Maybe, but I might need some help.”
Muttering something under her breath, Lexi pulled her phone out of her pocket. Then she tapped the screen and held it toward Rosie with a mischievous smile.
Rosie could barely keep from laughing. That would be some matchup—Philomena Turner, sole proprietor of Phil’s Home Repair, and Damon Harrison, house-flipper extraordinaire.
“Tell him I can help.” Cade wandered over, fork in hand. “But he knows it’s not my strong suit.”
Still thinking about Phil as a possibility, Rosie nodded. “Cade can—”
“I heard,” Damon said. “That’s great, and I’ll take it, but I was wondering if you know somebody with good construction skills who’d work cheap.”
Lexi jiggled the phone in front of Rosie. She’d typed a quick message: in exchange for riding lessons.
Leaning down, Cade peered at the screen. “So who’s—”
Lexi pressed a finger to his mouth and shook her head.
“Actually,” Rosie said, “I do know someone, a good carpenter and a trained electrician who’d probably work in exchange for riding lessons.”
Lexi nodded enthusiastically.
“Is he competent?”
Lexi rolled her eyes, and Rosie almost lost it. This was going to be fun.
“Damon,” Cade said. “Phil is—”
“Extremely competent.” Lexi glared at him and made a slicing motion across her throat.
Cade’s eyebrows lifted.
“Great,” Damon said. “Give me his email address, so we can talk about what needs to be done. We can plan out our schedule before I even get there. That will save time.”
“I’ll do that.” Rosie was trying so hard not to giggle, and she didn’t dare glance at Lexi. “Gotta run. My steak’s ready.”
“Enjoy. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” She disconnected the call.
Lexi grinned and shook her head. “Classic.”
“I know!” Laughing, Rosie tucked her phone in her pocket and headed for the stack of speckled blue tin plates that were a ranch tradition for cookouts. “This is going to be hysterical. But I’d better get my steak before it’s burned to a crisp.”
“It won’t be.” Cade walked over to the fire and speared her steak. “I moved it away from the heat when Damon called.” He placed it on the plate she held out and then added a foil-wrapped potato. “So you’re not planning to tell him Phil’s a woman?”
“We’re not,” Lexi said. “And don’t you, either.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got this one.” Herb had been quiet through the entire exchange, but now he rose from his bench and walked over to the fire. “They’re not telling him because he leaped to the conclusion that his helper would be a guy.”
“Yeah, I know he did, but with a name like Phil—”
“I didn’t tell him her name,” Rosie said. “You did. I just said I knew a person who was a good carpenter and electrician. He made the chauvinistic assumption all by himself. Springing Philomena on him should make him rethink his prejudices.”
Cade’s eyes widened. “You’re setting a trap?”
“Out of love, sweetie.” Rosie patted his cheek. “Only out of love.”
* * * * *
Read on for an extract from FEVERED NIGHTS by Jillian Burns.
1
“I DON’T WANT to do this.” Waiting behind a backdrop, Piper rebelliously sneaked a peek a
t the crowd waiting on the terrace of the South Beach Yacht Club. The members of this club were conservative, distinguished. The movers and shakers of Miami.
“Don’t worry,” Piper’s assistant, Ragi Bhagat, reassured. “All you have to do is look beautiful and present the trophy.”
Hah. Piper clenched her fists. Story of my life. Looking beautiful was all she’d ever been good for. But it paid the bills.
Ragi swept Piper’s long hair around to one side and flicked an imaginary piece of fluff off her linen dress. “You’ll be fine.”
Piper wasn’t so sure. The last time she’d been in Miami she’d caused a horrible front-page scandal. Her photo had been splashed on the cover of every tabloid, along with a salacious headline about the “notorious bad girl’s” arrest at the cruise terminal. That had only been four months ago.
“Smile.” Ragi shoved a three-foot-tall, double-handled gold chalice into her hands.
Piper staggered under its weight, barely righting herself on her four-inch wedge espadrilles. After throwing Ragi a mutinous glare, she pasted on a smile and climbed the stairs to the dais, positioning herself just to the right of the podium with the microphone. The yacht club sat on a hill overlooking the water, but despite the ocean breeze, it was bloody hot for May.
The woman at the podium was wrapping up her speech. “And thanks to everyone who participated in the regatta, we’ve raised three-hundred-and-seventy-five-thousand dollars for a children’s hospital in Miami.”
Applause erupted and the woman stepped back, extending her arm to her left. “And here is the winner of the race to receive his trophy, Lieutenant Neil Barrow!”
More applause exploded, even louder and more raucous, as a rugged man bounded confidently up the stairs to shake the woman’s hand. His gray Go Navy T-shirt had a triangle of dampness down the front and under each arm. Dog tags hung around his neck. His sandy brown hair was slightly longer than she thought a military man’s would be, and a few curls clung to his neck and temples. He flashed a smile to the crowd, and then placed his hands low on his hips and glanced at Piper.
He did a classic double take as he swept his gaze down her body and back up again to meet her eyes. She caught the gleam of appreciation and...surprise.
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