If he hadn’t had legitimate business here establishing new Sentinel Construction offices in Reno and overseeing the final stages of a trendy new restaurant on the River Walk, Audrey wouldn’t have pounced on the idea of him moving into their childhood home to secretly help Susanna get back on her feet.
“She’s all alone, Case. Trying hard to make a success of Sweet Susie’s and raise her cousin’s child on her own,” Audrey had said. “You know how that is.”
And he did. He’d had his share of struggles after they’d lost their parents and he’d had to grow up fast in order to raise his much younger sister. That’s why he’d allowed Audrey to twist his arm. The trouble with the plan was that Susanna was barely speaking to him.
She glanced at the dog cozying up next to Ally under the shade of a cottonwood tree and then pursed her lips and robotically proceeded toward them. He sighed. She wasn’t happy about the pup being here either.
That was another one of Audrey’s ideas. Not that Casey minded rescuing the dog from a puppy mill, but he hadn’t planned on bringing the dog with him on this trip. He could’ve left the dog with Audrey at Sunset Ranch, but his sister had insisted he’d need the company. Now, he got it. His shrewd sister meant for the pup to be an icebreaker. Judging by the look on Susie’s face, he might also need a chisel.
“Here you go.” Susie dangled the key with its cupcake-shaped clear plastic keychain that read SweetSusies.com in bright lavender letters.
Casey opened his palm and she dropped it in, but as he lifted his hand, their fingertips brushed. Susie’s eyes widened and she blinked. Touching him made her nervous. That annoyed the crap out of him. Why was that? “I don’t bite, Suse.”
“No one calls me that anymore.”
Meaning she didn’t want him calling her by that familiar nickname. He’d heard Audrey refer to Susanna that way since forever. “I’ll try to remember that.”
He closed his hand over the key. “You’ve started a business. You always were a damn good cook. How’s it going?”
Her gaze slid to Ally. The child was content watching the dog resting beside her. Susanna turned back to Casey and said, “It’s going...well. I love what I do and...that’s all that matters.”
It was the defiant way she said all that matters and the way her eyes darted away afterward that caught his attention. Audrey had said she was struggling with all the changes in her life, but Susanna was too darned prideful to ask for help. “I hear you. It’s always a good thing,” he said, squinting his eyes, his emotions stirring, “to love what you do.”
Nervously, she nibbled her lower lip. He’d always thought she was pretty, in a natural wholesome sort of way. If he were any other man, under different circumstances, he’d be damned happy finding out Susanna was going to be his temporary next-door neighbor. Too bad the situation was more complicated than that.
“Oh, I’m....sorry. I shouldn’t have said...” She nibbled her lip some more.
“It’s okay.”
She couldn’t hide her compassion, not even under the guise of defiance. But he didn’t want anyone’s pity. His lifelong dream had been cut short by a freakish fall off a bucking bronco, but he’d come out the other end okay. As a rodeo rider, he’d known the risks. Because of sound investments he’d made during his heyday as a champion, he’d become CEO of Sentinel Construction and was wealthy enough to buy a rodeo or two of his own now. “My rodeo days are behind me. I’m fine with it.”
She swallowed and nodded. “Well...I really should take Ally inside. It’s almost suppertime.”
“Yeah and I’d better get unloaded.” He gazed toward the front door of his house. A dozen memories he wasn’t expecting flooded his mind. He’d raised Audrey here. It hadn’t been easy being mother and father to a sister eight years his junior. The responsibility had weighed heavily on him. Audrey would say he’d been hardnosed and a bully, and more times than not, he’d worried that he’d messed up her life. But the Harts had always been there for her, giving her guidance and a second roof over her head. All the more reason Casey had to see this thing through with Susanna. “It’s been years since I’ve lived here.” He sighed, speaking his thoughts aloud.
“It’s strange having the house empty since Audrey moved out.”
“Yeah, who knows what I’ll find in there,” he said.
“Except for some dust, you won’t be disappointed. Audrey kept the place up.”
“I bet you miss her,” he said, sliding his gaze to her.
Susanna looked longingly toward the house. “I do, but...she’s happy and a new mommy now.”
“It appears you’re doing some mothering too.”
A warm glow entered Susanna’s eyes as she continued to gaze at the house. “I’m doing my best with Ally. She’s really a sweetheart. Well, like I said, I’d better be going.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the key. I’ll see you around,” he said.
“Bye, now.”
She turned to walk away. With her long auburn tresses pulled into a ponytail, she looked younger than her twenty-eight years, but the snug fit of her blue jeans and the form-fitted plaid blouse she wore screamed woman in capital letters.
His problem wasn’t going away. Susanna had refused eye contact for all but a second or two of their awkward conversation, which she couldn’t wait to end.
Great.
Walking to the back of his SUV, he pressed the remote button on his keychain. The trunk eased open and he reached inside to retrieve his luggage. Gripping the handles of his leather suitcases with both hands, he gave a yank and hoisted them out.
“Charger,” he called over to the lazy dog. The pup’s head shot up and he spotted Ally and Susanna climbing the steps of the house. He rose on all fours, gave himself a shake and then trotted toward Susanna’s house. “No,” Casey commanded.
The pup stopped in his tracks and hung his head. “You can’t go over there.”
We’re not welcome.
Yet.
* * *
When the alarm clock went off the next morning, Susanna opened her eyes and glanced at the time. 4:00 a.m. She groaned softly and slid her arm out from under her pillow to hush the grating sound before it woke Ally in her bedroom two doors down. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Waking up at this ungodly hour had now become her routine. Rising in the dark was necessary. She had a full morning of baking ahead of her and had to get up an hour earlier than usual to make up for time spent with Ally in the mornings.
She hinged her body up and focused her eyes, going over the to-do list in her head. Aside from the regular orders from local merchants she would hand deliver, she also had to package muffins to send to a few clients in the surrounding counties.
Tossing her sheet off, she bounded quietly from bed and tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway. Wooden floorboards squeaked under her slight weight and she cringed. When Ally had first got here, there’d been too many nights when she woke from bad dreams. Susanna sent up a silent prayer that she’d sleep soundly for a few more hours. She popped her head inside the bedroom and smiled, sighing quietly. Blond curls framed Ally’s face as she slept on the twin bed that had once been Susanna’s. She never got over the love she felt for the little girl, or how the sight of her peaceful and happy made jelly of her heart.
“Promise me, you’ll take her and raise her right,” Susanna’s drug-addicted cousin would say, “if anything happens to me. The kid deserves a better life.”
Susanna had promised and Rhonda Lee had tried to kick her cocaine habit. She’d been to rehab twice, but there was a high failure rate with addicts trying to come clean and Rhonda Lee hadn’t made it to her twenty-ninth birthday. With no father in the picture, and all the other relatives too old to take on a young child, Susanna was Ally’s only hope and her cousin had known it.
There had never been a question that some
one else would take Ally in; Susanna’s love for little Ally and Rhonda Lee had her immediately accepting the responsibility of raising the child. The sweet little girl needed someone who would give her unconditional but structured love. Rhonda Lee’s losing battle with her personal demons had all been terribly hard on the child and Ally deserved better.
Susanna planned to give Ally a good life.
She left the room and walked into the kitchen. She filled the coffeepot and the smell of the rich grounds got her juices flowing. Then she turned the oven on to preheat. “Don’t fail me,” she muttered to the late-seventies olive green appliance.
She got out all the bowls, muffin tins, utensils and ingredients she needed and began to bake. She had it timed perfectly—after mixing up and setting two dozen rocky road chocolate muffins in the oven she took twenty minutes to shower, throw on her clothes and dry her hair.
When she got back to the kitchen, she put her Sweet Susie’s apron on over her head and tied it behind her back. She was right on schedule and after the timer pinged, she donned oven mitts and pulled out the first two dozen muffins, setting the pans to cool on racks. Her next creation was made with cranberries and cheese. The coffeecake-like muffin wasn’t too sweet and a favorite at three local coffeehouses where she made deliveries. Once she set them to bake, she dipped her finger into the mixing bowl for a taste test. “Yum.”
By the time six-thirty rolled around, she’d baked twelve dozen pastries. Cupcakes and muffins cooled on the counters and tabletops all over the house. Bowls and utensils filled the sink and dots of batter littered the linoleum floor. She stepped carefully. Cleanup didn’t come until after she made her deliveries. She sipped from her coffee mug and began placing the pastries inside a Sweet Susie’s cake box.
Barking sounds rang out on the quiet street. She knew that bark. Susie moved to the kitchen bay window and gazed out. Charger and his owner jogged by. On short stubbly legs, the puppy was trying his darnedest to keep up with Casey’s long purposeful strides. It was no match. The pup’s five-foot leash was stretched to its limit. Casey finally slowed to a walk, allowing the puppy time to catch his breath.
Susanna caught her own breath. Casey was dressed in a sleeveless tank top and jogging pants. Golden brown and muscled like a pro athlete, he wasn’t hard on the eyes. Her friend Mindy would call him eye candy. With dark blond locks tied back and his skin moist and glistening, he strode confidently along the sidewalk as he cooled down.
She stood immobilized, fascinated by Casey Thomas. What else was new?
When he reached the front of his house, Susie was ready to turn back to her work. But he stopped and angled his head toward her kitchen window. Deep baby blues zeroed in on her, meeting her unflinching stare. Geesh! She didn’t have the nerve or good sense to turn away. He grinned and waved, mouthing “Good morning.” His smile did ridiculous things to her. A knot formed in her throat and she swallowed past it to wiggle her fingers his way.
She stepped away from the window, reminding herself she had a business to run. She couldn’t go around lusting after Casey, of all men. Or losing sleep over him.
After putting the finishing touches on her pastries, she entered Ally’s bedroom. She was just waking and Susie whispered, “Good morning, Muffin. Time to get up. We have deliveries to make.” Susanna bent to kiss her forehead and ruffle her curls.
Ally darted her gaze around the room and in those first few seconds, curious fear entered her eyes, before she realized where she was. One day she’d wake up and not have to remind herself that her mother was gone, and that her life would never be the same. Susanna prayed that day would come soon. Ally was young enough to acclimate to new surroundings. Susanna had met with a psychologist before taking Ally in and learned that a regular routine and stability were the keys in her acceptance of the situation. She needed no more surprises or traumatic experiences in her young life. She had to feel secure.
“Ready to get dressed? I saved two vanilla cupcakes for you. I have lots and lots of frosting leftover too. Would you like to frost them?”
Ally’s eyes widened and she smiled, pushing her covers off and hopefully the sad memories, too. “What flavors?”
“You have a choice of cherry chip or chocolate marshmallow.”
“Chocolate marshmallow!”
“Okay, then. Chocolate marshmallow it is.”
Susanna hoisted Ally off the bed and set her down. The little girl wiggled herself out of her nightdress and Susanna helped her get her arms through the sleeves of a purple and white Sweet Susie’s logo T-shirt. Jeans came on next and then socks. Ally slipped her feet into well-worn hot pink Velcro tennis shoes all by herself. “Good girl. We’re almost all set. Let’s go wash your face and hands and comb your hair. Then we’ll have breakfast and do some frosting.” Ally raced to the bathroom and after she was cleaned up, they went to the kitchen.
Shortly after breakfast, a light knocking on the front door disrupted Susanna’s muffin count for the last box. She slid a glance out the kitchen window and wrinkled her nose. “Casey,” she muttered.
Darn. She had to open the door. He knew she was home. She kept her curtains open to let in early morning sunshine and anyone who was looking could see her bustling about the kitchen.
Sliding her palms down her apron and straightening her ponytail, she made her way to the entrance. “I’ll answer the door, sweetie,” she said to Ally, who was busy licking chocolate marshmallow frosting off her fingers. “Not too much now. Just one bite of the cupcake.” Her mothering skills needed polishing, but at least Ally finished all of her oatmeal this morning before she got her treat.
Susanna took a deep breath, and then gave the door a gentle yank. She came face-to-face with Casey.
“Mornin’,” he said, his gaze instantly darting to the lettering on her apron. Sweet Susie’s...Tasty Pastries and More.
“Hello.” Clean-shaven this morning, his hair combed back, his eyes the deepest azure blue she’d ever seen, he wore a seriously gorgeous beige Armani suit. Wow. He hardly looked like the rough and tumble rodeo rider she’d grown up with. He gestured with his index finger. “What’s the more?”
“The more? Oh, on the apron? I do cakes and all kinds of desserts, really.”
“Keeping your options open?”
“Yes, I suppose...it makes good business sense.”
“But your specialty is muffins and cupcakes?”
“That’s right.”
“I can smell your baking from my house.” He lifted his nose and took a whiff. “Smells amazing, Susanna.”
“Thank you. I...uh, would you like a muffin or two?” If only her mother hadn’t drilled good manners into her. Last night, she’d felt like a heel seeing him come home with a bag of take-out from Burgers-N-Stuff. They weren’t the best burgers in town. Because he was Audrey’s brother, and for no other reason, she should have offered to bring him supper on his first night back in town. She glanced at her watch. She was fine on time. “I have to load up soon to make my deliveries but you’re welcome to come in for a few minutes.”
Say no. Say you have urgent business and you have to be on your way.
“Love to.”
Bummer.
He reached for the screen door and Susanna turned around and began walking. “The kitchen’s a big mess right now. I clean up after I make deliveries.”
As they entered the kitchen, Ally saw Casey and she came forward, peering curiously at him.
“Hi, Ally,” he said, bending to her level and softening his voice. “Hey, I like your shirt. Do you help Aunt Susie with baking?”
She nodded. “I frosteded two cupcakes.”
“That’s real nice.” Casey pointed to the tip of her freckled nose. “Did you frost your nose, too?”
She giggled. “No.”
“Not on purpose,” Susie said.
&n
bsp; Ally wiped her nose and removed the frosting. Her mouth turned down. “Where’s Charger?”
“Oh, Charger’s at my house right now. He’s doing just fine, taking a nap.”
“Well deserved,” Susanna said. “You ran him for all he was worth.”
“Yeah, about that.” Casey rose to face her. “It’s part of the reason I came by.”
Her eyes shifted away from his direct look and she turned to the cabinet to grab a plate. Keep busy, Susie, and keep pretending nothing happened between the two of you. “It is?”
“I go jogging just about every morning. It didn’t occur to me that Charger would make such a darn racket in the neighborhood. He didn’t wake Ally up, did he?”
“No, I don’t think so. She slept well past the time I...looked out my window and saw you.”
He sighed with relief. “Okay, that’s good to hear.”
She placed one of each kind of muffin she’d baked this morning on a plate and gestured toward the table. “Would you like to have a quick cup of coffee with a muffin?”
“No thanks,” he said, sliding into a chair that faced her messy sink and the chipped tiles on the counter. This kitchen, as well as the rest of the house, was a far cry from the luxury Casey was accustomed to now. Audrey had told her he’d invested in a construction company years ago and after the owner retired, Casey became the new CEO. “I don’t want to hold you up. I’ll just have one of these.” He grabbed for the cranberry cheese muffin, took a big bite and chewed thoughtfully. “This is really good.”
“Thanks.” She picked up a raspberry-filled lemon cupcake and set it in a cake box. She was about to say he’d just ruined the calorie burn from his jog, but guys didn’t worry about things like that—not the way women did—and she didn’t want to sound snarky.
She closed the box and sealed it with Scotch Tape.
Casey grabbed another muffin and starting chewing again. “Mmm. What’s this one called?”
“That’s my Sweet and Sassy Caramel-Apple muffin.” When she’d tested out the muffin, she’d refined it to make the apple a little tart. Sweet and Sassy had become a best seller. Her small business needed to provide something a little different in order to survive. Competition was fierce and Susie was learning the ropes one secret ingredient at a time.
Redeeming the CEO Cowboy Page 2