But, then again, Salem also accused him of fathering her baby, and her range of dates was so wide that any number of guys could have done it.
Damn. Grady slapped his forehead. If Salem’s baby were his, then her dying caused his baby to die too. Had what he’d told her before the jump caused her accident? Or was it worse—her suicide?
The weight over his shoulders pressed like sacks of lead pellets, suffocating him with gnawing regret.
It was time to stop sowing wild oats, and time to act like a responsible man—a Hart man who took responsibility seriously and never let anyone down.
A chilling thought drilled fangs of ice through him.
How many babies had he lost? Or had he caused to die? How many of those false pregnancy claims had been true? He should never have sown any wild oats, because each one was an individual—a little boy or girl—a tiny Hart—his flesh and blood—family.
“Let’s go, Cedar.” Grady sighed and opened the trailer door. Cedar jumped over the small steel steps with a spring in her trot.
When Grady opened the door of his truck, Cedar eagerly hopped in, happy that she was going back to Linx.
He got into the driver’s seat and patted her. “We used to be so tight. Me and you. Found you behind my woodpile. You were just a tiny puppy. God knows how you survived the fire, but you did. I would have looked for you, but I was taken to the hospital. You must have had smoke inhalation, too. She took good care of you, didn’t she?”
It was always easier to talk to his dog than to people. Dogs understood and they listened. But most of all, they simply accepted. And trusted.
Right now, Cedar’s entire face had lifted from the gloom and despair earlier, and she was perky and looking forward to going back into town.
Okay, decision made. Going forward, Grady would do whatever it took to make things right for Linx. Whatever had happened in the past, he could let it go, if only she would give him another chance.
Grady’s spirits lifted the closer he got to town. Linx would be so happy and relieved once he brought Cedar back. He might even put a smile on her face. Maybe he could start something with her. He sped through the town square, his heart beating seventy miles an hour.
A siren roared behind him and flashing red and blue lights pulled him over.
Crap. Linx’s brother was not the man he wanted to see.
Todd Colson ambled up to the driver’s side window with a ticket pad in his hand. “Where’s the fire?”
“I’m bringing Linx’s dog back to her.”
Cedar barked and Todd frowned. “You shouldn’t have taken her in the first place.”
“Hey, she was mine, and you know it.” Grady had had enough of Todd’s gruff attitude. “I know your entire family is against me, but Linx hasn’t told me the whole story. She’s holding things back from me, like this dog, for example.”
“You disrespected her.” The sheriff scribbled in his ticket book. “You never treated her fairly.”
“If I knew what all of you had against me, I could fix it. Why don’t you spit it out?”
“It’s not for me to say.” Todd handed him the speeding citation. “You can pay at the jailhouse, but a word of advice. If you’re not going to make it right for my sister, then I suggest you move out of here. I can’t make you go, but I’m going to be on your ass like stink on a skunk.”
“I have sisters, too,” Grady said. “But I don’t meddle with their sex lives.”
Steam seemed to ooze from Todd’s red face, but he grunted and ambled back to his patrol car.
That ought to give the overprotective brother something to stew over.
Chapter Nineteen
Linx peered out the window at the sound of Cedar’s happy bark and the car door slamming. She blinked once, twice. A squeal squeezed through her throat, and she ran out the front door, and down the wooden steps.
“Cedar!”
Her dog scampered up the walkway and bounded to her, licking her face and panting with happiness.
“I missed you so much, girl. So much.” She knelt and hugged and kissed the companion who’d been with her for four years. “Did your daddy bring you back for a visit?”
Grady’s boot was in her line of vision, but her heart pounded with hesitation. He’d probably come by to pick up Molly and Rex—not to let her visit with Cedar at all, but to rub it in her face that she was now his dog.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to me?” Grady asked, his voice low and husky.
Swallowing, she let her eyes travel up his fine legs, past his well-endowed crotch, the plane of his six-pack abdomen, his hard and hot chest, landing on his rugged handsome face.
He held out a hand and lifted her the rest of the way, his eyes intense and dark with passion.
Words escaped her as she met his hungry gaze. He drew her close, and there was nothing she could do but smash her lips against his.
She held on tight, opening herself to him and devouring him at the same time. She was helpless, throwing her hands around his neck. Her body pressed to his heat, and at the same time, she wanted so much more.
Her need, his desire, her want, his demand collided like the storm surge after a hurricane, breaching the walls of her resolve and swamping her with endless desire.
Closing her eyes, she felt the strength of his yearning, the potency of his vulnerability, and yes, the possibility of more—of love, maybe, and hope.
Had he come to her bringing peace offerings? Could he accept what she’d done? No matter how horrible?
Could they?
“Miss Linx,” Jessie said, coming out the door. “Ginger made a mess on the floor.”
Yikes!
Linx and Grady popped apart with such force she stumbled against the porch railing while he crashed into the metal skull, missing the spike by a few inches.
“Uh, Jessie, I’ll clean it up,” Linx muttered, turning away from Grady who naturally followed her and Cedar into the cabin.
Great. If she’d thought she had something to hide before, she now had an even bigger dilemma.
Grady was staring at Jessie as if he’d never seen her before.
“Are you Cedar’s daddy?” Jessie asked.
Grady squatted down to her level and said, “Why I believe I am.”
“I knew you’d bring her back. You’re not divorced, are you?”
“Oh, no, I’m not divorced.” Grady smiled at the little girl whose soulful brown eyes were a mirror image of his own. “Don’t worry about Cedar. She’ll have both her mommy and daddy loving her.”
“I have a mommy and a daddy, too,” Jessie said. “But my dog is lost. Her name is Betsy, and Miss Linx is going to use her superpowers to find her.”
“I’ll help Miss Linx find her. I promise.” Grady turned on the charm, and from Jessie’s animated expression, she was lapping it all up.
The screen door slapped, and Cedar jumped to her feet, panting a greeting as Jessie’s mother stepped in.
“Did you have a good time?” she asked Jessie and waved to Linx and Grady.
“Mama!” Jessie said, hugging the woman’s legs. “Cedar’s daddy brought her back. Do you think he’ll bring Betsy back, too?”
“I’m sure everyone here wants to find Betsy,” Mrs. Patterson said. “Did you help Miss Linx take care of the puppy?”
“I did! And I drew a picture of me feeding Ginger.” Jessie’s double ponytails bounced as she skipped to the playpen where little Ginger was practicing her Army man crawl.
In a flurry of chatter, waving, and patting, Jessie bade everyone goodbye, and Linx was left alone with Grady and Cedar.
The jitters returned to her belly, and she wondered why Grady had come by.
Grady parked himself in front of her, invading her personal space. He gently tucked a strand of Linx’s hair behind her ear. “Tonight, I want it to be me and you. We need to talk and really get to know each other.”
“Where’s all this coming from?” Linx’s voice wobbled as the undeniable
ember of hope smoldered behind her guarded heart. “Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”
“Why shouldn’t I be nice to you?”
“You want something.”
“I’m giving Cedar back to you. I want to spend time with you—like normal people, instead of fighting all the time.”
“I do appreciate you bringing Cedar back, but what changed?”
Grady’s lips pressed together tight, looking utterly miserable. “She thought you’d abandoned her. It broke my heart to see how down she was, slinking around. She doesn’t understand what’s going on between us. It’s not fair for her to feel rejected.”
“Grady …” her voice sounded breathless. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Why don’t we relax and chill, have a good time tonight?”
She held up a hand and backed away. “This isn’t one of your twisted dog deliveries, is it? Because I’m not sleeping with you tonight, even though you brought Cedar back.”
“I would never turn you down if that’s what you want, but no, this isn’t a sleepover. It’s a peace offering.” His fingers brushed over her cheek. “I brought steak. If it’s okay with you, let’s have a date night.”
“Date night?” The concept had never crossed Linx’s mind.
She didn’t date, and now that she thought about it, he’d never taken her out on a date, ever.
They’d had after-sex snacks and before-sex drinks, and weekends spent in bed, but she’d never spent time with Grady when sex was off the table or off the bed.
“Okay. No funny business.” Linx grabbed at the remnants of her self-respect. “I told you earlier I’m not sleeping with you.”
“If you sleep with me, it’ll be because I deserve you. Right now, I’m in the doghouse.” He grazed her lips with a kiss. “Prepare to be wowed.”
“You’re still so arrogant, Doghouse Grady,” she chuckled. “Thanks for bringing Cedar back.”
He gave her lips another almost chaste peck, and she kissed him back, tangling her arms around him. For the first time since she’d known Grady, she felt playful and carefree.
For tonight only, she’d pretend her other secret didn’t hang over their heads. She’d enjoy the evening as if she were on a first date with an attractive prospect. She’d let herself imagine he’d forgive her and maybe even cherish her.
Pulling back from the kiss, she whispered, “Let me go upstairs and get ready for our date. I’ll want flowers, candlelight, and the whole experience.”
Chapter Twenty
Linx dabbed perfume behind her ears and over her pulse points and checked her reflection in her full-length mirror. Her dark-brown hair flowed effortlessly over her bare shoulders, and bright red lipstick accentuated her exotic looking face, so much like her mother.
The ghostly outline of the avant-garde wedding dress designed by Grady’s sister faded like an old photograph compared to the vibrant colors she’d dazzle Grady with on this very first of all dates—a stretchy black miniskirt with a bold red rose pattern over knee-high black leather boots and bare thighs.
It felt strange to be up in her loft getting dressed while Grady manned her kitchen with Cedar at his feet.
Now that they were both present and accounted for, Cedar perked up and was back to her happy self. She pranced around her home and wagged her tail whenever Grady looked at her, begging scratches and kisses.
Linx had never seen Cedar happier and more content.
She stood at the top of the stairs and watched Grady set the table, wearing a barbeque apron. His shirt sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, and he had a chef’s thermometer tucked over one ear.
This.
Looked.
So much like home.
This.
Couldn’t.
Be true.
Domestic and tranquil were not words belonging to her and Grady’s story.
But still, she watched, mesmerized while love songs played on the stereo—another relic from her grandmother, complete with large speakers and a tuner in which she’d plugged an iPod. He’d found her secret playlist, the one she’d never admit to listening to—never dared to hope.
Grady set her rustic wooden table with a pair of candlesticks over a pinecone centerpiece. After lighting the candles, he took a platter and exited the back door, followed by Cedar.
An essential oil diffuser spilled scents of pine, cedar, and vanilla, mixing with the aroma of grilled steaks wafting through the kitchen window. A bowl of tossed salad sat on the kitchen counter along with two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.
Slowly, Linx descended the stairs, hardly believing the warm, cozy cabin belonged to her. He’d spread her grandmother’s wedding knot afghan on the lodge-pole couch, and arranged wildflowers in the vases on the end tables.
Ginger slept curled up with a hot water bottle in her playpen, and the curtains were drawn, the lights dimmed.
Grady Hart sure knew how to put on a date night. He’d even swept and cleaned the kitchen.
The screen door in back swung open, and the man who tied her heart up in knots came through with a platter. “I hope you still like your steaks medium-rare.”
“You remembered.” Her fingers fluttered over the silverware in the drawer. She’d use her grandmother’s silver tonight. Thankfully, she’d had them polished for the Gold Rush Festival display. “This is all so special. Thanks.”
He set the platter on the counter and leaned toward her. “See? I’m not such a bad guy.”
“I never said you were.” She set the table, her breath quickening. “Although I’m still a bad girl.”
“I’m not sure I can forgive you for keeping Cedar,” he said, grinding pepper over the steaks. “But I’d like to hear your reasons.”
“I’m evil.”
“So am I.” He set the plates on the table and put the salad bowl between them. “That’s why I can’t forgive you, even though I’m going to let you have Cedar.”
“You’ll come visit, won’t you?”
“Yeah, maybe we should have joint custody. Shall we kiss on that?” He stood in front of her, too close, raking her with his scorching gaze.
Linx wet her lips, but turned away from him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be kissing and touching.”
“But we’re evil, so we’ll always do the bad idea.” He feathered his sturdy fingers through her hair. “Since I’m going to be staying in the vicinity, and my sister’s going to join the Chamber of Commerce, and possibly live in that haunted house Tami showed her, I want to start over with you. Wipe the slate clean. Will you let me volunteer here?”
“You want to volunteer?”
“Heard you couldn’t afford to pay, so I reckon it’s free labor you’re looking for.” He feathered his fingers through her hair, tilting her face toward his.
“Sure, burying the hatchet is good. I don’t want us at each other’s throats.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I’ll draw blood for make-up sex.”
“There’s nothing for us to make up for.” She speared him with narrowed eyes. “Since you won’t forgive me.”
He patted her behind. “You didn’t think I’d go soft on you, did you?”
Oh, no, he was never soft, ever. Not that she’d complain. She didn’t need forgiveness, not after what she’d done. Any forgiveness now would be wasted on her when he discovered what else she’d kept from him.
For now, she’d enjoy date night and steak—maybe a little dancing and a little touching.
As for accepting him as a volunteer? It made sense, and it was only fair for her to let him take Cedar out on walks.
She was, after all, his dog.
“I’ll expect you to stay long and hard, whenever I’m around.” She inhaled the mouth-watering aroma of grilled steak and aroused male. Opening her mouth, she let herself enjoy one more hungry kiss before they’d attack the steaks.
Grady dimmed the lights and pulled the antique cane
chair back for his date. Time slowed as he admired her beauty, the way she swept her hair back, the smile she graced him with, and the soft voice of thanks.
He couldn’t help leaning down and feathering his lips over the column of her neck. Her sultry scent and the indrawn breath sizzling through her lips stirred the want deep in his gut.
She turned her head and rubbed her face against his. Her gaze studied him, taking all of him, open and vulnerable. Was this his wildcat, or had he never seen this side of her—feminine, comforting, and accepting?
Taking her hand, he pulled her from the table. The steaks would be stone-cold by the time he was done with her, but it no longer mattered.
Gazing into the dark pools of her eyes, he touched her, lightly, exploring the contours of her face, slowly, gently, as she, too, touched him—truly touched, considering, getting acquainted.
Below their feet, Cedar lay on a braided rug over the heart-pine floor, watching them as they swayed to “Once in a Lifetime Love.” This was the way it should have been—all those years ago. He needed her and he needed her love—or her brand of love, however she expressed it.
He shouldn’t have run. Only cowards ran, and even though it had never made any sense back then, now, surrounded by her perfume, her touch, her warm breath, inside her home, with her dog at his feet—time stood still.
He never believed in love, didn’t trust it, and ran from the slightest whiff of love. But love had a way of worming its way, like the puppy found behind the woodpile, or the newborn cradled in a father’s arms.
And love had a way of growing and consuming and crowding out hate, turning bitter and lonely men like Connor into smitten husbands and doting fathers. Taking each of his sisters from selfish and entitled girls and changing them into beautiful, glowing women whose eyes reflected love at the sight of their men. They touched and comforted, they considered and cared. Their serene faces while growing babies in their wombs were polar opposites to the frantic anguish on the faces of women with unwanted pregnancies.
He didn’t know how long he drank in the sight of Linx, or the feel of her in his arms, or the way their bodies moved. But the candles burned out and the steaks grew cold. The sun set and the cabin grew dark, but he didn’t want to let her go.
Summer Love Puppy: The Hart Family (Have A Hart Book 6) Page 13