Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: A Ranch for His FamilyCowgirl in High HeelsA Man to Believe In

by Hope Navarre

  The crew waved with grins on their faces as if her greeting was a benediction. God knew he’d feel the same way after weeks at sea. They called to each other, asking about the catch in the comfortable, familiar manner of folks who had interacted with each other for decades. Gulls overhead swarmed, dove, squawked at the trawler’s arrival in what must have been a familiar dance with the Lady Beth, since the men didn’t even notice the noisy birds. The boat smelled of fish, and the birds were going to get their share. No doubt, the fishermen would comply.

  Cassie’s father expertly maneuvered the boat into the slip with the easy motions of a man with his hands on a woman he knew well and loved. Bobby Michaels’s contentment with his fisherman’s slice of life showed on his sunburned face and in the clear blue eyes that shot in Peter’s direction more than once with a glance that said, you’d better be an honorable man or I’ll break your kneecaps.

  Peter wanted to laugh out loud, but instead felt a pang of envy. These folks were like their own insulated tribe. He’d like to be welcomed but had nothing to offer...yet. Proving himself was one challenge he’d be happy to meet.

  Cassie caught the first dock line one of the guys tossed. Peter stood beside her, ready to take the second man’s line. He had no idea what he’d do with it, but did his best to imitate the twists Cassie turned around the anvil-shaped cleat on the edge of the dock.

  She inspected his work. “Almost. I’m impressed. Watch.”

  She circled the line in a figure eight on each end of the cleat, turned the line under itself and pulled tight.

  He grinned. “You’ll make a boater out of me yet.”

  A look blanched her face. “How about you stick to surfing. I’ll run waves with you on my boogie board.”

  He understood. The lost boyfriend. He wanted to pull her into his arms and promise that he wasn’t going anywhere, but with her father on deck, it didn’t seem like a good idea.

  “Cassie, look at this beauty!”

  One of the hands held up an albacore tuna. “We had a good haul.”

  Clad in a fraying Yankees baseball cap, a Montauk lighthouse T-shirt, jeans and stained work boots, Bobby Michaels stepped off the boat every bit a man at peace with his kingdom.

  “Dad!” Cassie hurled herself into his arms. “Welcome home.”

  Bobby glanced at Peter over Cassie’s shoulder. “Glad to be home, honey. What did I miss while I was gone?”

  Much to Peter’s surprise, Cassie reached for his hand. “Dad, I want you to meet Peter Chapman. He’s our newest nurse at the E.R. Peter Chapman, this is my father, Bobby Michaels.”

  Bobby’s expression grew guarded. “You hold hands with all new nurses?”

  Peter extended his hand. “I won’t hold yours, but I’d be happy to shake hands with you.”

  The older man laughed. “Well, glad to hear that. Peter, is it?”

  “Yes, sir.” He glanced at the crew emptying fish from iceboxes. “Looks like you did well out there.”

  Bobby looked satisfied. “You never know how it’ll go on a run. We did okay.”

  Cassie sniffed her father’s shirt. “You smell like your catch.”

  “Best perfume ever.” His gaze fell on Cassie’s bandage. He frowned. “What’s that on your neck?”

  She shot a glance at Peter. He felt tension blast from her body, but she waved a noncommittal hand. “Nothing important. I’ll tell you about it later. Does Mom know you’re in?”

  “No. I told her I’d be in tomorrow.”

  Peter said, “We’ll drive you back if you’d like.”

  Bobby gestured to the restaurant. “Looks like you were at Dave’s.”

  Peter didn’t miss Cassie’s pleased look that he’d made the suggestion. She waved a hand. “Finished up here. We’ll grab a pizza and eat at home.”

  * * *

  BETH WAS STEPPING out the kitchen door when they pulled into the driveway. As Bobby got out of Peter’s truck, her face lit up.

  “Bobby!”

  He opened his arms wide. “Baby! I couldn’t wait another day.”

  She stepped into his arms. They kissed soundly and hugged long and hard. Bobby rocked her slowly, back and forth. Beth had her eyes closed, a smile on her face as if this were a ritual between a wife with a husband who returned from a long and dangerous job.

  Peter reached for Cassie’s hand. “Your parents are very cool.”

  She nodded. “Dad likes you.”

  He raised a brow. “Oh, yeah? How do you know?”

  She lifted the pizza box in her lap. “He would have insisted we stay at the restaurant if he didn’t like the looks of you. Afterward, he’d catch up with me to give me an earful.”

  He mouthed an “oh.”

  She smiled back. “Yeah. You can relax now. Let’s get this pizza inside.”

  The four of them sat around the kitchen table with the pizza, a salad that Cassie had thrown together, iced teas and beers all around. Beth was radiant sitting next to her husband.

  Bobby had taken a fast shower. Salt and sea down the drain, his dark, slightly graying hair still damp, he looked relaxed in a Cuban smoking shirt and jeans. Around a bite of pizza, Bobby said to Beth, “I’ll go with you to Judy and Micky’s. Don’t want to stop your plans.”

  Beth smiled. “Doesn’t matter. Didn’t think you’d want to stray far your first night home.”

  “Next door is not far. Let’s go over. A few rounds of whist would be fun. Micky needs a good trouncing.”

  “Okay. After we eat.”

  Bobby turned his sights on Peter. “So, what brings you all the way from California?”

  Peter expected to be drilled, and decided he’d be direct with his answers. “My responsibilities changed. I graduated from nursing school and had nothing keeping me in Los Angeles. I saw this job and decided to check out Long Island’s farthest point.”

  Without blinking an eye, Bobby asked, “Any family?”

  He wasn’t proud of his heritage, but he was proud of his brother and his own achievements. “My parents divorced when I was young. Not much contact with my dad. My mother is mentally ill and was institutionalized before I left. I have a brother in San Francisco. He’s great.”

  Bobby tossed the finished pizza crust into the box on the table and helped himself to another slice. “Sounds like you had an interesting upbringing.”

  Peter swallowed some beer. “Actually, it was hellish. But, hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. My brother and I did okay despite the odds.”

  Cassie was watching him, concern darkening her eyes. He had no trouble changing the subject. “Bobby, did you know I wrecked my truck driving into town my first morning here?”

  Bobby didn’t miss the grins on Beth’s and Cassie’s faces. “I take it there’s a story behind this.”

  Beth said, “From what I gather, Cassie was the first Montauk resident who Peter saw when driving into town. She was riding her bike. Peter became distracted by our daughter and almost hit two deer.”

  Peter laughed. “It’s not fair that you guys sent your secret weapon out when I hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours.”

  Bobby pointed to Peter’s forehead. “The stitches?”

  “Yes.”

  Cassie added, “Hitting the tree knocked Peter out. I had the pleasure of greeting him when he regained consciousness in the E.R.”

  Bobby chuckled. “Oh, I’ll bet you did.” He gestured between the two of them. “So all this holding hands is because you feel guilty for causing Peter to crash?”

  Peter grinned when he saw the color rise in Cassie’s face. “Speaking for myself, I certainly hope not.”

  Cassie shrugged. “Sorry, Dad. I was checking him out as hard as he was looking at me. I’m calling it kismet.”

  Bobby sipped his bee
r. “Okay. What are you calling that bandage on your neck?”

  Cassie grew quiet. Beth sat back in her chair. Peter kept his mouth shut.

  Bobby looked at both of them. “It’s a biopsy. Isn’t it?”

  Cassie nodded. “Yes. Doc took it.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I had my physical last week. My white blood cell count is too high.” Cassie gestured to the bandage. “This lymph node has been swollen for a while.”

  Bobby put his beer down on the table and stared at Cassie as if he’d already lost her.

  She held up a hand. “Dad, we don’t know yet.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah, we do. The same thing happened with Judy.”

  “I don’t have any lumps in my breasts. My pap smear was normal last month.”

  Bobby scrubbed his face with a hand. “So, what do you think it is?”

  Beth touched his arm. “Better safe than sorry?”

  “We’ll go with that.” He stood. “Come on, honey. Why don’t we head over to Micky’s?”

  * * *

  THE PRESSURE OF tears filled Cassie’s eyes after her parents left the house. “Oh, God. It’s happening again.”

  Peter pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. “Cassie, don’t. Your father didn’t handle the news well. He’ll get with the program.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself despite Peter’s arms around her. Her insides were freezing. “You don’t understand.”

  “I probably don’t. But if you were my daughter, I certainly wouldn’t have walked out on you like that.”

  “He’s scared. He did this when Mom and Aunt Judy were sick.”

  “And your mom and your aunt are alive to tell their stories. Believe me, he’ll calm down. He’s probably just tired.”

  “I want to go home.”

  He made a lame joke. “I can take you. It’s not far.”

  They walked to her cottage holding hands in silence. The night air was warm. The stars overhead swirled in a mass of constellations. This could be an incredibly romantic night but from the set of Cassie’s jaw, romance was the furthest thought from her mind. It didn’t matter. Peter could touch her heart in other ways.

  She led him into the cottage, closing the door behind them. In the dark, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek on his chest.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “What a week you’ve had, Cassie. Between the stress of the biopsy and the excitement with your dad coming home, you must be beat.”

  “Hold me for a minute before you leave?”

  His heart ached at the unhappy sound of her voice. “What makes you think I’m going?”

  She grew quiet in his arms.

  Peter caressed her head, her honey curls smoothing beneath the palm of his hand. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

  “Peter, I—”

  He touched a finger to her lips. “Shush. I won’t ravage your exquisite body. Not tonight, anyway. I just want to be with you.”

  She shook her head. “I think it’s best if you go.”

  He took her hand. “Come on. I take it your bedroom is this way?”

  “Peter!”

  “Trust me, Cassie.”

  He led her by the moonlight to the hallway behind the living room. A single bedroom washed in silvery light from the windows took up the entire back of the cottage. When he stepped into the room, Cassie’s perfume invaded his senses as if her essence permeated this small sanctuary. He felt along the wall for a light switch. A stained-glass lamp on the nightstand flared to life and cast hues of green, blue, orange and violet against the wall and ceiling. He sat her on the edge of her bed. “Where is your bathroom?”

  She pointed to a door in the corner of the room. “Over there.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Wait here.”

  Intending to start a warm shower, he changed his mind when he saw the antique claw-foot tub big enough for two in the surprisingly large bathroom. This would work as long as he was careful not to get her bandage wet. Heck, if he did, he’d change it. That’s what nurses did.

  Adding bath salts from the glass urn standing on a small table, he began filling the tub with hot water. The air filled with the scents of eucalyptus and lavender. Good antidotes for relaxation. He pulled two thick white towels and a washcloth from the antique cabinet next to the sink and placed them on top, lit candles on a three-tiered stand and dimmed the overhead lights to a dusky hue. Checking the water temperature to make sure it was perfect, he returned to Cassie.

  She was frowning. “What are you doing?”

  “Preparing your bath.”

  “I took a shower earlier. I don’t need a bath.”

  Even tired, her petulance was sexy. “You’d be surprised how badly you do. I’m making the water nice and hot to relax those tense muscles. Now, just humor me. Okay?”

  Cassie sighed. “I’m too beat to argue with you.”

  He grinned. “Good.”

  He slid his hands behind her neck.

  Her faces inches from his, she said, “Now what?”

  “I’m removing your necklace.”

  Her skin felt warm, soft. Tiny goose bumps rose beneath his fingers as he searched for the clasp. He felt satisfaction at the way her body responded to his touch. Releasing the catch, he slid the necklace off. He eased the silver hoops from her ears, careful to put both on the nightstand.

  “That necklace looks beautiful on you.”

  She smiled. “One of my favorites. Made by a jeweler from the Shinnecock tribe.”

  Running a palm down her calf, he unfastened one sandal. Then the other. He placed them together on the floor. Taking both her hands he guided her to her feet, turning her back to him. “No zipper?”

  “Goes over the head.”

  “Nice.”

  “Are you trying to seduce me?”

  He kissed her cheek. “Not tonight, love. You need to rest. Trust me.”

  She tilted her head, a lock of hair falling over her shoulder. “There you go again.”

  He reached for the hem of her dress. “See how much you don’t know me yet?”

  She lifted her arms. “I’m learning fast.”

  He pulled the dress over her head, doing everything in his power not to simply stare at Cassie’s perfect body. The nude lace bra and thong panties that had managed to look invisible under the crochet dress enhanced the feminine curves of her creamy skin and practically undid him. How had he forgotten the sexy mole next to her belly button? Or the spray of freckles in the valley of her breasts? Ahh, God. He would revisit each of those spots the next time he had her in his arms. Exploring Cassie could be a full-time job for the rest of his days—especially with the number of freckles peppering her skin. He pushed the thought from his mind. Tonight was all about caring for this woman who was rapidly growing in importance in his life. He wanted her to feel secure. Loved. Cherished—especially now before the bomb dropped from her pathology report.

  A shy look rose in her eyes. “You’ve only seen me naked once. And a bath is rather...”

  “Intimate?”

  She grinned. “Personal.”

  “We’re both nurses here. Let’s be medical about this process.”

  She laughed. The melodic sound had him wondering if she should be trusting him. Exhaling a long breath, Nurse Chapman kicked in. He laid her dress over the bench at the foot of the bed. Giving her a gentle push at the small of her back, he said, “Okay, gorgeous. Into the bathroom you go.”

  The tub was filled enough to stay below her neckline. He turned off the water. Tested it. Perfect.

  Using the hair clip on the vanity, Peter twisted her hair into a knot and caught it on the crown of her head. When she tilted her head forward, he released her bra hook
s. Slid the lacy fabric off her arms. Helped her step out of her thong.

  Heaven above, his own personal angel was magnificent. She wasn’t trying to seduce him or be seduced. She had warmed to his promise of only bathing her, and in true nurse mode, had become comfortable standing before him in the nude with tendrils falling around her face like threads of gold.

  Like a hammer hit, he fell deeper in love with her. Even in a quiet moment like this with no agenda on either of their parts, being together seemed comfortable. Flawless. An order of nature. Now, he wanted her drowsy and sleeping as soon as possible. The hot bath would accomplish that goal. Cassie had had a tough week. He wanted to remedy that.

  Letting him support her with one hand, she tested the water. “Wow.”

  “Hope you like your water hot.”

  “I do. It’ll just take me a second to get used to it.”

  Cassie eased herself into the tub, hissing lightly at the heat.

  “Want me to add some cold water?”

  “And ruin this wonderful temperature? No. No. No.”

  She shook her head, smiling. Once submerged, she rested her head against the edge of the tub. “Ahhh. This is wonderful.”

  He crossed his arms, enjoying the sight of her all stretched out, a smile of contentment curving her lips, her bandage dry, her legs looking long and shapely, the water rippling over her flat stomach and the mounds of her perfect breasts. Cassie Michaels could put Venus to shame.

  She shot him a mischievous glance. “Not fair that I’m naked and you’re fully clothed.”

  He sat precariously on the edge of the tub. “Okay.”

  He pulled off his boots and socks. Pulled his shirt over his head. Standing, he unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants. He wasn’t going any further than his underwear.

  Cassie was grinning.

  “What?”

  “Your boxers. Sexy. Every woman should have a nurse like you in her life.”