“Yes. I do—really like her. But I’m not entirely sure that’s a wise thing.”
He looked up to see Holt was studying him closely. As though he considered a man with more than an overnight interest in a woman a rare sight.
“Why? She seems like a lovely, intelligent woman. Far too nice for my taste, though.”
Blake grimaced. “Yeah, you like yours on the wild side.”
Holt’s chuckle was smug. “That’s the best kind. Like a paper plate after a nice meal. Easy to clean up. Just toss it away and get another one.”
Blake shook his head before taking a long sip of the syrupy coffee. “I’m going to try to forget I heard that.”
“What? No lectures about breaking hearts and taking a woman seriously?”
“No. I’d be wasting my breath. Besides, one of these days you’re going to pay for your rowdy behavior.”
Holt chuckled again, although this time the sound didn’t carry as much arrogance. “Okay, one day I’ll get a lance through my heart. But that’s me. What about you and Katherine? Are you getting serious about her? If you ask me, that’s kind of quick.”
From the moment Blake had run into Katherine on the sidewalk, he’d been serious. He realized that sounded like love at first sight. But he couldn’t confess such a thing to Holt. That would only produce more laughter from his Romeo brother.
“I’ll put it this way. She’s, uh, becoming important to me. But I’m not sure things between us will ever go anywhere. She’s had a rough time of it—losing her husband and all. And I’m not exactly the kind of man she thinks she needs.”
“Well, why the hell not? You’re so good it’s sickening.”
“Thanks,” Blake said drolly.
Holt made a dismissive gesture by batting a hand through the air. “You know I meant that as a compliment.”
Blake let out a rueful sigh. “Katherine wants a man who can devote plenty of time to his family. I haven’t forgotten what happened with Lenore. Neither have you.”
“Listen, Blake, if a man tries to spread himself too thin, he’ll end up with a bunch of holes in him. If Katherine can’t be happy with what you can give her, then I’d be moving on to a woman who’s not so demanding.” He picked up the stack of registration papers and headed for the door. “I’ll go get Lonesome saddled for you.”
Surprised at the offer, Blake said, “Thanks, Holt. And as for the horse papers, I’m sure Hannah will be glad to help you with them. She loves to name animals.”
Holt’s face lit up. “Hey, you’re right. I should have thought of that.”
Giving his brother a backhanded wave, Holt departed the office, leaving Blake to turn his focus to the spreadsheet. The list of vet supplies the ranch had used the prior month was huge and the cost even more worrisome. He was going to have to do his homework to find better suppliers with more competitive prices—a tedious task that would eat up his time.
A secretary would free part of your time for other things.
Katherine’s suggestion gnawed at his thoughts until, finally, he leaned back in the chair and scrubbed his face with both hands.
Hiring a secretary would be like admitting he couldn’t keep up with his job as ranch manager. That his shoulders simply weren’t broad enough to carry the load his father had always handled with ease. No, Blake thought, he was the eldest of the family. He was the one holding the reins of the ranch. He didn’t want anyone thinking the job had become too much for him. Especially Katherine.
He was surprised Holt hadn’t brought up the subject of a secretary. Normally, his brother was hounding him about hiring extra help here in the office. Instead, he’d suggested Blake find a woman who wouldn’t be so demanding. This from a man who considered the opposite sex little more than a paper plate?
Hell, he wasn’t about to take Holt’s advice. The two of them were polar opposites. As for Katherine, the only thing she was demanding from Blake was that they put their relationship on the slow burner.
Slow. Fast. Whatever the speed, he had to convince Katherine they were perfect for each other.
Blake’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the phone on the corner of his desk began to ring. Seeing the call was coming directly from the horse barn, he punched a button and lifted the receiver to his ear.
Holt said, “Lonesome is ready and Matt’s waiting on you.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Blake switched off the computer and reached for his hat. Outside, the sun was a white ball of fire and had already heated the morning to a fierce temperature. Gila Valley was an hour ride, or more, from the ranch yard. By the time he and Matt got there, both men and their horses would be covered with dust and sweat.
But he wouldn’t want it any other way, he realized as his long strides carried him across the sunbaked ground to the horse barn. Like his father and the generations of Hollisters before him, Blake was a cowboy at heart. And nothing could change that fact. Not even Katherine.
Chapter Eight
“Mom, do I need to put my swim trunks in my bag?”
Standing at the closet door, Katherine glanced around to see Nick standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. In spite of it being only eight thirty in the morning and the fact that Blake wouldn’t be picking them up for another hour, he’d already shouldered his backpack.
“I’m not sure, Nick. Blake didn’t say anything about getting in the water. But let’s take our swimwear just to be safe.”
“Hooray! We haven’t been swimming in a long time. Not since Grandpa died.”
Caught off guard by Nick’s comment, she tossed the jeans she’d been holding onto the bed and walked over to him. “Has it really been that long since we’ve gone to the lake?”
He nodded. “You’re always working or doing something, Mom.”
Always working. She’d flung those two words at Cliff more than she cared to remember. Now it looked as though she was guilty of doing the same thing. “Yes, I guess I am. But that’s going to change. I promise.”
He tilted his head to one side as he considered her last remark. “Why? Because of Blake?”
Warm color washed over her face. “No. Not exactly. I’m just going to make an extra effort to make sure we do more things together.”
“Gee, Mom, we do lots of things together. Shawn doesn’t get to do anything with his mother. He never even sees her! So I’m lucky!”
Katherine didn’t know what had caused the divorce between Lash and his ex-wife. But she was aware that the woman had totally turned her back on her son. Which was unfathomable to Katherine.
Rubbing a hand over the top of Nick’s dark head, she said, “I’m glad you think so. Are you excited about the picnic today? With Blake and Hannah?”
His eyes lit up. “Sure! Hannah’s really fun—even though she is a girl. And Blake is fun, too. He talks to me about important things. And I like that.”
The night they’d had dinner at Three Rivers, Blake had made a special effort to give Nick some personal attention. Katherine had deliberately stayed out of the way so her son could have one-on-one time with Blake and apparently the interaction had left an impression on her son.
“Important things, huh. Like what?”
“Oh, like grown-up stuff. Like what I want to do when I get to be a man and things like that. He showed me some trophies and ribbons that his brothers had won when they were a kid, like me. Playing sports and doing horse shows. That was pretty neat. And you know what, Mom? Blake doesn’t brag about anything. He just talks about doing your best and being honest. Billy Johnson’s dad brags all the time. And Billy gets embarrassed. When I get a dad, I hope he doesn’t talk that way.”
When I get a dad. Nick’s words struck her hard. So did the longing on his face.
Taking him by the hand, she led him over to the end of the bed. “Sit down for a minute, Nick. I want
to talk to you.”
“Aww, Mom. We don’t have time for that. Blake’s gonna be here in a few minutes and I want to be ready!”
With a hand on his shoulder, she nudged him into the chair, then took a seat on the end of the bed. “I promise I won’t keep you here long. You just said you liked to talk about important things. Well, this is something important.”
His eyes widened and then he said glumly, “Oh. What have I done this time? I made A’s on all my test grades this week. And I didn’t get into trouble even once at school.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re not in trouble, Nick. I just want to...talk to you a little about Blake. And me. I can tell you really like him.”
His wide grin spoke volumes. “Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed, then just as quickly his grin was replaced with a sober expression. “Before I met him, I didn’t think I’d like him. But he’s not like I thought he’d be. He’s pretty super. You know what I mean, Mom?”
She knew exactly what her son meant. Blake was super. And that made her have even more doubts about her ability to hang on to a man like him for any extended length of time.
Smiling gently, she said, “Yes, Blake is a nice man. And I’m glad you like him. I just don’t want you to...well, get too many ideas about him.”
A confused frown puckered his forehead. “What kind of ideas?”
Talking to her son about something that affected both of their lives shouldn’t be this hard, she thought. But since Cliff died, she’d not had a man in her life. This was something new for the both of them.
“Like Blake might eventually be your father someday. I don’t want you to wish for something that will probably never happen.”
He stared at her for long moments and then the corners of his mouth began to tremble ever so slightly. Please, God, don’t let him cry, she prayed. Otherwise, she’d be crying with him.
“What would be wrong in wishing for that? You just said he was a nice guy. And if you don’t want to marry him, then why are you going out with him?”
The reproachful tone in his voice had Katherine groaning inwardly. “Listen, Nick, just because two people go on dates, it doesn’t mean they plan to get married. It just means they like each other’s company. And they want to spend time together.”
“Maybe you and Blake will want to be together for a long time. Then you’d want to get married, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, maybe. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up and then have them squashed. Understand?”
He kicked the toe of his athletic shoe against the carpet. “Yeah. I understand,” he mumbled. “But I think—”
“You think what?”
“Oh, nothing.” He suddenly jumped to his feet. “May I go finish getting ready now?”
“Yes, you may.”
Nick made a quick escape and Katherine returned to the closet to search for something appropriate to wear for a picnic at the lake. But instead of seeing a row of garments hanging on the rack, all she could see was the quiver of disappointment on Nick’s lips.
What was she doing? Setting herself and her son up for a major heartbreak?
Shaking the dismal questions away, she tossed a skinny blue tank top onto the bed and promised herself she wasn’t going to let another dark thought enter her head today.
* * *
Since Blake had started dating Katherine, he’d not seen her in a pair of jeans. He’d thought she looked incredibly sexy in a dress, but throughout the forty-five-minute drive to Lake Pleasant, he struggled to keep his gaze focused on the highway instead of her.
The tight denim outlined the provocative curves of her hips and long shapely legs, while the skimpy blue top she was wearing exposed the creamy skin of her chest and shoulders. With her hair pulled up in a ponytail, she looked more like a teenager than a widowed mother.
“Uncle Blake, let’s go to that place with the big rocks,” Hannah suggested as they began to cross the long New Waddell Dam that created the lake. “We can swim there. And Nick and I can hike up the mountain.”
Blake glanced at the two children in the back seat of the truck. From the moment they’d left Katherine’s house in Wickenburg, Hannah and Nick had chattered nonstop. At the moment, they were exchanging grins and high fives as though they were already certain Blake would agree to their choice of picnic spots.
“Sounds okay with me,” Blake said. “As long as somebody isn’t already camping there.”
The children responded with shouts of approval, while across the console Katherine smiled at him.
“I believe you have a pair of happy campers back there.”
“Well, so far,” he agreed. “The place Hannah is talking about is a private little cove near some rock bluffs. Not many people know of it.”
“So how did you find the place?”
“Have you forgotten?” he asked coyly. “My sister is a ranger here at the state park. It pays to have an inside track.”
She chuckled. “The other night after dinner, Vivian told me she’d been working as a ranger ever since her divorce. I could tell she loves her job. I’m glad. She didn’t deserve the heartache she’s gone through.”
He glanced at her. “Neither did you.”
“No one does. It just happens,” she said curtly, then abruptly changed the subject by gesturing at the scenic sight of the lake. “I’d forgotten how pretty this place is. I’m very glad you had the idea for a picnic today. Nick reminded me this morning that we’ve not been here since his grandfather died.”
Blake wasn’t about to admit that it had been years since he’d gone on a recreational outing like this. She’d think he was doing all this just to impress her. And maybe in a way, he was. But yesterday, after Holt’s visit to his office, Blake had done plenty of thinking about his job and Katherine. And he’d come to the conclusion that if he truly wanted to be a family man, he was going to have to make changes in his life. He just didn’t know how or where he could make those changes.
“I’m glad you’re looking forward to this. Instead of worrying about the ants and horned lizards and rattlesnakes.”
She chuckled under her breath. “Now, why should I worry? I have you to keep me safe.”
Such simple words, yet they made Blake feel ten feet tall.
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’ll do my best.”
* * *
Once they entered the park, Blake turned onto a graveled dirt road that appeared to be taking them away from the lake rather than toward it. But soon the road began to curve eastward, through low desert hills sparsely dotted with chaparral and an occasional saguaro.
When they finally reached the secluded cove and everyone departed the truck, Katherine gazed at the rock ledge that formed a natural roof over the ground. Less than fifteen feet away, clear blue water lapped at the shoreline. Two desert willows covered with pinkish purple blooms fluttered in the brisk breeze.
Clapping her hands with delight, Katherine exclaimed, “Oh, this is a little paradise!”
Her display of pleasure put a broad smile on Hannah’s face. “This place doesn’t really have a name like some of the other camping spots. But Mom and I call it Apache Cove.”
“Apache Cove!” Nick exclaimed. “Why do you call it that? Did Apaches use to live here?”
“They must have,” Hannah told him, as though she was quite certain of her state history. “Uncle Joe and I have found arrowheads here before. We might even find some today.”
Nick turned wide eyes on his mother. “Did you hear that, Mom? We might find arrowheads! Wouldn’t that be neat?”
She patted the top of the red ball cap he was wearing. “Very neat. I hope you do find some.”
“Hey, you three. Am I going to get some help over here?”
Katherine glanced over her shoulder to see Blake lifting a large ice chest from the back of t
he truck. As her eyes took in his tall lean body dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, she realized the splendid beauty of the cove was merely a backdrop for Blake’s handsome image. The thought had her wondering if she was simply lucky to have caught his eye, or cursed for dating someone so out of her reach.
No. Don’t go there, Katherine. Remember? Today is nothing but good, happy thoughts.
For once, she followed the uplifting voice in her head and her laughter came free and easy as she slung an arm around both children. “Come on, you two. We’d better help get our picnic.”
In a matter of minutes, the four of them had toted everything from the truck over to a weather-worn wooden picnic table situated near the rock ledge. Blake dug a checked tablecloth from a tote bag and spread it over the tabletop.
“There. Fit for a king’s banquet,” he said as he carefully smoothed out the wrinkles.
“What’s in the basket to eat?” Nick asked as Katherine placed paper plates and plastic utensils onto the table.
“All sorts of good things,” Hannah told him. “I asked for fried chicken and Uncle Blake wanted sandwiches, so Reeva made both. And she put homemade chocolate-chip cookies in, too. They’re yummy.”
“Anything with sugar is yummy to Hannah,” Blake teased, then looked to Nick. “What about you, Nick? Does your mother give you plenty of desserts?”
The boy wrinkled his nose. “Only if I eat all my meat and vegetables. I like the meat, but not the vegetables. Yuck!”
“Well, don’t worry. We don’t have a bunch of vegetables for our picnic today, but maybe your mother will allow you to eat cookies anyway,” Blake told the boy, then gave Katherine a conspiring wink.
So far the amount of time Nick had spent with Blake wasn’t all that much, yet Katherine could already see a bond developing between the two. Having a father figure was exactly what Nick needed at this time in his life. And the fact that Blake cared enough to give her son undivided attention endeared her even more to the man.
“I think we can forget about the vegetable rule for today,” Katherine said.
Her Man on Three Rivers Ranch Page 10