by Starla Kaye
He'd no sooner started relaxing, started putting Kandee and all women out of his mind, than he thought he heard a faint buzzing sound. Frowning, he turned the water off to listen better.
The buzzing was even louder. His doorbell. Shit!
His stomach knotted, dread spread through him. As his visitor kept punching the doorbell over and over, he knew his luck had failed. Danielle had arrived. His gut instincts were seldom wrong. Maybe he could just stay here, remain quiet. Surely she hadn't heard the shower running. Maybe she'd think he wasn't here and would just leave. Right. Never happen. He knew her too well. Giving up was not an option, in her opinion. Except on continuing as his lover when he'd needed her the most, when he'd gotten injured and knew his world was ending.
He stepped out of the shower and heard the front door opening. Damn! They seldom locked any of the doors on the ranch and he'd hoped she wouldn't try to come in on her own. Again, he should have known better.
"I know you're in here, Sean," she called out, her voice thick with a New Yorker's accent. "Your foreman told me you were home."
Her heels clicked on the tiled entry and his heart raced. She was heading for the stairway, clearly unconcerned that she hadn't been invited into his house.
He grabbed for a towel, made a couple of quick dry-off motions, and wrapped it around his lower body. He didn't doubt for a second that she would march right into his bedroom. March right into the bathroom and find him naked. She might like that, but he wouldn't.
He walked into the bedroom at the same time she did. As her gaze zeroed in on the area he most definitely didn't want her to see, he clutched the towel more tightly together. At least he hadn't gotten hard, which was yet another sign that they were finished. "You should have waited until I answered the door," he snarled.
She rolled her eyes, her way too heavily made-up eyes. He'd forgotten how much makeup she wore. He'd never liked it, which made him think of Kandee and how very little makeup she seemed to wear. Natural. Just right.
"Earth to Sean. I'm standing right here and you look like you're a thousand miles away." Her bright red lips pursed in annoyance.
He blew out a frustrated breath. "Can you at least wait in the living room for me? Give me a chance to get dressed."
"Why? I've seen you naked before." She tossed him a wicked grin and strolled toward his rumpled bed. "I'm not opposed to seeing you that way again."
He held the towel together. "Well, I am opposed." He nodded toward the doorway. "Out. Now."
She huffed but turned and strode out, taking the time to slam the door behind her. If he cared enough about her, he'd go after her and heat her bottom for such behavior. But he didn't care, for sure not about her as a lover anymore. And he was thinking about letting her go as his publicist. What did he need one for now anyway?
It was time they sat down and had a serious talk. Maybe he could get through to her this time, get her to see she was wasting her efforts on him. With any luck at all he could convince her to get back in her rental car and drive directly back to the airport.
* * *
Kandee stood next to the breakfast bar in Aimee's kitchen, savoring the smells of Thanksgiving dinner drifting around her. Turkey still in the roaster nearby. Fresh, homemade rolls cooling next to four pies. Spicy stuffing cooked in a Crockpot beside another pot of gingered yams. Her stomach had started growling from the second the smells had hit her when she'd walked into the house over an hour ago.
She thought wistfully that this was what a home should feel like, especially at holiday time. Her family holiday meals had always been about fancy dinners catered in, about important business connections of her father being at their table. Sometimes she'd even slipped away from the table unnoticed and never been missed. Not great memories. When she had kids of her own, things would be different...like at Aimee's house.
Pushing those unhappy thoughts away, she watched Aimee bustle around the big kitchen. She'd offered to help several times and been turned down each time. Aimee preferred to work alone. She was in her element, her cooking zone. So she just let Aimee do her thing and instead picked off a piece of piecrust from the pecan pie cooling next to her. She nibbled on it. Flaky and perfect. Aimee had a real way with baking. Aimee's pies were the best Kandee had ever tasted. Her cookies and candy...to die for. And she had tons of recipes of her own creation. Years ago her friend had talked about wanting to have her own bakery. A husband and three kids later and that dream had been forgotten.
"I've been thinking about staying here in Cantonville," she said casually. In truth, she'd only come up with the idea seconds ago. Now the idea felt right.
Aimee glanced at her, surprise sparking in her eyes. "You're kidding, right? You couldn't get away from here fast enough after high school."
"True enough, but things have changed." She'd hated being the plain girl pitied by everyone because of her equally striking parents, so popular by all. She'd felt like an alien most of her early years. She'd been almost certain she'd been adopted because she wasn't anything like her outgoing parents. She'd been introverted, brainy, boring. But she'd finally come into her own these last few years. She'd made herself over, was continuing to come out of her shell. After all, hadn't she finally lost that bothersome virginity thing? Hadn't she at long last discovered the wonders of making love with someone? She really liked it! And she refused to think it was only because of Sean. Yes, he'd been so gentle with her, and then so amazing. But surely other men would...
"Is this because of Sean Masters?" Aimee interrupted her thoughts. "Because you two finally..." Aimee blushed and shook her head in disapproval.
Kandee's biggest mistake recently was coming here yesterday and telling Aimee about Sean showing up at her house in the middle of the night. She'd been so frustrated with him. Her irritation with him had flown out of her mouth before she could censor anything. At least she'd managed to stop her ranting before she'd admitted that he'd spanked her for "using him." But Aimee had been disgusted with him, furious that he'd been so weak to go along with Kandee's crazy idea. She'd lectured her on and on about what she'd done. Her own mother had never lectured her so much.
She was tired of thinking about it, including how he'd kept saying what a bad idea their making love was, how it would never happen again. Darn right it won't, buster! Yet his words still hurt. "He's made it clear there will never be anything between us. Which, of course, is fine with me." Lie, lie, lie. "I'm moving on from that issue."
Aimee's raised eyebrow told her that she didn't believe her. "If he isn't your goal anymore, then why would you want to consider moving here? What would you do here? You're a chemist. There's not a big call for that around Cantonville that I know of."
She considered picking off another piece of crust, but Aimee's head shake stopped her. "I'm not excited about my work any longer. Actually, it's pretty tedious and, well, boring." And that was putting it lightly.
Aimee went back to the oven to check on a green bean casserole. "So what exactly would you do in the bustling town of Cantonville?"
Okay, she was stepping seriously out on a limb here. She crossed her fingers behind her back. "There's a need for a coffee shop/bakery here. Not really competition for Sally Mae's Diner, something else."
"What?" Aimee closed the oven door and faced her, eyes widened. "But you can barely make toast. Your coffee is awful."
Kandee sucked in a steadying breath. "I'd be a great manager, though. I manage a large department right now." She looked with determination at Aimee." And I happen to have a friend who is a master baker. She even has a way with coffee."
Aimee's eyes widened even more and she squeaked, "Me? Seriously?" She shook her head, although longing filled her expression. "I have three kids. One is only just over two years old. I couldn't possibly do it."
Chad stepped into the doorway with Eric, who had arrived when Kandee had and been visiting with him in the other room. "What couldn't you possibly do?" He looked from his wife to Kandee and back to Aimee
.
Her friend's face turned pink and she turned away. "Nothing. It's not important."
"I was just telling Aimee that I'm thinking about moving back here. I want to open a coffee shop with a bakery." Kandee raised her chin at Chad's puzzled glance. "I want Aimee to be my partner, my baker. She'd be perfect."
Eric chuckled and drew her focus. "Why would you want to do something like that?"
She bristled. "Why not?"
He gave her a tolerant look. "Because you've spent years getting to where you are in your profession. I've even heard that a big international company is headhunting you."
Kandee hadn't realized anyone in town knew that. She'd told her parents--hadn't meant to tell them--so maybe they had mentioned it to someone. Word spread quickly around this town, it always had. Which made her wonder how long it would take for people to know Sean had come to her house in the middle of the night recently. She didn't want to think about that right now. Ever actually.
"Seriously? Well, I'm impressed," Chad inserted.
She really wanted to snag a piece of crust now, maybe a cookie. Comfort food. Which only went to show how frustrated she was, because she wasn't normally a snacker. "I'm not interested in moving to London, as that company would want me to do. I don't need to make that kind of money. And I certainly don't want the kind of pressures that comes with a high-level job like they're offering me."
Again, she had to fight from reaching toward the pie. She wasn't used to talking about herself. Most of her life nobody had cared. What she'd said was true, though, she had enough money to live comfortably the rest of her life. She would sell her condo in Houston and make a profit. She would offer to buy the family home here from her parents, but they would probably just turn it over to her. They'd wanted to move to New York for a long time but didn't know what to do about the house here. Even more appealing to her, she was certain this would be a great place to raise the children she wanted to adopt.
"I'd love to have you here, but I can't possibly think about going into business," Aimee interrupted her thoughts. "My kids need me." She faced Kandee, her eyes mirroring regret. "Maybe in another ten years."
Chad focused on his wife, frowned. "We'll talk about this later. I don't want you so easily passing on something you'd like to do."
"But..." Even Kandee heard the faint hope in Aimee's voice.
Chad walked to her and gently hugged her. "Let's concentrate on today for now. This big meal you've been working on for days. Sharing it with our friends, Kandee and Eric." He glanced at each of them with a strained smile. "Sean." His expression grew even more strained. "And the guest he's bringing."
Kandee gaped at him. The last she'd heard Sean wasn't coming, something which had both pleased and annoyed her. But a guest? A date? "Maybe I should go." She didn't really want to leave, but could she stay here and watch him with someone else?
"You are not leaving!" Aimee snapped, glaring at her husband. "You told me he wasn't coming."
Chad shrugged. "He weakened after I kept hounding him about coming today. And he wasn't sure Danielle was actually going to get here with all of the flight delays." He sighed. "He didn't want her to come. But he called me a few minutes ago to say she showed up earlier today. He's bringing her."
"That b... ummm, That publicist of his? The one he thought he might marry? The woman who dumped him when he got hurt." Aimee pinned her husband with a furious look. "I don't want her here."
A woman he'd been serious enough about to consider marrying? Dumped him? Kandee had to sit down to absorb this surprising news. She plopped onto one of the bar stools. Now she did pinch off a piece of crust and shoved it in her mouth. She had no right to feel jealous. They weren't together, never would be. Didn't matter. She wanted to take the woman down. Dumped him when he was hurting. Really!
Eric cleared his throat in the doorway, drawing their attention. He didn't look happy. "Maybe I'm the one who should leave." He looked at Kandee for encouragement to stay. "From your expression, I think you have feelings for him, even though you've denied it."
"I...I don't. That doesn't mean I can't feel bad for him about this woman." Curious, too. She wanted to see the kind of woman he'd considered marrying, see how poorly she compared.
"No one is leaving," Chad said firmly. He looked at Eric, anger tightening his face. "Kandee and Sean had a moment in time, but they've moved past it. Or so she keeps telling Aimee and me. Sean is at a tough time in his life. He's not ready to settle down with anyone. And definitely not with Danielle. She had her chance with him and blew it."
He looked grimly at Aimee. "But she's here about business and he has to deal with her. She's coming and you're going to be nice to her. Understand?"
Aimee blushed and gave a nod before turning away to stir corn cooking on the stove. In that second Kandee wondered if Chad, too, was a spanker. It was just a sense she got, but Aimee's quick change in attitude was a tell sign, in her opinion. Not that she would ever discuss the subject with her friend.
"Okay, we'll all play nice today." Kandee would give it her best shot. If she moved back here, she would run into Sean from time to time, especially since he was friends with Chad. She might feel a little raw about him being with another woman so soon after he'd had sex with her, but she was an adult. She could handle it. Yes, keep telling yourself that.
Time to change the subject. "So, Eric, I hear you're leaving tomorrow." She slid from the bar stool and headed in his direction. "Why don't we go talk a bit and watch the end of the parade."
* * *
"Stop that!" Sean shoved Danielle's hand away from his face. She'd been trying to make up with him ever since they'd gotten in his truck. He'd refused to talk to her alone in his house. He'd called Chad and told him he was coming with Danielle earlier than expected. She hadn't been happy.
"I've missed you," she pouted. "You should be back in New York with me. Not out here in the wild west...on a ranch, of all places."
He focused on the road, gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles hurt. "This ranch has been in my family for over a hundred and thirty years. This isn't the wild west. It's my home."
Oddly, for the first time since he'd come back here, it did feel like home. He'd spent a lot of years living in Denver and in New York City, but they'd never been more than places he stayed. Now that he was getting past some of his resentment for losing his football career, he was settling in. Neighbors stopped by to see him, actually seemed to care about him and how he was doing. His old high school buddies liked him for who he was, not for what he had been, a big time football star.
She snorted, something she did a lot and that he hated. "Home? Really? How quaint, but I don't believe you." She gazed at him, a knowing smile on her face. "You were always one of the first to buy tickets to a new Broadway show. You frequented every 'hot' spot in the City every chance you got. How can a place like this even compare?"
What she'd said had been true and he finally realized how shallow he'd become. "That's not what I want anymore. You'll never understand what I see in this place." She wouldn't. She was Miss Big City and would never change. Pity. She was really missing out.
"Change of subject." She grew serious, dropped the teasing temptress act, which he hadn't been buying anyway. "ESPN wants to sign you as a guest football analyst next fall. If it works out, they might take you on full-time for all sports."
He absorbed the news, knew what a huge deal that could be for his future. Maybe...
Sensing she had caught him on her hook, she smiled as if victorious. "Of course your coach and team still want you back. The owner has found an amazing therapist who is sure--"
"No! No more therapists! I'm done with all of that." He scowled at her. "Why can't you all understand that? You, more than them. I think you are the one still pushing for that, more than any of them."
The single-minded woman fully emerged. "I won't give up on you. I won't let them give up on you."
"Because I've been your number one bread
winner for the last six years," he said dully. How had he ever forgotten that enough to think he'd fallen in love with her?
She shrugged. "I can't deny that." She gave him a sad look, one that surprised him. "But I love you, Sean, in my own way. I know you don't believe that, but I do."
"Yet you..." He didn't want to talk about what she'd done to him while he'd been in the rehabilitation clinic. She'd hurt him. Period. Now he wasn't sure if he'd ever loved her, but he would never give her the chance to hurt him again.
"I'm sorry," her voice mirrored the first real emotion he'd from her in a long time.
"I don't love you," he admitted quietly.
* * *
This had been Sean's worst idea ever, bringing Danielle to Chad's house for Thanksgiving. It ranked right up there with even thinking about coming here today at all. He should have shoved Danielle back out of his house and into her rental car. He should have stayed at the ranch.
He sat between Danielle and Kandee at the dining room table and felt damn uncomfortable. The two women kept picking at each other, subtly, but picking. He didn't understand why either of them bothered. Danielle had tried to come on to him during the drive here and then told him she still had feelings for him, which he didn't really believe. He thought he'd made it clear the feelings weren't returned. But the woman never gave up. From the way she kept digging at Kandee, he wondered if he'd been talking a foreign language to her...if that was why she'd apparently not gotten his message. Jealousy and possessiveness reeked from her.
He tried to cut a piece of turkey and not look at either woman. Or look across the table at Eric, seated between Chad's sons. The man clearly hated him. It wasn't his fault Kandee had planted herself in the seat on his left, Danielle sitting on his right. He didn't understand Kandee's attitude. She'd pretty much told him that she was done with him after he'd taken her precious virginity. But then she'd been kind of pissed because he'd spanked her for teasing him, for using him to get what she'd wanted. Of course he didn't want to get involved with her either. At the moment he didn't think he wanted to get involved with another woman for a hell of a long time.