CASEY

by Lori Foster

  When she emerged ten minutes later, looking more agitated than ever, he slipped his arm around her waist. They walked down the hallway to the elevator in silence, but once inside, Casey pulled her into a hug. "Ms. Clark, I'm noticing a few frown lines on you, too."

  A reluctant smile curled her lips, but her eyes remained dark with worry. "Is that right? Think I should stop for a massage?"

  "What I think is that you should talk me through it. Maybe I have magic fingers too."

  The smile turned into a grin. "I never doubted it for a second."

  "But first, a day on the lake with the sun in your face will work wonders."

  To his surprise, Emma sighed. "Oh, that does sound like heaven."

  Aware of a slow, heated thrumming in his blood, Casey urged her off the elevator and through the lobby. Already he visualized her in a bikini, her skin warmed by the sun, dewy with the humidity... He had to swallow his groan to keep from alerting her to his intent. He'd have her alone in the boat, on the lake, with no way to escape. Touching her, kissing her, was a priority.

  But first he intended to discover all her secrets. Something had happened to her, something bad enough to make her leave her home. Bad enough to make her leave him.

  He wasn't letting her off the boat until he knew it all.

  CHAPTER NINE

  B.B.'S HOT BREATH pelted Casey's right ear as he drove. The dog, like Emma, enjoyed having the top down, his face in the wind.

  Emma's long hair whipped out behind her and she constantly had to shove it from her face. In something akin to awe, she breathed, "It's so beautiful out here."

  Glancing at her, Casey agreed. Now that they'd hit the back roads leading toward the lake, the foliage was thicker, greener, lush. Blue cornflowers mixed with black-eyed Susans all along the roadway. Cows bawled in sprawling pastures, goats chewed on tall weeds grown along crooked fence posts. Blue-black crows as fat as ducks spread their wings and cawed as the car went past.

  The narrow roads forced Casey to slow his speed, but he didn't mind. Watching Emma reacquaint herself with her hometown made every second enjoyable. She waved to farmers in coveralls who tipped their straw hats to her and then lazily waved back. She strained to see tobacco huts and tomato stands and moss-covered ponds. She embraced the wind in her face and the sun in her eyes.

  She laughed with the sheer joy of it all.

  And Casey felt positively frenetic with lust. It burned his stomach and tightened his throat and kept him uncomfortably edgy.

  If, as he'd first assumed, he had only lust to deal with, he'd have already pulled over to the side of the road and taken Emma beneath a tree on the sweet grass. She claimed to be willing and there was plenty of privacy here once you got far enough from the road that no cars would notice you. Making love to Emma with the hot sun on his back and the birds overhead would be downright decadent, something straight out of his dreams.

  But he was afraid what he felt for her was more than mere lust. He wasn't sure how much more and he wasn't sure how hard it'd be to convince her of it. Emma seemed hell-bent on remembering how he'd once rejected her, instead of giving them both a chance to get reacquainted as adults. Not that he blamed her. Looking at her now, he couldn't understand how he'd ever turned her down.

  Emma was as earthy and sexual and appealing as a woman could be. And she was in her element here.

  She belonged in Buckhorn. Did she belong with him?

  They'd stopped at the motel where Emma had changed into her suit and a zippered terry-cloth cover-up. Snowy-white and sleeveless, it hung to midthigh, showing off the shapely length of her legs. She'd raised the zipper high enough to rest between her breasts. Casey could see the top of her beige, crocheted bathing-suit bra, which made him nuts wanting to know if it was a bikini or a one-piece.

  She wore dark sunglasses and brown slip-on sandals, and she had a large cotton satchel stuffed with a colorful beach towel, sunscreen, a bottle of water and her cell phone. She commented that she wanted the hospital to be able to reach her if they needed to.

  Before they'd left the motel she'd also taken the time to call Damon on his phone, and discovered that the car was repaired and he was touring the area. Emma had promised him that she'd be back for dinner. Luckily, to Casey's way of thinking, Damon had explained that he had a date, so Emma should take her time visiting.

  Emma hadn't seemed at all surprised or concerned with how fast Damon had gotten acquainted. Apparently he had a way with women, given the fond smile Emma wore while rolling her eyes.

  Casey had no idea what Damon had planned, and he didn't much care. As long as Damon stayed busy, he couldn't interfere with Casey's pursuit of Emma.

  He turned the car down the long driveway to his family's home. The property here was lined with a tidy split-rail fence to contain the few farm animals they kept. Their menagerie often varied, since some of his father's patients paid for medical services with livestock, which they in turn often donated to the needier local families.

  At present, they had several horses, an enormous hog, a fat, ornery heifer and two timid lambs. They'd keep the horses, and Honey had grown partial to the lambs. But the hog and heifer had to go. They terrorized Honey every chance they got. Whenever Honey was around, the damn cow dredged up the most threatening look a big-eyed, black-spotted bovine could manage.

  Casey adored Honey, and a day didn't go by that he didn't appreciate her and all she gave to them, to his father. Because Sawyer's first marriage had been such a public fiasco, no one had ever expected him to remarry.

  Casey had enjoyed being raised in an all-male household, but having Honey around had been even better. Softer. Over the years, she'd planted numerous flowers along the outside of the fence: enormous white peonies, tall irises and abundant daisies. Something was always in bloom, making the area colorful and fragrant.

  Holding her hair from her face, Emma glanced around at the familiar stretch of land. "I thought we were going to the lake?"

  "We are." He kept his gaze on the road and off the sight of her creamy skin. "But I want to stop at the house first. I need to change and grab the boat keys."

  "You live at home?"

  "In the apartment over the garage. I lived in Cincy for a while, just because I thought it'd be more convenient. But it didn't take me long to decide I prefer the forty-minute drive to and from work every day." Now, more than ever, Casey was glad he hadn't moved out of the area.

  The sprawling log house came into view. Built on a rise and surrounded by mature trees and numerous outbuildings, it looked impressive indeed. In his younger days, Casey had lived there with his father and his uncles. Morgan now had a house farther up the hill, but not more than a ten-minute walk away. Jordan had moved into Georgia's house with her and the kids after they married, and Gabe bought a place in town with Elizabeth.

  Morgan's newest official vehicle was in the yard. Because so many people in Buckhorn lived off the beaten path or in the hills, Morgan drove a rugged four-wheel-drive Bronco. Misty, his wife, had convinced him to trade from black to white last year. Actually, she'd wanted red, but Morgan had refused that. He said the sheriff's emblem painted on the side would clash.

  Casey saw Emma take in the crowd in front of the house. With the dark glasses on, he couldn't see her eyes. But he watched the tilt of her head, the lack of a smile on her pretty mouth.

  It appeared Morgan and Misty were dropping off the kids, Amber and Garrett. They stood on the steps, Morgan wearing his tan uniform and Misty in a casual dress. Sawyer and Honey were beneath the shade on the porch, drinking tall glasses of iced tea. Shohn was there, too, with Morgan's dog, Godzilla. All in all, they made an intimidating crowd of people.

  When they saw Casey pull up and park beneath an oak tree, the kids raced to the car to greet him. The boys were shirtless and in sneakers; Amber wore a T-shirt and cutoffs and was barefoot.

  B.B. twitched his ears, alert to the activity but not overly concerned. When he spotted the kids, his tail started thump
ing in earnest. Casey hadn't known they'd all be there. He waited, worried that Emma would be upset to be dropped into the middle of his overwhelming family.

  Instead, she sat back in her seat with a sound of wonder. "It's incredible, but they look almost the same."

  Relieved, Casey reached over and smoothed a long lock of hair behind her ear. "Dad has gray at his temples now, but Honey says it makes him look distinguished."

  "She's right. He's still so handsome it's almost unfair. And Shohn looks just like him. But, if anything, Morgan's gotten even bigger."

  "Misty calls him a brick wall." Casey looked at his imposing uncle in time to see Morgan pat Misty on the rump. She swatted at him and he laughed.

  Shaking his head, Casey said, "I swear, they still act like newlyweds."

  "Yeah, and it's wonderful." Emma sighed. The kids had almost reached them. They were making a clatter, laughing and calling out. "You can see which kids are his. That shiny black hair, and just look at those blue eyes."

  Emma opened her door, not waiting for Casey. B.B. jumped out beside her and whined in excitement, practically pleading to be released so he could play with Godzilla. The kids skidded to a halt in front of Emma and then stared.

  Shohn squinted up at her. His dark hair was mussed and he had dirt on his knees. "Does your dog bite?"

  "Only on bones." She grinned as she said it. "But not leg bones. Just steak bones."

  Garrett held out a hand and B.B. licked it. "Can we play with him?"

  The dog whined again with the most pitifully pleading expression, amusing the kids.

  Because they had plenty of land for running, Casey unhooked the dog's leash. "You guys go easy on him, okay? He doesn't know you yet."

  Amber stroked his muzzle and giggled when his tail started furiously pounding the ground. "We'll watch him for ya, okay?"

  Casey left it up to Emma.

  "Honey won't mind having him loose?"

  "'Course not." Luckily, Honey loved animals as much as they all did. Except for big cows and snarling hogs.

  "All right." Emma scratched B.B.'s ear, then patted his side and released him by saying, "Go play."

  B.B. bounded forward, leaping this way and that in his exuberance at seeing another dog. Godzilla went berserk with his own joy, which prompted the kids to do the same. Amber and Garrett ran off after the dogs, but Shohn hung back, still squinting. "You Casey's girlfriend?"

  Casey started to reply, but Emma beat him to it. "I'm a friend and I'm a girl, so I guess you can call me a girlfriend."

  "He's got a lot of girlfriends."

  Emma's mouth curled. "I never doubted it for a second."

  Shohn laughed, but in the next second Casey threw him over his shoulder and held him upside down. "Brat. Quit trying to scare her off or I'll have to hang you by your toes."

  Casey pretended to drop him and Shohn roared with laughter. When Casey finally set him back on his feet, Shohn moved a safe distance away, posed to run, and gave a cocky smile. "If she turns you down, Case, I'll take her. She's real pretty."

  Fighting a laugh, Casey feigned an attack and, like a flash, Shohn ran off to join the other kids. Casey looked at Emma and saw she wore an ear-to-ear grin, which prompted his own. So she liked kids, did she?

  A good thing, since there were quite a few in the family. "You're not going to turn me down, are you, sweetheart?"

  Rather than answer, she said, "Gee, he reminds me of someone else I know. Now, who could it be?"

  Every moment Casey spent with her canceled out the time they'd been apart. He pulled her into his side. "I was shy."

  "Ha!"

  "Shohn's only ten, but I swear he's girl crazy already. The little rat flirts with every female, regardless of her age. Makes Honey nuts. Dad just shakes his head." He gave Emma a squeeze. "And of course, my grandmother says he reminds her of Gabe."

  Emma laughed. "Where is your grandmother?"

  "She and Gabe's father, Brett, live in Florida, but they get up this way every couple of months to visit."

  Because Casey was lingering in the yard, giving Emma a chance to brace herself for his family, Sawyer left the porch and headed toward them. It seemed he'd been seeing patients, given that he wore dark slacks and an open-necked button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He smiled at Emma without recognition. "Hello."

  He held out his hand and Emma took it. "Hello, Dr. Hudson. It's been a long time."

  Cocking one eyebrow, Sawyer looked to Casey for an introduction. Casey stared at his father hard, trying to prepare him. "Dad, you remember Emma Clark."

  The other eyebrow lifted to join the first. Sawyer still held her hand and now he enclosed it in both of his. If he'd been surprised, he quickly covered it up. "Emma, of course I remember you. It has been a long time. How've you been?"

  "Just great." B.B. charged up next to her, with Godzilla in hot pursuit. "Casey said it was okay to let him run."

  Sawyer admired the dog for a moment, then nodded. "He's fine, and obviously he doesn't mind the children."

  "B.B. loves kids, He's very careful with them."

  "He's a beautiful animal." Sawyer released Emma and gestured to the porch. "We were just taking a break. Would you like something to drink?"

  She glanced at Casey. "We were going out on the boat..."

  "There's time. I need to change anyway."

  She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and nodded. "Then yes, thank you. I'd love to visit for a few minutes."

  Casey was amazed at her. He'd expected her to be uncomfortable, maybe embarrassed. Instead, she waved to Honey, strolled right up to the porch and began greeting everyone with a new confidence that was both surprising and appealing. Any awkwardness she'd felt as a youth was long gone.

  Sawyer shot Casey a look filled with questions.

  "She's in town to see her father."

  "The hell you say? After all this time? It's been...what? Over eight years."

  "Dell's had a stroke."

  "I heard." In a small town, news traveled fast. "He'll be okay?"

  "Doc Wagner seemed to think so." They were still in the yard, out of earshot from the others. Casey rubbed the back of his neck, struggling with how much he wanted to say. But he'd always been able to talk to his dad and now more than ever he wanted to share his thoughts. "About when she left..."

  Sawyer clasped Casey's shoulder. "I didn't think we'd ever see her again. I worried about that girl for a long time." He searched Casey's face. "I know you did too."

  There was no denying that. Though he'd tried to hide it, his father knew him too well to be fooled. "You know..." He glanced up at Sawyer. "We all assumed the same things back then, with how Dell dropped her off here, and her bruised face, the way she was crying."

  "But?"

  "But seeing her with him today, I realized we assumed too much."

  Sawyer gazed toward the porch where the women and Morgan gathered. "How's that?"

  "I took her to the hospital today to visit him."

  Again, Sawyer lifted his dark eyebrows. "When did she get to town?"

  "Last night."

  "And you're already chauffeuring her around?"

  "It's not like that. We're..."

  Sawyer waited.

  "Hell, I don't know." He could just faintly hear Emma speaking on the porch, her tone friendly and natural. He watched her, saw the easy way she held herself, how she greeted Morgan and Misty. He shook his head. "I had a time of it, convincing her to let me hang around. She's different now, but how I feel about her is the same."

  "How do you feel about her?"

  Casey scowled. "I'm not sure, all right? I just... Seeing her again made me realize how much I'd missed her." He was starting to feel sixteen again, waiting for his father to give him another lecture on the importance of rubbers.

  "Nothing wrong with that."

  Casey shifted uncomfortably. "Her car broke down on the way into town last night. Gabe fixed it for her this morning, but she needed to visit her
dad early so she could catch Dr. Wagner. I drove her, then waited around. And damn, listening to her with her father, well, things aren't as they always seemed."

  "Honey is waving at us. Maybe you better catch me up later." They started toward the porch, but halfway there Sawyer asked, "Do you know what you're doing, Case?"

  "Yeah." He frowned. "At least I think I do."

  "Will Emma be moving back home?"

  He shook his head. "She says not. She has her own business in Chicago, and some very close friends there."

  "So she's only here for a spell?"

  Not if he could help it. "I don't know."

  "But you want her to stay?" Sawyer didn't wait for an answer. "Maybe we can help. As for her father, I'd planned to pay her folks a visit anyway, to see if there was any way I could help."

  "I'll go with you when you do."

  Morgan eyed them both when they finally started up the wooden porch steps. Because he'd spent some time hunting for Emma after she'd run away, Casey had no doubt he was bursting with questions. But Morgan would never deliberately make a woman uncomfortable.

  Emma had already been seated in a rattan rocker across from Honey. She'd slipped her feet out of her sandals and had her toes curled against the sun-bleached boards of the porch.

  Morgan said, "Why don't you take my boat. It hasn't been out in a while."

  "All right." He peered at Emma, trying to read her expression. "Maybe I can talk Emma into skiing."

  Emma held up her hands. "Oh no. I need to get used to the boat first before I try anything out of the boat."

  Misty crossed her arms over the railing. "I finally learned how to ski, but I look pathetic when I do."

  Morgan bit her ear. "You look sexy."

  Rolling her eyes, Misty said, "Morgan is starting to drool, so I guess we better get going."

  "A date with my wife," Morgan rumbled. "That doesn't happen very often."

  Hands clasped together, forehead puckered, Emma came out of her seat. "Before you go, could I talk to you just a minute? I mean, all of you?"