by Jill Lynn
“Need some help?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
She hopped up into the truck bed and slid items toward the tailgate. She was dressed in black shorts and a bright green tank with flip-flops on her feet, and her legs had earned a tan over the summer. Cate would have to talk to her about sunscreen.
“Must be nice sitting around in the sun all day,” Luc quipped.
Mackenzie did a lot more than trail rides and rafting expeditions—helping manage staff and reservations, too—but he couldn’t pass up the jab.
“Must be nice sitting in an air-conditioned office all day.”
She knew he liked that part of his job the least. “I don’t see you offering to do the bookwork. Anytime you want to take over, you just let me know.”
Her nose wrinkled with disgust as if he’d offered her a pretty pink bow to wear in her hair. “Never mind. I take it all back.”
With a hand on the side of the truck bed, she hopped back down to the ground while Ruby called out, “Aunt Kenzie, watch!”
Mackenzie paused, facing Ruby while shading her eyes with her hand.
Ruby had commandeered Molly into playing dead. Or just wore her out so much that she’d dropped down for a nap.
“Nice!” Mackenzie gave Ruby a thumbs-up.
Ruby started running in wide circles, encouraging the dog to follow her.
“She sure has a lot of energy for a girl who just had heart surgery. I remember when we were kids. Before you had surgery, I could always beat you in a race. But after? You left me in the dust.”
“And have ever since.”
Mackenzie punched him on the arm. It stung more than Luc would ever admit. His sister was one of the toughest people he knew—male or female.
Luc watched Ruby run and giggle, creator and only participant in her game. “Isn’t it crazy to think that she just had a heart procedure? I mean look at her...”
“Yeah. She’s pretty amazing.” Mackenzie lifted a box into her arms. “You ever think about the fact that if she hadn’t needed the hole fixed, Cate might not have been guilted into telling you about her?”
“No.” His answer came out fast, and her eyes narrowed.
The two of them had always shared a strong connection. Luc knew when there was a pea under her mattress, and she knew when something was off with him.
Back when he’d escaped the ranch at nineteen, thinking he needed a different life, Mackenzie had been irate.
And when he’d returned home as the prodigal brother, she’d accepted him without question.
“Liar.” Mackenzie flashed bright white teeth. “Not that it’s on the same subject or anything, but where’s Cate?”
Luc shook his head. “You know I asked you to work on forgiving her. For Ruby’s sake. And don’t you dare say anything bad about her in front of—” He nodded toward Ruby.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Mackenzie had the decency to look chagrined. But it only lasted a moment. “Have you forgiven her?”
“I’m working hard on it.” And that was the truth. “In answer to your question, Cate has a deadline today for some magazine she does. She’s been at it all week.” Luc hadn’t seen much of her at all—Cate had barely looked away from her computer for days. He’d even brought her a dinner plate last night because she’d sent Ruby with him and never come to get any food for herself.
Luc didn’t know how she did it. He might very well die if he was strapped to a screen as much as Cate was. But she did look cute in those glasses she wore while working.
Because she’d been so wrapped up in work, Luc had gotten to spend a lot of time with Ruby this week. He’d been latching on to every minute. After their talk on Monday, Cate had been much better with him taking Ruby. And he’d been better about communicating. Look at them. They were practically getting along. If you didn’t count the fact that they’d hardly seen each other.
“Well, the woman’s not lazy. I’ll give her that.” And with that generous announcement, Mackenzie headed into the lodge with a box full of supplies.
* * *
Cate’s everything hurt. Sitting in a chair for five days straight had taken a toll on her body. But she was finally done and could send the magazine off.
Her deadline had approached too quickly yesterday, so she’d asked for an extension until today at five. Thankfully, they were fine with her request.
And...she glanced at the clock on her computer screen...she’d be sending it in at quarter till. Nothing like beating a deadline with time to spare.
She wasn’t usually so behind with the magazine, but with the time spent not working during Ruby’s procedure and then redoing Vincent’s project, she’d gotten off schedule.
A knock sounded just as she hit Send on the email, and Luc’s hello followed, echoing into the cabin through the walls. Cate popped up, tossed her glasses onto the desk and hurried to let him and Ruby in.
Luc had pretty much taken care of Ruby all week while Cate worked. Whether their daughter had hung out with Luc or his sisters each day, she wasn’t sure. A little of both, according to the stories Ruby told when she came back to the cabin exhausted and happy at night.
A quick bath and she fell asleep faster than Cate had ever seen her do before. All of that fresh air and dirt under her fingernails must be wearing her out.
Cate yanked open the door, only thinking about her appearance when it was too late. Luc’s chin dropped. And not in a whoa-woman-you-look-good kind of way. This was more of a what-happened-to-you glance.
“Hi, Mom.” Ruby waltzed into the cabin while Cate’s hand snaked up to gauge the hair situation she had going on. Messy bun. Heavy on the messy part. Light on the bun. More of a hair band barely holding on to its dignity.
And her clothes. Cate’s gaze bounced from Luc’s black T-shirt, jeans and boots to her own yoga capris and pink T-shirt. The chipped toe polish on her bare feet looked as if it had been attacked by pecking birds. What in the world? Had she gone into some kind of hibernation for the past month?
“I—” She swept a hand down her outfit. “Deadline day.” As if that explained it all.
Luc was smart enough not to say anything to that. “If you need more time, I can keep Ruby longer.”
“Oh, no.” She motioned toward the bedroom. As if he could somehow read her mind and know she was pointing through the wall at her computer. Boy, she really was a hot mess at the moment. “I just sent it in, actually.”
His face lit up. “Good. I’m glad. Maybe now you can eat and sleep again.” Thankfully, he didn’t add and shower. Though Cate did in her own mind.
Luc’s head tilted, gears turning in that way-too-handsome noggin of his. “We should celebrate.”
Cate planned to. With a bubble bath and sleep.
“Let’s go to dinner. The three of us. You could use a night out.” He glanced toward her bedroom. “Or just a night away from a screen. With other people.” He pointed his thumb at himself, as if she didn’t remember what the concept meant.
Dinner with Luc sounded like all sorts of trouble.
“It would be good for Ruby to see us getting along.”
Low blow.
“Believe it or not, there’s a Thai restaurant that opened up in town not too long ago.”
Her mouth watered. How did he remember she loved Thai food? Then again, she knew he couldn’t stand the texture of shredded coconut, that his skin reacted when his clothes were washed in bleach and that he liked his tea unsweetened.
“And don’t give me some lame excuse about your outfit. You could wear what you have on and no one would be able to keep their eyes off you.”
Like an ice cube tossed into boiling water, her disobedient body melted. “I really need to shower.”
“Okay. I’ll swing by with the truck and get you and Ruby. An hour?”
If only her head didn’
t nod in response when it really, really needed to shake in the other direction. The one that said no and kept a distance between them. But she’d promised Luc she’d work on doing the opposite of that. For Ruby’s sake.
She shut the door on Luc’s retreating back and turned. “Ruby, let’s get ready. We’re going out to dinner.”
The little squeal of excitement that followed was most certainly not echoed within the walls of Cate’s chest. At least not out loud.
Usually she didn’t celebrate the small things in life like a deadline that came around once a quarter. There just wasn’t time. And she didn’t have the energy. But it was a nice idea. And Luc was right—she did need to get out of the cabin.
It was just...she hadn’t had anyone to celebrate with in a really long time. Pretty much since Luc.
And if that wasn’t a dangerous thought, she didn’t know what was.
Chapter Nine
Just because Luc had showered and changed into crisp jeans, camel laced boots and a short-sleeved plaid button-down didn’t mean tonight equaled a date. At least that was what Cate kept telling herself.
Luc parked the truck in one of the spots in the small lot next door to Thai House. The restaurant sign was newly painted, pink letters popping against a white backdrop.
Before Cate realized what was happening, he was on her side of the vehicle, opening her door.
Still not a date.
“Mommy,” Ruby piped up from the back. “Let’s go.”
Impatience was easy to come by with a three-year-old, and Ruby had never been a fan of being strapped into her car seat.
Cate stepped out of the truck and into the warm summer evening, tossing Luc a hopefully breezy thank-you. One that wouldn’t give away the pounding and banging happening within the confines of her rib cage. She wore a sleeveless navy-and-white-striped button-down, skinny ankle jeans and brown leather flats. Casual and comfortable, but not overly...date-ish.
Tonight’s dinner didn’t mean anything. And neither did the door. Luc was a gentleman. That couldn’t be shaken out of him.
Luc released Ruby from her car seat, and she scrambled out as if headed to a parade. Perhaps they both needed some time away from the ranch. Not that Ruby hadn’t fallen in love with it. She had. The lifestyle and guests had become part of her routine, and Cate had no doubt she’d miss it all when it was time to head back to Denver in two weeks.
For dinner Ruby had changed into salmon capris and a teal shirt that boasted, I got an A+ in talking. A legitimate claim. From the reports that had filtered back to Cate this week, Ruby greeted anyone and everyone who stayed, worked at or so much as glanced in the direction of the ranch with her trademark, “Hi, friend.”
According to Luc, anyone who came across her path was quickly smitten.
Rounding the side of the building, the three of them met up with the sidewalk. Westbend reminded Cate of a vintage postcard showcasing a small town from decades past. The kind one might find wrapped in protective plastic coating tucked into a bin in an antiques shop.
A ranch supply store anchored the corner, parking lot half-full of sale equipment. The main street was lined with small stores and restaurants, streetlights lit up in anticipation of evening.
They’d passed the quaint white church that Cate and Ruby had been attending with Luc and his sisters on their way to the restaurant. Cate had enjoyed the sermons, and Ruby had even gone to Sunday school. An easier transition than Cate had expected since they attended a mega church in Denver. So many people had welcomed her, wanting to get to know her.
Luc opened the glass restaurant door, exchanging the warm outdoors for a cool blast of garlic and lemongrass.
The bright orange sign just inside—also hand-painted—directed them to “seat yo-self.” The place was tiny, with a handful of tables and one long tabletop bar in the window, four metal stools lined beneath it.
Of course, Ruby wanted to sit by the window. A bit awkward for conversation since none of the seats faced each other. “How about a table instead? You can still choose,” Cate added.
After two more attempts to pick the same spot, Ruby finally skipped over to a table on the far side with a cushioned bench lining the wall. She sat there with Luc, and Cate took the chair across from him.
Each table held a flickering candle in a brightly colored glass jar.
Still not a date.
The air-conditioning came in spurts of cool and then tepid air as the waitress dropped off waters and paper menus.
Luc left his untouched. “You’re going to have to order for me.” His grin made her stomach shimmy. How many times did she have to remind herself he was off-limits? They were off-limits.
Thai wasn’t Luc’s favorite, but over their time together, she’d found a couple of items he enjoyed. Good memories pressed in, more vivid than she’d allowed them to be in a long time.
“Mommy, what about me?”
One minute with Luc, and Cate had already forgotten about their daughter, perched on the bench next to him. Exactly why she and the man across from her were a huge no. The feeling of being forgotten was something Cate had carried with her from childhood to this day. Not one she wanted her daughter to experience.
“I’ll order for you, sweets.”
“Okay. I want the rice soup.”
“Got it.”
“She knows what she wants?” Luc asked. “What three-year-old eats Thai food?”
Cate’s teeth pressed into her lip, biting back amusement. “She wasn’t really given a choice. She grew up on it. If we ever eat out or grab something to go, which is rare...Thai is pretty much what we get.”
“The first step is admitting you have an addiction, Cate.”
She laughed. Luc’s teasing just might be yummier than the food they were about to eat.
When the waitress came back, Cate ordered the soup for Ruby, a mild yellow chicken curry for Luc—it had potatoes in it, so he’d at least be able to recognize those—and pad thai for herself.
A small cup of crayons was on the table, and Ruby colored on the sheet the restaurant supplied. Her small tongue slipped between her lips as she concentrated.
“So,” Luc said, “what do you think about living at the ranch?”
“I like it,” Ruby piped in, adding a strip of red to her rainbow.
Since he’d been looking across the table at Cate, his question had obviously been meant for her. Their curving mouths mirrored each other’s at Ruby’s quick answer.
“Good.” Luc captured Ruby in a hug. “Because I like you.”
With a smile that said she deserved every compliment headed her way, Ruby wiggled with happiness, then went back to drawing.
Luc turned back to Cate, obviously waiting for her answer.
“It’s not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“Actually, I have no idea.” She laughed, and the skin around Luc’s eyes crinkled in response.
“Everybody’s happy,” Ruby said.
“What?” Cate caught the yellow crayon as it rolled in her direction, sending it back across the table. “What do you mean?”
Ruby just shrugged and went back to drawing.
Trying to read a three-year-old’s thoughts wasn’t easy, but Cate had an inkling she knew what Ruby meant. Could she tell that her parents were getting along? That Cate had done her best to give up big chunks of control this week?
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Luc lowered his voice. “That she’s referring to us?”
“Kind of.” Amazing that at her young age, Ruby still had a finger on the pulse of their relationship. Luc had been right about that. “I guess she could tell when you were making things so difficult.”
Luc gave an exaggerated snort and then laughed, and her insides warmed like molten chocolate cake. It was nice finding their f
riendship footing again. This dinner was making Cate think they could get along as parents without letting anything romantic bloom between them.
The door opened behind her, and Luc’s face lit up with recognition. A woman? Cate resisted turning, though it was as hard as waiting for cookies to cool when they came out of the oven. Scalding jealousy closed off her throat, not boding well for the pep talk she’d just given herself about her and Luc being just friends.
Luc waved whoever it was over, and Cate gave a stern talking-to to her overactive ovaries, which obviously thought since they’d helped create this man’s child, that they somehow still had a claim to him.
But it wasn’t a young, beautiful female who appeared, like her imagination had quickly conjured, but a man instead.
Maybe late twenties? Broad build. He wore jeans and a checked button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up at his wrists. He didn’t carry the rugged air of a cowboy like Luc did. He was more...fashionable. If that made any sense. Like he was wearing all the right stuff and didn’t quite fit the mold.
“Cate, this is Gage, a good friend of mine. He ranches not too far from us.”
They exchanged greetings, recognition tickling Cate’s senses. She’d seen Gage before. At church, if she remembered correctly.
“Sit with us.” Luc motioned to the table.
“I can’t. Thanks, though. I just had a meeting, and I’m picking up something to go. Have a few things I need to do at home.”
Scrutiny washed over Cate. Luc was always studying her, but strangely enough, it usually made her feel protected. Known. With Gage the vibe was different. More...distrusting. Not that she could blame him. She had done a number on Luc.
“I didn’t know you ate this weird stuff.”
Gage laughed at Luc’s jab. “Still got a little of Denver in me.” They called out that his to-go order was ready, and Gage said goodbye. He left just as their food arrived.
Cate took a tentative bite of her meal, not expecting it to be...good. Not this far from the city. But she was dead wrong. It was every bit as mouthwatering as her favorite take-out place in Denver. Maybe better.