Chase blew out a breath. “Because I needed to take responsibility for my actions and do whatever was necessary to fix it. I do know that as the marketing arm of this trio I’m probably very easily replaced.”
Ric watch Tyler’s face crumble. “Shit, Chase. I feel all kinds of terrible if that is what you think. We are closer than brothers. To me, and Ric, you’re irreplaceable. All for one and one for all—expect where the ladies come into it, isn’t that our motto.”
Chase smiled sadly. “That’s why I couldn’t talk to you guys this weekend. Brothers can often say things they don’t really mean. You needed to cool off and I needed to handle this in my own way. I was busy working on finding new blood, as you can see.”
Ric chuckled. “And it doesn’t hurt that some of them are in the entertainment industry. We don’t have a big rep in that market. Great work, Chase.”
Chase pointed at him. “Bingo. A new market for us. Loads of singers need to raise funds to make and promote their work.” His expression turned grim, which alarmed Ric. “I didn’t want to say anything with the others in here, but I had a call from one of Lisbon’s underlings.”
“Lisbon?” Tyler’s expression tightened. “Why?”
Chase fidgeted. “It’s my fault. They smell blood in the water and there’s talk of them being interested in buying our New York office.”
Ric’s blood pressure rose and he pounded the table. “Like hell they will! No way are we letting those pricks take our New York business! That’s my territory now and I’ll be damned if they’re going to move in on it.”
“Don’t get excited, Ric,” Tyler said. “Let’s keep our heads.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Ric retorted. “We need to call an immediate shareholders meeting and reassure the board that we’re going to remain financially solvent. With the new business coming our way, it won’t be a lie.”
Tyler smiled at him. “Do as I say, not as I do. I’ll have Drew set up the meeting and let you guys know when it is. It would be good if you could be there for it, Chase. Present a united front. Unless…Wait a second.” He tapped his pen on the conference table. “What if that’s what Lisbon wants. We didn’t hear from any of the board members over the weekend. If we call an emergency meeting without any cause, that’s going to plant doubt in their minds.”
Chase rubbed his chin and yawned. “Yeah. You’re right. I should’ve thought of that. I told Bryce that I wasn’t worried and that things were fine. I guess we’ll just bide our time a little and quietly feel them out.”
“I think that’s the right way to go about it,” Ric said. “I’ll send out an excited email announcing all of the new business coming our way. That way it doesn’t look like we’re running scared.”
With their game plan in place, they adjourned the meeting and went their separate ways. Ric settled in the extra office and started composing his email. He’d just finished the rough draft of it when his text message alert went off.
Kate: Hello, my sexy dog whisperer.
He laughed at her greeting.
Ric: Hello, my gorgeous doctor.
Kate: Are you busy?
Ric: Yeah, but I can take a little break. What did you have in mind?”
Kate: Can I call you?
Ric didn’t reply, instead hit the call button on the message and broke into a big smile when she answered. “Beat you to the punch, Doc.”
“So you did. How are things? I heard about your business woes.”
Ric was surprised by her question. “How did you hear about that?”
“Robert follows the markets as he’s an investor. He saw the article in the Wall Street Journal about it and showed it to me.,” she said. “There was a picture of Chase McIntyer. He’s hot.”
“Hey! Do I need to be jealous?” Ric asked. “You’re mine.”
She didn’t respond right away.
“Kate? You there?”
“I’m yours? Are you getting territorial on me?”
Although there was humor in her voice, wariness was there, too. Was he getting territorial? They’d just started seeing each other and hadn’t discussed being exclusive since they were supposed to be keeping things casual. But as Ric thought about it, the idea of her seeing anyone else made him jealous.
What the hell is happening here? I’ve been doing casual for years. What I feel for Kate isn’t casual. How can that be? He thought his heart too battered from Lizzie. We just met a couple of weeks ago. This is nuts.
However, Ric was always honest with himself and he didn’t try to brush off his feelings. He was crazy about Kate and he didn’t want her dating other men. “I guess I am getting territorial, Kate. I didn’t expect to feel that way, but I do.”
“Ric, I think we should talk whenever you come back to town.”
“We’re not staying in Denver tonight,” Ric said. “Do you want me to come over?”
“Yeah. I should be home by seven.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then,” he said as Tyler came into his office with a dark expression. “Take care, Doc.”
“You, too.”
Ric hung up and looked at Tyler.
“I just got off the phone with George Stevens,” Tyler said. “It’s real. Lee Lisbon called him this morning. Looks like we need to put that meeting together after all.”
Ric rubbed his forehead. “I better get that email out asap. Hopefully that’ll provide reassurance. What do you want to do about Lisbon?”
Tyler gave Ric his shark’s tooth smile. “I have a couple of ideas. Let me run them by you.”
*****
At 6:30 that night, Kate knew that she wasn’t going to make it home by seven. She’d been called out to an area farm to help a cow with a breech birth and it had taken a long time to safely deliver the little Holstein calf. After spending three hours with her arm inside of a cow, she reeked of cow crap, sweat, and dirt.
There was no way that she could get home and showered in time to be ready for Ric. After the farmer thanked her again, Kate climbed tiredly into her truck and sighed before pulling out her phone and tapping Ric’s icon on the screen.
“Hey, Doc.”
The fatigue in his voice worried her. “Hi. Are you okay. You sound like crap.”
His warm chuckle in her ear gave her goosebumps. “Gee, thanks. You sound tired, too. Bad day?”
“Not bad, just tiring. I just hauled a heifer backwards out of a cow.”
“Been there, done that. Not fun. Would you rather reschedule?”
Despite being worn out, Kate didn’t cancel. “Not unless you do.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Kate smiled. “I’m just leaving Carver’s farm now, so I won’t be ready until about seven-thirty. I need to shower.”
“Mmm. Too bad I won’t be there to wash your back.”
Feeling wicked, Kate said, “I still have duct tape and garbage bags.”
He laughed. “You’re on. See you in a bit.”
Kate had been about to protest since she’d only been teasing, but he’d already hung up. Suddenly energized by the thought of showering with Ric, Kate turned the ignition and started for home.
*****
When Kate pulled into her driveway, Ric was already there, leaning on a silver Jeep SUV. She hadn’t seen him dressed up before and as he stood with one hip resting against the car in a charcoal gray suit with a white shirt and a loosened black tie, anyone would’ve mistaken him for a fashion model or the successful, rich and powerful investment banker that he was.
What the hell was she doing? He was way out of her league; besides, she had nothing in common with this Ric Stanford. She preferred him in sweats.
His eyes looked more silver than blue in the evening light and the stern expression on his face made him seem formidable and sexy as hell. But when he smiled at her, the warmth in the expression made him look even sexier to her. She forgot about the powerhouse suit.
He grabbed his crutches and started towards her. “Hi.
You look very pretty for someone who had her arm up a cow’s crotch.”
Kate laughed as she met him at the front door. “Thanks but you were standing down wind. You look fantastic. Very sharp.” She took a big sniff. “And you smell good enough to eat.”
The meaning of her words did not escape him as his lips broke into a smile that promised sex. “Thank you. I clean up pretty good.”
The dogs met them at the door and Daisy wasn’t a bit shy about greeting Ric this time. She wanted to jump on Ric and give him doggie kisses, but Kate kept her down so that she didn’t knock Ric over.
“I’d say that you have a new girlfriend,” Kate teased him as Daisy fawned over him.
Ric petted Daisy, keeping his bad leg well away from her. “I love you, too, Daisy. You’re such a pretty girl.”
He followed Kate out to the kitchen. She opened the back door and let the dogs out into the huge fenced in yard.
A loud, raucous screech made Ric jump. “What the hell was that?”
“You never got introduced to Manny, my Amazon parrot. He’s letting me know that he’s hungry. You want to meet him?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Fair warning: he swears. It’s Phil’s fault,” she said, leading him into a room off the kitchen.
A huge cage stood on the far side of the room and a big, blue, green, orange, and purple parrot regally stood on a tall wooden perch.
“He’s huge,” Ric said. “He’s gorgeous. Hi, Manny.”
“Screw you,” Manny said.
Kate and Ric laughed at the parrot’s rude greeting.
“I guess he’s not impressed with me,” Ric said.
Kate started filling Manny’s food dish. “Well, he’s the only one. He loves attention, but he says bad things.”
Manny moved closer to Kate and let out a wolf whistle. “Hey, sexy.”
“Hey, handsome,” she responded, petting his head.
He purred like a cat, making Ric laugh.
Kate finished feeding Manny and shut the cage door again. “Manny has an impressive repertoire. Okay. Behave. I’ll come see you later.”
“Later, gator,” Manny agreed.
“Let me fill the dog dishes and I’ll be ready to take that shower,” Kate said. “In fact, why don’t you start upstairs and I’ll be right there?”
*****
“Sounds like a plan,” Ric said, thinking that Kate looked adorable in her denim overalls, a Tweety Bird T-shirt, and a beat-up Nike ball cap.
As he made his way through the front hall to the stairs, he thought about how comfortable he felt around Kate. Maybe it was because she was so real, so genuine, or how kind she was that made him feel like he could be his true self around her.
So many of the women in his circles in New York were high-maintenance and he felt as though he was acting a part. He loved his profession and the thrill of making fantastic deals, but sometimes he just wanted to be liked for himself and not his money or influence.
While Tyler had taken to city living like a duck to water, Ric had had a little tougher time adjusting when they’d moved to the Big Apple after college. When the opportunity to open a Denver office had arisen, he’d been happy to head it up.
It meant that he would be closer to home and to Lizzie. Even though she hadn’t loved him, Ric hadn’t been able to shake his love for her. He knew that her misbehavior was but an act hiding a confused and lonely girl inside. One day she would settle down and he meant to be there just in case. Looking back, he realized how stupid he’d been to love a woman who only had the capacity to love herself. So much wasted time.
He shrugged off those dark thoughts as he entered the bathroom and turned on the lights. The roll of duct tape and box of garbage bags still sat on the floor by the shower. Smiling, Ric tugged his tie off and dropped it to the floor. Then he went over and sat on the straight-back chair in the corner and continued undressing.
Kate appeared just as he was unbuckling his belt and started the shower. The way she looked at him chased away his fatigue and his blood ran hotter as she started taking off her clothes. He thought she looked like a goddess as she stood naked before him, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders.
Quickly, he shed the rest of his clothing and taped a garbage bag over his cast. They started the shower and took their time washing each other, bringing their desire to a fever pitch before becoming inventive in their hot, steamy lovemaking. Afterwards, as they stood under the shower spray holding each other, Ric knew that his desire for Kate would never be quenched.
Chapter Twelve
After scarfing down some frozen pizza and French fries, Kate and Ric settled down on the sofa with some wine. Kate put a pillow on the coffee table and had Ric prop his foot up on it. She’d put on a gray lounge outfit and a pair of slippers while Ric wore one of Phil’s old robes. She should feel funny about that but she didn’t. It felt right. It felt like Phil understood and liked Ric.
“Come here,” Ric said, putting an arm around her shoulders.
She snuggled against his side and looked into his gorgeous eyes. “I’ve never been in a long distance relationship. Have you?” Putting a hand on his jaw, she stroked her thumb over his five o’clock shadow. “I don’t want to stop seeing you when you go back to New York. I’m happy to earn frequent flyer miles.”
His eyes widened for a moment before he smiled. “I was going to say the same thing to you.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. “I know that this was just supposed to be a casual affair, but the fact is that I’m crazy about you. You’ll think I’m nuts, but I think I’m falling for you.”
His statement caught Kate completely off guard. Had she heard correctly? “You are?”
He nodded. “Yeah. What do you think about that?”
Kate examined her feelings carefully. It scared her a little that she could have such strong feelings for Ric so soon, but she couldn’t deny that they were there. She wasn’t a schoolgirl who was crushing on a handsome boy. She knew the difference between infatuation and the kind of attraction she felt for Ric.
But was she truly ready for something more serious?
When she’d first agreed to see Ric, she’d never imagined that anything more than some companionship and sex would come of it. They led such different lives. She’d thought that it would be over when he moved back to New York. What did they have in common that could sustain a relationship, let alone a long distance one? What she shared with Phil was alive. They were both vets and loved animals. But the thought of not seeing or talking to Ric anymore depressed her.
“I feel the same way, Ric.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand how this could be happening, but I care for you very much. And you’re not a rebound or whatever you would call that. Phil died over eighteen months ago. I still miss him, every day, but I have to live my life. What I feel is genuine.”
Ric nodded. “I know Phil will always be in your heart, that’s as it should be. I do hope, however, there is room for me.” His words made Kate’s heart skip a few beats. He tightened his embrace and lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss that conveyed much more than physical attraction. She felt emotionally closer to him as she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
When it ended, she laid her head on his chest. “Ric?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to stay?”
A warm chuckle sounded under her ear. “I was hoping you’d say that. I brought clothes and my shaving kit with me.”
She raised her head and grinned at him. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“No, just prepared.”
“Like a boy scout, huh?”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I know how to tie some pretty good knots and start a fire.”
“You’ll have to show me that sometime,” she said with a flirty look.
“Anytime you want.”
A wet, cold canine nose was suddenly thrust between them.
Kate laughed and hugged Daisy’s n
eck. “What’s the matter? Are you jealous? You’re going to have to get used to it. He’s my boyfriend, Daisy, and I’ll fight for him.”
Ric squeezed her thigh and pet Daisy’s back, but he caught Kate’s eye. “Are you claiming me?”
Kate raised her chin a little. “Damn straight, I am.”
“Good. I’m claiming you, too. No seeing other people,” he said. “We can make this work, Kate. I’ll come home as much as possible, although right now, I might be there a lot because we’ve got some problems.”
The worry in his eyes made Kate concerned. “What kind of problems?”
Ric let out a heavy sigh and filled Kate in on the situation with Lisbon and Horizon’s stockholders. “So I’m going to have to go to New York tomorrow to prepare for Wednesday’s meeting. I should be able to come back Friday night, but I can’t guarantee that.”
Kate squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay. You have to take care of business. I completely understand that since I own my own practice. Do what you need to and come to me when you can.”
A frown formed between his eyebrows. “Are you sure that you’re going to be fine with a long-distance relationship?”
“I wouldn’t say I was if I didn’t mean it.” His concern for her feelings was touching. “If anything it should give us time to see where this might lead.”
His expression relaxed into a smile. “Do you have an objection to me leaving a toothbrush here?”
Kate looped her arms around his neck. “Not at all. In fact, you could leave a shaving kit here if you wanted too.”
*****
Ric wasn’t the sort of man who left his stuff at a woman’s house. In fact, he rarely saw the same woman more than two or three times since he hadn’t wanted to get attached. It was also why he kept hooking up with the same type of women: career women who had no desire for a husband or family.
Satisfying his physical urges and leaving when the sex was over had been a way of life for years. While he was thrown a little off kilter by Kate’s offer, he was also pleased by it. He should be scared as hell over how fast things were moving between them, but he wasn’t.
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