She rolled her eyes. “I am twenty-six years old. Consider me a lost cause, and let me live my life as I see fit.”
“Susana and I both enjoy our time alone, too, but there is nothing more special than coming home and being greeted by someone who loves you unconditionally and gives your body, mind, and spirit a restful peace.”
She sighed. “I am glad you have found that, Eduardo. But I could obtain that from having a dog—or alpacas. Same outcome.”
“Oh, Casandra, how can you have such a low expectation of marriage when you see how our parents love each other so?”
Once more, thoughts of her parents and how she had hurt them put her on the verge of tears. Before responding or allowing him to say anything to make her feel more guilt, she excused herself and walked quickly toward the mudroom. Shrugging into her poncho, she left the cabin and made her way to the studio.
She heard the sound of the ax as Lucas split yet more wood. The man was obsessed with laying in enough wood to last her through the entire next year.
She did not veer off the path, but once inside the studio could not keep herself from going to the window to stare out at him. He had removed his coat, and sweat-soaked his denim shirt. While not built like a narcissistic bodybuilder, his muscles were strong and well-chiseled. She remembered the time she had spent in his arms, lying against his chest. Fortunately, he did not like the cold or he might have removed—
As if he heard her unformed thought, he set the ax on the woodpile and began unbuttoning his shirt.
Oh, no! He wouldn’t!
Despite knowing what he looked like naked, she could not tear her gaze away. She should go back to work but convinced herself she was only watching him for research, in case she ever wanted to sketch a man.
Not that she had ever had a desire to do so before.
He picked up the ax and went back to work. Sweat glistened on his chest. His pecs rippled with each steady movement. The man’s abdominals were distinctive and well-formed. A six-pack as Kitty would call it.
Her forehead grew damp from the temperature in here, despite the fact there was no heat on.
Be honest with yourself, Cassie.
All right, she knew exactly why she was becoming overheated. She supposed she should thank the Goddess for having such good taste in men, if indeed She had sent him to wear away her defenses. But what on earth was Mama Quilla thinking?
Chapter Six
Luke hadn’t slept well on the floor in front of the fire, but he’d given Eduardo use of Cassie’s bed last night, hoping a good night’s sleep would make the man less ornery.
His thoughts had turned to Cassie throughout the night. In fact, he’d taken a walk to blow off some frustration and heard an unusual chanting. Curious, he rounded the studio to find a very naked Cassie rising from the water of an oval hot tub. He didn’t think he stared long, but the image of her with her arms outstretched to the heavens, her already high breasts even higher, and her delightful curves had been seared onto his brain forever.
What was with her insane obsession with the cold? Not only was she naked with air temperatures in the teens, but she was soaking wet. The steam rising from the pool of water probably warmed her instantly when she sat back down, but in the interim…
Hell, the last thing he expected was to find an uptight woman like Cassie skinny-dipping in her hot tub.
When he’d returned to the cabin to stretch out by the fire, he found himself hotter than a firecracker. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Cassie naked and standing in that hot tub. No sleep to be had last night.
In an effort to expend some pent-up energy, he’d risen long before dawn and spent a few hours mucking out the stalls. Four o’clock wasn’t all that much earlier than when he went to work on his ranch. He spent some time with the alpacas, surprisingly intelligent, affectionate animals. He’d never really thought about alpacas before, not having not been around them. After brushing out the girls, he gave Millie a little extra attention. Nothing like newborn babies to make everything seem possible.
Man, as much as he missed his horses, he hated to think about leaving here. He had bonded with Cassie forever over the birth of Millie whether the woman liked it or not. Being there to bring her back from the brink of death made him feel on top of the world, too.
Back at the cabin by dawn, he grabbed a quick breakfast and had a civil chat with her brother, who seemed more intent on a report he was reading than making small talk. With energy to burn, Luke went outside again to chop firewood, hoping the exertion would help him sleep tonight. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to rid his mind of Cassie’s image from last night, which only served to work him up even more. He’d never painted water nymphs, but had studied John William Waterhouse. The artist’s innocent, yet sensual, creatures had nothing on his vision of Cassie López in that hot tub.
I’m going to miss that girl something fierce when I go home.
He’d miss this place, too. And the alpacas.
A rapid movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to glance up and catch Cassie running across the yard from either the cabin or shed, heading back to her studio. The distress on her face upset him. Another run-in with her brother?
They needed to discuss why her brother kept trying to strong-arm them into admitting wrongdoing they hadn’t done. Should he go to her now? No. Cassie was a proud woman and didn’t like to show any sign of weakness.
He wielded the ax a few more times, and once again, his thoughts strayed to the way she had looked in the moonlight last night. The more he thought about the beauty, the hotter he became. He removed his shirt. The air took the place of a cold shower until he could take one tonight.
Later, he would stack the logs neatly near the alpaca shed and restock the bin in the mudroom. Cassie could enjoy fires as late as she wanted this spring. Hell, it was probably chilly enough in the summer at twelve thousand feet to have a fire going every night. If he lived up here, he would.
By midday, the temperatures had reached the upper thirties. His next job would be to attack the snowpack while the sun made it nice and slushy. When the temps fell overnight, it would be hard ice again.
Worn out from chopping wood, at least he’d be able to sit in the Tahoe’s cab. Setting down the ax, he picked up his shirt and put it on. While he buttoned it, he glanced over at the studio and saw a blur in one of the windows. Cassie? Had she been watching him?
He grinned. While he was only half-naked, he didn’t feel as bad for happening upon her last night. She must have been embarrassed being caught spying if she ducked out of the window so fast. What thoughts simmered beneath the surface with her?
He’d probably never find out. He climbed into the SUV and tackled the slowly melting snowpack. He figured a couple more days, and he’d meet up with where the Giardanos were working on the other side.
After an hour or so, he put the plow in park and looked out at the mountain range. The views up here were spectacular. The avalanche had cleared out a number of spruce trees, opening up an even greater vista he supposed than what had been here before.
No wonder Cassie loved it up here. He wondered what the view from that hot tub must be like and grinned. The V in the mountains would be directly in front of her. She also enjoyed that spectacular view from her studio.
Speaking of which, he needed to check on her. Seeing how upset she’d been earlier, he decided it was better to reach out to her in her studio without Eduardo around.
Hoping he wouldn’t catch her in the middle of something, he made his way down the path to her studio. At the door, he knocked, but there was no response.
“Cassie, darlin’, do you have a minute?”
Another pause. She surprised him eventually, though. Good thing he had patience. “Coming.”
Even through the door, her voice sounded thick, as if she’d been crying. Why did Eduardo keep badgering her? He and Cassie hadn’t done anything he had accused them of doing. The woman wouldn’t let Luke anywhere near h
er, although she didn’t give Eduardo that look of fear she sometimes gave him.
Give her time. Someone had hurt the girl badly.
Look how much her guard had come down in the past two weeks. Not that he had that much more time with her. The thought of not being able to see her day in and day out left him with a crushing weight on his chest. He’d probably have the road cleared in two days, and she’d send him on his way soon after.
Luke did look forward to reconnecting with his world when he left here. No word from Marc, but Angel said he’d been through some kind of ordeal last week. He’d check on him first thing by cell phone. Then the horses.
The door creaked open and Cassie stood there with red, puffy eyes and her eyelashes clumped together, wet from tears. She waved him in and backed away so he wouldn’t come too close.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I am fine. Just overly emotional.”
He wanted to take her in his arms and provide her some comfort, but she’d probably kick him out. Maybe he could help by just being here and distracting her.
Give her space.
His gaze lighted on a watercolor in the center of her work area. Close by was the portrait of her parents. Were they weighing heavily on her conscience and emotions today? What had Eduardo said earlier to upset her?
“Painting something new?”
She shook her head. “Well, I tried to work on that watercolor some more but am having a hard time concentrating.”
Big surprise with all the intruders at her mountain hideaway. “Mind if I take a look?”
She shrugged. “No, not at all.”
He walked across the studio to examine the piece. The canvas was a wash of browns, blacks, and grays, but a single, bright-yellow aspen leaf drifted on the air currents. It provided a splash of light and color amidst one very depressing background. “I feel a real sense of motion with the leaf.”
“Thank you.”
The dark emotion on the canvas tugged at his heart. Did she see herself as the leaf, buffeted by the winds, no control in her life? Or was he projecting his own feelings onto the painting? Artists rarely intended what others interpreted in their pieces. Each work of art spoke differently to each person viewing it. “Will this be shown at the gallery?”
“I am uncertain. It is not quite finished and was not planned for the show, but I need to finish a couple of others first. I have an idea for a fiber-art design but have not had time to work on it.”
“Sorry, I’ve taken up so much of your time lately. You’d have been able to get more work done if not chained to my bedside after the avalanche.”
Don’t think about restraining her to a bed, Denton.
She shook her head and smiled. “No, I needed you here to save Milagrosa’s life. I will always be indebted to you for being here. Besides, I still have plenty of time. The exhibition is not for seven weeks. As long as I deliver the bulk of the pieces in a few weeks, I am sure she will accept a couple of late ones shortly before the opening. The owner is easy to work with.”
Her gaze drifted to the oil of her parents, and he saw her chin start to quiver. A fat tear rolled down her cheek before she took a ragged breath and turned away. Again, he fought the urge to wrap her in his arms, but she didn’t like to be touched.
“Missing your home?”
She tried to dash away her tears surreptitiously before turning toward him. “This is my home.”
He nodded his head in the direction of the oil painting. “I mean your folks. I guess having Eduardo here stirs up feelings of missing those you love.”
He wondered if there was someone in Peru she ached for as well.
She cleared her throat, and her eyes filled with tears again. In a husky whisper, she said, “I have disappointed and worried my parents.”
“I doubt that, darlin’. I’m sure they’re proud of your talent and that you followed your dream. Not enough people are brave enough to venture out and pursue their passion in life.”
“No, my avocation does not bring them joy. I should have married after graduating from college and settled down. Presented them with two point five grandchildren by now. Instead, I have caused them to worry about my safety and grieve over my absence.” A sob tore from her.
Aw, damn. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms lightly around her, surprised as hell when she didn’t push him away. Instead, she laid her forehead over his heart and gave in to the tears.
“Shhh.” He reached up and stroked her hair, trying not to mess up her braids. “It’s probably not as bad as you think.”
She shook her head vehemently and continued to cry. “Papá has been ill. And you can see he is old. I may never see him again.”
“Why don’t you plan a trip down there this summer? I’ll take care of things for you here.”
“No!” She shoved him away and stared at him before continuing. “I cannot face them. I just wish there was some way to please them, but nothing short of moving back home or marrying will achieve that, and I can do neither.”
Not much he could do to help there other than buy her a round-trip ticket. Or marry her. The discussion yesterday had him thinking what it would be like to have her as his wife. But that was obviously out of the question. She didn’t want a man around at all.
“Well, you may be rid of both of us in a couple days. I’m close to clearing the road.”
Did he detect a mixture of relief and sadness churning across her features? “You are not the problem, Lucas. I have enjoyed having you here—most of the time.”
He chuckled. “Given how we started out, I’ll take that as a sign of progress.”
“Eduardo does not understand a woman wanting to live without a man. He is very traditional and has been conditioned by the customs in my country. I have explained what really happened. He understands now.”
“What Eduardo believes shouldn’t matter. You’re an adult now. We know the truth.”
“Then why do I feel like a child when I think about pleasing my parents?”
He chuckled. “I think we all do that. The ones who are lucky enough to have loving parents worthy of pleasing, anyway. I doubt I’ve ever made my dad happy in my life, especially not since I pursued an artisan’s life.”
She broke away and wiped her tears. “I am sorry.” She touched the wet spots on his chest. “You must think me a mess.”
He framed her face and tilted her head to meet his gaze. Jeezus, he could get lost in those big brown eyes. “Darlin’, you can’t keep everything locked up inside and not expect the dam to burst every now and then. That’s what friends are for—to lean on when you need someone.”
“I used to have Kitty for that.” The sadness returned, but she broke away.
Give her time to regroup.
He glanced at the wall of paintings behind the easel and zeroed in on a winter scene showing an ice climber. Luke pointed to it. “That one reminds me of Marc. Almost got himself killed when he fell while ice climbing on Iron Horse Falls in March. The man’s a loner—and a risk-taker. Not a healthy combination.”
“It is a popular place to climb but dangerous in winter. I have seen a number of reckless stunts on those falls, but that painting was inspired by a trip I made down the mountain in February. The ice was more stable then.” Cassie paused while staring at the painting, seeming to have regained her composure. “You and Marc seem to be good friends.”
“They don’t come any better.”
She continued more quietly, “I miss Kitty since she married. I know I will continue to see her now and then, and I will help when the baby arrives, but he will not allow her to visit me here after her accident last year. We do not have as much time alone together. I know that is selfish of me and that she is happy, but sometimes I wish we could be close the way we once were.”
The sadness in her voice tugged at his heart a bit. “I don’t see as much of Marc either since I moved to the ranch.” He was more than two hours away
from Denver now, and Marc was too busy building—or rebuilding—his relationship with Angel to spend time down here. Luke’s horses and work filled his days, but he still got lonely.
He turned toward her. “Karla will always be your friend. Once she has the baby, she’ll need you more than ever.”
“I hope you are right.”
Great as it was having friends, they did have their own lives. No one would begrudge them that, but maybe two lonely people like him and Cassie needed to stick together. “You know, I’m just down the road. Gets a little lonely down there. I’d love for you to stop by anytime.”
Cassie stared at him, blinking a couple of times without responding to his blatant invitation to continue to see each other after he left here.
Maybe he ought to plead his case. “We have common interests in our artwork and animals. No reason why we can’t become good friends.”
He waited as she formulated a response. “I like you, Lucas…”
Wait for it…
“…but there are many reasons it would not be a good idea. The main one being I do not let people get too close. I have been hurt before by someone I thought I could trust.”
Luke wished he could take away that hurt, but all he could do was try to convince her over time to trust again.
“Well, the offer stays on the table. If you need a reference, Angel will vouch that I’m safe and trustworthy.” He shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere, either. Planning to build my operation over time and put down roots.” What else? “Hey, if you ever need help up here with the alpacas or making some repair, you have my number. Or you will before I leave. I’m pretty handy with a hammer and a screwdriver.”
She smiled, and her face lit up. “I have noticed. Thank you.”
With Cassie, friendship was all he’d ever have probably, but that might be enough. He didn’t know many people down this way and was too busy with the horses and many projects to seek new friendships. Aside from Marc and Angel, the Giardano brothers were acquaintances thanks to the horses and their search-and-rescue work, but few others understood him the way Cassie did.
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 16