by Fox, Calista
She didn’t doubt for a minute the knight in shining armor standing behind her would defend her honor. He was that kind of man.
Not that she wanted Caleb involved in this nasty aftermath of her divorce. But she’d deal with that later.
Tommy stood his ground for another minute or so, then abruptly turned away. He stalked down the path that led to the parking lot.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Caleb took her hand and led her back into the house, locking the door behind them.
“How’s your wrist?” he asked.
“It’ll be fine.” She tried to keep her tone even, though mortification immediately set in. “I am so sorry about that bizarre incident.”
Of all the nights for Tommy to return to town… Or had he been there much longer? Holed up with friends until they’d tired of his mooching and had kicked his ass out? Obviously he’d spoken with someone who’d seen her with Caleb at dinner or at the saloon. And what? He didn’t like the fact she’d finally moved on from him?
Asshole.
Unable to make eye contact with Caleb, she bustled around the room, collecting her bra and tank top. The mood had clearly been spoiled.
He gently placed a hand on her arm and said, “No rushing out on me. What just happened is not your fault.”
She shook her head, still incapable of meeting his gaze. “I can’t even begin to explain what that was all about. He must have come back in the past few days. No doubt he heard you were interested in a room here.”
“Your rumor mill really does take some getting used to, but he doesn’t bother me, Reese.”
His sincere tone brought her around. She stared up at him. “He’s got no business being here and I intend to let the sheriff’s office know he was at the house tonight. And I’ll file a restraining order if the judge deems I have sufficient cause. I changed all the locks when I filed for divorce. The only way he can get into the house is if he forces his way. I don’t believe he’d do that.” Anger gripped her anyway. He shouldn’t have even stepped on the premises. “This is my fight, Caleb. Not yours. I don’t want you to get tangled in—”
“Hey,” he said, his tone a strong and steady one. As was his gaze. “Don’t say you want me to walk away. I already knew about the divorce, remember? I knew you had an ex and a difficult breakup. It didn’t stop me then from wanting to get involved with you and it’s not stopping me now.”
Her heart melted. Yet that mortification seizing her soul did not dissipate.
“I appreciate what you’re saying,” she told him. “In fact, it’s really nice to have your support and understanding. But again, this isn’t your problem. It’s mine. And I have to deal with it. Me, Caleb. Not you.”
He crossed his arms over his wide chest and seemingly debated the situation. Endless moments ticked by and she didn’t say a word as he worked out whatever it was he needed to work out.
Eventually he said, “I hear what you’re telling me. You want to prove you’re strong and independent—not just to me, but to yourself.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“The thing is, sweetheart, I’m involved whether you want me to be or not. Because I’m already crazy about you. And I’m not letting him lay a hand on you again.”
Reese couldn’t contain the smile that tickled the corners of her mouth. Or the tears that stung her eyes. “Geez. Where did you come from?”
With a shake of his head, he said, “I’m no Prince Charming. But I don’t like to see anyone get pushed around.”
Her smile faded. “Clearly I should come with cautionary signs.”
“Everyone has their cross to bear.”
“Yeah? What’s yours?”
His tense look softened. “Crawl under the covers with me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
As tempting an offer as that was, she felt about two feet tall at the moment. “Can you understand I’m embarrassed and frustrated and… I don’t know. Mad as hell? I’m not good company to keep right now.”
“I won’t press. Just know I’m here for you.”
She said, “We’ll see how you feel about it in the morning.”
He let out a low groan. “I have a very good idea of how you’d feel next to me in the morning.”
Her smile returned, despite the anxiety still gripping her body. “Stop dangling that carrot in front of me. I’m trying to be respectable here.”
“Oh I’d still respect you in the morning.” The conviction and admiration in his eyes told her his words were said in earnest. “But you’re right. We’ve got time.”
Reese resisted the urge to sigh. He made her heart soar and her pulse race. Two sweet and sexy sensations she liked feeling, since they’d both been absent from her life for far too long.
He gave her a tender kiss that left her speechless. He was everything Tommy had never been—could never be. Why oh why hadn’t she waited for him to come into her life?
“Thanks for being so wonderful.”
He shrugged nonchalantly, as though he had no idea how wonderful he truly was. With one last kiss, he said, “Sweet dreams, darlin’.”
“You too.” She walked away, taking the stairs to her room.
She dumped her clothes in a chair and changed into a pair of loose pants and a comfortable long-sleeved shirt. Eyeing the bed, she debated her options. Her stomach twisted at the thought she’d once shared that intimate space with Tommy. And he’d shared it with someone else. Hell, rumor had it he and Amy had gotten it on in every room at the B&B. How was that not the most humiliating damn thing?
Tormented by her misfortune—and her botched evening with Caleb—she left the room. Downstairs, she retrieved a spare pillow and comforter from the linen closet and dropped them on the sofa that faced the fireplace. She started a low blaze in the hearth, then curled up on the couch.
Her mind wandered briefly to the hunky cowboy-vet-rescuer-of-abused-horses-and-devastated-women. Or woman. He didn’t seem to be the sort to collect broken hearts, and he’d said as much. He’d come unexpectedly into her life, but not even his sizzling kisses could keep her from thinking of her altercation with Tommy. And cursing the day she’d said “I do”, when she’d known, deep in her heart, it’d turn out to be a mistake.
* * * * *
Caleb stepped out of the shower the next morning and reached for a towel. After dragging on a pair of jeans and brushing his teeth, he grabbed a long-sleeved Henley from one of his duffle bags. He pulled it on as he walked into the kitchen, the rich scent of coffee drawing his attention.
He found Reese at the counter. “‘Mornin’, darlin’.”
She turned and he planted a kiss on her. The move seemed to take her aback, as though she was surprised he hadn’t hesitated to show her affection. Maybe the ex hadn’t been so forthcoming with intimate gestures.
“Good morning,” she said, a blush creeping up on her. “I have no idea what you want for breakfast, so I cooked a bit of everything.” Removing the foil from a serving platter, she said, “Help yourself.”
The plate was piled high with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, French toast and silver-dollar pancakes. His stomach growled.
“That’s for both of us, right?”
“I have to run,” she told him with a furrowed brow that expressed her disappointment. “Ginger had a wedding dream last night that resulted in some sort of dramatic change in direction for the design of her dress—not the first time, mind you, and for sure not the last. Anyway, she needs to see her seamstress immediately. She just called to ask me to open the shop for her.”
“We’re still on for dinner?”
One corner of her mouth dipped, as though she was having second thoughts. “I’m so sorry about last night.”
“Put it out of your mind, Reese. I’m not the least bit spooked.” He gave her a pointed look. “Tell me we’re still on for this evening.”
She nodded. “Of course.” After collecting her purse and keys, she added, “Don’t worry about the dish
es or your bed. I’ll take care of everything when I get back.”
She left the kitchen and he heard the front door close behind her. Knowing Reese, she’d already set the table for him, so he took the platter and a cup of coffee into the great room and had breakfast alone. Not an uncommon occurrence, since he’d kept an apartment in Dallas that he hadn’t shared with anyone, but he would have enjoyed eating with her.
Despite her instructions, when he was done, he wrapped up the leftovers and put them in the fridge, then rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. He made his own bed, as he’d done since he was a kid, despite his parents having house staff. Then he headed to the Painted Horse to meet with various people who’d graciously given up their Saturday for him.
Don Peters was his first appointment. The good-natured vet arrived just minutes after Caleb.
They shook hands and Don said, “Nice setup you’ve got here. I like it already.”
“Plenty of space, that’s for sure. Thanks for helping me draw up the plans for the med facility. My crew will break ground in a week. We’re supposed to have a mild winter, so I don’t anticipate any delays.”
“I’m impressed by how much you’ve accomplished in such a short time.”
With a laugh, Caleb said, “Doesn’t seem like a short period of time to me. Took a while to find the right location, file all the paperwork and start collecting donations. I had to work with the IRS to determine how much I could contribute monetarily to the project. I don’t want to mess around with outdated equipment. The horses we’ll rescue deserve better.”
Don nodded. “I’ve had a passion for equines since I was a kid too. That’s why I was so pleased you contacted me. Wish I could give more of my time, but you can count on me being here two afternoons a week. And I’m perfectly fine with being on call for emergencies.”He had his own practice to maintain in Austin, though he’d told Caleb he had other vets on staff full-time.
“I appreciate that. I believe we’ll be able to swing it. I’m mostly concerned about taking in several dire cases at once. I wouldn’t want to turn them away, but I need to make sure they’re all receiving the attention they need—and that they’re getting the best care possible.”
“You still thinking of rescuing twenty at a time?”
“The existing stalls only hold twelve horses, so I’m constructing another stable for eight more, plus tack storage.”
“And the house?”
Caleb’s glance slid to the enormous, two-story structure. The design was modern, the building well maintained. But what use did a single man have for over nine thousand square feet?
“I haven’t decided what to do with it just yet.” The clinic would sit west of the house, the stables sat to the east. A circular, gravel drive with a fountain in the center lay before the house, trimmed with decorative edging and flowerbeds. The previous owner had hired a company to manage the upkeep of the grounds and Caleb intended to stick with them, since he wouldn’t have time for mowing lawns and watering flowers.
In fact, now that he surveyed the ranch, he wondered when he’d have time for Reese.
But that wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on at the moment. Nor did he want to believe he could only have one or the other—his dream or her.
To distract himself from his wayward thoughts, he said, “Why don’t I show you the stalls and the three corrals?”
* * * * *
Reese was a bundle of nerves, which she thought ridiculous for her age. But she hadn’t been on a date with a man other than her husband in eleven years. And though this wasn’t technically a “date”, because she and Caleb were having dinner at the B&B, she still couldn’t help but think of it as one.
She’d gone all out, which literally screamed of her apprehension—and contradictory exuberance. Albert Landry, the butcher, had been kind enough to give her a discount on filet mignon. He’d packaged up the specialty cuts in brown paper and had handed the meat over with a knowing look in his eye. But he was too decent a man to say he’d heard she’d been out on the town with Caleb the night before, which was what she suspected the twinkle in his gaze was all about.
When Reese had approached the asparagus display at the farmers market, Tabitha Moore had personally inspected every fresh bushel she’d brought to the market to ensure Reese had the best cut and the heartiest stock. This gave Reese pause, but she’d had no time to question Tabitha’s sudden interest in personalized customer service—when she was usually standoffish, always haughtily insisting every stem was of the highest quality—because Libby Martin had dragged her off.
Libby’s husband was a potato grower and Libby had selected two large, plump potatoes for baking. And then she’d winked at Reese.
Slightly daunted, Reese had moved on to collect the ingredients she needed for the homemade hollandaise sauce she’d spent years perfecting. And then she’d stood next to Luanne Dunham at the boxes filled with imported Georgia Freestone peaches as they’d both tested the weight and texture and firmness of each piece of fruit.
Luanne had handed two over and said, “Put these in your basket with the others. They’re just right.” She’d given Reese a smile and had added, “You make the best peach cobbler in Hill Country.” Then she’d turned away to continue her own shopping.
Curious.
Though her neighbors weren’t typically unfriendly—not by any stretch of the imagination—Reese found it fascinating they were so interested in her dinner ingredients. Clearly the fact she was cooking for two had them all wanting to lend a hand. Was it possible the residents of Wilder were trying to help her in the romance arena, following her public disgrace?
The thought had warmed her heart.
She’d returned to the B&B and had made preparations. Then she’d gone upstairs to primp and change into jeans that didn’t have hollandaise and peach flesh on them. She added a pale-pink sweater that sat slightly off the shoulders. Her stomach twisted with tension, but the more significant sensation coursing through her was exhilaration. Caleb’s blue eyes and sexy grin had flashed in her mind more times than she could count as she’d shopped, cooked and baked. And when she heard his Range Rover pull alongside the house by the courtyard, her pulse spiked.
She’d shaved her legs and bikini area… Just in case. Thoughts of sex with Caleb had lingered at the forefront of her mind since she’d made her indecent proposal the previous evening. A notion that made her snicker. Reese Middleton making a bold move like that…who would have guessed?
But he inspired her in ways that had lain dormant for too long. Not that she hadn’t done everything in her power to hold Tommy’s interest, but after being shot down so many times, at some point, a woman had to give up. Reese had no idea what had caused Tommy to lose interest, other than the fact that perhaps she’d just made life too easy for him, never asking for anything in return.
She wanted something in return this time. Respect. Intimacy. Mutual admiration.
Deep within her, she honestly felt she might have met a man capable of giving her those things. He might also be the one to restore some of the pride she’d lost because of Tommy—whom she refused to let spoil her good mood this evening.
Bounding down the stairs, she was more than happy to leave her jangled nerves behind and embrace the potential that lay before her.
Except that when Caleb came through the front door, she drew up short and gripped the post at the bottom of the staircase for support as her knees practically knocked together.
“Whoa,” she said, the breath leaving her body on a hard rush of air. He carried in his strong arms a huge bouquet of flowers, all in white and soft, buttery yellow, with greenery as accents, to complement the decor of her B&B. “What the hell?”
He laughed. “I was informed Ryan Bain had ordered the most ostentatious floral arrangement ever delivered to a Wilder woman. Now, really? You think I’m going to be outdone when it comes to romance?”
Reese recalled Jess’ last over-the-top ensemble. This one
beat it by leaps and bounds. “Holy Moses.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “No one’s ever brought me flowers like that.”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes at a more painful thought. No man had cared for her enough—or had wanted to impress her enough—to go to the trouble of such a grand gesture.
Caleb grinned. “Well, you know, I just wanted to make the point that you should expect flowers like this from a date. You deserve them.”
He set the glass vase on a large, round end table. Then he reached behind him, extracting something from his back pocket. He handed over a pretty, fuchsia-colored Gerbera daisy.
“I saw this when I was walking out of Jess’ shop. It seemed more like your style than anything else.”
She sighed, then smiled. “It is my style.” Taking the stem from him, she brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply. “The bouquet is beautiful, but you don’t need to impress me with extravagance. You know that, right?”
His blue eyes shimmered under the golden light of the foyer chandelier as he said, “I realized that when I saw the daisy. But I still wanted you to have the big arrangement. You should never doubt you make a man want to do something ridiculous just to bring a smile to your lips or a tear of joy to your eyes.”
She brushed away the drops on her cheeks. “I haven’t done anything yet to warrant a gazillion dollars worth of flowers.”
He sniffed the air as the scent of hollandaise sauce and peach cobbler wafted from the kitchen. “Oh really?”
With another smile, Reese told him, “I need a little more time to finish dinner.”
“And I need to shower and change. Meet you back here in ten minutes?”
“I’ll likely be the one with flour on her ass.”
He chuckled. “I have no problem with that.” His head bent and he kissed her.
Reese found herself leaning into him, deepening the kiss. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and she could have lost herself completely in the perfection of the moment. Had the timer on the stove not chimed loudly.
She pulled away. “Damn. That thing is supposed to have good timing, not bad.”