Their Second-Time Valentine

by Helen Lacey

  He was thoughtful, that was for sure. Layla hesitated a little more, trying to think of as many reasons as she could to decline his invitation. And failed to come up with any that stuck.

  Great. See you then.

  She placed the phone back onto the table like it was a hot poker and took a long breath. Okay...it was done. She had a date with Kane.

  Oddly, she slept well that night. And since she hadn’t had many full nights’ sleep since Frank died, she woke up chirpier than usual. She got up early and even managed half an hour on the treadmill before Erin woke up. It was a cold morning, so she dressed Erin in a pink turtleneck and denim overalls and her favorite sneakers. She was at the day care center by eight thirty and bumped into Laurel Fortune once again.

  “Hello,” the other woman said as Layla handed Erin to one of the teachers.

  “Hi,” she said, and tried to disguise her anxiety at Erin’s whimpering as she was taken into the play area. “Beautiful day.”

  Laurel nodded. “Yes, and a busy one ahead. I was wondering if you and your daughter would like to come over Saturday morning. We live in the guesthouse on the Fame and Fortune Ranch. Do you know the place?”

  Layla nodded. Everyone knew the sprawling ranch on the outskirts of town. She thought about her usual Saturday ahead, which was just her and Erin hanging out together. The idea of a playdate for her daughter sounded good. She needed to start thinking about increasing her social circle, and this was Kane’s family, so she felt safe agreeing. “Sure, that would be great.”

  Laurel smiled and they quickly exchanged numbers and settled on a time.

  “See you then,” the other woman said before she left. “If not before.”

  When Layla arrived at work there were already clients waiting to enter the spa. She quickly got to her desk and checked through the day’s appointments and made several confirmation calls for later that afternoon. It was a busy day, with a couple of clients turning up late, which threw everything else behind schedule. After one of the tanning booths broke down she spent almost an hour on the phone trying to get someone out to look at it. And since she didn’t manage to grab even a short lunch break, it was after one o’clock when Hailey dropped by her desk with a cola can and a protein bar from the vending machine in the staff room.

  “Caffeine,” the other woman said, and raised her brows. “You look like you need it. It’s been a busy morning and the rest of the week is pretty well booked, too. At this rate we’re going to have to hire another beauty therapist and extra help for you at reception over the lunchtimes.”

  “But busy is good, though,” Layla said, and then turned more serious. “I wish I could do more hours for you, but with having Erin in day care I simply can’t commit to more than—”

  “I understand,” Hailey said, gently cutting her off. “And you always give one hundred percent when you’re here. Family has to come first, Layla. We’ll look at hiring someone to cover the lunch hours in the next week or so. The agency that found you for us might be able to help. Just don’t run yourself ragged, okay?”

  When she picked up Erin from day care that afternoon, she was surprised to see Kane’s truck parked outside. And then more surprised, plus a little disappointed, to see another man coming out of the day care center, carrying Larkin. His brother Adam.

  “Hi there,” he said pleasantly. “Layla, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, registering that he was a little taller than his brother, but not as broad in the shoulders or as muscular. “Yes. Hello, Adam, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  “That’s your brother’s truck.”

  His brows shot up with surprise and his mouth curled at the edges. “Yes, it is. Disappointed?”

  Heat crawled up her neck. “Ah...no, of course not.”

  “My car’s in the shop so I borrowed Kane’s rig to pick up my son. My wife tells me that you and your daughter are coming over on Saturday,” he remarked, smiling as he shifted his son’s backpack onto his shoulder. “She’s looking forward to it.”

  She responded in kind and headed inside, waving vaguely to him as he drove off.

  And for the first time since Frank died, Layla experienced a real sense of belonging.

  * * *

  “I met your girlfriend yesterday.”

  Kane had met Adam and Brady for lunch at Roja on Wednesday, before his scheduled meeting with Grace Williams and Callum at three.

  He looked at Adam and frowned. “My what?”

  “The pretty single mom,” Adam reminded him, and winked. “You know exactly who I mean. She seemed pretty disappointed when I pulled up in your truck. I think she likes you.”

  “Shut up.”

  “She’s coming over on Saturday for a playdate with Larkin and Laurel,” Adam stated.

  Kane held his fork midair. “Huh?”

  “Yep,” Adam said, and grinned. “She seems nice.”

  She is nice. So nice he hadn’t been able to think about much else. “Stop meddling.”

  “You were going to introduce her to us at the grand opening party,” Brady said, also grinning. “I must have missed that.”

  “I didn’t realize my personal life was so interesting for you all,” he replied, stone-faced.

  Brady laughed. “Well, he’s boring and married,” he said, jerking a thumb in Adam’s direction, “and I’m now a single parent with two kids so I have no chance of getting laid in the near future. We have to live vicariously through you.”

  “Believe me,” Kane said, “I’m as boring as he is.”

  “Which is code for he really likes this girl,” Adam said, and chuckled. “You should drop by on Saturday. It’ll be cute watching you together.”

  Kane called his brother an idiot in more colorful language and Brady laughed. He really wasn’t in the mood for his brothers’ teasing.

  He hung around the restaurant for another half an hour, and by three o’clock he was in Grace’s office. He admired the way she had handled herself since the accident, and the fortitude she’d displayed in getting back to work so quickly. She was calm and organized in the manager’s role and Kane knew the hotel was in good hands.

  “So,” Callum said when he arrived, “I spoke to the lead detective on the case earlier today. There’s still nothing substantial to go on. We may have to accept that we’ll never really know what happened.”

  “What will they do now?” Grace asked, her brows almost fused together.

  “Continue the investigation,” Callum said, and sighed heavily. “I know this must be frustrating for you, Grace, considering what you went through. Be assured that we’ll get to the bottom of this, no matter how long it takes. Does anyone seem like a red flag?” Callum asked, directing the question toward Kane.

  “I think it’s safe to assume that everyone is a potential suspect,” Kane replied. “However, the most obvious person isn’t necessarily the most guilty. Let’s face it, there was some backlash from the community when the hotel proposal was cleared through council. Could be there’s someone out there holding a major grudge. Thankfully, nothing else has happened since the balcony collapse, so I think we need to let the authorities do their job.”

  His colleagues looked solemn and quickly agreed.

  The meeting lasted another fifteen minutes and then Kane headed home to shower and change. He’d made a reservation at a small family-owned restaurant in Rambling Rose that Brady assured him was child-friendly and drove to Layla’s by five o’clock.

  She greeted him at the door and looked effortlessly beautiful in dark jeans, a floral shirt and a denim jacket. Her hair was down, touching her shoulders, and she smiled when she greeted him.

  “Hi,” she said, and opened the screen wider. “I’ll just get Erin.”

  Kane waited by the door and she returned less than a minute later, holding Erin in one ar
m, the other carrying a tote and diaper bag. “I can take that,” he said and gestured to the bags.

  She handed them over, turned on the porch light and locked the door. “You have a car seat in your truck, right?”

  He nodded. “Sure do.”

  Minutes later, the baby was strapped into the car seat and Kane strode around the truck and opened the passenger door for Layla. She seemed surprised by the gesture and he smiled.

  “A bit too last century for you?” he asked as she got into the Ranger.

  “Chivalry? Not at all. I think you’re very sweet.”

  Kane groaned. “Promise me you won’t say that in front of either of my brothers, okay?”

  She smiled again. “I promise.”

  He got into the car and pulled away from the sidewalk. “I hear you’re hanging out with Laurel and Larkin on Saturday.”

  “We were invited for a playdate,” she replied. “I thought it would be good for Erin.” She shrugged lightly. “My grandmother thinks I need to get out more, too. She was very impressed when I told her we were going out tonight.”

  “I think I like your grandmother,” he said, and grinned.

  Layla chuckled and the sound echoed through his chest. “I’m sure she’d like you, too. She’s got a soft spot for broad shoulders and a nice smile. My grandfather was a carpenter, and Nan always says that a strong man who can fix things is definitely the type of guy to have around.”

  “Smart woman.”

  “I guess you can fix things, right?”

  Kane grinned. “Absolutely.”

  She laughed a little nervously, as if she’d said too much, admitted too much. Kane didn’t push the conversation because he didn’t want to scare her off. She seemed to scare easily, and he suspected she’d had her heart well and truly broken when her husband died and wasn’t quite recovered from the loss. And for the moment, he wanted to go slow, too. He liked Layla, but she wasn’t a one-night-stand sort of woman.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  He named the restaurant. “Brady said they have a good kids’ menu. He said he’s brought the twins here a couple of times since he arrived in town and they like the food.”

  “You’re very considerate,” she remarked, and glanced at her child in the back. “Have you done this before?”

  “Done what before?”

  “Dated a single parent?” she asked, and then waved a hand. “I mean, not that we’re really dating or anything, but I was curious.”

  “No,” he replied honestly. “But I haven’t been on a date for a while.”

  She didn’t respond for a moment, seeming to absorb his words, then she sighed, her hands twisting in her lap as she spoke. “I’ve only ever had one serious relationship, and that was with my husband.”

  “No high school boyfriend?” he asked, eager to know more about her.

  She shook her head. “I told you my mother was a dancer. We spent a lot of time on the road and when I finally moved in with my grandparents, I wanted stability. I’d witnessed too many people coming and going through my mother’s life to want that for myself. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m relatively new to all this...whatever this is,” she added for clarity. “And out of practice. So I apologize if I’m assuming anything.”

  “I understand,” he said, and meant it.

  Kane wasn’t a jump in quick kind of guy. His decisions were generally measured and controlled. He didn’t fall often and never hard enough to leave any real battle scars. But he liked Layla, and suspected the feeling was mutual.

  The drive into town didn’t take long and he figured she’d admitted enough that she needed some quiet time, so he stayed silent for a while and listened to Erin’s soft baby talk and Layla’s encouraging responses.

  “She seems happy tonight,” he remarked.

  “As opposed to how grumpy she’s been lately? She must be going through a growth spurt,” she said, and then sighed.

  Once they reached the restaurant, he secured a parking space and soon they were inside and being shown to their seats.

  “You know,” Layla said as she tucked Erin into the high chair, “I’ve lived in Rambling Rose for years and never been here. It’s really quite lovely.”

  The restaurant was small, with only about ten tables, and styled like an old-fashioned saloon, with polished timbers and dark gingham tablecloths. He nodded in agreement and waited until she was seated before he sat down. Half the tables were full, and another group entered the restaurant just as the waitress handed them menus. He ordered his favorite craft beer and waited while Layla perused the drinks menu for a moment before selecting a wine spritzer. Erin was tapping her hands on the high chair and Kane drummed his fingertips on the table to keep her amused.

  “She’s so relaxed around you,” Layla said after a few minutes and dipped into the diaper bag for a plastic spoon and Erin’s sippy cup. “I think it’s what you do...make people feel at ease.”

  He figured it was a compliment and heat crawled up his neck. “It’s not deliberate.”

  “That’s why it works,” she said, and smiled. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed because you’re a nice person.”

  Kane grinned. “I have plenty of flaws, believe me.”

  The waitress arrived with their drinks and took their dinner orders. Kane ordered the fillet steak and seasoned fries, while Layla spent another few moments glancing at the menu again before selecting veal parmigiana for herself and a kid’s chicken meal for Erin.

  “Sorry,” she said, and grinned once the waitress disappeared. “I have been known to labor over a menu for half an hour. Procrastination is my middle name. Not you, though. You didn’t even touch the menu,” she said. “Do you always know what you want?”

  There was a flirtatious edge to her words and Kane concentrated on that, and not on her remark about his untouched menu. He wasn’t about to admit that he checked out the menu the night before on the restaurant’s website, determined not to be seen fumbling through the selections when put on the spot to make a quick decision. It was something he’d done for years, and a fail-safe to avoid looking foolish and highlighting his condition in front of strangers. Not that Layla was a stranger. But he didn’t know her well enough to admit such a personal thing about himself.

  “Usually,” he replied, and drank some beer. “I guess I’m predictably a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.”

  “Nothing wrong with knowing who you are and what you want,” she said, and sighed. “So, these flaws you mentioned earlier—anything specific?”

  “Sure,” he replied. “I’ve never watched Star Wars. I don’t like snakes. When I was sixteen, I hid my first tattoo from my parents for nearly a year. I’ll watch any kind of sport on television, even two ants racing up a wall. Oh, and I will never sing karaoke.”

  She laughed and the sound hit him deep down. “I like watching sports, too, particularly football.”

  “I’m guessing you’re a Houston Texans fan?”

  She laughed again. “Of course. And you, the Giants?”

  “See?” He grinned. “Predictable.”

  “Did you ever play?”

  “Yeah, I played ball in high school and college.”

  “I sense there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” she said astutely.

  “I injured my knee and that was the end of my football career,” he replied. “I got an engineering degree instead from Columbia.”

  Her eyes widened. “That’s a good school. Your parents must have—”

  “Scholarship,” he said quickly, before her next question. “I was good at sports and okay at math.”

  He wasn’t about to tell her how hard he had to study, about tutors and strategies employed to help him through the dyslexia to maintain a B-minus average. Or about how close he came to quitting school when the scholarship ended in the second ye
ar after his injury, and he had to work two jobs to help with the tuition.

  “I envy you,” she said quietly, her hand resting on the table. “I’m terrible at math.”

  “I’m sure you’re good at a lot of other things,” he said and covered her hand with his. Her skin was warm to the touch and for a moment he thought she might pull away. But she didn’t. “I mean, you’re clearly a wonderful mom, and you’re smart and funny. And of course, you’re really quite beautiful. I imagine you’re good at your job, too.”

  She smiled again, and he wondered if she knew how the gesture added even more warmth to her brown eyes. “I like the work, and Hailey is a great boss, but of course I want to do more with my life.”

  “Such as?” he asked and removed his hand.

  “I’m taking an online course in marketing at the moment,” she explained, her gaze darting to her daughter. “In between working and raising Erin. But I’m enjoying it and hopefully it will lead to a career one day.”

  His admiration spiked and he smiled. “I’m sure you’d be successful at anything you do.”

  She looked embarrassed for a moment, and then shrugged. “Thank you. What about you?” she asked. “What do you do now that the hotel is built and operating?”

  “Good question,” he replied.

  “Are you staying in Rambling Rose? In Texas?”

  “Do you mean am I homesick for New York? A little,” he admitted. “Actually, I got a job offer to manage the construction of a new shopping mall in Houston.”

  “But?” she queried intuitively.

  “I’m undecided about the offer. Callum has other plans for Rambling Rose and I’m committed to staying close and on hand for the moment. Family first,” he added, and sighed. “And the Fortunes are good to work for.”

  “You talk about them as though you’re not one of them,” she remarked. “But you are.”

  “It’s complicated. As I told you before, my father didn’t know he was Julius Fortune’s son until last year,” he explained. “And he hasn’t exactly embraced the idea.”