by Judy Duarte
“When it comes to having someone on your side, Miss Julie is a good one.”
“Yeah.” Using his feet, Eddie stopped the swing’s forward movement, but he continued to sit there. “She’s going to get a new job.”
Adam’s gut clenched, and his brow furrowed. Would she have to move or travel with that job? Had her plans to take the kids changed? And if so, what about their marriage? Would they have to follow through on their annulment, even if he wasn’t sure he wanted to break things off completely?
“Where is she going to work?” he asked Eddie. “And what kind of job is it?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say. But she’ll still come here. Just not as often.”
Adam tried to wrap his mind around the news, which was pretty much hearsay at this point.
When the office door squeaked open and Julie stepped out, he was tempted to stride right up to her and intercept her before she reached the playground, but he remained near the swings. And that was just as well. Julie was heading his way. Or rather, she was probably coming to let Eddie know how her chat with the social worker went.
The boy got off the swing and hurried to meet her. “Did you tell her, Miss Julie? What did she say?”
“She’s thinking about it,” Julie said.
Eddie’s lip quivered, and his eyes filled with tears. “But that means she could still make us leave, and I don’t want to go someplace else. What if they’re not nice to me and Cassie? Why can’t we stay here?”
Adam didn’t blame the kid for being afraid to move in with complete strangers. Before coming to Kidville, life had been miserable for him and Cassie, and now that they’d settled in here, they felt safe.
Julie placed her hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “I’m doing everything I can to convince her that you’re both doing well here, and that a move isn’t a good idea—unless it’s with someone you already know and like.”
Eddie nodded, but he didn’t appear convinced.
“But I have a surprise for you,” she said. “I asked Mrs. Hoffman if you could come and stay the weekend at my house, and she thought it was a wonderful idea.”
The boy brightened. “And Cassie, too?”
“Of course!”
Adam laughed. “I had a little chat with Mr. Hoffman, too. And I asked if I could take you camping on Saturday. I know this awesome lake where we can fish. It would just be for one night, but it’ll be fun.”
“Wow.” Eddie sniffled, then lifted his arm and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. “That would be way cool. I never went camping before. And Cassie hasn’t, either.”
Adam knew it was just a temporary fix, but he liked seeing the kid happy.
Eddie sobered. “Isn’t camping for boys?”
“Nope,” Adam said. “In fact, Miss Julie is going, too.”
Eddie looked up at Julie. “Cool! I’m going to tell Cassie.” Then he dashed off, leaving Julie and Adam alone.
“Apparently our weekend plans were a big hit,” Adam said.
“Eddie isn’t the only one who likes the idea. Ms. Kincaid seemed delighted to learn we were taking the kids for the weekend. She said she’d try to drop by to see how things are going.”
“Good. I’ve set up that visit to my buddy’s ranch on Sunday. So we’re going to have a busy schedule. Ms. Kincaid might not find us at home.”
“She said she’d call first. Anyway, I was thinking. Why don’t you join the kids and me for dinner tonight? I’m making spaghetti.”
“That sounds good. And fun. The kids are going to have a blast this weekend.”
Her smile dimpled her cheeks, and her eyes glistened. “Dinner tonight is going to be a slam dunk for me, but you’ll have to handle the camping prep.”
“No problem. I’ve got everything we’ll need.” In fact, he would also pack a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. The kids would eventually turn in for the night, and when they did, he wanted to be ready for a quiet evening by the fire.
He didn’t usually bother with anything fancy on a campout, but this one was different. Julie was different. And while she might be the kind of woman who might shake up his life, for some reason, he wasn’t all that worried about it now.
Chapter Eight
By the time Adam got home from work on Friday, he’d built up an appetite and was looking forward to eating a home-cooked meal. And if truth be told, he was also eager to spend the evening with Julie and the kids.
He’d no more than opened his front door, when Biscuit greeted him with a little woof and a wagging tail. He stooped to give her some attention. “I hate to admit this,” he told her, “but it’s kind of nice coming home to someone, even if that someone has four legs and fur.”
Biscuit gave his hand a lick.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll bet you’re as hungry as I am.”
The first thing he did, after feeding Biscuit and before taking a hot shower, was to reach into the fridge for a cold bottle of water and down it. As he did so, he noticed the blinking red light on Stan’s answering machine.
By now, most of Stan’s friends knew he’d died, but if one of them didn’t, Adam would have to give them the news. So he pushed Play.
“Hey, Stan. This is Lisa. It’s Friday morning. I’ll only be in town this weekend, and I hoped Adam and I could finally hook up. Would one of you give me a call? You have my number.”
Dang. He should have returned her call, but he’d forgotten. And he did have her number. He’d written it on a pale yellow Post-it note, but he’d lost interest in going out with her. At least, for the time being. Either way, he had to tell her about Stan. So he called her back.
The call rolled to voice mail, so he left a message.
“Hey, Lisa. It’s Adam. Looks like we struck out again. I’ve got a busy weekend, but I’d really like to talk to you.” Realizing he couldn’t tell her about Stan over the phone, he added, “Why don’t you give me a day and time that you’ll be available for coffee or a drink, and then we can finally meet.”
After he hung up, his gut clenched, and a cloud of uneasiness settled over him. Lisa might think he was hoping to hook up with her at last, and if so, he couldn’t blame her.
What should he tell her when they finally met and she expected to date him? That he’d changed his mind? That he was no longer available?
He raked his hand through his hair. He didn’t feel like going out with anyone these days—unless it was Julie. Did that make him unavailable?
And why did he find the memory of their kisses so arousing?
He’d had plenty of kisses in the past. Only trouble was, none of them had been as amazing and unforgettable as the ones he’d shared with Julie. How could a kiss be both sweet and hot, heart-stopping and blood-pumping?
To make it worse, each kiss had reached deep inside of him, touching something he couldn’t put his finger on, let alone put a name to.
So far, he’d reined in his hormones before he’d done something he might regret later. Yet for some reason, that didn’t seem to bother him like it might have in the past.
Before meeting Julie, Adam would have declined a down-home, family-oriented invitation to eat spaghetti with a couple of kids. But for some crazy reason, he was actually looking forward to it. Besides, as long as Cassie and Eddie were there, he and Julie wouldn’t be able to jump into anything without putting some thought into it.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t planning on sharing a bottle of wine with her after the kids went to sleep.
* * *
At a quarter to six, Adam parked along the curb in front of Julie’s house. Before getting out, he looked in the rearview mirror at the dog who sat in the backseat wearing a red collar and a leash.
“We’re here,” he said.
Biscuit’s tail swished against the leather seat as if she knew her friends were waiting inside the hou
se for her. Adam hoped Julie didn’t think it was rude of him to bring a dog without asking her permission first, but he figured it would be a nice surprise for Eddie and Cassie. And if he had Julie pegged right, as long as the kids were happy, she would be, too.
Just as he was about to open the driver’s door, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the display. It was his buddy, Matt Grimes, the guy he and his buddies had nicknamed Duck, returning his call.
“What’s up?” Matt asked.
“Your uncle told me you were in town, and I wondered if I could bring some friends out to your place and take them riding on Sunday.”
“Sure. Who are the friends?”
“A brother and sister from Kidville and the woman who’s hoping to be their foster parent.”
“That’d be great. I’m working on promo for the Rocking Chair Rodeo, so I might take a few photos we can use.”
“No problem,” Adam said.
“Hey, I was just going to drive out to the Stagecoach Inn for a couple of beers. Do you have time to meet me there?”
“I wish I could. It’d be nice to catch up, but I made plans to spend the evening with the two kids.”
Biscuit woofed, clearly eager to get out and play with Eddie and Cassie.
“What was that?” Matt asked.
“I’m sort of dog-sitting these days.”
“You? Mr. Won’t Commit? The guy who told me a pet would cramp a bachelor lifestyle?”
“Yeah, well, don’t worry. I haven’t gone off the deep end.” At least, not yet. And not only with the dog.
“Who asked you to watch the dog?”
“No one, actually. She was a skittish stray I stumbled across, so I’ve been working with her.” Adam glanced in the rearview mirror. “I only plan to keep her until she’s ready to live with a real family.”
“Adam’s Pet Rescue, huh?” Matt laughed.
“Not really. But that reminds me, I have a stakeout next week that could take a few days. Would you mind keeping her for me while I’m gone?”
“If she’s that timid, do you think she can handle staying on the ranch?”
“Yeah, she’s coming along okay. Besides, that cattle dog of yours is getting too old to give her much trouble.”
“We had to put Lulu Belle down last week,” Matt said.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, it was a tough decision. The vet said she had cancer and was only going to get worse. So we didn’t want her to suffer.”
Adam glanced in the backseat at the sweet little mutt sitting on her haunches, tongue hanging out, eyes bright. He’d never been a pet person, so he’d never been able to fully understand the people who were, the ones who called animals “fur babies” and grieved when a sick or old one crossed over a rainbow bridge. But Biscuit had touched a soft spot he hadn’t realized he could have for a dog. So he’d begun to see how some people could really get attached to their animals.
“Lulu Belle and your uncle were inseparable,” Adam said. “So I’ll bet he’s taking it hard.”
“Yeah, he’s been pretty quiet lately. And so has the ranch. I was going to get another dog, but Uncle George says he needs time to grieve.”
“I have another place I can leave her.” Adam figured he could ask Julie.
“No, I think it’ll be good for Uncle George to have another dog to look after for a day or two. I’ll be gone next week doing some promo for the Rocking Chair Rodeo, but he’ll be here.”
“We can talk about it on Sunday,” Adam said.
“By the way, tell me about the woman.”
Adam could tell Matt anything, but he wasn’t about to admit he’d gotten married, even though it was only a temporary situation.
“She’s just a friend,” Adam said.
Matt didn’t respond for a couple of beats. “Is she attractive?”
The cowboy was a sly one. He always had a way of digging for info without coming right out and asking.
“Yes,” Adam said. “But don’t jump to conclusions.”
Matt chuckled. “For you, that sounds serious.”
Adam had revealed more than he’d wanted to, so he changed the subject. “When is the rodeo coming to town?”
“We hit a few snags so we had to postpone it until late March. But things are back on track now. We’ve already placed an order for posters at the printer, and once they’re ready, we’ll put them up at all the local hot spots. Why don’t you bring your friends? I can get you guys some VIP treatment.”
“I just might do that. Eddie would like meeting some real cowboys.”
“You got it. Say, I have to go. My uncle wants to have grilled tri-tip tonight, so I’d better get the fire started.”
After ending the call, Adam got out of the car and walked to Julie’s front porch, Biscuit’s leash in one hand and a bottle of merlot in the other. He rang the bell, expecting Julie to answer. But when the door swung open, Eddie and Cassie welcomed him with a smile.
When they noticed Biscuit, they let out gleeful shrieks and dropped to their knees to greet their four-legged friend, who was just as happy to see them.
A couple of beats later, Julie approached the doorway dressed casually in a pair of black yoga pants that clung to shapely legs and a feminine white T-shirt that hung to her hips. Her blond hair, glossy and curled at the ends, tumbled over her shoulders.
She glanced first at the dog, then at Adam. “Well, look who’s here.”
He offered her a sheepish grin. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought an uninvited guest.”
“Of course not.” She smiled, then addressed the kids. “Why don’t you guys take Biscuit outside to play in the backyard?”
“Good idea,” Eddie said. “Come on, Cassie. Let’s go.”
As the kids led the dog toward the sliding glass door that looked onto a small patio, Julie returned her attention to Adam, but she didn’t comment.
He shrugged a single shoulder. “I knew the kids would like it if I brought the dog. But I should have asked you first, and I’m sorry I didn’t. I hope you won’t throw us both out.”
“No, you can both stay. I like animals, especially sweet and gentle ones like Biscuit.”
Adam handed her the bottle of merlot. “I thought you might like some wine with dinner.”
“It’ll go nicely with spaghetti.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “I need to check something on the stove, and while I’m there, I’ll uncork the bottle and fill two glasses. Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa? It won’t take long.”
Adam didn’t want to sit by himself, even if it was only for a moment. So while the kids took the dog outside, then slid the door shut, he followed Julie into the kitchen.
A hearty aroma of tomatoes, basil and spice grew stronger with each step he took, filling the cozy room.
Julie stood at the stove and lifted the lid off a pot of simmering sauce. She glanced over her shoulder and blessed him with a pretty smile that damn near stole the words from his mouth.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
He must have been gaping at her like a love-struck adolescent, so he laughed it off. “No, nothing’s wrong.”
In fact, everything seemed to be just right. His gaze swept over her. How could a woman be dressed so casually and be so sexy at the same time? He glanced at her bare feet, the toenails polished a bright red. Had he ever found a woman more attractive, more appealing?
“I’ll open the merlot,” he said. “Do you have a corkscrew?”
“It’s in the drawer to the left of the sink.”
“And the glasses?” he asked.
“In the top shelf of the cupboard that’s to the right of the fridge.”
After opening the wine, pouring two glasses and handing one to Julie, Adam asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, I’ve got it under control.” She turned down the burner to let the sauce simmer. When she turned around, she lifted her glass. “Since the kids are outside with the dog, let’s take this into the living room.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Adam followed her out of the kitchen and took a seat on the sofa, next to her. He’d never been at a loss for words before, but he wasn’t sure what to say, how he felt. Or what to admit. Whatever was going on was both exciting and scary.
“The kids have only been here a couple of hours,” Julie said, “and the house already seems...lively.” Julie turned to him and smiled. “I love having them here. And I’d give anything if Ms. Kincaid would agree to let them stay.”
“How can she say no?” Adam took a sip of his wine, then set it down on one of the coasters on the coffee table. “It’s going to work out. I’m also prepared to give her the results of that background check on the Stanfords.”
Julie took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “I hope you’re right. If the kids were old enough to make a decision, I think they’d like to live with me.” Adam placed his hand on Julie’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “For the record, I would have loved having a foster mom like you.”
Julie turned to him, closing the space between them on the cushions, and gazed at him in an affectionate way that set his heart rate pounding. “What was your foster family like?” she asked.
Now, there was an unexpected topic. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or uneasy. He didn’t usually talk about his past. Normally, he would have curtailed the conversation—or said he’d better go outside and check on the kids. But for some reason, he decided to be honest.
“Which one?” he asked.
Her brow furrowed, and her sweet expression turned to one of sympathy. “How many foster families did you have?”
“I had two before I ended up with Stan. The first was okay. Foster dad number one was in the military, and his wife was a special education teacher. But when he got orders to relocate to a base in Germany, he took his wife with him, and I went back into the system.”