They washed and rinsed the dogs twice more before they took them out of the tubs and set them on the floor. Before Megan could grab a towel, Tiny took a step closer to her and shook out his fur. She squealed and held out her hands in front of her, but she ended up getting wet anyway. Cade laughed until Gumball shook out his fur as well, drenching him too.
Sitting down, Megan grabbed the towel and wiped off her face. She smirked. “Not so funny when it’s you getting soaked, is it?”
Still laughing, Cade reached for her. She tried to scoot away but he was too quick for her. He sat down beside her then wrapped his arms around her waist. Immediately the room was filled with sexual tension and her heart began to beat faster. She looked into his eyes and the heat there had her freezing in place. Cade reached out slowly and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. His warm finger caressed her cheek and she shivered. Ever so slowly he lowered his head and gently kissed her lips.
At the contact, the blood began to race through her veins. The barn fell away and the barking dogs faded into the background. Suddenly Cade filled all of her senses. All she could see was Cade and the longing in his eyes. All she could feel was Cade and the heat emanating from his body, wrapping around hers. And in that moment, she didn’t want more than Cade. She didn’t need more than Cade.
Without thinking, she moved closer and draped her arms around his broad shoulders. When their lips met again, it was in an explosion of desire and fulfilled longing. The first kiss had been cautious and exploratory, as if Cade was unsure of her reaction. Since she was the one who’d initiated the second kiss, he didn’t show any such restraint. This kiss was confident and hot and set every one of her nerve endings on fire. She was vaguely surprised that the heat from the kiss didn’t turn the water on their clothes to steam.
She could have kissed him forever and might have tried if she hadn’t felt a wet dog nose pressing against her side. Two wiggling furry bodies followed immediately as they tried to squeeze between her and Cade. She pulled back reluctantly and Tiny jumped onto her lap. Megan tried to meet Cade’s gaze but he was busy struggling to get the other dog under control. She grabbed her towel and briskly rubbed the squirming body until the fur was almost dry.
“That’s good enough,” Cade said. “The sun will dry them the rest of the way. Let’s put them back in the corral so I can fill that hole.”
“Do you think they’ll try to escape again?”
“Who knows? I didn’t expect them to get out the first time. Maybe they learned their lesson with the skunk and they’ll stay put. Or maybe they had so much fun on their adventure they’ll try again. One thing is for sure. I’m not going to make it easy for them to get out next time.”
They put Gumball and Tiny into the corral and the two dogs ran to join their friends. Now that they didn’t stink to high heaven they were welcomed back into the fold.
“Need help filling the hole?”
“No. It’s a one-man job.”
“Okay.” Megan’s heart sank. Clearly the passionate kiss they’d shared didn’t change anything between them. Or maybe it did. Maybe it clarified his feelings and Cade knew for certain that he didn’t want her. Perhaps he’d felt the sexual tension that simmered below the surface and wanted to see if it fired up. But apparently it hadn’t. At least not for him.
He grinned at her and tingles skittered down her spine. “I wouldn’t mind company, though.”
He grabbed a shovel with his right hand and then took her hand with his left. They walked side by side around the outside of the corral. When they reached the hole the dogs had used to get out of the corral, Cade shoveled the dirt back into the hole and patted it down firmly. He went to a nearby tree and scooped up another shovelful of dirt and pounded that in, as well. Just to be on the safe side, they circled the corral. Almost immediately they came upon another hole.
“Unbelievable,” Megan said as Cade replaced the dirt.
“What is?”
“I thought they were happy here.”
“I don’t follow you. What does being happy have to do with digging holes? That’s what dogs do.”
“They had plenty of grass inside the corral if they only wanted to dig a hole. They were trying to run away.”
“You’re reading way too much into this. And I don’t think they were trying to escape per se. I think they just wanted to see what was on the other side of the fence. And they did. But when they got into trouble, they raced back to the corral, a place where they knew they would be safe. They came back here because that’s where you are. You’re their safe place, Megan.”
Megan smiled, and warmth bloomed in her heart at his words. She’d never been anyone’s safe place. Truthfully, she’d never thought it was possible. After spending half of her life looking for a safe place to belong and not finding it yet, it had never occurred to her that she could provide that for someone else. It felt good even if that someone else was a dog. But in this instance, she didn’t deserve the credit.
“It’s not me. It’s the corral and the other dogs.”
“Why does it have to be one or the other? Can’t it be both? The important thing is that the dogs feel safe here on the ranch. You gave them that.”
“And you did, too.”
“True.” He reached back and patted himself on the shoulder. It was a silly thing for someone as serious as Cade to do. “I guess that makes me a hero.”
“Okay, now you’re getting a big head.”
He laughed and they continued to walk around the corral. They found two more small holes, which Cade filled. Once they’d completed their circuit of the corral and filled all of the holes, they put away the shovel and returned to the corral to play with the dogs. They tossed the balls longer than usual, letting the dogs run off their excess energy. Megan set out bowls of fresh water and she and Cade left them to their own devices for a while.
“Hungry?” Cade asked.
Megan smiled. “Yes. And surprise, I brought lunch for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I left it with your dad. He’s keeping an eye on it for me.”
“I’m intrigued. What are we having?”
“Nothing special. It’s a slow-cooker beef and broccoli recipe I like. And before you ask, the beef and broccoli are certified organic. I just need to cook a pot of rice to go with it. And for dessert I made two different kinds of cookies. Chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin.”
“And here I had you pegged as a turkey sandwich with a side salad for lunch person.”
“When I’m working in the office that’s true. There’s a lot of work to do and a quick sandwich works best with my schedule. But on Saturdays I have a little more time to cook. Or I did before I took responsibility for Mrs. Crockett’s pets.”
They went inside Reginald’s house. The smell of the cooking beef floated on the air and Megan’s stomach growled. She didn’t use the slow-cooker as much during the summer months as she did in the winter and fall. Maybe she would change that. Nothing was as enjoyable as being greeted by delicious aromas when she stepped into the house after a long day at work. It somehow transformed her rented house into something closer to a home.
Megan put rice and water into a pot and set it on the stove. “I started to bring the makings for a salad but then I remembered that I was coming to a farm. You have fresher vegetables than anything I could pick up at the store. Do you mind if I grab a few things from your garden?”
“My dad’s garden is closer. He won’t mind if you pick some vegetables. I’m sure he’ll look at it as a fair trade for lunch. That is, if he’s invited.”
“Of course. That was never a question.” Although she enjoyed spending time alone with Cade, she liked Reginald’s company, too. Father and son might not live in the same house, but Megan knew they were a package deal and she was fine with that. In fact, she liked it.
She took the bask
et Cade offered and went back outside. The garden was enormous and she squealed in delight. It contained every type of vegetable she’d need for a salad as well as those that would make tasty side dishes. After filling her basket, she returned to the kitchen. Cade had set the table and she was surprised that there were only two plates.
“Your dad’s not willing to eat my food?” She was only half joking. Reginald had cooked for her many times and she’d been looking forward to returning the favor.
“Nothing like that. One of Dad’s friends just invited him to town for an early dinner and then they’re going bowling. Mom and Dad used to belong to a bowling league. They were really good and won several trophies over the years. When Mom got sick they dropped out. Dad hasn’t picked up his ball since.”
“It sounds like your parents were an especially close couple.”
Cade grinned. “They met in grammar school, if you can believe it. Dad always said he didn’t like Mom but that she had a crush on him. Mom swore it was the other way around. When they were in high school, their best friends started dating. Mom’s best friend was only allowed to go out in a group or on double dates, so Mom and Dad were thrown together a lot. It was rough going for a while. They were either bickering or ignoring each other.”
Megan rinsed the vegetables and began cutting them into two bowls. “And then your mom and dad fell in love?”
“Not right away. Whenever they went to the movies, rather than sit with their friends, Mom and Dad sat as far away from each other as they could and still be in the same theater. Same with dinner. Their friends would eat together and Mom and Dad would get separate tables on opposite sides of the restaurant.”
“That’s...uh.”
“Insane?”
Megan laughed. “I was going to say extreme, but insane works, too.”
“One night they were at the movies when this other guy starts to talk to my mom. I don’t think she liked him. Anyway, my dad stepped up and said she was his date and to leave her alone. Mom didn’t disagree. Instead she ordered a huge bucket of popcorn, a large pop and about five different kinds of candy and left it up to Dad to pay for them. She was his date after all.”
“And then it was love?” Megan surmised as she put the salads on the table. The rice had cooked, and she spooned it onto two plates and then added the beef and broccoli.
“It took a while. They were both stubborn and neither one wanted to be the first to admit they liked the other. But they did start sitting together at the movies and whenever they went to eat. Eventually they started dating. Then they fell in love and got married.”
“And are their friends still together?”
“No. They broke up a couple of months after Mom and Dad got together. They were the maid of honor and best man at the wedding a few years later, and from what I was told, they barely managed to be civil to each other.”
Megan laughed. “Well, I guess their job was just to get your parents together.”
“That’s what Mom always said.”
Cade warmed up some rolls his father had made for dinner the previous night and set them on the table.
“What was your mom like?” Megan asked as they started to eat.
Cade took a sip of ice water before answering. “She was great. No one who met her ever forgot her. She had a magnetic personality and lit up the room the second she walked in. When she and my dad were together you could see the love between them. I could actually feel it. When she died, I didn’t think my dad would survive. He withdrew into himself and shut the world out. He would sit in his chair for days on end and just stare at the wall. It was as if part of him had climbed into her grave with her. It’s taken a while, but he’s becoming more of his old self.”
“Losing her must have left a hole in your life, too.”
Cade nodded. “Yes. It was so hard watching her die, but I selfishly didn’t want to let her go. I could tell she was hurting, but I knew once she was gone it would be forever. I wouldn’t see her again. Wouldn’t be able to tell her how much I loved her. I didn’t want that day to ever come. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better not knowing she was going to die.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, Megan. That was insensitive.”
“You said what you felt. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just wish I had known I was going to lose everyone I loved. I could have told them goodbye and how much I loved them. How much I always would.”
“They knew, Megan.” His soft voice comforted her. “They knew.”
She blinked back tears, then forced a smile. This was supposed to be a happy time. Earlier Cade had kissed her in a way that had all but had her wanting to break into song. Of course, since she couldn’t carry a tune in a basket, it was best that she’d refrained. Even now, the kiss was still on her mind. “Are we going to talk about what happened in the barn earlier?”
“You mean when you tackled and kissed me?”
Megan sputtered and set her fork on her plate. “That’s not the way I would describe it, but yes, I would like to talk about the kiss. What does it mean and where do we go from here?”
He set down his fork as well and gave her his full attention. “I don’t know, Megan. It was a simple kiss.”
“Okay.” It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but she appreciated his honesty. “I wasn’t expecting a marriage proposal. I just don’t want things to become weird between us again.”
“I know. I guess I deserve that.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her. “You don’t know much about me, do you?”
“If you mean gossipy stuff, no. The only thing I know about you is what you’ve told me.”
“Yeah. You don’t strike me as the type to talk about people behind their backs.”
“I’m not.” She’d been the subject of gossip for half of her life. Some of the conversations had been well-meaning, but a lot had been downright cruel. She made it a practice not to talk about a person who wasn’t present and able to make sure what was being said was the absolute truth.
“Up until a few months ago I was engaged,” Cade said.
“You were? What happened?”
“She decided she didn’t want to get married—at least not to me—and she ended it.”
Megan’s head spun. Cade had been engaged. And he hadn’t been the one to break it off. Was he still in love with her? Did he hope with time to win her back? Megan had been falling for him and imagining a future together, and Cade had doubtless been longing for the woman he’d wanted to marry. No wonder he’d been so grumpy when they met. He’d been trying to make it through the day with a broken heart.
“Wow. Do you run into her a lot?” One of the benefits of moving from New York had been knowing she’d never see Tim again.
“No. She moved to Chicago shortly thereafter.”
That was a relief. Megan wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Cade, but she didn’t relish the idea of encountering the woman he’d wanted to marry. On the other hand, it would be nice to see what kind of woman Cade found attractive. He was the definition of a rugged man who spent all of his time outdoors, so no doubt his fiancée shared that in common with him. She probably grew up on the neighboring farm and planned to work beside him on a daily basis. Maybe Cade and his fiancée had been like his parents and had been in love since high school. One thing was for sure, she was probably nothing like Megan. If that wasn’t proof that he could never be attracted to her, then she didn’t know what was.
Chapter Twelve
“I talked to Rebekah today. They have space for two more dogs,” Megan said the next day.
“That’s good.” Cade closed the last barn door, then led Samson and Delilah to his truck. The other cats and dogs were settled for the night. He couldn’t believe how quickly the day had sped by. He’d enjoyed every second he’d spent in Megan’s company. Although the weekend wa
s coming to an end, it wasn’t quite over. They still had Sunday dinner ahead of them. Two steaks were marinating in his special sauce. He’d throw them on the grill as soon as they got back to his house. “You wanted to find good homes for them, remember?”
“I know. It was easier in the beginning, but I’ve gotten attached to them. I don’t want to say goodbye to any more of them.”
“But you always knew this was temporary. A stopgap until they could find their forever homes. And it sounds like they’re one step closer.”
“My rational mind knows this, but my heart isn’t ready to let them go.”
He understood. He’d grown attached to Delilah and couldn’t imagine not having her there every night. And of course Delilah was so close to Samson. Cade had to admit the cat had grown on him. He hoped that they managed to find a home together. It didn’t seem right to separate them. “Do you know which ones you’ll take?”
“I was thinking about Tiny and Gumball. They are so rambunctious and playful. I can picture a family with kids being happy with either of them. Of course, they might also be good company for an older person living alone. I just want them to end up in good, loving homes. I want them to find good families.”
She worried about the animals the same way a mother worried about her kids, wanting only the best for them. Even though she was struggling with the thought of separating, he knew she wanted them to find a forever home.
“They’ll be well cared for. I’ve known Birdie and Bunny for years. They wouldn’t allow just anyone to adopt from the rescue. And you’re the one who told me that Rebekah checks out all of the families as part of the process. They’ll be going to good homes. And this time they won’t have to leave.”
Megan smiled, but he could tell her heart wasn’t in it. There were no words that could erase her anxiety. She’d worry about the animals until she felt comfortable with their situation, and nothing he said would change that. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and what he’d intended to be a quick and comforting hug rapidly morphed into something different the second he touched her warm skin. Her sweet scent teased him and he was filled with desire. He wanted to kiss her again like he had yesterday, but he resisted the urge. They were getting too close too fast. Sure he could envision them together, but he could just as easily picture her walking away from him. And until he was sure one way or the other, he was going to protect his heart the best way he knew how.
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