Two days had passed and still no word from the suspected killer.
Kiersten’s bruises had healed some and could be hidden under make up. The family had gathered at the main house. The delicious smells of her mother’s cooking filled the air. She moved her eyes to Deegan who sat with her brothers in the living room. They were sharing war stories and they had become instant friends. Even Kace who had been suspicious seemed friendly and welcoming. Deegan had won them over, just as he’d done her. He looked so handsome in a plain white T-shirt that stretched across his wide chest and faded jeans. His hair was thick and sprinkled with silver, and he had broad cheekbones covered in a shadow of whiskers and deep-set eyes. The blaze in the fireplace caught his irises and made them shine. He had no clue that she was watching him.
Swallowing with difficulty, she closed her eyes for a mere second and when she opened them, she found that Deegan’s gaze was fixed on her. As her brothers continued to joke about something Zander had done involving shaving cream and a bet, Deegan continued to wreak havoc on her body from twenty feet away. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around her waist, feeling as though she’d been made love to without a single touch. One corner of his beautiful mouth lifted as if he could see straight into her thoughts.
Sally, Cull’s soon-to-be-wife, called everyone to the table and with regret, Kiersten tore her gaze from Deegan’s and made her way to sit in her chair, next to Nix and Kace. Laughter billowed up from everyone as they gathered at their seats and started digging in. Beatrice, matriarch of the Cade clan, cleared her throat. “Excuse me, family. Did we say grace?”
“Sorry, Ma,’” everyone mumbled and bowed their heads.
“How about you say grace for us, Kiersten,” Beatrice ventured.
Kiersten popped her eyes up and nodded. They all folded their hands in prayer. “God, thank you for this meal. Bless everyone at the table and please teach Kace some manners so he doesn’t chomp and slurp. Amen.”
Laughter ensued and Kace looked at her with a scrunched gaze. “Nicely said, brat.” Kace grabbed her shoulders and playfully gave her a noogie.
“Stop!” She pushed away from him, laughing, while trying to fix her frizzy hair.
Conversation at the table was limited for the first five minutes while everyone dug in. Kiersten found her own appetite restricted, partly owing it to the shock of having Deegan sitting directly across from her. Occasionally, they’d make eye contact and her heart would knock against her ribcage. She pulled off a piece from her crusty roll and popped it into her mouth, chewing while doing her best to keep her eyes downward, focused on her plate.
“Ma, I hope you’re feeling better,” Phoenix said from the end of the table.
Beatrice nodded. “Much better.”
“That’s because we’ve made her rest each day.” Thick brows lifted over Bo’s round, blue eyes…matching those of his children.
As if on purpose, Beatrice switched subjects. “Kiersten, why didn’t you tell me you were already home, and with company? This is a welcome surprise.”
Kiersten felt Deegan’s gaze on her. She knew she had to be careful because her mother could sense a rat in the barn from where she sat at the table. “We wanted to get away from the city for a few days.”
“Is there trouble that your father and I need to know about?” Her round cheeks creased with concern.
“Of course not.” Kiersten shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. She felt a kick at her ankle and she narrowed her gaze on Kace, daring him to say one word.
“What do you think of the ranch, Deegan?” Bo asked, his eyes held a bit of suspicion.
“I haven’t seen a lot, but I hope I can change that before I leave.” He raised his eyes to meet Kiersten’s and she almost choked on her food. She reached for the sweet tea and drained it.
Cull wiped his hand across his mouth and reached for a roll. “We might be seeing more of Deegan.”
Kiersten looked at Cull. Where did that come from? “Why is that?”
A big smile curved her brother’s lips. “I’ve invited him to come out during inoculation season and help with the livestock.”
“Why would he want to do that?” she mumbled.
“I’d enjoy helping work the land. Although I don’t know a lot about ranching, I do enjoy riding horses,” Deegan said easily.
“So, you and Kiersten work together?” Sally asked.
Kiersten let Deegan handle this one. “Yeah, but I’m in the field most of the time so we don’t see each other that often.”
“Are you two—”
“No!” Kiersten blurted out which made Sally jump.
“Going to eat some of Ma’s blackberry pie,” Sally finished her sentence with a confused expression.
“Someone’s a little shaken up,” Cull said with laughter.
“Sorry. I guess I’m just tired.” Oh sheesh. She wouldn’t even dare look at Deegan to see if he found her jumpiness humorous.
Thankfully, conversation drifted to something other than Deegan because Kiersten wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep from sweating.
When dinner was finished, they all gathered outside to enjoy the last remnants of the evening while Kiersten helped her mother in the kitchen gathering the dessert, a hummingbird cake that was to die for.
“Why so secretive?”
At her mother’s question, Kiersten looked up from where she was placing the glasses on a tray. “Secretive? What about?”
“Coming home without telling me.” Beatrice’s eyes narrowed.
“Am I not allowed to come home unless I ask for permission?” Although it may sidetrack her mother for a moment, nothing could get past the woman. Maybe Kiersten should just tell her the truth, that they were working a case and she was beat up, but she didn’t want to worry her ma.
“Of course not, but I know you,” Beatrice stirred the tea and placed it on the platter next to the glasses. “Deegan is quite the looker.”
“Ma don’t do that. Don’t play cupid with my love life. I know it might seem like we’re romantically involved because we’re staying in the apartment, but we’re only friends. That’s all. Please don’t make us uncomfortable.”
“If you say so, but I’m pretty good with matchmaking. After all, I did fix Cull and Sally up, didn’t I?” she stated proudly.
“No, you didn’t. They met and were hooked instantly.” Kiersten laughed.
Beatrice patted her daughter’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Let’s take this to the clan before they start chewing on wood,” Kiersten teased.
They stepped outside, and she almost dropped the tray. After the glasses finally stopped tilting against each other, she sat them down on the table before she really lost it. Across the porch sat Deegan, holding Kace and Tyler’s baby. Those big, strong arms holding that tiny, defenseless human. Her ovaries screamed and her inner thighs trembled. There was something about him holding the baby that surrounded him in a different light. He was smiling and looked so…what? Daddy-like? Tender. Nurturing.
Her knees wobbled and she held onto the edge of the table to keep from passing out.
“You okay?” Tyler asked.
Kiersten nodded, attempting to gather her thoughts. “How long did it take you to talk him into holding her?”
“He volunteered. He’s pretty good at calming her. He might be a keeper, that one.” She winked.
“Oh, there’s nothing between us. We’re just…friends.”
Her sister-in-law’s smile spoke volumes. “Well, if that scene doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t know what will.” She patted Kiersten’s hand and joined Kace on the wicker loveseat. He wrapped his arms around Tyler and kissed her forehead.
Kiersten would never get over how her brawny, bad-ass brothers could lose themselves so preciously to their loved ones.
Feeling a warmth spread over her, she looked at Deegan who was staring at her in that amazing way that curled her toes. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he knew how much she wanted a baby, but there was no way he’d know.
Unless…
She scanned the yard looking for Cull. He wouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t possible.
*
Deegan couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was magnificently beautiful. Kiersten was playing toss with Zander’s dog. She picked up the chew toy and threw it. The Retriever took off at a run, catching the plastic football before it hit ground. Her hair caught in the breeze and her cornflower blue eyes caught the sun’s rays.
The fluffy dog lopped from front paws to back, his ears flopping and his tail wagging excitedly when he kneeled at Kiersten’s feet. He dropped the toy at her feet and she rewarded him with scratch on his head, then tossed the ball again.
Picking up one of the extra balls in the bucket, Deegan gave it a throw. Kiersten turned around, eyes round, and then she smiled. “Did you have enough of the baby?” she teased.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever held one. I thought I was going to break her. How do parents do it?” When he’d offered, he thought he must have been out of his mind, but he thought he could prove to Kiersten that he could take care of another human. “I wondered where you’d taken off to.”
“Hanging out with the fur baby. Have you met Susie-Q?”
Deegan knelt and whistled. The dog raced over, begging for a rub behind the ears. Deegan patted her. “Good girl.”
“Since your schedule is as crazy as mine, I’m guessing you have no animals?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted one. We had a couple of dogs growing up. Bone and Chops. Black Labs.”
“Did you name them?”
“I did and was very proud of that fact.”
She sat down close to a tree and he joined her. “I love animals, but I haven’t had one since I had lived here. A dog or cat deserves lots of attention, nurturing. My fish didn’t mind that I was gone for days at a time. That’s kind of sad. They didn’t care.”
“You don’t have them any longer?”
“I thought it was easier to give them away than move them here. My neighbors had a little boy who would hang out in the hallway playing and I thought he looked like he’d take good care of them. He was excited.”
He wanted to ask about a baby, what her plans were, but how does one go about doing that? “What do you think about the future? Have you ever thought that you’d want someone who did care when you’d be home?” Would she open up to him?
She leaned back and propped her head on her hand, looking at him. “Don’t we all?”
“Some more than others I suppose.”
“One day last year, I was doing some window shopping and I stopped to admire a set of nice china. It reminded me of my mom’s that was handed down from her mom and how she takes it out only on special occasions. That’s what grandma did too. You felt important if you visited and she took out the china. Anyway, as I stood staring at the dishes, it struck me that I understood why dishes can mean something. They are a sign of home, love, and connection. I loved everything about those plates. The flowered pattern. The bright colors. The fluted edges. I didn’t own a set of dishes, at least a matching set that didn’t have chips. Never had. Paper plates had become my friend. I’m not saying they’re not the bomb because hey, easy cleaning, but there should be times when we take out the best china. I decided that I wanted a set of dishes. And wine glasses. One of those pretty, delicate tea pots. I might never use it, but I want one still the same. I want a home of my own, filled with love. Like this house.” She pointed at the farmhouse. “I needed it more than I ever wanted anything. That’s when I made plans to build a house. It’s only in the very beginning stages and I’ll be here for a while, but it should be done by the time the—” She stopped suddenly.
Was she about to mention a baby?
“You can have anything you want, Kiersten. You’re a smart, beautiful, amazing woman. I’m sure there are at least a dozen men who would love to have more with you—would love to share a dish set with you. And gets the idea of china and a tea pot. Understands you.”
Plucking a piece of grass, she rolled it between her fingers. “You’re wrong.”
He reached over, lifted a piece of her hair and twirled it around his knuckle. “No, I’m not,” he said softly.
“You shouldn’t do that.” She dropped the piece of grass and sat up, lifting her hair and dragging it over one shoulder. Susie-Q laid down beside her and she smoothed her hand down her back.
“Do what?”
“Look at me like you do.” She brought her gaze up for a mere second, cornflower blue windows to her soul.
“Let’s get this out there. I’m attracted to you and I don’t plan on hiding that any longer. So, if I look at you in a certain way remember this is what a man looks like when he sees something he likes.”
Her bottom lip trembled, but she didn’t look away. “Is that what that is?” Her soft voice penetrated every barrier he’d had in place.
“Come on, you know I want you. I’m still wondering why we didn’t repeat what we did two years ago. In my book, it was amazing and worth doing over and over and over again.” He saw a hint of a smile. “Isn’t it time we talked about that night? Cleared the air?”
“We have. A little but allowing things to get carried away puts my career, and yours, at risk.”
“Then you’ve thought about it too?”
She looked up at the sky, then brought her gaze back to him. “I won’t lie. Yes.”
“Is that the only reason why? Our careers?”
Her brows tilted over amazingly clear eyes. “I do wonder…you know, what it’d be like to let things happen, but that would only be a mess.”
He nodded. “Yes, or it could be the best time of your life. I’m not a bad guy, Kiersten. I bet we want similar things. Think about that.”