When the half-dressed man opened the door, Cash realized if Dixie Rose had been early to bed, she’d been kept up late by this man. He had wondered if it was too early but then his sister had always been the early-to-bed type.
He rolled back the urge to punch and transferred all the aggravation to clenching his jaw. Which made it difficult to speak.
“I’m looking for Dixie Rose.”
“Huh? Oh! Dixie. You must be her brother, Cash.” The man with the bare chest and unzipped pants opened the door wider to let him pass.
“Yeah. That’d be me.” Cash swiveled, effectively reversing their positons. That put the half-naked guy practically outside. “And you are…?”
Cash watched realization wash over the man’s face. First it was questioning, then surprise as he looked over his shoulder out the door, then amusement as he turned back.
“That’s a neat trick,” he said. “Dixie told me you were sneaky. But I’m not actually outside.”
“Yet.” Cash started reaching for the door.
“Cash! You’re here!”
He could do nothing but turn to catch his baby sister as she threw herself at him. Grinning, he spun her in a circle while she laughed out loud.
“You’re early. Did you meet Brand? Did you say hello to Blues?”
“Slow down, girl. You’re gonna spoil the milk.” He set her on her feet before him.
“Ugh.” She tapped him on the chest. “You know I hate those farmisms.”
“Tough. Yes, I’m early. No I didn’t meet your new dog, and I didn’t know where Blues was.” He tilted his head. “But I hear him.”
She frowned at him. Uh-oh.
“I don’t have a new dog.” She reached around him and pulled the half-naked guy inside and closed the door. Hanging onto his hand, she gave him a questioning look. “What were you doing out there?”
“I—”
“Oh, never mind,” she said waving a hand. “Brand, this is my brother, Cash Wallace.” “Cash, this is Brand.”
Cash lifted an eyebrow. “Dixie, if you needed money, all you had to do was call me. You did not have to take in a boarder.”
“Cash! Brand’s not a boarder.”
“Brand’s not a name. It’s something you burn on the back end of a cow.” He let his big brother glare settle on the half-naked guy. It didn’t seem to intimidate him though. The sucker just grinned and draped his naked arm around Dixie’s shoulders. “Name’s Brandtley, Brand to my friends.”
“I’ll call you Brandtley.”
“Please call me Brand. After all, we’re going to be brothers-in-law.”
Cash scoffed. “In order to be brothers-in-law…” His gaze bounced to Dixie, back to Brand and back to Dixie.
“You obviously haven’t spoken to mother in a few days,” Dixie said with a grin.
“No, I, uh…” He shook his head. Thought back. He paced away from the happy couple, paced back. “You’re getting married?”
Dixie grinned and laughed. “Yes!”
“Why haven’t I heard about it until now?”
“Well, I know Mom called you twice but got no answer. She figured you were in the field and would call her back.”
He grimaced. “I thought she wanted to set me up with some friend’s daughter.” Even though I’ve decided Mom’s right. It is time to take the plunge.
“So you didn’t call her back. You’re such a wimp.”
He kept his head down but took a quick peek at the half-naked guy. Brand. The last thing he needed or wanted was for this interloper to think he was a wimp.
“Ha! I wouldn’t speak to my mother for two months when she tried to set me up with a ‘friend’s daughter,’” Brand said.
Okay. Maybe I don’t have to punch him.
“Of course there was no daughter, the ‘friend’ was forty years old and she put the moves on me as soon as I stepped inside the house. I tucked tail and ran.” He grinned at Dixie. “I’m sure glad I got away.”
“Me, too.”
Cash watched as they kissed. They didn’t get sloppy or dramatic or goofy. It was a nice kiss. The twinge in his chest wasn’t so nice.
Am I worried for Dixie Rose? Of course. Marriage is a big step. Is she ready? Is Brand?
Am I ready for my little sis to get married? Am I ready to get married? Where’s my Pepto?
Dixie turned and caught his gaze. “Ready for breakfast? I’ll make my buttermilk pancakes, eggs over easy and bacon.”
He grinned. “When have I ever said no to one of your breakfasts?” The pancakes will soak up the extra stomach acid.
“That would be never. I’ll get started.”
She turned to leave but Brand still held her hand. When she came to a stop, he kissed her again. “Make enough for me?”
She laughed. “Of course, silly. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“Looks like you already started,” Cash muttered. He watched her walk away in an over-large T-shirt. Just the right size for the boyfriend. He looked at Brand. “You going to get dressed?”
Brand rubbed his stomach. “If it makes you uncomfortable.”
He cocked his head. “No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. It’s a matter of common decency. You know, courtesy and all that.”
When Brand just smiled and patted his stomach, Cash knew the guy wouldn’t fold easily. Maybe I will punch him.
“Why don’t I get dressed?” He strolled straight into the room Dixie had come out of earlier. Cash groaned. The sounds and scents of breakfast came from the kitchen. He chose the kitchen, not the bedroom.
“What’s with this guy, Dix? Where’d you meet him? What does he do?”
She turned slowly to face him. Never a good sign. “There’s nothing ‘with’ him. I met him at a City Council meeting and he’s opening a water sports shop on the beach. Is that the end of the interrogation?”
“That’s the guy who’s opening the Jet Ski rental place that you’re so against? What are you thinking?” He shook his head in disgust. “You need to stick to your principles.”
The glare she sent him was strong enough interrupt cable signals all over the island. “I am sticking to my principles, and he is, too. He revised his plans to reduce air and noise pollution. For me. And for the island,” she added gesturing with a spatula. A drop of hot bacon grease flew off the end of the spatula.
“Watch it!” Cash said and took a dramatic step backwards. He bumped into a solid wall of flesh.
“She throwing grease at you too? She does like to gesture while she talks and cooks.”
Cash narrowed his gaze at Brand. “And you would know that, how?”
Brand gave him a skewed look. “We’re engaged. We love each other. We spend a lot of time together.”
“She told me you’d changed some of the plans for your pollution-rental store. For her.”
“Cash—”
He held up one hand.
Brand glanced over at Dixie. “Yeah. I located special mufflers for the watercraft and changed to a solar-based power grid. My architect designed a cradle system for the gas tanks that will prevent accidental spills.” He looked back at Cash. “For her and the environment.”
Defeated, Cash sat down. Rubbing his chest he shook his head. “Okay. I won’t kill you.” He glared at Brand. “Unless you hurt her. Then all bets are off.”
Brand grinned. “If I hurt her, the first punch is free.” He stuck out his hand.
Cash looked into Brand’s eyes then nodded. He shook hands. “Deal.”
“Good. Is breakfast ready yet, babe? We’re starving,” Brand said to Dixie.
She glared and pointed the spatula at him. “If you think—”
“Now, Dixie Rose—”
“…for one minute—”
“Give it up, man. You’ll never win,” Cash said with a sad sigh. Now he’s calling her Dixie Rose.
“I know. I just like to rile her up once in a while,” Brand said with a wide grin.
“Why you—”
The kiss shut her up. Cash watched for a moment then turned his gaze to the pretty view outside the window. He didn’t envy his sister the view of the ocean but he did envy the tenor of that kiss.
* * *
He’d escaped as soon as possible. Breakfast was eaten and, like at home, Cash helped with the dishes and clean-up. Now he was tooling along the main drag of Mimosa Key while Dixie Rose worked with the dogs. Who knew, or cared, what “Brand” was doing. Quaint shops and the level of pedestrian traffic told him this was a tourist town and high season was almost on them. For now, the weather was clear, temperature was a very comfortable 72, and there wasn’t a single cow or bull waiting for him.
But damned if they weren’t always on his mind. His dairy herd was only three thousand strong but it was growing. The largest dairy farm in North Florida was nine-thousand strong. Cash’s dairy farm putted along producing milk, sorghum, alfalfa and other grasses to feed the cattle. He also had a small field of asparagus. He didn’t care what anybody said. He liked asparagus. Good thing it was too damn expensive to feed to the cows.
Although he slipped a few to some of his favorites. What? Everyone has favorites. Just because he had eighty to a hundred favorites didn’t mean a thing.
There were no tourists in dairy country, thank heavens. With the exception of an occasional grade school or scout troop visit to the farm. And the local 4-H club members, who had fifteen calves stabled at the farm. So tourists were not on his regular menu.
He parked his hybrid and walked among the tourists. Wanted to get a feel for them. He wandered into a couple of shops, bought a crystal dog for Dixie Rose and a goofy cow cookie jar for himself. So what if I only put store bought cookies in it? Still holds cookies, doesn’t it?
And what am I doing arguing with myself about cookie cows? I’ve got a date with destiny.
He hefted the bag holding the cow and stepped outside only to run smack into the prettiest little brunette he’d seen in a while.
“Well, sorry about that and hello there.” And where are you from?
The woman had one hand on the cow in the bag to help keep it from falling. Lifting her head to look at him, she sighed. “No problem, and hello to you, too.”
She smiled. He melted. That’s my girl. Right there.
“You got a hold of the bag?” she asked after a moment.
“Oh! Yeah, I do.” He juggled the cow under his arm. “Thanks.”
A beat of silence.
“Are you here on vacation or business?” she asked.
“I’m just visiting my sister. She’s, uh, getting married.” Me, too.
“Oh, congratulations to her.”
“Thanks.” When he realized he was staring like a moon-struck calf, he tipped his hat.
“Can I give you a lift somewhere?”
“No, thanks. I’m staying at the Casa Blanca Resort & Spa.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It is and it isn’t. It’s very comfortable and homey but in an upscale kind of way, you know what I mean?”
“No, but I’ll take your word on it.”
She laughed and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “It’s just down and around the corner. Thanks for the offer, though.”
She walked away.
“Maybe I’ll come by and see the place,” he called after her. Maybe I’ll come by and see you.
She turned and walked backward with a smile. Tilting her head, she said, “You do that.” She waved and turned away.
He sighed. He would do that. Today.
“That resort sure has improved the scenery around here.”
Cash looked at the eighty-year-old-plus codger gazing after the brunette. He grinned. “If that’s an example, I have to agree.”
Cash walked away still looking toward the brunette. The old man called out.
“Watch where you’re going, sonny!”
Cash caught himself just before he walked over a couple of kids. He laughed and lugged the crystal dog and the ceramic cow over to his car. Rumor had it there were beaches full of bikinis. Not sure he needed to look any further, Cash still intended to check out the new and improved scenery.
“Damn,” he mumbled. “Forgot to get her name.”