Chapter 11
“Eek! You didn’t say there would be dogs!” Charli shrank behind Kean and squeaked as Rango, Ruby, and Rascal, his parents’ three golden retriever puppies and Meatball’s siblings, came barreling toward the two humans who’d just walked into the stables.
She’d shown up at five minutes to ten, wearing a pair of tight jeans, which he knew would probably be the cause of him falling off his horse, a blue sweater, and a silver, light down jacket. And instead of sexy shoes, she was wearing a pair of light blue sneakers. He’d had a hard time taking his eyes off her when she got out of the car and walked up to his parents’ porch, and he had no idea how he’d managed to keep his hands to himself while they walked side by side to the stables.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of puppies.” He took a step forward, and she hung on to him, pulling him in front of her. Having her deliciously curvy body pressed against him made his brain a little fuzzy, and he nearly tripped over his own feet.
“They have teeth. Sharp teeth.”
“They’re barely seven months old and all they care about is finding a new play buddy and getting belly and ear rubs.” He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder with a grin. “What, are you afraid they’ll bite you in the butt?”
“I’m more worried about my ankles, thank you very much.”
He chuckled as he crouched down to pet the overexcited puppies. Rascal, the liveliest of the litter, who’d earned his name a week after he was born, jumped up and rested his front paws on Kean’s knees. He barked, and Kean patted his head and scratched behind his ears. A rough tongue licked his chin, and he laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, love you too, pup.”
A squeak coming from above him told him one of the puppies had come to welcome Charli. He stood up and couldn’t hold back a chuckle at the sight of Charli skipping in circles, jumping from one foot to the other with Ruby chasing after her.
“Don’t laugh! Get this beast away from me!” she screamed, letting out a high-pitched shriek when the puppy jumped up with her paws on Charli’s leg. “Eek! He’s attacking me, do something!” she said, when Ruby did it again, letting out a happy yap.
“It’s a she, and she only wants to play. She’s never going to hurt you.”
He took a step toward them and reached for the puppy just as Charli hoisted herself up onto one of the wooden fences that enclosed the horses. His eyes followed her movements, even as he picked up Ruby, and they landed on her shapely butt, emphasized by the tight jeans she was wearing. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
Take your eyes off her butt before she sees you, dude! his mind ordered, and he reluctantly complied. The puppy wriggled in his arms, licked his chin and let out a yap. Charli jumped off the fence and into Raindrop’s stall as soon as he took a step closer to her. The brown horse whinnied, and she patted its snout.
“I didn’t expect a tough, Southern gal like you to be scared of three sweet puppies.”
“He wanted to bite me!”
He rolled his eyes. “She just wanted to play and get cuddles.”
“She wanted to snack on my flesh. Did you see her fangs?”
Kean opened Ruby’s mouth and inspected her teeth. “I’m pretty sure these were golden retriever puppies last I checked. Unless they’ve turned into bloodthirsty wild wolves when I wasn’t paying attention.”
She let out a very audible sigh of exasperation. “They’re sharp. I’d probably need stitches.”
“Drama queen,” he said over a fake cough.
“You’re as frustratingly annoying as, as…” She stomped her foot. “Ugh! As sand in your panties!”
He laughed out loud, and the puppies all joined in with a choir of happy barks. “Now that’s a first. I’ve been told I’m funny, generous, handsome, sexy—someone even told me I smell deliciously good—but I’ve never been compared to sand in someone’s panties.”
“Oh, hello, Mr. Humble. Are you also going to tell me how many women tripped all over themselves to steal your heart, now?” She crossed her arms on her chest, and his eyes went of their own volition to the curves underneath her sweater. “And, seriously? Saying you smell deliciously good is such a cheesy line, I hope you steered clear from that one.”
Kean smiled. Nope, he hadn’t exactly steered clear. If she hadn’t passed out on him, and hadn’t been drunk, who knew where that kiss might have led. He put the puppy down, then picked up a tennis ball from the floor and tossed it out of the door. Just like he’d expected, all three dogs ran after it. He turned and smiled.
“The coast is clear. You can come out now. Your life’s no longer in danger.”
She let out a huff, then turned toward Raindrop and patted the horse’s muzzle. “Don’t you ever want to buck him off? ’Cause you totally have my blessing, just sayin’.”
Kean laughed. “You’re talking to the most easy-going and imperturbable horse in the world.” He rubbed his hand up and down the horse’s cheek. “Just sayin’.”
“Fine, okay. Let’s just do what we came here for, before I change my mind.”
She unlatched the door and stepped out, purposely stomping her feet and making him laugh. His eyes dropped to her butt as she passed him by, and he had to restrain himself from reaching out and finding out for himself if it was as soft as it looked. These insane thoughts were going to get him in big trouble.
* * *
“Why don’t you wait outside while I get the horses ready?” As Kean bridled Raindrop a couple of minutes later, he made sure to keep his back to Charli. He still had to cool down from the crazy thoughts that had been playing on a loop since Charli had hoisted herself onto that fence, and he feared she might notice where his mind had been just a few minutes before.
“I can help you. I know how to saddle a horse. Shall I take the black one? What’s its name?”
Kean’s hands froze on the strap he was tightening, and he turned his head around. “You know how to do it?”
She tsked. “I’m Texan. I was born on a horse, sugar.”
Kean laughed. The way she drawled the words to emphasize the southern accent was as funny as it was sexy. Yeah, and he should probably stop putting Charli and sexy in the same sentence.
“Okay. Let’s get these babies saddled so I can show you the woods.”
“Who do you think I am, Little Red Riding Hood?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. And man, was she hot when she sent him those death glares. “I’m not going into the woods with you. For all I know, you’ll take me into the thickest part and leave me there to find my way back.”
“Or I could kill you and bury you in the remotest part. Don’t forget that possibility.” He winked as he patted Raindrop’s neck. Charli’s lips trembled a little as she tried not to smile. “I’ve never denied your assumption that I was a serial killer, after all. And I don’t think you have your, uh, gun with you right now. Not that it would make any difference.”
Her cheeks flushed, but he wasn’t sure whether it was shame or anger. Maybe a bit of both. He laughed. He loved winding her up.
“Hello, there.”
Charli spun around at the sound of his grandpa’s voice. Her frown softened and she smiled. For a moment, Kean wished that smile was for him—until his mind reminded him that the only thing he’d ever get from her were glares.
“Hi, Mr. Cavanagh.”
“Pfft. None of that ‘Mr. Cavanagh’ business. Ladies call me Eamon.”
At eighty-one, Kean’s grandpa had more charm than all of his grandchildren combined. Whether it was the Irish brogue he still had, or his natural charisma, ladies always went all giggly and coy when he turned on his charm. To prove his point, Charli giggled. He’d never heard that sound come out of her sassy mouth before, and he was a little annoyed that it had to be his old grandfather to bring it out of her. For some inexplicable and probably totally insane reason, he wanted to be the one to make her giggle like that.
“So, is my grandson taking you for a ride?”
The suggestive way he waggled his eyebrows even while keeping a straight face made Charli blush.
“I thought I’d show Charli the beauty and tranquility of our woods. See if I can convince her that our small town can offer things big cities can’t.” Kean adjusted the last strap on Black Thunder’s saddle and patted his side. “But she’s scared I’ll chop her to pieces and bury her body in the thick of the woods. Perhaps you can vouch for me, Gramps?”
Eamon chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. He’s harmless.”
“See? And now there is a witness, so if I come back alone, he’ll know something happened to you and he’ll call the cops.”
He looked at Charli with a grin, and her only response was a very dramatic eye-roll. She gripped the saddle horn to hoist herself up, and swung her right leg over Raindrop’s back. His eyes focused on her legs for a second too long.
His grandpa clearing his throat brought him back. When Kean spun to get on the saddle, the smug smile on Eamon’s face needed no words. Kean shook his head and shot him a Don’t even go there look that only served to make the old man laugh out loud.
“Enjoy the ride, kids.” Eamon tucked his hands in the pockets of his pants and took a step toward the barn housing his workshop, where he and Adam created their artisanal furniture. “I won’t tell your brother you’ve taken a lady into the woods, don’t you worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He threw the words over his shoulder, with a smirk that spoke volumes.
“There’s no secret to tell, Gramps. I only want to show her around.”
“’Course you do.” The soft chuckle that followed told Kean all he needed to know about where Eamon’s thoughts had gone.
He turned his horse around and was glad to notice that Charli had already trotted away and, hopefully, had missed Eamon’s innuendos.
“Hurry up, Bob. I don’t want to be trapped in the woods after sunset. With you, on top of it all.”
Kean hung his head and smiled, then squeezed his calves, urging Black Thunder to catch up with Charli and Raindrop. All of a sudden, he wasn’t so sure that asking her to join him on a ride had been such a smart idea.
* * *
Kean and his grandfather were right. The woods were amazing around here. It looked even better than the Government Canyon State Natural Area near San Antonio that she’d visited a couple of times with her family when she was little. And she’d thought that was wonderful. She might be a city girl, but her parents had raised her to appreciate nature. Their annual family vacation always included a visit to a state park or a natural area where the six of them could forget the chaotic and noisy city life for a few days.
As soon as they left the Cavanaghs’ ranch behind and ventured onto a path that led up a low hill, the only sound was the horses’ hooves on the grass-covered earth. Kean didn’t utter a word and the rhythmic sound soothed her, nearly lulling her to sleep. As the path led them into thick woods, the sounds of nature around them, the birds chirping in the trees, water streaming and gurgling somewhere in the distance, and the sound of her own breathing, brought on a sense of peace that made her throat constrict.
“This is beautiful,” she said, her voice coming out awed.
“Glad you like it.”
That was it? She wanted to get a conversation going and that was all he was going to contribute to it?
“You know, I still haven’t gotten used to the quiet. It’s… eerie, at times.”
Kean chuckled. “What, do you prefer the sounds of city noise?”
“I’ve grown so used to them, I don’t even notice them anymore. But this quiet… it makes my thoughts so loud it scares me.”
He chuckled again, coming up on her left side. He tilted his head to the side, studying her with amusement in his eyes.
“So, you’re scared of dogs and spiders. And of silence too. Anything else? The bogeyman perhaps?”
She cut him a side glance and he grinned in response. A cheeky grin that was as sexy as it was infuriating. “I’m not exactly fond of snakes, but as long as they don’t bite me, I’m good.”
“So you’re more scared of cute puppies than you are of poisonous, mortal snakes?” His eyes widened in mock shock.
“Ha ha. That one was funny.” She glowered, and he smiled broadly. She should’ve enjoyed the quiet and let her thoughts take her wherever they wanted to. Now she’ll probably have to endure an endless session of banter that would make her wish she hadn’t gone out riding with him. “Well, I’m sorry my fears don’t make sense to you, Braveheart. What are you scared of?”
“Nothing that can be touched.” His reply was immediate, as if he hadn’t even needed to think. He shrugged and his face turned serious. Uh-oh. Had she struck a nerve? “I’m scared of losing my family, like it happened with Hannah, Adam’s first wife. And looking at how happy he is again, thanks to Ellie, I’m scared I’ll never find that kind of love even once in my life, let alone twice, like my brother did.”
Wow. The scale had tipped a bit more in his favor after that answer. Perhaps there was more to him than she’d seen so far—more than the guy who always seemed to enjoy some good-natured ribbing at her expense. She stared surreptitiously at him, trying to get a read on his feelings, trying to see behind that joker mask, and lost herself for a long moment in his handsome face and perfect profile. Why did he have to look so… yummy? She blinked away the thought, along with the feeling of those delicious lips claiming hers.
It was only a dream, get a grip!
“So, how did you decide to become a wedding planner?” The sudden change of subject threw her off, and she wobbled on the saddle. Well, he probably didn’t want to talk about love or feelings right now—which was totally fine with her. She’d already told him her sorry tale the night of the wedding, thanks to too much champagne. She wasn’t looking forward to talking about Lousy Pig again.
“I’m an event planner, not just a wedding planner.” He raised his palms and smiled in apology. “Truth is, my dream was to manage a small inn of my own. When I was a little girl, my mom used to help out in a cozy inn in San Antonio, and the owners let me tag along. I fell in love with the place and decided that one day I’d run an inn like that, where couples and families would come to unwind and feel at home. That’s why I pursued a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Francisco State University.”
She waited for Kean to come up with some smartass comeback, but he didn’t. She’d never told anyone about her dream, apart from Ellie and her family. She’d almost forgotten how important it had been for her, up until she graduated.
“Then what happened?” he asked, pulling her out of her musings.
“During one of our rom-com marathons in college Ellie picked this movie about a wedding planner, and I thought it was cool. It didn’t hurt that she ended up with a hot guy in the end.”
He chuckled. “And you were hoping you’d meet a hot guy, too? Maybe the best man in one of the weddings?”
She shrugged, faking nonchalance. She wasn’t going to admit straight out that at the time both friends had hoped they would. But hey, she bet half the women who’d watched the movie had dreamed they could be in the heroine’s shoes.
“It was actually Ellie who suggested I could become one, since she knew I was a planning freak. So after I graduated, I took a course for wedding planners and another one for event coordinators, and ended up working for one of the most prestigious planning companies in San Francisco.”
“And then a man came and stole your job.”
“He’s a leech, not a man.” The words left her mouth before she’d even had the time to think them. She’d thought she’d gotten over it by now, but the way her pride stung made her realize perhaps she’d been lying to herself. “But I’ve decided to take it as a sign that I’m meant for something better. I’m determined to use the opportunity to build a greater career for myself and prove what I’m worth to everyone. I give him four months, maybe six, before Penelope realizes he’s not good enough for that position. Then the idiot will be sorry she chose him over me, but that should teach her a lesson.”
He whistled. “Well, wow. You’re scarier now than the day you aimed your .45 at my face.”
“It was a .38!” She stressed the exasperation in her voice just to tease him because, in all honesty, she had started enjoying their constant banter.
He chuckled. “Sorry, I’m not as good as you with firearms. I make love, not war.”
Oh. My. God. Had he just said the words ‘make love’ in front of her as if he were talking about the weather? Her body lit up like a fourth of July firework, while the image of his delicious body all naked and sweaty on top of her took up her whole vision, to the point she could no longer see the path in front of her. She needed to see a doctor. She knew there was only a small clinic in town, but there was a bigger hospital some twenty minutes outside town. They must have a good shrink there, right? Someone who could help her understand what was wrong with her brain lately. And if that didn’t work, she should probably find an exorcist. If a naughty, sex-addicted ghost had taken residence in her body, it would explain why she was having these thoughts about a guy who was as delicious as he was annoying—and wrong for her. And she should really stop thinking about him as delicious. Because every time the word entered her mind, it was accompanied by an image of her licking chocolate off him—and that was definitely not like her at all.
“Um… good for you,” she said, her voice a little squeaky. “Should we head back now?”
“Why, are you scared of being alone in the woods with me?”
Uh, yeah?
But she was no longer scared of what he could do, rather of what she might do. Like, pull him off that horse and kiss him until they could no longer breathe. Yes, there had to be a ghost vacationing in her body, because in all of her twenty-nine years she’d never had a similar thought about any other man. She’d never even had any kind of naughty thoughts about any of the guys she’d dated in the past. So why him?
His chuckle brought her back to the present, where those delicious dark eyes were staring at her with amusement.
Ugh! Would you stop using that stupid word already?
“Can you hold on five minutes longer? I want to show you a nice spot.”
She didn’t think it could get any nicer than this, unless maybe if he removed his jacket and sweater and she could get a glimpse of that muscular chest…
Oh my God, get out of my head, you pervy poltergeist!
She swatted her hand in front of her and realized a beat too late that he was watching. Could the ground open up right about now?
“Um, a bee.” She put on the most fake smile and his frown proved she wasn’t going to win an award for her performance. Whatever.
He trotted in front of her and a moment later they reached a shallow stream.
“We’re nearly there,” he said, his voice deep and warm like dark, hot chocolate. Seriously? Could this ghost get any cheesier?
“Here we are.”
Two minutes and fifteen seconds later, which she knew because she’d started counting seconds just to keep her mind off any sexual thoughts involving the delici—the man beside her, they reached a waterfall. It wasn’t anything major, probably a fall of twelve or fifteen feet, but its location, deep in the heart of the woods, surrounded by rocks, tall, centuries-old trees, and a natural pool that would look very inviting if it weren’t March, made it the perfect romantic spot. She bet couples loved spending time alone in this secluded place.
“Do you like it?” His tone was uncertain, as if he were scared she would say something awful about a place that probably had some special meaning for him. Was that what he thought of her? That she was some kind of evil witch who had a nasty word for everything just because she didn’t like small towns?
She might not be made for life outside a city, but she could appreciate natural beauty when she saw it.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, nodding as she stared at the water falling off the low cliff and plunging into the pool below with a relaxing gurgling sound. She’d told him she was used to the noise of the city, but she wouldn’t mind spending a few hours here, enjoying the peace, the sound of the water, the odd bird chirping in the trees. It had been a while since she’d been this relaxed.
“My mission wouldn’t have been complete if I hadn’t shown you this spot. It’s one of my favorites.”
She made the mistake of looking at him, and she forgot why she wasn’t supposed to feel attracted to him. His eyes were fixed on the waterfall in front of them, his jaw relaxed, and the corners of his lips slightly turned up in a contented smile. He was the picture of peace, of happiness, of pure relaxation. He was gorgeous, and she wanted to kiss him. She wanted so badly to know if her dream had done him justice or if he would kiss even better in real life. She couldn’t do it, though. She would be leaving soon, and he was Ellie’s brother-in-law, which would make things awkward for her friend once Charli left. She needed some kind of diversion, something that would bring things into the right perspective and stop her from having any kind of romantic or sexual thoughts about him. She needed banter.
“Is this where you bring all the girls you want to impress? Because, sorry to rain on your parade, but it won’t work with me, Bob.”
He laughed out loud, the sound echoing in the woods and all around them. Her belly quivered and she wished she could slap herself and shake some sense into her silly brain again.
“Well, I promise I wasn’t trying to hit on you. But I’m flattered you thought I was.” He got off Black Thunder and walked around so that he was by her side. He looked up at her, those dark, soul-melting eyes alight with amusement. “Just so you know, I’ve never brought a girl here before. You’re the first, but like I said, I wasn’t trying to impress you. And if I really wanted to woo you, I doubt a simple waterfall would do the trick.”
“Excuse me?”
He’d officially managed to piss her off, which was good because any romantic feelings had just evaporated and the pervy ghost had finally decided to find someone else to haunt. She got off Raindrop and stood in front of him, feeling tinier than usual without her heels, but still standing her ground. “What exactly were you implying?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him as if he were the enemy. In a way, he was—the enemy of her peace and her mental sanity.
He shrugged as he smiled, not at all intimidated. “Just that you look more like the kind of woman one would need to wine and dine in order to woo her. Possibly in an expensive restaurant, too.”
“You have no right to judge me, considering you barely know me.” And if that was the impression she gave, she should work harder to change it. She didn’t want to be a younger version of her grandmother.
He cocked his head to the side and smiled wider. “Wanna remedy that? I know a nice place—”
“Forget it. I don’t know what ideas have gotten into that thick head of yours, but I’m not going out with you. Sorry if you thought this ride meant I’d fallen under your spell or something.”
He laughed. “My spell? Who do you think I am, the Wizard of Oz?”
“You know something? I really can’t stand you, and I don’t know why I agreed to join you on this ride. Let’s just go back, before they really do end up finding a corpse in the woods.” She placed her foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up onto Raindrop. “And it won’t be mine.”
She turned Raindrop around and he laughed as he got back on Black Thunder, catching up with her a moment later.
This was the last time she was ever going to spend time alone with him, if she didn’t want to end up in jail for attempted murder.