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“Let’s explore.” As she spoke her hand slid down his arm and her fingers laced with his.
Her hand wrapped in his felt so natural, Tim didn’t even think of pulling away. Deliberately heading in a direction away from the band, they wove through the crowd. It took several blocks before the streets and sidewalks became less crowded. Instead of loud and pulsating, the music became festive background noise.
With no destination in mind, he and Cassidy wandered, strolling side by side, enjoying the warm summer breeze and each other’s company.
After several blocks the streets grew crowded once again and Tim quickly discovered the reason. Vendors. Booths stood like soldiers at attention, lining both sides of the street. Tim’s gaze swept over signs touting everything from cotton candy to rings made from horseshoe nails. Cassidy paused at one of the first booths, where an older gentleman dressed as an Old West sheriff stood selling tin stars.
“Give me your opinion.” Tim slanted a questioning look in Cassidy’s direction. “Think the girls would get a kick out of one?”
For a moment Cassidy silently stared at the badges, her expression unreadable.
“I wanted one in the worst way when I was their age,” she said finally, almost to herself.
“Really?”
She nodded. “I had this crazy idea the badge would give me superpowers and allow me to control those around me. Stupid.”
Something in the way she spoke, or maybe it was the turbulent emotion in her eyes, had him reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Did you ever get one?”
A shadow passed over her face. “Naw. But that was okay. It wouldn’t have helped anyway.”
Glancing away, she focused on a teenage girl walking by with a cone of rainbow-colored cotton candy. She touched his arm. “Be right back.”
She did that a lot, he realized, little squeezes and pats. His family wasn’t overly demonstrative but he liked it when Cassidy touched him. And the contact made him want to touch her back.
The line for the tin stars moved quickly. After making his purchase, Tim started down the sidewalk toward the cotton-candy seller. He thought back, trying to recall what he knew of Cassidy’s childhood. She’d been several years behind him in school. There had been a lot of talk when the pigtailed blonde from the wrong side of the tracks had worn a Halloween cat costume to school most of her kindergarten year.
But the incident Tim recalled most vividly was the time Cassidy had shaved her head. She’d been in fifth or sixth grade at the time. The buzz she’d created when she came to school demanding everyone call her Sinéad had lingered for weeks.
As far as Tim knew no one ever figured out what that was all about. Some blamed the incident on her crazy mother, who wasn’t exactly a stellar influence. Others said it was a need to stand out, brought on by an absentee father.
“Tim.”
He blinked and saw Cassidy approaching him, holding two cones of rainbow cotton candy. “I got one for each of us.”
He took the spun sugar, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to ignore proper nutrition for one evening. “I have something for you, too.”
Reaching into his pocket, Tim pulled out a tin star and pressed it into her hand.
She stared at it then up at him, her expression questioning.
“Better late than never,” he quipped when she remained silent. “Perhaps you’ll finally get those superpowers.”
Her fingers curled around the star and she slipped it into her purse. She cleared her throat before speaking. “Thanks.”
“Thank you for the cotton candy.” He took a bite and had to admit the fluff tasted as good as he remembered. Plucking off another piece, he held it between his thumb and forefinger for a second before popping it into his mouth. “What’s next on the agenda?”
“Do you like rodeos?” She gazed up at him, a hopeful gleam in her eyes, a faint smear of sugar on her full lips.
Tim forced his gaze from the lips that reminded him of delicious pink strawberries.
Rodeos, he reminded himself. They were talking about bulls, broncs and roping. Despite growing up in Wyoming, Tim had little exposure to the sport. His parents had never taken him or his sisters to the rodeo. Caro had never expressed an interest and he hadn’t cared enough to press the issue.
Tim saw the look in Cassidy’s eyes. She wanted to go and he’d made it clear from the start he would go along with whatever she wanted.
Besides, so far he’d enjoyed everything about the evening she’d orchestrated, including riding the bull at Wally’s place. “Sounds like fun.”
She flashed a bright smile and took his arm.
An easy breeze ruffled her hair but Cassidy made no move to push it back into place. He liked that about her, too. Unlike those women who needed to be perfectly groomed at all times, Cassidy gave herself permission to revel in the moment.
Tonight, he’d gone with the flow and as a result felt more like the kid he’d once been than a widowed father of two with heavy responsibilities. As they started down the street in the direction of his car, his gaze kept returning to her mouth.
All too soon the evening would draw to a close. Though it had been a long time since he’d dated, from everything he’d heard and read, a good-night kiss was practically expected in today’s dating world.
Although this wasn’t really a date, not in the true sense of the word, he was determined to savor every moment and fulfill all her expectations. If that meant a good-night kiss, so be it.
He only hoped he could stop at one.
Chapter Four (#uac39c8bc-039b-5b1a-ae3a-7cc0b34f8642)
After spending several hours at the rodeo, watching everything from father-and-son team roping to kids chasing ties on calves, Cassidy noticed Tim stifling a yawn when he thought she wasn’t looking. Reluctantly, Cassidy decided it was time to call it a night.
Still, she dragged her feet as Tim walked her up the flight of steps to the apartment over her salon in downtown Jackson. Hands down, the evening had qualified as the best of her life.
“Want to come inside for a few minutes?” Cassidy unlocked the door and opened it wide, keeping her tone casual.
Tim hesitated.
Cassidy held her breath.
“Sure,” he said after an endless moment. “I’d love to come in.”
She dropped her bag to the sofa and, out of the corner of her eye, saw him survey the tiny apartment. She knew where he lived, a big house in the Spring Gulch subdivision, just outside of Jackson. Though she’d never been inside his home, she’d attended many parties in the area and knew the opulence of the residences.
What did he see when he looked around the small two-bedroom unit she called home? The tiny rooms? The lack of amenities? When his gaze lingered on the overstuffed sofa, she wondered if he recognized it as coming from the big-box store on the edge of town.
At least he would find no fault with her housekeeping. After growing up in squalor, in dirty rooms so crowded with junk you could scarcely see the floor, Cassidy was frightfully neat. Though most of the money she made went straight back into her business, it had been important to Cassidy to create a home, not simply just have a place to sleep.
To brighten the room she’d added a variety of pillows to the sofa. Paintings, done by local artists, hung on the walls, adding additional color.
Tim rocked back on his heels. “Your place has a nice feel.”
Pleasure rippled through her at the obvious approval in his voice.
“Thank you.” Cassidy kept her tone nonchalant. “Can I get you something to drink? I have beer, wine, soda or water.”
“Water sounds good.”
In the kitchen Cassidy retrieved two tumblers from cabinets painted a cheery sunshine yellow and quickly filled them with ice and water. She returned to the living room and placed the glasses on a flat steamer trunk that doubled as a much-needed storage spot and served as a coffee table.
When Tim took a seat on the sofa, she sat beside him, though not as close as she’d have liked. Something warned her if she moved too fast, she might spook him.
Or...perhaps not. When she gazed into his eyes, there was heat smoldering, which she hadn’t expected. Still, Cassidy kept the conversation deliberately light as they talked about the high points of the evening, then about her salon and his medical practice before moving on to his daughters.
Hearing the pride in his voice, seeing the love in his eyes when he spoke of “the girls,” made Cassidy’s heart ache just a little. She had no idea who her own father was, or even if the man was still alive.
Over the years there’d been a succession of men in and out of the shack where she lived with her mother. When Cassidy had once quipped they should put in a revolving door, she’d gotten a backhand across the mouth and a bloody lip.
Not wanting to go down the same path as her mother, Cassidy had been careful in her own life. Some of the men she’d dated had the mistaken impression she was easy. That was far from the truth. Cassidy had only been with two men, both of whom she cared for and she’d been convinced they cared for her. They’d cared, but they hadn’t loved her.
She needed to be loved. Totally. Completely. And she refused to settle for less.
Nearly another hour passed before Tim stretched. “I suppose I should be heading home.”
Her heart flip-flopped but, despite his words, he remained seated.
“What’s the hurry?” She kept her tone light, her smile easy.
“It’s been a long day,” he said, then settled back and told her about twin babies he’d delivered before dawn.
“You should have said something.” At the rodeo she’d observed him yawning. Now, for the first time, she noticed the lines of fatigue edging his eyes. “We could have rescheduled.”
“Never crossed my mind.” His lips tipped upward. “I enjoyed every bit of the evening.”
“Even when the drunk cowboy stomped on your foot at the street dance?”
Tim winced. “Not that, but everything else.”
“I had a fab time, too.” She leaned forward, brushed her lips lightly against his. “Thank you for a wonderful evening and the tin star.”
She waited for him to say they’d have to do it again. Instead he cupped her face in his hands and gazed at her. In seconds the eye contact turned into something more, a tangible connection between the two of them. “You’re a wonderful woman, Cassidy Kaye.”
Then he did what she’d been hoping he’d do since he arrived at her door. He kissed her, long and slow and deep.
He tasted like the most decadent candy, and like a child who had never been given enough, she wanted more. Lots more.
So Cassidy did the only thing a woman faced with such a situation could do—she wrapped her arms around his neck and took another helping.
* * *
“I’ll definitely consider your offer.” Jewel Lucas leaned forward on the small table at the Hill of Beans coffee shop, her entire attention focused on Cassidy.
“I’m a joy to work with,” Cassidy told her. “Just ask me.”
“Modest, too.” Jewel laughed. The sunshine through the window caught the wisp of red in her auburn hair. She was a pretty woman with thick curls tumbling to her shoulders and emerald-colored eyes. In her jeans and striped summer tee, she could more easily pass for a college girl than a mother of a boy ready for middle school.
Until this morning, Cassidy’s interaction with Jewel had been confined to a smile and a brief hello if they passed each other on the street. Today, they’d bonded over chocolate-chip bagels with cream cheese and lattes made with whole milk.
Playing detective, Cassidy discovered that prior to coming to Jackson Hole to live with her grandparents, Jewel’s life had been one of turmoil. The fact that they both had mothers who cared more for their drugs and boyfriends than their daughters had been an instant bond between the two women.
When Cassidy asked Jewel if she’d like to earn extra money doing makeup for weddings and other events, Jewel had seemed genuinely intrigued. Best of all, she hadn’t said no. Not yet, anyway.
A car backfired on the street, drawing Cassidy’s gaze out the window. Her heart hitched. But as the guy drew closer, Cassidy saw the tall, broad-shouldered man wasn’t Tim. Other than being about the same height and build, the two didn’t even resemble each other.
“Earth to Cassidy.”
Cassidy turned back to find Jewel staring at her with a bemused smile over the rim of her cappuccino cup.
“You promised to tell me about Old West Days. But—” Jewel glanced at her phone and made a face at the time displayed “—you have to get back to the salon and I have to get home to the ranch. So just give me the good stuff.”
“Good stuff?”
“You’re stalling.” Jewel pointed a finger at her. “I’m talking hot cowboys with big, ah, Stetsons.”
Cassidy realized during the entire course of the evening she hadn’t seen a single hot cowboy. That was a first. “There weren’t any.”
She heard the note of stunned disbelief in her voice.
“They were there.” Jewel rolled her eyes. “You just weren’t looking. You had eyes only for the handsome doctor.”
Probably true, but this type of speculation was something Cassidy needed to nip in the bud. She carelessly waved a hand in the air. “It was an arranged thing. I guess I felt I owed Tim my full attention.”
Her tone was offhand, just as she intended. It would never do for word to get around that she was hung up on Dr. Tim Duggan. Especially with the attraction being one-sided.
“Did he ask you out again?”
The hopeful gleam in Jewel’s eyes surprised her. She wouldn’t have guessed the woman was a romantic. Cassidy decided not to hold this fact against Jewel.
“Of course not. We didn’t go on a real date. It was just a bachelor-auction payment thing.”
Jewel’s brows pulled together. “You had a good time and enjoyed each other’s company, right?”
“A second date wasn’t part of the deal.” An unexpected lump rose to Cassidy’s throat. She cleared it before continuing. “I don’t expect to hear from him again.”
“It’s only Monday.” Jewel made it sound as if a couple days of silence after a fabulous evening were no big deal. “He’s probably one of those guys who follow the three-day rule.”
As far as Cassidy was concerned, waiting three days to call someone you were interested in seeing again—just so you wouldn’t appear too eager—was incredibly juvenile. When Cassidy found herself hoping that was the reason, rather than the fact that Tim simply didn’t care, she realized Jewel wasn’t the only one with a romantic heart.
“I have to get back to work.” Suddenly edgy and more than a little irritated with herself because it did matter, Cassidy pushed back her chair and stood.
Jewel rose and they left the coffee shop together, splitting off in different directions once they reached the sidewalk.
Lost in thought, Cassidy flipped into autopilot mode and turned toward her salon.
The truth was, things couldn’t have gone better on the date. Tim had lightened up considerably under her teasing. They’d ridden the mechanical bull, eaten cotton candy and danced. He’d bought her a gift.
A tin star.
