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The housekeeper came down the stairs with a smile. “Yes. In fact, I am going into town to check on the sheriff—oh. Sorry,” she said to Mason. “You are sheriff now.”
He shook his head. “Sheriff Cannady will always be ‘Sheriff’ to me, as well.”
Helga smiled. “I have some chicken soup to put on for him.”
Relief was on Mimi’s face, and Mason knew that she hadn’t quite worked out the details of how she was going to stay here with him and Nanette, and yet spend time with her father. Helga had long been taking care of both households. Clearly, Mimi was grateful that could continue, as it would be a bit difficult for her to cook here and then run food into town to the sheriff. Plus, she’d just get under Helga’s feet, though Helga was likely too wonderful to complain about Mimi intruding in her kitchen.
“Thank you,” Mimi said.
“I will take him his granddaughter—if I may,” Helga said to Mason.
Mason nodded. “She’d love to see her grandfather. Thank you.”
Helga gathered up some things as Mason stared at Mimi. Clearly nervous, she plucked at a table napkin. They needed time alone, he decided. This would give him a chance to tell Mimi what he expected from this new partnership between the two of them. He was pretty certain he was calm enough now to discuss what she’d done.
Then again, maybe he’d just roar all over her for keeping his daughter from him. Mason took a deep breath, and kissed his daughter. “I’ll see you for dinner, Nanette. Mind Ms. Helga.”
“I will.” She slid off the bench, gave her mother a hug and skipped out the door with Helga. The front door closed firmly.
“Mason—” Mimi began.
Instantly, he held up a hand. From the first word, he intended to let her know that this was his house, that was his daughter and he was in charge. “Mimi.”
She fell silent. For a moment, he admired her face. Though they were both older now, she retained a sweet expression—when she wasn’t being mulish—and a girl’s curves. Her jeans were filled out in the right places, and her white blouse was untucked and plain, again showing pleasing curves.
He did remember he’d enjoyed the act of creating Nanette, even if he hadn’t known they were doing so at the time.
“Mimi,” he said more sternly to get his mind off his wandering thoughts. “I will probably never forgive you for keeping my daughter from me.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t expect you to. I’m not asking you to.”
He felt his teeth go slightly on edge at her unyielding reply. “All right. What topic did you think was important enough to call a caucus?”
She looked around. “Caucus? It’s just you and me. That’s a conversation, one between two people who now have similar goals. Mine is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady, and yours is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady.”
His mouth twisted. “The conversation topic, then, please. I have a lot to do today.”
“I want to be present when you tell Nanette that you’re her father. I think we should do it as a family.”
He blinked, caught by surprise. He’d expected her to argue about Nanette living with him. Actually, he had deliberately left his mind open to any shock she might throw his way, because it was Mimi he was dealing with. But this one was bigger than he’d expected.
He narrowed his gaze. “I would think that would be the obvious way to go about it.”
“You always thought everything was obvious. Most of us couldn’t measure up to your vision of plain-in-sight.”
Now he was getting steamed, and he really had meant to stay calm, rational and focused in all his dealings with the mother of his child. Respect, he told himself. Respect the mother of your child, even when she has that tone that only Mimi knows how to deliver so effectively.
“Us?”
“Never mind.” She waved a hand. “Let’s just focus on the future.”
“Fine by me.” He crossed his arms, glaring.
“Would you grant me that, Mason? I need to be present when you tell Nanette that you’re not her uncle. She’s going to be so surprised, and she’s going to have a lot of questions. I think I’m the appropriate person to give her the level of information she will need.”
He didn’t want to upset his child, that was for certain. And if Mimi could help smooth his transition from uncle to father… “We should probably talk as a family,” he conceded.
“Thank you.” Mimi flashed him a smile women usually gave men in black-and-white Westerns, as if he was a hero or something.
Mason knew he was no hero. She was working him like a steer. “Mimi, no drama.”
“What are you talking about?” The grateful smile slid off her face.
“I want to keep it very simple between you and me. While I appreciate the fact that you’ve moved into my house, we need to establish some basic rules. We make appointments to chat with each other about Nanette. You cause no disruptions. You make no decisions for me or my household. In return, you can stay here rent-free.”
Mimi gasped. “You jerk! You arrogant, pigheaded son of a—”
He held up a lordly hand. “Mimi, no drama, no disruptions.”
Mimi’s lips pursed. “You are an ass, as always. I will never know why I loved you all those years.”
Her hand flew over her mouth, but Mason couldn’t say who was more shocked, Mimi or him. They stared at each other, dumbfounded. He couldn’t process her confession fast enough, her statement too large to take in, and before he understood what she was doing, Mimi had grabbed her purse and run out the front door.
His jaw could hardly be more loose if it was a separate, oiled and hinged piece of his face. “Loved me?” he repeated to himself, stunned. “Loved me all those years?”
Chapter Four
What in the hell was Mimi talking about? Mason told himself not to listen, not to get sucked into Mimischemies, but his bomb shelter wasn’t completely protected against such an onslaught. He stalked out after her, catching her before she could back her truck down the driveway. Without thinking, he jerked her door open. “Stop,” he demanded.
“No, Mason.”
He reached in, switched off the engine, pulled her out and kicked the door shut with a boot, gently dragging a reluctant Mimi into the house. “Explain.”
“No!”
He sat her on the sofa and walked a safe space across the room. “I think you’d best speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Mimi was silent. Then she sighed. “Mason, it’s no secret to anyone in this town, or to your brothers, or just about anyone else. I did love you. I guess all my life.”
“We were friends! You couldn’t have loved me.”
Mimi shrugged, wiping away something on her face. Mason told himself stubbornly that it was a piece of grass, or dirt—anything other than tears.
“You might not have loved me, but I loved you.” Mimi looked away from him. “I’ve made jokes about being the girl who could never get her man. So if your feelings are hurt because I didn’t tell you that Nanette was your child, think of how I felt loving you and finding myself pregnant with a child I knew you…wouldn’t want.”
“I would have wanted her,” Mason said, feeling himself get angry again.
“You want her because you know her now,” Mimi said, “but if I’d come to you and told you I was pregnant, you would have thought I was trying to trap you into marriage. You’re always suspecting me of a scheme.”
He froze, right in the middle of thinking that very thought.
“Would you have been able to conceive of what having a child would mean to you, Mason? Now you know Nanette, and the two of you are inseparable. But I don’t think you would have welcomed the news of a pregnancy then. You were dealing with Last, and your father, and I was married…it was far better to continue on the course I was on. At least I thought so at the time. You know, sometimes life is messy, Mason, but it’s not always because I want it to be that way.” She took a deep breath. “Actually, all my life I’ve wanted stability. I think any child who grows up without a mother wants that, and since you and I both lost ours, you should understand more than anyone how much I want a stable home life for Nanette.”
“I’m sorry,” Mason said, surprising himself. “So you did love me?”
“Mason,” Mimi said impatiently. “Don’t make me repeat it.”
He shook his head. “But you said it past tense.”
She looked at him. “Past tense?”
“You said you’d loved me.”
“Oh.” Mimi blushed a becoming pink that went nicely with her blond hair and delicate features. “Well, it was a long time ago.”
“I see,” Mason said, somewhat deflated. Gathering his pride, he nodded. “Thank you for your honesty. It makes having to live under the same roof easier.”
Mimi turned to go. Mason felt as if he needed to say something to make her stay. “For what’s it’s worth, I never stopped thinking about that night.”
She slowly turned to look at him.
“And I mean, I guess I could say that I knew she was my daughter, that there was this instant connection. But I thought that connection was because I helped you deliver her. Nanette was just this writhing, wailing bundle of baby, and I never doubted she was Brian’s. So you’re right. I wasn’t ready to be a father. I’m sure I wasn’t. I’d been avoiding it too long, because I’d already raised eleven brothers.”
“So try to forgive me,” Mimi said. “I’m certainly going to try to forgive you.”
He straightened, all his good intentions flying away. “Forgive me? For what?”
“All the times you were a donkey’s butt. When you never noticed me. When you didn’t notice that I was desperately in love with you. I forgive you for not noticing that I wanted to be more than a friend to you, more than a sister. And I forgive you for not psychically knowing that Nanette was yours so I wouldn’t have to make such a difficult confession.”
“So okay, I forgive you for not psychically knowing that you should have told me sooner! Mimi Cannady, you waited too long to tell me!” he thundered. Then he took a deep breath. “Let’s just stick to the basics. We tell Nanette together and otherwise peaceably coexist.”
“Thank you,” Mimi said, in that snippy tone he knew too well, “that was all I wanted.” She turned to leave again, opening the door, but by now, his emotions had the best of him.
“Well, it’s not all I want,” he said, closing the door and picking her up. He carried her up the stairs, ignoring her wriggling. “First, I’m going to give you what you deserve.”
“You’re going to do no such thing!”
Mimi bit his arm lightly, but he ignored that, too. He’d been through a lot of pain in his life, and a little nip didn’t bother him. “I believe I overheard you tell Helga you were worried that Nanette would be lonely out here on the ranch, so let’s just see what we can do about that, shall we?”
He laid her gently on his bed. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Stubborn, but beautiful.”
She tried to sit up. He sat next to her, kissing her the way he’d wanted to the night they were together. “I never forgot that night,” he said, his throat husky. “I always wanted to be with you again.”
His words melted her resistance. She lay back down, pulling him with her. “Come on, cowboy. Keep talking sweet. I’ve waited years to hear you romance me.” She pulled off his shirt and unzipped his jeans.
“It’s only fair to tell you that I don’t have marriage on my mind,” he said, yanking off her shirt and pulling her jeans down.
She laughed. “I don’t recall proposing to you.”
He hesitated. “I’m supposed to do the proposing.”
Her smile was seductive. “Mason, you worry too much about being the boss. If you want to be a man, take my panties off.”
“Mason!” he heard bellowed up the stairwell. “Mason, are you home?”
He got into bed next to Mimi and pulled the covers up over both of them. “It’s Calhoun,” he said. “Don’t say a word. Probably wants me to help fix his windmill. Or corral Gypsy. Or watch the kids. If we lie here, he’ll go away.”
Mimi giggled. The door echoed with pounding, and then it swung open.
“Ya napping, Mason?” Calhoun asked, peering around the door. “I need…oh.” His gaze widened at the sight of Mimi and Mason propped against the pillows, sheets up to their armpits. “I beg your pardon.”
“It’s worse than it looks,” Mason said with a sigh.
“Actually, it looks good to me,” Calhoun said. “I’ll be going now.”
“Is it an emergency?” Mason asked.
“No. Kenny and Minnie want to play with Nanette, so I was going to help you fix the dock so they could swim. But it can wait. Bye, Mimi. Good to see you finally caught the old cuss.” Calhoun slammed the door.
Mason rolled his eyes, preparing to strip his jeans and make sweet afternoon delight with Mimi, but she jumped from the bed and began dressing as fast as she could.
“Hey!” he exclaimed. “Get back in my bed!”
“No,” Mimi said, going to the door so he couldn’t haul her back in. “Do you know, I forgot about Minnie and Kenny?”
“What the hell do they have to do with this?” Mason asked, pointing to the bed.
“Nanette won’t be lonely. We don’t need to have more children. In fact, we shouldn’t have more children. We don’t even know if we work together. As we are, that is,” Mimi said. “It could be awkward, you know. Both of us under the same roof. Parenting together. Et cetera.”
“It’s already awkward,” Mason grumbled, feeling as if the tent in his jeans was pressing the breath out of him. “Mimi, let’s continue our discussion.”
“Not a good idea, and we’ve been frugal with good ideas our whole friendship,” Mimi said, hurrying out the door. “We should be frugal with the bad ones, as well. Bye, Mason!”
Mason could hear her feet tripping lightly down the stairs. Sighing, he knew full well he’d missed a prime opportunity to get on top in their relationship.
And it wasn’t just sex he was worried about.
He picked up her bra off the floor and smiled. Oh, he would get on top—and it would be sooner rather than later, he vowed. Mimi Cannady was going to learn that he was a man to be reckoned with, and if she thought he was going to chase her, she was quite mistaken. Mimi was going to do all the chasing, until she understood that not only had she loved him, she still did.
He was the only man she would ever love, no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise.
Then it hit him: Mimi had turned the tables on him. She had tricked him into wanting her. Despite his best promises to himself, he had fallen into her charming net, happily and gladly.
Now that he’d kissed her again, and tasted her, it might even be an irrevocable fall—which was exactly what he’d been avoiding for years.
He didn’t want to fall mindlessly as his brothers had. He’d seen what that had done to their lives. While the end results might be happy and beneficial for them, getting there looked messy and torturous.
He’d had enough of that.
