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Tate sent her a sidelong glance. Damn him, he wasn’t even breathing hard. He obviously did run on a regular basis; he hadn’t made that up to impress her. “Yeah, Hadleigh and your other friend, Melody, wear them, too.”
She just nodded, didn’t explain.
A moment later, he spoke again. “Not that you don’t have enough on your plate—what with Tara and Josh and all—but I’m supposed to make some decisions about the finishes in the house so they can be ordered. Would you mind, if you have a free evening, going shopping with me? I’d like a second opinion. Otherwise I’m fairly sure everything would end up brown. Not because it’s my favorite color, but because the boys can do the least harm to brown. They’re dying for a puppy. I get asked on a daily basis and you’ve seen them with Muggles, Ridley and Harley, so we all know I’m going to give in once we have space for a pet. Which means more brown will be needed for the obvious reasons, like muddy paws. If there’s another option, please save me.”
Bex laughed. “Looking at paint and wallpaper, hmm. Are you asking me out? I hope I’m not being presumptuous here—but it sounds like an interesting first date.”
“Personally I consider running ten miles together a first date. So that would technically be our second date. Dinner’s on me.”
Date. She’d rarely said that word out loud since she’d heard about Will’s death. Sure, she’d danced at weddings and even flirted once in a while, but for the most part, she’d gone out with her friends and immersed herself in her business. She hadn’t given any serious thought to a relationship in many years.
Tate Calder wouldn’t be the place to start, though. She didn’t have time for a built-in family, especially since she had Tara and Josh living with her these days. And if Greg was unwilling to even pay for his son’s lunch at school, it was going to be a very messy divorce. At least Tara recognized that she no longer had any option, other than divorce...
What she hoped would happen was that Tara would finally get control of her life now that she’d actually made the decision. Some depression was natural, of course, but she needed to think about her son.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Bex said as they jogged along, sticking to the runners’ side of the path as two cyclists whizzed past. “I’ll be more than happy to offer my unbrown opinions in exchange for advice on six-year-old boys. Lunch cards? I remember them from when I was in school, but you couldn’t load them online then. It never occurred to me to ask Josh if his was paid for. What else am I missing? He’s a sensitive kid, and he doesn’t discuss whether he misses his dad. I don’t have video games or anything like that yet, and if I asked Greg for anything, he’d tell me straight where he wants me to go.”
“He’d better not.” Tate’s voice had a hard edge.
Nice to know that between him and Tripp, not to mention Spence, she had some male backup.
He added, “You have a deal. His class has a field trip coming up, and they have to bring a sack lunch. It’s next Tuesday. If you like, I’ll pack a couple and send them both with Adam. I have two cupboards, one labeled What You Want Them to Eat, and the other What They’ll Eat When You Aren’t Watching. I’ve learned to combine them and hope for the best. I’ve tried to stare down young Ben Calder over his aversion to cooked carrots before with no success, and then discovered he would eat them raw. The bonus is that they’re actually healthier that way. I pick my battles, and with that one, I figure I came out the winner.”
This new responsibility scared her a little. Well, more than a little. Tara would emerge from her emotional stupor—she had to—but when? Until then, Bex knew she was in charge by default.
“I’m not up for this, am I?” she said ruefully.
“It is definitely a learn-as-you-go process, and it seems to me that you’re doing just fine.”
She wasn’t too sure about that, but at least she had another ally now, one with on-the-ground experience, so to speak. “I’m trying.”
“If you really don’t mind helping me out, would you like to see the house sometime soon? Maybe it’ll help you visualize the project.”
“Sometime soon,” Bex agreed, with no hesitation at all. “How about after the marathon?”
CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_dd2f6aff-3e98-5a1a-b8ef-6f9f29e2aca9)
THE NEXT MORNING, Tate found himself riding herd over three boys as opposed to the usual two.
He could handle it, but they were kind of a wild bunch. They’d eaten a civilized breakfast—he’d insisted some fruit be included, not just pancakes and syrup—and then they’d gone to the park. Josh seemed happy enough, and he and Adam got along well, while Ben obviously enjoyed being the kingpin.
Bex could’ve requested a better day for the marathon, though. Later on, about two hours into the race, a storm front rolled through and the weather turned bad.
Into every life some rain must fall, but a lot was falling at the moment. He did carry an umbrella somewhere in the back of his rig and he dug it out when the clouds began to gather. True to form, the boys were immune to the inclement weather, especially when the first person crossed the finish line to a chorus of cheers and shouts. “I thought Aunt Bex would win.” Josh looked deflated all of a sudden.
This was the delicate part of being a parent, Tate knew. The smallest nuances could make a major impact, so situations like this had to be addressed carefully. In as offhand a voice as possible, he said, “The men will come in first for the most part. We’re built a little differently. We can run faster. It’s just how it is. She might still win, but in the women’s race.”
“It’s the same race,” Josh pointed out.
Interesting territory.
“But the male and female runners are judged differently, with different times.” He handed Josh a juice box.
“Why?”
A kid who took things literally. Tate considered his response. “It’s like flying a Cessna,” he eventually said. “Those are sleek planes that can do just about anything, but you don’t want to be the pilot in a storm. On the other hand, a 757 can generally handle all sorts of weather.”
The plane analogy was lame, but he meant well, and it was what he knew. In the end he put it in simpler terms. “Men and women aren’t built the same. It’s a biological thing. In plenty of ways, the female of the species has the advantage over us guys.”
He might have elaborated but more runners were crossing the finish line. As predicted, all men so far, but the boys were enjoying the spectacle, soaking up the excitement, the thrill of achievement, and that was never a bad thing.
When the kids spotted Bex, they started hopping up and down, yelling and waving, and she managed a smile and a small wave as she crossed the line and began to walk it off, accepting the bottle of water one of the volunteers handed her.
Bex hadn’t won, as it turned out, but she placed third. Tate was impressed. He kept the boys corralled until she finally walked over. He was merely going to give her the lightweight jacket she’d left with him; instead he draped it over her damp shoulders in what felt, for some reason, like a very intimate gesture.
She met his eyes and said, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Well done, by the way.”
Despite the umbrella, the boys were completely wet because they couldn’t stay still, but luckily it wasn’t all that cold out. She limped next to him as they walked to his vehicle. Her smile was rueful. “No matter what I do, my feet are always bleeding after I run one of these.”
“And you feel like Rip van Winkle, I know. Asleep for twenty years and just woke up.” He wasn’t quite sure, since she was already drenched, why he felt the need to hold the umbrella over her, but he did it, anyway. “A hot bath will do wonders. How was your time?”
“Personal best.” She smiled as she said that, looking pleased.
And beautiful, even soaking wet and exhausted, with no hint of makeup on her face. He had a hard time keeping his gaze from slipping downward to where her shirt clung to her breasts. For someone so athletic, she still had very feminine curves, not to mention those long, toned legs.
He realized she’d caught him staring when her brows went up a fraction. “Please tell me my shirt isn’t transparent now. I’m too tired to look down.”
“Unfortunately not.” He pressed a button on his key fob to unlock the SUV. The boys had scampered ahead and had almost reached the back doors. “But it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it was. If you need any help getting out of those wet clothes, just call me.”
“Generous of you, but I think I can manage.” Her wry expression changed. “How was Josh?”
“Well behaved and polite,” he assured her. It was the truth.
“Good.” She smiled in relief, a smile that turned into a look of concern. “I mean, he usually is, but then again, he didn’t tell me about the school lunch thing, either.”
“I’m sure he’s anxious about what comes next, once his parents are divorced, but I saw that in Ben and Adam when their life underwent a big change. All you can do is be there and answer the inevitable questions as honestly as possible. For the record, I’m not a child psychologist, but I believe that ‘I don’t know’ is a perfectly acceptable response if that happens to be the case. Those words have certainly come out of my mouth more than once.”
“The trouble is, he’s not really asking.” She stopped to face him, her lashes starred by raindrops.
Those incredible eyes. He was back to thinking they were green again.
This attraction was getting out of hand, and he needed to put an end to it, but he had a feeling that wasn’t too likely.
“I learned the hard way that you don’t have to be a superhero. I was determined to make everything okay for my sons, but the truth is, I couldn’t fix...what had happened.”
That sounded preachy, so Tate amended it with a grimace as he opened the passenger door. “It’s like flying without controls, if you ask me. You take the plane up and hope for the best possible landing.”
She laughed and shook her head as she put a foot on the running board. “You and Tripp. He says stuff like that all the time. You do realize I’m going to get your car seat all wet.”
Tate looked at the boys in the backseat, equally soaked and laughing loudly about something or other, Ben leaning over to punch Adam in the arm. Tate said, “I suspect the vehicle in general might need to dry out, so don’t worry about it. Do we still have a date tonight or will you be too worn out?”
She sat down and reached for the seat belt, clicking it in place. “I believe I owe you. I’ll be fine tonight. Who’s watching the boys or are they coming along?”
He loved his sons, but no way.
Tate went around and got into the car. “Can you picture them selecting bathroom tile or kitchen countertops? Hadleigh offered to watch them. I accepted. She said she’d be happy to have Josh, too.”
“You do know she’s matchmaking.”
He almost didn’t hear what she’d said because the boys were getting rowdy and he’d just flipped the ignition switch. Bex sat there, dripping, looking straight at him, as if life was like the marathon she’d just run, something to be met head-on and conquered.
Tate conceded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” What else could he say?
* * *
THE RED SILK DRESS was too much for what was essentially a trip to the hardware store, so Bex changed again. Black pencil skirt and white camisole with a pale gold sweater. Okay, that was better. Besides, after 26.2 miles, heels weren’t an option, so plain black flats were, at any rate, comfortable. Her toes needed some TLC.
Bex had no idea where they were going for dinner, so for Mustang Creek, this outfit was middle ground. A little upscale for Bad Billie’s, but dressy enough for O’Henry’s on a Saturday night. There weren’t a lot of other decent choices.
Tara was watching television again, but at least she was with Josh. She’d readily agreed to the idea of his spending the evening with Hadleigh and Tripp, which wasn’t entirely reassuring. Bex felt almost guilty for going out.
Almost, she told herself firmly. Josh would have fun at the ranch, as he always did, and she deserved a night out.
“You look nice.” Tara stirred, finally showing some animation. “Tate Calder must be worth the mascara and lip gloss.”
She thought about Tate’s wavy chestnut hair and those magnetic dark eyes. He was worth the effort, no question about it. “He saw me sopping wet earlier. It seems like the only time I see him is when I’ve been running. I thought I might try to make a better impression.”
“You’re always pretty, Bex.” Her sister’s eyes were glassy with tears. “Thanks for everything you’ve been doing for Josh. Thank Tate for me, too, will you? I can’t deal with it right now.”
Bex had to admit she wished Josh hadn’t heard that. “I love Josh, so everything’s okay. We’re going to meet Tate at the ranch. You ready to go, buddy?”
He grabbed his backpack. “Yep.”
“Maybe give your mom a hug before we head out?” She suggested it gently. It was their relationship, Josh and Tara’s, and they didn’t need her interference, but she couldn’t figure out how to deal with her sister at the moment, so he was probably even more confused.
Tara held her little boy close and murmured against his hair, “Have fun with Aunt Hadleigh and Uncle Tripp.”
They made a quick exit and Bex debated again about asking him how he was feeling as she pulled out of the driveway, but decided to take Tate’s advice and wait.
If Josh himself mentioned it, that would be different. At his age, she, Hadleigh and Mel hadn’t had any secrets from each other, but she wouldn’t have shared them with an aunt, either, so that was something to keep in mind. Maybe Ben and Adam were the key; Josh might talk to them.
Tate’s truck was already parked by the house when they pulled in, and all three dogs swarmed out to meet them. It was heartwarming to see Josh jump out and laugh as they greeted him, tugging at his backpack and leaping up to lick his face. He loved it and he needed it. She’d get him a puppy—she’d thought about getting a dog more than once—but for all she knew, Tara would move out tomorrow, and dogs needed to be walked and trained, and her own schedule didn’t permit it. So far, Tara had no place to go, since Greg was still living at their rental, so with everything up in the air, a puppy was the worst decision in the world. In theory it sounded great, but if Josh had to leave his new dog behind, and she had to find someone else to take care of it... Good intentions, sure. But a really, really impractical idea.
She could swear her life had been simple at one time.
Tate came out to greet her, that unforgettable smile firmly in place. She was relieved to see that whatever he had in mind, he’d dressed like her to the extent that he wore khaki slacks and a button-up blue shirt, but no tie.
The dogs and Josh raced into the house. He took her elbow and guided her toward his car. “Let’s get the hell out of here while it’s calm. I brought over every game system we have. Tripp will be as riveted as the boys. He’s hooking it all up now. Hadleigh’s already figured out she can watch a movie in another room with her feet up and toss a frozen pizza in their direction. You can say hello when we pick them up. Let’s go select the paint, the appliances and whatever else goes into a kitchen and be done with it.”
“I know Hadleigh, and she won’t feed children a frozen pizza.” Bex climbed in the truck and he closed her door then got in on the driver’s side.
“I was joking. She did say something about roasted chicken and broccoli. I wish her luck with the latter, but anything’s possible. They’re now sold on her spinach lasagna, although I have to take some credit, since I told all three boys the spinach was a wild plant cowboys used to eat.”
“Clever.”
“It seemed to work.” He backed out of the drive. “Ben was probably on to me, but Adam bought it and he’s the picky eater. Speaking of which, if you are, tell me now, because I was thinking Thai food for dinner.”
There was certainly no Thai restaurant in Mustang Creek, so Bex sent him a quizzical look. “I love Thai. Mel, Hadleigh and I used to eat it all the time in college, but the closest place I know of is pretty far away.”
“Not if you fly.”
“Oh.” That hadn’t occurred to her. “You have a plane?”
“Sort of.”
“How do you sort of have a plane?”
He shrugged. “Technically it belongs to my father. He doesn’t like flying commercial, which means we have an arrangement. He bought the plane, he pays for the hangar and if he wants to go somewhere—business or pleasure—I man the cockpit. My aunt gets to keep the boys while I’m gone, which she loves. So everybody wins.”
Bex felt a certain amount of curiosity about the kind of business that allowed a person to buy a plane, but she didn’t ask. It sounded as though Tate came from a well-to-do family, but she was lucky that money wasn’t actually one of her problems. “Sounds like it,” she said. “What are you going to do with the horses if you have to pick up and leave?”
He pulled out onto the road and headed in the direction of the municipal airport. “Tripp introduced me to the local vet. Nice guy and he wants to go in with me. We’ve met a couple of times and I trust Tripp’s judgment. Another win-win, since I’d obviously have to hire him, anyway. I know horses, since I was raised with them, but I don’t know a lot about breeding them yet. Nate Cameron has that part down, so I’m on board with taking care of the day-to-day and building the stables, and he’s willing to come and stay at the house if I have to fly out. We’re still hashing out the business details, but it looks good.”
It did sound good and Bex also knew Dr. Cameron; he was pleasant, reliable and competent. He’d gone to high school with Tripp and Will. His practice was mostly large animal, but he did have a clinic for small animals open several days a week with an older veterinarian who was close to retirement.
That brought her thoughts back to Tara. She’d dated Nate Cameron for about six months during her senior year. Why couldn’t she have married him instead of Greg?
Tate distracted her from that thought, which was just as well, since it was going nowhere. “My boys want to go fishing,” he said, “and I have a friend with a cabin on a nearby lake. Do you suppose Josh would like to go? I don’t know Greg, but if he’s inclined to join us, that would be fine with me. The place is rustic, outdoor facilities, woodstove, and there’s nothing to do but hike and fish. If Greg’s the outdoor type and wants to come along, he’s invited.”
That was generous. Very.
Score another point for Mr. Calder.
“I’ll ask my sister to have that conversation with Josh. I’m sure he’d love it. And I’ll tell her to mention it to Greg.” Who probably wouldn’t love it. Not one bit...
CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_92453260-c908-55bd-9158-464d3d86fd82)
HE SUSPECTED IT was unfair not to prepare her for his family, but then again, it was impossible to be prepared, so Tate had made an executive decision just to hope for the best. As the plane touched down sweetly on the landing strip, he thought it might be prudent to say something.
“You’re probably about to meet my aunt and my father. Unless they’re out, in which case we’re in luck, but my aunt’s usually there. After my mother died, she moved in and took over, sort of like a certified dictator at large. She’s terrifyingly efficient.”
Bex looked startled, and he didn’t blame her. Her gold-green eyes widened.
He pointed at the house. It was far away but there was a Jeep parked near the airstrip to get back and forth. “There’ll be a lot more decorating choices around here than in Mustang Creek. The builder suggested I go to a more cosmopolitan area to pick out what I wanted and have it shipped. I’m hoping this will be a forever house for me, so why skimp at this point, right?”
“Right,” she said, but the word wasn’t loaded with enthusiasm. She was gorgeous in a slim skirt and a sweater that set off her eyes, and he knew his family would embrace the idea that he might be seeing someone. Meeting them so early on, though—that was asking a little much. He figured the run together didn’t count, so this was their first date.
