Texas Temptation (Making a Family #1)

Chapter Five

Cade glanced again at the glow in Jordan’s eyes and felt as if she’d touched him. For the first time in years, he forgot the past and remained in the present. Beginning to enjoy her wonder and delight, he frowned, not wanting to get caught up in that illusion of happiness. Life had a way of slapping one down just when things were looking up.

“I can’t believe after all this time it’s really going to happen,” she said again. “He’ll have to be calm and not do any leaning over for a month after the surgery. Which is going to be hard for a little boy. But then, everything should be healed and he’ll be as normal as you or I.”

“As every child should.”

As Vicki had been, with her bright eyes and ready laughter. Vicki would have enjoyed showing her pony and the dogs to Caleb. She’d been such an outgoing child.

“I can’t express how much I appreciate your paying for this. I’ll pay you back, every cent.”

“You’re earning it working for me. There’ll be no debt.” Cade said, concentrating on the traffic.

He glanced in the rear view mirror—the little boy was asleep, tilted sideways in the car seat.

Caleb. How could any man father such an adorable child and not want to acknowledge him? Maybe he’d see what he could do to locate the man. See the happiness in Jordan’s eyes again.

Of course, Caleb’s father didn’t know of his existence.

Once again, Cade tried to picture someone using his name. It sounded like someone that knew him and the ranch, from what Jordan had said. Yet he couldn’t come up with anyone he knew with blond hair and blue eyes who was the right age to be Caleb’s father.

Jordan was resting her head on the back of the seat. Had she fallen asleep, too?

When she stirred, he took the chance she was awake.

“Tell me more about Caleb’s father. I’m still trying to figure out who would have used my name.”

“I’ve told you all I remember. He was so much fun, swept me off my feet. He was tall and athletic. He could swim like a fish and loved to body surf. He wore sunglasses a lot, maybe to hide his eyes, but I didn’t think so at the time. They were as blue as Caleb’s.”

“He was blond, you said.”

“Yes. About six feet two. He had a high opinion of himself—which I shared until he left.”

“What did you do after that?”

It wasn’t like him to ask so many questions of strangers. She’d work for him until Penny came back, then return to Florida. They would not remain in contact once she left. Yet he wanted to know more about her, know everything that happened to her. Try to get a handle on the woman who had overcome such hardships and come out with such an optimistic view of life.

“I finished high school before I realized I was pregnant. College was out of the question once I decided to keep Caleb. Aunt Maggie helped, and I went full time at Joe’s Taco Shack.”

“What did you want to study in college?”

She looked at him a moment, as if weighing his reaction to her reply.

“Architecture.”

That startled him.

“Shopping malls and office complexes?”

“No, family homes. I’ve never lived in one and thought it would be so great to design homes for families of all sizes. There’s such a wide variety of architectural styles for houses, from very modern, to reproductions of Victorian, to old-fashioned farmhouses. Depending on the building lot and the lifestyle of the people who would live in it, I thought I could design the perfect home for each customer.”

“You could still go to college and get that degree.”

“Maybe, once Caleb’s in school. In the meantime, I have enough to do with Caleb and work.”

He wondered how she managed on a waitress’ salary. It had to be difficult, yet she had never even hinted he might help her out financially. Was that coming later? Would she find reasons to stay in Texas, reasons to try to get him to finance her new lifestyle?

He doubted it. It might be easier if she did.

Dinner with everyone at the table that evening was more relaxed than the night before. Cade was tired—not having slept for two days was making its impact. He ate Rosita’s delicious cooking, trying to distance himself from the others at the table. But despite his best efforts, he was intrigued with Jordan Carhart.

Her eyes sparkled when she told Amelia about the Friday surgery date. She laughed at something Caleb said, her cheeks flushed with warmth, her eyes full of love.

He wanted to touch that soft hair, brush it back from her face and cradle her head in his hands, holding her for a kiss, not cut and run like a scared rabbit.

But a kiss that would make him forget the past and open the door to something new. It had been a long time since he’d kissed anyone, but he wanted Jordan.

“I’ll go with you to the hospital on Friday,” Amelia said.

“You don’t have to do that. We have to be there at six in the morning. I figured I’d have to leave around 4:30 am. to make it on time,” Jordan said.

“You’ll want someone with you while you’re waiting. I’m not so old I can’t get up early once in a while, young lady.”

“Thank you, Amelia. I’ll be grateful for your support.”

Amelia looked at Cade. “Will you be going with us?”

Cade shook his head, catching the disappointed look on Caleb’s face. “Tomorrow and Friday, I’ll be out with the cattle. We’ve delayed moving the major portion of the herd as it is because of the late rain and the muddy fields.”

“The men can handle it,” Amelia said primly. “You should be with us.”

Cade hated hospitals. Hadn’t he heard the worst news of his life in one? Even the thought of entering another had him tensing. Jordan didn’t need him. If she’d stayed in Florida, when the operation had come, she’d have been alone.

He didn’t like the thought.

“We’ll manage fine. I couldn’t ask Cade to skip a day of work for us. It’s bad enough I’m missing a day when I just started,” Jordan said firmly. “We’ll drive in early and have breakfast there once Caleb’s settled.”

Cade had visions of her old car breaking down in the predawn morning, stalling on the highway, of someone not seeing it and slamming into it in the dark.

“Take my car,” he said abruptly.

“What?”

“It’ll be more reliable than yours.”

Jordan bristled. “My car is perfectly fine, thank you very much.”

Cade said nothing, but he’d make sure she took a more reliable vehicle than that old beater of hers. He couldn’t dispel the image of a fiery crash.

After dinner, Jordan bathed Caleb and talked to him about the upcoming surgery. The doctor had given them a little book designed to explain things to young children. She was getting ready to tuck him into bed when Cade appeared.

“Hi Mr. Everett,” Caleb called from his bed. “Did you come to tuck me in, too?”

For a moment Cade relived the bedtime ritual he’d had with Vicki. Both he and Marissa tried to be with her when time for bed, reading her a story, talking about her day, and tucking her into bed.

The little boy looked hopeful as he smiled at Cade.

“I came to talk to your mother when she’s finished here,” he said gruffly.

“Oh.”

The disappointment was almost tangible.

“But now that Cade’s here, he can help me tuck you in, can’t you?”

Jordan’s glare clearly conveyed her message—help or else.

Cade stepped inside and crossed to the bed.

“Good night,” he said.

“You have to tuck in the covers,” Caleb said.

Cade pulled the covers taut, tucking them around Caleb.

“Sleep well,” he said, stepping back.

Jordan kissed her son and hugged him.

“Tomorrow you can tell Mr. Murray all about your operation.”

“And about getting ice cream when I’m good for the operation,” Caleb added.

“That’s right. I love you, Caleb,” she said, kissing him again.

“Night Mommy. Night Mr. Everett.”

“Call me Cade,” Cade said.

Might as well. The longer name was a mouthful for a little kid.

When they closed the door to the room behind them, Jordan turned.

“What did you want to see me about?” she asked.

He was too close. She could feel the heat of his body envelop her. Was he deliberately invading her space? Slowly, she took a step backward to a safer distance. She almost laughed. He hadn’t kissed her last night, and she doubted he had any plans in that direction tonight. She was letting her imagination take flight.

He didn’t seem to be aware of her discomfort or crazy thoughts. Not about the kiss and not about the fact she wanted to fling herself into his arms and have him tell her everything would be all right.

No one could guarantee that. And he’d probably think her certifiably crazy if she did so.

“I wanted to discuss a few things about work. How about we go out on the veranda? The evening’s still warm,” he suggested.

She nodded, her heart skipping a beat. It had been on the veranda he’d almost kissed her. Hadn’t he?

Not that she would encourage that kind of thing, even if he were interested.

Jordan knew her stay was temporary. She had no more illusions about love and marriage and happily ever after. She’d thought she was in love with the boy she’d met at spring break, but as time had passed, she realized she’d been in love with the illusion of love. With the fantasy of devotion and fun and desire. They had little in common—like honesty and reliability. She knew so little about the man who had fathered Caleb.

She’d grown since then. Now she felt more mature and more discerning. She wanted a lot more than a casual fling, no matter how appealing it might be with Cade.

He gestured toward the rockers to the right of the front door, and Jordan sat in one. She had a view of the rolling hills, fading to black as the night came down.

She could hear the murmur of voices from the bunkhouse. Once in a while a man laughed.

Cade sat in the chair beside her, where he’d been last night when she’d found him.

“I’ll be going up with the herd tomorrow, and we won’t be back until late. If Stevenson calls, refer him to Hank in the Dallas office. I don’t expect any major problems, but if they arise, I’ll carry my cell phone. Call if there’s an emergency.”

“Otherwise, I’ll tell everyone you’ll call them back on Monday?”

“I’ll be back in the late afternoon. Still time to call LA if needed. But handle what you can yourself. Activate the answering machine at the end of the day. It can take messages Friday.”

“Me field your calls? I know nothing about what you’re doing. I’m lucky not to disconnect callers any more.”

“You pick up things faster than the two temps from the agency in town did.”

Jordan felt a warm glow at his halfhearted compliment. She’d been doing her best in an alien environment. It was nothing like waiting tables. She was happy to hear it wasn’t all in vain.

“About Friday,” Cade began.

“My car will work,” she said stubbornly.

“My car would be more comfortable for Aunt Amelia,” he replied quickly.

She looked at him in the growing darkness. She hadn’t considered Amelia. Was she letting foolish pride stand in her way? The older woman was coming to help her out. Maybe she should take his blasted car and stop arguing.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” she murmured.

“Think about it.”

“It’s bigger than what I’m used to.”

“I could have one of the men drive you in. But I need them for the cattle. When will you be ready to return?”

“I don’t know. After Caleb goes to sleep, I guess. Do you think Amelia would stay that long? Maybe she shouldn’t go with us after all. It could be a long day. I can get a hotel room nearby.”

“She wants to go. Let her. She’ll talk your ear off and make you forget your worries for a while. And I’m the last one to suggest she’ll get tired. She’d set me in my place fast.”

“Does she do that to you?” Jordan asked softly, trying to imagine his delicate aunt talking endlessly and Cade just sitting and listening.

“Talk my ear off? Sometimes.”

“I bet she tells you wonderful stories about Vicki,” she said slowly.

“We don’t talk about Vicki around here,” he said heavily.

“Why ever not? I’d want to talk about Caleb all the time, to make sure everyone remembered him. To celebrate his life. To remember the great times together.”

Jordan had heard Amelia when she mentioned Cade never talked about Vicki, but she didn’t understand it.

“Memories can be painful,” Cade said slowly.

“Yes. I know because I’ve really missed Aunt Maggie since she died. But now I can laugh at some memories of things we did. I always feel a poignant longing to go back to the way things were when Caleb was an infant, or even before when it was just Aunt Maggie and me. But I know I can’t. So I do what I can to celebrate her life. She was so special to me. She raised me after my folks died. That couldn’t have been easy. She never married, was in her fifties when I came to live with her. Yet she loved me and later Caleb like we were always her own.”

Impulsively, Jordan reached out and grabbed Cade’s hand.

“Tell me one special memory you have of Vicki.”

Her aunt was the one who always did . Maybe Cade needed to do something, even if only to recall one special event in his daughter’s life.

His fingers tightened on hers, but he remained silent for a long time. Finally, he began to speak. “The first time I took her up with me on a horse. We rode to the river and back. She held on to the reins, and I let her think she was directing the horse. She laughed and yelled and slapped those reins on the horse’s neck. Her soft baby hair blew up into my face. Marissa didn’t cut it until she started school, so at age three it was long and fine and smelled like baby girl. She laughed the entire way, delighting in being up on an enormous horse with her daddy.”

Jordan could envision the happiness the day must have held. She knew the little girl had lacked for nothing in this family. Love spilled out with every word Cade said. She wished for a moment Cade had been Caleb’s father. What a wonderful father he must have been.

“Tell me all about her. What color was her hair? Did she like vegetables? What was her favorite song?” Jordan urged.

Slowly at first, then more easily, he opened up. For two hours, Cade talked about his little girl. Marissa figured prominently in many of the scenarios he recounted, and Jordan drew a mental image of the close-knit, loving family. How doubly tragic it all ended so soon.

When Cade stopped, she realized he still held her hand. She had never felt closer to another person, except Aunt Maggie, than she did with Cade Everett at this moment.

The night was quiet around them. The air had cooled down, but it was still pleasantly comfortable. The stars were brilliant points of glittering light in the black velvet sky.

Not wanting to break the mood, Jordan didn’t know how to leave. She felt as if she’d been given a precious gift, made even more special coming from Cade.

He solved her problem.

“I’m tired. I’d better head for bed. We leave at first light in the morning.”

His voice was gruff.

“Thanks for telling me about Vicki,” she whispered, rising when he did.

He released her hand, but caught her shoulders in a light hold.

“You’re a dangerous woman, Jordan Carhart. I haven’t talked about Vicki since her death. I had almost forgotten all those special times.”

“But didn’t you have fun tonight remembering how special she was? I know it hurts to have her gone, but you have such wonderful memories. I believe she was truly a happy child her entire life.”

“You’ve given me the gift of my daughter again. Thank you.”

He drew her closer and kissed her.

Jordan wasn’t prepared for a kiss. The sensations that swept through her caught her unaware, then flared into bright heat. His mouth was warm and enticing. The kiss was the most exciting thing she’d ever experienced. When he parted her lips with his tongue, she felt a warmth wash through her hotter than the Texas sun. Her legs felt weak, and she hoped she wouldn’t melt into a puddle at his feet. Twining her arms around his neck, she gave back as good as she got, relishing every heartbeat, every inch of his body pressed against hers. She savored the feel of her soft body against his harder one. She had never felt such a connection, such a feeling of wonder and rightness.

He deepened the kiss, and she forgot about gratitude and lost children and feeling alive, and relished every magical moment when her life seemed to spin to the heavens.

He kissed her as no man ever had, and she delighted in every stolen moment.

When he slowly eased back, she felt bereft. She didn’t want to stop. They could have kissed all night, and it’d end too soon.

But he was her boss. The man who was helping her with her son’s expenses for the operation, not someone to fantasize about.

A kiss to thank her for rekindling memories, that was all.

She’d do best to keep that firmly in mind. A man’s attention wouldn’t fool her a second time. She had her life charted, and side trips into sexual fantasy weren’t on the map.

“I’ll take good care of the office tomorrow,” she said breathlessly, then turned and fled for the safety of her room.

She was getting in over her head with Cade Everett. Hadn’t she learned from her prior experience? This was not some courtship leading to happily ever after. At least the man she’d known in South Beach had pretended Cade had never given her a morsel of hope. She had better remember that every moment she remained on the Everett ranch.

Jordan found the office flat with Cade gone. As part of her duties, she fielded telephone calls, received emailed reports which she promptly printed and placed on his desk, and completed the filing. She was proud he’d left her to her own devices. She wasn’t the office assistant he was used to, but she was coping.

Caleb came to see her shortly before lunch and she let him play on the computer until she took her lunch break.

The afternoon seemed to drag. She read some reports that had come in, but they confused her. She didn’t understand all that was going on, but she knew Cade was a key player in several large corporations, as well as the boss of the family ranch.

Just before Jordan was about to call it a day and close up, a flashy red sports utility vehicle drove up and parked right in front of the office. A tall, slim young woman exited, glanced around, and headed into the office.

Her dark hair spilled down in a glossy waterfall across her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless. Her shirt looked tailored and her designer jeans looked brand new, topping polished snake skin boots.

Jordan was instantly aware of the differences between the two of them—her off the rack jeans and shirt, no makeup and who knew what her hair looked like.

“Cade around?” she drawled, eyeing Jordan like she was an alien.

“He’s out on the range today,” Jordan said politely.

She knew how to deal with the public—even people she didn’t like. And this person was definitely not destined to become her best friend.

“I can tell Cade you stopped by, shall I, Miss?”

“Gloria Devon.”

She wandered to the door of Cade’s office and looked in.

Jordan wondered if Gloria didn’t believe her and was checking for herself. Did she and Cade have a friendship that allowed her to wander into his office? Not knowing, Jordan would rather err on the side of caution. She rose and moved swiftly to the door beside Gloria. As far as Jordan knew, Gloria had no business going into Cade’s private office and if she stepped one foot inside—

Gloria turned and walked back to Jordan’s desk, sitting carelessly on one corner and studying Jordan.

“I heard from Amelia that Cade had someone taking Penny’s place until she returns. I live on the adjacent ranch. Cade and I are close friends. Very close friends. Have you heard when Penny’s coming back?”

Jordan blinked, feeling a twinge of jealousy. Cade had kissed her last night, but was close with this woman? Of course their kiss had meant nothing. Why would he ever look at her when he had a relationship with this beauty?

Even more reason to keep a tight rein on her emotions. The lecture she’d given herself last night rose, and she reminded herself to repeat it at every opportunity.

Cade Everett was not for her.

“I haven’t spoken with Penny. I don’t know what she’s told Cade,” Jordan said, feeling at a loss. Despite everything, she loved the kiss, and woven fantasies around it.

Now they vanished as in a puff of smoke. Once again, reality was staring her in the face.

“I could have helped Cade around here. He should have asked me,” Gloria said, glancing around the office. “Let him know I’m available, will you?”

Jordan wisely kept silent. She wouldn’t be drawn into a discussion with this stranger over the actions of her boss. Her loyalty lay with Cade. And she couldn’t help thinking once he knew Gloria was available, her time as office assistant would be limited.

Gloria stood and glanced around once more, as if trying to discover something that would keep her longer. Finding nothing, she shrugged.

“Tell Cade to call me. There’s a barbecue tomorrow night at Ted Sampson’s place. I thought Cade could take me.”

“I don’t think so,” Cade replied from the doorway.

Jordan leaned to one side so she could see around Gloria. He walked in, slapping a dusty hat against equally dusty jeans. He looked hard, tired, dirty—and wonderful.

Jordan didn’t know if she was up to watching Gloria and Cade interact, not that she had any choice in the matter. How did such close friends greet each other—with no holds barred, or more discretely?

“Hi, Cade.” Gloria greeted him enthusiastically, going over as if to give him a hug.

He stepped back, holding up his hand.

“I’m dusty and sweaty. What are you doing here, Gloria?”

“Like I was telling your new little secretary, Ted is throwing a barbecue tomorrow night. I’m sure you got an invitation. Since we live so close, I thought we could go over together. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about driving back home all by my lonesome after dark.”

Her flirtatious look spoke volumes.

Oh, please, Jordan thought. Anyone more capable she’d never seen. She suspected Gloria never gave a thought to driving anywhere by herself, no matter what the time of day or night. Why not come out and tell the man she wanted him to take her because of their involvement? Or were they keeping it a secret for some reason? Whatever, Jordan didn’t want to stand and watch.

“Isn’t your father going?” Cade asked.

“No, he’s in El Paso, won’t be home until next week sometime. Come on, Cade. It’ll be fun to see all your neighbors and enjoy yourself a bit. You are such a hermit these days.”

Jordan waited for him to blast her for treading on sensitive turf, but he merely shook his head.

“No can do, Gloria. I already have plans.”

“What plans?”

“I’m taking Jordan to Dallas tomorrow. Her son’s having surgery and I need to be there.”