Chapter 7

      “What are you doing for dinner?”

      Casey stiffened as she got out of the car. Now that they were back at the ranch, surely he wasn’t going to invite her to eat with him. “The usual,” she heard herself say. “Henrietta usually fixes me something, and I eat it at the guesthouse while doing journal entries of Prince Charming’s daily progress on the computer. Why?”

      “Just asking. Thanks again for the ride into town.”

      “Don’t mention it.”

      Common sense told McKinnon that this is where they would part ways. She would go to the guesthouse and he would go to the ranch house, and if he was real smart he would avoid her again this week. He’d spent some time with her today. He’d heard her voice and inhaled her scent and now he had gotten her out of his system for a while. Hell, not by a long shot. But as he forced himself to keep walking toward his front door, something made him turn around.

      “Casey, how about if—”

      Whatever words he was about to say died on his lips. She was gone, having made a swift exit to the guesthouse. His disappointment quickly turned into annoyance. Evidently she’d taken as much as she could of him for one day. He wished he could say the same but couldn’t. He could have taken more of her…a lot more. He had been constantly aware of her as a woman—a woman who probably didn’t know the extent of her own sensuality or sexuality. And he was a man who would love tapping into what she didn’t know; expose her to a few things. Hell, more than a few.

      Thirty minutes later, after taking a shower and being careful to keep his stitches dry, he made his way to the kitchen to warm up his food. He’d been following this same routine for years, ever since Lynette had left. He was used to it and preferred things this way. He was about to stick his plate into the microwave when the phone rang.

      He reached over and picked it up. “Yes?”

      “How are you, McKinnon?”

      He smiled upon hearing his mother’s voice. “I’m fine. How are you and Dad?”

      “We’re both doing well. We just got back today. We’ve been up on Corey’s Mountain visiting, which is why I’m calling. Abby and I decided it would be nice to give a party for Casey.”

      He tensed. “A party? Why?”

      “To welcome her to the area. A lot of our neighbors know about Corey’s triplets and some have even met Clint and Cole. But very few have had a chance to meet Casey, and we think a party will be a wonderful way to arrange that, to welcome her to the community.”

      Sounded like his mother and Abby had their minds made up. “So what do you need me to do?” Nothing, he hoped.

      “In addition to not working her too hard where she’s too tired to attend her own party and enjoy herself, how about making sure she gets here.”

      McKinnon stiffened. He had endured one car ride with Casey and wasn’t sure he would be able to do another anytime soon. It seemed the scent of her was still all over him. “When is this party?”

      “Next Friday night, here at our ranch at eight. Can I depend on you to help?”