The Texan's Tennessee Romance / The Rancher & the Reluctant Princess. Gina Wilkins
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a rather surprised sound and opened his eyes. He looked up to see who was holding him, then broke into a toothless grin.
“Well,” Casey said, grinning back, “you wake up happy, don’t you, tiger?”
Little Micah hooted as if in agreement.
Casey was still smiling when he glanced up at Natalie. “I’ve always had that effect on kids. They start laughing as soon as they see my face.”
“You’re very good with him,” she repeated, unable to think of anything else to say.
Casey gave the babbling baby a couple of bounces, eliciting a shrill giggle. And then he glanced at her and startled her by asking, “You want to hold him?”
She quickly held up her hands in a backing-away gesture. “No, thank you. He looks quite happy where he is.”
Casey lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t you like kids?”
“Sure I do. As long as someone else is taking care of them.”
Whatever Casey might have said in response was interrupted when Molly reappeared in the doorway. “Dinner is served, you two. Oh, the baby’s awake. Here, Casey, I’ll take him. You can show our guest of honor into the dining room.”
Passing off the baby, Casey turned with a flourish to offer his arm to Natalie. “Looks like you’re the guest of honor,” he said lightly. “And I’m the designated escort. Madam?”
She hoped no one noticed her slight hesitation before she rested her hand lightly on his arm.
Chapter Three
It was an interesting evening, Natalie thought as the meal progressed. Though well-behaved for a preschooler, Olivia enjoyed attention and didn’t mind performing for it. Kyle had to tell her a couple of times to settle down and eat, which worked for a few minutes until she thought of something else she wanted to say.
In contrast to her quiet husband, Molly was pretty much a nonstop talker. Not in a self-absorbed way, since she asked lots of questions and seemed genuinely interested in the replies. She just liked to keep the conversation lively.
Casey was charming. Articulate, amusing, quick-witted. Natalie couldn’t help wondering why he was working as a less-than-proficient maintenance man. He seemed very fond of Molly, friendly with Kyle, indulgent with Olivia. He gave every appearance of being a happy young man without a care in the world. And yet…
There was something in his eyes. Something about the very faint lines that appeared around his mouth on those rare occasions when she caught him not smiling. Maybe it was because she had her own secrets, but she had the distinct feeling that Casey’s smiles and jokes were hiding something not so happy. She didn’t know how he’d ended up working for his cousin’s husband, but something told her he had a story as depressing as her own.
She didn’t ask questions, partially because she didn’t want to encourage him to ask questions in return. She had asked her aunt and uncle not to tell anyone why she’d left her job in Nashville. Molly and Kyle knew only that she was no longer affiliated with the firm and was taking some time off while making some inquiries toward a new position. She figured they knew there was more to it than that, but they respected her privacy.
No one mentioned careers during dinner, keeping the conversation focused on the children and on local events. They talked about the summer tourist season that had recently ended and the upcoming winter season which would bring in holiday travelers and snow skiers. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the surrounding towns were all decorating for Christmas, with light displays and special Christmas shows and attractions to entice visitors.
“Maybe you’ll see some of the lights before you go back to Nashville,” Molly said to Natalie while wiping blackberry cobbler from Olivia’s chin.
“Maybe,” Natalie said noncommittally, though holiday displays were pretty much the last thing on her mind right then. She wasn’t in a holiday mood.
Though she consented to let Natalie help her clear the table after the meal, Molly refused to allow her to help clean the kitchen. “There’s very little left to do. Kyle and I will take care of it together after we put the kids to bed.”
Natalie lingered only a few minutes after the meal ended, just long enough that she hoped her visit wouldn’t qualify as an eat-and-run. Her chance to escape appeared when Micah began to fuss and Molly explained that he was ready to be fed. Natalie excused herself then, thanking both Molly and Kyle for the nice meal and telling them she’d like to get back up the mountain before it got too late.
Casey stood when she did. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“That isn’t—”
But he’d already opened the door and was motioning for her to go out ahead of him. She stepped out, snuggling into her black leather coat when a cool night breeze swirled around her. Casey closed the door behind them then fell into step beside her. He hadn’t donned a coat over the long-sleeve denim shirt he wore loose over a light gray T-shirt and jeans, but he didn’t seem to notice the chill.
“Nice meal, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “Very.”
“My cousin’s quite a talker.”
“I like her.”
“Everyone does. She’s a lot like her mom. My aunt Cassie.”
“Cassie? Were you named after her?”
“No. Mine’s a family name. On my mother’s side.” He pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I thought I’d come do some work on the outside of your cabin tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.”
“On a Saturday? Don’t you take weekends off?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really have anything else to do. And the weather’s supposed to be nice tomorrow. In the sixties. Might as well take advantage of it.”
Once again, she wondered about his background, and why he had nothing better to do on a nice Saturday than work on her cabin. But she simply said, “It doesn’t matter to me if you come tomorrow. I’ll be at my computer most of the day.”
She suspected that he was as curious about her as she was about him, but he seemed no more willing to open the door to questions. He nodded. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then. I won’t come too early, so you don’t have to worry that I’ll wake you at dawn hammering or anything.”
“I tend to be an early riser anyway.” She opened her car door. “Good night, Casey.”
“Good night, Natalie. Drive carefully.”
“Yes, I will. Thanks.”
She noted in her rearview mirror that he waited until she’d started her car and exited the driveway before he turned to go back inside.
Natalie was in the living room with her laptop and a second cup of coffee when she heard Casey’s truck in the driveway the next morning. He didn’t come to the door to announce his arrival, probably because he knew she was expecting him to show up, but went straight to work on the outside repairs. She heard the hammering start and she hoped he didn’t break anything today—especially any of his bones.
She sat on a deep-cushioned, comfortable, green microsuede sofa facing a corner rock fireplace over which hung a flat-screen TV connected to a satellite dish on the roof. A DVD player, a selection of popular DVDs and a gaming system were discreetly hidden in a cabinet beside the fireplace. A recliner and a rocker were placed on either side of the couch, convenient for conversation, television or fire watching.
A wall of big windows and a sliding glass door that opened onto the deck were just beside the fireplace, providing scenic views of the surrounding mountaintops that could compete with any electronic media for entertainment value. From those windows, Natalie had watched birds, squirrels and deer emerging from the woods backed up to the small lawn area.
She