The M.D.'s Unexpected Family. Cindy Kirk

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СКАЧАТЬ stared at it then up at him, her expression questioning.

      “Better late than never,” he quipped when she remained silent. “Perhaps you’ll finally get those superpowers.”

      Her fingers curled around the star and she slipped it into her purse. She cleared her throat before speaking. “Thanks.”

      “Thank you for the cotton candy.” He took a bite and had to admit the fluff tasted as good as he remembered. Plucking off another piece, he held it between his thumb and forefinger for a second before popping it into his mouth. “What’s next on the agenda?”

      “Do you like rodeos?” She gazed up at him, a hopeful gleam in her eyes, a faint smear of sugar on her full lips.

      Tim forced his gaze from the lips that reminded him of delicious pink strawberries.

      Rodeos, he reminded himself. They were talking about bulls, broncs and roping. Despite growing up in Wyoming, Tim had little exposure to the sport. His parents had never taken him or his sisters to the rodeo. Caro had never expressed an interest and he hadn’t cared enough to press the issue.

      Tim saw the look in Cassidy’s eyes. She wanted to go and he’d made it clear from the start he would go along with whatever she wanted.

      Besides, so far he’d enjoyed everything about the evening she’d orchestrated, including riding the bull at Wally’s place. “Sounds like fun.”

      She flashed a bright smile and took his arm.

      An easy breeze ruffled her hair but Cassidy made no move to push it back into place. He liked that about her, too. Unlike those women who needed to be perfectly groomed at all times, Cassidy gave herself permission to revel in the moment.

      Tonight, he’d gone with the flow and as a result felt more like the kid he’d once been than a widowed father of two with heavy responsibilities. As they started down the street in the direction of his car, his gaze kept returning to her mouth.

      All too soon the evening would draw to a close. Though it had been a long time since he’d dated, from everything he’d heard and read, a good-night kiss was practically expected in today’s dating world.

      Although this wasn’t really a date, not in the true sense of the word, he was determined to savor every moment and fulfill all her expectations. If that meant a good-night kiss, so be it.

      He only hoped he could stop at one.

       Chapter Four

      After spending several hours at the rodeo, watching everything from father-and-son team roping to kids chasing ties on calves, Cassidy noticed Tim stifling a yawn when he thought she wasn’t looking. Reluctantly, Cassidy decided it was time to call it a night.

      Still, she dragged her feet as Tim walked her up the flight of steps to the apartment over her salon in downtown Jackson. Hands down, the evening had qualified as the best of her life.

      “Want to come inside for a few minutes?” Cassidy unlocked the door and opened it wide, keeping her tone casual.

      Tim hesitated.

      Cassidy held her breath.

      “Sure,” he said after an endless moment. “I’d love to come in.”

      She dropped her bag to the sofa and, out of the corner of her eye, saw him survey the tiny apartment. She knew where he lived, a big house in the Spring Gulch subdivision, just outside of Jackson. Though she’d never been inside his home, she’d attended many parties in the area and knew the opulence of the residences.

      What did he see when he looked around the small two-bedroom unit she called home? The tiny rooms? The lack of amenities? When his gaze lingered on the overstuffed sofa, she wondered if he recognized it as coming from the big-box store on the edge of town.

      At least he would find no fault with her housekeeping. After growing up in squalor, in dirty rooms so crowded with junk you could scarcely see the floor, Cassidy was frightfully neat. Though most of the money she made went straight back into her business, it had been important to Cassidy to create a home, not simply just have a place to sleep.

      To brighten the room she’d added a variety of pillows to the sofa. Paintings, done by local artists, hung on the walls, adding additional color.

      Tim rocked back on his heels. “Your place has a nice feel.”

      Pleasure rippled through her at the obvious approval in his voice.

      “Thank you.” Cassidy kept her tone nonchalant. “Can I get you something to drink? I have beer, wine, soda or water.”

      “Water sounds good.”

      In the kitchen Cassidy retrieved two tumblers from cabinets painted a cheery sunshine yellow and quickly filled them with ice and water. She returned to the living room and placed the glasses on a flat steamer trunk that doubled as a much-needed storage spot and served as a coffee table.

      When Tim took a seat on the sofa, she sat beside him, though not as close as she’d have liked. Something warned her if she moved too fast, she might spook him.

      Or...perhaps not. When she gazed into his eyes, there was heat smoldering, which she hadn’t expected. Still, Cassidy kept the conversation deliberately light as they talked about the high points of the evening, then about her salon and his medical practice before moving on to his daughters.

      Hearing the pride in his voice, seeing the love in his eyes when he spoke of “the girls,” made Cassidy’s heart ache just a little. She had no idea who her own father was, or even if the man was still alive.

      Over the years there’d been a succession of men in and out of the shack where she lived with her mother. When Cassidy had once quipped they should put in a revolving door, she’d gotten a backhand across the mouth and a bloody lip.

      Not wanting to go down the same path as her mother, Cassidy had been careful in her own life. Some of the men she’d dated had the mistaken impression she was easy. That was far from the truth. Cassidy had only been with two men, both of whom she cared for and she’d been convinced they cared for her. They’d cared, but they hadn’t loved her.

      She needed to be loved. Totally. Completely. And she refused to settle for less.

      Nearly another hour passed before Tim stretched. “I suppose I should be heading home.”

      Her heart flip-flopped but, despite his words, he remained seated.

      “What’s the hurry?” She kept her tone light, her smile easy.

      “It’s been a long day,” he said, then settled back and told her about twin babies he’d delivered before dawn.

      “You should have said something.” At the rodeo she’d observed him yawning. Now, for the first time, she noticed the lines of fatigue edging his eyes. “We could have rescheduled.”

      “Never crossed my mind.” His lips tipped upward. “I enjoyed every bit of the evening.”

      “Even when the drunk cowboy СКАЧАТЬ