“Maybe your opinion of me matters.”

His hand still on her wrist, he tugged her closer and rose from his seat. Their legs brushed and she lifted her gaze to his. Crickets chirped and tree branches rustled in the breeze, caressing the quiet night.

“Casey?”

A wayward strand of hair fell into her eyes. It was always doing that—giving the wholesome, sweet girl a sexy edge—another reminder that she was all woman now. Lifting his hand, he brushed the hair onto her cheek. His fingers lingered on the softest skin he’d ever felt. It would be so easy to kiss her again. “Maybe I want you to like me for purely selfish reasons.”

Her head tilted to the side and her lids lowered as she eyed his mouth. The hungry look on her face nearly blinded him. “But that means … Are you going to kiss me again, Casey?”

* * *

Redeeming the CEO Cowboy is part of The Slades of Sunset Ranch series. The sun never sets on love and redemption for these rich Nevada ranchers!

Redeeming the

CEO Cowboy

Charlene Sands

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of thirty-five romance novels, writing sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, a CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County chapter and the Los Angeles chapter of RWA.

Charlene writes “hunky heroes with heart.” She knows a little something about true romance—she married her high school sweetheart! When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers! You can write her at P.O. Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

To Don, the sweet, wonderful man I married many, many moons ago.

Happy Special Anniversary, Sweetheart!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Extract

Copyright

One

As soon as Susanna Hart spotted the chrome-rimmed Cadillac SUV turning the corner and barreling down the street, her heart fisted deep in her chest. She had known this day would come. Casey Thomas was back in town.

She held her cousin Ally’s small hand and watched as the fairy-tale princess ball rolled to a stop at the front lawn of Casey’s childhood home. Why wasn’t she graced with good luck and timing the way some women were? She darted a glance at her front door thirty feet away. It was too late to make a mad dash. The roar of the engine mellowed. He wasn’t far now. Thorny blades of grass pinched her bare toes where she stood like an immovable statue under the afternoon sun. Her palms began to sweat. She wiped her free hand on her denim jeans. “Oh, no,” she muttered.

Ally’s gaze immediately lifted to hers. Susanna fixed her lips into a pretend smile, scooped up the ball and handed it to the two-year-old. “Here you go, Muffin.”

The worry on Ally’s face crumbled and she giggled. “I’m not a muffin.” She hugged the ball to her chest and announced, “I bakeded muffins, Auntie.”

Susanna tapped a finger to the side of her mouth. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. I forgot. You’re my best helper.”

Ally’s smile widened. Poor kid. Ever since Ally had come to live with her one month ago, she’d tried to find ways to put the child at ease and let her know she was wanted and loved. Little Ally had enough on her plate without worrying about her Aunt Susie’s sudden panic right now.

Even if Susanna hadn’t recognized the blond-haired breaker of her heart, Casey Thomas, commandeering the wheel of the custom-painted glossy black SUV, she would’ve guessed it was him. Flashy cars such as his didn’t belong on Meadow Drive in the Reno suburbs. Neither did he, anymore.

But as he drove his SUV into the driveway of his childhood home and cut the engine, there was no mistaking the man who’d taken her virginity nearly ten years ago.

Susanna stood rooted to the spot spinning thoughts of nonchalance in her head. She’d seen Casey a few times in the last ten years. This shouldn’t be so darned hard. They could simply pretend the whole taking-her-virginity incident never happened, like they did when he’d come to pay his respects at her father’s funeral. Like they did when Casey broke his back riding rodeo and Susanna, being Audrey’s best friend, went with his sister to pay him a visit in the hospital. Like they did when they’d bumped into each other at Sunset Ranch after Audrey had her beautiful baby girl, Ava Kasey Slade.

The driver’s door opened and a beagle-size mutt scurried over Casey’s lap and leapt onto the driveway. Ally’s arms fluttered excitedly. “Doggy!”

The pup raced over to her, his peachy-blond tail wagging like crazy.

“Charger!” Casey’s voice boomed.

Susanna swept Ally off the ground and into her arms. It wasn’t the puppy’s enthusiasm so much as Casey’s tone that lodged a threat in her mind.

“Sorry,” Casey said, lowering his voice. “He’s actually pretty harmless. Just too darn rambunctious.” He hinged his body out of the SUV, his movements fractionally slower than when he was younger, before he’d broken his back in the rodeo ring. As he straightened to his full six-foot-two height, his jaw tightened. Back in the day, he saved that look for his sister Audrey when she’d done something wrong. Susanna wondered what put that look on his face today. Was he annoyed at the dog? Or was it residual pain from his injury causing him to frown? “I didn’t want him to frighten the child. Come here, dog.”

The puppy’s tail nosedived between his legs and he trotted toward Casey.

The pup and Casey had two things in common: lush shaggy blond hair and mischievous eyes. Casey strode to where the grass met the driveway, treating it like a barrier between them. “Hello, Susanna.”

Her toes curled deeper into the prickly grass. From what she could tell, Casey’s former life as a rodeo champion was gone now. Dressed in a russet brown shirt tucked into beige trousers, he was still ruggedly handsome if not a little more refined. Sunlight poured over his tanned face and charming white smile. “Hello.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Guess we’re going to be neighbors again.”

Temporarily. When she’d spoken to Audrey, she hadn’t been sure when Casey would arrive, but that he’d be staying a month, maybe two. On business. Secretly, Susanna had died inside hearing the news, but couldn’t let on to her best friend how much being neighbors again with her super successful, gorgeous brother distressed her.

“I guess so.”

He nodded, his stark gaze piercing through barriers with unspoken words. Words she didn’t want to hear. Words that were better off unsaid. “Uh, this is Ally. She lives with me now.” She hugged Ally close and brushed her lips to the top of her head. Soft blond wisps tickled her mouth. “Say hello to Casey, Ally.”

Ally’s eyes shifted from the pup to the pup’s owner. “Hello.”

Casey came closer, stepping over the grass barrier, and smiled wide. “Hi, Ally.” He took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. “Nice to meet you.”

Ally turned back to Charger. “I like your doggy.”

Charger rose up on his hind legs and pawed at Casey’s expensive dress pants, a mewling sound grounding from his little throat. “I think he likes you too.”

“Can I petted him?”

“That’s up to...” Casey turned to Susanna with a question on his lips.

“Aunt Susie,” she confirmed with a nod. She wasn’t really Ally’s aunt, but now wasn’t the time for explanations. “I think it’d be all right.”

Casey bent to pick up the puppy and Ally put her hand out ever so gently to stroke the puppy’s head. “He’s soft.”

“He is,” Casey said.

Lime and musk filled her nostrils. His scent reminded her of the last time they’d been this close. In the Thomas’s house, on the sofa, his arms strong and sure around her as she’d cried her eyes out. The images came through clearly as if they’d happened yesterday. Ten years later, and Casey still made her heart race.

If only he wasn’t going to live directly next door to her. If only he wasn’t Audrey’s brother. If only pressing business didn’t bring him back to Reno. Susanna gave herself a mental slap. The if onlys had to go. Casey Thomas was here for a short time and she’d have to deal with it, just like she’d dealt with everything else in her life. On her own terms.

“The street looks the same,” he said, glancing around.

“It is, for the most part.” She lived in a middle, middle class neighborhood, the homes groomed and tidy, but missing the fancy renovations upper middle income could provide. “Mrs. Martinez moved out. She’s living in a retirement home now. Peter Albertson got married right out of high school, but his mom and dad are still living here.”

“That so? I’ll have to stop over and say hello to Randy and Linda.”

Susanna smiled. “They’d like that. I think they miss Peter a lot.”

Casey glanced at his own house. No one had lived in it since Audrey moved out a year ago. Susanna watched over the property and made sure the gardener came twice a month to keep the lawn groomed.

“You still have a spare key?” Casey asked.

Susanna blinked. The question came out of left field. “Yes, do you want it back?”

Casey took in her sharp reaction and smiled slightly. “No, ma’am. I need to borrow it.” He set the pup down on the grass. “I left my place in Tahoe this morning without my key. Didn’t realize it until about twenty minutes ago.”

Whoops. Her shrewish answer had come out of left field. She’d barked at him as if she was the canine on the property. “Oh, of course. I’ll go get it for you. Come on, Ally.”

Ally pushed against Susanna’s chest and threw her body weight toward the dog, pointing her index finger. “Charger. Charger.”

“We’ll come right back, sweetie.”

“I’ll watch her,” Casey said. He squatted down and ruffled the pup’s ears, then gazed at her, his blue eyes full of reassurance. “If that’s okay with you?”

No, it wasn’t okay with her. It wasn’t that she couldn’t trust Casey with Ally. He’d raised Audrey from a young age and knew the ropes. If anything, he’d been overprotective of his little sister. It wasn’t that. She didn’t want to get too chummy with her new old next-door neighbor. And she certainly didn’t want Ally getting close to him, either.

Ally reached up and put her palms on Susie’s cheeks, looking into her eyes. “Pleeeeeze.”

The kid knew how to get to her; her plea zigzagged to her heart. She shouldn’t deny Ally a small measure of happiness because of pride. Ally had suffered enough sadness for someone so young.

With a shake of her head aimed at Casey, she lowered Ally to the ground. “Okay. You mind what Casey says, sweetie and stay close.”

The puppy immediately raced to Ally’s feet, his tail circling like a windmill on a breezy day.

They were becoming fast friends.

That wasn’t good.

Sighing, Susanna walked to her door, climbed up the steps and swiveled her head. She spotted Ally laughing as the bushy-haired pup did impressive belly rolls on the grass. Casey glanced over and their eyes met. A second ticked by, and then another. Having him here was impossible. She didn’t want him watching her. The corners of her lips pulled down and she snapped out of his momentary hold on her. Reaching for the screen door, she turned the handle and stepped inside her home.

Escaping.

* * *

Casey leaned against his SUV with his arms folded over his chest, keeping an eye on Ally. The dog was pooped out from one too many belly rolls and Ally sat beside him on the grass, talking up a storm. Casey didn’t know two-year-olds could babble so much, yet Charger listened to the blonde girl with ears perked and tongue hanging as if he understood every word she said. Casey knew a little bit about Ally from what Audrey had told him. Mainly that she’d lost her mom, Rhonda Lee, to drug addiction. Rhonda Lee and Susanna were first cousins. Since the child’s father was out of the picture, Susanna had been the child’s only option and she’d stepped in to raise the little girl.

Susanna’s screen door squeaked open and he spotted her stepping off the porch. As she walked toward him, she was ramrod stiff, her shoulders tight, her pretty sculpted chin held high. She hadn’t forgiven him. That much was clear.

Ten years seemed like eons ago, but Casey hadn’t forgotten the night they’d made love either. He was totally to blame for the awkward situation between them and it made his mission here that much harder. Somehow, he had to gain Susanna’s trust so he could help her. He owed the Hart family that much. Without Eleanor and George Hart, he would’ve never been able to raise Audrey on his own. For years, they’d been her second family when Casey was on the road with the rodeo.

If he hadn’t had legitimate business here establishing new Sentinel Construction offices in Reno and overseeing the final stages of a trendy new restaurant on the River Walk, Audrey wouldn’t have pounced on the idea of him moving into their childhood home to secretly help Susanna get back on her feet.

“She’s all alone, Case. Trying hard to make a success of Sweet Susie’s and raise her cousin’s child on her own,” Audrey had said. “You know how that is.”

And he did. He’d had his share of struggles after they’d lost their parents and he’d had to grow up fast in order to raise his much younger sister. That’s why he’d allowed Audrey to twist his arm. The trouble with the plan was that Susanna was barely speaking to him.

She glanced at the dog cozying up next to Ally under the shade of a cottonwood tree and then pursed her lips and robotically proceeded toward them. He sighed. She wasn’t happy about the pup being here either.

That was another one of Audrey’s ideas. Not that Casey minded rescuing the dog from a puppy mill, but he hadn’t planned on bringing the dog with him on this trip. He could’ve left the dog with Audrey at Sunset Ranch, but his sister had insisted he’d need the company. Now, he got it. His shrewd sister meant for the pup to be an icebreaker. Judging by the look on Susie’s face, he might also need a chisel.

“Here you go.” Susie dangled the key with its cupcake-shaped clear plastic keychain that read SweetSusies.com in bright lavender letters.

Casey opened his palm and she dropped it in, but as he lifted his hand, their fingertips brushed. Susie’s eyes widened and she blinked. Touching him made her nervous. That annoyed the crap out of him. Why was that? “I don’t bite, Suse.”

“No one calls me that anymore.”

Meaning she didn’t want him calling her by that familiar nickname. He’d heard Audrey refer to Susanna that way since forever. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He closed his hand over the key. “You’ve started a business. You always were a damn good cook. How’s it going?”

Her gaze slid to Ally. The child was content watching the dog resting beside her. Susanna turned back to Casey and said, “It’s going...well. I love what I do and...that’s all that matters.”

It was the defiant way she said all that matters and the way her eyes darted away afterward that caught his attention. Audrey had said she was struggling with all the changes in her life, but Susanna was too darned prideful to ask for help. “I hear you. It’s always a good thing,” he said, squinting his eyes, his emotions stirring, “to love what you do.”

Nervously, she nibbled her lower lip. He’d always thought she was pretty, in a natural wholesome sort of way. If he were any other man, under different circumstances, he’d be damned happy finding out Susanna was going to be his temporary next-door neighbor. Too bad the situation was more complicated than that.

“Oh, I’m....sorry. I shouldn’t have said...” She nibbled her lip some more.

“It’s okay.”

She couldn’t hide her compassion, not even under the guise of defiance. But he didn’t want anyone’s pity. His lifelong dream had been cut short by a freakish fall off a bucking bronco, but he’d come out the other end okay. As a rodeo rider, he’d known the risks. Because of sound investments he’d made during his heyday as a champion, he’d become CEO of Sentinel Construction and was wealthy enough to buy a rodeo or two of his own now. “My rodeo days are behind me. I’m fine with it.”

She swallowed and nodded. “Well...I really should take Ally inside. It’s almost suppertime.”

“Yeah and I’d better get unloaded.” He gazed toward the front door of his house. A dozen memories he wasn’t expecting flooded his mind. He’d raised Audrey here. It hadn’t been easy being mother and father to a sister eight years his junior. The responsibility had weighed heavily on him. Audrey would say he’d been hardnosed and a bully, and more times than not, he’d worried that he’d messed up her life. But the Harts had always been there for her, giving her guidance and a second roof over her head. All the more reason Casey had to see this thing through with Susanna. “It’s been years since I’ve lived here.” He sighed, speaking his thoughts aloud.

“It’s strange having the house empty since Audrey moved out.”

“Yeah, who knows what I’ll find in there,” he said.

“Except for some dust, you won’t be disappointed. Audrey kept the place up.”

“I bet you miss her,” he said, sliding his gaze to her.

Susanna looked longingly toward the house. “I do, but...she’s happy and a new mommy now.”

“It appears you’re doing some mothering too.”

A warm glow entered Susanna’s eyes as she continued to gaze at the house. “I’m doing my best with Ally. She’s really a sweetheart. Well, like I said, I’d better be going.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the key. I’ll see you around,” he said.

“Bye, now.”

She turned to walk away. With her long auburn tresses pulled into a ponytail, she looked younger than her twenty-eight years, but the snug fit of her blue jeans and the form-fitted plaid blouse she wore screamed woman in capital letters.

His problem wasn’t going away. Susanna had refused eye contact for all but a second or two of their awkward conversation, which she couldn’t wait to end.

Great.

Walking to the back of his SUV, he pressed the remote button on his keychain. The trunk eased open and he reached inside to retrieve his luggage. Gripping the handles of his leather suitcases with both hands, he gave a yank and hoisted them out.

“Charger,” he called over to the lazy dog. The pup’s head shot up and he spotted Ally and Susanna climbing the steps of the house. He rose on all fours, gave himself a shake and then trotted toward Susanna’s house. “No,” Casey commanded.

The pup stopped in his tracks and hung his head. “You can’t go over there.”

We’re not welcome.

Yet.

* * *

When the alarm clock went off the next morning, Susanna opened her eyes and glanced at the time. 4:00 a.m. She groaned softly and slid her arm out from under her pillow to hush the grating sound before it woke Ally in her bedroom two doors down. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Waking up at this ungodly hour had now become her routine. Rising in the dark was necessary. She had a full morning of baking ahead of her and had to get up an hour earlier than usual to make up for time spent with Ally in the mornings.

She hinged her body up and focused her eyes, going over the to-do list in her head. Aside from the regular orders from local merchants she would hand deliver, she also had to package muffins to send to a few clients in the surrounding counties.

Tossing her sheet off, she bounded quietly from bed and tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway. Wooden floorboards squeaked under her slight weight and she cringed. When Ally had first got here, there’d been too many nights when she woke from bad dreams. Susanna sent up a silent prayer that she’d sleep soundly for a few more hours. She popped her head inside the bedroom and smiled, sighing quietly. Blond curls framed Ally’s face as she slept on the twin bed that had once been Susanna’s. She never got over the love she felt for the little girl, or how the sight of her peaceful and happy made jelly of her heart.

“Promise me, you’ll take her and raise her right,” Susanna’s drug-addicted cousin would say, “if anything happens to me. The kid deserves a better life.”

Susanna had promised and Rhonda Lee had tried to kick her cocaine habit. She’d been to rehab twice, but there was a high failure rate with addicts trying to come clean and Rhonda Lee hadn’t made it to her twenty-ninth birthday. With no father in the picture, and all the other relatives too old to take on a young child, Susanna was Ally’s only hope and her cousin had known it.

There had never been a question that someone else would take Ally in; Susanna’s love for little Ally and Rhonda Lee had her immediately accepting the responsibility of raising the child. The sweet little girl needed someone who would give her unconditional but structured love. Rhonda Lee’s losing battle with her personal demons had all been terribly hard on the child and Ally deserved better.

Susanna planned to give Ally a good life.

She left the room and walked into the kitchen. She filled the coffeepot and the smell of the rich grounds got her juices flowing. Then she turned the oven on to preheat. “Don’t fail me,” she muttered to the late-seventies olive green appliance.

She got out all the bowls, muffin tins, utensils and ingredients she needed and began to bake. She had it timed perfectly—after mixing up and setting two dozen rocky road chocolate muffins in the oven she took twenty minutes to shower, throw on her clothes and dry her hair.

When she got back to the kitchen, she put her Sweet Susie’s apron on over her head and tied it behind her back. She was right on schedule and after the timer pinged, she donned oven mitts and pulled out the first two dozen muffins, setting the pans to cool on racks. Her next creation was made with cranberries and cheese. The coffeecake-like muffin wasn’t too sweet and a favorite at three local coffeehouses where she made deliveries. Once she set them to bake, she dipped her finger into the mixing bowl for a taste test. “Yum.”

By the time six-thirty rolled around, she’d baked twelve dozen pastries. Cupcakes and muffins cooled on the counters and tabletops all over the house. Bowls and utensils filled the sink and dots of batter littered the linoleum floor. She stepped carefully. Cleanup didn’t come until after she made her deliveries. She sipped from her coffee mug and began placing the pastries inside a Sweet Susie’s cake box.

Barking sounds rang out on the quiet street. She knew that bark. Susie moved to the kitchen bay window and gazed out. Charger and his owner jogged by. On short stubbly legs, the puppy was trying his darnedest to keep up with Casey’s long purposeful strides. It was no match. The pup’s five-foot leash was stretched to its limit. Casey finally slowed to a walk, allowing the puppy time to catch his breath.

Susanna caught her own breath. Casey was dressed in a sleeveless tank top and jogging pants. Golden brown and muscled like a pro athlete, he wasn’t hard on the eyes. Her friend Mindy would call him eye candy. With dark blond locks tied back and his skin moist and glistening, he strode confidently along the sidewalk as he cooled down.

She stood immobilized, fascinated by Casey Thomas. What else was new?

When he reached the front of his house, Susie was ready to turn back to her work. But he stopped and angled his head toward her kitchen window. Deep baby blues zeroed in on her, meeting her unflinching stare. Geesh! She didn’t have the nerve or good sense to turn away. He grinned and waved, mouthing “Good morning.” His smile did ridiculous things to her. A knot formed in her throat and she swallowed past it to wiggle her fingers his way.

She stepped away from the window, reminding herself she had a business to run. She couldn’t go around lusting after Casey, of all men. Or losing sleep over him.

After putting the finishing touches on her pastries, she entered Ally’s bedroom. She was just waking and Susie whispered, “Good morning, Muffin. Time to get up. We have deliveries to make.” Susanna bent to kiss her forehead and ruffle her curls.

Ally darted her gaze around the room and in those first few seconds, curious fear entered her eyes, before she realized where she was. One day she’d wake up and not have to remind herself that her mother was gone, and that her life would never be the same. Susanna prayed that day would come soon. Ally was young enough to acclimate to new surroundings. Susanna had met with a psychologist before taking Ally in and learned that a regular routine and stability were the keys in her acceptance of the situation. She needed no more surprises or traumatic experiences in her young life. She had to feel secure.

“Ready to get dressed? I saved two vanilla cupcakes for you. I have lots and lots of frosting leftover too. Would you like to frost them?”

Ally’s eyes widened and she smiled, pushing her covers off and hopefully the sad memories, too. “What flavors?”

“You have a choice of cherry chip or chocolate marshmallow.”

“Chocolate marshmallow!”

“Okay, then. Chocolate marshmallow it is.”

Susanna hoisted Ally off the bed and set her down. The little girl wiggled herself out of her nightdress and Susanna helped her get her arms through the sleeves of a purple and white Sweet Susie’s logo T-shirt. Jeans came on next and then socks. Ally slipped her feet into well-worn hot pink Velcro tennis shoes all by herself. “Good girl. We’re almost all set. Let’s go wash your face and hands and comb your hair. Then we’ll have breakfast and do some frosting.” Ally raced to the bathroom and after she was cleaned up, they went to the kitchen.

Shortly after breakfast, a light knocking on the front door disrupted Susanna’s muffin count for the last box. She slid a glance out the kitchen window and wrinkled her nose. “Casey,” she muttered.

Darn. She had to open the door. He knew she was home. She kept her curtains open to let in early morning sunshine and anyone who was looking could see her bustling about the kitchen.

Sliding her palms down her apron and straightening her ponytail, she made her way to the entrance. “I’ll answer the door, sweetie,” she said to Ally, who was busy licking chocolate marshmallow frosting off her fingers. “Not too much now. Just one bite of the cupcake.” Her mothering skills needed polishing, but at least Ally finished all of her oatmeal this morning before she got her treat.

Susanna took a deep breath, and then gave the door a gentle yank. She came face-to-face with Casey.

“Mornin’,” he said, his gaze instantly darting to the lettering on her apron. Sweet Susie’s...Tasty Pastries and More.

“Hello.” Clean-shaven this morning, his hair combed back, his eyes the deepest azure blue she’d ever seen, he wore a seriously gorgeous beige Armani suit. Wow. He hardly looked like the rough and tumble rodeo rider she’d grown up with. He gestured with his index finger. “What’s the more?”

“The more? Oh, on the apron? I do cakes and all kinds of desserts, really.”

“Keeping your options open?”

“Yes, I suppose...it makes good business sense.”

“But your specialty is muffins and cupcakes?”

“That’s right.”

“I can smell your baking from my house.” He lifted his nose and took a whiff. “Smells amazing, Susanna.”

“Thank you. I...uh, would you like a muffin or two?” If only her mother hadn’t drilled good manners into her. Last night, she’d felt like a heel seeing him come home with a bag of take-out from Burgers-N-Stuff. They weren’t the best burgers in town. Because he was Audrey’s brother, and for no other reason, she should have offered to bring him supper on his first night back in town. She glanced at her watch. She was fine on time. “I have to load up soon to make my deliveries but you’re welcome to come in for a few minutes.”

Say no. Say you have urgent business and you have to be on your way.

“Love to.”

Bummer.

He reached for the screen door and Susanna turned around and began walking. “The kitchen’s a big mess right now. I clean up after I make deliveries.”

As they entered the kitchen, Ally saw Casey and she came forward, peering curiously at him.

“Hi, Ally,” he said, bending to her level and softening his voice. “Hey, I like your shirt. Do you help Aunt Susie with baking?”

She nodded. “I frosteded two cupcakes.”

“That’s real nice.” Casey pointed to the tip of her freckled nose. “Did you frost your nose, too?”

She giggled. “No.”

“Not on purpose,” Susie said.

Ally wiped her nose and removed the frosting. Her mouth turned down. “Where’s Charger?”

“Oh, Charger’s at my house right now. He’s doing just fine, taking a nap.”

“Well deserved,” Susanna said. “You ran him for all he was worth.”

“Yeah, about that.” Casey rose to face her. “It’s part of the reason I came by.”

Her eyes shifted away from his direct look and she turned to the cabinet to grab a plate. Keep busy, Susie, and keep pretending nothing happened between the two of you. “It is?”

“I go jogging just about every morning. It didn’t occur to me that Charger would make such a darn racket in the neighborhood. He didn’t wake Ally up, did he?”

“No, I don’t think so. She slept well past the time I...looked out my window and saw you.”

He sighed with relief. “Okay, that’s good to hear.”

She placed one of each kind of muffin she’d baked this morning on a plate and gestured toward the table. “Would you like to have a quick cup of coffee with a muffin?”

“No thanks,” he said, sliding into a chair that faced her messy sink and the chipped tiles on the counter. This kitchen, as well as the rest of the house, was a far cry from the luxury Casey was accustomed to now. Audrey had told her he’d invested in a construction company years ago and after the owner retired, Casey became the new CEO. “I don’t want to hold you up. I’ll just have one of these.” He grabbed for the cranberry cheese muffin, took a big bite and chewed thoughtfully. “This is really good.”

“Thanks.” She picked up a raspberry-filled lemon cupcake and set it in a cake box. She was about to say he’d just ruined the calorie burn from his jog, but guys didn’t worry about things like that—not the way women did—and she didn’t want to sound snarky.

She closed the box and sealed it with Scotch Tape.

Casey grabbed another muffin and starting chewing again. “Mmm. What’s this one called?”

“That’s my Sweet and Sassy Caramel-Apple muffin.” When she’d tested out the muffin, she’d refined it to make the apple a little tart. Sweet and Sassy had become a best seller. Her small business needed to provide something a little different in order to survive. Competition was fierce and Susie was learning the ropes one secret ingredient at a time.

“It’s delicious.”

“Thank you.” Was there anything more awkward than having Casey sitting in her kitchen taste-testing her pastries? It was a good thing she had to leave soon and their time together would be cut short.

“So you make deliveries every day?”

“Yes, except on Sunday. I cater to the local coffeehouses and some offices. I do...just about anything that comes up. Parties, birthdays, reunions, anything I can.”

“Must be hard getting it all done.”

A chuckle blurted from her lips. “You just have to look around this place to see how well I’m doing.”

Casey blinked and his expression softened. He didn’t bother to glance around her messy kitchen counters.

Oh, boy, she hadn’t meant to say that. No one knew how she plotted out every second of every day and still didn’t have enough time to do it all. She wasn’t one to complain. She certainly didn’t want his sympathy. He just made her so darned nervous. Without giving him the chance to offer an obligatory polite answer, she asked, “Did you have something else you wanted? When you came over, I got the impression you—”

“What time does Ally go to sleep?”

Where did that question come from? Was he worried about Charger’s barking again? It couldn’t be anything else, could it? Blood pounded through her veins and she took a beat to answer. “Eight-ish...why?”

“I’d like to talk to you tonight, after Ally goes to bed.”

No. No. No. She put her head down, staring at a drop of creamy batter on the floor. “I usually call Mom after Ally goes to bed.”

“It’s important,” he added.

She didn’t want to be alone with him ever again, especially not at night, without Ally as her shield. She had to be up early. She had a headache. She had a friend coming over. Half a dozen other pitiful phony excuses entered her mind.

Finally, she lifted her lids and met his gaze. His blue eyes bored into her in a breathtaking way and all of his charming sincerity hit home. Oh, man. She couldn’t wiggle out of this without looking like a liar. Except for calling her mom to check in and say hello, she had no plans tonight. It was the same old, same old. She sighed. “Okay.”

On a solid nod, he rose from his seat and pointed to the boxes. “Where do these go?”

“In my minivan.”

“I’ll help load them.”

“No, it’s not necessary.... Don’t you have to be somewhere?” she asked. He was dressed to kill. He must have a zillion more important things to do than load up her cupcakes and muffins.

He shrugged and carefully lifted a box in his arms. “Let me worry about that. Is your van in the garage?”

“Yes, uh, thanks.”

He headed toward the door leading to the garage.

With Ally beside her, she grabbed a box and followed him. The garage smelled musty and contained the heat of summery days. It was dark inside until she pressed the garage door opener. Daylight poured through and she squinted as she walked to the end of the van. Balancing a box in one hand she opened the back hatch with the other.

Casey peered inside the van. “Nice set up,” he said. “Did you buy it this way?”

“No. It was converted for me.”

When she didn’t say more, Casey probed, “Your boyfriend do it for you?”

She pursed her lips. Heavens, she didn’t have time for a boyfriend. Dating was a thing of the past. “My mother.”

She guided her box onto one of the metal shelves and Casey did the same with his. His elbow brushed the slope of her breast where her Sweet Susie’s apron met her blouse. Her breath came up short, but she continued on, trying to ignore the warm buzz rippling through her.

“Mom gave me the van on her wedding day. She had the back converted with shelves for my cake boxes and then commissioned a designer to paint my logo on the sides of the van.”

It was a ten-year-old minivan, all that her mother had apologetically said she could afford, but it was in good enough shape for her purposes. Her mom really splurged on the logo design and on the day of her second wedding to Chip Huffman, a man who loved her to distraction, she’d taken Susanna outside, to show her the van. “Accepting this is the best wedding gift you could ever give me. I think your dad would think so too,” she’d said to Susanna.

There was no way to deny her mother the pleasure. Her mom had seen her struggle to get her pastries to customers by stuffing her cake boxes in the trunk and backseat of her beat-up sedan. Often, Susanna would pray to the pothole gods and drive as slowly as eighty-five-year-old Mrs. Simpson from five houses down to deliver her pastries in one piece. Eleanor Hart had skimped on her own wedding just to be able to surprise Susanna with the gift. Susanna had been so grateful and overwhelmed, she’d cried for five full minutes.

“Your mom is a special lady,” Casey said, his smile easy.

Well that was something they both agreed on. Her mother had tended to her dad for years, pretending his declining health hadn’t taken a toll on her as well. But Susanna knew what it had cost her mother. Several years ago, her mom met Chip Huffman through a mutual friend and she’d fallen in love with the Georgia peach grower. Susanna had encouraged the relationship—her mom deserved some happiness in the second half of her life. And now, her mother was living in Georgia, soon to celebrate her third wedding anniversary.

“She is...thank you.”

After that, they worked like a team to get the rest of the boxes loaded, Casey refusing to take no for an answer. He waited while Susanna buckled Ally into her car seat and hoisted herself into the driver seat. As she backed out of the garage, he followed her on foot along the driveway. The garage door closed behind him and he waved. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Shoot. For a minute, she’d forgotten about that.

Her fingers dug into the steering wheel and she sighed as the van ambled down the street.

One thing was certain: Casey Thomas wasn’t coming over tonight to talk about the dog.

Two

“Morning, Susie and Ally,” Miranda Fillmore’s voice boomed as she walked out the back door of The Coffee Connection. Dressed in a chocolate-brown apron, the forty-something coffeehouse manager greeted them with her usual cheerful smile.

Ally waved to her from the car seat. “Hi!”

“Good morning, Miranda,” Susanna said, bounding out of the minivan. She had to make five deliveries this morning, all before eight o’clock, so she’d learned how to work fast.

Miranda hid something behind her back as she approached Susanna. Away from Ally’s line of vision, she whipped a bright pink coloring book and a new box of crayons under Susanna’s nose. “Can she have these?” she whispered.

“Oh, of course.” Three fairy-tale princesses wearing tiaras and frilly gowns adorned the coloring book cover. “She loves anything with princesses.”

Susanna appreciated Miranda asking about giving her the gift. Being new to mothering, Susanna made daily decisions for Ally she wasn’t used to making. Most of them seemed like common sense, but she’d still gone online and read books, researching child rearing tips and techniques regardless. She didn’t want to slip up and do something wrong when it came to Ally.

“I thought so.” Miranda said. “What little girl wouldn’t? I was hoping it would brighten her day.”

“Spreading a little joy is always a good thing.”

Miranda walked to Ally’s side of the minivan and opened the door. “Here you go, Ally. These are for you. I hope you like to color.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up as she reached out to claim the unexpected gift. “Princesses!” She hugged the book to her chest, and then studied the slender new box of washable—thank you, Miranda—crayons.

Susanna’s heart warmed. Since Ally had come to live with her, her clients had been overly accommodating by allowing her a little later delivery time and sending someone out to help her unload the boxes. All of them seemed to understand the plight of a working single mother, and were very kind and attentive to Ally. “What do you say, Ally?”

“Thank you!”

“It’s very sweet of you, Miranda,” Susanna said.

“You’re both very welcome.” Miranda walked over to her. “But what’s sweet are these lovelies.” She reached for the box with The Coffee Connection written on top. “What did you bring me today?”

“The usual assortment of two dozen muffins and the cupcake of the day, which is peanut butter with chocolate ganache frosting.”

“Yummy. Those will go by lunchtime,” Miranda said. “I hope you brought me a dozen of those?”

“I sure did. Well, I’m off. Thanks again for thinking of Ally. She’ll be coloring all afternoon, I’m sure.”

“You’re welcome. Bye now.”

Susanna drove off. After she made the rest of her deliveries, she steered the minivan toward home. She didn’t mind being up and out early, but she felt bad for disrupting Ally’s sleep every morning. Once she opened her own shop, her traipsing around town in Sweet Susie’s minivan would come to an end. For a moment, she let herself daydream about the lavender and white painted shop, its bakery cases filled with dozens upon dozens of her pastries. There would be café tables and chairs under a giant blackboard chalked with the day’s cupcake specials. She’d have two employees and a delivery man. Everyone would wear lavender.

Sure, Susie...keep dreaming.

She sighed quietly.

Ally would be going to kindergarten in two years and she’d have more time to build her business. If she could hold on until then....

A few minutes later, she pulled up to the house and drove into the garage. Ally had fallen asleep. Susanna took her time working on the straps to ease Ally out of the car seat. Ally opened her eyes once, draped her arms around Susanna’s neck and curled her body against hers, snuggling in. Susanna kissed the top of her head as she made her way into the house. In the bedroom, she lowered Ally down onto her bed. The child nestled her face into her pillow and Susanna tiptoed out of the room.

In the kitchen, Susanna filled the sink with detergent and rinsed her bowls, muffin tins and utensils, giving each one a good scrub. She had an ancient dishwasher that would go on the fritz every so often, but today she was an optimist. She loaded it up, hit the sanitize button and closed the door. “Do your magic,” she said and walked away to clean countertops and pretend she didn’t notice the peeling paint on the walls and the permanently scuffed floors. The house really needed a makeover, but Susanna would be happy with a brand spanking new double stainless steel oven that would bake four dozen anything in one shot—one with even heat distribution that turned into a convection oven with the press of a button.

Susanna walked into Ally’s room and stole a peek to make sure she was still asleep, then retrieved her laptop and set it up on the kitchen table. When her cell phone rang and the caller’s name popped up, she smiled and answered. “You just saved me.”

“From dishes or from doing the books?” her friend Mindy asked.

“The books.”

“Well, you can thank me later. How’s Ally?”

“She’s doing okay. Taking a little nap right now.”

“Give her a hug for me when she wakes up.”

“I’ll do that.”

“So I need the scoop. Did he show up?”

“He?”

“You know who I mean. My junior high school fantasy crush. Casey. Is he really back in town?”

Susanna’s face scrunched up. She’d almost forgotten Mindy’s fascination with Casey Thomas when they were growing up. She and Mindy had been friendly as youngsters, but not besties, the way she and Audrey were. But their friendship had developed once they were adults. “Yes, as of yesterday. How’d you find out so fast?”

“I bumped into Lana Robards at the market this morning. She said she saw Casey jogging in the neighborhood.” Mindy’s hearty laughter bubbled through the cell phone. “She said he was enough incentive to take up running again.”

“She just got divorced,” Susanna blurted. Something painful knifed through her stomach. She didn’t want to think about why hearing that bothered her so much.

“Not just. It’s been a year. And it must be lonely for her on the weeks she doesn’t have her kids.”

Darlene and Darryl were four-year-old twins living with one parent one week and one parent the next under the terms of their joint custody agreement. It was tough and Susanna often wondered how the children were adjusting.

“But I digress. So tell me your impressions. Is he still dreamy?”

“Are you forgetting about Ted, your loyal, wonderful hubby, or that you’re six months prego?”

“C’mon Susie, give me something to spice up my ho-hum life. I’m a grade school teacher with summer-itis. Since school let out, I miss my students and my work. And Ted’s been smothering me with kindness.”

“You love every second of it. You don’t fool me.”

“So,” she whispered. “Just tell me, is Casey still hot?”

Susanna rolled her eyes. “Yes, okay. Casey is still good-looking.” Mindy would have melted into a puddle of drool today if she’d seen him dressed in that gunmetal gray tailored Armani suit. “He’s a little more solid, not as lean as in his bronc-busting days.”

“Mmm. Solid is good. Have you spoken to him?”

She so did not want to have this conversation. “A little.”

“And, what’s the scoop? Why’s he here? How long will he be staying next door?”

Being a teacher, Mindy had to know all the facts. “All I know is that he’s here on business. I have no clue how long he’s staying.”

But he’ll be coming over to my house tonight after Ally goes to sleep. Her eyes squeezed shut and she rubbed the left side of her temple. She had hours before she had to think about that.

“But not permanently?”

“No.” Audrey had assured her this was only temporary...and the more temporary the better.

“Oh, Susie...you’ve got to work on your spice skills. You didn’t give me anything juicy.”

“I’ll remember that in the future.”

“Hey, I almost forgot the real reason I called. One of the teachers I work with is throwing her daughter a sweet sixteen party. I told her about Sweet Susie’s and how fabulous your desserts are. She’s going to call you later today to cater a chocolate party for her.”

“Wow, thanks. That sounds like fun. I can certainly use the extra work.”

“Welcome. Oh, and Suse...it wouldn’t hurt if you invited Casey over for dinner one night. He’s single, you’re single. Who knows?”

“Oh, no. Don’t even go there, Mindy. You’re not matchmaking for me. The last date I went on was a disaster and lasted all of forty-five minutes before I showed him the door.”

“That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know the guy I set you up with was a-a....”

“I’ll say it. He was a grabby-handed sex addict.”

“I’ve apologized for that a dozen times. Besides, it would be different with Casey. You know him.”

Too well. He’d broken her heart once already. She didn’t want an encore performance. “Not interested.”

Mindy sighed melodramatically. “Most single women would jump at the chance to date a hot guy like Casey, but my friend only gets her jollies from a hot oven.”

Mindy was darn right. And that’s exactly how it was going to stay.

* * *

Casey thought after taming wild broncos half his life, he’d be used to confrontation. But the idea of speaking with Susanna about the sins of the past left a bitter taste in his mouth. Taking his little sister’s vulnerable friend in the living room of his home hadn’t been one of his proudest moments. The guilt weighed heavily on him. They’d never spoken of it. Susanna probably wanted to forget it had ever happened. How could he blame her? That night, Susie had come to his house looking for Audrey and some comfort. She’d been devastated learning of her father’s debilitating disease, knowing his life would be changed forever and death wasn’t far in his future. But she’d found Casey instead, and he’d taken her virginity. Tonight, he had to right the wrong. There was no doubt in his mind.

“Has to be done,” he said, his voice breaking the silence. The pup’s head shot up from his sprawled position on the bedroom floor. His tail wiggled and he rose to stretch his neck. His round chestnut eyes zeroed in on Casey. “Hey, I wish I could take you over there tonight, but I can’t count on that yapper of yours not going off.”

Charger’s head tilted.

“Don’t give me that pathetic look. You’re staying.”

The pup hung his head, walked around in a circle a few times and settled into another sprawl right beside the bed.

Casey smiled. Audrey had been right about one thing: Charger was good company. The grateful pup had greeted him as if he was something special when Casey walked through the front door today. After a long day of meetings, the pup was a welcome sight. Playing with Charger for half an hour in the backyard got his mind off work and off his last meeting of the day...with Susanna.

He tucked his blue plaid shirt into well-worn Wrangler jeans and buckled his belt. A glance in the mirror told him he’d need a haircut soon, but just a trim. He liked the longer style. Call it rebellion from his old rodeo days. There were still traces of the old unbroken Casey in him and he didn’t ever want to lose that part of himself.

He glanced at his wristwatch. Eight-thirty. “Okay, here goes,” he said. “Be good, pup.”

Halfway out the front door, he stopped short, turned and walked into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he stared at the contents. He had to get some food stocked; the fridge was downright depressing. He grabbed two cold beers and shouldered the door shut. “What the heck.”

He didn’t know if Susanna liked beer. He didn’t know much about her at all, really. Not Susanna, the adult. On a deep breath and holding the beers as a peace offering, he exited the house and walked the short distance to his neighbor’s house. Rapping his knuckles lightly on the screen door, he waited.

It took a minute for her to open the door. She stood behind the mesh screen, her eyes focused somewhere between his neck and shoulders. “Hi.” He kept his voice low. “Is Ally sleeping?”

“Yes, I just finished reading to her and she’s out.”

He smiled to himself as the image flashed of Susie sitting next to Ally on her bed, getting cozy and snuggling together. He gestured to the porch. “It’s a nice night. Wanna sit out on the steps?”

Her gaze flew toward the hallway and she listened for a second. “Okay. If I keep the door open, I can listen for Ally in case she wakes up.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She stepped outside, and quietly closed the screen door. Casey waited for her take a seat. Of course, she hugged the farthest side of the porch steps. Casey took his cue and sat on the opposite end. Three feet separated them. It probably hurt her shoulders to sit so stiffly. She hugged her arms around her middle and focused her attention on the sky, a slice of the moon, the large cottonwood by the sidewalk. Anywhere but at him. “Would you like one?” he asked, lifting a beer her way.

“Oh, uh,” she glanced at the bottle. “Sure.”

She reached for it and his finger brushed hers as they made the exchange. Casey met her eyes in that moment and she shifted her gaze to the ground. “How was your day?” he asked.

“Busy, but good.”

“Get all your deliveries made?”

“Yeah, I did. Worked on the books and made a few more batches of muffins and cupcakes this afternoon.”

“For?”

“I have online orders too. I package them up and send them locally to three other counties. There’s just a handful of customers right now but I’m hoping to...” She shrugged. “Never mind.”

“You’re hoping to expand?” Casey guessed. She was passionate about what she did. Her nerves and whatever anger she held toward him couldn’t disguise her excitement.

“Open my own shop one day.” She raised the beer bottle to her lips and took a big gulp.

He nodded and took a swig too. “I remember you liked cooking. You were always helping your mother in the kitchen, but how did you get into this business?”

“I fell into it really. When Dad’s multiple sclerosis got real bad, I quit college and came back home to help my mother care for him. My mom was working part-time back then and she just couldn’t do it all. I could see the strain on her face and it was getting worse every day. My dad had good days and bad days. MS is like that. Every day was a new experience. On the good days, we’d do whatever he felt like doing, playing checkers, watching movies, occasionally we’d go on an outing. On the bad days, when all he could do was stay in bed, I’d dabble in the kitchen and come up with recipes for cupcakes. When visitors stopped by, I’d offer them one of my creations. Everyone seemed to love them and they began asking me to bake for their children’s birthday parties or special occasions. After Dad died, I—I—uh, sorry,” she choked out.

Her eyes clouded up with tears and she didn’t finish her sentence. One tear fell onto her cheek. Oh, man. Why’d he have to ask her about her business? Audrey had already filled him on some of her story. But was it a sin to try to get her to speak to him? Or even look him straight in the eye? Protective urges warred inside his acid-drenched gut. It was all he could do to keep from reaching for her to give her the comfort she needed.

To help make the sadness go away.

He knew the pain of losing a parent. When he was a teenager, a deadly storm had taken the lives of both of his folks. The ache never fully went away. It was there and sometimes a random memory would come out of nowhere and shatter him.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She straightened and pulled herself together, using the back of her hand to wipe moisture from her eyes. “I will be. I...I don’t usually do this. It’s just that...sometimes it hits me all over again.”

“I know the feeling.”

A sigh wobbled from her lips. “I know you do.”

Keep her talking. “Audrey told me after George died, you continued living here to help your mother adjust.”

“Yeah, I did.” Susanna leaned forward, braced her elbows on her knees and cradled her face with her palms. Gazing straight ahead, she went on, “Mom was a mess. She needed me, so I stayed, but I had to earn a living. We’d been scraping by and we really needed the money. That’s when Sweet Susie’s was born.”

“You put your life on hold for your dad and mom.”

She shrugged. “I wanted to do it. To me, there was no other option.”

She wasn’t his sister’s silly young friend anymore. Her loyalty and dedication to her family was admirable...and rare. Just when she had an opportunity to branch out on her own, she’d taken Ally in because the child had nowhere else to go, as Audrey had put it.

If only he wasn’t noticing how Susanna Hart had grown into a pretty sensational woman all around.

He studied her profile. Her chin was delicate, her cheekbones high, her skin dewy soft. Her ponytail hung loose. Long wispy strands of hair framed her face, the color reminding him of autumn leaves right before they turned, golden in some spots, red in others, blending naturally into something phenomenal.

His gaze dipped to her soft shoulders exposed by the cotton tank top she wore and then farther down to where her top dipped into a smooth valley covering her breasts, which were round and amazingly full for her small stature. She had to be five-foot-four to his six-foot-two. Because he was a glutton for punishment he gave her legs a quick once over. She was wearing shorts. It wasn’t her fault it was summer and she had long, gorgeous, tanned legs. He tried his damnedest not to stare at them.

Ten years ago, those legs had wrapped around him. She’d fit him perfectly and it hadn’t been awkward making love to her. No, the awkwardness had come immediately afterward, once he’d realized what he’d done.

Crap. He had no business going there. No business stirring up trouble in his head.

He took a swallow of his beer and pulled his gaze away, looking out at the same aggravating tree she’d been focused on since she stepped out of her house.

No one said another word.

Casey sipped his beer quietly and put his thirty-five-year-old hormones on notice. He’d be damned not to say what he’d come here to say to Susanna. His mission was clear. First he needed to break the ice and gain her friendship back. He saw no way around it.

He set his bottle down, stretched out one leg and pivoted his body toward her. “We should probably talk about it, Susanna,” he said quietly.

Her eyes squeezed shut. She made no effort to conceal her dismay and when she opened them again, that damned tree still held her attention. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“I do.”

“Why? It’s in the past.”

“Because we’re neighbors again and you haven’t looked me in the eye since I got here.”

“Have too.”

“Not for more than a second and only when you had no other choice.”

Her mouth twisted and she turned sharply, forcing her eyes to his. “I’m looking at you now.”

He nodded. “That’s a start.”

* * *

“A start?” she asked.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, her pulse pounding in her ears. Casey had no idea what he’d done to her that night. Or how hard it was for her to face the man she’d wanted for so long. That night, he hadn’t taken her virginity. She’d offered it to him without words, but with every emotion she’d held inside. She’d wanted him to be her first. She’d needed his comfort and his body and hadn’t felt an iota of guilt about what she’d done.

But she’d had no idea that he would rebuke her so harshly right afterward. She had no idea how many years the hurt would linger.

“We were friends once,” he said.

Her eyes begged to narrow, her lips warred to tighten but amazingly she kept composed. “You want us to be friends again?”

There was a long pause before he nodded. “Yeah.”

Why had he hesitated? This meeting had been all his idea. Was he allowing the idea to sink in with her? Or was it something else?

“Is it because Audrey and I are friends?”

He gave that some thought. “Partly, but mostly it’s because you ran out that night and we...I’ve always felt badly about the way things ended up between us. When you came looking for Audrey that night, I saw how upset you were. All I wanted to do was comfort you in Audrey’s absence. I wanted to help. I never thought it would lead to...to—”

“I get it, Casey. You gave me pity sex.”

“Crap, Suse,” he shot back as if she’d set him on fire. “I didn’t say that.”

His eyes darkened, but she didn’t back down. He didn’t intimidate her. He wanted this conversation and now he was going to get it. “You thought you took advantage of me? You feel guilty as hell about it, don’t you?”

“Hell, yeah...I do. I called you that night to apologize. To make sure you were okay.”

Susanna took a deep breath. “I wasn’t okay.”

Casey shut his eyes and rubbed at his temples. “Oh, man...I know.”

“You don’t know, Casey. You haven’t got a clue.”

“I know I hurt you...I spoke harshly to you afterwards. I was mad at myself more than anything and everything I said to you that night came out wrong.”

“You got that part right.”

“I should’ve known better. I mean, you and I...we weren’t anything but—”

“But what?” A short gasp escaped her throat. “We were never really friends. I was your little sister’s good buddy and you mostly tolerated me.”

“Not true. I liked you. Those last few years, we hung out. You, me and Audrey.”

“You treated your sister like a baby and so you thought of me in the same way.”

“I know I was hard on Audrey. I tried to raise her right, but what the hell did I know about raising a kid? A girl, no less. She was so much younger than me and I felt I had to protect her, even if I did bully her sometimes.”

“I was eighteen when we were together, Casey. I wasn’t a kid. I didn’t need your protection. I knew what I wanted.”

“You didn’t want me....You came over looking for Audrey. She would’ve made you feel better about your dad. She would’ve had the right words for you. What I did wasn’t right. There’s no way to take it back, but I’ve been sorry ever since.”

A fiery spear singed her heart and burned its way through her body. She fought to keep from sagging. Her throat thickened, his words of regret ringing in her ears.

He’d been sorry about laying her down on the sofa, comforting her with kisses that healed her open wounds? He’d been sorry about his whispered words that brought her joy and then he’d been sorry about joining their bodies...in a gentle and beautiful way that had made her forget her heartache? Making love with him had been a magical, wonderful experience in her life. She’d been infatuated with her neighbor since age fifteen and had dreamt about being in his arms, having his lips on her and giving her body to him.

For Casey, it had all been one gigantic mistake.

Images from ten years ago seared her memory.

Susanna remembered the shattering sound that had filled her ears that night. She’d rushed into the kitchen. A ceramic mug lay shattered in pieces on the floor. Luckily, there hadn’t been steaming coffee bubbling out of it like the last time her dad had a clumsy spill. George Hart stood in the middle of the mess and his bewildered stare hit home. He hadn’t been himself lately. Her mom’s gaze stayed on her dad and he gently nodded to her. Then her mother asked Susie to sit down. There was something important she needed to know.

“Dad’s had the condition for two years, honey, but we felt you didn’t have to know. We tried to spare you some worry. But it’s time now to tell you the total truth.”

Susanna’s whole world had crumbled. Now she understood their motives for holding back the truth, but back then she’d been devastated that her father’s death was imminent and that both her parents had lied to her about it. Their betrayal had struck deep and she was angry at them, angry at the world. She’d marched defiantly out of the house, but the second she stepped outside, she broke down and sobbed and sobbed.

“You don’t have be sorry anymore, Case. Or feel guilty.”

A wince drew his mouth down and his eyes filled with grief. “That’s not easy to do, Susanna.”

“It’ll be easier when I tell you the truth. That night, I knew Audrey wasn’t home. She was volunteering at the animal hospital and they’d needed someone to stay until midnight. I didn’t come to your house looking for Audrey, Casey. I knew she wouldn’t be there.”

Casey leaned way back and blinked. “What are you saying?”

She stopped short. His sharp question had her doubting herself. But she’d gone this far. He needed to know the truth. Her chin up, she pressed on. “What I’m saying is I knew you’d be there alone. I came for you. You just assumed I was looking for Audrey.”

He began shaking his head as if absorbing what she’d just revealed. Well, hell...he’d brought the subject up. Now, he wasn’t happy with the truth?

A car cruised down the street and briefly shined light on her house as it passed by. They both watched the driver turn into a driveway at the end of the block.

Casey sighed.

“So you see, you didn’t take advantage of me. I came looking for comfort.”

“Don’t try to make me feel better about this, Susanna. My comforting got outta control.”

“I didn’t see it that way,” she whispered.

Casey sighed again. “I just made things worse. You ran away crying. And things have been weird between us ever since.”

“It was an emotional night for me.” She’d been crazy about him and the instant he’d touched her, she’d been ready for more. She’d wanted him—the forbidden, brooding rodeo rider—for years. Maybe it was just infatuation but at the time she’d thought it was love, and he’d made her gloriously happy that night. For that brief bit of time, she’d forgotten about her father’s illness and the dread that had crawled up inside her.

“I’m sorry about it, Susanna,” Casey said in a low rasp. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

She bobbed her head up and down. He’d humiliated and rejected her. The searing ache had festered inside of her for years. Maybe too many years. Could she be using Casey, breaker of her heart, as a scapegoat for her real loss? Had it been the idea of losing her father, not Casey’s behavior, that had really devastated her? Was it time to let Casey off the hook? Maybe he was right in confronting her and making them talk it out. He had a point. They were going to be neighbors again. How on earth could she keep Ally from the adorable pup next door? All day long, the little girl had begged to see Charger again.

Susanna’s breath caught whenever she looked at Casey, but she could control that, couldn’t she? He wasn’t that irresistible. Having this talk cleared the air. Accepting what was done was done would make life so much less complicated since Casey was her best friend’s brother.

“Okay. I accept your apology. What happened between us was a long time ago. I’ve almost forgotten about it,” she lied.

His brows lifted and he smiled. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

A gnawing ache pinched her belly. His enthusiasm wasn’t easy to take. She would forever hold dear the first time she’d made love to a man...a special man whom she might very well have loved. Those memories would never leave her.

“Then we can move on? Start fresh?” he asked.

“I think so.”

But she would’ve been happier if he’d never come back to town.

Three

Susanna put two dozen double chocolate muffins in the oven, set the egg timer and then spread her palms over her apron, smoothing it out. One more batch to go and she’d be done this morning. She strode to the kitchen window and gazed out at the sun-soaked street. A scorcher, the weathercaster had warned. She didn’t doubt it. Beads of moisture already trickled down her neck. It was going to be a steam-rising-from-asphalt kind of day.

She spotted a tall figure running up the street. Instead of backing away from the window, she strained to focus on Casey doing his daily exercise. His strides were long and efficient and smooth. She sighed. Why was she punishing herself by searching for him?

As he approached the house, she took a few steps back, out of view of her window. Good. His run was over. He’d go inside his house now and let her get on with her day.

Then she heard footfalls on her driveway, quickly followed by a light rapping on her door. It had to be Casey. He was the only person on the street as of three seconds ago. Apparently, starting fresh started early for Casey. “Darn it,” she muttered.

Last night they’d parted as “friends.” What on earth did he want now?

She opened the door. He stood on her doorstep, hands on hips, chest heaving up and down, wearing black nylon running shorts and a round-necked T-shirt. A headband kept blond locks from falling onto his face, which was coated in a sheen of sweat. He put up a finger, silently asking her to wait until he caught his breath. The dog was nowhere in sight.

Seconds ticked by. He filled her doorway and she stared at him. How could she not? He looked heaven sent standing on her threshold, neck bulging, shoulders broad and muscles tight. Her pulse raced. She’d bet her heart was beating faster than his, and her only exercise this morning had been to lift muffin tins out of the oven.

“Morning,” he said at last.

“Good morning. Where’s Charger today?”

“I figured I wouldn’t punish him. I needed a fast run today. But some days I have to go slower.”

She nodded. She got it. His back had never been the same since his injury.

“Is Ally still sleeping?”

“Yes. I’ll be getting her up in a few minutes.”

His gaze lifted to her hair, hanging loosely past her shoulders. Darned hairclips weren’t worth their weight in chocolate chips. They’d fallen out while she was working on batter and she’d forgotten to tie her hair back up.

“I’d ask you in, but...”

“No problem. I had a thought and wanted to run it by you. Any chance you can bake up some of those amazing muffins for my crew?”

“Your crew?”

“Yeah, at the restaurant. I spoke to the foreman yesterday. The guys are busting their asses, working day and night to finish the project on time. Your muffins will take the frowns off their faces in the morning.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“Three dozen a day would work.”

“Every day?” She did some mental calculations. She could use the extra money.

“Yes, until the restaurant is ready to open. The construction is going on at the River Walk. You could make it your last stop of the morning. Doesn’t matter what time they get delivered.”

“Oh, uh...sure. I’d love to.”

“Wanna start tomorrow?”

She gave it less than one second of thought. “Yes, I can manage that.”

“That’s great. I’ll get the info to you later today. Gotta take a shower now.”

“O-kay.” Instantly, she pictured him stripping off his workout clothes and soaping his body all up. Dang it. What was wrong with her? One minute she was sorry he’d landed on her doorstep, the next, she was imagining joining him in the shower.

He strode down the steps and off her property. Her heartbeat settled down finally and she closed the door. She wasn’t ungrateful for the work he offered, but it meant dealing closely with him again.

“Auntie?”

She swiveled around to find Ally in the hallway, her eyes half-lidded, her hair a curly mess of fluff. She stood there in her nightgown printed with tiny pink and white roses, her thumb in her mouth.

“Hi, Muffin.”

She giggled softly. “I’m not a muffin.”

“Oh, I forgot. You got up all by yourself this morning. Good girl.”

Beaming, Ally puffed out her chest.

“Are you ready for breakfast?”

Ally’s gaze darted around the living room. Every morning when she woke up, she seemed confused and unsure about all the changes in her life. At times, Susanna thought she was remembering her mother. At other times she seemed to be adjusting just fine. She didn’t pressure her. She gave the child all the space she needed. “Okay.”

“Great. We’ll have oatmeal with fruit and then you can help me put muffins in the oven. Would you like that?”

The next thing she knew, Ally was racing toward her with arms outstretched. Susanna seared the sight into her memory. She squatted to scoop Ally up and spin her around. Giggles burst from the child’s lips, revealing a mouthful of small, bright white teeth. Susanna was a sucker for that sweet smile.

It was the greatest feeling in the world. Having Ally’s trust—and hopefully love—one day was all she could ask for. She wasn’t Ally’s biological mother, but she felt like a mom right now, and the feeling seemed to be growing every day. She brushed her lips to Ally’s soft rosy cheek and then set her down. “Okay, my girl, it’s time to start our day together.”

* * *

“Hello, Austin,” Casey said, climbing down from his SUV. Plucking off his Ray-Ban sunglasses and stuffing them into his shirt pocket, he extended his hand to his mentor. “It’s good to see you.”

Big, burly, sweet-faced Austin Brown clasped his leathery hand around Casey’s. Austin’s was a work hand, the rough calluses and blisters a permanent testament to the man’s struggles and successes in life. He tugged Casey into a clumsy bear hug and gave him several forceful pats on the back. Then the former owner of Sentinel Construction pulled away and stared at him. “It’s about time you came out to Sentinel Ranch again. Elizabeth’s been asking for you.”

“I can’t wait to see her again.”

“Well, let’s head on inside. It’s hotter than hell today. Elizabeth has a great lunch waiting for you.”

Casey squinted to catch a quick glimpse of the sprawling two hundred-acre spread nestled in the heart of Crystal Canyon on the outskirts of Carson City. Austin had custom-built the mansion-sized ranch house twelve years ago; it was the envy of local landowners, Casey included. Constructed with flagstone, timber logs and brick, it was a visual masterpiece that earned a place on the pages of several architectural magazines. The publicity had done wonders for Sentinel Construction.

They approached the house and Austin turned to him. “You’re looking fit. How’s the back doing?”

“Most days I’m pretty good.”

“Glad to hear it. Can’t imagine anything worse than getting thrown ten feet in the air by a wild horse and landing smack on your back. Still makes me cringe thinking what you went through, boy.”

“My life’s different now, that’s for sure. Mostly, thanks to you.”

Austin Brown was a man to be feared, or so Casey had thought in those early years, when the older man had personally hired him in the rodeo off-season to work on a construction crew. Casey had been green around the ears and desperately in need of work to support Audrey. He’d learned a lot about construction during that time. Austin didn’t like mess ups and Casey proved himself a valuable worker. After Casey hit it big as a rodeo rider and made a fortune in endorsements, he invested in Sentinel Construction and through the years, shared in the profits. Less than eighteen months ago, Austin retired and Casey jumped at the chance to buy him out with only one condition: that he remain as his consultant and advisor.

“You’re the son he never had,” Elizabeth had told him once. “He wouldn’t want the company in anyone else’s hands.” Being parentless for most of his life, Casey was moved to tears by her comment and now he and Austin were as close as two people could be that weren’t blood-related.

“How about you, Austin? That arthritis still giving you fits?”

“Ahh, I’ve got nothing to complain about.” Austin’s palm landed on his beer belly. “I’ve put on a few pounds since I retired though. Elizabeth’s put me on some dang new-age regimen. Claims it’s a way of life and not so much a diet.”

Casey laughed. Austin on a diet? That he’d like to see. Austin loved food. Only his love for Elizabeth, his childhood sweetheart and wife of fifty some odd years, could get him to abide by new eating rules.

Casey removed his hat as they entered the home. The cool interior walls of natural stone and wood were just as he remembered them. Casey felt warmth and love every time he entered the Browns’ home. It wasn’t picture perfect. Elizabeth’s half-knitted blanket lay on the sofa in the great room, her spools of yarn cozy in a basket beside it and a few issues of Cowboys and Indians magazine lay open on chairs and on their signature rock and glass coffee table. Miss Caroline, their black and white tuxedo cat, lay stretched out on the window sill as if she owned the place. Missy, as they called her, was going on eleven years and was the apple of Elizabeth and Austin’s eyes. If it weren’t for Missy, Casey would’ve brought the pup out to the ranch.

Casey lifted his nose to heavenly scents of tangy sauce and garlic and onions coming from the kitchen. “Something smells mighty good.”

“That’ll be lunch.”

The housekeeper stepped out of the kitchen and approached him. “Hello, Mr. Thomas. Would you like me to take your hat?”

“Oh, sure.” Casey handed it to her. She took Austin’s hat as well. “How you doing, Bessie?”

She smiled. “Well, thank you. Miss Elizabeth wouldn’t let me touch a thing in the kitchen. She’s making you one of your favorites.”

“I told you,” Austin said.

“Well, now that’s incentive for me to come by more often.”

“Wish you would. C’mon now.”

Bessie moved on and Austin led him into the kitchen. Elizabeth was leaning over the oven, pulling out a roasting pan. She was dressed impeccably in a pair of beige slacks and a cream and brown printed blouse. Even working in the hot kitchen, not a hair on her silver-gray head was out of place.

The second she spotted him, she set her oven mitts down and lifted her arms to him. “Casey, it’s good to see you.”

He walked into her arms, giving the petite woman a gentle squeeze. His eyes closed to the tenderness swelling in his heart. Then he cleared his throat and backed away to look into her bright amber eyes. “Same here. You’re as pretty as ever, Elizabeth.”

“You’re a charmer, Casey.”

No, he wasn’t. Mostly, he was gruff and rough around the edges. “I’ll thank you for that.”

“I hope you brought your appetite. I made you pulled pork with your favorite peanut coleslaw and fried onions.”

Casey looked at the pan of steaming, fork-tender pork shoulder roast oozing with barbeque sauce, just waiting to be shredded. “I brought an appetite and a half. Can’t wait to dive in.”

Casey did the honors of forking the meat from the roast, working alongside Elizabeth, who was arranging plates for all of them. She gave Austin half the portion size she’d given Casey and left off the sourdough bun from her husband’s plate.

She ignored Austin mumbling under his breath and smiled wide. “Okay, boys, looks like we’re ready to sit down.”

An hour later, after a delicious lunch spent shooting the breeze with the Browns, Casey sat in an extra-wide chocolate-leather chair facing Austin in his study, a tumbler of Scotch gripped in one hand. With its lived-in chairs, paneled fireplace and beige Italian sofa, the study was one of Casey’s favorite rooms in the house. Walnut bookshelves banked two opposing walls. There were five hundred books if there was one on those shelves. Austin probably speed read through every danged book in here. Mesh window shades dimmed the sunlight but still allowed a stunning view of Crystal Canyon.

“So you’re thinking of expanding the business?” Austin asked, eyeing Casey seriously. The older man had worked his fingers to the bone building the company from scratch and had a keen sense of business.

“Yeah, I’ve been shopping around Reno looking for office space. We’re bursting at the seams in Tahoe and ready to branch out. But you know I wouldn’t make that decision until I talked it out with you.”

“Yes, well. I’m glad you did.” Deep in thought, Austin scratched his chin, his fingers clasping the skin underneath. “You know that Nartoli nearly went belly up when he expanded too quickly. That’s why I always tried to grow the business slowly.”

“I’d take it slow, too. But I think the time is right.” Casey put his lips to the tumbler and sipped Scotch.

“Do you have enough business in the area to warrant opening a division in Reno?”

“We’re getting requests all the time and bidding on several big projects. Since the moratorium on commercial building has been lifted, the area is taking off.”

“Smart of you to want to get in on the ground floor of that. Actually, you’re young enough to do it. By the time those thoughts entered my skull, I was looking at retirement.” Austin leaned into the arm of his chair and leather squeaked under him. “Tell me, Casey, do you have a girl? Any thoughts of settling down?”

Casey frowned. It was a question he didn’t expect. A picture of Susie baking up those doggone delicious muffins popped into his head. “None at the moment.”

None ever. But he kept that to himself to stay away from scrutiny or friends and family trying to change his mind. Casey had grown up really fast, raising Audrey and raising hell on the rodeo. When Audrey wasn’t around, he’d led a wild life. There was always a woman around to keep him company. Funny, how a spill from a horse could change all that. He’d found out who his friends really were. Suddenly, the rodeo champion was a broken man facing months of rehab with no future to speak of and no hope of a family of his own. He’d faced that reality dead on and reinvented himself. It had been a large learning curve, but finally he was in a good place again.

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