Chapter Nine

Saturday afternoon, and Jake agonized over what he should take Kat when he went round that evening. Flowers were the traditional choice when a lady made a man dinner, but they weren’t his style. He couldn’t see what the attraction was for a clump of what were effectively dead plants. Sure he liked to see flowers in the garden, but in a vase? What was the point? They had to be arranged, which was a hassle, and within days they’d withered away. However, he could hardly go over empty handed. That would seem plain rude, wouldn’t it? Although, if she was only inviting him over to pay him back for the meal he’d made her, perhaps he was making too big a deal of this. Maybe he should simply play it low key and take a bottle of wine.

Just as he’d agreed on that option, his mind drifted back to the way she’d looked at him when he’d left yesterday. That wasn’t a low-key type of look. At least not in his experience. So if he didn’t want to blow this chance, he needed to come up with something a damn sight more thoughtful than wine.

Several hours later, wearing trousers that weren’t jeans and a collared shirt that wasn’t a T-shirt, Jake walked up the gravel path toward Kat’s cottage. Thank God his stomach wasn’t churning as violently as it had the last time he’d stood on this doorstep. In fact he was positively calm, in comparison. At least that’s what he told himself as he knocked on the door and ran a hand over the back of his neck, his collar feeling uncomfortably tight.

“Hey, welcome.” Kat opened the door to him, a wide smile on her face and a pretty dress covering some of her body. Thankfully not her legs. Or her arms, which he noticed were toned and slender, like her legs. Umm, there was also a hint of cleavage there. Enough to cause his tongue to stick to the roof of his mouth.

He cleared his throat and tried to get back on track. “I didn’t know what to bring so, well...” Awkwardly he thrust out the wooden number he’d carved out for her house. “I noticed your other one was a bit worn.”

He’d spent the last few hours painstakingly chiseling out a border of flowers around the number, just like the ones that surrounded her cottage. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, but now, as he held his breath, waiting for her reaction, he wondered if it was a bit trite.

“Oh, Jake. It’s lovely.” His breath came out in a rush as she smiled up at him, her eyes mirroring her obvious delight. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Unsure of his moves, he hesitated a moment. Then he thought, what the hell, go with your instincts. So he bent his head to kiss her. Just a light peck, on the cheek and not on the lips, but a sign of the direction he wanted their embryonic friendship to take.

As his lips grazed the soft skin of her cheek, he drew in a breath. Instantly he found himself drowning in the smell of roses and honeysuckle. He longed to linger, to move his mouth from her cheek to her luscious full lips, but over Kat’s shoulder he could see Molly hovering in the hallway. Regretfully he drew back.

“Come in, come in.” Looking slightly flushed, Kat ushered him in.

Molly greeted him with her killer megawatt smile. “Do you want a drink, Jake? I’m in charge of making them,” she told him proudly.

Ruffling her already tousled hair, Jake grinned down at her. “Well, let me see. What do you make best?”

“I’m not sure.” Her forehead crinkled slightly as she thoughtfully considered his question. “I can make orange squash but I’ve been practicing pouring out beer.” She screwed up her nose. “It goes all frothy and you have to watch it or it bubbles over the top of the glass.”

“In that case, I’ll have a beer and see how good you are.”

“Okay.” She grinned and scampered off to the kitchen.

“You’ve just made her day,” Kat remarked as her eyes followed her daughter, her face a picture of maternal indulgence. “She’s been dying to have another go.”

“Dare I ask how many you’ve got through already?”

Kat shook her head. “Let’s just say I won’t be able to drive you home.” When he grinned, raising an eyebrow, a pink blush stole across her cheeks. “I didn’t mean...that wasn’t an invitation to stay...”

“I know,” he interrupted, putting her out of her misery. “I was just kidding. I’ve got my truck. I’ll stay sober. I promise.”

Once more their gazes met and held. If Molly hadn’t been there, he’d have taken Kat in his arms and kissed her until she begged him to put them both out of their misery.

But Molly was there. “Here you are, Jake.” With unsteady hands she pushed a glass of very frothy beer at him. “Is it okay?”

Under her watchful gaze, he took a sip. “Perfect.”

The beer might not have been, but the expression of pure delight on her face, was.

****

The lamb was good, even if she did say so herself. What was better, however, was having a man at their table to enjoy it with. Kat hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the stimulation that only male company could provide. And Jake was pretty stimulating, in many ways. Visually, for one. He looked positively divine this evening, and it wasn’t just because he’d had a shave and worn an expensive-looking light blue shirt. It was because he was relaxed. More relaxed than she’d ever seen him. And utterly charming. If she hadn’t already been so smitten, the beautifully carved number would have easily toppled her over the edge. More personal than a bunch of flowers, more thoughtful than a bottle of wine.

She watched him help himself to seconds, another mark in his favor, and settled back in her chair. “How long have you lived in Little Bright, Jake?”

For the first time that evening, he stiffened. It wasn’t really noticeable, unless you were watching him closely. Which she found herself doing, rather too often. “Nearly two years.”

Intrigued, Kat took another sip of wine. “You’re not very comfortable with talking about yourself, are you?”

The glance he gave her was a wary one. “No, I guess I’m not.” Then he seemed to take hold of himself, and a smile appeared on his face again. A forced smile. One that curved his mouth but didn’t register in his eyes. “Why talk about me when there are so many more interesting subjects?”

She knew she was letting him off the hook, but the evening had been lovely so far. She didn’t want to ruin it. “Like what?”

“Horses!” Molly chimed in, making both Kat and Jake laugh.

“Molly, I’m sure Jake is bored to tears with talking to you about horses. I know I am.”

Jake shook his head and smiled at Molly. “Not me. I could talk about horses all day.” Especially, Kat suspected, if it meant he wouldn’t be subjected to any questions about his personal life. “Did I tell you that when I was your age I had a horse of my own?”

Kat shook her head and began to clear up the dishes. Molly would talk all night on the subject. She hoped Jake knew what he was letting himself in for.

It was a long while before Kat had the chance to interject once more into the conversation. During that time she’d cleared the table and sorted out the kitchen. To be fair Jake had offered to help, but she’d turned him down when she’d seen how much Molly was enjoying herself. It wasn’t often her daughter had the undivided attention of an adult. Especially one who seemed more than happy just to listen to her.

“Molly, do you realize what the time is?” she interrupted finally. “It’s way past your bedtime.”

“But I want to hear about the show-jumping competition Jake won when he was ten.”

“Well maybe Jake will tell you about that another time, eh?” She looked over at Jake.

“Sure I will.” He smiled over at Molly. “Better do as your mother tells you.”

“Okay.” She got down from the sofa and walked up to him.

Kat looked on as Molly wrapped her small arms around Jake’s large frame. He tensed, as if bracing himself for something painful. She guessed he was remembering another, happier time, when he’d been hugged by his own daughter.

“Good night, Jake.”

Kat took hold of Molly’s hand and led her upstairs, thinking that even though it was late, she’d read her daughter a quick story and give Jake some time to regroup.

When she made it back downstairs, he was in the kitchen, filling up two cups.

“Are you okay?”

He glanced over at her with hooded eyes. “Yes, thanks.” Stirring the coffee, he handed one over to her. “It’s been a while since I’ve been hugged.”

Oh God. Kat’s heart filled in her chest. If she hadn’t been holding a scalding hot mug, she would have gone right up to him, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and squeezed him until he’d pleaded with her to stop. But she was holding the mug. By the time she’d thought about putting it down, he’d moved out of the kitchen and the moment had gone.

She followed him back into the living room and suffered a moment of hesitation when he sat down at one end of the sofa. Should she give him some space and sit back on the armchair? But then if he decided to kiss her, and heaven help her, she really hoped he would, she would be out of reach. If she sat right next to him though, it might look a bit desperate. Added to which he was back with the daughter he’d lost. She didn’t want to crowd him, to rattle those defenses that he’d so obviously put in place. Deciding to go halfway, she sat at the opposite end of the sofa, curled her legs underneath her, and sank back against the cushions.

“Thanks for indulging Molly tonight.” When his eyes swung toward her, questioningly, she elaborated. “Talking to her about her horses.”

“Ahh.” At last the humor was back in his eyes. “I was indulging us both. It’s great to find someone else with a passion for them.”

“Well, if you really aren’t kidding, you’re welcome to indulge yourself here anytime.”

She bit her lip. There, she’d done it again. Why was it everything that came out of her mouth seemed to have a double entendre? Or was it just the way her mind was working tonight? She could feel the heat radiating from him, even though they were several feet apart. Simply watching the way his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed his coffee was enough to cause her insides to pool into liquid.

“I mean, Molly will talk horses with you all day, every day, if you’d let her,” she continued hastily, groping her way out of her embarrassing slip. “There are times she drives me almost to distraction with her incessant chatter. I suppose most people would laugh at that and say I’m a fine one to talk, but hey, I’m sure my daughter talks a lot more than me. I often tell her that she has verbal diarrhea. That makes her laugh.” She stopped momentarily to watch him put his empty cup on the coffee table. “If the truth be told, however, I’m really proud of her. She might talk a lot but what she says is very grown up for her age. There are a lot of children in her year at school who can’t even string a sentence together, yet there’s Molly, able to talk for hours if she gets the chance.” He was watching her now, the same intense look in his eyes that she’d seen earlier, when he’d kissed her cheek. The look that made her pulse race. “I guess I was the same as her when I was young,” she continued breathlessly. “My parents often say...”

“Are you ever going to finish talking?”

Instantly she stopped.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice deeper, lower, huskier. “Because I’ve been dying to do this all evening.”

Her heart lodged in her throat as he slowly shifted up the sofa, his strong arms reaching out to draw her toward him. Then, taking her head between his warm, calloused hands, he kissed her.

It was a kiss like no other she’d ever experienced. It wasn’t hesitant, like other first kisses she’d had. It wasn’t quick, either. It was long and slow. Tender and passionate. As his tongue unerringly found its way past her lips and into her mouth, he drew the kiss deeper, teasing and delighting until her body was on fire. God, how could she feel so totally blown away by just a kiss? His hands weren’t even on her body. They remained on her face, warm against the skin, slightly rough, incredibly gentle. Though she longed to feel them over the rest of her, for the moment she was content for him to leave them there, against her cheeks. It was incredibly sexy.

Finally he drew back, but not before she’d seen the storm of passion in his eyes. How had she ever thought those eyes were flat?

“Kat,” his voice was slightly hoarse. “If you’ve got any sense, you’ll back away from me now.”

Stunned, she stared at him. He’d kissed her for what seemed like hours, totally taken her breath away, and now he was telling her to back away? “Why? You’re not a secret axe murderer are you?”

He laughed slightly, shaking his head. Then his eyes grew serious. “No, but I’m not an easy man. I’ve got a lot of baggage.”

Yes, she’d seen some of it. “Everyone has baggage, Jake,” she replied softly. “It’s not what you have, but what you do with it that counts. Whether you let it weigh you down, or whether carrying it makes you stronger.”

“I think you know the answer to that one.” A red flush stole over his cheeks, and his eyes shifted away from hers. “You’ve seen the effect it has on me, all too clearly.”

“All I’ve seen is a strong man grieving,” she replied firmly, gently taking hold of his chin to make him look at her again. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t.”

Briefly he shut his eyes. “I’m not strong.” Then he opened them again and slid his gaze into hers. “What about you, Kat? Is Molly’s father part of your baggage?”

So he was interested. Her heart gave a responding thump. “You could say that, yes. Maybe I’ll tell you about him some time.”

With his index finger he traced the outline of her face. “How about next Saturday? Can you get a sitter for Molly? We could go out for a meal, just the two of us.”

It was hard to think beyond the mesmerizing touch of his finger, but Kat tried because what he was suggesting sounded like heaven. The bit about the meal and the two of them that was. Not the part that involved talking about Molly’s father. “Yes, to both questions.”

“Then it’s a date.” Taking hold of her hand, he stood up and drew her up with him. “I’d better go before all my good intentions fly out of the window.” With a final drugging kiss he walked toward the door. “Sweet dreams.”

When he’d closed the door and disappeared out of view, Kat sucked in a deep breath. She’d be having dreams all right, but she didn’t think they’d be sweet. Hot and passionate maybe. Sweet? No.

****

Wade sneered as, through his trusty binoculars, he watched the cop, as he still thought of him, climb into his truck. So Holroyd wasn’t going to get his leg over tonight then. Interesting. He’d done a quick recce of the cottage not that long ago and seen the head teacher and the cop making out on her sofa. Maybe they’d had a row since. Or maybe the cop was such a bad kisser the lady had given him the boot.

With a crunch of gears, Wade pulled out onto the road and drove in the direction of the truck. It would be easy, he figured, to follow the miserable bastard back to his barn right now and just kill him. Bang. Done. He let out a low sinister laugh. Too bloody easy. He didn’t want Holroyd to die so quickly. He wanted him to suffer. Which was why it was so important to find out if the lady and girl meant anything to him.

So he didn’t tail Holroyd all the way back to the barn. Instead he turned off and headed toward his squalid bedsit. A shithole, if ever he’d seen one, but it was a place to lay his head. And to wait.