Page 27 of Texas Temptation

“Shopping malls and office complexes?”

“No, family homes. I’ve never lived in one and thought it would be so great to design homes for families of all sizes. There’s such a wide variety of architectural styles for houses, from very modern, to reproductions of Victorian, to old-fashioned farmhouses. Depending on the building lot and the lifestyle of the people who would live in it, I thought I could design the perfect home for each customer.”

“You could still go to college and get that degree.”

“Maybe, once Caleb’s in school. In the meantime, I have enough to do with Caleb and work.”

He wondered how she managed on a waitress’ salary. It had to be difficult, yet she had never even hinted he might help her out financially. Was that coming later? Would she find reasons to stay in Texas, reasons to try to get him to finance her new lifestyle?

He doubted it. It might be easier if she did.

Dinner with everyone at the table that evening was more relaxed than the night before. Cade was tired—not having slept for two days was making its impact. He ate Rosita’s delicious cooking, trying to distance himself from the others at the table. But despite his best efforts, he was intrigued with Jordan Carhart.

Her eyes sparkled when she told Amelia about the Friday surgery date. She laughed at something Caleb said, her cheeks flushed with warmth, her eyes full of love.

He wanted to touch that soft hair, brush it back from her face and cradle her head in his hands, holding her for a kiss, not cut and run like a scared rabbit.

But a kiss that would make him forget the past and open the door to something new. It had been a long time since he’d kissed anyone, but he wanted Jordan.

“I’ll go with you to the hospital on Friday,” Amelia said.

“You don’t have to do that. We have to be there at six in the morning. I figured I’d have to leave around 4:30 am. to make it on time,” Jordan said.

“You’ll want someone with you while you’re waiting. I’m not so old I can’t get up early once in a while, young lady.”

“Thank you, Amelia. I’ll be grateful for your support.”

Amelia looked at Cade. “Will you be going with us?”

Cade shook his head, catching the disappointed look on Caleb’s face. “Tomorrow and Friday, I’ll be out with the cattle. We’ve delayed moving the major portion of the herd as it is because of the late rain and the muddy fields.”

“The men can handle it,” Amelia said primly. “You should be with us.”

Cade hated hospitals. Hadn’t he heard the worst news of his life in one? Even the thought of entering another had him tensing. Jordan didn’t need him. If she’d stayed in Florida, when the operation had come, she’d have been alone.

He didn’t like the thought.

“We’ll manage fine. I couldn’t ask Cade to skip a day of work for us. It’s bad enough I’m missing a day when I just started,” Jordan said firmly. “We’ll drive in early and have breakfast there once Caleb’s settled.”

Cade had visions of her old car breaking down in the predawn morning, stalling on the highway, of someone not seeing it and slamming into it in the dark.

“Take my car,” he said abruptly.

“What?”

“It’ll be more reliable than yours.”

Jordan bristled. “My car is perfectly fine, thank you very much.”

Cade said nothing, but he’d make sure she took a more reliable vehicle than that old beater of hers. He couldn’t dispel the image of a fiery crash.

After dinner, Jordan bathed Caleb and talked to him about the upcoming surgery. The doctor had given them a little book designed to explain things to young children. She was getting ready to tuck him into bed when Cade appeared.

“Hi Mr. Everett,” Caleb called from his bed. “Did you come to tuck me in, too?”

For a moment Cade relived the bedtime ritual he’d had with Vicki. Both he and Marissa tried to be with her when time for bed, reading her a story, talking about her day, and tucking her into bed.

The little boy looked hopeful as he smiled at Cade.

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