Page 15 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

And there was something else beginning to intrude into his thoughts. What he had seen so far of the resort and the springs had turned into being a subject that was getting a toehold in his brain. There were possibilities he hadn’t thought of…not just those with typical resort planning, but there were the therapeutic benefits at play also. Still, there were reasons he had been adamant against the whole subject in the beginning and still had to be considered. Things had been so much less complicated before one tenacious female had marched up to him one day on his ranch and said she had a business deal for him. And he had ordered her off the ranch. His problem was simple. He should have stuck to that decree and left well enough alone. But here he was, watching that same woman make her exit, this time with sure steps, from the pool. And he stifled a half groan and turned to work off some of hisenergyfor the next few minutes. When he next looked in her direction, she had toweled off and wrapped it around her mid-section. She caught his eye and made a hand signal to him that she was heading back to the cabin. He was to take his time.

It was a good idea. He’d do that.

She appeared to be quite dedicated to making things better for people in Destiny’s River, but Cade didn’t like being on ground that felt more like shifting sand beneath him. It was unsettling and he was a man who didn’t like uncertainty in any form. He had gone through that period in his rodeo days when he’d been younger and tried to outride and outrun his responsibilities to his family. He’d made some choices where women were concerned that had taught him a valuable lesson. A sweet-talking, sexy-bodied woman had set her sights on him…or rather his bank account…and he had fallen into a trap. It had taken some dedication and resolve to grow up and get out of the situation. He had escaped her a bit lighter in that bank account. The lesson had been learned. He shook the memory away.

Tori Parker was a different type of female. She was championing a cause that she felt very committed to. That was evident in the sudden change in her when he had simply asked if she had been adopted. And her response was the proverbial slammed door. She wasn’tchosen.

There was more to her personal story than he was aware. He wasn’t being nosy. But he could sense that it meant something deeper to her. And perhaps painful in the bargain? For some reason that thought did not sit at all well within him. She presented such a ‘put-together’ front in the office of mayor and as a successful businessperson in the community. People couldn’t speak well enough of her. And yet, there was something she held on to that caused a pain inside her—and he sensed it, much to his surprise.

Cade climbed out of the pool and began drying off. His thoughts were still twirling around inside his brain. There was the question of the springs and there was the mystery of what was the back story of Tori Parker’s life. And why should either of them become of some importance to him? That was the question he had a feeling he might not want to examine too closely.

He was still mulling things over as he entered the cabin, and noted all was silent as he listened for a shower in the bathroom. She must have taken advantage of being first in and was dressing in her room. Cade gathered up the clothing he would wear for dinner later and moved to the bathroom door. His hand was on the knob when it turned and jerked out of his grasp.

Both stood in shocked surprise for a few moments. Tori stood in the doorway, one hand still on the doorknob and the other secured on the tip of the towel that she had draped around her body like a sarong…a very short sarong. A piece of blue cotton cloth that covered not a lot of her female body.

“Excuse me…” he began.

“Excuse you…” she shot at him at the same time.

“I didn’t hear the shower, so I thought you were done and in your bedroom.”

“Obviously, you should have knocked. And I am not in my bedroom. If you are finished ogling, you could move out of my way so I might go to my room.”

“Ogling?” he mimicked. Her attitude was irritating. “I’m not some teenager who ogles a female. I’m a man who can appreciate the sight of a beautiful woman’s body in such a totally unexpected moment.”

She narrowed her gaze on him. At the same time he was kicking himself silently for putting that comment out there.

“Beautiful? You’re trying to divert my attention with a compliment?”

“It’s not a diversion when it’s the truth. Take it or leave it. But it might be best if we’re both dressed appropriately for any further discussions. Wouldn’t you agree?”

She didn’t respond except to walk past him with her chin held high and then a sharp slam of her bedroom door.

“Well, that was not your finest hour, Lockwood. An almost naked beautiful woman standing in front of you and what do you do? Stick your boot in your mouth. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t poison your food tonight.”

*

With her backleaning against the door she’d just slammed, she was berating herself mentally for her behavior. Then she heard his voice, and she listened to the conversation he was obviously having with himself.

Again, the wordbeautiful. Did he need glasses? Or did she need to take a closer look in the mirror? And he was worried she might retaliate with poison? She had to stifle a giggle. Silly man. Who would have thought that Cade Lockwood would ever be tongue-tied? Yet he seemed to be when she’d surprised him. That was most interesting. He had certainly taken a long snapshot in his mind as his gaze had lingered on areas that normally a mayor would not want on public display. She felt a blush forming as she relived the moment. She shouldn’t have said a word but retreated to her room immediately. Why didn’t she? And the answer that popped into her mind wasn’t the one she expected.

Dinner was going to be quite interesting in more ways than one.

Chapter Eight

“Was that thesound of thunder?” Tori asked the question as she stepped out to the living room. Cade was standing in front of the fireplace. Black slacks had replaced jeans. A deep burgundy long-sleeved shirt with a shiny large gold belt buckle at the waist denoted his world champion status, and the hand-tooled boots when coupled with the black Stetson on his head was more than enough to capture attention, as he looked like he had just stepped out of an advertisement in a western magazine. If she were in the market for a sexy, drop-dead gorgeous cowboy, then he would have her vote. But she wasn’t in the market for anything but his agreement on his land and springs.Keep your eye on the goal and not anything else.

“In the far distance. There are more storms forecast for after midnight, but they might just skirt around us if we’re lucky.”

“Then we should get to dinner now just in case.”

Tori had chosen a soft cashmere sweater, just a shade lighter than the slacks. She had gathered the long strands of hair upward at the sides of her head and secured them with two gold clips. They complemented the single gold chain with its gold pendant suspended on it and a pair of delicate gold loops for her ears. She had a black suede jacket over her arm and, as she moved to the door, he stepped to join her. She stopped when he reached out and lifted the jacket from her arm.

“There’s a chill settling into the valley. Might be best to put this on now.” He held it for her to turn around and slide her arms into. She did so after a slight hesitation. Tori settled her hair over the cloth.

“Thank you.”

At the bottom of the steps, he offered her his arm and he smiled at her. “The stones are still wet and slippery in spots. We can’t have our mayor trying to do all her duties hampered by crutches. Better to be safe than sorry.”

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