Cougar in Texas (Rugged and Risque 3)

“And you’re still smarting over the fact people know what happened to you.”

“It’s been over six months since the divorce was finalized. I’d like to let it go. But…it’s humiliating.”

“Sure, I can understand that. I’ve been put in my place a time or two, believe me. But you don’t deserve to have your face rubbed in it. You weren’t the one to do something wrong.”

She shrugged. “Maybe I was. I mean, not so much that I did something wrong… Clearly there was something I didn’t do right.”

He speared her with a look. “Don’t buy into that.”

Her eyes narrowed on him. “You don’t even know me.”

“Not well, no. But I’m pretty observant. I can see you keep a neat and tidy home, which also suggests you take pride in your business. You knew I was coming over and baked a pie. You’re hospitable, likely very accommodating. If I said I wanted steak and eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning and it wasn’t on the menu, what would you do?”

She smiled sweetly. “Make steak and eggs. You’re a guest.”

“There you have it.” He swallowed down another bite and added, “Let’s not overlook the fact you’re insanely beautiful.”

Her laugh was much heartier this time. “Yeah, sure.” Her blush deepened. He liked how the color made her cheeks rosy. She didn’t wear much makeup, not that she needed it. The occasional tinge of pink on her otherwise porcelain complexion was warm and natural. Everything about her was so down-to-earth he couldn’t help but find her alluring.

“Seriously,” he said, “you seem like a very classy woman. So to hell with the ex, right?”

For the first time, her tawny eyes twinkled. “Right.”

He could see it was mere wishful thinking on her part. She still didn’t make a dent in her dessert. She

cut up a few pieces of apple, but only pushed them absently around her plate.

He said, “It’s probably good cold, but damn tasty warm.”

“What?” Her gaze lifted from her pie, then quickly dropped. “Oh, yeah. Of course.” She finally dug in, though she only polished off half. And the ice cream melted into a small puddle.

He finished his slice and wiped his mouth with a sage-colored linen napkin that matched the walls above the crisp, white wainscoting and wide molding. Everything about the place was pristine and well-coordinated visually.

“That was fantastic. Thanks.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.” She pushed her chair back. Apparently she’d been waiting for him to wrap up so she could move on. He’d likely spouted off at the mouth too much when it had come to her ex. Not something he’d done to prickle her nerves. He was just the sort to point out an injustice when he saw it. Yes, he’d drawn his own conclusion as to where to place the blame. But from the clues he’d immediately picked up on, she did not strike him as the type to push a man into infidelity. He suspected her ex had willingly crossed the line, hoping to get away with it. Some men were like that. Caleb was not.

At his age, he couldn’t claim to have extensive experience with a serious, committed relationship. But he knew they existed and he knew it was what he wanted when he finally reached the point in his life when he was ready to settle down and start a family. After he’d gotten his new business venture well underway.

He could see himself, in the future, with a woman like Reese Middleton. She had natural charm and sensitivity. And he liked how comfortable she looked in her faded jeans and a white sweater that conformed to her upper body and had a mock turtleneck with a zipper down the front. Granted, he wouldn’t mind reaching over and sliding that zipper several inches lower to loosen the material around her throat and enticing chest, but that was a thought he was smart enough to push from his mind.

He stood along with her and collected his plate and glass.

“Don’t bother with that,” she told him. “I’ll take care of it.”

“I can clean up after myself.”

She grinned. “It’s supposed to be a perk of staying at a B&B or a motel. Someone else does your dishes and makes your bed. Oh that reminds me. There’s a laundry room off the kitchen. Feel free to use it for your clothes. I’ll take care of the bedding and the towels. The detergent and softener I buy in bulk, so there’s plenty of both. Help yourself.”

“That’s nice of you. I wasn’t looking forward to hanging out at the laundromat.”

“It’s next to the diner, so that makes it less painful.”

He followed her into the kitchen and set his dishes on the counter next to the sink. “Is there a tack shop in town?”

With a nod, she said, “This is Texas. Isn’t there a tack shop in every town?”

“Good point.”