“I haven’t seen Silas grin this much since the former owner’s second wife sold the ranch to his son,” he said, nibbling a kiss along the column of her neck as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do.
Startled by his show of affection, her heart pounded against her ribs and she tried not to think about what it might mean as he crossed the kitchen to pour their drinks. To distract herself, she looked around. She loved to cook when she had the opportunity and someone to cook for. Unfortunately, that only happened a few times a year—usually when she and her coworkers had a potluck lunch at the office. But if she had a kitchen like this one, she might be tempted to cook more. All of the appliances were commercial grade and top-of-the-line. And she absolutely loved the spaciousness and convenience of the entire room’s layout. Cooking, even if it was just for herself, would be a joy in a kitchen like this.
As the two men finished putting the food on the table, Karly suddenly realized just how hungry she was. She and Blake had had an early lunch before her riding lesson and trip to the upper pasture. Glancing at the digital display on the microwave, she was surprised to see that had been almost seven hours earlier.
When both men brought the food and iced tea to the table, Silas filled their plates with thick stew. Seating himself, he pointed to her plate with his fork. “You’d better eat up, gal. There’s more where that come from.” He grinned. “And I made a chocolate cake for dessert.”
“I’ll be sure to save room for a piece,” Karly said, picking up her fork. “I love chocolate.”
Smiling, Silas nodded. “Most women do.”
“How would you know what women like?” Blake asked, frowning.
Silas grunted. “Just why do you think men give women chocolates on Valentine’s Day, hotshot?”
“I don’t ever remember you having a girlfriend,” Blake said, sounding doubtful.
Silas shook his head. “Don’t go thinkin’ I didn’t have my pick of the women in my day, boy. I used to be quite the lady’s man about forty years back.”
Karly couldn’t help but laugh as she listened to the good-natured banter. It was like a game of verbal one-upmanship and she could tell the two men thought the world of each other. Blake treated Silas like a favorite uncle or beloved grandfather and it was clear the old gentleman cared just as much for him.
By the time the meal was over and Silas served them all slices of the chocolate cake, Karly couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed as much. “You two are hilarious. How long have you known each other?”
“I’ve known him and his brother since the day they were born,” Silas said, taking a bite of cake.
“You have a brother?” Karly asked, turning to Blake. He hadn’t mentioned having a sibling. But then they hadn’t really talked about family, or much of anything in their lives, when they were in Las Vegas.
He nodded. “Sean’s a couple of years older than me.”
“Does he live close by?” she asked, wondering what it would be like to have someone who shared the same memories of family and growing up. Being an only child, she’d never experienced that and she couldn’t help but feel that she’d missed out on something meaningful.
“Sean has a ranch about twenty miles to the north—on the other side of the mountain,” he answered as he took their empty plates to the sink.
“That must have been nice, having someone to play with when you were little,” she said, unable to keep from feeling wistful about it. “I always wanted a sister or brother, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”
While Silas loaded the dishwasher, Blake poured them each a cup of coffee and rejoined her at the table. “I take it you are an only child?”
“Back in December, we didn’t get around to talking about family,” she admitted, nodding.
He eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup for several long moments before he set it on the table and reached to cover her hand with his. “There were a lot of things we should have discussed, but didn’t.”
The feel of his warm calloused palm covering her hand made her feel heated all over and she found herself longing for the way things might have been between them. Before she could give in to that longing and do something she shouldn’t, she pushed her chair back. “I...suppose I should help Silas with the dishes,” she said, needing to put distance between her and Blake in order to regain her perspective.