Roping Your Heart (6 page)

“I’m going to need to review your file and likely I’m going to need access to all of your records,” she said. “Is everything at your ranch?”

He gave a slow nod. “You’re welcome to come out and take a look at anything you need to.”

“Right now my schedule is pretty open.” She turned to her computer and pulled up her schedule then glanced at Blake. “We might as well take advantage of my clear calendar and get your audit taken care of. Is anytime this week good for you?”

“The next few days I’ve got a lot planned,” he said. “Do you work Saturdays?”

“That’s not a problem,” she said. “Ten in the morning?” He nodded and she put him on the schedule.

When she finished, she looked at him to find him studying her. Heat flushed over her and her scar tingled. Was he looking at her scar and thinking about how different she looked now?

“Do you have plans for dinner?” he asked in his slow drawl.

“No,” she said. He’d caught her off guard.

“Why don’t you have dinner with me?” He continued studying her with his even gaze. “We can go to the Hummingbird.”

She couldn’t think of a single reason why not. “I’ve heard it’s a good restaurant,” she said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to go.”

“Now’s your chance.” He drew his cell phone out of the holster at his side and checked the time, then put the phone away again. “I’ve got a couple of things to take care of. How about I pick you up around seven?”

“All right.” She stood and he stood with her. “I’ll be ready. My house isn’t far from my grandmother’s.” She cleared her throat and gave him her address.

He gave a nod then turned and headed out of her office to the firm’s front door. She looked at his broad shoulders and his nice ass—really nice ass—as he walked away from her. He glanced over his shoulder as he reached the entrance and she felt another rush of heat as he caught her staring at him. She hurried to sit down and look at the computer monitor but the screen only blurred when she stared at it.

After he left, she wondered if she had made a mistake saying yes. Just being around him brought back memories and old feelings. Feelings better off not being examined or explored.

Chapter 5

Blake frowned as he walked away from the accounting firm. Should he have asked Cat to dinner? He still felt the old pain and that pain was accompanied by a healthy dose of mistrust. The way she’d left… He never wanted to go through any of that again. She’d done it to him once and almost destroyed him. She could very well do it a second time.

It wasn’t fair of him to think that way. They’d broken up, so it wasn’t like she’d run off on him. He’d lost her before that.

He had three more stops to make before heading back to the ranch. He needed to make a deposit at the bank, stop at the hardware store, and purchase feed for his horses from Hatch’s Feed and Tack.

As he took care of errands, his mind kept turning to Cat. She was a beautiful woman who didn’t seem to smile enough anymore. What would it take for her to smile like she used to?

A few minutes before seven, Blake showed up on Cat’s front porch and rang the doorbell. After a brief moment, she opened the door.

Soft light fell across her face and she looked so gorgeous it took his breath away. Her long black hair fell over her nearly bare shoulders—thin straps held up the slim black dress she wore. Her golden-brown eyes were as wide and beautiful as they’d always been. She looked different but she was the same KitCat he’d never stopped loving.

And that was the truth of it. He’d never stopped loving her.

Her expression looked a little nervous and wary as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door, joining him on the porch, and he wondered why she would feel nervous. It was as if past experiences had made her skittish. What had she been through since he’d last seen her, all those years ago?

“You look beautiful,” he said with a smile as the warm yellow porch light haloed her.

“Thank you.” The light of surprise was in her eyes as she looked up at him, like she wasn’t used to being complimented and that made him want to frown. Instead, he asked her, “Ready?”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said as she locked the door behind her.

The evening was pleasant with a cool breeze and her heels clicked on the sidewalk as they headed out to his truck. They walked through the front gate of the white picket fence, the gate squeaking as it opened and closed. He helped her into the passenger’s side and then walked around the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat.

He drove the vehicle downtown, near the building where Cat worked, to the Hummingbird Restaurant. Locals called it simply the Hummingbird. The folks who owned the place had been the victims of a man determined to close down the restaurant, but the truth had come out and the Hummingbird had been saved. Unfortunately, not before the stress took its toll on the family.

It was a nice place that had once been simply a café, but had been renovated and expanded into a full restaurant, which now had a bar section called Nectars. When they reached the restaurant, Blake opened the door and let Cat go in front of him, then followed her inside.

“Hi, Blake.” Tess, the hostess, greeted Cat and Blake with a smile.

“How are you doing, Tess?” Blake gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

The petite blonde held out her hand to Cat. “I’m Tess Grady. My family owns the Hummingbird.”

Cat returned Tess’s smile and took her hand. “I’m Cat Hayden.” She glanced around the place as they released their grips. “You have a beautiful restaurant.”

“Thanks.” Tess nodded, her short blonde curls bouncing close to her cheeks. “The family has put a lot of work into the Hummingbird. Now, follow me.” Tess showed Cat and Blake to a nice table in a dim corner. “The four-course fondue is our newest addition to the menu and it is incredible,” Tess said. “I highly recommend it.”

“We just might do that,” Blake said as she handed each of them a menu.

“Penny will be taking care of you tonight,” Tess said. “You two have a great evening.” She left to take care of the next couple who had just entered the restaurant.

“I love this place,” Cat said as she looked around at the décor. “It has a wonderful ambiance.” She returned her gaze to Blake. “How long has it been open?”

“About two years now,” Blake said. “Ryan is marrying into the family. Tess’s sister, Megan, is his fiancée.”

“That’s great.” Cat smiled. “How are Ryan and your other brothers?”

“Good,” Blake said. “Creed is a professional bull rider and is newly married, Ryan is of course engaged, and Tate and Gage seem to be staying out of trouble. For the most part.”

“Your younger brothers always were a handful.” Cat grinned as if thinking about memories of the McBride brothers when they were young. “But no more than you.”

“You’ve got that right.” Blake shook his head at the thought of some of the mischief and trouble that he and his four brothers had gotten into over the years. He opened his menu. “Hungry?”

“Very.” Cat opened hers and it was quiet for a moment.

He watched her over the top of his menu and she raised her gaze and their eyes met for a long moment. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked back at her menu. She was so damned cute.

Blake scanned the specials. “What do you think of the fondue for two?”

When he met her gaze again she was smiling. “I’m all for it.”

“Then, fondue it is.” They set their menus aside as a server stopped by their table.

The young woman looked first at Blake. “How are you doing, Mr. McBride?”

“Very good, Penny.” Amused, Blake said, “You know I prefer that you call me Blake.”

Penny gave him an impish look. “I knew you far too long as Mr. McBride before I was old enough to call you Blake.”

He grinned and gestured to Cat. “Penny, this is Cat Hayden.”

“Hi.” Penny smiled at Cat. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Just don’t call me ma’am,” Cat said with a laugh.

Penny gave a quick grin. “Never.” She glanced at Blake then Cat again. “What would you two like tonight to drink?”

Cat selected a chardonnay while Blake went with a Blue Moon and they ordered the four-course fondue for two.

It wasn’t long before a server brought Cat’s wine and Blake’s beer. He took a swig from his bottle and she sipped from her glass.

He leaned back in his chair and studied her. She returned his gaze, the nervousness seemingly gone from her features.

“I don’t even know where to start, KitCat.” The name came out easily, as if no time had passed at all since he’d called her that so many years ago. “Maybe we should start with, when did you come back to Prescott?”

“Three months ago,” she said.

He raised a brow. “And you didn’t call me in all that time?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to, but I didn’t know how.”

He gave her an amused look. “It’s called picking up a phone and dialing.”

A smile tipped the corners of her mouth and then she sobered. “I didn’t know how you’d feel about me contacting you out of the blue.”

“Never wonder, Cat,” he said softly. “Even before we were more, we were friends. You can always call me.”

She looked at him with something like surprise. Her lips parted like she was going to say something but then she didn’t. Their gazes met for a long moment and held.

“Here’s your fondue appetizer.” Penny’s voice cut through the moment. “This is Jacob who will be helping me take care of you tonight.”

Blake took his gaze from Cat and he nodded to the waitress who stepped aside as a young man put a fondue pot at the center of their table. A candle warmed the bottom of the pot. Jacob stepped back and Penny set a plate with cubes of three different kinds of bread beside the warmer.

“This fondue is made from a trio of cheeses along with scallions, sherry, and white wine,” Penny said and gave them each a plate and a fondue fork.

“Looks good, Pen.” Blake gave the cute young waitress a smile.

Penny glanced at his beer and Cat’s wine. “Ready for another?”

“I will be in a few moments,” Cat said as she picked up her glass for another sip.

“I’ll be right back with more for each of you,” Penny said. “Enjoy the fondue,” she added before she left with Jacob.

For a few moments they concentrated on using the fondue forks to stab cubes of bread and swirl them in the fondue before attempting to eat the piece without it dropping off the fork.

Cat giggled as her first cheese-dipped cube tumbled off her fork and landed on the tablecloth. “I think I need some more practice.”

He liked the sound of her giggle, it made him smile.

“This is terrific,” Cat said after she finished eating a piece and ran her tongue along her lower lip to get at some of the sauce there.

Blake watched her tongue dart out and felt a stirring in his gut at the sight.

“It’s pretty damned good,” he said after chewing and swallowing his first bite.

She smiled and slipped another cheesy bread cube into her mouth.

They laughed and smiled, as not all of their attempts were successful and sometimes the bread cubes would fall back into the cheese fondue or onto their plates. Blake was just thankful he didn’t have one roll down the front of his shirt and land in his lap.

The fondue pot and empty bread plate were taken away as the second course was served, a house salad with bleu cheese dressing.

Cat stayed on safe subjects, asking about his brothers and his parents along with several of his cousins.

“My family always loved you.” The words came to him without reservation. “They’ll be glad to see you again.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Even after the way I left?”

He nodded. “They’ll always care about you. They always have.”

She took another drink from her second glass of wine then lowered her glass. “Your family is one of the things I missed about Prescott.”

“And?” he said, laying out the question.

She seemed to blush. “Yes, I missed you, too.”

He gave her a grin. “Of course you did.”

She rolled her eyes. “Still as confident as ever.”

A low chuckle rose up inside him. He put down his salad fork as their dinner fondue arrived. Jacob took away their salad plates then set the next fondue pot in front of them.

“This is our burgundy wine infused with fresh herbs and spices,” Penny said as she put plates in front of them with pieces of raw shrimp, filet mignon, and chicken. She explained how long each would need to be cooked in the wine at the end of the fondue forks. The server also set different sauces in sectioned-off plates in front of each of them and explained which sauce was for each type of meat.

As they ate, they didn’t lack for conversation. It felt easy and natural and he felt the old Cat coming round, the one who laughed and smiled easily as opposed to the more quiet and reserved Cat that she’d been since he’d first seen her at Folsom Ranch.

After she finished eating the entrée, she patted her belly. “I’m so full. I don’t know if I can take in the fourth course, dessert.”