“And what about the children?” asked Katie. “There’s absolutely no room in the cabin for children.”
All eyes swung to Sydney. “Maybe an addition?” she offered.
Katie laughed. “Yeah, right. Cape Cod or Colonial?”
Grandma patted her hand. “Don’t be shy, Sydney. We value your input.”
Sydney hesitated, but she was being stared down by the entire family. “I’ve, uh, always liked a nice Cape Cod.”
“Page thirty-nine,” said Grandma.
“Well, you were a big help,” Cole said to Sydney as they walked down the ranch road in the moonlight. After her initial protest, she’d plunged into the planning session with gusto.
“I tried to keep quiet.”
“And that didn’t seem to work out for you?”
“I’m supposed to be falling for you, so I tried to make myself sound like actual wife material. I answered all your Grandma’s questions. We swapped recipes-”
“You know recipes?”
Sydney shot him a look. “I made them up. Point is, if I’d balked at planning my future house, it would have looked suspicious.”
“Now they’re going to want me to build the damn thing.”
“So what? The cabin is falling apart.”
“What am I going to do with a two-story, octagonal great room?”
“I didn’t vote for the octagonal great room. That was Katie.”
“Well you voted for the dormer windows.”
“They’re pretty.”
“And a turret?”
“Adds detail.”
“And what am I going to do with a hot tub?”
Sydney was silent for a moment. “Uh, bathe?”
“Very funny. I don’t need jets and bubblers rumbling under my butt to get clean.”
“Ever tried one?”
“No.”
She grinned and bumped her shoulder against his arm. “Don’t know what you’re missing, cowboy.”
“Why? Have you?”
“It just so happens I
A visual bloomed in Cole’s brain-of Sydney, glistening skin and swirling water.
“Cole?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah?”
“You ever stop to think there might be some deep-seated, psychological reason you shortchange yourself?”
“No.” He didn’t shortchange himself, and he didn’t have deep-seated reasons for anything. He herded cows. He raised horses. He kept the ranch running. What you saw was what you got.
“You’re living in a cabin where you wouldn’t let any other member of your family live.”
That wasn’t true. He turned from the ranch road down his short driveway and the roar of the creek grew louder. “I’d let Kyle live there.”
“And you’ve never been married.”
“Lucky for you.” If he was married she wouldn’t be getting this opportunity with the Thunderbolt.
“See, I have a hard time believing women aren’t interested in you. If you’d wanted-”
“Plenty of women are interested in me.” He felt ego-bound to point that out. Well, maybe not plenty. But some. Enough. He wasn’t exactly a monk out here.
“Then why haven’t you settled down?”
“It’s not by choice.”
“Bet it is.”
“Not my choice.”
“The women said no?”
He refused to answer, wondering how he and Sydney always ended up having such personal conversations. He was a private man. He liked it that way.
“Come on, Cole,” Sydney prompted.
“Why aren’t
Her answer surprised him. “Nobody ever proposed.”
“Did you even want them to?” he asked.
“You mean, have I ever been in love?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know?” That surprised Cole.
She shook her head. “What about you?”
“I guess not.”
She grinned and bumped him again. “But
He cocked his head, considering her. “You know, it’s hard, isn’t it? To know for sure.”
“Is that why you never asked anyone.”
“Nah. Never got that far. Truth is, they all left me once they got to know me.”
She tipped her head back and gave him a hint of that sexy laugh. “No way. You left them.”
He had to squelch an urge to wrap his arm around her. She was just the right height, just the right size, just the right shape for his arms.
Instead he shook his head. “I’m a bit of a selfish jerk deep down inside.”
“No. You’re the opposite. Just like I said. You’re the one sacrificing to take care of everyone around you.”
They came to the porch and he preceded her up the three steps. “Do you happen to have a degree in psychology?”
“I have a degree in art history.”
“Good.” He pushed open the door and stood to one side. “You can decorate the turret and leave my brain alone.”
She grinned as she walked past him. “Your brain is beginning to fascinate me.”
“I don’t want a new house, because I don’t need a new house. This is a working ranch, not a Dallas subdivision. Next thing they’ll be putting in a pool.”
“I’ve hit on something here, haven’t I?”
“You haven’t hit on anything.” His voice came out unexpectedly sharp as he flipped the kitchen lamp.
Her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry.”
Cole swore under his breath. He shook his head and moved toward her. “No. I’m the one who’s sorry.” He was falling back on defense mechanisms now.
“It’s none of my business,” she said.
“Of course it’s not. But we’re playing this silly game.” He took a breath. “Ah, Sydney. We should have known it would get complicated.”
She gave him a nod and a hesitant smile, and he found himself easing closer. He inhaled deeply, filling his senses.
Her lips were burgundy in the lamplight. Her emerald eyes were fringed by thick lashes. Her skin was ivory- smooth, flushed from the walk. And the memory of it was indelibly pressed into the nerves of his fingertips.
Unable to stop himself, he smoothed a lock of hair from her forehead.
“Complicated,” he whispered one more time.
Her lips parted, softly, invitingly. He should have known the second he got her alone, he’d give in to the cravings. He cupped her cheeks, pulling her closer. His lips closed over hers and relief roared through his body.
