“You’re having a hot dog, though, and you know how messy those can be. You wouldn’t want to spill mustard on your dress, would you?”
Her brow furrowed as she considered and he pushed his advantage while he had it. “Set the table out on the deck and then go up and change into something else. After dinner maybe you can change into your new dress to show Miss Barnes.”
He knew that before too much longer, he wouldn’t be able to convince her of anything so easily, but for now his logic could still sway her.
“Okay.” She ran to the cupboard for the plates then stopped and gave him a considering look. “You should wear your blue shirt, Daddy. The one that’s soft and silky. Aunt Lydia said you turn all the ladies to mush when you wear it.”
Before he could ask why she might want him to turn her kindergarten teacher to mush—a task he doubted he had the ability to perform, much as he and his libidinous dreams might like to—she rushed outside with an armload of plates and silverware.
She had just returned for glasses when the buzzer on the front gates rang. Ruby shrieked with excitement. “She’s here! She’s here! She’s really here!”
Nine
RUBY RACED TO the intercom and control console for the electronic gates. “Miss Barnes! Miss Barnes! Hi, Miss Barnes! I’m going to push the button and open the gate, okay? Okay?”
There was a slight pause then Ashley’s voice filled the kitchen and even through the intercom he could hear the amusement in it. “Thank you very much, Ruby.”
She pushed the button then jumped away from the console. “You let her in while I go change, Daddy. I’ll be right back.”
He started to call her back—since she was already in the dress, she might as well show it off now instead of later—but she was gone, heading up the stairs at a full-out run.
The doorbell rang and Justin was startled at the way his pulse kicked up against his will.
He walked out to the entryway and opened the door then forgot to even say hello. She looked sweet and lovely and delicious enough to gobble up in one bite. He was so busy trying to convince himself he wasn’t hungry that he almost missed the wary look in her eyes.
“Hi. I’m early. I’m sorry.”
He was a little rusty as a host but he tried to do his best. “Not at all. Come in. Ruby’s gone to change her clothes and I’m not sure where my aunt has vanished to. I’m sure she’ll be along soon.”
She held out something in a white box wrapped in string. “I brought dessert. I didn’t know what you were serving so I didn’t know what kind of wine would be appropriate. And, anyway, I thought Ruby might enjoy something sweet more.”
“What is it?”
“Raspberry ribbon cheesecake. It’s my mom’s recipe.”
“Ruby will love it. I’ll just put it in the refrigerator. Why don’t you come outside with me while I put the steaks on?”
“You’re cooking?”
He had to smile at the utter disbelief in her voice. “I’m grilling. There’s a world of difference between the two. Throwing a couple steaks on the grill doesn’t exactly take much except a good spice rub recipe and a meat thermometer.”
She still looked flabbergasted as he gestured her ahead of him into the kitchen. She walked past him and again the tantalizing scents of vanilla and almonds—with a hint of raspberry now—teased him.
He closed his eyes, stunned by the overwhelming urge to lean forward and bury his face in her curls and just inhale.
It had been far too long since he had been with a woman. Months. That must be the reason for this sudden fascination with this soft schoolteacher.
One of the downsides of being a responsible single father was the serious crimp it put in any casual encounters. It never seemed right to bring women home for the night with Ruby in the house and lately he had been taking her along on the few trips he took out of town.
He had entertained some vague idea about calling Lexie Walker when he went to Denver on the horse-buying trip next week to see if she might be interested in flying out to meet him, as she had done a few times before. Lexie was a producer he had known in L.A. She was sharp, beautiful and sexy as silk sheets.
Oddly, the idea suddenly didn’t appeal to him at all. He didn’t have to look far to figure out why.
Ten
“THIS IS LOVELY,” Ashley exclaimed when they moved out onto the wide deck overlooking the western slope of the Tetons. With delight evident on her delicate features, she took in the twinkling lights in the trees shading the deck, the swimming pool with its waterfalls and spa, and the outdoor fireplace, where a merry blaze took out the slight chill of the September air.
Beyond the backyard, horses grazed near the whitewashed barn, and in the evening everything looked peaceful and still.
“We live out here when the weather is nice,” he admitted. “And even sometimes when it’s not. With the fireplace, we can enjoy it from March to early December sometimes, until the snow gets too deep on the deck.”
“She must adore it out here! My word, look at that play set. I think it’s more elaborate than the playground equipment we have at school.”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “We’ll have to have your class out for a party in the springtime when it’s warm enough to swim again. Ruby would love it.”
Her eyes glowed at the idea and she smiled, the first genuine, heartfelt smile she had ever given him.
He couldn’t seem to look away from it, at the curve of her lips, at the way the left
