She saw the look that passed between Cade and Rooney, and raised her eyebrow. Rooney winked and looked away.
When Essie called them in for dinner, Kate found she was placed next to Cade. Awesome…not! How the hell am I supposed to act normal with him so close? He's already played havoc with my body tonight. She managed to join the conversation and talk normally when she had something appropriate to say, all the while aware of the heat between the two of them. If she wouldn't hate herself in the morning, she would be tempted to rip his shirt off and push him against the wall, running her tongue over his perfectly sculptured body. Even the thought of it made her edgy and frustrated.
Kate didn't believe in sex for the sake of it. What was the point? She had to live with herself and as it stood now, the only one who cared about her morals was her.
"Kate, earth to Kate?" Cade poked her arm.
"What?" She looked around the table and everyone was watching her. Rooney had a smile on her face and Kate could just imagine what was going through her mind. "Sorry, thinking of other things. Work and stuff, you know." Embarrassed now, she grabbed her napkin and wiped at her lips.
"Essie was asking if you would like your coffee on the veranda. Stevie and Rooney are going to put Tam to bed, and come down and join us. There are a couple of things we need to discuss. You may as well be in on the conversation since you’re considered family." Cade looked at her with pale blue eyes and a grin on his face.
"Um…yeah, sure." She cursed her pale skin knowing she was blushing. Pushing her chair back, she stood. Before Cade could stand, Kate took his plate and hers, walking into the kitchen to place them on the counter.
"Sorry, Essie. I was miles away." She rinsed the plates and loaded them in the dishwasher.
"Don't apologise to me, Kate. You can moon over the boy any time you like. It would be nice to see him with you and not one of those skanky city girls who hang around the rugby players." Essie grinned.
"Oh, you’re incorrigible. That’s the last time I'm confiding in you." Kate headed back to the dining room to collect more dishes.
* * *
When Tam was settled, Rooney and Stevie came back downstairs. Kate joined them on the veranda once she had finished cleaning up with Essie.
"Okay, so what's the big deal here apart from the fact we have Stevie for dinner?" She leaned against a veranda rail with a mug of steaming coffee in her hands, trying not to look at Cade.
"You've met Milly." Cade stroked the head of his dog snuggled in beside his chair. "Do you know Mr Stubbs? He lives out on the Lorn Road."
"Yeah, everyone does. He's an arsehole from all accounts. Not quite right in the head."
Cade laughed. "Right, you got him in one. He visited Rooney's surgery the other day and he brought in that little pup Tam is running around with. When he saw what the bill was going to be, he said he was going to shoot it. Rooney, being Rooney, bought it."
Kate looked over at her friend and smiled. "I probably would've done the same thing."
"Yeah, that may be, but on the way home she decided to call in and be nosy. Seems Rhian told her how he runs a puppy farm and she wanted to see for herself."
"Like to live dangerously, don't you?"
"I had to do it, Kate. I'm sure you would’ve done the same."
"But unlike Kate, I'm not sure you could do anything to save yourself if the case arose," Stevie said. "Kate at least, can throw a sizable calf on the ground and digs in with the best of them. You look way too delicate for that."
Rooney gasped and thumped him on the shoulder. "Cheap shot."
"It's the truth. We know he is a nasty character, which is the reason the RSPCA have asked for a police presence tomorrow when they go in. I don't want you anywhere near him in the future. If you have any issues, call me and let me deal with it."
Kate watched Stevie brush his hand over Rooney's cheek and ached for someone to love her as much as that. "So, where do you and that dog come in, Cade? You did say you would confess all after dinner." She walked over and sat down on the top step, watching him stroking his fingers around Molly's ears.
"I figured if we could get video evidence of what was going on, it would help Rooney's complaint." He leaned forward in his chair and gave her his trademark smile. Molly placed her chin on his sore knee and gazed adoringly at him. "He was only too happy to show me around and sell me something. Luckily, I insisted on checking out the second barn because Molly here was tied up with bloody baling twine, ready for a bullet. Poor girl hadn't had a litter for two seasons running and was useless in his eyes."
Kate pushed back the wave of emotion rising in her throat. Who would have guessed the tough rugby player could be slayed by a barren collie on death row? She coughed to clear her throat. "Right. So what happens now then?"
"Nothing, I guess, until he goes to court. Then I suppose Rooney and I will have to testify against him, tell the judge what we saw. Although I think the video evidence is proof enough."
"What video evidence?" A chill raced up her spine.
"I had my phone in my pocket and videoed everything. Rhian downloaded it and we emailed it along with
