Solitaire (12 page)

* * *

That evening, after Pilar had left for the night, Cat went to the kitchen to bake. Slade hung around, watching closely as she made her mother’s recipe for chocolate-chip cookies. Every now and again, Slade would lean over her shoulders and swipe a bite of the dough. And then he would steal a light kiss from Cat. Tinkering with the cappuccino maker, Slade worked nearby on the tile drain board. Cat looked soft and feminine in a pale pink sundress. The square neck on the dress showed off her recent tan to a decided advantage.

“Did I tell you how pretty you look in that dress?”

Cat began to drop the cookie dough onto the sheet. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly and she pinned Slade’s longing gaze. “Is this your way of getting a cookie? Flattery?”

Slade placed the lid on the cappuccino machine, screwing it down tightly. He met her smile. “Cookies can’t hold a flame to you.”

Laughing lightly, she murmured, “Why, thank you. Can I help it if I think you have ulterior motives designed to weaken my resolve?”

“Sweetheart, if I want to weaken your resolve, I’ll be a hell of a lot more straightforward about it.”

“Uh-oh, Texans are rather brash, aren’t they?” Cat walked around Slade and moved to the oven. He leaned petulantly against the drain board, watching her through half-closed eyes. She found it hard to fight the attraction he always generated in her. Eyeing the oven’s temperature control, Cat straightened up. She brushed away strands of damp hair from her brow.

“Texans are honest,” Slade defended, eagerly absorbing her every movement.

Placing the sheet of cookies in the oven, Cat closed the door. “Even if it kills them,” she agreed. “There. In about ten minutes, the first dozen will be ready. How’s our cappuccino coming?”

Slade roused himself from staring at her. Her flushed cheeks and the serenity surrounding her made her just that much more enticing. Everything was happening so quickly. He didn’t want to rush Cat or make her feel as if he was stalking her.

“Here,” Slade said, handing her a large mug of the steaming brew, frothy with hot milk. Then he joined her on the living-room couch. The last of the cookies had been baked and were set out to cool. The merriment in Cat’s eyes as she took the cup made him smile. With a contented sigh, Slade sat back, his shoulders almost touching hers.

“How are you doing?” Cat asked, sipping contentedly at her cappuccino.

Slade rolled his head to the left, drinking in her smiling features. “Okay.”

“You’re holding up amazingly well for a Cookie Monster.”

“Yeah, I know it.”

“I’ve got them counted, Slade. So don’t come sneaking out here in the middle of the night to steal one. Or two. Probably half a dozen.”

Slade joined her laughter and picked up her hand. “I’ve got something even better than that, Cat.”

“What?” She loved the feel of his big, firm hand.

“I was privileged to see you working in the kitchen.”

“Being a mining engineer doesn’t mean I can’t do anything else.”

“Now, don’t go getting contrary. That was a compliment. You looked kind of pretty and at home in there. I liked the feeling.” His voice lowered. “For the first time since I bought this place, it feels like a home.” And then he met Cat’s sober gaze. “Do you know what I mean?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Yes, I know…”

Reluctantly, Slade released her hand. “What we…share…is so good, Cat.”

Cat set her mug on the coffee table. Slade gave her a puzzled look as she rose and walked to the kitchen.

“Now what did I say?” he demanded, sitting up. “Cat?”

Cat returned with a saucer stacked with cookies. She handed them to Slade. “Nothing’s wrong,” she told him, sitting back down beside him. “Everything’s right…”

Delighted with her change of heart, Slade picked up a cookie. He was about to take a bite out of it, then hesitated. “Does this mean I still get my kiss?”

“I hereby release you from having to make a choice,” Cat said, her eyes sparkling.

“Here, this one’s for the cook. She’s one hell of a fine lady.”

Cat took the proffered cookie, giving Slade a tender smile. Holding up her cookie in a toast, she murmured, “And here’s to one hell of a fine man.”

Happily, Slade touched her cookie with his. He consumed four of them without another word.

Laughing, Cat snuggled into the couch, her legs tucked beneath her. The beatific look of pleasure on Slade’s face made her feel good. She reached out, resting her hand against his shoulder. “You’re such an easy person to please, Slade Donovan. Does it always take so little to make you happy?”

He glanced over at Cat, matching her smile. “That’s me in a nutshell, sweetheart. Small, simple things in life are the best. Like that kiss we shared this afternoon…”

“Or the cookies…”

“Yeah, them too. But the kiss was sweeter. Better.” And then he brightened. “This is pretty good–not only do I get these great-tasting cookies, but I also get to give you a good-night kiss.”

“Don’t gloat, Slade.”

“Was I gloating?”

“You know you are. You’re as bad as Rafe when it comes to getting everything your way.”

* * *

Rafe called her less than a week later. Joyfully, Cat picked up the phone when Pilar told her who it was. The early-afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows as Cat took the phone into the living room, making herself comfortable on the apricot-colored couch.

“How are you?” Cat asked, barely able to contain her happiness.

“Things could be going a hell of a lot better, Cat.”

Her brows dipped. “Oh, no. What’s wrong, Rafe?”

“You remember I told you about Jessica?”

“The lady investigator from the Bureau of Land Mines?”

“Same one,” he said gruffly.

Gripping the phone, Cat felt her brother’s unspoken anguish. “Oh, Rafe, what happened? I know how much you love her. Didn’t you fly up to Wyoming to see her?”

“Yes…but…things just didn’t work out for us, Cat. Not the way I wanted, at least. Listen, enough of my troubles. How are you? You sound better. Happier.”

Her heart bled for Rafe. How many times had he talked of Jessie to her? Any fool could see that Rafe was head over heels in love with the woman. Shutting her eyes, Cat had no defense against her brother’s pain. “Oh, I’m surviving.”

“Isn’t Slade Donovan treating you right?”

The threat in Rafe’s voice made her laugh softly. “Now don’t go getting growly like an old bear just waking up from hibernation. Slade is–well, he’s wonderful, Rafe.”

“Then what’s the problem? You’re worried. I can hear it in your voice.”

“It’s just the calls I’m getting from mining companies who want to hire me. Seems like everyone knows I can’t fulfill the terms of the Australian contract and they’re trying to entice me into other jobs. They’re like Nar hunting down a rabbit.”

Rafe’s laughter was explosive. “That damned eagle. Speaking of hunting, did you know he grabbed Goodyear the other day?”

Buoyed by Rafe’s sudden good humor, Cat was swept along by it. “Oh, no. What happened? Did Millie get on her broomstick and fly after him?”

Chuckling, Rafe recounted the latest escapade of the golden eagle and the nearly-thirty-pound, overfed cat, Goodyear. “Well, you know how Nar dive-bombs the chicken coop every once in a while to keep everyone on their toes?”

“Yes, the little turkey.”

“Now, Nar would be insulted if you called him a turkey.”

“Jim Tremain calls him a flying pig and he’s right! Well, go on. What happened?”

“Pig is right. Anyway, Nar spotted the Goodyear blimp outside the horse-paddock area. I guess Goodyear had caught his first mouse ever.”

“As fat as that cat is, I’m surprised he’s caught one. Sure the mouse wasn’t crippled, blind and already dead from old age?”

“Who knows?” Rafe laughed. “Anyway, I was saddling Flight up to help herd some cattle to the south range when I saw Nar land about ten feet away from Goodyear. The cat hadn’t hurt the mouse. He was just holding it between his front paws gloating over it. Frankly, I don’t think Goodyear knew what to do with it. Millie feeds him so many table scraps he’s never had to hunt a day in his life.”

“What did Nar do?”

“He flapped his wings and came clucking and chutting up to Goodyear. The cat flattened his ears and crouched over his mouse. He wasn’t going to give up his feast to that brazen bird.”

Cat could barely stifle her giggles, and held a protective arm across her stomach. “Did Nar take the mouse?”

“No. He made a lightning strike for Goodyear’s tail and picked him right up off the ground. You should have heard the racket. The mouse squeaked and ran. Goodyear was shrieking like a scalded cat. Nar lumbered toward the meadow, trying to get airborne, dragging Goodyear in a wake of dust. Can you imagine a thirteen-pound eagle trying to lift off with a thirty-pound fatso? I was laughing so hard, tears were running down my face. Goodyear was digging into the grass and dirt trying to stop Nar from moving forward. Nar kept getting jerked around until finally he crashed. Both he and the cat hit the dirt at the same time. You should have seen it–dust, feathers and cat fur were flying everywhere.”

Crying with laughter, Cat couldn’t speak for almost a minute. “Oh, no! What happened? Did Millie ever get wind of it?”

“Nah, I ran out of the barn to stop Nar from dragging the damn idiot cat around by the tail. There was a huge cloud of dust and all these screams from Nar and snarls from Goodyear. Just as I got there, Goodyear shot out like a fired cannonball with a couple of feathers in his mouth. Nar limped out the other side with a real hurt look on his face. I stood there laughing. That cat finally got even for all the times Nar teased and chased him. Last I saw, Goodyear was rolling at high speed toward the safety of the chicken coop, Nar’s tail feathers in his mouth.”

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Cat said with a giggle, “Finally, after all these years, Goodyear evens the score! Did you tell Dal that her eagle got the worst end of the confrontation?”

“Yeah, I did. I don’t know who laughed harder, Dal or me.”

Cat smiled tenderly, cradling the phone. “You’re so good for me, Rafe. All I have to do is remember Nar and Goodyear’s latest battle and I’ll die laughing.”

Suddenly shifting gears, Rafe asked, “Have you heard anything about the Emerald Lady Mine or what they were going to do with the owner?”

Cat sobered slightly. “Lionel Graham has been handed a large fine by the government.”

“Well deserved,” Rafe applauded.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to build any more mines in the U.S. without the government watching him closely. He got what was coming to him.”

“Slade had been right about him all the time,” Rafe added.

Cat made a wry face. “Tell me about it. If I had listened to him in the first place, I wouldn’t have gotten into my present bind.”

“But then, you wouldn’t have met Slade.”

Rafe was right. Cat closed her eyes for a moment. “And I’m very glad we’ve had the time together.”

“Good,” Rafe rumbled, his voice warm and pleased, “you deserve some happiness.”

“Between you, Slade and Kai Travis, I’m surrounded by people who make me smile and laugh.”

“So, you like the Travis gal, eh?”

“Yes. She and her husband, Matt, are wonderful. Slade has had them over here for dinner once a week and we have a great time. You should see their one-year-old, Josh. I’ve never seen a cuter tyke.” And then Cat cringed. Why did she have to bring up the subject of babies to Rafe? She knew how much he’d wanted kids before his wife had died in childbirth.

There were a few awkward moments of silence, then Rafe cleared his throat. “You sound better now, Cat. I’ll give you a call in a week and see if you’re still improving.”

Trying to rally for his sake, Cat murmured, “Don’t worry. Between Slade and Kai I have to get better.”

Chapter Six

K
ai loosened the blood-pressure cuff from around Cat’s left arm. “Perfectly healthy and normal. Not bad after four weeks.” She set the cuff aside and examined the nearly healed scar along Cat’s scalp. “You’re just as tough as Slade,” she teased. “Are all you rock-hunting miners built out of the same genetic material?”

Cat met her smile. Kai had a genuine warmth emanating from her that made Cat feel good. “I’m not as tough as I look.”

“Nonsense. Come on, let’s go enjoy a late-morning margarita on Slade’s back porch. It’s almost noon and I can’t stay long. Maria is watching Josh until I get back. Let’s spend a few minutes catching up on what we’ve been doing the past few days.” Kai reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m really glad you’re here, Cat. Out on this Texas desert, I get a little lonely for feminine company.”

Cat followed Kai out into the living room and sat down at the bar. Kai made a mean margarita, almost as good as Slade’s. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you, Kai,” Cat admitted.

Kai dropped the ice cubes into the blender, shut the lid and turned it on. “Slade would have been utterly lost without your help.”

“What do you mean?”

Kai poured the margaritas into two long-stemmed glasses, her eyes sparkling. “I’m sure he’s told you why he flew up to Maine to find you. After all, he wanted only the best engineer to build that mine of his down in Colombia. He’d talked for months of a way to lure you away from your other commitments. Believe me when I tell you that when Slade wants something, he doesn’t take no for an answer.” Kai added a slice of lime to the drinks. “But then, you’ve experienced his persuasive sales abilities, so you know what I’m talking about. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Slade as intense as he was about hiring you. He wanted the best.” Her eyes twinkled and she leaned forward, her long auburn hair falling around her face. “Just between us, I think Slade’s enjoying your company so much he’s forgotten about the mine. When I talk to him, he always speaks of you, never about the Verde.”

Cat nearly choked on Kai’s statement. She barely tasted the tart drink, thrown as she was into a maelstrom of powerful emotions. Slade had wanted to hire her to build him a mine? He had hinted about a business deal, but she had forgotten all about it. Maybe his offer to have her recuperate at the ranch was just part of his business plan. Why hadn’t she questioned Slade more closely? But then, how could she? As badly injured as she was, she had willingly accepted Slade’s offer to recuperate here. What an idealistic fool she had been.