Cathy Thacker – The Texas Cowboy's Quadruplets (страница 7)
Their eyes met. Another shimmer of heated desire sizzled between them. “Thank you,” Mitzy choked out emotionally. “I appreciate that.” Her cheeks pinkening, Mitzy swept a hand through her tousled hair. Shoving it away from her face, she went on with difficulty, “I asked you to come over tonight because I wanted to apologize for what happened on Thursday. It was...” She paused, clearly at a loss for words.
Chase guessed at what she was about to say. “One of the most stilted holiday meals either of us have ever had?”
Mitzy laughed ruefully. As did he.
Resisting the urge to pull her into his arms, Chase continued with a shrug, “The food was amazing, though.”
“Still, I should have known better than to let Mother have access to you. She’s never forgiven either of us for canceling our wedding at the last minute. Even if it was the right decision.”
Maybe at the time. Now, seeing Mitzy again, kissing her and feeling those emotions rekindle, Chase was not so sure.
He also knew his ex-fiancée was a “one step at a time” person. He couldn’t rush her into anything.
She reached over to turn on the woefully outdated desktop computer located in the center of the desk. “So, as far as Mother’s third degree about the scope and success of your business. Never mind her wild idea about you finding a buyer for MCS...”
Mitzy winced as the computer slowly—and noisily—booted up. “Or talking me into moving back to Dallas in time for the holidays, in exchange for her blessing on our monthlong closure process...?”
Sensing she needed her space, he moved to the overfilled bookcases. “You’d prefer I earn it some other way.”
Mitzy made a seesawing motion. “I’m not really sure that’s possible,” she admitted, tossing a candid glance his way, “even if you were to do everything Mother asked. As you might have noticed, the women in my family can hold a grudge.”
He sure as heck had.
Mitzy lifted her chin. Totally serious now. “Still, I’d like to call a permanent truce between the two of us.”
Gratitude welled.
He ambled toward her. “I’d like that, too, darlin’.” He paused on the other side of the desk. Noted the quick, excited jump in her pulse and decided to just go for it. “So does this mean you want to start seeing me again instead of just working on ‘closure’?”
Her smile faded. She arched a censuring brow. “I’m seeing you now.”
He shook his head and moved around to stand next to her. “Seeing you as in
With a smile, she danced away. “Actually, I was thinking we might try something else while we work our way out of the animosity that has plagued us for the past decade.” She moved one of her easels slightly, before spinning back to him. “Something more platonic and casual.” She met his level gaze with familiar stubbornness. “Like friendship.”
Which was nothing remotely close to what he wanted.
Sifting through his disappointment, Chase took a moment to consider.
In the past, he would have told her it was his way or the highway. She would have said the same to him. That approach had never worked. So if he wanted to pursue any kind of relationship with her, he would have to do more than simply pick up where they had left off. He would have to revise their way of dealing with each other into something that would weather hardship and stand the test of time.
“Okay,” he said, willing to give this friendship thing a whirl, at least for now. Anything to avoid the permanent “closure” she’d been talking about. “I’ll give it a try.”
“Good.” She smiled, mirroring his enthusiastic tone. “Because I need your help.”
“Putting up Christmas decorations?”
So far, she’d done absolutely nothing on that score. Which was unlike her. Usually, Mitzy went to get a tree and started hauling out the decorations the day after Thanksgiving.
Amazing, how easily he could envision himself helping her decorate for the holidays. When he was on his own, it wasn’t really his thing. Although he was always around to help his parents and his sibs.
She tilted her head, as used to denying herself what she wanted as he was in going after it no holds barred. Openly curious, she queried, “Are you volunteering?”
Aware he’d do anything that might bring them closer, Chase nodded. “I am.”
“Well,” she said, mischief sparkling, “I could use someone to help with the heavy lifting.”
Given how fit she was, he doubted she really needed it. “Want” was something else entirely, however. Bolstered by the idea she might privately yearn for more with him, too, he aimed a thumb at the center of his chest. “Then I’m your man.”
Mitzy raked her teeth across the soft lusciousness of her lower lip. “I could also use your help with a few other things, as well...”
Though so far he’d had only a brief, blocked glimpse of one of her four infants, it stunned him to realize how much he wanted to meet them and help her with them, too. “The babies?” he asked eagerly.
She shook her head. Her gaze darkened worriedly. “With figuring out what’s really been going on at MCS.”
Mitzy wasn’t sure how Chase would take her request. Especially after the “conditions” her mother had thrown out. His long pause indicated she had been right to worry. She could feel him sizing her up, trying to figure out the exact nature of her innermost feelings about him. When she didn’t really know herself.
All she knew for certain was that she had appreciated his kindness. Enjoyed kissing him—way too much! And that she wanted the cold war between them to end, so she wouldn’t have to keep going out of her way to duck his sexy presence, now that he was living back in Laramie.
He continued to study her wordlessly.
She jerked in a breath, wary of inadvertently revealing too much. “That is why you initially came to see me, correct? To lend aid in any way I needed?”
In the kitchen, an “end of cycle” bell sounded.
“Yes.” His mood was suddenly all business.
Mitzy glanced at her watch. The boys would be waking soon for their next feeding. It was time to get a move on. Wishing she weren’t quite so aware of his presence, she retreated into scrupulous politeness. “Unlike my mother, I’m not asking you to find a buyer for MSC.” She pivoted and headed for the kitchen.
Chase stood to the left of her, watching as she opened the dishwasher, pulled out two dozen newly sterilized baby bottles as well as the basket of sterilized nipples and caps, then set them all on the counter.
The way he looked at her then—as if he was thinking what it might be like to make love to her again—sent tremors of aching need tumbling through her.
“And if I could find a buyer?” he asked.
Mitzy shook her head. Aware that every time she got near him her heart beat faster, her senses got sharper and the romantic disappointment she’d felt since their breakup became more acute. All factors, she knew, that made her ripe for a renewed affair. And that could be disastrous, given the fact he was still all business. And she was...now more than ever...all family.
Yes, they still had sparks. And an amazing rapport.
Yes, she was incredibly attracted to him.
And even still enjoyed spending time with him.
But she did not want to end up in the same place they’d been before, with him choosing to pursue a financial bottom line over her feelings, or those she loved.
She couldn’t be with someone who had once felt that semiautomation of the MCS saddle-making process had been the way to go, even if it disrespected her father’s artistry and cost some of their beloved employees their jobs.
She could, however, rely on his expertise in the leather business to help get MCS back on track. And she knew her late father would very much approve of that!
Deciding she had gotten lost in his mesmerizing gaze for far too long, she went to the pantry and emerged with a gallon of purified water and a new can of powdered infant formula.
Promising herself she was not going to let herself fall victim to the attraction simmering between them, she forced her gaze back to the rugged contours of his face. “I could never let the company go.” She set both items on the counter. “Not when I promised my father I would always take care of it.”
His eyes narrowed skeptically. “Did Gus want you to run it personally?”
She made a show of opening both containers, then went down the row, adding one scoop of powdered mix to each bottle. “It’s why Dad left it to me, and made me the CEO before he died.”
“Gus never discussed you selling MCS if it became too much?”
Mitzy flushed. “Well, yes.” She bent her head and added purified water to each bottle, too. “When it became clear my dad’s cancer was terminal and he didn’t have long to live, he and I talked about the possibility.”
“And?” Moving closer, he flashed her an encouraging smile.
Mitzy handed Chase the bottle and gestured for him to continue. While he did, she topped them off with nipple, plastic screw cap and protective cover.