fiery reds, pumpkin orange, and lemony yellow. A big grey squirrel ran down the trunk of a Maple. It paused for a cautious moment, and then grabbed a nut before scurrying up the tree, chattering a warning to birds and humans alike. A warning she should heed.
Katy turned back, a glib excuse to turn him down on the tip of her tongue, when kitten-little decided it was time to wake up. Her sharp nails dug into the soft skin of Katy’s inner arm. “Ouch, Chester, let go.”
“Chester? What kind of pansy name is that?” Ty smirked.
“Well, it’s more original than Tiger.” Katy giggled, and just like that she changed her mind. “Dinner sounds good. I’ll follow you there so you don’t have to go out later.”
Refusing to overthink her decision, she untangled herself from the kitten’s claws, gave it a peck on the head, and handed her over to Ty’s outstretched hand.
“Come’re you little monster,” he grumbled, but handled the tiny body with the gentlest of touches. “You’re going to be more trouble than your worth, I’m thinking.”
He returned the animal to its nest of blankets, and then turned back to Katy. She had the distinct feeling he wasn’t just talking about the cat. The complicated mix of reactions she could see reflected in his eyes like storm tossed clouds, contrarily made her feel somewhat better. At least she wasn’t alone in this tempest of emotion filling the air between them.
He cleared his throat. “It’s not a problem if you want to leave your car here. Your boyfriend might not approve of you visiting another man’s home. If your car is sitting in my driveway, someone’s sure to notice.”
Katy’s brows lowered at his tone. She admitted to being curious about his home and wasn’t going to be put off that easily. Ten years was a long time. He’d been on her mind often over the years. It bothered her they had never actually said goodbye to their relationship.
“He’s not my boyfriend , as you so inelegantly put it, he’s my fiancé. And he wouldn’t mind, because he trusts me.” She stepped back, shut his door, and waited for him to lower the window. “Are you cooking me some dinner, or am I going to a take-out place?”
Ty stared at her for a moment, then leaned over and fired up the engine. “Follow me.” But then he ruined it by murmuring, “Said the spider to the fly.”
Katy hurried over to her car before he changed his mind and left her behind. She didn’t want to delve too deeply into why it was suddenly so important to remain in his company for a while longer, but she couldn’t deny that it was.
They toured through a few residential neighborhoods, even passing by her friend, Rebecca’s house. Katy talked tough, but there was no reason to go and test her theory if it wasn’t necessary. Jeff did trust her. She knew that. It was more a question of how much did she trust herself?
Ty’s brake lights came on as he slowed for a paved drive along a tall stand of Cedars. At the end of the drive a low-slung rancher style home blended beautifully into the surrounding landscape. Finished with sandstone siding and lots of tall windows, the home looked warm, welcoming, and oh-so-familiar. Ty had bought their house. The one she’d dreamed of them owning one day. Did he remember?
Katy pulled up behind just as he stepped from the vehicle. Her headlights highlighted his long jean clad legs and lip-smacking tight butt. She gulped. Oh, man . He looked even better than when they were teens, more masculine, assertive—virile. She opened the door without conscious thought. His magnetism drew her to him as sure as the sun sets in the west. It probably always would.
He waited near the front of his pick-up, the kitten comfortably held in the crook of his arm. His face looked forbidding, as though now he’d had time to think about it he regretted inviting her. Too bad, she was here and she had no plans on leaving until they talked. The next few weeks would be stressful