or Claudia what’s-her-name, that foreign gal?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t quite in their league. How do you know about Cindy and Claudia?”
The old man winked. “Told you I read purt near everything. Even look at one of them women’s magazines now and then. You know, now that I think on it, I believe I’ve seen your picture somewheres.”
“Not for a couple of years. Would you like to start another book?”
“Not right now. I think I’ll take a little nap or maybe watch Oprah. You and Kyle run along and get better acquainted.” He winked meaningfully at Irish again. “If you know what I mean.”
She laughed. “Not on your life.”
As Irish and Kyle walked downstairs, he asked, “What is my grandfather up to now? He hasn’t made any indecent proposals has he?”
“No. We were just joking. He offered me a million dollars if I would marry you. Then he upped it to two.”
“My God!”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t take him seriously. I know that the proceeds from this place and his monthly Social Security check haven’t made him a millionaire, but he’s an old dear anyway. If he were rolling in dough though, I might have to give his offer serious consideration.”
Kyle’s step faltered. “Oh?”
She smiled. “I’m sure that I’m not the first woman to tell you that you’re an extremely attractive man. And two million dollars would make you darned near irresistible.”
His step faltered again. “Money turn you on?”
“Green is my very favorite color. As I said, you’re an attractive guy in lots of ways, but you’re safe from me. No offense intended, but I plan on marrying a rich man.”
All sorts of alarms started going off in his head. “That so?”
“Yep.”
“What about love?”
“Oh, I don’t want just any rich man. I want one that I can love, of course. But being able to sleep soundly without worrying about security generates a lot of affection.”
Her tone was light and teasing, but Kyle sensed an underlying agenda that prompted her attitude. What was it that worried her at night? He wondered if it had anything to do with the scars on the left side of her face. The faint lines were almost imperceptible. With her skillful makeup, nobody but a professional giving her as close a scrutiny as he had would have detected the slight traces.
He ached to ask her more, but now was not the time. Instead he chuckled and said, “I’ll drink to that. Do you mind watching the store for a while? I need to check some things with my grandfather.”
“No problem.”
He turned and hurried back upstairs.
When Pete spied Kyle, he said, “What are you doing up here? Why ain’t you down courtin’ Irish? I like her, son. I like her a lot. She’d make you a fine wife. You’d have good-looking kids.”
“Aren’t you rushing things a bit?”
“Nope. I knew right off that your grandmother was the woman for me.”
“Well, I’m different,” Kyle said. “I need a bit more time. And there’s a hitch with Irish.”
“A hitch?”
Kyle sat down beside the bed and blew out a big breath. “It seems that she wants to marry a rich man.”
Pete gave a hoot of laughter. “Then you’re in good shape there. Besides the ten I gave you, how many million did you have at last count?”
“That’s not the point. You see, I could be very interested in Irish, but I don’t want somebody who looks at me and only sees dollar signs.”
Pete nodded. “I get you. So you’re going to lie to her?”
“No. Yes.” Kyle dropped his hat on his knee and ran his fingers through his hair. “Hell, I don’t know. But I wouldn’t want to fall for a gold digger. For the moment I’d just as soon that she not know that you’re wealthy or that I’m wealthy or—”
“Or that you’re a plastic surgeon.”
“Right. Or that Jackson is your grandson and my cousin.”
“Why is that?”
Kyle grinned. “Because I’m going to see if I can stall Jackson and that bunch of his in Dallas for an extra day or two. I don’t want Irish tempted by all those men and all that money until I can get a toehold in her affections.”
“Won’t she suspect something if she sees the oil wells on the property?”
“If she mentions it, I’ll tell her that they belong to Jackson or somebody. She won’t have any way of knowing that the land is yours. Will you play along with me?”
“My lips are sealed. As far as I’m concerned, you’re nothing but a shiftless bum, and I’m one step away from food stamps.”
“You don’t have to go quite that far.”
Cherokee Pete’s eyes twinkled. “I do believe you’ve taken quite a liking to our Irish already for you to go to so much trouble.”
“I’ll admit that she intrigues me.”
Pete cackled. “Intrigues, hell. She’s got your juices pumping. I ain’t so old I can’t remember. Check that roast you put in the oven, then go on down there and get to courtin’.”
Kyle decided to do just that.
He and Irish spent the rest of the afternoon in the store, waiting on the occasional customer and talking about everything from favorite colors to politics. They found that, despite a difference in their backgrounds and the fact that he liked blue to her green, they had a lot in common. In fact, after gazing for a spell into those lovely emerald green eyes of hers, he was beginning to change his mind about blue. Green was enchanting.
At dinnertime, They went upstairs and Kyle checked the roast that he had prepared earlier under Pete’s tutelage. He poked the meat with a fork, then poked the carrots, onions and potatoes. “That looks done to me. Does it look done to you?”
“I’m no expert, but it seems to be.”
“We’ll declare it done. Want a salad?”
“Sure,” she said. “I can make salad.”
They both pitched in to chop the vegetables, and Irish prepared a tray for Pete. While she took the tray to his grandfather, Kyle set the kitchen table for them. He started to put a candle in the middle, then decided that was pushing it a bit. He dug around until he found a cheap jug of burgundy and an expensive bottle of chardonnay. He put the chardonnay in the refrigerator and unscrewed the cap on the burgundy.
Irish
