style="font-size:15px;"> She smiled and he couldn’t help but notice that she had pretty cupid lips, lips that appeared just perfect for kissing. “Yes, the Little Bit Baby Boutique. I officially opened the doors two years ago.”
Their conversation halted as the waitress appeared with their food. She served them, chatting about the weather and how busy the restaurant had been since the coming of spring, then departed.
“I would assume owning your own business requires a lot of time and energy,” Tanner said as he cut into his thick T-bone steak.
“It does,” Colette agreed. “Which is why I was so pleased to hire Gina. She’s been a real godsend and is a wonderful salesclerk.” She smiled in obvious affection at Gina, who smiled back with the shine of hero worship in her eyes.
“Gina’s very bright,” Tanner replied. Far too bright to work for minimum wage as a clerk in a baby store, he thought.
His biggest fear was that not only would Gina not live up to her intellectual potential, but that a smooth-talking city slicker would take advantage of her, break her heart and leave her not only working in a store for babies, but shopping there, as well. Then she would never fulfill the future Tanner had envisioned for her. All his hard work on her behalf would be for naught.
“Gina tells me you run a big ranch in Kansas, so you must know about long hours and expended energy,” Colette said.
Tanner nodded. “Yes, it definitely requires hard work and long hours…especially this time of year.”
“Then I’m sure you’re eager to get back,” Gina quipped.
Tanner laughed at her lack of subtlety. “You know me, Gina. Family has always been more important than anything else in the world.” Again he turned to Colette. “You have family, Miss Carson?”
“Please, call me Colette,” she replied. “And my family consists of just my mother and me.”
“She lives here in town?”
“Yes, but unfortunately we aren’t very close.” She turned her attention to Gina. “The salad is wonderful, isn’t it.”
Tanner frowned and cut off another bite of his steak. She wasn’t close to her mother. As far as Tanner was concerned, that was just another reason to get Gina away from her influence.
Tanner knew the importance of family. Colette Carson had no idea how lucky she was to have a mother. But Tanner knew all about being without a mother and a father and the importance of hanging on to the family left behind. And his family was Gina.
“So, what kind of a ranch do you have, Mr. Rothman?” Colette asked.
He grinned. “Make it Tanner, and we raise cattle. I’ve got a large herd of Charolais and a large herd of Hereford cows.”
“Oh, is one for milk and one for meat?” she asked.
Both Tanner and Gina laughed. “They’re both meat cows,” Gina replied.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Tanner said to Colette, whose cheeks had turned a charming pink. “I wouldn’t know a bunting from a bonnet when it comes to babies.”
She laughed, the sound musical and sweet. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about cows.”
“Tanner also breeds horses,” Gina explained. “Two Hearts has been responsible for several championship quarter horses.”
“Two Hearts…that’s the name of your ranch?” Colette asked.
“Yeah. Gina named the place,” Tanner explained, remembering the day the ranch had been named. It had been two days after their parents’ funerals as they had stood on the front porch and gazed out across the expanse of pasture and fields that surrounded the ranch house.
“Tanner didn’t like it,” Gina replied. “He thought it sounded too feminine.” She gazed at Tanner and smiled. “But he said if Two Hearts is what I wanted, then that’s what it would be.”
“I always did spoil you,” Tanner exclaimed.
They finished the meal talking about less personal things—the beautiful spring weather, the latest movies they’d seen and the most recent political scandal.
Tanner found his gaze drawn again and again to Colette, slightly irritated by the fact that he found her so attractive.
When she smiled a dimple danced in one of her cheeks, and when she grew thoughtful she pursed her lips in what appeared to be a direct invitation to explore their creamy texture.
She seemed to be as bright as she was pretty and their conversation was lively and surprisingly stimulating. But he wasn’t here to enjoy the company of Gina’s roommate and boss. He reminded himself of this as the meal came to an end and they each ordered a cup of coffee.
Tanner wrapped his hands around the thick mug of coffee and decided it was time to renew his campaign to get Gina back on the ranch where she belonged.
“Gina. I’m worried about you,” he said, deciding that authoritative demands wouldn’t work. He needed to appeal to her on another level.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” she protested. “I’m doing just fine.”
“You don’t understand the dangers of city life,” he continued. “You’ve been sheltered all your life. You aren’t ready for this, Gina.” He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. “You know I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t worried sick about you.”
Gina pulled her hand away, a pained expression on her pretty features. She looked at Colette, as if seeking some sort of support.
“She seems to be handling her new independence quite well,” Colette said. “I was on my own at her age and I’ve managed to do pretty well for myself.”
Tanner forced a smile, hoping it hid his irritation. “But Gina isn’t you. Besides, I couldn’t help but notice that your apartment isn’t in the best area of town and there is no security to speak of.”
Although Tanner hoped he’d managed to hide his own irritation, he saw the spark of the same emotion that lit Colette’s eyes. “This area is in the process of rejuvenation. It was a good business decision on my part to put my shop here and live in the same area.”
“That’s fine for you, but it isn’t fine for Gina,” he replied. “She simply isn’t ready for this jump into city life and being on her own. She’s too young, and ill equipped to handle life on her own.”
“If you’re so concerned about Gina’s life here, why don’t you stick around for a few days, watch her working, see how well she’s handling things?” Colette suggested.
Gina looked horrified at the very idea. Tanner frowned. Hanging out for a few days in Kansas City was not in his plans, but then he hadn’t expected Gina to have such a strong support system in her roommate.
“That’s a great idea,” he replied, hoping neither of the women saw the intense frustration building inside him. This wasn’t working out as he’d planned and Tanner didn’t like being thwarted.
