Sounds like the two of you aren’t exactly close.”
“Oh, we talk occasionally. And we care about each other. At least, I care about him. But we have different ideas about things, that’s all. I tried to get him to come to Wickenburg before Dad died, but he never would. That hurt. A lot.”
He studied her closely. “And your mother? She doesn’t want to come back?”
Katherine shook her head. “She likes the Southern California climate and being close to her sister. And she says there are too many bad memories for her here.”
Before she realized Blake’s intention, he suddenly reached across the table and covered her hand with his. The physical contact practically took her breath away, but the jolt of his touch couldn’t compare to his next words.
“I’m glad you don’t feel that way, Katherine. It’s nice to have you back home.”
Home. Was she really home? Since Cliff’s death, and more recently her father’s, Katherine had begun to wonder if she would ever know the true feeling of home again.
A hard lump suddenly lodged in her throat and she tried to swallow it away before she spoke. “Thank you, Blake. When I came back—to help Dad—I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing. To say the least, our relationship had been strained. But now...well, long before he died, we made peace with each other. And that’s the most important thing. Don’t you think?”
“Absolutely.”
Lifting her gaze to his, she gave him a grateful smile. “Coming from you, Blake, that means a lot.”
He didn’t say anything. Instead, he continued to study her face as his thumb slowly stroked the back of her hand. The touch ignited a spark somewhere deep inside her and shot a wave of uncomfortable heat straight to her cheeks. Inside her head, a voice was commanding her to ease her hand away from his and run down the street as fast as her high heels would carry her. Yet she couldn’t seem to make herself move, or even speak.
“Katherine, I—”
The sound of his low voice snapped her paralysis and she managed to ease her hand from his hold and reach for her purse.
Before he could stop her, she rose to her feet. “Thank you for the coffee, Blake, but I really must be running. I have to be back at work by ten.”
He glanced at his watch, then got to his feet. “When we get back to my truck, I’ll drive you.”
“No need for that. My car is parked in the parking lot at Yavapai Bank and Trust. I was about to go in to do some banking business when we crashed into each other,” she explained.
“Okay,” he told her. “I’ll clear the table and then we’ll walk back.”
After tossing their coffee cups and scraps of uneaten brownies into a nearby trash bin, he reached for her arm and guided her back onto the quiet sidewalk.
“So where do you work, Katherine?”
Although the touch of his hand on her arm was featherlight, it was enough to send electrical shocks up and down her arm. No matter what man was at her side, the odd reaction would have been troubling. But this was Blake Hollister. The eldest son of the prominent ranching dynasty. The man who made sure Three Rivers Ranch remained a cattle kingdom in Southern Arizona. The only thing he could ever be to Katherine was a friendly acquaintance.
“I’m a secretary to the superintendent at St. Francis Academy. A private school over on South Saguaro.”
“You said earlier that you liked your job. Have you been there long?”
Had he always been this tall and dark? This strong and broad-shouldered? Everything about him seemed magnified ten times over since she’d last seen him. But then a man could change greatly in a matter of a few years, she thought. Her late husband was proof of that.
She answered, “Almost three years. I went to work there shortly after I returned to Wickenburg. Juggling my job and caring for my dad wasn’t easy, but I managed.”
“School will be out soon,” he remarked. “Will you have to work during the summer?”
“Only for half of each workday. I’m looking forward to having the extra time to do things with Nick. He wants to go camping.”
“Most little boys do. My brothers and I used to put up a tent out behind the cattle barn and pretend we were miles away on some lonesome mesa. That way we had to worry and watch for coyotes and mountain lions. Sometimes that was hard to do, though, when a pen of weanling calves was bawling right next to us.”
Katherine chuckled. “No doubt it was still an adventure for you. I’m not sure Nick is ready to sleep out in the backyard on his own, though.”
His smile knowing, he glanced at her. “I have an idea it’s more like his mother isn’t ready for Nick to sleep outdoors.”
She sighed. “I confess. I have sheltered him somewhat,” she admitted. “It would be different if he had siblings. But that never happened.”
Katherine had no idea why she’d added that last bit of information. Blake wasn’t interested in her past family life. He was simply carrying on a polite conversation. He didn’t care that all of her hopes and dreams for a big family had vanished as Cliff had turned away from her and buried himself in his job.
“Well, at least you have one child,” he said. “That’s more than I have.”
She started to ask him if he still hoped to have a family someday, but a quick glance ahead told her they’d reached the bank building. Which was probably a good thing. She didn’t need to know about Blake’s wants or wishes. It was none of her business whether he had a special woman in his life now, or even if he was looking to find one. Money in the bank and a closet full of fine clothes didn’t change the fact that her maiden name was Anderson.
“Here we are,” she said in an overly bright voice. “Thanks again for the coffee, Blake. And please tell your family hello for me. Especially your gracious mother.”
He released his hold on her arm, but instead of stepping away, he reached for her hand and lifted it to the middle of his chest. “I’d really like it, Katherine, if you’d come out and have dinner with me at Three Rivers.”
Was he serious? Her gaze roamed his face as she tried to figure out the motive behind his invitation. Was he simply being polite? She couldn’t think of any other reason.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose on your family.”
He frowned. “Don’t be silly. They’d all be glad to see you. But if you’d rather, we could go somewhere else for dinner.”
Totally bemused now, she looked around her, then back at him. “Are you asking me for a date, Blake?”
Her question caused his square jaw to turn a shade darker. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. Why? Is there anything wrong in that?”
Only that she was the daughter of one of the town’s worst drunks. It didn’t matter that Avery Anderson was dead and gone now. That didn’t change the fact of Katherine’s upbringing.
