now that’s incentive for me to come by more often.”
“Wish you would. C’mon now.”
Bessie moved on and Austin led him into the kitchen. Elizabeth was leaning over the oven, pulling out a roasting pan. She was dressed impeccably in a pair of beige slacks and a cream and brown printed blouse. Even working in the hot kitchen, not a hair on her silver-gray head was out of place.
The second she spotted him, she set her oven mitts down and lifted her arms to him. “Casey, it’s good to see you.”
He walked into her arms, giving the petite woman a gentle squeeze. His eyes closed to the tenderness swelling in his heart. Then he cleared his throat and backed away to look into her bright amber eyes. “Same here. You’re as pretty as ever, Elizabeth.”
“You’re a charmer, Casey.”
No, he wasn’t. Mostly, he was gruff and rough around the edges. “I’ll thank you for that.”
“I hope you brought your appetite. I made you pulled pork with your favorite peanut coleslaw and fried onions.”
Casey looked at the pan of steaming, fork-tender pork shoulder roast oozing with barbeque sauce, just waiting to be shredded. “I brought an appetite and a half. Can’t wait to dive in.”
Casey did the honors of forking the meat from the roast, working alongside Elizabeth, who was arranging plates for all of them. She gave Austin half the portion size she’d given Casey and left off the sourdough bun from her husband’s plate.
She ignored Austin mumbling under his breath and smiled wide. “Okay, boys, looks like we’re ready to sit down.”
An hour later, after a delicious lunch spent shooting the breeze with the Browns, Casey sat in an extra-wide chocolate-leather chair facing Austin in his study, a tumbler of Scotch gripped in one hand. With its lived-in chairs, paneled fireplace and beige Italian sofa, the study was one of Casey’s favorite rooms in the house. Walnut bookshelves banked two opposing walls. There were five hundred books if there was one on those shelves. Austin probably speed read through every danged book in here. Mesh window shades dimmed the sunlight but still allowed a stunning view of Crystal Canyon.
“So you’re thinking of expanding the business?” Austin asked, eyeing Casey seriously. The older man had worked his fingers to the bone building the company from scratch and had a keen sense of business.
“Yeah, I’ve been shopping around Reno looking for office space. We’re bursting at the seams in Tahoe and ready to branch out. But you know I wouldn’t make that decision until I talked it out with you.”
“Yes, well. I’m glad you did.” Deep in thought, Austin scratched his chin, his fingers clasping the skin underneath. “You know that Nartoli nearly went belly up when he expanded too quickly. That’s why I always tried to grow the business slowly.”
“I’d take it slow, too. But I think the time is right.” Casey put his lips to the tumbler and sipped Scotch.
“Do you have enough business in the area to warrant opening a division in Reno?”
“We’re getting requests all the time and bidding on several big projects. Since the moratorium on commercial building has been lifted, the area is taking off.”
“Smart of you to want to get in on the ground floor of that. Actually, you’re young enough to do it. By the time those thoughts entered my skull, I was looking at retirement.” Austin leaned into the arm of his chair and leather squeaked under him. “Tell me, Casey, do you have a girl? Any thoughts of settling down?”
Casey frowned. It was a question he didn’t expect. A picture of Susie baking up those doggone delicious muffins popped into his head. “None at the moment.”
None ever. But he kept that to himself to stay away from scrutiny or friends and family trying to change his mind. Casey had grown up really fast, raising Audrey and raising hell on the rodeo. When Audrey wasn’t around, he’d led a wild life. There was always a woman around to keep him company. Funny, how a spill from a horse could change all that. He’d found out who his friends really were. Suddenly, the rodeo champion was a broken man facing months of rehab with no future to speak of and no hope of a family of his own. He’d faced that reality dead on and reinvented himself. It had been a large learning curve, but finally he was in a good place again.
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