hair was as thick as ever and his green eyes brightened when he caught sight of Cash. “Come in. Come in.”
If first impressions meant anything, Cash’s mother was worried for nothing. The old man looked great.
Scout trotted inside first, as though she belonged, followed by Taryn and Cash.
The old house looked much better on the inside. The dark wood paneling in the living and formal dining space had been painted white, brightening the room considerably. Looked like Gramps had a new recliner, too. Seemed he wore one out about every five years or so. The floral sofa, though, still looked as new as the day Cash’s grandmother bought it.
“I thought you’d be at the ice park.” Gramps smiled at Taryn.
“No, not today.”
The old man shifted his attention back to Cash, his chest puffed out. “Did you know that Ouray is the ice climbing capital of America?”
“I did not.” However, he couldn’t help noticing that the console TV was still parked near the front window so it could be viewed from the kitchen.
“We even have a big ice festival. But that was last month.”
Cash always said his grandfather should be a spokesperson for the town. The old man never missed an opportunity to talk up Ouray.
“Pretty nice setup they’ve got over there, though.” Gramps inhaled deeply. “Smells like you’ve been baking again, young lady.”
Pink tinged Taryn’s cheeks. “It’s almost Valentine’s Day, Mr. Jenkins. Lots of people are baking.”
“So what’s your excuse the rest of the year?” The old man looked at Cash. “This sweet thing keeps me on baked goods that rival anything your grandmother would have made.”
Cash focused on the girl who had once followed him and her brother all over Ouray. “Beautiful and a great cook. That ought to make some man very happy.”
Those clear blue eyes narrowed for a split second.
“I’ll take this.” She snatched the tray from his hand and headed into the kitchen.
He turned to his grandfather. He hadn’t seen the old man since the last time he’d come to Texas, shortly after the birth of Cash’s niece. That was over two years ago. And while one would never guess the man to be ninety, the telltale signs of age had grown more numerous. Lines revealed a man who loved the outdoors and age spots dotted his tanned skin.
“How are you, Gramps?”
His grandfather drew him into a warm embrace. “Even better now, son.” He clapped Cash on the back with a strength that belied his age. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again.”
Funny how he had to stoop to hug this man he once considered a giant. He still smelled of coffee and outdoors. Home.
His grandfather released him.
“And the bronchitis?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Taryn there nursed me back to health with her homemade chicken soup.”
“Good.” He looked around the familiar space where he’d spent so much of his childhood. “It’s good to be here. Thank you for inviting me.”
Gramps sent him a stern look. “No invitation needed. You know you’re always welcome.”
The moisture in the old man’s eyes tugged at Cash’s heart. Suddenly, he was glad he’d come. A few days in Ouray might do wonders for him. Who knows? He might even relax. Clear his head. And, with any luck, see a little snow.
* * *
First, darlin’, then beautiful.
Taryn Purcell had heard those words before. And they made her skin crawl worse than nails on a chalkboard.
It took all the restraint she could muster not to dump the cherry pie and other goodies she’d made onto Art Jenkins’s kitchen table. She loved the old man as much as her own grandfather, but his grandson left much to be desired.
She huffed out a sigh. Cash Coble. A big name for a big man with an even bigger ego, no doubt. Was it just her or were all tall, good-looking Texans arrogant and condescending? Like a woman’s sole purpose was to cook and look good for her man.
That’s probably how Cash preferred his women—in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant.
Hmph. Bet Big Tex wouldn’t have the guts to strap on some crampons, grab an ax and scale some fat ice. Boy, she’d like to teach him a thing or two.
“Taryn...” Mr. Jenkins’s voice drew closer.
She turned as he entered the kitchen with his grandson. From his short blond hair to his boot-cut jeans and pointy cowboy boots, Cash had Texan written all over him. Right down to the swagger. And those dimples...
Biting her lip, she shifted her attention to Scout, who was happily tucked under Cash’s arm, licking him as if the man was a side of beef. Scout was usually afraid of men. Even Mr. Jenkins had to bribe her with a treat before the mutt allowed him to pick her up. And he’d known her since she was a puppy.
“You remember my grandson, Cash, don’t you?”
She gripped the metal edge of the ancient Formica-topped table behind her and forced a smile. “I do. Not that we spent much time together.” Cash was five years older than her, the same age as her brother Randy. Guess that would make him thirty-two.
Mischief glinted in Cash’s green eyes. “No, but I sure remember how you used to spy on Randy and me.”
She squared her shoulders. “I was not spying.”
“Aw, come on. Every time I turned around I’d see you ducking behind something.”
He saw me?
She lifted her chin, her trail shoes scraping across the worn gold-and-orange sheet vinyl. “Well, somebody had to make sure you two stayed out of trouble.”
Turning her attention back to his grandfather, she said, “There’s a cherry pie—” she pointed to the foil-wrapped pastry “—and then here we have some banana nut bread, chocolate chip cookies and brownies.”
The old man gave her a one-armed hug. “You sure know how to spoil a fella.”
She kissed his weathered cheek. “Some people are simply worth spoiling.” Stepping back, her gaze inadvertently fell to Cash. True, she’d brought enough baked goods for two, though she never imagined she would actually run into Cash.
Her heart skittered to a halt. Oh, no. He probably thought she was waiting for him to pull up before she brought this stuff over.
Talk about lousy timing.
“I...need to get back to the house.” She retrieved her Chihuahua-terrier mix from Cash’s muscular arms and hurried through the living room as if she had something burning in the oven. But she had to get out of here before she said or did something
