Carter (Remington Ranch Book 3) (3 page)

She smiled at him and nodded. Good, she was keeping her word. She fished around in her purse, looking for her phone. That made him smile. He had to wonder what she kept in there, it was such a huge purse for such a little lady. She rolled her eyes at him as she finally found the phone and brought it out. She knew what he was smiling at; he’d teased her about it before.

He returned his attention to the road while she tapped out a text, then kept on tapping—apparently deep in conversation with Cassidy. He’d never gotten the hang of texting as a means of real communication. It came in handy for a quick message now and then, but he didn’t get how people could chat away on there. He also didn’t get why people seemed to think he should reply instantly. If it was
that
important, why didn’t they just call? As if on cue, his own phone rang. He didn’t like to talk on it when he was driving and it seemed rude while Summer was sitting there. He let it ring. Once it had finished, the voicemail tone sounded. Then it started to ring again.

Summer looked over at him. She was right. He should probably get it. Maybe it was something important.

“This is Carter.”

“I know,” said Shane with a laugh. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to answer.”

Carter laughed. “Okay, smartass. What do you want?”

“To ask you to come to dinner.”

“I already told you I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can. I know she’s in the truck with you, but Summer just told Cassidy that
she
can’t come to dinner.”

Carter shot a glance over at her. She was still tapping merrily away. “Why?”

“Because Cassidy told her you weren’t coming, and apparently she won’t come if you’re not.”

He shot another look at Summer. She smiled sweetly at him, giving him the feeling she knew who he was talking to. “I don’t want to,” he told Shane.

Shane laughed. “Yes, you do. And besides, you think if you don’t come you’ll be able to avoid whatever it is she wants to talk to you about, but you’re wrong. If you don’t come, she’s just going to keep you at her place and make you talk to her anyway. You may as well admit defeat and say you’ll come.”

Carter thought about it. By the sounds of it, going to dinner at Cassidy’s house would be easier than spending the time alone with Summer at her house. He blew out a sigh. “Okay.”

“Great! We’ll see you later.” Shane hung up.

Summer looked over at him.

He pursed his lips. “You win.”

Her smile said she knew exactly what he meant.

Chapter Three

When Carter turned into the driveway, Summer smiled at the sight of the house. She really did love the place. She’d only stayed here for a short time, but it had felt like a sanctuary. A safe place to hide and to rest. It was so beautiful, sitting as it did on the bank of the Yellowstone, with glorious views of the mountains all around.

Carter brought the truck to a stop outside the front door then looked over at her. “What time did you tell Cassidy we’d be over for dinner?” he asked.

“Seven.”

He nodded and looked at the clock on the dash. “In that case, I’ll bring your bags in for you and leave you to get settled. I need to head home to shower and change.”

She hadn’t been expecting that. He’d agreed that they could talk when he got her here. “But…” she croaked.

He shook his head with a finality she recognized. “But nothing. You need to rest your voice for more than just an hour. I need to get cleaned up and changed. There’s nothing to argue about.”

She nodded. She knew he was right. But she wasn’t giving up, either. She climbed out of the truck and followed him up the steps. Once she’d unlocked the front door, he brought her bags inside.

“Where do you want them?”

She pointed down the hallway to her bedroom. Carter stopped in the doorway, looking uncomfortable.

Summer couldn’t help smiling. He’d been over here a few times during her last visit, but she knew he was uncomfortable
invading her private space
as he’d put it. He’d made a big effort to stay out on the deck whenever he came, only venturing in as far as the living room when she insisted. She gestured toward the bed, knowing that would make him more uncomfortable still. As he placed her bags on it, she sat down and smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded and backed away. He didn’t stop until he reached the door. When he did he blocked the light.

She wished he’d come back, come sit beside her, talk to her, be honest with her about how he felt, let her be honest about how she felt. “Do you have to go right now?” she asked.

He’d taken his hat off and was twisting it in his hands as he stood there. He held her gaze for a long moment before he nodded. “I do. Get some rest. I’ll come pick you up around six thirty.” He turned on his heel and left.

She was tempted to run after him, but she knew there was no point. He’d be back in a couple of hours, and hopefully, by then she’d be able to talk for a little while—rather than croak or whisper, which seemed to be all she was capable of right now. She heard the front door close and a few moments later his truck pulled away. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. What was she going to do? What could she do? She had no idea. She knew she wanted to do something. Carter was her ideal man—both physically and in personality. She’d told Cassidy that it seemed as though someone upstairs had listened to everything she wanted in a man and had put Carter together, especially for her. He was kind, he was sweet, he was caring. He knew who he was, he loved his life, and he loved his work. She sighed. And his life and his work were right here in Paradise Valley. How could they get involved with each other when she would probably be leaving in three months’ time—and he would never leave! At the same time, wouldn’t it be crazy not to explore what they both obviously felt for each other? How would they be able to avoid it? Unless they avoided each other, which seemed to be Carter’s solution. She shook her head. She wasn’t going to let him get away with that. She wanted to spend time with him, even if it was only as friends.

She got up from the bed and went through to the bathroom. She couldn’t kid herself that just friends would be enough. She started the water running. She wanted to sit in the tub and stare out the window at the mountain while she mulled it all through.

~ ~ ~

When Carter got home, he let himself in through the back door. He kicked his boots off and hung his hat in the mudroom. He picked up the coffee mug he’d left on the kitchen table this morning and rinsed it out. What a difference a day made! This morning, he’d known that Summer was coming back and he was determined to stick to his plan to avoid her. Now here he was, not twelve hours later, and he’d already picked her up from the airport, told her she’d made him feel like the happiest guy on earth, and if that wasn’t enough, he was going back to see her later and taking her to dinner with his brother and Cassidy!

He tidied the kitchen. He loved this house. He’d built it the third year the nursery did well. The nursery covered five acres, and when the five next door had come up for sale, he’d bought the lot and built his home next to his business. It wasn’t anything grand, but it was nice. It was his. He went out back and stopped to pet a cat who came curling around his legs. “Hey, Buster,” he said as he scratched behind his ears. “How you doing? Are you keeping the mice down for me?”

Buster purred loudly in reply and rubbed his head against Carter’s leg.

Carter smiled. “Yeah, right. I’ll fill up you guys’ food.” He left food out for a whole bunch of cats who hung around out here. He claimed that they kept the mice down, but in reality he was just a soft ass and didn’t like to admit it. He was so soft, in fact, that he’d turned one of sheds into a home for the cats. Buster had been the first stray to show up around here a couple of years ago. Carter had invited him to come stay in the house, but he didn’t like to be cooped up. Carter had taken to leaving food and warm blankets out in the shed—the shed that had a broken board where a cat could squeeze in if they really wanted to. Buster had made the place his home, and then he started inviting his friends over. Nowadays there were at least a half dozen of them who hung out on any given night.

Once he’d filled up their food and made sure they had fresh water, he let himself back into the house. It was time to take a shower and figure out what he was going to wear tonight. He chuckled to himself—what was he, a girl? But it was important to him. He wanted to look good. He opened his closet and stared in there. It shouldn’t be important, but it was. He’d already proved to himself that he wasn’t going to be able to stay away from Summer. He’d already been more honest than he should have with her about how he felt. And she hadn’t been horrified. He knew she liked him. He was starting to wonder whether he should just keep being honest—with himself as well as with her. He’d spent ten years of his life avoiding women, trying to save himself from more pain. Maybe Summer was the one who would help him get past that? He knew that life didn’t happen without pain, but if you were going to take the risk, the potential reward had to be worthwhile. He couldn’t think of any greater potential reward than Summer. If he wasn’t prepared to take a risk on her, then he may as well hang up his boots right now.

He closed the closet door again. He’d figure it out after his shower. For now he headed for the bathroom and set the water running. He needed to get cleaned up and hopefully wash some of his fear and confusion away.

He pulled up back at her house at six thirty on the dot. She must have been watching for him; the front door opened as he climbed out of his truck. He smiled. She was so damned beautiful! She was small and fragile looking, but there was a strength about her, too. A strength he admired. She was dressed casual tonight in black jeans and a long white sweater. Her long blonde hair fell loose around her shoulders. She took his breath away. She waved and he started toward her, realizing that he’d been standing there staring like an idiot.

“How are you feeling?” he asked when he reached the door.

She nodded. “Better.” She smiled up at him. “And you’ll be relieved to hear that I think we should get going.”

He raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t relieved; if anything, he was a little disappointed. He’d been looking forward to a few minutes alone with her, before they went to Cassidy’s place.

She laughed. “I’m not letting you off the hook. I still want us to talk, but I have to be realistic about how long my voice will last. I want to get to Cassidy’s, have dinner, and then get you back here.”

He shook his head with a smile. “We won’t be able to get away from their place early, and knowing you and Cassidy, your voice will be all used up in the first half hour anyway. I think I’m safe for tonight.”

She surprised the hell out of him when she stepped toward him, put her hands on his shoulders and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Don’t you believe it, Carter. You’ll never be safe from me!”

He sucked in a deep breath as she stood back with a smile. It took everything he had not to close his arms around her and pull her against him. Maybe he needed to go back to his plan of avoiding her, because letting her get as close as she just had would only end up leading them to one place. The way the blood was rushing through his veins, pounding in his temples, he wanted to forget about their evening out and take her to that one place right now!

She misread his reaction and looked concerned. “Was that too much?”

He shook his head.

“What then?”

“It wasn’t enough.” Damn! He shouldn’t have said it. But he’d had no choice. It was the truth.

Her eyes widened and two little spots of pink appeared on her cheeks. Then a smile slowly spread across her face. “I agree.”

Oh, shit! What was he supposed to do with that? What he supposed to say even? “Come on, we’d better get going.” He turned around and headed back to the truck. It was the only safe thing to do.

~ ~ ~

When they arrived at Cassidy’s, Shane flung the door open and greeted them with a grin. “Welcome back, Summer! Come on in. The little lady is in the kitchen; I’ve got her chained to the stove.”

Summer laughed and reached up to hug him as he held his arms out to her. She liked Shane. He was the perfect guy for Cassidy. “It’s good to see you again, Shane.”

“Come on through,” called Cassidy. “And if you can manage to lock that asshole out on the porch when you come in, that’d be great.”

Shane grinned at Summer and Carter. “She loves me really.”

Carter laughed. “I don’t know how she puts up with you.”

Shane feigned a hurt look and put an arm around Summer’s shoulders as he walked her through to the kitchen. “I’m glad you’re back. You’re the only one who’s ever nice to me. These guys are mean!”

Summer smiled at Cassidy who was, indeed, at the stove. She smiled back as she waved a wooden spoon at Shane with a grin. “She does, but if you don’t get out of this kitchen and out of my way…”

Shane let go of Summer and held up both hands. “Consider me gone!” He looked at Carter. “Come on, bro. The kitchen’s no place for guys to be hanging out anyways. Come on out on the deck with me. We can leave the little women to it.”

Summer laughed as the wooden spoon flew through the air, just missing Shane’s ear. “Get out while you still can!”

“Yes, dear. Love you, dear,” called Shane as the door closed behind them.

“I see you’re settling in to nearly-wedded bliss, then,” Summer said when the guys had gone.

Cassidy laughed. “We are. It’s wonderful. I love that asshole to pieces!”

“I can tell. Oh, and let me see the ring! Typical that you went and got engaged as soon as I left.”

Cassidy wiped her hands and came around the island to show Summer her engagement ring.

“Oh, Cass! It’s beautiful. Congratulations!”

The smile on Cassidy’s face said it all. She was happier than Summer had ever seen her. It was obvious that she’d found her match in Shane. She gave Summer a hug. “Thank you! And what about you? How have you been?” She shot a look toward the door. “How’s Carter?”

Summer couldn’t help smiling. “Carter is wonderful! You know I adore him.”

Cassidy nodded. “So, my flat tire came at a good time?”

Summer had wondered about the timing. “Did you really have one?”

Cassidy shrugged. “Might have. Might not. All that matters is that you got a ride home.”

“Thank you.”

“I need more than that! How did it go? What’s he said? What’s going to happen with you two?”

“If only I knew what’s going to happen. I have no idea. It was so wonderful to see him at the airport. But he told me he was planning to avoid me while I’m here. I understand why—and it might be the wisest thing to do. But, Cass, I don’t want him to. I want to spend time with him. I want him to be my friend.”

Cassidy snorted. “You were doing well, but don’t start lying to me. You do
not
want him to be your friend. You want a whole lot more than that. And so does he. I can tell.”

Summer nodded. “You’re right. As always. But what do we do about it? Neither of us do casual, and casual is all it could be. His life is here. My life is in Nashville.”

Cassidy gave her a stern look. “And have you given any thought to your life in Nashville? To your career? Last time we talked about it, you weren’t even sure you wanted to keep singing—even if you could.”

Summer heaved a big sigh. “Honestly. I haven’t wanted to think about it. I feel as though I’d be jinxing myself.”

Cassidy raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged. “I daren’t let my mind go near the thought of stopping singing, because…well, I know it sounds silly, but…it feels as though I’m being ungrateful. Singing has been the best thing that’s happened to me. If I think about giving it up, it might be taken away from me.”