Love Me Tender (3 page)

He blinked. “Uh, kind of. We're divorced.”

“Ah.” He didn't go on to say he was engaged or dating someone seriously. Chances were, a smart guy like Dave had figured out, as she had, that it was crazy to invest your heart in a relationship that would likely crash and burn.

The server began to clear their empty plates. Cassidy said, “Bring me the bill for both of us, please.”

The woman whipped it out of the small ruffled apron she wore over her velvet dress. It was a typical hotel bill with space to put your room number. Cassidy added a 25 percent tip and wrote “22” for the room number.

Dave glanced at the bill. “You're a generous tipper.”

“Good service deserves it.”

“It does. Thought you didn't have any money.” He eyed her quizzically.

“I'll pay the hotel bill the moment I get my first paycheck.”

“Uh-huh.”

Okay, he wasn't convinced. But she was telling the truth. She hated being in anyone's debt. “I need to pick your brain about where I might find work. You think the Crazy Horse might be hiring?”

“I doubt it, but I'll give you Kathy and Will's phone number. What kind of job are you looking for?”

“Whatever. Server, bartender, salesclerk, cashier. Receptionist, clerk, admin person. Nanny, companion, housekeeper, chambermaid. Flag girl, shelf stocker, dishwasher. Basically, anything that doesn't call for a degree, I can do. Oh, and I have up-to-date first aid certification.”

Again seeing skepticism on his face, she said, “I swear I'm good. And I don't just up and leave jobs—I give fair notice. Unless the boss harasses me, like at the sports bar.”

“Mmm.”

Clearly, she still hadn't convinced him. And she needed to, not only so he'd help her find work, but because his opinion mattered. She was fine with him not “getting” the whole gypsy lifestyle thing, but she didn't want him thinking she was some irresponsible flake. “It's summer and you said this is a tourist town. Businesses must be taking on extra staff, right?”

“You have references?”

“Sure. On my flash drive. I need to find a place to print the file.”

He studied her, his brow furrowed. “You really are good at all those things? Waiting tables, bartending, cashier, receptionist, chambermaid?”

She nodded eagerly. “I've worked across Canada, the States, Europe, Asia. I speak fluent Spanish—learned from my dad—and a bit of French, German, and Italian.”

“Huh.” His eyes had an inward look.

She tilted her head. “Huh?”

That almost-dimple flickered. God, he was so cute. She'd love to coax that dimple out of hiding. A ripple of sexual desire quivered through her body.

“The Wild Rose could use a fill-in person. For when the receptionist takes a break, or we need to turn over a bunch of rooms fast, or a server or bartender is on holiday or calls in sick.”

“Oh!” She hadn't expected that. “A jill-of-all-trades?” She leaned forward. “You bet! I'm totally flexible about what hours I work. How about I run upstairs and get my flash drive? I should check out anyhow so I'll grab my backpack. Then we can print out my resume and references and you can take a look.”

Cassidy liked everything she'd seen of the Wild Rose. Plus, Dave Cousins didn't seem like the kind of boss who'd sexually harass anyone. More likely the female staff came on to him.

Would he date an employee? She sure hoped that wasn't against his rules, because the more she got to know him, the more potential she saw for the two of them having a lot of fun.

Late Friday afternoon, Robin burst through the door of Dave's office, beaming. “School's over! It's summer!”

His slim, vibrant daughter was dressed in jeans and boots, her chestnut hair pony-tailed under a straw Resistol hat. As usual, she'd ridden her mare the eight miles from Jessie and Evan's, stabling the horse a few blocks away at the same place where Dave kept his gelding.

Merlin, who'd been sleeping on the rug, bounced to his feet and rushed to greet her. She hugged and patted the more than fifty pounds of happily squirming black poodle. Last Christmas Dave had picked the young rescue animal as a gift for Robin, who'd been begging for them to have a dog at the Wild Rose. The pair had bonded immediately.

Dave had to admit that Robin had been right. The dog was a good companion for him when his daughter wasn't around. The poodle was smart and sweet-tempered, loved the outdoors, and didn't require much exercise other than a long walk or run every day. His short-clipped curly coat didn't shed and he didn't provoke allergies, important qualities for a hotel dog.

“Hey, how about me?” Dave said in a mock-grumbly voice. “Don't I get a hug too?” He was so happy to have his daughter back with him. He and Jessie each took her three or four nights a week and were flexible about adjusting to each other's—and of course Robin's—needs.

The girl laughed, rose, and came to throw her arms around him. “Hi, Dad.”

He hugged her back. “Happy summer, sweetheart.”

“It's going to be a great one!”

I just hope it's a safe one
. His daughter lived life to the fullest. He appreciated her exuberance, but her tomboy ways often made him fear for her safety. If he lost Robin—

No, he wouldn't even think it.

“Mom's going to pay me to work at Boots!”

“I know. We discussed it.”

His daughter had been riding and caring for horses since she was tiny. In Jessie's family, with their ranching background, it was tradition for children to pull their weight in terms of doing chores. Robin loved it, especially when, as at Jessie's Riders Boot Camp, it involved horses. Maybe paying her wasn't strictly kosher in terms of child labor laws, but there'd be no stopping her from helping out, her work did have value, and she deserved to be rewarded for it.

She was pretty amazing, his Robin.

A glance at the clock on the wall had him asking his daughter, “Is Kimiko still coming for dinner and a sleepover?”

“Uh-huh. She should be here soon.” Robin flopped into a chair and Merlin sat, resting his chin on her knees as she stroked his head. “Can we make pizza? And watch movies and have popcorn?”

“Sure.” The pizza would be Hawaiian. Not his favorite, but the girls loved it. There'd be a horsy movie for Robin and a girly one for Kimiko. Then the kids and Merlin would retire to Robin's bedroom and the suite would echo with giggles and squeals until they finally fell asleep.

Dave would treasure every minute, though the life he offered Robin couldn't really compare with what her mom had going on. Not only was there Boots, but last Christmas, when Dave had given his daughter a dog, her mom had given her a baby brother. Not to mention, Jessie was now married to Evan.

Evan. Robin's biological father. A fact that no one knew except Dave, Evan, and of course Jessie.

Evan was a good guy and a terrific stepfather—which was great for Robin, and should make Dave happy. It was petty to feel twinges of jealousy. Hell, it wasn't a competition.

He focused on his daughter. “Happy-face pancakes for breakfast?” Ever since she was tiny, she'd loved the pancakes with blueberries dotted into the batter to make smiley faces. He dreaded the day that she'd be too “cool” to eat them.

“Yes, please! Then when Kimiko goes home, I'll ride back to Boots and go to work.”

“What about our usual Saturday afternoon ride?” It was a tradition he'd hate to lose.

“Well, duh. Of course we'll go. Mom and I worked out my schedule so I have Saturday afternoons off.”

“Good. I love our rides. Besides, Malibu and I haven't had enough exercise this week.”

“You miss having basketball practice.”

“Kind of.” He volunteered as coach of the high school basketball team; back in the day, he'd been team captain. But basketball season was over, tourist season had begun, and he'd been too busy for much exercise other than taking Merlin for a run once or twice a day.

Thank heaven for Madisun, who was home from university for the summer and had moved ably into her job as assistant manager. Cassidy was proving to be a godsend as well.

On Tuesday, he and Madisun had looked over Cassidy's resume, Madisun had interviewed her, and they'd hired her. Since then, she had filled in without complaint wherever they needed her. She cleaned rooms as fast as their best chambermaid, she'd taught the regular bartender a few new drinks, and several guests had commented on how helpful she'd been.

Not to mention, she was vivacious, genuine, and fun, with a sparkle that levelheaded Madisun, seven years her junior, lacked. Madisun had learned responsibility early; a tough family life hadn't bowed her shoulders—it had made them rigid. As for Cassidy, Dave had feared that she might be erratic and unreliable, but so far she'd proved him wrong.

His only complaint—and it was his fault, not hers—was that she distracted him. Her curves really weren't any different from those of a dozen women he knew, yet they drew his eye when she moved briskly around the Wild Rose. As did her face, with that exotic combination of olive skin and blue-gray eyes framed by a pixie cap of hair. He'd felt sexual attraction to other women and pretty easily tamped it down, yet he couldn't manage to do that with Cassidy. Why now? Why her?

And what was he going to do about it? Nothing. She was completely the wrong woman for him, not to mention being his employee. Besides, sex without emotion wasn't his style. And his heart had been shattered by Anita's death, spilling all the poison of pain, anger, guilt—

“Dad? Dad?”

He shook his head to banish the dark cloud and put on his “I'm fine” face. “What, Rob?”

“You were frowning. What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Sorry.” What had they been talking about?

“How about we ask Cassidy to come riding with us?”

“You've met Cassidy?”

“She was on the desk today when I came in, and we got to talking. I told her I'd ridden over and she said she was going to book a trail ride at Westward Ho! tomorrow, her day off. But wouldn't it be fun if she came with us instead? I could give her some pointers, like I did with Ani—” She broke off abruptly, the animation on her face replaced by guilt.

Anita. People knew better than to mention her around Dave. Pretending he hadn't heard his daughter's slip, he said, “I don't think that's the best idea.”

“Why not?” she asked, a little subdued. “I like Cassidy. Don't you?”

That was a complicated question. It was hard not to like Cassidy. Hard not to watch Cassidy. She was a nice addition to the Wild Rose's staff. And that's all she should be. “Sure. But she's staff.”

“Madisun hangs out with us and the rest of the family sometimes.”

“She was your mom and Evan's friend before I hired her.” A couple of years ago, Jessie had worked as the dude wrangler at the Crazy Horse, and Madisun had assisted her. That's where Evan had met the teen and offered to mentor her, getting her away from an abusive father and helping her attend university in Vancouver, where she studied business and the hospitality industry. When she came back to Caribou Crossing for summer break last year, Dave had hired her. She'd done so well that this summer he'd offered her the job of assistant manager.

“Cassidy's new in town,” Robin said. “We're supposed to be friendly here, aren't we?”

Amused at her blatant attempt at manipulation, he said, “You really want to invite her?” He'd prefer not to share his “Robin time,” but he did like to make his daughter happy. Fortunately, she was good about not taking advantage of his softheartedness, or at least not taking advantage too often.

When she nodded vigorously, he said, “Okay, let's do it.”

“Cool! Thanks, Dad.” She jumped up and gave him a boisterous hug. “I'll go ask her.”

As she ran out of the room, Dave shook his head ruefully. The truth was, he wouldn't mind one bit if Cassidy accepted the invitation. Yes, she was an employee and that was all she'd ever be. But as Robin had said, what was wrong with making a newcomer feel welcome?

 

 

When Dave hugged Robin good-bye on Saturday morning, he said, “When you're at Westward Ho! would you book a gentle horse for Cassidy for this afternoon?” The stable on the outskirts of town organized trail rides for tourists, rented horses to locals who rode occasionally, and stabled horses for several townspeople, like Dave, who owned their own.

“Sure. I'll see both of you later.”

He settled in for a day's work, breaking in the early afternoon to eat a ham and Swiss panini at his desk with Merlin dozing on the floor beside him. After, he whipped upstairs to change his shirt, jeans, and boots to well-worn versions of the same and clapped his straw hat on his head. Then he headed back down to collect Merlin, who leaped up in excitement on recognizing the riding clothes.

Dave had arranged to meet Cassidy in the lobby. Given that she'd arrived in town with only a backpack, he guessed she wouldn't have proper riding gear. So when he saw the profile, backlit by sunshine, of a woman in Western gear and her own straw hat chatting to Nora at the reception desk, he didn't recognize her. But his dog ran over, and she turned with a bright smile.

Cassidy made one fine-looking cowgirl, he thought as he returned her smile.

“Hey, Merlin.” She patted the poodle's back and said to Dave, “I'm so excited. It was kind of you and Robin to invite me.”

“You'll have a great time,” Nora said, darting a considering gaze at Dave.

No doubt she wondered at his atypical behavior. It was on the tip of his tongue to point out that this was Robin's doing, but that might sound rude. Besides, it'd be a lie. It had been all too easy for his daughter to talk him into it.

“Let's get going.” He gestured toward the door, and then as Cassidy moved in that direction, he opened it for her.

As she started through, the eager dog got in her way and threw her off balance so she bumped into Dave.

He caught her upper arm to steady her—and that simple touch of his bare palm to her shirt-sleeved arm definitely did not have a steadying effect on his pulse.

They headed down the sidewalk, Merlin on his leash, pacing along with his springy gait. On this summer Saturday afternoon, the main street was an active, cheerful place. Dave nodded a greeting to one of the town's pharmacists, tipped his hat to the woman who'd taught Robin in third grade, and grinned at a couple of kids licking madly as they tried to keep pace with rapidly melting ice cream cones.

“I didn't figure you'd have boots and a hat,” he said to Cassidy.

“Maribeth at Days of Your is really nice.”

“She is.” So Cassidy had bought her gear at the thrift shop. That explained the comfortable, broken-in look.

“She wanted to get her hair and nails done for a date, so I looked after the shop on my lunch break yesterday. She gave me the hat and boots as a thank-you.”

“Huh.” That was nice of Cassidy—and enterprising. “Sounds like you're starting to fit in here.”

She tilted her head up to him, eyes sparkling irresistibly under her hat brim. “It's a great place. People are so warm and friendly.” She winked. “Guess I can see why you live here.”

He chuckled. “Like I've ever had a choice?” That was pretty much the truth, but it was also true that Caribou Crossing was the only place in the world he could imagine living.

An RCMP car pulled up beside them and Karen MacLean rolled down the window. “Hey, Dave.” She was in uniform, her striking features set off by the neatly pulled back brown hair and police cap.

“Hey, Karen.” Amused at the inquisitive expression in his friend's golden-brown eyes, he stopped and Cassidy did the same. Merlin jumped up to rest his paws against the window frame and collect pats.

“Karen,” he said, “meet the Wild Rose's newest employee, Cassidy Esperanza. Cassidy, this is Sergeant Karen MacLean, second in command of our RCMP detachment.”

After the two women exchanged smiles and greetings, Dave said, “Cassidy wanted to go riding, and Robin couldn't pass up the opportunity to give her a few pointers.”

“You couldn't have a better teacher,” Karen said. Then, to Dave, “Madisun went over the final details with Jamal and me. It's going to be great.”

“You getting nervous?”

“Just eager. Can't wait for it to be official. Well, I don't want to hold you up. Have a great ride. Nice to meet you, Cassidy. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around.”

“You bet. If you come over to the Wild Rose when I'm working in the restaurant, I'll shoot you a complimentary cappuccino.” She winked. “Just don't tell the boss.”

Dave rolled his eyes.

When Karen had driven away, Cassidy asked, “She's getting married?”

“Next month. Neither she nor Jamal are church people, so they're doing it in the town square. Hoping for clear skies, but they've got tents on standby. The reception's at the Wild Rose. And Karen's family will be staying at the inn, so we want to be extra nice to them.”