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A guy like Chris could get sex however and whenever he wanted, but he’d shown an unmistakable interest in
her.
Tiffany would be too happy to oblige him. And then, before he got bored, she’d say goodbye and head back to New York.

The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense.

* * *

C
HRIS’S TURBULENT THOUGHTS
were as mercurial as the mid-July weather. Neither could decide on one mood. Most days dawned with the golden haze of promise and desire, but by midmorning, a warm, heavy rain of regret would drench him, and by late afternoon, he’d be wallowing beneath hot, sticky, oppressive self-loathing.

He shouldn’t have kissed Tiffany. That much he knew for sure. Apart from the fact she was Simon’s tutor and on his payroll, he knew they couldn’t start anything and hope for it to last. The moment she’d secured a job, she was going back to New York. She’d made that abundantly clear.

But damn. If he’d known she kissed like that, well... He didn’t know what. He wasn’t even sure what was going on in his head when he’d walked her to the door. He’d thought, at most, it would be a friendly peck on the cheek good-night. Another hug, perhaps. Tiffany had never struck him as all that touchy-feely. Okay, so he’d acknowledged that spark of interest that had been smoldering since he’d first heard she’d come back to Everville. And he’d admitted on the drive back home that he’d always been more than a little curious. But as he’d stood there, watching her open the door, something in his chest had balled up tight as she turned away from him. In that brief, insane moment, he hadn’t wanted to let her go. He’d stopped her bodily, and what happened after that still made him uncomfortable in ways that thrilled and frightened him.

He set down his toolbox and gulped tepid water from his sport bottle, trying to quench a thirst he hadn’t been able to slake all week. He’d been tinkering with this irrigation pump for way too long. It’d been fixed an hour ago, but he’d been stalling, knowing the rest of his chores were in and around the barn, within sight of the house and of Tiffany. All week, he’d stayed as far away from her as possible, even if it meant he was out in the fields during the stickiest part of the day. He didn’t want to fight with the temptation to go up and say hello.

The sound of an approaching ATV made him look up. “You planning on digging a new dike out here or something?” Jane called as she slowed. “You’ve been out here for nearly three hours. I swear you’re staring at the ground, hoping it’ll dig itself or something.”

“Just lost in thought.”

“Should I be worried? Last time you started thinking, we ended up with a dozen windmills on county land. I don’t need to remind you how many people we made mad about it.”

“They haven’t complained since.” He dusted off his hands, unsure of what to do with them. “I was thinking about that compost program....”

Jane interrupted with a snort. “Now, there’s a load of crap, pardon my pun. You have something on your mind, that’s for sure, but it’s not fertilizer. How come you haven’t gone up to the house while Tiffany’s been around? Things get awkward between you on your date?”

Damned gossip mill. He kept his expression carefully neutral. “It wasn’t a date.”

Jane chuckled. “Whatever it was, it’s keeping you out here, baking under the sun in ninety-degree heat. You wanna tell me why a tiny, pretty girl like her is scaring you off?”

“It’s not like that.” He refused to meet her eyes. Jane could read lies on a statue’s face and wasn’t afraid of calling “liar, liar” on anyone.

She turned off the ATV’s engine and leaned casually against the handlebars. “Look, I know how hard it is to get back on the dating wagon after a bad breakup. I don’t pretend to know what was between you and Daphne, but no matter how the divorce went, it can sting, even years later.” She picked up the Grindery coffee cup from the cup holder attached to the handlebars and tipped it at him. “From what I’ve seen, though, you could do a lot worse than that young lady. She’d make a good match for you and a fine stepmom for your son.”

He tried to laugh her off. “She’s not really my type.”
Liar, liar...
“I prefer hometown girls. Ones with more meat on their bones. Ones that are stacked like layer cakes and have a little more boom and ba-da, if you know what I mean.” He traced the air with a crude hourglass outline.

Jane sent him a flat look, clearly unimpressed by his act.

Pants on fire.

He sighed in defeat. “Look, it’s complicated. I’m Daniel’s friend, for one, and I don’t want him coming after me for going out with his sister.” Though he was certain that Tiffany’s brother would do no such thing. “And she’s too much like Daphne. She’s used to finer things. She’s a city girl at heart. She likes variety and five-dollar coffees and designer labels. There’s nothing here for her. Anyhow, as soon as she gets a job, she’ll head back to New York. She won’t stick around.”

“She might with the right incentive. Don’t sell yourself short, Chris. She could do a lot worse than you, too.”

Jane was crazy. A little chemistry and a shared past didn’t translate into wedding bells and forever love. He’d had much more with Daphne, and he’d once believed he was in love with her. Some happily-ever-after that turned out to be. One kiss didn’t mean anything, no matter how hot those sparks had been.

And he had to think about Simon. His son had faced enough rejection and disappointment in life. He couldn’t pretend that he could work something out with Tiffany when he could barely manage to provide for his own family. It was better to go back to the way things were. Tiffany was Simon’s tutor. And they were...friends. He should treat her accordingly.

“You need to get out of this sun,” Jane said, squinting up at the sky. “That’s an order. I don’t want to be hauling you to the hospital ’cause you were too stubborn and stupid to avoid heatstroke.”

“Thanks,
Mom.
”

She swatted his backside with her trucker cap as he loaded his toolbox onto the rear of the ATV and hopped on. When they arrived at the barn, he headed to the tack room to put his tools away. He unlatched and slid the big barn door open.

“Close the door!”

He slipped in past the crack before quickly pulling it shut. Simon peeked down from the loft. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with Tiffany?” Chris asked.

“I’m right here.” Her head popped up next to Simon’s, and she smiled at him.

Blood rushed southward at the sight of her. He made a pretense of setting his tools down while he readjusted himself.

“Awfully hot in here to be studying, isn’t it?”

“We needed a break, and Simon said he had to check on the kittens.” The mewls of the quickly growing kittens chorused together and she said, “No, not that way, little guy.”

“You two be careful up there.” He fought the urge to climb up and join them, but he didn’t want to look like he was
trying
to avoid her, either. He ended up dawdling on the ground level, pacing and looking for something to keep him occupied.

“Jeez, Dad, lighten up. I promise I won’t throw any tools down or nothing.”

“How did your quiz go?” he asked.

“Okay.
Animal Farm
is a lot more interesting than
The Tempest.
”

Tiffany popped up holding a black kitten. “‘Four legs good, two legs bad,’” she bleated, waving the kitten’s feet in the air.

Simon laughed, picked up his own kitten and countered, “‘Four legs good, two legs better.’” They dueled with the two kittens and their extended paws.

Chris laughed. He climbed the ladder and found the rest of the kittens frolicking around the seated pair, sniffing their visitors and nipping at their heels. Shadow was probably off stalking a mouse somewhere.

Tiffany was wearing a sky-blue cotton T-shirt and khaki shorts with roman sandals. Her hair had been tied back into a ponytail. A black kitten nestled in her lap. It yawned and snuggled deeper as she rubbed its belly. Damn lucky animal.

“I think he likes you,” Simon said.

Chris whipped his head around. Was he that obvious? He realized then that his son had meant the cat.

“He’s such a sweetie,” Tiffany cooed, stroking the little guy’s head. “He’s so gentle, too.”

“He’s in need of a home,” Chris said, looking to Simon for confirmation. “You could adopt him, Tiffany.”

Simon nodded eagerly. “Yeah, that would be cool. We’re going to have to give these guys away....” He rubbed a gray tabby under his chin and laughed as the kitten chirruped and purred.

“Well, not all of them,” Chris said. “You’ve done a really good job with them, Simon. They all made it, they all look healthy and you kept the loft clean, too. I said I’d let you keep one. Shadow could use some help keeping the mice out of the barn.” His son’s face lit up. “Take your pick.”

“This one,” he said without hesitation as he snuggled the tabby closer. “I’ll name her Clover, like the horse in
Animal Farm.
” He grinned up at his father. “Have you read it? It’s a great book.”

Chris could have sworn he heard the “Hallelujah” chorus. He never thought he’d hear those words out of his son’s mouth. “It’s been a while. I’ll have to see if I can find my old copy.”

Tiffany met his eyes, smiling with pride.

“So, what do you think, Tiff? That little guy there is yours if you want him,” he told her. “I know you’d take good care of him.”

Her smile softened. “I can’t.” She lifted the bundle out of her lap, hugging it and then setting it back down. The kitten tried to climb back into her lap but Tiffany stood and swept the straw from her shorts. “I can’t take him to my parents’ house. My mother’s allergic to animal fur. And I won’t be able to bring him back to New York with me.” The kitten butted his head against her ankle and meowed in protest. She smiled ruefully at him. “It’ll be hard for me to find a place that’ll accept pets. And even then, he won’t have a place like this. He’ll have four walls and if he’s lucky, a window where he can watch a brick wall age. It wouldn’t be fair.”

She was being practical, he knew, and he expected practical from Tiffany. As he watched regret and longing play across her face, he’d never realized how easy, in fact, she was to read. He’d always thought of her as being stony and stoic. But there were tiny tells. When had he started to see them?

Or was he seeing something he wished he could?

“Well, if you change your mind...”

“I won’t.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late. I promised my grandmother I’d help with dinner tonight, so I better get back. Good work today, Simon.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.” He picked up Clover and waved goodbye with her tiny paw as the kitten meowed her own farewell.

Chris watched her cross the loft, her steps slower than usual and...was she swaying her hips? She climbed down the ladder and got as far as the bottom rung when he hurried after her.

“Wait.” He clambered down, then gestured toward the door. They exited together. “We can work something out if you really want him.”

Her eyes locked with his. A flush rushed into her cheeks and she glanced up...at his lips? He licked them, throat suddenly dry. “Of course I want him.” The words came out a little breathy.

A surge of lust kicked Chris in the abdomen. She went on forlornly, “I’ve always wanted a cat. But I can’t make that commitment. I can’t take him with me.”

“Cats can have very fulfilling lives indoors.” Though he had a hard time imagining any of the barn cats being cooped up inside some tiny apartment.

“I wouldn’t want Simon to know Mack’s stuck inside all day. And then there’re all the food and vet bills...” She shook her head. “It’s more trouble than it’s worth. I really, really like him, but I can’t keep him.”

“Mack?”

She lifted a shoulder. “He plowed straight into my ankle like a little truck and nearly knocked me over. The name stuck.”

“Well, that’s a sign if ever I’ve seen one. Naming an animal you’re going to give away? You two were meant to be.”

“I can’t.” She pouted, making Chris want to kiss her frown away.

“That’s too bad. He would have been good company.” Tiffany could use an animal companion in her life. Someone she could lavish her affection upon, who’d love her back unconditionally and not judge her. She needed that in her life.

“Do you think...” she said. “Would it be okay if I came over to play?”

Trapped in her softly imploring gaze, Chris stared as her lush lips parted slightly and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, fingertips tracing down her neck.

Were they still talking about the cat? Something weird was happening inside him. A spring coiled in his abdomen. But this was way stronger than simple lust. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the feeling.

“Chris?” She tilted her chin. “What do you think?”

“Of course,” he replied a little too brightly, a little too loudly. He shoved his trembling hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out and hauling her into his arms. “Anytime. Come play with us. Him.” He bit his tongue as he blurted, “The kitten. Come and play with the kitten anytime you like.”

Her smile was wide and sly, and she lowered her eyes. “Thank you.” She reached out and touched him, her fingertips lightly sliding along his forearm, electrifying his bare skin. “I love how soft he is. I don’t know if I can help myself if I start stroking him. I can’t wait to come again.”

She turned and walked away then—no, more like prowled—with only the briefest glance over her shoulder as she said, “’Bye.”

Chris couldn’t move. He was afraid if he did, he’d trip on his hanging jaw.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“
D
ANNY BOY!”

Daniel looked around at the sea of faces in the arrivals area at Grand Central Station. It took him a moment, but he finally recognized his old college roommate. “Isaac, my God, man. You’ve lost weight.”

“It’s the rat race that keeps me thin,” he said with a hearty laugh. They clapped each other on the back. “C’mon, my car’s this way.”

“Thanks for putting me up for the weekend,” Daniel said as they made their way out of the station. He knew he needed to get away from his thoughts about Selena, and his class reunion was a good enough excuse to take a few days off from the diner. Although, in hindsight, coming to the city she lived in was probably a poorly thought-out strategy.