Kade: Armed and Dangerous (24 page)

Heat reddened Kelseys cheeks, but Kade said, “Don’t I know it.”

Once they had ordered, the vivacious Nicole stayed and chatted for a few moments,
then went to greet more guests.

In no time at all, the waiter brought plates heaped with toast, scrambled eggs, sausages,
and Danish pastries, then poured glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Kelsey looked
at the mounds of food and her appetite vanished.

“Is that all you’re going to eat?” Kade asked as she finished a piece of buttered
toast and pushed her plate away.

She gave him a smile. “I’m full.”

Kade’s vivid blue eyes bored into her. “Sure you’re okay?”

“You worry too much.” Smiling, she reached down to squeeze his knee under the table.
“When I’m with you, everything’s all right.

“So, tell me about this town,” Kelsey said, changing the subject before the moment
got too serious.

Kade shrugged and reached for a cheese Danish. “Bisbee does have a pretty interesting
history. Back in the late 1800s until the mid 1970s, it was a major copper mining
community. It was called ‘Queen of the Copper Camps.’ ” He took a bite of his Danish.

Kelsey smiled, enjoying watching him. “Bisbee is an unusual name.”

He nodded and finished chewing. “It was named for a guy that never even set foot in
this town. DeWitt Bisbee, a judge and investor from San Francisco.” Kade drank his
orange juice, then set the empty glass next to his plate. “When I was a kid, I’d wonder
how a guy could never bother to go see a town named after him.”

“Hey, he was from San Francisco. Can’t beat some of the snobs in my home city.” Her
smile faded as she thought of Davis, the epitome of a successful elitist.

After breakfast, they strolled onto Main, a narrow street that snaked its way down
Tombstone Canyon. Homes and trees clung to the steep sides of red canyon walls.

“Reminds me a little of home,” Kelsey said. “Though in San Francisco you don’t usually
see houses that look like they’re going to slide off the side of a mountain at any
moment.”

“A lot of people compare it to Frisco,” Kade replied. “But the weather here beats
the hell out of your hometown. When I was in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago,
I almost froze my ass off, and it’s the middle of the summer.”

Kelsey nodded and laughed. “My favorite quote about the city is one by Mark Twain.
I think it goes, ‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.’
”

Kade laughed. “Twain also said that in Arizona the temperature ‘remains a constant
hundred and twenty degrees in the shade, except when it varies and goes higher.’ ”

She leaned against his arm, feeling relaxed. And wanted. Something she hadn’t felt
since her parents and sister had died. She didn’t care to think about how limited
their time together was. Too soon the magic would end. Only in fairy tales could anyone
be as happy as Kade made her. It couldn’t last. But today she would pretend that it
would last forever.

Hand in hand they walked down the sloping sidewalk, from Castle Rock to the century-old
masonry buildings along Main Street. Art galleries, potters, and antique stores filled
the buildings that Kade said used to house department stores, jewelers, and banks
when he was a kid.

They found an eclectic clothing store where Kelsey bought a filmy skirt and blouse
that had been hand-dyed a soft rose. The skirt swirled around her ankles, just above
her silver sandals, and the peasant blouse rested off her shoulders. And she wasn’t
wearing a bra or panties, which made her feel both sexy and naughty.

Kade smiled when she came out of the changing room wearing the new outfit. “Beautiful.”

Kelsey warmed at his approval, and they paid for the purchase, the clerk giving Kelsey
a bag to carry her other clothes in.

They spent the morning exploring shops along Main. At a pottery store, she fell in
love with handmade dinnerware in an unusual pattern of soft mauve, sea green, and
butter yellow.

“Think this would go good in the kitchen when our new home is built?” Kade asked as
she ran her hand over one of the glazed plates.

For a second her heart stopped when he said our home.

Stop it. He meant his and Trent’s.

Kelsey collected herself and replied, “Absolutely.” She pointed to the price tag.
“It costs a small fortune, though.”

He nuzzled the top of her head. “I like it. Let’s get it.”

Let’s?

Their conversation with the potter was an experience. Half the time Kelsey thought
the woman was in another discussion altogether. The potter wore a clay-streaked T-shirt
and jeans, her long black hair tied back with yarn away from her thin face, and her
hazel eyes seemed vague, as if she was thinking about something else the entire time.

Kade ordered the entire dinnerware collection and arranged to have it shipped to Sadie
and Chuck’s home.

Kade glanced at his watch when they left the shop. “It’s after twelve. Ready for lunch?”

“Sure.” Kelsey hadn’t regained her appetite but didn’t want him worrying.

They chose a small sidewalk cafe where she was able to look out the picture window
as they ate and observe shoppers and tourists. A sense of contentment filled her and
she sighed.

“What?” Kade asked as he looked up from his menu.

She smiled and shook her head. “This day is too perfect.”

Her stomach flip-flopped as he gave her his slow, sexy grin. “If you could travel
anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“I’m happy right here.” She tilted her head. “But I’ve always wanted to go to Kauai.
It seems so wild and beautiful from all the pictures I’ve seen.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” He took her hand in his and studied her fingers, then placed
his palm against hers. “Your hand is so small.”

“Next to yours, maybe. But for a woman they’re not small.”

“Oh they’re small all right. Your ring finger is only the size of my pinkie.” He turned
her hand over and placed his lips to her palm. “And your skin is much softer than
mine.”

Kelsey gasped at the sensual contact, the feel of his lips against her skin. Her eyes
locked with his and she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.

She knew only that she was truly lost.

When they finished eating, Kade and Kelsey walked outside the cafe and ran into Sal
Valenzuela.

The Border Patrol agent slapped Kade on the back.
“Buenas tardes, amigo.”
He turned to Kelsey and held out his hand. “Hello, Kelsey. You look beautiful. Kade’s
a lucky man.”

She blushed and returned Sal’s friendly smile. “Get out of here.”

Sal slid his hands into his pockets. “Coming to CP tomorrow night, Kade?”

Kade shook his head.

“What’s CP?” Kelsey asked.

“Choir practice.” Sal’s mustache twitched and mischief sparked in his dark eyes.

Kelsey folded her arms and looked from one smirking man to the next. “Uh-huh.”

Kade ran his hand over his head. “Well, it’s CP if we’re referring to our Check Points,
like the one where you met Sal.”

Sal laughed. “But it’s also the term for an after-shift party to relieve stress—usually
involving beer.”

Kelsey raised her brows.

Kade slipped his arm around Kelsey’s shoulders. “The guys refer to it as Choir Practice
to give the tongue-in-cheek illusion to our spouses and significant others that we
are not drinking, not smoking, and not swearing.”

Sal wiggled his eyebrows. “And not talking about past sexual conquests.”

Kelsey’s eyes widened.

“You can get lost now, Sal. See you at work tomorrow,” Kade said with a grin, then
steered Kelsey down the sidewalk.

“Past sexual conquests, huh?” she said as they walked.

He hugged her closer. “Sal’s full of it, so don’t listen to him.”

It was mid-afternoon when he took her to the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum.

“The brochure says this museum was the first rural Smithsonian affiliate in the country,”
Kelsey said, just as the guide started speaking.

Their tour guide was a middle-aged woman who spoke with a soft lilt, the movement
of her hands like butterflies floating in the wind. She wore a velvet patchwork skirt
that reminded Kelsey of a crazy quilt, and heavy silver-and-turquoise jewelry blossomed
at her neck and wrists.

“In the early 1900s, Bisbee sported a population of around twenty thousand, and it
was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco,” the guide said. “The town
burned down three times, survived outbreaks of typhoid, annual floods, labor strikes,
and the closing of most of the mining operations in the mid-1970s.

“Our population hovers right around six thousand now,” the guide continued, “and the
town has reinvented itself as an artists’ colony and retirement community. Travelers
come from all over the world to drink in the history and enjoy the culture.

“You may want to visit our Romanesque-style Copper Queen Hotel,” she went on, waving
her hand toward one window, in the direction of the hotel. “It was once considered
one of the grandest in the West. Even Teddy Roosevelt stayed there.”

The guide waved her hand again in another direction. “Just around the corner from
the Copper Queen is Brewery Gulch, an infamous part of our history, which was home
to almost fifty saloons and bordellos around the turn of the century.”

Her butterfly hands -fluttered in a different direction. “Another of our attractions
is the Lavendar Pit Mine. It’s three-quarters of a mile wide, nearly a thousand feet
deep, and one of the largest surface mines in the world. It was named for a man whose
last name was Lavendar, with an ar at the end, not er. It wasn’t named for the color
and the lavender hues as many people think.”

“Amazing,” Kelsey said as they left the museum. “Fifty saloons on one street?”

“Don’t forget the bordellos.” Kade kissed the top of her head.

“The history of this town has never been so interesting to me before coming here with
you.”

The sun was low over the mountains and the streetlights flickered on. Kelsey sighed,
wishing they could stay forever in this perfect time, this perfect place. Of course,
they couldn’t. Fairy tales came true only for children, not grown women with too many
scars and mileage.

Hand in hand, they strolled toward the bed-and-breakfast, toward Kade’s truck, and
toward a reality Kelsey wished she could escape for another day. Even another hour.
She knew that was impossible, but the dream felt pleasant even as they drew closer
to the truck.

She leaned against his shoulder, feeling tired but content. And happy. She’d never
felt so happy in all her life, even though she only had a short time longer with Kade.
“Thanks for a wonderful day.” He eased his arm around Kelsey and squeezed her to him.
“Darlin’, every day that I’m with you is wonderful.”

***

Kelsey had nodded off on the drive home, her head resting against the window. She
looked pale, and Kade was concerned that she wasn’t feeling well. But when they arrived
at the ranch and he woke her, she insisted she was all right.

“Dad. You’re home!” Trent bounded into Kade’s arms when they walked in the door and
gave his father a hug and a sticky kiss on his cheek. The boy wriggled free and then
wrapped his arms around Kelsey’s waist and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re back.”

To Kade’s surprise, she gave Trent a kiss on his dirty cheek, and the boy gave her
a big smack in return.

“You’re just in time for dinner,” Sadie said as they entered the kitchen. “I made
a big batch of spaghetti and a tossed salad. And a fresh pitcher of iced tea.”

Kade sniffed the air and his stomach grumbled in appreciation.

“Breadsticks with garlic and butter, too.” Trent pointed to a basket on the counter
covered with a gingham cloth. “Can I have one now?”

“You hold on till we all sit down to dinner.” Sadie slapped playfully at Trent’s hand
as he lifted up the edge of the cloth. “Go on and wash up.”

“All right, Grandma,” he grumbled, and ran off toward the bathroom.

“I bet the spaghetti is wonderful,” Kelsey told Sadie. “But I’m not hungry and I’m
tired. I think I’ll lie down.”

Sadie patted Kelsey’s hand. “You go rest up, and if you get hungry there’ll be plenty
of leftovers in the fridge.”

Kade walked Kelsey down the hall and into her room. “You okay?”

She nodded and smiled. “Just tired.”

He drew her close and she sighed, leaning against him and sliding her arms around
his waist. For several minutes they stood in each other’s embrace, until he thought
she’d fallen asleep standing up. With more than a little reluctance, he parted from
her and she opened her eyes. Her lids drooped as if she could hardly keep them open.

“I think I plumb wore you out.” He ran his finger down her nose to the tip.

“Feel free to wear me out anytime,” she murmured.

He kissed her, then closed the door behind him when he left her room.

Kelsey had only intended to take a nap when they returned home from Bisbee, but she
didn’t wake until just before dawn the next morning. Apparently, Kade had slipped
into bed without disturbing her and held her all night.

Her head was tucked under his chin and she was facing him, his arms tightly around
her. He smelled so wonderful, felt so great in her arms... and he was good and naked,
his early-morning erection pressing against her belly. She wished she were as bare
as he was, but she was still wearing the skirt and peasant blouse they’d bought yesterday,
and no panties.

Kelsey sighed. A girl could get used to this.

Fascinated by the hair curling on his chest, the powerful muscles of his arms, the
scent of him, the taste of him—she slid her hands across his skin and kissed his warm
flesh until he stirred and woke.

Kade gave her a sleepy grin. “Now this is one hell of a way to wake up.”

“Mmmm-hmmm.” Kelsey’s tongue circled his nipple and the tiny nub tightened. She smiled
and moved her mouth to his other nipple and she teased it just as slowly and deliberately.