The City Girl's Homecoming Page 16

  The drive was quick, and before he knew it he was standing on Megan’s front porch. He rang the doorbell, then fussed with his tie to make sure it was straight. The door swung open and there she was. He took one look at her and nearly gasped. He’d known she was beautiful, but he’d never seen her looking like this. Dressed in a silk silver dress that clung to her spectacular curves, she was absolutely stunning. Her subtle makeup accentuated her high cheekbones, lush lips and bright eyes.

  Clearly unaware of how deeply affected he was, she stepped back and let him into her house. “I just need to grab my purse and the tickets.”

  Not trusting his voice to come out in anything other than an adolescent boy’s squeak, he nodded and then swallowed. He gave himself a mental shake and ordered himself to snap out of his stupor. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen a pretty woman wearing a sexy dress before. He had, plenty of times. But none of them had looked this good. Not that Megan’s dress was overly sexy. It was pretty tame compared to some of what he’d seen other women wearing. But looking at them hadn’t made his knees turn to Jell-O and his hands start to sweat. Megan was the only woman who’d caused that type of reaction.

  While he stood there gaping, she put the tickets into her tiny purse and picked up a silver wrap made of some sort of gauzy fabric and started to put it around her shoulders. Cade snapped out of his daze when he realized what she was doing. “Let me help you with that.”

  “Thanks.” Her smile was brilliant, and the warmth from her voice reached places in his heart he’d believed were frozen solid and would never thaw. He’d been wrong. Even now he heard the ice cracking and sensed the coldness in him was beginning to warm. The feeling wasn’t unpleasant and he wondered if it was love that was responsible for the change.

  Not that he was in love with Megan. That would be impossible after such a short time. He’d been fooled by infatuation once before and rashly proposed marriage to the wrong woman. He was wiser now. But still this didn’t feel like infatuation. It felt like love. And what was he going to do if it actually was?

  * * *

  Megan glanced at Cade from the side of her eye. Something was wrong although she couldn’t imagine what. Cade had seemed perfectly normal when he’d picked her up. He’d smiled at her, then had gone mute. It seemed as if he had checked out. Oh, he’d nodded a couple of times when she spoke to him, and his glazed eyes had even cleared up for a few seconds on a couple of occasions. But that was it.

  She mentally replayed everything she’d said from the time she’d locked her door behind them to the time they’d gotten into his car, looking for something that she’d done that might have offended him. Nothing came to mind. Another mile passed in silence. If this kept up, they’d arrive at the hotel without a word being spoken between them for the entire drive.

  Over the years she’d learned to tolerate uncomfortable silences, but that didn’t mean she liked them. And she certainly didn’t want to endure one on what was supposed to be a fun date. If the evening went according to plan, she and Cade would be enjoying dinner and hopefully dancing for the next few hours. She didn’t want the night to be a chore for either of them.

  Perhaps he regretted agreeing to come with her. If that was the case, tonight was going to be awkward. She just wished he had said something sooner. Megan exhaled and told herself to calm down. Before she jumped to conclusions, she needed to broach the subject just to be sure she wasn’t misinterpreting his silence. “Thanks for agreeing to come with me. We don’t have to stay long if you’d prefer we didn’t.”

  Cade took his eyes off the road for a brief second while he looked over at her. “I’m happy to come, though I have to admit that I don’t usually attend this type of function.”

  Maybe he was just nervous. She could relate. “Me neither. But it is fun to dress up once in a while and do something different.”

  He smiled. “And if I haven’t told you yet, you look lovely.”

  “Thanks. You look rather dashing yourself.”

  “Dashing. There’s a word that’s never been used to describe me before.”

  “Maybe not to your face.”

  He laughed. “You have me there. Who knows what people say behind my back.”

  Megan laughed with him. If only he knew the words she used earlier this week to describe him to her friends back home in New York. After hearing Megan’s description, Kayla had been ready to jump in her car and see the type of men they grew in the South. Paula had wanted to see him for herself as well, but she’d been willing to settle for the picture Megan promised to take tonight.

  Now that the ice had been broken, Cade and Megan talked comfortably for the rest of the drive. When they reached their destination, Cade parked and then led her inside the hotel. They took a few steps inside the cavernous lobby and Cade let out a low whistle. “Nice.”

  “Very.” The marble floor and paneled walls were exquisite. Enormous bouquets in crystal vases added color and made the space feel more elegant.

  They found the ballroom easily enough. After handing their tickets to a distinguished gentleman at the door, they went inside the ballroom. Dozens of round tables filled the space. Megan said, “We’re at table eleven.”

  They skirted the tables until they found theirs. Cade held her chair before sitting beside her. Two other couples were already seated and they all introduced themselves. When the others discovered Megan had recently moved to town from New York, they began to tell her the places she should visit. They told her about hole-in-the-wall restaurants that served the best food and neighborhood shops selling original jewelry and artwork. Megan made a mental note to visit several of the places mentioned in the near future.

  The conversation flowed from there to sports to movies and Megan enjoyed herself immensely. She exchanged numbers and business cards with the women, and they made plans to get together in the coming weeks. Though she had only known them for a few hours, Megan had the feeling that they would become good friends. The decision to move to North Carolina was looking better and better every day.

  Dinner was delicious, and once they’d finished dessert and coffee, the jazz quintet that had played throughout the meal was replaced by a DJ. The first song he played was greeted with cheers, and the tables emptied as most people headed to the dance floor. Megan glanced at Cade, hoping against hope that he knew how to dance. He flashed a dimpled smile in response to her unasked question and held out a hand. Thank goodness.

  After the first couple of dances, Megan became more intrigued. Who was this man? He was kind to animals and loved and respected his father. He was a great cook, and now it turned out that he was a fabulous dancer, too. Cade had moves so smooth he glided from dance to dance without missing a beat. Eventually the up-tempo songs ended and the DJ played a slow one. When he held open his arms, Megan stepped into them without hesitation. His arms closed around her bare back and she shivered at his gentle touch. She leaned her head against his shoulder and inhaled. Though Cade’s cologne was positively dreamy, it was his own unique scent that made her knees weak.

  As they moved to the sultry saxophone, Megan’s imagination began to fire up. What would it be like for Cade to hold her close even when they weren’t dancing? How good would it feel to be loved by a man like Cade? Though he called himself a simple farmer, in truth, he was a complex man. He was kind and gentle even though he had rough edges. There were moments when he understood her like no one ever had and times when he confused her to no end. There was a confidence and stillness to him that gave her a peace she hadn’t felt for fourteen years. There was a depth to him that had her wanting to know more about him. Simply stated, Cade was everything she wanted in a man.

  “Are you having a good time?” he asked. His lips were near her ear and his warm breath had goose bumps popping out on her arms.

  She looked up at him. Although she’d enjoyed every second of the night, nothing compared to the pleasure she fel
t in this moment. She wished she could stay wrapped in his arms forever. “Yes. You?”

  “This is the best time I’ve had in a while.” He spun her around. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  Megan nodded. “Thanks for saying yes.”

  They danced to every song, and Megan sighed when the DJ announced that the next song would be the last. Where had the time gone?

  “I hope he plays the fifteen-minute disco version,” Cade said.

  Megan laughed. “Or the twenty-minute mix tape.”

  “But just in case he doesn’t, we’d better make the best of the next three minutes,” Cade said, as he pulled Megan even closer. His heart beat rapidly beneath her ear, pounding in time with her own. She closed her eyes and let the music carry her away. It seemed like only seconds before the music stopped and the DJ thanked everyone for supporting such a worthy cause. He announced the amount they’d raised at the silent auction, and Megan gasped and joined in the applause. The organizers had exceeded their goal by almost ten percent. They returned to their table and said their goodbyes.

  Megan and Cade held hands as they walked through the parking lot. It felt so natural to have his hand wrapped around hers. She could totally get used to this. Megan hummed as Cade pulled the car into the street.

  “I guess we don’t need the radio,” Cade joked.

  “Oh, yes we do. You might not have noticed, but I’ve been humming the same three notes over and over.”

  “I noticed. And might I say that you mastered them. Another few dates and you’ll be able to hum the entire song.”

  Megan’s heart stopped. Was Cade hinting that he wanted to go on more dates? Or was he just kidding with her? Since this had been such a magical night, she was going to choose to believe the former. She was definitely ready for another night spent with him.

  When they arrived at her house, he parked and then helped her from the car. Her heart was thumping a crazy beat as they walked hand in hand to her front door. He waited patiently while she unlocked it. Suddenly shy, she smiled up at him. “I had a great time.”

  “So did I.” His voice was husky and her stomach swooped like crazy. He lowered his head and kissed her. At the first contact, her knees wobbled and she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He deepened the kiss and she responded eagerly. She didn’t know how much time passed, but when he pulled back she was breathing hard. He pressed his forehead against hers. “Wow. I need to get going.”

  Though she didn’t want him to leave, she knew it was the right thing for now. They were still getting to know each other. At this stage in their relationship, they didn’t need to confuse things. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sleep in if you want. I’ll take care of feeding the pets in the morning.”

  “Thanks.” But as she watched him drive away, she knew she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. Not when she could relive the night they’d just shared, especially that earth-shattering kiss that had hinted at a promise for the future.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Megan’s heart thumped with excitement as she got ready to go to the farm the next afternoon. She’d taken Cade up on his offer to feed the remaining animals that morning, using the extra time to catch up on a few things at home. She’d cleaned the house from front to back and done three loads of laundry. Now the housework was done, so she hopped into her car and drove the now familiar route to the farm.

  When she arrived, Cade was inside the corral, tossing balls to the dogs. As usual, Samson was the only cat in sight. Over the past week, more cats and dogs had gone to the shelter, so now only two dogs and three cats remained. Megan still missed them, but she was happy that they were finding their forever homes. Gumball and Tiny, for example, had both been adopted by a family with eight-year-old twin boys. But as the animals moved to the shelter, she knew that she would soon lose her reason to come out to the farm every day. Would she and Cade continue to see each other once all of the animals found new homes?

  It was amazing how quickly an obligation had become something she enjoyed having in her life. Megan loved all of the remaining animals and would watch them leave with mixed emotions, but it would break her heart to say goodbye to Samson and Delilah. Cade felt the same way, so they’d agreed that Samson and Delilah would be the last ones taken to the shelter. Megan didn’t know if she had the right, but she was going to insist that they be adopted together. They’d created their own family and it would be wrong to separate them.

  “Hey,” Cade called, tossing the ball one last time before crossing the corral. When he reached the fence, he climbed up and sat on the top rail. He gestured for her to join him so she did. For a moment they sat in companionable silence and just watched the dogs play.

  Megan closed her eyes and soaked in the peace of the farm. With the noise the animals made—the clucking of the chickens, the chirping of the birds, and the mooing of the cows—it wasn’t exactly quiet. But these sounds, accompanied by the gentle breeze, soothed her soul. She looked forward to coming here each day after work and didn’t want to think of the time when it would no longer be necessary.

  “Have you made up your mind about buying your house?” Cade asked after a while. The fact that he’d mentioned that when she was thinking about how much she enjoyed being on the farm was jarring.

  “Yes. I don’t think I’m going to buy it.” She’d thought long and hard about the decision before concluding that it wasn’t the right thing for her. Although she liked the house, it didn’t have room for a family. Buying the house felt like she was resigning herself to being alone for the rest of her life. She hadn’t given up hope of having a family of her own one day.

  “No?”

  His voice was a combination of surprise and something close to disappointment.

  “I don’t think it’s right for me.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. The silence stretched on, but it wasn’t the relaxed silence they’d shared only moments ago. Megan’s nerves grew taut as the tense silence stretched from one minute to the next.

  Finally she turned to him. “What’s wrong?”

  Instead of looking at her, he directed his focus to the animals. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About?” she asked when he didn’t say anything else.

  “The cats and dogs. I talked to Rebekah today. She’ll have room for the other animals by Saturday. We’re down to a handful now. I can take care of them on my own without too much trouble until then.”

  “What are you saying?” Her heart was sinking to her toes, but she wanted him to be clear. She didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding.

  “You don’t need to come out here every day to feed and clean up after them. I can handle it on my own.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I made the promise to Mrs. Crockett, not you. Of course I’m going to keep it.”

  “You promised that they would be well cared for, not that you would personally wait on them. And you know they’re in great hands here. They’re living the life.”

  She folded her hands and lifted her chin, steeling herself for what she knew would be coming. After all, this wasn’t the first time she’d heard the words. She just wondered what line he would use. Would he tell her that it was best for her that they stop seeing each other? Or would he go with the one where he’d say they were just too different? Maybe he’d blame her for something she hadn’t done? Not that it mattered. The underlying truth would remain.

  He didn’t want her.

  “What are you really saying, Cade? If you don’t want me to come around, then just say that. I can handle it.”

  He blew out a breath. “That’s rather harsh, don’t you think?”

  “It’s direct,” she corrected him. Flowery words wouldn’t alter the message. “Are you ending things between us? Of course, that’s assuming there was something between us in the first place.
We might have kissed a few times, but we never made any type of commitment to each other. But still, I need to know. What do you mean? Do you want a relationship with me, or are you sending me on my merry way?”

  * * *

  Cade breathed deeply and reminded himself to stay strong. No matter how she tried to twist things, Megan was the one who refused to commit. She’d said it plainly. They’d only kissed a few times, which to her way of thinking didn’t constitute a relationship—not to her. It had meant something to him. But then he was a small-town farmer. Maybe big-city women looked at things differently than he did. His former fiancée was proof of that. He should have learned his lesson then, but he hadn’t. It would hurt him to do so, but he needed to get Megan out of his life now. He would do it fast and get the pain over with. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.

  “I think we might have ignored a couple of red flags. Sure, we had a lot of fun taking care of the animals and going to that fundraiser last night, but we’re too different. We want different things.”

  Megan looked at him. “I understand. I love Samson. I don’t think he and Delilah should be separated. I would take them both but I don’t have a fenced-in yard. Please don’t let Rebekah allow them to be separated.”

  “They won’t be. I’ve decided to keep Delilah. I figured you would want Samson.”

  “Not if it means separating them. They love each other and should be together.”

  “I agree. I’ll keep them together.”

  “Thanks.” Megan slid from the rail. The minute her feet hit the ground she walked to her car. She didn’t stop to talk to Reginald like she usually did. She did bend over and pick up Samson, giving the cat a hug and kiss before she set him down and got into her car. A minute later she was gone from his life.

  “It’s for the best,” Cade told himself. Megan wasn’t a farm girl and she would never be happy here. They’d be better off with other people. And the ache in his heart that made breathing next to impossible? It was to be expected. Wasn’t that what you felt when you fell in love with someone who wasn’t in love with you?