Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Caroline’s heart pounded up into her throat as she faced Dawson. Flirting and texting with him via cellphone was completely different than being in his presence. And she hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet.
Ruffin ducked his head and came toward her, making her smile and giving her courage enough to get out. She smoothed her hands down her ugly work shorts and prayed for the best as she stepped out to close her door.
“Hey, Ruffin.” She crouched down to greet the dog, giving herself a few more minutes of peace before she had to talk to Dawson. She told herself she’d driven up here specifically to talk to him. “Yeah, you’re the best, aren’t you? Yes, you are.”
She didn’t see the crows today, but she had passed a teenage girl pedaling furiously on her bicycle. Caroline couldn’t hide behind a canine forever, so she rose to her feet and took a deep breath.
“Hey, darlin’,” he drawled, and oh, that made Caroline smile. His voice sounded so much better than the chime on her phone, indicating he’d messaged.
“Hey.” She moved closer to him, noting that he did not come to her, and opened her arms to him. In an easy, oh-so-natural way, he received her, pressing one kiss almost on the corner of her mouth, then another higher on her cheek, and a third right below her ear.
Three kisses.
Caroline’s eyes drifted closed and she breathed in the salty, musky, sexy scent of Dawson’s skin. Part shampoo, and part cologne, and all cowboy, and she thanked heaven above she had him to hold onto, so she didn’t fall to the ground.
“Mm, you’re here.” His voice rumbled in her ear, his arms warm and welcome around her. “What are you doing here?”
She held onto him for another few moments, just long enough to make sure she could stand on her own, and then moved back. Dawson didn’t let her go too far, as he took her hand in his and squeezed.
“I had to check something down in Ritchfield today,” she said. “So I was on my way back.” She’d planned to stop at his ranch today, but she didn’t say so. She honestly wasn’t sure how much to say. He’d kissed her three times, so maybe he’d said a whole bunch already.
“And I just got a text from Lincoln about owls between your two ranches.”
“So you were just driving by?”
“Sort of,” she said, deciding she could be brave. Use her words. She turned toward him. “I haven’t seen you for a few days. I…wanted to see you.”
He smiled at her, and oh, she probably shouldn’t have asked him to do that. At the same time, so much light entered his soul when he did, and she didn’t think Dawson could fake feelings even if he wanted to.
“It’s great to see you,” he said. He leaned toward her, and panic filled Caroline. Was he going to kiss her properly this time? He didn’t, but nuzzled into her neck, crowding close and making her giggle.
And oh, how she felt cherished. Like he couldn’t get enough of her with just his eyes and his hands, he had to smell her and taste her too.
He swept another series of tiny, barely-there kisses up the column of her throat and then lifted his head.
“Mm, yeah. It’s great to see you.” He looked at the fence he and Link had erected around the owls.
“I checked the fence for Link, because it’s way easier to see from this side.
I’ve got some pictures if you want to see them. ”
“I’m going to come out tomorrow with him,” she said. “He said he got permission from you to approach from this side.”
“Yeah,” Dawson said. “We farm up there, so if you want to build something like this, I can help in the morning.”
She nodded. “I’ll keep you informed.”
Everything sounded so clinical, and Caroline didn’t know how to move past this. At least it was civilized now—more than civilized. His stomach growled as if he’d caged an angry pair of tigers in there, and he looked down at it.
“It’s lunchtime,” he said, raising his gaze to meet hers. “My momma is feeding me today. Would you—? You could come.” His eyes searched hers, so much boyish hope living there.
Her first reaction was to decline. Lunch with him and his mom? They hadn’t even been out on one date yet. They weren’t dating. He wasn’t her boyfriend.
All of the skin above her collarbone sizzled, seemingly to testify that she had indeed been doing things she’d only do with a boyfriend. Holding hands. Giggling. Accepting kisses.
So she opened her mouth, and “All right,” came out.
He grinned even wider. “All right.” He nodded to her car. “You want to drive in together? Bring me back out here? Or I can follow you in.”
She glanced over to his truck. “How about you just follow me in? Maybe we could go for a walk or something after lunch.”
His phone dinged, and he said, “That’s my momma now. Just a sec.” He pulled out his phone and typed something short and fast into it. “I’ll follow you in.” He nodded at her and stepped away, saying, “Come on, Ruff. Jump up.”
The dog trotted over to the truck and got in the back while Dawson arrived in his cowboy speed.
Caroline spun when she realized she’d been watching him and hurried to her car too.
On the way back to the epicenter of the ranch, she gripped the steering wheel and talked herself into leaving without dining with the Rhineharts.
“His daddy is retired too,” she muttered. “Of course he’ll be there.”
So she couldn’t stay. Absolutely not. She and Dawson were not dating.
Desperation clogged her throat. She’d tried talking to Belle about Dawson, but it hadn’t gone well, nor very far. Belle had seized upon something she’d said and ranted about her ex-husband for thirty minutes. Then she’d dissolved into tears and gone down the hall to the bedroom.
So definitely not a good chat, and certainly Caroline had not said everything she needed to in order to start a real relationship with Dawson. They texted constantly, usually in the afternoon or evening, and Caroline sure did like him.
He hadn’t asked her out again, and she wished she could tell him she’d driven to the ranch today because she’d finally talked to Belle, and they could go to dinner.
She found herself rounding the corner of the barn, the exit road right in front of her. But she kept turning to the right and that put her in front of the farmhouse. It was clearly much older than the house a few hundred yards away, but someone took care of it.
The lawn had been winterized, and all the flowerbeds cleared for springtime blooming. The shutters had been painted a dark red, and a navy blue star sat up near the pinnacle of the roof. Everything else was white, and it screamed old-school Texas from the very foundations.
She got out of her car at the same time Dawson parked, and she smiled at the clucking and warbling of chickens somewhere nearby. Everything felt slower, more peaceful, here, and Caroline craved this small-town quaintness with her whole soul.
“Should be good,” he said as he came around the front of the truck. “My momma is a good cook.”
“What did she make?”
He took her hand at the same time the sound of another vehicle filled the air. They both looked toward it, and Dawson’s frown deepened. “Looks like Duke and Zona are coming too.” His expression turned to one of anxiety, and his hand in hers tightened. “Is that okay? You want to meet them all?”
“All of them?”
“Well, we all work here,” he muttered. “I’m sure Brandon’s inside. He’s more of a momma’s-boy than I am.”
Caroline had no idea how to get out of this. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to. She stood there while Duke pulled in, her mind buzzing and fuzzing. Finally, about the time the tall, darker-haired man dropped from the truck and slammed his door, she blinked. Focused. Knew what she wanted.
“I’ve already met Duke,” she said. “And I want to meet them all.” She slid her hand up his arm and moved her other one to clutch his. “Okay?”
He met her eyes, something dark and dangerous and enticing swimming in his gaze. Desire. “We’re a barrel of fun,” he deadpanned. “But this might be good. Meet us now, so you can get out early if you need to.”
“You haven’t even asked me out,” she whispered.
“Didn’t know it was an option,” he whispered back. In a louder tone, he said, “Hey, guys,” and started toward his family.
Duke and his wife Arizona had come, and the same teenager Caroline had seen riding her bike got out of the back too. She looked like she’d been crying, and Caroline instantly wanted to shield her, protect her, and also leave so this family could talk without a stranger present.
But Dawson had a hold of her hand again, and he said, “You guys haven’t met Caroline, I don’t think.
” He beamed stars and light and all shiny things at her for a brief moment.
“This is Caroline Thompson. She’s the Wildlife Officer assigned to our ranch for the burrowing owls, and…
.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “And she’s this really amazing woman I keep trying to go out with. ”
Duke smiled too, and the gesture totally transformed his face. “Sure, Caroline.” He stuck out his hand, and she had to release Dawson’s to shake his brother’s. “It’s great to see you again.”
“You remember Duke,” Dawson said. “He runs the ranch. His wife, Arizona. We all call her Zona.” He smiled at her, and while tension radiated from the woman, she too had a friendly, bright smile and firm handshake for Caroline.
“And my favorite niece,” Dawson said. “April.” The way they held each other’s gazes said something, but Caroline couldn’t decipher it fast enough.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you,” April said diplomatically. “I’m gonna go see what Grandma made for lunch, okay?” She waited until both of her parents nodded at her, and then she left.
Dawson watched her, a frown furrowing his brow. Duke sighed, and Zona linked her arm through his. “She’s a good girl,” she murmured.
“The best,” Dawson confirmed, turning his attention to them. “She came out to see me this morning.”