Totally Texan

“They’re one and the same to me.”

“Uh, right. So back to Grant. What’s up with him?”

Kelly cleared her throat one more time, then told the unvarnished truth, leaving nothing out.

Afterward, there was silence on the other end of the line, then Ruth whooped like a banshee. “Oh, my God, I wish I’d been there to see that.”

“You mean you’re not furious at me?” Kelly asked in surprise.

“For being clumsy as a lame duck?”

“I have no leg to stand on,” Kelly said, “and no pun intended.”

Ruth whooped again.

Kelly simply held her silence, confused about her cousin’s reaction. “It sounds like you think he deserved what he got?”

“Not at all,” Ruth said, her voice still dripping with humor. “It’s just that he of all men—the county stud—got burned where it hurts most.”

“Ruth! I can’t believe you said that.”

“Well, isn’t that what you did?”

“He had on jeans, Ruth. Surely—”

“When it come to scalding liquid, jeans ain’t that thick. You can bet his gonads took a hit.”

“I guess they did,” Kelly admitted in a meek voice.

“Let’s just hope, for the sake of gals still chasing him, that his pride is just burned and not charred.”

“Ruth, I’m going to strangle you when I see you.”

Her cousin’s giggles increased.

“You’re making me feel awful.”

“Honey, don’t worry about it,” Ruth said. “Grant’s a survivor. He’ll be fine. He may never come back in the shop, but hey, that’s the way it goes. Other than emptying hot coffee in customers’ laps, how’s business?”

Later, after they had talked at length about the shop, Kelly finally made her way back into the kitchen, then heard a knock on the door. She stopped midstride, then turned around and headed back to the living room. Frowning, she opened the door, only to receive the shock of her life. Her mouth gaped open.

Grant stood on the porch with flowers in hand.

Before he said anything, she felt his gaze roam over her.

She tried to swallow, but it seemed her tongue had grown too large and was about to choke her.

“It’s obvious you’re not expecting company.” He shifted his feet. “But may I come in, anyway?”

Three

Kelly felt her breath grow shallow. Of course he couldn’t come in. There was no reason for him to be here. Certainly no reason for him to come in.

Yet she continued to stand with the door open, her common sense beginning to crack. Surely she wasn’t going to give in to this insanity.

She wasn’t even dressed, for heaven’s sake. She had nothing on under her robe, but at least it was made of thick terry cloth, impossible to see through.

Grant cocked his head and grinned. “These flowers are sure hankering for some water. I don’t know how much longer they’re going to survive.”

Kelly shook her head and smiled. “I noticed they are a little droopy.”

“See, I knew we were bound to agree on something.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re full of it?”

“Yep,” he said.

That nonchalant honesty was followed by a chuckle, a deep belly chuckle that sent Kelly’s already hammering pulse skyrocketing. It amazed her that this man aroused her sexual nature where others hadn’t. And not from their lack of trying, either.

Even so, she hadn’t looked at men through any eyes except passive ones for a long time.

So why was he different?

Kelly didn’t know. For more reasons than one—none of which she cared to analyze, especially with him camped on Ruth’s porch as if his boots had been embedded in concrete—he frightened her.

“How ’bout I promise just to stay long enough for you to put the posies in water.” It wasn’t a question, though his raised eyebrows made it one.

Realizing her common sense had deserted her, Kelly stood back and gestured with her hand.

Grinning, Grant removed his hat and, in two long strides, was across the threshold. Kelly closed the door and followed him, managing to keep a safe distance between them, but giving him a once-over in the process.

Not only did he look great in another pair of faded jeans and a blue T-shirt that exactly matched his eyes, but his height and the broadness of his shoulders seemed to dwarf the room, making it much too small for both of them.

With her pulse still hammering much harder than it should have been, Kelly wanted to move farther away, but knew it wouldn’t do any good. There was no place to go that would put enough space between them.

“Got a vase?” he asked, that grin still in place.

“Uh, I’m sure Ruth has one around here somewhere.”

“Maybe you ought to go and look.”

A short tense silence followed, before she stated, “Maybe I should.”

He chuckled again. “Hey, I’m harmless. Really and truly.”

Kelly raised her eyebrows and smiled. Sure you are—like a rattlesnake on a mission. The cure for that was to keep her wits sharpened. She reached for the flowers. “Have a seat while I look for a vase.”

“Sure you don’t need any help?” he asked, handing them to her.