Caitlan followed Laura, recognizing J.T.'s strategy for the ploy it was-to avoid being alone with her any more than he had to. She felt his gaze on her back, and the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck tingled in acute awareness. With a soft curse, he turned and strode into the kitchen.
Laura glanced over her shoulder as J.T. disappeared from view, then leaned close to Caitlan. "So, tell me what really happened between you and my father."
Caitlan eyed Laura, seeing the wistfulness in her gaze and a glimmer of hope. Not wanting to disillusion the young girl in any way, she strove to keep her answer simple and to the point. "Like your father said, I found him."
"Oh, how romantic," Laura said on a dreamy sigh.
A wry smile found its way to Caitlan's lips. "Your father has been anything but romantic."
Laura stopped before a closed door at the end of the hall. Grasping Caitlan's hand, Laura met her gaze. "You'll have to excuse my dad. It's been a long time since he's really dated someone-"
"Laura, this isn't what you think," Caitlan said gently, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "Your father and I aren't romantically involved."
"Not yet," she replied, her tone holding more insight than Caitlan would have liked.
"How old are you?" Caitlan asked, knowing the wisdom reflected in Laura's eyes didn't come close to matching her young years.
"Twelve." Laura's chin lifted haughtily. "Old enough to know that my father is interested in you."
Shaking her head at the absurdity of that statement, Caitlan smoothed a strand of silky hair from Laura's cheek. "Honey, the only thing your father is interested in is getting me off this ranch as soon as possible."
Laura's lips pursed. Eyes identical to her dad's flashed knowingly. "It's the way he watches you when he thinks no one is watching him," she said in a low voice, glancing covertly around them to make sure they were still alone. "I've never seen such a soft look in his eyes. It's the kind of look Aunt Debbie gives Uncle Kirk sometimes, and then they'll sneak off somewhere to kiss and do other things… " Her words trailed off when she realized her slip, her face turning crimson.
Caitlan understood Laura's compulsion to find someone for her father, but matchmaking her and J.T. was strictly out of the question. Nothing good would come from it, and the interference would only make things more difficult and awkward while she protected J.T. "Laura, don't get your hopes up for something that's not there. The only reason I'm here is because of my own stupidity and the fact that the bridge is out."
"Do you believe in fate?" Laura asked, looking deeply into Caitlan's eyes.
Caitlan felt cornered and didn't care for the knowledge in this young girl's luminous gaze. "Well, yes," she said slowly, cautiously. Fate was part of her occupation.
Laura pressed closer. "Do you believe fate can bring two people who belong with each other together?"
Goosebumps raised on the surface of Caitlan's flesh. Do you believe fate can bring two people who belong with each other together? Yes, she believed in fate and destiny, but she would know if J.T. was her eternal soulmate. Caitlan frowned. Who was her soulmate? She knew she had one. She was employed as a guardian angel while she waited to be joined with him. But who was he? Fragments formed in her mind, a shadowy face with rugged features she couldn't quite identify.
Struggling to grasp the recollection, she received a sharp piercing pain to her memory for her efforts. Mentally, she drew back. The gold medallion between her breasts grew warm, then startling hot.
"Caitlan?"
Caitlan's gaze cleared and she stared at Laura, a little rattled by what she'd just experienced. "Can you excuse me for a moment while I make this phone call?"
"Sure." Laura hooked her thumb back toward where they'd just come from. "We'll be in the kitchen when you're done. Down the hall, the third door on your right."
Caitlan forced a smile. "Thanks." Slipping inside J.T.'s office, Caitlan leaned against the heavy door and let out a deep breath to steady her out-of-control pulse. The heat in the medallion subsided, and the ache in her head slowly faded away.
Even though Caitlan wasn't registered as a guest at Parson's Dude Ranch, she went through the ritual of calling them, without actually dialing the number and connecting, just in case someone was at the door and overheard her. She felt foolish speaking to the dial tone but accomplished the task within a few minutes, then headed for the kitchen.
The family sat around a massive wooden table ladened with a smorgasbord of aromatic food: chili, cornbread, chicken fried steak, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and biscuits with honey and butter. Long bench seats flanked either side of the table, making dining in the kitchen an informal affair. She noticed Kirk had joined the group, and assumed this was a daily supper ritual.
"Sit down and help yourself, Caitlan," Paula said cheerfully, obviously happiest in her element as cook. "Would you like lemonade or iced tea?"
"Iced tea, please." Caitlan sat down in the only available spot at the far end of the table, which happened to put her directly across from J.T. He spared her a brief glance, his eyes shadowed and distant, then went back to finishing his bowl of chili. His remoteness didn't invite casual conversation.
"What did Parson's have to say about your escapade?" Frank asked, helping himself to a second serving of chicken fried steak and potatoes.
Startled for a moment, Caitlan stared at the older man. She felt all eyes on her as she groped for a feasible answer, then an explanation flowed easily into her mind, as if her Superior had anticipated the question.
She filled her bowl with chili and grabbed a warm biscuit. "They're relieved I'm okay and that I have a place to stay until the bridge is repaired." Slathering butter on her biscuit, she reached for the honey jar and drizzled some on top. "Sounds like things are real hectic around there with the bridge out."
"I'll bet." Kirk gave his head a rueful shake. "I wonder how they're going to transport people and food in and out."
Caitlan swallowed a mouthful of the best chili she'd ever tasted. "I don't know. They didn't say. The clerk sounded a little frazzled, so I made the conversation as brief as possible."
"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as it takes to repair the bridge," Paula offered, as if she had complete authority over the Rafferty ranch and its occupants.
J.T.'s spoon clattered in his empty earthenware bowl. He sent Paula a look of annoyance, his jaw clenched, but the housekeeper, busy taking an apple pie out of the oven, didn't see it.
Debbie glanced from her brother to Caitlan, an intuitive smile canting the corner of her mouth. "I'd be more than happy to loan you some clothes, Caitlan. You're a bit shorter than I am, but I think we can find something that will fit you comfortably."
"Thank you," Caitlan said, overwhelmed by their graciousness. If only her real host would be so congenial and cooperative, her mission would be a breeze.
J.T. abruptly stood, the legs of his chair scraping on the wooden floor. Eight pairs of eyes darted his way. "Excuse me," he said, surprised at the gruffness of his own voice. "There's a few things I need to take care of." He turned and strode from the kitchen, down the hall, and out the front door.
Ignoring the chill in the evening air, and the fact that he should have grabbed his jacket, he headed for the barn. He just wanted to get away from Caitlan. She was getting under his skin in a way he couldn't shrug off, with those violet eyes and that flashing dimple. The feeling irritated the hell out of him, because he'd vowed never to let another woman get that close.
Unbidden, thoughts of his ex-wife Stacey filtered through his mind; of her unrelenting pursuit of him while he'd been at the No Bull Bar and Grill one evening three years after Amanda's death. Still grieving over the loss of Amanda, he'd followed Stacey's come-ons in an attempt to forget memories of another woman. Their affair had been tempestuous and steamy-a calculated ploy on Stacey's part to land herself a wealthy husband. She got her wish when she turned up pregnant.