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.”Blake put the destroyed hamper on the counter.“You’re right about that, Jim.”Looking pleased that Blake used the shortened version of his name casually, Jimmy Ray came back into the kitchen, taking some fruit from the fridge.“I’ve got a project due next week I’d better work on.”Smiling wearily, Cassie tapped his arm.“That’s fine Jim—” She stopped before calling him Jimmy Ray.Barely.Katherine Ann and D.J.trailed in the back door, with a sad-looking Gulliver.“I think he’s okay, Mama,” Katherine Ann announced.“That cat hurt his pride more than his nose.”“But I think I’d better take him upstairs with me,” DJ.added.“Hold on—” Cassie began.Blake intervened, sensing that Cassie was close to the end of her patience.“Sounds like a good idea.He’ll settle down after he dries out.”Cassie tried again.“But the wooden floor—”“I’ll put down lots of towels,” DJ.pleaded.“And he’ll be good.”Blake waved D.J.and Gulliver toward the back staircase.“Try not to use the best towels,” Cassie relented, before muttering under her breath, “although all of your towels are good ones.”“That can be washed,” Blake pointed out.Cassie leaned back against the island in the middle of the kitchen.“Well, I guess that wasn’t exactly a smashing success.”“As your son pointed out, you couldn’t control the weather.”Earnestly Cassie glanced up at him.“But I wanted it to be a good experience, one to build on, so your boys would want to spend time with you as a family.But after today, they’ll all probably run shrieking the next time I suggest something.”“I don’t know.” he mused.“I doubt you could top yourself—unless, of course, you can whip up an earthquake or tornado.”She smiled finally—a flash of sunshine amid the storm—and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.He’d have expected her to either rage, sulk or whine, but instead it seemed she was finding a renewed burst of good humor, despite her drenched clothing.He allowed his gaze to drift downward, something he’d restrained himself from doing until now.The rain had plastered her T-shirt and shorts to her form, leaving only a few flimsy barriers between her body and his gaze.And the more he looked, the more he wanted to continue looking.She pushed suddenly at the heavy sheet of her wet hair.“I’d probably better go take a shower.”Their eyes met at her unfortunate choice of words, their meeting that morning in the hallway flashing between them.Blake couldn’t understand the strong effect she was having on him, the pull he felt.Although he’d dated since Elizabeth’s death, none of the casual dates had involved any emotional connection.And that was what he was feeling now.He had a strong urge to peel away the layers, to learn more about this so-surprising woman.He wondered at the secrets she kept hidden, the many sides of her personality that continued to startle him.And the undeniable attraction that ricocheted between them.Unable to resist, Blake reached out one hand, seeing the sudden trembling of her lips, the darkening of her silver eyes.Footsteps sounded on the back stairs as the twins came into the room.“We’re hungry,” Mark announced.Blake tore his gaze from Cassie, knowing they’d interrupted a hunger of his own, a far different hunger.“And we don’t want anything with grass in it,” Todd added, his tone far nastier than usual.“That’s enough, Todd,” Blake warned.The boy stuck out his lip belligerently.Still, it trembled slightly.“Fine.I don’t want anything, anyway.” He ran back up the stairs before Blake could reply.Mark filled his arms with a loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly, grapes, and at least a dozen cookies.He sent Cassie a challenging look, but she didn’t question his choices.As he retreated up the stairs, no doubt to share his loot with Todd, Blake shook his head.“I don’t know what’s gotten into them.I’m sorry, Cassie.They shouldn’t speak to you in that tone.”But she wasn’t looking at him.Instead, she gazed after Mark with a worried expression.“Something’s wrong with them.”“They’re probably just cranky because they’re hungry.”“No.They’ve been quiet the last few days, too quiet.I thought maybe they were coming down with colds or the flu, but I don’t think that’s it.”“Don’t worry so much, Cassie.Kids act up, they get over it.”She raised her gaze to him.“Much like adults?”“What do you mean?”“That adults sometimes think they can start something, then walk away.It’s not always that easy.”Feeling as though his hand had been slapped.simply for his thoughts.Blake drew his brows together.“Meaning?”“That I need to be concentrating on my job.your children rather than being distracted.”“Am I distracting you?” He studied her face, wondering whether she would admit that she was equally affected.“Maybe I’m simply distracting myself,” she replied, not answering his question.He saw her resolve assert itself, saw the strength he knew she possessed chase away the softness.Perhaps she was right.He’d hired her to work with his kids, not to work him into a frenzy.So she wanted distance.That shouldn’t be too difficult.But he planned to find a plumber tomorrow, if he had to pay a king’s ransom.Any more towel-draped encounters, and the only distance she’d find would be on the path to his bedroom.The doorbell rang suddenly and insistently.Cursing beneath his breath, Blake turned just as Maria entered the kitchen, the sound of impatient high heels tapping behind her.“Mrs.Kerara is here,” Maria announced unnecessarily as Daphne walked past her, eclipsing the need for a reply.Blake saw the unguarded look on Cassie’s face before she fixed a resolute expression in place.Sighing inwardly, Blake wondered why his sister-in-law had chosen to make more appearances in the past month than she had in the past year.True, she asked for investment advice, but most of her questions could have been answered by phone or fax.“Slumming again, Daphne?”She presented her flawless cheek for a kiss.“Hardly, darling.” Then her gaze settled on Cassie’s bedraggled appearance, and her lips curved in wicked pleasure.“Although I can see why you asked.”Blake winced on Cassie’s behalf.He knew no woman enjoyed being caught looking her worst.Purposely, he glanced down ruefully at his drenched shirt and jeans.“I’ve never looked my best wearing wet clothes,” he replied, hoping to direct Daphne’s unkind comment away from Cassie.Daphne’s gaze traveled slowly over his form.“Oh, I don’t know.You could start a trend.” Then her gaze settled deliberately on Cassie.“What do you think, Cassie?”Hesitating only slightly, Cassie was proud that her voice emerged strong and steady.“I’ve never been much for trends myself.”“How fortunate for you.After all, I don’t imagine living in Outer Mongolia would make it easy to follow trends.”“I don’t live in Twin Corners anymore,” Cassie reminded her in a deceptively mild tone.“So you don’t.Still, trends aren’t really your style, are they?”Cassie glanced between the two beautiful people dominating the room, knowing with a sinking feeling that Daphne was right.Only one person in their tableau seemed out of place.And it wasn’t the golden couple she was staring at.They belonged.She was the outsider
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