some kids… He’d never thought much about
being a father, maybe because his old man had been such a rotten one, but
lately he’d been thinking it might be nice to have a son of his own.
He swore again. He’d been doing far too much thinking
lately. He needed to get shed of this town right quick before he made a damn
fool out of himself.
He blew out a sigh as the clock chimed the half-hour.
Six-thirty.
There was no point waiting around any longer. He was about
to head for the nearest saloon when he saw a woman clad in a sky-blue dress
hurrying down the boardwalk.
A slow smile spread over his lips as he recognized Alisha.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly.
His gaze moved over her, slow and lazy and filled with
appreciation. “It was the worth the wait.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “Thank you.”
He opened the door for her, followed her inside. It was a
pretty fancy place for a town the size of Canyon Creek. The tables were covered
with white cloths. Dozens of candles in silver wall sconces lit the room with a
soft warm glow. Each table had a small vase of wildflowers. The dishes were
china, the glassware looked like crystal.
Alisha held her head high as she made her way to an empty
table near the back, well away from the windows near the street. She was sure
it was only her imagination, but she couldn’t help feeling that people were
staring at her, pointing, gossiping behind her back, speculating on what Miss
Faraday was doing dining with a man who was not her fiancé, her father, or a
relative. A few of them recognized Mitch. She saw it in their eyes, heard it in
the whispers that followed them to their table.
Mitch held her chair for her. He had picked up some manners
somewhere along the way, she thought as she watched him take the seat across
from hers, unfold his napkin and put it in his lap.
She picked up the menu, glad to have something to do with
her hands.
“What’s good here?” Mitch asked.
“Just about everything,” Alisha replied, not meeting his
gaze.
“What are you having?”
“I’m not sure. The roast beef, I think. Although their fried
chicken is very good, too.” She looked at him over the top of her menu. “I’ll
bet you have the chicken.”
He grinned at her. “You’d win.”
She grinned back. Mitch had always loved Chloe’s fried
chicken. Alisha had asked her to make it often, just so she could sneak some to
Mitch.
The waitress came to take their order. At the last minute,
Alisha decided on the chicken, too.
“You look real pretty this evening,” Mitch remarked.
Alisha ran a hand over her skirt. “Thank you.”
“Is that a new dress?”
She nodded. She had fully intended to buy a red one, had
even tried one on, but at the last minute she had decided on this one. It was a
soft shade of blue, pretty as a robin’s egg.
“I always liked you in that color.”
Was that why she had picked this color? Had she
subconsciously remembered that blue was his favorite color?
She met his gaze, wishing she could think of something to
say, something clever, something witty. Something. But she couldn’t think at
all when he was watching her through those dark, dark eyes. No one else had
ever looked at her the way he did, made her feel the way he did.
“I’ve decided not to sell the ranch after all.”
She blinked at him. “What?” Oh, Lord, that meant he was
going to be staying in Canyon Creek. Permanently.
Mitch nodded. Until that very moment, he had been planning
to move on as soon as he sold the ranch. But seeing Alisha, being with her, he
knew he couldn’t leave. She might be engaged to Roger Smithfield, but she
wasn’t married yet. And in spite of everything that had happened, he still
loved her, still wanted her.
“You don’t look very happy about it,” he remarked.
“I…I’m just surprised. I thought you hated it here. When you
left, you said you’d never come back.”
“Yeah, well, things change.” He smiled at her. “What did
being a father, maybe because his old man had been such a rotten one, but
lately he’d been thinking it might be nice to have a son of his own.
He swore again. He’d been doing far too much thinking
lately. He needed to get shed of this town right quick before he made a damn
fool out of himself.
He blew out a sigh as the clock chimed the half-hour.
Six-thirty.
There was no point waiting around any longer. He was about
to head for the nearest saloon when he saw a woman clad in a sky-blue dress
hurrying down the boardwalk.
A slow smile spread over his lips as he recognized Alisha.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly.
His gaze moved over her, slow and lazy and filled with
appreciation. “It was the worth the wait.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “Thank you.”
He opened the door for her, followed her inside. It was a
pretty fancy place for a town the size of Canyon Creek. The tables were covered
with white cloths. Dozens of candles in silver wall sconces lit the room with a
soft warm glow. Each table had a small vase of wildflowers. The dishes were
china, the glassware looked like crystal.
Alisha held her head high as she made her way to an empty
table near the back, well away from the windows near the street. She was sure
it was only her imagination, but she couldn’t help feeling that people were
staring at her, pointing, gossiping behind her back, speculating on what Miss
Faraday was doing dining with a man who was not her fiancé, her father, or a
relative. A few of them recognized Mitch. She saw it in their eyes, heard it in
the whispers that followed them to their table.
Mitch held her chair for her. He had picked up some manners
somewhere along the way, she thought as she watched him take the seat across
from hers, unfold his napkin and put it in his lap.
She picked up the menu, glad to have something to do with
her hands.
“What’s good here?” Mitch asked.
“Just about everything,” Alisha replied, not meeting his
gaze.
“What are you having?”
“I’m not sure. The roast beef, I think. Although their fried
chicken is very good, too.” She looked at him over the top of her menu. “I’ll
bet you have the chicken.”
He grinned at her. “You’d win.”
She grinned back. Mitch had always loved Chloe’s fried
chicken. Alisha had asked her to make it often, just so she could sneak some to
Mitch.
The waitress came to take their order. At the last minute,
Alisha decided on the chicken, too.
“You look real pretty this evening,” Mitch remarked.
Alisha ran a hand over her skirt. “Thank you.”
“Is that a new dress?”
She nodded. She had fully intended to buy a red one, had
even tried one on, but at the last minute she had decided on this one. It was a
soft shade of blue, pretty as a robin’s egg.
“I always liked you in that color.”
Was that why she had picked this color? Had she
subconsciously remembered that blue was his favorite color?
She met his gaze, wishing she could think of something to
say, something clever, something witty. Something. But she couldn’t think at
all when he was watching her through those dark, dark eyes. No one else had
ever looked at her the way he did, made her feel the way he did.
“I’ve decided not to sell the ranch after all.”
She blinked at him. “What?” Oh, Lord, that meant he was
going to be staying in Canyon Creek. Permanently.
Mitch nodded. Until that very moment, he had been planning
to move on as soon as he sold the ranch. But seeing Alisha, being with her, he
knew he couldn’t leave. She might be engaged to Roger Smithfield, but she
wasn’t married yet. And in spite of everything that had happened, he still
loved her, still wanted her.
“You don’t look very happy about it,” he remarked.
“I…I’m just surprised. I thought you hated it here. When you
left, you said you’d never come back.”
“Yeah, well, things change.” He smiled at her. “What did
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