“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Her
friend’s concern didn’t put Cato off one bit. “No, I don’t.” She smiled. “But I
intend to learn.”
Savannah
frowned, but she had to grin a little also. She was a little worried about her
friend. No matter how much bravado Cato displayed, Savannah knew she’d been
cloistered for most of her life and couldn’t realize how quickly a man could
take advantage of her. “That’s not what I meant.” She patted Cato’s arm. “I’m
just looking out for you.”
“Thanks,
I appreciate that.” Cato hugged Savannah. “You wouldn’t know his name, would
you?”
“You
don’t know his name?” Savannah yelped.
The
only way Cato knew Savannah was overly excited was by her startled expression
which made Cato giggle.
Before
she could reply, a petite brown-haired woman came up and held out her hand to
Cato. “I can answer your question. That’s Heath McCoy, my brother. And I, for
one, am thrilled to make your acquaintance. My name is Ryder.”
“Hello,”
Cato took her hand, “I’m Cato Vincent.”
Then
Cato introduced Ryder to Savannah, who responded with southern gentility as
always. “It’s nice to meet you, Ryder. If you’ll excuse me, there’s something I
need to take care of.” Kissing Cato on the cheek, she squeezed her hand. “I’ll
check on you before we leave.”
When
Savannah had left them alone to talk, Cato turned back to Ryder. “I guess you
saw our spirited exchange.” She was just now realizing how very public their
bantering had been. Cato was amazed that Heath—God, she loved that name—had
been able to make her feel as if they were the only two people in the world.
“I’m sorry about dousing him with punch. He caught me by surprise.”
Ryder
laughed, pulling another young woman to her side. “I think you caught him by
surprise. This is my sister, Pepper. Pepper, this is Cato Vincent.”
“How
do you do?” She wondered at the amused looks on their faces. “What’s so funny?”
Cato couldn’t hear their mirth, but it was contagious. She found herself
laughing with them.
Ryder
held her chest as if trying to get air into her lungs. “I’ve never seen a woman
stand up to Heath like that. Most people cower in their tracks and you threw
two,” she held up two fingers, “not one, but two cups of punch onto his head.
You’re priceless.”
“I
didn’t really throw them, both were accidental. He just happened to be in the
way.”
Pepper
grew serious. “It doesn’t matter. You made him smile and laugh. We haven’t seen
Heath look that alive in a long time.”
* * *
Heath
tucked his shirt in and zipped his jeans. All he could think about was the
feisty woman waiting for him. She was the most exciting thing that had happened
to him in many a day. Her face was adorable and her body was enticing enough to
wake the dead. He knew he needed to concentrate on Philip and Tennessee and
their important problems, but the voluptuous doll from the punch bowl had shot
his focus all to hell. “I’m coming, baby,” he whispered and he fully intended
for those to be prophetical words for the night ahead.
“Heath?”
A call from downstairs broke his reverie.
“I’ll
be right down.” The voice sounded familiar. Curious, he headed out of the room,
looking over the banister. “O’Rourke?” He broke into a smile. When his family
had helped rescue Aron, he’d been lucky enough to work with some incredible
men, one of which stood before him—former Navy Seal Patrick O’Rourke. “How have
you been? I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Isn’t
everyone?” Patrick waited as Heath descended the stairs. “I saw you coming in
here and my Savannah asked me to come talk to you.”
“About
what?” Walking into the kitchen, he gestured for Patrick to follow. “Let’s get
a beer, Aron won’t mind.”
“Thanks.”
Patrick sat down at the big kitchen table and opened the can when Heath gave it
to
Her
friend’s concern didn’t put Cato off one bit. “No, I don’t.” She smiled. “But I
intend to learn.”
Savannah
frowned, but she had to grin a little also. She was a little worried about her
friend. No matter how much bravado Cato displayed, Savannah knew she’d been
cloistered for most of her life and couldn’t realize how quickly a man could
take advantage of her. “That’s not what I meant.” She patted Cato’s arm. “I’m
just looking out for you.”
“Thanks,
I appreciate that.” Cato hugged Savannah. “You wouldn’t know his name, would
you?”
“You
don’t know his name?” Savannah yelped.
The
only way Cato knew Savannah was overly excited was by her startled expression
which made Cato giggle.
Before
she could reply, a petite brown-haired woman came up and held out her hand to
Cato. “I can answer your question. That’s Heath McCoy, my brother. And I, for
one, am thrilled to make your acquaintance. My name is Ryder.”
“Hello,”
Cato took her hand, “I’m Cato Vincent.”
Then
Cato introduced Ryder to Savannah, who responded with southern gentility as
always. “It’s nice to meet you, Ryder. If you’ll excuse me, there’s something I
need to take care of.” Kissing Cato on the cheek, she squeezed her hand. “I’ll
check on you before we leave.”
When
Savannah had left them alone to talk, Cato turned back to Ryder. “I guess you
saw our spirited exchange.” She was just now realizing how very public their
bantering had been. Cato was amazed that Heath—God, she loved that name—had
been able to make her feel as if they were the only two people in the world.
“I’m sorry about dousing him with punch. He caught me by surprise.”
Ryder
laughed, pulling another young woman to her side. “I think you caught him by
surprise. This is my sister, Pepper. Pepper, this is Cato Vincent.”
“How
do you do?” She wondered at the amused looks on their faces. “What’s so funny?”
Cato couldn’t hear their mirth, but it was contagious. She found herself
laughing with them.
Ryder
held her chest as if trying to get air into her lungs. “I’ve never seen a woman
stand up to Heath like that. Most people cower in their tracks and you threw
two,” she held up two fingers, “not one, but two cups of punch onto his head.
You’re priceless.”
“I
didn’t really throw them, both were accidental. He just happened to be in the
way.”
Pepper
grew serious. “It doesn’t matter. You made him smile and laugh. We haven’t seen
Heath look that alive in a long time.”
* * *
Heath
tucked his shirt in and zipped his jeans. All he could think about was the
feisty woman waiting for him. She was the most exciting thing that had happened
to him in many a day. Her face was adorable and her body was enticing enough to
wake the dead. He knew he needed to concentrate on Philip and Tennessee and
their important problems, but the voluptuous doll from the punch bowl had shot
his focus all to hell. “I’m coming, baby,” he whispered and he fully intended
for those to be prophetical words for the night ahead.
“Heath?”
A call from downstairs broke his reverie.
“I’ll
be right down.” The voice sounded familiar. Curious, he headed out of the room,
looking over the banister. “O’Rourke?” He broke into a smile. When his family
had helped rescue Aron, he’d been lucky enough to work with some incredible
men, one of which stood before him—former Navy Seal Patrick O’Rourke. “How have
you been? I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Isn’t
everyone?” Patrick waited as Heath descended the stairs. “I saw you coming in
here and my Savannah asked me to come talk to you.”
“About
what?” Walking into the kitchen, he gestured for Patrick to follow. “Let’s get
a beer, Aron won’t mind.”
“Thanks.”
Patrick sat down at the big kitchen table and opened the can when Heath gave it
to
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