Garth. And all because one of his friends in Denver had texted Craig the link to an article about the Westmoreland Charity Ball. Just so happened the article included a photo of her and Garth dancing together. Craig believed she wasn’t sleeping with him because she was sleeping with Garth. That was when she’d told him to leave and not show his face again. She was glad she hadn’t heard from him since.
Refusing to think about Craig any longer, she got out of bed, showered and dressed. In no time at all, she was walking to the kitchen. The closer she got, the more she picked up the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying.
“Good morning, Garth,” she greeted, sliding onto a stool at the breakfast bar.
Garth turned around and smiled at her. This smile wasn’t any different than the others he’d always given her, but for some reason this one made her feel special. He looked good dressed in a pair of khakis and a green polo shirt. She’d always thought the color green enhanced his features. And she might be mistaken, but his eyes appeared darker than usual.
“Good morning, Regan.”
She smiled back and for just a heartbeat, their gazes held. He turned back to the stove, but she was certain she hadn’t imagined it.
“I hope you slept well,” he tossed over his shoulder.
“I did. Thanks.”
She studied his body, and the woman in her appreciated how his slacks stretched across his well-rounded backside and tapered down a pair of muscular thighs. Why did it suddenly feel so hot? And why was her heart pounding? Clearing her throat, she asked, “Need help with anything?”
“You can set the table for me. I figure it would be nice to sit in the dining room and take advantage of the view.”
“Yes, that would be nice,” she agreed, sliding off the stool.
She leaned up to get a couple of plates out of the cabinet at the same time he turned to place a plate of bacon on the counter. They nearly collided.
“Oops. Sorry,” he said.
“No problem.” Moving out of his way, she got the plates. Yesterday, the kitchen had seemed huge. Why, with both her and Garth in it, was it as if it had shrunk? Going to the drawer for the silverware, she was tempted to glance over her shoulder at him, but she resisted.
“Glad you woke up on your own. I wondered if I would have to wake you.”
Now she did turn to look at him. Was he serious or just joking? She could just imagine him coming into her bedroom to wake her. Then, no, she couldn’t imagine it. She didn’t want to imagine it. Doing so would play havoc on her hormones. From the mischievous look that appeared in his eyes, she figured he was just joking.
“You would not have had to wake me. I have a built-in alarm clock. Got it from Dad.”
“Yesterday, I noticed something else you got from your dad.”
“Oh, what?”
“Your ability to add stuff up in your head. You did it yesterday at the restaurant. It always amazed me how Franklin could do that. As a kid I struggled with math and he would give me pointers, or shortcuts as he would call them.”
Yes, that was another gift she had inherited from her father. Because her mother had died when she was young, she didn’t remember much about her. However, she knew how much she looked like her, because her father had kept pictures around the house.
“You okay over there?”
She closed the utensils drawer and glanced over at him. “Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking of my mom.”
“At least you have one to think about.”
She met his gaze. There hadn’t been any bitterness in his tone. The words had been spoken matter-of-factly. She’d been around the Outlaw brothers enough to know the subject of their mothers was a joke to them. Garth had written off his mother years ago when she had left him with Bart and then remarried. She’d had other children, but none of them had ever reached out to Garth. His mother hadn’t, either.
“Do you ever hear from her, Garth?”
He would have every right to tell her it was none of her business, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “No. I understand her other son just finished law school and her daughter is in med school.”
She wanted to ask where he’d obtained that information, but she didn’t press her luck. Evidently, he read her mind.
“I looked her up once, right before I