adopt a baby?” she asked.
“Yeah, but they ended up with a twelve-year-old scam artist.”
“What did your father tell him?”
“You know my dad, totally Mr. Sensitive.” Using a gruff voice, Garrett imitated his father, “‘Kid, we’ll see about getting you a good home, but you have to stop stealing and lying.’”
“I’m surprised Cam understood him.”
“Cam had been picking up English from the other Americans he had been trying to hustle since he was old enough to walk. Besides, he knew a good thing when he saw it.”
“After all that, your parents found out they were pregnant with Kate. Your mom thought it was food poisoning, but it was really morning sickness.” She smiled.
“Yeah, they had their hands full with those two. Of course, I never gave them bit of trouble.”
She rolled her eyes at that. “How’s Cam doing in med school?” she asked.
“He’s doing fine. Complains there’s no time for girls.”
“I’m sure, knowing Cam, he makes the time.”
“I suppose so.” He smiled, but then his expression darkened. “What I haven’t shared with you is that I also had another sister, Lauren. Eighteen years ago, she died from cystic fibrosis. She was only seventeen.”
Chloe reached over and took his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“They’ve come a long way. People are living longer, but they still haven’t found a cure. I wanted to do my part to make things better. The organization helped my family. I wanted to do the same for someone else. I dedicated the ranch to helping kids like my sister. I think she would have liked that.”
“I’m sure she would have.” Tears clouded Chloe’s eyes.
“You’d better hand me a plate. I like my meat well-done. But if I don’t get it off soon, it’s going to turn into charcoal.” He flipped the steak over. “Ah, just right. You’re sure you don’t want me to make you one? It would be no trouble.” He dished the garden salad onto each plate.
“No, salad will be fine.”
They took their plates over to the table. She began eating her salad. Having chosen vinaigrette because it was lighter in calories, she glanced over and noticed Garrett went full-out with bleu cheese dressing and condiments for his steak. She wasn’t one who liked to exercise. She watched what she ate carefully. Her figure tended to run a bit curvy as it was.
Garrett didn’t seem to suffer from this dilemma. As she ate her salad, she looked wantonly at his steak.
He glanced up and caught her staring. “I can easily make you one,” he said.
“No, thanks.”
“It’s really good.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Hmm. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I know,” she said wearily. She tried to focus on eating her salad, but his steak had become the forbidden fruit.
She couldn’t help taking another peek. Garrett sat there with a knowing smile.
“Here. I’ll give you some of mine.” He sliced off a piece and placed it on her plate.
She gave in to the temptation and took a bite. Just as she was about to swallow it, he said, “Did I mention my family’s coming this weekend?”
She nearly choked. “You didn’t think to mention this before I agreed to stay with you? What’s your mother going to think about me staying here?” She scowled at him.
“You? She loves you. It’s me she has a problem with. She keeps pressuring me to settle down and give her some grandkids before she dies. You and I both know that woman is ornery enough that she’s going to live forever. She keeps telling me that I’m incorrigible, whatever that means.”
“You are!”
“Now, Red, you’ve just gone and hurt my feelings.”
She shook her head. One of the things Garrett was good at was blustering enough that you forgot what you were originally arguing about.
While they were eating, Chloe thought about the Foundation Garrett worked with. She felt a little ashamed that she was feeling sorry for herself for her recent breakup when there were families with
“Yeah, but they ended up with a twelve-year-old scam artist.”
“What did your father tell him?”
“You know my dad, totally Mr. Sensitive.” Using a gruff voice, Garrett imitated his father, “‘Kid, we’ll see about getting you a good home, but you have to stop stealing and lying.’”
“I’m surprised Cam understood him.”
“Cam had been picking up English from the other Americans he had been trying to hustle since he was old enough to walk. Besides, he knew a good thing when he saw it.”
“After all that, your parents found out they were pregnant with Kate. Your mom thought it was food poisoning, but it was really morning sickness.” She smiled.
“Yeah, they had their hands full with those two. Of course, I never gave them bit of trouble.”
She rolled her eyes at that. “How’s Cam doing in med school?” she asked.
“He’s doing fine. Complains there’s no time for girls.”
“I’m sure, knowing Cam, he makes the time.”
“I suppose so.” He smiled, but then his expression darkened. “What I haven’t shared with you is that I also had another sister, Lauren. Eighteen years ago, she died from cystic fibrosis. She was only seventeen.”
Chloe reached over and took his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“They’ve come a long way. People are living longer, but they still haven’t found a cure. I wanted to do my part to make things better. The organization helped my family. I wanted to do the same for someone else. I dedicated the ranch to helping kids like my sister. I think she would have liked that.”
“I’m sure she would have.” Tears clouded Chloe’s eyes.
“You’d better hand me a plate. I like my meat well-done. But if I don’t get it off soon, it’s going to turn into charcoal.” He flipped the steak over. “Ah, just right. You’re sure you don’t want me to make you one? It would be no trouble.” He dished the garden salad onto each plate.
“No, salad will be fine.”
They took their plates over to the table. She began eating her salad. Having chosen vinaigrette because it was lighter in calories, she glanced over and noticed Garrett went full-out with bleu cheese dressing and condiments for his steak. She wasn’t one who liked to exercise. She watched what she ate carefully. Her figure tended to run a bit curvy as it was.
Garrett didn’t seem to suffer from this dilemma. As she ate her salad, she looked wantonly at his steak.
He glanced up and caught her staring. “I can easily make you one,” he said.
“No, thanks.”
“It’s really good.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Hmm. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I know,” she said wearily. She tried to focus on eating her salad, but his steak had become the forbidden fruit.
She couldn’t help taking another peek. Garrett sat there with a knowing smile.
“Here. I’ll give you some of mine.” He sliced off a piece and placed it on her plate.
She gave in to the temptation and took a bite. Just as she was about to swallow it, he said, “Did I mention my family’s coming this weekend?”
She nearly choked. “You didn’t think to mention this before I agreed to stay with you? What’s your mother going to think about me staying here?” She scowled at him.
“You? She loves you. It’s me she has a problem with. She keeps pressuring me to settle down and give her some grandkids before she dies. You and I both know that woman is ornery enough that she’s going to live forever. She keeps telling me that I’m incorrigible, whatever that means.”
“You are!”
“Now, Red, you’ve just gone and hurt my feelings.”
She shook her head. One of the things Garrett was good at was blustering enough that you forgot what you were originally arguing about.
While they were eating, Chloe thought about the Foundation Garrett worked with. She felt a little ashamed that she was feeling sorry for herself for her recent breakup when there were families with
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