Charlene Sands - Redeeming The Ceo Cowboy

“The usual assortment of two dozen muffins and the cupcake of the day, which is peanut butter with chocolate ganache frosting.”

“Yummy. Those will go by lunchtime,” Miranda said. “I hope you brought me a dozen of those?”

“I sure did. Well, I’m off. Thanks again for thinking of Ally. She’ll be coloring all afternoon, I’m sure.”

“You’re welcome. Bye now.”

Susanna drove off. After she made the rest of her deliveries, she steered the minivan toward home. She didn’t mind being up and out early, but she felt bad for disrupting Ally’s sleep every morning. Once she opened her own shop, her traipsing around town in Sweet Susie’s minivan would come to an end. For a moment, she let herself daydream about the lavender and white painted shop, its bakery cases filled with dozens upon dozens of her pastries. There would be café tables and chairs under a giant blackboard chalked with the day’s cupcake specials. She’d have two employees and a delivery man. Everyone would wear lavender.

Sure, Susie...keep dreaming.

She sighed quietly.

Ally would be going to kindergarten in two years and she’d have more time to build her business. If she could hold on until then....

A few minutes later, she pulled up to the house and drove into the garage. Ally had fallen asleep. Susanna took her time working on the straps to ease Ally out of the car seat. Ally opened her eyes once, draped her arms around Susanna’s neck and curled her body against hers, snuggling in. Susanna kissed the top of her head as she made her way into the house. In the bedroom, she lowered Ally down onto her bed. The child nestled her face into her pillow and Susanna tiptoed out of the room.

In the kitchen, Susanna filled the sink with detergent and rinsed her bowls, muffin tins and utensils, giving each one a good scrub. She had an ancient dishwasher that would go on the fritz every so often, but today she was an optimist. She loaded it up, hit the sanitize button and closed the door. “Do your magic,” she said and walked away to clean countertops and pretend she didn’t notice the peeling paint on the walls and the permanently scuffed floors. The house really needed a makeover, but Susanna would be happy with a brand spanking new double stainless steel oven that would bake four dozen anything in one shot—one with even heat distribution that turned into a convection oven with the press of a button.

Susanna walked into Ally’s room and stole a peek to make sure she was still asleep, then retrieved her laptop and set it up on the kitchen table. When her cell phone rang and the caller’s name popped up, she smiled and answered. “You just saved me.”

“From dishes or from doing the books?” her friend Mindy asked.

“The books.”

“Well, you can thank me later. How’s Ally?”

“She’s doing okay. Taking a little nap right now.”

“Give her a hug for me when she wakes up.”

“I’ll do that.”

“So I need the scoop. Did he show up?”

“He?”

“You know who I mean. My junior high school fantasy crush. Casey. Is he really back in town?”

Susanna’s face scrunched up. She’d almost forgotten Mindy’s fascination with Casey Thomas when they were growing up. She and Mindy had been friendly as youngsters, but not besties, the way she and Audrey were. But their friendship had developed once they were adults. “Yes, as of yesterday. How’d you find out so fast?”

“I bumped into Lana Robards at the market this morning. She said she saw Casey jogging in the neighborhood.” Mindy’s hearty laughter bubbled through the cell phone. “She said he was enough incentive to take up running again.”

“She just got divorced,” Susanna blurted. Something painful knifed through her stomach. She didn’t want to think about why hearing that bothered her so much.

“Not just. It’s been a year. And it must be lonely for her on the weeks she doesn’t have her kids.”

Darlene and Darryl were four-year-old twins living with one parent one week and one parent the next under the terms of their joint custody agreement. It was tough and Susanna often wondered how the children were adjusting.

“But I digress. So tell me your impressions. Is he still dreamy?”

“Are you forgetting about Ted, your loyal, wonderful hubby, or that you’re six months prego?”

“C’mon Susie, give me something to spice up my ho-hum life. I’m a grade school teacher with summer-itis. Since school let out, I miss my students and my work. And Ted’s been smothering me with kindness.”

“You love every second of it. You don’t fool me.”

“So,” she whispered. “Just tell me, is Casey still hot?”

Susanna rolled her eyes. “Yes, okay. Casey is still good-looking.” Mindy would have melted into a puddle of drool today if she’d seen him dressed in that gunmetal gray tailored Armani suit. “He’s a little more solid, not as lean as in his bronc-busting days.”

“Mmm. Solid is good. Have you spoken to him?”

She so did not want to have this conversation. “A little.”

“And, what’s the scoop? Why’s he here? How long will he be staying next door?”

Being a teacher, Mindy had to know all the facts. “All I know is that he’s here on business. I have no clue how long he’s staying.”

But he’ll be coming over to my house tonight after Ally goes to sleep. Her eyes squeezed shut and she rubbed the left side of her temple. She had hours before she had to think about that.

“But not permanently?”

“No.” Audrey had assured her this was only temporary...and the more temporary the better.

“Oh, Susie...you’ve got to work on your spice skills. You didn’t give me anything juicy.”

“I’ll remember that in the future.”

“Hey, I almost forgot the real reason I called. One of the teachers I work with is throwing her daughter a sweet sixteen party. I told her about Sweet Susie’s and how fabulous your desserts are. She’s going to call you later today to cater a chocolate party for her.”

“Wow, thanks. That sounds like fun. I can certainly use the extra work.”

“Welcome. Oh, and Suse...it wouldn’t hurt if you invited Casey over for dinner one night. He’s single, you’re single. Who knows?”

“Oh, no. Don’t even go there, Mindy. You’re not matchmaking for me. The last date I went on was a disaster and lasted all of forty-five minutes before I showed him the door.”

“That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know the guy I set you up with was a-a....”

“I’ll say it. He was a grabby-handed sex addict.”

“I’ve apologized for that a dozen times. Besides, it would be different with Casey. You know him.”

Too well. He’d broken her heart once already. She didn’t want an encore performance. “Not interested.”

Mindy sighed melodramatically. “Most single women would jump at the chance to date a hot guy like Casey, but my friend only gets her jollies from a hot oven.”

Mindy was darn right. And that’s exactly how it was going to stay.

* * *

Casey thought after taming wild broncos half his life, he’d be used to confrontation. But the idea of speaking with Susanna about the sins of the past left a bitter taste in his mouth. Taking his little sister’s vulnerable friend in the living room of his home hadn’t been one of his proudest moments. The guilt weighed heavily on him. They’d never spoken of it. Susanna probably wanted to forget it had ever happened. How could he blame her? That night, Susie had come to his house looking for Audrey and some comfort. She’d been devastated learning of her father’s debilitating disease, knowing his life would be changed forever and death wasn’t far in his future. But she’d found Casey instead, and he’d taken her virginity. Tonight, he had to right the wrong. There was no doubt in his mind.