Part 15 (2/2)

Casey had no idea what Damon had planned, and he didn't much care. As long as Damon stayed busy, he couldn't interfere with Casey's pursuit of Emma.

He turned the car down the long driveway to his family's home. The property here was lined with a tidy split-rail fence to contain the few farm animals they kept. Their menagerie often varied, since some of his father's patients paid for medical services with livestock, which they in turn often donated to the needier local families.

At present, they had several horses, an enormous hog, a fat, ornery heifer and two timid lambs. They'd keep the horses, and Honey had grown partial to the lambs. But the hog and heifer had to go. They terrorized Honey every chance they got. Whenever Honey was around, the d.a.m.n cow dredged up the most threatening look a big-eyed, black-spotted bovine could manage.

Casey adored Honey, and a day didn't go by that he didn't appreciate her and all she gave to them, to his father. Because Sawyer's first marriage had been such a public fiasco, no one had ever expected him to remarry.

Casey had enjoyed being raised in an all-male household, but having Honey around had been even better. Softer. Over the years, she'd planted numerous flowers along the outside of the fence: enormous white peonies, tall irises and abundant daisies. Something was always in bloom, making the area colorful and fragrant.

Holding her hair from her face, Emma glanced around at the familiar stretch of land. ”I thought we were going to the lake?”

”We are.” He kept his gaze on the road and off the sight of her creamy skin. ”But I want to stop at the house first. I need to change and grab the boat keys.”

”You live at home?”

”In the apartment over the garage. I lived in Cincy for a while, just because I thought it'd be more convenient. But it didn't take me long to decide I prefer the forty-minute drive to and from work every day.” Now, more than ever, Casey was glad he hadn't moved out of the area.

The sprawling log house came into view. Built on a rise and surrounded by mature trees and numerous outbuildings, it looked impressive indeed. In his younger days, Casey had lived there with his father and his uncles. Morgan now had a house farther up the hill, but not more than a ten-minute walk away. Jordan had moved into Georgia's house with her and the kids after they married, and Gabe bought a place in town with Elizabeth.

Morgan's newest official vehicle was in the yard. Because so many people in Buckhorn lived off the beaten path or in the hills, Morgan drove a rugged four-wheel-drive Bronco. Misty, his wife, had convinced him to trade from black to white last year. Actually, she'd wanted red, but Morgan had refused that. He said the sheriff's emblem painted on the side would clash.

Casey saw Emma take in the crowd in front of the house. With the dark gla.s.ses on, he couldn't see her eyes. But he watched the tilt of her head, the lack of a smile on her pretty mouth.

It appeared Morgan and Misty were dropping off the kids, Amber and Garrett. They stood on the steps, Morgan wearing his tan uniform and Misty in a casual dress. Sawyer and Honey were beneath the shade on the porch, drinking tall gla.s.ses of iced tea. Shohn was there, too, with Morgan's dog, G.o.dzilla. All in all, they made an intimidating crowd of people.

When they saw Casey pull up and park beneath an oak tree, the kids raced to the car to greet him. The boys were s.h.i.+rtless and in sneakers; Amber wore a T-s.h.i.+rt and cutoffs and was barefoot.

B.B. twitched his ears, alert to the activity but not overly concerned. When he spotted the kids, his tail started thumping in earnest. Casey hadn't known they'd all be there. He waited, worried that Emma would be upset to be dropped into the middle of his overwhelming family.

Instead, she sat back in her seat with a sound of wonder. ”It's incredible, but they look almost the same.”

Relieved, Casey reached over and smoothed a long lock of hair behind her ear. ”Dad has gray at his temples now, but Honey says it makes him look distinguished.”

”She's right. He's still so handsome it's almost unfair. And Shohn looks just like him. But, if anything, Morgan's gotten even bigger.”

”Misty calls him a brick wall.” Casey looked at his imposing uncle in time to see Morgan pat Misty on the rump. She swatted at him and he laughed.

Shaking his head, Casey said, ”I swear, they still act like newlyweds.”

”Yeah, and it's wonderful.” Emma sighed. The kids had almost reached them. They were making a clatter, laughing and calling out. ”You can see which kids are his. That s.h.i.+ny black hair, and just look at those blue eyes.”

Emma opened her door, not waiting for Casey. B.B. jumped out beside her and whined in excitement, practically pleading to be released so he could play with G.o.dzilla. The kids skidded to a halt in front of Emma and then stared.

Shohn squinted up at her. His dark hair was mussed and he had dirt on his knees. ”Does your dog bite?”

”Only on bones.” She grinned as she said it. ”But not leg bones. Just steak bones.”

Garrett held out a hand and B.B. licked it. ”Can we play with him?”

The dog whined again with the most pitifully pleading expression, amusing the kids.

Because they had plenty of land for running, Casey unhooked the dog's leash. ”You guys go easy on him, okay? He doesn't know you yet.”

Amber stroked his muzzle and giggled when his tail started furiously pounding the ground. ”We'll watch him for ya, okay?”

Casey left it up to Emma.

”Honey won't mind having him loose?”

”'Course not.” Luckily, Honey loved animals as much as they all did. Except for big cows and snarling hogs.

”All right.” Emma scratched B.B.'s ear, then patted his side and released him by saying, ”Go play.”

B.B. bounded forward, leaping this way and that in his exuberance at seeing another dog. G.o.dzilla went berserk with his own joy, which prompted the kids to do the same. Amber and Garrett ran off after the dogs, but Shohn hung back, still squinting. ”You Casey's girlfriend?”

Casey started to reply, but Emma beat him to it. ”I'm a friend and I'm a girl, so I guess you can call me a girlfriend.”

”He's got a lot of girlfriends.”

Emma's mouth curled. ”I never doubted it for a second.”

Shohn laughed, but in the next second Casey threw him over his shoulder and held him upside down. ”Brat. Quit trying to scare her off or I'll have to hang you by your toes.”

Casey pretended to drop him and Shohn roared with laughter. When Casey finally set him back on his feet, Shohn moved a safe distance away, posed to run, and gave a c.o.c.ky smile. ”If she turns you down, Case, I'll take her. She's real pretty.”

Fighting a laugh, Casey feigned an attack and, like a flash, Shohn ran off to join the other kids. Casey looked at Emma and saw she wore an ear-to-ear grin, which prompted his own. So she liked kids, did she?

A good thing, since there were quite a few in the family. ”You're not going to turn me down, are you, sweetheart?”

Rather than answer, she said, ”Gee, he reminds me of someone else I know. Now, who could it be?”

Every moment Casey spent with her canceled out the time they'd been apart. He pulled her into his side. ”I was shy.”

”Ha!”

”Shohn's only ten, but I swear he's girl crazy already. The little rat flirts with every female, regardless of her age. Makes Honey nuts. Dad just shakes his head.” He gave Emma a squeeze. ”And of course, my grandmother says he reminds her of Gabe.”

Emma laughed. ”Where is your grandmother?”

”She and Gabe's father, Brett, live in Florida, but they get up this way every couple of months to visit.”

Because Casey was lingering in the yard, giving Emma a chance to brace herself for his family, Sawyer left the porch and headed toward them. It seemed he'd been seeing patients, given that he wore dark slacks and an open-necked b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt with the sleeves rolled up. He smiled at Emma without recognition. ”h.e.l.lo.”

He held out his hand and Emma took it. ”h.e.l.lo, Dr. Hudson. It's been a long time.”

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