Because of the Baby(48)

Lark didn’t care that her retreat was graceless and desperate. She was prepared to satisfy the Holts’ culinary preferences and assure them her housekeeping skills were adequate. What she hadn’t equipped herself to do was explain what was happening between her and Keaton.

“You look a little pale,” he remarked as he came in to get the steaks.

“Your mother had questions about what’s going on with us.”

“What did you tell her?”

His frank curiosity irritated her. “That I had to get dinner ready. Can we talk about this later?”

“Did you mention that I have a hard time keeping my hands off you?” He took her backside in one large hand and gave a provocative squeeze.

The urge to laugh struck her. “Stop it this instant.” She kept her voice neutral and low so his mother wouldn’t know anything untoward was going on. “What has gotten into you?” Where was the solitary man who spoke little and kept everyone guessing?

The wicked glint in his eyes faded. “I’m sorry my mom gave you a hard time. I’ve already explained to my father that I won’t tolerate any attempts to make you uncomfortable. I’ll drop off the steaks with him and have the same chat with my mom.”

His earnest declaration made her head spin. No one had ever jumped to her defense before.

“Oh, please don’t.” The last thing Lark wanted was for Keaton’s relationship with his parents to suffer because she couldn’t handle a little admonishment. “She’s just worried about you. Besides, don’t forget I’ve been dealing with my mother, the tiger lady, all my life. By comparison your mom’s a pussy cat.”

He scrutinized her face for a long moment. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

But it was nice that he wanted to defend her. It was something she could get used to. Not that she should. She was telling the truth when she’d told his mother that they hadn’t discussed the future.

Proximity lust. She could never have used the term with Gloria, but it was an obvious explanation for what was going on with Keaton. Two people of the opposite sex thrown into everyday contact with each other. It was only a matter of time before desire exploded between them.

But while proximity lust described how the sparks had ignited between them, Lark wasn’t sure it justified why her desire for Keaton grew stronger each day or how badly it made her heart hurt when she imagined living alone in her house once more. That was more likely caused by how hard she was falling for him.



Keaton steered his truck into an empty space along the Richardsons’ driveway and cut the engine. Since the dinner with his parents, Lark had grown even more difficult to read, but not impossible. Looking at her now, he could tell she was a nervous wreck. A classic introvert, she’d admitted she wasn’t at her best in crowds. And their very public appearance together was going to cause rampant speculation.

He lifted Lark’s hand and dusted a kiss across her knuckles. Her arm muscles jerked at the contact. She scanned the area around the truck as if searching for someone. A second later she slipped her hand free.

“Sorry,” she said, her voice husky with embarrassment. “I guess I’m a little more wound up than I thought.”

“You know it’s going to be okay, right?”

“Not if my parents are here.”

“Chances are they won’t be since neither of them has been any help in the recovery efforts and this party is to thank everyone who helped raise the Richardsons’ barn.” Keaton kept reproach from his tone as he pointed out her parents’ shortcomings, but Lark looked as if she’d been kicked in the gut. “I’m not saying anything you don’t already know.”

“You’re right.” She shot him a half smile. “I think this is the first time I’m glad my parents are so self-absorbed.”

Keaton detached Grace’s carrier from the car seat and met Lark by the hood. As much as he wanted to hold her hand the way he had during the drive from her house, he sensed she needed him to maintain a casual distance. Not easy, considering the way her perfume made his head spin and her soft skin begged to be caressed.

As they strolled through the guests, Keaton noticed almost the entire Texas Cattleman’s Club membership was in attendance. Often since the tornado had struck Royal, Keaton was glad he’d joined the club. His original purpose for joining hadn’t been social. Making small talk to pass the time wasn’t his idea of fun. Sure, he’d sometimes found the other members a good source of information on the market.

But in the beginning, he’d joined because he knew it would drive Tyrone Taylor crazy.