Caterina: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Pendleton Petyticoats Book 2 Page 6

  “That’s good to hear.” Kade flashed a white-toothed smile her way, making her heart trip in her chest.

  “Shall we eat?” Caterina asked, waving an expressive hand toward the table.

  “I, for one, am anxious to sample this meal Caterina made.” Garrett glanced at Kade as he pulled out Caterina’s chair. Although he raised an eyebrow in question, Garrett refrained from saying anything. Instead, he seated Aundy then took his chair before offering thanks for the meal.

  “What are we eating?” Nik asked, as he helped himself to a serving of ravioli and a piece of the warm bread.

  “Ravioli.” Caterina took a helping of the salad and passed the bowl to Kade as he sat beside her. Sparks danced their way up to her shoulder and down to her toes when his arm brushed hers. Ignoring the jolt and the man who created it, Caterina focused her attention on Nik, giving him a bright smile. “It’s pasta filled with meat and cheese. If you like, you can put some of the sauce on top or sprinkle it with cheese.”

  “How about both?” Nik asked, spooning sauce on his pasta then adding cheese.

  Caterina laughed. “Whatever you like, Nik.”

  Kade nearly choked on his water at the sound of Caterina’s laugh. It was just as delectable as the bite he’d taken of her pasta. As he cleared his throat, he tried to focus his attention on the amazing meal he ate. He had no idea the beautiful girl would be such a talented cook.

  “This is good,” Kade said as he took another piece of bread. Warm and rich, it tasted amazing with the oil and herbs soaking into the soft center.

  “Wonderful.” Garrett smiled at Caterina then his wife. She seemed inordinately pleased about something.

  “Do you always cook like this?” Nik helped himself to more ravioli and sauce.

  “Yes. I love to cook.” Caterina thought of some of the meals she prepared at the restaurant, of all the happy, satisfied customers she’d sent on their way with full stomachs and light hearts. “French might be the language of love, but Italian is the food of romance.”

  Aundy grinned and tipped her head toward Kade while looking at Garrett. He rolled his eyes and took another bite.

  “I don’t know about romance, but if you cook like this all the time, will you marry me right now?” Kade asked with a rakish grin.

  “Oh, stupido uomo.” Her temper erupted and she smacked Kade’s arm, blasting him with a string of Italian words no one understood. The ravioli wobbled precariously on his fork, but he managed to get it to his mouth before dropping it.

  The fire blazing in her eyes and the way she waved her hands around in frustration let them all know whatever she said to Kade, he probably wouldn’t have wanted to know anyway. The tone of her voice made it evident to everyone around the table she was angry.

  “I guess that means no.” Kade continued grinning at Caterina while he took another bite of his meal. When she grabbed his plate, starting to take it away, he held on and frowned at her. His eyes took on a hard gleam as they narrowed and he waited for Caterina to back away. When she didn’t, he held onto his plate with one hand and carefully removed her fingers with the other, unprepared for the heat flowing from her hand up his arm right to his chest. “Don’t touch my plate.”

  “You don’t deserve to eat my food.” Caterina glared at Kade before turning back to her own half-eaten meal, her temper waning.

  “I think I do deserve it after being beaten and insulted.” He gave her a measured glance, wondering what he’d done to incur the girl’s wrath. It might be a force to be reckoned with if he didn’t have experience dealing with people of all temperament types through his job. “What did you call me?”

  “A stupid man,” Caterina said, raising her chin and staring at Kade defiantly. “Only a buffoon would insult the cook.”

  Garrett and Nik held back their laughter while Aundy hid a grin behind her napkin.

  Kade frowned at her and continued eating.

  “If you don’t want to be called stupid, don’t act the part.” Caterina held Kade’s gaze although the effort made her stomach quiver.

  The desire to kiss his full lips was nearly overwhelming. Irritated with herself, tears stung her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was cry, but the women in her family were famous for weeping at the most inappropriate or unfortunate times. “I will never let you eat my food again if you’re going to be insulting.”

  “Now, Caterina, don’t make any hasty decisions.” Kade placed his big hand on her arm. The softness beneath his fingers felt foreign and so welcome. He couldn’t help taking a breath and inhaling her alluring fragrance. Everything about this woman fascinated and infuriated him.

  He stared into her brown eyes and noted the gold flecks floating there, along with the tears about to spill over. He’d never been able to stand a woman’s tears. “I apologize for insulting you. I meant it as a compliment. This is one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. You’re a very talented cook.”

  Ready to berate Kade for being a boorish dolt, Caterina didn’t expect an apology. Taken aback by his sincere words, they left her speechless.

  Kade didn’t know what to make of her silence, especially after the storm of words that erupted a few minutes earlier, or the moisture gathering in her eyes. “Honestly, Caterina. I didn’t mean any harm. You can ask Garrett. He’ll tell you I’m a terrible tease and I don’t ever intend to marry.”

  “Why?” Caterina asked, finally finding her voice. Something about the handsome deputy captured her interest. His hand on her arm felt like it would burn right through the fabric of her sleeve.

  “Why am I a tease? Guess it’s just part of my personality.” When he removed his hand from Caterina’s arm, he fought the desire to pull her against his chest and kiss her senseless.

  “Not that. Why do you intend to remain single? Why don’t you want to marry?” Caterina had been around plenty of men and none had ever made her so annoyed and yet drawn her in at the same time.

  “Marriage is for people who can promise to come home at night, who don’t have to worry about getting shot in the line of duty, or put their family in danger by being associated with a man of the law.”

  Kade didn’t mean to dampen the lively mood around the table with his statement, but it was how he felt and why he would never, ever take a wife. If he someday lost all of his sense and decided to wed, he needed a calm, take-things-in-stride kind of woman. Someone like Aundy.

  He’d seen first-hand how well she handled herself in times of crisis. Although, according to Garrett, she had a stubborn streak a mile wide and at least twice as deep.

  Falling for a woman like Caterina would be crazy. The Italian beauty was volatile with a quick temper and a waspish tongue. Even if she yelled at him in a language he didn’t understand, he could tell easily enough by her face she thought he was a big, dumb oaf.

  Who knew what she’d do if she was put into a trying situation. The man who found himself saddled with her would need to settle for a less than docile wife, one who could cry at the drop of a hat and never let him have a moment’s peace.

  If he felt inclined to examine further the woman sitting beside him, he’d probably conclude she was not only hot-tempered and emotional, but also passionate and big-hearted.

  Kade didn’t feel inclined, though. That smacked too much of an attraction he refused to acknowledge.

  As he helped himself to another piece of bread, he struggled to find something to say that would end the quiet lingering around the table.

  “Did you know Aundy can act out scenes from books?” Nik blurted out, glancing around the table. He winced at the glare Aundy shot his direction then smiled at her with boyish charm. “You said not to tell the guys at the bunkhouse, but you never said anything about Garrett or Kade.”

  “I assumed you would know I meant them as well.” Aundy shoved greens around on her plate while her cheeks turned red.

  “Tell us more, Nik. You’ve certainly got me curious,” Garrett said, turning his attention to the boy squirming in
his seat under Aundy’s obvious displeasure.

  “Well…um…I better not. I like the lessons too much for her to quit and I think I’ve said more than I should anyway.” Nik cast Aundy an apologetic look.

  “You’ve already let that cat out of the bag, Nik. You might as well go ahead.” Aundy knew Nik spoke out of turn in an effort to break the tension that settled over the table after Kade shared his thoughts on marriage. Caterina didn’t look like she’d yet recovered from the statement as she played with her food, distracted and somewhat subdued from her outburst.

  “Come on, Nik, we’re dying to know.” Kade shot the boy an encouraging smile.

  “One day, we were talking about books because some of the guys told me it was stupid to read and study. Aundy said books were the best way to go on adventures because they could take you places you’d never otherwise go.” Nik took a sip of his water before continuing. “She executed a sword fight, pretended to be a polar bear, then marched around the front room humming Yankee Doodle and beating a drum.”

  “Is that right?” Garrett shot his wife a questioning glance. “What else has she done?”

  “She imitated being lost in the desert, swallowed by a whale, and once she even went through the motions of fighting off a tiger.” Nik’s eyes shone brightly as he recalled how fun Aundy made his lessons. “The tiger was really something.”

  “Want to give us a demonstration?” Garrett turned to Aundy, his silvery eyes glowing with humor.

  “No, I most certainly do not. If you three boys don’t behave yourself, Caterina and I won’t let you have dessert.” Aundy scowled at the males seated around the table. “So there.”

  Caterina laughed at the looks on their faces. “Guess she told you.”

  The conversation continued in a lively tone while they finished the meal and Caterina served dessert.

  “What do you call this?” Nik asked, as he took another bite.

  “Zabaglione,” Caterina said, pleased everyone seemed to like it. She took a bite and let the warm custard slide down her throat, enjoying both the texture and flavors. Topped with fresh strawberries, it was delicious. To her, everything tasted better, fresher, and more flavorful here in the country than it ever had in the city.

  “I’m not even going to try and pronounce it, but it’s wonderful, Caterina.” Aundy gave her a look of admiration. “The whole meal was delicious. You can take over my kitchen anytime you want.”

  “I know for a fact you’re a very good cook, too,” Caterina said, pleased by the compliment. “If you don’t like to cook, why don’t you eat at the bunkhouse with the men?”

  “We do, sometimes, but I don’t want them to feel like they can’t relax at mealtime. They always seem to be on their best behavior when I’m around.” Aundy glanced at Garrett. She also liked, on occasion, making a special meal for her husband and savoring it when it was just the two of them. “I don’t mind cooking. There are just other things I like to do better.”

  “Like act out Nik’s lessons, evidently,” Garrett taunted, wishing he’d known about Nik’s lessons much sooner. He might have spied in the window to see his wife in action.

  “Count yourself lucky you’re already eating dessert, or you’d go to bed without anything sweet.”

  “That’s not possible. I go to bed with something sweet every night,” The heated look Garrett gave Aundy made her cheeks flush. Kade swallowed back a chuckle and Caterina cleared her throat, trying to work up a disapproving glare that somehow turned into a smile.

  When they finished the meal, Nik ran out the door to feed his pet lamb, Butter, before returning for his evening lessons. J.B. called and asked if Garrett could run over to the ranch house to help with a problem. Caterina decided Aundy could use a breath of fresh air after the round of teasing she received at dinner and insisted she go outside for a while.

  Kade picked up his hat and started out the door when Caterina called to him over her shoulder. “Afraid of a little dishwater, deputy?”

  “Not at all.” Kade returned his hat to the peg by the door and rolled up his sleeves. “I just didn’t want to say anything to further insult you or get on your bad side. I enjoyed your cooking too much to alienate myself.”

  “You’re forgiven, for now.” Caterina lowered her lashes coquettishly. “At least you will be if you help with the dishes.”

  Kade didn’t know if he was punchy from the good food or spending time with close friends, but a little of the devil danced in him as he stepped close behind Caterina, pinning her against the sink with his big body. He bent down so his breath stirred the raven curls along her neck and stuck his hands into the sink, essentially boxing her in with his muscled arms.

  “How’s this?” he asked in a husky voice. He wondered what had possessed him to get so close to the beguiling woman. There wasn’t a thought in his head except how much he wanted to kiss her.

  “I… uh… oh, my!” Caterina stuttered, completely rattled by Kade’s close proximity. Heat from his body penetrated her back while his inviting scent enveloped her senses.

  When he ran his hands over hers beneath the soapy water, it suddenly became a tub of sleek oils instead of a sink full of dirty dishes.

  She bit her lip, fighting against the exciting and terrifying sensations Kade stirred in her. Utterly foreign, they weren’t altogether unwelcome.

  “Kade, I think you better…” When she turned her head to speak to him, his bright green gaze mesmerized her, cutting off her ability to speak. She lowered her lashes and felt the warmth of his breath on her face seconds before his lips caressed hers.

  A butterfly touch.

  The brush of a rose petal.

  Kade had never experienced anything so light, so perfectly wonderful as his lips tenderly stroked Caterina’s.

  He heard a moan and realized it came from his own throat. Prepared to deepen the kiss and give in to the sparks shooting between the two of them, he jumped back when Nik clamored into the kitchen with his schoolbooks, letting the screen door slap shut behind him.

  “Oh, sorry. I’ll just…” Nik tried not to laugh as he turned back toward the door. “I think I forgot something.”

  Kade looked heavenward as the boy bounded down the back steps and ran off in the direction of the barn.

  Divine intervention.

  With a sigh, Kade acknowledged he was about to let things get a little out of hand.

  The woman in his arms was so feminine and soft, so alarmingly enchanting, how was a man supposed to resist her considerable charms. Even if she did call him names in Italian and try to deny him dinner.

  Kade took a step back, then another, oblivious to his hands dripping soapy water on the kitchen floor until Caterina handed him a towel.

  “Maybe you can dry?” she suggested, smiling as she tipped her head and studied him. Her eyes still glowed with a curious longing, no doubt a reflection of what was in his.

  “Dry,” he repeated, feeling like a complete dolt. What was it about this particular female that made him act like a gangly, green boy?

  As he wiped off his arms and hands with the towel, he decided not to give it more thought or he’d end up distracted and break Aundy’s dishes.

  Instead, Kade tried asking Caterina about her home and her family. She wouldn’t talk about where she came from, but he learned she had five older brothers, loving parents, and three sisters-in-law.

  “What about you? Do you have family nearby?” Caterina asked, handing Kade the last plate to dry while she started putting the dishes in a cupboard.

  “Just my Uncle John.” Kade handed a plate to Caterina when it was dry and watched her put the dishes away. “He has a sheep farm south of town. He raised me after my parents died.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Caterina couldn’t imagine having no one except an uncle, especially if it was Uncle Laz. Tears pricked her eyes. “That’s so sad.”

  “Nah.” Kade hung the dishtowel on a hook by the sink and rolled down his shirtsleeves. “Unc and I get along
just fine. He’s always been there when I needed him and he taught me a lot. If he didn’t have me, he’d be all alone, too.”

  Caterina pulled a piece of brown paper from a drawer where Aundy kept it, along with twine, and made a small packet of cookies. She handed it to Kade and he grinned in appreciation before removing his hat from the peg by the door.

  “Thank you for that tasty meal, Miss Campanelli. It was one of the best I’ve ever eaten.” Kade settled his hat on his head and opened the door.

  He didn’t want to leave. The feathery touch of their lips stoked the embers of a fire Kade hadn’t even realized burned. He had a feeling it could consume him if he continued to let the feisty woman linger in his thoughts.

  Determined to kiss her and get it out of his system, he contemplated the best way to go about it when Nik strode in with Aundy.

  Since the opportunity had passed, he brought Caterina’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

  “Until later, lovely Caterina.” Kade rushed out the door, ignoring the snickers coming from Nik and the smile Aundy couldn’t contain.

  As he mounted Pete and rode to town, Kade lectured himself about keeping his distance from Caterina. Even if she made food that could bring a grown man to his knees, begging for a taste, she was nothing but trouble wrapped in an enticing package.

  Chapter Four

  “Garrett thinks I’m crazy for trying to befriend Marvin Tooley, but I feel sorry for the man.” Aundy drove the buggy off the road and down a short lane to a ramshackle house.

  Caterina thought it might have been nice at one time, trying to picture it painted and repaired with beds of flowers along the front. Now, with a sagging roof, broken porch steps, and the lack of any paint, it looked like an abandoned derelict.

  “He lives here?” Caterina asked, noting a horse in the pasture along with a few cows.

  “Yes.” Aundy gently tugged on the reins as the horse came to a stop in front of the house. She set the brake, handed Caterina the reins, and picked up a basket of muffins she packed before they left the house. Carefully avoiding the broken ones, she hurried up the steps.