“Nineteen. Twenty, maybe.”
Collin laughed, his excitement evident on his face. “Yeah, that’s right!” he exclaimed, winking an eye at Matthew.
Katrina’s head still waved from side to side. “No, that’s wrong. He’s only fifteen, and it’ll be another ten months before he turns sixteen.”
Brielle’s eyes widened with shock. “Fifteen? You’re barely in high school,” she gushed.
Collin tossed his mother a look of annoyance before answering. “I’m a freshman, but age is just a number. I’m a very mature fifteen-year-old.”
Matthew laughed. “Very,” he said teasingly. He turned to Brielle. “And how old are you?”
“Nineteen,” she answered.
“Sounds like you two would make good friends someday,” Matthew noted.
“Someday?” Collin repeated.
Brielle giggled. “Sure, young buddy. We can be friends!”
“So, I can call you?” Collin asked eagerly.
Brielle tossed Katrina a quick look before responding.
Collin’s mother shrugged her shoulders, amusement still painting her expression. “He’s allowed to talk to his friends on the telephone. When he’s not on punishment, that is.”
“Mom!”
The group laughed warmly. A smile hung on Matthew’s face as he replayed each detail of their afternoon together over and over again in his mind. His name being called suddenly reminded him of where he was and who he was with.
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?” Matthew asked the woman seated opposite him. The Barbie-doll smile plastered on the anxious woman’s face was hardly engaging, and Matthew couldn’t help but note that she wore way too much makeup for his liking. He was suddenly having trouble remembering what it was that had attracted him to her in the first place, moving him to ask her out.
The woman with the bright smile leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she cupped her palms beneath her chin. She flipped her shoulder-length bob from side to side. “I was asking if something was the matter. You seem distracted this evening.”
He smiled. “I apologize. I guess I’m a little tired. I’ve had a long day.”
The woman reached a manicured hand out, the tips of her pink polished nails grazing his forearm. “We could always go to my place and rest,” she said, the seductive overtones resonating in her soft voice.
Matthew chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling that rest would be the last thing we’d be getting?”
She stroked his arm back and forth. “Whatever are you thinking, Matthew Stallion?” she said coyly.
Matthew slid his arm out of her reach, easing it down to his side. “I’m thinking that we should call it a night. I’ve really enjoyed your company, but I am exhausted. I don’t think I’d be much fun.”
The woman persisted, leaning her body closer to his. “I can make it much fun for us both.”
He smiled politely. “I’m sure you could, Tina, but tonight is really not a good night.”
She huffed, rising abruptly from the table. “For the last time, my name is Leanne!”
As she stormed out of the restaurant, Matthew felt completely out of sorts. He hadn’t meant to be rude, but truth be told, he hadn’t wanted to be on that date in the first place. Had he followed his first instinct, he would have canceled. Had he been smart, he would have invited Katrina Broomes to dinner instead.
Settling back in his seat, Matthew inhaled, filling his lungs with air. He sent a quick text to his secretary with instructions to send the woman named Leanne a potted plant with an apology note first thing the next morning. A heavy sigh spilled past his lips. He couldn’t believe how strongly he wanted to be with Katrina.
* * *
Her telephone ringing pulled Katrina from a light sleep. She glanced toward the digital clock on her nightstand. It wasn’t quite ten o’clock at night. She had lain across her bed almost two hours earlier, intending only to close her eyes for a quick minute to catch her breath. Her day had started early, had been completely filled, and she’d been in need of a bit of rest before tackling a pile of legal briefs that rested on her desktop. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep at all.
She pulled the telephone receiver to her ear, stalling the quick chime that was ringing through the room. “Hello?”
“Katrina, it’s Matthew Stallion. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Matthew! No, not at all,” Katrina responded, the little white lie slipping out before she could catch it. “I was just settling down for the night.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed our time together this weekend. I really had a good time with you and Collin.”
She felt herself smiling into the telephone. It had been a good time. Their afternoon meal had been most entertaining, and the fun had continued back at Briscoe Ranch and the Stallion family’s home.
Collin had been placed in the skilled hands of one of the youth-program counselors. The man had taken instruction from Matthew, his tasks for the boy outlined in full detail. For the first time that day her son had actually looked frightened. But Matthew had quickly eased his fears, and the counselor had swept the boy off to places unknown.
Matthew had escorted her to the family’s rose gardens. They were a classic formal display of beds of roses arranged in a grass-girded oval around an exquisite marble fountain. Thousands of plantings and dozens of varieties decorated the landscape, and the sweet aroma wafting through the afternoon air was absolutely divine.
“This is beautiful!” Katrina had exclaimed, in awe of the scenery.
“Thank you. This is my sister-in-law’s pet project. John’s wife had the gardens installed shortly after they were married. It’s a great place to sit and relax.”
Matthew suddenly looked hesitant, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks. “Are you sure you don’t mind my leaving you? As I explained when we talked, I really want Collin to know that I am going to be directly involved with his curriculum.”
Katrina had shook her head from side to side. “No, I don’t mind at all. I brought a book to read, and I’m going to just sit back and enjoy the quiet.”
Matthew smiled broadly. “What are you reading? A law review?”
A warm blush blessed her expression. “No, nothing quite that serious. It’s a romance novel. I thought it would be a good diversion.”
He chuckled. “A romance novel?”
Her right hand fell to her hip. “Something wrong with that?”
Matthew lifted both his hands up as if he were surrendering. “No, not at all. I’m sure I’d enjoy a good love story. Maybe you’ll read one to me someday.” His tone was suggestive; his eyebrows were raised questioningly.
Katrina simply shrugged her shoulders, the moment interrupted by the counselor ringing Matthew’s cell phone to tell him they were ready. Politely excusing himself, he left her to her own devices, giving her ample opportunity to think naughty thoughts about the two of them.
Lifting herself upward in her bed, she heaved a deep sigh, shifting back into the moment. “We had a very nice time, as well,” she answered softly. “Thank you for fitting us into your schedule. I know you’re a very busy man.”
“I was wondering…” Matthew began, pausing momentarily to gather his thoughts. “I was thinking that maybe you and I might have dinner