Love Me Tender Read Online Free Page B

stepfather—which was great for Robin, and should make Dave happy. It was petty to feel twinges of jealousy. Hell, it wasn’t a competition.
    He focused on his daughter. “Happy-face pancakes for breakfast?” Ever since she was tiny, she’d loved the pancakes with blueberries dotted into the batter to make smiley faces. He dreaded the day that she’d be too “cool” to eat them.
    â€œYes, please! Then when Kimiko goes home, I’ll ride back to Boots and go to work.”
    â€œWhat about our usual Saturday afternoon ride?” It was a tradition he’d hate to lose.
    â€œWell, duh. Of course we’ll go. Mom and I worked out my schedule so I have Saturday afternoons off.”
    â€œGood. I love our rides. Besides, Malibu and I haven’t had enough exercise this week.”
    â€œYou miss having basketball practice.”
    â€œKind of.” He volunteered as coach of the high school basketball team; back in the day, he’d been team captain. But basketball season was over, tourist season had begun, and he’d been too busy for much exercise other than taking Merlin for a run once or twice a day.
    Thank heaven for Madisun, who was home from university for the summer and had moved ably into her job as assistant manager. Cassidy was proving to be a godsend as well.
    On Tuesday, he and Madisun had looked over Cassidy’s resume, Madisun had interviewed her, and they’d hired her. Since then, she had filled in without complaint wherever they needed her. She cleaned rooms as fast as their best chambermaid, she’d taught the regular bartender a few new drinks, and several guests had commented on how helpful she’d been.
    Not to mention, she was vivacious, genuine, and fun, with a sparkle that levelheaded Madisun, seven years her junior, lacked. Madisun had learned responsibility early; a tough family life hadn’t bowed her shoulders—it had made them rigid. As for Cassidy, Dave had feared that she might be erratic and unreliable, but so far she’d proved him wrong.
    His only complaint—and it was his fault, not hers—was that she distracted him. Her curves really weren’t any different from those of a dozen women he knew, yet they drew his eye when she moved briskly around the Wild Rose. As did her face, with that exotic combination of olive skin and blue-gray eyes framed by a pixie cap of hair. He’d felt sexual attraction to other women and pretty easily tamped it down, yet he couldn’t manage to do that with Cassidy. Why now? Why her?
    And what was he going to do about it? Nothing. She was completely the wrong woman for him, not to mention being his employee. Besides, sex without emotion wasn’t his style. And his heart had been shattered by Anita’s death, spilling all the poison of pain, anger, guilt—
    â€œDad? Dad?”
    He shook his head to banish the dark cloud and put on his “I’m fine” face. “What, Rob?”
    â€œYou were frowning. What’s wrong?”
    â€œNothing. Sorry.” What had they been talking about?
    â€œHow about we ask Cassidy to come riding with us?”
    â€œYou’ve met Cassidy?”
    â€œShe was on the desk today when I came in, and we got to talking. I told her I’d ridden over and she said she was going to book a trail ride at Westward Ho! tomorrow, her day off. But wouldn’t it be fun if she came with us instead? I could give her some pointers, like I did with Ani—” She broke off abruptly, the animation on her face replaced by guilt.
    Anita. People knew better than to mention her around Dave. Pretending he hadn’t heard his daughter’s slip, he said, “I don’t think that’s the best idea.”
    â€œWhy not?” she asked, a little subdued. “I like Cassidy. Don’t you?”
    That was a complicated question. It was hard not to like Cassidy. Hard not to watch Cassidy. She was a nice addition