“Cain fought for me. I’ll always be grateful for that, but that isn’t the reason I’m here.”In his suite, in his bed.“When I realized Cain was also attracted to me, I decided to take a chance, find out something about myself.”
One of Nell’s silver eyebrows went up. “What was that?”
“I found out I’m a normal, red-blooded female, with normal female desires. I’m not the cold woman my husband made me believe I was. Whatever happens, I’ll always be thankful to Cain for helping me figure that out.”
Nell leaned back on the sofa, a wide smile breaking over her wrinkled face. “Bravo, Jenny Spencer. You have more gumption than I first thought.” Her smile widened. “Now all we have to do is hope my grandson is smart enough to appreciate what he’s got.”
Jenny said nothing, just rose from the sofa, carried her mug over to the wet bar, and set it in the stainless sink.
“I’m afraid I have to go. I’m late already, and I have a ton of things to do. I’m sure Cain will get you settled in.”
Nell tried to push herself up from the sofa.
“No, please don’t do that,” Jenny said. “I know the way out.” She smiled. “Cain has a private elevator, so I can escape out the back. I won’t have to embarrass myself any more than I have already.”
Nell laughed. “I hope I’ll be seeing more of you, Jenny Spencer.”
Jenny thought about their conversation and smiled, discovering, as she had before, that she liked the older woman. “I hope so, too.” So what if Nell was protective of Cain? She had raised him. She was the only mother he had ever known; she had every right to be.
Jenny tried to imagine what she would be like as a mother. There was a time before Richard when she had wanted children. She could only hope she would have done as good a job raising a child as Nell had done with Cain.
Towing her overnight bag, Jenny rode the elevator down to the parking lot and started walking across the asphalt, down the hill to the Copper Star.
* * *
Cain sat across from his grandmother and her caretaker in the dining room, having lunch. Nell and Emma were both settled in their new rooms. Emma had helped Nell unpack. There would be more boxes coming, but the basics were here.
Things were beginning to move along more swiftly in the hotel. The dining room was finished; the distant hammering and orders shouted by the men were coming from another area.
Opal was cooking, trying out different recipes, some of which Jenny had suggested, meals people consistently liked to order or happy-hour snacks that were cheap and easy to make. Done right, she said, there could be a great profit margin there.
“I like your Jenny,” Nell said as she delicately picked at the chicken Caesar salad Opal had prepared for her, while Cain and Emma lunched on Swiss-and-mushroom burgers.
“She isn’t my Jenny,” Cain said. “Not exactly. We’re dating, just like two ordinary people.”
“Datingisn’t exactly your style, Cain. I hope you realize your Jenny is a one-man woman. She expects you to be a one-woman man. At least, as she put it, for as long as it lasts.”
Cain set his fork down next to his plate, not the heavy, black pottery dinnerware Millicent had insisted they use, but a lighter, more easily handled version, thanks to Jenny.
“I’m not interested in anyone else,” he said. “If I start to feel an attraction for another woman, I’ll end things with Jenny. I don’t intend to do anything that would hurt her.”
“I assume that goes both ways. If Jenny gets interested in another man, she’ll just tell you, and you’ll acquiesce to her wishes and let her go on her merry way.”
An image surfaced of Jenny naked in his bed this morning, her long, golden brown curls spread over his pillow. The notion of another man touching her, kissing her, making love to her, sparked a red haze behind his eyes.
“What other choice would I have?” he said, deliberately keeping his voice even.
“I don’t know. I guess you could fight for her. Oh, that’s right. You already have.”
Cain shoved back his chair. “I don’t know what kind of bee you have in your bonnet, but my love life is none of your concern. It never has been, and it never will be. I love you dearly, but I have a life of my own.”
He rose from his chair and spoke to Emma. “If you need anything, you both have my cell. More staff will be arriving today. You’ll be able to get meals served in your rooms or come down here, whichever you prefer.”
He rounded the table, leaned down, and kissed his grandmother’s powdered cheek. “I’ll see you both at supper. With luck, Jenny will be joining us. I hope you’ll keep your opinions on our relationship to yourself.”
Nell just smiled. “Of course, dear.”
Cain shot her a look and headed for his suite. He had work to do in his office that would occupy him for the rest of the day. Jenny would be working in the hotel this afternoon. He squashed any thoughts of an hour with her upstairs in his suite. He couldn’t afford to let her distract him.
