“Merry?” Carlisle asked as he covered her hand on the table with his.
Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze.
“I’m sorry. For a lot of things.” Embarrassed, she had to look down at their hands. “Especially today.”
“I’m not sorry,” he said, his words soft. “Please look at me.”
The savory smells around them were making her a little queasy, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. Dang, but he was a good-looking man, and his loving expression almost undid her.
“I’ve been wondering how you felt about me—aside from friendship.” Carlisle ran his thumb over the top of her hand. “I saw it in your eyes this afternoon, and it gave me hope.”
There was that crease between his brows again. Merry wanted desperately to smooth it, but she forced her hands to stay where they were. She didn’t want to be the cause of more grief in his life. She had to make him understand.
“I’m never moving from Huckleberry Falls, so I can’t get involved with anyone who doesn’t make his home here.”
Carlisle straightened, and his frown grew larger. “Why?”
“You already know I lost my father in the same accident that killed my husband.” Merry slowly slid her hand out from under his. “My brother and his family moved to California last summer. My mom was an only child, and her parents are dead. Alex and I are her only family. If I moved, that’d leave my mother here alone. I won’t desert her.”
His expression had turned contemplative and more than a little troubled. Fortunately, the server arrived with their food. Once they were alone again, Carlisle picked up his fork. Merry did too, and he began to eat in silence.
The heaviness in her heart continued to grow as she pushed the food around on her plate. She didn’t try to eat. There was no way she could have gotten anything past the lump in her throat.
When Carlisle pushed his partly eaten meal away from him, she looked up. He scooted his chair closer and put his arm around the back of her chair. Was he going to try to talk her out of it?
“Other than the fact that I don’t have a permanent residence in Huckleberry Falls, is there any other reason you’d be opposed to dating me?”
Merry shifted in her chair, which was a mistake because it let her look into those gorgeous dark eyes. Would he consider staying here?
“Have you ever thought about moving permanently to a small Wyoming town?”
Carlisle brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. It was like one of her dreams come to life and sent Merry’s heart pulsing so loud it shut out the sound of the busy restaurant.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, and he gently slid his fingers to the back of her neck. The cologne she both loved and resented for its expense filled her senses. He didn’t pull her closer, as though waiting for her. The draw to him was almost magnetic anyway. She leaned in until her lips brushed his.
Merry didn’t expect the sudden explosion of sensations, both physical and emotional. It was like a barrier had burst inside her and freed feelings she’d buried. As her lips explored his, she reached up to cup his cheeks, loving the feel of his evening bristle, even the spices of his meal.
The sound of a shattering glass pulled Merry back, and she woke to what she’d let happen. She scooted her chair a few inches away from him.
“Merry?” Carlisle asked, his words now laced with concern.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
His usually upright, almost rigid, posture slumped. “Ialso have responsibilities back home. You know I was mostly raised by my grandfather. He’s a demanding old man, and he’s managed to alienate his only living son. I’m all he has.”
“But you said you’d be here for a year to two. If you can’t leave him, how can you be gone so long?”
“Because I make frequent visits back. He has staff to care for his needs, but I’m responsible for running his estate. I’m able to do some of that from a distance, but for most of it I need to be there.”
“Then you understand why this thing between us can never work.” Merry’s head hurt. “I need to pick up Alex and take him home.”
Carlisle said nothing but signaled the waiter for the bill.
They were silent on the drive to her mother’s. The children looked happy but sleepy. He said a quietthank youand left with his daughter.
“Thanks, Mom,” Merry said, preparing to leave.
“But what about …” Her mother didn’t say Carlisle’s name and glanced at Alex.
