Chapter Fifteen
Zane risked a glance at Clara as he drove down the highway toward the Flint ranch. She twisted her hands together in her lap. The temperature hadn’t fallen yet, and the sky was clear for a change, stars dotted the sky. It would be the perfect night for a stargazing walk.
“Are you all right?” he asked, wondering what was going on behind her pretty, dark eyes. She blinked a couple times and looked at him.
“I’m good.” The tremor in her voice belied her words.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her nibble her lip. She wasn’t telling the truth. Something was eating at her, and she didn’t want to talk about it. Her discomfort made him want to wrap her in his arms until she felt better.
“Are you nervous about dinner with your family?”
“No. Why would I be? They’re my cousins.” The words seemed to explode out of her.
“That’s what I’m wondering. Your hands are twisted so tightly you’re going to snap your own fingers. ’Fess up. What are you worried about?” He said the words kindly, trying not to scare her away from their discussion.
“Nothing. I’m not worried.”
He snorted in disbelief and dipped his head to the right.
“Okay. Fine. What if they think we’re together?” she blurted. “I mean, the idea is crazy, but what if they think we’re … dating or something?”
He risked another glance, not wanting to take his eyes off the road too long. Her cheeks were pink, and her head hung down. Where had the idea of them dating come from? She must be thinking it. Was she interested in dating him? “I don’t see the problem,” he said, trying to be kind. “They know you run a B&B and they know I’m your guest. Why would they think this is anything more than us sharing a ride? Beyond that, if they think we’re dating, so what? And it isn’t that weird to date me. Other girls have gone out with me. I’m a standup guy.”
She was silent for a long time. “Not you, me,” she whispered, turning her head to look out the side window. The whispered words were filled with hurt. Her pain radiated into his heart.
Checking for traffic first, he pulled off onto the wide shoulder and slid the truck into park. The road was flat for miles. No chance of a passing driver not seeing them. “Hey, look at me.”
She shook her head.
“Clara, look at me.” As he expected, the use of her name without the honorific caused her head to jerk around. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you are dateable. More than dateable. You’re attractive, kind, generous, a gracious host and a talented pianist. Why wouldn’t I want to date you?”
“No reason. You just wouldn’t, that’s all.”
“Not good enough, Clara. I thought we were friends. I’m living in your home. Honesty is important between friends; don’t you think?” He was perplexed. What in the world would cause her to think herself undateable? He waited patiently for her answer.
“I’m,” she swallowed audibly. “Never mind. Let’s go to dinner before we’re late. I don’t want to disappoint Aunt Sue.”
“Come on, you’re thinking something. Something negative unless I miss my guess. Everyone has self-doubts, even a rock-solid guy like me.” He grinned to show he was teasing. “Talk to me. Please.” She was sadly misinformed if she believed herself unworthy of a man’s attention. If he lived in Coyote Creek, he’d be chasing after her like a dog on a scent.
“You’re so smart and … and I’m not. Okay. Do you feel better? You dragged my stupidity out of me.” She hung her head even lower and bit her lip. For a second, he thought he saw a glimmer of moisture in the corner of her eye.
“What the f-?” He bit back the curse before it blurted out. “Hey.” He reached out slowly and cupped her chin in his hand. He turned her head toward him and tipped her face up until she met his eyes. Damn, there were tears. “Clara, I don’t know who told you that you aren’t smart. I’m guessing it was your father, but we can deal with that later. One thing I know for sure is that you aren’t stupid. If you were, you couldn’t run a successful bed and breakfast that you rescued from ruin. Nor could you compose music the way you do. It takes a solid IQ to create music on the spot. I’ve listened to you play from memory, and I’ve seen you create music out of the air. No way in hell could you do that if you were dumb.”
She blinked rapidly. “I don’t think so. You’re wrong.”
“I know so.” He leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to object before brushing a chaste kiss across her lips. A jolt of desire slammed him in the chest and the groin.Holy shit, she packs a punch.“I’ll have you know,” he murmured, “I’d be thrilled to date a woman like you. You’re amazing. Smart, kind, generous. You have a million redeeming features. And you aren’t stupid by any stretch of the imagination. You need to believe in yourself, the way I believe in you.” Unable to resist her allure, he brushed another kiss across her mouth, barely refraining from taking it deeper.
“Um.” Her frown turned to a wobbly smile.
“That’s my girl. Don’t ever doubt yourself. You aren’t stupid. You have good business sense and from what I saw, one hell of a talent for music. That tells me you’re smart.” He choked back anger at whoever had filled her with doubts. He would never understand why people knocked each other down instead of building each other up.
“My vocabulary isn’t big, and I suck at math. I can’t do sums in my head.”
“Oh, honey.” He brushed a finger across her cheek. “That’s not a sign of stupidity. It simply means math isn’t your thing. I’m an engineer and I find it difficult to do math in my head most days. Everyone has different strengths. I struggle to play the guitar, though I really enjoy it. The piano, not a chance in hell. I’d never be able to compose a song either. Not being great at some things does not make you stupid. It makes you beautifully unique.”
Her smile widened. “Really?”
“Really. I swear it on punishment of never eating chocolate again if I lie.” He abhorred the emotional tremble in his voice. Banking his anger and empathy was taxing his inner strength.
Finally, her smile lit her eyes. Thank heaven, she believed him.
He vowed, then and there, to build her confidence, to help her realize what a great person she was. To show her she wasn’t stupid. Hell, if he wasn’t careful, she’d burrow her way into his chest and steal his heart. Clara Everett was dangerous to his bachelorhood. He’d be walking a fine line for the rest of his visit.
He pulled a tissue from the center console. “Here. Wipe your eyes. We’ll be there in five minutes.”
