Page 23 of One Hot Texas Summer (The Prentice Brothers of Sweet Ridge #1)

T he visit with Dad was going better than Tate thought it would.

Currently, Dad and Kelly were engaged in a battle to see who could create the highest house of cards.

Kelly was winning but her house was teetering precariously.

All it would take was a puff of air and they would all come crumbling down.

Tate looked up and caught his father’s gaze. There was a devilish glint shining in his blue depths, the same piercing azure eyes all the Prentice boys had inherited. His father was up to no good and while Tate could stop it, if he wanted to, he found he didn’t.

Whether it was because his release was imminent or because of Kelly’s visit, Dad was happier than he’d been in a long time.

He almost looked the way he’d looked prior to the stroke.

If it weren’t for the way the left side of his face still drooped a little, no one would know that the man had been balancing between life and death.

“Better be careful, Kelly girl—that card you’re about to put on could bring it all tumbling down.”

“Pfft,” she responded. “I know you’re trying to psyche me out, Trenton Prentice. But I’ve worked in the cutthroat world of corporate America accounting, so your mind games won’t work on me.”

Tate bit his lip to stop from laughing out loud. As Kelly placed her card on the top of her design, the whole thing wobbled before settling down, the card staying in place.

“See,” she crowed triumphantly. “Never any doubt in my mind it wouldn’t come tumbling down. Come on, Trenton, show me what you’ve got.”

She sat back and Tate leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Thank you.”

She turned and her lips were so close it wouldn’t take anything for him to close the gap and possess them. Only the fact his father sat across from them made him control the urge.

“For what?” she asked.

He canted his head to where Dad was getting ready to place his card on his creation. “This. For spending time with him.”

He thought for a second Kelly was going to shift, putting space between them again. If she did, Tate would want to snatch her close again.

“It’s no hardship at all. Your dad is fun, and it’s been a long time since I’ve built a house of cards.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dad’s fingers creeping closer and closer to Kelly’s house on the table.

“He’s going to knock my cards down, isn’t he?” she whispered.

“I cannot confirm nor deny the possibility that that event may occur.”

Kelly sighed at the sound of her precariously balanced cards hitting the table, along with his dad’s laugh. “And here I thought you were on my side.”

“Sorry, Kel, I’m Switzerland.”

Giving into the need to be close to her and cement their connection even more, he closed the gap between them and kissed her. Everything about the two of them felt right. As if the universe had got its act together and aligned everything so they found each other, finally.

As much as he wanted to deepen their embrace, being in a roomful of people wasn’t the best place to do it.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers for a moment.

He turned back toward his father, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Tears were shining in Dad’s eyes, along with pride.

Tate couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his dad this full of emotion—probably when Mom had died.

Dad had remained stoic for his sons, but Tate recalled walking past his bedroom door not long after the funeral and hearing his father crying.

Dad nodded toward Kelly and lifted his left hand just high enough for Tate to see the thumbs-up he was giving him. Tate nodded.

“That was pretty sneaky of you Prentice boys,” Kelly commented as she straightened in her chair.

“What do you mean?” Dad asked innocently. His father was far from innocent. “Your cards fell fair and square. Not my fault you were too busy to notice how unstable they were.”

Kelly laughed. “My cards were perfectly fine. But I guess I did fall for your tricks, after all.” She looked over at Tate and tried to mock frown at him. “And you, buster, kissing me as a distraction. That’s just low.”

Tate held his arms up, palms out. “All’s fair in love and card games.”

“I hate to break up the party, but it’s time for your physical therapy, Mr. Prentice.”

Tate hadn’t seen the therapist come up to the table. A shaft of disappointment swirled through him. He’d been having so much fun with Kelly and Dad that he hadn’t been aware that they’d been visiting for more than two hours.

“Can I skip this morning’s session and do two lots this afternoon, please?” Dad cajoled, but the nurse crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Okay.”

“Hmm, I may have to practice that look to get you to do what I want when you get home, Dad,” Tate teased and was pleased when his dad smiled.

“We have courses. I’ll be sure to book you into one,” the therapist deadpanned.

Beside him, Kelly laughed out loud. “Maybe I need to sign up for one too. You know, for future reference with my kids and all.”

An image of Kelly rubbing a pregnant belly while he massaged her feet filled his mind.

Yeah, that was a fantasy he’d like to bring to life. But would Kelly?

*

Kelly stood at the back door of her shop, reluctant to open it and enter her business. She’d had such a good time with Tate and his dad. Watching the two of them together had given her an insight to their relationship.

They were close and it was clear Trenton was proud of the way his youngest son had stepped up to the plate and taken over running the business after his stroke.

There’d been a brief moment where a dark cloud had hung over the three of them, and that had been when Tate had told his dad that Tyler would be looking after him his first weekend home as he was heading to Houston to help her.

It had been on the tip of her tongue to tell Tate that he didn’t have to come, but he’d made it clear to his dad that he needed the weekend away. That the hotel had been booked before he’d even known that Trenton would be being released.

That was a little white lie, but Kelly also had a feeling Tate had been telling the truth when he said he needed a weekend away. But, in any case, she had a lot of work to do now to make sure the wedding actually had flowers.

Pulling the door open, she headed to her office where she dumped her purse on a hook. She veered around her desk to check her emails. There were a couple of orders for bouquets her mom could handle. She spied one from Macy and opened it.

Hey, Kel,

The committee is getting anxious that we don’t have a final layout plan for the Prentice Farm site. Can you and Tate work on it and get it to me ASAP? I know you have it under control, but with the event two weeks away we’re going to have it all set up by the end of next week.

Let me know what’s happening.

Mxx

A sigh rippled through her. There were still a couple of things she and Tate needed to sort out, but with his dad heading home tomorrow, she imagined tonight Tate would be busy getting the house settled.

Not to mention, she’d be working late because she’d taken part of the morning off to spend with Tate.

A decision she’d make over and over again because she enjoyed her time with them.

Kelly chewed on her bottom lip. She could make the minor changes and send the final layout to Macy and that would be off her plate before she headed to Houston. Or should she send a message to Tate to see if he was free that evening for a short time?

“Oh, Kelly, I didn’t know you were back. How was your visit?”

Kelly looked up as Mom walked into the office, carrying a pile of mail. “Hey, Mom, I just got in. The visit was great. Trenton is funny and he’s really excited about coming home.”

“I bet he is. I’m sure the boys are too. Although Trey is too busy playing baseball to worry about his family back here.” The censure in her mom’s voice shocked Kelly.

The whole town was proud of their homegrown baseball hero. Why wasn’t Mom?

“I’m sure that’s not right. I’m sure Trenton understands where Trey’s responsibilities lie. So do Tate and Tyler.”

“Regardless, the boy should’ve been here to carry some of the burden. Everything has been left to Tate. Trey is the oldest, he should’ve been the one to come back and take over.”

Kelly shook her head. “Geez, Mom, it’s not the early 1900s where everything was passed down to the oldest child and the other siblings were forgotten.

Tate loves that peach farm as much as Trenton.

He loves it more than Tyler and Trey. All of the Prentice brothers are following their passions in life.

I’m sure that’s exactly what Trenton wants for them.

No way would Tate be happy to sit in the background while Trey waltzed in and took over.

That’s if Trey even knows how the farm works.

He’s been away for a long time, whereas Tate’s been there working alongside his father for years, learning everything he can about the farm. ”

Mom studied her. Had she said too much? Shown her mom she was beginning to care deeply for Tate? He had her feeling things she hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. And while the age difference bothered her at the beginning, the more time she spent with him, the less it was becoming a factor.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s just a lot for a young man to take on himself.”

“But he did and, honestly, Mom, it’s not a chore to Tate.

” The bell situated at the shop’s door tinkled, and Kelly was grateful for the interruption.

“Looks like we’ve got a customer. Can you please see what they want?

I need to send an email to Macy, then I’ll be right out.

I need to get started on these flowers for the wedding this weekend. ”

The twinge of guilt for sending the email without talking to Tate about it was swept aside as a warm glow settled in her stomach. There were some things she wouldn’t tell her mom, like the weekend where she and Tate would be alone in a hotel room with a big bed.

She couldn’t wait.