Love's Deception Read Online Free PDF Page B

Ty’s back. “What’re you doing up here?”
    His presence completely filled the small space. He turned and looked her over, his eyes twinkling in amusement. One side of his mouth quirked up in a sexy half-grin that looked like it belonged on a movie star. “Helping Danny,” he said, stepping aside.
    Her son rested his elbows on the counter. “Ty’s gonna brush my hair.” Ty raised the brush and went to work on Danny’s turkey tails.
    “I can take over if you want,” Cat offered.
    Ty shifted his body, blocking her path, and continued brushing. “No, I got it.”
    She folded her arms and watched. Ty lowered the brush and picked up her gel from the counter. He glanced sideways at her and said, “Danny, you think your mom will care if we use some of this?”
    “No, that’s fine,” Cat answered for him.
    Ty finished taming her son’s wayward hair, then declared, “Okay, little man, you’ll have all the girls after you now.”
    “I don’t like girls.” Danny stuck out his tongue.
    Both adults laughed. Ty returned the gel to the counter. “Are you ready?” he asked Cat. “Or should Danny and I wait downstairs.” She stole a glance in the mirror. “Don’t worry. You’re beautiful,” he said in the same matter-of-fact tone she’d heard from him before. Startled by the compliment, she stood gaping at him. He flashed that smiled again—the one that made her forget what she doing.
    He touched her shoulder as he squeezed through the doorway. “Excuse me. Danny and I will be downstairs.” Her son ran after him and grabbed his hand.
    Taking a deep breath, Cat bent to get a drink from the faucet. She dried her mouth and applied a layer of pink lipgloss, then ran her eyes up and down her reflection in the mirror. Finally she flipped off the light and went downstairs. She caught the tail end of the tour Danny was giving Ty.
    Seeing her, Danny ran across the room. “Mom, can we go now? Ty said we’re going to Red Robin!”
    Her son’s exuberance was contagious. She smiled at him. “Yup, we can go now.”
    Ty walked to the front door and opened it. Cat picked up the booster seat and followed him to his old black Dodge. He held the passenger door open. She had planned to put Danny between her and Ty, but the booster seat required both a shoulder and a lap belt, which the middle seat did not have. Cat set the booster next to the window and helped Danny into the truck. She climbed over Danny and settled into the middle. Ty grinned as he closed the door and walked to the driver’s side.
    He turned the key in the ignition. After revving the engine, he put it in reverse and leaned back. Uninvited butterflies filled Cat’s stomach when his shoulder pressed against hers. She folded her hands in her lap while he buckled his seat belt. He seemed oblivious to the tight quarters.
    Cat felt as if she was sixteen again, going on her first date. She stared straight ahead, trying to stop the drum roll of her heart, then chanced a look at him. He had shaved except for a neatly trimmed goatee. He wore a T-shirt and khaki shorts, so she had ended up with the right outfit.
    He caught her looking when he turned to ask, “Cat—is that a nickname?”
    “It’s short for Catherine.”
    “Catherine Lewis,” he said to himself, reaching to turn on the radio. “Are you a country music kind of girl?”
    “I suppose. How about you?”
    He tuned the radio to the local country music station. “I’m more of a surfer. I like a little bit of everything. Danny said your mother is sick . . .” Ty trailed off the sentence, clearly fishing for details.
    “She has breast cancer, but today they found a spot in her liver.” Still trying to digest the news herself, Cat left it at that. She definitely didn’t want to cry in front of him.
    “I’m sorry,” Ty said quietly.
    When they turned onto the highway, he leaned forward slightly. “Hey, Danny, what grade will you be in when school starts?”
    “Second,” the boy said with