and it took me several months to finally decide on the baby business.”
“So why babies?”
“I studied the markets, did exhaustive research and realized we are on the verge of another baby boom. That, coupled with the fact that no matter what the economy is like, people are always going to have babies.”
“That’s very interesting,” he said. “So, your decision was based on intellect rather than emotion.”
Something in his tone hinted of disapproval and Colette raised her chin defensively. “It’s been my experience that the best decisions you can make are ones made with your mind, not with your heart. But surely you know that. When you chose what kind of cows to raise, I’m sure you made that decision with your head, not your heart.”
He grinned, that lazy, sexy grin that instantly put her on edge. “It’s difficult to get too emotional over a cow.”
Colette tore off a piece of bagel and ate it, then took a sip of her coffee, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. She certainly didn’t want to discuss the situation with Gina with him. She didn’t want to get involved in a tug-of-war between a brother and sister.
“Gina tells me you are from a very small town in Kansas,” she finally said.
He nodded. “Foxrun, Kansas. It’s more like a little neighborhood than a town. Everyone knows everyone else, and most of the time everyone knows everyone else’s business.”
She smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“Do your parents live there, as well?”
His blue eyes grew deeper in color and Colette thought she saw a whisper of pain in their depths. He looked down at the coffee mug in his hands. “My parents have been gone for a long time. They died in a car accident when I was twenty-one years old and Gina was ten. I was left with a ranch on the verge of financial ruin and a ten-year-old grief-stricken child.”
Suddenly Colette understood his overprotectiveness where Gina was concerned. He’d not only been big brother to her, he’d also been mother and father. Admiration for him filled her.
No wonder he was having problems letting go of her. Colette knew there were parents who had trouble letting go of their children, although her mother certainly had not been that kind of parent.
“It must have been very difficult for you,” she said softly. “Twenty-one is terribly young to take on so much responsibility and work.”
“In the case of both the ranch and Gina, it was definitely a labor of love.”
The warmth in his eyes and the soft expression on his face stirred a strange longing in Colette. Confused by the odd emotion, she stood and walked over to the coffeemaker to refill her cup.
When she turned back around she caught his gaze sweeping over her, taking in the sum total of her from head to toe. She suddenly wondered if her skirt was too short or too tight. She fought against the blush that tried to take possession of her cheeks and returned to her seat behind the desk.
“So, tell me about Colette Carson,” he said, then took another sip of his coffee.
She shrugged. “There really isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised right here in Kansas City and have been here all my life.”
“Is there a boyfriend in the picture? An attractive woman like you probably dates every night.” His eyes flashed with what she thought might be a flirtatious light.
She laughed, oddly pleased that he thought she was attractive. “I can’t remember the last date I had.” He was probably wondering how many nights a week his sister spent alone in the apartment. “Most evenings I’m either looking at catalogs, trying to figure out what might be the next hot item, or going over the books to see exactly how the shop is doing. Gina tells me you don’t do much dating, either.”
“Like you, it’s difficult to find the time.”
Colette grinned teasingly. “That’s not what Gina says. She said you don’t have a girlfriend because you’re too mean and stubborn. I believe her exact term was ‘cursedly stubborn.’”
He laughed, a deep rumbling sound that was pleasant. “She’s probably right. I’ve been known to be pretty bullheaded. Still, it seems a shame that a pretty girl like you spends all her time on business. How are you going to find Mr. Right if you don’t date?” Again his eyes were filled with a light that unsettled her yet shot a streak of heat through her.
“Finding Mr. Right has never been a priority of mine,” she replied.
With his million-dollar smile warming her, and his overwhelmingly masculine presence filling the office, Colette felt a sudden need to escape.
She looked at her watch and stood. “It’s time for me to open up the shop,” she said, although it was still earlier than her usual opening time. “You’re welcome to stay here and finish your bagel and coffee or whatever. As I told you earlier, Gina doesn’t come in until noon.”
She was aware of his gaze sweeping the length of her as she headed for the door that led out into the shop. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just finish up my coffee back here,” he said.
Nodding, she fled the office, grateful to get some distance from him. Although she had certainly admired his attractiveness and charm the night before, she hadn’t felt the utter magnitude of his sexual appeal the way she had this morning.
She unlocked the front door and flipped the Closed sign to Open, then walked over to the chair behind the small counter that held the cash register.
She had the distinct impression that he’d been subtly flirting with her when he’d spoken about her dating habits, and her pulse had accelerated to an uncomfortable pace.
As she greeted her first customer of the day, she remembered Gina’s words of warning about Tanner. She’d warned Colette not to be fooled by his charm, and Colette realized she would do well to take heed.
She did find Tanner charming, and although she had never felt herself particularly susceptible to any man’s charm, she had a feeling if she allowed it, Tanner Rothman could definitely be a threat to the carefully controlled, safe life she’d built for herself.
Tanner knew she’d expected him to leave after he finished his coffee and to return later when Gina arrived for work, but instead he rinsed out the cup, then joined her at the counter out front.
He leaned against a back wall, watching as she took care of a pregnant woman who looked about ready to burst open like a ripe watermelon.
Tanner had never thought much about having children of his own. At the time when most men began thinking of having families, he’d been busy raising Gina. Now, at thirty-two years old, he almost felt as if it were too late to think about babies of his own.
He redirected his gaze to Colette. Again this morning she was dressed in a three-piece suit. The deep gray jacket was short and fitted over a crisp white blouse, and the skirt was pencil thin and short enough to display her long, slender but shapely legs.
It hadn’t taken long into their conversation for his suspicions about Colette Carson to be confirmed. She was certainly not the kind of woman he wanted as a role model for his impressionable sister.
Despite the fact she had dynamite legs and the longest, darkest eyelashes he’d ever seen. In spite of the fact that she had the sweet features of an angel and a body that would make most red-blooded men think of sin, he had the feeling she was a cold, heartless woman driven by ambition.
He’d been vaguely disappointed when she’d told him why she’d decided to open a shop selling baby items. Although it appeared to have been a smart decision, he was disappointed that the decision was made strictly from a business perspective.
Gina had lacked a female role model in her life. There had been no aunts,