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“Yes, I want to ... uh, I want to buy some fabric for a tablecloth,” he said.

Kate stared at him for a moment, a little blown away that he even knew it was fabric. He was gruff, so manly, and he made her ache in ways she had never experienced. She was not used to feeling this way. It felt so good.

“What kind?” she asked. “We have a wide range of fabrics, you just need to ... well, you know, choose your favorite.”

She needed to get some space between them, because even though there was snow on the ground, there was no way she was going to stay cool.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Cruz said.

Kate walked behind her desk, trying not to look in Cruz’s direction. He was older than her, a man in his forties, and he had gray at his temples. She licked her suddenly dry lips as she chanced another look in his general direction.

He looked so good. He wore a flannel shirt and a jacket, and even though she couldn’t see those thick muscles, she knew they were there. It kind of made her feel a little frumpy in her thick, wooly skirt and polar-neck shirt. It was fine, though. Of course it was fine.

Cruz could have his pick of any woman. There was no way he would want her.

****

Cruz did not know the first thing about fucking fabric. He’d driven into town every single day since Jaxson and Tillie had gotten married. The two were off on their honeymoon, and he’d fired Kate’s mother because the truth was, Felicity was a terrible housekeeper. She couldn’t cook, and he knew when he did get a good meal, it had nothing to do with Felicity. He’d spotted Kate dropping off groceries and food to her mother.

He also knew there was some strain on the two women’s relationship, which he was not getting involved with. Felicity had a reputation for manipulating the truth. He didn’t trust her, not for a second.

He knew that Kate, on the other hand, had been given a tough hand with her mother. Her father hadn’t been on the scene for a long time, and for all intents and purposes, this shop should be something else, but she was strong. She got it to work. She worked her ass off, and he’d seen the dedication she had given it. Kate was the reason he started to watch Tillie’s videos for just the chance to glance at her. He was a little obsessed, and he’d been trying to hide it for quite some time now.

He was forty years old and didn’t have the nicest reputation when it came to Higher Ridge. People didn’t like him, and the truth was, he didn’t give a fuck if they liked him or not. They could all fuck off as far as he was concerned.

Apart from Kate. He cared what Kate thought. He cared what Kate felt.

Making his way toward the desk, he looked at Kate, and the shirt she wore clung to her curves, and the shop was a little on the chilly side. Did she even realize her nipples looked so erect in the shirt she wore? This was driving him crazy.

“Hey,” he said.

Kate put down her paperwork and smiled at him. “Is everything all right?”

“The truth is, I don’t know what I’m looking for. Do you think you could help me?” he asked.

She offered him a smile and nodded. “Yes, of course.” She put her paperwork down. “Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”

“To be honest, it’s to cover some stains your mother made by leaving pans and cups around.”

Kate winced. “Do you want me to pay to replace the table?”

“No, no, no,” he said. “Nothing like that. I was just thinking of covering it, you know?” He couldn’t give a shit about the cup stains or the larger saucepan-shaped ones. This was an excuse to come and see Kate. “Anything you think will suit my kitchen.”

“Ah, it’s the kitchen table.” She clicked her fingers. “Come on, I’ve got a couple of options.”

She rounded the counter and stepped out in front of him, and he couldn’t help but drop his gaze down toward her curvy ass. The fullness was making him hard as fucking rock just looking at her. He wanted to touch her, but he didn’t dare. Not right now. He didn’t know if Kate even wanted him.

They moved toward the far wall where there were several bolts of fabric, some of them plain and a few patterned.

“I guess you could choose by season, but if you wanted to add a festive appeal during certain times of the year, we have that as well.” She gave a smile that lit up her whole face, showing off those dimples, and he was close to going crazy at the sight. She looked absolutely stunning.

“So, we have a cream here, which would go with your kitchen right now, and it would help it feel quite light and airy, seeing as we’re having a lot of dreary days.” She tilted her head to the side.

“Sure, we’ll have that.”

“Is that all you’re looking for?” Kate asked.

“How about you choose a color for spring?”