Free The Texan's Tennessee Romance by Gina Wilkins

“Casey?”
    Halfway down the steps, he looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
    She tried to think of a good reason to keep him there a little longer, to delay the inevitable return to solitude and worry. “Do you like to play games? You know, cards and board games?”
    His eyes lit up. “Sure. Doesn’t everyone?”
    “I found a whole stack of games in the cabinet next to the fireplace. Maybe you’d like to stay and play Scrabble or something for a while? I have some of Aunt Jewel’s leftovers I can heat for dinner. If you don’t have any other plans, of course,” she finished, belatedly realizing that he might have things he’d rather do.
    He smiled. “I was going to work in the cabin tonight, but playing games sounds like a much nicer way to spend the evening. I warn you, though, I’m pretty good at Scrabble. And I play to win.”
    Something about his smile made her very glad she’d let herself give in to temptation. She smiled back at him, ignoring the little voice in her head warning her to step carefully. “So do I.”
    He walked back up the steps. “Looks like the competition’s on.”

Chapter Five
    C asey could almost see Natalie loosening up as the evening progressed. She had been so tense earlier, her eyes shadowed, her mouth taut, but after a couple of no-holds-barred Scrabble games, one game won by each of them, she was laughing and relaxed. He took full credit for the transformation, though he did so privately.
    “Would you like another glass of wine?” she asked, reaching for the bottle on the table beside her glass.
    Okay, so maybe he couldn’t take all the credit, he thought, shaking his head with a smile. “I have to drive in a little while. Considering those winding roads, I’d better stick to coffee now.”
    She slapped her forehead lightly. “Of course. I wasn’t even thinking. Let me refill your coffee cup.”
    “Thanks.”
    She poured herself another glass of white wine. “Whose turn is it?”
    “Yours.” He tapped the Scrabble board. “I played ‘quid.’ For a tidy number of points, I might add, considering that the Q is on a triple-letter square.”
    She studied his play and then her tiles. A smile tipped up her lips, and then she set several tiles on the board with a flourish. “Vista,” she said rather gloatingly. “With, you will note, the S in front of your ‘quid,’ turning it into ‘squid.’ And may I also direct your attention to the triple- word square beneath the V.”
    He couldn’t help laughing at her obvious delight in besting him. As competitive as he was, he didn’t mind losing when Natalie seemed to be having such a nice time winning. Whether because of the wine or the game or—he wanted to believe—the company, she was smiling more than he’d ever seen her, and the lighthearted mood looked good on her.
    “It’s been years since I played board games,” she said, taking another sip of the wine. “I’d almost forgotten how much fun they can be.”
    He picked up his coffee mug. “Your friends back in Nashville don’t get together to play games?”
    Her smile dimmed a few watts. “Not so much. I’ve been hanging around with a bunch of workaholics for the past few years, I guess. Their idea of fun is a cocktail party with plenty of networking opportunities.”
    So she’d been corporate. Didn’t surprise him. He still couldn’t decide if she’d burned out or lost her job, but something made him suspect the latter. Laying out tiles to spell “maid,” the longest word he could manage at the time, he said casually, “Sounds to me like you needed a vacation.”
    “I suppose I did.” She took a few moments to study her tile rack, then played on his M.
    “Not much fun, though, if you’re spending it all here in this cabin.”
    She shrugged. “I needed the rest.”
    “Maybe you’d like to do something a little different this week? Maybe a hike or something? I’ve been told there are some pretty nice trails around here.”
    “I