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house and shoved the gear shift into Park. He just didn t get Leanne Watley. She wasn t like any woman he d ever known. The memory of her taste broadsided him. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He had to stop allowing that to happen. Your decaffeinated coffee. She offered him a cup and smiled as he dragged his gaze in her direction. His heart foolishly skipped a beat. Thanks, he said, shaken. I didn t know you preferred decaf, she said, looking away. Another misstep. I guess I didn t know it either until I tried it while I was in Chicago. Seems like a lot of things changed while you were in Chicago, she said, the words almost too softly spoken to hear. Dex tensed. Was she suspicious or simply surprised? He opened his mouth to offer an explanation but she spoke again before he could. I hope you know how much this means to me, Ty. It was his turn to smile then, brittle though it might be. I think I do. I have dreams, too. Like finding a larger market for selling your cattle? That s one. He sipped the decaffeinated brew. The bag rustled as she opened it and then offered him one of the pastries he d asked her to pick up. Maybe later. He really wasn t hungry. Not for pastries, anyway. He forced his gaze straight ahead. No lustful thoughts, Montgomery, he reminded himself. Looking thoughtful, she refolded the bag. What s another one? He studied her for a moment, knowing full well it was a mistake. Another what? The thread of conversation had vacated his brain. Dream, she prodded. Oh, yes. He d stepped right into that one. But what could it hurt to tell her the truth? He exhaled a heavy breath and stared out at the wide-open Montana sky. He wondered how any sky could be that blue. Like her eyes, he thought, turning back to her. Like nothing else he d ever seen. Making my grandfather proud is one of my goals. He sipped his coffee. Dream, if you d prefer the term. Her forehead lined with confusion. But he is proud. He s about the proudest grandpa I know. Well, that hadn t worked out as he d thought it would. He scowled. How to get out of this one? He shrugged. I guess I m not as sure of that as you are. Ty, that s ridiculous. She opened the passenger-side door and scooted out. You re being too hard on yourself. He got out as well. That wasn t the first time he d been accused of being too hard on himself. His valet, George told him that all the time. Maybe so, he offered in hopes of ending the discussion. Do you ever wonder what life would be like if your mother and father were still alive? That question stopped him cold. He wasn t sure how to answer. He thought about the letters he d found and the picture in his wallet. The one he looked at every chance he got when he was sure no one was watching. What if they had lived? I m sorry. She placed a hand on his arm, sending another little zing of electricity through him. I shouldn t have asked that. It was thoughtless. No, it wasn t thoughtless. I do wonder about that sometimes. He leaned against the front of the truck and stared at the cup in his hand as if it held all the answers. I wonder how my life would have been different. Where I might be right now. If I d have any brothers and sisters. She nodded, those pretty blue eyes solemn. It s so sad. They were such a beautiful couple. I ve looked at their pictures a hundred times. But your grandparents have loved you as if you were their own, she offered. Chad and Court have been like brothers to you. He looked away. If only that were true. Yeah, I know you re right. I should just be glad for what I have. Regret trickled through him. Maybe he was being too hard on his Grandfather Montgomery. Dex had no way of knowing how the decision had been made thirty-two years ago. This whole charade could be a huge mistake. I know you miss your twin brother, she said softly. He frowned, uncertain of that ground. How was it that everyone else had known that there were two and he hadn t? Even Ty had known that part, even if he didn t know Dex was alive. Dex had been completely isolated from all this. The twinge of regret he d felt faded instantly. I hadn t missed him until recently, he said in all honesty. It s a shame he was lost, too. She shook her head. Mom said that when your folks came back from their visit down south they grieved for months over having lost your brother while they were away. Her brow lined thoughtfully. I always wondered but didn t want to ask why they didn t bring him back here to be buried. She shrugged. I guess the loss was too devastating. Lost? He d been lost all right. Ire rushed through him, scorching away all other emotion. And he had every intention of seeing that the people responsible for this ridiculous scheme answered for their manipulation. A real shame, he agreed. It seemed like a safe enough response and gave no hint of the emotions roiling inside him. He had somehow to sort them out. He didn t like how they made him feel. So, she said cheerily, where do we start, boss? Now there was something he could do, give instructions. He d always been good at that. Cabin One, he suggested, seeing that the cabins weren t numbered yet. Or are you going to call them by names? I haven t decided. But we ll go with numbers for the time being. This way, she said with a dramatic sweep of her arms. Another of those pulse-tripping smiles spread across her pretty face. Dex had hoped she would lead the way again. He liked nothing better than watching that heart-shaped derriere sway from side to side. He d never known a woman who walked quite like that. He was learning all kinds of new things from this sweet country girl. He just had to remember one important point, the last thing she needed was a big, bad wolf like him. And right now he was definitely feeling wolfish. Like a wolf who d lied to her from the moment he d laid eyes on her. LEANNE TRIED her best to stay focused on the painting, but she couldn t help stealing glances at Ty. She closed her eyes and shook her head. What was it that suddenly drew her so to him? Had the years of prodding from her mother and the Coopers finally kicked in? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |