Savannah tried not to gawk as they passed a magnificent two-story home fashioned from native stone and brick. The setting sun winked off the mullioned windows and painted the glass with a rosy, welcoming glow. Trumpet vine wove through the spindles of the wrought-iron fence that separated the landscaped lawn from the rest of the property.
Everything was neat and well cared for. The Colby Ranch could have easily been featured on the cover of Texas Today magazine.
“It’s beautiful,” Savannah murmured. “Did you grow up here?”
“No.”
Savannah tried not to flinch at the sting of Carter’s curt response. Although he seemed to know a lot about her, it was becoming clear that Carter wasn’t going to be very forthcoming about his own life.
* * *
Carter saw Savannah’s hands tighten around the steering wheel and realized the word had come out a little sharper than he’d intended. He tried again.
“No,” he said more softly.
One-syllable words were okay on a military base, but if he wanted Savannah to stay at the ranch, it was clear to Carter that he would have to brush up on his people skills. He could coax a disabled vehicle back to life and make an engine purr like a kitten, but he’d never been much for small talk.
Especially when the woman sitting next to him took his breath away.
The photograph hadn’t done her justice. Savannah’s honey-brown hair fell loose around her shoulders, a perfect frame for her delicate features and wide green eyes.
The only thing missing was the smile.
Carter still hadn’t seen one of those.
When he’d heard her voice on the phone, he couldn’t believe that Savannah had actually accepted his invitation. Not until he’d spotted her car parked at the gate. Both hands gripping the steering wheel, ready to turn around and exit his life as quickly as she’d entered it.
He wasn’t sure why Savannah had changed her mind, but now that she was here at the Colby Ranch, Carter was going to make sure she stuck around for a while.
It’s what Rob would have wanted.
Carter was certain about that, no matter what Savannah had said about their marriage. Why would Rob fake devotion to a wife that he’d abandoned? What would he have to gain?
Savannah might need a place to stay, but Carter needed some answers. And the woman sitting next to him was the only one who could provide them.
Another light winked on in the house. Carter hoped no one would glance out the window and see an unfamiliar vehicle nudging its way up the drive. Typically after Lupita served dessert, everyone pitched in and cleaned up from dinner and then gathered in the family room to watch a movie or play a game. Ty and Maddie would help Darcy with her homework. Jack and Gray would take part in what had become their favorite pastime—giving each other a hard time—while the women planned their upcoming nuptials with all the intensity of a military strategist.
And they insisted he join them.
Bonding, Maddie called it. Carter figured it was easier to bond with people who shared your DNA. He’d never had much in common with his siblings before, and now he was no longer sure he and Gray had that in common.
Carter would count the seconds until he could come up with a reasonable excuse to slip away. But now, for the first time, he hoped they followed standard protocol again and did not show up at the cottage to meet the newest visitor. It might overwhelm Savannah and give her a reason to bolt.
She didn’t trust him, that much was clear.
But Rob had. Which meant that Carter was honor bound to shield her from potentially stressful situations.
Meeting his family definitely qualified.
* * *
Savannah fixed her eyes on the driveway.
The sudden drop in temperature inside the car made her wonder if there was some family dynamic going on between Carter and his sister that she should know about. The last thing she wanted was for her presence to add tension to an already strained relationship.
“You can take the first right behind the barn.” Carter pointed to an enormous metal building with a green roof. Two chestnut horses stood shoulder to shoulder in a corner of the paddock, dozing under the branches of a cottonwood tree.
Savannah followed his instructions and saw a row of adorable little cottages scattered along a creek bed.
“I’ve been staying in the main house but the cottage on the end is empty. My sister had it all made up for me, but I never moved in. That means it’s all yours,” Carter said.
Yours.
In spite of her misgivings, the word flowed through Savannah, as sweet as a glass of tea on a hot summer day. Even knowing this was a temporary arrangement couldn’t prevent the sense of wonder that swept over her.
The branches of two mature pecan trees formed a canopy over a cottage as whimsical as an illustration in a child’s storybook. A sloping roof with patchwork shingles shaded an enclosed porch like the brim of a hat. Narrow wooden shutters trimmed the windows. Blue. Her favorite color. A hand-woven basket, overflowing with gourds and miniature pumpkins, sat on the top step like a welcome gift.
An Australian shepherd emerged from one of the outbuildings and ambled toward the car as Savannah pulled up in front of the cottage.
“That’s Nipper. Jack Colby’s dog.” Carter shook his head. “Don’t let the name fool you, though. The only thing that mutt might do is lick you to death.”
“Is Jack part of your family?”
“That’s the question of the day,” he muttered.
Savannah frowned. “I don’t understand.”
But Carter didn’t bother to enlighten her. Instead, he hopped out and jogged around the front of the car to open her door. His large hand gently cupped her elbow as he helped her out of the vehicle.
The warmth of his touch sparked something that sent Savannah’s blood racing through her veins like a prairie fire.
She sucked in a breath, yanked her heart back in line.
It wasn’t as if she were...attracted...to Carter Wallace. More than likely sleepless nights and low blood sugar had tipped her off balance.
Guard your heart, Savannah.
Savannah had forgotten her grandmother’s advice when she’d met Rob. She wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.
“Come on. I’ll show you the inside.”
Savannah balked. “You’re sure that your sister won’t mind an extra houseguest?”
Carter glanced in the direction of the main house. The flash of some emotion—guilt?—didn’t exactly put her mind at ease.
“Sergeant Wallace?”
“It’s Carter, remember?” That elusive dimple made an appearance again. A secret weapon designed to sneak through a woman’s defenses and affect her ability to think straight.
Fortunately, Savannah had become immune to a charming smile.
“Now that we’ve got that cleared up...how about answering my question?”
Chapter Five
Carter realized he’d made a tactical error. He should have known that Savannah would see through his pitiful attempt to sidestep the question before she unpacked her suitcase from the car.
“No one will mind a bit that you’re here.” Carter hoped it was true.
According to Maddie, the Colby family had taken