“Nothing wrong with that. This is a ranch.”
“We don’t have to smell like the horses. Besides, it’s not as if they have to get dressed immediately. They can’t set off for Austin in this storm. I told them to slip out of everything and put the laundry outside the door. I’ll pick their soiled clothes up in a few minutes and toss them in the washer while they just make themselves at home.”
“You are definitely getting into this.”
“Do you blame me? It’s not every day we have someone like Carolina Lambert in the house.”
“Now you’re knocking my friends.”
“You know what I mean. She’s exciting and so interesting. Her friends are nice, too. Even Lizzie is enjoying herself, in case you haven’t noticed.”
He’d noticed. He’d dated a few times since Gloria’s death. None of the women had made anywhere near the impression Carolina was making.
“Did you know that Carolina is a widow with three adult sons and four grandchildren?” Edna asked.
“I’ve heard that.”
“She doesn’t look nearly old enough to have grown sons or be a grandmother.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
“Her son Durk is the CEO of the family oil business and her other two sons, Damien and Tague, manage the Bent Pine Ranch.”
“You are just chock-full of information today.”
“I like to know about the people I’ll be entertaining for the next few days.”
“Whoa. We are not entertaining them. They’re using our facilities and our horses, but we’re not involved. It’s totally their show. Keep that in mind.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t be hospitable. You need to do the same. You never know. You might just find some chemistry with one of our guests.”
“I’m not looking for chemistry.”
“It might find you anyway if you’d stop being so contrary.” Edna pulled a package of chicken from the freezer. “I settled the ladies into all four of our guest suites. Made sure they had plenty of that good-smelling soap, shampoo, and fresh towels and washcloths, too.”
Great. So now Carolina Lambert was taking a hot shower under his roof. Naked. He swallowed hard, determined to keep his arousal level at low-key. He didn’t like the woman, and with good reason. Why couldn’t his manly urges get that?
“Just remember you’re bringing all this extra work on yourself, Edna. Don’t blame me if your good intentions turn into more than you bargained for. In the meantime, I’ll be in my office if you need me—getting some work done while we still have power.”
“Good thinking. I’ll put out some candles and the oil lamps. Never know when the electricity will go out.”
His office was down the hall on the first floor, far away from all the guest rooms—except one, which was only a few steps from his office. With his luck, Carolina was probably stripping out of her clothes in that one right now.
* * *
CAROLINA STARED OUT the window and into a torrent of rain. She should be back in her hotel room in Austin. But here she was, standing in one of Jake Dalton’s guest rooms, no longer dripping, but with her damp clothes clinging to her like a clammy second skin. She looked away from the storm and glanced around the room.
A king-size bed topped with a dark green comforter was piled high with pillows. A small antique desk held a cup of pens, some note paper and several hardcover novels displayed between beautifully sculptured horse-head bookends. A floor mirror in a beautiful oak stand adorned a far corner.
The walls were painted a pale green and decorated with framed photographs of Texas landscapes, at least two of which she was certain had been taken on the Silver Spur. She recognized the magnificent views from this afternoon’s ride.
A wooden rocker next to the window with a flowered cushion and a knitted afghan thrown over its arm looked cozy and inviting.
Difficult to imagine the calming decor was the rugged rancher’s doing. But then, she had to admit, she actually knew little about the man other than his coldhearted stubbornness where R.J. was concerned.
Thinking about the brief phone conversation she’d shared with him a few days back still left her seething. She couldn’t understand anyone unwilling to bend a little for a dying parent—even if R.J. had been a rotten father.
She dropped the towel she was wearing sarong-style over her wet clothes and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. She grimaced. Her wet, curly locks and runny mascara gave new meaning to the drowned-rat cliché. Her gaze fell lower.
Ohmigod. She could see every pucker of her nipples beneath the damp cotton of her shirt. The others’ shirts had been just as wet—but not white. They’d clung, but she hadn’t noticed that you could see right through them.
No wonder Jake had stared so hard. She might as well have stripped off her shirt.
Her cheeks burned. How was she going to face the guy again? Not without a bit of embarrassment, that was for sure. As if things weren’t awkward enough between them.
No use to dwell on it now. There was no changing the facts. She undressed quickly, peeling off everything, including her bra and panties. Then she dropped the wet clothing outside her door as Edna had instructed.
She wondered if Jake knew what a jewel of a housekeeper he had in Edna. Hopefully he was a lot more considerate to her than he was to R.J.
Carolina headed to the bathroom, took a quick shower to shed the odor of horseflesh and then used a fresh towel to buff her naked body.
The overhead light flickered a couple of times but didn’t go out as she padded back into the bedroom. She wrapped herself in the soft robe, though she had no intention of going back to the den until she was fully dressed.
She threw back the coverlet and slid between the sheets. It was like sinking into a cloud. The serenity lasted only until thoughts of the morning encounter with Thad Caffey returned to haunt her.
Mildred had thought her life with him was behind her. Clearly, Thad did not share that sentiment. But how far would he go to get her back?
How sad for Mildred that her marriage had deteriorated into fear and danger. Yet she must have cared deeply for Thad at one time, before the love changed to fear and heartbreak. Before she saw the man she’d vowed to share her life with as the monster he really was.
Carolina had difficulty comprehending that kind of relationship. Her life with Hugh had been loving and exciting. If anything he’d been overly protective of her. A man’s man, all the way. He’d been her world, and she’d never known fear of anything or anyone when he was around.
The familiar ache set in again. As busy as her life was, as much as she loved her family, her heart still longed for the relationship she’d shared with Hugh.
Having known that kind of love, she could never settle for anything less. She had no illusions that she’d ever find love like that again.
The pain was blinding, as if someone were hammering nails into his skull. Not a new pain, but one that had become excruciatingly more familiar since the day he’d been sentenced to four agonizing years in prison.
He recognized the torture for what it was, knew the only real release would come when he was back in control. When he could feel the sweet release of revenge.
He’d had four years to plan the payback. Nights of trying to fall asleep to