Cal cleared his throat. “I have to go away for a few days.”
“You do?” She was dismayed by the anxiety his words provoked. She was a grown woman who could take care of herself. It was ridiculous to feel this sense of…neediness. It was stupid.
“I have to go to New York.” He turned slightly toward her. “I’ll only be gone three or four days.”
She forced herself to act casual. “I won’t plan any six-course meals for the next few days, then.”
He chuckled. “Good.” Then he did something incredible. He took her hand. She shot a glance at his face but he was looking at their joined hands as he slid his much larger fingers through hers where they rested on the fence rail. “Will you be all right here alone?”
“I’ve been alone before.” Her voice sounded strained and breathless, as if she’d run for miles, and she swallowed. He’d held her and kissed her forehead after the fire and she’d nearly made a fool of herself, practically falling into his arms. Was this just another absent gesture or…? She couldn’t allow herself to finish the thought.
“When I get back,” he said, “I’d like to have a party. Sort of payback for all the kindnesses folks have shown us since I moved back and you came. What do you think?”
She shrugged. “It’s your home. If you want to have a party, I’ll prepare for a party.”
He turned toward her, and she felt his gaze on her. “It’s your home, too, now,” he said quietly. “If the thought of a large crowd of people bothers you, I won’t do it. Deck and Silver would have it at their place if I asked.”
She looked up. Mistake. His eyes were a warm blue-gray, framed by thick dark lashes that shouldn’t have been wasted on a man. Looking into them gave her a jumpy feeling in the pit of her stomach and made her knees feel trembly. “A party won’t bother me,” she said. “The women at the shelter had a birthday party for me when I was staying there. I actually enjoyed it.” She tried to smile, though her lips felt stiff and uncooperative. “But I appreciate the thought.”
Cal’s gaze slid to her mouth. “All right.” He continued looking at her mouth as he spoke, and she wondered if he was inspecting the scar that curled into her lip. “Why don’t we say Saturday…around five. There’s a list of names on my desk.”
She nodded. He was still looking at her mouth, and she licked her lips, running her tongue over the edge of her scar as her nerves began to jitter.
He straightened away from the rail, and his gaze narrowed as he released her fingers. “I have to leave now.”
Don’t go. “All right.” She hesitated, then grabbed her courage in both hands and stretched on her tiptoes, touching her lips to the firm line of his in a fleeting kiss. “Have a safe trip.”
She started to move away but two big hands caught her by the waist. “Lyn.”
“What?” She couldn’t look at him again; she was sure he was displeased with her familiarity.
“You can do better than that.”
Shock brought her head up. An odd smile was playing around his mouth. She could hardly believe it, but unless she was totally off the mark, he wanted her to kiss him again! Slowly, she came up on tiptoe, bracing her hands on his broad chest. His eyes closed as she brushed her lips over his, and she closed hers, as well. His mouth was surprisingly soft. Then, before she could withdraw, his hands tightened at her waist, holding her in place. His mouth took over the kiss, following hers as he tilted his head slightly to more fully explore the connection.
Shivers of delight rushed from her lips down to her breasts and beyond. She’d dreamed of Cal’s kisses for weeks, futile dreams that she’d never expected would come to pass. Moving closer, she made a sound of purring approval deep in her throat.
Cal stilled against her. Slowly, he dragged his lips away, along the angle of her jaw to the hollow just beneath her ear. She felt a single hot flick of his tongue against the tender tissue, then he was drawing back and she opened her eyes rather dazedly to find him smiling at her with that same inscrutable expression.
“Think of me.” It was an order, accompanied by the touch of his index finger to her nose before he turned away and strode toward the truck at the edge of the yard.
Think of him? Ha! As if she were likely to do anything else.
She wandered inside, touching her fingers to her lips where she could still feel the pressure of his mouth against hers. What was happening here? She’d never turn Cal away—did he know that?
The telephone rang, cutting short her confused musings. She reached for the handset. “McCall’s.”
“Hi, Lyn. It’s Silver.”
“Hello!” Her pleasure at hearing her friend’s voice echoed in her response. “How are you feeling?”
Silver chuckled. “Better now that the first trimester’s over. Everyone says I’d better enjoy this part of the pregnancy while I can still see my feet.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. You’ve only gained a few pounds so far, right?”
“Yes, but that could change rapidly. Listen, I have some big news for Cal. Can he come to the phone?”
Lyn grimaced, though Cal’s half sister couldn’t see her. “You just missed him. Business trip. He’ll be gone for a few days.”
“Oh. Well, I guess it isn’t that big a deal. If he calls, you can tell him Mom’s coming to stay for a few days. She’ll be arriving on Friday.”
“Your mother’s coming to town? That is news, isn’t it?” Lyn knew from things Silver had said that her mother had never been back to South Dakota since she’d left when Cal was a baby.
“Yes.” Silver’s voice was fond. “She’s planning to come and stay for a few weeks when the baby comes. Deck talked her into coming out for a short trip now, as well. He says we’ll be too busy to visit after Deck, Jr. arrives.” Silver chuckled but then her tone changed. “I hope this will go all right. Mom’s really looking forward to seeing Cal but I’m not sure he’ll be as pleased.”
“They don’t get along?”
“That’s not exactly it.” Silver hesitated. “I think Cal still resents her for leaving him behind when she left. Even when he came to live with us, there was this…wall around him that no one was allowed to get past.”
“Has she ever explained why she left him with your father?”
“Not to me.” The other woman sounded troubled now. “I always assumed that she thought he’d be better off growing up with a man’s influence. When she left, of course, she had no idea she’d remarry.”
Lyn felt odd, discussing things of such a personal nature behind Cal’s back. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to see her.”
“I hope so.” Silver sounded dubious. Changing the subject, she inquired about their cattle. From there the talk moved to Lyn’s preparations for her first winter back on a ranch. It would be Silver’s first ever, and she was somewhat apprehensive about severe weather considering that the baby was due in February.
“I hope you know how to deliver a baby,” she joked.
Lyn grinned at the apprehension in her friend’s voice. “Well, I’ve helped deliver plenty of four-legged things; I imagine if I had to, I could help deliver a two-legged one. But it won’t come to that,” she said in the most reassuring tone she could muster. “When you get near your due date, we’ll keep a close eye on the weather and the doctor’s predictions. If it looks chancy, you can stay at the women’s shelter in Rapid where I lived for a while. I already asked Rilla and she said no problem.”
There was a silence from the other end of the phone. “Thank you,” said Silver in a subdued voice. “And thank Rilla. The day you came to my door was a lucky one for me.”
“And for me,” Lyn responded, feeling tears sting the backs of her eyelids. She had never had a close female friend in her whole life. Her father had kept her too isolated and she’d missed too much school to ever fit in well and develop the friendships that most of the kids did. And after her marriage, there’d been even less opportunity for feminine companionship.
After a few more warm exchanges, Lyn said goodbye and replaced the phone on its base. How much her life had changed since—
—she had to hide! Hide before Wayne could find her and hit her again. Her breath sobbed in and out of her lungs as she wedged herself behind the vacuum cleaner and a pile of cleaning supplies in the hall closet. Then—footsteps in the hall just outside the door of the apartment. Sharp rap-rap-rap on the door. Strange man’s voice. “Open this door, Galloway. I know you’re in there with the little woman. It’s time to pay up—”
And that fast, the moment was gone. Lyn was perched on a stool at the bar where she’d been talking on the phone, and it was a good thing, because she suspected she’d have slid to the floor otherwise.
Dear God! Had she remembered a real occurrence? Or had that been some figment of her imagination wishing for an easy answer? Had there been a third person in her apartment in those hours she couldn’t account for between the time she last remembered and the time Silver had found her? Who could it have been? She concentrated, dredging up the memory fragment and replaying the voice. There was something vaguely familiar about it…or was she grasping at straws?
Her hands were shaking and she clasped them tightly together on the bar, realizing she was gulping air. Cal. She had to tell Cal—
She was halfway out the door before she realized he wasn’t there. And as she stood there, arrested her in flight, she decided that this was the last time she was going to let herself go running to a man to solve her problems. Why had she felt it imperative to tell Cal about this? Sure, he’d probably be interested. But she knew in her heart that he’d have taken over the burden of deciding what to do about it. And that she’d have been happy to let him do so. To lean on his strength and rely on him to carry her along.
And that was something she needed to stop. Much as she might wish otherwise, Cal wasn’t going to be in her life forever. And in any case, she wanted—needed—to be able to make her own decisions and choices. To rely on her own strength.
Chewing on her lip, she thought about her options. Telling Cal was out. Both because he was away and because it wasn’t his problem. Call the sheriff and tell him what she’d remembered? The expressions on the faces of the two detectives stopped that idea cold. They hadn’t believed her to start with; they’d be even less likely to believe a half memory. They’d say, and logically so, that she was fabricating a story that wouldn’t implicate her.
Really, there was no sense in sharing this with anybody unless she remembered something concrete that would help the investigation.
Cal was going to miss his own party.
Lyn set out the basket of kaiser rolls for the barbecued beef as Deck’s truck rolled into the yard. Cal had called on Thursday to say he’d be delayed until Saturday. The news had so disappointed her that she’d completely forgotten to tell him his mother was coming to town.
And now the guests were due to arrive any minute and he still wasn’t home. She walked outside, waving as she drew close to the truck. “Hello. I feel a little foolish playing hostess, but Cal isn’t back yet.”
Deck Stryker grinned, stopping to buss her on the cheek as he strode around to open the other door. “We don’t need him to make a party, anyhow.”
Silver slid out, laughing at her husband as Deck put a hand firmly under her elbow. “Deck, stop hovering. Being pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t walk unaided.”
An older woman behind her spoke as Deck stepped forward to help her down, as well. “Let him fuss, honey. If he’s anything like your daddy, once that baby arrives he’ll be so thrilled he’ll barely remember your name.”
Silver smiled, tucking an arm through her mother’s and drawing her forward. “Mama, this is my friend Lyn. She’s Cal’s housekeeper and the one who generally keeps things running smoothly around here. Lyn, this is my mother, Cora Lee Jenssen.”
Lyn looked into gray eyes the exact same shade as Cal’s as his mother took her hand in a warm clasp. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenssen. Welcome to—” She stopped as she remembered that this woman once had lived here, albeit for a brief time.
“Thank you, honey, and call me Cora Lee, please.” She patted Lyn’s hand with her free one before releasing her and looking beyond her to the house. “My, my, it certainly looks better than it did when I came here more than thirty years ago.” Cora Lee had a slow, distinctly Southern drawl that fell easily on the ear. Strange that Silver didn’t have nearly such a thick accent.
“Lyn has a way with growing things,” Silver told her mother, indicating the flowers blooming around the door. “She just walks by and smiles and everything blooms.”
“That’s not true.” Lyn gestured to the walkway that led to the house. “Would you like to see the inside? Cal recently finished putting on an addition. Silver oversaw most of the rest of the redecorating and I’m afraid it’s painfully obvious where she left off and I carried on.”
“Hey, what time’s everybody coming?” Deck glanced at his watch.
“We have about twenty minutes,” Lyn reminded him.
“I’ll keep an eye on the barbecue while you ladies do the house tour,” he offered.
Silver snorted. “Got out of that one pretty neatly, didn’t you?”
He smiled smugly as he headed for the keg underneath the cottonwood tree beside the house. “A man has to do what a man has to do.”
Just then the sound of a truck on the gravel lane reached their ears, and a moment later, it came around the little ridge and down toward the house.
“That’s Cal!” Lyn took three hurried steps toward the yard and then stopped abruptly. “He’ll be delighted to see you,” she said to Cora Lee Jenssen, trying to gloss over her enthusiastic reaction to her boss’s return.
Silver laughed softly behind her. “Why don’t you go ahead and tell him she’s here?”
As Cal pulled his truck into the yard, he thought again of the soft sweetness of Lyn’s lips and the warm pressure of her body as she’d let him extend the brief caress. Hell, he’d barely thought of anything else the whole time he’d been gone. What had possessed him to kiss her the day he left? He didn’t regret it, but it surely was going to complicate the easy relationship he’d worked so hard to develop with her.
He saw a small knot of people in the yard and recognized his sister, but then Lyn’s slim figure detached itself from the group and walked toward him and he forgot about the others. Her hair was caught back in a scarf behind her neck, but a red halo surrounded her head and gleaming strands clung to the shoulders of her denim jacket.
“Hey there,” he said, not bothering to conceal the pleasure he felt at the sight of her. Later, he’d analyze just why it felt so good to have her there to greet him, but right now he was going to enjoy.
“Welcome home.” Her eyes were bright and warm, and he wondered if she’d missed him. Had she thought about the kiss they’d shared as much as he had?
His fingers itched to reach for her, and before he could remind himself of all the reasons not to, he settled his hands at her waist and drew her close. “I hated being away.”
She placed her palms against the front of his leather coat. “I…didn’t like you being away.” Her voice was the same throaty, husky murmur that haunted his dreams and left him aching and unfulfilled in the mornings. Though he knew it was due to injury, he found himself hoping she wouldn’t lose the incredibly sexy tones.
She cleared her throat and he realized he was staring at her mouth. It was hard not to. Her lips were full and perfectly bowed, and every movement of her mouth when she spoke was a sensual feast.
“We have a special guest today.”
“Oh?” He couldn’t care less. He was sorry that he’d decided on this party; all he wanted to do was explore the growing awareness between them. Ah, who was he kidding? What he really wanted was to strip her naked and lay her flat on her back in his big bed for about six weeks straight.
“Your mother’s in town for a few days.”
“That’s
great—what?” He shook his head, sure he hadn’t heard her clearly.
“Your mother came out to stay with Silver for a few days. She’s standing right back there.”
“You’re joking.” Every ounce of pleasure he’d felt at the homecoming vanished as he lifted his head and saw a petite blonde standing beside Silver. His mother. Fury rushed through him. “Did you know about this?” he demanded.
She stepped out of reach and he realized his grip on her waist had tightened to the point where he’d probably hurt her. Her eyes were huge green pools of confusion. “Yes. I meant to tell you when you called but I forgot—”
“Never mind.” He cut off the explanation with a short, sharp gesture.
“Cal? What’s wrong?” She followed him as he stepped around her and moved toward his family.
What’s wrong? Oh, nothing, except that my mother abandoned me without a backward glance thirty years ago. He stopped in front of his sister and his mother, pulling out the manners with which he was determined his genteel Southern mama would never find fault.
“Well, what a surprise. Welcome back to South Dakota, Mother.” He took the hands she extended before she could hug him and skimmed a fleeting kiss over her still-smooth cheek.
“And sister dear.” His voice warmed with genuine affection as he stepped in to kiss Silver, hugging her close for a brief instant. “Still glowing, I see. Everything going well?”
“Everything’s going fine.” Silver was eyeing him with a frown but she resisted blurting out the questions he could see in her accusing gaze. “Mama’s going to come and stay when the baby’s born so she decided to get a jump on remembering the lifestyle out here.”
The lifestyle that didn’t suit her well enough to stay and raise her child.
He nodded, not wanting to get into a discussion of anything involving his mother. Then, to his relief, a car came around the ridge, followed by two trucks. The party was beginning, and he could ignore this problem until it went away. Excusing himself, he went back to the truck and grabbed his bag, then headed for a quick shower and clean clothes.
Even though the chilly air grew significantly cooler after the sun went down, the party was a rousing success. Judging from the late hour at which the last of his guests departed, Cal could honestly say they’d had a heck of a good time.
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