by Joanna Wayne
“I take it that means you’ve arrived at the ranch and met Eve Worthington.”
“I met her all right. She threw me a welcoming party, only instead of balloons, she was wielding a knife.”
There was a short pause in the phone conversation in which Sean overheard a muttered thanks from Dylan.
“Sorry, bro,” Dylan said. “One of the nurses just brought me a cup of coffee. What’s this about a knife?”
“Dad’s houseguest took me for an intruder and came at me with a kitchen knife. I had to take it away from her.”
“Still fighting off the women.”
“You’re smiling, aren’t you?”
“Maybe just a little. Why’d she have a knife?”
“She thought I was someone else.”
“Probably believes all that bunk about the house being haunted.”
“Our house is haunted?”
“So some of the locals say. Anyway, I’m sure Eve’s fear was no match for your Ledger brawn and charm. Apologize to her for the confusion.”
“As soon as you explain why you failed to warn me the house was occupied.”
“I just found out myself. I called Collette to tell her you were in town, and she said she’d persuaded Eve to spend the night. That’s why I’m calling, hoping to give you fair warning. Collette is calling Eve, probably has her on the phone now.”
“A little after the fact.”
“You know, you have to take some of the blame,” Dylan said. “You could have called and said you were coming before you reached Mustang Run. Then we could have avoided the surprise element.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d actually go through with the visit, until I saw the city limits sign.”
Even after he’d made the call to Dylan, he still might have turned around and driven the other way if Dylan hadn’t told him about Troy’s coronary attack.
“Why are you still at the hospital?” Sean asked. “You said you were leaving for the night the last time we talked. Troy’s not having any new problems, is he?”
“No. Dad’s resting now. The cardiologist on staff stopped by the room. He says the prognosis is good for a complete recovery, though nothing is guaranteed. I’m heading that way now. Do you need anything?”
“A few answers. What’s the deal between Dad and Eve?”
“Hard to say. The situation being what it is, I haven’t had a chance to get the full story from either of them. Apparently, they became friends when she was his prison psychiatrist a few years back. She said she was just passing through tonight and decided to stop in and see him. Just in time to save his life, I might add.”
“Then they’re not a romantic item?”
“Man, Sean. Where did you get an idea like that? She’s our age. She has a kid, probably a husband as well.”
“There is no husband. And what did you expect me to think? I show up, and she’s here in her pajamas.”
“In her pajamas, huh? That must have spiced up the knife removal routine.”
“I was defending, not groping.”
“Whatever. But don’t read any more into this than is actually there. Eve said she was passing through. No reason not to believe her.”
“Then she didn’t mention that she was in any kind of trouble?”
“No, but now that you mention it, Dad seemed anxious about not getting to talk to her.”
“Did he say why?”
“No. He’s been pretty much incoherent all night, first from the coronary trauma and then from the meds.”
“Okay. We’ll talk more when I see you.”
“I’m dead tired. Do you mind if we put off our reunion until morning? Collette and I will come down and cook you, Eve and the boy an old-time ranch breakfast.”
“Sounds like a winner. I guess I can round up some linens and a pillow around this place?”
“Take your old room. The beds are made.”
“And occupied.”
“Then avoid temptation and find another room.”
“There is no temptation involved.”
“Then just make yourself at home. And, Sean, I’m really glad you’re here. It will mean a lot to Dad.”
Sean doubted that. He said a quick goodbye.
Once he’d finished the beer, he checked the rest of the fridge’s contents. Choices weren’t bad.
He found bread in the pantry and made himself a ham and cheese sandwich, then poured a tall glass of milk to wash it down. Halfway through the meal, he heard the soft patter of footsteps in the hallway.
He looked up as Eve joined him in the kitchen. She’d pulled a pale blue robe over her pajamas. That did nothing to hide the fact that she was a damned attractive woman.
She looked around the kitchen, her gaze focusing on the sandwich fixings he’d left on the counter.
“Help yourself,” he said. “Bread’s fresh and the ham is good. There’s plenty of beer, or milk if you’re a purist.”
“I’m not opposed to cold beer, but a glass of milk sounds better tonight.”
“Something to soothe the savage beast.”
A blush flushed her cheeks. “I’m not ordinarily so savage. I’m a city girl. I guess I let the isolation get to me.”
“Looked like a little more than that to me.”
“Look, Sean, I’m really sorry about the knife incident, but can we just forget about it now?”
“Subject closed.” For the time being. “There’s hot chocolate mix in the pantry.”
She nodded. “That sounds even better. Can I make a cup for you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
She turned back to face him, and her straight, shiny brown locks seductively bounced around the bottom of her chin. Much too seductively.
He finished off his sandwich and wiped his mouth on the paper towel he’d been using as a napkin, just as she started to the table with two steaming mugs of cocoa in hand.
“Sorry, but I didn’t find marshmallows,” she said.
“I suspect Troy is not a marshmallow kind of guy,” Sean said. “But then, you evidently know him much better than I do.”
She stared into her cup for a moment and then lifted her eyes to meet his. Hers were the color of warm cognac, vibrant even in the fluorescent light from the overhead fixture.
“I was Troy’s prison psychiatrist for a couple of years.”
“Dylan told me. He called while you were calming your son.”
“Collette called me as well. She explained everything. I’m truly sorry for intruding on your homecoming.”
“Actually, I’m more the intruder. You were the invited guest.”
“It’s your home.”
“Was my home. When I was thirteen. I’ve hung my hat in a lot of places since then.”
“Nonetheless, Joey and I will clear out of your way in the morning.”
“Don’t leave on my account. It’s a big house, and I don’t plan to be here long.”
Her shoulders squared. “You should. You owe it to your father to get to know the man he is today.”
He bristled a bit at the preachy tone, especially when she had no idea what she was talking about. “Do you always offer your opinion to people you’ve just met?”
“No,” she admitted. “I seldom give advice at all anymore.”
Her shoulders and voice fell as if he’d sucker punched her. It gave him no pleasure. “It’s okay,” he said. “My dad and I have issues.”
She merely nodded, leaving lots of questions in his mind about just what his father had told her about him and his brothers. Had Troy played her, fed her what he thought she’d like to hear in order to make an impression on her? Or had she just dug around in his mind and come up with her own conclusions?
She finished her hot chocolate, stood and carried her empty cup to the sink. Once she rinsed it, she turned back to him. “Again, I’m sorry for the knife incident, and I wish you and Troy the best.”
He watched her walk away, her slim hips swaying just enough to make her exit interesting.
He thought again of the way her body had felt pressed against his. For a minute back there, he’d had the crazy urge to kiss her.
The urge surfaced again, and he wondered what she’d do if he followed her to the bedroom door and kissed her good-night.
Probably come at him with a knife while he slept.
He’d leave well enough alone before he became as lust-craved as Laci Cahill. With one big difference. He wasn’t married—and had no intention of ever playing the matrimony game.
EVE PULLED THE COVERS about Joey and leaned close, letting her lips brush his forehead. Asleep, innocence was etched into his youthful face. If only she could give him that simple purity of joy back again, instead of dragging him back into the ominous threat of peril.
Trepidation played havoc with her breathing as she backed away from Joey’s bed. What if that had been Orson at the door tonight? What if he’d been the man who’d pinned her to the wall with his brute strength? The truth shuddered through her.
There would have been no way she could have protected Joey.
But it hadn’t been Orson Bastion. It had been Sean Ledger, whose hard, unrelenting strength held her captive. Yet, the minute she’d realized he wasn’t dangerous, it had been attraction, not fear, she’d felt at his hands.
Eve slipped out of her robe, draped it across the one chair in the room and then dropped to the twin bed opposite Joey’s. She slid beneath the crisp sheets and pulled the quilt over her as confusing thoughts tumbled through her mind.
The dread that had chilled her before Sean’s arrival had disappeared. The rambling old house no longer made her uneasy. If anything, she felt protected. Sean made the difference.
Yet, she couldn’t start relying on him. Tomorrow might bring anything. Tonight she needed to get some sleep.
Her eyelids grew heavy, and she turned over to stare out the window and into the darkness, and the scatter of stars that studded the sky.
Her mind flashed back to Sean and a rush of heat crept inside her.
Surely not desire, she told herself. Not in this situation. If she felt anything at all for Sean, the attraction stemmed from pure relief that he wasn’t Orson Bastion.
If he had been, she’d be dead.
But Orson was still on the loose.
SOMEONE WAS IN THE HOUSE. Eve could hear him breathing, smell the odors of sweat and cheap after-shave, see his shadow coming nearer.
She clutched the knife and felt the sear of pain and hot, sticky blood gushing into her hand. When she looked down she saw that the handle was missing and the blade had sliced into her palm.
Her brain began to clatter. Eve jerked awake and sat up in bed. The clattering wasn’t in her brain, but was coming from the bedside table where her cell phone was vibrating against the old wood.
She glanced at the clock as she grabbed the phone to quiet it before it woke Joey. Five minutes before six in the morning was extremely early for a call from either Gordon or Collette, and they were the only two who had her number.
The vibration in the palm of her hand mirrored the state of her nerves as she whispered hello.
“It’s Gordon. Is this Eve?”
“Yes.” The urgency in his voice told her this was not a good-news call.
Chapter Five
Eve tried to steady the phone in her shaky hand as she untangled herself from the bed covers.
“I can barely hear you,” Gordon said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Where are you?”
“Hold on.”
She slid her legs over the side of the bed and padded into the hall, quietly closing the bedroom door behind her before resuming the conversation. “I’m sorry, Gordon. I should have called you and let you know I was all right. I took your suggestion. I’m at Troy Ledger’s ranch in Mustang Run.”
“Thank God for that. Troy is the one man who’ll understand your situation. How is he?”
“He’s in the hospital.” She told him how she’d arrived to find him in the throes of an apparent heart attack.
“Good thing you showed up when you did,” Gordon said.
“I’m taking that as a good omen, but I’m still worried about Troy.”
“Are you alone in Troy’s house?”
“Not exactly. Troy’s son Sean is here.”
“You mean Dylan?”
“No, it seems I wasn’t the only one who showed up at the ranch unexpectedly last evening. It’s complicated.”
“Sounds that way. The good news is you’re safe and don’t have to worry about Orson showing up at your house.”
And yet she could hear the alarm in Gordon’s voice. “Is there news about Orson?”
The long pause sent her pulse spiraling.
“This could mean nothing, Eve. There’s no conclusive proof that Orson is even still in Texas.”
“Don’t beat around the bush. Just give me the truth.”
“Okay. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but a young woman was killed yesterday in a carjacking, and the police seem to think Orson might have been involved.”
“I caught just the basics on the evening news last night.”
“Then you know the car was deserted a few miles from where you live.”
“No, I didn’t realize that.” A new wave of uneasiness wrecked havoc with her control. For all she knew, Orson might have already been to her house looking for her. Had she been there…
She forced herself to breathe. “Is there more?”
“Reagan Conner has been trying to get in touch with you.”
“Reagan Conner? Should I know who that is?”
“He’s the homicide detective investigating the murder.”
“Why would he contact you?”
“To see if I know anything to help them locate Orson. He questioned me about former inmates that Orson might try to hook up with for help in getting out of the area. I gave him a few names, but also told him about the threats on your life.”
“Did Detective Conner mention that I’d called the police department yesterday and told them I could be a target?”
“Yes. He wanted my take on the threat Orson made to you, but for the record, he thinks you’re overreacting. He’s convinced Orson’s only concern will be avoiding capture. Nonetheless, he says he’s been trying to reach you.”
“Did you give him this number?”
“No. You asked me not to give it to anyone, and I wouldn’t go against your wishes without asking first. I think you should call him, but handle it anyway you want. Just don’t go home until Orson is back in prison, or the cops are certain he’s out of the area.”
“Thanks for the heads-up that he was near my neighborhood. You can be sure I won’t go home until I’m convinced it’s safe to do so.”
Not that she had any idea where she would go, now that she couldn’t stay here.
“Just hang tight,” Gordon said. “Every cop in the state is on the lookout for him. He’ll be behind bars soon.”
“I’m counting on that.”
In the meantime, Orson was disrupting every aspect of her life. If she didn’t have Joey, she’d just buy a gun and take her chances with the monster back in Dallas.
But she did have Joey. Violence had torn his life apart once. Now she not only had to protect him, but see that he was not traumatized again.
Once they’d said their goodbyes, anxiety scratched along her raw nerves like the claws of a wildcat. She drooped against the wall and buried her head in her hands, massaging her temples, as if that would stimulate her brain into making a decision as to what she should do next.
“Is there a problem?”
Sean’s voice startled her. She turned to find him a few feet away, shadowed in the moonlight that filtered into the house. He was wearing jeans, still unsnapped at the waist. No shirt. No shoes.
She fought an impulse to throw herself into his strong arms and stay there until the quaking inside stopped. After the knife episode, surely he’d think she was nuts. She managed
to keep a ragged hold on her composure.
“How much did you hear?” she asked.
“Enough to know it wasn’t good news.”
“Good news seldom comes at daybreak, does it?”
“Not often. Anything I can do to help?”
“No, but thanks for asking.”
“I’m a good listener. Actually, I’m not,” he admitted, “but I’ll make a stab at it, since we’re both awake anyway.”
“Believe me, you don’t want to get involved in this.”
“In that case, can I offer a shoulder to cry on?”
“That’s the most tempting offer I’ve had in days.” Maybe years, but she wouldn’t go there. “But crying wouldn’t help.”
He propped a hand next to her shoulder, leaning against the wall, not pinning her in as he’d done before, yet so close she could feel the titillating warmth of his body.
Maybe it was just the act of standing this close to a half-dressed hunk when the sun hadn’t even peeked over the horizon, but she seemed to be forgetting how to breathe.
“Who did you think I was when you came at me with the knife?” Sean asked.
“I don’t know. A burglar, I guess. Didn’t we go over this before?”
“Are you sure you’re not running from someone?”
“That’s a ludicrous idea.”
He cupped her chin in his right hand, tilting her head so that she had to meet his piercing gaze head-on. “I know fear when I see it, Eve. Even in people.”
“I’m not afraid,” she lied. “I’m concerned about a friend. That’s all. I’m really tired and I’d like a few more hours sleep before I have to get up.”
“Have it your way. If you change your mind, I’m in the room right across the hall. And remember, you don’t have to rush off in the morning just because Troy isn’t here. I’m not going to seduce you or try to take advantage of you, you know.”
Intentional or not, she was already being seduced. Apparently all it took in her current state of mind was a gentle touch and a wallop of masculinity.
But even if she was attracted to Sean, she couldn’t stay. Troy had enough problems, without having to worry himself with her. In fact, even visiting Troy in the hospital would be a mistake. She wouldn’t get into that with Sean, either. She’d just get up in a few hours and clear out.