'I'm giving a barbecue soon, and I wanted to make sure you could come. Probably the Saturday after next.'
'Yes, I'd love to. Can I bring anything?'
'A salad? A cake? Whatever you feel like. There'll be about fifty guests, I expect everyone will bring something. I'm providing the beef and chicken for the barbecue. And the drinks.'
Kyle followed her, stopping to eavesdrop. Reminding her of another question.
'George, one of Johnny's cousins is staying with me. Can I bring him, too?'
'Sure, the more the merrier. I didn't know you had a house guest.'
'Just Kyle. Why don't you come for dinner tomorrow night? You can meet him then.'
'Sounds like a fine idea.'
'Come about seven.'
'Good. See you then.'
Kyle stood and watched as she hung up the phone. She turned a bright face to him.
'There! Your first social occasion, at George Carlisle's. He's one of the ranchers from around here, we saw the entrance to his ranch this morning. He's having a barbecue in a week, and invited us. You can meet lots of people there, establish your background. Maybe Nate and Jim will be there, too.'
'Who's George Carlisle?'
'A rancher—I just said.'
'A special friend?'
'Well,' Jenny was reluctant to admit to that, 'we've gone out a few times since this spring. He's nice.'
***
Kyle turned away and began to climb the stairs. 'Nice is no threat,' he murmured as he went up. 'I'll be down for dinner.'
'Don't you want lunch?'
'No. I want to lie down.' He paused and looked over the banister, down at her. 'Thanks for the lift and the tour.'
Kyle went to the guest room, toed off his shoes and lay down on the bed. It felt like heaven. He was pushing to get better, but his body betrayed him every step. He felt he could sleep the clock around.
Yet his mind churned. There was so much open space surrounding Palmer it could take months or longer to find a field, especially hidden as they were from aerial surveillance. And if he couldn’t even ride around in a car for a few hours, how would he ever hike into the remote areas likely for the plants?
As he drifted to sleep he made a mental note to have Stuart Brownley check out George. He’d do better to not tell Jenny. He already knew she’d blow up if she thought he was checking out her friends. This wasn’t business–strictly personal. He wondered what kind of man she was attracted to. Tomorrow night might give him the answers.
***
As Jenny prepared for bed that night, she remembered the brief conversation that afternoon about the gunshot wounds. She hadn’t let herself dwell on it before, but now she let her imagination have full rein. How awful it must have been! She could envision the shock, the pain Kyle must have felt. Had he received immediate attention? Had he been with a partner or alone with the suspect? She closed her eyes tightly to black out the picture.
She knew how impatient he was with the time it was taking to heal. He was a man of action, wanting to move, react. To wait patiently for a healing process in which he played very little part must be very annoying and taxing. She wondered if there was any permanent damage. Would he be completely well soon?
The next evening Jenny took care to dress up for dinner. It was the first time George had been to her house, and she wanted it to be special, to show her appreciation of the enjoyable evenings they’d spent together over the last few months. She took pains with dinner, freshened the house and put a bouquet of late spring flowers in the dining room. The evenings were cool and pleasant, so they could have their coffee on the lawn.
The blue and white sundress she wore was simple, yet flattering to her figure. It showed off the light tan she had already acquired. She didn't often wear dresses. Jenny felt very feminine in the soft skirt and the fitted bodice. She brushed her hair until the highlights shone. Putting her make-up on sparingly, she was ready.
Kyle was already downstairs when Jenny drifted down the stairs. He watched her descent, his expression unreadable.
Jenny feasted her eyes on him, his pale shirt showing off the breadth of his shoulders, the dark brown cords molding the length of his long legs. He looked rested and relaxed, the color back in his face, his eyes bold and assessing.
Jenny felt the heat steal into her cheeks, but could do nothing to stop it. She felt his gaze as a caress and the trembling deep within her threatened to spill out to her knees.
'You look lovely,' Kyle said softly as she reached the front hall.
'Thank you.' Shyly she walked over to him, breathlessly drawing near him. Would he move to let her pass? They could wait for George in the living room.
'All dressed up for the neighbor, eh?'
Jenny blinked. 'Sure, he's a good friend and I want him to enjoy himself tonight.'
'Shall I excuse myself after dinner so you two can enjoy yourself?'
She understood the hidden meaning and shook her head. If she wanted something like that, it wouldn't be with George Carlisle.
'No need,' she replied stiffly, staring up into his face. The fine lines around his eyes were paler than his tanned cheeks, the lips full and sensuous, his dark eyes fathomless pools in which she could fall and lose herself forever.
'Jenny--' His voice was low, husky as he gently trailed his knuckles down her heated cheek, across her jaw-line, down her throat. 'If you continue to look at me like that, your friend's going to miss dinner.'
Jenny swayed towards Kyle, her mind racing, tumbling with visions of what might happen. The vision vanished as she heard the throaty growl of George's Porsche on the graveled drive.
With a sigh—hers or his? — she stepped back and went to the door to greet her guest.
Surprised by a large bouquet of roses, she was pink and flustered as she made the introductions.
Under the pretense of smelling the fragrant blossoms, she studied the two men. They were totally different, each distinguished in his own right. Kyle was taller, broader, much more rugged. His dark, unruly hair, his brown eyes, narrowed now, his tanned skin, all blending together gave him a rakish appearance, an earthy, robust stance. Clearly a man of action.
George would have been at home at a corporate board meeting. He was slim, dapper, with a small mustache covering his top lip. His eyes were rather nondescript—hazel, Jenny thought. He had an aura of fastidiousness around him in contrast to Kyle's earthiness.
She smiled at them both.
'I'll just put these in water. Why don't you go on into the living room? I'll join you in just a moment.'
The men moved to the room, each watching the other. Kyle gave way first, seeking a chair near the sofa, from where he could see the whole room. No matter where George chose to sit, Kyle could easily converse with him. George chose the sofa.
Jenny, coming in with drinks, paused only a moment before joining George on the sofa.
'I know what Kyle likes.' She handed him his glass. 'And, George, I remembered what you always ordered when we ate out—gin and tonic. Right?'
'Fine, thank you, my dear.' George raised his glass in silent toast and sipped.
Jenny was flustered. He had never called her 'dear' before; it was almost like he was staking a claim. Why tonight, of all nights? She threw a quick glance at Kyle. He was looking at the drink, she’d brought him–a cola. Had he heard? Suddenly he looked up, catching her gaze. His sardonic expression showed he had.
'Jenny said you were one of Johnny's cousins. I don't believe we've met before, and yet I thought I knew most of the Warwick’s.' George settled back, his demeanor calm and thoughtful.
'Edith's son,' Jenny murmured, looking at her glass, her emotions whirling. She had not thought of George as anything other than a friend. Surely that was all he saw her as.
'I haven't visited here in—oh, years and years. Since I was a kid,' Kyle said lazily. 'Wasn't planning on it this summer, either, but since I crashed my bike, I thought why not? Now that I've met Jenny, I'm glad it happe
ned.'
Jenny jerked her head up at this, had she heard right?
'An accident on a motorcycle?' George was polite.
'Yeah. Broken collarbone. I'll be fine in a few weeks, but in the meantime, it put paid to my plans to visit Europe this summer.'
The conversation centered on Kyle as he and Jenny slowly unfolded the story they had concocted. George was polite, probing. Kyle answered all questions in a casual, careless manner, more than once alluding to a growing relationship between him and his cousin's widow. Jenny grew more and more nervous as the questions went on, glaring at Kyle, trying to catch his eyes to squelch the trend of the conversation. He ignored her. Was this his idea of a joke?
Just wait until she had him alone! She'd set him straight! What did he think he was doing?
As Kyle grew more and more expansive, George grew more and more reserved. Jenny felt guilty about the evening. He was a nice man, and did not deserve the story Kyle was giving him.
'I'll just check on dinner, shall I?' Unable to stand the conversation any longer, she jumped up and hurried into the kitchen.
Was George always so inquisitive? Jenny didn't know him well enough to know if he were or not. The town thrived on gossip, yet she hadn't thought George the type to spread it. He was asking a lot of questions tonight, however. Or was she suspicious where she shouldn’t be? The knowledge that Kyle was looking for pot growers was affecting her sensibility. George was a prosperous rancher, he had no reason to do drugs.
And Kyle had no business pretending something of a romantic nature was developing.
Quickly she dished up the meal: fried chicken she had prepared earlier, vegetables, potato cakes, iced tea to drink. She had prepared a blueberry tart for dessert. Surely the conversation would change at dinner?
The meal passed pleasantly, much to her relief. The evening was beginning to wear on her. Dessert and coffee they took on the lawn, the evening cool enough to be pleasant. Shasta joined them when they came outside, keeping close to Jenny's side.
'Odd how she got that dog, don't you think?' George said as he began his second cup of coffee.
'I don't believe I know how she got it,' Kyle said. 'Buy it in a pet shop?'
'No, mysteriously the dog arrived one day, fully trained,' she said looking at him with an innocent expression.
'I can’t figure out why a trained German Shepherd? We haven't had a wild attacker running amok, so why the trained dog?' George said.
'Why not?' Jenny said lightly, her eyes holding Kyle's.'
'He's a friendly thing,' Kyle said, snapping his fingers. Shasta lumbered up and went to Kyle, his tail wagging. Kyle fondled his ears.
'To you, maybe. I keep my distance around him,' George said. 'Planning to stay the entire summer here, Kyle?'
'If Jenny doesn't get too tired of having me around. By the time I'm fit again, it will be far too late to get to Europe. School starts in September, so I'll just hang around till then, I guess.'
Jenny sipped her coffee to hide her smile. Kyle sounded so unsure, so vague. Totally unlike the real Kyle. Was he expecting George to talk about the cousin visiting Jenny, to spread the tale of his weakness, his indecisiveness? If it would lull people, it would be worth it. But George was not the type to chat casually about his neighbors and their affairs. Kyle picked the wrong man to spread the story if he thought George would do so.
When George took his leave, he asked Jenny to walk him to his car. He thanked her for dinner and then he took her hand.
'In a way, I'm sorry Kyle is here, but he's a pleasant enough fellow. Practically one of the family, I see, being Johnny's cousin and all. Though maybe in the near future, you and I could go out to dinner without him.'
Jenny smiled. 'I'd like that.' Anything to avoid another evening like tonight.
'I'll see you at the barbecue.' He gave her hand an extra squeeze and turned to get into his car.
Jenny watched as he drove off and wandered slowly back to where Kyle was still sitting, next to Shasta on the lawn.
'Just how close are you two?' Kyle asked as she stacked the cups and saucers.
'Not that it's any of your business,' she said coolly, 'but we're just friends. Actually George is the older brother of a guy I went to school with. We ran into each other a few months ago and have gone out once or twice.'
'He's too old for you, too pedantic.'
'I'll pick my own friends, thank you,' she said.
She gathered everything up and went to the kitchen. Kyle rose and followed her in, leaning against the counter as she washed and wiped the last of the dishes. As she was drying her hands on the towel, he reached out and gently took her wrist, drawing her over to him, against him, his good arm going around her back as he bent his head to kiss her.
His lips were warm and firm against Jenny's, seductive and persuasive as he moved them gently against hers, and she found herself slowly opening her mouth for a deeper kiss. His tongue traced the soft inner skin of her lip, moved to her teeth, then thrust boldly into the moist sweetness, teasing her tongue, inviting it to invade his mouth. His touch was arousing, exciting, enticing.
Jenny felt rocked to her heels. The warm feel of Kyle's body was a delight, his arm strong, his mouth wreaking sweet havoc on hers, his chest solid against the softness of her breasts. She stood quietly for a moment, then returned the kiss with great enthusiasm. Remembering suddenly the last kiss they had shared, she stopped, drew back.
'Another perk, Kyle?'
His arm dropped, as his eyes took on a wicked glint. 'Of course!'
'Brownley didn't explain that part of the job,' she retorted.
He roared with laughter, his face open with the delight her comment caused, his eyes warm with amusement. He reached over to her again, taking her chin, and dropping a light kiss on her mouth. And another, rubbing his lips against hers.
'I'll be sure and tell him of his omission next time I see him. George is not the man for you.'
Who is? she wanted to ask. Instead, Jenny shrugged. 'I don't think he wants to be.' Though some of his comments tonight had made her wonder. 'He's just being neighborly. I think you'll like his place. It's modern and trendy, without being too outlandish.'
'You should be around traditional things, not chrome and glass.'
Jenny frowned. Did he think she was old-fashioned? She opened her mouth to deny the charge, when Kyle tilted her head again, his lips brushing lightly against hers.
Jenny's heart began a slow, heavy beat as the tingling touch of his mouth brought her awake, alert, uncertain.
'Dinner was nice.' He kissed her again, his lips warm and firm. 'Dessert was nice.' Again the warm pressure. 'You're nice.'
His mouth covered hers, moving against her lips, the moist tip of his tongue tantalizing the softness of her lips. Involuntarily, Jenny relaxed and opened her mouth a little, caught up in the sweetness of his touch. She held her breath as he ran his tongue against the soft fleshy inner lip, against her pearly teeth, around her lips again. She exhaled reluctantly when Kyle raised his head. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking in the brightness of the light.
Kyle's fingers moved to her throat, caressing softly, then to her shoulders.
'Goodnight, Jenny, sleep well.'
She nodded, afraid to trust her voice, then turned and hastened up the stairs, her thoughts in turmoil.
She didn't even try for coherent order until she was beneath her sheets.
Lying in the still night, she reviewed the evening: George's surprising endearment, Kyle's allusions. Kyle's goodnight kisses. His touch was exciting, his casual approach hard to figure out. Was he really just whiling away the time while on assignment, or was there anything more to his actions?
She turned over, trying for sleep, only to have new thoughts spring to the front of her mind. Wishing she had heard the answer to her mother's question, she wondered whether, even if she had, it would tell her anything? If his cover dictated he not be married, that was what he'd say, no matter if it was true or
not.
But a married man wouldn't be kissing a woman he hardly knew, would he? Even as a perk?
Why not? her mind jeered. He probably considered it a light dalliance, a mild flirtation—as he had said, only a perk of the job. Jenny didn't like the thought, yet it persisted. She knew she had lived a rather sheltered life. Johnny had been her first and only lover. He had been faithful to her and she to him since they started dating.
What would Johnny think if he could see her tonight? She felt disloyal and guilty at enjoying Kyle's kisses. She turned over on her back, gazing into the inky darkness. Rationally, she knew she was free to do what she wished. Johnny was gone, never to come back. Still, she had loved him all her life, never looked at another man. Until now.
Kyle was fascinating, intriguing. But not for her, if he believed in casual sex, casual relationships.
Jenny made a face in distaste. A casual relationship would never work for her, nor for anyone she would want to marry again, should she ever wish to do so. But did Kyle approach things that way?
She remembered how he had ruthlessly broken into her house last winter, with no thought of her fright or of any inconvenience it might have brought her. Was he equally ruthless in his own private life? Did he subjugate everything to the job, taking his pleasures where he could find them, moving on when the next job came up? Or did he have a loving family in the background to which he returned after each assignment. Would he tell her if she asked?
On this, Jenny fell asleep.
Kyle sat on the edge of the bed, gently rotating his arm as much as he could move it without the searing pain that let him know he was pushing it. During the day it ached, when he exercised, it throbbed. Still, according to the doctors, he’d gain full mobility as long as he didn’t do something stupid to further injure it.
He continued to try to loosen the tightness as he walked to the window. The stars filled the sky. The dark silhouettes of the tall pines and firs blotted them out here and there. He studied the dark landscape. In a few more days, a week at the most, he’d be fit enough to start following the local hiking trails to see if he could find any evidence of illegal activity.
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