#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery brings you a reader-favorite tale of redemption, self-discovery and a love that conquers all.

Elizabeth Abbot is finally pulling her life back together. She’s endured enough heartbreak at the hands of her deceitful ex-husband and is determined to provide a happy life for her daughter. That’s exactly why she should stay away from Travis Haynes, the sheriff of Glenwood, with his trademark Stetson and sexy smile.

With all of her broken heart, Elizabeth longs to trust the legendary lawman, to let him past the walls she has built up so carefully. But will her shattered past forever hold her hostage, even from a love that could make her whole?

The Best Bride

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Title Page

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Part Two

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Part Three

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Part One

Chapter One

The white T-bird fishtailed around the corner. It sprayed dirt and gravel up onto the left front of the patrol car parked on the side of the road.

Sheriff Travis Haynes turned the key to start the engine, then flipped on the blue lights. As he pulled out onto the highway, he debated whether or not to use the siren, then decided against it. He was about to mess up someone’s long weekend by giving him a ticket; no point in adding insult to injury by using the siren. The good citizens of Glenwood had contributed enough money to buy a car equipped with a siren that could wake the dead. But that didn’t necessarily mean they wanted him to use it on them.

He stepped on the gas until he was behind the white car, then checked his speed. He gave a low whistle and looked at the car ahead. He could see a mass of brown hair through the rear window, but little else. The lady was going somewhere in a hurry. He followed behind and waited.

It took her another two minutes to notice him. She glanced in her mirror, saw the flashing lights, did a double take, then immediately put on her blinker and pulled to the side of the road. Travis slowed and parked behind her. He shut off the engine, reached for his Stetson and ticket book, then got out and walked leisurely toward the car. His cowboy boots crunched on the gravel. He noticed the California license plate tags were current.

“Afternoon,” he said, when he walked up to the open window. He glanced down at the woman and got a brief impression of big brown eyes in a heart-shaped face. She looked a little pale under her tan. A lot of people were nervous when they were stopped by an officer. He gave her a friendly smile. “You were going pretty fast there.”

“I—I know,” she said, softly, averting her gaze and staring out the front window. “I’m sorry.”

She gripped the steering wheel tightly. He looked past her to the young girl in the passenger seat. The child looked more frightened than her mother. She clutched a worn brown teddy bear to her chest and stared at him with wide blue eyes. Her mouth trembled as if she were fighting tears. About five or six, he thought, giving her a quick wink.

Travis returned his attention to the woman. She wore her hair pulled up in a ponytail on top of her head. The ends fell back almost to her shoulders. It was a warm September afternoon. She was dressed in a red tank top and white shorts. He tried not to notice her legs. “I’m going to need to see your driver’s license and registration, ma’am,” he said politely.

“What? Oh, of course.”

She bent over to grab her purse from the floor on the passenger’s side. He thought he heard a gasp, as if she were in pain, but before he could be sure, she fumbled with her wallet and pulled out the small identification. As she handed it to him, it slipped out of her fingers and fluttered toward the ground. He caught it before it touched the dirt.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. Her mouth pulled into a straight line and dark emotion flickered in her eyes.

Immediately his instincts went on alert. Something wasn’t right. She was too scared or too upset for someone getting a ticket. He glanced down at the license. Elizabeth Abbott. Age twenty-eight. Five-six. The address listed her as living in Los Angeles.

“You’re a long way from home,” he said, looking from her to the license and back.

“We just moved here,” she said.

He took the registration next and saw the car was in her name.

“So what’s the story?” he asked, flipping open his ticket book.

“Excuse me?”

“Why were you speeding?”

Her eyebrows drew together. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re in Glenwood, ma’am, and we have a tradition here. If you can tell me a story I haven’t heard before, I have to let you go.”

Her mouth curved up slightly. It made her look pretty. He had a feeling she would be hell on wheels if she let go enough to really smile. “You’re kidding?”

“No, ma’am.” He adjusted his Stetson.

“Have you ever let anyone go?”

He thought for a minute, then grinned. “I stopped Miss Murietta several years ago. She was hurrying home to watch the last episode of Dallas on TV.”

“And you let her off the hook?”

He shrugged. “I hadn’t heard that excuse before. So what’s yours? I’ve been in the sheriff’s department almost twelve years, so it’ll have to be good.”

Elizabeth Abbott stared up at him and started to laugh. She stopped suddenly, drew in a deep breath and seemed to fall toward the steering wheel. She caught herself and clutched her midsection.

“Mommy?” The little girl beside her sounded frantic. “Mommy?”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth said, glancing at her.

But Travis could see she wasn’t fine. He realized the look in her eyes wasn’t fear, it was pain. He saw it in the lines around her mouth and the way she paled even more under her tan.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, stuffing his ticket book into his back pocket.

“Nothing,” she said. “Just a stomachache. It won’t go away. I was going to a walk-in clinic to see if they could—” She gasped and nearly doubled over. The seat belt held her in place.

Travis opened the car door and crouched beside her. “You pregnant?” he asked. He reached for her wrist and found her pulse. It was rapid. Her skin felt cold and clammy to the touch.

“No, why?”

“Miscarriage.”

“I’m not pregnant.” She leaned her head back against the seat rest. “Give me a minute. I’ll be fine.”

Her daughter stared up at her. He could see the worry and the fear in her blue eyes and his heart went out to the little girl.

“Mommy, don’t be sick.”

“I’m fine.” She touched her child’s cheek.

Travis leaned in and unlatched the seat belt.

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth asked.

“Taking you to the hospital.”

“That’s not necessary. Really, I’ll just drive to the clinic and—” She drew in a deep breath and held it. Her eyes closed and her jaw tightened.

“That’s it,” he said, reaching one arm under her legs, the other behind her back. Before she could protest, he slid her out and carried her toward his car.

She clung to him and shivered. “I don’t mean to be any trouble.”

“No trouble. Part of the job.”

“You carry a lot of women in your line of work?”

Her muscles felt tight and perspiration clung to her forehead and upper lip. She must be in a lot of pain, but she was trying to keep it all together. He winked. “It’s been a good week for me.”

When they reached his car, Travis lowered her feet to the ground and opened the door to the back seat. He started to pick her up again, but she shook her head and bent over to slide in. He returned to the lady’s car and slipped into the driver’s seat. The little girl was hunched against the door, staring at him. Tears rolled down her face.

“What’s your name, honey?” he asked softly.

“Mandy.”

“How old are you?”

She hiccuped and clutched the bear to her chest. “Six.”

“I’m going to take your mom to the hospital, and they’re going to make her feel better. I’d like you come with me. Okay?”

She nodded slowly.

He gave her his best smile, then collected Elizabeth’s purse. After shoving her keys, license and registration into his pocket, he unhooked Mandy’s seat belt and helped her out of the car. He rolled up the windows and locked the doors, then led her to the sheriff’s vehicle.

Her tears stopped momentarily as she stared at the array of switches and listened to the crackling of the radio. “You ever been inside a patrol car before?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“You’ll like it. I promise.” That earned him a sniff. He settled her quickly beside him, then glanced back at Elizabeth. She lay across the seat, her knees pulled up to her chest, breathing rapidly.

“How you doing?” he asked.

“Hanging in there,” she said, her voice tight with strain.

“I’m going to use the siren,” he said, starting the engine and switching it on. Instantly a piercing wail filled the car. Travis checked his mirror, then pulled out onto the road.

Traffic was light and they were at the hospital in less than fifteen minutes. Two minutes after that, Elizabeth had been wheeled away on a gurney and he was filling out paperwork at the circular counter near the emergency entrance. Mandy stood beside him, crying.

She didn’t make a sound, but he could swear he heard every one of those tears rolling down her cheeks. Her pain made it tough to concentrate. Poor kid. She was scared to death.

He bent over and picked her up, setting her on the counter next to him. They were almost at eye level. A headband adorned with cartoon characters held her blond hair off her round face. The same collection of animals, in a rainbow of colors, covered her T-shirt. She wore denim shorts and scuffed sandals. Except for the tears, she looked like just any other six-year-old.

“When did you and your mom move here?” he asked.

She clutched the tattered teddy bear closer. “Yesterday,” she said, gulping for air.

“Yesterday?” There went his hope they might have made friends in town. “Do you have any family here?”

She shook her head and sniffed again.

He reached over the counter to a box of tissues beside the phone. The receptionist was also a nurse, and she had disappeared into the room with Elizabeth. Mandy wiped her face and tried to blow her nose. It didn’t work. He took a couple of tissues and held them over her face.

“Blow,” he ordered, wondering how many times he’d done this during summer T-ball practice. There were always a lot of tears as the kids skinned knees and elbows…and lost games.

“Where’s your daddy?”

Her blue eyes filled again. “He’s gone.”

Gone meaning dead? Or divorced? “Where does he live now?” Travis asked.

“I don’t know. He doesn’t see us anymore. Mommy said he had to go away because he’s big. She said he’s never coming b-back.” Her voice trembled.

He gave her a reassuring smile. Big? That didn’t make any sense. Elizabeth Abbott must be divorced. He glanced down at the hospital forms. She had an insurance card in her wallet, so he copied that information. “Where do you live?” he asked, then realized that if they’d just moved here, Mandy wouldn’t know her address yet.

“By the ducks.”

“The duck pond?”

She nodded vigorously, her tears momentarily forgotten. “It’s pretty. I have a big bed all to myself. Just like Mommy. And there’s little soaps in the bath.” She smiled. She had a dimple in each cheek and he could see she was going to grow up to be a heartbreaker.

He pictured the buildings around the duck pond in the center of town and remembered there was a small motel on the corner. So much for having an address here.

“What about your grandmother and grandfather? Do you know where they are?”

“They live far away.”

Before he could think of any more questions, the receptionist came bustling back into the room. “Appendix,” she said, pulling her stethoscope from around her neck and placing it in the right hip pocket of her nurse’s uniform. “Caught it in time.” She looked at Mandy. “Your mommy is going to have an operation. Do you know what that means?”

Mandy looked scared again. “No.”

“The doctor is going to make her sleep for a little bit while he makes her feel better. There’s an infection inside and he’s going to take it out. But she’ll be fine.”

Mandy didn’t looked reassured. She bit her lower lip hard and tears filled her eyes. Travis felt like he’d taken a sucker punch to the gut. Apparently the kid didn’t know a soul in town, and if the grandparents weren’t local, finding them could take days. He didn’t even know if Abbott was Elizabeth’s maiden or married name.

He held out his arm, offering Mandy a hug, but letting her decide. She threw herself against him with the desperation of a drowning man clutching a raft. Her slight body shook with the tremors of her sobs. She smelled of sun and grass and little girl. So damn small to be facing this alone.

“Hush,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I’m right here and everything’s going to be fine.”

* * *

It was nearly seven in the evening before Travis was able to take Mandy in to see her mother. The nurse had informed him children weren’t allowed on the ward, but he’d ignored her and marched past, carrying Mandy in his arms. He was the sheriff. What were they going to do? Arrest him?

He should have gone off-duty at four-thirty, but he couldn’t leave the kid on her own, and he didn’t want to take her to the local child services office before she’d seen her mother. It didn’t much matter, he thought as he walked down the hospital hallway. He hadn’t made any plans for the weekend.

Although Glenwood was far enough off the beaten track not to get much tourist trade even over Labor Day weekend, the last celebration of summer usually kept him and his deputies busy. There were fights at the park as too much beer was consumed, and the teenagers would get involved in illegal drag races down by the lake. Come Monday afternoon, the small jail would be filled with red-faced citizens who would work off their sentences doing community service.

The last door at the end of the hallway stood partially open. Travis knocked once and entered. He’d already warned Mandy that her mother would be hooked up to tubes, but it wasn’t as frightening as he’d feared. Elizabeth had an IV in each arm, but her color was good. Medium brown hair fanned out over the white pillow. The pale hospital gown set off her tan. For someone who had just had emergency surgery, she didn’t look half-bad. Hospital smells filled the room: antiseptic and pine-scented cleanser.

“We can only stay a minute,” he reminded Mandy in a quiet voice.

“I know. Is she sleeping?”

“Not anymore,” came the groggy response. Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at him. She blinked. “Do I know you?”

“We haven’t been officially introduced,” he said, walking closer and setting Mandy on the ground. Before the little girl could jump onto the bed, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Stand next to your mommy, but don’t bump against anything. I’m Travis Haynes. I stopped you for speeding.”

“That’s right.” Elizabeth looked away from him and smiled at her daughter. He remembered when he’d stopped her he’d thought if she ever really smiled it would be a killer, and he’d been right. Even fresh from surgery, the lady was a looker.

“Hi, sweets,” she said. “It’s good to see you.”

“Oh, Mommy.” Mandy stood as close to the bed as she could without actually touching it. She clutched her bear to her with one hand and with the other stroked her mother’s arm. “The nurse said you had something bad inside, but it’s gone now.”

“I feel much better.” Elizabeth touched Mandy’s hair and her face, then raised herself up on one elbow. She grimaced. Travis moved closer. She looked up at him. “I’m trying to get a hug here.”

He picked up Mandy and held her close to her mother. They clung to each other for a second. He could see the fierceness of Elizabeth Abbott’s love for her child in the way she squeezed her eyes tight and he heard it in her murmured words of encouragement.

“I’m fine,” she promised. “Everything is going to work out.”

He set Mandy on the ground and pulled a chair close to the bed. He sat down and pulled Mandy onto his lap. If Elizabeth was surprised by his daughter’s acceptance of him, she didn’t show it. But in the past couple of hours, he and the little girl had become friends.

Elizabeth settled back on the bed. She pushed a button and raised the head up until she was half reclining. “So you’re the sheriff.”

“That’s me. I’ve just been voted in for another term.”

Her brown eyes met and held his. The dark pain was gone and the lines around her mouth had relaxed. “Did I pass?” she asked.

“Pass what?”

She smiled. “Did I have a story you hadn’t heard before? I mean how many people speed because they have appendicitis?”

“It’s a first,” he said, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I’m a man of my word. You won’t be getting a ticket from me.”

Mandy shifted against his chest and yawned. It had been a long afternoon and evening for her. They’d gone to the cafeteria about six o’clock, but the kid hadn’t been able to eat much. She’d fretted about her mother and beat him at checkers while they waited. Her slight weight reminded him of his oldest nephew. Drew would play video games in Travis’s arms until he fell asleep and then have to be carried to bed.

“Thank you for looking after her,” Elizabeth said. “You didn’t have to stay and baby-sit.”

“It was easy.” He glanced down and watched Mandy’s eyes close. “I filled out most of the forms for the hospital, but they’re going to have a few questions. Do you want me to call your ex?”

She paled visibly. “What? Why?”

“To take care of Mandy until you’re better.”

“No!” She sounded upset. She raised her arm and stared at the IV taped in place on the back of her hand. “No.” Her voice was calmer now, as if she had herself under control. “I’m not, that is, I wasn’t ever married. There’s no ex-husband.”

“All right,” he said, even though her claim made no sense. Mandy had talked about her father. Travis reminded himself this was the nineties and women didn’t have to get married to have babies. He looked closely at Elizabeth. Somehow she didn’t strike him as the type to have a child on her own. Still, she must have; Mandy was proof. Why would anyone lie about something like that? “Any next of kin nearby?”

She shook her head. “My parents live in Florida. Right now, however, they’re cruising somewhere in the Orient. I can’t…” She trailed off. “I can’t call them. What am I going to do?” She shifted and winced. “I have to—”

“Shh.” He pointed at the sleeping child. “You don’t have to do anything tonight,” he said softly. “You’ve just had emergency surgery and I’m not even supposed to be visiting. I thought this might be a problem, so I’ve already called and spoken with a friend of mine. Her name is Rebecca Chambers and she runs the local child services office. It’s a county facility, but a great place.”

“Rebecca?”

“Rebecca Chambers. She’s the director. There are only about twenty kids there. It’s on the other side of town, near the school. I’ve spent some time there volunteering. Mandy will be fine.”

Elizabeth stared up at him. Her good humor had faded, and she looked tired and drawn. “You want to put my daughter in a home?” She blinked frantically, but tears spilled over onto her cheeks.

“Hey,” he said, standing up and depositing a sleeping Mandy in the chair. He hovered awkwardly by the bed. “Don’t cry. It’s just for a couple of days. If you want me to call someone, I will. Just give me a name.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Everything is falling apart. It was going so well and now I don’t know what to do or where to turn. I— There’s no one to call.” She looked up at him. “Can’t she stay here, with me?”

“In the hospital? No. They didn’t even want her to visit you, let alone spend the night. You’re in no position to take care of her, Elizabeth. I know the home sounds bad, but it’s not.”

“You’re right. I don’t have another choice.” She covered her face with her hands. “It just makes me feel like I’m an awful mother. It’s not the place I’m worried about, I’ve been there. I’m going to work there.” She wiped her cheeks with her fingers. “I’m Rebecca’s new assistant. I moved us here to take the job. I’m supposed to start Tuesday. What’s she going to think about me? I’m dumping my kid on her doorstep, and I’m going to miss my first day of work.”

The sobs began in earnest. He hesitated about five seconds, then perched on the edge of the bed. Careful not to tangle the IV lines, he patted her shoulder. She clutched at his arm, all the while muttering how stupid she must look to him. The sheet slipped to her waist. He tried not to stare, but couldn’t help noticing the shape of her breasts under her hospital gown.

Travis told himself he was at best behaving unethically, and at the worst acting like a pervert. He had no business noticing Elizabeth’s body. She’d just had surgery for God’s sake. But he did notice, and admire, all the while calling himself names.

“I’m sure Rebecca will understand,” he said. “It’s not as if you planned this.”

“I know, but Mandy will be there all alone. I wish—”

“Do all the women in your family leak this much?”

“What?” She blinked and looked up at him. Her dark lashes stood up in spikes, her nose was red and her cheeks blotchy. She was a mess. It brought out his knight-in-shining-armor side and he resisted getting involved. He knew what would happen then. Better for both of them if he just backed off.

“Between you and Mandy, I think we could have floated a ship today.”

She smiled wanly. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”

“Okay, then I won’t tell you the one about the parrot with no legs.”

“How did he stay on his perch?”

Travis stood up and winked. “You’ll just have to wait until you get better to find out.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m going to take Mandy over to stay with Rebecca. I’ll call you in the morning and make sure you’re doing all right, then I’ll bring Mandy back here in the afternoon.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Just doing my duty, ma’am.” He gave a mock salute and picked up the sleeping child. “I’ll leave my number with the nurse.”

“Thank you for everything,” she said, pulling the sheet up and smiling at him. “If Mandy wakes up, tell her I love her.”

“You can tell her yourself when you see her tomorrow.”

Chapter Two

“What do you mean chicken pox?” Travis asked. He stared down at Rebecca, seated behind her desk in her office at the local child services facility.

“I mean I have eight children in various stages of chicken pox, and the other twelve have been exposed. Sorry, Travis. If you’d explained why you were coming by, I would have told you what was going on and saved you the trip. I thought you were just going to mooch dinner. I know that when you’re between women you hang out with me. I thought this was one of those rare weekends.” Her brown eyes looked more amused than apologetic.

“But Mandy—”

“But Mandy doesn’t know if she’s had chicken pox, do you, honey?” Rebecca smiled at the little girl.

Mandy shook her head and tugged on Travis’s pants. “Travis?”

“Hmm?” He didn’t look down at her. Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just leave her in the street. “Rebecca, you’re not helping.”

“Travis?” Mandy tugged again.

“What?”

“Do I have to stay here?”

She looked up, her head bent way back, her wide blue eyes gazing at him with absolute trust. He felt as if he were torturing Bambi.

“Why don’t I make a few calls,” Rebecca said, coming to his rescue. She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder and reached for the phone. “There’s a shelter about twenty miles from here. I’ll see if they have room.” She picked up the receiver.

“Travis?” Mandy tugged again.

“Yes?”

“I want my mommy.”

Travis crouched down in front of her. “She’s in the hospital. She needs to sleep tonight and get better.”

Mandy held her teddy so tightly, he worried she might squish the stuffing out the side. She leaned close and whispered. “I don’t know that lady. I don’t want to stay here. I want my mommy.”

He’d spent enough time with kids her age to recognize the quiver in her voice. Tears would come next and after that, he would feel like a heel and— He stood up and jammed his hands in his pockets.

“You think I should take her home with me?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“It would be best for her. Elizabeth isn’t going to need a sick kid on her hands, just as she’s getting out of the hospital herself.” Rebecca rose and walked around the desk. She wore a floral print jumper over a white T-shirt. With her long curly hair and conservative style of dressing, she looked like a Sunday school teacher. Travis suspected it was a facade and that deep inside, she had the wild streak of the best kind of a sinner.

When she’d moved to Glenwood six months ago to take over as director of the county facility, he’d asked her out. His big seduction scene had ended up failing badly. They were, he’d realized within the first ten minutes, destined to be good friends. Rebecca had promised to leave his reputation as a heartbreaker intact and not tell the world his kisses had left her cold. Travis stared at her big brown eyes and sighed. He felt mild affection for Rebecca and nothing else. He must be getting old and slowing down.

“You’re the only friend Mandy has,” Rebecca said. “If I could take her home with me, I would. But my staff is exhausted, and I’m staying here tonight. Anyway, you have Louise.”

He thought of his housekeeper. Today was her day off but he knew if he called she would come over to help and show off her latest craft project. At least she wasn’t knitting anymore. He already had two drawers filled with ugly, ill-fitting sweaters and socks she’d made for him.

“I suppose that might work. But I don’t know anything about children,” Travis muttered, trying to ignore Mandy tugging on him again.

“Your nephews stay with you.”

“Travis,” Mandy said.

“That’s different.”

“How?” Rebecca asked.

“Travis?”

“They’re family. And boys.” He looked down. Those blue eyes were killing him. “What?”

“I want to stay with you.”

“You’re the only person she knows in town. Come on, be a hero. It’s what you’re best at.”

He glared at Rebecca. “Thanks.”

Undaunted, she smiled. “Let me get you some supplies.” She disappeared down the hall.

“Why me?” he asked no one in particular.

“Travis? Are you mad at me?”

“Mandy, no.” He swept Mandy up in his arms and gave her a hug. She wrapped her spindly legs around his waist. “I’m not mad. We’ll have fun. I’ll read you a story tonight, okay?”

She nodded. “And Mr. Bear,” she said, holding out the tattered animal.

“And Mr. Bear.”

Rebecca returned with a small cloth bag. “I’ve packed a nightgown, some underwear and a shorts set for tomorrow.” She handed Travis the bag, then smiled at Mandy. “Do you want a pink toothbrush or a purple one?” She had both in her hand.

The little girl stared for a second, then pointed shyly. “Pink.”

“You got it.” Rebecca dropped that one in the bag and walked over to the door. “I’ll be here, so call me if there’s any trouble. It’s only one night.”

“Like you care,” he grumbled.

“Stop it. You’ll have a great time. Think of it as father training. For when you have your own kids.”

“Not my style. Haynes men don’t make good parents.” It was a familiar argument between the two of them. The problem was Rebecca hadn’t figured out he wasn’t kidding. She shook her head. “Let me know what happens. And tell Elizabeth not to worry about coming into work until she’s completely healed. I won’t be giving her job to anyone else.”

“Yeah, I will.” He shifted Mandy so that she was supported by one arm, then handed her the bag and dug in his pocket for his keys. “Say goodbye, Mandy.”

“By.” Now that she was getting her way, she smiled broadly. “Can we have the siren on?” she asked as they stepped out of the building and walked toward the sheriff’s car in the parking lot.

“No.”

She pouted and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t give me that look,” he said. “I can’t use the siren when it’s not an emergency.”

She thought for a minute. “I gotta go.”

His heart sank. “Now?”

She nodded. “It’s a ’mergency.”

* * *

Elizabeth raised the hospital bed and stared out the window. From where she was lying, she could see the corner of the small parking lot and a plot of grass with a Chinese maple in the center. It was early Saturday morning and she’d seen only a handful of cars enter the hospital grounds.

Everything was going to be fine. She’d recited the phrase over and over, hoping by saying it enough she would start to believe it was true. But panic threatened, just below the surface of her carefully constructed facade.

She was scared. There was no getting around the lump in her throat and the cold hard knot in her stomach, just next to the tender incision the doctors had made yesterday. She wasn’t frightened for herself. The surgery had gone well, and she was healing nicely, according to the doctor who had visited early that morning. She had medical insurance, so the unexpected stay in the hospital wasn’t going to deplete her savings.

The lump in her throat got bigger and her eyes burned from unshed tears. She blinked them away and prayed that her daughter hadn’t been too scared last night, alone in a strange place. Had they let her sleep with her bear? Had she had any bad dreams? There were, on average, twenty children at the county facility. Had Mandy gotten lost among all the other kids? Who would have been there to hold her if she cried?

Logically, Elizabeth knew she hadn’t had another choice as far as her daughter was concerned. Having her spend the night in the county home had made sense. She would be fed and warm and have a bed to sleep in. But knowing her only child had been put there, like a stray puppy rounded up by the pound, made her feel like the worst kind of parent. Mothers were supposed to do better for their children. Of course, mothers were also supposed to know what they were doing when they picked out fathers—and look at how that had turned out.

She reached over to the black phone on the small metal nightstand and dialed the number she’d gotten from directory assistance. For the second time in fifteen minutes, she heard a busy signal. From what she remembered from her tour during her interview a month ago, the county facility only had one line. She hung up the receiver. She would keep trying until she got through. She wanted to check on Mandy and reassure her daughter that everything was going to be fine—even though she didn’t know how.

Elizabeth forced herself to hold on to her control. She couldn’t afford to give into the fear. Not now. If she started questioning herself, she might never stop. Six months ago her world had come crashing in on her. She’d managed to collect the pieces and assemble them into a life, but the structure was fragile, and this emergency was enough to send the whole thing crumbling again. The logistics of her condition whirled around in her head. How was she going to take care of Mandy when she was supposed to stay off her feet for a week and not drive for three weeks? What about feeding her, and registering her for school, buying her new shoes, and a hundred other things she’d planned to do over the long holiday weekend? What about taking her out to watch the ducks and playing tag and—

The sound of footsteps in the hallway caught her attention. She glanced over at her partially closed door and watched as it was pushed open. Sheriff Travis Haynes entered the room and smiled at her. She stared at him, surprise and a tiny spurt of pleasure temporarily hiding her worries. He’d told her he would come by today and visit, but she hadn’t expected him to. He’d done too much already. Still, except for Rebecca and Mandy, he was the only other person she knew in Glenwood, and she couldn’t help being pleased to see him.

Gratitude, she told herself firmly, trying to find the reason for the sudden surge of good spirits. Gratitude and nothing else.

“Hi,” she said, managing a shaky smile. She pulled the sheet up to her shoulders and self-consciously touched the straggly ends of her hair. They hadn’t let her have a shower yet, and she felt grungy. She’d planned to insist on getting cleaned up later that morning. She hadn’t expected visitors so early.

“Hi, yourself.” Travis crossed the room in three long strides and pulled a plastic chair close to the bed. “May I?”

“Please.”

His khaki, short-sleeved uniform looked freshly pressed. A badge and a name tag had been pinned above the left breast pocket. He stood about six feet tall, with dark curly hair and a trimmed mustache that outlined his upper lip. He was the kind of man who, as her aunt Amanda used to say, made a woman get a crick in her neck just watching him stroll by.

As he settled himself in the chair, he tossed his beige Stetson across the bed. It sailed through the air and landed dead center on the table in front of the window.

“Neat trick,” she said, trying to ignore the way his brown eyes twinkled when he looked at her. “You have to practice much?”

“Every day. I sit in my office, tossing my hat across the room. It impresses the ladies.” He had a smooth, low voice, like liquid chocolate.

“Really?”

“Aren’t you impressed, darlin’?”

Some, but she wasn’t about to admit it. Once she’d let a man charm her and impress her and seduce her. Never again, she reminded herself. She’d learned a hard lesson from Sam Proctor. “I didn’t expect you to visit,” she said. “I’m sure you have other things you should be doing.”

“You’re the most important item on my agenda,” he said, leaning back in the chair and resting one ankle on the opposite knee. The movement emphasized the muscles in his thighs.

She looked away. “Oh?”

“How are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but better than I was. The doctor says I’m healing nicely.” She shifted in the hospital bed. “They gave me something to make me sleep, and that helped. I never got to thank you yesterday.”

“Just doing my job.”

She waved at the IV still attached to her hand. “They said that if I’d waited another couple of hours, the appendix might have burst. If I’d gone to the walk-in medical clinic like I’d planned, I might have gotten to the hospital too late.”

“So it all worked out. You’ll be released tomorrow.”

“That’s what they told me.” She glanced at him sitting in the white plastic chair. He looked tanned and handsome and disgustingly healthy, while her insides felt as if a herd of buffalo had trampled through them.

“Where are you going to go when they release you?” he asked.

“Back to the motel.” It wasn’t a great solution, but it was the best one she’d been able to think of. Where else could she go?

“And then?”

“And then I’ll get better and go to work. That is, if I still have a job. I need to call Rebecca and tell her what happened.” She forced herself to meet his gaze, and prayed her expression looked as calm and confident as she’d made herself sound. She didn’t want to foist her troubles on anyone, especially not this handsome stranger. One rescue per weekend was quite enough.

He folded his arms over his chest. His shirt stretched tightly across his broad shoulders. He had a solid look about him. He was the kind of man who could physically work for hours without tiring. He looked dependable. She shook her head. Looks could be deceiving.

Then he smiled. She told herself not to notice, that he was obviously an accomplished ladies’ man, but that didn’t stop her rather battered insides from responding favorably to the flash of white teeth.

“I have good news, bad news and good news,” he said. “Which do you want first?”

She panicked. “Is Mandy—”

He cut her off. “She’s fine. That’s the first good news. The bad news is there’s an outbreak of chicken pox at the children’s home. I didn’t know if Mandy’d had chicken pox, so I couldn’t leave her there last night. Rebecca figured the last thing you’d need in your condition is a sick kid.”

Elizabeth frowned. “If she’s not at the home, where is she?”

“Downstairs, watching a clown make balloon animals.” He shrugged. “They were having a party and she wanted to see what was going on. I thought you and I should talk first anyway.”

“So where did Mandy spend the night?”

“With me. I called my housekeeper, and she took care of the basics of bathing and dressing. But I fed her breakfast.” He looked sheepish and proud all at once.

“You?” Why on earth would he volunteer to take home her daughter? “Chicken pox? I can’t believe this is all happening. Mandy hasn’t had them yet. Thank God she wasn’t exposed to them. I don’t know what to say except thank you.” She had a sudden thought. “I hope it wasn’t too inconvenient for your wife.”

“I’m not married.”

She told herself she wasn’t pleased by that fact. It was just a piece of information. It didn’t mean anything. The last thing she needed in her life was a man. “I don’t know how to repay you for all you’ve done.”

“I’m responsible for the welfare of the people of this town,” he said, and grinned again. “You are our newest citizen.”

“You’re very kind.” She relaxed. Mandy was safe. Nothing else mattered.

The slow, sexy grin faded. “You’re going to need help when they release you. Tell me who to call, Elizabeth.”

She turned her head and stared out the window. “There’s no one to call. I told you, my parents are on a cruise in the Orient. They’re probably halfway between Australia and Hong Kong right now.”

She didn’t bother mentioning that she deliberately hadn’t paid attention to her parents’ travel plans. She didn’t even know the name of the ship or the cruise line. In the past six months, she’d cut herself off from her family. She couldn’t bear to tell them the ugly, disgusting truth about her life. She couldn’t bear to see the shock and the shame in their eyes and to relive it all over again. She just wanted to forget everything. And she’d been on her way to doing just that. If only she hadn’t had to have surgery.

“Then a friend from Los Angeles.”

“No.” All her friends knew what had happened. There’d been no way to keep it a secret. She hadn’t been able to face them, and had quickly cut all personal ties. There was no one left to call. What about tonight? Where would Mandy sleep?

“Sheriff Haynes…”

“Travis.”

“Travis,” she said and paused. “I have no family, other than my parents. I know this is an imposition, but would you or your housekeeper be willing to keep Mandy tonight? I’d gladly pay you.” Her hands curled into fists. She hated asking, but what choice did she have?

“I’ll keep her and I don’t want your money. But that only takes care of today. What happens tomorrow?”

Tomorrow she would handle whatever she had to. She turned toward him. “I really appreciate your concern, but it’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. In the morning, I’ll get a cab. You do have cabs in Glenwood?”

“One or two.”

“Good. Then I’ll get a cab, collect my daughter from you and take her back to the motel. We’ll be fine.”

He stood up and walked over to the window. The view from the back—she caught her breath—well, it was just as good as the view from the front, she thought, staring at his tight, high rear end. The pants of his uniform fit snugly at his hips, then fell loosely over his muscled thighs. A black leather belt with snapped compartments hugged his narrow waist. His dark hair fell precisely to his collar, but didn’t touch the starched material.

It was the anesthetic, she told herself. And the fact that she’d spent the last year living like a nun. It was the tension and the strain. It was the season, or the time of month, but it was certainly not the man. She wouldn’t let it be.

“I have a couple of problems with your plan,” he said, keeping his back to her.

“It’s not your business.” She allowed her temper to flare and the heat of anger to burn away the other kind of warmth threatening her composure.

“First,” he said, ignoring her statement, “you’re supposed to stay off your feet for a week. How do you propose to feed and take care of Mandy?”

“I’ll—” She hadn’t solved that yet, but she would. She would get through it the same as she’d gotten through her other problems. One day, one step at a time. “I’ll think of something.”

“You’re not supposed to drive for three weeks,” he continued.

“How do you know?”

“I asked the nurse.”

“If the town has a cab service, I don’t have to drive.”

“Then there’s your job.” He turned toward her and rested one hip on the windowsill. “Which you still have.”

“What?” She started to sit upright but the pain from the incision stopped her. She leaned back and stared at him. “You talked to Rebecca about my job?”

“I explained the situation when I took Mandy over to her. She says to take all the time you need to heal. Your job will be waiting when you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” she murmured as relief filled her.

He was going to make her cry. After breaking down yesterday, she’d sworn not to cry again, but she could feel the tears forming. Maybe it was all going to work out. She’d been so afraid her life would never be normal again. Six months ago, when the police had shown up at her door, her world had collapsed. Slowly, so slowly, she was getting it back together. They were going to make it. They had to.

Before she could ask him what else Rebecca had said, the door pushed open and an attractive nurse came into the room with Mandy in tow. “We do not allow children in this ward,” she said sternly, then grinned. “So I’m bringing her in here to get her out from underfoot.”

Mandy held her bear in one hand and clutched a balloon giraffe in the other. There was chocolate icing on her cheek and she was dressed in a cute pink-and-white shorts outfit that Elizabeth had never seen before.

“Mommy!” When the nurse let her go, the little girl rushed toward her. Travis walked over and lifted her until she was sitting on the bed.

“Travis Haynes, I might have known I’d find you here with one of our prettiest patients,” the nurse said as she paused by the door.

“You know me, Pam. I can’t resist a female in distress.”

Pam laughed, then looked at Elizabeth. “You watch out for this one. He’s our resident heartbreaker.”

“I’ll be careful,” Elizabeth said, knowing she wasn’t ever going to get involved with any man, let alone one as charming and good-looking as Travis.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes,” Pam said. “Then my supervisor gets back and Mandy will have to leave.”

Elizabeth nodded and the woman shut the door.

“I missed you, Mommy,” Mandy said, reclaiming her attention.

“I missed you, too.” Elizabeth held out her arms.

Mandy dropped the bear and the balloon animal, and slipped next to her to snuggle close. Despite the tangle of IV’s and the pressure on her incision as she leaned toward her daughter, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her and held on, wishing she never had to let go. Mandy’s warm body felt small and fragile cuddling against her, and so very familiar. Elizabeth stroked her head, then bent down and kissed her cheek.

“How are you doing, sweets?” she asked softly.

“There was a clown and he made me this.” She picked up her giraffe. The rubber squeaked as she held it and she laughed. Bright blue eyes met her own. Sam’s eyes, she thought with regret. Mandy had her smile and her nose, but her eyes and the rest of her coloring was all Sam’s. It made it hard to forget her daughter’s father. But forget him, she would. She’d promised herself.

Mandy laughed and tossed the balloon animal in the air, then wiggled to sit back and look up at her. “I had a cupcake.”

“So I see.” She wiped at the frosting. “Sheriff Haynes said you spent the night at his house.”

Mandy nodded vigorously and grinned. “Louise made us another dinner. Then we had doughnuts for dessert.” She sounded faintly scandalized, but quite delighted. “She gave me a bath but he read me a story. About nines and their end.”

Elizabeth looked up at Travis who had returned to his perch on the windowsill. “Nines and their end?”

He cleared his throat. “You sort of had to be there. The San Francisco 49ers are looking for a decent tight end. I don’t have any children’s books in the house, so I read the sports page.”

She grinned. “Whatever works.”

“And we played with trains,” Mandy said.

“I keep them for my nephews,” Travis added helpfully.

“And I got a new nightgown with a bunny on the front from that nice lady, Becca.”

“Rebecca?”

She nodded. “And a pink toothbrush.”

Elizabeth brushed the blond hair out of her daughter’s eyes. “Sounds like you had a full evening. Did you sleep all right?”

Mandy nodded. “I had one bad dream, but I hugged Mr. Bear and told him what had happened, and he said he’d take care of me until you were all better. Are you all better, Mommy?”

Elizabeth swallowed hard. She’d never loved anyone as much as she loved this little girl. She squeezed her. “Almost, honey. The doctor is going to let me go home tomorrow morning.”

“Are we going to our house? The one with the bunnies?”

When she had accepted the job, Elizabeth had rented a house. While she’d stood in the kitchen and looked out at the backyard, she’d seen three rabbits scampering across the yard. She’d told Mandy about them and her daughter was very anxious to make their acquaintance. “No. We can’t move in there until October first. That’s about three more weeks.”

“So where are we going tomorrow?”

Elizabeth could feel Travis’s gaze on her. He’d asked the same question. She still didn’t have a decent answer. “We’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Mandy picked up her bear and slid off the bed. “Travis said we could go to the movies tonight, Mommy. He said we could have popcorn and hot dogs and candy.” Her body quivered with excitement. “And if I’m really good, I can stay up past my bedtime.”

Travis cleared his throat. “She wasn’t supposed to tell you that last part.”

“I appreciate you doing this for me,” Elizabeth said, wondering how it had all gotten out of hand. “She’s my responsibility and I—”

Travis pushed to his feet and held out one hand to stop her. “You’re not in L.A. anymore. Glenwood is a small town, Elizabeth Abbott, and we take care of our own. As of Thursday night, you’re one of us. I’m on duty today, so I’m going to take Mandy with me to the station. We’re right across from the park. I’ll see that she gets exercise and decent food and is in bed by nine. My housekeeper promised to come by and make sure I’m doing it all correctly.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I don’t have any plans for the weekend and I’ve always been a sucker for a pair of beautiful blue eyes.”

Elizabeth felt a rush of disappointment that her own eyes were brown. She wanted to believe him, believe that it was just about people helping each other. The way he said it, she was almost willing to buy into the myth of small towns. But she’d believed before, had trusted before, and that trust had been betrayed.

“I hate to impose,” she said.

“You don’t have a choice,” he answered. “What else are you going to do with her?”

She glanced down at the IV needle taped to her hand. She didn’t have an answer to that one, either. “Thank you. Again.”

She looked up at him. Humor danced in his eyes, humor and a little bit of compassion. As long as it didn’t change to pity, she could survive. And somehow, she would pay him back.

He retrieved his hat and settled it on his head; then he held out his hand to Mandy. The little girl collected her giraffe and tucked it next to her bear. She grinned at her mother and slipped her hand in his. “By, Mommy.”

“By, honey.”

Elizabeth watched her daughter act so trustingly with this stranger. Maybe Mandy hadn’t been scarred by the experience as badly as she’d feared. Maybe Mandy was going to be fine.

Travis paused by the door and looked at her. The Stetson hid his eyes from view, but she saw the quick smile flash under his black mustache. Her heart fluttered foolishly. The man was handsome as sin.

“I’ll call before the movie,” he said. “So you can talk with Mandy.”

“I’d like that.”

“Rest,” he commanded. “The nurse said you’ll be released around ten in the morning. I’ll be here around nine-thirty.”

“You don’t have to stay,” she said quickly. “But I appreciate you dropping Mandy off.”

“I’m not dropping her off,” he said. “Unless you can come up with something better than that motel, Elizabeth, you’re coming home with me.”

Chapter Three

Travis left Mandy at the sheriff’s office in the center of Glenwood and walked past his patrol car to Elizabeth’s white car parked on the street. The T-bird started instantly. He shifted into gear and checked the mirrors before pulling out and heading for the motel.

Within ten minutes, he stood inside the small rented room, staring at the suitcases stacked in the corner and at the personal items scattered around. A pair of high heels poked out from under the bed. A yellow blouse rested over the back of a chair. The faint scent of perfume lingered in the air. He sniffed appreciatively. He missed having a woman living with him.

His wife had left both him and Glenwood three years ago, returning to town only long enough to sign the divorce papers and wish him well with his life. He didn’t resent her or the split. He should have known better than to marry. Haynes men didn’t make good husbands or fathers. He came from a long line of men who failed at marriage. But he’d wanted to prove his father, brothers and uncles wrong, so he’d married the pretty, dark-haired woman he’d met in college. She’d been shy but quick-witted—and hot as hell in bed. All the ingredients had been there. Still the marriage had fizzled and he’d learned his lesson firsthand. Haynes men made great cops, but lousy family men.

Travis placed an open suitcase on the bed. He folded Mandy’s nightgown and picked up her toys. In the bathroom, an open cosmetic bag sat next to the sink. He collected the compacts, tubes and brushes on the counter and placed them into the bag, stopping long enough to pick up a bottle of perfume and sniff the cap. He would have thought Elizabeth Abbott to be the floral type, but the aroma was spicy. Not overpowering, just intriguing. He dropped the bottle in with the other cosmetics.

After checking the shower and behind the door for clothes, he returned to the bedroom and packed up the remaining items. A white cotton nightgown had been carelessly tossed over a dresser. He folded it carefully, noticing the row of tiny buttons up the front and the lace ruffle around the neck and arms.

He could see Elizabeth in something like this. It would fall about midcalf on her. Not the least bit sexy; the cotton wasn’t see-through. And yet—

He brushed his thumb over the soft cloth. There were always plenty of women around him. Just because he wasn’t good husband material didn’t mean he wasn’t a great date and an accomplished flirt. But he’d liked living with a woman. He missed the day-to-day familiarities, the verbal shorthand, the slow, sensual sex that could take hours. There’d been no need to hurry; he and Julie were supposed to have had a lifetime.

“Getting soft, Haynes,” he muttered, then shoved the nightgown into the suitcase.

He opened drawers and pulled out clothes, ignoring the feel of the lacy panties and bras, quickly filling the luggage. When everything was packed, he loaded the trunk of the car and paid the motel bill. Then he headed for the hospital.

He didn’t know what he was going to say when he saw her. If she’d made other plans, he would drive her to where she was going and be done with her. If she hadn’t, she was coming home with him. There was no way in hell he was going to let her and Mandy tough it out in that tiny motel for the next three weeks. Tough it out, hell. They would starve.

As Travis walked down the hospital corridor he wondered which it would be. He’d left her sputtering yesterday when he’d made his announcement that he intended to take her to his place. Last night, when he’d called to let Mandy talk to her mother, Elizabeth had been coolly insistent that she was not his problem. Louise had told him to use the famous Haynes charm, but he hadn’t felt right about sweet-talking Elizabeth into anything.

He reached her door and pushed it open. She sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in the same shorts and tank top she’d been wearing Friday. Her hair was freshly washed and hanging loose about her shoulders in a mass of shining brown waves. A wisp of bangs reached almost to her eyebrows.

She was trying to pull on socks and didn’t see him in the doorway. She bent down to slip on her socks, but she only got halfway there before grunting in pain and straightening. She raised her left foot toward her right knee, but that action caused her to clutch her side.

“Of course you’d rather rip out your stitches than ask for help,” he said from his place in the doorway. He pushed back his Stetson and walked into the room.

She looked up and stared at him. Faint color stained her cheeks. “I’m not leaving with you,” she said flatly.

“Fine. Where are you going?”

“Back to the motel.” Fire flashed in her brown eyes. “I’ve already called for a cab.”

He walked forward slowly, stopping when he was in front of her. Even sitting on the hospital bed, she had to tip her head back to meet his gaze.

“Not while I’m around,” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “This isn’t Los Angeles, Elizabeth. It’s a small town, and it’s Labor Day weekend. Most of the businesses are closed, including the restaurants. How are you going to feed Mandy? There’s no kitchen in your motel room. Is she registered for school?”

Elizabeth slowly shook her head.

“Who’s going to do that? Who’s going to walk her to her class on the first day? Even if you find take-out places to deliver food, do you have the cash to pay for it, or are you going to have Mandy go to the bank to get more money?”

“Stop it,” she said softly. “Just stop it.”

Defeat darkened her eyes and made her shoulders slump forward. He felt like a heel, but there was more at stake here than her pride.

“You’ve got to think of Mandy,” he said, perching next to her on the bed.

“She’s all I have thought of. I’ve lain in this bed thinking about nothing else.” She brushed her bangs off her forehead. “I just wanted to make a fresh start.”

“You have. So things aren’t going exactly as you planned them. It could be worse.”

“Yeah?” She turned her head to look at him. “How?”

He grinned. “It could be raining.”

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. “I happen to like rain.”

“Sit back,” he said, jerking his head toward the pillows.

“Why?”

He leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. He was close enough to see three faint freckles on her nose, close enough to inhale the scent of her body. It wasn’t that spicy perfume, but it was still mighty appealing. Close enough to see the rise and fall of her breasts under her red tank top. Close enough to study the shape of her full mouth and feel the stirrings in his body. Women of all ages, shapes and sizes got his attention, but when the lady in question came in a package this tempting, it was hard to think about anything else.

It was part of his job, he told himself. He would have taken her in if she’d been a fifty-year-old man with grandkids. Yeah, he would have taken her in, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

“Do it,” he growled.

She scrambled away from him and leaned against the pillows, drawing her legs up onto the bed. He grabbed one ankle and set her heel on his thigh. She started to pull away. He clamped down.

“You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met,” he said, slipping the sock over her foot.

She had small feet, and her toenails were polished a bright pink, he noticed as he slid on her athletic shoe and tightened the laces. Trim ankles and a nice tan. He thought briefly about tan lines, where they would start and end and what color her pale breasts would be, then he told himself he was on duty and to can the sexual interest.

He put that foot down on the bed and grabbed the other one. When he pulled the sock over her instep, his thumb brushed against her skin. She jumped and giggled. He looked up. “Ticklish?”

“Very.” Her smile faded. “Thank you for everything.” He studied her for a moment. “I live in a big old house on the edge of town. Six bedrooms. I’m restoring it. There’s a yard and a playroom and a lock on the bedroom door. I’ll charge you twenty bucks a night if it makes you feel better. When you can move around, you can cook me dinner on the nights my housekeeper doesn’t work, because I’m damn tired of frozen dinners zapped in my microwave. If you still feel guilty, you can even do my laundry. Louise will be thrilled. In three weeks, when you can drive, you can move into your own place and we’ll part friends. Deal?”

She searched his face as if trying to see what he got out of the offer. He wanted to tell her it was just his job, but he knew deep in his heart he would be lying. He would have made the offer if she’d been old and bald and male, but he wouldn’t have wanted her to say yes so badly. It was, he realized with a touch of chagrin, his way of playing house. He would never have a family of his own, so for three weeks, he could pretend.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she said slowly, “it’s just that—”

“You don’t trust me.”

She stared down at her hands. “I’m sorry. It’s not personal.”

“You don’t have a choice, darlin’. I’m the best of a bad situation. Where else are you going to go?”

She bit her lower lip, then looked at him. The raw pain in her eyes made him straighten. It wasn’t about physical discomfort, he thought, wanting to turn away, but unable to tear his gaze from hers. It was about some secret in her past. She’d said she’d come to Glenwood to make a fresh beginning. He understood that. Lots of people left places to start over. But she’d left something mean and ugly behind. Something big enough to make her not trust anyone. A man. He wondered what the bastard had done to her.

She nodded once. “If it wasn’t for Mandy, I’d say no, but you’re right. I don’t have a choice. She’s the most important part of my life. I accept your offer.” She held out her hand, then drew it back. “But I won’t do your laundry.”

He laughed. “Deal.” They shook hands. He finished putting on her other shoe, then stood up. “I’ll tell the nurse you’re ready to go.”

Elizabeth watched him leave. In his cowboy boots and Stetson hat, he looked more like a cow town lawman than the sheriff in a sleepy California town. She wanted to trust him. Desperately. She sat up straight and shifted to the edge of the bed. It wasn’t possible. She would never trust any man again. Worse, she would never trust herself.

Travis was right. He was her best choice. Right now her options were extremely limited. But when she could drive and move into her rented house, she would pay him what she owed him and disappear from his life.

She heard conversation in the hall. Travis came in, followed by a nurse pushing a wheelchair.

“All set?” he asked.

“Yes.” She stood up and stepped toward the wheelchair. When she was settled, he put the small bag containing her personal belongings on her lap and pushed her out of the room.

She was surprised to see the T-bird parked in front of the hospital. “This is my car.”

“I know. Did you want to go home in the patrol car? You’re just like your daughter. She’s always trying to trick me into using the siren.”

She laughed. “I don’t need a siren. I’m just surprised. I was afraid my car was still parked on the side of the road.”

He set the brake on the wheelchair and opened the passenger door. “I had it moved to the sheriff’s station. Not that we get much car theft up here.”

She stood up slowly. He offered his hand and she took it. His fingers felt warm and strong as he guided her toward the car.

“Watch your head, darlin’,” he said, wrapping his other arm around her waist and easing her down.

The incision pulled slightly and she winced. “I’m fine,” she said, before he could ask. She looked up at his eyes and the thick, dark lashes framing them. For a heartbeat, his gaze dropped to her mouth. She had a fleeting thought that he was going to kiss her, and her body tensed in anticipation. Then he stepped back and the feeling disappeared, leaving her surprisingly disappointed.

What was wrong with her? she asked herself as Travis gave the nurse the wheelchair, then came around to the driver’s side of the car. She wasn’t interested in him or in any man. Dear God, hadn’t she learned the biggest lesson of all?

Travis didn’t glance at her as he slid inside. She wondered if he’d seen the expectation in her face. Embarrassment filled her. She slumped in the seat and closed her eyes.

Something warm brushed across her breasts. She jumped and her eyes flew open.

“Seat belt,” Travis said, pulling the belt down and locking it into place.

She stared at him and her heart fluttered foolishly. He’d simply bumped her when he’d grabbed for the restraining device. Why me? she wondered and sighed.

“I thought we’d go straight to the house,” he said, tossing his Stetson to the back seat. “I want to get you settled. Mandy is at the park with Kyle.”

“Kyle?”

He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. “One of my deputies and my youngest brother. She’s already twisted him around her little finger.”

“How do you know?”

Travis shot her a grin. “When he left the office, he turned on his siren. Something tells me that was Mandy’s doing.”

“She can be stubborn.”

“I guess she gets that from her mother.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but he was staring at the road. She relaxed in the seat and watched as he drove through the small town. As they neared the park, traffic became heavy. She saw families walking together. Her stomach clenched, not from the surgery, but from envy and regret. She and Mandy should have been part of a family like that. It had all been taken away from them. Stolen. She stared out the window and willed the tears away. No. Not stolen. They’d never had it in the first place. It had all been a lie.

As they passed the duck pond, she saw the motel. “Wait, I have to get my things.”

“Already done,” he said, not bothering to stop. “I went there this morning and checked you out. Your suitcases are in the trunk.”

She didn’t know whether to thank him or yell at him for invading her personal space.

“Before you get huffy and start hollering at me,” he said, as if he could read her mind, “I knew you would want your things with you even if you’d made other plans. So I didn’t assume you would take me up on my offer.”

It took too much energy to get angry, so she simply leaned back in the seat and went along for the ride. He’d been right. She couldn’t have made it work at the motel. They passed a sheriff’s car parked on the side of the road by the park. Elizabeth looked around but she didn’t see Mandy.

“When will Kyle bring her back?” she asked.

“I’ll bring her home about four-thirty. There’s a parade today, and a big barbecue. Games for the kids. I thought she might enjoy it and you need the rest. I’m going to have to drop you off then head back to the park myself. Have to make an appearance. Between Kyle and myself, we’ll keep an eye on Mandy. Louise is off until Monday so you should have plenty of peace and quiet.”

He entered a tree-lined residential area. Elizabeth recognized it from her house hunting. He drove around the high school and along a narrow two-lane road she’d never been on before. The houses got larger and farther apart from each other on oversize lots.

“You mentioned Kyle was your youngest brother,” she said. “How many are there?”

“Four, counting me. Craig is the oldest, then me, then Jordan and then Kyle.”

“So Kyle is a deputy. Are you all cops?”

“It’s a family tradition. My dad used to be the sheriff in Glenwood. All his brothers are in police work. Jordan is the only rebel. He’s a fire fighter up in Sacramento.”

“A real black sheep.”

Travis grinned. “We give him a hard time about it. Yup, the Haynes family grows boys and cops. Not a girl in the last four generations. What about you?”

“I’m an only child.”

“Too bad.”

“Why? It’s all I know. My parents were older when I was born and they only wanted one child.”

“They got a pretty one.”

Elizabeth chuckled. This man could charm milk out of a snake. She would do well to remember talk was cheap. But she had to admit Travis Haynes had a certain amount of style to recommend him, and his heart was in the right place. She resisted glancing at his firm body so close to hers in the confines of the car. From what she had seen, everything else was in the right place, too. But the last thing she needed was to get involved with a heartbreaker. Her heart hadn’t recovered from what Sam had done.

They pulled off the road and onto a long driveway. Maple trees and oaks grew on either side of the path. Up ahead she saw a peaked roof, and more trees. Then the path curved around and they drove up into a clearing and parked in front of a beautiful three-story house.

He’d told her he was restoring an old house, but he hadn’t said it was a mansion. Big windows opened up onto a wide front lawn. A porch wrapped around the front. The columns holding up the porch covering had been painted white, as was all the trim. The rest of the building was dove gray, soft and light in the morning sunshine.

“You could get lost in there,” she said, staring at the masterpiece.

“I did, the first couple of days. Stay in that seat and don’t even think about moving.”

He got out of the car and came around to her side. He opened the door, then helped her to her feet. Before she could take a step, he bent over and slid one arm behind her back and the other under her thighs.

“What are you doing?” she asked even as he lifted her against his chest. Elizabeth grabbed his shoulders to maintain her balance.

“And here I thought you were smarter than that.” He started toward the house.

Her face bumped against his shoulder, and she could smell his masculine scent. He’d shaved only a couple of hours before, so his neck was smooth. She fought the urge to nestle against him. “Travis, put me down. I can walk.”

He ignored her. There were four steps up to the porch. He climbed those easily and headed for the front door. She held on, ignoring the way her right breast flattened against his chest and the heated strength of his body. She was wearing shorts so the arm under her legs touched bare skin. Each of his fingers seemed to be leaving a warm imprint on her flesh. She thought about struggling, but her side hurt and she was tired of fighting. Instead, she gave herself up to the feeling of being safe and protected.

When he opened the front door and stepped inside, she stared at the beautiful interior and caught her breath. He had told the truth when he’d said he was restoring the house. Several of the walls had been stripped but not painted or papered. There wasn’t a rug on the wooden floor, and she could see the pile of tools next to the front door.

But none of that mattered. He released his arm and she slid to the ground. Instead of moving away from him, she leaned against him and looked around. A crystal chandelier hung in the foyer. The cut glass caught the sunlight and diffused it into a hundred tiny rainbows. The long staircase swept up to the second story where it split and circled around both sides. Arched doorways led to high-beamed rooms. A giant fireplace filled one wall of the parlor to her left, while on the right, a study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves held sheet-covered furniture.

“Wow.” She looked at him. “You live here?” He shrugged. “Yeah.”

“All by yourself?”

“I do now. I was married when I bought the place. Some people have a baby to try and save their marriage. Julie and I bought this house.” The humor left his brown eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “Don’t be. There were no hard feelings. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. Julie and I kept bumping into each other on the curves. Hell, it was no one’s fault. Cops don’t make good husbands and neither do Haynes men. I had no business trying.”

She was about to ask why when he collected her in his arms again and started down the hallway next to the stairs.

“I’m going to put you in here,” he said, using his shoulder to push open a door. “There’s an attached bathroom. It’s small, but I didn’t think you’d want to hassle with the stairs.”

Even though she hadn’t moved much since leaving the hospital, her side was already aching. “You’re right.”

A double bed stood next to a window looking out on the side garden where roses had grown into a tangled disarray of blossoms. A single nightstand and a long dresser took up the rest of the space in the room. There was a half-open door and she could see through to a bathroom.

“This will be perfect,” she said.

“Mandy’s been sleeping upstairs.” He set her on her feet. “She can stay there, or I can dig up a cot for her in here. It would be a little crowded, but—”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Mandy is happy where she is.”

“I’ll go get your luggage.” He disappeared back the way they’d come.

Elizabeth settled on the bed and touched her healing incision. Just three days ago she’d arrived in Glenwood, hoping to make a fresh start. Many things hadn’t worked out the way she’d planned, but they were getting better. She could feel it. She had to get on with her life. It was the only way to put the past behind her.

* * *

Travis looked at the empty plate on the table, then at Elizabeth. “Are you done?”

She laughed and patted her stomach. “Yes, thanks. It was wonderful. Here you had me believe you didn’t know how to cook.”

“I’m okay with omelets,” he said, and carried the plates over to the counter. “And I know my way around a barbecue, but other than that, it’s just me and the microwave.”

“I can make French toast,” Mandy announced proudly from her place opposite her mother.

“I know, darlin’. You made it for me this morning.”

“How long did it take you to clean up the mess?” Elizabeth asked.

Travis rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. “About an hour.”

She looked at him and smiled. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“I found eggshells everywhere.”

“He ate four pieces,” Mandy said.

“Good,” Elizabeth said, but he could see she was more tired than enthused. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her smile wasn’t as bright as it had been that morning when he’d brought her to the house.

He wiped his hands and turned toward the table. The kitchen had been the first room he’d remodeled. That had been before Julie had left. She’d picked out the cream tiles edged in blue flowers, and she’d been the one to insist on bleached oak cabinets. He’d wanted a more traditional kitchen but he had to admit her taste had been better than his. The rectangular room was bright and airy, despite an overabundance of storage and the large subzero refrigerator and six-burner range.

“Mandy, let’s put your mama to bed. Then you can help me clean up.”

“But it’s early yet,” Elizabeth said.

“You’re dead on your feet.”

“I can’t be. After you left, I had a nap. I’ve only been up for—” she glanced at her watch “—three hours.” She punctuated her observation with a yawn.

Mandy laughed. “You’re tired, Mommy.”

“I guess I am.” Elizabeth braced her arms on the table and slowly pushed herself to her feet. Travis moved closer, but she waved him off. “I made it to the kitchen under my own power, I think I can make it back.”

“Have it your way.”

She took small steps. Mandy dogged her heels, and he brought up the rear, ready to jump to the rescue in case she slipped. Her nap wasn’t the only thing she’d done while he was gone all afternoon. She’d also showered and changed clothes.

The shorts and tank top had been replaced by a loose-fitting summer dress. It dipped low in front and back and, as he had served his famous vegetable omelet, he got a flash of cleavage. He hadn’t seen where the tan ended and her pale skin began, but the peek had more than stirred his interest. He’d spent most of dinner giving himself a stern talking-to.

Elizabeth was his guest. Despite his claim to want to be paid for the room, he would no more take her money than he would hurt Mandy. He was simply temporary shelter and the only friend she had in town. He couldn’t take advantage of her, or the situation. It wasn’t right. If he wanted a woman, there were plenty in town to oblige him. He’d never once had a problem finding company.

As she turned down the hallway, the last rays of sun caught the thick braid hanging down to her shoulder blades. Her hair gleamed with rich color, brown and gold with a hint of red, so different from Mandy’s pale blond hair. Had Elizabeth’s hair once been that color, turning darker with age, or had Mandy inherited her hair color from her father?

They reached the bedroom. Elizabeth sank onto the bed and smiled at her daughter. “I’m going to rest here for a few minutes before I get ready to sleep. Why don’t you kiss me good-night now and then go help Travis in the kitchen.”

Mandy reached up and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too, honey.”

“I’m glad you’re not in that old hospital anymore. Tomorrow can you come upstairs and look at my room?”

“We’ll see.” Elizabeth stroked her daughter’s head, then glanced at Travis. “Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it.”

“Just being neighborly,” he said from his place in the doorway.

“Hardly, but I do appreciate everything.” She motioned to the room, and then smiled at her daughter. “I don’t know what I would have done—”

He cut her off. “All you should worry about now is getting better. Leave the rest of it alone. Come on, Mandy. Your mother needs to sleep.” He held out his hand.

Mandy looked from him to her mother. “But, Travis, aren’t you going to kiss Mommy good-night, too?”

Chapter Four

Elizabeth looked up at him, obviously startled. Her big eyes got bigger and her lips parted slightly with surprise. But she hadn’t flinched.

He pushed off the door frame and slowly approached the bed. Her gaze never left his. “I do my best work under pressure,” he drawled.

“I’ll bet,” Elizabeth muttered, then looked away. “Look, you don’t have to—”

“Mommy, you need to be kissed good-night,” Mandy said, and bounced on the bed. “It’ll make you feel better. Travis made me feel better when he gave me a kiss. I didn’t have even one bad dream last night.”

“Simply medicinal,” he said.

“What’s mecidinal?” Mandy asked, struggling with the strange word.

He didn’t take his gaze off Elizabeth’s face. Color steadily climbed her cheeks. She glanced at him, at Mandy, at her fingers twisting together in her lap. He approached the bed and bent over.

“It means doing something for medical purposes,” he said. “Like taking medicine.”

He rested his hands on her shoulders. Their eyes met. Mandy asked another question, but he couldn’t hear all the words. Elizabeth’s irises were a pure brown, almost chestnut colored. Her sweet breath fanned his face. His stomach tightened in anticipation, which, he told himself, was stupid. She’d just had major surgery, her six-year-old daughter sat inches away. He was simply going to give her a quick peck on the cheek. So what was the big deal?

But he didn’t kiss her cheek. He moved his head to the left side of her face, but at the last minute veered back and brushed his mouth against hers.

He’d expected some kind of attraction. He was a healthy single male, and she was damned good-looking. But he hadn’t expected to get third-degree burns from the heat.

The contact, lasting no more than one or two seconds, seared his mouth and sent flames of need racing through his body. Instinctively, his hands tightened on her shoulders. Her arms reached up toward him. He felt them whisper by his sides then fall back. He wanted to haul her to her feet and pull her firmly against him. He wanted to feel her body pressing along his, thighs brushing, hips rotating, chest to breast in exquisite delight.

“Don’t you feel better, Mommy?” Mandy asked.

He raised his head. Elizabeth’s eyes were wide and unfocused as if she, too, had felt the conflagration. She swallowed and looked away. But not before he’d seen the answering desire in her gaze.

“Much,” she answered, her voice low and husky. She cleared her throat. “I do feel better. Thank you.”

Travis stared down at her. Who was this woman and what had brought her to Glenwood? Why was there no one, no man, for her to call in her time of trouble? He took a step back and fought a grin. Not that he minded the fact that she was single and in his house. If anything, their kiss had shown him the next three weeks could be very interesting. But why was she alone?

“Come on, Mandy,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let’s let your mom get some rest. I rented a movie for us to watch.”

“Okay.” Mandy jumped off the bed and gripped his fingers. “Night, Mommy.”

“Night, sweetie,” she said, and smiled at her little girl. Her gaze raised to the middle of his chest and stopped. “Good night, Travis. Thank you for…everything.”

Yeah, he couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss either, he thought. “Get some rest.” He led Mandy from the room and closed the door behind them.

A large sofa with a matching chair in soft ivory leather sat in front of an oversize television. Mandy released him and ran over to the VCR. Expertly she pulled the rented tape from its protective cover and inserted it in the machine. Her chatter made him smile, but he had trouble concentrating on her words. He couldn’t stop thinking about Elizabeth Abbott. He was sure there was a logical explanation for everything that was going on, but some sixth sense whispered there was a mystery.

As he sat on the sofa and Mandy climbed onto his lap, he mentally listed what he knew about Elizabeth and her daughter. It wasn’t much. He was too good a lawman to let anything that intriguing go unsolved. If Elizabeth wouldn’t cooperate and answer some questions, he was going to have to find out on his own.

* * *

Elizabeth got coffee going before her exhaustion and the pain in her side forced her to retreat to the kitchen table. She sank into one of the bleached oak chairs. She’d hoped the doctor had been kidding when he’d told her to stay off her feet for a week. Apparently not. He’d reminded her that despite all the improvements in medical technology, the fact was she’d had her tummy cut open, through all the muscles. There were multiple layers of tissues to heal. She hadn’t realized how much she used those muscles until she tried to move around and they reminded her they weren’t working well. She pressed her hand against her side and shifted on the chair. Maybe she would just sit here for a while.

She drew in a deep breath and inhaled the scent of the brewing coffee. At least she’d accomplished something. She smiled. Maybe later, when she’d gathered her strength, she would get wild and attempt toast.

“What are you smiling about, darlin’?”

That voice. It made her think of something warm and rich and decadent slowly slipping through her fingers. It made her think of liquid satin on bare skin. It made her think of last night and their brief kiss. She turned to look at him.

Travis stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d never seen him out of uniform before. Her gaze traveled from his scuffed black cowboy boots up the long, lean length of his legs. Worn jeans, faded with lines of white radiating out from the seams by his hips and crotch, clung with the familiarity of an old lover. A red polo shirt stretched across his chest and shoulders, emphasizing his muscles. He looked powerful, but more than that he made her think of a dependable man, a hard worker. His watch was black, some sports kind with a couple of buttons. He didn’t wear any rings or other jewelry. Except for the glint in his dark brown eyes and his teasing smile, there wasn’t anything flashy about him.

Solid, she thought. That’s the word she’d been looking for. Travis Haynes was a solid man.

He took a step into the kitchen. His gaze moved over her face, pausing on her mouth long enough for the tingling to start in her toes and work its way up. Last night she’d lain awake in the dark reliving the brief touch of his lips on hers. It had been nothing significant. A teasing kiss instigated by her daughter. So why did she wonder what it would be like to be held in those powerful arms and pulled hard against that solid chest? Why was her heart beating faster and her breasts tightening in anticipation? Nothing had happened and nothing was going to happen. It couldn’t. She knew better than to get involved.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said, strolling over to check the coffee. The pot had stopped sputtering. He opened the cupboard above the machine and pulled out two mugs.

“I don’t remember what I was smiling about.” Her voice sounded completely normal, she thought with some relief.

“How do you take it?”

“With milk, please.”

He stirred her coffee and handed her the mug, then took the seat opposite her. “How did you sleep?”

“Great. I feel better.”

“You’re supposed to be staying off your feet.”

“I know. I just wanted some coffee, and I didn’t know what time you got up.”

She felt a little awkward talking about the intimate details of living together. She barely knew Travis. She tilted her head toward the table, then glanced up at him through her lashes. She liked the way his hair curled slightly around his ears, and the trimmed mustache outlining his upper lip. Last night she’d felt the faint tickle of his mustache against her skin. She wondered what that soft, groomed hair would feel like—

The back door opened, cutting off her dangerous train of thought.

“Yoo-hoo, Travis, are you up?” a loud female voice called.

He grinned. “If I wasn’t, Louise, I would be now.”

A woman entered the kitchen. She was in her mid to late forties with short blond hair and a figure that could only be described as an hourglass. Her pants were a bright lime green color, her short-sleeved blouse a blend of greens, yellows and oranges. A wide gold belt emphasized her small waist, while a trio of silver chains dipped toward her generous bosom. Dark eye shadow and lots of mascara highlighted her blue eyes. Her red lipstick clashed with everything, but somehow looked all right.

“You must be Elizabeth,” Louise said, moving forward and holding out her hand. “Your daughter is the sweetest little girl.” She smiled and her eyes got a faraway look. “Maybe I should have had children.” She paused. “No, I think Alfred is more than enough trouble, don’t you?”

“Alfred?” Elizabeth asked as they shook hands. “Your husband?”

Louise laughed. “No, my dog. Hi, I’m Louise.”

Elizabeth didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or laugh back. She settled on smiling weakly. Louise bent over and gave Travis a kiss on the cheek, then moved to the refrigerator and started pulling out food.

“Louise is my housekeeper,” Travis said.

“I figured that.”

“She works here three days a week—”

“But I’m willing to come in more while you’re getting better, Elizabeth,” Louise said, cutting Travis off. “When I heard what happened, well, I just had to rush over and do whatever I could to help.” She set a pitcher of orange juice on the counter. “Maybe you would like to work on some crafts while you’re recovering. I’m thinking of doing something with clay.”

“Absolutely not,” Travis said. “There will be no clay in this house.”

Louise mumbled something under her breath about men being pinheads.

Travis leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Louise is going through a stage right now.”

The chesty blonde glared at him. “I can hear every word you’re staying and this is not a stage. I’m exploring my art.”

“She’s driving me crazy. She makes things and gives them to me.”

“It’s a sign of affection, but if you’d rather I didn’t, then fine.” She slammed the refrigerator door shut and turned her back on them.

“I have this drawer full of sweaters and socks.”

Elizabeth stared at him. “Why is that a problem?”

“They’re not—” he glanced from her to Louise and back “—normal. Most of the socks have no heel. The sweaters aren’t anatomically correct.”

Louise walked over to the table and grinned. “I’ll admit I didn’t quite get the hang of knitting. I never could figure out parts of the patterns, but some of the wool was real lovely.” She held two eggs in her right hand. “How would you like them cooked?”

Elizabeth blinked several times. “Scrambled?”

“Fine.” She glanced at Travis. “I know what you want, but the way you’ve talked about me this morning, I’m of a mind to let you go hungry.”

“Your threats don’t scare me.” As Louise passed him, he reached out and patted her rear end affectionately.

“Don’t you try your wild ways on me, Travis Haynes,” she said, giving him a mock glare. “I’m old enough to be your very young and attractive aunt.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help it. She started laughing. Even the sharp pains in her side couldn’t stop her from chuckling.

“Mommy.”

Mandy entered the room. She was washed and dressed in a pretty blue dress with tiny white flowers. She came over to her and held out her arms for a hug. Elizabeth pulled her close.

“Are you ready for your first day of school?” she asked. Travis was going to walk Mandy to the elementary school and register her.

Mandy nodded. “Travis helped me pick out this dress to wear. Did we choose the right one?”

“Of course, Mandy. You look perfect.”

“I have ribbons.” She held them out. “Will you put them in my hair?”

“Sure.”

Elizabeth turned and Mandy slipped between her legs. When the girl saw Louise, she squealed with excitement. “Louise, you found us.”

Louise looked at her. “Morning, baby girl. What do you mean I found you?”

“Travis said you were lost.”

Elizabeth glanced at him. He’d taken a sip of coffee just as Mandy spoke and now he started to choke. Louise came over and pounded him on the back several times while he coughed.

Louise gave her a quick wink. “He probably said I was trying to find myself.”

The next thud on his back sounded a little harder. He turned to her and held up his hand. “That’s enough,” he said, his voice raspy and faint. “I’m fine.”

Elizabeth wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a flush of color on Travis’s cheeks. She bit back her laughter and concentrated on Mandy’s hair. When the braid was secured with the length of blue ribbon, Mandy pulled out a chair and climbed onto the seat. As Louise fixed breakfast, Many chatted with Travis and Louise about what Mr. Bear had told her in the night. Louise slid a plate in front of the girl, containing a waffle shaped like a popular cartoon mouse. Cut strawberries formed a bright collar at the bottom of the waffle. A glass of milk completed the meal.

Elizabeth looked up at the older woman. “Thank you for making that.”

Louise shrugged. “It’s nothing. The first day of school should be special for a little girl. And Alfred was never impressed with my waffles.”

Elizabeth wanted to ask if Louise really did feed her dog waffles, but she didn’t dare. As the smells of eggs, bacon and coffee mingled in the kitchen, she leaned back in her chair and savored her feeling of relief. She and Mandy were going to make it. In three weeks she would start her new job and move into her own place. In the meantime, they were safe here.

She glanced at Travis and found him staring at her. His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth. The sensation of being touched was so real, she wanted to touch him back. The attraction flickering just below the surface fanned to life.

He was her salvation and her greatest problem. This, this mindless reaction to him, had to stop. She knew better than to get involved with a man, any man. But he was even worse than most. She knew what his easy ways and quick, tempting smile meant. She’d already been seduced by one charmer and those results had been more awful than she could ever have imagined. The only decent thing to come out of her relationship with Sam Proctor had been Mandy—and that had been an accident.

Louise served them breakfast, then poured more coffee. Elizabeth hesitated before picking up her fork.

“Dig in,” Travis said. “Louise is a great cook.”

“I don’t doubt that, it’s just…”

He leaned across the bleached oak table and laid his hand on top of hers. Heat flooded her fingers, warming her blood and making its way up her arm. She told herself to ignore it, and him, but she couldn’t seem to look away from his dark gaze.

“It’s just nothing,” he said. “Everything is going to be all right. I’ll make it all right. I’m the sheriff. I can do anything.”

“I believe you,” she said and was rewarded with a smile. She did believe him. That was the problem.

She picked up her fork. It was only for a few weeks, she reminded herself. She just had to stay strong and resist the powerful charm of Travis Haynes. She could do it, she had to. Her life depended on it.

* * *

Elizabeth sat in the family room and stared at the television. The screen was blank. She picked up the remote control, then tossed it down. She didn’t want to watch television; she wanted to be with her daughter on her first day of school.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat, but the pressure didn’t go away. Her eyes burned and she wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Little Mandy had gone off with Travis an hour ago. She’d waved and smiled, and promised to make her mom something pretty in class.

“I should have been with her,” Elizabeth said softly, fighting the frustration. She touched her side, feeling the bandage under her shorts and panties. There was no way she could have made it from here to the school and back. It took all her strength to walk from the kitchen to the family room. But she’d so wanted to see Mandy’s classroom and meet her teacher. Her daughter would only enter the first grade once and she’d missed it. What kind of mother did that make her? It wasn’t enough she’d taken Mandy away from everything she knew in the world, but now the girl was going to a strange school, escorted by a strange man. It wasn’t fair.

“Television is generally more interesting when you turn it on,” Louise said.

Elizabeth looked up at her. The other woman stood in the doorway to the family room. She had a mug of coffee in each hand. “I wasn’t really planning on watching,” she said.

“Would you like some company?”

Elizabeth nodded. “That would be nice, if you have the time.”

Louise handed her one of the mugs and plopped down at the opposite end of the butter-soft leather sofa. “I’ve got plenty of time. That boy hasn’t even furnished most of the rooms in this monstrosity. There’s not that much cleaning to do. I suspect he hires me so that he can have a taste of someone else’s cooking and a friendly face to come home to a couple of days a week.”

“Are you saying Travis is lonely?”

“Could be.”

Louise fluffed up her bangs with her fingers. Elizabeth noticed she painted her long nails a bright red and had thin stripes of gold dotted on the tips.

“So what do you think of him?” Louise asked.

That was certainly subtle, Elizabeth thought, fighting a grin. “He seems very nice.”

Louise’s eyes narrowed. “Now I don’t think any of the Haynes boys would appreciate being called ‘nice.’ Ladies’ men, maybe. Irresistible, certainly. But nice?” She shook her head and smiled. “You’d better keep that opinion to yourself.”

“I guess I’ll have to.” She took a sip from her mug. “Travis mentioned he has three brothers.”

“That’s right, and his daddy is one of five.” She leaned her head back against the leather sofa. Her expression got soft and dreamy. “That means there are nine Haynes men walking around on this earth tempting women with their wicked ways. When I was in high school, Earl—that’s Travis’s father—came to speak to my class about drinking and driving. I don’t remember a word he said, but I do remember how handsome he looked in his uniform. When he smiled, I about melted in my seat.” She straightened and shrugged. “I was barely seventeen, and my boyfriend and I had just broken up. Earl Haynes looked mighty good. Of course he was a much older man.”

“Of course,” Elizabeth murmured. Louise was certainly a little left of center, but Elizabeth found herself liking the other woman.

“And his uncles. Hell-raisers all of them. I don’t think they were ever faithful longer than a minute. Heaven help the women who tried to tame ’em. Of course the Haynes men did give this town something to talk about. Then when Earl went ahead and had four more boys of his own, there was even more talk. Do you know there hasn’t been a girl born to the Haynes family in four generations?”

“Travis mentioned that.”

Louise laughed. “Travis is the most easygoing of the four boys. Not like Jordan. That one’s always been a mystery. But Travis knows what he wants and gets it.” She winked. “Maybe he’ll decide he wants you.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I’m not interested in a relationship. Certainly not with a man like him. The last thing I need is some Don Juan upsetting my life.”

“Oh, you can’t believe everything you hear about him. He’s not exactly the heartbreaker everyone says. Despite what he thinks, he’s nothing like his daddy.” Louise grew serious. “You can trust me on that one, honey. I know for a fact.”

It didn’t matter how much of Travis’s reputation was real and how much hype. Enough of what Louise had said was true for Travis Haynes to be trouble.

Sam had been a charmer, too. His easy smile and quick wit had seduced her in a matter of hours. Of course she’d been a willing participant. And young. Far too young for a man like him. She’d never had a clue as to what was going on. She’d known the relationship was in trouble, but even that hadn’t prepared her for the police showing up at her doorstep in the predawn hours of morning. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget the feeling of horror when the Los Angeles Police Department officers had taken Sam away. Thank God Mandy had slept through it all.

Louise leaned forward and patted her leg. “You feeling better?”

“What?”

“I thought you might be a little down, what with missing Mandy’s first day at school. You feel better now?”

Elizabeth looked at Louise, with her bright makeup and dangling earrings. The left one was a teapot, the right, a cup and saucer. “You probably don’t want to hear this any more than Travis, but I think you’re nice, too.”

Louise gave her hand a squeeze and rose to her feet. “Just don’t let word get out. I have my own reputation to keep up. Now I’m going to get to work on lunch. I heard Travis’s truck in the driveway. He can tell you all about Mandy’s classroom. Don’t worry, honey. You’ll get to see it soon enough.”

She left the room and passed Travis in the doorway. Elizabeth half turned to face him. “How did it go?” she asked.

He studied her for several seconds. There was an odd look in his eyes, as if he’d never seen her before.

“Travis, is something wrong?”

“No. Everything went fine. Mandy loved her teacher and when I left, it looked like she’d already started making friends.”

Elizabeth sagged back in the sofa. Some of the tension left her body. Maybe, just maybe, she hadn’t destroyed her daughter’s life.

“These might help,” he said as he walked toward her. He held out several instant photos.

“You took pictures?”

“I thought they might make you feel like you’d been there.”

She smiled up at him. “That was so thoughtful.”

She took the photos and looked through them. The first showed Mandy smiling in front of the school. There were three shots of the classroom and one of Mandy with her teacher. The little girl was laughing at something the woman had said. Elizabeth felt tears forming in her eyes. She blinked them away.

“This is wonderful. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Travis shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s nothing special. I didn’t even think of the idea. Craig does it for his kids. He says it’s fun to look back later. You’re not going to cry, are you?”

She sniffed. “No.” She touched one finger to the smooth flat surface, as if she could touch Mandy’s warm cheek. Her daughter’s smile made her own lips curve up in response. “She does look happy, doesn’t she? And the teacher looks nice. Did you talk to her?”

“I know her.”

There was something about the way he said the words. “Oh?”

“I sort of, you know.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “We dated for a while.”

“Ah. Is she—” Elizabeth paused, then found the correct word. “Is she nice?” She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

Travis was obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. “Yeah, she’s really great. With kids, I mean.”

“I’m sure Mandy will like her.”

“Most of the kids do.”

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and walked over to the window. The bright light outside lighted his tall, muscular body. He was very handsome, with his dark hair and eyes. Elizabeth could see why he’d acquired his reputation. If his brothers were half as good-looking, then it’s no wonder the town found the family a great source of gossip.

“Tell me about your ex-husband,” he said.

She felt as if he’d thrown a bucket of cold water in her face. Every muscle in her body tensed. She had to put the photos down when she realized she was mangling them. She folded her hands in her lap and forced herself to relax.

“I don’t have an ex-husband. I told you, I was never married.” She could feel the heat of her flush climbing from the scoop neck of her T-shirt, up to her face. It had been six months, yet she was still embarrassed to remember what had happened. Would this ever get easier?

“You’re sure?”

“I would hardly forget being married.”

He walked to the sofa and braced his hands against the tall back. “The reason I ask is because when I registered Mandy for school, she got confused about her last name. When I first asked, she said it was Proctor. I reminded her that your last name is Abbott. She said that was her last name, too. So which is it, Elizabeth?”

He was still handsome as sin, but the friendly, teasing man who had shared breakfast with her had disappeared. In his place was a probing stranger. For the first time she saw the dark side of him. No doubt he made an excellent sheriff.

But she couldn’t tell him the truth. It was too awful, too embarrassing, too unbelievable. She had trouble believing it had happened, and she’d lived through it. Besides, she didn’t want to see that pitying look in his eyes. She didn’t want to know he thought of her as less, or stupid. No, the truth was her own secret, one she would never share. She could, however, tell him part of the truth.

She raised her hand to flick her hair back over her shoulder. “Proctor is Mandy’s father’s last name. She used it for a while, but now she’s using my name.”

“I see.” He drew his eyebrows together. “You mentioned you had rented a house here in town.”

What did that have to do with anything? She nodded slowly. “I can take possession on October first.”

“Is your furniture in storage?”

“Why are you asking me this?”

He moved around the sofa until he was standing in front of her. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. She wished he was wearing his Stetson so she didn’t have to see the cold black swirling through his irises.

“Is it?”

“No. I don’t have any furniture. I left it all behind in L.A. I didn’t want to move it. Travis, why are you acting like this? Why are you asking all these questions?”

“So you have no furniture, Mandy has very few toys. In fact, all your possessions can fit in the trunk of your car.” He wasn’t asking a question.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to stand up and stare him in the eye, but the tension was making her side ache too much. She could only sit on the edge of the sofa and fight the fear.

“Travis—”

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I want the truth, Elizabeth. Did you kidnap Mandy?”

Chapter Five

She couldn’t have looked more stunned if he’d slapped her. All the color left her face and her lips parted, but she couldn’t—or didn’t—speak.

Travis noted her reactions, the cynical lawman side of him wondering if she was the genuine article or a very good actress. The male part of him, that part of his being that had reacted to her presence in his life, wanted to believe. He wanted her to be just a single mom looking for something better for herself and her kid.

It shouldn’t matter, he told himself. He wasn’t going to get involved. It would be better for his hormonal state if she was some kind of criminal. After his marriage had collapsed he’d acknowledged the futility of ignoring the truth. As long as he had Haynes blood flowing through his veins he didn’t have a prayer of having a decent long-lasting relationship. So he shouldn’t mind if everything about Elizabeth Abbott-Proctor, or whatever her name was, turned out to be a lie.

Except he knew it was too late. He couldn’t get involved with her, but that didn’t stop him from liking her. And Mandy. The kid had him wrapped around her finger. This morning—

Can it, he ordered himself. He couldn’t afford to think about how great it had been to take Mandy to her first day of school. So what if her trusting smile had given him a lump in his throat? Marriage, a wife and kids weren’t for him. He didn’t have whatever mysterious something it took to be a decent husband and father. He had to focus on Elizabeth and the mystery in her life. He might not be good domestic material, but he was a damn fine sheriff.

Elizabeth glanced up at him, then turned away. “It’s a very effective technique,” she said, her voice low and strained. “Glaring at people like that. I’m sure most of your prisoners crack under the pressure.”

Only then did he realize how long he’d been staring at her. But he didn’t look away. “Just tell me the truth. I’d have to be blind not to see there’s some kind of mystery in your life.”

She stood up slowly. Her mouth twisted, but he sensed it was from the strain on her incision rather than fear. When she was standing, she squared her shoulders and looked up at him. Emotional and physical pain darkened her wide eyes. All the color had faded from her cheeks, leaving her pale and drawn. He could see the beginning of tiny lines around her eyes.

Her long hair fanned out over her shoulders. He wanted to touch that hair, touch her and pull her close. He wanted to ease her pain and promise it was going to be all right. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know how it was going to be.

“I don’t know whether to be furious or grateful,” she said, and stepped away from him.

He knew she was too weak from the surgery to run, but instinctively his body tensed as he prepared to grab her if she went too far. He needn’t have worried. She circled behind the sofa and leaned against the back.

“There’s no mystery, Travis,” she said softly. She studied the leather couch and traced a line of stitching back and forth with her finger. “I’m not and never have been married. Sam Proctor is Mandy’s father. Our relationship—” She hesitated, then drew in a deep breath and looked at him. “Our relationship doesn’t exist anymore. Sam is out of our lives. I came up here to make a fresh start. I left behind everything Sam had given me, including the clothes and toys and furniture. I only brought what is mine and Mandy’s. Sam signed custody of Mandy over to me. I didn’t have time to open a bank account and get a safety-deposit box, so I have the papers with me. I would be happy to show you her birth certificate and anything else you’d like to see.”

“I don’t need to see the papers.”

“But you don’t believe me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He didn’t have to. They both knew she’d been lying. Oh, not about Mandy. He did believe that. It almost made sense, the leaving everything behind part. It seemed like an expensive, impulsive gesture, but nothing about women surprised him.

She’d only lied once. When she’d told him there was no mystery in her life. There was a damn big one and he was no closer to figuring it out. She’d said she’d never married. He almost believed that. So what did that mean? That she’d shacked up with some guy and had his baby?

He studied her. With her hair loose around her face, she looked younger than twenty-eight. Had she gotten involved with a married man? He didn’t want to believe that of her. It reminded him too much of his father and the older man’s string of young women. Earl Haynes had gotten a kick out of seducing the innocents, making them believe he was going to leave his wife and family. He’d never left them, at least not permanently. His way of justifying his life-style had been waking up in his own bed every morning. Every time Travis had heard his mother and father fighting about his father’s infidelities, Earl had glossed over his behavior by saying he always woke up in his bed. What more could a woman want?

Travis had been there once, when it had happened. A woman in her early twenties had been in town visiting family. They’d met in the hardware store. Within fifteen minutes, Earl’d had the woman eating out of his hand and leaving the hardware store to get a drink. Travis had run away as fast as he could. He’d only been fourteen at the time, but he’d known what was happening. He hadn’t made it home before he’d had to stop and throw up in the bushes. He’d cried then for all he’d never had, cried for the loss of a father who was like other dads. A father who cared more about his wife and his sons than other women. It had been the last time he’d shed tears.

“Stop staring at me,” Elizabeth said, and spun away. The quick movement caused her to gasp and clutch her side.

He moved toward her, but didn’t touch her.

“I’m not going to faint or anything,” she said, straightening. “I just wish you’d stop looking at me like I… Jeez, I don’t know. I haven’t committed a crime, okay? Isn’t that enough for you?”

Anger radiated out from her, and that more than anything caused him to trust the feeling in his gut that said she told him the truth.

“I guess it has to be.”

“I didn’t ask to come here with you and I’ll be happy to leave.” She started for the door. “If Louise can’t give me a lift back to the motel, then I’ll call a cab.”

He caught her in one stride and gently took her arm. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t believe you.” She pulled her arm free and glared up at him. “You keep staring at me as if I’ve just made off with the family silver. I haven’t done anything wrong. None of this is my fault.”

It was the fact that she didn’t cry that finally convinced him. He could see the strength it took to hold on to her control. Her mouth quivered from the effort and perspiration dotted her forehead.

Maybe the guy had beaten her, he thought suddenly. Maybe her ex-boyfriend had been one of those sick types who got off on hitting women and children. He glanced at her bare arms, but there were no telltale marks. Of course she could have been on her own for several weeks.

Dammit, what the hell was her story?

She took another step and seemed to stumble. He caught her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa. She clung to him for a moment. He ignored the way her curvy body felt against his chest, the long length of her legs and the soft pressure of her breasts against his shirt. When he set her on the sofa, she immediately tried to slide away. The movement caused her to clutch at her side and glare at him.

The anger in her gaze made him smile. Her temper he could handle.

“You’re overreacting,” he said mildly.

Her mouth dropped open. “I’m overreacting? Wait a minute. You’re the one accusing of me of who knows what. Maybe it would be better if I just—”

“No.” He settled next to her on the couch and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She jerked her head away, but there was no fear in her eyes. Relief flooded him. If she’d been beaten on a regular basis, she would have been terrified. Instead she reacted with completely understandable indignation.

“Don’t touch me, or try to sweet-talk me,” she said. “You accused me of kidnapping my daughter.”

“Given the little that you’ve told me, would you have thought any differently?”

“I—” She drew in a deep breath and brushed her hair out of her face. “I suppose not. But you didn’t have to be such a cop about it.”

“Just doing my job.”

She nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“So you’re not going to make a run for it?”

“To the best of my knowledge I haven’t committed a felony.”

He winked. “Sometimes the misdemeanors can be even more interesting.”

She smiled. “Oh, please. Don’t get me started. I don’t even want to know what you’re talking about.” Her smile faded. “I really haven’t done anything wrong, Travis.”

He hesitated and then said, “I know.”

She held out her hand. “Friends?”

She wanted to shake on it. As Travis took her warm fingers in his, he glanced at her full mouth and wondered if it would taste even sweeter if he kissed her without a six-year-old audience to censor the moment. Better to shake hands, he told himself. Safer. For both of them.

“Friends,” he said and released her. Only then did he remember he still hadn’t solved the mystery.

* * *

Elizabeth hobbled over to the table and gratefully sank into the seat. She was breathing heavily and all she’d done was assemble the ingredients to make cupcakes.

“From a mix,” she said, disgusted with her weakened condition. She grabbed the package and ripped it open. The effort necessary to raise the box to dump it in the bowl made her incision ache.

She leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. Thank God she wasn’t trying to make it on her own in that small motel room. She and Mandy would have starved.

The line of thinking was a mistake, she acknowledged, as thinking of not being in the motel made her remember how she’d been rescued by the very handsome, the very inquisitive Sheriff Travis Haynes. Which made her think of this morning and what had happened between them.

He was not a man she wanted to cross. Despite the wicked charm and sinful good looks, he was intimidating when he was angry. All his questions had made her nervous, but he’d never once stumbled close to the truth. Of course, why should he? It wasn’t the first thing anyone thought of. Things like that only happened in the tabloids. That’s where she belonged. Right between the cover story on the aliens abducting the residents of a local pig farm and the woman giving birth to the four-legged child.

She felt guilty, too, knowing that Travis had given her the benefit of the doubt, trusting her when she hadn’t told him the whole truth. She picked up an egg and held it. Was it so wrong not to want him to know? She hadn’t done anything wrong, had committed no crime, save the one of being too young and too trusting. Okay, she’d been a fool. But was that illegal?

“Just what is it you think you’re doing?”

Elizabeth jumped guiltily at the sound of the voice. Louise stood in the doorway to the kitchen. She planted her hands on her curvy hips and stared.

“I’m, ah, making cupcakes for Mandy.”

Louise shook her head. “And you look like such a bright girl, too.” She walked over and grabbed the egg from Elizabeth’s hand. “The doctor told you to stay in bed for a week.”

“I know, it’s just—”

“A week is seven days. This is day two. If I have to tie you up, I will, but won’t that be hard to explain to the neighbors?”

Elizabeth grinned and held up her hands in defeat. “I give. Just don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much. If I promise to be good, can I at least sit here for a little while?”

Louise looked stern. “For a few minutes. Then I want you to go lie down until Mandy gets home.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Louise took the seat next to her and finished pouring in the mix. “I remember when I was little my mama used to make cupcakes for me.”

“Mandy loves them.”

“So do I.” The older woman smiled. “I haven’t baked anything in ages. I wonder if Alfred would like some cake with his dinner.” She thought for a minute. “No, he’s still trying to lose weight.” She leaned forward. “Alfred is a beagle and they tend to get a little heavy when they age.”

Elizabeth hoped Louise was only kidding about making a cake for her dog, but she wasn’t completely sure and she didn’t want to ask.

Louise stirred in the other ingredients, then started pouring the batter into the cupcake pan. “So, I heard you and Travis fighting. You want to talk about it?”

“You aren’t one to beat around the bush, are you?”

Louise shrugged. “I’m pretty straightforward,” she admitted. “It would probably be easier if I’d just learn to keep my mouth shut. Maybe I’ll get it eventually. But you seem like a real nice lady. Mandy is the sweetest little girl and I’ve found you can usually judge a mother by her children. Travis Haynes is one of my favorite people on earth. Why, if I was five or six years younger, I might just risk my heart on him.” She paused, then shook her head. “On second thought, I’ll leave the Haynes boys to the rest of you. I’ve already had my heart broken once by that family.”

It was too much information to absorb, Elizabeth thought, not knowing whether to laugh, cry, be insulted or flattered.

“He’s a good man,” Louise said, carrying the full cupcake pans over to the oven and sliding them inside.

“Who?”

“Travis.”

“I know that.”

“He was just doing his job, asking all those questions, I mean.” Louise poured herself a cup of coffee. When she held up the pot, Elizabeth shook her head. “Of course any woman would know you’re that girl’s mother through and through. She’s got your smile. Her daddy must be some kind of looker.”

“He is,” Elizabeth said. Sam certainly was good-looking. Not nearly as handsome as Travis, but attractive enough to make any woman look twice. She’d been so caught up by his face and body, the charm and easy smile, she’d never thought to question anything except her good fortune. Imagine little Elizabeth Abbott catching someone like Sam. Only, she hadn’t exactly caught him.

“So, you still mad at Travis?”

“No. I understand that he had questions.” But she wasn’t willing to give him all his answers. Still she couldn’t blame him for asking. She’d expected him to wonder what her story was, but she hadn’t expected him to come up with kidnapping!

“I’m glad.” Louise sipped her coffee, then glanced at the clock over the stove. “Looks like it’s time for me to leave. Travis and Mandy should be back in an hour or so. You’re not going to get out of control and start vacuuming, are you?”

“I promise I’ll behave.”

Louise set down her cup. She picked up her purse from the counter, then crossed to the table, bent over and gave Elizabeth a hug. “I’m here if you want to talk,” she said. “I might not have any answers, but I’m a great listener.”

Elizabeth hugged her back. The other woman’s perfume was a clingy Oriental scent that somehow suited her perfectly. Louise stepped back and waved, then left the kitchen. The back door banged shut behind her and the kitchen was silent.

Elizabeth stared around the empty room, wishing the digital clock would tick so there would be some sound. She was completely and totally alone. She wasn’t afraid to be on her own. It was the questions that came to her, making her wonder if she’d made the right decisions for herself, and more importantly, for Mandy. Had she had other options and not realized it? Would she ever know how many clues she’d missed? She’d been worse than a fool.

The timer on the oven clicked down another minute. She thought about Louise who had offered to be a friend. Elizabeth knew that she needed to make some friends. She desperately needed someone to talk to and have fun with. Louise was a little offbeat, but that didn’t matter. The reason Elizabeth couldn’t reach out to her was because of herself, not because of the other woman. She couldn’t dare be friends with anyone. She would always have to hold some part of herself back, be it from Louise or Travis.

Thank God he hadn’t guessed the truth. She leaned back in the chair and sighed. Every time she thought she’d put it all behind her, something happened to remind her again.

She tried to think about nothing more complicated than whether or not she had the strength to frost the cupcakes. In the end, she decided she didn’t and pulled the muffin pans from the oven and left them to cool. She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, but she couldn’t escape her past even there. So she tried thinking about other things. About the kiss.

Her eyes flew open. Not that. But now that she’d remembered it, she found it hard to forget the soft brush of his lips on hers yesterday. Today, when he’d sat next to her on the sofa and they’d shaken hands, for a moment she’d thought he might kiss her. Softly, tenderly, holding her close in those strong arms.

He carried her so easily, but that was an impersonal gesture made to aid an invalid. She wanted to be held close by a man who needed to hold a woman. She wanted to know if Travis could make her feel safe and secure in his embrace, if he could loan her a little of his strength and confidence. Foolish dreams. She hadn’t answered all his questions. They both knew that. He might believe that she hadn’t broken any laws, but she’d seen the look in his eyes. He was reserving judgment on her until he knew the truth. Imagine what he would think of her then.

The back door opened and she heard Mandy’s laughter as she came into the kitchen.

“Mommy, Mommy, where are you?”

“In here,” she called, sitting up slowly and leaning against the headboard.

Mandy flew into the room. She had several papers in one hand and her bear in the other.

“How was your first day of school?” Elizabeth asked, holding out her arms.

Her daughter scrambled onto the bed and threw herself into her embrace. Elizabeth held her close. Even the pain in her side didn’t matter, she thought, as she stroked her daughter’s hair.

Mandy leaned back and knelt on the bed. “I had fun.”

“Did you?”

Mandy nodded. “Miss Brickman says we’re going to learn to read.”

Elizabeth touched Mandy’s paint-smudged cheek. Her dress was wrinkled, her ribbons loose and coming undone, but there was a bright glow of happiness in her child’s eyes that made her heart lighten. Maybe she had made the right decision after all.

“You already know how to read.”

“I know.” Mandy grinned. “She said she’d help me learn better. And we’re going to do counting, too. Here.” She thrust out her papers. “I did these.”

Elizabeth looked at the drawing of what she was pretty sure was supposed to be this large house, a sheet with Mandy’s name painstakingly spelled out in a childish scrawl, and a note from Miss Brickman outlining the homework schedule for the first half of the year.

“You’re supposed to sign this one,” Mandy said, pointing at the note from the teacher. “We’re going to have homework, just like the big kids.” She sounded delighted. Elizabeth wondered how long that would last.

“Someone’s been busy.”

She looked up and saw Travis standing in the doorway. He held a tray containing a plate with several chocolate cupcakes and two glasses of milk.

Mandy’s blue eyes got big. “Mommy, you made cupcakes for me.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to get out of bed,” Travis said.

“Louise did all the work.”

“Why don’t I believe that?”

“Don’t ask me, because she did.”

“Sure.” He put the tray down on her nightstand, then pulled Mandy off the bed. “Maybe you should change into play clothes before you get crumbs all over that dress. What do you think?”

Mandy looked at her mother, who nodded, then sighed. “Okay, but don’t eat all the cupcakes before I get back.”

“We won’t,” Elizabeth said and watched her daughter scamper out of the room. She glanced at the cupcakes and saw they’d been iced. “Thank you,” she said. “I meant to get back to that, but I must have dozed off.”

“Hey, I opened a can. How hard could it be?” He perched on the edge of the bed. “You’re not overdoing it, are you?”

Exhaustion overwhelmed her with all the subtlety of being hit by a large truck. She tried to smile, but suddenly she was too tired. “Maybe just a little.”

He leaned forward. For a second she thought he was going to kiss her. She found out she had just enough energy left to get excited by the thought, then was disappointed when all he did was lay his hand against her forehead.

“No fever,” he said, “but you should stay in bed for the rest of the day. The last thing you need is to land yourself back in the hospital.”

“I know.” She picked at the bed cover, then looked at him. He’d shaved that morning, but the shadowy darkness of his beard highlighted his strong jaw. He had dark eyes framed by thick lashes. A firm mouth that was threatening to curve into a smile. Nothing in his expression reminded her of the questions he’d asked that morning. Yet that conversation sat in the room like a rather large intrusive elephant.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

His expression hardened, and his mouth pulled into a straight line. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“I want to. You’ve been very kind to me.”

“This is a full-service community.”

She chuckled, then clutched her side. “Travis, don’t make me laugh. It still hurts.”

“Okay, I’ll be serious.”

He leaned closer, bracing one hand on the far side of her body. She wanted to reach up and pull him close. She settled on inhaling the scent of his body. He smelled like a fall day, with a hint of musk thrown in for temptation.

“Tell me your secret,” he said softly.

When she’d first met Sam she’d thought she’d loved him with her whole heart and soul. He only had to look at her to make her want to be with him, next to him, touched by him. She’d learned later that her feelings for Sam Proctor were more about the newness of a physical relationship than anything else. But it had already been too late. She’d committed the ultimate foolish act and fallen in love with him.

Nothing about Sam’s practiced charm had prepared her for Travis’s lethal combination of strength and concern. It would be so easy to lean on those shoulders she admired, to tell him everything. But to what end? Once he knew the truth— She couldn’t even bear to think about it.

“I can’t.” She met his gaze and held it.

“You won’t.”

“Yes. I won’t. Please don’t ask me again. I don’t want to have to lie to you. I haven’t done anything illegal. It’s a silly little secret, but it’s mine to keep. If telling you everything about my past is the price for staying, then I have to leave.”

He studied her a long time. His gaze swept over her face, stopping at her mouth before dipping to her throat and returning. He reached up and touched her cheek, much as she’d touched Mandy’s. But his caress was anything but maternal. Her stomach tightened and her breasts tingled in response.

Before she could say anything, or think about touching him back, he reached down for the comforter folded up at the foot of the bed. He pulled it over her and smoothed it in place. Then he leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead.

“Go to sleep, darlin’,” he said, and stood up.

She watched him leave the room and close the door quietly behind him. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. It would be so easy to let Travis into her world, she thought sadly. So easy to try to believe again. If she had the strength and the words, she would explain that it wasn’t so much about him. Sure, she couldn’t risk trusting a man again, but worse, she couldn’t trust herself.

Chapter Six

“You’re nervous,” Travis said, taking off his Stetson and sending it across the family room. It landed neatly in the center of a writing desk on the left side of the window.

Elizabeth sank into the leather sofa and rolled her eyes. “Number one, if you keep doing that hat toss trick to impress me, I’m immune.”

“Liar,” he said as he crossed the room.

His khaki uniform, slightly wrinkled from his day at work, made his shoulders look broader and his legs longer. His wide black belt emphasized his trim waist. And yes, she had been lying. The nightly toss of the Stetson got her heart racing as if she’d just climbed three flights of stairs.

He settled on the sofa and grinned. “What’s number two?”

“Number two is I have nothing to be nervous about.”

“Double liar.” He leaned closer, resting his weight on

his elbow. His perfectly trimmed mustache outlined the teasing curve of his mouth. “I’ve made tougher women than you swoon with my cowboy hat, and while there’s no reason to be nervous about having dinner with Rebecca, you are. I can see it in your eyes.”

She opened her mouth to deny his statement, then closed it. He was right; she was nervous. “Okay, just a little.”

He sat up straight, then leaned over and patted her bare leg. “Don’t be. Rebecca’s a sweetheart.” He kept his warm hand on her knee. She told herself she should move away, but she liked it when he touched her.

She raised her eyebrows. “Do you realize that every time a female citizen of Glenwood is mentioned, you’ve dated her?”

“Only if they’re between twenty-five and forty.”

She reached behind her for one of the throw pillows and batted his hand away. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m one of the Haynes boys. What else am I supposed to do?”

She’d been in Travis’s house for six days. Louise had filled her head with enough stories to tell her what being a “Haynes boy” meant. “Settle down with one woman. Try monogamy for a change. There is something to be said for quality rather than quantity.”

His good humor faded quickly. “I tried that, remember?”

“Oh.” She did recall him mentioning a divorce. “Sorry.” She was silent for a moment. “So what happened?”

He turned his head until he was looking at her. The lines around his eyes crinkled when he smiled. “You’ve been hanging around with Louise a little too much, don’t you think? You could have been a bit more subtle with that question.”

“Probably,” she admitted shamelessly. “So what happened? Or don’t you want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to say. It just didn’t work. I’m sure some of it was her fault, but I have to take most of the blame.” He held his hands out in front of him, palms up. “It’s a little difficult to get past who I am.”

“So that’s why you know Rebecca is a sweetheart?”

“Want to know a secret?”

She wasn’t sure she did, but Travis was difficult enough to resist most of the time, and now, when he was rumpled and just tired enough to let his guard down, he was impossible to refuse.

“Sure.”

He slid closer to her. Her body tensed. Her incision had healed quite a bit, although it still hurt if she moved around too much. She wanted to pull back, but there was nowhere to go except off the sofa. Six days with Travis had taught her two important things. The first was that being in his presence made her very aware of her body, his body and the potential those two bodies had together. She told herself it was just hormones, and being lonely and afraid that brought on that thinking. The second thing she learned was that even if she was ever foolish enough to get involved with a man again. Travis Haynes was absolutely the worst one she could pick. He and his brothers had reputations for being lady-killers and heartbreakers. Louise had told her story after story about the female conquests made and cast aside. Elizabeth had to admit that in most of the stories, Travis had been honest, caring and had at least tried to make the relationship work. But the reality was he made Sam Proctor look like an amateur when it came to seducing women.

He leaned over so he could whisper in her ear. His chin rested on her shoulder, pushing aside the thin strap of her tank top. Stubble grazed her suddenly sensitized skin, making her muscles jump and her toes curl against the thick carpet.

“Rebecca is my greatest failure.”

“What?”

She made the mistake of turning to look at him. He hadn’t pulled back and their faces were inches apart. Breath mingled with the heady scent of his warm body. She clutched her fingers tightly together to prevent herself from reaching out toward him and touching his arm, his chest, anything she could get her hands on.

“Shortly after we met, I took her out on a date. It was supposed to be this great seduction. I had everything planned.”

The pain in her midsection wasn’t from the surgery, she realized, chagrined. It was envy, pure and simple. She prayed he couldn’t see it in her eyes.

“I picked her up at seven-thirty. By eight-ten I figured out I’d made a large error in judgment.”

“Which was?”

“Chemistry. It was all wrong.”

She stared at him, at his dark eyes that suddenly seemed to be flickering with the most intriguing fire.

“What was wrong with it?” she asked, barely able to disconnect from the flames enough to follow the conversation.

“There wasn’t any between us. Rebecca and me. We were destined to be good friends. But it’s a secret. What would people say if they knew the truth? After all, the Haynes charm is supposed to be all-powerful.”

It was working just fine on her, she thought as she lowered her gaze to his mouth. So close. She licked her lips. Three, maybe four inches separated them. The longing inside of her grew. She wanted to know what it would be like to be kissed, really kissed, by him.

She closed her eyes and forced herself to turn away. Why was she doing this to herself? Hadn’t Sam taught her anything?

“Everybody needs friends, Travis. Rebecca seems very nice.”

“Oh, she is.”

He stood up and stretched like a powerful cat taking a moment’s rest from stalking the mouse. That was her destiny: Elizabeth Abbott-rodent. She giggled.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’m pleased that you and Rebecca are friends. Now I get the chance to spend some time with her before I start my job.” She smiled brightly, trying to banish the lingering lethargy and leftover passion, not to mention the image of herself with whiskers and a tail. “She’s going to bring some paperwork by for me, to help fill the days.” She pointed at the television. “I can only read so much, and TV is quickly losing its appeal.”

“Just so you don’t overdo it.”

She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, Sheriff. I’ll be careful. And I’ll keep your secret.”

“It’s just as well it didn’t work out,” he said, walking over and picking up his Stetson. “I have two women in my life already. Even I couldn’t handle a third.”

“Two women?”

Her heart seemed to falter slightly. He was dating two women? She told herself the sudden dullness she felt was exhaustion. She’d probably done too much when she’d gone to the grocery store with Louise that morning. She could feel her smile fading and did her best to keep it in place. She didn’t want Travis to know she was even slightly attracted to him. In fact she wasn’t at all. He had two women. Good for him. She wished him well.

He paused by the doorway and looked back. “Although I have to say, of the two of you, Mandy is definitely my weakness. I guess it’s those blue eyes of hers.”

Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open. She stared at him. The teasing glint in his eyes told her she’d been had.

She picked up the pillow beside her and tossed it at him.

He easily ducked out of the way. “Gotcha,” he said and stepped into the hallway. Before she could finish fuming, he poked his head back into the room. His mouth straightened and those flames were still flickering in his dark eyes.

“For what it’s worth, Elizabeth,” he said slowly, never taking his gaze from hers, “the feeling is mutual.”

With that, he left. She heard his footsteps as he walked down the hall, then made his way up the stairs.

Trouble. This was all very big trouble. She was willing to admit there was some kind of chemical reaction between her and Travis. Sometimes she worried that the heat between them was going to set the house on fire. But it didn’t have to mean anything. It couldn’t mean anything. She wasn’t ready to get involved. She might never be ready for a real relationship. Even if she was willing to take a chance, it wouldn’t be on Travis Haynes. The man was a walking, breathing heartbreaker. And she’d had enough heartbreak to last a lifetime. What woman would willingly give herself to someone who was destined to leave her for the next conquest?

She stood up and walked toward her room. Although she was healing, her side still gave her a little trouble. Travis had offered to move her to an upstairs bedroom so that she could be closer to Mandy, but she preferred to stay where she was. Her daughter was safe and happy in this big house, and Elizabeth wanted as much distance between her and Travis as possible. Just because she knew she would never get involved with Travis didn’t mean she’d figured out a way to tell her body to get over its physical attraction to him.

She undressed then stepped under the warm spray of the shower. There was still over an hour until Rebecca was due to arrive, but everything took Elizabeth longer since the surgery. She was getting her strength back, but not as quickly as she’d hoped. The doctor hadn’t been kidding about the recovery time needed. Her trip to the market with Louise had wiped her out for the entire day. She’d had to take a three-hour nap. But it had been worth it to get outside for the first time since the surgery.

As Elizabeth washed her hair, she wondered about Louise. The older woman had mentioned she was divorced. Elizabeth wanted to ask what had happened. For the most part Louise was funny and outgoing, but at the mention of her marriage, she’d gone all quiet. What made it all the more curious was her suspicion that Travis knew exactly what had happened. A couple of things Louise had said hinted at that. But Elizabeth wouldn’t be asking anyone for the story. As much as she’d tried to hold herself back, knowing there were secrets she could never share, she and Louise were becoming friends. If Louise wanted her to know the truth, she would tell Elizabeth herself. If not…well, she certainly understood the need to keep some things private.

After drying off, she applied a little mascara and blush, then started blow-drying her hair. It still hurt to hold the dryer up for very long, so the process was slow. As she rested, she thought about Rebecca and hoped her new boss remembered to bring over some work for her to do. She would like to get a head start on her job so that when she went back full-time, she would know what was going on.

Elizabeth clicked the dryer back on and held it in one hand while fanning out her hair with the other. What must Rebecca think about her living arrangement? What must the whole town think? She was a virtual stranger, living with a single man, in his house. Was there talk? She shook her head and continued drying. Of course there was talk. She was living with Travis Haynes. One of the Haynes. A man with a reputation for women and trouble.

Elizabeth chuckled. That made Travis sound like a guy in a black leather jacket from some sixties B-movie. He certainly wasn’t a troublemaker, although she wouldn’t mind seeing him in a black leather jacket.

She put down the dryer and picked up a brush. The small bathroom was still steamy from her shower so her damp hair curled up toward her shoulders. She smoothed it with the brush, then slipped on a rose-and-green fabric-covered headband.

Despite his rather wicked reputation, she had to admit he wasn’t at all what she’d thought he would be. Sam had left her alone so much, she’d practically raised Mandy on her own. She was used to making all the decisions and handling the responsibilities. She hated to admit it, but it felt kind of nice to have someone else making some of the choices. She even liked living with Travis. He was fun and easygoing. He made her laugh. Better than that, he helped her forget her past.

Her rose sundress had a sweetheart neckline and elastic ribbing in the back to hold it up. The skinny straps were more show than to secure the bodice. She pulled the dress down over her strapless bra and closed the side zipper. After slipping on a pair of high-heeled sandals, she stepped out into the hall.

She could hear a cartoon video playing in the family room. Mandy was excited at the thought of company at dinner, but even more thrilled that she was being allowed to watch her favorite show twice tonight. Elizabeth smiled. Life was certainly simple for a six-year-old.

She turned toward the kitchen to check on the dinner that Louise had made and left warming. A sound on the stairs caught her attention. She looked up and saw Travis.

He’d showered, as well. His hair was still damp, his face freshly shaved. She liked the clean look of his cheeks and jaw, but missed the darkening shadow of his afternoon stubble. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt rolled up to the elbows, and gray trousers. It wasn’t all that different from jeans or his sheriff’s uniform, but that didn’t stop her heart from beating a little faster or her breath from catching in her throat.

She waited until he reached the first floor, then she looked him up and down. “Very nice,” she said, struggling to keep her voice sounding normal. “Are you sure Mandy and I won’t be in the way?”

“I told you, Rebecca is just a good friend.”

“But it’s Friday night. Shouldn’t you be out on a date? You don’t have to stay in to keep us company.”

His dark eyes drifted over her face before dipping down to the bodice of her dress. She hadn’t thought it was all that low-cut before, but she had the sudden urge to check to see exactly how much cleavage showed. His gaze left her feeling shivery and her knees threatening to buckle. Maybe the dress was a mistake.

“I didn’t cancel a date to stay in with you, Elizabeth, so quit worrying about it. I want to spend time with you and Mandy, and I haven’t had Rebecca over for a while.”

He headed toward the front parlor. She followed, feeling that he was just being polite.

“But I don’t want you to think that—”

He turned so quickly, she almost ran into him. As it was she stopped a scant inch from his tall, broad body and had to crane her neck back to see his face.

“I don’t think anything,” he said. His eyes darkened to the color of black velvet before brightening with a fire she didn’t dare identify. “Except that you look very beautiful.”

She blushed. Elizabeth wanted to put her hand on her cheek to make sure, but she knew the sensation of heat on her face could only mean one thing. “I— You—” She swallowed. “Thanks, but you don’t have to say that. I mean, I’m just a paying guest here.”

“Hardly that.” He moved away to a stereo set on the floor in the corner. Wires disappeared into the walls. Louise had mentioned that he’d put speakers in the whole house. While he flipped through his CD’s, she walked around the large empty room.

“This is going to be a beautiful place when it’s finished,” she said.

“I hope so. It’s taking longer than I’d thought.” He slipped a couple of CD’s into the machine, then rotated the table to insert three more. “So what about you, Elizabeth? Why don’t you have some guy from L.A. pounding down my door?”

“Me?” She laughed. “I haven’t had a date in years.” Seven years to be exact, she remembered. Her last date had been with Sam. That’s when she’d told him she was pregnant with Mandy and had foolishly assumed they would do the right thing and get married. It was hard to believe her life had ever been that simple.

She touched the bare walls of the cavernous room, then looked up at the high ceiling. The basic structure of the house was lovely. Nothing like the cramped place she and Sam had rented. She’d wanted to buy a house, but he hadn’t. She remembered the fights they’d had about that, and about having another child—she’d wanted four. That had changed, as well. She’d realized that with Sam gone so much, more children would be difficult. She’d practically lived as a single mother. She’d had such high hopes for the relationship, but the truth was it had been in trouble for the past two years. She’d been on the verge of leaving Sam when the police had arrived to take him away. What irony, she thought, stopping by the window and staring out into the night. She’d been wrestling with her commitment to Mandy’s father, wondering if leaving was the right thing, or just the easiest solution to her unhappiness. She hadn’t known that in a matter of days the question would be decided for her.

The soft sounds of classical music filled the room. Elizabeth turned and looked but she couldn’t see the speakers. Travis stood up and brushed off his hands.

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

She nodded. “A regular seduction factory.”

He grimaced. “Hardly. You might want to keep in mind that Louise does have a tendency to exaggerate things.”

“Oh? You haven’t seduced every female in a fifty-mile radius?”

He moved closer. “Nah. Now if she’d said a thirty-mile radius, that would be different.”

“Oh, Travis, we are a pair, aren’t we? You can’t decide how many women you want, and I never want to get involved again.”

“Is that why you haven’t had a date in years?”

He asked the question so casually, she almost answered it. Almost. She nearly blurted out, “No, it’s because I was married.” But she caught herself in time.

“I was involved with Mandy’s father. Call me a prude, but I’ve always believed in one relationship at a time.”

“Me, too.”

She stared at him in disbelief.

He put his hands on his hips. “Okay, what has she been telling you?”

“Nothing.”

He raised his dark eyebrows. “She had to have said something for you to assume that I’ve never been committed to one woman at a time.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. I believe in monogamy.”

“For everybody, or do you exclude yourself?”

“Elizabeth!”

She shrugged. “I’m just asking. You have to admit you have this reputation in town. I heard it from the nurse, Louise—even Mandy mentioned something about it. You’ve dated her teacher, my boss. What am I supposed to think? That you’re in training to be a monk?”

He grinned. The curve of his mouth and the flash of white teeth had her smiling in response. Realistically, she should be angry at him in the name of femalehood or something. But the truth was she liked Travis. Despite his obvious flaws, he was a good and kind man. At least he kept his socks picked up.

“I am involved with one woman at a time, Elizabeth Abbott.” His voice got lower and more seductive. She felt herself falling under his spell and she couldn’t summon the energy to care. “That woman gets my complete attention, the total sum of my energy and focus for as long as the relationship lasts.”

His gaze never left hers. His hands stayed on his hips. So why did she feel as if he were physically touching her all over? Her skin grew heated, her fingers curled into her palms. How could he do that with just a look and his voice?

“Oh.”

With that he left the parlor and stepped into the hall. Before she realized she’d been abandoned, he was back with a bouquet of flowers.

“These are for you, darlin’,” he said.

That woman gets my complete attention. She stared from the flowers to him and back. No. He couldn’t mean anything by them, could he?

“Why?” she asked, almost afraid to hear his answer. What if he wanted her? What if he didn’t?

“It’s been a week since your surgery. I thought you might be feeling a little lost.” He thrust the flowers at her and she was forced to take them. “You can lose that panicked expression. I’m not out to seduce you.”

“You’re not?” She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

He shook his head. “Not while you’re under my protection.”

Which might mean she would have to watch herself when she wasn’t under his protection, or it might be a polite way of saying he wasn’t interested in her at all. Stop thinking about it, she ordered herself. She was the one not interested, remember? She was the one sworn to never get involved.

She lowered her head and sniffed the bouquet of flowers. The colorful blooms smelled rich and sinful, not like those long-stemmed roses Sam had often brought her after he’d been gone for several weeks. She’d never had the heart to tell him she didn’t like those roses. They were so straight and scentless, almost mutated versions of natural flowers.

She touched the cheerful pink petal of a carnation. “Thank you.” She turned toward him and smiled. “They’re beautiful.” He was close enough to touch. She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. “This is probably going to make you cringe, but I think you’re very nice.”

The second to the last thing she expected was him to say, “I’m glad.” The last thing she expected him to do was step closer and wrap his arms around her waist. She almost dropped the flowers before gripping them in her right hand. Emotionally she was too stunned to pull back; physically, she was too intrigued. Sam had been tall—maybe an inch or so taller than Travis—but Travis was powerful and strong. She could feel the muscles in his arms where they pressed against her side. She could see the strength in his shoulders.

And his eyes. She would like to stare into his brown eyes forever, warmed by the fire flickering there. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. He wasn’t smiling. She was glad. She would have hated him to find this moment funny. She didn’t think it was at all amusing. If anything, she was fighting the burning at the back of her eyes. She didn’t know why she wanted to cry. Maybe it was because in his arms she felt safe and secure. She hadn’t felt that way since she was a young girl, not much older than Mandy.

He pulled her close, until her thigh brushed against his and her breasts flattened against his chest. She reached up and placed her free hand on his shoulder. He was going to kiss her. For the first time since he touched her, she remembered she was supposed to be fighting this. Travis wasn’t for her. But she needed him to kiss her. She needed to forget, even for just a moment. She sensed that once his lips touched hers, she wouldn’t be able to think about anything else.

He didn’t disappoint her. He breathed her name, then lowered his mouth to hers. Soft and hard and prickly and hot. She absorbed the sensations of his lips brushing back and forth on hers, the fire that flared between them. Her eyes drifted shut. Questions of right and wrong, her place in his house, Sam, her future and Mandy all faded, silenced by the powerful force of pleasure. He didn’t assault her or press for more. He simply held her close and moved his mouth slowly, so slowly until she knew every millimeter of his lips.

She wrapped both her arms around his neck, carefully holding on to the flowers. But that was her only conscious thought. Everything else she simply felt. The hard chest flattening her breasts, the stroking of his hands up and down on her back, the shivers as his fingers grazed the bare skin by her shoulder. Her position pulled her incision, but not enough to matter.

He moved his head slightly so he could brush his lips against her jaw, then her ear. She arched her head back, liking the gentle caresses, the absence of pressure. Her blood flowed faster, hotter, fueled by the slow assault. His warm breath tickled, sending goose bumps rippling down to her toes.

He nibbled on her earlobe. She caught her breath, then whispered his name. With her free hand, she touched his still-damp hair, liking the way the smooth strands felt against her fingers.

He read her perfectly. When she grew impatient with his gentle teasing on her jaw and throat, he returned to her mouth. He didn’t ask or hint, he simply opened his mouth on hers. As if she had no will, her lips parted to admit him.

Like his previous caresses, he moved slowly, tenderly, tracing her lips, touching the damp, sensitive inside, touching the edge of her teeth before stroking her tongue with his.

One small flicker was like the first faint flash of lightning. He moved against her again, touching, retreating, touching, circling, touching, tasting. The storm moved closer and closer. She felt the vibration of the thunder, the echoing of his heartbeat, matching the rapid cadence of her own. She saw the flash of light behind her closed eyelids.

Her body sought his, pressing harder to absorb his strength. Against her belly, she felt the hardness of his desire. Between her thighs an answering need flowered, leaving her warm and waiting. Her breasts tightened in anticipation. His hands moved lower, down her back, over the curve of her hip to cup her derriere in his large hands. He didn’t pull her up against him; instead he squeezed gently, lovingly.

She reveled in the feel of being next to him. Every move was slow, not calculated as she might have thought, but savored. As if he had nothing more important in his life than this moment. As if he’d spent the whole day thinking about kissing her.

He wasn’t as tall as Sam, but he was broader and she liked the way his size made her feel protected. Foolish needs, she thought, knowing that she was on her own. But for these few minutes it was enough to hold and be held, tempt and be tempted.

He sucked on her lower lip, the delicious sensations forcing all thoughts from her mind. He kissed her harder now, hungrily, the passion building between them. It was all she could do to stay upright and not sag completely against him. Her fingers had trouble holding on to the bouquet of flowers. His scent and warmth filled her body until she wanted him to be a part of her. He seemed to sense her need, moving even closer, tightening his arms around her as if he were as hungry for love as she.

Love. The word echoed in her brain, the cold reality of its meaning doused her passion and she pulled back. She wasn’t hungry for love. She couldn’t afford to be. Passion, maybe. Sex—well, it had been a while, so probably. But not love. Never love.

She stared at the open V of his white shirt and watched his chest rise and fall in a rapid cadence that matched her own. Not love. Never love. Love makes you blind. You can’t trust it. Ever. She’d learned that lesson the hard way. She’d loved Sam with all her heart, and he had betrayed everything she’d held sacred and special. There had been a hundred clues, but she’d missed them all.

Travis was just like Sam. He was a womanizer, a smooth-talking charmer who made a hobby of breaking hearts. So what if he claimed to practice monogamy? That was part of the trappings of his disguise. She knew what he really was.

She realized they’d been standing there, breathing heavily for several seconds. She half expected him to say something, apologize. But he didn’t.

The worst part of it was that her body still tingled from the power of their kisses. Her breasts ached, her thighs felt trembly and weak, and her blood hummed with a powerful need that even the most rational of arguments couldn’t quench.

She swallowed thickly, then forced herself to look up at him. The fire in his eyes burned hotter than she’d ever seen it. His mouth was still damp from her passionate kisses. She wanted to look down but didn’t dare. She couldn’t bear to see the proof of his need. She would think about how he would feel next to her, inside of her. It had been over a year since she’d made love, but some chilling little voice at the back of her head whispered this wasn’t all about simply doing without. It was more about the man in front of her than the need within her body, and that thought scared her to death.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice shaking. “We shouldn’t have done that. It’s better if it doesn’t get out of hand.”

He smiled then, a slow, lazy, satisfied and very male smile. The skin on the back of her neck tingled and her breasts swelled painfully.

“What do you mean—‘it’?” he asked.

“You know. Our relationship.”

The smile turned into a grin. “I didn’t know we had a relationship.”

His amusement fueled her temper. “You’re right,” she snapped. “We don’t have a relationship, and I would prefer to keep it that way.” She turned and started to walk away.

He caught up with her instantly and touched her arm. She wanted to pull back, really she did, but she couldn’t. It felt too good to have him touch her. A bright danger sign flashed before her eyes, but she had a bad feeling it was already too late.

“Don’t be upset,” he said, his thumb stroking her forearm.

“I’m not.”

He arched his eyebrows. Yeah, well she’d never been a very good liar. So what else was new?

“It was just a kiss, Elizabeth.”

She pulled free of his hand and continued walking down the hall. When she had turned the corner and was out of sight of the parlor, she raised the bouquet to her face and smelled the sweet flowers. Then she touched her free hand to her still-trembling lips. It had felt like a whole lot more than just a kiss to her.

Chapter Seven

“And then there was the time the blood bank brought one of those mobile trucks. You know the kind. They stay for a few days and take donations.” Rebecca paused long enough to finish setting the silverware, then looked up and laughed. “He dated both nurses.”

“You’re kidding?” Elizabeth asked. “Both. So much for monogamy, Travis,” she called, glancing back at him over her shoulder.

“I was monogamous. The first one didn’t work out, and her friend wanted to comfort me,” he said from his seat on the floor at the edge of the big dining room. It was one of the few rooms he’d actually bothered to furnish. The rosewood table and hutch had once belonged to his mother. She’d left it behind, along with everything else when she’d left him and his brothers. Their father hadn’t wanted the set. Both Jordan and Kyle lived in apartments. Craig had told him to take it because his three boys would destroy the beautiful pieces in a matter of days.

“Travis, it’s your turn to move,” Mandy said impatiently. “Hurry, ’cuz I’m winning.”

“I’m hurrying,” he told the little girl. He rolled the dice and counted out the squares with his marker. Mandy crowed when he landed on a chute that carried him almost to the bottom of the board. “Guess you’re going to win, huh?”

She nodded vigorously, her blond braids bouncing on her shoulders. She grinned. “Mommy, I’m winning. Come see.”

Elizabeth turned in her chair and looked down at the game. “Very good, sweetie.” She gave him a quick glance. A tiny spot of color stained each cheek, but she didn’t turn away.

Travis was glad. He’d barely had time to recover from his obvious and somewhat painful reaction to their kiss when Rebecca had arrived for dinner. So far he hadn’t had the chance to make sure Elizabeth was all right. He told himself he hadn’t meant to kiss her, but he knew he was lying. He’d been thinking about it ever since her first night here, when he’d briefly touched her lips with his. He’d wanted to know if the heat between them was real or imagined. The still-burning scars reminded him the heat was plenty real. Their kiss had only made him want more.

Which was, he acknowledged, an obvious problem. He didn’t want to get involved with Elizabeth for several reasons. Not only was she a guest in his house, but he knew better than to risk it all with someone like her. She was the kind of woman who believed in commitment and forever. He didn’t know how to do that. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t have what other men had to make something special last. Four generations of failed relationships couldn’t be argued with.

But the kiss had been tempting. He only wished he’d had a chance to ask Elizabeth if everything was okay. But Rebecca and Mandy were in the room. If that wasn’t bad enough, his friend was taking perverse delight in telling Elizabeth a string of stories about his supposed conquests with women.

“What about that trick roper you dated?” Rebecca asked.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “A trick roper. I don’t think I want to hear about that one.”

Travis shook his head. “That happened about six years ago. Long before you’d even heard of Glenwood,” he said, turning to Rebecca. “You’re repeating gossip.”

“I know. Isn’t it terrific?” She walked over and patted his shoulder. “I love this guy. He is the ultimate male weapon against women. One look and they go weak in the knees.”

He rolled the dice and moved three places. Mandy rolled and won the game. She laughed with delight, then leaned forward and gave him a big hug. He held her close. Funny how both Abbott women got to him. Elizabeth made him want dangerous things, while Mandy made him feel a fierce need to protect her. And a longing to be more. He would give his soul to be a decent father to some kid. She planted a wet kiss on his cheek. Deep in his chest, he felt a sharp stab of pain piercing his heart.

“You’re the best, Travis,” Mandy said.

“I rest my case.” Rebecca headed for the kitchen.

Mandy scrambled off his lap and followed “Becca,” as she called the other woman. He glanced up at Elizabeth still sitting in her seat watching him.

“I took each of the nurses out once,” he said, wondering why he was defending himself. She wouldn’t believe him. No one ever did. “I don’t think I even kissed the second one good-night.”

“Sure.” She smiled.

“The trick roper was an old friend. I’d known her in college. You know people make up a lot of stories about me and my brothers. They think we get a lot more—” He hesitated, searching for a polite word.

“Action?” she offered helpfully.

“It wouldn’t have been my choice.”

God, she was beautiful. The skinny straps of her rose sundress showed off her tanned shoulders. The long line of her neck made him remember how she’d tasted when he’d kissed her there. Her mouth was perfect, pulling into a wide smile. It was her eyes that always got to him, though. There was a wariness in her expression that seemed out of place. Was it that Sam guy who had made her cautious? What had happened in her life? What was the big secret? Hell, a man could go crazy thinking about it.

He rose to his feet and took the chair next to hers. “A lot of people assume my brothers and I get a lot more action than we do. Part reputation, part circumstances.”

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her small ear. “Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you?”

“No, I’m trying to make sure we’re still friends.”

“I would think you have so many women in your life that one more wouldn’t matter.”

He leaned close to her, stopping only when their arms brushed. He was pleased that she didn’t move away. “I’m not talking about women in general. I’m talking about you. Friends?”

She glanced at the tablecloth. He couldn’t see her expression, so he sweated it out. He hated that it mattered what she thought.

“I’m not a jerk, Elizabeth. I’m not what everybody says.”

“I know.” She bit her lower lip. “You’re a nice guy.”

He winced.

“You are!”

“Great.”

“You want to shake on it again?”

He’d rather kiss on it, but hey, he would take what he could. Her hand felt small and delicate in his, but it was her smile that just about knocked him from his chair. She grinned up at him then leaned forward.

“So tell me the real story about the trick roper.”

* * *

They had barely sat down to dinner when the doorbell rang. Travis threw his napkin on the table. “I’ll get it,” he said, rising to his feet.

He walked to the front door and pulled it open. He grinned. “Austin, come in.”

Austin Lucas strolled into the hallway and paused. He sniffed the air. “I smell dinner.”

“You hungry? Louise left plenty.”

His friend shrugged. “I wouldn’t say—”

“Travis, who is it?” Rebecca called.

Austin raised his dark eyebrows. “Sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”

“It’s not what you think.” Travis grabbed his friend’s arm and steered him toward the dining room. Austin let himself be pulled along, but Travis knew his heart wasn’t in it. Austin didn’t go out of his way to be sociable.

“Look who I found on the doorstep,” he said. Elizabeth and Mandy both looked up expectantly. Rebecca rose to her feet and smiled, even though she couldn’t see who was behind Travis. He stepped to one side and let Austin precede him into the room.

He raised his arm to Austin’s shoulder, as much to show affection as to keep the other man from bolting. Austin didn’t do crowds.

“Austin Lucas, this is Elizabeth Abbott and her daughter, Mandy. They’re staying here while Elizabeth recovers from a bout with appendicitis. Next to my brothers, Austin is my oldest friend in Glenwood.”

Elizabeth stood up and held out her hand. Travis watched her sharply, waiting for the inevitable reaction. She said hello and smiled at him, but that was it. Interesting, he thought.

“And you’ve already met Rebecca,” he said.

Rebecca nodded several times. “The committee meeting on town support for the home. You were there.” She paused. Her brown eyes widened. “I mean, everyone was there, weren’t they? All the people in the town.” She paused. “Not all of them, of course, but a good many. Not just you.” Color flared on her cheeks. She smiled tightly. “Good to see you. Again. Here, that is.” She reached for her water glass. Her fingers slipped and she knocked it over on the table. “Oh, no. I’ll just—” She motioned helplessly toward the rapidly spreading pool of water. “I’ll get a cloth.”

“I’ll help,” Elizabeth said and followed her into the kitchen.

“What’s gotten into her?” Travis asked no one in particular; then he glanced at his friend.

“Don’t look at me. This is only the second time I’ve met the lady. She was a lot like this at the meeting, too. She must have dropped her pen a hundred times.” He shrugged.

Elizabeth came back alone with a couple of dishcloths. She mopped up the spill. Travis waited, but Rebecca never reappeared.

“Have a seat,” Travis said.

Austin shook his head. “I just came by to tell you that I’ll be here for the football game.”

“Great. But really, there’s plenty of food.”

“You’re having dinner with two beautiful women. I don’t want to get in the way.”

“You wouldn’t be.” Travis meant it. In the past several minutes, Elizabeth hadn’t even given Austin a second glance. Good news because his friend’s reputation with women rivaled that of any of the Haynes brothers. Austin topped Travis by at least three inches. He’d been described as handsome as the devil himself. Between his self-made fortune, his solitary ways and the gold hoop earring Travis and his brothers never tired of teasing him about, he drew women like a shell game drew suckers. So Elizabeth was somehow immune to the infamous Lucas charm. Too bad he couldn’t say the same about Rebecca.

“Mister?”

Travis glanced down and saw Mandy was tugging on the sleeve of Austin’s shirt.

“What?” Austin asked.

“I’m beautiful, too. Mommy said so.”

Austin drew back his head and laughed. “You’re right, Mandy. You are very beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t include you.”

The little girl dimpled, obviously charmed.

“Tell me, Mr. Lucas, how long have you lived in Glenwood?” Elizabeth asked.

Austin looked at her. “It’s Austin, and I’ve lived here since junior high school.”

She folded her arms over her chest. The action pushed her full breasts up slightly. Travis remembered the feel of them against his chest. His mouth grew dry.

She smiled slowly. With her long hair curling over her almost-bare shoulders and the rose-colored dress outlining her feminine curves, he knew he didn’t have the power to resist what she offered. Fortunately for him, she wasn’t doing any offering. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Elizabeth.

“I was wondering. I’ve heard all these stories about Travis and his women. Are the stories true?”

Austin glanced at him. Devilment twinkled in his pale gray eyes. “Every word, ma’am. Gospel.”

Travis jerked his thumb toward the door. “Get out of here, you traitor.” He followed Austin down the hall toward the front door, all the while accompanied by the sound of Elizabeth’s laughter.

“I’ll get you for this,” he said as Austin got into his car.

“I’m scared.” Austin gave him a salute. “Enjoy the ladies.” He pulled his car door shut and started the engine.

When Travis returned to the dining room, Rebecca had come out of the kitchen.

“Oh, is he gone?” she asked, twisting her hands together. “I hate it when that happens.”

Elizabeth glanced at the other woman. “What exactly happened?”

Rebecca sank into her chair and buried her face in her hands. “I can’t be around that man without turning into a klutz. I have a master’s degree, I got good grades in school. I run the entire child services department for the county.” She looked up at Travis. “I do a good job, don’t I?”

“The best.” He had to fight back a grin.

“Don’t you dare laugh, Travis,” she said. “I’m a pathetic creature. Every time I’m around that man, I fall apart. I drop things.” She grimaced at the tablecloth. “Or spill them. I can’t finish my sentences. I’ve only met him three times, but it’s getting worse.” She sighed. “Maybe I should move.”

Elizabeth giggled. Rebecca turned toward her. “This is not funny.”

“I’m sorry.” Elizabeth bit her lower lip, then burst out laughing. “You have a crush on him.”

“I know. It’s awful.”

Travis reached over and rested his hand on Rebecca’s shoulder. “Be careful, kid. Austin has broken more hearts than my brothers and I put together. He’s not into relationships except for the convenient kind.”

She looked up at him and smiled. She was dressed in a floral print dress that floated around her body. The garment was loose enough not to even hint at curves below. With her long hair, minimal makeup and flat shoes, she looked like everyone’s stereotypical idea of a librarian. Or a Sunday school teacher. The innocence lurking in her gaze had been one of the reasons nothing had happened between them. He didn’t want that on his already-full conscience.

“I know that,” Rebecca said. “There’s just something about him.”

“He’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, kinda like you.”

* * *

He and Rebecca sat on the front porch swing while Elizabeth put Mandy to bed. He could hear the sounds of Mandy’s laughter floating out of the upstairs window. He liked the domesticity of their arrangement. If he couldn’t have the real thing, this was a damn close second best.

“Elizabeth seems very nice,” Rebecca said, pushing off the porch with her foot and causing the swing to rock.

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s what I like best about our friendship,” she said, poking him in the side. “Your articulate statements.”

He didn’t bother responding. Rebecca had something to say, but he wasn’t going to make it any easier for her.

“You’re a fool if you let her get away.”

He didn’t answer.

“I know you probably think it’s too soon to know if she’s the one or not, but you two look right together. She’s bright, funny, great with her daughter and—”

“Shut up.” He softened the words by resting his arm on the back of Rebecca’s shoulders and pulled her next to him.

“But—”

“No, Rebecca. I can’t do this. I’m not a fool if I let her go, I’m a fool if I try again. You’re right. Elizabeth is great. Mandy’s irresistible, but so what? I come from a long line of failures in the relationship department. None of my uncles, or my brothers have been able to make it work. Neither could I.”

“Maybe Julie wasn’t the right one for you.”

“Maybe I should quit trying to be something I’m not.”

She looked up at him. The porch light illuminated her pale skin and the concern in her eyes. She was as slender and fragile as a porcelain figurine, and just as beautiful. He’d held her close, even kissed her once. And felt nothing. Damn. Why did Elizabeth Abbott have to be the one to make him crazy? It would have been easier to try again with Rebecca. He told himself it was because they were friends, but he knew better. It would have been easier with Rebecca because with her he didn’t have as much to lose.

“You don’t have to be like them,” she said, snuggling closer. There was a slight chill in the air. He welcomed the decrease in temperature. Maybe it would cool his desire. “You’re your own person. Blaze a new path. Start a new tradition in the Haynes dynasty.”

“If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s probably a duck. No point in trying to be something else.”

She grinned. “What are you saying?”

He chuckled. “That I’m a duck.”

“Well, go ahead and be one if it makes you happy.”

The ”trouble was it didn’t make him one bit happy. He wanted more. That was the hell of it. He couldn’t be like his father, going from woman to woman. None of his brothers were. They all wanted to make a relationship work and settle down with one woman. Like them, he wanted to get married, have a herd of children and wake up in the same bed for the next fifty years. What right did he have to try for something that was doomed to failure?

“But maybe Julie wasn’t the one for you.”

“She was the perfect wife. A guy couldn’t ask for more.”

“Maybe you didn’t love her.”

Interesting thought. He was beginning to think he didn’t know what love was.

“Travis!”

He stood up when he heard Elizabeth call his name. “Be right back.”

Rebecca rose and stretched. “I’ll come with you. I want to say good-night to Elizabeth and then leave. I have a lot of work tomorrow.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He waited, hoping for some reaction. Some hint of desire. Nothing. Not even the tiniest spark. She could have been his sister.

“Hang in there,” she said.

“I will.” He opened the front door for her to go in first.

Elizabeth watched Rebecca and Travis enter the hallway. They looked good together. Both tall and attractive. Rebecca said something, and Travis laughed. How easily they spent time together. Elizabeth fought down a feeling of envy. After the first year it had never been easy with Sam. He’d been charming, of course, but he’d never let her inside and never shared his feelings. Now, of course, she knew why. But then she’d always wondered what was wrong with her. Why wasn’t she enough to keep her man happy?

Travis looked up at her.

“Mandy wants to say good-night to you,” she said.

“Sure.” He climbed the stairs two at a time and went into Mandy’s room. Rebecca followed more slowly.

Elizabeth wanted to ask what they’d been talking about outside. She’d heard the creak of the swing. It had been an intimate sound. Elizabeth told herself she wasn’t jealous. Why should she be? She wasn’t interested in Travis. At least not romantically. She resisted the impulse to touch her nose to see if it was growing.

Tonight she was going to have to have a long talk with herself. She couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone, and certainly not him. He would sweep her up in passion, muddle her thinking, pleasure her body and then leave her for the next one on the list. Which almost made it easier. If Travis wasn’t such a flirt, she would have a more difficult decision. She would have to face trusting her judgment about a man. She shook her head. Never again. She was done making those kinds of mistakes.

Rebecca reached the landing. “I’m glad we got to spend some time together.”

“Thanks for bringing me the work. I’ll get started on it in the morning.”

“Oh, please take your time.” Rebecca frowned. “I don’t want to be responsible for you not getting better. You don’t have to do any of it if you don’t feel up to it. Her frown turned into a smile. “Heaven knows the paperwork has waited for months now. A couple more weeks isn’t going to matter.”

“I’m desperate for something to do during the day. Between Louise and Travis, I barely have to move around at all. I’m looking forward to getting back to work.”

“Your desk is waiting for you. Rebecca nodded toward Mandy’s room. “Now you take care of yourself and that hunk in there. He needs some looking after.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “After all the stories I’ve heard, looking after is the one thing he doesn’t need more of.”

Rebecca sobered. “Maybe I shouldn’t have passed on all those stories about Travis. He really is a nice man. Don’t judge him too harshly.”

“I don’t judge him at all. He’s been great to me and Mandy, but he’s not my type.”

“Too bad. He’s not mine, either.” Rebecca stared off in the distance for a moment. “There must be someone brave enough to take on this particular Haynes boy. I haven’t known Travis for all that long, but I know him well enough to know it would be worth the trouble.” She touched Elizabeth’s forearm briefly. “Get better, but don’t push yourself. The piles of paper aren’t going anywhere. Good night.”

She started down the stairs. Elizabeth moved to follow her but Rebecca stopped her with a raised hand.

“I’ll find my own way out. You’d just have to climb the stairs again to tuck in your daughter. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“By.”

Elizabeth watched as her boss left. When the front door closed, she stared at it for several minutes. Rebecca was great. She was looking forward to working for her. It would be nice to have some new friends in her life. Except—

She shook her head and turned toward Mandy’s room. Except for the secrets she had to keep. They made it hard to open up. There was always a barrier between herself and anyone she wanted in her life. She knew she should put it behind her, but she couldn’t. What would Louise and Rebecca think if they knew the truth? Worse, what would Travis think? She didn’t want to even imagine that moment. He would know what a fool she’d been. He would blame her, as she blamed herself, for not figuring it out, for not getting the clues. There must have been hundreds.

Stop thinking about it, she told herself. But it was hard to forget what was keeping her from the life she really wanted. Tonight’s dinner had reminded her how much she liked having people in her life. Being with everyone had taunted her with the vision of what she’d once imagined her life with Sam to be like. She’d thought they would be a family together; she’d been wrong.

Brushing aside the unpleasant thoughts, she moved toward Mandy’s room. As she entered the room she saw Travis sitting on the edge of the bed holding Mandy in his arms. They both had their backs to her.

“Sometimes I miss my daddy,” Mandy said.

“I know, honey,” Travis answered.

Elizabeth felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Mandy had adjusted so well to all the changes that sometimes she allowed herself to forget how this must be upsetting her daughter. Of course she missed her father.

She wanted to go to Mandy and comfort her, but Travis seemed to be doing a fine job. Besides, it was her fault the girl didn’t have a father anymore. She’d been the one to demand Sam sign custody of their child over to her. She clutched the door frame. Sam hadn’t given her any trouble. He’d signed the papers, then passed them to her. His blue eyes had spoken his silent apology as the prison guards had led him away. That quiet apology hadn’t been enough.

Elizabeth knew this was hard on Mandy, but it was better this way. Sam had never really loved either of them. She’d finally figured out it had all been a game to him.

“How come your hugs make me feel better?” Mandy asked, settling back on her bed.

“They’re magic hugs.” Travis bent over and kissed her cheek. When he straightened, he saw Elizabeth standing just inside the room. “Hi. We were discussing her father.”

“I heard,” she said. Elizabeth addressed Mandy. “Were you feeling sad?”

“A little.” Her little girl looked up at her with Sam’s eyes. “Travis gave me a magic hug and I’m better now.”

“Aren’t you lucky.” Elizabeth picked up her stuffed teddy and placed him next to her. “Are you ready to go to sleep?”

Mandy nodded.

“I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you, too, Mommy.”

Elizabeth fussed with the covers for as long as she could, knowing she didn’t want to turn around and face Travis. What must he be thinking about her? Every time they came to some kind of agreement, something was there to remind him about the mysteries in her life. She knew he was curious. She just prayed he would stop asking her questions she couldn’t answer.

Travis was waiting for her in the hallway. Without saying a word, he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her down the stairs. When they reached the foyer she was about to say good-night, but he opened the front door.

“Come outside,” he said. “It’s a beautiful night.”

She hesitated. It would be better for both of them if she went to her room—alone. The two of them sitting in the dark could get into a lot of trouble. Their kiss this afternoon had proved that, and it had still been daylight. But the cool night beckoned. She was tired from her long day, but not in pain.

“I won’t bite,” he promised.

How could she resist him? “If you’re sure,” she said, and stepped out onto the porch.

The light beside the front door cast a soft glow down the steps. The swing was to her left, but she felt that would be tempting fate too much, so she sat on the top step and pulled her full skirt over her knees to her ankles. Travis settled next to her. The night air was full of sounds: crickets, the soft buzz of invisible flying wings, the hoot-hoot of an owl. She inhaled the smells. Damp earth from a brief afternoon shower, the last lingering sweetness of the roses by the porch rail and the hint of woodsmoke from some faraway fireplace.

A quarter moon hung just above the horizon. This was a different sky than she was used to. The lights of Los Angeles washed out most of the stars, but up here she could see the twinkling lights of the constellations.

Travis sat close enough for them to touch. Shoulder to thigh. She should probably pull away, but he was warm and familiar, her only anchor in her new world.

“You want to talk about Mandy’s father?” he asked. He’d lowered his voice, but it still sounded loud in the quiet evening. “I assume you heard what she said.”

“Most of it.” She folded her arms on top of her knees and rested her chin on them. “I can’t.”

“How about your father?”

“What?”

She glanced sideways at him. He smiled at her. In the soft light, he looked like a chiseled statue. His hair and mustache were the color of midnight, his skin a polished bronze. If it wasn’t for the warmth of his arm brushing her and the heat seeping through her dress from hip and thigh, she would have wondered if he was real. She’d escaped her past and had somehow stumbled upon this man. Was fate being kind or playing the most horrible joke on her?

“I’m changing the subject. Tell me about your family. Did you grow up in L.A.?”

“In the area. Near San Bernardino. A small town, a lot like this one. Then I went to the big bad city to go to college.”

“And you’re the only child.”

“Yes. Mom was in her late thirties when I was born, and that was a lot less popular then. I was lonely growing up. I’d always planned on having three or four kids of my own to make up for it, but it didn’t turn out that way.”

“You could have them now.”

“I’m not sure. Being a single mom is hard. I’m not getting married.” Again. She almost said it, but at the last minute held back the word. Still it hung in the night like a winged creature before taking flight and disappearing into the silence. She cleared her throat. “What about you?”

Either he didn’t notice that now she was the one changing the subject, or he was too kind to comment. She had a feeling it was the latter.

“Four boys, an assortment of uncles dropping by to visit. It was noisy.” He shrugged. She felt the rise and fall of his shirt as it brushed against her skin. It was nice. “My dad was sheriff of Glenwood for about twenty-five years.”

“Did you work for him?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “For about a minute. He took an early retirement, but there was a month there when I was his newest deputy.” He paused. When he spoke again, his voice was different. “He rode me hard.”

“Did it make you angry?”

He turned to look at her. “Why do you ask?”

“You sounded...” She trailed off. “Bitter, I guess.”

“Maybe I am. Not about the work, that was fine. Dad and his brothers were the original good ol’ boys. They lived hard, drank hard, played hard. By the time I was ten, three of my four uncles were divorced. The fourth one, Bob, never bothered getting married. I knew my dad had a bunch of girlfriends, not to mention a mistress he kept in the next town.” He drew in a deep breath. “This is the seedy side of the Haynes family legend. Sorry. You don’t want to hear this.”

She felt bad that he’d gone through that, but part of her was grateful to have something to focus on other than her own problems. She shifted until she was facing him. Her knees bumped his thighs. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his hands hang loose.

“People in town think it was all good times and parties at our house,” he said at last. “It wasn’t. My folks fought a lot. You can imagine what my mom thought of my dad’s activities.” His mouth twisted into a grim smile. “He was so damn proud of himself. He had four sons and, no matter what else he did, he woke up every morning in his own bed. What a saint.” He drew in a breath. “She split when Kyle was fifteen. Packed her bags and left. Not a word, or a note. We thought about looking for her, but we figured if she wanted to stay in touch, she knew where to find us.”

“How old were you?”

“Twenty-one. It didn’t really bother me. I’d just finished college and was about to find my own place anyway, but it hit Kyle hard. Jordan, too, but he wouldn’t show it.”

Elizabeth’s heart squeezed painfully. Jordan wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to show his pain. Travis might have been older, but she had a feeling his mother’s abandonment had hurt him just as much. She was torn. Part of her couldn’t blame the woman for walking out on Travis’s father, but she didn’t understand how a mother could abandon her sons.

“So you decided to punish all women for what she’d done?” she asked.

“No. It’s not like that. None of us are angry at women. Nobody has figured out how to make it work.” He turned his head and looked at her. She saw the sadness in his eyes. Instinctively she reached out and rested her hand on his forearm. He didn’t acknowledge the comfort, but she didn’t mind. He felt warm and strong, even with all his pain. She liked to think she was giving a little back.

“Craig got married right out of college. Had three boys. But he couldn’t make it work. I tried with Julie. You know what happened there. I come from a long line of ducks.”

“What?”

“If it looks like a duck and walks like a— Never mind. We talked about it, my brothers and I. Watching our dad and the uncles fool around convinced us that we were all going to be faithful to the women in our lives. Wishing isn’t enough, is it? Monogamy doesn’t guarantee success. There’s something else we all just don’t get.”

He stared into the night. Their backgrounds were so different, she thought. Yet here they sat together, facing their personal demons. She was glad that she and Travis could be friends. They needed each other.

“So you stay single forever?” she asked.

“There doesn’t seem to be a choice.”

“What about children?”

He turned on the step, shifting so his back pressed against the railing. He parted his thighs and rested his right foot on the porch, bending his knee. His other foot balanced on the bottom step. Her calves brushed against his inner thigh. It was a very intimate position. Her gaze seemed drawn to his chest, drifting lower to his trousers. She looked away before she reached dangerous territory, but their new positions made her hyperaware of his heat and scent. She clutched her arms to her chest.

“I’d like a family,” he said, seemingly unaware of what he was doing to her. “But it’s not in the cards for me.”

“Too bad. You’re wonderful with Mandy.”

He brushed off her compliment with a flick of his wrist. “Speaking of Mandy, I’ve been thinking. There’s a soccer league for the younger kids. It gives them something to do during football season. The teams are coed, but they match them up by size and skill. Sign-ups are tomorrow. I thought I could take her to the park. What do you think?”

“I think you’re a sheep in wolf’s clothing, Travis Haynes. All this tough talk, but underneath, you’re a sweetie.”

His slow, sexy grin chased the last of the shadows from his eyes. “Tell anyone, and you’re dead meat.”

“Tough guy, you don’t scare me. Soccer will be great for Mandy. Thanks for offering to take her.”

“No problem. I know the coaches. She’ll have fun and make lots of friends.”

She leaned forward. “Travis, you’re wonderful with kids. This is a perfect example. You shouldn’t dismiss that.”

“The truth is, I’m a sprinter. It’s easy to play daddy for a couple of hours, but it makes a big difference when the kids are yours. I know. I’ve seen Craig struggling.”

“You keep saying that you don’t have what it takes, but from everything I’ve seen, all the parts are in working order.”

He raised his dark eyebrows. Instantly her gaze dropped to his crotch and she remembered the feel of his hardness pressing against her. She blushed and looked away. “You know what I meant.”

“I prefer my interpretation of what you said.”

She sank back against the railing. “I think it’s time for me to say good-night.”

“Not so fast.”

He stood on the bottom step and loomed over her. His head moved lower, blocking out the night stars. His hands touched her almost-bare shoulders, making her instantly tremble. But at the last minute, she turned her face away. His mouth grazed her cheek.

“Elizabeth?”

“I can’t,” she whispered. She risked looking up at him. Confusion filled his brown eyes, fighting the fire there and slowly putting it out. She couldn’t. For a thousand sensible reasons that all boiled down to being afraid of making the same mistake again.

If only she’d met Travis seven years ago. If only he’d been the one to steal her heart and seduce her body. But it hadn’t been Travis, it had been Sam. Maybe if Sam had beat her or cheated on her, it would have been easier to get over what happened. But how was she supposed to recover from being a fool? How was she supposed to forget the lies?

Travis stepped back and held out his hand to help her up. She ignored him and rose. A pain jabbed her side as her movements pulled the incision.

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking over his left shoulder. “I can’t do this. I’m not what you think I am.” She smiled sadly, knowing she either had to smile or cry. Already her eyes were burning. She prayed she made it to her room before she gave way.

“So it all comes back to that damn mystery,” he growled. “What is so terrible?”

“Don’t ask me, please. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m very grateful.”

“I don’t want your gratitude.”

She blinked several times, but it didn’t help. One tear rolled free. She brushed it off her cheek. “It’s all I have to give you, Travis. There’s nothing else. Please believe me. I’m not who you think I am.”

Chapter Eight

The coach blew his whistle, but none of the kids on the field paid any attention. They continued to chase the white soccer ball, screaming with excitement in the frenzy of being the first one to actually kick the ball. When the ball made a sudden left turn, Mandy was right there. She stared down at it, her expression a mixture of confusion and delight; then she kicked for all she was worth. The ball sailed into the air and landed out of bounds. Travis stood up and cheered. The coach wearily shook his head and continued to blow the whistle. Finally the dozen or so six-and seven-year-olds quieted down to listen.

For the fifth time, the coach explained the rules of the game. Each of the children nodded earnestly, then scattered in an effort to find and kick the ball. Travis chuckled. Mandy was right in the middle of the pack. With her bright red shorts and T-shirt she was easy to spot. Her blond ponytail swung with each step.

“The kid’s a natural athlete,” he said.

“You sound like a proud papa.”

He shifted on the bleachers set up on the side of the field and turned around. A sultry brunette with legs that stretched from here to forever smiled down at him. Her cropped T-shirt and microscopic shorts left little to the imagination.

“Unless you’ve been hiding something, Travis, she couldn’t possibly be yours.”

“No, Amber. She’s the daughter of a friend of mine. I brought her to the practice. I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Jimmy’s playing.” She motioned to the field. A short dark-haired boy ran tenaciously after the ball. “You know how Karl is about sports.”

He did know. Karl was one of his deputies. A former college football hero, Karl had hoped for a career in the pros. He had the heart but lacked speed. Amber had married him before the 49ers released him from his contract. Rumor had it she wasn’t happy about being cheated out of her role as the professional football player’s wife. Travis couldn’t confirm the rumors, but the last two times he’d stopped Amber for speeding, she’d offered to pay her ticket with something other than cash. He’d refused. Even if Karl hadn’t been his subordinate and a friend, Travis didn’t dally with married women.

“My husband’s working today,” she said, moving down closer to where he was sitting. “But then you know that, don’t you? Are you going to be at all the practices? They take a couple of hours, don’t they?” She moved closer and smiled. “Maybe we could get a cup of coffee, or something.”

It was the “something” that had him worried. “Thanks, but I don’t think so, Amber. I’d rather stay with the kids.”

Her perfect features twisted into a snarl. “I always knew your reputation was a lot of hype, Travis. Figures there’d be nothing hot in this crappy little town.” She jumped off the bleachers and stalked away.

It was starting to make sense, he thought, remembering how distracted Karl had been lately. Amber must be making his life hell. He grimaced. Looks like the Haynes boys weren’t the only ones who couldn’t keep their marriages together.

He returned his attention to the field. The coach was trying to set up drills for the kids. It wasn’t working. Travis thought about volunteering his services, but he was already committed to a pint-size football team. In a couple of weeks the practices would overlap.

Mandy continued to run back and forth, laughing as she tried to kick the ball. Her smile made him think of her mother.

Life wasn’t fair. Amber was ready to get involved in an affair. She would understand it for what it was and not expect more of him. He hadn’t had a woman in months, so he should have been tempted. But Amber didn’t do a thing for him. Not to mention the fact that she was married. He shrugged. He had a bad feeling that even if Amber had been single, he wouldn’t have been interested.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, could turn him on in a heartbeat. She was single but not available, and certainly not the type a man played around with. If it wasn’t for that damned feeling he got when he was around her—the sense of belonging—he could put her out of his mind.

But instead of trying to not think about her, he recalled their kiss. Hot and perfect. She’d gone all soft in his arms, holding on, kissing him back. His chest still burned where her breasts had pressed against him. She’d tasted sweet and ready. God knows he’d been ready. Even thinking about it made his jeans uncomfortable. He shifted on the bench and glanced at the kids still playing. Think about something else, Haynes, he told himself.

I’m not who you think I am. Her words haunted him. What could they mean? She said she wasn’t married, and he didn’t think she was a liar. So what was it? Damn. He should have made her tell him. Barring that, he should have kissed her again, kissed her until neither of them cared about her mystery, or anything but the feelings they generated when they were together.

A white sheriff’s car pulled up, distracting him. He stood and stretched, then walked over to the vehicle. Kyle stepped out and walked around the car.

“What’s up?” Travis asked.

Kyle shook his head. “Nothing’s up. I called the house and Elizabeth said you were here.” Kyle grinned. “Is she as pretty as she sounds?”

“What happened to Lisa?”

Kyle leaned against the car and folded his arms over his chest. “We broke up.”

“You dumped her.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

Travis studied his twenty-eight-year-old brother. He’d been the one hardest hit by their mother’s leaving. He was six-two, lean, with the Haynes dark hair, eyes and good looks. Girls, women and old ladies loved him. He dumped them all before they could dump him.

“What happened this time?” Travis asked.

“You know, same old thing. She wasn’t right. So tell me about Elizabeth. I heard from Louise that she’s really pretty. And about my age.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Travis growled.

Kyle grinned. “Jealous, old man? That’s a first.”

“I’m not jealous. Elizabeth is going through some things right now and she doesn’t need to get involved with a Romeo like you.”

Kyle leaned forward and mockingly punched him in the stomach. Travis feinted right and shot back a jab of his own.

“You’ve got it bad, big brother. The lady has you hogtied with luvvvv.”

“It’s been less than two weeks. We’re just…friends.”

Kyle dropped his arms to his side. “Sell it somewhere else. I recognize the signs. You’ll be parking your slippers under her bed by the end of the month.”

Travis shoved his hands into his jeans front pockets. “It’s not what you think, Kyle. I like her.” How long had it been since he’d admitted that to himself or anyone else?

Kyle’s good humor faded. His mouth pulled straight and his eyes darkened with sadness. “I guess that means you’re going to stay away from her, huh?”

“I don’t have much choice.”

“The Haynes curse.” Kyle turned and braced his forearms on the top of the marked sedan. “We’re all pretty bright. You’d think we’d have figured out a way to break the thing.”

“You keep trying.”

“Not anymore. I’m giving up on women.”

“That’ll last about a minute.” He looked out at the field and watched Mandy play. She saw him and waved then went back to her game. “We make a sorry group, Kyle.”

“That we do. And we’re contagious. Austin was probably normal before we got ahold of him.”

Travis shook his head. “I don’t think so. Austin had trouble before he ever got to Glenwood. Maybe the five of us should start a twelve-step program. Hi, my name is Travis, and I don’t know how to make a relationship work.”

Kyle pushed off the car and stepped into the street. “Let me know if it helps. Are we on for the game this Sunday?”

Kyle, Austin and whichever of his other two brothers were around usually came over to watch football in the fall. He’d canceled last week because of Elizabeth.

“Sure. She’s feeling better.”

“So I will get to meet her.” Kyle’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yeah, but watch yourself.”

“I will.”

Travis watched his brother open his car door. Before he stepped inside, Travis called, “Wait a minute.” He walked around the hood of the vehicle and hesitated. “Can you run a name for me?”

“Sure. Who?”

He shouldn’t do this. If Elizabeth found out, she would be furious. Worse, she would be hurt. She’d said she hadn’t done anything illegal, but what if she’d been lying? He didn’t want to think that of her, but there was obviously something she wasn’t telling him.

He pulled a pad of paper out of his back pocket and borrowed Kyle’s pen. He vacillated another second, then wrote the name “Sam Proctor” down and handed Kyle the sheet.

“Call me if you find anything. And keep it under your hat.”

Kyle studied the name. “No problem. See you Sunday.”

Travis watched the car pull away from the curb. What would Elizabeth think when she’d found out what he’d done? What would he think if he learned her secret?

* * *

Mandy licked her ice-cream cone frantically, but the drips were faster. “Travis, help,” she called, holding out her hand.

He grabbed two napkins and wiped her clean. By the time he was done with that hand, the other one was a mess.

“You’ve got to learn to eat them quicker, honey.”

Mandy giggled. She had several grass stains on her shirt and shorts from the soccer practice. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and chocolate ice cream on her chin. She was adorable.

“I’m done.” She gave him the half-finished cone, which proceeded to drip all over his hand.

“Great. Thanks.” He licked it a couple of times, then tossed it in the plastic-lined trash container in the ice-cream shop. He wiped both their hands, then collected their packages. Mandy slid off her stool and followed him out onto the street.

“Hold this,” he said, handing her one of the bags. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out the list Elizabeth had made. “Okay, we bought T-shirts.”

“Three of them,” Mandy said helpfully.

“Yes, three. And shoes. We got underwear.”

“With pink bunnies.”

“The bunnies are nice.” It had been tough deciding between bunnies, a popular female cartoon figure and flowers. He’d picked out female lingerie before, but not cotton panties for a six-year-old. He hoped Elizabeth approved of the bunnies. He scanned the list. “That’s it, kid. We just have to go by the post office and collect your mom’s mail. Then we’ll head home.”

“Okay.” She started down the sidewalk.

“Mandy?” he called.

“What?”

“It’s that way.” He pointed in the other direction.

She smiled. “Okay.” The bag was light, but almost as big as she was. He reached down and took it from her.

“I didn’t mean for you to carry that, sweetie. I’ll take it.”

“But I want to help.”

He sorted through the other packages. “Here. Take this one.”

“Mommy’s present?” She looked in the small gift store bag and smiled. “Mommy will like it.”

“I hope so.” It had been an impulsive purchase. A small yellow stuffed duck. She wouldn’t get the joke, but seeing it would remind him not to try to be other than he was.

Mandy walked at his side chatting about school and soccer practice. He liked the sound of her voice and her stories. He liked how she looked up at him and simply assumed he would keep her safe. She accepted him with the tacit trust of a child raised in a house full of love and security. So where was the girl’s father?

Thinking of Sam Proctor sent a shiver of guilt slipping down his spine. As they crossed the street and he saw a restaurant up ahead, he had the urge to step inside and use the phone to call Kyle at the station. It would be easy enough to tell his brother to back off. Why did it matter who Sam Proctor was? But he passed the restaurant without making the call.

They reached the post office. There was a short line. Mandy stood patiently, humming softly under her breath. He glanced down at her pretty face and beautiful blue eyes. Eyes she had to have inherited from her father. He smiled at her. She grinned in return and reached for his hand. The trusting gesture twisted his heart. A stab of loneliness caught him off balance. It was going to be hell when Elizabeth and Mandy moved into their own place.

When it was their turn, he approached the counter and collected Elizabeth’s mail. She was having her forwarded correspondence held until she had her own place. He resisted the temptation to flip through the stack of envelopes. Checking on Sam Proctor was one thing, reading her mail quite another.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

She nodded. “I had the best time, Travis. I like doing things with you. My old friends did stuff with their daddies but mine was always busy. I like soccer, too.”

The slightly confused speech gave him the in he’d been hoping for. As they approached the car, he dug in his front jeans pocket for his keys.

“You haven’t seen your daddy in a long time, have you?”

Mandy shook her head. “Mommy said he had to go away. My daddy left because he’s big.”

She’d said that once before. What the hell did it mean?

“Big?”

She nodded. “I heard her say that once. Mommy was on the phone. I was supposed to be in bed, but I got up for a drink of water. Mommy said Daddy was big. Then she started to cry.” Mandy’s mouth twisted into a frown. “I got scared and went back to my room. Mommy and Daddy fought sometimes. I could hear them.” She handed him the bag then climbed into the front seat of his Bronco. As he bent over to fasten her seat belt, she glanced up at him. “It made Mommy sad when he went away. It made me sad, too.”

He could see that sadness in her eyes and felt like the lowest kind of scum for questioning her. To distract her, he bent over and tickled her.

“Sad? No one is allowed to be sad in my car.”

She twisted away and giggled. “Is it a magic car, like the magic hugs?”

“Absolutely.” He handed her the mail and closed her door.

After tossing the packages on the back seat, he climbed in and started the truck. Mandy’s good humor had been restored and she chatted happily. His mind reeled with curiosity.

My daddy left because he’s big. Elizabeth Abbott, who are you? He signaled to turn out of the post office parking lot. Frustration welled up inside of him. He drew in a deep breath. He wasn’t going to get answers anytime soon. Kyle might come up with something, or he might not. Until then, he would just have to let it go. He liked Elizabeth and found it hard to believe she was involved with anything shady. His gut trusted her, and he trusted his gut.

“Look at the pretty dog,” Mandy said, pointing at a teenage boy walking a collie.

Travis stopped at a red light and turned to look. Mandy raised her hands to wave at the dog. The mail on her lap slipped off on the floor. He glanced at the light to make sure it was still red, then bent over and picked up the envelopes. He told himself not to, but he couldn’t help glancing at the address. It was a suburb of Los Angeles. He looked up a line, to the addressee. His teeth clenched together. He flipped through the rest of the envelopes. Almost all of them were addressed to the same person: Elizabeth Proctor.

She’d lied.

* * *

Elizabeth wiped the kitchen counter. Again. It had been clean the last four times she’d wiped it. She was wasting time, trying to avoid the inevitable.

Travis had put up a good front through the late afternoon and even into dinner. But she knew there was something wrong. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in the way he hesitated before answering her questions. He’d held himself apart from her ever since he and Mandy had come home.

She looked around the clean kitchen, liking the way the cream-and-blue tiles complemented the bleached oak cabinets. It wasn’t a traditional kitchen, but it suited her, and the house. She would miss it when she left.

She walked over to the coffeepot and poured out two cups. Sitting on the shelf above the sink was a stuffed yellow duck. The little creature seemed to smile at her, as much as a duck could smile. The gift had delighted her. Only Travis’s seeming emotional distance distracted her from her pleasure. Something was wrong and she was going to find out what.

She carried the mugs carefully to the stairs and started to climb. Travis was fitting cabinets in the big bathroom off the master bedroom. Mandy had been in bed for almost an hour. Her morning on the soccer field had worn her out. She had new clothes, thanks to Travis’s patience at shopping, and several new friends. Life was good for the six-year-old.

Elizabeth walked down the hallway to the last door. Like most of the rooms in the house, the master bedroom was vacant, the walls stripped of wallpaper, the hardwood floor in need of repair. But even empty and abandoned, it was a beautiful room. Bay windows overlooked the back of the property, creating an intimate sitting area. There was a stone fireplace in the corner and a huge bathroom through the doorway at the far end.

She made her way over the stacks of supplies and tools. She could hear a file rubbing against wood.

“You ready to take a break?” she called. “Or should I come back later?”

“I can take a break.”

“Good.” She entered the bathroom. Molding for the ceiling lay stacked in the center. Travis had told her he planned to do the master bed and bath in a Victorian style. He’d even ordered a claw-footed bathtub. Several cabinets stood around the outside of the room. Pipes stuck out from the wall.

Travis sat in the middle of the floor, an open cabinet in front of him. He looked up as she entered. Something flickered in his eyes. Not passion, not even interest. It was almost a fleeting hint of sadness, followed by a healthy dose of mistrust. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He blinked and the expression was gone, replaced by one she couldn’t read.

Her stomach tightened as worry made her gnaw on her lower lip. She handed him a mug of coffee. He took it and nodded his thanks, then sipped the steaming liquid. Silence stretched between them. She didn’t know what to say. Apparently he didn’t, either, because the room stayed quiet.

She walked over to the rolls of wallpaper and studied the rose-and-ivory pattern. She could feel Travis’s gaze on her back. What had she done?

“You didn’t have to stay home tonight to keep me company,” she said at last, still staring at the wallpaper.

“I’ve been neglecting the house.” He picked up his file and went to work on the cabinet.

She wanted to believe that was all it was, but she couldn’t. The knot in her belly was too big to be ignored.

“Then tell me what’s wrong. Are you angry with me?”

The file clinked when he dropped it to the floor. She heard him stand up and move close to her. She drew in a deep breath and turned around.

He’d set his coffee on the cabinet and stood with his arms folded over his chest. Worn black jeans hugged his strong thighs. His flannel shirt, rolled up to the elbows, had seen better days. The faded, soft fabric clung to him, highlighting his strength. When she gathered enough courage, she raised her head to look at his face. Dark eyes revealed nothing, nor did the straight set of his mouth.

“I didn’t deliberately look through your mail,” he said.

The knot in her stomach tightened. When he and Mandy had come back with her mail, she’d had a moment’s unease. What if Travis had noticed who it was addressed to? But Mandy had proudly told her that she’d carried it all by herself. When Travis hadn’t said anything, Elizabeth had assumed he hadn’t looked.

“Mandy kept it on her lap. When it fell off, I picked it up. It’s all addressed to Elizabeth Proctor. There’s a postcard from your parents, Elizabeth. Your own parents use Sam’s last name. Why did you lie?”

She expected the shame. When the hot emotion flooded her, she had to fight to keep from ducking her head. She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. Even in the soft light of the bathroom he would be able to see her embarrassment. But she hadn’t expected to feel such sadness and regret. Travis had believed her. Despite the evidence against her, despite his questions, he’d trusted her to be who she said she was. He hadn’t pressed to know her secrets. He’d been there for her, a good friend, and now that was gone.

“I’m sorry,” she said slowly, gripping her mug tightly. “I didn’t want anyone to know. I couldn’t tell you because I knew what you would think.”

“What’s the problem?” he asked. His eyebrows drew together. He unfolded his arms and held out his hands, palms up. “It’s no big deal. People get divorced all the time. Hell, I’m divorced. Why would you think anyone would care?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“What’s not that simple? Did he beat you? Was he into men instead of women? Dammit, Elizabeth, tell me the truth.”

She’d always known it would come to this. She should have known the secret would get out. What would Travis think of her when he knew? Would he despise her? Call her a fool? She shook her head. He couldn’t say anything worse than what she’d already told herself.

“None of those things,” she said at last. “Sam Proctor was already married when I met him. I didn’t know, and he didn’t tell me. Sam was a bigamist.”

Chapter Nine

If the situation hadn’t been so sad and serious, Elizabeth might have laughed. Travis couldn’t have looked more shocked if she’d stripped off all her clothes and started dancing around naked. The giggle in the back of her throat cracked and threatened to become a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand and turned away.

“You’re the second wife?” he asked.

“Y-yes.” She cleared her throat. It didn’t help. Her legs started to tremble. She clutched at a stack of boxes of tiles, but the support wasn’t enough. Shame, bitter regret, pain and confusion flooded her. She didn’t want to lose Travis. Not yet. She needed him to be her friend. Now everything was lost.

She stopped trying to hold on and sank to her knees. The floor was cold through her jeans, but she didn’t care. She clutched her arms to her chest and fought to stay coherent.

“I didn’t know,” she said, not turning around to face him. She didn’t want to see the disgust in his eyes. “I swear I didn’t know. I should have, of course. I was stupid. Young, naive. It was my fault for not questioning more. But I was barely out of my teens. Things like that didn’t happen to girls from like me.” She spoke quickly, as if by telling the tale fast he would be more likely to believe her.

“I met Sam at a lecture, at college. My parents had wanted me to stay home and go to a local junior college, but I wanted to get away. They seemed so old and out of touch with everything. I was working and going to school part-time. There was this lecture. I saw his picture. He was blond and good-looking. When he spoke, it was wonderful. The lecture was on staying motivated to achieve goals. He was very big on staying motivated.” She paused to catch her breath.

“You don’t have to tell me this,” Travis said quietly. He was still behind her. She didn’t dare turn around; she couldn’t. Maybe if she explained it all correctly, he would understand. Maybe he would know that she’d tried, really tried. She hadn’t meant to make such a big mistake.

“I sat in the back because I was shy.” She sniffed. “Silly. I didn’t have the courage to ask my questions in front of the group. There were probably two hundred people in the room. But afterward I went up to talk to him. There was a crowd, mostly women. They were older and well dressed. I was just a kid. When he spoke to me, I was enchanted. He looked at me as if I were something special. Something different. That meant a lot. When he asked me to go for coffee…well, I couldn’t refuse.”

“Elizabeth, don’t.”

“I have to. I have to make you understand.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” She looked up at him. Shock still flared in his dark eyes. He sat on the edge of the cabinet staring down at her. His arms were folded over his chest. His body language told her he’d pulled back. The teasing man who opened his home to her was gone, replaced by a judging stranger.

“I was a late bloomer. I didn’t know how to dress or act around kids my age. My parents didn’t help. The clothes they bought me were inappropriate for school. Too dressed-up and conservative. I’d never had a boyfriend. Sam was ten years older than me, but very hip and sophisticated. I was overwhelmed.” She looked up at him and forced herself to smile. It felt a little shaky. “You know how that is, Travis. You’ve knocked your share of women off their feet.”

“One or two,” he admitted. “But I’m not judging you.”

“Yes, you are. Of course you are. Do you think I don’t judge myself? I made it so easy for him.” She closed her eyes remembering how eager she’d been for his kisses, his touch. She’d never been with a man before. Sam was tender, teaching her the ways between a man and a woman. She’d fallen in love in a matter of days.

“He lived in Seattle but commuted to L.A. on business a lot. I even visited him there, once, at his apartment.” She opened her eyes and stared at her clenched fists. She tried to relax her fingers, but she couldn’t. She was holding on to all of herself to keep from breaking down. It was overwhelming, knowing what Travis thought, what other people would think. Knowing she’d been irresponsible and foolish and gullible. Feeling horribly alone. There was no one to turn to.

“I know now that apartment must have belonged to a friend. He was already married. He has two children with his real wife. A boy and a girl. When I got pregnant, I just assumed we’d be married. He’d never said anything about a wife. I never thought to ask. He said of course we would. He loved playing the odds. It was all a game to him. His dual life was exactly the kind of challenge he thrived on. I should have known.”

“Elizabeth, I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t blame you. I didn’t know what to say, either. I lived with that man for six and a half years.” She laughed, then stopped before the laugh turned into a sob. “I found out when the police knocked on my door in the middle of the night. They arrested him, right there in my living room. You know the funny part?”

He didn’t answer.

“I was going to leave him and get a divorce. The marriage—the whatever we had together—had been in trouble for a while. It didn’t work with his separations. Of course his already being married would have put a strain on things, too, if I’d known.”

“Elizabeth—”

“No, I know what you’re thinking. Any kind of moron could have figured it out. My God, in six years there should have been hundreds of clues. There were. I know there were.” She couldn’t look at him anymore. She stared at the loose tiles in front of her. One was plain cream with tiny flecks of rose. The other was the same cream background with rose-colored flowers in each of the corners. The bathroom was going to be beautiful when he was done. She wondered if he would let her come and look at it then, or if he wouldn’t ever want to speak to her again. She couldn’t blame him. Her friends had stared at her with disgust. Most had stopped calling. The ones who had continued to speak to her had made her feel worse. She hated their pity.

“I should have known. There I stood on my wedding day, so happy. I knew I would be the best bride, the best wife, the best mother. It was all a joke.”

The colors on the tiles blurred. She heard a movement behind her. Travis crouched next to her and grabbed her shoulders. “Dammit, stop beating yourself up.”

She stared at him, at his wavering image and only then did she realize she was crying. She raised one hand to her cheek. It was wet with tears.

“I told you,” she whispered, her voice low and husky. “I warned you I wasn’t who or what you thought.”

“Give me a break,” he said impatiently. “You made a mistake. So what? People make mistakes all the time.”

“Not like this.”

“Hey, this isn’t half as terrible as some of things I’ve been imagining.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Elizabeth, you aren’t the bad guy. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Except be stupid.”

He smiled slightly. “That’s not against the law.”

She pulled free of his grip. “You haven’t thought this through, Travis. It’s not just about being stupid. I was never married. Every document I have is a lie. I won’t even bother with the details of what the IRS had to say about this. We had joint property together. It’s still not all straightened out. And my daughter—” Her voice started to shake. “My daughter doesn’t have a father anymore. I wasn’t married when she was born. Even her birth certificate is a lie. I love her more than anything, yet I might have destroyed her life. I only wanted the best for her and look what happened.”

“I’m sorry.”

He reached for her, but she pulled back. She leaned against the pile of tiles. “Do you know what it’s like having the police show up at your door at four in the morning? Do you know what my neighbors thought or said the next day? Sam was gone about two weeks every month. I used to wonder why he didn’t want to buy a house. Now I know it’s because his other life would show up on the credit report. He didn’t want me to go back to work, but thank God I did. When this all hit, I walked away with my daughter, my personal savings account and only what I’d paid for. I left behind everything else. I wanted to start over.” The tears began to flow again. She felt her voice getting thick, but she couldn’t stop. She had to explain it all. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”

“Hush.” He reached for her and this time she didn’t have the strength to resist him. After months of carrying around her guilty secret she felt cleansed, having spoken the truth at last. She knew that Travis would never be able to understand what she’d been through or look at her without feeling disgusted, but right now she couldn’t deal with that.

He drew her into his embrace. He was warm and comforting, all the things her life lacked.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, willing herself to fight, but not able to find the strength. “I’m incompetent. I ruined my life and Mandy’s, and—”

“Never,” he whispered. He rested her head on his shoulder and stroked her back. “Never.”

“It’s true. I am. I’m—”

He silenced her with his kiss. His firm lips brushed against hers, his mustache tickled her skin. He tasted salty; then she realized it was her own tears. She clung to him, to his strength, letting herself believe that this was real. Even for just a second, it was enough. His powerful body acted as a shield from the horrors of her past. In his arms, she could forget her part in the debacle that had been her life. She could ignore how it had affected Mandy, and caused them both to be cut off from friends and family. Even her parents didn’t know the truth. She couldn’t face telling them.

She turned her face away, breaking the kiss. “I wish you didn’t know,” she said, inhaling the scent of his warm body, knowing he would soon remove his strength from her reach and she would be alone again. “I wish I didn’t have to see the disgust and pity in your eyes.”

He touched her chin, forcing her to look at him. “What do you see in my eyes?” he asked.

She saw the flames that had been there the last time they’d kissed. She saw compassion, and something she couldn’t identify.

“You haven’t had time to think it through,” she said, not willing to believe it was that easy.

“Give me a little credit for knowing myself.”

She didn’t say anything because she knew he was wrong. In time he would get angry at her for being so young and blind. Her friends had. She’d certainly gotten angry at herself. She was used to the weight of disapproval.

He rose and pulled her to her feet. Then he bent over and picked her up in his arms. She thought about protesting, but she didn’t have the energy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and savored the feeling of being safe.

He carried her down the hall into his bedroom. She’d never been in here before. There was a large sleigh bed pushed against one wall. It dwarfed this room, but would look perfect in the master suite. An antique rocker stood in one corner. He settled down on the seat. She started to struggle.

“I’m not Mandy,” she said. “I don’t need to be treated like a child.”

“Maybe not,” he said mildly, “but you need a good holding anyway and this is the best way I know to do it. Relax, Elizabeth. Everything is going to be all right. I promise.”

“You can’t make it all right.”

“Sure I can. Even if I can’t make it right forever, I can fix it now. Close your eyes. Don’t think about it anymore.”

He held her head against his shoulder. His other hand moved slowly up and down her back. The comforting embrace weakened her resistance. She felt the tears forming. She clutched at his shirt and gave in to the pain.

It filled her, surrounding her. All the days and nights she’d lived with her shameful secret, all the lies she’d told, willingly and unwillingly. She’d hoped for a fresh start in this small town. Nothing was the way it was supposed to have been. This shouldn’t have happened to her.

Travis murmured quiet words of encouragement. Her sobs lessened. She drew in a ragged breath and turned her face toward his neck. His shirt was damp against her cheek, his legs hard beneath hers. Big strong hands held her gently, as if she were the most fragile of creatures. Something precious. She wanted to believe his embrace. She wanted to know that she was fragile and special, something of value.

“Better?” he asked when she’d been silent for several minutes.

Elizabeth nodded slowly. “Thanks for understanding. Sometimes I’m so overwhelmed by all of it. Not just what went wrong with Sam, but for everything we’ve lost. I wanted to give my daughter a perfect home with two loving parents.”

“Mandy is fine. You have a new job, you’re healing from the surgery. You’re both going to make it. So what’s the problem?”

She stared at his neck, studying the way his evening stubble roughened his skin. She wanted to touch him there, to see what he felt like against her fingers, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t right to repay his kindness with her own selfish needs.

“I can’t marry again. I would never trust myself to pick the right man.”

“That’s a big decision to make, based on one mistake.” She sat up and glared at him. “It was a hell of a mistake. Who are you to be telling me what I should think about marriage? You’ve had one bad experience, and you’re never getting married again.”

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” She tried to wiggle out of his lap, but he held her firm. “It wasn’t just one experience,” he said, resting his hands on her waist.

She stopped fighting and sagged against him. “Does it hurt you, too? Does it hurt to know you’ll always be alone?”

“Yeah. It hurts like hell.”

He reached down for her at the exact moment she raised her head toward him. Their lips met. Unlike their other kisses, there was nothing gentle this time, no soft exploration. It was hard and hot, hungry and desperate. She could feel her own pain and his pain. The hurt, the bleakness of their futures compounded one another, growing until they were both close to drowning in need.

She clung to him, to his arms and shoulders, shifting to move her body closer. His strength would be her salvation. Just for this night, just for this tiny slip of time, she would steal what she had to, give all she could so he would be saved, as well.

His mouth angled over hers, his lips parted. She welcomed him, welcomed the sensations he brought, the forgetfulness of pleasure. That is what she needed, she thought, feeling his tongue with her own, tasting him, being tasted. She needed to forget everything in her life.

He touched her face, her hair, her shoulders, her back. Whisper-light touches that barely grazed her skin. They set her on fire. She moved closer so that her side pressed against him. Her breasts ached. She wanted him to touch her there, touch her everywhere. The heat of the fire helped her forget. She could get lost in the smoke. Disappear into the flames. He made her come alive in ways she’d forgotten existed.

His hands rested on her waist, then began to move higher. Her breasts swelled, her nipples puckered inside her bra. Against her hip she felt the hard ridge of his erection. An answering wanting moistened her panties.

“Travis,” she breathed in anticipation as his fingers stroked her rib cage.

He buried his face in her neck, kissing the sensitive skin under her jaw, nibbling on her earlobe, whispering her name like a prayer. His lips were warm and damp.

His hands moved higher still, at last cupping her full breasts, taking their weight into his palms. His thumbs swept across her nipples, sending sharp jolts of pleasure down to curl her bare toes. She arched against his caress, searching for more and more of his touch. But instead of assuaging her need, he moved his hands up to her shoulders, then slipped his fingers through her hair and held her head in place.

She opened her eyes and stared at him. The fire burning in his dark irises left no room for any emotion other than passion. She reveled in the need and desire that matched her own.

Never taking her eyes from him, she touched his face. Her fingers traced the straight line of his nose, the shape of his jaw. She heard the rasp of her fingertips against his stubble, and felt the smoothness of his mustache. She touched his damp mouth, tracing the shape, enjoying the heat. He parted his lips and licked the tip of her finger.

She laughed. He smiled at the sound; then his smile faded and she saw the questions forming in his eyes. Questions that quenched the fire and overpowered the need.

The loss was more than she could bear. “Don’t,” she whispered.

“Elizabeth, you’re reacting. It’s too soon.”

The disappointment tasted bitter. “I thought men always wanted to get women into bed. I guess it’s not true.” She tried to slide off his lap, but he held her in place. She flushed. “Or it’s not true with me.”

He thrust his hips forward, pressing his erection hard against her. “Do you need more proof that I want you? I’m trying to keep you from having regrets in the morning.”

“You’re thinking about my past.” It hurt to be rejected out of hand. The feeling was made worse by the fact that he was the first man she’d been attracted to, or had even kissed, since Sam. She hadn’t made love for over a year. She’d never once been tempted to stray, and since she found out the truth about her marriage, she’d been too ashamed to try dating. Nothing had changed. She was still the shy little nobody. The girl who didn’t understand boys or know how to attract them. The boys had grown into men, but she was just as lost as ever.

“I’m sorry I embarrassed you,” she said stiffly, wishing she wasn’t turning bright red.

“Damn it, Elizabeth, what do I have to do to prove to you that I’m trying to act like a gentleman?”

“Nothing at all— What are you doing?”

He placed one arm around her back and slipped the other underneath her legs. As he rose to his feet, he pulled her against his chest. He walked four steps to the bed.

“You are the most stubborn woman,” he growled as he bent over and placed her on the comforter.

“Stop. You don’t have to do anything. In fact, I’d rather you didn’t.” She started scrambling off the other side.

He grabbed both her hands in his. One he held down at the mattress, the other he drew to his crotch and placed against him. Even through his jeans he was hard and hot. He held on to her wrist and moved her palm up and down. A tremor shot through his body, and he gritted his teeth.

“Had enough?” he asked, his eyes once again burning with the fire.

“No,” she said truthfully.

“Elizabeth, don’t tempt me like this. You’re still recovering from your surgery. You’re upset about your past. I don’t want you to wake up and hate my guts. I like you too much for that.”

If he’d promised to love her forever, she would have never believed him. If he’d said the truth didn’t matter, she would have never forgiven him for the lie. But liking her she could believe. She liked him back. He was the closest thing in the world she had to a friend. He knew the truth about her and hadn’t turned his back on her. He might tomorrow. He might pity her or get angry. But for tonight he was her friend.

She reached for the first button on his jeans. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. It could just be about tonight.”

“Hell.” He brushed her fingers away and bent down and kissed her.

He didn’t wait for an invitation, but thrust inside her mouth savagely, hungrily, as if he’d been given permission to devour that which he most desired. He sucked on her lower lip, nipped her chin, then moved lower to the neck of her T-shirt. He paused long enough to slip off the offending garment and continue his journey of exploration.

His hands led the way, unfastening her bra to bare her breasts. The evening air was cool, in contrast to the heat of his mouth trailing ever closer. Damp kisses ignited her skin. His scent surrounded her, filling her with images of the man who touched her. She reached out to embrace his body, feeling the muscles in his arms and back, touching his short dark hair.

He murmured her name over and over again as if it were an incantation. His fingers reached for and found her puckered nipples, toying with them, readying them for his mouth.

He moved until he was straddling her. Their jeans slid back and forth creating friction. The bulging male part of him mated with her softer, damper center. Through the layers of clothing, she felt the promise of their joining.

Her hands fluttered against his chest and touched the buttons of his shirt. Before she could unfasten even one, he touched her right nipple with his tongue.

All rational thought fled. Her body awakened painfully to the joy of moist heat, the suckling that pulled exquisitely from her breast through her belly down to her swelling center. Her arms fell to her sides and her hands clung to the comforter. Her hips arched against him seeking the release of his touch.

Her breathing increased. She’d tried not to think about making love with Travis. She hadn’t been as successful as she would have liked. She’d known he would be tender and patient, qualities she’d seen in him every day. She thought she might enjoy the feel of his body close to her, on top of her, his powerful strength reminding her of her femaleness. His broad shoulders made her feel fragile—and safe. She’d known she would enjoy his attentions, but she hadn’t expected to lose control.

His fingers toyed with her other breast, teasing the hardened tip with the flick of his thumb. His kiss on her deepened, then he drew back and moved his lips over her nipple. The individual hairs of his mustache swept over her sensitized skin, making her gasp and bringing her shoulders up off the bed. She reached up and grabbed his head, holding him in place. She’d never been aggressive in bed before. She’d never offered any comments on Sam’s performance. He’d pleased her most of the time, and she’d been content with that. He’d occasionally asked her to be the aggressor, but she’d never had the courage to act without being acted upon.

But now, she had no choice in the matter. Those tiny prickling caresses made her breath catch and legs tremble. She couldn’t bear for him to stop. He kept moving back and forth against her breasts, taunting her with the movement. Her hips flexed again and again, pressing harder against his arousal. She was more ready than she had ever been. So close it hurt to breathe hard, and yet he hadn’t even touched her there.

When she thought she would explode or go mad, he slid down her body, trailing kisses to the waistband of her jeans. He sat up and unfastened the button and slipped the zipper down. She had enough awareness to raise her hips to assist him.

It was only when she felt his mouth on her thigh that she realized he’d taken off her panties along with her jeans. Before she could be embarrassed, he moved his hands between her legs and urged her to part them.

She willingly availed herself to him, anticipating the skillful touch of his fingers. Something warm fanned her most secret place. A breath of air. Her eyes opened. Before she could react, his fingers drew her open and he kissed her moist, quivering center.

A thrill of pleasure shot through her. Her protest died unspoken. She’d read about this, of course, had even taken Sam into her mouth once, but he’d pushed her away telling her it was dirty. She’d wondered what it would feel like to have a man touch her so intimately. A thousand questions filled her mind. What exactly was he doing with his tongue? Did he like the taste and scent of her? Could he feel her muscle contracting as he—

Her breath caught in her throat. It was as if he knew exactly how to touch, where to touch. She relaxed back on the bed and forgot her questions. Nothing mattered except the feel of him against her, loving her over and over. The rhythm increasing in cadence, matching the thunder of her heartbeat.

She whispered his name without thinking, then got embarrassed. He paused long enough to tell her to say it again. So she did. She spoke his name aloud, gasped her pleasure, rotated her hips mindlessly and surrendered to his masterful touch. The fire grew, burning hot and brighter. The flames didn’t frighten her—nothing frightened her. Travis was strong enough to save her. This night was a magical escape from her real world, from everything except the passion.

He moved faster against her, then shifted, slipping one finger into her woman’s place, moving it slowly. Once again she was shocked, but this time there was no room for questions, no room for anything but the sudden tension that locked her muscles and the explosion that shattered her into a million tiny pieces of perfect pleasure.

* * *

He held her tightly in his embrace, comforting her as the aftershocks rippled through her. The dull ache in her side told her that she’d used her stomach muscles too much. Who cares, she thought sleepily, and sighed.

“That sounded very contented,” he said, his voice rumbling against her hair.

“It is.” She snuggled closer, rubbing her cheek against the soft flannel of his shirt. His shirt? She opened her eyes. “You’re not even naked!”

“I know.” His slow, lazy smile belied the erection she could see pressing against the fly of his jeans.

“Travis?”

“Hush.” He brushed her hair out of her face and gently stroked her head. “Rest, darlin’. You’ve had a long and difficult day.”

It didn’t make any sense. If she’d taken too long with Sam, he had simply pleasured himself and left her unsatisfied. She’d always understood that a man’s needs were more uncontrollable than a woman’s, that a man had to find release or face a painful night. It had never been just for her.

“But you didn’t…do anything.”

“You’re too sore,” he said and reached down to touch her healing incision. “I saw you wince when you settled down. You can’t even drive yet. There’s no way your insides are ready for anything vigorous.”

She drew her eyebrows together. She couldn’t fault his argument. Just the thought of anything thrust inside of her was enough to make her side ache more. But this didn’t feel right. It wasn’t the way she’d planned it.

He moved his hand from her side to her breast and gently caressed the sensitized flesh. Her eyes drifted shut. It had felt so good when he’d loved her with his mouth. She couldn’t remember ever experiencing such exquisite sensations. In fact—

The idea came to her full-blown. She rose up on one shoulder, then collapsed back on the bed.

“What?” he asked.

She didn’t answer. Sam hadn’t wanted her to do that. But Travis wasn’t Sam, she reminded herself. Sam hadn’t done what Travis had done to her, either.

“Elizabeth?”

She exhaled deeply. “I was just wishing I’d had more lovers.”

“What?”

She laughed. “Just so I’d know how to handle this situation.”

He shook his head. “You’re handling it just fine. Trust me. Now lay down and relax.”

She shimmied closer, so that she could rest her chin on his chest. “I don’t think so.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” she said, innocently and sat up. She straddled his hips and leaned forward so she could start unbuttoning his shirt.

“What are you planning to do?” he asked.

“Just wait and see. If you don’t like it, I promise to stop.”

Chapter Ten

Travis warned himself not to blow it. Just because he was naked and she was sitting on his bare belly kissing his chest didn’t mean she was going to reciprocate what he’d done to her. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to have her taste him, touch him in that most intimate way. He told himself just having her in his bed, trusting him with her body, was enough. The hardness between his legs throbbed in time with his heartbeat and told him he was a liar.

Her hands were everywhere. His shoulders, chest, neck, arms. Soft skin brushing, stroking. Her small hot mouth pressed against his flat nipples, teasing him to frenzied awareness.

She slipped back and down, settling between his legs. He thought about telling her she didn’t have to do that. He could simply lie here a few minutes and explode from the need. He tried to think about other things, to get control, but every time he closed his eyes, he was back on top of her, touching and tasting her, loving her cries of pleasure, feeling her release against his lips. She’d been made to be pleasured by a man—by him.

Her hands rubbed up and down on his thighs. He looked at her. She nibbled on her lower lip as she studied him, obviously trying to figure something out.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, cursing his mother for raising him right.

“Do what?”

Hell. “Whatever it is that has you confused.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulders. The movement caused her breasts to sway slightly. The sight of her hard peach-colored nipples bouncing in the air made his erection surge toward her.

“I want to, but I’m afraid you won’t like it.”

He tried to laugh. It came out a little strangled.

“I’ve never done this before. I can’t hurt you, can I? I don’t want to, you know, do anything awful.”

The muscles in his legs and arms started twitching. If it wasn’t for the small red incision, bright and angry against her pale flat belly, he’d roll her on her back and bury himself deep inside of her. That would end the debate and the growing pressure.

“I doubt you’d do anything awful,” he said, trying not to grit his teeth. “But we can stop now.”

She smiled. “Did you know the veins on your forehead are sticking out?”

“I’m not surprised,” he muttered, knowing he was being punished for some previous offense. It must have been pretty bad, whatever it was.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. He started to sit up, determined to suffer the indignity of a cold shower when she reached forward and touched his arousal.

His groan sounded loud in the silent room. She bent over him, her brown hair falling like an erotic curtain, caressing the tops of his thighs. He sank back on the mattress and held his breath.

Her touch was sweet, wet and tentative. A delicate pressure, careful yet adventurous. He could have exploded then, but thought better of it. Her fingers traced small circles at the base of his desire, moving through the hair, slipping lower to cup his softer parts. Weighing them in her hands tentatively, then moving more boldly when he exhaled his pleasure.

It wouldn’t take long, he knew. A few slow strokes, a flick or two with her tongue and he was ready.

“Elizabeth,” he said, tensing his muscles, ready to stop and have her complete him just with her hands. “You can stop now.”

She looked up and tossed her head. At that second their eyes locked. It was the most erotic sight of his life. Her heart-shaped face poised over his engorged maleness, her breasts swinging freely. Pale on tanned, he saw the lines of her bathing suit. She licked his sensitive tip once, then smiled.

“I don’t want to stop,” she whispered.

And she didn’t.

* * *

It was nearly two in the morning when he woke up. He smiled in the darkness when he felt Elizabeth’s warm body pressing against his side. One of her soft, delicate arms lay across his chest. Her face was buried against his arm. He could smell the scent of her body and the lingering aroma of sex.

In seconds he was hard. He didn’t have to fully form the memory of what she’d done before he was ready to have her do it again and again. He figured he’d get tired of looking at her and making love with her in about fifty years. That thought scared the hell of out of him.

Slowly he slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb her. He picked up his jeans and stepped into the hallway. After closing the door softly behind him, he pulled on his jeans and buttoned the fly.

He checked to make sure Mandy was sleeping soundly, then picked up her bear off the floor and set it on her pillow. Finally he made his way downstairs. Louise took care of the grocery shopping and kept him stocked with all the essentials. He reached in the back of the refrigerator for a bottle of beer and twisted off the top.

The cold liquid went down easily. Not bothering to turn on any lights, he walked into the family room and settled on the sofa. The leather was cool against his bare back. He shifted to get comfortable, then relaxed and closed his eyes.

A bigamist. He would never have guessed that one. It was hard to believe something like that had happened to someone as sweet as Elizabeth. It wasn’t right. His hand tightened around the beer bottle as if the slick glass were Sam Proctor’s neck.

She’d mentioned that her ex-husband—former husband, or whatever the hell he was to her—was still serving time in prison. Travis was glad. He hoped the bastard never got out. The anger inside of him simmered down to a slow burn, tempered by the question of what he was supposed to do now. Elizabeth had obviously been embarrassed when she’d told him the truth. He’d hated doing that to her. He’d tried to get her to stop talking, but she’d continued on as if finally telling someone about her past was the ultimate act of absolution.

He’d hated knowing she was uncomfortable around him. Had their lovemaking made it better or worse? He shook his head and took another swallow. The knot in his gut told him it was all about to get worse. Damn. He should have handled it better. He shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place, or he should have tried harder to get out of making love with her.

He grinned mockingly. Oh, yeah, Haynes. Get out of it. As if making love with Elizabeth had been some irritating charity work instead of the most incredibly intimate, erotic act of his sorry life.

He rubbed his hand over his face, then scratched his chin. None of this was helping him answer the most important question. Now what? What did he do with the truth, and what about what happened between them last night?

Okay, knowing the truth. That was easy. Elizabeth would want it kept quiet. That wasn’t hard to figure out. He just wouldn’t tell a soul. He sat up straight and swore.

“Kyle.” He’d asked his brother to run a check on Sam Proctor. Damn. He knew exactly what his deputy was going to find out. He would have to have a talk with Kyle and tell him to keep the information to himself.

The knot in his stomach tightened. He’d felt like slime when he’d asked his brother to run the check. He should have listened to that feeling.

A bigamist. It boggled his mind. He smiled suddenly, his mood lightening as he remembered what Mandy had said about her father. He’d had to leave because he was big. The kid almost had it right, he thought, draining the beer and setting the bottle on the coffee table in front of him.

His smile faded. Where did they go from here? Despite his stellar reputation, he wasn’t the casual sex, one-nightstand kind of guy. He’d had enough of that at college. He generally held back physically until there was an emotional connection. He knew nothing was going to last forever, but he’d never played fast and loose with a woman before. Elizabeth didn’t strike him as overly experienced. With his luck, she’d only ever been with one man—Sam. Which meant she was going to be hating life and him come morning. Would she expect something of him? A commitment of some kind?

It wasn’t, he realized with bone-chilling shock, a horrible idea. He liked Elizabeth, he adored Mandy. They got along well and—

Slow down, boy, he told himself. Nothing was going to happen between him and Elizabeth. Last night was a…a… He hated to use the word mistake. It hadn’t been a mistake for him. Last night had been an unusual circumstance. They’d both needed each other. But there wasn’t going to be anything permanent between them. He didn’t have what it took to make that kind of relationship work. Even if he did, Elizabeth had made it clear she wasn’t interested in getting involved with him or any man. After what Sam had done, he almost couldn’t blame her.

In a week her medical restrictions would lift. She would be driving, and leaving him for her own place. If they both tried, they could put last night in its proper place and stay friends. It’s really all he wanted.

The sounds of the night crowded in around him. The cool air made him shiver. He told himself to go back to his bed, to snuggle against Elizabeth’s warm naked body and savor the moments while he had them. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he’d finally realized how hard it was going to be to let her go.

* * *

“It’s a fumble on the twenty-yard line. Dallas recovers and runs it in for a touchdown. San Francisco is now down by fourteen points.”

Travis groaned and reached for the remote. He hit the mute button and sank back against the couch. Mandy looked up from her place on the floor where she was working on a jigsaw puzzle.

“Is your team doing bad, Travis?” she asked.

“They’re getting their fannies kicked.”

“Really?” She glanced toward the TV screen. “I don’t see anyone kicking fannies.”

He chuckled. “Hopefully it won’t happen again.”

She abandoned her puzzle and climbed into his lap. “I’ll make you feel better,” she said and gave him a hug. “They’re magic, just like yours.”

He hugged her back. “I do feel better. Thanks.” He pointed at the puzzle. “What is it going to be?”

“A dog.” She pursed her lips together. “Mommy says there’s bunnies at our house and I can see them when we get there, but I was thinking maybe I could have a puppy instead. Do you think Mommy would like a puppy?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe later. She’s cooking, and if you ask her stuff now, she usually says no.”

He’d heard the pots rattling in the kitchen and had decided to stay clear himself. He was giving Elizabeth time to recover from what happened between them last night. “You’re a very smart girl.”

“I know.”

Her smile took a direct line to his heart. She wore sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt in bright pink with a redheaded mermaid on the front. Her pale blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her bangs hung almost to her eyebrows. She was going to be a heartbreaker in a few years; when she left with her mother at the end of the week, she was going to break his heart.

Elizabeth walked into the room. She stared at a point above and to the left of his head. “Mandy, there are still a few flowers left in the garden. Why don’t you pick some for the table?”

“Okay.” The little girl slid off his lap and grinned. “I get to pick flowers.”

“I heard.”

She practically quivered with excitement. “You can finish my puzzle if you want to,” she told Travis.

“I’ll pass and let you do it.”

She nodded and ran out of the room, singing a song about flowers. Elizabeth turned to leave, then hesitated.

She wore her hair as she had the first time he’d seen her, in a ponytail on top of her head. The loose strands tumbled down to her shoulder. A light touch of makeup accentuated her chestnut-colored eyes. An oversize peach sweater hung midway down her thighs. Matching leggings outlined her curves, taunting him with what he’d seen and touched and tasted the previous night. Her flat loafers didn’t give her any height, and she looked small and ill at ease.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, rising to his feet.

“Nothing.” Her voice was hoarse, as if she was having trouble speaking. “I was just wondering if you wanted to cancel the party.”

“A couple of friends over for a late lunch and football is hardly a party.”

“I know, but…” Her voice trailed off. She clasped her hands together in front of her waist and stared at the ground. “I thought you might prefer to keep me away from your friends because of last night.”

That didn’t make any sense. “Because we made love?”

She shook her head. “No, the other thing.”

The spot of color on each cheek had nothing to do with cosmetics. She looked as if she were praying for the ground to open and swallow her whole. It was all his fault.

In an effort to be a gentleman, he had left their bed that morning to give her the privacy to wake up alone. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he would have to admit there had been something other than altruism in the act. He hadn’t wanted to wake up and see the regret in her eyes. Unfortunately, she thought he was the one having regrets. She might say she was worried about her confession, but her body language told him she was thinking about the sex.

He crossed the room and reached toward her. Before he could pull her close, she stepped back. “Don’t,” she murmured.

“I’m not sorry we made love,” he said quietly, aware that Mandy could return at any moment. “I left you alone this morning to give you some privacy, not because I didn’t want to be with you in bed. I wanted us to make love again, but I was worried about you being sore and Mandy waking up. It was wonderful, Elizabeth. At least it was for me. I guess I’ll understand if you’re having second thoughts.”

“I’m not sorry, either.”

She looked up at him and he saw the sadness in her eyes. It puzzled him. If she didn’t have regrets, then why was she sad?

“It doesn’t change anything, though,” she said dropping her arms to her side.

Make that: it hadn’t meant anything. He’d been so damned worried about what she would be thinking and feeling that he hadn’t spared a thought for his own feelings. “So you’re saying, ‘Thanks for the good time, no regrets, but gee, let’s never bother doing that again’?”

“Not exactly.”

He would have laughed but there was this pain deep in his chest. He’d been a one-night stand. Women across the county would be crowing with delight if they ever learned a Haynes had finally had his comeuppance. He’d been looking for something more, and Elizabeth was the one backing off.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “As for the company. Hey, why would it matter that people came over? Don’t worry, I won’t talk about your secret or last night.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking at him oddly.

“So nothing’s changed. We’re exactly where we were yesterday. Friends. Great.”

“Travis, are you okay?” Her brows drew together in confusion. “Have I said anything to—”

The sharp ringing of the phone cut her off. “Excuse me,” he said, and reached for the phone on the end table. “Hello?”

“Hey, Travis, it’s Kyle.” His brother sounded wary. “I ran that guy you asked me to. Sam Proctor. You’re not going to believe what I found.”

“I already know.”

“About the bigamy?”

“Yeah.”

“Elizabeth Abbott is in the report. The second wife, or whatever you’d call her.”

“I know that, too.”

“You okay?”

Travis turned back toward Elizabeth, but she’d left the room. No, he wasn’t okay; he was never going to be okay again. She’d touched him and loved him in his bed, and now she was going to shut him down. Part of him couldn’t blame her. He was the last guy in the world she should get involved with. He would only screw up the whole thing. But his brief experience of paradise had left him hungry for more. He wanted to be different, he wanted to be the kind of man who could marry and have a family. He wanted—

“Travis, are you there?”

“Sorry. I’m fine. Look, Kyle, I want you to keep this information to yourself, okay?”

Kyle exhaled in disgust. “I might be the youngest, Travis, but I’m not a kid. I know this could hurt Elizabeth. I won’t say anything.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Look, could you just get your butt over here as quickly as possible?” He needed someone to run interference before he said or did something stupid. Worse, before he made a promise he knew he could never keep.

* * *

“I can’t sit out there with those boys if I know you’re in here doing all the work,” Louise said walking into the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

Elizabeth closed the oven door and smiled. For the first time that day, her sense of doom lifted a little. “Nothing. I’ve got everything under control.”

“You make me feel guilty. I’m supposed to be looking after you.”

Elizabeth laughed and moved to the kitchen table. “I’m feeling great. Doing more things every day.” She bit down on her lower lip. She’d almost blurted out, “Last night Travis and I made love, and I felt wonderful afterward.” That would have given Louise something to talk about. “My incision hardly gives me any trouble at all.” Except for a slight tenderness after they’d— Stop thinking about it, she ordered herself. It only made everything more difficult.

“Do you want some coffee?” she asked, pointing to the full pot. “It’s fresh.”

“I’ll get it,” Louise said. “You sit down for a minute and rest yourself. There’s no point in spending all this time getting better if you’re just going to wear yourself out in one afternoon.”

She poured herself a cup, then offered one to Elizabeth. She shook her head in refusal. Louise poured in milk and added a rounded teaspoon of sugar.

Today she was dressed all in purple. A frilly blouse that did nothing to hide her generous curves, a calf-length ruffled skirt and bright purple cowboy boots. Her short blond hair had been puffed and sprayed into little spikes. She wore saddle earrings and lots of black mascara. The kindness and concern in her blue eyes made her look beautiful.

“I’m doing great,” Elizabeth said. It wasn’t an actual lie. Physically she was doing well. Emotionally, she was hovering about a half inch off the ground. Last night had been perfect, but this morning, when she’d woken up alone in Travis’s bed, all her doubts had crashed in around her. They’d made a terrible mistake. The lovemaking had been so right between them, but the memory was tainted by the reason he’d reached for her in the first place. Once Travis realized that, he wouldn’t want to remember what had happened at all. He would put it and her out of his mind. She hated to think about that. She knew there was no hope for any kind of long-term relationship between them, but she’d counted on them staying friends.

“You want to talk about it?” Louise asked, then took a sip from her mug. She walked to the table and plopped into the seat next to Elizabeth.

“I—”

“Don’t bother lying, honey. I can see the pain in your pretty eyes. Did something happen here, or is this about whatever made you come to town in the first place?”

Elizabeth stared at her. Had the other woman guessed or had Travis said something?

“Don’t give me that look,” Louise said. “It doesn’t take a lot of brains to figure out something is wrong with you. When you first arrived you spent most of your time looking over your shoulder. Who are you afraid of?”

Elizabeth fought the urge to confide in Louise. She’d felt better after telling Travis the truth. Confession was good for the soul. But she was afraid. She hadn’t even told her own parents. She couldn’t face the disappointment and shame she would hear in their voices. Would Louise understand? She gathered her courage together.

“If it’s about you and Travis being lovers, then you don’t have anything to worry about.”

Her courage fled and with it her composure. Her mouth dropped open. “He told you?”

Louise leaned forward and smiled. “No one had to tell me, honey. I could feel it the second I walked into this house.” She patted her hand. “Don’t worry. The boys are too dense to figure it out. Your secret is safe with me.”

“It doesn’t make any difference,” Elizabeth said, staring at the water glass in front of her. She moved it back and forth over the bleached oak table. “Travis isn’t the kind of man a woman settles down with, even if I was interested.”

“You be careful about believing all of his press,” Louise said. “He and his brothers paid a high price for their father’s and uncles’ ways. The boys have worked hard to be decent to the women in their lives. They mostly lack any kind of skills in relationships. No role models—at least that’s what they usually say on those daytime talk shows.” She smiled. “Maybe you should think about giving him a chance.”

“I can’t.” She drew in a deep breath. The courage returned. “I came to Glenwood to get away from my life in L.A. Mandy’s father was a bigamist, and I was his second wife.”

She told the story quickly, even the embarrassing details about how stupid she’d been. She finished, then braced herself for Louise’s well-intentioned scolding.

“That bastard,” Louise said, glaring at her. “Excuse my French, but that’s exactly what he is.”

Elizabeth blinked. She couldn’t have heard the other woman correctly. “No, you don’t understand. It’s my fault. I should have known.”

“How were you supposed to know?”

“He was my husband.”

“All the more reason to trust him. Oh, I just hate men like that.”

“But, Louise—”

“Don’t you ‘but, Louise’ me. You were a virgin when you met him, weren’t you?”

Elizabeth was too surprised by her friend’s anger to be embarrassed by the question. “Yes, but—”

“And you were faithful to him during your relationship.”

“Of course, but—”

Louise rose to her feet and started pacing the kitchen. “I’d like to find him and give him a piece of my mind. No. I’d like him castrated.”

Elizabeth giggled. “That sounds a little harsh, even for Sam.”

Louise paused and leaned against the counter. “Okay, maybe we’ll just threaten him with dismemberment. Just enough to put the fear of God into him.”

Elizabeth’s smile faded as she felt tears forming in her eyes. Louise wasn’t judging her, she was defending her. It was a miracle.

“Does this means we can still be friends?” she asked tentatively.

“Why in the world wouldn’t we be?” Louise hurried over to the table and bent down to give her a hug. Her spicy perfume comforted Elizabeth, reminding her of her own mother.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

“I’m not giving you anything.” Louise straightened and smiled. “But while we’re on the subject, you might think about giving yourself a chance. Travis, too. I know that boy, and I think he’s smitten.”

It would never work, Elizabeth told herself. If she gave Travis a chance, he would break her already fragile heart. Leaving Sam had been hard enough. If she got much closer to Travis, leaving him would be the end of her world.

Chapter Eleven

They finished eating close to four. Despite Elizabeth’s protests, everyone helped clear the table and set out dessert. Travis looked at the small group sitting around the dining room table. Jordan and Craig couldn’t make it back for the game, so it was just him, Elizabeth, Louise, Austin and Kyle. Oh, and of course Mandy who had seated herself next to him. He was torn between wanting to ease her shyness with Kyle and Austin and being pleased that she sought him out for protection.

“Of course I specialize in stopping long-haired types like you,” Kyle said to Austin.

The other man ignored the teasing and gave Mandy a wink. His charm even worked on six-year-olds. She dimpled delightfully, then buried her head in Travis’s arm. Travis glanced over at Elizabeth and saw she had noticed the exchange. She gave him a little smile. Better, he thought, remembering how she’d avoided his gaze for the first part of the meal. Every time she looked at Austin, his gut clenched as he waited for her to figure out his friend was handsome as sin and richer than God. So far she seemed singularly unimpressed.

“Kyle is leading the pack this month,” Travis said, stroking Mandy’s hair. “Giving out the most tickets.”

“That must make him popular with the locals,” Elizabeth said.

Kyle shrugged. “At least I’m not like you, big brother. Always parking in the same place. He’s got the worst record in tickets.”

Elizabeth began cutting the cherry cheesecake in front of her and placing the slices on plates. “If you’re the sheriff, why do you give out tickets at all? I wouldn’t have thought that was part of your job.”

He made the mistake of looking at Kyle, who was making cow eyes at him, mocking him before he’d even started to answer the questions.

He balled up his napkin and tossed it across the table. Kyle burst out laughing, Elizabeth remained calm, Louise muttered about boys being boys and Austin stayed out of it. As always, his friend was on the fringe of the group, watching but never actually belonging.

“I don’t ask my men to do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“That’s fair,” Elizabeth said, as Kyle clutched his hands over his heart and pretended to swoon. “If you don’t behave, Kyle,” she said, her voice staying even and friendly, “I’m going to make you stand in the corner and not give you any dessert.”

Travis burst out laughing. Kyle looked suitably chastised. Even Austin smiled.

“He also parks his car in one place,” Austin said, taking the plate she offered. “By the main highway. Whenever he’s out looking for speeders, we all know where to find him.”

Elizabeth glanced at him. “I’m glad you were there,” she said. “If you hadn’t been, who knows what would have happened.”

“Travis took Mommy to the hospital,” Mandy said, taking her serving of cake and picking up her fork. “I was scared, but he used the siren and made sure Mommy was all better.”

“Just doing my job,” he said, slightly embarrassed.

Elizabeth saved him by changing the subject. She cut the last piece of cake and started to hand it to Kyle. His baby brother was her age, but she treated him as if he were several years younger. Travis couldn’t help being pleased by that.

“Are you going to behave?” she asked, holding out the plate.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. No more trouble from you, young man.” Her voice was stern, but her eyes danced.

Travis watched her tease Kyle and felt a warmth burning deep in his chest. He glanced around the table, at the people he loved most in the world. It felt right to have Elizabeth share in this part of his life. Louise chatted with Austin. Mandy scraped her plate clean. For the first time in years, he felt content.

Elizabeth looked up at him and their eyes met. The sadness and wariness from that morning was gone. In their place something soft and lovely flared to life. He wanted to make love to her. Instantly heat boiled through him, burning in his blood and engorging his groin. An answering passion made her lean forward slightly and lick her lower lip.

He wanted to feel her and taste her, loving her until she writhed with need. The room faded and all he saw was her. The V neck of her sweater had slipped slightly, allowing him to see the valley between her breasts and the hint of a curve. He wanted her naked, next to him. Under him. As much as he’d loved the feel of her mouth on him, this time he wanted to be inside, claiming her. He figured that line of thinking meant he was pretty primitive, but that didn’t make his erection go away.

Louise stood up and asked if anyone would like coffee. Her prosaic question broke the spell between them, and Elizabeth looked away. After a few minutes, Travis managed to quench his desires. The conversation moved from speeding tickets to the local high school football team and the chance they had at the local championship.

Mandy climbed onto his lap. He put his arm around her back to support her. She leaned against his chest.

“You’ve got gravy on your shirt,” he said, pointing to the spot on her sweatshirt.

She glanced down and held the shirt out so she could see it. “I always spill, huh?”

“Yeah, but I like it.”

“You like it?” She grinned. “That’s silly. You’re not supposed to like it.”

“Well, I do.”

He bent over and tickled her under her arms. She squirmed and laughed. When he stopped, she sagged against him and sighed. “You’re nice, Travis.”

“You’re not too bad yourself.”

“There’s a boy in my class. He said he lost his parents, but then he found new ones. I guess his mommy and daddy were too lost to ever find their way home.”

He didn’t know whether or not he should explain what the boy had meant by “lost.” Before he could decide, she continued.

“He loves his new mommy and daddy, but he misses the old ones. He says new parents are fun. I lost my daddy. Mommy says he’s not ever coming back. Could you be my new daddy?”

He felt as if he’d been hit by a speeding train. All the air rushed out of him and his chest ached. He tried to speak, but couldn’t. His throat was too dry.

Mandy stared up at him, her wide blue eyes trusting him with her heart. He glanced around the table. Everyone else was busy with their own conversation. No one had overheard Mandy’s question.

“I’m flattered you would ask me,” he said at last, touching her soft cheek, then tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But I don’t know how to be a daddy. I don’t have any children of my own. Why don’t I just be your friend instead?”

She frowned. “Do you have to learn how to be a daddy?”

“I think so.”

She raised her shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Okay. You can be my friend, and then when you learn how to be my daddy, you can be that, too, okay?”

He hadn’t cried in about twenty years, but suddenly he felt a burning behind his eyes. He pulled Mandy close and hugged her tight. “It’s better than okay, Mandy. It’ll be great.”

* * *

The house was still. Elizabeth stood by the door and listened to the creak creak of the swing on the front porch. She balled her hands into fists, then consciously relaxed them. The company had gone home, Mandy was asleep in her bed. Elizabeth couldn’t avoid Travis forever, even if she wanted to. But what was she going to say?

She shook her head. The problem wasn’t what to say, it was where to start the conversation. They had many things to discuss, not the least of which was what had happened between them last night.

She walked toward the front door, placed her hand on the handle and paused. All of this would be a lot easier if she knew what she wanted. She knew what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to make another mistake like the one she’d made with Sam. She didn’t want to be a fool again for a man. The easiest and safest way to ensure that was to never get involved again. Especially with someone even worse than Sam. Travis was too good-looking by far. He was kind, tender, sweet with her daughter and hot in bed. By comparison, Sam was an amateur, his smooth-talking ways falling far short of Travis’s charm. Logically, she had to steer clear of Travis Haynes. If not, she would be risking herself all over again, and she would have learned nothing from her false marriage.

False. Just the word was enough to send waves of shame surging over her. Her cheeks heated. She pressed her hands against her face and prayed that she would one day be able to look back on what had happened and not feel so disgusted with herself. Friends had told her she was overreacting. Even Travis had told her to stop beating herself up about it. They didn’t understand, she told herself. They didn’t know what it was like to have made that big a mistake in judging someone’s character. They weren’t going to have to explain it to Mandy when she was old enough to understand. They didn’t have to spend the rest of their lives knowing they had been taken in by a con man. Elizabeth knew she had been so starved for love and affection, too eager to believe that someone—a man—finally loved her, that she hadn’t wanted to see that Sam was using her.

She drew in a deep breath. One day she would be able to look back on this without wanting to crawl away and die. It had to get better; time was all she had. She grabbed the door handle and turned it, then pulled open the door and stepped out onto the porch.

The night was dark, the moon a faint sliver in the inky sky. Stars hung low, as if they wanted to eavesdrop on what she had to say. She knew Travis had seen her come outside, but the creaking of the swing continued in the same rhythm—slow, steady, seductive.

She told herself to go lean against the railing where it was safe. Better to keep her distance. But she was too tired and tense to be sensible. She moved over to the swing and sat next to him.

One long arm stretched along the back of the wooden seat. She relaxed and rested her head against the slats. He shifted, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close against him. She told herself to resist, to stiffen and move away, but she couldn’t. Her cheek rested against his hard chest. She could feel the muffled thudding of his heartbeat. The slow, steady sound reminded her of last night. She awakened several times to find herself in his arms. The warmth of his body, the scent of their lovemaking, and the sound of his heart had soothed her back to a restful sleep. For the first time in months, she’d felt safe.

“The meal was terrific,” he said. His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating against her skin. “Thanks for going to all that trouble. You’ve spoiled everyone. They’re used to me cooking hot dogs or something out of a can.”

“I enjoy cooking,” she said, fighting the urge to look up at him. She wanted to see what he was thinking, she wanted to read the expression in his eyes. She was equally terrified of what she would see there. What if he didn’t want her? Worse, what if he did?

“Do you cook a lot?” he asked.

“Some.” She smiled and snuggled closer. “I used to think if I was a better wife, Sam would stay home more. So I took a couple of courses given by a restaurant and started really doing some exotic things. It didn’t seem to help. For the longest time I assumed it was my cooking.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Of course not. It was his wife and kids. The fanciest beef dish in the world can’t compete with that.”

“Elizabeth, Sam cared for you.”

She grimaced. “Maybe. Sometimes, when I’m feeling rational, I believe that he did. In a sort of sick, twisted way. If he’d really cared, he would have told me the truth about himself.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Thanks for including me today. I enjoyed having your friends around. Sam never wanted— Damn. Now that I’ve spilled the beans about him, I can’t seem to stop talking about what happened. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Travis slid his hand up her shoulder to her head. His long fingers slipped through her hair to the band that was holding her ponytail in place. He tugged gently, easing it down the strands until her hair was loose and falling over her shoulders. She should probably tell him not to touch her so intimately. She was giving him the wrong idea. But she couldn’t help herself. She liked the feel of his hands on her. He made her feel safe and cherished. She hadn’t felt any of those things in a very long time.

He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “You were saying Sam never wanted what?”

“Sam never wanted us to have friends over. He didn’t want me to have friends at all. But the crowd today was nice.”

He chuckled low in his chest. “If you think this was a crowd, you should wait until my other brothers join us. Between Craig’s three boys and everybody’s dates trying to figure out who belongs with whom, it’s a madhouse. I’ll give you plenty of warning before letting that group descend on you.”

It sounded lovely, she thought wistfully, thinking of her own solitary childhood. She shifted on the swing. Her right breast pressed against his chest. Her nipples hardened in response to his body, but she ignored the tingling sensation.

“I wouldn’t mind,” she said, then realized she would be gone by the time Travis’s family invaded. She would be driving at the end of the week and moving out to her own place next weekend.

A sharp stab of regret and disappointment startled her. She didn’t want to think about what it meant, so she recalled what Travis had just told her.

“You mentioned dates,” she said. “I thought the Haynes brothers didn’t want to get involved with anybody.”

“We all want it to work out, so we seem to keep trying. I guess each of us is praying for a miracle.”

The bitterness in his voice surprised her. “You sound upset.”

“It gets damned lonely,” he admitted. “It’s probably a matter of wanting what we can’t have. Craig got burned big-time. His wife walked off with one of his closest friends, leaving him with a pile of bills and three little kids. Damn fool keeps looking for the right woman. Kyle dumps his girlfriends before they have a chance to dump him. I’m sure it has something to do with our mother abandoning him when he was fifteen and the string of women Dad brought into the house right after. We went through three stepmothers in three years. And then there’s Jordan.”

Travis paused. Elizabeth wished she could move closer to offer him comfort. She could feel his pain. It radiated out from him like the heat of a fever. In the past, he’d talked about his family and his resistance to believing relationships lasted, but this was the first time she’d really understood all that he and his brothers had been through. She was the last one to be giving him any kind of advice, though. Her own track record was pretty awful. So she didn’t say anything. She reached up her hand to his face and stroked his cheek. His evening beard poked at her palm. He felt warm and alive. A quivering began low in her belly; she told herself this wasn’t about sex.

“Jordan, hell, I don’t know about him. He keeps everything inside. He was always the odd one out. The rebel.” He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth. His kiss on her palm was sweet and damp, his tongue tracing an erotic line from the base of her thumb to her little finger. She shivered.

“After all,” he continued, “look at what he does for a living. He’s a fire fighter, the crazy fool.”

He laughed and she joined him. It felt good to be with Travis like this. He turned toward her, angling one knee across the bench. His position moved them a little apart, but now she could see his face.

He looked good by porch light, she thought, studying the way stubble darkened the hollows of his cheeks and made his eyes more mysterious. She wanted to lean close and touch him all over, relearning the body she had caressed so intimately the night before. His pleasing scent made her remember other smells and tastes, his laughter made her think of other sounds. The way he’d called her name, his voice husky with disbelief and pleasure. Her breasts grew more sensitive inside her bra; her most secret place dampened in anticipation. Desire filled her, but she kept it firmly in check.

“I had an interesting conversation with Mandy at dinner,” he said, resting his palm on her thigh.

“I thought I saw you two talking. What about?”

“Her father.”

She started to fold her arms over her chest. He grabbed her hands, pulled them down on top of his knee and held her in place. “She was telling me that a boy at school lost his parents. She assumes that they’re physically lost and won’t be able to find their way back to him. She thinks Sam is lost to her, as well.”

Elizabeth tried to ignore the soft denim of Travis’s jeans, the heat of his leg below and the warmth of his hand above hers. She tried to ignore the feeling of panic boiling to life in her belly. She’d known it would come to this with Mandy, but not yet. She wasn’t ready.

“I told her that Sam wouldn’t be able to see her again,” she said. “But I can’t explain the rest of it to her. Not yet. She’s too young.”

She dropped her head so that she could stare at her lap. No doubt Travis would disagree with her decision. She didn’t care. When she’d asked Sam to sign away the rights to see Mandy, he hadn’t even bothered to protest. He’d never been much interested in the girl. Not having him visit every few months would make it less confusing for Mandy.

“I agree,” he said, surprising her. “But I think you should be willing to let her talk about missing her father if she wants to.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she said, surprised she wasn’t irritated with his interfering.

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