Lawless

CHAPTERONE

ItwasablisteringhotdayinsouthTexas,evenforearlySeptember.ChristabelGaineswaswearinga
low-cut white top with faded blue jeans, a book bag slung casually over one shoulder. The top
outlined her small, firm breasts and the jeans clung lovingly to every softly rounded line of her
youngbody.Thefaintbreezecaughtherlongblondhairinherprettybow-shapedmouth,againsther
wideforeheadandhighcheekbones.Shemovedthestrandsaway,herbig,warmbrowneyesamused
atsomethingoneofthestudentswithherwassayingaboutaclassmate.Itwasalong,dullMonday
morning.

Debbie,agirlinhercomputerclass,wassuddenlystaringpastChristabeltowardtheparkinglot.She
whistledsoftly."Well!IknowwhatIwantforChristmas,"shesaidinaloudwhisper.

Teresa, another classmate, was also staring. "Hubba, hubba," she said with a wicked grin, wiggling
hereyebrows."Anybodyknowwhoheis?"

Curious,Christabelturnedaroundtoseeatall,darklyhandsomemanwalkgracefullyacrossthelawn
toward them. He was wearing a cream-colored Stetson, jerked down over his eyes. His neat long-
sleevedwhitecottonshirtwasfastenedwithaturquoisebolatie.Hislong,powerfullegswereencased
ingrayslacks,hisfeetingrayhand-tooledboots.Onhisshirtpocket,asilverstarinacircleglittered
inthesunlight.Acrosshisleanhips,abrownleatherholsterandgunbeltwerefastened.Inthegunbelt
wasa.45caliberRugerVaqueropistol.Heusuallycarriedanautomaticpistol,a.45ColtACP,butit
washavinganewcustomhandleandtheTexasRangerstaradded.Todayalsohappenedtobematch
dayattheJacobsvilleGunClub'sSingleActionShootingSociety,whichhebelongedto.Thequick-
draw-and-shootgroupworeWesterngarbtomeets.Soitwasconvenientforhimtowearthewheel
guntoworkjustthisonce.

"Whathaveyougirlsdone?"oneoftheboysaskedwithmocksurprise."TheTexasRangersareafter
somebody!"

Christabeldidn'tsayaword.Shejuststaredwiththeothers,butherdarkeyestwinkledasshewatched
himstridetowardherwiththatsingle-mindeddeterminationthatmadehimsogoodathisjob.Hewas
thesexiest,mostwonderfulmanintheworld.Sheowedhimeverythingshehad,everythingshewas.
Sometimesshewishedwithallherheartthatshe'dbeenbornbeautiful,andmaybethenhe'dnoticeher
the way she wanted him to. She smiled secretly, wondering what the other girls would say if they
knewhertruerelationshipwiththatdynamoTexasRanger.

JuddDunnwasthirty-four.He'dspentmostofhislifeinlawenforcement,andhewasgoodatit.He'd
beenwithCompanyDoftheTexasRangersforfiveyears.He'dbeenupforpromotiontolieutenant,
buthe'dturneditdownbecausethatwasmoreofanadministrativejobandhelikedfieldworkbetter.
He kept that long, lean body fit by working on the ranch, owner-ship of which he shared with
Christabel.

He'dbeenmaderesponsibleforChristabelwhenshewasonlysixteen.TheDbarGRanchhadbeen
run-down,flat-busted,andreadytocrashandburn.Juddhadpulleditoutoftheredandmadeitshow

aprofit.Overtheyears,he'dputhisownmoneyintoenlargingthecrossbreedbeefcattleherdthey
oversaw. With his canny business sense, and Christabel's knowledge of computers, they'd been just
beginning to show a small profit. It had allowed Christabel to work on her diploma in computer
programming, and Judd even had an occasional spending spree. His last, a year ago, involved that
cream-coloredStetsonslantedoverhisdarkbrow.Itwasmadeofcompressedbeaverfurandithad
cost him a paycheck. It did suit him, she had to admit. He looked rakishly handsome. Sadly, there
hadn'tbeenanyspendingspreesthisyear.Therehadbeenadroughtandcat-tlepriceshaddropped.
TimeswerehardagainJustwhenthey'dbeenlookingup.

Any other man would have noticed with amusement the rapt stares of Christabel's two pretty
companions.Juddpaidthemthesameattentionhe'dhavegivenpinestraw.Hehadsomethingonhis
mind,andnothingwoulddiverthimuntilhe'dresolvedit.

HewalkedrightuptoChristabel,toweringoverher,totheastonishmentofherclassmates.

"We've had an offer," he said, taking her by the upper arm as impersonally as he'd have an
apprehendedfelon."Ineedtotalktoyou."

“Judd,I'monlybetweenclasses,"sheprotested.

"Thiswon'ttakeaminute,"hemuttered,narrowinghisblackeyesashesearchedforasecludedspot.
Hefoundoneunderabigliveoaktree."Comeon."

Shewasescortedforciblytothetreewhilehercompanionswatchedwithwide-eyedcuriosity.Later,
sheknew,shewasgoingtobethefocusofsomeprobingquestions.

"NotthatI'mnotgladtoseeyou,"shepointedoutwhenhereleasedherabruptly,awayfromprying
ears,"butIonlyhavefiveminutes...!"

"Thendon'twastethemtalking,"hecutheroffabruptly.Hisvoicewasdeep,darkvelvet,evenwhen
hedidn'tmeanittobe.ItsentdeliciousshiversdownChristabel'sspine.

"Okay,"sheconcededwithasigh.Sheheldoutherhand,palm-up.

He noted the signet ring—his signet ring—that she always wore on her ring finger. Although she'd
haditresized,itwasstilltoobigforherslenderhand.Butsheinsistedonwearingit.

Shefollowedhisgazeandflexedherhand."Nobodyknows,"shesaid."Idon'tgossip."

"That would be the day," he agreed, and for just an instant, affectionate humor made those deep-set
blackeyestwinkle.

"So,what'stheproblem?"

"It'snotaproblem,exactly,"hesaid,restinghisrighthandlazilyonthebuttofthepistol.TheTexas
Rangeremblemwascarvedintothemaplewoodhandle.Thenewgripforhisautomaticwouldhave
thesamewoodandcustomemblem.Theholsterandgunbeltthathelditwerehand-tooledtanleather.

"We've had an offer from a film crew. They've been surveying the land around here, with a
representative from the state film commission, looking for a likely spot to site a fictitious ranch.
Theylikeours."

"Afilmcrew."Shebitherfulllowerlip."Judd,Idon'tlikealotofpeoplearound,"shebegan.

"Iknowthat.Butwewanttobuyanotherpurebredherdsire,don'twe,"hecontinued,"andifweget
therightkind,he'sgoingtobeexpensive.They'veofferedusthirty-fivethousanddollarsfortheuse
of the ranch for a few weeks' filming. That would put us over the top. We could even enlarge our
electricfencingandreplacethetractor."

She whistled. That amount of money seemed like a fortune. It was always something on a ranch,
equipmentbreakdownorcowboyswhowantedmoremoney,ortheelectricpumpwentandtherewas
nowater.Inbetween,thevethadtobecalledouttolookatsickcattle,therewereeartagsandbutane
forbranding,andfencingmaterials...Shewonderedwhatitwouldbeliketoberichandhaveanything
shewanted.Theranchthathadbelongedjointlytohisuncleandherfatherwasstillalongwayfrom
beingprosperous.

"Stopdaydreaming,"hesaidcurtly."Ineedananswer.I'vegotacasewaiting."

Hereyeswidened."Acase?Whichcase?"

Hiseyesnarrowed."Notnow."

"It'sthehomicide,isn'tit?"sheaskedexcitedly."TheyoungwomaninVictoriawhowasfoundwith
herthroatcut,lyinginaditchwithonlyablouseon.You'vegotalead!"

"I'mnottellingyouanything"

Shemovedcloser."Listen,Iboughtfreshapplesthismorning.I'vegotstickcinnamon.Brownsugar."
Sheleanedcloser."Realbutter.Pastryflour."

"Stopit,"hegroaned.

"Can'tyoujustseethoseapples,bubblingawayinthatcrust,untilitgetstobeanice,soft,beautiful,
flaky..."

"Allright!"hegroundout,glancingaroundquicklytomakesurenobodywascloseenoughtohear.
"Shewasthewifeofalocalrancher,"hetoldher."Herhusband'sstorychecksoutandshedidn'thave
anenemyintheworld.Wethinkitwasrandom."

"Nosuspectsatall?"

"Notyet.Notmuchtraceevidence,either,exceptforonehairandafewfibersofhighlycoloredcloth
thatdidn'tmatchtheblouseshewaswearing,"hesaid.Heglaredather."Andthat'sallyou'regetting,

applepieornoapplepie!"

"Okay,"shesaid,givinginwithgoodgrace.Shesearchedhislean,handsomeface."Youwantustolet
themoviecompanymovein,"sheaddedwithkeenperception.

Henodded."We'regoingtobeshortaboutathousanddollarsafterwepayestimatedtaxesnextweek,"
hetoldherquietly."We'regoingtohavetobuymorefeed.Thefloodingwipedoutmostofourhay
andcorncrops,nottomentionthealfalfa.Igotthesilofixed,butnotintimetohelpusoutanythis
sea-son.We'realsogoingtoneedmorevitaminandmineralsupplementstomixwiththefeed."

"And we'll have to buy supplemental feed or sell off stock we need," she said, drawing in a long,
wistfulbreath.

"Wouldn'titbelovelyifwehadmillions,youknow,likethattelevisionshowtheyusedtohavethat
wassetuparoundDallas?Wecouldbuycombinesandnewtractorsandhaybalers..."

Hepursedhislipsandsmiledatherenthusiasm.Hisdarkeyesslidoverherprettyfigure,lingering
involuntarily on her breasts. They looked like little apples under that clinging fabric and he got an
unexpectedandrathershockingachefromlookingatthem.Hedraggedhiseyesbackuptomeethers.
"Wouldn'tyoulikesomenewjeansinstead?"heasked,noddingtowardtheholesinhers.

She shrugged. "Nobody around here wears nice stuff. Well, Debbie does," she amended, glancing
backtowardherclassmate,whowasdressedinadesignerskirtset."Butherfolkshavemillions."

"What'sshedoinginavocationalschool?"hewantedtoknow.

Sheliftedherface."TryingtolandHenryTesler'sson!"

Hegrinned."He'sastudent,Igather."

Sheshookherhead."Heteachesalgebra."

"Oneofthose,"heagreedwithtwinklingeyes.

"He'srealbrainy."Shenodded."Realrich,too.Henry'sdadownsracehorses,butHenrydoesn'tlike
animals,soheteaches."Shecheckedthewide,unfemininewatchonherwrist."Oh,mygosh,I'llmiss
myclass!Ihavetogo!"

"I'lltellthefilmcompanytheycancomeondown,"hesaid.

Sheturnedtosprintbackafterherclassmates,whowerewanderingtowardthesideentranceofthe
mainbuilding.Shestoppedandlookedoverhershoulderapprehensively."Whenaretheycoming?"

"Two weeks from Saturday, to take some still photos and discuss the modifications they'll need to
maketosetuptheircameras."

Shegroaned."Well,tellthemtheycan'trevuptheirenginesnearthebarn!Bessie'sinfoal!"

"I'lltellthemeverything."

She studied him with admiration. "You do look really sexy, you know," she said. "My classmate
DebbiewantsyouforChristmas,"sheaddedmischievously.

Hegloweredather.

Her eyes sparkled. "It's only three months away. Tell you what, if you buy me a see-through red
nightiewithlace,I'llwearitforyou,"sheteased.

Herefusedtolethimselfpictureherthatway."I'm14yearsolderthanyou,"hepointedout.

Shewiggledherringfingerathim.

Hetookfourlongstepsandtoweredoverher."Ifyoudaretellanybody...!"hethreateneddarkly.

"Idon'tgossip,"sheremindedhim."Butthere'snolegalormoralreasonintheworldwhyyoucan't
lookatmeinflimsylingerie,"shepointedout,"whetherornotpeopleknowwe'remarried."

"Itoldyoufiveyearsago,andI'mtellingyounow"hesaidfirmly,"nothingofthatsortisevergoing
tohappenbetweenyouandme.Intwomonthsyou'llbetwenty-one.You'llsignapaper,andsowillI,
andwe'llbebusinesspartners—nothingmore."

Shesearchedhisblackeyeswiththefamiliarexcitemental-mostchokingher."Tellmeyou'venever
wonderedwhatIlooklikewithoutmyclothes,"shewhispered."Idareyou!"

He gave her a look that would have fried bread. It was a look that was famous in south Texas. He
couldbackdownlaw-breakerswithit.Infact,he'dbackedherownfatherdownwithit,justbeforehe
wentforhimwithbothbigfists.

Shegloweredupathimwithawistfulsigh."Whatawaste,"shemurmuredthoughtfully."Youknow
moreaboutwomenthanI'lleverknowaboutmen.I'llbetyou'rejustsensationalinbed."

Hislipsbecameathinline.Thelookwastakingonheat-seek-ingattributes.

"Allright,"sheconcededfinally."I'llfindsomeniceyoungboytoteachmewhattodowithallthese
inconvenientachesIgetfromtimetotime,andI'lltellyoueverysordiddetail,IswearIwill."

"One,"hesaid.

Sheliftedbotheyebrows."Excuseme?"

"Two."

Her hand tightened on the book bag. "Listen here, I can't be intimidated by a man who's known me
sinceIworefrillydressesandpatentleathershoes..."

"Three!"

"...andfurthermore,Idon'tcareifyouarea..."

"Four!"

Sheturnedonherheelwithoutfinishingthesentenceandmadeabeelineforthesideentrance.The
nextnumberwouldresultinsomethingundignified.Sherememberedtoomanypastcountdowns,to
herowndetriment.Hereallywassingle-minded!

"I'm only humoring you to make you feel in control!" she called back to him. "Don't think I'm
running!"

HehidasmileuntilhewasbackattheblackSUVhedrove.

Thesameweek,JackClark,amanwhoworkedforthem,wascaughtred-handedwithanexpensive
pairofbootshe'dchargedtotheiraccount.ChristabelhadfounditonthebillandcalledJudddownto
showittohim.

They'dfiredthemanoutright.Shedidn'ttellJuddthatthemanhadmadeblatantadvancestowardher,
orthatshe'dhadtothreatenhimwithJuddtomakehimstop.

A few days after he was fired, their brand-new young Salers bull was found dead in a pasture. To
Christabel,itseemedun-cannilylikefoulplay.Thebullhadbeenhealthy,andsherefusedtobelieve
Judd's assertion that it was bloat-causing weeds that had killed him and left four other bulls in the
samepasturealive.Afterall,JackClarkhadvowedrevenge.ButJuddbrushedoffhersuspicions,and
even told Maude he thought she was trying to get attention, because he'd ignored her while he was
dicker-ingwiththefilmpeople.Thathadmadeherfurious.She'dtoldtheirforemanNickBateswhat
shethought,though,andtoldhimtokeepaneyeonthecattle.

Sometimes Judd treated her like a child. It hadn't bothered her so much before, but lately it was
disturbing.

Judd turned up early Saturday morning two weeks later in his big black sport utility vehicle,
accompaniedbyasecondbur-gundySUVwhichwasfullofoddpeople.Therewasarepresentative
fromtheTexasfilmcommissionandadirectorwhomChristabelrecognizedimmediately.Shehadn't
realized it was going to be a famous one. There was also an assistant director, and four other men
whowereintroducedaspartofthecrew,includingaphotographerandasoundman.

She learned that the star of the film was an A-list actor, a handsome young man who'd sadly never
beenonahorse.

"That's going to limit our scenes with your livestock," the director told Judd with a chuckle. "Of
course,TippyMoorehasneverbeenaroundlivestock,either.Youmighthaveseenheronmagazine
covers.TheycallhertheGeorgiaFirefly.Thiswillbeherfirstmotionpicture,butshewasahitatthe
audition.Arealnatural."

Judd pursed his lips and his black eyes lit up. "I've seen her on the cover of the sports magazine's
swimsuitissue,"heconfessed."Everyred-bloodedmaninAmericaknowswhosheis."

Christabel felt uncomfortable. She glanced at Judd, all too aware of his interest, and could have
wailed.Theyweremarried,buthetooknonoticeofheratall.Hewasfondofher,heindulgedher,
butthatwasasfarasitwent.Hehadn'tevenkissedherwhentheyweremarried.Itwassoberingto
realizethatintwomonths,itwouldallbeover.She'dtriedeverythingtomakehimnoticeher,even
teasinghimaboutaboyatschoolwhowantedtomarryher.Thathadbeenalie,andhe'dcaughtherin
it.Nowhedidn'tbelieveanythingshesaid.Shestudiedhistall,sexyphysiqueandwonderedwhathe'd
say if she walked into the study one night while he was going over the books and took off all her
clothes.

Thensherememberedtheterriblescarsonhersmoothback,theonesherdrunkenfatherhadputthere
withashortquirtwhenshewassixteen.She'dtriedtosaveherpoorhorse,butherfatherhadturned
on her. She could still remember the pain. Her back had been in shreds. Judd had come to see her
father on business that Saturday morning, when he was working at the Texas Ranger post in San
Antonio.Somuchofthememorywashazy,butsherecalledclearlyhowJuddhadcomeoverthecor-
ral fence after her father, with such silent menace that her father had actually dropped the quirt and
started backing away. It hadn't saved him. Judd had gone for him with those big fists, and seconds
later,thedrunkenmanwaslyinginthedirt,halfinsensible.He'dbeenlockedinthetackshedseconds
later.

Judd had picked her up in his arms, so tenderly, murmuring endearments, yelling hoarsely for
Maude,theirhousekeeper,tocallthepoliceandtheambulanceservice.He'dputherintheambulance
himselfandriddenintothehospitalwithher,whileherinvalidmotherweptbitterlyontheporchas
herhusbandwastakenaway.Juddhadpressedcharges,andherfatherhadgonetojail.

Neveragain,Juddhadsaidcoldly,wasthatmangoingtoraisehishandtoChristabel.

Butthedamagehadbeendone.Ittookweeksforthewoundstohealcompletely.Therewasnomoney
forplasticsurgery.Therestillwasn't.SoChristabelhadwhitescarsacrossherbackinparallellines,
fromhershoulderstoherwaist.Shewassoself-con-sciousaboutthemthatdespiteherteasing,she'd
neverhavehadthenervetotakeoffherclothesinfrontofJudd,oranyotherman.Heonlywantedto
getridofher,anyway.Hedidn'twanttogetmarried.Helovedhisjob,andhisfreedom.Hesaidso
constantly.

But he knew who Tippy Moore was. Most men did. She had the face of an angel, and a body that
begged for caresses. Un-like poor Christabel, whose face was passable, but not really pretty, and
whosebodywaslikethepoorbeast'sinthestoryofDr.Frankenstein'smonster.

Judd and the director, Joel Harper, were talking about using one of the saddle-broken horses for a
scene,andtheadvisabil-ityofhavingtheirforeman,NickBates,aroundduringshooting.

"We're going to need set security, too," Harper said thoughtfully. "I like to use local police, when I
can,butyou'reoutofthecitylimitshere,aren'tyou?"

"YoucouldgetoneofourJacobsvillepolicementoworkherewhenhe'soffduty,"Juddsuggested.
"Ourchiefofpolice,ChetBlake,isoutoftown.ButCashGrierisassistantchief,andhe'dbegladto
helpyouout.WeworkedtogetherforafewmonthsoutoftheSanAntonioRangeroffice."

"Friendofyours?"Harperasked.

Juddmadearoughsoundinhisthroat."Grierdoesn'thavefriends,hehassparringpartners."

ChristabelhadheardalotaboutCashGrier,butshe'dnevermethim.She'dseenhimaround.Hewas
anenigma,wearingaconservativepoliceuniformwithhislongthickblackhairinaponytail.Hehad
amustacheandalittlegoateejustunderhislowerlipthesedays,andhelooked...menacing.Crimehad
dropped sharply in Jacobsville since his arrival. There were some nasty rumors about his past,
includingonethathe'dbeenacovertassassininhisyoungerdays.

"HeknockedTerryBarnettthroughawindow,"Christabelrecalledaloud.

Harper'seyesopenedwide.

Christabel realized that they were staring at her and she flushed. "Terry was breaking dishes in the
local waffle place because his wife, who worked there, was seeing another man. He caught them
togetherandstartedterrorizingtheplace.TheysayheranatGrierwithawaffleiron,andGrierjust
shiftedhisweightandTerrywentthroughtheglass."Shewhistled."Tookthirtystitches,theysaid,and
hegotprobationforassaultonapoliceofficer.That'safelony,"sheaddedhelpfully.

Juddwasglaringather.

She shrugged. "When you spend time around them, it rubs off," she explained to Harper with a
sheepishgrin.

"I'veknownJuddalongtime.Heandmyfatherwere...businesspartners."

"Myuncleandherfatherwerebusinesspartners,"Juddcorrectedeasily."Iinheritedmyuncle'shalf
oftheranch,sheinheritedherfather's."

"I see," Harper said, nodding, but his thoughts were on the film he was going to make, and he was
already setting up scenes in his mind for a storyboard. He was considering logistics. "We'll need
someonetocaterfoodwhilewe'reworking,"hemurmured."We'llneedtosetupmeetingswithcity
officialsaswell,becausesomeofthelocationworkwillbedoneinJacobsville."

"Someofit?"Christabelasked,curious.

Harper smiled at her. "We're shooting some of the movie in Hollywood," he explained. "But we'd
ratherlocatearanchsettingonaworkingranch.Thetownispartoftheatmosphere."

"What'sthemoviegoingtobeabout?"Christabelwantedtoknow."Canyoutellme?"

Hegrinnedatherinterest.Hehadtwodaughtersaboutherage."It'saromanticcomedyaboutamodel

whocomesoutWesttoshootacommercialonarealranchandfallsinlovewitharancher.Hehates
models,"headdedhelpfully.

Shechuckled."I'llbuyaticket."

"Ihopeseveralmillionotherpeoplewill,too."HeturnedbacktoJudd."I'llneedweatherinformation
—it'sgoingtocostusafortuneifwestartshootingatthewrongtimeandhavetoholeupforthreeor
fourweekswhiletheweatherclears."

Juddnodded."IthinkIcanfindwhatyouneed."

"Andwe'llwanttorentroomsatthebesthotelyouhave,fortheduration."

"Noproblemthere,either,"Juddsaiddryly."Itisn'texactlyatouristtrap."

Harperwasfanninghimselfwithasheafofpapersandsweat-ing."Notinthisheat,"heagreed.

"Heat?"Christabelaskedinnocently."Youthinkit'swarmhere?Mygoodness!"

"Cutitout,"Juddmuttereddarkly,becausethedirectorwasbeginningtoturnpale.

Shewrinkledhernoseathim."Iwasonlykidding.Lawenforcementtypeshavenosenseofhumor,
Mr.

Harper,"shetoldhim."Theirfacesarepaintedonandtheycan'tsmile..."

"One,"Juddsaidthroughhisteeth.

"See?"sheaskedpertly.

"Two...!"

Shethrewupherhandsandwalkedintothehouse.

Christabelwasjusttakinganapplepieoutoftheovenwhenshehearddoorsslamandanenginerev
up.JuddwalkedintothekitchenpastMaude,whogrinnedathimasshewenttowardthebackofthe
housetoputtheclothesinthedryer.

"Imadeyouanapplepie,"ChristabeltoldJudd,wavingitunderhisnose."Penance."

He sighed as he poured himself a cup of black coffee, pulled out a chair and sat down at the small
kitchentable.

"Whenareyougoingtogrowup,tomboy?"heasked.

She looked down at her dusty boots and stained jeans. She could imagine that her braided hair was
standing out in wisps around her flushed face, and she knew without looking down that her short-

sleevedyellowcottonblousewaswrinkledbeyondrepair.Incontrast,Judd'sjeanswerewell-fitting
and clean. His boots were so polished they reflected the tablecloth. His white shirt with the silver
sergeant'sTexasRangerstaronthepocketwascreaseless,hisdarkbluepatternedtieinperfectorder.
His leather gunbelt creaked when he crossed his long, powerful legs, and the .45 Colt ACP pistol
shiftedominouslyinitsholster.

She recalled that his great-grandfather had been a gun-fighter—not to mention a Texas Ranger—
beforehewenttoHarvardandbecameafamoustriallawyerinSanAntonio.Juddheldtherecordfor
the fastest quick-draw in northern Texas, as his friend and fellow Ranger Marc Brannon of
JacobsvillehelditforsouthernTexasintheSingleActionShootingSociety.Theyoftenpracticedat
the local gun club as guests of their mu-tual friend Ted Regan. A membership at the club was
hundredsofdollarsthatlawenforcementpeoplecouldn'tusuallyafford.

ButformermercenaryEbScotthadhisantiterrorismtrainingschoolinJacobsville,andhehadone
ofthefinestgunrangesaround.Hemadeitavailableatnocosttoanylawenforcementpeoplewho
wantedtouseit.

BetweenTedandEb,theygotlotsofpractice.

"Doyoustilldothatquick-draw?"sheaskedJuddassheslicedthepie.

"Yes,anddon'tmentionittoHarper,"headdedflatly.

Sheglancedathimoverhershoulder."Don'tyouwanttobeinpictures?"shedrawled.

"Aboutasmuchasyoudo,cupcake,"hemused,absentlyappreciatingthefitofthosetightjeansand
thecurveofherbreastsintheblouse.

Sheshrugged."Thatwouldbefunny.Me,inpictures."Shestudiedthepie,herhandsstilled."MaybeI
couldstarinahor-rormovieiftheyputmeinabathingsuitandfilmedmefrombehind."

Therewasashockedsilencebehindher.

Sheputasliceofpieonasaucerandaddedafork,slidingitinfrontofJudd.

Hecaughtherhandandpulledherdownontohislap."Lis-tentome,"hesaidinthatdeep,tendertone
heusedwhenlittlethingswerehurt,"everybody'sgotscars.Maybetheydon'tshow,butthey'rethere.
Amanwholovesyouwon'tcareaboutafewlittlewhitelines."

Shecockedherhead,tryingnottolethimseehowitaffectedhertobesoclosetohim.Shelikedthe
spicyaftershavehewore,thecleansmellofhisclothes,thefaintwhiffofleatherthatcameupfrom
thegunbelt.

"Howdoyouknowthey'rewhite?"sheasked.

Hegaveheraworldlylookandloosenedthetieathiscollar,unbuttoningthetopbuttonsoftheshirt
todiscloseadarklytannedchestwithapeltofcurlingblackhair.She'dseenhimwithouthisshirt,but

italwaysunsettledher.

He pulled the shirt and the spotless white undershirt under it to one side and indicated a puckered
place in his shoulder, from which white lines radiated. "Twenty-two caliber handgun," he said,
drawingherhandtoit.

"Feel."

Her hand was icy cold. It trembled on that warm, muscular flesh. "It's raised," she said, her voice
soundingbreathless.

"Unsightly?"hepersisted.

Shesmiled."Notreally."

"Idon'timagineanyofyoursarethatbad,"headded."But-tonmeup."

Itwasintimate,exciting,todothatsimplelittlechore.Shesmiledstupidly."Thisisnew."

"Whatis?"

"Youneverletmesitinyourlapbefore,"sheremindedhim.

Hewaslookingatherwithanoddexpression."Idon'tletanybodysitinmylap."

Shepursedherlipsasshegottohiscollarbone."AfraidImighttrytoundressyou?"

His chest rippled, but when she looked up, his face was im-passive. His eyes were glittery with
suppressedhumor.

"Thatwouldn'tdoyoumuchgood,"hecommented.

"Whynot?"

Oneblackeyebrowarched."Youwouldn'tknowwhattodowithmewhenyougotmyclothesoff."

Therewasaclatteroffallingpotatoesonthefloor.

JuddandChristabelstaredtowardthedoorwhereMaudewasstandingwithbothhandsontheedges
ofherapronandpotatoesstillspillingoutaroundherfeet.

"Whatthehellisyourproblem?"Juddaskeddarkly.

Maude'seyeswerelikesaucers.

"Oh,Igetit,"Christabelsaid,grinning.ShehadonehandonJudd'sshoulderandtheotheronhistie.
"She thinks I'm undressing you. It's okay, Maude," she added, holding up her ring finger. "We're

married."

Juddgaveheraroyalglareandgentlydumpedheroutofhislapandontothefloor.Shegrinnedat
himfromthelinoleum.Heleanedbackinthechairandfinishedadjustinghisshirt."Iwasshowing
heroneofmyscars,"hetoldMaude.

Maude had picked up the potatoes and she was trying very hard not to say anything stupid. But that
innocentremarkproducedaswellofhelplesslaughter.

"Nowdon'tdothat,"Christabelgroaned,gettingup."Maude,itwasveryinnocent,andhereallywas
showingmehisscar."

Maudenoddedenthusiasticallyandwentbacktoherpotatoes.Shecastaquick,amusedlookatJudd,
whohadaforkfulofapplepiesuspendedinmidairandwasglaringather.

"Surehewas,"Maudeagreed.

Judd'seyesnarrowed."I'marmed,"hepointedout.

Maude put down her knife and potato and spread out her arms. "Me, too," she said, wiggling her
eyebrows.

Juddgloweredather,andatChristabel,whowasgrinningfromeartoear."NowIknowwhereshe
getsitfrom,"hetoldMaude.

"He'sjustjealousbecausehecan'tmakejokes,"Christabelsaidwickedly.

Juddgaveherameasuringglanceandwentbacktohispie.

CHAPTERTWO

Thatnight,afterJuddhadgonebacktohisapartmentinVictoriawherehewasstationed,Christabel
layawakeforhoursworryingaboutTippyMooreandJudd'soddreactiontothenewsthatshewas
goingtobeinthemovie.Heseemedfascinatedbythewoman,justfromherphotographs,anditwas
obviousenoughtobepainful.HemightholdChristabelonhislapandreassureheraboutherscars,
butitwasimpersonal.He'dnevereventouchedherinaninappropriateway,despiteherefforts.

Her mind went back to that Saturday long ago when her life had changed so drastically. She could
smellthescentsofbloodandleather,feelthewhiponherback...

Through waves of pain, she heard a deep, gravelly voice curs-ing steadily. It was the only sound
audible, although five other cowboys were standing around her with grim faces and stiff posture
where she lay. The corral was dusty, because it hadn't rained, and there were traces of hay in her
disheveled blond hair. She was lying on her stomach and her blouse was in ribbons. Blood seeped
from the deep cuts in her back. There had been hard thuds and groans from somewhere nearby,
followedbysoundsofadoorslamming.Aminutelater,shefeltsomeonekneelbesideher.

"Christabel,canyouhearme?"Judd'svoiceaskedharshlyatherear,Herdarkeyesopened,justaslit.
Itwashardtofocus,butsherememberedthatJuddDunnwastheonlypersonwhoevercalledherby
herfullname.Everybodyelsecalledher"Crissy."

"Yes?"Wasthathervoice?Itsoundedweakandstrained.Thesunwassobrightthatshecouldn'tget
hereyesopen.

"I'mgoingtohavetopickyouup,honey,andit'sgoingtohurt,"hesaidcurtly."Grityourteeth."

Sheswallowedhard.Herbackfeltraw.Herblousewasstick-ingtothelaceratedskinandshecould
feelthehot,wetbloodcoolingasitsoakedthefabric.Ithadafunnysmell,likemetal.

Judd'sstrongarmsslidunderherlegsandaroundherribcageascarefullyashecould.Heswungher
up, trying to avoid gripping the torn flesh. Her small breasts were pressed hard against the warm
muscleofhischestandshesobbed,tryingtostiflethesoundaspainlancedthroughherviciously.

"Whatabout...Daddy?"shechoked.

Hisblackeyesflashedsoviolentlyinthatlean,tannedfacethattwoofthecowboysclimbedthecorral
fencetoavoidhim."He'sinthetackroom,"hesaidshortly."He'llstaythereuntilthesheriff'sdeputies
gethere."

"No," she cried. "Judd, no! You can't have him...arrested! Mama's sick and she can't run the ranch. I
can't,either...!"

"He's already under arrest," he bit off. "I'm a Texas Ranger," he reminded her. "But I had your
foremanradiothesheriff'sof-ficefrommycar.They'realreadyontheway."

"Who'll run our part of the ranch?" she repeated, still mostly in shock from what had happened so
unexpectedly.

Her father had a history of violent behavior when he drank. In fact, Ellie, her mother, was now an
invalidbecauseTomGaineshadknockedheroffaladderinadrunkenrageandbrokenherpelvis.

Emergencysurgeryhadn'tcompletelyhealedit,andshehadweaklungstoboot.

"I'llruntheranch,yourpartandmyown,"hesaidshortly,andkeptwalking."Bestill,honey."

Tears ran down her pale cheeks. Her eyes closed and she shivered. He looked down at her with his
lipsinathinline.Herlongblondhairhadcomeloosefromitsponytailanditwasmat-tedwithher
owndryingblood.Hecursedunderhisbreath,onlystoppingwhentheambulancecamecareeningup
inthedriveway.

Maude,theheavyset,buxomhousekeeper,waswringingherhandsontheporch.Sheranforward,her
hairdisheveled."Mypoorbaby,"shesobbed."Judd,isshegoingtobeallright?"

"Shewillbe.Ican'tsaythesameforTom.Ifshewon'tpresscharges,byGod,Iwill!"

Asmallthinwomanwithgray-streakedfairhaircamehob-blingontothefrontporchinatatteredold
chenillerobe,tearsrunningdownhercheeksasshesawherdaughter.

"She'llbeallright.Gobacktobed,Ellie,"Juddcalled,andforherhisvoicewasgentle."I'lltakecare
ofher."

"Where'sTom?"sheaskedshakily.

Hisvoicechanged."Lockedupinthetackroom."

Hereyesclosedandsheleanedagainstthepost."ThankGod...!"

"Maude,getherthehellbacktobedbeforeshepassesoutonthefloor!"Juddyelledandkeptwalking
straighttowardtheEMTswhowerejustgettingoutoftheambulance.Behindthem,asheriff'spatrol
cararrivedwithlightsflashingandadeputygotoutofittoapproachJudd.

"Whathappened?"DeputySheriffHayesCarsonasked,hiseyesonChristabel'sback.

"Tomhappened,"herepliedtersely,waitingfortheEMTstogetthegurneyreadyforChristabel."He
wasbeatingherfillywithaquirt.Shetriedtopullhimoff."

Hayes winced. He'd been a deputy for five years and he'd seen plenty of battery cases. But this...
Christabelwasbarelysixteen,thinandfragile,andmostpeoplearoundJacobsville,Texas,lovedher.
She was forever baking cakes for bazaars and taking flowers to elderly shut-ins, and helping to
deliver warm meals to invalids after school. She had a heart as big as Texas and to think of Tom
Games'sbigarmbringingaquirtdownonherbackwithallhismightwasenoughtomakeevena
veteranlawenforcementofficernauseous.

"Whereishe?"Hayesaskedcoldly.

Juddpointedinthedirectionofthetackroom,hiseyesneverleavingChristabel'stear-drenchedface.
Thetearswereallthemorepoignantforthelackofevenasob."Key'sbythedoor."HemetHayes's
eyes."Youkeepthatsonofabitchlockedup,nomatterwhatittakes.IswearbeforeGod,ifyoulet
himloose,I'llkillhim!"hesaidinatonethatsentchillsdownevenHayes'sback.

"I'll see that bail's set as high as possible," he assured the other man grimly. "I'll go get him. Is he
drunk?"

"Hewas,"Juddsaidshortly."Nowhe'scrying.He'ssorry,ofcourse.He'salwayssorry...!"

HeeasedChristabeldownontothegurney."I'mgoingwithher,"hetoldtheEMT's.

Theyweren'tinclinedtoargue.JuddDunnwasintimidatingenoughwhenhewasn'tinatemper.

He glanced back at Hayes. "How about calling the Ranger of-fice in San Antonio and tell them I'll
probablybelateinthemorning,andtogetsomeonetofillinforme."

"Willdo,"Hayessaid."Ihopeshe'llbeallright."

"She will," he said somberly. He climbed into the ambulance and sat down across from Christabel,
catchinghersoftlittlehandtightlyinhisown."Canyougivehersomethingforpain?"heaskedasthe
tearscontinuedtopourfromhereyes.

"I'llaskfororders."TheEMTgotthehospitalontheradioandexplainedthepatient'scondition.He
wasquestionedbrieflybyDr.JebediahColtrain,thephysicianoncall.

"Givemethat,"Juddsaidshortly,holdingouthishandforthemike.TheEMTdidn'targuewithhim.
"Copper?"

heaskedabruptly."JuddDunn.Christabel'sbacklookslikerawmeat.She'sinagony.Havethemgive
hersomething.I'lltakefullresponsibilityforher."

"Whenhaven'tyou?"Coppermurmureddryly."GivemebacktoDan."

"Sure."HehandedthemiketotheEMT,wholistened,nod-ded,andproceededtofillahypodermic
fromasmallvial.

Judd pulled off his hat and wiped off the thick sweat from his straight black hair that was dripping
ontohisbroadforehead.HetossedthehatasideandstaredatChristabelwithglitteryeyes.

"Judd,"shewhisperedhoarselyastheneedlewentin."LookafterMama."

"Ofcourse,"hereturned.Hisfingerstightenedaroundhers.Hisfacewaslikestone,butthedeep-set
blackeyesinitwerestillblazingwithfury.

Shesearchedhiseyes."I'llhavescars."

"Theywon'tmatter,"hesaidthroughhisteeth.

Hereyesclosedwearily.Itwouldbeallright.Juddwouldtakecareofeverything...

And he had. Five years later, he was still taking care of everything. Christabel had never felt guilty
about that before, but suddenly she did. He had the responsibility for everything here, including
herself. Her father had died of a heart attack soon after his arrest. Christabel's mother had died the
yearChristabelgraduatedfromhighschool,leavingjustMaudeinthehousewithher.Juddcameto
stayduringtheThanksgivingandChristmasholidays,andthethreeofthemhadgoodtimestogether.
ButJuddhadneverwantedaphysicalrelationshipwithhisyoungwife,andwenttoextremelengthsto
makesuretheydidn'thaveone.

Thisyearhe'dtransferredtotheVictoriaTexasRangerpost,whenanelderlyrangerworkingithad
retired.Ithadn'tbeenlongafterhisfriend,fellowTexasRangerMarcBrannonandJosetteLangley
hadmarried,andCashGrierhadcomedownherefromSanAntoniotobecomeJacobsville'sassistant
police chief. Marc had worked out of the Victoria office, too, briefly, but he'd left the Rangers to
become a full-time rancher when Josette had be-come pregnant. Judd visited them and their son
Christopheroften.

Sohe'dlethersitinhislaptonight.Butithadn'tmeantanything,anditneverwould.Hispulsehadn't
evenraced,sherecalledmiserably.ButwhenthedirectorhadmentionedTippyMoore,he'dsmiled,
andtherehadbeenapurelymasculinelookinhiseyes.

SheknewJuddwasnovirgin,evenifshewas.Hehadaworldlyairabouthim,andwomenseemedto
senseit,asherfriendDebbiehadatschool.Latershe'dremarkedthathewasprobablygreatinbed
andhadbrokenwomen'sheartseverywhere.

Christabelhadbroodedafterthat,becausesherecalledsomeoddremarksfromhermotherlongago
about Judd and the company he kept in San Antonio. Apparently he was no stranger to permissive
women,butheneverbroughtanyofthemtotheranch.Hermotherhadsmiledknowinglyaboutthat.
Hewouldn't want toparade any ofhis lovers in frontof Christabel, she'dremarked. Not when they
weresecretlymarried.

IthaddevastatedhertothinkthatJudddidn'thonorhisweddingvows,evenifitwasapapermarriage.

Realistically,hecouldn'thavegonewithoutawomanforseveralyears,sheknewthat.Butshehated
picturinghiminbedwithsomegorgeouscompanion.She'dcriedfortwodays,hidinghertearsinthe
hen-housewhileshegatheredeggs,orwhileridingfencelinewiththeboys.

Hertomboyishnaturehaddisturbedherinvalidmother,whosaidthatChristabelshouldbelearning
howtodressandsetproperplacesettingsinsteadofthrowingcalvesforbrandingandgroomingthe
horsesinthericketystable.Christabelpaidhernoattention,andwentrightonwithherchores.She
feltthatshehadtoholdupherpartoftheresponsibilityfortheranchsomehow,andhelpingwiththe
dailychoresbeforeandafterschoolandonweekendswasherwayofdoingit.Juddnoticed,atfirst

withamazement,andthenwithaffectionateindulgence.

He did care about her, in his way. But it wasn't the way Christabel wanted him to care. She had a
terriblepremonitionaboutthechangethemoviecompany'sarrivalthefollowingmonthwasgoingto
makeinherdrearylife.JuddhadalreadystatedhisintentionofgettinganannulmentinNovember.
What if he fell head-over-heels for the internationally famous model that most adult men drooled
over?Shecouldn'thelpthinkingthatthemodelmightfindhimequallyattractive.Juddwasadish.She
startedtorolloverandputthepillowoverherhead.Plentyoftimeforthoseworriesaftershegot
throughthecomputerclassexamatschoolonMonday.Theexam!Howcouldshehaveforgotten!She
reached for her alarm clock and set it for an hour earlier than usual. A little last-minute cramming
neverhurtanybody.

She got through the exam and her other classes and went home to do chores. She'd just finished
groominghermare—thesameoneshe'dmanagedtosavefromherfather'sbrutalitywhenitwasjust
afilly—whensheheardacardriveup.

Maude had gone to the store, so she went to see who it was. She was surprised to find a black and
brownJacobsvillepolicecarsittingthere.Atall,well-builtmaninuniformwithhisthickblackhair
in a ponytail turned at her approach and came down the steps with a hand on the butt of his .45
automatic in the holster on his well-laden duty belt, sharing space with a leather ammunition clip
holder,alongwithleatherbaton,aerosol,flashlightandknifeholders.

ItwasCashGrier,theassistantchief.Crissyhadseenhimjustonce,butshe'dheardalotabouthim.
HewaslikeJudd,shesupposed,allbusinessandstone-faced.

Onawickedimpulse,sheputbothhandshighoverherhead."Iconfess.Ididit!"shecalled."Irobbed
JacobsvilleSavingsandLoan,andthemoney'sinthebarn.Goahead,getarope!"

Hestoppedandhiseyebrowsrose.Hischiseled,verydisciplinedmouthinbetweenthefullmustache
andthesmallgoateeturnedupatbothsidesandhisdarkeyestwinkledinaswarthy,scarredface.

"Suityourself.Leadmetoatree,"hereplied.

Shegrinned.Itchangedherface,madeitradiant.Sherubbedherdirtyrighthandonherequallydirty
jeansandextendedit."Hi!I'mChristabelGaines.EverybodycallsmeCrissyexceptJudd."

Heshookthehand."WhatdoesJuddcallyou?"heasked.

"Christabel," she said on a sigh. "No imagination, and he hasn't got a sense of humor. If you don't
wanttoarrestme,whyareyouhere?We'renoteveninyourjurisdiction.Thecitylim-itssignisfour
milesthataway."Shepointed.

Hechuckled."Actually,I'mlookingforJudd.Heleftames-sageforme.Iunderstandthere'samovie
companycomingoutheretofilmandtheyneedon-sitesecurityfromsomeofmyoff-dutyofficers.
I'dvolunteer,"headded,"butthey'dworrymetodeathtryingtogetmetoplaytheleadintheirmovie.
I'mgood-looking,incaseyouhaven'tnoticed,"headdedwithawickedgrin.

Ittookheraminutetogetit,thensheburstoutlaughing.

"Areyougoingtobeinit?"hepersistedwithagrin.

Shenodded."I'mgoingtoplayalilacbushnexttotheporchsteps.Iunderstandthemakeupwilltake
allday."

Hechuckled.Shewasarealcharmer,andprettytoboot.Helikedherpersonality.Ithadbeenalong
timesinceawomanhadappealedtohimsomuchatafirstmeeting.

"I'm Cash Grier, the assistant police chief," he introduced himself. "I guess you figured that out
already.Whatgavemeaway—thepatrolcar?"

"Itdoesstandout,"sheremarked."Verynice."

"WeliketothinkwehavethesexiestpatrolcarsinTexas"heagreed."Ilookgoodinapolicecar,"he
added.

Herdarkeyesgazedupintohis."Let'ssee."

"Oh,no,"hereplied."It'stoomuchforsomewomen.We'llhavetoworkuptolettingyouseemein
thecar."Heliftedbotheyebrowsandhiseyestwinkled."Ilookprettygoodoveracupofcoffee,too."

Itwasahint,andshetookit."Okay.Let'ssee"

Beforetheygotintothehouse,theranchtruckpulledupwithMaudeinit.Shegotoutandpulleda
sackofgroceriesoutfrombesideher.Hergreeneyeswentfromthepatrolcartothetalluniformed
man.SheturnedtoChristabelandglared."Well,whathaveyoudonenow?"

"ThisisCashGrier,ournewassistantpolicechief.Hesayshelooksgoodoveracupofcoffee,"she
toldMaude.

"I'mgoingtolethimproveit."

ShegaveGrieraspeakinglook."I'veheardaboutyou.Theysayyouplaywithrattlesnakesandsend
wolvesrunning."

"Oh,Ido,"Grierassuredhergenially."Ilikeaspoontostickupinmycoffee,"headded.

"Thenyou'llberightathome,here.That'showCrissymakesit."

"Here," he said, taking the burden out of her arms with a flair. "Women's lib be damned, no dainty
littlewomanshouldhavetocarryheavypackagesupsteps."

Maudecaughtherbreathandputahandtoherheart."Chivalrylives!"sheexclaimed.

Heleaneddown."Chivalryismymiddlename,"heinformedher."AndIwilldoalmostanythingfor

asliceofpie.Ihavenopride."

Maudechuckled,alongwithCrissy."Wehaveanicepieleftoverfromyesterday,ifJudddidn'teatit
all.He'safanaticonthesubjectofapplepie."

"There'ssomeleft,becauseImadetwo,"CrissytoldMaude."Comealong,Mr.AssistantPoliceChief,
andI'llfeedyou."

GrierstoodasidetoletMaudegofirst."Beautybeforetitles,"hesaidwithagrin."Andpleasedon't
tellmysuperiorthatI'msusceptibletobribes."

"ChetBlakeis,too,"Maudeinformedhim."Ihearhe'syourcousin."

Hesighedashefollowedthewomenintothehouse."Nepo-tismrearsitsuglyhead,"heagreed."But
hewasdesperate,andsowasI."

"Why?"Crissyaskedcuriously.

"Don't be rude," Maude chided. "He's barely got in the house. Give him some coffee and pie. Then
grillhim!"

sheaddedwithachuckle.

Grier had two slices of pie, actually, and two cups of coffee. "You're a good cook," he told Crissy
whilehesippedathissec-ondcup.

"I learned early," she replied, twirling her cup around under her hands. "My mother was an invalid
untilherdeath.IlearnedtocookwhenIwasten."

Hesensedahistorythere,andhewonderedaboutherrelationshipwithJuddDunn.He'dheardrumors
ofallsortsabouttheoddcouplewhosharedtheDbarGRanch.

She looked up, noting the curious look in his dark eyes. "You're curious about us, aren't you?" she
asked."Judd'suncleandmyfatherwerepartnersinthisranchfortenyears.Circumstances,"shesaid,
boilingdownthetragedyofherlifeintooneword,"leftuswithahalfinteresteach.I'mgoodwith
computersandmath,soIdomostofthebookkeeping.Juddisgoodwithlivestock,sohetakescareof
buyingandsellingandlogistics."

"Whathappensifoneofyougetsmarried?"

"Oh,butwealready..."Shestoppeddead.Hereyesheldapprehensionandself-condemnationinequal
parts.

Heglancedatherlefthandwiththeman'ssignetringcutdowntofitherfinger.Hiseyesliftedbackto
hers.

There was keen intelligence in them. "I never tell what I know," he told her. "Governments would

topple."Hegrinned.

Shesmiledbackathim."Youdon'tknowanything,"sheinformedhimdeliberately.

Hisgazewasspeculative."Isitreal,orjustonpaper?'

"Iwassixteenatthetime,"shereplied."It'sjustonpaper.He...doesn'tfeellikethat."

Hiseyebrowslifted."But,youdo?"

She averted her gaze. "What I feel doesn't matter. He saved more than the ranch. He saved me. And
that'sallI'mgoingtotellyou,"sheaddedwhenhestaredather."InNovemberIturntwenty-oneand
I'mafreewoman."

He pursed his lips and studied her face. "I'm thirty-eight. Years too old for you..." His voice trailed
off,likeaquestion.

It had never occurred to her that a man would find her attractive. Judd treated her like a sore foot.
Maude ordered her around. Boys at school were interested in the pretty, feminine girls who flirted.
Crissy was friendly but she didn't flirt or dress suggestively. In fact, she was much more at home
aroundhorsesandcattleandthecowboysshe'dknownmostofherlife.Shewasshywithmostmen.

Sheflushed."I...I...don'tinterestmen,"sheblurtedout.

Heputhiscoffeecupdownslowly."Excuseme?"

"Doyouwantsomemorecoffee?"sheasked,flustered.

He was fascinated. The women who filed through his life had been sophisticated, as worldly as he
was, chic and urbane and sensuous. They thought nothing of coming on to him with all sorts of
physicalandverbalsensuality.

Thiswomanwasuntouched,uncorrupted.Shehadafreshness,avibrancy,thatmadehimwishhewas
youngagain,thathe'dneverhadtheexperiencesthathadturnedhimbitterandcoldinside.Shewas
likeajonquilbloominginthesnow,astubbornflashofoptimisminacynicalcoldlandscape.

Hefrowned,studyingher.

Theflushgrewworse."You'reintimidatingwhenyouscowl.JustlikeJudd,"shesaiduneasily.

"Blame it on a jaded past," he said, biting off the words. He pushed his chair back, still frowning.
“Tell Judd I've put a note on our bulletin board about the site security job. So far we've got over a
hundredapplications.Weonlyhavetwentycops,"headdedonasigh."Myownsecretarysignedup."

"Yoursecretary?"

He nodded, pushing the chair back under the table slowly. "She says if they hire her to do security,
they'llhavetogiveherabadgeandagun,andshecanarrestmeanytimeshefeelslikeitifImakeher

worklate."

Shelaughedinspiteofherself.He'dgonefarawayforaminutethere,andshe'dfeltuncomfortable.

"Areyouabadboss?"

"I'mtemperamental."

Itshowed,butshewasn'tgoingtosayso.

"Thanksforthecoffeeandpie,"hesaidquietly.

"You'reverywelcome."

Heturnedandwentdownthehall.Hisback,shenoted,wasarrow-straight.Hewalkedwithapeculiar
gait,asoftnessofstepthatwasvaguelydisquieting.Hewalkedlikeamanwhohunted.

Hegottothefrontstepsandturnedsosuddenlythatshewentoffbalanceandhadtocatchoneofthe
porchpoststosaveherself.

"Doyoulikepizza?"heaskedabruptly.

Shewasstillreelingfromhissuddenstop."Uh,yes."

"Fridaynight,"hepersisted,darkeyesnarrowed."There'saband.Doyoudance?"

"Ido,"shesaid.

"WhatwillJudddo,ifyougooutwithanotherman?"

Shewasuneasy."I...well,Idon'treallyknow.Idon'tthinkhe'dmind,"sheadded."Itisn'tthatsortof
relationship."

"Hemaymindhavingyougooutwithme,"hesaidflatly."Heknowsmoreaboutmethanmostpeople
doaroundhere."

Shewasshockedandintrigued,"Areyouabadman?"

Somethingterribleflashedinhisdarkeyes."Ihavebeen,"hesaid."Notanymore."

Herfacesoftenedasshelookedathim.Shewonderedifherealizedhowmuchhiseyesgaveaway.
Therewerenightmaresinthem.

She let go of the post and moved a step closer to him. "We all have scars," she said, understanding
what Judd had been saying to her that day in the kitchen. "Some show, some don't, but we all have
them."

Hiseyesnarrowed."Minearedeep."

She began to smile. "Mine, too. But all of a sudden, I don't mind them so much. They seem less
conspicuous."

Hisbroadchestroseandfell.Hefeltlight."Funny.Sodomine."Hesmiled.

"TheonlyplacethatservespizzaandbeerandhasadancebandisShea'sRoadhouseandBar,outon
theVictoriaroad"shetoldhim."Juddnevergoesthere.I'mafraidhewon'tlikemegoingthere."

"I'lltakecareofyou,"hetoldher.

Shesighed."Peoplehavebeentakingcareofmeallmylife,andI'llbeagrownwomaninlessthan
twomonths."Shestudiedhisface."Ihavetolearnhowtotakecareofmyself."

"Funnyyoushouldmentionit,"hesaid,andhiseyessoftened."Iwrotethebookonself-defensefor
women."

"Notthatkindoftakingcare,"shemuttered.

"I'llteachyou,justthesame.Evershotagun?"

"Juddtaughtmetoshootskeet,"shetoldhim."I'mhellonwheelswitha.28gauge.Ihavemyown,a
Browning."Shedidn'taddthathehadn'ttakenhershootinginyears.

Hesmiled,surprised.Manywomenwereafraidofshotguns."Imaginethat!"

"Doyoushoot?"

Hegaveheralookthatreducedherheightbythreeinches.

"You'reapoliceofficer.Ofcourse,youshoot,"shemuttered.

"EbScott'sgotanicefiringrange.Heletsususeitforpractice.I'llteachyouhowtoshootapistol
FBIstyle."

"Canyouride?"sheasked.

Hehesitated."Ican.Idon'tliketo."

Hewasprobablyacityman,sheguessed,andhadn'thadmuchtodowithhorsesorranching.

"Idon'tlikepistols,"sheconfessed.

Heshrugged."Wecan'tlikeeverything."Helookeddownatherwithmingledemotions."IsupposeI
reallyamtoooldforyou."

Cash, who was four years older than Judd, thought she was too young. Maybe Judd did, too. That
wouldexplain,asnothingelsedid,thehesitationheshowedingettinginvolvedwithher.Ithurt.

"On the other hand," he murmured, misreading her look of disappointment, "what the hell. That
moviestarwho'sagrand-motherjustmarriedamantwenty-five."

Hereyesbrightenedandshegrinned."Areyouproposing?Afteronlytwoslicesofapplepie?Gosh,
imagineifIcookedyousupper!"

Heburstoutlaughing.Hehadn'tlaughedlikethisinalongtime.Hefeltasifallthecold,deadplaces
insidehimwerewarming.

"Imagine,"heagreed,nodding."Pizza,Fridaynight,"headded.

"Pizzaandbeer,"shecorrected.

"Beerforme,softdrinksforyou,"hesaid."You'renotlegalyet.Youhavetobetwenty-onetodrink
beerinTexas."

"Okay,I'measy—I'lldrinkbourbonwhiskyinstead,"sheagreed.

Hegaveherasardoniclookandwentdownthesteps.Hehesitatedandlookedupather."Howmany
peopleknowyou'remarried?"

"A handful," she said. "They also know that it's a business arrangement. It won't damage your
reputation."

"Idon'thaveareputationtodamageanymore,"hereplied."Iwasthinkingofyours."

Herfacebrokeintoasmile."Howniceofyou!"

"Nice."Heshookhisheadasheopenedthedoorofthepa-trolcar.Staticwascomingfromtheradio.
"Icanthinkofatleastadozenpeoplewhowouldrollonthefloorlaughingiftheyheardmecalled
that."

Herdarkeyestwinkled."Handovertheirnumbers.I'llphonethem!"

Hegrinnedather."SeeyouFriday.Aboutfive?"

Shenodded."Aboutfive."

He drove off with a wave of his hand and Crissy went back into the kitchen, where Maude was
standingbythesinklookingworried.

"What'syourproblem?"Crissyaskedher.

"Ioverheardwhathesaid.Youjustagreedtogooutonadate."

"Yes.Andyourpointis?"

"You'remarried,darlin',"Mauderemindedher."Juddisnotgoingtolikethis."

"Why should he mind?" she asked reasonably. "He's said often enough that he doesn't want me for
keeps.It'sjustabusinessarrangement."

Maudedidn'tsayaword.ShewasrememberingthelookonJudd'sfacewhenshe'dwalkedintothe
kitchenunexpectedlyandfoundCrissysittingonhislap.Crissyhadn'tnoticedanythingdifferent,but
shehad.Sheturnedbacktoherchores.Juddwasn'tgoingtolikethis.

CHAPTERTHREE

JudddroveupintheyardFridayafternooninhisbigblackSUV,justanhourbeforeChristabelwas
expecting Grier to pick her up. She was nervous. Worse, she was dressed to the teeth, and Judd
noticed.

She'dleftherblondhairundone,anditflowedlikegoldensilkdowntoherwaistinback.Shedidn't
wearalotofmakeup,justpowderandalightlipstick,buthereyeslookedlarger,aliq-uidbrownthat
dominated her face and soft little chin. She was wearing a slinky black skirt with black high heels
fastenedaroundtheankle,displayingthesexyarchofherlittlefeet.Theblackvee-neckedblouseshe
had on was unusually tight, emphasizing her small, firm, rounded breasts in a way that made Judd
ache in all the wrong places. A wide fringed black Span-ish mantilla completed the outfit. It wasn't
expensive,anditwasold,butitwassexy.Hewasn'tusedtoseeingChristabeldressedlikethat.And
suddenlyhewonderedwhyshewas,andwhyshewouldn'tlookhimintheeye.Heknewfromlong
experiencethatshewashidingsomething.

Heproppedabigbootedfootonthebottomstepoftheporchandhisnarroweyesfixedonherface.

"Allright,spillit,"hesaidtersely."Whyareyoudressedlikethat,andwhydidyoucomerunningout
theminuteyouheardmedriveup?Arewegoingonadate,andyouforgottotellme?"headded.

She lifted her eyes and glared at him. The sarcasm hurt. "Wouldn't that be the day?" she asked with
equalsarcasm."Asithappens,I'mgoingoutdancing."

He didn't react for several seconds. Then sudden anger hardened his lean face. "Dancing? With a
man?"

Shestraightened."Yes.Withaman."Hersmilewasprovok-ingintheextreme."Goahead,Judd,tell
meyouhaven'ttouchedanotherwomansincewemarried.Tellmeyoudon'tdate"

Theexpressiononhisfacewasimpossibletoread.Hemovedupthesteps,toweringoverher."Who
ishe?

Someboyfromschool?"

She realized with a start that what had seemed harmless and fun was becoming shameful and
embarrassing.Herfacecolored.

"Not a boy from school," he guessed. His eyes narrowed again. "Are we going to play twenty
questions?Tellme!"hesaidabruptly.

"It'sCashGrier,"sheblurtedout,disconcertedbytheauthorityinhistone.

Now he looked menacing as well as angry. "Grier is even older than I am, and he's got a past I
wouldn'twish on myworst enemy's sister,much less you! You'renot leaving thehouse with a man
likethat!"

Herself-confidencewaswilting.Sheclutchedhersmallpursetoherchest."I'mnotrunningawaywith
him,"

shebegan,try-ingtorecapturelostground."We'regoingoutforpizzaandbeer..."

"You'reunderage."

"Iknowthat!I'mnotdrinkingthebeer,heis,"shemuttered."We'regoingtodanceandeatpizza!'

Hiseyesslidoverherveryslowly.Shefeltasifhewerestrokingherbareskinandshefeltwobblyon
theunaccustomedhighheels.

"WheredidyoumeetGrier?"hepersisted.

Shethrewupherhandsandwalkedbackintothehouse,leavinghimtofollow.Obviously,hewasn't
goingtostopuntilhekneweverything.ShewonderedwhathemeantaboutCash'spast.Cashhimself
hadhintedatsomethingunpleasant.

She tossed her purse and mantilla onto the big easy chair and perched herself on its wide arm,
crossingherlegsattheankles.Odd,howintenthiseyeswereonthemforafewseconds.

"He came out here to talk to you about providing on-site security for the movie people," she said.
"Youweren'there,soIgavehimcoffeeandpieandheaskedmeout."

He leaned against the doorjamb and stared at her from under the low-angled brim of his creamy
Stetson.Helookedelegantlikethat,andsosexythatsheachedjustlookingathim.Hehadpowerful
longlegsinnice-fittingjeansthatdidnothingtodis-guisethemusclesinthem.The.45automatiche
usuallycarriedwasinitsnewholster,replacingtherevolverhe'dusedinthecowboyclubshooting
match.ItsportedthenewmaplehandleandtheTexasRangerlogo.Hiswhiteshirtwastautagainsta
muscular chest, a dark shadow under it giving hints about the thick curling dark hair that covered
thosehardmuscles.TheTexasRangerstarwasonthepocketofthatspotlesswhiteshirt.Usuallyhe
woreajacketwithitthistimeofyear,butitwashotforearlyOctober.

Therewasafaintlineofperspirationonhistoplip.

"Heisn'ttakingyoutoShea's,"hesaidtautly.

Her eyebrows arched. "Why not? Judd, I'm almost twenty-one," she reminded him. "Most of my
friendshavebeengoingthereonFridaynightsforyears.It'snotabadplace.Theyjustsellbeer."

"Theyhavefistfights.Once,therewasashootingoutthere."

"They've had two bouncers since Calhoun Ballenger almost wrecked the place protecting his wife,
Abby,beforetheyweremarried.Thatwasyearsago,Judd!"

"Theshootingwaslastyear,"hepointedout.

She sighed. "Cash is a police officer. He carries a gun. If anybody tries to shoot me, I'm sure he'll
shootback."

Heknewthat.HealsoknewthingsaboutGrierthathewasn'tcomfortabledisclosing.Themanwould
takecareofher,certainly,butJudddidn'tliketheideaofChristabelgoingoutwithanotherman.It
botheredhimthatitdid."Itdoesn'tlookright."

Hereyesmethis,andshefelttheyearsoflonelinessmakingaheavyplaceinsideher."Igotoschool,
Idothebooks,Icheckupontheboyswhilethey'reworking,Iridefencelinesandhelpdipandbrand
cattle and doctor sick ones," she said. "I haven't been to a dance since my sophomore year of high
school,andIdon'tguessI'vehadarealdateyet.I'mlonely,Judd.Whatcanithurttoletmegoout
dancing?We'reonlymarriedonpaper,anyway.Youdon'twantme.Yousaidso."

Heknewthat.Itdidn'thelp.

Shegotupfromthesofaandwenttohim.Eveninhighheels,hetoweredoverher.Shelookedupinto
histurbulentdarkeyes."I'monlygoingoutforoneevening,"shepointedout."Don'tmakemefeel
likeI'mcommittingadultery.Youknowmebet-terthanthat."

He drew in a long breath. Involuntarily, his lean hand went to her loosened hair and he gathered a
thickstrandofitinhisfingers,testingitssilkysoftness."I'veneverseenyoudressedlikethis."

"Ican'tgooutwithamanlikeGrierwearingjeansandasweatshirt,"shesaidwithagaminesmile.

Hefrowned."Whatdoyoumean,amanlikeGrier?"

Sheliftedoneshoulder,uneasyatthecontactofhisfingersthatwasmakingherwholebodytingle,
andtryingtohideit.Shecouldevenfeeltheheatofhisbodythisclose,andsmellthespicyoriental
aftershave he liked to wear. "He's a very mature, sophisticated sort of person. I didn't want to
embarrasshimbyshowingupinmyworkinggear."

Hefrowned."I'venevertakenyouanywhere,"herecalled.

Sheblinked,disconcerted."Yousavedmylife,"shepointedout."Savedtheranch.Keptusallgoing,
looked out for me and Mama while she was alive. You're still shouldering the bulk of the
responsibilityforrunningthingsaroundhere.Youdidn'tneedtostarttakingonresponsibilityformy
entertainmentaswell,forheaven'ssake!"

He frowned at the way she put it, as if everything he did for her was a chore, an obligation. She
almostglowedwhenshesmiled.Shehadapert,sexylittlefigure,evenifshedidn'tknowit.Shehad
suchwarmthinsideherthathealwaysfeltgoodwhenhewaswithher.WasGrier,withhiscold,dark
past,reactingsimilarlytothebrightnessinChristabel?Washelookingforaplacetowarmhiscold
heart?

She'd agreed to go out with the man. Was she attracted to him? He, of all men, knew how very
innocentshewas.She'dconsideredherpaperweddingvowsbinding.Hedoubtedifshe'deverreally

kissedanyone,orbeenkissed,unlessyoucouldcallthatcoolpeckonthecheekhegaveherinthe
probatejudge'sofficeakiss.HethoughtaboutGrier,aladies'manifthereeverwasone,kissingher
passionately.

"No,"hesaidinvoluntarily."Hell,no!"

"What?"shequeried,puzzledbythelookonhisface.

He moved, one of those lightning-fast motions that could even intimidate their cowboys. His lean
handsframedherroundedfaceandtuggeditupsothatherdarkeyesweremeetinghisataproximity
they'dnevershared.

"NotGrier,"hesaidhuskily,hiseyesfallingtoherparted,fulllips."Notthefirsttime..."

Whileshewastryingtogetenoughbreathtoaskhimwhathewastalkingabout,hebenthishead.She
felt the slow, easy brush of his hard mouth on her lips with real intent for the first time in their
turbulentrelationship.

Shegaspedandstiffened.

He lifted his head just enough to see the shock and puzzle-ment in her eyes. "Just so you don't go
overboardwiththefirstmanwhokissesyou,Christabel,"hewhisperedwithunusualroughnessinhis
voice."I'myourhusband.Thefirsttime...itshouldbeme."

Sheopenedhermouthtospeakbuthebenthisheadagainbe-foreshecould.Hislipscrusheddown
overherswithapressurethatgrewmoreintense,moredemanding,bythesecond.Sheclutchedathis
armstosaveherselffromfallingassensationpiledonsensation.Shefeltasurgeofheatinherlower
body,alongwithasuddenheavythrobthatmadehershiver.Shewonderedifhecouldfeelit,while
shecouldstillthink.

Hishandswenttoherwaistandslidupanddown,histhumbsbrushingjustunderthesoftundersideof
her breasts, in a lazy, arousing pattern that made her want to lift up toward them. She went up on
tiptoe, pushing her mouth against his, opening her lips to his hungry demand. She felt a vibration
against her lips, something like a muffled groan, just before his arms suddenly swallowed her and
liftedherintothehardcurveofhisbody.

Herarmswerearoundhisnecknow,holdingonfordearlife,whilehismouthprobedathersandshe
felt his tongue suddenly go right inside it. She'd heard and read about deep kisses. None of that
preparedherforthesensationsshefelt.Shewastrembling.Shedidn'tknowwhy,andshecouldn'tstop
it.Hewasgoingtofeelitanyminute.Shemoanedinfrustrationatherowninabilitytocontrolher
reactions.Inexplicably,themoanmadehimstiffen.Oneleanhandwenttoherhipsandgatheredthem
in fiercely to the thrust of his body. There was something alien about the feel of him, something
vaguelythreatening.Hepushedhercloserandshegaspedassherealizedwhatwashappening.

Herealizeditatthesametimeandjerkedawayfromher.Hedidn'tlethergoatonce.Hiseyeswere
blackerthanusualastheypiercedherown.

Her mouth was swollen. Her eyes were shocked, stunned, dazed, delighted. She was shivering just
slightly.Herbreathcameinhuskylittlejerks.Helookeddown,atthebodiceofherblouse,andsaw
hardlittlepoints.

His eyes met hers again. His hands were almost bruising on her upper arms as he held her there.
"That'showeasyitis,"hesaidtersely.

"How...easy?"sheparrotedbreathlessly.

"For an experienced man to knock you off balance and make you give in to him," he continued.
"GrierknowsevenmorethanIdo.Don'tlethimgettooclose.He'snotamarryingman.Inanycase,
you'renotfreetoexperiment,papermarriageornot."

Shewasn'tgettinganyofit.Shejustlookedathim,completelydisoriented.She'dneverdreamedthat
he'dkissherlikethat.He'dsworninthepastthathewasnevergoingtotouchher.Shefelthotand
shakyallover.Shewantedtoliedownwithhim.Shewantedtotouchhisskin.Shewantedhimtokiss
herbreasts,thewaymenkissedwomeninthoseshamefullate-nightsatellitemoviesthatshewatched
secretlywhenMaudehadgonetobedontheweekends.

"Areyoulisteningtome?"heaskedimpatiently.

Herheadfellbackagainsthisshoulder.Shepressedonecoldhandtohischestandmoveditbackand
forthinvoluntarily.

"I'mlistening.Thisdressisreallyhot.Couldyouhelpmetakeitoff...?"shewhisperedwickedly.

Heglareddownather."Stopthat,"hesaidcurtly."I'mtry-ingtotalktoyou."

Hereyeswerehalf-closed,herbodycompletelyyielding.Shefeltasifshe'dmeltedintohim,become
part of him. She wondered what it would feel like to lie under him on a bed. She reddened at the
imagesthathadflashedunexpectedlyintohermind.Judd,inbedwithher,starknakedandhungryfor
her.Heavens,she'dhavediedforit!

Herhungerforhimwasinherface.Itamazedhimthatshewassoimmediatelyreceptivetohim,so
hungry.Hehadn'tmeanttotouchherinthefirstplace.ItwasGrier,damnhim.Hewasuneasyabout
havinghergooutwithGrier.Hedidn'ttrusttheman.Itdisturbedhimthatthissuddenrelationshipof
hers had happened under his nose and without his knowledge. In his wildest dreams, he'd never
expectedthatGriercouldbedrawntoawomanChristabel'sage.Hedidn'ttrustGrier'smotives,and
hedidn'twantChristabelseduced.HewasgoingtohavetotalktoGrier.

Hewatchedherwhilehismindworked.Shewasstillshiveringfaintly.Heknewhowshefelt.Hefelt
the same way. His body ached. He'd never expected such an explosive passion to flare up between
them. He should never have touched her. He'd been stupid to let jealousy provoke him into it. He
hoped she didn't know enough to see how susceptible he was to her. He moved back a step, just in
case.

Shetookastepforward."Icanrushrighttotownandbuyarednegligee,"shesaidbreathlessly."I'll
borrowone.Stealone.There'sabedonlytenfeetaway...!"

"I told you that we were never going to have any sort of physical relationship," he said with ice
drippingfromeverysyllable.

"Youstartedit,"sheremindedhimglibly.

"Ididitdeliberately.IknowGrier.Youhaven'tdated,"hesaidthroughhisteeth."Youknownothing
aboutmen,andthat'smyfault.Youcan'tgooutwithamanlikeGrierwithoutknowingthedangers.It
wasalesson,Christabel.Justalesson!"

Shewasstaringathim.Juststaring,asallherdreamsofbelongingandbeinglovedinreturnwentup
insmoke.

She'dal-waysthoughtofJuddasbeingveryfastidiousaboutwomen.Butinnocencecouldrecognize
experience,andsheknewatoncethatshewascompletelyoutofhisleague.Shedidn'tdoathingfor
him. He'd only been showing her what a trap passion could be. But it felt different now when she
lookedathim.

"HaveyouheardawordI'vesaid?"heasked,exasperated.

"A few, here and there," she said, but she was looking at his mouth. "I'm not sure I understand the
lessoncompletely.Couldyoudothatagain...?"

He took an angry breath and his lips flattened. He could taste her on them. That irritated him even
more.

"No,Icouldn'tdoitagain!"heraged,furious."Listentome,damnit!Wearegettinganannulmentin
November,period!Idon'twantmarriageandafamily.Ilovemyjob,andmyfreedom,andI'mnot
givingupeitherone.Isthatclear?"

Breaking out of her trance, she moved away from him. Yes, it was painfully clear. But she smiled
deliberately,anyway.Hervoice,likeherbreathing,wasjerky."Okay.It'sagreatlosstomyeducation,
butifyoufeelthatway,justdon'texpectmetooffertotakemyclothesoffforyoueveragain.I'llfix
somecof-feeifyou'dlikesome,"sheadded."Cashisn'tdueforthirtyminutes."

"Fine."

Shewenttothekitchenandmadecoffee.Itcalmedher.Bythetimesheputacupandsauceronthe
table,alongwiththecondiments,herhandshadstoppedshaking.

"Doyouwantitinthestudy?"shecalled.

"No. I'll drink it in here." He moved into the room and sat down at the small kitchen table. He'd
removed his hat and rolled up his sleeves. His hair was still mussed from her restless, hun-gry

fingers,andhismouth,likehers,hadaslightswellfromtheurgencyofthekissesthey'dshared.

Grierwasgoingtonoticethat,hemused.Perhapsitwouldmakehimhesitate.Hewonderedwhyhe
feltsoarrogantwhenhelookedathernow.Itfeltalmostlikepossession.Heclampeddownhardon
thosethoughts.Hedidn'twanttobemarried.Hewasn'treadyforfamilylife.Infrequentliaisonswere
enoughforhim.Lovewasdangerous,andhewantednopartofit.He'dseenitdestroyhisfather,and
he knew that women had no staying power. His mother had left his father. Judd's one serious love
interesthadwalkedoutonhimtenyearsagowhenherefusedtogiveuphishazardousjobforher.It
wasjustaswelltoavoidtangles.Christabelwasveryyoung...

"You'reverysolemn,"shepointedout.

"Idon'twantyoutogetthewrongideaaboutwhatjusthappened,"hesaid,pinningherwithhiseyes.

"I'm not dim," she told him. She avoided looking directly at him. She was too shaken to hide her
emotions."Yousaiditwasonlyalesson.Ihadn'tplannedtojumpintothebackseatwithGrierand
havemywaywithhim,youknow."

Heclearedhisthroat."Hedrivesapickup.Thereisnobackseat."

Sheglaredathim."YouknowwhatImean!"

"Andit'snotyoujumpingonhimthatworriesme."

She lifted both eyebrows. "Why not? Do you think I wouldn't know how? I do know what goes on
betweenmenandwomen,evenifI'mnotthevoiceofexperience!"

"Iknow,"hemurmureddryly.

"Excuseme?"

Heclearedhisthroatagain."Ipaythesatellitebill."

Shewasverystill.Thathadneveroccurredtoherbefore.

He cocked his head. "The titles are self-explanatory. Passionate Partners, Lust in the Sand, The
CuriousVirgin...shallIgoon?"

Shegroanedandputherfaceinherhands.

"Justrememberthatwhatyou'rewatchingisstagedandpurefantasy,"hepointedout."It'snotlikethat
inreallife."

Shemovedtwoofherfingersandlookedathimthroughthem,curiously.

Heleanedback,feelinghisexperiencekeenlyashemetthatglance."Twokissesandapat,andthey
go at it endlessly with accompanying groans and tormented expressions, in positions that even the
KamaSutrahasn'tlisted,"heexplained.

Shewasstillwatching,listening,waiting.

Heletoutalongsigh."Christabel,awomandoesn'tacceptaman'sbodythatquickly,orthateasily,
withoutalotoffore-play.Andmostmencan'tlastlongenoughtogothroughthewholecatalogof
outrageouspositions.

Oneusuallysuffices."

Shewasfieryred,butpayingcompleteattentionwhiletryingnottolookasifshewas.Andhewas
aching to show her, rather than tell her, how satisfying a physical coming-together could be. All at
once,hefeltthingshedidn'twanttofeel.Andfortheonewomanonearthwhowasofflimitstohim,
evenifshewastheonlywifehe'deverhad.

He finished his coffee and glared at her. "I don't mind if you go out with Grier, as long as you're
discreet,"hesaid,hatingthewordsevenashespokethemwithdeliberatecarelessness.Hisblackeyes
pinnedhers."Butyoudon'tcrossthelinewithhim."

Sheknewexactlywhathemeantandshewasinsulted."AsifIwould,Judd!"

"Untilit'sannulled,it'sstillamarriage,"hecontinued."Andafewpeoplearoundtownknowaboutit."

"I understand why you're so worried about gossip..." she began, and then bit her tongue, because it
wasasubjecthehated.

Hischinliftedandhiseyesnarroweddangerously."Myfa-therwasaminister,"hesaidroughly."Can
youimaginehowitwasforhim,andforme,tohaveallofJacobsvilletalkingaboutmymotherand
herblatantaffairwiththevicepresidentofthelocalmanufacturingcompany?Theydidn'teventryto
hide it. She moved in with him and lived with him openly while she was still married to my father.
Everybodyknew.Hiswholecongregationknew,andhehadtopreacheverySunday.Whenherlover
dropped her for someone younger, after he'd had his fill of the affair, she begged to come home
againandpretendthatitneverhappened.Myfathereventriedtolether."

He averted his eyes to the table, cold with the memory of how those days had been for him. He'd
lovedhismother.Buthisfa-ther,despitehisfaith,hadbeenunabletoforgetwhatshe'ddone.Inhis
world,asinJudd's,vowsweresacred."Intheend,itwasthegossipthatmadeitimpossibleforhimto
forget.Itdidn'tstop,evenaftersheleftherlover.Someofhiscongrega-tionrefusedtospeaktoher.It
affectedhim,eventhoughhetriednottoletit.Intheend,heaskedhertoleave,andshewent,without
anargument."

"Youwereonlytwelvewhenthathappened,weren'tyou?"sheaskedgently,tryingtogethimtotalk
aboutit.

Heneverhad.

Henodded."Ilovedher.Hedid,too,buthecouldn'tgetoverwhatshedid.Itwastoopublicforeither
ofthemtogetpastit,inasmalltown."

Herhanditchedtoslideacrossthetabletohis,butsheknewhe'dslingitoff.Hewasunapproachable
whenhetalkedaboutthepast.

"Didshewritetoyou?"

Heshookhishead."Hetoldherthatshecould,butshemovedtoKansaswhereshehadacousin,and
apparentlyneverlookedback."Hetoyedwiththehandleofhiscoffeecup."Weheardthatshemarried
againandhadachildbeforeshedied.Allwehadwasacardannouncingthefuneralandadog-eared
photograph of Dad and me that she kept in her wallet." His voice be-came tight and he sat up
straighten

"Wasthechildaboyoragirl?"sheasked.

He was staring into space with blank eyes. "A girl. She died of spinal meningitis when she was six,
andmymotherdiedinacarcrashafewmonthslater."Histeethclenched."Shewasagoodmother,"
headdedabsently.

"Evenifshewasalousywife."

Shestudiedhimquietly."Sometimespeoplefallinlovewiththewrongpeople,"shebegan."Idon't
thinktheycanhelpit."

Hisblackeyesboreintohers."Inmybook,ifyoumakeavowbeforeGod,youkeepit.Period."

Shesighed,thinkingthatitwashighlyunlikelythathe'dkepttheweddingvowhemadetoherwhen
shewassixteen,butshedidn'tsayit."Iexpectshewassorryforwhatshedidtoyourfather."

Hisbroadshouldersmovedrestlessly."Hesaidshewrotehimaletter.Henevertoldmewhatwasin
it,butheadmittedthathisownpridehadkilledanyhopeofthemgettingbacktogether.Hecouldn't
bear having everybody know what she did to him." He smiled sadly. "She was his first woman," he
added,withaglanceatChristabel'swide-eyedstare."Andhislast.Idon'tsupposesomepeopletoday
eventhinkit'spossibleforamantobefaithfultoonewomanhiswholelife,butit'snotsorareathing
insmalltowns,eveninthemodernworld."

"Iguessyou'vethoughtabouthowitwouldhavebeen,ifhecouldhaveforgivenher."

"Yes."Heturnedthecoffeecupinhisbig,leanhands."Itwasalonelylifeaftersheleft.Icouldnever
talk to him the way I could to her, about things that bothered me. I guess I drew in-side myself
afterward."

He'dnevertalkedtoherthiswaybefore,asifshewereanadult,anequal.Shestudiedhishardface
andachedtohavehismouthonhersagain.Sheknewshe'dneverbeabletoforgethowitfelt.

Hepushedbackfromthetableandgottohisfeet."IneedtogetbacktoVictoria."

Shegotup,too,eyeinghimcuriously."Whatdidyoucomedownherefor?"

"LeoHartphonedmeaboutsomeSalersbullsthathavediedmysteriously.Hesaidhe'dheardthatour
youngonewaspoisoned.Iwantedtotalktoyouaboutit."

"Yes,ItriedtotellyouwhenithappenedthatIthoughtJackClarkwasresponsible,andyouwouldn't
listen..."

shebegan.

Heheldupahand."Youknowyoudidn'thavetheboyscheckthatpastureforbloat-causingweeds,"
hepointedout."ItoldLeoso.Iwarnedyouaboutthat,Christabel.Youcan'taccusepeo-pleofcrimes
withoutsolidproof."

"I wasn't! Judd," she said, exasperated, "there were four other young bulls in that pasture with him.
Theydidn'tdie."

"Iknowthat.Theywerelucky."

Shegrimaced."TheywereHerefords,"shesaidimpatiently."TheonlybullwelostwasaSalers,and
hewasoneofthesamegroupthatFredBrewsterboughtcalvesfrom.HethinksMr.Brewster'sbull
waspoisoned,andIstillthinkourswas,too."

HepickeduphisStetsonandslanteditacrosshisbrow."Proveit,"hesaid.

She threw up her hands. "I don't save dead bulls!" she exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe me and I
couldn'taffordanautopsy!Weburiedhimwiththebackhoe!"

"Dighimup."

Shegavehimaspeakingglare."EvenifIdid,whereamIgoingtogetthemoneytohaveanautopsy
done?"

"Goodpoint."Hesighed."I'mskint.Iusedthelastofmysavingstorepairthatusedtractorwehadto
haveforhaying."

"Iknow,"shesaid,feelingguilty."Listen,assoonasIgraduatenextyear,I'llgetajobintownatone
ofthebusinesses.Computerprogrammingpaysgoodwages."

"Thenwho'lldothebooks?"heasked."Idon'tmindwritingcheckstopaybills,butI'mnotburying
myselfintencolumnsoffiguresandjustifyingbankstatements.That'syourdepartment."

"I'lljustifythestatementsanddotheprintoutsatnightorontheweekends."

"PoorGrier,"hesaidsarcastically.

"Ionlyjustmettheman,"shepointedout.

"Stayoutofparkedcarswithhim,"hesaidwithraremalice.

"Hedrivesatruck,"sheremindedhimpertly,throwinghisownearlierstatementbackathim.

"YouknowwhatImean."Heturnedandstartedoutthefrontdoor.

Shefollowedhim,seethinginside.Hedidn'twanther,buthedidn'twantanyothermanaroundher,
either.

"I'lldowhatIplease,Judd,"shesaidhaughtily.

Hewhirledatthefrontporch."Youputyournameonamarriagelicense,"heremindedhercurtly.

"Sodidyou,butthat'snotstoppingyoufromdoingwhatyouwantto!"

He lifted an eyebrow and went on down the steps to his truck. "The film people are coming back
Saturdaytosetuptheirequipment,"headded."Thedirector'sbringingTippyMoorewithhim,andthe
guywho'splayingthecowboy—RaneeWayne."

Shecouldn'thavecaredlessaboutthemoviepeople.ShehatedthewayJudd'seyestwinkledwhenhe
mentionedTippyMoore.Thewomanwasinternationallyfamousforherbeauty.Christabelwasgoing
tolooklikeacactusplantbycomparison,andshedidn'tlikeit.

"Icanhardlywait,"shemuttered."Dotheylikepetsnakes?

I'mthinkingofadoptingablackoneandkeepingitintheliv-ingroom..."

"Youbenice,"hesaidfirmly."Weneedthemoney.There'snowaywecanfixthebarnorbuynew
electricfencingwithoutthatgrubstake."

"Okay,"shesighed."I'llbenice."

"That'llbeachange,"heremarkeddeliberately.

"Andthat'sjustsourgrapesbecauseIdidn'tdressupandlooksexyforyou,"shesaid,strikingapose.
"Youcangohomeanddreamaboutmeinthatrednegligee,becausethat'stheonlywayyou'llever
seeit,"sheadded.

Hemadearoughsoundinhisthroat,somethinglikelaughter,andkeptwalking.

Shestaredafterhimwithflashingdarkeyes,wishingthatCashwoulddriveupbeforeheleftsothat
shecouldflauntherdateinfrontofhim.

Daydreamssorarelycometrue,shethoughtwistfullyasJuddclimbedinbehindthewheel,startedthe
SUV,anddroveoffwithaperfunctorywaveofhishand.

ItwasafulltenminuteslaterthatCashGrierdroveupinhisblackpickuptruck.Itwasahuge,new
vehiclewithaspotlesslycleanbed.

"Well,Icanseethatyoudon'thaulcattle,"sheremarkedasshewentouttomeethimatthebottomof
thesteps.

"MaybeIjustkeepanimmaculatetruck,"hechuckled.

He looked really good. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater with a casual jacket and dress
slacks.Hisshoeswerepolishedtoaperfectshine.Hisdarkhairwasinaneatponytail.Hewaseasyon
theeyes.

"Youlooknice,evenoutofuniform,"shepointedout.

Hewasdoingsomelookingofhisown,witheyesatleastasexperiencedasJudd's.Shethoughtabout
thewayJuddhadkissedherandsheflushed.

"Youlookalittleuptight,"heremarked."Secondthoughtsabouttonight?"

"Notasingleone,"shesaidfirmly.

"NotworriedaboutwhatJuddwillsay?"hepersistedashehelpedherintothetruck.

"Juddsaidhedidn'tcare,"shereplied."Hewashereearlier."

Whichexplainedherflusteredlookandthedeepswellofherlowerlip,Cashthoughtprivatelyand
withsomeamusement.ApparentlyJuddwasmorejealousofhispaperwifethanChristabelrealized,
andhadmadesurethatshehadayardsticktomeasuremenby.Hehadafeelinghe'dnevermeasureup
tothehero-worshipshefeltforherhusband.Butshemadehimfeelgoodinside,younginside,andhe
wasn'tgoingtofallatthefirstfencebecauseofalittlecompetition.

Shefastenedherseatbeltwhilehegotinandfastenedhisown,hiseyessmilingasheapprovedthe
action.

"Ihavetotellmostpeopletoputtheirbeltson,"hepointedout.

"Notme"shesaid."JuddtaughtmeearlythatIwouldnotridewithhimifIdidn'twearit."

"You'veknownhimforalongtime."

"Most of my life," she agreed. She sighed. "He's taken care of me for five years. It isn't that he's
possessive,"shesaiddefensively."HejustwantstomakesurethatI'msafe."

Hegaveherarakishgrin."You'reassafeasyouwanttobe,"hesaid.

Shechuckled."Nowthat'sencouragement,ifIeverheardit!"

CHAPTERFOUR

Shea'sRoadhouseandBarwasaboutamileoutofJacobsvilleontheroadthatwenttoVictoria.Itwas
bigandrowdyontheweekends,anddespitethefactthatbeerandwinewereservedatthebar,itwasn't
thedenofiniquitythatJuddcalledit.Thereweretwobouncersusually.Onehadbrokenanarmina
fall,sothatjustleftTinytokeepthingsorderly.Itwasn'thard.Tinywastheoppositeofhisname,a
huge,hulkingmanwithasweetna-tureandacaringpersonality.Buthecouldbeinsistentwhenpeo-
plegotoutofhand,andnobodylastedlonginanaltercationwithhim.

She said as much to Cash when they were seated at one of the small wooden tables waiting to be
served.

"Altercation,"herepeatedwithaslowsmile."Yousoundlikeacop."

"Blame Judd " she said on a sigh. "It really does rub off when you hang out with law enforcement
types."

Hechuckled,toyingwithhisnapkin."Areyousurehedidn'tmindthatyoucameoutwithme?"

Shepursedherlips."Ithinkhedid,alittle.He'sveryconventional."

Hiseyebrowsarched."ArewetalkingaboutthesameJuddDunn?"heaskedpleasantly."Theonewho
handcuffed a pros-titute to the former mayor of Jacobsville when he caught them together in a
brothel,andhadsomeonetipoffthenewspaper?"

Sheclearedherthroat."Hewasapolicemanhereatthetime..."

"...andchasedaspeederallthewaytoHoustontogivehimaticket?"

Shemovedonehanduneasily.

"...andthenpadlockedthelocalpoolparloruntiltheownerpromisedtostopservingbeertominors?"

She sighed. "Yes. I suppose he used to be more unconventional than he is now. He feels that he
shouldn't embarrass the Texas Rangers. The exact figure changes from time to time, but this year,
thereareonly103ofthemintheworld."

Hegaveheranamusedglance."Iknow.Iusedtobeone."

Herdarkeyeswidened."Youdid?"

Henodded."Infact,IworkedwithJuddforawhile.Itaughthimthosemartialartsmovesheusesso
eloquentlythesedays."

"Youknowmartialarts?"Shewashangingoneveryword.

He chuckled. "There's a movie cowboy up the road near Fort Worth who also runs a martial arts
studio.Hetaughtme."

Shenamedtheactor.

Henodded.

"Wow!"sheexclaimed,obviouslyimpressed.

"Nowdon'tlooklikethat,"hemuttered."You'llembarrassme"

She cocked her head, recalling something she'd heard about him earlier. "You're one to talk about
Juddbeingunconventional,"sheaddedwithawickedgrin."Weheardthatyouusedthemoviecamera
inyourpolicecartofilmacoupleinthebackseatofaparkedcarupinSanAntonio...?"

He chuckled. "Not the police camera—my own. And it was two local police officers I knew that I
captured on tape. I made them promise to behave with more decorum before I gave them the only
copyofthetape."

"Youmakeabadenemy,"shepointedout.

Henodded,andhedidn'tsmile.

Aroundthem,thebandwasjusttuningup.Itconsistedoftwomenplayingguitars,onewithafiddle
andonewithakeyboard.Theybrokeinto"SanAntonioRose,"andcouplesbegantomoveontothe
bigdancefloor.

"They'reprettygood,"shesaid.

"They'remissingtheirbassplayer,"henoted.

"Iwonderwhy?"

"Oh,he'sinjail,"hesaid,smilingasthewaitressapproached.

"Why?"sheasked.

"Someotherguywasdatinghisgirl.Hechasedthemtoherhouseinhiscarandmadeascene.She
calledus."

Heshrugged."Fortunesofwar.Somewomenarehardertokeepthanothers,Iguess."

"Poorguy."

"He'llbeoutMonday,wiserandmoreprudent."

"Hi!WhatcanIgetyou?"thewaitress,anolderwoman,asked.

"Pizzaandbeer,"Griertoldher.

"Pizzaandcoffee,"Crissysaidwhenitwasherturn.

"Nobeer?"sheasked.

"I'mnottwenty-oneyet,"Crissyrepliedeasily."Andmy...guardian,"shechoseherwordscarefully,
"isaTexasRanger."

"You'reCrissy,"thegirlsaidimmediately,chuckling."IhadacrushonJuddwhenwewereyounger,
buthewasgoingwiththatTaftgirlfromVictoria.Theybrokeupoverhisjob,didn'tthey?"

Crissynodded."Somewomencan'tlivewiththedanger."

"Doesn't seem to bother you," the waitress said, tongue-in-cheek, as she glanced pointedly at Grier
beforeshewentawaytofilltheorder.

Crissy chuckled as Grier gave her a meaningful look. "No, I'm not chickenhearted," she agreed. "I
worrysometimes,butnottoexcess.Juddcantakecareofhimself.Socanyou,Iimagine."

"Wellenough,"hesaid,nodding.

The crowd was growing as Crissy and Grier finished their pizza and drained their respective
beverages.Themusicwasnice,shethought,watchingthecouplestrytodoWesternlinedancesonthe
dancefloor.

"Theygivecoursesonthatattheciviccenter,"CrissytoldGrier."ButIcouldnevergetintoit.Ilike
Latin dances, but I've never found anybody who could do them around here, except Matt Caldwell.
He'smarriednow."

Grierwasgrinningfromeartoear."ModestypreventsmefromtellingyouthatIwonanawardina
tangocontestonce,downinArgentina."

Shewasstaringathimbreathlessly."YoucandoLatindances?Thenwhyareyoujustsittingthere?
Comeon!"

Shegrabbedhimbythehandandtuggedhimontothedanceflooranduptothebandleader.

"Sammy,canyouplayLatinmusicofanykindatall?"sheaskedtheyoungman,oneofherformer
schoolmates.

Hechuckled."CanI!"Heandthebandstoppedplaying,con-ferred,andthekeyboardplayergrinned
broadlyasheadjustedhisinstrumentandabouncingLatinrhythmbegantotakeshape.

The floor cleared as the spectators, expecting something unusual, moved to the edges of the dance
floor.

"You'd better be good," Crissy told Grier with a grin. "This crowd is hard to please and they don't
mind booing people who only think they can dance. Matt Caldwell and his Leslie are leg-endary at
Latindanceshere."

“Theywon'tboome,"hepromised,takingherbytherighthandandthewaistwithaprofessionalsort
ofexpertise.Henoddedtomarktherhythm,andthenproceededtowhirlheraroundwithdevastating
ease.

Shekeptupwithaneffort.She'dlearnedfromaboyatschool,atransferstudentfromNewYorkwith
aLatinobackground.He'dsaidshewasgood.ButGrierwastotallyoutofherclass.Shewatchedhis
feetandfollowedwithanaturalflair.Bythetimetheywerehalfwayintothesong,shewaskeepingup
and adding steps and movements of her own. As the band slowly wound down, the audience was
actuallyclappingtothebeat.

Grier whirled her against him and looped her over one arm for a finish. Everybody applauded. He
pulledherbackup,whirledherbesidehim,andtheybothtookabow.Shewasbreathless.Hewasn't
evenbreathinghard.

Heledherbacktotheirseats,chuckling."LetCaldwelltopthat,"hemuttered.

Shelaughed,almostpantingfromtheexertion."I'moutofshape,"shemurmured."I'llhavetogetout
ofthehousemore."

"Gosh,youguysweregreat!"thewaitresssaidasshepausedbrieflyattheirtable."Refills?"

"Thanks.Youbet,"Griersaid,handingherhisemptybottle.

"Me,too,"Christabeladded,pushinghercuptotheedgeofthetable.

"Backinajiffy,"thegirlsaidwithagrin.

"DoesJudddance?"Grieraskedher.

"Onlyifsomebodyshootsathisfeet,"shereturned,tongue-in-cheek.

"That'llbetheday."

"That reminds me," she said, and leaned forward. "I need your advice. I'm almost positive that
somebodypoisonedoneofouryoungbulls.Juddwon'tbelieveme,butI'msureI'mright."

Hewasallbusiness."Tellmeaboutit."

"WeboughtayoungSalersbullinearlySeptember.TheHartshaveatwo-year-oldSalersbull,and
LeoHartwasgoingtobuyFredBrewster'syoungSalersbull,thatcamefromthesamebatchoursdid
upinVictoria.ButtheyfoundFred'sbulldeadinapasturejustrecently,becauseLeoHartcalledJudd
about ours. Ours died before Fred's, so we dragged ours out to the pasture behind the tractor and

buriedhimwithaborrowedbackhoe."

"Youdidn'thavehimautopsied?"heasked.

Shegrimaced."Cash,weweresittingprettylastyear.Butwehadadroughtinthespringandsummer
andcattlepricesfell.Rightnow,ittakesallJuddcanmaketokeepmeinschoolandpayhisrenton
hisapartmentinVictoria.Weselloffcattletopayforincidentals,andbuyfeedforthecattlewhenwe
don't have enough grass for graze. He even works extra jobs just so we can make ends meet." Her
eyeswerecloudy."We'rehavinghardtimes.OnceIgraduate,I'mgoingstraighttoworktohelpout.I
wasacomputerwhizalreadyandIdidn'twanttogoontovo-techschoolinthefirstplace.ButJudd
saidIneededexpertiseinspreadsheetprogramssothatwecouldkeepbetterrecords.Hewasright.It's
justhardtomanage,that'sall.Iimagineyouknowhowthatis."

He didn't. Nobody knew how much money he had in foreign banks from the early days in his
profession, when he was doing highly skilled black ops jobs for various governments. He didn't
advertise it. But he could have retired any time he felt like it. Holding a conventional job kept his
skillshonedandpeopleinthedarkabouthistruefinancialsituation.Andhistrueskills.

"Anyway,"shecontinued,"hesaysthatIdidn'tcheckthepasturebeforeIputthebullsinit,andthey
binged on clover and got bloat. Since we don't use antibiotics as a preventative—and we certainly
can'taffordtousevegetableoilsforthat,either—Juddsaidthetanninsintheclovercausedthebloat."
Shesighedimpatiently.

"Listen,Iknowpasturemanagementaswellashedoes,andI'mnotstupidenoughtosticksusceptible
youngbullsinapasturewithoutfeedingthemhayorgrassfirst.AndtheHerefordbullswereinthere
atthesametime,allfourofthem.Theydidn'tgetbloat!"

"Didn'tyoutellJuddthat?"

Shenodded."Iguesshethinksthere'saspecialSalersgenethatattractsbloat,"shemutteredirritably.

Hetriednottolaughandfailed.

"Anyway,ithappenedrightafterwefiredthatClarkman,"sheadded."JackClark.He'sgotabrother,
John.

They'reunsavorycharactersandtheygetfiredalot,Ihear.WefiredJackforsteal-ingonpurchase
orders.Isupposehedidn'trealizewecheckpurchaseorderstomakesurethey'renotbeingabused.
Heboughthimselfatwo-hundred-dollarpairofbootsattheWesternShopandchargedittouswitha
photocopiedpurchaseorder.

Hegavebacktheboots,andwereturnedthem,sowedidn'tpresscharges.Butwefiredhim,justthe
same."

"He'sworkingforDukeWrightnow,"hetoldher."Drivingacattletruck."

"Dukehadbetterwatchhim"wasallshesaid."OneofournewcowboyssaidthattheClarkboyshad

beensuspectedofpoisoningcattlesomeplacethatoneofthemwasfiredfromacou-pleofyearsago.
Ourguywasworkingwiththematthetime."

Grierwaswatchingherclosely."Thisisserious.AreyousureJudddidn'tbelieveyou?"

"I didn't tell him all I've just told you, because I didn't find out about the Clarks being suspected of
poisoningcattleuntilafewdaysago,"shesaid."Ididn'ttellhimthatwefoundacutinthefencethere,
either."

"You should tell him about that, and the other information. A man who'll poison helpless bulls will
poisonpeople,givenachance."

Shenoddedwithasigh."I'vetoldtheboystokeepacloseeyeonourotherstock,andIridethefence
linesmyselfwhenIgethomefromschool."

"Alone?"

She stared at him blankly. "Of course, alone," she said shortly. "I'm a grown woman. I don't need a
baby-sitter."

"That's not what I meant," he replied. "I don't like the idea of anybody going out to distant pastures
aloneandunarmed.Youdon'tpackagun,doyou?"

She grimaced. "I guess I should, shouldn't I?" She laughed self-consciously. "I have this crazy
nightmaresometimes,thatI'vebeenshotandI'mtryingtogettoJuddandtellhim,buthecan'thear
me."

"Takesomebodywithyounexttimeyouridefence,"hecoaxed."Don'ttakechances."

"I won't," she promised, but without agreeing to take along an escort. She did have that .28 gauge
shotgun that Judd have given her. She could take that with her when she rode fence, she supposed.
Cashmadesense.Ifamanwouldn'thesitatetopoi-sonahelplessbull,hemightnotstopattryingto
killayoungwoman.Fortunately,thewaitresscamebackwithcoffeeandbeerintimetodiverthim,
andtheywaiteduntilsheleftbeforetheyresumedtheirconversation.

"DoyouwantmetotalktoJuddaboutthebull?"heasked.

Sheshookherhead."Itwon'tdoanygood.Hemakesuphismind,andthat'sit."Shetouchedhercup
andnoticedthatitwasblazinghot.Shepulledherfingersback."He'sdistractedlately,anyway.Those
filmpeoplearecomingthisweekend,includingthestars."Sheglancedathim."Iguesseverybody's
heardofTippyMoore."

'TheGeorgiaFirefly,"heagreed.Hisfacegrewhardandhiseyeswerecold.

"Doyouknowher?"sheasked,puzzled.

"Idon'tlikemodels,"hesaid,tossingbackaswallowofbeer.

Shewaited,notlikingtopry,buthisexpressionwasdisturbing.

Heputthebottledown,sawthewayshewaslookingathim,andchuckled."Youneverpush,doyou?
Youjustwait,andletpeopletalkiftheywantto."

Shesmiledself-consciously."Iguessso."

Heleanedback."MymotherdiedwhenIwasaboutnine,"hemused."Istayedwithherinthehospital
as long as they let me. My brothers were too young, and my father..." He hesitated. "My father," he
beganagainwithloathinginhistone,"wasabsolutelysmittenwithanotherwomanandcouldn'tstay
awayfromher.Heusedtotauntmymotherwithhowyoungandbeautifulhismistresswas,howhe
wasgoingtomarryhertheminutemymotherwasoutoftheway.

"Shewasillforalongtime,butafterhebegantheaffair,mymothergaveup.Whenshedied,hewas
toobusywithhismistresstocare.Heonlycametothehospitalonetime,tomakearrangementsfor
herbodytobetakentothefuneralhome.Hisnewwomanwasaminor-leaguemodel,twentyyearshis
jun-ior,andhewascrazyforher.Threedaysafterthefuneral,hemarriedherandbroughtherhome
with him." He picked up the beer and took another long swallow. His eyes stared into space. "I've
neverhatedahumanbeingsomuchinmylife,beforeorsince."

"Itwastoosoon,"sheguessed.

"Itwouldalwayshavebeentoosoon,"hesaidflatly."Mystepmotherthrewoutmymother'sthingsthe
minuteshesetfootinthehouse,allthephotographs,allthehandwork—sheevensoldmymother's
jewelryandlaughedaboutit."Hiseyesnarrowed."Thatsameyear,myfathersentmeofftomilitary
school.Ineverwentbackhome,notevenwhenhefinallywisedup,eightyearstoolate,andtriedto
getmetocomehomeagain."

Some men hated physical contact when they recounted painful episodes. But she slid her hand over
Cash'sanyway,somethingshe'dneverhavedonewithJudd.Grierglancedatherhandwithastart,but
after a few seconds, his fingers curled around it. They were strong fingers, short and blunt, with a
gripthatwouldhavebeenpainfulifthey'dcontractedacentimetermore.Shenoticedthatheworeno
jewelryexceptforacomplicated-lookingsilvermetalwatchonhisleftwrist.Norings.

"IlostmymothertheyearIgraduatedfromhighschool,"sherecalled."Iwasolderthanyouwere,
butithurtjustasmuch.ButIhadJudd,andMaude,"sheaddedwithasmile."ShecamewhenIwasjust
ababy,tohelpMother,becauseshewassofrail.Maude'sbeenlikeasecondmamatome."

"She'sacard,"hemused,turningherhandovertoexaminethetinyscars."Whatdoyoudowithyour
hands?"

heaskedcuriously,notingshortnailsandcuts.

"Fixbrokenfences,mendtack,usecalfpulls,getbittenbyhorses,climbtrees..."sheenumerated.

Hechuckled."Tomboy."

"I'mnotmadeforamansionoraboardroom,"shesaidwithagrin."Ifwomenarereallyliberated,
thenI'mfreetodoanythingIlike.Ilikelivestockandplantinggardensandworkingaroundtheranch.
I hate the idea of an office and a nine-to-five lifestyle. I'm a country girl. I wouldn't mind being a
cattlebaroness,ofcourse."

"There'snothingwrongwiththat."

"Of course, I'm a full partner in the ranch," she said thoughtfully. "And I keep the books and make
decisions about breeding and diet and upgrades of equipment. When I get through this computer
course,I'llbeabletorewritespreadsheetprogramsandkeepupwithmybreedingprogrambetter."

"AndJudddoesn'tmindgivingyouthatauthority?"heasked,puzzled.

She smiled curiously. "Why would he? I'm good at what I do, better than he is, and he knows it.
Besides, I don't have a clue about marketing. That's his department. Oh, and he pays bills." She
grimaced."Idon'tmindkeepingbankstatementsreconciledanddoingprojectionfigures,butIdraw
thelineatwritingchecks."

"Idon'tlikethat,myself,"hehadtoadmit.Hechuckled."Ihadyoupicturedasanicelittlekidwho
wenttoschoolandletJudddoallthehardwork."

"Fatchance,"shescoffed."Noman'ssupportingmewhileIsitbackandreadmagazinesandpaintmy
fingernails.I'mahands-onpartner."

"Juddneverseemedlikethesortofmanwho'dtolerateafe-malepartner,"hemurmureddryly.

"Youdon'tknowhimwell,doyou?"sheasked,smiling."Hefoughtreallyhardtogetwomenintothe
Jacobsvillepoliceforce,andhewon'tputupwithmenwhodenigratetheworthofwomeninbusiness
orlawenforcement.Besides,hecancookandcleanhousebetterthanIcan.Ifheevergetsmarried
forrealandhaskids,hiswifewillbelucky.Heloveskids,"sheaddedabsently,hatingthethoughtthat
hewasdeterminedtogetanannulmentthesecondsheturnedtwenty-one,nextmonth,andjustabout
thetimethatTippyMoorewouldbeonhand.

"Youlookworried."

Sheshrugged."TippyMooreisworld-famousandbeautiful,"shesaidwithoutthinking."Juddreally
perkedupwhentheymentionedshewasstarringinthismovie.He'sneverbeenaroundwomenlike
that.He'saminister'ssonandratherunworldlyandconventionalinsomeways."

"Youthinkshe'llcaptivatehim."

Shemethisgazeevenly."I'mnobeauty,"shesaidflatly."I'mbackwoodsyandIknowcomputersand
cattle, but I can't compete with an internationally famous model who knows how to act seductive.
She'lldrawmenlikeflies,youwatch."

"Notme,"hesaideasily."I'mimmune."

"Juddwon'tbe,"shesaidworriedly.

"Judd's a grown man. He can take care of himself." He was remembering, and not wanting to
disillusion her by admitting, that Judd had very little trouble attracting beautiful women in the old
days.ThemanwasnoRomeo,buthewashandsomeandconfidentandaggressivelyseductivewith
womenhewanted.Hewasalsosuccessful.

Hedidn'tmentionthattoCrissy.Itwouldhavecrushedher.Hewonderedifsheknewhowmuchher
feelingsforJuddshowedwhenshetalkedabouthim.

"Isupposehecan,"shemurmured.Shepickeduphercupandsippedherhotcoffee."Iwishwedidn't
havetohavefilmpeopleclimbingallovertheranch,"sheaddedimpatiently."Butthey'reofferingus
asmallfortunetouseitforlocationshooting,andweneedthemoneysobadlythatwecan'tre-fuse."
She sighed. "That old saying's right, isn't it, that everybody has a price. I didn't think I did, but I do
wanttoreplacethatSalersbull."

Shesmileddoggedly."Wedon'tinsureagainstcattlelosses,butatleasthe'llbeataxdeductionasa
businessloss."Sheshookherhead."Ipaidfivethousanddollarsforthatbull.IfClarkdidpoisonhim,
andIcanfindawaytoproveit,I'mgoingtotakehimallthewaytotheSupremeCourt.Imightnot
getmyfivethousandback,butI'lltakeitoutintrade."

Hechuckled."Ilikeyourstyle,CrissyGaines."

Shesmiledathimoverhercoffeecup."IfIcangetproof,willyouarresthimforme?"

"Ofcourse."Hesobered."Butdon'tgolookingfortroublealone."

"Notme.I'mthecautioustype."

Hedoubtedthat,buthewasn'tgoingtoargueaboutit."Areyougametogetbackonthedancefloor?"

"Youbet!"

He grinned and took her hand, leading her back out. The band leader, noticing them, immediately
stopped the slow country tune they were playing and broke out with a cha-cha. Everybody laughed,
includingthecoupleoftheeveningoutonthedancefloor.

Saturday morning, bright and early, the director, the assistant director, the cameraman, the
cinematographer,thesoundman,twotechniciansandthestarsofthemoviecametoolingupthedirt
drivewaytotheranchinahugeFordExpedition.

Judd had just driven up in the yard a minute ahead of them. Christabel and Maude came out on the
porchtomeetthem.Maudewasinanoldhousedress,withherhaireverywhichway.Christabelwas
wearing jeans and a cotton shirt, her hair in a neat braid. But when she saw the redheaded woman
gettingoutofthebigvehicle,herheartfelltoherboots.

Itdidn'thelpthatJuddwentstraighttowardthewoman,withoutasingleglancebackatChristabel,to
helpherdownoutofthehighbackseatwithhishandsaroundhertinywaist.

Shelaughed,anditwasthesoundofsilverbells.Shehadaperfectsmile—whiteteethandaredbow
mouth.

Herfigurewasperfect,too.Shewaswearingalongswirlygreendressthatclungtothelong,elegant
linesofherbody.Juddwaslookingatherwithintentappreciation,awayhe'dneverlookedatplain
littleChristabel.

Worse,themodellookedbackathimwithab-jectfascination,flirtingforallshewasworth.

"She'sanactress,"Maudesaidwithacomfortinghandonherarm."She'dneverfitinhere,orwantto,
sostoplookinglikedeathonamarbleslab."

Christabellaughedself-consciously."You'reatreasure,"shewhispered,

"AndI'mcute,too,"Maudesaidwithawidegrin."I'llgomakeapotofcoffeeandslicesomepound
cake.Theycancomeinandgetitwhenthey'reready."

"Christabel!"Juddcalledsharply.

She glanced ruefully at Maude and hopped down the steps with her usual uninhibited stride and
stoppedbesideJuddashemadeintroductions.

"This is Christabel Gaines. She's part owner of the ranch. Christabel, I'm sure you remember Joel
Harper,thedirector,"hesaid,introducingtheshortmaninglassesandabaseballcap,whosmiledand
nodded."ThisisRaneeWayne,theleadingman."Henoddedtowardahandsometallmanwithblond
hairandamustache.

"ThisisGuyMays,theassistantdirector,"hecontinued,introducingayoungermanwhowasopenly
leeringatthemodel."AndthisisTippyMoore,"headdedinadifferenttone,hiseyesrivetedtothe
green-eyedredhead,whogaveChristabelafleet-ingglancethatdismissedherasnocompetition,and
thenproceededtosmilebrilliantlyupatJudd.

"I'mverygladtomeetyou,"Christabelsaidpolitely.

"Likewise.We'rereadytostartshootingMonday,"HarpertoldJudd."Wejustneedtodiscussafew
technicaldetails..."

"Ifyouwanttoknowanythingaboutthelivestock,"Christabelbegan.

"We'llaskJudd,"themodelsaidinahaughty,huskyvoice."He'dsurelyknowmorethanyouwould,"
sheaddedwithdeliberaterudeness.

Christabel'sdarkeyesflashed."Igrewuphere..."shebeganbelligerently.

"Judd, I'd love to see that big bull you told us about," the model cooed, taking Judd's arm in her

slenderhandsandtugginghimalong.

ChristabelwasleftstandingwhileJuddwalkedobedientlyto-wardthebigbarnwithTippyandJoel
Harperandhisentourage.Shewantedtochewnails.Shewas,afterall,afullpartnerintheranch.But
apparently they considered her too young to make big decisions, and Judd was too fixated on the
redheadtocarethatshe'dbeendismissedasanobodyonherownplace.

Sheglaredafterthemuntilthesoundofahorseapproachingcaughtherattention.NickBates,their
livestockforemanandranchmanager,cameridingup,histall,lithefigureslumpedinthesaddle.

"What'syourproblem?"sheaskedhim.

"I'vebeenchasingcows,"hemuttereddarkly."Somedamnedfoolcutthefence,andfivecowsgotout.
WeranthemintoanotherpastureandIcamebackforthetruckandsomewiretofixthebreak."

"Notthepregnantcows,"shesaidworriedly.

Henodded."Buttheyseemallright.Ihadtheboysherdthemintothepasturedownfromthebarn,just
incase."

"Wholeftthegateopen?"shewantedtoknow.

"None of my men," Nick assured her, his dark eyes flashing in his lean, rugged face. "I rode up to
Hob Downey's place and talked to him. He spends his life in that rocking chair on the front porch
mostoftheyear.Ifiguredhemighthaveseenwhocutthewire."

"Didhe?"sheprodded.

"Hesaidtherewasastrangepickuptruckdownthereearlythismorning,onewithhomemadesides,
likeacattletruckwouldhave,"Nicktoldher."Anoldertruck,blackwitharedstripe.Twomengot
out and one acted like he was fixing the fence, then Hob went out on his porch and yelled at them.
Theyhesitated,butasheriff'spatrolcarcameuptheroadandtheyjumpedinthetruckandwentaway
real fast. It was a small opening, just wide enough to get a cow through, and not visible except up
close."

Shemovedclosertothehorse,worriedandthoughtful."IwantyoutocallDukeWrightandaskhim
ifhe'sgotablacktruckwitharedstripe,andaskwhowasdrivingitthismorning."

Nickleanedoverthepommel,meetinghereyes."You'vegotsomeideawhoitis,"hesaid.

Shenodded."ButI'mnotmentioningnames,andwhatIknow,I'mkeepingtomyself.Getdownfrom
there."

Heliftedbotheyebrows."Why?"

"I don't want to have to go to the barn to saddle Mick," she admitted. "The film crew's down there.

Theymakemenervous."

Nickswungdowngracefully."Whereareyougoing?"

"Justouttoseehowthatfencewascut,"shetoldhim.

"Ialreadytoldyou..."

"You don't understand," she said, moving closer. "The fence where the bull died had been cut, too,
remember?InevermentionedittoJudd,andwefixedit,butInoticedhowitwascut.Notwopeople
dothesamethingexactlyalike.IcantellifitwasMaudeorJuddwhoopenedacolacan,justbythe
waytheyleavethetab.Iknowwhatthefirstwirecutslookedlike."

"I'vegottofindDenny.Hepickedupsomenewsaltlicks.We'lltakethoseoutwhenwefixthefence."

"Good enough." She swung gracefully into the saddle and pat-ted the gelding's red neck gently,
smiling."I'lltakegoodcareofTobe,okay?"

Heshrugged."Ineverdoubtedit.WantmeandDennytogetthetruckandfollowyouoverthere?"

Sheshookherhead."I'mnodaisy."Shenotedtheriflethatprotrudedfromthelongscabbardbeside
thesaddlehorn."MindifItakethisalong?"sheadded.

"Notatall.I'dfeelbetterifyoudid.Rememberthesafety'son.IsJudddownthere?"heaskedabruptly,
noddingtowardthebarn.

"Yes,soyou'dbettergostraighttotheequipmentshed.Whathedoesn'tknowwon'tgetmedressed
down."

Hestartedtoargue,butshewasalreadytrottingaway.

Shedidn'treallyneedtolookatthecutstoguessthatJackClarkhadbeenaround,makingmischief.
Hemighthavejustwantedtoletthecowsout,orhemighthaveplannedtostealsome.Butshewanted
togetawayfromJuddandtheothers.Ifshewerelucky,they'dbelonggonebythetimeshegotback.
Besides,itwouldn'thurttomakesurehertheorywascorrect.Ifshecouldgetanysortofevidenceto
giveCash,hecouldtakecareofJackClarkforher.

SherememberedthelookinJudd'sblackeyeswhenhe'dhelpedTippyMooredownfromtheSUV,
andthewayhe'dletherleadhimawayafterinsultingChristabel.Hehadn'tevenseemedtonoticethat
she'dbeeninsulted,either.Herheartached.Justasshe'ddreaded,themodel'sarrivalmarkedaturning
point in her life. She wished she could turn the clock back. Nothing was ever going to be the same
again.

CHAPTERFIVE

AsCrissysuspected,thefencewascutinthesameplacethattheotheronehadbeen,veryclosetothe
verticalbracketsofthehogwire.Sheswungdownfromthesaddleandexaminedthecutscarefully.
Thewirecuttersthathadbeenusedbothtimesweren'tsharpandthecutsweren'tneatandclean.

Sheturned,leadingTobebythereins,andsighedangrilyasshelookedtowardtheflathorizon.Jack
Clarkhadstolenfromthem,andthey'dfiredhimwithjustification.ButClarkhadavindictivestreaka
milewide,andhewantedvengeance.Crissywasafraidthatitwasn'tgoingtoendwithpoisonedbulls
andcutfences.ShehopedthatDukeWrightwouldhavesomenewsforNickabouttheClarkbrothers
whenhephonedhim.

ShespottedHobDowneyonhisporchandwalkeduptogreettheolderman.

Hobwasinhisseventies.He'dbeenacowboyallhislife,untilhewasforciblyretiredbyhisboss.He
knewmoreabouthorsesthanmostanybody,andhewaslonely.Hesatonhisfrontporchmostevery
day, hoping that somebody would stop and talk to him. He was a gold mine of information on
everythingfromWorldWarIItotheearlydaysofranching.Crissyvisitedhimwhentimepermitted,
but,likemostyoungpeople,timewasinshortsupplyinherlife.

"Hi,Hob!"shecalled.

"Comesitaspell,MissCrissy,"heinvitedwithagrin.

"Wish I had time, Hob. Nick says you saw some fellows in a pickup truck down by our fence this
morning."

Henodded."Shoredid.Skulkingaroundlike.Idon'thaveatelephone,orI'dhavecalledyou."

"Wasoneatallmanwithabaldhead?"sheaskedcarefully.

Hegrimaced."Onewaswearingahatpulleddownlowonhisforehead,soIcan'tsayifhewasbald.
Couldn't say how tall he was, either. The other fellow was wearing a shirt that could have drove a
colorblindmancrazy.

Keptontheothersideofthetruck,mostly,couldn'tseehimwell."

Shesighed."Howaboutthetruck?"

"Hadabigrustspotontheleftfrontfender,"heoffered."Restofitwasblackwithathinredstripe.
Hadhomemadegates,un-painted.Lookedtomeliketheywereabouttocollectacowortwo,Miss
Crissy."

She'dhavetofindoutiftheClarkbrothershadapickuptruck,ordroveoneofWright'sfittingthat
description,andwhatcoloritwas.

"Cutthatfence,didn'tthey?"hepersisted.

Shenodded."Butdon'tletthatgetaround,okay?"sheasked."Theymightbedangerous,andyou'reall
aloneouthere."

Hechuckled."Igotashotgun."

"Youcan'tstayawaketwenty-fourhoursaday,"shepointedout.

"Theymightcomebackandtryagain."

Shecouldn'tbesureofthat."Youjustkeepyoureyesopenandwatchyourback,"shetoldhim.

"Somebodymadatyou,isthatit?"hewantedtoknow.

"Somethinglikethat.Thanks,Hob.Youtakecareofyourself,andlockyourdoorsatnight."

"You,too,MissCrissy.Sureyouwon'tsitaspell?"

Shesmiled."I'llcomebackwhenIcan.ButI'muptomyearsinmoviepeoplerightnow.Ihavetoget
backhome."

"Weheardtheywasgoingtomakeamovieatyourranch.Yougoingtobeinit?"

Shelaughed."Notme!Seeyou,Hob."

"Seeyou."

She got back on Tobe and turned him toward the dirt road that led back to the ranch. It was
disconcerting to think that Jack Clark and his brother John might have been responsible for two
attemptsontheirlivestock.Theymighttryagain,andtheycouldn'taffordmanylossesrightnow,not
even with the added revenue the movie shoot would bring in. They needed a new direction or they
weregoingtogounder.

Specialization,shethought,wastheonlyanswertotheirproblem.TheycoulddowhatCyParksdid
andraisepurebredlivestock—butthatrequiredaheftybankrollupfrontthattheydidn'thave.They
coulddowhatafewotherproducershaddoneandtrymarketingtheirownbrandoforganicbeef.But
thatwouldentailupgradingtheirproductionmethodsandfindingabuyerwhowantedqualityorganic
beef...maybeanoverseasbuyer,becausethoseprofitswerereallyhigh,accordingtoLeoHart,who
soldorganicbeeftoJapan.

If only horses could fly, she thought, and laughed at her own whimsy. Judd had tried that angle
already,andfailed.Theyweretoldthattheircattleweren'tleanenoughforthehighpricedmarkets,
thattheywerefedtoomuchcornandtoolittlegrass.ThatwaswhyChristabelhadbeennudgingtheir
cattleintopasturestofattenthemongrass—andhadlosttheirprizeSalersbullintheprocess.

But it wasn't the grass—rather, the clover—that had killed that bull. And that cut fence was no

accident,either.

Itwas the Clarkbrothers. She knewit, even if Juddwouldn't listen. Cashwould. And somehow, she
wasgoingtoproveit!

ShewalkedTobedowntothebarn,notingthatthebigSUVwasgone,andsowasJudd'struck.Whata
relief.Atleastshedidn'thavetoworrywithcompanytoday.

But the relief was short-lived. After she'd unsaddled and brushed Tobe, and taken the rifle back to
Nick,therewasunwelcomenews.

"DukeWrightdoesn'townablackpickupwitharedstripe,"Nicktoldherwithasigh,pushingback
thehatfromhissweatyblondhair.“Andhedoesn'thaveanycowboyswhodo."

Shegrimaced."Iwassosure...!"

"Maybeheborrowedit,"hesaid.

Hereyebrowslifted."Youthink?"

“Anything'spossible."Hegaveheralonglook."Juddwantedtoknowwhereyouwere.Itoldhimyou
rodeovertocheckonthecowsthatgotoutofthepasture."Heheldupahand."Ididn'ttellhimthe
fencewascut.Ifiguredyou'dtellhimwhenyouwantedto."

Shesmiled."Thanks,Nick.Ioweyouone."

He shrugged. "No problem. I've already told the boys to keep their eyes open for any suspicious
vehiclesaroundhere."

"Goodidea.Andkeepthatpasturewhereyoumovedthecattleundertwenty-fourhourguard,evenif
youhavetopaysomebodyovertime,"sheaddedfirmly,inwardlygrimacingatanotherexpensethey
couldillafford.

"Makesurehe'scarryingarifle,too."

Henoddedgravely."I'lldothat."

Shehesitated."Andtakepicturesofthewaythefenceisrightnow,andsavethatwirewherethecuts
are,"sheaddedasanaf-terthought."Ifanythingevercomesofthis,we'llneedevidence."

"Youbet!I'llputitintheequipmentshed."

“Thanks, Nick." She wandered back up to the house. Maude was wrapping untouched slices of cake
andgrumbling.

"'Can't eat cake,' she said. It's got calories." She glared at Crissy, who was smothering a grin. "And
doesn't drink coffee, because caffeine's bad for you. They didn't have time for it, any-way, and she

gaveourhousealookthatI'dhavelikedtopushheroffthestepsfor!"

"Theywon'tbeherelong,"shesaidcomfortingly.

"That'swhatyouthink!IheardthatdirectortellJuddthatitwouldtakeacoupleofmonthsforthemto
shootthemovie,andeventhen,thatthey'dprobablyhavetocomebacktoreshootsomescenesafter
theyfinished."

That meant they'd be here until Christmas. She thought about Judd being around that model all the
time,andherheartsank.Itwasworsethanshe'deverdreameditmightbe.

"That model was really playing up to him," Maude was muttering. "Hung on him like a chain the
wholetime,smilingupathim,laughingwithhim.She'sstuckonhimalready."

"Andhe'sstuckonher,isn'the,Maude?"sheaskedquietly.

Maudereddened."He'smarried,honey."

"He isn't, to hear him tell it." She sat down in the nearest chair. "Be a dear and hand me a cup of
coffee.I'mwhacked."

SherelatedhersuspicionaboutthecutfencetoaconcernedMaude.

"YoutellJudd?"

Shehesitated."No."

Maudegloweredather."That'sreckless.WhenIgotomysis-ter'sontheweekends,you'rehereall
alone.Thebunkhouseisn'tcloseenoughforthementohearyouscream.YoushouldtellJudd."

"Hedidn'tbelievemeaboutthebullbeingpoisoned,Maude,"shesaid,acceptingacupofblackcoffee
withthanks."Andheisn'tgoingtobelievethefencewascutdeliberately,either."

"Showhim."

"Even if I show him the evidence he still won't believe me. He thinks I'm just trying to get his
attention."

Maudesmiled."Youare."

She shrugged. "That's no secret. But I don't tell lies." She sipped coffee. "When are the film people
goingtostart?"

"Tomorrow,brightandearly."

Shechokedonhercoffee."Sosoon?"shegroaned.

"They want to get a start while the weather's good. They've already moved into the Jacobsville
CommercialHotel,wherethey'llsleep.Theyhiredcatererstobringthecrewbreakfastandlunchout
here, and the electricians have been talking in Martian to Judd about what they want to do with
portable generators," she added facetiously. She shook her head. "That director fella says they're
bringing in huge trucks to carry all their equipment, and trailers for the stars to use for dressing
rooms and makeup. They hired Bailey's Tour Service to bus the cast and crew out and back every
day."

"Aretheybringingportablerestrooms?"Crissyaskedhopefully.

"Judd told them they could use the ones in the bunkhouse. Won't be any cowboys in there during
workinghours,exceptforthenighthawks,andnothingshortofatornadowouldwakeBillyandTed
whentheygettosleep."

"Goodpoint,"shemused,sippingcoffee.

"Themayorisgoingtobeinthefilm,alongwiththechiefofpolice,"sheadded.

"Nicemove,politicallyspeaking,"sheagreed.

"They're going to do some of the shots in town. It doesn't hurt to impress people before you start
tearinguphighwaysandcausingtrafficjams."

Crissygrinned."Maybethey'llcausegoutandgetkickedoutoftown!"

"Notahope.Toomanypeoplearoundherethinktheywereborntobemoviestars."Maudeshookher
head. "It's going to be a nightmare, darlin'," she said heavily. "And that model...!" She wrinkled her
nose."She'dkillanasthmaticwiththeperfumeshebathesin."

Crissy'sdarkeyeslowered."Andshe'sbeautiful."

"She'sthat."

"NowayIcouldcompetewithsomebodylikeher,"Crissysaidwistfully.

Maude turned around. "Judd's known you most of your life," she said. "You're good, and kind, and
youhaveawayofmak-ingamanfeelspecialandtender.Besidesthat,thereisn'tmuchthatyoucan't
handlehere,fromcattlemanagementtoranchim-provements.You'vegotagoodbrain.Mostmenare
attractedbybeauty,butonlyifthere'ssomethingbehindittokeeptheminterested.She'saprettyface
andfigurewithbadmanners.Juddwillseethroughher."

'Thinkso?"shefinishedhercoffee."I'mgladI'minschool,"shesaidwhenshe'dputthecupinthe
sink."Iwon'thavetobearoundthemmuch."

"They'llbeshootingontheweekends,too,"Maudesaidhesitantly.

Sheturnedinthedoorway,frowning."Yousaidsomethingaboutgenerators?"

Maudenodded."Torunallthelightsthey'llbeusinginthehouseandthebarn..."

Herfacefrozeintoacaricatureofitsnormalself."Inthehouse?Inmyhouse!"

Maudegrimaced."Didn'tJuddmentionit?"

"No!"

"Justthelivingroomandthekitchen,"shesaidgently."They'regoingtoneedtochangeafewlittle
thingshereandthere...they'repayingextraforit!"sheinterruptedherselftosayquicklywhenCrissy
startedturningredintheface.

"Juddsaidtheycoulddothat?"shegroaned.

"Weneedthemoney,hetoldme,"shesaidsoftly."It'sonlyforalittlewhile,Crissy.Justalittlewhile.
It'salotofmoney."

"Andwe'regoingunderwithoutit,Iknowthat"camethemiserablereply."It'sjustthatIdidn'texpect
anythinglikethis.It's...likeaninvasion!Wewon'thaveanyprivacy!"

Maudenodded."Iknow,butwe'llgetthroughitsomehow.Justgetoutofthewayandletitrollover
us,"sheadvised."Inotherwords,darlin',takethemoneyandrun.It'llbeoverbe-foreyouknowit!
Honest!"

It wasn't. Crissy came home from classes the next day to find the driveway completely blocked, to
keepcuriosityseekersout.

Therewerefiveorsixcarsparkedonthesideofthedirtroadthatleduptotheranch,andpeoplehad
spreadblanketsonthebuffalograss,usingbinocularstowatchthemoviecrewwhiletheyatesnacks.
Therewerehalfadozentrailers,twoflatbedtrucks,atleasttwotractor-trailerrigs,andwhatlooked
likeasmallarmyofpeoplecarryingequipment.

Crissycouldn'tforciblymovethetractor-trailerrigthathadthedrivewayblocked,soshehadtoleave
the pickup truck there and walk the half mile to the ranch house. Arriving at the steps, dusty and
sweatyandtired,shewasstoppedatthestepsbyoneofCashGrier'smenworkingsecurity.

"Sorry,MissGaines,"theofficersaidapologetically,"butthey'reshootingasceneinthelivingroom
rightnow.

Youcan'tgointhisway."

Sheturnedwithoutawordandwenttowardthebackofthehouse.Ontheway,shetrippedoverahuge
bundle of extension cords and almost went headfirst into a camera setup just outside the kitchen
window.IfJuddhadbeenanywhereontheplace,she'dhavetossedherbooksstraightathishead.

Inside,asoundmanwasworkingwithaboomwhiletwototalstrangers,amanandawoman,satat
her kitchen table with empty cups while lighting men hovered with meters and tapes and portable
lightingequipment.

Maude motioned her to the back hall and dragged her into her own bedroom. "We have to be very
quiet,"shewhispered."They'reshootingonesceneinthelivingroomtoday."

"Whenwilltheybethrough?"Crissyasked.

"Well,theystartedjustafteryouleftthismorning.They'vealreadyshotittentimes,"shebegan.

Crissygroanedaudibly.

"Theboomshowedupinonescene.Thensomebodycoughedinthenextone.Themodelflubbedher
lines three times because she didn't sleep last night on account of the train running so close to the
hotel. Then the leading man tripped over that old Persian rug you won't throw away because your
motherlovedit,andafterthatalightwentout..."

"I want to move to Alaska today," Crissy said in a pitiful tone, putting her books aside to sit down
heavilyonherbed.

"Butthedirectorthinkstheycanfinishitbysuppertime,"Maudeconcluded.

"Andthisisjustonescene,"Crissythoughtaloud."Mygosh!"

"It's bound to get easier as they go along," Maude assured her. "Things are always hard at the
beginning."Shefrowned."Idon'tknowaboutthefights,though."

"Fights?"

"Itseemstheleadactordoesn'tliketheassistantdirector.Theyworkedtogetherbeforeandhadabad
fightoverawoman.Theactorlost.Sonowtheactorisgivingthemanfitsandrefusingtodoscenes
his way. Miss Moore doesn't like the assistant director, either, and he hounds her unless Judd is
around.Thewriterishavingtocomedownhere,too,becausetheactorsayshe'snotdoingthescene
inthebarnthewayit'swritten.HesayshispartisstupidandTippyMooregetsthebestlines.Hesays
hiscontractguaranteeshimasmanylinesasshegets."

Crissyshookherhead."Whatsortofchangesaretheymak-ingtomyhouse?"sheasked.

"Just a little new furniture and rugs and curtains and stuff, on account of, in the movie, the heroine
redecoratesthehero'shouseforhim."Shebrightened."They'reredoingthekitchen,too,andweget
tokeepallthestufftheyuseforprops!"

"Whatifwedon'tlikeit?"Crissywantedtoknow.

"We'll like it," Maude assured her. "The director told Judd they'd get all new appliances for the
kitchen,too.

TippyMoore'sgoingwithhimandthepropmanandsomeassistantcameramantopickthemout.She
saiditneededawoman'stouch."

That was disheartening. It was Crissy's house, not Tippy Moore's. She should have had some input
intopurchases.Butnobodycaredforheropinion.Shefeltasifshe'dlandedinhell.

Itcouldn'tgetanyworse.Itjustcouldn't.Shehadtotrytothinkofthemoney.Theyneededitsobadly.

Maude patted the younger woman on the back. "Buck up, now. It's only for a little while. She'll go
awayandhe'llgethismindbackwhereitbelongs."

Bytheendoftheweek,Christabelhadfiguredawaytogetbreakfasteatenbeforethetourbusrolled
downtowardthebarnwiththeactors—bygettingupbeforedaylight.Shegroanedatthenumberand
size of the trucks and trailers scattered around, and the number of support people that it apparently
tooktomakeamovie.Therewassoundequipment,cameras,railstosupportmovingcameras,huge
reflectorsandfansandbooms.Itlookedlikeaninvasionoftechnicians,andChristabelcouldn'twait
toleave.

Shegatheredupherbooksanddartedoutthesidedoortotheoldpickuptruckshedrovetoschool.It
hadbelongedtoherfather,andwasoneofthefewthingssheownedfreeandclear.Itwasold,andit
neededanewpaintjob,butitranverywell,thankstoNick.

Just as she opened the truck door, she saw Judd drive up at the front steps. Her heart raced and she
hesitated.Butjustthen,hegotoutofhisSUVandwentaroundthehoodtoopenthepassengerdoor.
Theredheadedmodelclimbeddownbesidehim,laughingupathimwiththatsmilethathadgraced
halfadozenmagazinecovers.

Christabelsmiledwistfully,andclimbedintohertruck.

As she drove away, she saw Judd's arm slide around Tippy Moore's thin shoulders as they walked
toward the barn where the film crew was waiting for her. So much, she thought, for her pitiful
dreams.

The days dragged while the film crew worked. Fortunately school took up most of Crissy's time.
Whenshewashome,shewasoutwiththemen,supervisingthevariousseasonalprojectsthathadto
be completed before winter set in. She didn't bother trying to dress up or wear more makeup or
changeherhairstylefromitscustomarybunontopofherhead.Itwasimpossibletocompetewitha
beautifulwomanlikeTippyMoore.Shewasn'tgoingtogetcaughttrying.

NotthatJuddnoticedherverymuch.Hewasbusyatworkbecauseoftheongoinginvestigationinto
the murder in Victoria. Cash had been keeping her informed about the investigation. Most Texas
peace officers knew about it, because of the way the victim had been killed and abandoned. Cash
thoughtithadtherituallookofapersonalvengeancekillingbecauseofthemutilationandtheway
thevictim'sbodywasdisplayedafterdeath.

"They're not making much headway on the case," he told Crissy while they talked one Saturday

afternoonbesidehispa-trolcarnexttothefrontdoorofherhouse.'Theyhaven'tevengotasuspect."

Insidethehouse,thekitchenwasoccupiedbylightsandcamerasandahundredthickelectricalcords
hookeduptoaportablegeneratorthatlookedasifitcouldpowereverylightinJacobsville.

"Maybeit'soneoftheClarkbrothers,"shesaid,onlyhalffacetiously.

Hedidn'tsmile,asshe'dexpectedhimto.

"Iwaskidding!"

He still didn't smile, but it wasn't because of the subject at hand. He was looking over Crissy's
shoulderandglaringasifallthehoundsofhellhadsuddenlybeenloosedintheyard.

"DidyoucometoarrestMissGaines?"cameahoney-sweetvoicefrombehindCrissy."Itcan'tbefor
speeding,notinthatdeathtrapofanoldtruckshedrives!"

Crissy turned and glanced at the model. Tippy Moore was dressed to the hilt in a sweeping white
circleskirtwithatinybluebodiceandawidebluebelt.Shewaswearingextremelyhighheels,and
herlong,wavyreddish-blondhairwasinalovelytan-glearoundherbeautifulface.Shesmiledupat
Cashwiththatstunningradiancethatmadeherfaceleapoffmagazinecoverswithsuchvitality.She
proppedherhandsonherhipsandtossedherhair,obviouslyrightathomewithanymanwhocame
nearher.

ButCash didn't seemto be impressed.In fact, he becameinstantly, actively hostile.He glared at the
womanwithpuremalice.

Takenabackathisresponse,Tippylaughed,asoundlikethetinkleofsilverbells,andtossedherhair
again.

"Catgotyourtongue,Mr.Policeman?"sheteased.

Cash'sdarkeyesnarrowed.Hegavethewomananappraisalthatwouldhavedonejusticetoacattle
auctionandhisattentionwentrightbacktoCrissy.

"Howaboutaburgerandfries?"heaskedherwithatendersmile."YoucanrideinmycarandI'lllet
youplaywiththesiren."

Crissy chuckled, unspeakably delighted that he preferred her to an international model. "I'd love to.
CanIcomeasIam?"sheadded,indicatingherfaded,stainedjeans,andtheoldT-shirtsheworewith
dirtyboots.She'dbeenhelpingthemenmovecattletoanewpasture.

He shrugged easily. "You look fine to me." He gave Tippy a speaking glance. "I appreciate a real
womanwhodoesn'tlooklikeapainteddress-updoll."

Tippyflushedred,whirledonherheel,almostunbalancingherself,andstartedbacktowardthehouse.

"Whythehellwouldawomanwearheelsthathighwhenshecan'tevenwalkinthedamnedthings?"
Cashaskedloudly.

Tippywalkedfaster.

CrissytookCash'sarmandpulledhimtowardhispatrolcar.

"Let'sgobeforeshegetsintotheguncabinet,"shesaidinastagewhisper.

Grierflashedheragrin."Spoilsport."

TheysatinaboothatthelocalcafeandCashtoldhermoreabouttheinvestigation.

"Theydon'thaveacluewhocommittedthemurder,"hesaid."Orwhy.Shewasraped,andmurdered
brutallywithaknife,inawayIwon'teventellyouabout.Butshehadnoenemiesandnoassociations
withanycriminals."

"They'resureitwasn'therhusband?"

"They'resure,"hesaid."Hewassoshakenwhentheyfoundthebodythathehadtobehospitalized,"
headdedquietly."I'veneverseenamanlikethatinmylife.Itgetsworse,"headdedthroughhisteeth.
"Shewasthreemonthspregnant.Itwastheirfirstchild."

"Godalmighty!"shewhispered."Howhorrible."

"Herhusbanddoesn'tevenknowifhewantstokeeptheranch,"headded."AranchernamedHandley
wasleasinglandfromhimtoraisebullson,butallhisbullsgotpoisoned."

Hereyebrowswentup."That'swhereFredBrewster'sbullcamefrom,"shemurmuredthoughtfully.
"Hisandourswerefromthesamesire."Shefrowned."Fred'sbulldied,Iheard."

"Couldhavebeencoincidence,"Cashsaid,buthewasmak-ingmentalnotes.

She was frowning. "Our fence was cut, where our young bull died, and one was cut where we had
somecowsgetout.Iexaminedthecutsinbothfencesmyselfandhadthemphotographed,"shetold
him. "They were the same. I'm convinced that Jack Clark did it, but when Nick checked with Duke
Wright,hedoesn'thaveablacktruckwitharustspotandathinblackstripe..."

"Whatwasthat?"Cashaskedcarefully.

Shehesitated."HobDowneylivesontheborderofournorthpastures,"shetoldhim."Hesawablack
pickuptruckwitharustspotonafender,athinredstripeandhomemadecattlegatessittingnextto
myfence.Hesaidtwomengotoutofitandwerelookingatthefence.Hobcouldn'ttelliftheycutit."

Cash had whipped out a pad and pen. "Hob Downey," he said, checking the spelling. "Has he got a
phone?"

"No.Pooroldthing,hecan'tevenaffordheat.Hehasawoodstove.He'slivingonhisSocialSecurity,
anditisn'tmuch."ShegavehimdirectionstoHob'shouse."Whyareyousointerested?"

Hestudiedherandgrimaced."Ican'ttellyou,"hesaidfinally."I'msorry.ThisissomethingI'mnotat
libertytotalkabout."

Shegrinned."HaveIhelpedyoucrackacasewithoutknowingit?"

Heputthepadaway."I'llletyouknow,theminuteIcan,ifyouhave,"hepromised.

Shesippedhercoffee."YouwereveryrudetoMissMoore,"shesaid."Youdon'tlikeheratall,do
you?"

"Sheremindsmeofmystepmother."

"Sheremindsmeofaredheadedserpent,"shemurmuredwithoutlookingatCash."IfeellikeIdon't
even live there anymore. I can't go in my own house without tripping over an actor or a piece of
equipment."

"SeenJuddlately?"

Herfacetightened."HedrivesdownfromVictoriaeveryafternoonwhenhegetsoffworktopickup
MissMooreandtakehertoherhotel.Shedoesn'tlikeridinginthebuswiththelesserpeople,"she
addedwithawickedgrin.

Hestudiedhercuriouslyoverhiscoffeecup,seeingthroughthehumortothehurt."Juddisn'tnaive.
She'sanovelty.She'llwearoff."

Shelaughedwithouthumor."Thinkso?I'veneverseenhimsoanimated."

"Anymanappreciatesaprettywoman."

"Notyou,"sheblurtedout.Hereyessearchedhisintently."Shecouldn'tbelieveyouweren'theadover
heelswithheratfirstglance."

"I'veseenahundredlikeherovertheyears,"hesaidcoldly."Selfish,vain,unawareofanythingthat
goesonaroundthem.Shemustbetwenty-sixortwenty-seven,andherdaysasamodelarenumbered.
Ifshedoesn'tmakeitinfilms,she'sgoingtobeunemployableinafewyears."

"Don'tsoundsohappyaboutit,"shechided.

"Brainslast.Beautydoesn't."

"Funny,that'sjustwhatMaudesaid,"sherecalledasshefinishedhercoffee."Maybeit'slikeinschool,
where the popular girls are always the prettiest ones. But they don't like the really nice boys, who
aren'tquiteashandsomeandwell-knownasthesportsheroes."

"Heroandsportsaretwowordswecandowithoutcombin-ing,"hesaid,wavingafingerather.

Shegrinned."Iknowwhotherealheroesare,"sheassuredhim."Thewholecountrydoes,now."

Henoddedgrimly."Hellofawaytohavetolearnit."

"Stopbeingsogrim,"shemurmured,placingagentlehandonhisforearm."You'llscarepeople."

Heslidhisownhandoverhersandsmiledather."You'reanoveltyinmylife,didyouknow?Ican't
remembereverhav-ingawomanforafriend."

Her dark eyes sparkled. "We all need someone to talk to," she said. "Think of me as a man with
earringsanddresssense."

Hecockedaneyebrow."Iknowmenwhowearearrings.Infact,"headded,"Iusedtowearone."

"Howexciting!Whydidyoustop?"

He glowered. "My cousin Chet didn't think it was dignified for an assistant chief to encourage
youngerofficerstobreakhisdresscodeintheJacobsvilledepartment,"hesaiddisgustedly.

Sheslidherfreehandoverhis."You'lldo,asyouare.Thanksforrescuingmefromthefilmmaniacs,
bytheway.SometimesIwishIcouldmovetoaquieterhouse"

"They'llleavebyChristmas."

"Thinkso?"Shesighed."Ihopeyou'reright.IfIhavetoplaySantaClaus,Iknowaredheadedmodel
who'sgettingherownfivefootliverattlesnakeunderthetree."

He chuckled, and so did she. From a distance, they looked more intimately involved than friends
would.JuddDunnsawthatashehesitatedinthedoorwaywithmixedemotions,theforemostofwhich
wasasudden,inexplicableurgetoknockCashGrierthroughthefrontwindowoftherestaurant.

CHAPTERSIX

CristabelandGrierweresoinvolvedthattheydidn'tnoticeJudduntilhepulledoutachairnoisilyand
straddleditbesidethem.Theybothglancedathimwithsurprise.

Herheartjumped,butshetriedtohideit.Hewasangry.Veryangry.

"WhathaveIdonenow?"Christabelaskedwithstudiedcarelessness.

Heglaredather."WhatdidyousaytoTippy?ShewasintearswhenIleft."

Shewastoounsettledbytheboldquestiontoanswerit.

Cashwasn't.Hisdarkeyesflashed."Crissydidn'tsayanythingtoher.Shecameupandstartedflirting
withme,andIsnubbedher,"hetoldJudd."Idon'tlikemodels.Ifshewasupset,itwasmyfault,so
don'tblameCrissy."

Judd'seyebrowsrose."Whathaveyougotagainsther?"

"Nothing,personally."

HestaredatCashwithopencuriosity."Ihadtobringherbacktothehotelintown.Shecouldn'twork.
Theassistantdirectorisfurious."

"Damn,Ireallyhateitforhim,"Cashsaidwithoutinflection.

Hisfacetautened."YoucantellhimformethatIdon'tpandertotheegosofspoiledbratsofanyage."
Hegotup."Crissy,I'llrunyoubacktotheranch.Iwanttofollowuponthislead."

Shestoodup,caughtbetweenCash'sangerandJudd'sagita-tion,withoutawaytoturn.She'dwished
thatshe'dbroughtherowntruckwithher.

"Youcanridebackwithme,"Juddsaid,"andsaveCashatrip."

Great,shethought,Iwon'thaveanylungsleftbythetimewegetthere,I'llbepickledinthatexpensive
perfumeTippywears.ProbablyJudd'svehiclewassaturatedinit.

"Idon'tminddrivingher,"Cashsaidpointedly.

Juddmovedclosertotheolderman.Hedidn'tblink.Hiswide-brimmedhatwascockedlowoverone
eyebrow, and there was aggression in every taut line of his powerful body. He was spoiling for a
fight.

Cashknewit,andhadsenseenoughnottoletitescalate."Okay,"hesaideasily."Crissy,I'llphoneyou
nextweekandwe'lltakeinamovieonmydayoff."

"Great,"shesaid,grinningathim."Thanksforlunch."

Heshrugged."Ienjoyedit.Seeyou,Judd."

JuddnoddedandCashmovedaroundhimnonchalantly,asifhedidn'tperceivethevisiblethreatof
Judd'sstance.

Crissy knew he was upset. She supposed it was because of what Cash had said to his model. She
pickeduphersmallshoulderbagandslungitoverherarm.

Heturnedandlookeddownatherdisapprovingly."Youcouldhavechangedclothesbeforeyoucame
intotownlookinglikethat."

Hereyebrowslifted."Ifyoudon'tlikethewayIlook,thenyougooutandmovecattleandridefence
linesandcheckwaterholes,andputoutfeedandmuckoutthestallsand...!"

Heheldupahandandsighedangrily."Iknowweneedmoremen.Idon'tlikeyouhavingtobeoneof
them."

"I'marancher'sdaughter,"sheremindedhim."I'mnotdoinganythingIhaven'tdonesinceDadfirst
putmeonahorse."

Hesearchedherbig,darkeyes,andnotedthecirclesunderthem,thenewlinesofstraininherface.
"They'regettingonyournerves,aren'tthey?"heasked.

She didn't have to ask who he meant. "I couldn't change clothes because they had my bedroom
blocked," she said flatly. "I'd already made the assistant director mad by leaving my books on the
kitchentable.Ihadtoputthembackinthetruckuntilhegothisscenefilmed.Hedidn'tsayanything,
butsteamwascomingouthisears.

It's my house and I have to have permission to use the bathroom. Of course they're getting on my
nerves!"Shetookaslowbreath."Butweneedthemoney.Soeverything'sokay."

Heturnedandwentout.ShefollowedhimtohisbigblackSUV.Hewaiteduntiltheywerebothinside,
strappedintotheirseatbelts,beforehestartedtheengineandspokeagain.

"Yes.Weneedthemoney,"heagreedquietly."Ihatetokeepstressingthat,butit'strue.Iwantyouto
graduate before you start taking on more work." His glance at her was eloquent. "You should be
goingtopartiesanddancingandhavingfun,likeotherwomenyourage,insteadofdoingthedirtiest
jobsontheranch."

"Isee,"shenodded."You'reencouragingmetocommitadulterysothatyoucanhitmeforalimony
whenyoudivorceme."

Hehesitatedandthenburstoutlaughing."Damnit!"

Shegrinned,glancingoutoverthefieldsashedrove."I'llmakeupforlosttimewhenit'salllegal.
Meanwhile,I'llkickaroundwithCashandkeepitalllow-key."

"Isit?"

Sheturnedherheadtowardhim."Isitwhat?"

"Low-key."

"Cash is my friend, Judd," she said. "I know you think I'm disgustingly old-fashioned, but I took a
vowandI'mkeepingituntilIdon'thavetoanymore."

Hiseyebrowjerked.Hehatedthepleasurethestatementgavehim.Heshouldn'tcareifshedated.He
wantedhisfreedom.

EvenTippydidn'tthreatenthat.ButChristabeldid.Shemadehimlightupinside.Whenhewasinthe
darkestmoods,shecouldbringhimoutofthemwithaquip,withagrin,withthatoutlandishhumor
ofhers.He'dneverknownanyoneelsewhomadehimfeel...whole.Theideaoflosingallthattosome
othermanmadehimuneasy.

Hekeptdreamingaboutherinarednegligee...

Heshruggedofftheidea.Hewasn'topeningthatcanofworms.HewasrecallingsomethingCashhad
said,justbeforeheleft.

"WhatleadwasCashgoingtofollowupon?"

"Beatsme,"shesaidwithdeterminedcarelessness."Hejerkedoutapad,jottedsomethingdown,and
saidhehadtotrackdownalead."

"Oh."

"Youstilldon'tbelieveourbullwaspoisoned?"

Heshookhisheadandthenglancedather."GetNicktoworkonthatcloverinthepasturethatcaused
thebloat.

Ifwe'regoingtofeedgrasstocattle,itneedstobejustgrass."

"Iwill."Shesatbesidehimwithoutspeaking,wishingthatshecouldtalktohimthewayshetalkedto
Cash,thathe'dlistentoherideasandnotbrushthemoffasiftheyweresomuchdust.

"Whydoyouthinkitwaspoisoned?"heaskedsuddenly.

Shewantedtopouritallout—thecutfences,thepregnantheifersthatalmostgotloose,whatHobhad
toldher,whatshe'dtoldCash.FredBrewster'sdeadbull.Butshehadnorealevidence,andshedidn't
want to find herself watched like a hawk every time she rode out alone from now on. She could
investigatethis.Itwasn'tabigdeal.Besides,sherationalized,Juddhadenoughonhismindlatelywith
thatbrutal,senselessmurderhewasinvestigating.Sheknewthathemusthaveseenthevictim.Itwas
probablywearingonhimheavily.

"JustsomethingIheard,"shesaidafteraminute."Itwasprobablyjusttalk,connectedwiththeClark
brothers.

Theyaren'twelllikedaroundhere."

"Tell me about it," he agreed, diverted. He turned onto the ranch road, whipping up dust. "They've
beenfiredfromhalfadozenjobsinthepastyear.Theydon'tstayanywherelong."

"Wherearetheyfrom?"sheaskedcuriously.

"Haven'taclue."

Thatwassomethingshemightcheckonherself.Shetoyedwiththewindowbutton."Doyoustillhave
thatoldmock.45thatshoots.22caliberammunition?"

"Yes.Why?"

"How about cleaning it up and getting me some bullets for it? I've got a yen to take up target
shooting."

"Why?"

"You'refullofquestionstoday."

"You'relackinginanswers."

"Cashsaidhe'dteachmetotargetshoot,"shesaid,andhopedhewouldn'tgetherintroublebyasking
Cashtoconfirmthatlie.

"Icouldteachyou,"hesaid,bristling."I'mabettershotthanheis."

"I know that, but you're so busy lately...." She almost bit her tongue for saying that. He was touchy
abouttheinvestigationofthekilling.Hehatedtotalkshopwithher,withanyone,becausewhathehad
toseewassogory.Hedidn'tlikehavinghissensitivitiesexposed.

Therewasaverylongpause.

"I'm not trying to invade your privacy," she said at once. "I know what you're having to help
investigate,andthatyouhatetalkingaboutit.Iwasn'tprying.Ireadanarticleabouthowharditisfor
law enforcement people to handle homicides. I know it bothers you, deep inside where it doesn't
show."

Helookedatherintentlyasheslowedforaturn.Hiseyeswentbacktotheroad."Youknowtoomuch
aboutme,"hesaidinexplicably.

Sheshrugged."I'velivedmostofmylifearoundyou."

He laughed hollowly. "I have to look at things that no human being should ever have to see. I'm a
lawman.Itshouldn'tupsetme.Ishouldbeabletohandleanythingthatcomesalong."

She nodded. “That's in the article I read," she said unexpectedly. "That's why it's so hard for law
enforcementpeopletoadmittheyneedcounseling,oreventalktosomeoneaboutthingsthatbother
them.You'realltoughguysandgals.Itshouldn'tevendentyou,becauseyou'remadeofsteel."She
turnedinherseat,asfarastheseatbeltwouldallow,andmethiscuriouseyes."Butyou'renot.Partof
youisveryhuman,andithurtstolookatpeoplewhenthey'vebeenkilled.Thatonlymeansyoufeel
compassion,notthatyou'reweak."

Heseemedlessstrained.Hestaredoutthedustywindshieldastheyapproachedtheranchhouse.

Shesmiled."Ofcourse,webothknowthatyoucanchewuptenpennynails,"sheaddedwithawicked
grin.

Heletoutachuckleashebrakedbehindthebigtruckthatwaspermanentlyblockingthedrivewayand
wentarounditonthegrass.

"I can't do that," she remarked, wincing as she saw the ditch barely two inches from the passenger-
sidetires."IjustknowI'llrunoffintothatgullyifItry."

"Withthatattitude,youwould."Hepulledupatthefrontporch.Itwasstrangelydeserted."Whydoes
Cashhatemodels?"heaskedherbluntly.

Shehesitated.ButherloyaltytoJuddwasstrongerthanherloyaltytoCash."Hisstepmotherwasone,"
shetoldhim."Shesplituphisfamily."

"Tough."

Shenodded."Hecanchewuptenpennynails,too,"sheoffered.

Hedidn'tsmile.Hishandreachedoutandtuggedatalongwispofblondhairthathadescapedfrom
herbun.

"Youshouldbewearingprettyclothesandhangingoutatthemall."

Shemadeaninsultingnoise."Don'tstereotypeme."

Hiseyebrowsarched."WasI?Ithoughtyoungwomenyouragelikedthosethings."

"Ilikebulls,"shesaid."BeautifulSalersbullsandyoungHerefordbulls,andcrossbreedcalvesthat
otherrancherswouldenvy,raisedorganically."

Heshookhishead.

"Sodoyou,"shepointedout.

Hechuckled."MaybeIdo."Hetwistedthesofthairaroundhisthumbandstudiedit.Hiswholeface
clenched.

He hesitated, but only until he saw the quiet compassion in her expression. "This victim was just
twenty-five,"

he said abruptly. "She was pregnant. She was lying in the dirt, off the highway in tall grass. She
lookedsoalone,sovulnerable,sohelpless,lyingtherenudeexceptforarippedblouse.She'dbeen
stabbedrepeatedlyandmutilatedasifthepersonwhodidithatedherfemininity.Iwouldn'thavetold
herhusbandhowbaditwas,butthemediareportedeverygorydetail.Heendedupbeingsedatedin
thehospital."

Ignoringthecertaintythatsheshouldn'ttouchhim,involuntarilyherfingerstouchedthestronghand
holdingherhair."You'llcatchtheguywhodidit,"shesaidfirmly.

Hecockedaneyebrow."Guy?"

"Shewasfoundinaditch,andthecrimescenewasritualistic.Herhairwashaloedaroundherhead,
shewaslyingwithherfaceupandhereyesopeninaspread-eagledposition.Therewasahandfulof
dirtinhermouth.

Everyoneinlawenforcementsaidthatithadalltheearmarksofavengeancekilling,asifthekiller
hatedher.

Coulditbeaserialmurder?Mostserialkillersarewhitemenbetweentheagesoftwentyandthirty-
five,loners,they..."

"GoodLord!"hemuttered."Howdoyouknowthat?"

"Cash has been keeping me posted and I've read all about the crime scene. I like to read about
profiling,too,"

shesaid."Andtherearelotsofthesereal-lifedetectiveshowsonTVabouthowmurdersaresolved.
SinceIknowsomebodyinthebusinessofcatchingcrooks,itdoesn'thurttoknowalittle."

Helaughed."NotscaredI'llcomehomeinaboxonenight?"

Herfingerscaressedhisstronghand."Youcantakecareofyourself,"shesaidsoftly."You'requick-
witted,andyoudon'ttrustpeople."Shesighed."ButIdosayalotofprayerswhenyou'reworkingon
acaselikethis."

Hesmiledtenderlyather."That'snice."

Shewrinkledhernose."Justdon'tgetshot,okay?Orifyoudo,getshotjustalittle."

"I'lldomybest,"hepromised.

She searched his black eyes slowly. "My quality of life would diminish without you. Even if you

marrysomehotshotinternationalmodel."

Botheyebrowswentup."Marry?"

"Right. Dirty word." She removed her fingers. "God forbid you should ever put on a ring that isn't
attachedtoagrenadeorsomething."Shereachedforthedoorhandle.

He caught her by the nape of the neck and pulled her face firmly but gently under his. "I'm already
married,"hewhispered,justashishardmouthcoveredhersfiercelyforabriefmoment.Helether
goandmovedoutofthetruckwhileshewasstillrecoveringfromtheshock.

He opened her door and lifted her down by the waist, holding her in front of him for a few
smolderingseconds.

"Don'tgettooinvolvedwithGrier.We'renotgoingtobemarriedformuchlonger,butI'mstillgoing
tofeelresponsibleforyou.Grierisarealhardcase.He'sgotahistoryIcan'ttellyouabout.You'd
haveabetterchanceofdomesticatingawolf."

The part about not being married much longer was disturbing. She tried not to react. What was he
saying,somethingaboutGrier...

"Cashismyfriend,"shesaid.

Hedrewinalongbreath."He'smyfriend,too.Sortof.Just...don'tgettooclosetohim.He'snotquite
whatheseems."

Shesmiledupathim."Okay."

His eyes searched hers hesitantly. They fell to her mouth and averted. He shook her, very gently,
beforeheletgo."Iworryaboutyou,too,outherewithjustMaudeandtheboys.Maybeitwouldn't
hurttoletCashteachyouhowtotargetshoot.No-bodyknowsmoreaboutgunsthanhedoes."His
chinlifted."Well,exceptme,"headdedinthatdeep,honiedtonethatrippleddownherbackbonelike
velvet.Hispowerfulbodytensedjustfaintly."Christabel,areyousureyoudon'twantmetoteachyou
toshootapistol?"headdedsuddenly.

"I don't want to impose on your free time, Judd," she said without making a point of it. "You work
hardenoughtodeservealittlerelaxation."

"Areyoutryingtotellmesomething?"heaskedcuriously.

"Notathing,actually.ExceptthatIknowyouliketospendyourfreetimewithMissMoore."

Hiseyesnarrowedonherface."Areyoujealous?"heaskedinaslow,softtone,asifhe'donlyjust
thoughtofitasapossibility.

Shecaughtherbreath.Herheartwasrunningaway,andshecouldn'triskbetrayinghowshefelt.She

didn'twanttotraphimbymakinghimfeelsorryforher.

"It'sapapermarriage,Judd,yousaidsoyourself.Youcandowhateveryoulike,"sheaddedbluntly.
She didn't dare add that she was investigating cut fences and poisoned cattle, and that Cash was the
onlypersonshecouldtalktoaboutit."LetCashteachmetoshootthepistol.Helikesspendingtime
withme."

Nowthepausewaslongandheated.Hedidn'tsayanotherword.Buthebreathedwithsuchcontrolthat
sheknewhewasfurious.Shedidn'tknowwhy.ItwasobviousthathewassmittenwithTippyMoore,
sowhyshouldhecareifshegotshootinglessonsfromCash?Maybeitwasamalething.Therewere
somanymaleritualsthatwomenneverquiteunderstood...

"Iwon'tcomein,"hesaidcurtly."I'llseeyounextweek."

"Sure.Thanksfortheride."

Shedidn'tlookbackasshemountedtheporch.Shewentstraightinthefrontdoorandtrippedovera
powercord,fallingheadfirstintoachairandruiningasceneshedidn'trealizethey'dbeenshooting.

"Oh, that's just perfect, after the sixteenth take!" the assistant director, Gary Mays, bit off furiously,
while the star, Ranee Wayne, and two minor actors in the scene gaped at him. “You stupid, clumsy
woman...!"

Christabelpulledherselfupwiththehelpofthecameramanandrightedherselfquickly.Shestomped
rightuptotheassistantdirectorandglaredupathim."Youlistentomeyouhalf-assed,bad-tempered,
would-betyrant,thisismydamnedlivingroomyou'restandingin!I'vebeenwalkingaroundhereon
eggshellsfordays,tryingtokeepoutoftheway,andit'snotmyfaultthatthisplaceiswiredlikea
minefield with electrical cords! There wasn't even a sign up that said you were working in here! If
youwantprivacy,youmakeasignandyouuseitwhenyou'reshooting!Andkeepaciviltonguein
yourthickheadwhenyoutalktome,doyouunderstandme?"

Theassistantdirectorgaspedandstumbledoverwordsastheactors,thesoundman,thecameraman,
andthesupportcrewchuckledaudibly.

Therewasanotherlaughbehindher,deepandslowandappreciative.

"She'sgotatemper,Gary,"Juddtoldtheassistantdirector."Itdoesn'tpaytomakeherloseit."

"SoIsee."Garylaughed,butwithoutanyrealhumor."Sorry,MissGaines,"hemurmuredreluctantly.

Shenoddedcurtly."That'lldo."ShegaveJuddacuriousglance,becauseshehadn'texpectedhimto
comeintothehouse.Shedidn'tknowthathe'dseenherfallandhadrushedbackinthedoortomake
sureshewasn'thurt.

Now,hejustlookedather,withanoddlyshimmeringlookinhisblackeyes.

"We'llputupasignnexttime,"Garysaid,turningaway.

"Youokay?"Juddaskedquietly,movingclosertostudyher.

Shenodded,flatteredbyhisconcern."Justunsettled.Ihitlight."

Henodded,too.Butthewayhelookedatherwasdifferent.New.Unfamiliar.

Shepuzzledoverthatlookallnightlong,andneverdidfig-ureitout.

Tippy Moore was furious, and she didn't pull any punches. She was waiting for Crissy the next
morningbeforethebiggeneratorswereturnedon.

"You tell that...that...small-town excuse for a policeman that I'll wear whatever shoes I like!" she
gritted,hergreeneyesblazing.

Crissy'seyespopped."Excuseme?"

"I can so walk in them," Tippy continued, unabated. "And he can just not talk to me from now on,
forever!Iwasonlybeingfriendly,Godknowswhy!"

Shewastoosurprisedtoanswer.Theotherwomanwasfum-ing.

"Iwasn'tflirtingwithhim!"TippyMoorecontinued."Iwastryingtobecivil.Hemademefeellikea
caseofmeasles!Well,I'mnotinterestedinsomesmall-townhickcop,notwhenIcanhaveanymanI
like!Youtellhimthat!"

Crissy found the woman's response to Cash's attitude curious, to say the least. "Cash doesn't like
women,"shesaid,try-ingtosoftentheblow.Shecouldn'ttellthemodelwhyCashreactedthatwayto
her,itwasn'therbusiness.

"Helikesyou"camethesharpreply,followedbyalookthatplainlyshouted"Godknowswhy."

"I'm just a rancher," Crissy said gently. "I don't dress up or flirt or threaten him in any way. We're
friends."

The other woman was still angry. "I'll bet you were spoiled rotten as a kid," she muttered absently.
"Pampered and fussed over and given anything you ever wanted. Daddy's little treasure," she added
sarcastically.

Crissy's face tightened. "You don't get spoiled on a ranch, Miss Moore," she replied coolly. "There
isn'ttime.

Everybodypullshisorherweight,orthewholeoutfitgoesontheskids."

"WhydoesJuddspendsomuchtimehere?"sheasked.

Crissy'seyebrowsarched."Heownshalftheranch.Ittakesbothofustokeepitrunning,andtheonly
moneycominginiswhatJuddmakes—andwhatwe'regettingtoletyoufilmthemoviehere."

"Sothat'swhy..."Tippymurmuredslowly,andactuallyflushed."IthoughtTexasRangersmadealot
ofmoney.

They'respecial."

"Morespecialthanyouknow,"Crissytoldher,feelingresentfulandmorethanalittleprotectiveof
herhusband."Buttheydon'tmakeprincelysalaries,andittakesalottoranacat-tleranch."

"Whydoesn'thesellout?"

"BecauseIcan'taffordtobuyhimout,"shesaidflatly."Thismaynotlooklikemuchtoyou,butit's
beeninmyfamily,andJudd's,foroverahundredyears.Neitherofuswouldsellitun-lesswewere
starving."

"It'sjustapieceofdirtwithalittlegrassonit."

Crissy's brown eyes narrowed coldly. "Family matters. Tra-dition matters. Duty and honor and
responsibility matter. Money does not," she added flatly, and with an edge in her voice that was
unmistakeableasshegavethemodelalongandinsultingscrutiny.

Tippyliftedherchinhaughtily."DoyouloveJudd?"

"Juddismybusinesspartner,"Crissybeganshortly.

"Good.Seethatyoudon'tgetanyideasabouthim,"Tippyadded."Ihaveplansforhim."

"Aswhat,yourvalet?"Crissyasked,tooangrytochooseherwords."Ordoyoujustcollectmenas
yougoalongandaddthemupbythepresentsyouget?Onemanwouldneverbeenoughforawoman
likeyou,anyway,Iimagine."

Tippy'sfacefroze,herhandsclenchingathersides."Youknownothingaboutme!"

"Andyouknownothingaboutme!"camethereply."Don'teverwarnmeoffJuddagain.HeandIhave
knowneachothersinceIwasinpatentleathershoes.Don'tthinkyou'llcutmeoutofhislifeonan
acquaintanceofafewweeks,MissMoore.Juddmaybedivertedbyaprettyfaceandfigure,buthe's
notstupid.Hecanseerightthroughtheglosstotheugliness."

Tippy'sbreathcaught.Thenshesmiledcoldly."Ifthisisacontest,you'vealreadylost,"Tippydrawled
softly,greeneyesflashing."JuddwilldoanythingIwanthimto.Money'stight,isit?Thenhowcould
heaffordtobuymethis?"

Themodelheldupherhandandflashedanemeraldringthatwouldhavecostinthehundreds,ifnot
thousands.

Crissyfeltsickatherstomach.Juddwasn'tonetobuypresentsforwomen,exceptatChristmas,and
that was always something useful rather than frivolous. He'd given Crissy a leather jacket last year.
For him to buy something as expensive as that ring, he had to be head over heels in love with the
woman.

Crissy didn't say another word. Her heart felt as if it had been shattered. She lowered her eyes and
turnedaway,walkingbacktothehousewithherbackasstraightasanarrow.

Behind her, the redheaded woman grimaced and set her beautiful lips together hard. Tippy actually
wincedasshewatchedtheyoungwomanwalkawaywiththatsteelypridevisibleinherverycarriage.

Filmingontheranchendedafterafewdays,whilethecrewmovedintotownforaweektodosome
shootingthere.Christabelhadthehousetoherselftemporarily—exceptfortheequipmentleftinplace
thathadtobewalkedaroundandthebigtrucksitbelongedin.

Judddidn'tcomeuntilthenextWednesday,andwhenhedid,hehadTippywithhim.Crissyhadjust
saddled her horse and was leading him out of the barn when they drove up at the steps. She was
packingaborrowedrifleinthescabbardslungfromthepommelandwearingbootsanddenimjeans
andjacket,withaweatherbeatenblackStetsonpushedfirmlyontopofherblondhair.

"Whereareyougoing?"JuddaskedashehelpedTippyoutofthevehicle.Themodelwaswearinga
green silk dress that looked simple and probably cost the earth. Compared to Christabel, she was
dressedinaqueenlymanner.ThedressmatchedtheemeraldanddiamondringJuddhadboughther.
ItssparkleinthesunlighthitCrissyrightintheheart.

"I'mridingfencelines,"Christabeltoldhimwithoutinflection.Shedidn'taddthatanotherfencehad
beencut.

Nickhadjustphonedthehouseonhiscellphonetotellheraboutit.Heandthetwopart-timeboys
werestilloutthere,waitingforher.

"Inthemiddleoftheday?"Juddasked,scowlingashecheckedthewatchonhiswrist."Wecameto
havelunchwithyou."

"You can have it with Maude," she told him, moving to swing gracefully into the saddle. "I've got
worktodo."

"Whyaren'tyouinschooltoday?"hepersisted,botheredbyherlackofanimation.

"Mymathteacherhadasickchild,andmyEnglishteachercanceledclassestogotoafuneral."

Henotedtherifleandscowled."Whyareyoupackingagun?"

Shegatheredthereinscloseinherglovedhandsandglareddownathim.Tippywasstandingcloseat
hisside.

Tooclose.

"Ialwayscarryarifle,"shesaid."Themenspottedawolf,"shelied.

"Youcan'tshootit,"Juddsaidshortly."It'sagainstthelaw."

"Idoknowthat,"sherepliedtersely,"butIcanshootatitsheelsandfrightenitoffifitthreatensthe
cattle"Herfacewasflushedwithbadtemper.

"Haveyoueaten?"

Heavens,hewaspersistent."Ihadbreakfast,"shetoldhim."Idon'tusuallyeatlunchanyway.I'vegot
togo."

She turned the horse, without acknowledging or even looking at Tippy, and rode off before he had
timeforanotherword.

"Idon'tlikethis,"hemuttered."Something'sup.She'snotherself."

Themodelclutchedhisarmandforcedasmile."Ireallycouldeatsomething,Judd,"shesaid."Come
on.

Teenagershavethesemoodswings.Idid,whenIwasherage."

"She'stwentyyearsold.Almosttwenty-one."

Thatwasashock.Tippyhadthoughtthewomanwasalotyounger.Italteredherperceptionsofher
rival.TheringshewaswearinghadhurtCrissy.Sheshouldn'tcare,ofcourse...

"That's still not very old," Tippy added. "She's at the age where she can get over things easily," she
said,moreforherownbenefitthanhis."Comeon.Feedme."

HewaswatchingChristabelrideaway,andhefeltempty.Shehadn'tmethiseyes.Shehadn'tsmiledat
him.

Andwhywouldsheneedarifle?Infact,whywassheridingfencealone?

Hewantedanswers.TheminutehegotTippybacktothelocationsetintownhewasgoingtogetthem
outofChristabel.

CrissyfoundtheirforemanNick,andBrad,oneoftheirthreepart-timemen,kneelingbesideabullin
thepasturewherethenewfencehadbeencut.

Fearingtheworst,sheswungoutofthesaddleandkneltbe-sidethebull.ItwasaHerefordbull,but
thebestoneshehad.Itwasdead.

"Damnit!"shecursed.

"I'msorry,"Nicktoldher."Ithoughtthesebullswouldbesafe.Ishouldhaveknownbetter."

"It's not your fault, Nick. But this time, I'm getting answers. I want a vet out here, right now, and a
bloodsampletaken.Ifthisbullwaspoisonedliketheothers,Iwantproof.I'llquitschoolandgeta
jobtopayhimifIhaveto."

"I'llphonethevetrightnow,"Nickassuredher.

She patted the young bull's head and could have cried. She'd had such hopes for him in their new
crossbreed program. He looked so helpless, so vulnerable, like that. Involuntarily, she remembered
whatJuddhadtoldheraboutthehumanmurdervictim.

She got up and went to the fence, checking where it was cut. The method was the same on the two
previouscutfences.Thesameperson.Shesighedwithhelplessfury.Someonewastry-ingtoputthem
outofbusiness.IthadtobeJackClark.Buthowintheworldwasshegoingtoproveit?

Nickgotoffthephoneandcamebacktoher.“Thevetsaidhe'llbeoveraboutfive.He'llphoneme
whenhe'sontheway.Weshouldgetphotosofthecutfence,"headded."Isavedtheotherwire,just
likeyouasked.Thatshouldbephotographed,too.AndyoushouldtellJudd,oratleastthesheriff's
department,"hesaidfirmly."Itisn'tsafeforyoutoberidingoutherealone,now,evenwitharifle."

Sheknewhewasright,butithurttoadmitit.Notthatshewasgoingtodowhathesaid."I'llgetoneof
thementoridefencewithmefromnowon,"sheliedconvincingly.

"Good."Nickwalkedwithhertoherhorse."I'llgetsomefilmandusethebunkhousecameratoget
photosofthecarcass."

"Juddhasenoughonhisplaterightnowwiththeinvestigationhe'sgotgoingupinVictoria.Idon't
wanthimworriedaboutusaswell."

"Heownspartoftheranch,"shewasremindedfirmly."Hehaseveryrighttoknowwhat'sgoingon."

"Itoldhimwhatwasgoingonweeksago,andhewouldn'tlisten,"sherepliedshortly."HethinksI'm
makingitup,thatit'sabidforattention.Besides,he'ssowrappedupwiththatredheadedmodelthathe
doesn'tevenhearme..."Sheswallowed."Sorry.He'sgotalotonhismind.SohaveI."

Nickstudiedherwithcompassion,buthewasworried,anditshowed."Ifheasksme,Crissy,I'vegot
totellhim."

Sheshrugged."Dowhatyouhaveto,Nick.Butnotunlessheasks.Deal?"

Hesmiled."Deal."

"AndIwanttoknowwhatthevetfinds."

"Surething."

She turned the horse and rode back toward the ranch. But halfway there, she dismounted under a
spreading pecan tree and sat down under it. No way was she going back home until Judd and his
girlfriend finished lunch and went away. It had started out to be a bad day, and it just kept getting
worse,shethoughtmiserably.

CHAPTERSEVEN

By the time Crissy got home, unsaddled her mount and gave the rifle back to the cowboy she'd
borroweditfrom,JuddandTippyweregone.

Maudewasinthekitchen,mutteringabouttheclutterofequipmentshewashavingtoworkaround.

SheturnedaroundfromthesinkwhenCrissywalkedin."Hidingout,wereyou?Iwishyou'dhadthe
kindnesstotakemewithyou,insteadofleavingmehere."

"Wasitbad?"

"Bad!"Theolderwomanputadirtypaninthedishwasher."Sheranyoudownlikearunawaytanker.
She's got Judd convinced that you're pouting because he's paying her a lot of attention. She thinks
you'retotallyimmature."

"I think she's a pain in the butt," Crissy said curtly, tossing her hat aside before she sprawled on a
chair at the kitchen table. "He bought her an emerald ring. From the look of it, it had several
diamonds,too."

Maude scowled. "He bought it for her? With what?" she exclaimed. "He doesn't have that kind of
money."

"Heprobablyboughtitoutofhissavings,"shesaidmiserably."AndwhatcouldIsay,evenifIknew
forsure?

Itisn'tfairthathehastospendeverypennyhemakestokeepthisplacegoing!"

"Oh, baby," Maude said, grimacing. "I'm sorry. I saw the ring, but I had no idea... Are you sure he
boughtitforher?"

"She said he did. I'm not about to go ask him, if that's what you mean. I'm already in his bad book
becauseIwantedCashtoteachmehowtoshootapistol."

Shehesitated."Hedoesn'tlikeCash."

"He says there are things in Cash's past that he can't tell me," she agreed. "But I'm not planning to
marryhim.

He'smyfriend."

"Ithinkhe'dliketobemore."

Crissysmiledsadly."I'mmarried.Notthatitmatterstoanybodyelse."

Maudegrimacedandstartedthedishwasher.Itmadeapleasantchurningsoundinthesilenceofthe

kitchen.

"Shedoesn'tknowthat."

"What difference would it make if she did?" Crissy asked philosophically. "Women like her don't
recognizeobstacles.Shecanhaveanymanshelikes.Shetoldmesoherself,"sheaddedwithawicked
smile.

"NotCashGrier,"Maudecountered.

Crissylaughed,butnotwholeheartedly."Atleastonemanisn'ttakeninbythatpoisonoussmile."

Maude looked at the younger woman worriedly. "Men will always look at something beautiful. But
howmanymenwouldwanttomarryafacethateveryothermancovets?Howcouldhebesurethat
she'dbefaithfultohim?"

"Ifshelovedhim,shemight."

Maudehuffed."Shelovesbaubles,andshecan'tgetpastherownassetstonoticeanybodyelse's.You
watchher,"sheaddedfirmly."She'llcutyououtwithJuddanywayshecan,andshe'svindictive."

"Judddoesn'twantmetobeginwith,"Crissysaidonasigh.

"He never did." She discounted that long, lingering kiss. It had been, after all, only a point of
comparisonforher.Itwasn'tasifhe'dfolloweditup.Thensherememberedthestrange,quickkissin
theSUVwhenhe'dbroughtherhomefromlunchintownwithCash.Shestilldidn'tunderstandit.But
then,Juddwasn'thimselflately.

"Wheredidyougothisafternoon?"

"ToseemydeadyoungHerefordbull,"camethesadreply."I'mprettysurehewaspoisoned,likeour
youngSalersbull.Thefencewascut,justliketheothertwo."

"Andyouhaven'ttoldJudd?"Maudeexclaimed.

"Youknowhe'dthinkIwasmakingitup,"Crissysaidsim-ply."TippyMoorewouldhelphimthinkit
wasjustanotherpleaforattention."

"NotifNickbackedyouup."

"He'dsayIputNickuptoit.No.Ihavetohaveproofthistime."

Maude bit her lower lip. "Child, this is getting very dangerous. You shouldn't be riding out alone,
evenwithagun."

"YouandNick!"Crissyexclaimedirritably.

"We'rebothright,andyouknowit!"

She exhaled slowly. "I'll tell Cash Grier," she said finally. "He's the one person who'll believe me
withoutreservation."

Maudehesitated."Juddownshalftheranch."

"Iknowthat,Maude,"shereplied."Butthisisjustadeadbull.He'sinvestigatingamurderedpregnant
woman,andit'shardforhim."

"Itwouldbe,foraminister'sson,"Maudeagreed."Hewasasensitiveboy.He'slearnedhowtohide
allthatsincehegrewup,butit'stherejustthesame.Maybethemodelkeepshismindofftheugliness
hehastosee."

"Maybeshedoes,"Crissysaidnoncommittally."Couldyoufeedmesomething?"sheaddedwistfully.
"Ididn'tevengetbreakfast."

"OfcourseIcan.Whatdoyouwant?"

"Soup."

"I'llgetajaroutofthatcannedbeefsoupImadelastsum-meroutofthepantry,andmakeyousome
cornbreadtogowithit,"Maudesaid,smiling.

Crissy sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Comfort food," she murmured to herself, and then
laughedatherownwhimsy.

Before Judd got back to the ranch to question Crissy about why she was avoiding him, Leo Hart
phoned her with some information about the herd sire of her Salers bull. He told her that the man
fromVictoriawhobredthem,JackHandley,hadfiredtheClarkbrothersandlosthisprizeSalersbull
and all four young bulls it had sired to mysterious causes. When he heard about Christabel's bull
dying,hehadoneofhisdeadbullsautopsied,andpoisonwasfound.Hecheckedandfoundapattern
of cattle theft and retribution with the Clarks that went back two years. At least four employers had
talked of similar problems with them. The Clark brothers were suspects in the death of Handley's
bulls,buttheyhadalibis.JohnhadbeeninJacobsvillevisitinghisbrother,andtheyhadawitness,a
man named Gould, who swore they were with him at a rodeo during the time of the poisonings. In
fact,GouldworkedforHandleyandhadareputationasahardworkerwhonevermadetrouble.

ShetoldCashaboutit,ononeoftheirfishingafternoonsinthepay-and-fishtroutpondoutsidetown.
Itwasahobbytheybothshared—andgoodeating,whentheycaughtanything.Thepondstayedopen
untiltheendofOctober,whichitalmostwas.Theafternoonswerecoolandsunnyandpleasantthis
timeofyear.

"LeosaidhetriedtotellJuddaboutit,buthewasinahurryanddidn'thavetimetolisten,"shesaidas
theysatwiththeirfeetdanglingfromthedockandwatchedtheircorksfloat.

Heglancedather,straighteninghisline."Haveyouhadanymoretrouble?"

Sheshookherhead."IknowtheClarksareguilty.IjustwishIcouldproveit."

"Wehadatipaboutablackpickuptruckwitharedstripe,onelikeHobDowneysawparkednearyour
fence,inconnectionwiththemurderinVictoria.ButwecheckedeveryranchinJacobsvilleandwe
didn'tfindasingleonethatmatchedit.IfitwastheClarks,maybetheyditcheditafterDowneysawit."

ThevethadconfirmedthatpoisonhadbeenusedonherHerefordbull.CrissyhadtoldCash,butshe
stillhadn'ttoldJudd.

Hesearchedhereyesforalongtime,andthenlookedbacktowardthelake."Iftheydidpoisonyour
livestock,we'llcatchthemsoonerorlater."

"WeoughttoaskHobifhe'sseenthatblackpickuptruckanywheresincethen,"shecommented."He
mighthaverememberedsomethingmore,too."

"Haveyoutalkedtohimaboutthelatestbullthatwaspoisoned?"

"No,"sheconfided."TheHerefordbullwasn'tkeptinapasturenearhisplace.Hecouldn'thaveseen
anything."

"Supposewestopbythereonthewaybacktotheranchandtalktohimanyway?"

Shesmiled."Ifwecatchtwomorefish,wecansharewithhim.Hedoesloveanicepanoftrout.He
andmydadusedtofishtogether."

"Youdon'ttalkaboutyourfathermuch."

She drew in a long breath. "When he was sober, he was a wonderful man. But the scars are deep—
physicallyaswellasemo-tionally.Ithurtstoremembersometimes."

Heonlynodded,buthisfacewasexpressive.

Halfanhourlater,theypackeduptheirsixfishinanice-filledchestanddrovedownthehighwayto
HobDowney'slittlecabin.

Hisoldbeat-uptruckwasstillparkedwhereithadbeenthedayCrissyhadriddenuptotalktohim.
She frowned. He usually drove into town to get groceries at least once a week. Odd that he'd have
parkedinexactlythesamespot.Eitherthat,orthetruckhadn'tbeenmoved.Andsomethingelsewas
odd.Thefrontdoorwasclosed,butthescreendoorwasstandingajar.Hobalwayskeptitclosed,so
thathecouldopenthewoodendoorwithouthavingoneofhiscatsrushinbyhim.

"That'sstrange,"shemurmuredastheygotoutofthetruck."Heneverleavesthescreendooropen
likethat..."

Beforeshe finished thesentence Cash, whowas several feet infront of her,tried the wooden door,

founditunlocked,andopenedit.Hestoppedabruptlyandhiswholebodystiffened.

"What'swrong?"sheasked.

"Ithinkyou'dbetterwaithere."

Shescoffedatthat."I'mnolily,"shemurmured,followingrightalongbehindhimtotheopendoor.

Therewasasmell,averysickening,sweetsmell.Crissyhadneversmelleditbefore,andshegaveit
onlyapassingthoughtasshewentintothelivingroomwhereCashwasstanding.

Thesightthatmethereyeswassohorriblethatshegagged.Sheturnedandranbackontotheporch
and lost her breakfast and her lunch, hanging over the porch railing like a limp rag while tears of
shockandoutrageandgriefpoureddownherwhiteface.

Absently,sheheardCashcallingforanambulance,thecoroner,andacrimescenetechnicianfrom
theDepartmentofPublicSafety.ShealsoheardhimaddacalltotheTexasRangerstationinVictoria,
temporarilylocatedinthesheriff'sofficethere.

Cash got her off the porch and to his truck. He opened the passenger door and seated her on the
runningboard.

Secondslater,hehandedherasilverflask.

"Don'tsmellit,don'tthinkaboutwhatitis.Justdrinkit,"hesaidfirmly,holdingittohermouth.

Shetookalongswallow,choked,andcriedsomemore.Cashdrewherheadtohischestandheldit
there,smoothingherhair,utteringwordsshedidn'treallyhear.

Theambulancecame,followedbyasheriff'sdeputy.Thecoronerarrivedfiveminuteslater.Yellow
policetapewasstretchedallaroundthefrontyardandthehouse.

"Whyaretheydoingthat?"CrissyaskedCash.

"Becauseuntiltheycanperformanautopsy,anysuspiciousdeathisopenforclassification,"hesaid
quietly."Hemighthavehadaheartattackorastroke,butitcouldjustaseasilybeahomicide.There
was a crowbar next to the body, and the hyeloid bone in the throat was broken," he added
professionally."They'llgooverthehousewithfingerprinttapeanddocumenteverysinglecluethey
cancollect,rightdowntofingerprintsandfootprintsandtraceevidenceonhisclothing"

Shegapedathim."Who'dwanttokillpooroldHob?"sheexclaimed.

Heheldherhandinhis."Hesawapickuptruckandtwosuspiciousmenatyourfence,"hereminded
her.

"Oh, for heaven's, sake, it was only a cut fence, they didn't even steal anything," she exclaimed.

"Nobodycouldprovewhoitwas,andeventhen,it'snotmurderoranything!"

He didn't say anything. His eyes were narrowed in on the house where all the activity was located.
Afteraminute,heleftherandwenttotalktothemedicalexaminer.

Awhilelater,JuddarrivedinhisSUV,alongwiththecrimescenetechniciansintheirvan.

Cashwenttomeetthem.JuddglancedtowardthetrackwhereChristabelwassittingandhesitated,but
Cashmotionedhimupontotheporch.Theywentintothehousewiththeotherlawenforcementand
medicalpeople,anditwasseveralminutesbe-foretheycamebackout.

ChristabelhadtakenthreelargegulpsofbrandyfromCash'sflask.Ithadsteadiedher,butshedidn't
thinkshecouldeverclosehereyesagainwithoutseeingwhatwasleftofpooroldHobDowney.He'd
obviously been dead some time, considering the condition of the body. She barely recognized him
now.

"Christabel."

SheheardJudd'sdeepvoiceasifthroughafog.Heturnedherwhitefaceuptohisconcernedeyesand
studiedit.

"Shock,"hetoldCashgrimly."She'sneverseenanythinglikethis.I'mgoingtorunhertothehospital
andhavetheresidentcheckherout."

"Youarenot,"shesaidhuskily."I'mallright."

Juddactuallywinced."Thatisn'tasightyoushouldeverhavebeenexposedto,"hesaidharshly,and
glaredatCash.

"He tried to stop me," she defended the older man. "I wouldn't listen." She got to her feet, a little
unsteadily,andhandedCashtheflask.Shetookawobblybreath.

"What'sinthat?"JuddaskedCash,indicatingtheflask.

"Orange juice," she told Judd firmly. "It can't be brandy, because I'm underage, and Cash wouldn't
breakthelawonmyaccount."

Judd knew Cash had, but the circumstances were extreme. It was no time to split hairs. "All right.
Cash,driveherhome.Ican'tleaveuntiltheguysfromthestatecrimelabfinish."Helookedasifit
waskillinghimthathehadtolethergowithCash.

Christabelstaredathim."It'sahomicide,isn'tit?"sheaskedinahushedtone."Youthinksomebody
killedhim!"

Hiseyesnarrowed."I'mhavingalltheangleschecked."HeexchangedalonglookwithCash."Once
evidenceislost,itcan'teverberegained.Getheroutofhere,Cash."

ShestartedtoargueandCashhesitated.JuddwalkedrightaroundCash,pickedherupgently,andput
herbackintothepickuptruck,strappingherin.Shecouldfeeltheheatfromhisbodyattheproximity.
Shefeltsafe.Shewantedtoclimbintohisarmsandholdontight.Thensherememberedtheringhe'd
givenTippy.He'dnevergivenheranythingsopersonal.Heneverwould.Hersighwasaudible.

Hesawthatexpressiononherfaceandfrownedcuriously.Hisbighandsheldherarmsfirmly."You
stay with Maude until I get there, baby," he said in a tone so tender it made her want to cry. "Don't
leavethehouse,andtrynottothinkaboutwhatyou'veseen."

Shefeltthepainallthewaytohersoul."Youhavetolookatthingslikethatallthetime,don'tyou?"
sheasked.

Henoddedslowly.

Herhandwenttohishardmouthandpressedthere,gently."I'msosorry,"shewhispered.Hervoice
brokeandshebitherlowerliptosteadyherself.

Hischestroseandfellheavily."SoamI."Hepulledthepalmofherhandtohismouthandkissedit
hungrily.

"I'dhavecutoffmyarmtokeepyoufromhavingtoseethat!"hegroundout.

"It'sallright,"shesaidhuskily,andmanagedasmile."Icanhandleit.Youjustgooutthereandgetthe
guywhodidit,okay?"

Hetookadeepbreath.Shehadgrit.Hesmiledback."You'reonetoughcustomer,ChristabelGaines,"
hemurmured."Okay,tiger.I'llcatchtheperp.Yougohome!"

Shegrinned,despiteherpallor."Okay,boss!"

Hesmiledgrimly."I'llseeyoulater."

Heturnedwithoutanotherwordandwentbackupontotheporchofthehouse.

Cash climbed in beside her and buckled his own seat belt, with a quick glance at her face. "You're
game,CrissyGaines,"hesaidwithpride."Mostotherwomenwouldhavescreamedorfainted.You
justthrewup."

Shemanagedawansmile."I'llbetyouneverhave."

"You'd lose." He started the engine and pulled out into the road. "The first homicide I worked as a
rookiecopwasinalockedhouseinthesummer.Therewerethreevictims—adou-blehomicideanda
suicide, and the victims had been in there for a week. I actually passed out." He gave her an
affectionategrin."Youcan'timaginewhatitwasliketohavetogotoworkthenextday."

"Ican,too.IlearnedfromJuddthatcopshavereallyquirkysensesofhumoronthejob."

Helaughed."Theydo.Ifoundadeadsquirrelinmylocker,adeadsquirrelinmypatrolcar'strunk,a
dead squirrel hanging from my apartment doorknob when I got home—needless to say, I never let
themseeweaknessagain."

"NeitherwillI,"sherepliedfirmly,wrappingherarmsaroundherchest."Thefirsttimeisalwaysthe
hardest,isn'tit,withanything?"

"Yes."Heglancedather."Butyoucanlivewithit.Youcanlivewithalot.It'sjustgettingusedtoit."

Sheleanedherheadbackagainsttheseat."YouthinkHobwaskilled,don'tyou,Cash?"

Hewasquietforaminute."Idon'tthinkanythingrightnow.LikeJuddsaid,wewanttodoathorough
jobofinvestigation,justincase."Heglancedather."Butforthetimebeing,youdon'tgoridingfence
alone,evenifyoudocarryagunalong."

Shenodded.Shedidn'tmeethiseyes.Juddwouldhavemadeherpromise.Cashdidn'tknowherwell
enough.

"Feelingbetter?"heasked.

"Yes.Iwasthinkingaboutmedicalexaminers,"shelied."Judd'sbestfriend,MarcBrannon,isalways
joking about one of the medical examiner's assistants up in San Antonio, a crime scene technician
namedAliceJoneswhohasaratherquirkysenseofhumor."

"Dearoldjab-him-in-the-liverAlice,"Cashchuckled."Everybodyknowsher.She'salocallegend"

"Howdoyoulookatthingslikethat,dayafterday,yearafteryear?"shewantedtoknow.

"Itgoeswiththejobdescription.Youtrytothinkaboutthevictim,notabouthowyoureacttolooking
at him or her. You think about finding the perpetrator and putting him away, so that he can't do it
again. If you're lucky, you don't have to see things like that too often." He sighed. "But some guys
can'thandleit,especiallytheoneswhoarethemostaffectedandrefusetoadmitthatitbothersthem.
Theythinktheyshouldbeabovesqueamishnessoveranythingconnectedtothejob.Officerslikethat
—andofficerswhoareinvolvedinfatalshootings—sometimesjustcan'tdealwithit.Alotofthem
quitthejobafterward.Afewothersbecomealcoholicsorsuicides."

Shenodded.Juddhadtoldherallthat,too.SheglancedupatCash."Youdon'tdrink."

Heshrugged."Occasionally.Neverenoughtolosecontrol."

"NeitherdoesJudd."

Hesmiledslowly."Judd'soneofthosehardcaseswhocan'tadmitweakness.He'sneverkilledaman.
Infact,Idon'tthinkhe'severhadtoshootanybody."

"He shot a man in the leg who was trying to knife another officer, when he was on the Jacobsville
policeforce.

Themanlivedanddidn'tevenlimpafterward."

"LuckyJudd."

Shestudiedthehardfaceacrossfromher."You'vekilledmen."

Hiswholebodystiffened.Hedidn'tlookather.

She wanted to say something else, something comforting. But he looked like stone. She moved
restlessly,embarrassedathavingsaidsomethingsoblatantlypersonal.

Hereyesturnedtothelandscapepassingby."Hobdoesn'thaveanyfamily."

"Thecountywilltakecareofthefuneralexpense,I'msure,"hesaidafteraminute."He'llgetadecent
burial,atleast."

"Poor old man. He didn't have anything much. Do you really think somebody would kill him just
becausehesawthemcutafence?"

"Idon'tknow.Butnomatterwhat,atleasthediedquick.Hedidn'tlinger."

Shesighed."Ihopeso.Ireallydo."

Judd stopped by the house on his way back to Victoria. Christabel was in the kitchen with Maude,
smilingandhelpingwithbreadandpie-making.

"I'mfine,"sheassuredhim."Noneedtoworryaboutme."

Hehesitated,hisblackeyesnarrowedonherface.Shewasstillalittlepale."Whendidyoulastsee
Hob?"

"Aboutaweekago,"shesaid,andthenrememberedwhyshecouldn'ttellhimwhatwasdiscussedon
Hob'sfrontporch.

"Washewell?"

"Justlikealways,"shesaid,glaringatMaude,whowasabouttosaysomething."IeventoldMaude
thathelookedbetterthanever,didn'tI,Maude?"sheaddedpointedly.

Maudegrimaced."Yes,youdid.Pooroldfellow.Hewasakindsoul."

"Ifyou'reokay,I'llgetbacktowork,"hetoldChristabel."Youstilllookshaken."

Shemanagedasmileforhim."Thatwouldshakeanybody."

"Probablyso.Stayclosetothehouseforawhile.LetNickandtheboysdotheoutriding."

"Whateveryousay,Judd,"sheagreedpleasantly.

He gave her a long stare. "I mean it." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Promise me," he added
deliberately.

Shethoughtforaminute."IpromiseI'llstayclosetothehouse."

"Allright."

Hegaveheralastlook,noddedtoMaude,andwentoutthebackdoor.

"Liar,"Maudegrumbledather.

"Someofthefencelinesareclosetothehouse,"shereplied."Besides,I'llhavetohelpNickandthe
boyscheckforotherbreaks.We'reshorthandedsinceLarryquitandBobbywentbacktoschoolpart
time.I'lltellCash,"

shepromised.

"IfJuddfindsout..."Maudegroaned.

Two days later, Crissy rode to the pasture where they'd put one of four remaining young Hereford
bulls.They'dsplitthemup,hopingitwoulddeteranymorepoisoning.Shecarriedtheborrowedrifle
again,andCash'scellphoneinaholderonherbelt.He'dmadehertakeit,andtoldNicktostayclose
toheraroundtheranch.Nickcouldn'tdoanymorewithherthanCashdid.Andthistime,shealmost
paidtheprice.

Justassherodepastahugeoaktreenearthefence,amansteppedoutintoherpath.

Shehadgoodreactionspeeds.Bythetimehewasinposition,shehadtherifleoutofthesheathand
cocked. She didn't point it at him, but it lay across her blue-jeaned legs and her eyes told him that
she'dshoot,giventheleastprovocation.

"Yougonnashootme,bosslady?"JackClarkdrawled,eyesnarrowashestaredupatherfromthe
dirtpath.

"Thesecondyoumakeamovetowardme,"shenodded,andshedidn'tblink.

"Isawyoucomingthiswayfromtheroad,"hesaid,noddingtowardthehighwaywhichwasonlya
fewhundredfeetaway."IwantyoutostopspreadingrumorsaboutmeinJacobsville,"headdedina
cold tone. "I didn't steal anything from you. I bought a pair of boots because I tore one of mine up
whenIwashayingwiththatoldtractoryouuse.Youowedmethoseboots!"

"Andifyou'dcometousandasked,we'dhavereplacedthem,"shereplied,feelingscaredandsickbut
determined not to let it show. Her hand tightened on the rifle. "You didn't. You bought the most
expensivepairyoucouldfindandhadthemchargedtotheranch."

"No cause to fire a man without giving him a hearing." He was giving her a look that chilled her
blood.Itwasthesamelookhe'dgivenherwhenhe'dworked,briefly,forherandJudduntilhewaslet
goinearlySeptember.

He liked women, but none of them would give him the time of day. He had bad teeth, and an ugly
attitude— not to mention a vulgar way of talking to women. He was a homely man, with sharp
features and thinning hair, lean and mean-look-ing. His clothes were always rumpled, and his hair
lookedasifitwasneverwashed.Hewasthemostrepulsivepersonshe'deverseen.Hewaswearinga
flannelshirtinputridshadesofblackandgreenandyellowthatlookedalmostasrepulsiveashedid.

"Youhadyoursay,"shesaidflatly.Sheshiftedthegun,pressedCash'sprekeyednumberintothecell
phone and stared down at him with cold deliberation. "You're trespassing. I want you off my land.
Now.I'vejustputtheassistantpolicechief'snumberintothisphone.Ionlyhavetopressabuttonand
he'llknowwhereIamandwhyIcalled."

He hesitated, measuring the distance between them. Even if she could send that number, response
wouldn'tcomeatonce.Athissides,hisfistsclenchedandhebegantosmilespeculatively.Hetooka
quickstepforward.

Inthatsplitsecond,Crissyhadtherifleshoulderedandwaslookingdownthebarrel."Safety'soff,"
shesaidcalmly."Yourmove."

He'dstoppedshortwhensheputtherifleup.Nowhehesitatedagain,asifmeasuringthatdistancea
secondtimeandweighinghowquicklyshecouldfire.Butonelookathereyestoldhimwhatshe'ddo
ifhemovedagain.

His threatening stance shifted. "No call to try and shoot a man for asking a civil question!" he said
angrily.

"Myarm'sgettingtired,"shesaidpointedly.

Hecursed,asharpvulgarwordthatwasaccompaniedbythemostdisgustingleershe'deverseen."It
wouldn't be worth it, at that. You're more boy than girl, even if you are blond. I'd rather have
somethingpretty!"

"You'dbelucky!"shemuttered.

"I had me a pretty, blond woman once!" he shot back, and then flushed. He turned on his heel and
stompedbackthroughthewoodedareatowardthehighway.

"You'll pay, you little bitch!" he yelled back at her. "You'll pay good! I'll make you sorry you ever
openedyourmouth!"

Herhandswereshakingassheputthesafetyontherifle.Sheheardanenginerevupandshecaughta
glimpseofabatteredoldtanpickuptruckasClarkdrovepastthepathshewasrid-ing,layingdown
on his horn belligerently as he sped away. Definitely not a black truck with a red stripe, either, she

noted.

Sheletoutthebreathshe'dbeenholding.Sheputtherifleawayandrodequicklybacktothehouse.
Shewasn'tsurprisedtofindherheartbeatinginherthroatlikeadrum.

ShewantedtoaskMaudeforadvice.Ithadbeenascaryfewminutes,andshewasn'tsurewhattodo
next.

ButMaudewasn'thomewhenshegotthere.Shemadeher—

116DianaPalmer

selfacupofcoffeeanddecidedthatthistimeshecouldn'than-dlethingsalone.SheunfastenedCash's
cellphonefromherbelt.ShepressedinthenumberofCash'sofficeandwhenitdidn'tring,realized
thatshe'dforgottentopushthesendbutton.Shepressedit,angrily,andwaitedforsomeonetoanswer.

Cashpickedituphimself.

"Cash,couldyoucomeouthereforafewminutes?"sheaskedinaghostlytone.

"Areyouallright?"heaskedatonce.

"Yes.JackClarkwashere.Ihadtothreatentoshoothim."

Therewasahesitation."Iknow,"hesaidafteraminute."He'shereinmyoffice,filingacomplaint.He
saysyoupulledagunonhimwithnoprovocation.Hewantsyouarrested."

CHAPTEREIGHT

Crissydidn'tknowwhattosay,whattodo.Shehadvisionsofbeingarrestedandlockedup.Wouldn't
thatmakeJackClark'sday,shemusedunhappily.

Shedrewinasteadyingbreath."Doyouwantmetodriveintotownandturnmyselfin?"sheasked,
onlyhalfjoking.

Cash'svoicewascold."Idonot.I'llhandlethis.Seeyouinafewminutes."

He hung up. Crissy looked around her at the mess of equipment the film crew had left in place for
their return, and she felt hopeless. Judd was going to be absorbed by the famous model. The ranch
wasgoingtogounderfromlackofoperatingcapitalandbreedingbulls.Shewasgoingtoprison.
She laughed almost hysterically and wondered if she could sell her own story to the producer. It
wouldmakeamuchmoreexcitingmoviethanhisromanticcomedy.

Cash looked smug when he walked into the living room. He was in uniform, handsome and
completelyunaffectedbyClark'svisit.

Crissy,ontheotherhand,wasworriedandpale."Doyouwanttohandcuffme?"sheasked.

Hechuckled."No,Iwantcoffee."

Shewentintothekitchen,leavinghimtofollow."I'mnotunderarrest?"

"No."Hesatdown,waitingforhertopourcoffeeintotwomugs."Haveyouforgotten?You'refour
milesoutoftown.Idon'thavejurisdictionhere.Clarkknowsit,too.Heonlywantedtoshakeyouup,
andheknewthatyouandIwerefriends."

"Hewon'tletitdrop,"shesaidworriedlyasshesatdownbe-sidehim.

Hecaughthercoldfingersinhis."Itoldhimthatanywomanalone,facedwithathreateningman,had
the right to defend herself. Besides that, he was trespassing on private land, without permission. He
wasinthewrong.

Hedidn'tpushhisluck."

Shesighedherrelief."I'llbethedidn'tlikethat."

Hestudiedherfacequietly."You'rereallyfrightenedofhim"

Shenodded."He'svulgarandoffensive.Hemadeblatantpassesatmewhenhewasworkinghere."

"DidyoutellJudd?"

She turned her mug in her hands. "It was too much like carrying tales," she said. "I thought I could

handleit.ItoldClarkIdidn'tlikesuggestiveremarks,andthathe'dlosehisjobifhekeptitup."

"Diditwork?"

"Idon'tknow,becausethatwasjustbeforehechargedthoseexpensivebootsandwefiredhim."

"Hehasarecord."

Shestaredathim."Whatsort?"

"Sexual assault and battery on a very young teenage girl, when he was in his early twenties," he
replied."Thegirlalmostdiedofherinjuries.Shereportedhimtothepoliceandtestifiedagainsthim.
Heservedsixyears."

"Whathappenedtothegirl?"sheaskedcuriously.

"Herfamilychangedtheirnameandmovedaway.Nobodyknowswheretheywent."

"Whatabouthisbrother,John?"shewantedtoknow.

"John never did anything that got him convicted. He was accused of poisoning livestock a time or
two,butthere'snorecordthatheeverhurtahumanbeing.SinceJackgotoutofprison,therehave
beenaccusationsbutnoarrests,foreitherofthem."

Crissyfeltchillsgodownherspine.Herhandswereicyaroundthehotmug.

"DidJuddevergetyouthathandgun?"

Sheblinked.Hermindwaselsewhere."HebroughtitdownandleftitwithMaude."

"Getit.Apistolisamuchbetterclose-rangeweaponthanarifle."

Shetookthecaseitwasinfromunderthekitchensinkandputitonthetable.

Hiseyebrowslifted.

"Well,itisn'texactlythefirstplaceathiefwouldlookforagun,"shedefendedherself.

Hechuckled.Heopenedthecaseandtookouttherevolver.Itwasshapedlikeanold-time.45colt,but
itshot

.22caliberlongriflebullets.Therewasaboxofshellsinthecasewiththepis-tol.

"Okay,let'sgo."

"Where?"sheasked,standingup.

"Tothefiringrange.Bytheendoftheday,you'llknowhowtohandlethispistol,andI'llfeelbetter
abouthavingyouandMaudeoutherealone."

"I'llgo,butwewon'tbeverymuchaloneafterSunday.Themoviepeoplearecomingback,"shesaid
onasigh.

"I'll be glad to have them here," he replied solemnly. "Clark's not likely to come after you with a
crowdofpeopleonhand."

"Ihopenot."Shefollowedhimouttothefrontporch."AreyougoingtotellJudd?"

"Ihaveto,"hesaidcurtly.

"But..."

He turned, his dark eyes quiet and worried. "The state crime lab had a preliminary report on Hob
Downey.Hewashitinthethroatwithahardobject,probablythetiretoolwefoundnearhim."

Shefelttheblooddrainingoutofherface."Ican'tbelieveHobwaskilledjustbecauseofwhathesaw
whenmyfencewascut."

Hehelpedherintothepassengersideofthetruck."It'smorecomplicatedthanthat."

"HowaboutJackClark?"shepressed."He'sthemostlikelysuspect,isn'the?"

"He is. But he has an ironclad alibi for Downey's approximate time of death. In fact, he has an
ironcladalibifortheentireday."

Shewaited.

He got in and fastened his seat belt. "He was with a well-known local resident of Victoria, a city
councilwoman."

"Issheareliablewitness?"

"Sheis,unfortunately.ShetoldinvestigatorsthatClarkcamebyherofficeandinvitedhertolunch.
He said he wanted to talk to her about buying some land—she's in real estate. She took him to two
differentproperties.It'scurious,butitisn'tillegal.SoJackClark'snotasuspect,"hesaidheavily."But
don'tworry.We'llfindwhoeverkilledoldHob."

"Howabouthisbrother,John?"sheasked."Doeshehaveanalibi?"

"Hewaswithaco-workeronthatVictoriaranchwhereheworks."

"Ican'tbelieveClarktriedtohavemearrested,"shesaid,rubbingherarms.

"Youneedasweater,"hepointedout,notingherlong-sleevedchambrayshirtoveraT-shirt.

"I'mnotcold.It'sthinkingofwhatmighthavehappenedifIhadn'thadtherifle."

"I'mgoingtoteachyoutoshootapistoltoday,"hesaid,turningontothehighway."Itwillbeeasierto
useonapotentialattackerthansomethingaslongasarifle,thathecouldgrabawayfromyou.That
takescareoftheshortterm.ButwestillhavetotellJuddaboutwhat'sbeengoingon."

"Why?"sheaskedworriedly."Thefilmcrewwillbehere.Yousaidyourselfthatnothingwillhappen
withsomanypeoplearound."

Heglancedather."Juddhasarighttoknow."

"I'm not telling him," she said stubbornly. "And that's that." He didn't answer her. They went to the
policefiringrangeandshespenttwohourspullingatrigger.Sheseemedtobeanaturalwithapistol.
She was able to put all her shots within the approximate size of a man's torso. But the thought of
actuallyshootingahumanbeingmadehersickatherstomach.

"That'swhyyou'relearningtoshootproperly,"Cashtoldher."Thenyoucanplaceyourshots."

"WhatifImiss?"

Heturnedtoher."Whatifyoudon'tshootatall?"

ShethoughtofClarkandthewayhe'dlookedather,thethingshe'dsaidtoher.Sheswallowedher
pride.

"Okay.Let'strythatagain."

Herhandsweresorewhentheyfinished,butshefeltmoreconfident.Cashpromisedtotakeheroutat
leastonceaweektotherangeandkeepupherpractice.Sheforgotthathehadn'tpromisednottotell
Juddwhatwasgoingon.

Thefilmcrewcamebackandchaosbecamenormalagain.Juddwalkedupbehindherjustasshewas
getting out of her truck after class one afternoon. He wasn't smiling, and his black eyes were
homicidal.

Shestaredathimwithresignation."Cashtoldyou."

"Hetoldme.Somethingyoushouldhavedone,longago!"hegritted."Thisranchishalfmine.Ihave
arighttoknowifit'sindanger—ifyou'reindanger!"

"I'mnot.Icanshootagun..."

"Clarkwasrighthereonthepropertyandyoudidn'tknowituntilhesteppedoutinfrontofyou,"he
interruptedfuriously."Whatifhe'dhadagun,too?"

"Hedidn't."

"That'sbesidethepoint.Youshouldhavetoldme!"

"You wouldn't have believed me!" she raged back. Her dark eyes were blazing now, too, her blond
hairindisarrayfromthewind."Youwouldn'tbelievemewhenItoldyouthebullhadbeenpoisoned.
YousaidIwasjealousoftheattentionyouweregivingthefilmcrew!Andyou'dreallyhaveareason
toaccusemeoflyingnow,youcouldsayIwasjealousofyourfancymodel!"

Hedrewinaslowbreath."I'dhavebelievedabloodanaly-sisdonebyaveterinarian,"hesaid.

"Sure,aslongasyouweren'texpectedtobelieveanythingItoldyou!"

"Cashkneweverything."Hemadeitsoundlikeanaccusation.

"Yes,hedid.Heisn'tpantingoverTippyMoore,andhe'dtakemywordanyday,foranything!"she
addedwithpurevenom.

Hiseyesnarroweddangerouslyandhestiffened."Tippyisnotyourbusiness.Shehasnothingtodo
withtheranch."

Shewantedtoaskhimifhewassureaboutthat,whenhewasspendingmoneyhedidn'thavetobuy
herexpensivejewelry.Butshedidn't.

Shegavehimahardglarebeforesheturnedaway."Clarkwon'tsneakuponmeagain."

"Thatisn'tgoodenough.Maudeisn'talwayshere,andyou'llbeawayfromtheranchforatimeevery
daygoingtoschool."

"Cashgavemehiscellphone,"sheadded,producingitfromherpockettoshowittohim."Icancall
himanytimeandhe'llcome."

Thelookonhisfacewasdifficulttoassess.Hewipeditcleanofexpressionwhileshewastryingto
understandit.

"Makesureyou'vegotoneofthemenalongfromnowonwhenyouridefence,andcarrythegunhe's
teachingyoutoshoot."

Shestoppedandturned."WhichmanshouldItakealong?Ex-ceptforNick,weonlyhavethreeleft,
all part-timers," she said flatly. "Economy is becoming a religion around here. When I finish this
semester,"sheadded,

"I'mgoingtoquitschoolandgetajob.I'mtiredofwearingthesamejeansforthreeyearsandnot
havingenoughcashtobuyasinglenewdress!"

His high cheekbones went ruddy. He didn't say a word, but she knew he understood what she was
saying.Hedidn'tthinksheknewaboutthering.Butheknewthatsheeconomizedeverywhere,while
hewasspendinghissavingstobuyexpensiveringsforhisnewgirl.

"Aneducationis..."hebegan.

"Aluxury,underthecircumstances,"shereturned,movingaway."ThewayIfeelrightnow,wecould
puttheranchonthemarketandforgettryingtomakeendsmeetforever!I'msickofstrugglingallthe
time!"

She went into the house in a blue fury. Tippy Moore had opened her mouth to speak and shut it
instantly when she saw Christabel's furious dark eyes. She'd heard what was said outside, and she
wantedtoknowmore.ButChristabelwenttoherroomandclosedthedoor.JuddgotintohisSUV
andspedawaywithoutcominginside.

Maude, caught between them, just sighed and made more coffee. They didn't need it, but she had to
havesomethingtodo.

Ofcourse,Crissycouldn'tstayinherroomforever.Shecameoutforsupper.Surprisingly,thefilm
crewwasstillthere,butabouttoleave.

TippyMooregaveherastrangelook,onethattookintheageandwearofthejeansandblouseshe
waswearing,andthepeel-ingpaintonthedoorfacings,andtheyellowspotsontheceilingofthehall
thatindicatedaleak.

"Didyouwantsomething,MissMoore?"Crissyaskedcurtly.

Tippysighed."Ididn'trealizehowhardthingswereforyouhere,"shebegan.

"Myranchisnotyourbusiness,"Crissyrepliedtersely.

"It soon might be, though," came the slow reply. For good measure, Tippy turned the emerald and
diamondring.

Shewaswearingitonherengagementfinger.

Crissyfeltsickallover.SoJuddwasconsideringmarriage.Well,he'dbettergettheannulmentfirst,
shethoughtwithblackhumor.

"Yourcrewisleaving,"Crissypointedouttothemodel.

"Oh,Juddusuallytakesmebacktotown,"shereturned,hervoicealmostapurr.

Even as she spoke, Crissy heard the familiar sound of the en-gine in Judd's SUV. She didn't say
anotherword.

ShewentintothekitchenandbusiedherselfhelpingMaudefixpotatoes,sothatshewouldn'thaveto
seeJuddagain.

TippywentouttogreetJudd,gatheringhisarmintobothperfectlymanicuredhands."Iwonderedif
youwerecomingback.MissGaineshasbeeninherroomallafternoonpouting,aftertheargument

youhad,"sheaddedlightly."My,my,sheisfrightfullyimmature,isn'tshe?"

He hesitated, but only for a second. He went out with Tippy, got in the vehicle with her and drove
away.

Judd'svisitsafterthatcoincidedwithCrissy'shoursatschool,andheknewherschedulequitewell.It
wasthesecondweekofNovember.HerbirthdaywasFriday.InalltheyearssheandJuddhadbeen
married, he'd made a point of taking her out to eat on her birthday and presenting her with some
smallpresent—usuallysomethingpractical,likeaprogramforhercomputeroranaudioCDthatshe
wanted.

They'dargued,butshedidn'texpectthathe'dforget,evenunderthecircumstances.Shehadjustalittle
moneyputbackforanemergency,butnowshetookitoutandwenttothelocaldepartmentstore.If
Juddcouldbuydiamondandemeraldringsforhisgirlfriend,Crissywasentitledtoonenewdressin
twoyears.Sheboughtasoftblueonethatfellingracefulfoldstoheran-klesfromatightwaistand
low-cutbodice.Ithadpuffysleevesandtherewasabigwispyscarfthatmatchedit.Shewouldwear
herhairdown,shethought,andputitupincurlerssothatitwouldlookperfectforheronenightout
ayearwithJudd.

ButbyFriday,shehadn'theardawordfromhim.Infact,shemadeapointofskippingclassthatdayat
lunch,soshe'dhaveachancetoremindhimthatitwasherbirthday—justincasehe'dforgotten.But
hedidn'tcomeFriday.Infact,TippyMooredidn'tshowupforwork,either.

ItwastoomuchofacoincidenceforCrissy.WithaworriedMaudestandingnearby,shewentrightup
toGaryMays,theassistantdirector,andaskedhimpoint-blankwhereTippywas.

"She'supinVictoriatoday,withJudd,"hetoldherwiththinlyveiledsarcasm."Theywerehavinga
retirementpartyforoneofthelocallawenforcementpeople,andTippyvolunteeredtogowithJudd.
Bachelors in the department were doing cart-wheels, last I heard," he added. "Tippy said Judd was
delightedthatshewantedtogowithhim."

"Thanks,"Crissysaidwithawansmile.

"Hedidn'tsayanythingaboutCrissy?"Maudeasked.

Gary was looking at the script with the continuity assistant. He scowled. "Why should he have?" he
askedabsently.

Crissyturnedaway."There'snoreasonatall."

"Crissy,"Maudebegan,fullofquietsympathy.

"I'mokay,Maude,"shesaidandforcedasmile."He'llsendmeacardorsomething."

Shewentdownthehalltoherroomwithoutanotherword.Shewasfuriousandonthevergeoftears.
That model was ruining her life, her future, all her hopes. She could have thrown things. But what
good would it do now? If Judd cared so much for Tippy that he'd forgotten Crissy's twenty-first

birthday,therewasjustnohopeleft.

Anditdidn'ttakelongtosinkinthatJudddidn'tmeantotakeheroutatall.Hedidn'tevenphoneher
toaskherplansforherbirthday,ortowishherahappyone.

GrierdroveupinhisbigpickuptruckjustbeforesundownonFriday,anhourafterthefilmcrewhad
packedupfortheweekendandgone.Helookedpreoccupied,andhegrimacedwhenCrissycameout
tomeethimonthelongfrontporch.

Shecouldseebadnewsinhisface.Herownfell."Okay,spillit,"shesaidwithahalfheartedsmile."I
canseeit'snotsomethingyou'redyingtotellme."

“Gotanycoffee?"heasked.

"Stallingwon'thelp,butyes,Ihavesomecoffee.Comeonin."Sheledhiminside,anddownthehall
tothekitchen."Maude'sspendingthenightwithhersister,soI'mcookingsup-per.Nothingfancy,just
anomelette.

Wanttoshare?"

"Ihaven'teatensinceeleventhismorning,"hemurmured,pullingoutachairtostraddle."Ifyoudon't
mindthecompany,I'dloveto."

Shesmiled,andthistimeitwasn'thalfhearted."I'llmakecinnamontoasttogowithit."

He smiled back, although it looked more like a grimace. He didn't have much practice smiling in
recentyears.Itwasstilldifficult,evenwithCrissy.

Hewaiteduntiltheyfinishedtheshortmealbeforehespoke.Crissyhadjustpouredthembothsecond
cupsofcoffeeandhe'dputcreaminhis,stirringitfartoolongwiththespoon,whensheproppedher
chinonherhandsandstaredathimpointedly.

Hefrowned."Okay,hereitis,straightfromtheshoulder.Judd'stakingTippytotheretirementparty
inVictoriatonight.Ithoughtyoushouldhearitfrommebeforesomebodyelseletitslip."

"Oh,Ialreadyknew,Cash,"shereplied."Theassistantdirectortoldme."

Hesighedheavily."I'msorry,kid,"hesaidgruffly.

"It'sthefirsttimeinfiveyearsthathe'sforgottenmybirthday.Iboughtanewdress,justtowearout
tonight.

I'mtwenty-onetoday,"shesaidslowly.

"Youare?"heasked,surprised."AndJuddwentoffwithTippy?"

Shelaughed."Isupposeheforgot.He'sspentsomuchtimewithherlately...you'dneverguesshewasa
married man, would you? Of course he wouldn't want to take me to any retirement party," she

rationalized."I'mjustakid,likeyousaid.He'dwantsomeoneprettyandsophisticatedandfamousto
show off to his friends, not a country hick of a tomboy who has trouble knowing which utensil to
use."

"You'renocountryhick,"Griersaidforcibly."Listenhere,don'tyoutakethispersonally.Iimagine
hethinkshe'skeepingitfromyou,thatyouwon'tfindout."Hecrossedhislonglegsandleanedback
in the chair with his coffee. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you. Maybe you wouldn't have known
otherwise."

"You don't think Tippy wouldn't enjoy rubbing it in when she comes back with the film crew next
week?"shemused."Atleastnow,shewon'thitmewithitwhenI'mnotexpectingit."

"Ifyou'dliketogo,I'lltakeyou,"hetoldherwithawickedsmile."Iusedtoworkwiththeguywho's
retiring,andIwasinvited,too."

Shesmiledback.Itwastempting.Butevenifheplayedfastandloosewithherheart,Crissycouldn't
embarrassJuddthatway,notafterallhe'ddoneforherovertheyears.

"No,"shesaid,shakingherhead."Idon'tplaythatsortofgame.I'mnotreallyavindictiveperson."

"Iknowthat,"hesaidcurtly."Itmakesithardtohurtyou."

Shesearchedhishandsomefacewithagrin."You'reaniceman,CashGrier,"shesaidsoftly.

He lifted both eyebrows and his dark eyes twinkled. "That's a new one. I guess I've been called
everythingelseatleastonce."

"Well,anyway,sinceI'mtwenty-onenowJuddandIcangetaquietannulmentnextweek,andnobody
will ever know we were married in the first place. I get my half of the ranch," she continued
doggedly, "he keeps his half, and he gets his freedom, so that he can marry his redheaded ideal
woman."

Grierstudiedhersurreptitiouslyandthoughtthat,inJudd'splace,hisfreedomwouldbethelastthing
he'dwant.

Thislittlemorselhadaheartasbigasalloutdoorsandshedidn'tputonairsorplaymindgames.She
washonestandbraveandthoughtful.Hewassorrytherewassuchanagedifferencebetweenthem.

"Whydoyoulooksomorose?"sheteased.

Hestudiedherundernarrowedeyelids."IwaswishingIwasyounger."

Shesmiledwithoutguile."Wereyou?Why?"

He laughed. She didn't have a clue about her own attractions. "Nothing. Just a passing thought." He
checkedthecomplicatedwatchheworeonhisleftwrist."I'vegotafewthingstodobe-forequitting

timeatfive."Hefrowned."YousaidMaudehadgonetohersister's.Who'sstayinginthehousewith
you?"

"Nobody,ofcourse.ButMaudewillbebackfirstthingtomorrow."

Hedidn'tlikethat.ItwascarelessofJudd,especiallyafterthethreatsmadebyJackClark.

"You'reworried,"shesaid."Why?"

Hewasreluctanttotellher,anditshowed."JackClarkhassworninfrontofatleastonewitnessthat
heintendstomakeyoupayforpullingagunonhim."

"Wasn'ttryingtohavemearrestedenough?"sheaskedfacetiously.

"Itisn'tfunny,Crissy,"hereplied.

"No, it isn't, but right now, it's just another drop in the mis-ery pool," she told him. "My life isn't
cominguproses,lately."

"Iwantyoutobeparanoidaboutlockingdoorsandwindowsatnight,evenwhenMaude'shere.Ifany
strange vehicle comes up in the yard, make sure you know who's in it before you go rushing out.
Keepthatpistolhandy.

Thefilmcrew'sdueouthereagainnextweek,right?"

"Right. Bright and early Monday morning. I'm sure Tippy Moore can't wait to rub my nose in her
eveningoutwithJuddonmybirthday,"shesaidwithaheavysigh.

"Youdohaveranchhandsaroundhere,don'tyou?"

Shefeltherkneesgoweak.She'dneverhadtoworryaboutintrudersbefore.ItwasanoldVictorian
housewithlong,lowwindowsandnotmuchsecurity.Sheeyedthegunonthetable."Rightnow,we
havethreepart-timecowboys,"shemurmured,"andNick,ourforeman.Juddhiredhim."Shelooked
up. "He worked for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation just out of college, before he moved to
Texas,andhe'sadeadshot."

"Good.Thatrelievesmymind,alittle.Willtheyallbearoundthisweekend?"

Sheblinked."Someofthem.Nick,definitely.Henevergoesoffmuch."

Cash didn't look convinced. He finished the last swallow of his coffee and stood up. He took out a
card,flippeditoveronthetable,pulledapenfromhisshirtpocketandwroteanum-berontheback.
HesliditacrosstoCrissy.

"That's my other cell phone number. I keep the second phone with me all the time, and it's never
turnedoff,"headdedsolemnly."Ifyouneedme,dayornight,youcallme.EvenifI'moffduty,atthe
veryleast,IcanhavetheJacobsvillepoliceouthereinthreeminutesflat,ifittakesmealittlelonger

togethere.Okay?"

She felt touched by the gesture. She knew Grier had a reputation as a man who didn't make friends
easily.InhisnewpositionasassistantpolicechiefinJacobsvillehewasalreadymakingenemiesat
city hall with his hard-nosed attitude toward drug offenders. But Crissy adored him. He was like
family.He'dalreadydonemoreforherthananyoneexceptJudd.

Shesmiledathimwarmly."Thanks,Cash,"shesaidsoftly."Ireallymeanthat."

Hewalkedtothefrontdoorwithhertrailinghisfootsteps.Heopenedthedoorandturned,silhouetted
against the dusk. "Happy birthday, Crissy," he said gently, and bent to touch his hard mouth to her
cheek."I'msorryitisn'tgoingtobeahappierone."

Shesmiledupathim."ThereareacoupleofnewmoviesI'vewantedtoseeforalongtime.IthinkI'll
treatmyselftotheshow."

"Alone?Atnight?"Hehesitated."Listen,youcan'tgooutalone.Ihaven'tbeentoaballetinyears,"he
saidabruptly.

"There'soneinHouston.Icangetticketsataminute'snotice.Takemealongonyourbirthdayouting.
I'llbuyyousupper,too."

Herfacebrightened."You'reserious?Youdon'thaveplansfortonight?"

He burst out laughing. "I don't have plans for any night," he confessed. "I have a hard time...with
women,thesedays.I'vegottoomanyroughedgestosuitmostofthem."

Hereyessoftened."Noyoudon't.Ilovegoingoutwithyou,evenjustfishingorhavingahamburger
intown."

Thechangeinhimwassurprising.Healmostflushed.Heclearedhisthroat."Well,okay,then.We'll
gototheballetandyoucanwearyournewdress.I'llpickyouupatfive-thirty."

Shesmiledfromeartoear."I'llbeready!"

Hestoppedonthestepsandturnedaroundagain."Ifyou'dratherseeaplay,I'mgame."

"Oh,butI'veneverbeentoaballet!"sheprotested."I'dlovetoseeone!"

"Never?"heasked,aghast.

"Itnevercameup,"shesaidweakly,realizinghowunworldlyshewas.

Hepursedhislips."Thentheballetitis.There'llbeasymphonyorchestraplayingforit.Cultureis
important.Itconnectsustothepast."

Hereyestwinkled."Ithoughtrodeowasculture,"sheteased.

Hechuckled."Insomecircles,it'stheonlyone."

Shesmiled."Thanks,Cash!"

Heshrugged."Can'tletaniceyoungwomanlikeyouturntwenty-oneandnotcelebrate,canwe?"And
hewasgone.

So,insteadofstayinghomeandeatingherheartoutbecauseJudddidn'twanttotakeheroutonher
twenty-firstbirthday,shedressedforGrierinstead.Whenshelookedinhermirror,shehadtoadmit
thatshedidn'tlooktoobad.Thesoftbluedressemphasizedhernicefigureinaconventionalway,and
shehadtheprettywispybluescarftodrapeoverthepuffysleevesthatheldupthelow-cutbodice.The
highheelsarchedherprettyfeetatanalluringangleandshelikedthecutofthedress,whichcameto
herankles.Itwasperfectfortheballet.Sheworeherhairupinasophisticatedtopknot.

WhatmadehersaddestwasthatJuddhadn'tevencalledtowishherahappybirthday.Shecheckedthe
answering phone's unblinking front every few minutes, to make sure she hadn't missed a call. She
thoughtaboutpickingitupandlisteningtothedialtone,tomakesureitwasworking,butthatwould
be just too juvenile. If he wanted to ignore her most important birthday, let him. She'd go out with
Grierandhaveaverynicetime.

Itamusedher,andpleasedher,thatamanlikeGrierwouldbewillingtospendaboringeveningwith
someone like her. She didn't doubt that he could have gotten any woman he wanted to go on a date
withhim.Hewasveryattractive,andunlessshemissedherguess,veryexperiencedwithwomen.

Heshowedupinexactlyonehour,wearingadarksuitwithhiswavyblackhairlooseinsteadofinits
usual pigtail and his mustache and the black goatee under his full lower lip perfectly trimmed. His
haircamepasthiscollar,neatlytrimmed,emphasizinghismuscularneck.HelookedveryEuropean
like that, his olive complexion shown to its best advantage above the fine white cotton shirt and
subdued blue patterned tie he was wearing. His black dress shoes were polished so well that they
reflectedtheporchceiling.

"Wow,"shesaidsoftly,becauseshe'dneverseenhimdressedup.

Hesmiledsheepishly."Thanks.You'renotbadyourself."Hiseyespunctuatedthecompliment,asthey
ranoverherlikeanartist'sbrush."Readytogo?"

"Justhavetolockthedoor."Shedid,joininghimatthesteps.

"Howaboutthewindows?"heaskedsuddenly.

"All secure," she assured him. "I spent the afternoon making sure the locks were in place, and I
reinforcedthemwithsomebroomsticksIhadoneofthemencuttosizeforme."

"Smartlady."

She grinned. "Speaking of security, I hope you're packing, because I don't have anyplace to carry a

gun."

"I'llsecondthat,"hechuckled."Youwon'tfindacopinthecountrywhodoesn'ttravelarmed.Notin
thesetimes."

"That'swhatIthought."

"Juddholdsthefastesttimeforthequick-drawinnorthTexas,"herecalled."MarcBrannonhasitin
southTexas.I'vealwayswonderedwho'dwininacontest."

"Iwouldn'twanttobeonthereceivingendfromeitherofthem,"shesaidashehelpedherintothecar.
Shedidn'twanttotalkaboutJudd.Itwastakingallshecoulddotoshuthimoutasitwas.

"Didhecallyou?"

"No,hedidn't,"shesaidflatly."Notthatitmatters."

Of course it mattered. She couldn't hide her disappointment. He started the big black truck. "We're
goingtohaveagreattime,"hetoldher."They'redoingTheFirebirdtonight.Igotgoodseats,evenat
thelatedate,too."

"TheFirebird?"

"Stavinsky,"hesaid,"oneofthemoderncomposers.Thisisaballetsettothemusic.Wantmetofill
youinonthewaytoHouston?"

"Wouldyou?"sheasked,genuinelycurious.

Hechuckled."I'dloveto."

Thetopictookthemallthewaytothetheaterwheretheeventwasheld,andintotheparkinglot.

Therewerepeopledressedineverythingfromeveninggownstojeansandtanktops,soCrissyfelt
comfortableinherdress.SheandGrierhadseatsrightdownfront,andthebeautyoftheproduction
heldherbreathless,likethesensuousscoreprovidedbytheorchestra.

She caught Grier watching her once and grinned at him. He grinned back, pleased that she was
enjoyingtheballet.

Shewatchedtheballerinasintheirexquisitecostumesflying

Lawless133

across the stage to the music, into high lifts and pirouettes on their toes, in the changing colored
lights.Itwasawesome.She'dneverseenanythingquitesoglorious.Itwas,asshetoldCrierlater,like
watchingaDegaspaintingcometolife.

CHAPTERNINE

Thelightswereallonintheranchhousewhentheydroveup,andMaudecameoutontheporchto
meetthem.

"It'syournightoff!"Crissyexclaimed.

Maudelookedworried."Yes,itwas,butyouweren'thereandthephonewasn'tworking.WhenJudd
couldn'tgetintouchwithyou,hecalledmeandaskedifI'drunoverandcheckonyou.Ionlyjustgot
here..."

She wondered vaguely why the phone wasn't working. "Cash took me to the ballet in Houston to
celebrate my twenty-first birthday," Crissy explained, clinging to his arm with a grin. "We had
champagneandsupperatafour-starrestaurant.IhadbeefWellington,Maude!"

Maudechuckled."Well,well.Thatwasniceofyou,Mr.Grier."

"Niceismymiddlename.AskCrissy,"headded,teasing.

Maudesmiled."I'lljustcheckthephoneagainbeforeIgobacktomysister's.Crissy,youcanleave
theporchlightonformewhenyoucomein,"sheaddedwithawickedgrin."Norush!"

Crissy'sheartlifted.AtleastJuddwasworriedforher,evenifhehadn'tbeenworriedenoughtocome
himself.

How could he disappoint Tippy, after all, she thought irritably, and leave the gorgeous model
standingsothathecouldrushdowntoJacobsvilletoseeabouthissoon-to-be-ex-wife?

"Don'tbrood,"Grierchided,tappingheronthecheekwithhisforefinger."Youknowhecaresabout
you.Ifhehadn't,hewouldn'tevenhavebotheredtocall."

"It'shabit.He'llgetoveritverysoon,whenwe'reannulled."Shesighedandlookedupathimwitha
speculativesmile."I'llbeafreewomaninnotime.Goingtokissmegood-night?"

Hepursedhisfirmlips."I'vebeenthinkingaboutthat.I'mnotsureitwouldbeagoodidea.Imean,
whatifIturnouttobeaddictive?"

Her eyes shone like rain-wet chestnuts in her radiant face. "I love taking chances. Come on. Be
daring."

HeknewalmostcertainlythatJuddhadkissedher.Butun-lessitwasthealcoholtalking,sheseemed
tothinkofkissingasagame.Helookedathermouthandweighedtheadvantagesanddisadvantages.
ButthefactthatshewasstillmarriedtoJuddmadehimhesitate.

Hedrewhertohim,gently,andbentandtouchedhishardmouthtoherswithoutpassion.Hisheart
raced. She tasted like heady wine. But he could feel her lack of response. For her, sparks didn't fly.

There was no music. He felt vaguely disappointed as he lifted his head and saw the reality of her
responseinhersmile.Shewasn'tevenshaken.

"Thanksformakingmybirthdayspecial,Cash,"shesaidsoftly.

Herecoveredquickly."Whatarefriendsfor?"heteased."Sleepwell.Ifyouneedme,youknowhow
tocallme,right?"

"Right."

Hesearchedhereyesandsmiled."Ihadagoodtime.I'mgladyoudid.Goodnight."

"Goodnight."Shestoodontheporchandwatchedhimdriveawaybeforeshewentinsideandlocked
thedoorandturnedouttheporchlight.

Maude came into the dining room, somber and quiet. "Judd should have taken you out, on such a
specialoccasion.Yourtwenty-firstbirthday!"

"Judddidn'tevenphonetowishmeahappybirthday,Maude,"Crissytoldherbluntly.

"Hedidn'trememberthatitwasyourbirthday.Ididn'thavethehearttoremindhimwhenhecalled
me.Hewasveryupsetwhenhecouldn'treachyouonyourcellphone.Icalledandtoldhimyouwere
okayafewminutesago."Shesmiled."Hewasn'tpleasedtohearyou'dbeenoutwithGrieragain,"she
addedwithasatisfiedlook.

"Like I care. At least I had somebody to celebrate my birthday with!" she replied, her eyes clouded
withanger.

"Likemydress?"sheindicatedit,twirlingaround."IboughtittoweartogooutwithJuddtonight."

"Mypoorbaby."Maudestaredatherwithcompassion.

Crissy'schinliftedproudly."I'mnobaby.Notnow.I'magrownwoman,andI'mgoingtostartacting
likeit.Nomoremooningoveramanwho'llneverwantme.Especiallywhenthere'sonewhodoes!"

Maudedidn'tcomment.Sheonlysmiled,sadly.

Thenextmorning,Christabelwasfeedingafoalinthebarnwhensheheardavehiclepullupoutside
in the dirt road. She glanced toward the entrance when a door slammed, just in time to see Judd
comingtowardher.

Herheartjumpedintoherchestandstartedracing.Hewassogoodtolookat.Shecouldn'tremember
atimeinyearswhenthatlong-legged,easystrideofhishadn'ttriggeredexcitement.Hewaswearing
hisRangeruniform,includingthestarandthe.45automaticinitshand-tooledholster.Atophisdark
hair,thecreamyStetsonwastiltedatarakishangleacrosshisblackeyes.Allthatwasimmediately
visibleofhisleanfacewashisstraightnoseandthinmouthandsquarejaw.

She was immediately aware that she was wearing ripped jeans, mucky boots and a faded green
checked blouse with a but-ton missing. Her hair was part in and part out of her neat braid and she
didn'tevenhavelipstickon.

TrustJuddtoshowuptheminuteshelookedherfrumpiest,evenifsheshouldn'tcare.Thehurtwas
stillfreshthathe'dforgottenherbirthdayandinsteadhadgoneonadatewithanotherwoman.

Herfaceclosedupwhenhewasnearenoughtoseeit.Sheturnedherattentionbacktothefoal.

"Outchasingcrooks,Mr.TexasRanger?"sheasked.

Heshovedhishatbackonhishead,hisblackeyesglitteringdownather.

"What'sthisaboutyougoingtoHoustonwithGrier?"

Sheliftedbotheyebrowsandstaredathimasifhe'dgonecrazy."I'vebeengoingplaceswithCashfor
weeks,didn'tyounotice?"

"Just around town, not on elegant dates to Houston," he said flatly. He hesitated, uncertain of his
ground.

"Maudetoldmeabouttheballet,"hesaidflatly.Histhinlipsmadeaflatlineacrosshistannedface.
"ThenGriermentionedittomewhenIstoppedbyhisofficethismorning."

"Ilikehim,"shesaid,darkeyesflashing.

It was a declaration of war, and he took it like one. "Grier's thirty-eight," he pointed out. "He has a
mysteriouspast.He'stooworldlyforasproutlikeyou."

"Isaid,Ilikehim,"sherepeatedcalmly.Shefinishedgivingthebottletothefoal,pattedhim,andwent
outintotheaisle,closingthegatebehindher.

"Youheardme."

Shedidn'tlookupathim.Itwouldhavebeenfatal,andshehadtokeepherresolve."You'vespentfive
years taking care of me. I appreciate all you've done for me. I know it was a sacrifice, in a lot of
ways,"shecontinued,asshecleanedthebottleattherustysinkandputitontheshelf."ButI'malmost
throughschoolandevenyouhavetoadmitthatIknowwhatI'mdoingaroundhere.Icankeepbooks
aswellasyoucan.Icanbuyandsellstock.Icanhiremen."Sheturnedandforcedhereyesup.Itwas
aneffort."It'stimeItookonfullresponsibilityformyhalfoftheoutfit.Ihavetostartstandingonmy
owntwofeet,andyouhavetoletme."

"Whenyou'retwenty-one,"hebegandoggedly.

Shetookoffthesignetringhe'dputonherfingerfiveyearsbefore,caughthisbig,leanhandinhers,
andtuckedtheringintohispalm,closinghisfingersaroundit."Iwon'tneedthisanymore.Iturned

twenty-oneyesterday,"

shesaidwithasmuchdignityasshecouldmuster.

Hisexpressionwaspriceless."What?"

"Iwastwenty-oneyesterday,"sherepeated,hereyesflashingfireathim."Whileyouwereshowing
off Miss Supermodel at your party in Victoria, I was being wined and dined by the man who's too
worldly for me! He bought me a beautiful supper, with champagne to toast my coming of age, and
tookmetoseeTheFirebirdinHouston!"

Hisfacewaslikestone.Hewinced."Christabel..."hesaidsoftly."I'msorry!"

Sheshruggedandavertedhereyes,pretendingthatherheartwasn'tbreaking."Don'tsweatit.Ihada
wonderfulbirthday.Butyoucangoaheadandgettheannulmentanytimeyouplease.Justdon'texpect
metosithomeandwaitforit."Hereyesflasheduptohis."Ifyoucandatewhilewe'restillmarried,
thenthere'snoreasonatallthatIcan't!"

Shestartedoutthedoorofthebarn,blondhairstraggly,backarrow-straight.

Juddwatchedherwithregreteatinghimalive.Howcouldhehaveforgottensuchanimportantdatein
theirlives?Helookeddownatthesignetringthatshe'dwornsofaithfullyforthepastfiveyears,and
hefeltguilty.

He'dalwaystakenhersomeplaceonherbirthday,givenherlittlepresents.

He remembered that ring that Tippy had talked him into buy-ing her, and he felt sick. At least
Christabeldidn'tknowaboutthat,heconsoledhimself.

Heslidthesignetringbackontohislittlefingerandstaredatitblankly.She'dsaidthathecouldgo
ahead and get the annulment anytime he liked. Was it because her relationship with Cash Grier was
heating up? His eyes narrowed angrily. Well, she could wait for that annulment until he was ready.
Andhewasn't.Notyet.

The guys in Victoria knew he was acquainted with Tippy Moore and they'd asked him as a special
favortobringhertotheretirementparty.He'ddoneit,withoutthinking.Tippylikedhimandhungon
himallthetime.Hewasflatteredthatawomanthatbeautiful,andthatfamous,foundhimattractive.
Buttherewasacuriousthingabouther.Shetouchedhim,fromtimetotime,butshedidn'tlikebeing
touched.Shewasicecoldtomenwhoflirtedwithher,menwhoshowedtheirenthusiasmforherface
andfigure.Sheadoredlawmenandalwaysmadetimetospeaktothem,whateverthereason.Juddhad
noticedthatshewasactuallyuncomfortablearoundothermen,andshekeptclosetohimwhenthey
were together for any length of time— like on location in town, and especially when that assistant
director,GaryMays,cameclosetoher.

Shewasapuzzle.Hefoundherpleasantcompany,andshestrokedhisego.Buthehadn'tconsidered
how it would look to Christabel, who was legally his wife, whether or not anyone knew. By taking

Tippyaroundwithhim,hewasencouragingChristabeltodothesamethingwithGrier.

He'dopenedadoorthathecouldnolongerclose,anditmadehimuneasy.Hehatedthethoughtof
ChristabelwithCashGrier,whosepastwas,atbest,tendegreesoffnormal.Themanwasdangerous,
lawmanornot,andjustbybeingwithhim,Christabelwastakingchances.Hehadenemies.

Ontheotherhand,shewasindangerherself.Grierhadreadhimtheriotactthisverymorningabout
leaving Christabel alone at the ranch after her confrontation with Jack Clark, and the threats he'd
made. He'd been negligent, on all counts, even by buying Tippy that expensive ring that he couldn't
reallyafford.

Shewasusedtorichmengivingheranythingsheadmired.Hewasn'tone.

He looked at the signet ring with sad eyes. He'd hurt Christabel, who'd spent the whole of their
marriedlifelookingoutforhimandtakingcareofranchbusinesswhenhecouldn't.He'drepaidthat
loyaltybymakingherfeelinsecureandvalueless.Nowshewantedanannulment,whenhewasjust
beginningtofeel...

Heclampeddownhardonthethought.Therewasnofutureforhimwithher.Hehadtothinkahead,to
anannulment.ImmediatelyaftercamethethoughtthatCashGrierwastryingtosettledownandthat
he was very interested in Christabel. If he was thinking in terms of marriage, he could think again.
Thatannulmentcouldwait.Itcouldwaitalongtime.

TippyMoorecamebacktoworkthenextMonday,andherfirstwordstoCrissywereaboutthegreat
timeshehadwithJuddinVictoriaattheparty.

"I'm-so glad," Crissy returned easily, and with a big smile, "because I went to the ballet in Houston
withCash,andwehaddinnerandchampagneinafive-starrestaurant.Itwasanighttoremember."

Tippy'striumphfellflat.Thatwashersortofroutineevening.Shehadn'tknownthatCashGrierwas
socultured,orthathehadthekindofmoneythatcouldaffordsuchanexpensiveouting.Apparently
thelittlecountrygirltheredidn'trealizehowexpensiveitwas,either.Judd'sideaofgourmetcuisine
wasafast-foodhamburgerandfries.Shewasveryfondofhim,ofcourse,andhisjobmadehima
rarity,acollectible,inherworld.Butshe'dlearnedquicklythathewasn'twealthy.Well,itwasn'this
moneyorlackofitthatimpressedher,shetoldherself,itwashisprofession.Shefeltsafewithhim.
Shewassafewithhim,safefromothermen—

menlikeCashGrier,whowasarealthreat.

"Ididn'trealizeahickpolicemanwouldknowwhataballetwas,"Tippymuttered.

"Cashhasaninterestingbackground,"Crissysaid."HewasaTexasRanger,too,andheworkedfor
thegovernment."

Tippylookeduncomfortable."Doesheknowwhichforktouse?"sheaskedsarcastically.

"Hetaughtme,"Crissysaid.“Alot.Itwasanicecelebration,formytwenty-firstbirthday,"sheadded
deliberately,andcoldly.Crissyfeltbetter,evenifJudd'srejectiondidstillhurt.

Tippy averted her eyes. She hadn't known that. She felt guilty, God knew why. Certainly the other
womanhadacrushonJuddandwouldhavewantedtobewithhimonhermostspecialbirthday.Butit
wasnoconcernofhers!Sheturnedslowlyandwentbacktowork.

TheannualCattleman'sBallwasheldtheSaturdaybeforeThanksgiving,andCashhadalreadyinvited
Christabel to go with him. She was delighted not to have to stay home that night, too, while Judd
showedoffhisfancymodelattheball.SheknewJuddwouldn'ttakeher.Theywerehardlyspeaking
atallnow,toMaude'sdismay.

Grier,withhishairdownbelowhiscollar,darkandfaintlywaving,freshlyshavenandwearingasuit,
wasstriking.Christabelwasproudtobeseenwithhim.Atleast,shethoughtmiserably,shestillhad
herprettybluedresstowear,andnobodyinJacobsvillehadseenit.Shedidn'tfeelasdowdyandout
offashionasshehadonlytheyearbefore.

Judddidn'tevenlookherway.Hecameinlatewiththeredhead,justintimetowatchChristabeland
Grier on the dance floor. Good thing most people didn't know she and Judd were still married,
Christabel thought, because he would have raised eyebrows everywhere with Tippy Moore on his
arm,eveniftheyhadn'tbeen.

ShekepthereyesonGrierandsmiledasifshehadn'tacareintheworld.

He cocked an eyebrow after the band wound down the slow melody they'd been playing and, after
MattCaldwellhadawhisperedconferencewiththebandleader,thebandbrokeintoaLatinmedley.

"Areyougame?"Grieraskedher.

Hereyeswidened."Youbet!"shelaughed,rememberingthefunthey'dhaddoingitatShea's.

Hechuckledashedrewherontothedancefloor,whereMattandhiswifeweretheonlyoccupantsso
far.

"Okay"hemurmured,markingtherhythm."Let'sshow'emhow!"

Heturnedherintotherhythmandtherestwasmagic.EvenMattCaldwellraisedhiseyebrowsasthe
coupleflewacrossthefloortothethrobbingdrumsandquickmelody.

Christabel was laughing with pure joy. She'd never had a partner who could do these dances until
Cashcamealong.She'dwishedandwishedthatJuddwouldtakehertoadance,anydance,justonce,
andlethershowoff.

Well,shewas,now.Evenifitwasn'twithhim,shewashavingthetimeofherlife.Herbreakingheart
succumbedtothedeliciousrhythmofLatinmusicalfire.

Bythetimetheywounddown,shecouldhardlybreathe.ShesaggedagainstGrier,whowasn'teven

breathinghard,andlaugheddelightedlytothecheersandapplauseoftheotherguests—includingthe
Caldwells.

"RemindmetotakeyouuptoHoustontoaLatindanceclubIknow,"Griertoldherasheescortedher
offthefloor."We'llshamethemoutthedoor!"

Shegrinnedupathim."You'regreat!"sheexclaimed.

"Takesagoodpartner,"herepliedwithashrug,buthiseyestwinkled.

JuddDunnwasglaringatthetwoofthemforallhewasworth.Besidehim,Tippywasglaring,too.

"Shelikestoshowoff,doesn'tshe?"shesaidcattily."Iguesshedoes,too."

Hewouldn'thavementionedfortheworldthathe'dneverseenGrierdancebefore.He'dneverseen
himsmilemuch,ei-ther.ItannoyedhimthathewasdoingbothwithChristabel.

"Sillytomakesuchaspectacleofherselfinfrontofthewholetown,"Tippycontinued.

Juddlookeddownatherdarkly."CanyoudoLatindances?"

Sheavertedhereyes."Whathasthatgottodowithanything?"

HenoticedthatChristabelwasstandingveryclosetoGrieratthepunchbowl,andthenhegotalook
attheolderman'sfaceashelookeddownatherbenthead.Itcausedsomethingtoexplodeinsidehim.
Grierwasagoodlawenforcementofficer,hewassteadyandcalminthefaceofdanger,andhewas
afraidofnothingonearth.

Buthewasalsoaman,andChristabelwasstillaninnocent.Juddfeltprotectiveofher.Possessiveof
her.Hedidn'twantGrierhittingonher.

"Excuseme,"hetoldTippy,andwalkedovertojoinGrierandChristabel.

"Aren'tyoudancing?"Grieraskedhimdryly,andhewassuddenlyholdingChristabel'shandtightly
inhisbigone.

Judd's black eyes narrowed. He didn't smile. "I thought you had to be in Dallas Monday morning,
early."

"Ido.I'mflyingouttomorrowafternoon."Griersmiledlazily."Doyouhaveaproblemwiththat?"he
addedverysoftly,andwithavisiblethreatinhiseyes.

Itwasachallenge.Judd'seyesnarrowed."MaybeIdo,"hesaidinthelow,quiettonethatmaderanch
handsgoverystill.

Christabeldidn'tunderstandwhatwasgoingon,butsheknewitwasexplosive.SheletgoofGrier's
handandcaughtJuddbythesleeve.

"Iwanttotalktoyouforaminute,"shesaidfirmly,andstartedtowardthesidedoorthatledoutonto
the patio just as a waltz filled the big room and Harley Fowler led Janie Brewster onto the dance
floor.

Judd was surprised enough by the unfamiliar assertiveness to go along, oblivious to Tippy's black
glareastheywentoutside.

Inthefaintlightfromthelongwindows,ChristabelturnedtoJudd."What'sthematterwithyou?"she
askedcurtly."We'regettinganannulment,Judd.IhaveeveryrighttogooutwithCash.Ihaven'tsaida
wordaboutyouandTippyMoore,haveI?"

No,shehadn't.Ithadirritatedhim.Foryears,she'dbeenpossessiveabouthim,teasing,vampinghim,
hintingaboutrednegligees.Nowshewasworldsaway,andwithGrier,ofallthedamnedmeninthe
world...!

"Griereatskidslikeyouforbreakfast,"hesaidshortly."He'slivedintheshadowsmostofhisadult
life,workingforsecretgovernmentagencies...''

"Howexciting!"sheenthused.

"Listentome!"hebitoff."He'skilledmen..."

Hereyebrowsarched."Andyourpointis?"

Hislipsmadeathinlineandheexhaledshortly."He'snotacuddlypetyoucankeepinsideandfeed
up,"hecontinueddoggedly."He'sarenegade,awildcard.He'snothousebroken."

Sheliftedbotheyebrows."AndwhatmakesyouthinkIwanttokeepamanforapet?"sheaskedwitha
pleasantsmile."NowthatIamtwenty-one,I'mfreeforthefirsttimesinceIwassixteen—todateand
dowhatIplease."

Shesearchedhisexasperatedfacewithacuriouspainfulpleasure."I'veneverbeenabletoexperiment.
Before,"

shesaidhuskily,withherhandsdeliberatelyshapingherfullhips,herlipsparted,hereyescome-hith-
erish.

The one soft word set him off unexpectedly. He caught her around the waist, dragged her into the
shadows,andrivetedhersoftbodytohispowerfulleanone.

"Youdamned,irritatinglittleflirt...!"hebitoffagainsthermouth.

The shock of the kiss was electrifying. He'd rarely ever touched her, and if he had, it had been
tenderly,withabsentaffection.Theonlyseriouskissshe'dsharedwithhimhadbeenthefirsttimeshe
wentoutwithGrier.

Thiswassomethingelse.Hewasroughwithher,asifhewasn'tincontrolatall.Onebig,leanhand
smootheddowntothebaseofherspineashismouthdevouredhers.Hepushedherintothecurveof
his body and she felt again that hard, insistent pressure against her belly, a pressure she'd felt once
before,whenhewasshowingherwhatapushovershecouldbewithCash.

Shegaspedunderhismouth,givinghimtheopeninghewanted.Histonguethrusthardanddeeppast
heropenlips.He'dneverdonethatbefore!Hershortnailsbitintohisupperarmsasodd,throbbing
pulsesshotthroughherlowerbody.She'dneverfeltanythinglikeit.Sheshiveredhelplesslyasahot
tensionpulledhermusclestightandmadeherfeelswollenallover.Therewasnothingtentativeeither
inhiskissesortheholdhehadonherbody.Hemeantbusiness.Shewastoohungryforhimtohold
anything back. She gave in completely, trembling as she met his experienced passion with fierce
enthusiasm.

Hedraggedhismouthfromhersfinallyandlookeddownatherwithnarrow,coldeyesinafaceas
hardasstone.

Shecouldbarelyseehim.Hereyesweremisty.Shefeltdazed,shocked,dizzy.Herhandsletgoofhis
armsandpressedintothewhiteofhiscottonshirt,smoothingoverithelplessly,feelinghisstrength.

Hewasoffbalance,too,anddeterminednottoletitshow.Hepushedherawaywithafaintshoveand
stareddownatherarrogantly.Hewasalmostvibratingwithpassion,buthekeptitcarefullyhidden.
Exceptforthequickthrobofhispulse,nothingshowedonthesurface.

"Hell, no, you aren't free to experiment," he told her flatly, his voice deeper than usual, but just as
harsh. "I haven't even started proceedings on the annulment yet. You keep that in mind. If you
'experiment'withGrier,you'recommittingadultery!"

Sheputherfingertipstoherswollenmouth.Hermindspuncrazily."Yousaidyouweregoingtofile
foranannulmentthedayIturnedtwenty-one!"

"Ihaven'tyet,"hetoldhericily."Itneveroccurredtomethatyou'dbesohottoshackupwithoneof
myfriends—especiallynotamanGrier'sage!"

"He'sonlyfouryearsolderthanyouare!"sheaccusedinachokingtone.

"IfI'mtoooldforyou,hedamnedsureis,"hereturnedatonce."Whentheannulmentgoesthrough,
I'lltellyou.

Until then," he added in a tone that was curiously possessive, with eyes that ate her slender figure,
"youbelongtome."

The way he said it made her knees weak. She hated her inability to think up a snappy reply. She
couldn't even pretend to be amused. Her mouth was hot and swollen, like her young body. She was
achingforsomething.Shewashungry,empty.Herlipscarriedthetasteofhim,masculineandspicy
and minty, with an undertaste of whiskey. She could smell his aftershave on her face. She was
drowninginunfamiliarlongings.Shewantedtostepclosetohimandfeelhisbodyrespondtohersas

ithadwhentheykissed.Shewantedhismouthhardandhun-gryonherlipsagain.Shewantedtofeel
hisskinagainsthers...

"Onpaper,"headdedwhenherlackofresponsetothestatementmadehimuncomfortable."Afterthe
annulmentbecomesfinal,whatyoudoisnoconcernofmine.Everagain."

Heturnedonhisheelandwalkedbackintothehall,leavingChristabelstandingaloneinthedarkness
withherheartonthestonefloor.

She'd only started back in when she saw Judd going out the door with Cash. Apparently there was
sometroublebetweenLeoHartandJanieBrewsteraswell,becausetheyweregoingoutthesameside
door that Christabel and Judd had just come back in from. She heard later that Janie and Harley
Fowlerhadheldthecrowdspellboundwithanimpromptuwaltz.

GrierandJuddcamebackin,andsoonafterward,JuddtookTippyMoorehome.Sheargued,from
the look of things, but he was determined. Grier wouldn't tell Christabel what was said between the
twomen.Buthewasgrinningwhentheyleftthehallatmidnight.

CHAPTERTEN

ThingswerepeacefularoundtheranchaftertheCattleman'sBall,becauseJuddandChristabelweren't
speaking.

The film crew broke late Tuesday so that everyone could spend Thanksgiving at home. Even the
famous model apparently had family somewhere back east, because she went, too. Christabel had
expectedTippytostickclosetoJuddduringtheholiday.

SincesheandJuddweren'tspeaking,ChristabelassumedthatsheandMaudewouldhavethehouseto
themselves. Judd did turn up on Thanksgiving morning, though, silent and preoccupied. Missing
Tippy,Christabelthoughtwickedly.Shewaspolitetohim,butthatwasall.Maudeglaredatbothof
themwhilesheandCrissyworkedinthekitchen.

"Some Thanksgiving this is," she scoffed. "With the two of you like wrestlers squaring off and
lookingforabetterhold."

JuddglaredatChristabel.Sheglaredrightback.

Maudethrewupherhandsandstartedworkingonherpump-kinpie.

Theyateinacompanionablesilence.JuddhadhalfheartedlywatchedtheThanksgivingDayparade,
butwithoutanyrealinterest.Hewasstillbroodingaboutthemurdercaseandthelackofsuspects.He
wasworriedaboutChristabelaswell,especiallysinceJackClarkhadactuallycomeontotheranchto
confronther.He'dconfrontedNick,andthemanhadtoldhimaboutthecutfencesaswell.Toolate,he
believedheraboutthepoisonedbull.

He should have listened, and not dismissed her worries as childish fantasy. Now they had two
poisonedbullstodealwith,aswellasamurderedneighbor.

Hewasworriedbecausethereweren'tenoughmenaroundtheplacetokeepapropereyeonthings.
Theirforeman,Nick,wasgood,buthe'dbeenawayfromlawenforcementforseveralyearsandhis
senses weren't finely honed by day-to-day work situations, as Judd's were. Christabel could shoot a
gun,true,butwhatifClarkinvadedthehouseinthemiddleofthenight,whensheandMaudewere
asleep?

"CouldyoutryalittlehardertomakemyThanksgivingmiserable?"Maudeaskedbothofthemafter
aparticularlylongsilence."Imean,ifyou'regoingtodoajob,doitright."

Theylookedshamefaced.

"Theturkeyisjustright,"Christabeloffered.

"Andthedressingisoutofthisworld,"Juddagreed.

Maudelookedvaguelyplacatedasshedugintoasecondhelpingofmashedpotatoes.

"HaveyouhadanyluckfindingHobDowney'skiller?"Christabelaskedabruptly.

Juddglancedatherandshookhishead."JackClarkwasmybestsuspect.Hisalibiisironclad."

"That'swhatCashsaid."

He put down his fork, hard. His black eyes blazed. "If you could just manage five minutes without
mentioningGriertome...!"

Sheputdownherownforkandglaredbackathim."He'smyfriend!"

"Listen..."Maudebegan.

"He's a black ops survivor with the staying power of a jackrabbit! He'll never be able to settle in a
smalltown!"

"...ifwecouldjustgetalong..."Maudecontinued.

"Whatdoyouknowaboutsettlinganywhere?"Christabeldemandedfiercely."Andjusthowlongdo
you think your high-society redheaded companion would last here? Or can you re-ally see her
pushingagrocerycartaroundthelocalsupermar-ket?"sheadded.

"Stop it!" Maude interrupted. "Stop it, stop it! I am not ref-ereeing a prize fight over my perfectly
cookedturkey!"

Theystoppedinmidsentenceandstaredather.Shewasstandingnow,withherarmsfoldedandher
mouthmakingastraightline.

Theyglancedateachotherandpickeduptheirforkswithresignation.

Maudesatdown.

"WhyshouldIexpecthertosettledownhereinthefirstplace?"Juddmuttered,halfunderhisbreath.

Christabelchewedasmallpieceofturkey."Becauseshe'swearingthatdiamondandemeraldringyou
boughtheronherengagementfinger,andshesaysourbusinessisnowherbusiness,too,"shetold
Juddthroughherteeth."So,when'sthewedding?"sheaddedsarcastically.

Judd didn't say anything. Maude was looking at him as if he'd grown horns. Christabel was still
chewing.Shedidn'tlookup.Pity.Hisfacewasaclassicstudyinguilt.

Heputhisforkdownandgotup,wipinghismouthonhisnap-kinbeforeheputitgentlyonthetable.
"I have to get back up to Victoria. Happy Thanksgiving." His voice was as subdued as the regretful
lookhesentoverChristabel'sbowedhead.Shestilldidn'tlookup.Grimacing,heglancedatMaude,
whowasstillglaring,andwalkedoutthedoor,withoutdessert.

Itwasn'tuntiltheSUVwasmovingawaythatCrissysippedcoffeeandlookedatMaude.

"Ididn'tknowaboutitbeinganengagementring,"Maudemuttered.

"Shedidn'ttellyoubecauseitwouldn'thurtyou,"Crissysaidcoldly.

"Hedidn'tthinkyouknewaboutthering,didhe?"Maudeguessed.

"Well, he does now," she said coldly. She got up and started arranging empty dishes and aluminum
foilonthecounter."CashrefusedmyinvitationtojoinusforThanksgivingsoI'mtakingsupperto
himlater."

Maudewantedtosaysomething,butshewasn'tsurewhatwouldbeappropriate.Crissywashurting.
ProbablyJuddwas,too.Shedidn'tknowwhyhe'dboughtthemodelthatexpensivering,butshewas
surethatheregrettedit,andthathehadn'twantedCrissytoknow.Perhapshehadn'texpectedTippyto
tellher.Menwerelikethat,Maudethoughtwistfully,soblindtotherealnatureofwomenwhenthey
hadaperceivedrival.

"Ifhedoesn'tfileforanannulmentsoon,I'mgoingto,"Crissyaddedasshefilledaplate."Lethim
marryher.

He'llfindoutprettyquickthatshewon'tsitaroundforfiveyearswaitingforhimtonoticeher!"

Maudewinced."Baby,Grierisalobowolf.Heisn'tmarriagematerial."

Shelookedattheolderwomancuriously."Marriagematerial?Cashismyfriend.Ireallylikehim.
ButIwouldn'twanttomarryhimoranything."

"Juddthinksyouwould."Shesighed."AndGrierhopesyouwould."

Crissy'seyeswidened."You'rekidding."

Maude shook her head. "You haven't seen the way he looks at you. Judd has. It's why he's suddenly
startedbeinghostiletoamanheusedtoconsiderafriend.He'sjealous,Crissy."

Shefelthercheeksgohot,butsheturnedbacktoherchore."Sureheis.That'swhyheboughtheran
engagementringandtookheroutfortheeveningonmybirthdayanddidn'tevengetmeacard,much
lessapresent!"

Maudewishedshehadagoodexcuseforthat.Shedidn't.

NeitherdidthemandrivinghellforleatherbacktoVictoria.Juddfeltsickathisstomach.Hehadn't
realized that Tippy would broadcast the fact that he'd raided his meager savings to buy her that
expensivebauble.

Certainlyhehadn'twantedChristabeltoknow.She'dgonewithoutluxuriesforsolong,justtokeep
the ranch working. She'd sacrificed even her youth for it. He'd repaid her by buying expensive
presentsforawomanhebarelyknew,andforgettingChristabel'smostspecialofbirthdays.Shewas

bitterandhurt,andhecouldn'tblameher.Lookingback,hisownactionsshockedhim.Nowondershe
was turning to Grier. Damn the man, he had everything going for him when it came to attracting
women.HecoulddointricateLatindances,andhewascultured.Hewasinaleagueofhisownasa
womanizer,somethingChristabeldidn'tknow.Ordidshe?

He hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, furious at his own inability to interpret his
turbulentfeelings.TakingTippyaroundflatteredhisego.He'dattractedawomanthatanybach-elor
woulddietoescort.

Butitwastakingatollonhisprivatelife,andhisprofessionalone.Heknewthatshewasn'tthesortof
womanwhocouldlivewithhisjobandhislifestyle,evenifshe'dbeenphysicallyattractedtohim—
whichshedefinitelywasn't.Shewasusedtoluxuryandlifeinthefastlane.FunnythatshehatedCash
Grier,whenhewasexactlythesortofmansheneeded.

ButGrierwantedChristabel.Hecouldseeiteverytimetheoldermanlookedather.Hewassmitten.
He'dmarryherinaheartbeatifshewasfree.Shedidn'tseemtoknow,butJudddid.Hislipsmadea
thinlineasheconsideredthepossibilitiesonceheputhissignatureonalegalpaper.Herconscience
wouldn'tslowherdownwhenshewasn'tcommittedtotheirpapermarriage.

HecouldalreadypictureCashGrierdownonhiskneesbran-dishingaweddingring.Well,Christabel
could go whistle for her annulment! It wasn't going to happen. Not yet, at least. After the new year,
theycouldreassesstheirpositions,whentemperscooled.

Rightnow,hestillhadtwomurderstosolvearoundthearea,andnoviablesuspects.Butheknewthe
murderoftheVictoriawomanandthebrutaldeathofHobDowneywereconnected.Itwouldmake
thingseasierifhewasn'talsoworriedaboutthepoisoningofthecattleheco-ownedwithChristabel,
andherdiscoveryofpooroldHobDowney'sbody.HeknewtheClarkshadbeenlinkedwithcattle
poisonings before. So despite their ironclad alibis, he couldn't dismiss the Clarks as his prime
suspects.Butheknewbetterthanmostpeoplehowdangerouscircum-stantialevidencecouldbe.He
wasangryatJackClarkfortheconfrontationwithChristabel.

Atleast,that'swhatanyimpar-tialoutsiderwouldmakeofanyaccusationcomingfromhim.Ifonly
therewasjustoneshredofphysicalevidencethatwouldleadthemtoeitherofthebrothers.But,to
date,therewasn'tany.

HethoughtbacktoThanksgivingDinnerandfeltmiserablethathe'dlethimselfflyatChristabellike
that.ItwasthementionofGrier.Shecouldn'thaveasingleconversationwithoutdraggingtheman's
nameintoit.IfonlythereweresomewaytogetGrieroutofJacobsvilleforgood!Buthehadn'ta
cluehowtoaccomplishit.Nordidherealize,then,whyheevenwantedtodoit.

Crissy had Thanksgiving supper with Grier and then went home and phoned the Harts. Leo wasn't
home,soshetriedReyHart.ShewascuriousabouttheHarts'Japaneseconnections,andtheirinterest
inoverseasmarkets.

Reywasmarketingvicepresident,andnobodyknewmorethanhedidaboutopeningupnewavenues

ofprofit.

"I wondered if you and Judd might be interested in this opportunity," Rey replied when she asked
aboutthevisitingdig-nitaries."CyParkswas,too,buthe'salreadycontractedhiscattleforthenext
year, and so have the Tremaynes. Your steers would be perfect, if you're interested. You're like us,
you raise organic beef. That's just what our contacts want for their restaurant chain in Osaka and
Tokyo."

Herheartskipped."Doesthemarketpaywell?"

He chuckled. "It pays very well indeed," he said. "Especially now. Japan suffered some losses in its
ownbeefresourceslastyear.Nowit'sstartingagain.They'relookingforstudcattleaswellasprime
organicbeef.Thisisthebesttimetoformal-liances."Hequotedherapriceandshehadtositdown.

"Oh,that'sjustextraordinary,"shesaidheavily."We'vebeensellingatalossforsolongnow...!"

"Tellmeaboutit,"Reyreplied."Interested?"

"Yes!SowillJuddbe,whenhehearsaboutit."

"Suppose the two of you come over here tomorrow about one and meet with our guests? They're
stayingwithCorriganandDorie."

"Could we possibly do it Saturday? I'm off from school tomorrow for holidays, but Judd has to
work."

"Sorry,Iforgot.Sure.Saturdayatone.Thatsuityou?"

"Yes!Oh,Rey,youdon'tknowhowgratefulweare,"shebegan.

"Everybody's having a hard time right now," he interposed. "Why do you think we're looking so
fondly at overseas markets? We'll all be helping each other out. Which is what cattlemen— and
cattlewomen—do,isn'tit?"

Shesmiled."Itis.Iwishwecoulddosomethingforyou."

"Well,youcould..."

"What?"sheaskedeagerly.

"BringCashGrierwithyou.He'sfluentinJapanese,aswearen't,andI'dliketohavesomeonefrom
our side translate as well as someone from their side, just to make sure we don't misunderstand
anything."

Shechuckled."Cashwouldloveit."

"Great!We'llseeyouSaturdayatone,then."

Hehungupandshegroundherteethtogether.SheknewCashwouldgoifsheaskedhim,butitwasn't
goingtomakethingseasierwithJudd.Still,iftherewasanyhopeofpullingtheiroperationoutofthe
red,thiswasit.Itwaslikeagiftfromheaven.

ShedialedJudd'snumberbeforeshegotcoldfeet.Itrangseveraltimes,andshewasabouttohangup
whensheheardhisdeepvoiceontheotherend.

"We'vegotamarketingopportunity,"shesaidquickly.

Therewasapause."Whatsort?"

SheoutlinedtheHarts'deal,andtheprofittobemade,andthenwaitedforhimtoanswer.

"Idon'tspeakJapanese,"hebegan.

"Neither do I. But they have translators," she added, mentally praying that she wouldn't have to
mentionCashandhavehimblowupinherfaceagain.

Hemadearoughsound."Grierspeaksitfluently.Wemighttakehimalongandlethimtranslate.If
youcantalkhimintoit,"headdedwiththinlyveiledsarcasm.

"TheHartsalreadydid,"sheprevaricated."Theywanttomakesuretheyunderstandallthedetails."

"Oh."Heseemedtorelax.Therewasanotherpause."Aboutdinner,"hesaidslowly."Ididn'tmeanto
jumpdownyourthroatlikethat."

He never apologized. This was as close as he was ever likely to come. She smiled to herself. "Me,
too,"shesaidstiffly."HappyThanksgiving."

"Yeah."Therewasanotherpause."WouldyoumarryGrier?"

Herheartjumped."Excuseme?"

"Ifheasked."

Shecouldn'tmakehermindwork.Thequestionwascompletelyoutofleftfield.

"Forgetit,"hesaidabruptly,whenshehesitated."It'snoneofmybusiness,oncetheannulmentgoes
through.I'llseeyouabouttwelve-thirtySaturday."

"Okay,I'llbe..."

Hehungup.

Sheglaredatthephoneandputitdown.Hewasthemostexasperatingmanshe'deverknown.Butat
leasttheywerespeakingagain.

Grieragreedreadilytoaccompanythem,buthewentinhisownvehicle.JudddroveChristabelover
tothesprawlingHartranchinhisSUV.Hewaswearinghisworkclothes,tohersurprise.

"I'monacase,"hetoldher."Iaskedoffjustlongenoughtodothis,butIhavetogorightback."

"Anothermurder?"sheasked.

He shook his head. "The same one. We think we may have a lead. There was a witness who saw a
suspicioustruckhangingaroundoutsidethewoman'shouse."

"Didsheliveintown,inVictoria?"

Heshookhishead."Sheandherhusbandhadalittleranchoutsidethecitylimits.We'retryingtofind
outiftheClarkbrotherseverworkedforthem."

"Iwouldn'tbesurprisediftheywereinvolvedsomehow,"shesaid.

Hescowledintently."Don'tmentionthisnewdevelopmenttoanyoneelse.Period."

ShewantedtotellGrier,butthatlookwasintimidating."Okay.Nobodyelse.Right."

Heturnedhisattentionbacktotheroad."Thingsmaybelookingupafterall."

"Ifwecanmakethisdeal,theycertainlywill,"shereplied."Imagineapricelikethatforexportingour
beeftoanothercountry,whenwecan'tevengiveitawayhere!"

"It'saminormiracle,andweneededone."

Shealmostbitherlipthroughnotagreeingwithhim.Theringhe'dboughtTippywaseatingintothe
verymarrowofherbones.Thelackofoperatingcapitalwasarealthreat,andJuddhadcompromised
theranchwiththatsparklygift.Hehadtoknowit,withoutbeingtold.

"Reysaysthesegentlemenareverynice,andhonorablebusinessmen,"sheaddedbeforehehadtime
towonderathersilence.

"He'd know. The Harts are savvy businessmen. They know a good deal when they see one." He
glancedathercuriously."DidReycallyou?"

Sheshookherhead."I'dheardthesebusinessmenweregoingtobeoutattheirranch,hopingtobuy
organicbeef.ItseemedtherightthingtophonetheHartsandaskifwecouldgetinontheirdeal."She
flushed."Ididn'tthinkabouthowpushyitsoundsuntiljustnow."

"It sounds like competent business thinking. If I had fewer murders to contend with, I might have
thoughtofitmyself."Hechangedthesubject."HaveyouheardfromJoelHarperaboutwhenthefilm
crew'scomingback?"

"Yes.Hesaidthey'dbebackDecember4,"sherepliedtersely.

Hisblackeyesmethersbeforetheywentbacktotheroad."Christmaswillbeherebeforeweknow
it,"heremarked,thinkingabouttheprettypearlnecklaceandstudearringsethe'dboughtherfora
combinationlatebirthdayandChristmaspresent.Itwaspuregoldwithpinkpearls,herfavorites.She
wasgoingtoloveit.

Shestaredoutthewindow."Soitwill."Shewaswonderingifthebeautifulsupermodelhadplansfor
him that would include that holiday. But she couldn't afford to let him know her worries. He didn't
wanther.Shewasn'tthrowingherselfathim.

HepulledupattheHartranchofficebuildingandcutofftheengine.Shejumpeddownfromherside
justasCashpulledupnexttotheminhispickuptruck.Hewasinuniform,obviouslyworkingtoday.

"IhearI'mindemandasatranslator,"heteasedCrissy.

Shegrinnedbackathim."Youjusttranslateusagooddeal,andI'llrecommendyoutoanybodyyou
like."

Hechuckled.

Juddturnedawayfrombothofthemandwenttowardtheof-fice.

The Japanese corporation executives were charming and highly intelligent. Both of them spoke
English, although the nu-ances of idiom and Texas drawl were formidable opponents of real
understanding.

CashspokethelanguagewithafluencythatbroughtdelightedsmilesfromtheJapanese,evenfrom
their two translators. He seemed right at home, down to the custom of bowing instead of shaking
hands,andknowingexactlyhowtophrasequestionswithoutoffending.

"Mr.KosugiwouldlikebothofyoutobehisguestsinOsakainJanuary,"CashtoldChristabeland
Judd. "If you agree, he'll assign one of his staff to help you with arrangements, meet you at the
airport, and conduct you around Osaka. When you see his facilities, and meet his family and staff,
you'llsignaformalagreement."

Juddscowled.'That'sanexpensivetrip,Cash,"hebegan.

"This is our, how do you say it, treat," Mr. Kosugi told them with a smile. "It is the way we do
business."

Juddwasstillscowling."Iworkinlawenforcement,"hebegan.

"Yes, you are Texas Ranger," the older gentleman said excitedly. "We read about you Rangers, and
watchAmericanmoviesofTexas."

Juddsmiled."Yes.SoIcan'tacceptgifts."

"Youcanmakemeagiftoftwotickets,"Christabelsaideas-ily."IwilltakehimwithmetoJapan."

"Christabel,"Juddbegan.

She drew him to one side and glared up at him. "We're still married, for the moment," she said
forcefully.

"WhatIown,youown.IfIgettwotickets,IcangiveonetoanyoneIlike,whichincludesyou.Even
yourbosscan'tcomplainifyourwifegivesyouapresent.Allyouhavetodoisaskforpersonaltime
off,togowithme."

Hehesitated.HeglancedatGrier,whowaswatchingwithgreatinterest.ItoccurredtohimthatGrier
wouldbeanevenbet-tertravelcompanionforher,becausehealsospokeJapanese.Hiseyesbeganto
burn.Helookeddownather."Allright.Idon'tlikeit,butI'lldoit."

"It isn't as if Mr. Kosugi is going to ask you to rob a bank for him or do personal favors for him,
either," she pointed out. "This is ranch business, Judd. And if we don't go, there isn't going to be a
ranchformuchlonger."

He couldn't argue with that. He wanted to, but she was right. He hated the thought of giving up his
uncle'slegacyandherbirthrightbecausehewastoostubborntoadmitshewasright.Neithercouldhe
admitthathisextravagancehadhurtthemevenmore.

"I'llgo,"hesaidheavily."But,"headdedfirmly,"I'mgoingtotellmybossthecircumstancesfirst."

Shesmiledsoftly."Ican'timagineyoubeinglessthanhon-estwithanyone,"shereplied.

Hisheavybrowsdrewtogether."Ihaven'tbeenhonestwithyou,"hesaidslowly.

Hercheeksflushed.Sheavertedherfaceandalltheoldbitternesscameback."Yourprivatelifeisn't
myconcernanymore,Judd.Let'sjustconcentrateontheranch."

Sheturnedandwentbacktotheothersbeforehecouldsayanotherword.

Theweekend,andthefollowingweek,cameandwent,andinnotime,thefilmcrewwasback.Crissy
glaredatTippyMooreforallshewasworthwhenshegothomefromschool,especiallywhenJudd
showedupattheendofthefirstdayoffilmingtodriveTippytoherhotel.Itwasthesameoldthing,
all over again, just when Crissy had hoped that she and Judd were finally starting over, with the
Japanesedeal.Fatchance,withtheGeorgiaFireflyonthejob.Shewasstillwearingthedamnedring,
too.

Crissythrewherselfintoherstudiesandtriedtoignorewhatwasgoingonaroundher.Shebeganto
feelthatthemoviepeopleweregoingtolivewiththemforever,andhernerveswerewearingthin.

Cash came by early one Monday morning a couple of weeks into filming, and the crew was just
breakingforcoffeeanddoughnutswhenhepulledupinfrontofthehouse.

Cash was in uniform and he looked somber. Crissy's class for that day had been cancelled, and she
was at home, trying not to get in the way. She went to meet him. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt,
withherhairinaneatbraidatherback.

"Thisisapleasantsurprise,"shetoldhimwithasmile."What'sup?"

"Nothingearthshaking,butIneedtotalktoyou."Hedrewherovertooneside."Haveyouheardwhat
happenedSaturdaynight?"

"No," she said, surprised. "I didn't go to school today because my teacher was sick, so I've been
isolatedfromanynews."

"ItseemsthatJackClarkmadeapassatJanieBrewsteroutatShea'sBarandRoadhouse,andknocked
heraround.Hethreatenedherwithaknifeaswell.I'vegothiminjail."

"PoorJanie,"shesaid,shocked."Buthowluckyforherthathe'slockedup.Luckyforme,too."She
sensedtherewasmore."Whoarrestedhim?"

"Idid,"heconfessed,"afterLeoHartandHarleyFowlerbothhadagoathim.Themanisamartial
artist,verycompetent.IusedtricksI'dalmostforgottentakinghimdown."

She was still savoring the news. She'd been a little afraid of Jack Clark. Now, she was safe. So was
poorJanie.

"His brother John came down late last night to visit him in jail. He promised to get him a good
attorney." He sighed. "He's going to have a little trouble with that. It seems he may lose his job in
Victoria.Godknowswherehethinkshe'llgetthemoneyforatriallawyer."

"You look very worried," she pointed out. She moved closer, wary of the redheaded supermodel
hoveringnearby."Whatisit,Cash?"

Herestedhishandonthehandleofhis.45automaticinitsholsteronhisdutybelt."Crissy,JohnClark
hasafriendwhodrivesablackpickuptruckwitharedstripe."

CHAPTERELEVEN

Ittookaminuteforthestatementtosinkin.Herbreathsighedoutroughly."That'sthetruckoldHob
sawnearmycutfence,"sherecalled.

Henodded."IjusttoldJudd.Thattruckhasbeenthemissinglink.Weknewithadaconnection,butwe
couldn'tfindit.Apparentlyitdoesn'tbelongtoClarkatall.Itbelongstoabuddyofhisontheranch
he'sworkingat,outsideVictoria,amannamedGould."

"Canyouarresthim?CanJudd?"sheasked.

He grimaced. "It's not that simple. We can't arrest him without proof. The truck is the only lead we
haverightnow."

"IheardHobsaywhatsortoftruckitwas,"shefiredback.

"Yes, but that's only hearsay. It's not enough evidence to ar-rest a man on suspicion of murder. We
havetogoslowly,andseeifwecanfindenoughevidencetogetasearchwarrant,"hetoldher."Ifhe
suspectsathing,hemaytakeofflikeabird,evenwithhisbrotherinjail."

She frowned and rubbed her arm with a restless hand. "Well, one Clark's off the streets for the
foreseeablefuture.Isn'the?"

"Janiesworeoutawarrantforaggravatedassault,"hesaid.

"Harley Fowler and Leo Hart swore out assault charges as well. I got him on resisting arrest and
assaultonapoliceofficer.Butifhisbrothercangetagoodlawyerandhecanmakebond—well,it's
arisk."

"Foranyonewhosawthattruckorknewaboutit,"sheguessedworriedly.

"Don'tlooklikethat,"Cashsaidhuskily."I'dneverletanythinghappentoyou!"

Hereyesmethisandshenoticed,forthefirsttime,theemotioninthemthathecouldn'tquitehide.

"It's the police, again!" Tippy Moore drawled from nearby, tossing her long red-gold hair for the
benefitofanymaninview.ShesmiledsarcasticallyatGrier."Youalmostlivehere,don'tyou?Have
you come to arrest somebody, or can't Miss Gaines manage a day without you in it?" she added
nastily.

Cash'sdarkeyesslidpastCrissytothebeautifulwomanjustjoiningthem."I'mgatheringinformation
forahomicideinvestigation.Unlessyouthinkyoucansolvethecase,you'resu-perfluous,"hesaid
curtly.

Tippy'sperfecteyebrowsarched."Whogotkilled?"SheglancedatCrissy,deliberatelyliftingherleft
handsothatthelightcaughtthediamondsandsparkledwildly."SomeoneMissGainesknows?"

"Certainlynobodyyouknow,"herepliedflatly."I'mpressedfortime."

"Heavens,youdon'tthinkI'mtryingtodetainyou?"shescoffed.Hereyesgavehimaonce-overthat
wasjustshortofaninsult."Itoldhertotellyou,you'renotmytype!"

Hisdarkeyesnarrowedonherface.Crissythoughtshe'dneverseeneyesthatcold."Acompliment,
surely,"herepliedsoftly.Heevensmiled."Mytastedoesn'truntoyoursortofwoman,MissMoore.I
don'thavetopaywomentogooutwithme."

TippyMoore'sfaceburnedred.Sheglaredathim."I'mnocallgirl,"shemanagedtogetout."ButifI
were,buster,therewouldn'tbeenoughmoneyintheworldtogetyouinmybed!"

"You'vegotthatright!"hesaidicily.

Her small hands clenched at her sides. Her hair seemed to glow. "I've turned down motion picture
starsandmillionairesandevenprinces!WhatmakesyouthinkI'dlooktwiceatahickcoplikeyou?
I'vealreadygoteverything!"

He cocked an eyebrow and gave her a look that would have eaten through rust. "What you've got,
lady,isaprettyfaceandapassablefigure.Infiveorsixyears,youwon'tfindafashionmagazinethat
willeven want tofeature you inthe advertise-ments. Then whatwill you do,when men who panted
afteryoucan'tfindenoughexcusestogetawayfromyou?"

Obviously,she'dconsideredthatherself,becauseshewentpale.

"Youhavenoapparenteducation,nomanners,noculture,noconsiderationforotherpeople.Andyou
thinkaprettyfacemakesupforthelackofthoseattributes?"heasked."Whydon'tyoutakeagood
lookinamirror?

You're a lot less attractive to men than you think you are. And I've got your number, even if Judd
Dunnhasn'tyet."

"Hegavemearing,"shesaidthroughherteeth."He'scrazyaboutme!"

"He's crazy, all right," he shot back. "You'd bankrupt him in two weeks and leave him bleeding on
yourwaytoafatterwal-let.Youwouldn'tevenlookbacktoseeifhedied."

"Youknow...nothingaboutme!"shechoked.

"IknowtrashwhenIseeit,"hecounteredwithcoldeyes.

Herlowerliptrembled.Shelookeddevastated.Shecouldn'tevenmanageapartingshot.Sheturned
andwalkedshakilybacktothesetwherethedirectorwaswaiting,herbackarrow-straight.Butwhen
shegottoJoelHarper,shecollapsedintohisarmsandcriedlikeachild.

Cash'slipsflattened."Theatrics,"hesaidharshly."Thatwomanisaprimemanipulator.Judd'soutof

hismindifhethinksshecaresabouthim."

"Iknow,"shesaidsadly.ButshefeltoddlysorryforTippy.

She'dneverseenthepoised,sophisticatedwomaninsuchastate.She'dbeenupsetbeforewhenCash
wasrudetoher,butthistime,shewasgenuinelydevastated.Cashreallydidseemtohateher.Crissy
wonderedwhyhisopinionwassodisturbingtoTippy,whensheseemedtodislikehimjustasmuch.

"I'vegottogetbacktotheoffice,"Cashtoldhergently."Watchyourback.I'vemadesureNickknows
tohelp.

Don'tthinkClark'slessdangerousinjail.I'veseenmeninworsetroublemakebond."

Shesighed."I'llkeepmypistolhandy.Youbecareful,too,"shesaidwithgenuineconcern.

Heshrugged."I'vesurvivedworsethantheClarkboys,"hesaid,andsmiled."Seeyoulater."

"Sure."

He walked off without another glance in Tippy's direction. But even with the competition the other
womangaveherforJudd'sattention,shecouldn'thelpbutfeelbadforher.Cashhadbeenbrutal,and
obviouslyhisopinionmatteredtothebeautifulsupermodel.Thosetearshadbeenreal,evenifCash
didn'tthinkso.

Whilethecrewtookabreak,togiveTippytimeforthemakeupartisttorepairthedamagetearshad
donetoherface,Crissywaitedoutsidethetraileruntiltheolderwomanemerged.

"Whatdoyouwant,togloat?"Tippyaskedbitingly.

"Amodelbrokeuphisparents'marriage,"Crissytoldherquietly."Thatdoesn'texcusethewayheis,
butithelpsexplainit.Hewasingrammarschool,andhelovedhismother."

Shestartedtowalkaway,butasofthandtouchedhershoulderlightly,justdistinguishableenoughto
stopher.

"I'vebeenabitchtoyou,"themodelsaidsolemnly."Whyshouldyoucareifhecutsmeup?Infact,
whatwouldyouknowabouttherealworld,withyourshelteredbackground?"sheaddedbitterly.

Crissy met the beautiful green eyes evenly. "Do you think I live in some fairy-tale world of happy
endingsandperfectharmony?Myfathergotdrunkandalmostkilledme.Mymotherdied.Juddand
MaudeareallIhaveintheworld."

Sheturnedawayandthistimeshedidn'tstop.Sheprobablyshouldn'thavetoldTippythat,butwhat
Cashsaidwascruel.He'dneverapologize,withhishistory.Funny,shepondered,thatshecaredabout
seeingthemodelintears.She'ddonenothingbutgiveCrissyhell,andtakenJuddawaytoboot.But
Judd cared about the dreadful woman, and there was no way Crissy would ever be able to hurt

someoneJuddloved.

Behind her, the older woman stood frozen, rigid, hating the compassion in that soft voice, the
understandingbehindit.She'dthoughtthatlittleChristabelGaineshadtheperfectchildhood.Itwasa
shocktolearnthetruth,anditmadeherfeelguilty.Shelookedattheexpensiveringonherfingerand
measureditagainstChristabel'sraggedjeansandwornoldboots.Shewentbacktowardthesetwith
herpridearoundherankles.She'dneverthoughtofherselfasacruelwomanbefore.Itwasjustthat
Judd made her feel safe and he was overly protective of his little ranch partner, Miss Gaines. She
couldn'tgivehimup.Shecouldn't!Hewasallthatstoodbetweenherandmenwhoweredangerousto
her. Men like Gary Mays, the assistant director and—most of all—Cash Grier. Despite Crissy's
compassion,theywererivalsforthesameman.Anditwastrue,thatallwasfairinloveandwar.

The last two weeks before Christmas were hectic. Crissy was having final exams at school, and
jugglingstudywithranchchoresthatseemedtobeendless.Thechaoticdisarrayofthefilmpeople
crowdingaroundhermadeherlifedifficult,andshegrewmoreandmoreimpatient.Maudekeptout
oftheway,andJuddnevercameneartheranchunlessitwastotakeTippybacktotowntoherhotel.
HewaspolitetoCrissy,buttheoldeasyaffectionbetweenthemseemedtobegoneforever.Itdidn't
occurtoherthatCashwasusuallysomewherearoundwheneverJuddcametotheranch,andthatJudd
noticed.

She and Nick and the part-timers rode fence line, doctored pregnant cows, patched leaky roofs,
pitchedhay,hauledwater,anddidthethousandandoneotherdailychoresthatkepttheranchupand
running.Ononefreeday,shewentallthewaytoVictoriashoppingforaparticularsortofsterling
silvertietackthatJuddhadmentionedhe'dseenandwanted.Ittookhalfthedaytolocateit,inasmall
jewelrystore.Shebroughtithometriumphantlyandwrappeditup.WhensheandMaudeputuptheir
annualChristmastreeinthelivingroom,shetuckeditinamongthebrancheswhereitwouldn'tbetoo
obvious.ShegotCashanicenewwallet,havingnoticedhowfrayedhisownwas.

Cash's visits had multiplied since Clark's arrest. Crissy noted that Tippy Moore didn't snipe at him
anymore. She was oddly subdued when he was around. She kept out of his way and he ignored her
completely.

"There'sfireinthatsmoke,"MaudecommentedoneafternoonjustafterCashhaddrivenaway.

"Whatsmoke?"Crissymurmured,herheadstuckinhertext-book.

"That model and Cash Grier," she replied. "Right now it's smoldering, while they avoid each other.
Butputthemtogetherandit'sexplosionsalltheway."

"Theyhateeachother,"Crissysaid,surprised.

"Maybe.Maybenot."Shecockedherhead,watchingCrissywhileshedriedplates."YouandJuddboth
goingtoJapan?"

"Notuntilnextyearsometime,wehaven'tevendecidedonadate.Butit'sthebestnewswe'vehadina
while."

Sheturnedapage."JuddandIhavealreadydecidedthatwe'llusesomeofthefilmmoneytoreplace
thatSalersbull.Butsomeofourheifershadalreadybeenbredtohim,andtothatHerefordbullwe
lost, too. When we knew how many pregnant heifers we had, Nick called a man he knew who does
artificial insemination, and we bought seed from a champion Salers bull. We had the remaining
heifersserviced.Sonowwe'vegotachampioncalfcroptolookforwardtointhespring.That'swhat
theJapaneseareinterestedin.Noadditives,nounnecessaryantibiotics,grass-fedwithonlyaminor
mixofvitaminsandsupplements—nonefromanimalparts—andpesticide-free."

"AsIrecall,"Maudegrinned,"Juddhadtobetalkedintothatorganicapproach."

"He knew I'd done my homework when I suggested it. Now he's glad, with this overseas deal
cooking."

Maudesmiledatherwarmly."Child,youareanatural-borncattlewoman."

Crissygrinnedather."Justlikemygreat-auntSarah,"sheremindedtheolderwoman,"whoranher
ownranchlongbeforeitbecamepopularforawomantodoit."

"Judd'sproudofyou,"shemurmured,avertinghereyestothesink."Hedoesn'twantyoutogiveup
school,nomatterhowhardfinancesgethere."

"I'lldowhatIhaveto,"shereplied."Listen,youkeepthatbackdoorlockedwhenit'sjustushere,"she
added.

"OneoftheClarksisinjail,buttheotheroneisn't."

"Ihaven'tforgotten."

"Wecan'taffordtoletourguarddownforaminute,"sheadded."Ievencarrythatpistolinthetruck,
undermyseat"Shesighedworriedly."ItwasasaddayforeastTexaswhentheClarkbrothersmoved
here."

"Maybetheywon'tbearoundtoomuchlonger,"Maudesaid.

Those words turned out to be prophetic. Four days after the cast and crew had gone home for the
Christmas holidays, John Clark found himself jobless and with no way to afford a lawyer for his
brother.

Thinking he'd get money the easy way, he put on a stocking mask and walked into the Victoria
Commercial Bank and Trust on Christmas Eve with a shotgun, just before the bank closed early at
noon.Itwasunfortunateforhimthatthesecurityguardspottedhimintimetocallforhelp,andeven
moreunfortunatethathelpcameintheformoftheTexasRangerassignedtothatcounty,JuddDunn.

Clark fired the shotgun at the uniformed men and nicked the security guard, but not before he and
JuddDunnfiredtheirsidearms.Neithershotmissed.Clarkwentdown.Hedidn'tgetbackup.

Judddroveupinfrontoftheranchhousejustaboutdark.Ithadbeenalloverthesixo'clocknews
about the attempted rob-bery and its aftermath. There was extensive footage of Clark lying on the
floorinthebanklobby,coveredwithblood.

Maude had watched it with Christabel, but her sister had called and asked her to come over for the
nightbecauseshedidn'twanttobealoneonChristmasEve.Maudefeltbadaboutleaving,underthe
circumstances,buthersisterhadn'tbeenwell.Crissyconvincedhertogo.Thenshewaited,andhoped
thatJuddwouldcometoherforcomfort.

Incredibly,hedid!

ChristabelwentouttotheSUVandwaitedforhimtocutofftheengineandgetout.

Hedidn't,foraminute.Hestaredatherthroughthedustysidewindowwitheyesthathardlysawher.
Theywereblack,deadeyes.

Sheopenedthedoorandtuggedatthelongsleeveofhiscleanwhiteshirt."Imadecoffeeandfresh
breadandamacaroniandcheesecasserole.There'sapplepiefordessert.Comein."

Hecutofftheengineandgotoutofthebigvehiclelikeasleepwalker.Shenoticedthathisfacewas
unusuallypale.

Impulsively,shelinkedhersmallhandintohislargeoneandledhimintothehouseanddownthehall
tothekitchen.Itwasunusualforhimtoallowhertotouchhim.Shegotdrunkonthefreedom.Itfelt
right,thatbig,leanhandsocloselytangledinherfingers.

"Sit,"shesaidgently,nudginghimintoachairatthesmalltable,whichwasalreadyset.

"Youheard,"hemurmured,puttinghishatinanemptychair.

Shenodded.Sheputnicelycookedvegetablesandfreshrollsonthetableincontainers,alongwiththe
macaronicasserole.

Sheputaplateandnapkinandutensilsatbothplaces,pouredcoffeeintwocups,handedhimone,and
satdown.

"Saygrace,Judd,"shesaidsoftly.

He did, but with a rasp in his voice. He didn't talk. She didn't expect him to. It was too fresh, too
traumatic,forwordsjustyet.Sheknewthat.

Bythetimetheygottothepie,hewascalmerandhisbigframelessrigid.

Hesmiledfaintly."Youknowhowtohandleme,don'tyou?"heasked,glancingather.

"Iknowyou,"shesaidsimply.

Hedrewinalongbreathandfinishedhispie.Hesippedhissecondcupofcoffee,watchingheracross
therim.

"Noquestions?"

Hereyesmethisandshesawthepainandturmoilinthem."Itwouldbecruel,"shereplied.

Heactuallywinced.Heputdownthecoffeecup,hard.Hismouthmadeathinline.Hecouldn'ttellher.
Hewantedtotalk.Heneededtotalk.Butthatbristlingmasculinitythatwasasmuchaspartofhimas
his white shirt and silver Ranger badge made it almost impossible. He hated weakness. He couldn't
admittoit.

"You're trained not to let things bother you," she began slowly, meeting his eyes. "You have to be
strong, so that other people can lean on you when there's an emergency. You can't break down or
showemotiononthejob,becauseyouhavetodothejob.That'swhyit'ssohardwhenthingslikethis
happen.Youdon'twanttoadmitthatithurtswhenyouhavetousethatgunyouwear,orthatyou're
tornupinside."Shesearchedhiseyes,notingthesurprisethere."Butyou'reveryhuman,Judd,and
youwereraisedinthechurch,sothatmakesitworseforyou.I'mnotgoingtoprobe,orpry,oroffer
platitudes.Workitouthoweveryouneedto.Butifyouwanttotalk,I'llalwayslisten."

Hischestroseandfellheavily."YouandGrier,"hesaiddully,staringintohisemptycup."Heactually
phonedmetosayIcouldtalktohimifIneededto."

She studied him with hungry eyes that she veiled with her lashes. "Cash has done a lot of terrible
thingsovertheyears,"shereplied."He'skilledpeople.Heknowshowitis."

Hisdarkeyessearchedhers."Didhetellyouaboutanyofthem?"

Sheshookherhead."He'slikeyou.Hedoesn'ttalkaboutthethingsthathurtmost.ButIthinkhecould
tellyou.

Ithinkyoucouldtellhim.Iknowyoudon'tlikehim,buthe'sbeenkindtome."

"KindwhenIwasn't,"hereturnedsurprisingly.Hiseyesnarrowedonherface."He'sthesortofman
whomakesothermenfeeluncomfortable.He'sdoneeverything,beeneverywhere.He'sculturedand
richandafraidofnothingonearth."

Shewantedtosay,"Butheisn'tyou."Shedidn'tdare.Hewasinvolvedwithawomanwhomadeher
feelinferiorineveryway.Shewasn'tleadingwithherheartanymore.

Shegotupandpouredmorecoffeeforbothofthem.

He was watching her, noting the lines of strain in her face, the thinness of her young body, the
conditionofherfadedbutcleanjeansandshirtandoldboots.Hegrimaced,thinkingaboutthatring
onTippy'sfinger.He'dalsoforgottentobringChristabel'spresentdownwithhimfromVictoria,in
the anguish of the day. He'd have to remember to tell her he had it, so that she wouldn't think he'd
deliberatelynotgottenheranything.

She sat down again. "I'm so tired," she murmured. "I've finished exams, and I think I passed
everything,butNickandIhavebeenmakingrunningrepairstofencesandcheckingpregnantheifers
allafternoon.IfthisJapanesedealworksout,maybewecanhireonemorefull-timeman,soIcanget
somerest!"sheaddedfacetiously.

Buthedidn'tsmile."You'retooyoungtohavetoshoulderthismuchresponsibility,"hesaid.

Hereyebrowsarched."I'mhalfownerofthisplace,andIdon'tworkanyharderthanyoudo!Infact,I
workless.I'mjustastudent.Youhaveademandingjob."

Hisfacetautened."Toodemanding,rightnow,"hesaidthroughhisteeth.

"How'sthesecurityguard?"sheaskedtodiverthim.

"He'soutofdanger,"hetoldher."They'restillpickingdou-ble-oughtbirdshotoutofhim,buthe'll
makeagoodrecovery.Hemaylosesomeuseofhisarm,though.Hellofathing,hespottedtheguy
andcalledforbackup,hopingwecouldtakehimwithoutbloodshed.Iwasoutonaninvestigation,not
halfablockfromthebank.IranallthewayandgottothefrontdoorjustasClarkwasthreateninga
womanwiththeshotgun.Theguardsawmeslipintothefrontdoorwithmysidearmout,andhewent
for his. Clark whirled. The guard and I fired simulta-neously, but too late to avoid return fire. The
guard was hit." He looked absolutely haunted. "Clark went down like a sack of sand." He frowned
heavily."Peoplelooksohelplesswhentheydie,Christabel,"hesaidunderhisbreath."Likebigdolls.
Theylaytherewitheverybodylookingatthem,invadingtheirprivacy,staringatthem...andtheycan't
doanythingtoprotectthemselvesfromallthosegapingeyes."

"He tried to kill someone," she reminded him. "Can't you think about what might have happened if
youhadn'tshownupintime?IfJohnClarkislikehisbrother,hemightnothavehesitatedtoshootto
kill."

"That's what I was afraid he was going to do," he confessed. "The woman told us that she'd
antagonized him by speaking up when he held the gun on her. He told her, in fact, that he might as
wellbehungforasheepasalamb.Wewonderedifhemeantthathe'dkilledalready."

Shenodded."MaybehekilledpooroldHobDowney,isn'tthatwhatyouthink?"

"Yes."Hetoyedwithhiscoffeecup."Thenewsmediajumpedonhissituationatonce.Poorguy,his
brotherinjail,nomoney,nojob.Andthebigbadcopsshothimwhenhewasonlytryingtogetsome
money."

She smiled sadly. "We live in bad times, Judd," she said quietly. “The whole world's upside down
sometimes."

"Iphonedanattorney—theonethedepartmentuses—andhadhimtellmewhattodonext.Funny,I've
beenintheRangersallthistime,andI'veneverbeeninvolvedinafatalshooting."

"Youwerelucky."

Heglancedup."IguessIwas.Theydon'tknowwhofiredthefatalshot,"headdedunexpectedly."One
ofushitlow,theotherhithigh.Itwilltakeaballisticstesttodeterminewhofiredwhichshot,butthe
guardandIbothcarry.45caliberweapons.It'sChristmasEve,sothelabisclosed.ItwillbeMonday
be-fore they can do the examination. Clark's autopsy will have to wait until then, too, I guess.
Meanwhile,"hesighed,"Ihavetolivewithit."

"Youdon'taimtokill,"sheremindedhim.

"Iaimedathiship,totakehimdownthequickestway,"hesaidtersely."Buttherewasariverofblood
fromthatarea,brightred,arterialblood."Heranahandthroughhisthickblackhair."Ifthatwasmy
shot,itwentinsideandhitthefemoralar-tery."

Shewantedtosaysomethingcomforting,buthewaslostinthehellofhisownthoughts.

"The other shot was through the heart," he murmured. "Whichever one was mine doesn't matter so
much,Iguess.Hewouldhavediedanyway.There'llbeahearing.IgavethemastatementandnowI'm
onadministrativeleave."

"Withtoomuchtimetobroodonit,"shesaidsoftly."You'llneedtokeepbusy.Tomorrowwecandig
postholesandputupfence."

Hiseyebrowsarched."OnChristmasDay?"

"Ifyou'dratherwatchendlessrerunsofthatoldblackandwhiteChristmasmovietheykeepshowing
aroundtheclock,"shebegan.

Hisblackeyestwinkled,forthefirsttimethatday."Wecouldalwayswatchthosesatellitemoviesyou
likesomuch,"hedrawled.

Sheflushedandgrinned."Youstopthat.IhavetogeteducationwhereIcanfindit."

"AndI'vealreadytoldyouthatthosemoviesaren'tlikereallife."

Sheclearedherthroat."Morecoffee?"

Heletitdrop."No,I'vehadenough.Dowestillhaveanybeer?"

"AboutsixbottlesleftoverfromThanksgiving,allinthefridge.Wantone?"

He nodded. "I'm not a drinker, but I'm making an exception today." He gave her a long, lingering
scrutiny."I'llneverhaveenoughtoputyouindanger.Youknowthat."

Sherelaxed.Shehadmorereasonthanmostwomentobeafraidofmenwhodrank,andheknew.She
smiledself-consciously."Isn'titstrangehowourchildhoodsaffectusyearsdowntheroad?"

He toyed with the handle of his coffee cup. "I remember how much I missed my mother when Dad
wouldn'tlethercomeback,"hemurmured.

"Youlovedmymother,"sheremindedhim.

Hesmiled."Shewasacharacter,"hesaid."Yes,Ilovedher.Shehadahardlife,butshewasalmost
alwayssmiling."Heliftedhiseyestoherface."Likeyou."

Sheshrugged."Doesn'tcostanymoretosmilethanitdoestocry,"shesaidwithagrin."Andituses
lessmuscles!"

Hechuckled."IthoughtaboutstayingupinVictoriaintheapartmentovernight.I'mgladIdidn't."

Sheacknowledgedthesubtlecomplimentwithasmile."Verywise,"sheteased."Myapplepieisbetter
thanyours,"sheadded,tongue-in-cheek.

"Nothingwrongwithblackcrustandhardapples,"hechallenged.

"I'llgetyouthatbeer,"shesaid,andwenttotherefrigerator.

They watched television in the living room next to the tall, brightly lit Christmas tree until late,
avoidingthenews.JuddsprawledonthesofainhissockfeetandblackT-shirtandjeans,andhewent
through three beers before he stopped. The traumatic experience of the morning had shaken him
badly.Itwasgoingtobeimpossibletolivewithtakingahumanlife,andheknewit.Whathedidn't
knowwashowhewasgoingtocopewiththeconsciencethatwastorturinghim.

"You'rebroodingagain,"Christabelsaidfromhercomfortablearmchairacrossfromthesofa."This
isareallygoodmovie.Youshouldbepayingattention."

Heshiftedhisheadonthepillowunderitandstaredatheropenly,fromherpertbreastsinthelow-cut
whitesweatershewaswearingtothesubtlecurveofherhipsasshesatwithherlegsdrawnupunder
her.Herblondhairwaslong,drapedoverhershouldersanddownherback.Shelookedsexy.Very
sexy.Usuallyhetriednottonoticethat,buthewasjustslightlytipsyandhiscontrolwasslipping.

That look was disturbing. He had a way of watching her lately that made her body tingle. He was
doingitnow.

Hereyeswentoverhislean,fitbodyintheclose-fittingjeansandblackT-shirtthatshowedoffthe
breadthofhischestandthemusclesinhisupperarms.Hewasdevastatingphysically.Hewasn'tbad-
look-ing,either,withthatleanfaceandbroadforeheadandstraightnose.Hehadasensuousmouth,
verywideandmasculine,andajuttingchinthathintedatthestubbornnessthatwasasmuchapartof
himasthethick,straightblackhairthatdroppedontohisbroadforeheadwhenheleanedforward,the
thickeyebrowsoverthosedeep-setblackeyes,thehighcheekbonesofhistannedface....

"You'restaring,"heaccused.

"Soareyou,"sheshotback.

Hiseyesnarrowedslowly.Theyranoverherbodylikecaressingfingers,almostphysicallytouching
her.Itwaslikeamomentoutoftime,withtheworldveryfaraway,justthetwooftheminthedimly
litlivingroomwiththetelevisionblaringaway,unnoticed.

"SupposeItoldyou,"hesaidintently,"thatadivorcedoesn'tcostmuchmorethananannulment?"

She colored prettily. She knew what he was saying. He needed oblivion, and she was in a perfect
position to provide it. But he'd been keeping company with an international model who probably
thoughtofsexasanappetizer,andshedidn'twanttohavetofollowTippyinhisbed.Notthatitwasn't
tempting.She'dneverwantedanythingoranyonethewayshewantedherhusband.

"Suppose I told you," she replied, "that Tippy Moore would be a hard act for even an experienced
womantofollow,muchlessanovice?"

Helookedsurprised."YouthinkI'msleepingwithher?"

Sheavertedhereyes."Shedoesn'ttrytomakeanysecretofthefactthatshe'sexperienced."

Hedidn'tspeakatonce.Heseemedtobestrugglingwiththingshedidn'tknowhowtoputintowords.

"GoodGod,"hesaidsoftly,"you'reprobablynottheonlyper-sonaroundherewhoseesitthatway,
either,areyou?"

Sheshookherhead."It'sprettycommongossip."

His jaw tautened. "And a few people know that we're married, too. I didn't think how it might look,
thatyoumighthavetobearthebruntofit."

Shemovedoneshoulderrestlesslyandstaredsightlesslyatthetelevisionscreen."Igoaroundwith
Cash,"shesaid."Isupposewe'vebothgivenJacobsvilleenoughammunitionforgos-sip."

Hesworesoftlyunderhisbreathandhiseyesliftedtotheceiling.Christabelwashavingtolivedown
hisbehavior,andithadneveroccurredtohimthathewasmakinghertheobjectofgos-sip.Buthow
couldhenothaveknown,heaskedhimself,whenTippymadeheadlineswherevershewent.

"Iwouldn'thavetoaskifyouweresleepingwithGrier,"hesaid."Iknowyoutoowell."

Heactuallysoundedresentful.Shefeltherselfbristle.Sheal-mostlashedout,beforesheremembered
whathe'dalreadybeenthroughtoday.Shedidn'thavethehearttomakehimmoreuncomfortablethan
healreadywas.

"She'swearinganengagementring,Judd,"sherepliedinasubduedtone."Iknowyouplantomarry
her. We're only married on paper, anyway, and soon we won't be. I don't blame you for wanting
somebodyprettyandfamousandsophisticated.Ineverwasintherunning,thatway,andI'vealways
knownit."

He scowled as he stared at her, shocked. Did she really have a self-image that low? And was it his
faultthatshedid?He'dbeensocarefultokeepadistancebetweenthemalltheseyears,toprotecther
frombecomingintimatelyinvolvedwithhimbe-foreshe'ddatedorbeenaroundothermen.Hehadn't
wantedtotakeadvantageoftheiroddrelationship,touseherinawaythatmanyothermenwouldn't
havehesitated,inhisposition,todo.

Butshe'dsaidTippywaswearinganengagementring!

"Whatengagementring,Christabel?"hesaidslowly.

Herwisebrowneyesslidaroundtomeethisblackones."Thatemeraldanddiamondringyougave
her.Whywouldamangiveawomanaringthatexpensiveifhewasn'tseriouslyinvolvedwithher?"
sheaskedmatter-of-factly.

Hetookadeepbreathandsettledbackontothepillows.Hewantedtosay,"BecauseIletmyprideget
in the way at a jeweler's when she put it on and refused to take it off. I couldn't bear to tell her I
couldn'taffordwhatsheconsideredabauble."Buthecouldn'tadmitthathe'dbeensuchanidiot.So
nowChristabelthoughthewasengagedtoanotherwomanandcount-ingthedaysuntilhecouldget
ridofher!

CHAPTERTWELVE

“SoIguessweshouldgettheannulmentprettysoon,"Christabeladded,tryingtosoundmatter-of-fact
aboutapainfulsubject.

Heglaredather."We'llgetanannulmentwhenIsayso.Besides,rightnow,wecan'taffordit."

"We'regettingenoughfromthefilmdealtopayanattorney,"shecountered,puzzled.

"Then let's say it's convenient to stay married for a while," he returned, his eyes brooding as they
studiedher.

"Tippy Moore might not think so," she said with more bitterness than she knew. "It's no secret that
she'scrazyaboutyou.Shedoesn'ttrytohideit."

Hedidn'tsaywhatheknewaboutTippy.HelikedthatfaintjealousyinChristabel'ssoftvoice.Heliked
knowingthatshewantedhim.Shewasprettyandsexyandhisbodybegantoachewhenhestaredat
thoseperfectlittlebreastsunderhershirt.

"Tippydoesn'tknowthatwe'remarried,"hereplied."Shethinkswe'rejustbusinesspartners."

"She'sright,"sheresponded.

Thelookinhiseyeswasdarkandquiet."No.YouandIaremorethanthattoeachother.Wealways
have been." His gaze went down her body like hands and narrowed. "Your nipples are like little
stones.Youwantme.

Didyouthinkitdidn'tshow?"hetauntedsoftlywhensheactuallygaspedatthebluntcomment.

Shegotupfromthechair."Maybeyoushouldn'thavehadallthosebeers,"shesaid,uncertainofhim
inthismood.Shedidn'twanthimtodosomethinghewasgoingtoregretlater,evenifshewasdying
forit.

"I'mnotdrunk.Youcangotobedwithme,ifyouwantto,"heofferedbluntly.

Her raised eyebrows were eloquent and she laughed nervously. "Imagine that, and I'm not even
wearingarednegligee!"

"Careful.I'mnotkidding."Heputbothhandsunderthebackofhisheadandgaveherascrutinythat
couldhaveboiledmilk."YouthinkI'marake,"hesaidgruffly."YouthinkI'veforsakenmymarriage
vows, even if they are on paper, for the sake of a few adventures with other women. My God, you
don'tknowmeatall,Christabel."

Shewasalmostshakingwithnervesasshestareddownathimfromadistanceofafewfeet.

"I'mnovirgin,"heconfesseddarkly."ButItakemyvowsasseriouslyasyoutakeyours.Ihaven'thad

awomansinceImarriedyou."

Shecouldn'tmanageasingleword.Whyhadn'titoccurredtoherthathewasasrigidlyconventional
asshewas,anddeeplyreligiousaswell.

"Youhaven'thadalover?It'sbeenfiveyears!"shechokedfinally.

"Iknow,"hereplied,andinatonethatalmostmadehersmile.

"But,how...?"

"Therearetheseracymoviesonthesatellitechannel,"hebeganwithawickedupturnofhislips."And
othermeansofsatisfaction."

Shewentscarlet.Itwassuchanintimatethingtoknowabouthim.But,then,heknewallhersecrets,
too—atleast,theonesthatmattered.Hewasn'thavingsexwithTippyMoore.Thatjumpedoutather
likeaspring.Itmadeherexultant.

"Lostforwords?"hemused,watchingherclosely."Shocked?"

Shenodded.

Hedrewinalongbreath."I'vehadahardday.I'mhalflit,evenonthreebeers.ButIsureashellam
capable,andIwantawomantonight.Consideringoursituation,theonlyavailablewomanisyou."

Shewasstillstandingthere,rigid,unmoving,herheartbeatinghertodeath.

His eyes fell to her breasts, where two hard little points were thrusting against the white sweater.
"You're ripe for a man and you'd die to have me." He caught the flash of her eyes and the smile
widened.Hiseyeswentoverherlikehands."Iwantyou,Christabel.Rightnow."

She hesitated, not because she didn't want to, but because she was still afraid that he was teasing,
testingher.

Shedidn'tthinkhewasserious.

Henoticedthat.Hisblackeyesbegantoburnasheheldherowngazeuntilherheartranwild.

"Youknowyouwantit.Yourheartisbeatingyoutodeath.Icanseeitfromhere.Turnthetelevision
off and come here, baby," he said in a deep, sensuous drawl. "And I'll make all your guilty little
dreamscometrue."

Likeasleepwalker,controlledbyapartofherthatshedidn'trecognize,shewenttothetelevisionand
switched it off. Then she went to stand just in front of him, excited, hungry, curious, her heartbeat
ragingasshelookeddownatallthathardmuscle.

"Don'tyoudareteaseme,"shesaidhuskily."Iwon'tplaygameswithyou."

"I'mnotplaying."Hereachedoutandcaughtherhand,tugginguntilshefellheavilyagainstandonto
hislong,muscularbody.Itwasnew,andheady,tobesointimatelyclosetohimafteralltheseyearsof
repressedneed.

He felt alien against her for the first few seconds. His legs were long and powerful. She felt the
musclesinthemrippleastheymoved,intertwiningwithhers.Shefeltsomethingelse,too,something
he'drarelyletherfeel.Hewantedher.Itwasexcitingtoknowthat,andalittleintimidating,because
shedidn'thaveacluewhatitwasgoingtofeellikelateron.She'dheardstories...

Hefelthertense.Heturnedherhalfunderhimandlookedintohereyesfrompoint-blankrange."I
knowyou'reavirgin,"hesaidhuskily."I'mexcitedbyit,andyoucanfeelthat,can'tyou?ButI'llbe
careful.Very,verycareful.ThelastthingIwanttodoistofrightenyouorhurtyou."

She relaxed and reached up to him, suddenly aware of her own body's faint swelling, of a new and
excitingsensationofpleasureinhermostsecretplaces.Sheachedtohavehimtouchher,kissher.It
amazedherthatithadhappenedsounexpectedly.

"Youmightregretitlater,"shewhispered.

"Iwon't.Neitherwillyou.Icanguaranteeit,"headdedwithconfidence.

Shestaredathishard,disciplinedmouthwithrealhunger.Shecouldhardlygetadecentbreath.He
smelledoffaintcologneandaftershaveandsoap.Hefeltlikesweetheaventhisclose.Hisbodywas
warmandhardandshefeltenvelopedbyit.

"Maybe I'm dreaming," she whispered, running her hands over him. "All those repressed years
withoutexperimentationhavedrivenmemad!"

He chuckled softly. "Think so? If you want to experiment," he murmured, catching his hand in her
hairtoholdherfacegen-tlyunderhis,"youcandoitwithyourhusband.Openyourmouth,baby...!"

She opened her mouth to gasp, and his caught it. It was like the dance, except that this time, he was
slowandtenderwithher.Hislipstoyedwithhersgently,inabreathlesssilencethatmadeherfartoo
awareofthesteelybodyagainsthers,ofthewarmthofhishandsonherback,theexpertsensualityof
hishardmouth.Theotherkissesthey'dsharedseemedinnocentbycomparison.Thistimehemeant
business,anditshowed.

Her arms snaked around his neck and she lifted to his kisses with hungry abandon. She felt him
moving her top out of the waistband of her jeans. Seconds later, his hands were against bare skin,
againstthehatefulscarsherfatherhadleftsomanyyearsbefore.

Shejerked.

Hestilledherinstinctivewithdrawalbyturningherunderhim,sothathecouldlookdownintoher
eyes."Ihavescarsofmyown,remember?"hesaidquietly."Here."

He pulled up his black undershirt and drew her hand to his rib cage. "Feel it?" he asked. "I took a
pumpshotgunblasttherewhenIwasarookiecop.Fortunatelyforme,itwasalightloadanditdidn't
goinveryfar.Butitleftaridge,liketheoneinmyshoulderleftadepression."

Shetraceditslowly."I'dforgottenthat."

Hesmiledlazily."Ihadn't."Hesmoothedherlonghairaroundhershoulders,softandfine."Yourhair
isoneofyourbestpoints,"hemurmuredashisleanfingersbeganfeelingforbuttonsonherblouse.
"Nexttothese..."

"Oh…Judd,listen,youcan'ttakeitoff!"sheprotestedwhensherememberedherpaddedbra.

"Sure,Ican."Hekeptgoing,untilhehaditopenandherpaddedbrarevealed.Thenherealizedwhy
she'dfoughttokeephimfromseeingit.Hescowled,"Whatthehellareyouwearingthispaddedbra
for?"heasked.

Shesighed."Ididn'twantyoutoseeit.IthoughtifIlookedbigger,youmightbemoreinterestedin
lookingatme,"sheconfessed."Don'tmenlikebigwomen?"

"Tasteisanindividualthing,honey,"hemurmured,searchingforthefastening.Heliftedherwithone
armwhilehisfingersexpertlyreleasedthecatch."Idon'tlikebigwomen.Ineverhave."

While she was getting used to that idea, he moved her so that he could pull the whole works off,
baring her to his eyes from the waist up. It was like lightning striking. All her dreams about him
hadn'tbeenthisexplicit.Shewassoaringwithjoy.

Hesmiledslowlyatthewayshelooked.Itwasheadytothinkshehadn'tdonethiswithanyoneelse.He
wantedherfirsttimetobewithhim.He'dneverwantedanythingsomuch.

Shetriedtospeak,buthisheadwasalreadybending.Evenasshespoke,heopenedhismouthright
overhernippleandtookmostofhersoftlittlebreastrightintoit.Histongueworkedonthesensitive
nub while his mouth learned her in a silence bro-ken only by her frantic heartbeat and soft sobs of
pleasure.Herfingerscaughtthethickmusclesinhisupperarmsanddugintothemwithdelightashis
mouthexploredherbody.

Hishandworkeditswaydownherspineandbroughtheragainsthimhungrily.Hereleasedherbreast
only to find her mouth, while he eased her under his undershirt so that he could feel her breasts
againsthisbare,hair-roughenedchest.

"Judd,"shesobbedintohismouth."Ineverthoughtitwouldfeellikethis!"

"NeitherdidI,"hewhisperedroughly."Iwantyoulikehell!AreyoustilltakingthePill,ordoIhave
tousesomething?"

Hermindwasnotworkingatall.Shecouldn'tthink."Howdidyou...?"

"I saw them on your bedside table, the last time I was here." He lifted his head, and his black eyes
pinionedher.

"WereyoutakingthemforGrier,justincase?"hedemandedsuddenly,angrily.

"No!"shegasped."Iwouldnever...!"

"Then,why?"hepersistedhotly.

She was almost shaking from the intimate contact with him. He was aroused. He wanted her. She
couldn'tthink.

Heryoungbodywasonfirewithneed,hunger,achingthirst.Shewasgoingtodieifhestoppednow.
Whathadheasked?"My...periodswere...erratic,andIgotsickwiththem,"shesaid."Thedoctorput
meonthePilljust...justforacoupleofmonths,untilIgotregulated."Shedidn'taddthatithadbeen
six months ago, and she'd stopped taking them in the second month, without even finishing the
prescription.Shewasapackrat.SheneverthrewoutthingsuntilMaudemadeher.She'dputthemon
thedresserwhileshesearchedforapenandhadn'tputthemback."Don'tstop,"shepleadedwhenhe
hesitated."Pleasedon'tstop,Judd!"

Hescowledasshetookhishandbacktoherbreastandcaressedittenderly,coaxingitbackontothe
softskin.

"Isn'tthePillsupposedtobedangerous?"hewhispered.

"He said not at my age, since I don't smoke or have headaches regularly." She arched up to his
caressingfingerswithasoftgasp.Hereyesfellbackinherhead."Oh,that'snice!Ineverrealizedit
wouldfeellikethiswhenIwatchedthosemovies!"

Hiseyesnarrowed.Hesmiledslowly,hisblackeyesglitteryastheywenttothesoftlittlemoundhe
was caressing. "If it's safe, I can have you the way I want to," he said huskily, "without anything
betweenusexceptskin."

"Yes.Anywayyouwantto,Judd,righthere,rightnow..."Hervoicebrokeonawhimperofpleasure.
Shelifteduptohisdevouringmouth,clinging,achingformorethanthis."Please,please,don'tstop!"

"I'mnotgoingto,"hebitoffagainstherswollenlips."I'mstarvingtodeathforyou.I'vegottohave
you,baby!"

headdedroughly."I'vegotto!"

Shebarelyheardhim.Shewasgoingunderinaveritablefloodofsuddenpassion.Hisexperienced
touchsenthermindreelingoutofcontrolofherbody.Shearcheduptohim,movedrestlesslyunder
the slow, sensuous crush of his lean hips, opened her mouth to the devouring kisses that made her
youngbodyacheevenmore.

He caressed her out of her jeans and underwear, and his mouth, his warm, hard mouth, was on her
breasts,onherbelly.Shewasgasping,clutching,drowninginnewsensationsasheworkedhisway
downhertormentedbody.Hetouchedherinawayshe'dneverexpectedamantotouchher,buthis
mouth covered her small, embarrassed cry. His tongue eased into her mouth in slow, sensuous
explorationsthataugmentedtheexpertcaressofhishands.

Somewherealongtheway,hisundershirtwentontotherug,followedbyhisjeans,leavinghiminthe
blackboxershortshefavored.Theydidnothingtocamouflagethehungrythrustofhisbody.

He paused to look down into her face, seeing the lack of com-prehension, the lack of sanity that
mirroredhisown.Herarmswerearoundhisneck,herbodyarcheduptohislikeasacrifice.Hereyes
wereslitted.Shewasmoaningsoftly,movingagainsthimwithhelplessdelight.Shemadehimfeelten
feettall.Shemadehimfeellikethegreatestloverwhoeverlived.

Theboldnessofhiseyesmanagedtogetthroughtoher.Shenoticedhisraptstareandbegantofeel
self-consciousabouthernudity.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said roughly. "You belong to me. We're married, Christabel. There's
nothingtobeashamedof."

"I'm not, really," she said huskily. "But all the lights are on," she added helplessly and with a shy
laugh."AndI'veneverdonethisbefore."

"Doyouwantthelightsoff,thefirsttime?"heaskedsoftly.Shenodded."Okay."Hedidn'taddthatit
was going to be difficult for him, too, in the light. Like her, he had hang-ups that he didn't like
admitting.

Hegottohisfeet,liftinghergentlyintohisarms.Hesearchedherdazedeyesforasecondbeforehis
moutheaseddowntocoverhersagain,tenderly,ashewalkedpastthetall,glitteryChristmastreeand
downthelonghalltohisbedroom.

Hedidn'tturnonthelight.Heputherdownlongenoughtocloseandlockthedoorbeforehecarried
hertobed.

She felt his mouth on her body in the warm darkness of the room, the soft sounds of flesh against
fleshbarelyreachingherearsaboveherowngasps.Itwasmoreintimatethanshe'deverimaginedit
wouldbe,especiallywhentheboxershortscameoffandshefelthim,reallyfelthim,intotalcontact
withher.

"Easy,"hewhisperedasshetensedinvoluntarily."It'snotgoingtobewhatyouthink.We'vegotallthe
timeintheworld.Easeyourlegsinbetweenmine,honey."

Shewaspuzzledbythesoftentreaty,butshedidasheasked,andsuddenlyfelthispowerfullymuscled
bodyinevenclosercontact,andasharpflashofpleasureaccompaniedtheintimatecontact.

He felt her sensuous movement and laughed huskily. "Didn't you expect that? Even after all those
explicitmovies?"

“They aren't quite this explicit," she whispered on a husky laugh, gasping when he moved again. "I
didn'trealize...itwouldfeelsogood!Orbesointimate!"

He laughed, too. His teeth caught her soft upper lip and his tongue played with it while his hands
workedasortofmagiconoverstimulatednerveendingslowerdown.Shemovedagain,convulsively
thistime,archinguptotempthimcloser.

She felt his hands slide under her hips to cradle them as his mouth slowly fitted itself to hers and
openedittotheslowprobeofhistongue.

Atthesametime,hethrustdown,tenderly,andfeltherbodyjerk.Hediditagain.Shegaspedsoftly
andhefeltherlegsmoveinsidehis.Thethirdtime,shemadeasoundhe'dneverheardfromherlips
andhernailsbitintohisupperarmsbeforetheyslidhungrilytothethickhaironhischest.

He lifted his head, breathing roughly. His hips moved faintly from side to side and she sobbed,
archingup.

Whatevershewasfeeling,itwasn'tpain.Herhandswerepullingathim,notpushing.

Hislipsbrushedhereyes,hercheeks,heropenmouthashemovedveryslowly,verysensuously,into
totalpossession.Shewasn'treactingasifithurtatall.Hispowerfullegscurvedcloseraroundhersas
heshiftedher.

She moaned unsteadily and a tiny shiver of pleasure echoed in his own body as she followed the
quick,tendermovementwithoneofherown.

"Isithurting?"hewhisperedathermouth.

"No,"shechoked."Oh,no,notatall!It's...wonderful!"

He nibbled her lower lip as he moved again. "Can you feel me inside you?" he whispered
outrageously.

"Ofallthethingstoask...!"shegasped.

Hebitherupperliptenderly."Itisn'taritualofsilence,honey,"hesaidhuskily."Ilikethathuskylittle
noteinyourvoicewhenImoveonyou.Tellmewhatyou'refeeling,"hecoaxed."Talktome."

"Oh,I...can't...talk!"

"Whynot?"

Herhandsslidaroundtothepowerfulmusclesofhisbackandshearchedsinuously,shivering."I'm
on fire," she choked, her eyes closed as she sought some lofty, distant goal of pleasure. "I ache
everywhere. Such a sweet ache...oh, yes! Do that! It's...so...good, so good, so good...!" Her voice
climbed wildly as she began to shiver rhythmically with every slow thrust. "I've never wanted

anythingasmuch...asIwantedyou.Forsolong,Judd!"

Shegasped,liftingupeagerly."AmIdoingitright?"

"Yes.You'redoingfine!"Herpleasureenhancedhisown.Hehadn'texpectedhertoenjoyitthismuch,
especially her first time. He felt proud of his own skill as she moved with him, her tiny gasps of
pleasurewerelikemusic...

"Oh!"Shestilledsuddenly,bitingherlowerliphard,aspleasuresuddenlybecamestingingpain.She
stiffened.

"I'msorry.Thathurts,Judd!"shesobbed,disappointed.

"Yes,andIcanfeelwhy,"hesaidgently,hesitating.Hisbreathcameinroughgasps.Hecouldn'thold
outformuchlonger,buthedidn'twanttohurtheranymorethanhehadto.Withsud-deninspiration,
hebenttohershoulderandhisteethclaspedonthesoftflesh.

"Judd,whatareyoudoing...?Ouch!"sheexclaimed,andgaspedwithpain.Butonlysecondslater,she
felthimdeepinherbody,completelyinpossessionofher.Whileshe'dconcentratedonhershoulder,
he'd broken the tiny barrier that separated them. She shivered once and then relaxed as he moved
firmlyandrhythmicallyagainsther,pleasurereplacingpainwithshockingimmediacy.Shebeganto
move with him, frantically, as the little bites of pleasure increased by the second, lengthening and
promisingsomethingclosetoheavenastheurgencygrew.

"Thatdoesn'thurt,"shewhispered,andsuddenlylaughedasthepleasuregrewunexpectedly.Herlips
foundhisneckandkissedithungrily.Herbodywasleapinglikeawildthingashemovedroughly
against her. "Yes! It's so sweet!" she choked, lifting to his possession. "Oh, don't...stop!" she wept.
"Don'tstop,don't...!"

"AsifIcould!"hebitoffatherear.

The pleasure had him in its mad grip, now, and he was suddenly driving for satisfaction with total
disregardforhervirginityandhisownconcernforit.Butshedidn'tseemtomind.Shewasmaking
littlerhythmicwhimperingnoisesthatcoincidedwithhissharp,deep,measuredthrusts,andherbody
wasbeggingforhiswitheverydownwardmotion.Shewhisperedtohim,explicit,excitingthingsthat
wouldshameherlater,incolddaylight.Shewentwithhimalltheway,lifting,moving,surg-ing,as
the pleasure built into waves of urgency that sought a shadowy, distant goal that she
couldn't...quite...reach.

Then,whenshewasmindlessandfrantic,shewassuddenlythere,rightthere,caughtupinthegripof
madnessthatbroughtasobbinglittlescreamfromhertightthroat.Shewishedshecouldseehim.She
wished he could see her. She heard the springs going like pistons as he drove for fulfillment. She
heard his harsh, desperate gasps, felt the rigor of his body, just before blinding lights exploded
behind her closed eyes and she arched convulsively and sobbed out the ecstasy of complete
satisfactionathisear.

Itwentonandonandon.Shecouldn'tstopmovingunderhim,evenashewentrigidandshuddered
overher.

His skin was damp with sweat. He was breathing harshly, groaning. Her body pulsed with silvery
delight,withutterphysicaljoy.Shewaspartofhim.Shefelthimswell,burst,insideher.Shecradled
him, heavy in her arms, shivering in the sweet, throbbing aftermath of the most explosive pleasure
she'deverknowninheryounglife.

Sheslidherlegsaroundhis,herarmscloseathisback.Shekissedhischest,histhroat,hischinwith
lipsthatweresoftandnumbwithhelplessdelight,withlove.

He drew in a long, shuddering breath and the pressure of him increased suddenly the length of her
body, but only for a few seconds. He rolled away with a rough expulsion of breath and lay there,
boneless,suddenlykeenlyawareofwhathe'djustdone.

Itdidn'thelpthathewassatedtotheverymarrowofhisbones,orthatheknewshe'dexperiencedthe
samefulfillmentthathehad.Itdidn'thelpthatshe'dbeenavirgin,andhe'dmadeherclimaxthefirst
timehehadher.

He'dtakenadvantageofher,andhehadnorightto,notevenunderthecircumstances.

"Damn!"hegroundout.

"Andnowit'sthehairshirtandtheflail,"shesaidonanaudiblesigh."You'rejustgoingtoliethere
andfeelguilty,afteryou'vegivenmeanorgasmmyveryfirsttime."

Heblinked.Surelyshehadn'tsaidthat?"Howdoyouknowwhatanorgasmis?"heaskedbluntly.

"HowcanInotknow,withthesubjectcominguponeverytalkshowandineverymagazineonthe
newsstand?"

She rolled over and pillowed her head on his damp shoulder, curling into his powerful body as
naturallyasifshe'ddoneitallherlife."Virginsaresupposedtohaveahardtimeandbleedalot,and
thencryafterward.Iknowbecausetwogirlsinmycomputerclassarelivingwithmen,andtheysaid
so.TheythoughtIwasnutsbecauseIhadn'thadsex,atmyage."

Hesmoothedherhairabsently,tryingnottofeelproudofhimself."Idon'treadmagazines."

Herfingerstangledinthethickcurlinghairthatcoveredthepowerfulmusclesofhischest.Hearched
involuntarilyatthepleasureofthecaress."Youdofeelguilty,don'tyou?"shepersisted.

Hesighed."Yes.Ifeelguilty.Ihadtoomuchtodrinkandallthewallscamedown."

"Ithadtohappensometime,"shesaidsoftly."Andyousaidyourself,we'remarried.Icouldn'tvery
welldoitwithanybodyelse."

EspeciallynotwithdamnedGrier,hewasthinking,andfeltaprimitiveburstofpleasurethatherfirst
timewasn'tgoingtobewiththeotherman.

"I'mgladIwaited,Judd,"shewhisperedhuskily."Ineverdreameditwouldbethatgoodmyfirsttime.
Itwasincredible!Justincredible!"

Hewasglad,too,buthedidn'tknowhowtoadmitit.

Herhandcurledcloser."I'msosleepy,andmybodythrobseverytimeIbreathe,withthesefantastic
littlejoltsofpleasure,"shewhispered."Isitnormal?"

Afterthatearthquakeofpassion,hethoughtamusedly,ithadtobe.Hewassleepyhimself.

"It'snormal,"hereplied.

"CanIsleepwithyou?"

Hisvoicewasdrowsyandamused."Youjustdid."

Shehithischestgently."Allnight,"sheadded.

Hedrewinalongbreath.Hedidn'twanttobealonetonight.He'donlylieawakeandbroodoverthe
eventsoftheday.Besidesthat,thedeedwasdone.Whatdifferencediditmakenowifshesleptinhis
arms.Hewassorelaxed,sofulfilled,thathecouldbarelykeephiseyesopen.Hisbodythrobbed,too,
withsatiation.Hecouldn'trememberatimewhenawomanhadgivenhimsuchwilddelight.

"Youcanstay,"hesaid.

Shesmiledagainsthisshoulder.Shemighthaveofferedtoputonagownfirst,butsheslidintosleep
almostatonce,oblivioustothehard,taut,broodingfaceofthemanbesideher.

The light fluttered against her heavy eyelids. Christabel moved restlessly and then groaned as
unfamiliartwingesofdiscomfortmadethemselvesfelt.SheopenedhereyesandJuddwasstanding
thereinjeansandhisblackT-shirt,unmoving.

"Hi,"shesaidwithfaintself-consciousness.

"Hi,"hereplied.Hewasn'tsmiling.

"Whatareyoudoing?"

Hisheavybrowsweredrawntogether."Watchingyousleep,"hesaidabruptly."I'vegotbreakfast."

"Coffee,too?"shemurmuredsleepily.

"Coffee,too.Comeoninwhenyou'reready."

Heturned,reluctantlyitseemed,andwentbackoutagain.Shemovedthesheetasideandnoticedthat
shewasnude.Therewasanoticeablestainonthewhitesheets.Maudewouldseethat.Shegrimaced.It
wasasecret.Shedidn'twanttoshareitwithanyonejustyet,notevenMaude.

Shehadaquickshowerandthenclimbedintocleanclothes,pausingtostripthebedclothesfromthe
mattressandtossthemintothewasherbeforeshewentdownthehalltothekitchen.

The delicious smell of cooked bacon and bread filled the kitchen. She sniffed and smiled. "You're
gettingbetter,"sheremarked,notingthegoldentanofthebiscuitsasshesatdownbesidehimatthe
table.

"Youburnabatchofbiscuitseverysingledamneddayforamonthandyoulearnhowtocookthem
eventually,"

hesaidcarelessly.Hewatchedherpourcoffee,hiseyesintentonherface.Hesmiledinvoluntarilyat
the way she looked, freshly scrubbed, no makeup, with her hair long and clean and flyaway. She
lookedolderthismorning,moremature.Moresexy.Thatmadehimfeelguiltyandheturnedaway.

Sheglancedathimandcaughttheintentscrutiny.Herhandwenttoherhair."Ididn'tstoptoputon
makeup,"

shesaid,misreadingthestare.

"Iwasthinkinghowfreshyoulook,"hemurmured.

Shesmiled."Thanks."

Hedidn'tsmileback.Helookedmoreuncomfortablethanever.Hedrewinalongbreath.Thelookin
hisblackeyeswasn'tdefinable."Well,theregoesyourannulment,Mrs.Dunn,"hemused,usingher
marriednameforthefirsttimeinfiveyears.

Shelookeddownathercoffeecupandaddedsugartoit."Idon'tcare,"shesaidhuskily."Itwasworth
it."

Therewasalongpause.Hereyeswenttohisleanfaceabruptlyasshewished,hoped,hemightecho
hersentiments.Buthedidn't.However,hedidseemconfused.Therewasanodd,steadywarmthinhis
black eyes that had never been there before. It wasn't affection. It was...something more. Something
shecouldn'tread.

"IsMaudecomingbackforlunch?"heasked.

"Yes.Butshe'sgoingtotakeaplatebackoverthereforhersistertohaveforsupper."

Henoddedslowly.Hisnarrowedeyeswerealloverherface,slowandpossessive."Youdidn'tinvite
Grierover?"heaskedsarcastically.Therewasabiteinhistone.

Sheflushed."No."

"Goingtotakehimdinner?"hepersisted.

"Maudesaidshe'dtakehimaplatebyonherwaybacktohersister's,"shereplied,flusteredbyhis
levellook.

Hisblackeyeswentbacktohisplate.Hedidn'tsayanything.Buthesmiledfaintly.

Shestirredhercoffeeunnecessarilylong.WashestilljealousofGrierevennow?Couldhewanther
tohimself,andthatwaswhyhewasaskingsomanypointedquestions?Shehadtoadmit,shewanted
verymuchtohavehimtoherself.Itpromisedtobeamagicalday,ifshecouldgetpastthatsudden
coldreservehewasshowingherthismorning.

Heatewithoutfurthercomment,andsodidshe.Whentheyfinished,shewasheddishesandherinsed
anddriedthem,sidebysideatthesinkoverlookingthebarnoutback.

"Ifwecouldaffordit,I'dbuyyouadishwasher,"hecommented.

Shesmiled."Idon'tminddoingitlikethis.Modernconvenienceswouldonlyruinme.I'dbecomea
worthlesslayabout!"

He chuckled, bumping her playfully with his hip. It was the first time he'd ever done that, and she
tingledalloverwiththejoyofintimacy.

"Okay.We'llbuyyouapairofnewbootsinstead,"headded,glancingdownatherwornoneswiththe
toespermanentlyturnedupfrombeingsoakedanddriedseveraltimesduringrainstorms.

"What?Whenthesearejustgettingbrokeningood?"sheexclaimed."Heavenforbid!"

Hestudiedherradiantfacewitheyessotendertheymadeherheartache."Youneveraskforathing,"
hesaidsoftly."IfeltsodamnedguiltyaboutthatringIboughtTippy.Inevermeantforyoutoknow
aboutit.Diamondsandemeraldsforher,whenyoudon'tevenownadecentwintercoat."

"I'dlookterribleindiamondsandemeralds,"shecommented,tryingtodefuseapotentiallyexplosive
discussion.HemightnothavesleptwithTippy,buthe'dgivenheraring.Hehadtoomanyprinciples
tosleepwithanotherwomanwhenhewasmarried.Hehadn'tevengivenherabirthdaypresent,and
she'dnotedthelackofoneundertheChristmastree,too.Thathadhurt.Besides,hewasguiltyabout
lastnight,anditshowed.

"You'reavoidingtheissue.That'snotlikeyou."

She looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I don't want to argue," she said, trying to put a
turbulenceofnewemotionsintowords."Notafterlastnight."

He hesitated, his face growing more grave by the second. "Listen, Christabel," he began slowly.
"Aboutwhathappened..."

Sheignoredthelook,goingupontiptoe.Shenibbledathishardmouthsoftlyandthenwithdeliberate
sensuality, opening her lips and fitting them deliberately to his with sudden boldness. His breath
caught.Shecaughtherown,expectingtobeputfirmlyaway.Buthisreactionwasshocking.Hethrew
downthesoapyclothhewasholdingandcrashedheragainsttheleanlengthofhim,soapyhandsand
all,wrappedheruptight,andkissedherpassionately,hungrily,untilshegaspedforair.

His powerful body shivered once, faintly, and she knew immediately that he wanted her. He wasn't
eventryingtohideit.Apparentlyhewasasvulnerableasshewas,anditmadeherwildwithprideto
realizeit.Hisblackeyessplinteredwithdesireastheysearchedhers.

She reached up to him again. Her mouth opened as his covered it. She moaned huskily under the
furious,hardcrushofhislips,andhisarmsenfoldedhercompletely,liftingherhalfoffthefloor.

She was dying for him. There was no reserve, no shyness, no coy flirting. Her arms contracted
feverishlyaroundhisneck.

Heliftedhisheadjustenoughtoseeherflushed,submissiveface,andhiswholefaceclenchedwith
desire.

"Iwantyou,"shewhisperedhuskily,shivering."Let'sgobacktobed.Iwantyousomuch,Judd!Iwant
totakeoffmyclothesandletyoudoanythingyouliketome,rightnow,inbroaddaylight!"

Heactuallygroaned.Visionsofunspeakabledelightdancedinhisheadatjusttheprospect.Butbefore
hecouldweakenenoughtodoanythingaboutit,thesoundofacarcomingupthedrivewayfrozehim
inherarms.

Hefrowned."Maude?"hemurmuredhoarsely.

"Notthisearly,surely,"shebegan.

Heliftedaneyebrow."Haven’tlookedataclockyet,haveyou?"

"Wejusthadbreakfast,"shebegan.

Henoddedtowardtheclockonthestove.Itwasteno'clockinthemorning.

Shegasped."Oh,dear.AndIhaven'tevenstartedtoheatuptheturkeyanddressingorputtherollsout
torise...!"

"WhatagoodthingMaudecameearly"hesaidabruptly,andputherdownfirmly.Hewassmiling,
buthiswholeexpressionwasoneofbarelycontainedsensualdesire.

"Whatwillshethinkwhensheseesusjustnoweatingbreakfast?"sheexclaimed.

Hegaveheralong,unsmilinglook,andthewholeanguishofthedaybeforeslidoverhimlikecold
molasses.

"WecantellherthatwewereuplatetalkingaboutwhathappenedinVictoria,"hesuggested.

She winced. She'd actually forgotten the events of the day be-fore, the loss of control that had sent
themcareeningintoeachother'sarms.Howcouldshehaveforgotten?

"Onedayatatime,Judd,"shesuggestedgently."You'llgetthroughit."

Hedidn'treply.Acardoorslammed.BythetimeMaudecameinthebackdoor,theywerefinishing
upthebreakfastdishesinarestlesssilence.

Maudepausedinthedoorway,feelinglikeanintruderandnotknowingwhy.Shefrowned.Judddidn't
lookupset,butsheknewhemustbe.

"Youokay?"sheaskedhimgently.

Hesmiledfaintly."I’mgettingby.Wejusthadbreakfast.Wewereuplate."

"Talking,Idon'tdoubt,"Maudeagreedasshewenttotherefrigerator,sothatshedidn'tseetheguilty
looksontheirfaces."I'mgladyoudidn'tstayupinVictoriabyyourself.Youdon'tneedtobealone."

"That'swhatIthought,"heagreed.

Sheglancedatthetwoofthemandhereyeswerespeculative,butshedidn'tsayaword.Therewasso
muchtensionintheairthatitwasalmostpalpable.Shejustnoddedandstartedtransferringfoodout
oftherefrigeratortothekitchentable.

Fourhourslater,withdinnereaten,ifnotwithrelishbytwolate-breakfasters,Maudewasmakingup
aplatetocarrytohersister.

"I'll only be gone long enough to take this to my sister," she said, and wondered why Judd looked
relievedandChristabellookedcrushedattheannouncement.

"Good,"hesaidabruptly."Christabeldoesn'tneedtobeherealone,evenwithJackClarkinjail.Both
ofyouremembertokeepthedoorsandwindowslocked.I'llhaveawordwithNickbeforeIleave."

"Are you going now?" Christabel asked him, trying not to sound as if her world was shattering.
Whichitwas.

"Rightnow,"hetoldherwithoutmeetinghereyes."Inevershouldhavecome!"

"DoyouwantmetotakeaplatetoCashGrier?"Maudeaskedsuddenly.

"Don'tbotherwiththat,"Christabelsaidmiserably."Hecancomeoverforsupper."

Judd'seyesflashedfuriously,buthesethislipstogetheranddidn'tsayanotherword.Helefttheroom
togetdressed.

"What'sgoingon?"Maudeasked,shocked.

Christabelliftedherchinproudly."Nothing.Nothingatall.He'sjustupsetandnothavinganeasytime
dealingwithwhathappened.Hehastoworkitouthisownway."

Maudesighed."Ifyousayso,honey."

Maudewaiteduntilheleft.Tenminuteslater,hewasoutthedoorandgone.HegaveChristabelone
long,lastlookandactuallywincedashemetherwoundedeyes.Buthedidn'tstop.Hewishedthem
bothaMerryChristmasanddroveaway.HewashalfwaytoVictoriabeforeherememberedthathe
hadn't even told Christabel about the pearl necklace and matching earrings he'd bought her for her
combinationbirthdayandChristmaspresent.Butconsideringthecircumstances,thatmightbejustas
well. He'd gone nuts and taken her to bed. She'd be expecting happy ever after, and he was more
confusedabouthisintentionsthanhe'deverbeeninhislife.Hehadtohavetime,todecidewhathe
wantedtodo.Atthemoment,hewasinca-pableofmakingdecisions.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

EarlyonNewYear'sEve,withtheballisticstestcompletedandanautopsyperformedonJohnClark,
Juddcamebyatlunchtimeinaquietandintrospectivemood.

Christabelwaswatchingthenewsinthelivingroomwhenhewalkedin.Maudehadgonetotownfor
groceries.

HenoticedimmediatelythattheChristmastreehadbeentakendown.Christabelneverlikedtakingit
downuntilNewYear'sDay,sothiswaspainfulevidenceofhowuncomfortableshewasnowwiththe
holiday season. The present he hadn't given her made him uncomfortable. He still had it at his
apartment.Hewastooashamedatthislatedatetoproduceit.

Hesatdowninhiseasychair,tossinghishatasidewhileChristabelwaitedquietlyforwhathehadto
tellher.

Thetelevisionblaredonintothesilence.

Heshrugged. "I wasright. My shotwent too far insideand nicked Clark'sfemoral artery. He could
havesurvivedit,butonlywithimmediatemedicalattention."Hesmiledbroodingly."Idon'tfeelalot
better. But they said the security guard's bul-let was the lethal one, and that's how it'll go on the
report."

Shewasuncomfortablewithhimafterthewaythey'dparted.

Butshe cared toomuch to pretendhis condition didn't matterto her. "Intentis everything under the
law,Judd,youknowthat,"sheremindedhimsoftly."Youdidn'tmeantokillhim.I'msurethesecurity
guarddidn't,either."

His eyes were haunted. "No, he didn't. But he's having a hard time. Clark is still dead, and the
newspapersblamebothofus,despitewhatthecoronerfound."

She wanted to climb into his lap and hold him, comfort him. But there was a tremendous distance
betweenthemnow.Hewasasunapproachableasifhe'dnevertouchedherinthefirstplace.

Shewasconfused,andshefeltrejected.She'dneverrealizedwhatitwouldbelike,tobeintimatewith
aman.Itwasn'twhatshe'doncethought.Itwasagonytobeseparatedfromhim,evenforanhour.But
he didn't want her on any permanent basis. He'd had too much to drink, been traumatized, and he'd
comforted himself with Christabel in bed. That was all it was, re-ally. For him it was already over.
Clark's death wasn't his fault. He'd go back to work, when he'd gone through the administrative
procedureandcounseling,and,slowly,he'dputeverythingthathadhappenedrightoutofhismind,
includingthenightwithher.Infact,tolookathim,sheknewhe'dalreadydoneit.

"You'reveryquiet,"heremarked.

Sheliftedhereyestohis."I'msorry.Yousaid,they'dfinishedtheautopsy?"

Henodded."They'reburyinghimdayaftertomorrow.OneofthedeputieshereisgoingtotakeJack
ClarkuptoVictoriaforthefuneral.Thenewsmediawillhavearealfielddaywiththat."

"Weliveinstrangetimes,"shereplied.Shestudiedhimsadly.Itwashardtotalktohimnow."Butlike
youusedtotellme,evenlifeisatemporarycondition.You'llgetthroughthis."

"Sure."Hischestroseandfellslowly.Hetracedherfacewithslow,darkeyes."I'vebeenputtingthis
offbecauseIcouldn'tquitefaceit.Butwehavetotalkaboutthefuture,Christabel,"hesaidfinally.

"Whatfuture?"sheaskedwithaforcedsmile.

Hedrewinashortbreath."Ihavetoseeaboutthedivorce."

Shedidn'treact.Itwashard,butshemanagedit."Yes."

Herelaxed.Shewastakingitmuchbetterthanhe'dexpectedherto.Hestillwasn'tsureofhisfeelings,
buthehadtodosomething."I'llgettoitassoonasIcan.Thingsarealittlehecticrightnow.They're
backeduponinvestigations,somineisonhold,probablyuntilafterNewYear's.Istillhavequestions
toanswerandacounselortosee.Therewillbereports,depositions,andalltheofficialaftermathof
theshooting."

Shestudiedhishardmouthwithgrowingunease."You'resorryaboutwhatwedid,aren'tyou,Judd?"
Shehadtoknow.

Hedidn'tanswerrightaway."Yes,"hesaidfinally,bitingofftheword."Ihadtoomuchtodrinkand
youwerehandy,"hesaidflatly."Ihadnorighttouseyoutotakemymindoffmyownproblems."

Herheartsankrightdowntoherknees.Talkaboutbeingblunt...!"Wearemarried,"shebegan.

"That doesn't excuse it!" He grimaced. "Christabel, I never planned on any intimacy between us. I
insistedonit.

Youknowthat!Youknowwhy!"

He looked very uncomfortable, and all her hopes vanished in the certainty of what he was really
saying.Ithadn'toccurredtoherthattwopeoplewhohadbeensointimate,soclose,couldsuddenly
becomestrangersinsuchashortspaceoftime.Buthelookedremoteandtrapped.Freedomwasas
sacredasreligiontohim.Hedidn'twanther.

"Youdon'twanttostaymarriedtome,"shesaidonaquietsigh."Iknowthat."

He wasn't sure what he wanted. He was unsettled, confused. He'd gone in headfirst just after the
shooting. He'd needed comforting, he'd needed a woman. He'd used alcohol as an excuse to have
Christabel,forwhomhe'dbeenslowlydying.Butnowhewasfeelingtheguiltofhavingpushedher
intoarelationshipshewasn'treadyfor.She'dneverevendatedseriously.He'dtakenawayherrightto
choose.Herinfatuationwithhimhadplayedouttoitsinevitableconclusionandhewasthinkingabout

hislossoffreedom,hisuneasinesswithrootsandfamilylife.Wallswereclosinginonhim.Hehad
tohavepersonalspace,timetogetoverthetraumaofthepastfewdays,theshootingandhisradically
changedrelationshipwithhisyoungwife.Itwaskillinghim,tryingtoforgethowithadbeenwithher
inthatdarkbedroom.He'dneverthoughthercapableofsuchuninhibitedpassion.Infact,he'dnever
thoughthimselfcapableofit.

"No.Idon'twanttostaymarried,"hesaiddoggedly,moreforhisbenefitthanhers.

Shenodded."Isee."

"Youdon't,"hereplied."Butwhenyou'vehadtimetothinkaboutit,you'llrealizethatI'mright,"he
addedcoolly,staringherdown."Itwasanightoutoftime,Christabel.Icrossedthelineandyoulet
me.Nowwebothhavetolivewithit."Heleanedforwardwithhisarmscrossedoverhissplayedlegs.
"Atleasttherewon'tbeanyconsequences."

Hemeantthepillthathethoughtshe'dbeentaking.Shedidn'tdaretellhimaboutthat.Shestaredatthe
floor.

"And,ofcourse,there'sMissMoore,"sheaddedsoftly.

Hescowled,glancingather.

"Yourfiancee,"sheremindedhim,andforcedasmile.

She'dsaidthatoncebeforeandhehadn'tquestionedit.Hestartedtodenyitnow,butitsuitedhimto
letherbelieveit.Ifshethoughthewantedtheotherwoman,shemightfinditeas-iertoletgoofhim.
ItwouldalsomakethingseasierforTippywho,unbeknownsttoChristabel,washavingfitskeeping
Gary,theassistantdirector,atbay.HerrelationshipwithJuddhadaccomplishedthat,atleast.

She noted his sudden silence and drew in a slow breath. "So it was an engagement ring, after all,
wasn'tit?"

He nodded, affirming the lie with a curt jerk of his head that felt like abject betrayal. She looked
shattered.Hedidn'twanttohurther,buthisworkwashislife.Hedidn'twanttosettleintofamilylife.
Itfeltliketheworstsortoftrap.He'dalreadytakensomethingthathehadnorighttotakefromher,
becausehe'dlostcontrolofhimself.ThankGodshe'dbeenonthepill,orhemighthavebeentrapped
forgood.

Theshootingplayedonhismind,tormentedhim.Heknewhewasn'tthinkingstraight,buthecouldn't
copewithsomanychangesatonetime.Gettingusedtotheideathathe'dhelpedkillahumanbeing
was bad enough, without the turmoil of an intimate relationship with a young woman who hero-
worshipedhim.Christabeldeservedsomuchmorethananightofpassionwithhim.Shedeserveda
good,strongmarriageandchildren.HethoughtsuddenlyaboutherrelationshipwithGrierandhow
itmightchangeafterthedivorce.Hefeltsickathisstomachandhedidn'tunderstandwhy.

Christabel was trying to deal with this complication and fail-ing miserably. It was hard not to give

way to tears, when her throat felt as if she'd swallowed a bowling ball. She blinked fast, to dry the
suspiciousmoisturearoundherdarkeyes.

"Okay,"shesaidhuskily."Iwon'tmakeanytroubleforyou,Judd.Ihopeyou'llbehappywithher."
Sheclaspedherhandstogetherhardinherlapandforcedasmile."Iknewyouhadtobeseriousto
buy her a ring like that, when we can barely pay bills around here. You don't have to worry about
that,"sheaddedquickly,liftingahand."Youwererightaboutschool.Ionlylackonesemester,and
only two classes, to graduate. I can get a job and work in between them, at a convenience store or
something,"shesaid,hervoicerushedasshemadeplans.

"Then,afterIgraduate,I'llgetajob.Withtheextramoney,wecanhiresomebodyelsetoworkfull-
time,likeweplanned."

Hewinced."Christabel,"hebegan,hatingthepainhecouldhearinhersoftvoice.

She swallowed, hard. "You can go to Japan alone to meet with the buyers. You deal with foreign
peopleallthetime."

"You'repartowner,"heinterrupted.

She wouldn't look at him. "For now," she said. "When the Japanese deal goes through, we'll make
decisions.ButIdon'twanttogoonlivinghereandbeanunwelcomethirdwheelafteryouremarry."

"For God's sake!" he burst out, horrified at the things she was saying. He hadn't realized how
drasticallythingsmightchangewithhisannouncement.Hewastotallyunprepared.

Shegottoherfeet."It'sokay,"shesaid."Really,itis."Sheforcedanothersmile."Imayhavemarriage
prospectsofmyown,"sheadded,thinkingofCash.

SodidJudd.Hewaspoleaxed.Somehow,hisownmuddledthinkinghadplungedthembothintothis
morassofunthinkablefutures.

Hestoodup,too."Noneofthishastobedecidedtoday!"hesaidcurtly.

"It'sbestifitis."Shemovedtowardthedoorway."IhopethingsworkoutforyouupinVictoria,"she
added,glancingbackathimwitheyesthatdidn'treachpasthischin.Shekeptsmiling.Herfacewas
goingtobefrozeninthatposition."HappyNewYear,Judd.Ihopethenextonewillbehappier—for
bothofus."

Shewalkedoutoftheroom.Helookedafterherwithasinkingheartandfeltasifhe'dsteppedintoa
deep hole from which there was no escape. So much pain in those brown eyes, so much torment.
She'druntoGriernow,damnhim,andhe'dmarryherinasecond,giventhechance.ButGrierwasn't
the sort of man who could make her happy. She'd never understand him, or fit into his world. Any
morethanJuddhimselfwouldfitintoTippyMoore'ssocialset.

HerememberedChristabel'sclingingarms,herhungrymouthpressedtohis,herbodymovingwith

aching delight under his on those crisp white sheets in the darkness. She'd been his very dream of
perfection. But desire alone wouldn't be enough for her. She'd want him around all the time, she'd
wantchildren.Heshivered,justthinkingaboutthosesortofties.He'dneverevenconsideredhavinga
realmarriage.Hisfather'sexamplehauntedhim.WhatifChristabel,likehismother,foundsomeone
else and ran away? Anyway, he'd only married her on paper so that he could assume responsibility
forherandhermotherandcarryonbusinesswhileshewasunderage.He'dkeptheratarm'slengthto
ensure there wouldn't be complications. But in the turmoil that followed the shooting, he'd needed
someone,sodesperately.Ithadbeenunthinkabletogotoanotherwoman.He'd...usedher.Orhadhe?
Herememberedherhungerforhimwithanguish.She'dwaitedsolong,whilehe'dtriedtodecideif
hecouldevenconsidersettlingdownforgood.Heneededmoretime...

Butshewasoflegalagenow,andshewantedout.Outofbusiness,outofmarriage,outofhislife.
That was what he wanted, too. Or was it? He tried to picture never seeing her alone again, never
ridingfencelineswithher,neversharingcoffeelateatnightwithher,nevertalkingtoherandhaving
thatsoft,sweetcomfortallforhimself.Shealwaysknewwhenhewassadorupset,andjustwhatto
saytobringhimoutofit.Attimes,shealmostreadhismind.Shemadehimfeelwarminside,justby
beingnearhim.Andnow,rememberingthefeverishresponseofherbodytohiminintimacy,hefelt
evenclosertoher.Butnow,hefelt...empty.Alone.

He picked up his hat and slanted it over his brow, frowning. He'd get used to being without her. It
wasn't going to be that hard. It was the best thing. She was far too young for him, and she hadn't
enoughexperienceofmentosettledownyet.HisconscienceremindedhimthatGrierwouldsnapher
uplikeaprizetrouttheminutethatmarriagelicensewaslegallyvoid.Christabel,hurtandrejected,
wouldprobablymarryhimimmediatelyontherebound.

He started toward the door in a half-blind fog of indecision just as it opened and Maude came
amblinginwithabagofgroceries.

"Hello,Judd.Howarethingsgoing?"sheaskedwithagen-tlesmile.

"Slow,forachange,"hereplied.Heglancedtowardthekitchen,wherehecouldhearrunningwater.
"Keepaneyeonher,willyou?"headded."She'supset."

Shegavehimaknowinglook."Noneedtoaskwhy.Don'tworryabouther,"sheaddedwithagrin.
"I've got news that will cheer her right up. Cash is taking her to the New Year's Eve celebration
downtowntonight.He'sgotticketsandthere'sgoingtobeaband,too."

Juddscowled."He'stoooldforher,"hebitoff,beforehecouldchoosehiswords.

Maudeonlysmiledathim."Youwouldn'tthinkso,toseethemtogether.Shemakeshimyoung.And
youdon'thavetolookhardtoknowthathe'scrazyforher.Ifshewerefree,he'dhaveherinfrontof
aministersofast...!"

"Ihavetogo,"hesaidcoldly."HappyNewYear."

"You,too. That remindsme, you neverdid get your Christmaspresents," she said."Want me to get

themforyou?Iknit-tedyousomesocks.Shegotyouatietack—asterlingsilverstar.Remember,you
toldheryou'dlovetohaveoneofthose?ShewenttoVictoriaandspentawholedaylookingforjust
therightthing...yougoingrightnow?"sheaddedwhenhestartedoutthedoorblindly.

"Yes." His voice sounded choked. He couldn't bear remembering that he hadn't given Christabel
anything. An expensive ring for Tippy, who was only a superficial part of his life, and absolutely
nothingforthewomanwho'dsacrificedsomuchtokeepthisrun-downranchgoingwhileheworked.

"Well,drivesafely,then,"Maudecalledafterhim."NotgoingtotellCrissygoodbye?"

He didn't answer her. He stalked out to the SUV, climbed in behind the wheel, and took off like a
rocket.

Maude found Crissy at the sink, with tears running silently down her cheeks. She hesitated in the
doorway.

"Youneedmetodoanything?"

Shesmiledthroughthetearsandshookherhead.

"Cashsaidhe'dcomebyaboutsixandtakeyoutotheNewYear'sEvecelebration,"sheaddedquickly.
'Thatshouldcheeryouup!"

Sheclosedhereyes.ThankGodforCash."Yes,"shesaidhuskily."Andbelieveme,Ineedit.Maude,
JuddandIaregettingadivorcesohecanmarryTippy,isn'tthatwonderful?"

Maudedidn'tknowwhattosay.

"ImightmarryCash,"shecontinued.

"Don'tdothat,baby,"Maudesaidgently."Twowrongswon'tmakeanythingright.Besides,youmight
remember that Judd's going through a traumatic time right now. I wouldn't put too much trust in
anythinghesaidwhilehe'sthisupset.He'snotthinkingstraight.Waituntilhegetsthroughcounseling
andhasputtheshootingbehindhimbeforeyoumakeanyconcretedecisions,okay?"

Maude had no idea what was really going on, and Crissy didn't want to tell her. She drew in a
steadyingbreathandputdetergentinthewatershewasrunning."Hedidn'tevengetmeacomputer
programoranythingforChristmas,Maude,"shetoldtheolderwoman."Hegaveherthatexpensive
ring.Hesaiditwasanengagementring,justlikeTippytoldus.Iguesshe'sre-allyinlovewithher.
Sothat'sthat.Iwanthimtobehappy."

So did Maude, but at the moment she could have strangled him. She put the groceries she was still
holdingonthekitchentable."Moreinthecar,"shemurmured,andwentouttogetthem.Crissydidn't
evenlook.Shecouldn'tseemuchthroughhertears,anyway.

TheNewYear'sEvepartywasgreat.Therewasasetofsteerhornsusedtomarkthecountdowntothe

new year—Calhoun Ballenger's tongue-in-cheek remark having been taken seriously by the city
fathers—and most of the founding families of Jacobsville were represented at the first annual
celebrationattheJacobsvilleCivicCenterjustoffthetownsquare.JanieBrewsterHartandhernew
husbandLeo,marriedjustbeforeChristmas,clungtoeachotherasanunexpectedlittleskirlofsnow
drifteddownoverthegatheringoutsidewhenthehornswentdownandthenewyearwasproclaimed.
Everyonesmiledin-dulgently.

CashbentdownandkissedCrissylightlyonthemouth.Shecaughthimaroundtheneckandkissed
himback,withasud-denenthusiasmthatshookhimtothesolesofhisfeet.Hereturnedthekisswith
fervent ardor, with all his skill. She smiled under the crush of his mouth, enjoying the novelty of
being in his arms. He wasn't Judd, but he was pleasant to kiss, just the same. No need to ask how
experienced he really was, it showed. They were oblivious to the people around them, and to even
moreamusedglances.

Inevitably,newsofthehotkissgotbacktoJudd.Hewasnowworkinghiswaythroughtherapyand
backonthejob.Itdidn'tsitwell,especiallysincehewasregrettinghisimpulsivespeechtoChristabel
aboutthedivorcemorewitheachpassingday.

Jack Clark was taken up to Victoria in handcuffs to attend his brother's indigent funeral a few days
aftertheautopsy.OnthewaybacktoJacobsville,Jackhadbeensodocileandpolitethatthekindly
deputysherifftransportinghimbrokeprotocolandlefthimhandcuffedinsteadofchained.Atarest
stop,becauseClarksaidhehadtousethebathroom,thekinddeputywasrewardedbybeingknocked
overtheheadtwicewiththebuttofhisown.38caliberservicerevolverandleftfordeadinadriving
raininthegrassnexttotheVictoria-Jacobsvillehighway.Laterthatday,thedeputy'ssquadcarwas
founddesertedafewmilesoutsideVictoria.

UnabletogetdowntoJacobsvillethatdaybecauseofhisbusyschedule,JuddphonedCashGrierand
toldhimwhathappened.HealsohadtoaskthemantokeepaneyeonChristabel,fear-ingthatJack
Clarkhadscorestosettlewithallofthem,especiallyJuddandChristabel.Thatrankled,becausehe'd
heard about the infamous New Year's kiss even in Victoria. One of the sheriff's deputies he shared
spacewithwasmarriedandlivedinJacobsvilleandcommutedbackandforthtowork.He'dfoundit
amusingthatcold,hardCashGrierhadbeencaughtbysuchayoungwoman,andjudgingfromthat
kiss,itwasserious,too,hesaidcarelessly.

The man didn't know that Christabel was married to Judd. Neither did any of the other men in the
office,whoapparentlyfeltcomfortablespeculatingonChristabelandGrierrightinfrontofJudd.He
couldn't bear the thought of Christabel and Cash Grier together, even while he was trying to tell
himselfthathewantednopartoffamilylife.

Thefilmcrewcamebackforitslasttwoweeksofshooting,includingretakes,andChristabelwasso
subdued that she hardly noticed Tippy. She'd passed all her fall courses and signed up for the next
semester.

Judd showed up early on the first Saturday morning of shooting, a cold but sunny day. Cash was
alreadythere,talkingtooneofhismenonsecuritydutyandwaitingforChristabeltogetreadyso
thathecouldtakeheroutfortheday.

Shehadn'texpectedtoseeJuddandshereacteduncomfortably.SodidJudd.Theyspokewiththeicy
politeness of warring strangers. Christabel didn't even smile at him. Tippy saw the new tension and
discomfort between the two of them and came up with an unpleasant theory about why. Gary was
moreamorousandpredatorythanhe'deverbeen,andshewasscaredtodeathtofindherselfalone
withhimevenincompany.Shecouldn'taffordtoletJudddeserthernow!

SowhileJuddwasbrieflytalkingtotheassistantdirector,Gary,passingthetimebetweenequipment
setups,TippypausedbesideanunusuallyquietChristabel,whocouldbarelykeephereyesoffJudd.
Hewaspointedlyignoringher.

"That'swhathappenswhenyouwearyourheartonyoursleeve,MissGaines,"Tippytoldherlightly.
"Youshouldn'tthrowyourselfatmenifyouwanttogetanywhere.Sexissuchapoorwaytoholda
man like Judd anyway. He's just too disgusted for words, can't you tell? He told me that you were
embarrassinghimwithyourbehavior.Allhewantsistoforgetiteverhappened.Hesaysyouthrew
yourselfathimandhecouldn'thelphimself."

Christabellookedattheolderwomanwithhorrorinhereyes.Foraninstant,Tippyfeltguiltyforthe
lie.Butithadworkedwell,forashotinthedark.

"Disgusted," she repeated dully, sick at her stomach. Well, that was certainly plain speaking. Judd
couldn't bear the sight of her anymore. Her inexperience and headlong passion had disgusted him.
He'd told Tippy all about it, that she'd thrown herself at him! He only wanted to forget what had
happened.Well,wasitreallyasurprise?

Hadn'theprettymuchsaidthesamethingtoher?Buthehadn'tbeenquitethisbrutal,evenwhenhe
mentionedthedivorce.

Sheturnedawayandwenttogetherpurse.Shedidn'tthinktoputonasweater,anditwascoldtoday.
Whenshecamebackout,Juddwasontheporch.

Shedidn'tmeethiseyes.Shewasunbearablyhurt.Shesnaggedherpurseonhershoulderwithjerky
movements.

“Areyouallright?"heaskedhesitantly.

Her lips made a thin line. "I understand the sight of me disgusts you, that I embarrass you just by
beinghere.

Forthetimebeing,Ican'thelpit,butIpromisetokeepasfarawayfromyouaspossiblewhenyou
comehere.

You might tell Miss Moore that she doesn't need to keep sniping at me on your account. You'll get
yourdivorcetheminuteyouaskforit!"Hereyescameup,woundedandfurious."Howcouldyoutell
herweslepttogether,thatIthrewmyselfatyou?Howcouldyou,Judd!"

Hescowled,andstartedtospeak,butshewentoutintotheyardnearoneoftheoutbuildingstowait

whileCashfinishedspeakingwithhisman.

Juddfelthistemperrising.HowcouldTippyhavetoldsuch

alietoChristabel,afterhe'dalreadytorntheheartoutofher?

Hestrodetowardthemodelwithbloodinhiseye,corneringher

afewyardsawayfromwhereChristabelwasstandingnearthe

outbuilding.

"Whydidyoutellhershedisgustedme?"heaskedTippyangrily."Whylietoher?"

Tippy was too shocked to answer him. It hadn't occurred to her that the woman would repeat what
she'dsaid,andsoquickly.ShestartedtospeakandthenamovementbehindJuddcaughthereye.

ChristabelmovedalittlefartherawayfromthepainfulsightofJuddstandingclosetoTippyMoore.
Shewasjustintimetoseeathin,baldingmanwithaleveledhandgunpointeddirectlyatJudd'sback.

Therewasnotime.Juddcouldreactinasplitsecond,butinthesplitseconditwouldtakehertocall
tohim,he'dbedead.Therewasreallynootherdecisiontomake,soChristabelmadeit.

ShesteppedrightoutintothepathofthegunjustasClarkfired.

Strangely, there was no real pain. She felt the impact of something hard and then it became almost
impossibletobreathe.Shestaredatthemanwho'djustshotherastheloudpopsounded,andwitha
jerkylittlemoan,shefelltothegroundfacefirst,unconsciousandbleeding.

Tippysawithappenwithutterhorror."Judd!"shesquealed,hercryblankedoutbytheloudpopofthe
pistolasitfired.

With years of instinct behind him, in a single smooth motion, Judd pulled his .45 Colt automatic,
turned,andfired,hittingClarksquarelyinthehand.Themandroppedthepistolandfelltohisknees.

Judd went toward him without hesitation, noticing absently that Christabel had fainted. Cash Grier
camerunningup,hisgunout.

"I'llcuffhim,"Juddsaid."CheckChristabel.Iguessshefainted."HewrestledClarktothegroundand
pinnedhisarmsbehindhimtocliponthehandcuffs,deaftotheman'scryofpainandfuriousthreats.
"Barnes,callforanambulance!"heyelledatthesecurityman,whowavedandbeganspeakinginto
thetwo-wayradiotransmitterontheinsideshoulderofhisuniform.

"Judd!"

Cash'svoicewasoddlycracked.

TheunfamiliarsoundmadeJudduneasy.HeleftClarkcuffedonhisknees,retrievedthe.38caliber
revolverClarkhadbeencarryingandstuckitinhisdutybelt.HejoinedCashnearChristabel'sprone
body. Tippy had been frozen in place, but she moved closer, too, along with the rest of the stunned
cast.

Cash'shandcameoutfromunderChristabel'schestcoveredwithbrightredblood.

Juddstoppedbreathing.Hestoppedthinking.Shehadn'tfainted.Shelaystillandunmoving.Shewas
dead.

Clarkhadkilledher.Heturnedwithasharpcurseandwentforthehandcuffedmanwithaneconomy
ofmotionthatwasfrightening.

"Judd,no!Stophim!"Cashyelledtothecrew.

Three men, two of them engineers, one the assistant director, caught Judd just as he reached the
shooterandwrestedhimawayfromClark.Juddcursedroundly,hisvoicebreakingasrealitybegan
totrickleintohisnumbedsenses.

"Letmego,damnyou!"hepanted,strugglingfuriouslywithhiscaptors.

"Judd, she's still alive!" Cash called. "She's alive, do you hear me? Get over here! I can't do this
alone!"

Juddwrenchedawayfromthemenholdinghimastheyreluctantlyreleasedtheirhold.HejoinedCash
abruptlyastheothermanturnedherbodyover,gently,withhandsthatwerevisiblyshaking.Juddwas
whiteintheface,breathingjerkily.

Bloodwaspulsingfromthefrontofherblouse,saturatingitandthegroundunderher.Itwassocold
thatthewarmbloodmadesteamrisefromthedeadgrassanddirt.Shewasunconsciousandsucking
noisilyatair.

"Collapsedlung,"Cashsaidprofessionally,throughgrittedteeth."She'sbeenhitsomewhereintherib
cage." He looked at Judd with wild eyes. "We need blankets, something to prop her legs up with,
pressureonthewound..."

Juddjustsatthere,horrorineverylineofhisfaceashelookedather,sowhiteandstill.Forthefirst
timeinhisadultlife,hesimplycouldnotact.Therewassomuchblood,hethoughtblankly.Somuch!
Cashwasn'tinmuchbettershape,feelinghelpless,too,atthesightofherlikethat.

Tippyrushedin,rememberinggraphicallywhatshe'dsaidtotheotherwomanjustminutesearlier,the
lie she'd told. She hated herself. She felt sick at the sight of the blood, but she was no stranger to
emergencies.

Shejerkedofftheexpensivesweatershewaswearingandputitoverthewound,pressingdownhard
totryandstopthebleeding.Grierglancedatherinsurprise.

"She'sgoingintoshock,"Tippysaidcalmly."Weneedsomeblankets."

"Blankets!"Cashyelled.

Men started running. Maude heard the commotion and came running out of the house, only to run
back in when she was told what had happened and what was needed. She ran back out carrying the
bedcoversfromtheguestroom,abigcomforterandaquilt.ShehandedthemtoCash,whocovered
Christabel while Tippy kept pressure on the wound. Maude rolled up another blanket and used it to
elevate Christabel's legs. Tears were running down her cheeks. She sobbed as she wrung her hands
andwatched.

"Howaboutthatambulance?!"Grieryelledathisman.

Evenasheraged,thesoundofsirenspiercedthehumofhushedconversationaroundthem.Juddhad
one of Christabel's small hands in his. He was holding it so hard that her knuckles were white. His
eyesweredead.Hedidn'tevenseemtobeawareofthepeoplearoundhim.

Shewasbeginningtoshiverallover,andaharsh,piteousgroansplitherdrylips.

ThesoundmobilizedafrozenJudd.Hebrushedbackherhairfromherwhiteface."Bestill,honey,"
he said huskily. "It's all right. I'm here. You're going to be fine. Where the hell is that damned
ambulance!"heyelledhoarsely,hisdeepvoicecoloredwithfear.

"Righthere,sir,"thesecuritymansaid,movingbackspectatorsandmotioningtheambulanceintothe
throngofpeople.ItwasfollowedbyaJacobsvillepolicecar,withoneofGrier'sofficers,thewatch
commander,drivingandanotherofficerinthepassengerseat.

JuddstillhadadeathgriponChristabel'shand.Hemanagedtostaysanelongenoughtosendaglance
atClark,whowasonhiskneesinthedirtgroaningfromhisownwound."Getthatsonofabitchto
jail,"hesaidthroughhisteeth,"beforeIkillhim!"

His eyes were testimony enough to the intent of the statement. He'd forgotten law, duty, honor,
everything,inthegripoftheworstfearhe'deverfelt.Ifshedied,hewouldbelawless.Nothingwould
mattertohimintheworld,everagain,exceptrevenge.Hefeltcoldandsickandhorrified.He'dbeen
closetohisfa-therwhenhehaddied.Herememberedholdinghisfather'shandjustastheolderman
sighedouthislastbreath.Thathadbeenfrightening,butnotlikethis.Nothinghadeverbeenlikethis!
Thecoldterrorhadhimfirmlyinitsicygrip.

He couldn't drag his eyes away from Christabel's pain-contorted face. It was killing him to see her
likethis!Andstillthebloodranoutofherlikewateroutofaspigot,despiteTippy'sfeverishefforts
tostemtheflow.

Theambulanceattendantsmovedin,efficientandquick.Juddwouldn'tletgoofherhand.Theyhadto
workaroundhim,eventotransporther,becauseheclimbedrightintothebackoftheambulancewith
her,stillholdingherhand.Hedidn'tevenno-ticetheotherpeoplestandingoutsidethebigvehicleas
itsredlightsflashedonandoff.

"Don'tletherdie,"CashtoldoneoftheEMT'sgrimly."I'mgoingtoseeifIcangetthosegunsaway
fromhimbeforeyouleave,"headdedquietly.

Heclimbedintotheambulance,spokesoftlytoJudd,whobarelyheardhim,andrelievedhimofthe
twofirearms,hisownColtautomaticandthewheelgunClarkhadbeencarrying.Hecamebackout
andtheambulancedoorsclosed.HislastglimpseofChristabelwaswithJudd'sdarkheadbentover
herinanagonyofgrief.

"Willshelive?"TippyaskedGrier.

Helookeddownather,belatedlyrealizingthatshewastalkingtohim."Idon'tknow,"hesaidflatly.
HewasasfrightenedasJudd,heonlyhiditbetter.

Shedrewinashakybreath."I'veneverseenanybodyshot."

Hewasn'tlistening.Thewatchcommanderapproachedhim."Gethiminlegironsandtransporthim
tothehospital,"Griertoldhimcurtly.

"Ineedadoctor,"Clarkraged."I'mshot.Myhand'sbleeding!"

Grier stared at him. "If you make a move I don't like, you'll need a mortician," he said with pure
malice,andabruptlyspuntheColtwithaprofessionalskillthatmadeClarkbackupastep."Gethim
out of here," he added coldly. "We'll charge him with another count of aggravated assault and go
fromthere."

"Yes,sir."Thepoliceofficerwasn'tinclinedtoargue.

"Imissedthistime,butIwon'tmissagain!"Clarkraged."Hekilledmybrother.Imeantokillhim,
too,andIwill!IswearIwill!"

Grierignoredhimandhandedthepoliceofficerthetwoweaponshe'dcoaxedfromJudd."TheColtis
JuddDunn's.TheSmith&WessonistheoneClarkshotChristabelGaineswith.Lockthemupinmy
office."

"We'lltakecareofthem,sir,"thesecondofficerassuredhim."IhopeMissGaineswillbeallright."

"SodoI,"Griersaidhuskily,hisvoiceasrigidashisfeatures.Itwaskillinghimthathecouldn'tgoin
theambulancewithher.ButthatwasJudd'sright,asmuchashehatedadmittingit.

TippyMoorewatchedtheambulancedriveaway.SheglancedatMaude,whowasweepingcopiously
onthesidelines.Shecouldonlyimaginehowitaffectedtheoldwoman,whowastheclosestthingtoa
motherChristabelhadleft.Shewenttothewomanandputacomfortingarmaroundher."Comeon,"
shesaidsoftly.

"I'llwalkyoubacktothehouse."

"Ihavetogotothehospital,"Maudewailed."ButIcan'tdrive,I'mshakingso!"

"I'llgetsomeonetodriveus,"shesaid."I'mgoing,too,"sheaddeddoggedly,glancingattheassistant
director,wholookedreadytoargue."I'mnotworkinganymoretoday,incaseyouweregoingtoask.
I'mgoingtothehospitaltositwithJudd."

Theassistantdirectorthrewuphishands,butatacoldglarefromGrier,hejustwalkedawaywithout
anotherword.

"Youcanrideinwithme,"hetoldthewomen,withoutlookingatthem."Givemeaminutetophone
myofficeandJudd's."Hewhippedouthiscellphoneandbeganpunchinginnumbers.

"You need a sweater," Tippy told Maude, herding her toward the house. "I'll need to borrow one as
well.IputmineoverMissGaines."

Maudehadnoticedthat,eventhroughtheagonyoftheday.Shemanagedawetsmile,surprisedand
pleased to find an ally where she'd thought she had an enemy. All her ill will toward the beautiful
modelvanishedinahaze."I'llfindyousomething."

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

JuddwassittingintheemergencyroomwaitingareawhenCashGriercameinwithMaudeandTippy.
Hishatwasoff.Hisdarkhairwasrumpled.Helookedasifhe'dbeenridingwithdeath.Therewas
bloodonhiswhiteshirt,onhisdarkslacks.Christabel'sblood.

He looked up as they joined him. "They've taken her into surgery," he said. "Copper Coltrain's
operating."

"He'sthebestwehave,"Maudecommentedquietly.

"Shemoanedallthewayintheambulance,"Juddcontinued,almostasifheweretalkingtohimself.
"Shecouldn'tbreathe.Iwasn'tsureshe'devenmakeithere."Hiseyesclosedonawaveofpain.

"Chestwoundsarefrightening,"Cashtoldhimquietly."Butherswaslowonherribcage,andnotin
thegut."

Judd's black eyes sought reassurance in the older man's. He relaxed, but not much. "I expect the
operation'sgoingtotaketime."

"They'llhavetohuntthebullet,"Maudegroaned.

"Theymaynottrytotakethebulletout,ifit'slesstraumatictoleaveitin,"Cashtoldher."They'llstop
thebleedingandreinflatethelung.Thenit'samatterofantibioticsandrest."

"She'djustsignedupforspringsemesterandboughthertext-books,"Maudesaidheavily.

"Shewon'tbegoingbackforseveralweeks,"Cashreturnedflatly."I'mafraidshe'llsitoutthispartof
theschoolyear."

"Quarterlytaxesaredueweekafternext,"Maudesaidmiserably."Whatahorriblethingtothinkabout
atatimelikethis."

"Doesshedothetaxwork?"Cashaskedherforsomethingtosay.

Shenodded."Doesallthebookwork,exceptpayingmonthlybills."SheglancedatJudd."Inevergot
togiveyouthattietacksheboughtyouforChristmas,"sheadded,andtearsrandownherface.

Juddgotup,cuttotheheart,andpaced,withhishandsdeepinhispockets.

"Hedidn'tgetherapresent."Maudeexplainedhissuddenwithdrawaltotheothers."Ishouldn'thave
mentionedit,Iguess.Hurtherfeelingssomethingawful,especiallyafterheboughtMissMoorethat
engagementring."

Cashglareddownattheredheadedmodel,whowasalreadydrawinginterestedstaresfrommeninthe
waiting room. She seemed oddly uneasy at the attention. She glanced at the ring on her finger and

grimaced.

"It'snotanengagementring,"shesaiduncomfortably.

"HetoldCrissyitwas,"Mauderepliedwithoutlookingattheyoungerwoman.

Tippy's eyebrows arched. That was news. Why would he lie about such a thing? And then she
rememberedthewhoppershe'dtoldCrissy,tryingtogetridofherrival.Butshehadn'twantedthis.
WhenshelookedatJudd,hisanguishwasalmosttangible,andithurttothinkthatshe'dmadeCrissy
miserable.Ifthewomandied,she'dhavetolivewithit.Itwouldn'tbeeasy.Shewasacoward.Shewas
utterlyworthless...

"How can he be engaged to you?" Cash asked curtly, scowling at Tippy. "He and Crissy are still
married,aren'tthey?"heaskedMaude.

"They're getting divorced," Maude said. "Didn't she tell you? I guess he's already started
proceedings..."

"They're...married?"Tippyexclaimed,paling."Christabelishiswife?"

"They'vebeenmarriedforfiveyears,"Maudeconfirmedmiserably."Nevermeantanythingtohim.It
wasjustonpaper,sohecouldtakecareofthingswhenherdadwenttojail."

"Ihadnoidea,"Tippysaidmiserably.

"Don'ttellmeitwouldhavemattered,"Cashsaidwithdrippingsarcasm.

Shegavehimanangryglance."Itwouldhavemattered,"sherepliedcoldly."Idon'tdatemarriedmen.
Ever."

Hiseyebrowswentup.Thatwasnews.

A tall, redheaded surgeon in green scrubs came out of the swinging doors that led to the operating
room,lookingarounduntilhespottedJudd.Hewalkedtowardhim,somberandunsmiling.

"Howisshe?"Juddaskedquickly.

CopperColtrainshrugged."We'vestoppedthebleeding.Thelung'sreinflated.Butshe'slostalotof
bloodandshe'snotingoodshapeotherwise,either.She'sgotbronchitis.It'sgoingtocomplicateher
recovery."

"Bronchitis?"Juddrepeated.

"Ithoughtshesoundedhoarse,"Maudeagreed,"butshesaiditwasjustalittlecoldandshewouldn't
go to the doctor." She grimaced. "She said she couldn't afford to. Her insurance doesn't have an
outpatientclause."

The minute the words were out, she regretted them. Judd's eyes closed and he looked tormented.
TippylookedatthehatefulringonherfingerandcursedherownstupidityintalkingJuddintobuy-
ingherthatring.CashGrierjustsighedwithmiseryeatingathim.

"Wheredowegofromhere?"Juddaskedinasubduedtone.

"Wepray,"Coltrainrepliedflatly."Iwon'tgiveyoupromisesIcan'tkeep.Rightnow,it'satoss-up.I'm
sorry.

I'vedonethebestIcando."

"Iknowthat.Thanks,"Juddsaiddully."CanIseeher?"headded.

"She's in recovery," he replied. "It would be better to wait until we get her into a room in intensive
care..."

"I'llstaywithher,"Maudeinterrupted,justbeforeGriercouldsaythesamething.

"Youcan't.Notinintensivecare.Youcanseeherthreetimesaday,fornomorethantenminuteseach
time,"headdedfirmly."It'stooserious.Shehastobekeptquiet.Noupsets."

Juddlookedasifhe'ddietryingnottosnapatthesurgeon.Buthefinallyjustnoddeddefeatedly.

Coltrainputaroughhandonhisshoulder."Don'tborrowtrouble.Takeitonehouratatime.You'll
getthroughthis."

"Thinkso?"Juddaskedheavily.

"Iknowso.I'llkeepaclosewatchonher.Trynottoworry."Henoddedtotheothersandwentback
downthehall.

Juddlookedattheotherthreepeoplewithhim."I'mgladyou'reallhere.Butifanybodygetsintothat
room,evenforaminute,it'sgoingtobeme,"hesaidshortly.

Cashlookedinclinedtoargue,buttheexpressiononJudd'sfacemadehimbackdown.

"Ifyouwantustostayoutherewithyou,Idon'tmind,"Tippysaid.

"Samehere,"Maudeadded.

"I'dratheryouwenthome,"Juddsaid."I'mnotleavingthehospitaluntilIknowsomething,oneway
ortheother."

"I'llgivethemaride,"Cashsaid."ThenI'llcomeback."

Juddmettheolderman'seyes.Hedidn'targue.Hedidn'tevenspeak.Hejustnodded.Hedidn'twantto
bealone,andhewouldn'thavetopullhisverbalpunchestalkingaboutittoCash.Youjustcouldn't

talkaboutgunshotwoundswithcivilians,mostofwhomhadneverseenone.JuddandCashhadseen
theirshare.Juddturnedandwalkedtowardtheintensivecareunit.

*

"Youtookhisgunsawayfromhim,didn'tyou?"MaudeaskedCashwhenCashpulledupinfrontof
thehouse.

He nodded. "They're locked up in my office." His expression was somber. "But there's still a pistol
andashotguninthehousesomewhere.Crissytoldme.You'dbettergetalltheammunitionandlockit
upsomewhere."

"TheminuteIgetinside,"Maudepromised.

Tippyglancedfromoneofthemtotheother."Youaren'tserious,"sheremarked.

Cash met her eyes. "If she were my wife, that's what Maude would be doing for me," he said flatly.
"Andyes,I'mserious.MaybeJuddhasn'trealizedityet,buthewon'thavealifeleftifChristabeldies.
Itisn'tlogical,butit'swhatsomemendowhenthey'reoutoftheirmindswithgrief.Wedon'tneed
anothertragedy."

"Amen," Maude said. She dabbed at her eyes. "Well, you should go and take Miss Moore back to
town,"shetoldCash."NotthatI'llsleep.AreyousureIshouldn'tstaywithJuddtonight?"

"Iwon'tleavehim,"Cashassuredher."AndI'llcallyouwhenIknowsomething.Ipromise."

"Allright,then,"Maudesaid.ShegaveTippyagentlesmile."Youkeepthatsweater,"shetoldher."I'll
getyoursbackandwashitandpressitforyou."

"Thankyou,"Tippysaidsoftly,andshesmiled.

Cashdrovehertotown.Hedidn'tspeakandneitherdidshe.Infact,shesatwithherarmsfoldedtight
overherchest,lookinguncomfortable.

"Foraman-eater,you'resurprisinglytame,"hecommentedwhenhepulledupinfrontofherhotel.

Shegavehimacoollook."I'vedonesomestupidthings.Idon'tlikemyselfverymuchrightnow."
Sheshrugged."Didyouseewhatshedid?"sheaddedheavily."Shesteppedrightinfrontofthegun.
She saw it coming. She didn't even hesitate. She must...love him very much," she added, almost
chokingonthewords.

"Shedoes,"heagreed,feelingthewordsandhatingthem.

Sheglancedathimcuriously."You'reinlovewithher,aren'tyou?"

"IfIam,it'snobody'sbusinessexceptmyown,"hetoldherflatly.

She sighed. "Now you're hostile again. Look, I have a hard time with men. A real hard time. Gary
Mays,theassistantdirector,hasbeendrivingmeupthewalltryingtogetmeintobed.Juddpretended
to be interested in me, to keep him at bay, and I took it a little too seriously. That's all it was." She
glaredathimagain."Iwouldn'thaveamanforlifeonabunwithsauce."

Hiseyebrowsarchedandhelookedatherintently."That'sjusthowIfeelaboutwomen."

Sherelaxedalittle.Hereyesslidoverhimcarefully."Itrustmeninuniform,"sheblurtedout."Cops
havegottenmeoutofsomeoftheworsttanglesinmylife."

He was beginning to get a picture of her that was disturbing. Far from the pose she affected on the
job,shewasshyandintrovertedandfrightenedofhimwhenitwasjustthetwoofthem,alone.

"Ihavetogoin,"shesaid."IhopeChristabelwillbeallright.Judd,too."

"Why don't you look Gary Mays right in the eye and tell him you'll have him up for sexual
harassmentifhedoesn'tbackoff?"heaskedabruptly.

Hereyesalmostpopped."Itwouldn'twork."

"Itwould.Ifyoucanstopaman,youcandominatehim."

"Interestingphilosophy,"shesaid.

"Notmine.IreadJuanBelmonte'sautobiography.Hewasafamousbullfighterintheearly1900s.He
saiditworksaswellwithmenasitdoeswithbulls.Itdoes."

"You'dknow,"shemurmureddryly.

"Yes.Iwould."

Shegotoutofthetruck,alittleslowly."Thanksfortheride."

Hescowledandpeeredatherclosely."Canyouseeme?"heaskedunexpectedly.

Shewassurprisedbythequestion.Shesmiled."Sortof,"shereplied.

"You'renearsightedandyouwon'twearyourglasses,"heguessed.

Shelaughed.Itsoundedlikesilverbellstinkling."AndIcan'twearcontacts."

He studied her. Despite the tragedy of the day, she piqued his curiosity. "You're a puzzle. I've said
somethingstoyouthatIshouldn'thave.You'renotwhatIthoughtyouwere."

Shewaswatchinghimwithnewrespect."Neitherareyou,"shesaid.

"ThinkaboutwhatIsaid,"hetoldherashestartedthetruck."Youdon'thavetotakethatsortofcrap

fromanassistantdirector.Ifyoucan'tmakehimstop,letmeknow.I'llstophim."

Sheshruggedandmanagedasmile."I'llkeepintouchwithMaude."

Henodded.Hedidn'tsayanotherword.Secondslater,hewasonhiswaytothehospital.

Juddsataloneinthechapel.They'dlethiminforahandfulofminutestolookdownonChristabel's
white,drawnlittleface.Ifhe'dbeenabletogettoabar,hecouldhavegonethroughafifthofwhisky
afterward. It was shocking to see her like that. She was hooked up to half a dozen monitoring
machines with a needle in her arm feeding her nutrients and apparently a nar-cotic for pain. There
was a tube coming out of her side to drain her chest. Perhaps it was the same tube they'd used to
reinflatethelungaswell.

Notsinceshewassixteenhadshebeensobadlyhurt,andeventhenitwasn'tthisserious.Therehadn't
beentheriskthatshecoulddiefromherfather'sbrutalbeating.Thiswasdifferent.Shelookedfragile
andhelplessandsoalone.Herbigdarkeyeswereclosed.Thereweredarkcirclesunderthem.When
shebreathed,heheardtheslowraspoffluidinherchest.Herlipswereblue.Shelookedasifshe'd
alreadydied.

He'dtouchedhersmallhandwithhisbigoneandrememberedthelastthingshe'dsaidtohimbefore
Clark showed up. Tippy had told her that he'd been disgusted with her, that he hadn't wanted her
hangingonhim,runningafterhimwithherheartonhersleeve.Hiseyeshadclosedwithashudder.If
shedidn'tmakeit,herlastmemoryofhimwouldbeoneofpainandbetrayal.

It wasn't true. He wasn't disgusted. He lay awake nights remembering the passion they'd shared. He
missedher.

Itwaslikebeingwithoutanarmoraleg.He'dtoldherhedidn'twantanythingpermanent.Nowthe
choicemightnotbehisanymore.Hemightbeleftalone,ashe'dthoughthewantedtobewhenhetold
herhewasgettingthedivorce.

Somewhereherememberedanoldadage.Becarefulwhatyouwant;youmightgetit.Helookedat
Christabel'sstillbodyandsawtheendofeverythingheloved.

A noise caught his attention. Grier was back. He sat down in the pew beside him, looking
uncomfortable.

"God'stickedatme,"hetoldJuddonanaudiblesighashelookedaroundhim."MaybeI'mjinxing
herbybeinginachapelatall."

"Godisn'tvindictive,"Juddrepliedheavily."UsuallyHegivesusalotmoreleewaythanwedeserve."

"Yourfatherwasaminister,Crissysaid,"hecommented.

Juddnodded.

"ShootingJohnClarkwasharderonyouthanyouexpected,"herepliedquietly.

Juddglancedathimcuriously."Becausemyfatherwasaminister?"

"Becauseyouweretaughttobelievethatkillingisalwayswrong."Grier'seyeswenttothepulpit."I
wasn't. The first thing you learn in the military is the necessity of killing, and how to do it with
maximum efficiency. Men won't kill another man close up unless they're taught to do it through
musclereflex.Afterafewweeksoftraining,killingisinstinctive.Iwasagoodstudent,"headded,his
voicecoldinthesilence.

Judd'seyesnarrowed."Itdoesn'tbotheryou?"

"Itdidn't.UntilIgotmixedupwithher,"headded,smilingfaintly."Shewasthefirstwomaninyears
who didn't look at me and see a killer. She has this annoying way of making you feel important,
necessary,useful.

Shemademefeelgoodjustbysmilingatme."

Judd hated hearing that from his rival. "She's always been like that," he commented after a minute.
"Nomatterhowbadthingsget,she'salwaysgotasmile."

"ShemademethinkIcouldfitinhere,ifItried,"hereplied."I'veneverwantedtobelonganywherein
mylifeuntilnow."

Juddstaredattheothermanwithnarrowedeyes."Iappreciateyourcompany.Butyou'dbetterknow
thatifshelives,she'snevergettingthatdivorce,"hesaidabruptly.

Cashstaredback."Youwon'tfoolherwithpity,"hereturned."She'llseerightthroughit."

Juddavertedhisgaze.Hewasn'twillingtosharehisdeepestfeelingswithhisonlyrival."Theonly
personIfeelsorryforrightnowismyself.I'mtheidiotwhowassupposedtobeprotectingher.How
thehelldidshegetshot?"heaskedsuddenly."Iknowhewasn'ttryingtokillher.Shedidn'tshoothis
damnedbrother!"

Cash hesitated, studying his hands. He couldn't tell Judd what he knew. Not yet. Not until they were
sureshewasgoingtolive.

"Itwillallcomeouteventually,"Cashsaidnoncommittally.

Heputhisfaceinhishandswithalong,unsteadysigh."I'dgiveanythingtogobackandputthings
right,"hesaidenig-matically.

"You,andtherestofus,"Cashsaidphilosophically.

Itwasalongnight.Thenextmorningableary-eyedJuddwalkedintotheintensivecareunitwitha
longfaceandaheavyheart.Christabellayjustashe'dseenherbefore.Therewasanewdriprunning,
butherexpressionwasasdeadasithadbeen.

He leaned down, brushing the hair away from her face. He winced at just the sight of her. "I'm so
sorry,"hewhispered."Sosorry,honey."

Herlongeyelashestwitchedandherdarkeyesopened.Herbreathingwasstillraspy,andshelooked
likedeathonawarmingplate.Butsheseemedtoseehim.

"Christabel?"hewhispered.

Hereyesfixedonhisface,butshedidn'treact.

"Canyouhearme,baby?"heaskedsoftly.

Shefrownedandwinced."Hurts,"shewhisperedhoarsely.

Hisbighandtrembledasitsmoothedherhair,herface."ThankGodyou'restillalive,"hesaid,his
voice breaking despite his steely control. He bent and brushed his lips over her dry mouth. "Thank
God,thankGod,thankGod!"hegroaned.

Sheblinked.Shewasbarelyawareofanythingexceptthepain."Hurtssomuch"shebreathedandher
eyesclosedagain.

Heletgoofherreluctantlyandpushedthenurse'scallbut-tontotellherthatChristabelwasawake
andinpain.

Seconds later, a nurse breezed in, followed by a technician, and he was chased out with reassuring
smiles.Shewasgoingtolive.Thiswasthehopefulsignthey'dallbeenwaitingfor.

Coltrainnoddedinpassingashewentintocheckher.Hecamebackoutscantminuteslatersmiling.
"She'sgoingtobefine,"hetoldJudd,clappinghimontheshoulder."It'sjustamat-teroftime,now.
Youcanstopholdingyourbreath."

Juddthankedhimandthenwentdownthehallandleanedagainstthewalltryingtocomposehimself.
He'dbeeninhellforsolongthatthereliefwasdevastating.Shewouldlive.Shewasgoingtolive.He
brushedawaythequickmoistureinhiseyes.

Cashcameupbesidehim,aquestioninhiseyes.

"She'sgoingtomakeit,"Juddsaidhuskily.

"ThankGod,"Cashsaidwithheartfeltrelief.

"WhataboutClark?"heaskedsuddenly,havingonlyjustrememberedtheman,

"Patched up and in jail, probably for the rest of his life after the trial," Cash assured him. He was
watching the other man closely. "I think you should know what Tippy told me," he added, hating to
revealitevennow.Itmeantanendtoallhisownhopes.

"Yes?"Juddprompted.

"ShesawClarkstepoutandaimthegunatyou.Shedidn'thavetimetoreact,andneitherdidCrissy.
She said Crissy realized you wouldn't be able to save yourself, and she deliberately stepped out in
frontofthegun."

Judd'sintakeofbreathwasaudible.

“Tippy was devastated when she saw it," he continued. "She said she felt ten kinds of a fool for the
troubleshe'dcausedbetweenthetwoofyou,whensheknewhowmuchCrissycared."Heshookhis
head."Iwouldn'thavetoldyouifCrissyhaddied.Butyoushouldknow.I'llgocallMaudeandgive
herthegoodnews."

Heturnedandwalkedaway.Juddstoodtherelikeastatue,absorbingthestatementwithafeelingof
utterhumility.Christabelhadtakenthebulletmeantforhim.She'dbeenwillingtogiveherownlifeto
savehim.

He'dneverdreamedshecaredsomuch.Hewasabsolutelywithoutwords.Nowhehadtofindaway
torebuildthebridgeshe'dburned.Itwasn'tgoingtobeeasy.

Christabel drifted in and out of consciousness for the first few days after her body began the slow
process of recovery from the wound, which had cost her part of the lower lobe of her lung and a
pieceofherspleenaswell.

Fortunatelythebulletwasinthedestroyedtissuewhichhadtoberemovedtostopthebleeding.

Shewasmovedintoasemi-privateroomonthefourthday.Afterthat,Juddneverleftherside.His
secondshootingintwoweekshadlandedhimunderadministrativeleaveyetagain,buthedidn'tcare.
Itwasopportune.

HiscaptainandhislieutenanthadphonedtwicealreadytocheckonChristabel'sstatus.Hehadgood
co-workers. One of them from San Antonio was assigned to take his place temporarily in Victoria
while Christabel recu-perated from her wounds. Ranch business had to be attended to as well, even
thoughJuddhatedthetimehewasrequiredtospendawayfromhertakingcareofit.Hedelegatedas
muchashecouldtotheirforeman,Nick.

Grier was also a constant visitor, but he was oddly subdued and kept well in the background. Marc
Brannonandhiswife,Josette,heardaboutthetragedyandcamebytooffersupport.Sodidalotof
otherprominentcitizens.

TippyMoorealsocamebyafterworktocheckonthepatient,bringingMaudewithher.Theactress
had surprised a lot of people with her compassion, most notably Grier. He was an unintentional
eavesdropper on a conversation she had on her cell phone. At first he thought she was talking to a
man, because her voice was soft and full of affection. Then she mentioned tests and grades and
keepingoutoffightswithotherboys,andherealizedshewasspeakingtoachild.Itturnedouttobe
her young brother, in a military school. She confessed it with odd reserve and then walked away

beforeGriercouldquestionheranymore.

Whentherewerenovisitors,ChristabelwasreservedwithJudd.Shedidn'tlookhimintheeyeever.
ShesmiledwhenGrierandMaudecameandmanagedtoconversewiththem,eventhoughshewas
frightfullyweak.Shewaspolite,ifdistant,withTippy.ButshewasvisiblyuncomfortablewithJudd.

"Youshouldgobacktowork,"shetoldhimonemorningwhenthenurse'saidegotherupandintoa
chairwhileherbedwasre-made."I'monlygoingtobeinhereforafewmoredays,thedoc-torsays.
Nickcanhandlethingsathome.I'moutofdanger."

Judd,bare-headedandquiet,didn'tanswerher.Hewatchedtheaidechangethebedandrefilltheice
pitcher without visible reaction. The aide finished, helped Christabel back into bed, smiled shyly at
Judd,andleft,closingthedoorbehindher.

Judd still hadn't spoken. He moved to her bedside and looked down at her broodingly. Her hair
neededwashing.

Itwastangledandlimp.Herweaknesswasevident,andshemovedwithdifficultybecauseherlungs
wereonlybeginningtohealfromthedoubleperilofabulletwoundandbronchitis.Shewaswinded
justfromgettingupoutofthechairandbackintobed.

ButtoJudd,who'dwatchedherinanguishfromthetimeshecameoutoftheanestheticuntilnow,she
wasbeautiful.

"You'llloseyourjobanditwillbemyfault,"shepersisted.

"Iwon'tloseit.Ihavepermissiontobehere."Heliftedherlefthandandrubbedhisthumboverthe
signet ring she'd given back to him two months ago. He'd replaced it on her ring fin-ger while she
wasstillunconscious.

"Yougaveusallascare,"headdedsolemnly.

Shemovedherfingerexperimentally,onlyjustrealizingtheringwasback."Howdidthatgetthere?"
sheaskeddrowsily.

"Iputitthere,"herepliedquietly."We'restillmarried.Ihadtosignyouinunderyourlegalname."

Sheavertedhereyesandtuggedherhandawayfromhis."ThatmusthaveshockedMissMoore,"she
saidverydully."Ihopeshe'swillingtowaituntilwecangetdivorced."

Hedrewinashortbreathandrammedhishandsintohispockets."Let'sseeaboutgettingyouwelland
backonyourfeetbeforewetalkaboutthat."

Shearchedaneyebrow."Whywait?"

Heturnedaway,frowning.Inspirationcameashestudiedthepaintingonthewall.Itlookedvaguely

Japanese.

"You'reforgettingthebusinesstriptoJapan,aren'tyou?"hemurmured."Wewouldn'twanttoupset
thenegotiationsatthisstagebypresentingadividedfront,wouldwe?"

"Itshouldn'taffectthenegotiations,"shereplied,butshedidn'tsoundconvincing.

Heturnedandstudiedherslightformunderthesheet."Let'snottakechances,justthesame."

She frowned, but she didn't argue. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me," she replied after a
minute."ButyoumayhavetogotoJapanalone.Idon'tknowthatI'llbeuptoit."

"We'llcrossthatbridgewhenwecometoit,"hesaid.Hemovedbacktothebed,hisfacedrawnand
tautwithworryandlackofsleep.Hereacheddownandtouchedherfacelightlywithhisfingertips.
"You'realittlebettertoday."

"It'sslow,"shereplied.

Histhumbrubbedslowly,softly,overherfullmouth.Itexcitedhimtorememberitsardentresponse
onChristmasEve.Hehadsomanyregrets.Hecouldhardlyfindroomforthemallinhisconscience.

"You don't sleep well, do you, honey?" he asked with some concern. "There are dark circles under
youreyes."

Shelaughedwithouthumor."IfIcouldgetoutofthisbed,JackClarkwouldhaveafewdarkcircles
underhiseyes,too,buttheywouldn'tbefromlackofsleep!"

"He'llgoawayforalongtime,"hesaidcurtly.

Herdarkeyessoughthis."Cashsaidyoutriedtoattackhim."

Hisgazemovedtothefarwall."Ididn'tevenrealizeyouwereshotuntilCashturnedyouoverandwe
sawtheblood.Wethoughtyou'dfainteduntilthen."

"Idon'tfaint,"sheremarkeddrowsily.Shesighedandclosedhereyeswearily.

"Youbravelittleidiot,"hebitoff,movingclosertothebed."Whydidn'tyoujustsingout?"

"Hehadyourightinhissights,"shesaidinvoluntarily."Therewasn'ttimetoshoutawarning.Bythe
timeIspottedhim,hewasalreadypullingthetrigger."

"Christabel, how do you think I'd feel if you'd died?" he asked bluntly. "Do you think I could have
livedwithknowingthatyouboughtmylifewithyourown?"

Shebarelyheardhim.Shewassotired."Couldn't...lethim...killyou."

Hebentwithagroanandpressedhislipshardtoherforehead."Listen,there'ssomethingIneedtotell

you,"hebegan.

"No,there'snot,"shemurmured."Itwasmychoice.Imadeit.You'vetakencareofmeforfiveyears,
Judd.Itwasmyturntotakecareofyou."

Hecouldn'tbearthepainofrememberinghowshe'dlookedjustafterthebullethither.Hebentand
drewhismouthtenderlyoverherdrylips,savoringtheirwarmthinatensesilence.

"Don't,"shemoaned,puttingherhandagainsthismouth."Don't,please!Idon'twanttomessupyour
lifeanymorethanIalreadyhave.Youdon'towemeathing."

Hekissedherpalmhungrily."Youdon'tunderstand."

Hereyesopenedandlookedupintohis."SureIdo,"shewhisperedwearily."Youfeelguiltyforwhat
youtoldTippyabouthowIembarrassedyou.ThenIgotshotandyou'retry-ingtosacrificeyourself
tomakeamends.Itisn'tnecessary.Youcantakethisringback.I'llgiveyouadivorce..."

He caught her hand, preventing her from removing the ring. But coping with her suspicions was
harderthanhe'drealizeditmightbe.Shewasn'tgoingtolistentoreason.Shethoughthewaslying
outofguiltandpity.

"Youmightloseherifyouwaittoolong,"shecontinued,hervoicetrailingoffasshedriftedinand
out,onthevergeoffallingasleep.

"I'vealreadywaitedtoolong,"hebitoff,hatingthelumpinhisthroatthathecouldn'tseemtolose,
hiseyesintentandtorturedonherpaleface.

Butshedidn'thearhim.Shewasasleep.

Soon after they brought her home from the hospital, Christabel was struggling around the house
tryingtocook.

Once Maude escorted her back to bed. The next day, Judd carried her there, tight-lipped and
unresponsivetoherprotests.

"Ican'tjustliearoundherelikealump,I'llnevergetwell,"sheragedwhenhestartedtoputherback
intobed.

"CoppersaidIhadtoexercise!"

"Alittleatatime,andnotthewayyou'retryingtodoit,"heretortedcurtly.Heputherdownagainst
thepillowsandglareddownather.She'dhadashowerandwashedherhair,withMaude'shelp,and
shelookedinfinitelybetterthanshehaddaysearlier.

"All right, I'll stay put," she muttered, averting her eyes. "You should be spending time with Miss
Moore.

They'rewrappingthefilmFridayandthenthey'llbegone."

Hehadn'tbeenabletogethertolistentoathinghe'dsaidabouthisrelationshipwithTippy.Shecut
himoffbeforehecouldevenbegintoexplainit.Tippyhadgivenhimbacktheemeraldanddiamond
ring,withallsortsofmumbledapologies,andhe'dreturnedittothejewelersfortherefundofmost
hismoney.He'dwantedtotellChristabel,butshewouldn'tlisten.Neitherwouldsheacceptthestill-
wrappedChristmaspresenthe'dbroughtdownforher,certainthatitwasanattempttomakeupfor
notgivingheroneatthetime.MaudehadgivenhimthetietackChristabelhadboughtforhim,and
he'd kept it with him the whole time she was in the hospital. She didn't know that. He was tired of
tryingtomakeherlisten.

Grier had been more visible lately, too, another source of worry, because Christabel perked up the
minutehestuckhisheadinthedoor.ShelaughedwithhimassheneverdidwithJuddanymore.

"Ican'tmakeyoulisten,"hesaidinaheavy,defeatedtone."Youdon'twanttohearme."

Sheglancedupathimwithtroubleddarkeyes."Youwon'tlistentome,either.IsaidI'dgiveyoua
divorce whenever you want it. We can afford it now that we have the film company's check in the
bank."

Hisjawtautened."Idon'twantadamneddivorce!"hesnapped."Idon'twanttomarryTippyMoore!I
neverdid!"

Shetriedtositupandaccidentallyknockedovertheglassoforangejuicebythebed,spillingitall
overherselfintheprocess."Nowlookwhatyoumademedo!"sheraged.

"Inevertouchedthedamnedthing!"heshotback,furious.

Tippy Moore heard the raised voices and stuck her head in. "Oh, for heaven's sake," she muttered,
rushingbackoutagain.Shewasbacksecondslaterwithatowelandawetwashcloth."Out,"shetold
Judd,holdingthedoor.

Hestartedtoargue.

"Youheardher!"Christabelseconded."Out!"

Hethrewuphishandsandstalkedoutinablacktemper,slammingthedoorviciouslybehindhim.

Tippy laughed. "Aren't men the living end?" she mused. She mopped up the orange juice with the
towel."Wheredoyoukeepyourgowns?"sheaskedmatter-of-factly.

Crissytoldher,surprisedbythewoman'sefficiency.Shewasbathedoffwiththewashcloth,herdirty
gowndeftlyremovedandreplacedbythecleanone.

"Oh,I'vespentyearstakingcareofmylittlebrother,andthenamanIcared...verymuchfor,"Tippy
said. "My brother's nine, now, and in military school." Her eyes were haunted. "I spent a fortune
gettingcustodyofhimfrommymotherandherlatestlover,butIwouldn'tputitpastthemtotryand

kidnaphimformoremoney.

Nobodyknowswhereheisexceptme."

Crissywasfascinatedbythisglimpseofthewoman'sprivatelife.Therewasahauntedlookabouther.
"Youmustcareabouthimalot."

Shenodded."He'smywholelife."Shepickedupthetowelandwashclothandgavetheotherwomana
long,sadlook."I'vemadealotoftroubleforyouwithJudd.IwantyoutoknowthatI'msorryforall
ofit.Ifeltsafewithhim.HewasthebestmanI'veeverknownandIgotpossessive.ButifI'dhadthe
slight-estideayouweremarried,I'dnever...!"

"It'sallright,"Crissysaid,embarrassed."Youcan'thelphowyoufeelaboutpeople."

Tippysighed."Isn'tthatthetruth,"shemurmured,thinkingaboutCashGrierandhiscoldness,despite
herattemptstore-visehisopinionofher.

Crissy,predictably,thoughtshemeantJuddandwasevenmoredepressed.

"IgaveJuddbackthering,"sheaddedfirmly."AndI'msorryaboutlettinghimbuyitforme,too.I
neverrealizedhowbadthingswerearoundhere."

"They won't be for much longer," Crissy told her. "We're working on a new deal with an overseas
market. If we can pull it off, I'll move out after we get the divorce, and he'll have everything he
wants."

"Withoutyou?"Tippyasked,astonished."Can'tyouseehowhefeels?"

"Hefeelsguilty,"Crissytoldherflatly."Thatwillwearoff,giventime."Shelaybackwithhereyes
closed."I'mtiredofbeingmarriedtoamanwhothinksofmeasanalbatross.Ijustwantout."

Tippydidn'tknowwhattosay.Shestoodtherewithremorseeatingather.Finally,shewentoutofthe
roomandclosedthedoorquietlybehindher.She'dcausedenoughtroubleforoneday,withonlythe
bestofintentions.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

JuddreluctantlyreturnedtoVictoriawhenChristabelwasabletogetaroundtheranchcomfortably.
He'dgonebacktoworktheweekaftershe'dcomehome,afterthesecondshootinginvestigationthat
clearedhimofanywrongdoing.Buthe'dcommutedfromJacobsvilletoVictoria,tobeonhandifhe
wasneeded.HeandNickhadoutlinednewplansfortheranch,boughtnewmaterials,hiredonafull-
timeman,andorganizedworkschedulesformaximumefficiency.

Christabel,who'dtriedbutfailedtogetsomuchworkoutofthepart-timehelp,stoodinaweofJudd
when he set his mind to a problem. Nick just grinned and did what he was told, watching with
amusementthewaythepart-timersjumpedonprojectsandcarriedthemthroughwithnocoaxingor
argument.

The ranch was looking up, with the new infusion of money from the film project. Another film
company,infact,hadtargetedtheranchforasettingthefollowingyear.Christabelhadgroaned,but
Judd had dangled promises of a new barn and improving the house even more, and she'd given in.
Besides,itwouldn'thap-penuntilautumnnextyear.Alotcouldhappeninthatlengthoftime,shetold
herself.Infact,shemightnotevenbeherethen.

Meanwhile, the Japanese company had been in touch and arrangements were made for Judd and
ChristabeltoflyovertoOsakaformeetings.She'dtriedtogetoutofgoing,pleadingwork,butJudd
knewbetter.Shecouldn'tevenargueaboutnothavingapassport,becausehe'dhadplentyoftimeto
getherone.Nickwasperfectlycapableofoverseeingwhatneededdoinghereathome,anditwasn't
timeforcalvingyet,either.Shehadnoexcuse,unlessitwasbeingreluctanttoleaveCashGrier,he'd
addedwithbittercoldness.

Cash had become her security blanket. She kept him between her and Judd, because she didn't want
Juddmakingheranydeclarationsoutofgratitudeorguilt.Sheknewhewantedto.Shereadhimvery
well.Hewasstillawedatthefactthatshe'dtriedtosacrificeherselftosavehim.Hecouldn'tgetpast
that,nomat-terhowhardheworkedatit.Shecouldn'thavemadeherfeelingsforhimplainerifshe'd
wornasign.

But she couldn't talk her way out of going to Japan. Even Maude jumped on the bandwagon and
startedinsistingthatshe

go.

"I'mstillweakfrombeinginthehospital,"shearguedwithJuddthedaybeforetheywereleavingout
oftheHoustonairport.

He studied her with that brooding, almost painful scrutiny that had been so evident lately. "I know
that,"hetoldhergently."Butitwillbeanewexperienceforyou.Youneedtogetawayfromherefor
awhile."

Shegavehimalonglook."AwayfromCash,don'tyoumean?"

Hisjawclenched.Justthesoundoftheman'snamewaslikewavingaredflagataTexaslonghorn
bull."Youdoliveinhispocketsinceyoucamehome,"hepointedout.

Sheturnedawayfromhim,tiredofthefighting.SheandCashwerefriends.Thatwasallitwouldever
be.ButitkeptJuddfromwallowingoverthedebtheowedher.

"Ifithadbeenme,inthesamecircumstances,you'dhavedonewhatIdid,andyouknowit,"shesaid
quietly,hereyesonthepastureoutthewindow."You'remakingsuchabigdealofthis,Judd,andit
isn'tnecessary."

Shefelthiswarmthatherback,felthisbreathstirringthehairathertemples.

"Youtookabulletthatwasmeantforme,"hesaidcurtly."How,exactly,shouldItakeit?"

Hisbighandscaughthershouldersandturnedheraround,verygently,sothathecouldlookdown
intohereyes.

"Imoveonestepcloserandyoumovetwostepsback,"hesaidbroodingly."Areyouthesamewoman
whocouldn'tgetcloseenoughtomeonChristmasEve?"

Sheflushed."Howdareyoubringthatup!"sheraged.

"Andyouhadn'tevenbeendrinking,"headdedwithamusedindulgence.

Shelookedeverywhereexceptinhiseyes."Itwasamistake.Yousaidso."

"Isaidalotofthings,"hemurmuredevasively.

"Yes,andnowyou'resayingalotmore,andyoushouldn't,"shetriedtoexplain,pullingawayfrom
hishands.

"Listen,youwantadivorce.Noproblem.I'mnotevenarguingaboutit.YoucanmarryTippyMoore
andI'llgoaroundwithCashuntilhedecideswhetherornothecanliveinJacobsvillefortherestof
hislife."

Hewonderedifshehadanyideahowmuchithurthimwhenshemadeoffhandremarkslikethat.He
hadnointerestinTippyMoore.ButherfascinationwithCashhadcausedhimtopretendone,outof
woundedpride.

Cash was everything most men wanted to be. He was handsome, charming, cultured and absolutely
fearless.

Therewasn'tapeaceofficerinTexaswhodidn'trecognizehisname.Juddhadacursoryeducation
and some college, but he wasn't in Cash's league intellectually and he was keenly aware of it. He
wasn'tcultured,either,andhedidn'tspeakhalfadozenimpossibleforeignlanguages.

Worse,heknewhowCashfeltaboutChristabel,andthat,giventheleastchance,he'dmarryheroutof

hand,withoutasec-ondthought.

Juddbegantoseehowhisindifferenceandrejectionhadwoundedheralltheselongyears,whenhe'd
beensodeterminedtokeephisdistancefromher.He'dtoldhimselfitwasforhergood,sothatshe'd
beheartwholeandinnocent,sothatshecouldpickupthethreadsofherlifewhentheirmarriagewas
annulled. But it wasn't. He didn't want ties, roots, a family. He couldn't help remembering his own
childhoodwhenhismotherlefthisfatherforanotherman.She'dbeenlikeChristabel,innocentand
married in her teens, with no experience of the world or other men except her husband. It wasn't
surprisingtohim,now,inmanhood,thatshewouldhavebeentemptedbyothermen.

He'dhadvisionsofChristabeldoingashismotherhad,runningintosomeotherman'sarmsoutof
curiosityafteryearsofmarriage,andithadfrightenedhim.He'dturnedawayfromherhungryeyes,
her dreams of a life with him. Now he wanted those things back again, but she didn't. She was as
remote and unresponsive as he'd ever been. With greater cause, he had to admit. He'd given her no
encouragementwhatsoever.Now,itseemed,itwastoolate.Andthecompetitionwasfierce.Evenhe,
withhismassiveself-confidence,feltuncertainaroundthethreatofCashGrier.

"I'vetoldyouuntilI'mblueinthefacethatIneverintendedtomarryTippy,"hesaidthroughhisteeth.
"Butyouwon'tlis-ten."

Becausehe'dsaidhewasgoingtomarryTippycontinuallyuntilChristabelwasshot,shethought,but
she was through arguing. "If I can't get out of going, I guess I'll pack," she said heavily. "Thirteen
hoursonanairplane.

I'llbefoamingatthemouthbeforeweevengettoCalifornia"

Hegaveheraworldlylook."WecoulddotheinitiationfortheMileHighclub."

Ittookaminuteforhertorealizewhathewastalkingabout.

Sheglaredupathim."Iamnothavingsexwithyouinthewash-roomofanairplane!"

"NotevenifIboughtyouarednegligee?"heaskedsoftly.

Maude stopped in the doorway with one foot raised. She cleared her throat, put her foot down, and
almostranforthesafetyofthekitchen.

Judddidn'tsayanything.Hewaslaughingtoohard.Christabelmadearoughsoundinherthroatand
beatahastyretreattoherroomasfastasshecouldwalk.

Thetripwaslong,andalittlefrighteningtoChristabel,who'dneverbeenonanairplaneinherlife.It
was noisy in the economy section, but she and Judd had both refused to let the company pay for
businessclasstickets.

Theyfeltbadenoughabouthavingtotaketheticketsinthefirstplace.Theseatswerecrampedandit
was difficult to relax, but just thinking about the wonder of being in a foreign country fascinated

Christabel.

TheywerefedandsoonafterwardthesleeplessnightscaughtupwithChristabelandshefellasleep.It
seemedlikenotimebeforeJuddwaskissingherawake.

Thefeelofhismouthonherswaselectrifying,andshehadtofightnottoreturnthetendercaress.
"Arewethere?"shewhispered.

Hesmiled."Lookoutthewindow,honey."

Sheopenedtheshade.Sheknewthat,fortherestofherlife,shewouldrememberthatfirstincredible
glimpseoftheJapanesecoast.Allthereadingandtraveloguesontelevisionhadn'tpreparedherfor
the impact of such glorious beauty. There were green mountains going up into the clouds. The
coastlinehadsharprocksstandingrightupoutoftheocean.Itwaslikelookingatsomethingoutofa
paradisefantasy.Thejoyoftheunexpectedsighthitherrightintheheart.

"Oh!"shewhispered,wordless.

"ThatwashowIfelt,thefirsttimeIsawit,"Juddtoldherquietly.He'dgonetoJapanonacase,years
before, when the Texas Rangers were working with Interpol. "I could never manage to describe it.
Youhavetoseeit."

"Yes."Shesighedwithpleasure."It'ssobeautiful."

He was looking at her profile, drinking in the sight of her. "So beautiful," he whispered, thinking
painfullythatshecouldbedeadnow,soeasily.

"They'regoingtomeetusattheairport,right?"sheadded,worried."IwishoneofusspokeJapanese,
likeCash."

Hefrozeover.Justonce,hethought,justonedayhe'dliketogetthroughthewholewithouthaving
herrefertothedamnedman.

Sheknewwhatshe'dsaid,andshegrimaced.Ifonlyhe'dgetoverhisresentmentofCash!Afterall,he
had Tippy, a beautiful and famous woman that any man would be proud to call his own. When he
cametohissenses,he'drealizethatChristabelwasnolongerpartofhislife.Surelyhewould.

TheKansaiAirportwashuge,asymphonyinmetalandglass,butdifficulttomaketheirwayaround.
Christabelwasuneasyastheywentthroughpassportcontrol.Everythingwassodifferent.

Butherworriescametonothing.TheyweremetatcustomsbyMr.Kosugihimselfandhisbusiness
partner,Mr.

Nasagi,andseveralcolleagues.

"Itrustyouhadapleasantflight?"Mr.Kosugiasked,allsmiles,noddingtoanassociatetogettheir

bagsashejoinedthem.

"It was wonderful. But my first sight of your beautiful country will last me all my life," Christabel
saidhuskily,returningthesmile.

"Yourwifeisadiplomat,Mr.Dunn,"theothermanlaughed.

Juddslidanarmaroundherandtuggedherclose."Myrightarm,"hemurmured,andsmiledback.

The manager of the hotel and the assistant manager came out to meet the Dunns and escort them,
alongwithMr.

Kosugiandhisstaff,uptotheirroom.ItwassuchflatteringtreatmentthatChristabeldidn'tknowhow
toreact.

"Youmakeusfeelsospecial,"shetoldthebusinessman.

"Asyouare.Itisourpleasuretowelcomeyoutoourcountry.Wehopeyourroomwillbeadequate,"
thehotelmanageradded,openingthecurtainstorevealtheriverandbridgejustbelow,andthecityof
Osakaspreadoutbeyondit.

"Howincrediblybeautiful,"Christabelsaid,aghast.

Mr.Kosugichuckled."Wewillcomebyforyouabout6:00p.m.,ifthatisacceptableandyouwilleat
at our main restaurant here in Osaka." He hesitated. "Of course, if you would prefer American
cuisine..."

"ButIwantsushi,"Christabelsaidatonce."AndIreadaboutfreshwatereel,andI'vehadmisosoup
andIloveit...!"

"Samehere,"Juddsaidwithagrin."You'llfindthatJapanesecuisinesuitsusverywell!"

Thesurprised,andpleased,looksoftheirhostssaideverything.

TheysmiledtolerantlyatChristabel'sstrugglewiththechopsticks.Shedidn'twantthemtoknowthat
Cash had tried to tutor her, but she'd failed miserably. Judd used them like a native, and took the
opportunitytoshowChristabelhowtoholdthemproperlyandgetthemtowork.

"See?"hechidedgently."Itisn'thardatall."

"Thanks."

Hiseyeslingeredonherfacewhileshepickedupapieceofgrilledeelandtookitintohermouth.
She was wearing a new silver dress with spaghetti straps that Judd had insisted on buy-ing for her
beforetheyleftJacobsville.Herblondhairwasdownaroundhershouldersandshewaswearingtiny
whitehighheelswithananklestrap.ShelookedbeautifultoJudd,whocouldhardlybeartotakehis
eyesoffher.

"TomorrowwewilltakeyoutooneofourbranchrestaurantsinKyoto,"Mr.Kosugisaid,"andtothe
farm where we raise our beef, so that you can inspect the premises. While we are there," he added,
"wouldyouliketoseeacastle,perhaps?"

Shelaiddownherchopsticks."Arealsamuraifort?"sheexclaimed."With'nightingale'floors?"

ItwasMr.Kosugi'sturntobesurprised."Youknowabout'nightingale'floors,Mrs.Judd?"heasked.

Itthrilledhertobecalledbyhermarriedname.Shegrinned."Iloveforeignfilms.IguessI'veseen
everysamuraimoviethereis!I'dlovetoseethefort!"

Hewasimpressed."ThenweshallgoandseeNijoCastle,whichdatesfrom1603.Iwillcomeforyou
afterbreakfasttomorrow.Shallwesay9:00a.m.?"

"Thatwouldbeperfect,"shesaidonasigh,andJuddnod-ded,smilingatherenthusiasm.

She and Judd shared the same hotel room, with its double beds, but she hardly thought about the
intimacyofit.

She was so tired that she barely got into her cotton gown before she was sound asleep. The next
morning,Judd,alreadydressed,wokeherandwaitedforhertogethercasualclothesonsothatthey
couldgodownstairsforbreakfast.

Mr.Kosugiandhispartyarrivedrightontimetopickthemup.Christabelwassurprisedathowmuch
energyshehad,despitetheunseasonablewarmth.Theyweregoingtoridethefa-mousbullettrainto
Kyoto,andthestationatOsakawheretheygotonitfascinatedher.Ithadseverallevelsandincluded
the shopping mall where a scene from the Michael Douglas film Black Rain had been shot. She
delighted in each new experience, from the warmth of the people and the joyful custom of smiling
and bowing at each opportunity to the high tech tools the Japanese took so much for granted. Mr.
Kosugi's wife showed her a phone which was also a music player, an Internet link, a camera, a
televisionscreenandaportablelibrary,withadata-baseandevenawordprocessor.

Juddwasequallyfascinatedwithit.

Their tickets were obtained by one of the staff. They had to be inserted in a slot in a long metal
counter next to the turnstile, and reacquired at the end of it. The train was crowded, but they found
seatsandenjoyedthespeedandthecompany.

When they arrived in Kyoto, Christabel watched Judd surreptitiously. He looked more relaxed than
she'd ever seen him in her life. He strolled along among the fascinated Japanese with long, rangy
strides,hisbootscatchingasmuchattentionashisStetson.Onecheekyteenagerwinkedathimand
said,"Howdy,partner!"

TheirpartywalkedoutofthestationandwerepickedupinaneatvanwhichtookthemtotheKosugi
farm,wheretheytouredthefacilityandbecameacquaintedwiththeveryhigh-techmethodsofbeef
production.

ChristabelandJuddlikedwhattheysaw,andsaidso.Whentheyreturnedtothevan,theyweregiven
wetwhiteclothsrolledupinplastictoremovethesweat.Theywereoverdressedfortheunusualheat.
ThevandrivertookthemtoNijoCastle,seatoftheTokugawashogunate,andtheywalkedaroundthe
graveledcourtyardwheresculpturedgardensledtothecastleitself,aone-levelcollectionofrooms
withinslidingdoorsaroundwhichalongwoodenwalkwaypassed.Thewalkwaymadeasoundlikea
birdsingingwhenwalkedupon.Theywereshowntheundersideofit,wherestrategicallyplacednails
andmetalmadecontacttoproducethesound.Thenightingalefloorasitwascalled,wasamelodic
way to ensure that enemy soldiers or ninja could never sneak up on the samurai! Christabel had a
camera with her, and Mrs. Kosugi took picture after picture of Christabel and Judd together.
Christabelwashappytohavetheshots—itmightbethelastshe'dseeofJuddafterhedivorcedher.

Therewasagiftshopatthesamuraifortwheretheycouldpurchasesoftdrinksandsouvenirs.Judd
boughtChristabelabeautifulredandblackfanandpostcardsoftheforttocarryhome.Thenitwas
back into the van, which featured white lace trim and the most courteous of drivers, and on to Mr.
Kosugi's restaurant for a late lunch. The food was delightful in Mr. Ko-sugi's restaurant, especially
his beef, which rivaled the famed Kobe beef that Japan was famous for. He used many of the same
techniques which produced it, including massaging the cattle. The Dunn imported cattle would be
similarlyraised.Theyhadabeefdishwithnoodlesthatwasabsolutelydelicious.

ChristabelwasbecomingmoreexpertwithchopstickssinceJuddhadtutoredher.Shehadn'tbeenable
togetthehangofitwhenCashhadshownherhow.Shemadethemistakeofmentioningitwhileshe
dippednoodlesexpertlyfromabowlintohermouth.

Juddhadbeenexuberantandsmilingallday.ButatthementionofCash'sname,hewentcold.Even
hisappetiteseemedtosuffer.Hemadeeveryefforttobepolitetotheirhosts.Theytouredatemple
and spoke to the Buddhist monk, who even au-tographed the little book Christabel bought as a
souvenirofthefascinatingtemple,withitssprawlingZengardensofsand,andbeautifulkoiinapond
nearthetemple.Butlater,afteranothertrainridebacktoOsaka,andthenaferryridedowntheriver
totheirhotel,Judd'spleasantmannerwentintoeclipse.

BythetimeheandChristabelwerealoneintheirhotelroom,itwasadifferentstory.

"MaybeIshouldhavestayedhomeandletCashcomewithyou,"hesaidwithbarelycontainedfury.
"Hecanevenspeakthelanguage,can'the?"

She stiffened. "Yes, he can, quite fluently," she retorted, brown eyes flashing. She pushed back her
longblondhair,disheveledfromthewind.Inbeigeslacksandafloralblouse,shelookedslenderand
neatandverypretty.

Juddturned, moving towardher with asuddenness that left herheart hanging inspace. He was still
wearingnavyblueslacks,buthe'dshedhisjacketandtieandhat,andunbuttonedthetopbuttonsofhis
shirt. The thick dark hair that covered his muscular chest was revealed blatantly, and she was
rememberinghowitfelttobeheldagainstitinthedarkness.

"Buthehasn'thadyou,"hesaidabruptly,toweringoverher."Andhewon't!"

Herbreathrushedoutandshestaredupathimwithwide,perplexedeyes."Youdon'twantme..."she
began.

Hisleanhandsshotoutanddrewhertohimgently,wrappingherupagainstthemuscularlengthof
him. "Blind, deaf, dumb and numb from the neck down, are we?" he asked with black humor as he
pressedherhipsintohis.

She felt the irony of the statement keenly. He was completely aroused, and he'd barely touched her.
She swallowed hard. Delicious little skirls of pleasure were dancing in the back of her mind. She
remembered pleasure so deep it was almost pain, and sounds coming out of her throat that barely
soundedhuman.

Herhandspushedsoftlyathisshirt."Don't,Judd,"shesaidhuskily."You'rejustupsetoverallthat's
happened.

Itwillwearoff."

"I'vebeennoblesincetheytookyoutothehospital,"hesaidthroughhisteeth."I'mtiredofit.Idon't
eat, I don't sleep, I can't even work. I remember your voice moaning in my ear like the cry of the
damnedwhileIwashavingyou,"hebitoff,bendingtohermouth."Youcouldn'tgetenoughofme.
Youcouldn'tgetcloseenoughtome.YourfacewhenIfulfilledyou...IacheeverytimeIthinkaboutit.
Andyouthinkitwillwearoff?"

Shewas losing ground.Her body wasreacting predictably to havinghim this close,and not in any
waythatwasgoingtoconvincehim.Alreadyherbreastswereflatteningagainsthisdi-aphragm,her
legswerecarryingherclosertothatmagnificentarousal.Shefelthimallaroundherandshewanted
himinsanely.

Shewatchedherownhandsslidinginsidehisshirtwithafeelingofhorror,butshehadnopowerto
stopthem.

She lifted her face to his and saw the same helpless, hopeless desire reflected in his glittery black
eyes.

"Thistime,I'mnotputtingoutthelight,Christabel,"hesaidashebent,liftingherclearofthefloor.
"Andyou'regoingtolovewhatIdotoyou."

Hismouthopenedonherpartedlips.Itwaslikeanexplosionofjoyinsideher.Tohershame,shedid
nothingthatlookedlikeaprotest.Sheclungtohim,answeringthefiercehungerofhismouthwithan
insanepassion,rubbingherbodyagainsthisandmoaningpiteously.

Bythetimetheyendedupsprawledonthebedtogether,shewasbeyondwordsatall.Herhandswere
asimpatientofobstaclesashis,herbreathjerkyandquickintheuttersilenceoftheroom.

"We're having dinner...with the Kosugis," she choked as he skinned off her slacks and dragged her
blouseoverherhead.

"Intwohours,"hewhisperedroughly,hishandsgoingtoherunderwearwithdeadlyefficiency."With
alittleluck,you'llstillbeabletowalkbythen...!"

She moaned against the harsh pressure of his mouth. He found his way down her body, removing
obstacleswithlittlefinesseandmuchurgencyuntiltheywererivetedtogetherinanudetan-gleonthe
sheets.

"Slowdown,"hewhisperedhuskilyasshewrithedunderthebrushofhislipsonherbreasts."Slow
down,baby.

Don'thurry.There'snoneed.Noneedatall."

She sobbed, her voice loud in the stillness that was unbroken except by the soft hum of the air-
conditioning.

"Themaids,"shegasped.

"Iclosedthedoor."

Shewasgoingtomentionthattheyhadapasskey,buthislipswereontheinsideofherlonglegsand
she was going crazy with pleasure. She'd never dreamed that her own desire would peak like this,
explodelikethis,theminutehetouchedher.

"Maybe...I'mnotnormal,"shechokedout,clingingtohim.

"Why?"

"I'monfire,"shelaughedjerkily."I'mdyingforyou.I'ddoanything,anything...!"

"So would I. Anything to please you." He slid alongside her and cradled her head in his hands,
tenderlyassaultingherface."It'sbeensolong,honey.Solong!"

Hisvoiceendedinaharshgroanassheranherhandsthroughthethickhairthatcoveredhim.She
wonderedifmenfeltthesameaswomendidaboutintimatecaresses.Driventofindout,shebentto
his chest and explored him with her mouth, lingering on the flat male nipples that were the
counterpointofherown.

Hearched,shuddering.

"Doyoulikethat?"shewhisperedathiscollarbone.

"Iloveit,"hegroundout."Doitagain."

Shedid,followinghislead.Butwhenhermouthreachedjustbelowhisnavel,heshookalloverand
suddenlydraggedherbodyunderhis,tanglingtheirlegstogetherwhilehesearchedforhermouth.

Hishandswereinbetweenthemnow,workingmagiconhertautbody,makingherwritheandmoan

withdelicioussensations.Sheopenedherlegstolethimtouchherevenmoreintimately.

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes while his hands learned her all over again with slow,
tenderexplorationsthatsenthermindlesswithpleasure.

"I'veneverwantedanyonethisbadly,"hesaidinaroughtone.Onelong,hair-roughenedlegslidin
betweenbothofhersandhemoved,verygently,intocompleteintimacywithher."No,don'tliftyour
leg,"hewhispered.

"Move this one...here, like this." He shivered. His eyes searched hers. "Now come closer. Feel me
goingintoyou.Slowandeasy,honey.Slowandeasy.It'sgood,isn'tit?"

"Yes,"shebreathed.Herhandsbitintohisshouldersasshelookedupathim,feelinghisbodyslowly
merge with her own. She'd expected discomfort, if not pain. But there was no barrier now, no
impediment.Hereyesreflectedhersurpriseandpleasureattheeaseofhispassage.

"You excite me," he bit off, watching her as he moved. "Everything about you excites me. I hated
havingthelightsoutthefirsttime.Iwantedtoseeyourface,youreyes,whileIlovedyou."

Itwasanunexpectedexpression.Herbreathstoppedinherthroatandthenraspedasheshiftedover
her,gatheringherlegsinbetweenbothofhis.

"Remember how it felt before, when I did this?" he asked, his voice deep and sensual as he shifted
again.

"Yes," she replied. Her hands went up to touch his face, to trace his straight nose, his wide, sexy
mouth,hisjuttingchin.Shegaspedaspleasureliftedherupintohisbody.

"There?"hewhispered,andmovedagain,withmoreconfidencewhenhesawherexpression."Yes,
you like that, don't you?" His hips lifted and fell, and with each slow movement, she gasped and
stiffened.

Hernailsbitintohisupperarmsasshehungthere,suddenlyinaviseofbuildingecstasythatwasas
sharpasitwasjoyful."Judd!"Hervoiceexplodedwiththetensionandherbodysuddenlywentrigid.
Shelookedintohiseyeswithnearpanic."Please...don'tstop,"shepleaded,hervoicesplintering.

"Rightthere?"heaskedurgently,andpresseddeeper,harder.Histeethclenched.Hiseyesclosed."Yes.
Yes!

Right...there!"

Shewasmovingwithhimnow,asifboundtohimbyinvisiblestrings.Sheforgotthepast,thefuture,
thepain,theuncertainty.Sheknewonlyonething,now,thedesperatesearchforpleasurethatwasjust
barely out of her reach. She focused on it with every ounce of strength she possessed. Her breath
rasped, like his. Her body trembled with each deep movement of his hips. Her eyes were blind
lookingstraightintohisasherbodybecamedemandinginitsmadsearchforcompletion.

"Itwasneverlikethisforme,"hewhisperedhoarselyashisownbodybegantoroughenonhers.He
groanedandhisbighandsclenchedthesheetoneithersideofherhead."I'mgoingtoloseit...!"

"It'sallright,"shewhispered,hervoicehigh-pitched,urgent."Oh,Judd..Judd...!"

Hismouthbitintohersastherhythmbecamechaoticandrough."Comeforme,baby,"hewhispered
intoheropenmouth."Comeforme...!"

The suddenness of fulfillment caught her unawares. One instant she was reaching for some
impossibleheight.

The next, she was sobbing like a child, clinging to him, feeling her body explode with joy as it
buckledandconvulsedoverandoverandoveragain.

Shecouldhardlyseehiminthemadnessthatfollowed.Hereyeswerewide-open,likehermouth,as
sheconvulsedinonefinalagonyofdelightthatseemedtothrobendlesslythroughherbodyinawave
oflava-hotsavagery.

Hishipsthrustdownviolentlyintohersandhestilled,stiffened,andcriedoutintheendlessheatof
explodingpassion.

"Oh,God,oh,God...!"hechoked,shaking."Neverlikethis...never...never!"

Sheheldhimtoher,cradledhim,comfortedhimwhileheshookhelplesslyinherarms.Alongtime
later,heconvulsedandthencollapsedonherinadamp,spenttangle.

Shesavoredthefeelofhisbigbodycompletelyonhers,herarmsholdinghimthereintheintimacy
ofsatiation.

Hermouthtouchedhisshoulder,histhroat.Sheranherhandsoverhiswetback,feelingthemuscles
ripple, feeling him shiver as each little movement of her body kindled new jolts of pleasure in the
aftermath.

Shefelthismouthatherear,huskyandwarmashenuzzledhisfaceagainsthers.

It was the most tender interlude she could ever have imagined, after such mad, ardent lovemaking.
Sheclungtohim,tryingtobreathenormally,herbodystillintimatelyjoinedtohis,theirlegstangled,
theirbodiesallbutbonelesswithexhaustion.

Heliftedhisheadandlookeddownintohereyes.Hestudiedherasifhehadn'tseenherforavery
longtime.

Hishandbrushedbackherdamp,disheveledhair,andthentracedherswollenmouthintently.

"I'mpartofyou,"hewhispered,andhesoundeddazed."Icanfeelyou,allaroundme,likesoft,warm
silk."

Sheflushedandherfacedidanembarrassednosediveintohisdampthroat.

Hisfingerstangledgentlyinherhair.Herolledoverontohisside,takingherwithhim.Hischestrose
andfellheavily."DidIhurtyou?"

"Ofcoursenot."

Hishandsliddownhersidetowherethewoundhadbeen,totheslightridgethathadformedthere.
"Areyousure?"

"The doctor said I could resume normal, routine activities," she mused. "I guess that
meant...any...activities."

Helaughedhuskilyathertemple."Thisisn'tnormal,"hemurmured,kissinghereyelids."Orroutine."

Her hands slid around his neck and she lay her head on his damp shoulder with a shaky sigh. "It's
scarytofeellikethat."

"Yes."Hedidn'thavetoaskwhatshemeant.Hesmoothedherhairdownherbarebackabsentlywhile
his eyes found the wall beyond the bed. He scowled, thinking how close he'd come to losing her
forever.He'dbeenafool.Butmaybe,justmaybe,hestillhadachance.

"Youhaven'tsaidanymoreaboutthedivorce,"shewhispered,hatingtoevenbringitup.Butshefelt
frightfullyvulnerableanduncertainofhim.

"ItoldyourfriendCashthathellwouldfreezeoverbeforeyougotone,"hesaidquietly.

Shestiffenedagainsthimslightly."Wh...what?"

Hisleanhandsmootheddownherback,overthefaintscars,toherhipsanddrewherevencloser.He
shiveredatthedeliciousintimatecontact,andhisbodybegantomoveinvoluntarily.

"Ifyou'resore,you'dbettertellmerightnow,"hesaidinabarelycontrolledtone."BeforeIloseit
again."

Shecouldfeelhisinstantresponsetotheintimacytheyweresharing.Itwasdelicious,tofeelherown
body opening to him, responding to him without reserve. She lifted one leg slowly to deepen his
possession,andheardhimcatchhisbreath.

"I wouldn't tell you even if I was sore," she whispered huskily. "I want it again. I want you again. I
want...tobe...partofyou."

Hemadeanoddnoise,deepinhisthroat.Secondslater,hismouthbitintohersandhisbodymoved
helplessly against her, pressing her hungrily down into the mattress. He'd never known that it was
possibleforamanandwomantoshareabody,buttheywerecertainlydoingit.Andthatwasthelast
sanethoughthewasabletosnatchbeforehewentdownintotheflamesagain.

Hedrewherintotheshowerwithhim,somberandquiet,bathingherasnaturallyasifhe'ddoneitall
theirlives.

Shewasshell-shockedbythesuddenintimacyoftheirrelationship.They'dbarelytouchedeachother
sinceChristmas,andnowtheywerelovers.Reallylovers.

Hekissedhertenderlyinbetweensoapingandrinsinghersmoothbody.Hetracedherbreastswith
breathlessappreciationandkissedthembeforehegaveherthewashclothandcoaxedherintousingit.

Theywerelikechildren,exploringeachotherinasilencethrobbingwithjoy.

Hedriedher,wrappedherinatowel,anddidthesameforhimself.Thenheledhertothebuilt-inhair
dryeranduseditonherlonghair.

Itwasasiftimehadstoppedstillforthem.Shecouldn'tremembereverfeelingsoclosetoanother
humanbeinginherwholelife.Hereyessearchedhishungrily,hopingforsomethingmorethanthe
exquisitepleasureshe'dseeninthemearlier.

"Whatareyoulookingfor,Christabel?"heaskedgently.

Sheavertedhergazewithaquicksmile."Nothing."

Heputthehairdryerdownandtiltedherchinupward.Hisscrutinywasintent,andhisblackeyeswere
solemn.

"There'snotomorrow.Onlynow.Weliveonedayatatime,untilwegohome.Okay?"

Sheswallowed,meetinghiseyes."Okay,Judd,"shewhispered.

Hebent,brushinghismouthslowlyoverhers.Thenheledherbackintothebedroomanddressedher
himself,withanewtendernessthatmadeherheartache.

Afterthat,therewasnogoingback.Theyheldhandsgoingplaces.JuddsmiledatChristabelasifhe'd
neverlookedatanotherwoman.Hehelddoorsopenforher,walkedonthestreetsideofher,pulled
outchairsforher.

Hepresentedherwiththesexiestrednegligeesetshe'deverseenandcoaxedherintomodelingitfor
him.Theresultwaspredictable.Everynight,shesleptcloseinhisarms,lovedtosleepwithatender
passionthatgrewmoreexcitingwitheachpassingday.Shedreadedtheverythoughtofgoinghome.
Butofcourse,thetripended.

They boarded a plane for Dallas, and fears of losing what she had with Judd kept her silent and
remotethewholewayhome.

Judd noticed, and his conclusion was that she was having sec-ond thoughts about continuing their
relationship.

Hebackedoff,togiveherspace.Andthat,ofcourse,ledhertothecertaintythathehadregretsofhis
ownandshewasjustnowseeingthem.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Not too long after they returned from Japan, Crissy started los-ing her breakfast. The first time it
happened,Maudewasn'thome.Thesecond,shepretendedtohaveforgottensomethinginherroom
andbarelymadeittothebathroomintime.Sheslippedintotown,boughtahomepregnancytest,and
waiteduntilMaudewasawayathersister'sontheweekendtouseit.

Shewasstaggeredbytheresults.Itwasallherfault.She'dletJuddbelieveshewasonthePill,and
thenhe'dcontinuedtobelieveitwhentheywereintimateinJapan.Nowshewaspregnantandhewas
avoidingher.Hedeniedit,butsheknewhewasgoingtomarryTippy.Thefilmcompanywasback
forareshootandhewasalwaysaroundtodrivethemodelbackandforthtoherhotel.Hecouldn't
apparentlybeartolookatChristabelsincethey'dcomebackfromJapan,andaftersomanyexquisite,
wonderful nights in his arms. But what if he found out about the baby? He'd feel obliged to stay
married,ofcoursehewould.She'druinhislife,Tippy'slife,herownlife...

ShesatdownhardontheedgeofthebathtubandwishedshecouldgobacktoChristmasEveandtell
thetruth.

Itwasweekstoolatenow.Besidesthat,therewasnoprivacywiththefilmcompanyaround,evenifit
wasjustforafewdays,toreshootonescenethatsomeonehadaccidentallydestroyed.

Maude found out, of course. It was impossible to hide anything from her. When Crissy lost her
breakfastthefollowingweekandhadtoliedown,Maudeconfessedthatsheknew.Shedidn'tconfess
thatshe'dconfidedherfearstoCash.

SheglaredatCrissywithherarmscrossed."He'sdownatthebarnwiththefilmcrew,"shesaid."You
marchrightdownthereandtellhim,orIwill."

"Youwillnot!"Crissysaidfuriously,wipingherfacewithawetcloth."Ihavedecisionstomake."

"Sodoeshe,"camethebluntreply."It'shisbabyaswell.He'llwantit,"

Crissy wasn't sure what Judd would want. He'd avoided her since the trip to Japan. In fact, he only
camearoundnowwhentheactingcompanywashere.Whenhedid,hewasaroundTippycomingand
going. He still drove her to and from the hotel. He made sure that Crissy knew it, which hurt even
more.ItneveroccurredtoherthatCashwashangingaround,too,andJuddmightbejealous.

"HespendsmostofhistimewithTippy,"shesaidheavily."Besides,he'llfilefordivorceanyday.It's
notfairtorobhimofthelittlechanceofhappinesshehas."

"Littleisright,"Maudescoffed."Idon'thaveanythingagainstTippy,she'sbeenkindtobothofus.But
she'llruinhislife.Hecouldneverfitinherworld.AnymorethanyoucouldfitinCash's,"sheadded
pointedly.

"That'sJudd'sdecision,notmine."

Maudesighed."Ican'targuewithyou,canI?"

"Itdoesn'tdomuchgood."Crissyhadtoagree.Shesmiledgently."ButIsupposeyou'reright.Itisn't
somethingIcanhidefromhim."

"Yougotthatright."Sheglancedoutthewindow."He'sstandingoutsidethebarnwithGaryandTippy.
Youcancatchhimbe-foreheleaves."

"I'dhavebetterluckcatchingacold,"Crissymuttered."Okay,okay,I'mgoing!"Shegotoffthebed
andfollowedMaudedownthehall.

Maudeopenedthebackdoorforherwithawickedtwinkleinhereyes.

"Don'tgetyourhopesuptoohigh,"Crissysaidasshepassedontothebackstoop."Juddtoldmethat
hedoesn'teverseehimselfasafamilyman."

"Youwaituntilheholdsthatbabyandtellmethatagain."

Crissyhopedshewasright.Butshehadabadfeelingaboutthewholesituation,anditgotworsethe
closershewenttothebarn.Whatifhethoughtshewaslying?Worse,whatifhethoughtitwasGrier's
child? He'd seen her birth control pills at Christmas, he'd even remarked that he wouldn't have
touchedherifhehadn'tknownaboutthem.Buthestilldidn'tknowthattheywereoldandunused.

Nevertheless,shewasn'tgoingtobeabletohideapregnancyinJacobsville,Texas,whereeverybody
knewherandJudd.Shemightaswellgetitoverwith.Afterall,therewasn'tmuchhecoulddo...

Hermindstoppeddeadatthesightthatmethereyeswhensheroundedthecorner.Gary,theassistant
director,wasback-talkingtohiscamera-andsoundmen.Heglaredtowardthebarnandturnedawayin
disgust.Crissywonderedwhyuntilshecouldseeinside.Thebarnwasdesertedexceptfortwopeople.
Juddwasleaningagainstoneofthehighstalls,andTippywasleaningagainsthim,herbeautifulbody
almostpartofhisinthepostureastheykissedwithsomethingakintodesperation.

Crissyfeltsicktoherstomach.TherewasnowayshecouldmarchinthereandtellJuddhecouldn't
divorceherbecauseshewaspregnant—notwhenitwaspatentlyobviousnowthathewasphysically
involvedwithTippy.Itwasimpossibletoshrugoffakisslikethatone.He'dtoldherhedidn'twant
Tippy!

Sheturnedandwentbackthewayshe'dcomewithoutmak-ingasound.Tearsalmostblindedheras
shewalkednumblytoheroldtruckandgotinbehindthewheel.Shepulledoutthesparekeyshekept
underthematandstartedtheengine.Shedroveawaywithnothoughtforherlicenseorherinsurance
card,orevenherpurse.

Slowly,feelingreturned.Thepainwasoverwhelming.Shesawthathungrykissoverandoveragain.
Itwasn'tTippykissinghim,either.Itwasmutual.Apparently,hewassocertainofthedivorcethathe
wasalreadymakingplanswiththesupermodel.ItwasdifficulttoseeTippytryingtoliveonaTexas
Ranger's salary, even with the dividends the ranch paid Judd as well as Crissy. The woman was

beautiful and much in demand. She traveled the world to appear in fashion shows with the most
famousdesigners.ShemustreallyloveJuddifshewaswillingtogiveupallthatmoneyandfame.It
shouldn'thavebeensurprising.Juddwasahandsome,sexy,verymasculineman.Tippywouldn'tbe
thefirstwomanwho'dfoundhimirresistible.

Therewasn'tmuchtrafficontheroads.Itwastoolateforlunchandtooearlyfortheschoolbusesto
run.

School. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. She would have a child in school in just a few
years.Juddwouldhavetoknow.Therewasn'tanywayshecouldkeepitsecretfromhim.Thebabyhe
didn'twantwouldruinhislife,hishopesforthefuture.Hewouldhateit,andCrissy.

Sheturnedoffthemainroadtowardthehighbanksoftheriveronanarrowdirtroad.Hermindwas
whirling.

She couldn't de-cide what to do. She could go away. But he'd find out, some-day. It wasn't as if she
could go to a clinic; she couldn't live with that, no matter what the cost. Blindly, she pressed down
hardontheaccelerator.

ShecouldseeJuddkissingTippy,shecouldfeeltheagonythesighthadcaused,likeafreshwound.
JuddlovedTippy.HelovedTippy...!

Shemoanedoutloud.Shecouldn'ttellhim.Shecouldn't!Itwasallherfault.Shehadn'tbeencareful.
Shehadn'ttakenpre-cautions.Theresponsibilitywashers.Sheshouldhavetopaytheconsequences,
notJudd.

Sheclenchedherteethandclosedhereyesasshesawthatkissagain.Shewasn'tpayingattentionto
theroad.

Therewasanar-rowlittlebridgeovertheriver—itdidn'tevenhaveguardrails.Theriverwasn'tso
deep,butthebankwaseasilytenfeetaboveit.Whensheopenedhereyes,shewasoutoftherutsand
headedstraightforthebank...!

Shegaspedandjerkedthewheel.Herfoothitthebrake,hard,withininchesofcertaindeath.Thetruck
slidtoastopwithitsfronttiresbarelyafootfromtheedgeoftheembankment.

She leaned her head onto the steering wheel, shaking with re-lief. She felt hot tears wash over her
handsattheclosecallshe'dhad.Somuchfordrivingwhenyouwereupset,whichJuddhadalways
told her not to do. If she hadn't opened her eyes at that exact instant, she'd have gone right into the
river. She might have been killed, to say nothing of her baby. Her hand went protectively to her
slightlyroundedstomach.

Shefumbledherwayoutofthecabandwenttothedentedfrontbumper,proppingagainstthesideof
theheadlightswhileshelookeddownintothefastcurrentoftheriver.Shepulledapapertowelfrom
her pocket, one she'd used to blot her lipstick that morning, and wiped her sweaty face. Her hands
wereshaking.She'dneverhadsuchaclosecall.Well,shewasn'tgettingbackintothattruckuntilshe
wascalmenoughtodrivesafely.

Thesoundofacargoingbyonthestateroadthatparalleledthisdirtonecaughtherattention.Itwasa
policecar.Itslowedjustforafewsecondsbeforeitshotahead.Thepolicemanprobablywondered
whatshewasdoingouthereallalonewiththefrontendofhertruckhangingoverabank.Well,he
couldjustwonder.Shewasn'tgoinghome,notyet.She'dgiveJuddplentyoftimetogetawayfirst.
Shecouldn'tbeartoseehimagainrightnow,withthememoryofthatkisseatingheralive.

Judd was walking back to his SUV when he saw Maude standing on the back stoop, looking
concerned.

Heturnedandwentwithinearshot,smilinggently."Somethingwrong?"heasked.

"DidCrissytellyou?"sheaskedabruptly.

Hescowled."Tellmewhat?"

Maudehesitated."Haveyouseenher?"

"No.ShouldIhave?"hedemandedimpatiently.

"Shewasonherwaytotalktoyou,"Maudeamended."Idon'tseehertruck."

Hefelthisbodytense.IfChristabelhadcometothebarn,shemusthaveseenhimwithTippy.He'd
kissedhertokeeptheassistantdirector,Gary,fromtryingtoputthemakeonheragain.Themanwas
becomingapest.Ithadbeencompletelyinnocent,astagekiss.ButifChristabelhadseenthem...

"Whatwasshegoingtotalktomeabout?"heasked,thinkingabouthowoftenhetrippedoverGrier
whenhecamehere.IthadgottentothepointthathehardlyspoketoChristabel.Hewassojealoushe
couldn'tevenhideitanymore.

Maude cleared her throat. "I don't know, she didn't say," she hedged. She drew in a long breath. "I
supposeshewenttogetthemailorsomething.Nevermind."

Maude went back into the house. Judd hesitated. Maude was acting strangely. He wondered why
Christabelhadn'tmadeherpresenceknown.Itwasn'tlikehertoignorewhatshe'dthinkofasbetrayal.
The old Christabel would have raised hell and he and Tippy would have had a royal battle on their
hands.ItbotheredhimthatChristabelhadwalkedawaywithoutsayinganything.

Hegotintohistruckanddecidedtorunintotownandseeifshewasatthepostoffice.Butevenashe
putitingear,heheardacallonthepoliceband.

"IsCasharound?"ayoungmanasked.

"He'sinconferencewithChiefBlakeandthecitymanager.Why?"

"Whenhecomesout,tellhimthathisladyisstandingonthebanksoftherivernexttohertruckout
onJ.DavisRoad,wouldyou?"

"Whydoesheneedtoknow?"thedispatcherqueried.

"Becausethefrontwheelsofthetruckarebarelyonthebank,andsoisshe,"theyoungmanreplied.
"IfIwerehim,I'dgetouttherequick."

"I'lltellhimtheminutehecomesout.Itshouldn'tbelong."

"Thanks."Theyoungmangavehisvehicle'scallsignandlefttheair.

Juddburnedrubbergettingoutontotheroad.

Christabel heard the approach of a vehicle and she tensed. It was a lonely place, and she could find
herselfintrouble.Maybeitwasjustthatpolicemanwho'dgonebyearlier,wonderingwhyshewas
here.Shehopeditwasn'tsomeonelookingfortrouble.

ThebigblackSUVcameintoviewandherbodytensed.Thelastpersononearthshewantedtosee
rightnowwasJuddDunn.Herdarkeyesglareddaggersashestoppedbehindhertruckandgotout
withaneconomyofmotion.

Shewaswearinghersneakers,whichrobbedherofheight.Helookedverybiginhisleatherboots
andcream-coloredStetson,withthatbig.45caliberColtautomaticinitshand-tooledleatherholster
onhiship.ThesilverRangerbadgeglitteredinthesun,likehisblackeyesasheapproachedher.

"You'retooclosetothebank,"hesaidwithoutpreamble.

She folded her arms tight over her chest and averted her gaze back to the current. "I'm not," she
argued.

Hestoppedjustbehindher,waitingforhertospeak,toac-cusehim,toexplain.Butshedidn't.

"Whatareyoudoingoutherealone?"hepersisted.

"Ihadsomethingstoworkout,"shesaidinastrangetone.

Hehesitated.Hedidn'tknowhowtoaskifshe'dseenhimwithTippyinthebarn.

"Whatthings?"heaskedinstead.

She drew in a steadying breath and turned. Her eyes were just faintly red, but she was calm and
resolute."Iwantyoutobuymeout."

Itwasthelastthinghe'dhaveexpectedhertosay.Hewasbereftofspeechforseverallongseconds.
"What?"

"I'vedecidedthatIdon'twanttospendtherestofmylifetry-ingtoraisebeef,despitetheJapanese
deal,"shesaidcalmly."I'vegotalittlemoneysaved.Idon'twanttogobacktothevocationalschool.I

wanttogotocollege."

"Allright,"hesaid."I'lltalktoMurchisonatthebank.Youcanliveattheranchwhileyoucommute..."

"Youmisunderstandme,"sheinterrupted."I'mgoingtoschoolinSanAntonio,nothere."

Shewasgoingtoleave.Hewouldn'tseeheragain.Theranchthathadbeentheirprimarylinkwould
be his alone. She would live in another town, work in another town. She wouldn't be here when he
cametolookatthebooks,checkthelivestock,pickouttheculls.Hewouldn'tseeheratall,evenwith
Grier.Thethoughtparalyzedhim.

"I'd like to leave at the end of the month," she added. "If you can't tie things up by then, it doesn't
matter.

Arrangeithoweveryoulike.I'llsignanysortofpapers."

Hescowledferociously.Somethingwasverywrong.Shelovedtheranch.Ithadbeeninherfamily
for three generations. She'd hated even sharing it with him, at first. Now she wanted to leave it for
good.Why?

"Maudesaidyouhadsomethingtotellme,"hesaid."Wasthisit?"

"Yes,"shesaid,gratefulthatMaudehadn'tbeenmoreforth-comingwithhim.SanAntoniowasn'tfar
enough,butitwasagoodjumpingoffpoint.She'dgothereandthenfindsomeplaceelsetoescapeto,
beforeshestartedshowing.

"Christabel,"hebegan.

Before he could organize his thoughts, he heard a siren and a very loud, racing engine. They both
turnedintimetoseeaJacobsvillepolicecarcomeroaringdownthedirtroad,leavingahugewake
ofdust.Grier,damnhim!

Grierslammedtoastopandbarelytooktimetocutoffthesirenandthelightsbeforehegotoutand
strodequicklytowardChristabel.

"Youokay?"heaskedabruptly,ignoringJuddaltogether.

She felt a wave of relief. Now Judd couldn't pump her for information. "I'm okay," she said. "I just
neededaquietplacetothink."

Grierwasn'tbuyingit.Hiseyesnarrowedandhestaredatherdoggedly."I'llfollowyoubacktothe
ranch,"hesaid.

Christabelletoutanangrysigh."Idon'tneedakeeper!"

"Thehellyoudon't,"Griergroundout."Lookwhereyou'veparked!"

"I'magoodfootoffthebank!"sheargued.

Grierheldouthishand.Sheglaredathim,butshegavehimhertruckkey.

"I'llmoveitback.Whatareyoudoingouthere?"heaskedJuddbelatedly.

"Talkingtomywife,"hereturnedwithmockingarrogance.

"I'mnotyourwife,"Christabelchoked."I'mjustthehiredhelp."

Grierwiselyleftthemaloneandwenttomovehercar.

"Whatthehelldoesthatmean?"Judddemanded.

Shewouldn'tlookathim.Shewrappedherarmstightaroundherchest."I'mcold."

Heglancedatherbarearmsandhisvoicesoftened."Nowon-der.Youaren'tevenwearingasweater."

Sheignoredhim,watchingGrierwhipthetruckaroundwitheasyexpertise.

Judd'ssighwasaudible."Weneedtositdownandtalk..."

Shemethiseyesevenly."Ihavenothingtotalktoyouabouteveragain,"shesaidsolemnly."Talkis
justwords.

Theydon'tmeananything."

Hisjawtautened."YousawmewithTippy,"hesaidgruffly."Icanexplain."

"WhatdoyoucarewhatIthink?"sheaskedevenly."I'mnotpartofyourlife.Ineverwas."

Hewinced."Christabel..."

"Crissy!Let'sgo!You'llcatchcoldstandingouthere!"Griersaidshortly.

Sheforcedasmileforhim."Lookwhoelseisn'twearingajacket,"sheaccusedgently.

Grierlookedasifhe'ddiekeepinghismouthshut,buthedid.

Sheshrugged."Okay.I'mcoming."

Judd'sbigfistswereclenchedathissides."Waitaminute."

She looked up at him. "Your life is your own business now. I won't interfere. I'll expect the same
courtesyfromyou."

"Damnit!"

"Yousavedtheranch,Judd,"shesaidquietly."Yousavedme,too.You'vesacrificedfiveyearsofyour

lifejustkeepingmesolvent.I'llneverforgetwhatIoweyou.ButIdon'texpectyoutogoonmaking
sacrificesforme,"

she added huskily. "If anyone ever deserved a little happiness, it's you. I'm...glad you have Tippy,
waitingforyou.Iwon'tstandinyourway."

She moved back from him, like a shadow merging with the forest, and her attention went to Grier,
whowasholdingthedri-ver'sdooropenforher.Hehandedherthetruckkey.

"Okay,I'mgoinghome,"shetoldCash,makingafaceathimandlaughing.

Hesmiledback."Don'tspeed."

"Ineverspeed."

"Ha!"

Shegotintothetruckanddroveoff.Shedidn'tlookatJuddasshepassedhim.

JuddstalkedovertoGrier,whowasgettingbackintohispa-trolcar."Sheisn'tdivorcedyet,"hesaid
inablatantchallenge.

Griergavehimacoldlook."Shemightaswellbe,forallthenoticeyoutakeofherlately."

"How could I take notice of her when I can't come to my own ranch without tripping over you!
Besides,myrelationshipwithChristabelisn'tyourbusiness."

Grieronlysmiled."We'llseeaboutthat."Hestartedthepo-licecar.

"WhatdoyouknowthatIdon't?"Juddaskedabruptly.

Grierhesitateduncharacteristically."Askher.Betteryet,askMaude.That'showIfoundout."

BeforeJuddcouldpersist,Grierdroveaway.

ButJuddwasn'tgivingup.Heknewsomethingwasgoingon,andhehadasinkingfeelingthathewas
involved.

HefollowedGriertotownandrightintothepolicestation.

TheJacobsvillePoliceDepartmentsharedabuildingwiththefiredepartment.Themenwerealmost
interchangeable.Manystartedoutasfiremenandtrainedaspolicemenlater,andviceversa.Itwasa
goodgroupofkindheartedmen.Mostwerefamilymen.Somewereloners.Alotwereex-military.

Even among the loners, Grier stood out. At first he made the men uncomfortable. Later, he made
surfacefriendships,especiallyaftertheotherofficerslearnedthattheycouldalwaysdependonhim
inapinch.Itdidn'ttakeverylongforhispasttocatchupwithhim,inwhispersthatstoppedwhenever
he entered a room. He raised eyebrows wherever he went, especially when some of his wilder

escapades were embroidered even more. So very soon, he resumed his old role as a permanent
outsider.

He didn't really mind so much. He had the glamour of dan-ger to attract women when he was
interested—which wasn't often these days—and that same aura kept most men from try-ing him in
fights.Therewasalwaystheexception.

Infact,onewasjustwalkinginthedoor,madashellanddeterminedtogettothebottomofamystery
hedidn'tlike.

Grierknewhecouldn'tsavethesituationwithwords.Dunnwastoomuchlikehim.Thetwomenhad
backgroundsthatshouldhavemadethemfastfriends.Instead,theywerealwaysincompetition.

Juddclosedthedoorbehindhimandpulleddowntheshadethattheformerassistantpolicechiefhad
usedtoshieldhimselffrompryingeyeswhilehedidhisexercisesonhislunchhour.

Grier used the shade rarely. Judd was obviously putting it in place to keep the curious men from
gettinginvolvedinapersonalconflict.

Withasighofresignation,Grierstoodupandstartedunbuttoninghisuniformshirtandlooseninghis
tie.

"Can'tyoufightdressed?"Juddaskedsarcastically.

Grier lifted a corner of his mouth and kept working buttons. "I haven't got a clean replacement for
this.Idon'twanttogetbloodonit."

"Mine,oryours?"theothermanasked.

"Either.You'rewearingawhiteshirt,"Grierpointedout.

Judddidn'treplythistime.Hetookoffhisgunbelt,weaponandall,andlaiditonthedesk,dropped
easilyintoabalancedstanceandwaited.

"Wedon'thavetodothis,"Griertriedonemoretime.

"No,wedon't,"Juddagreedinadeceptivelypleasanttone."Tellmewhatshe'shidingandI'llgoback
tomyoffice."

"Can'tdothat,"Grierreplied."Igavemyword."

Juddshruggedhisbroadshoulders."Then,it'smywayorthehighway,"hesaid,andashespoke,he
steppedforwardandthrewalightningpunchattheotherman.

Grier'sreputationwasn'tbasedonexaggeration.Heducked,whirled,andcaughtJuddwithaspinning
heelkickworthyofChuckNorris.

Juddwentdown,buthewaslikeacatonhisfeet.Hepoppedupagain,wipedbloodfromthecorner
ofhismouth,andsmiled.Thatsmilewasalltoowell-knowninRangercircles.Grierhadonejustlike
it.

Grieralmostduckedintime,butaroundhousekickcaughthiminthestomach,followedbyaback
roundhousethatsenthimoverachair.

The loud noises, even during lunch, drew attention. Grier's door opened just as the assistant chief
madeadiveatJuddandcarriedhimoverthedeskandontothefloor.

Somebodyyelled"Fight!"andthereweresuddenlyblueuniformseverywhere,gettingaringsideseat.
Grierwascertainheheardsomebodytakingodds,buthisearswereringingfromJudd'slatestpunch.
Damn,themanhithard!

HematchedJudd'snextswingwithajumpkickthatthrewhimintothewall.Whilehewastryingto
recover, Grier spun and caught him in the side of the head with a graceful high kick that was pure
poetrytowatch.

Juddlandedwithequalgraceandboundedbackontohisfeet.Thetwomen,wellmatchedinsizeand
skill,eyedeachotherastheymovedtowardeachother.Handblowsweredodgedorblocked,kicks
wereavoidedorblocked.Thudsofcontactweresharpandharsh.Bothmenweregettingbruised,and
bothwerebleeding.

Grier got in another unexpected kick by feinting with a punch. Judd took the blow, but spun and
backhandedGrierintohisowndesk.

Thecrowdwasgettinglouder,andapparently,larger.

Grier glanced toward their audience with narrowed dark eyes almost as black as Judd's. "You're
goingtogetmefired,"hegrowledatJudd.

"Fatchance,Chet'syoursecondcousin."JuddshotalightningheelkickthatunbalancedGriersothat
hefellbesidethedesk."Getup!"hemutteredwhentheothermanhesitated.

Grier did, but with a blurring sweep of his powerful leg that almost unbalanced Judd. But Judd
recovered quickly, swung the other man up by one arm and gave him a hip toss that landed him
squarelyacrosstheonecomfortablechairintheofficeinawindedsprawl.

Itwasgoingtobeadraw,nomatterhowitcameout,Griersurmised.HeandJuddweretooevenly
matched for one to put the other down. Worse, Grier himself had taught Dunn quite a few of those
lightningmoves.Hestayedputinthechair,rubbinghisjaw.

"Don'tstopnow,"Juddsaidinasoft,angrytone,hisblackeyesglittering."Getupandlet'sfinishit."

"Notme,"Griertoldhimamusedly.Hechuckled,shakinghishead."Iknowwhentoquit."

"Getup!"

Grier'seyebrowsrose."Betterreconsiderthat.IfIgetup,I'llarrestyouforassaultonapoliceofficer.
You'llbehandcuffed,fingerprinted,bookedandlockedup,andI'llcallthenewspapermyselftogive
themthescoop.

Thinkhowthatwilllooktoyourcaptain,muchlessthebrassinAustin!"headdedwithtwinklingdark
eyes.

Juddwasfurious.Hedidn'twanttogiveupthiseasily.Hehadn'tlearnedanything."Shesaysshewants
tosellmeherhalfoftheranchandmovetoSanAntonio.I'mnotleavinghereuntilyoutellmewhat's
wrongwithher,"Juddpersistedstubbornly."Onewayoranother,"headdeddarkly.

Grierknewthatifhedidn'ttellhim,JuddwouldgobacktotheranchandstartonCrissy.Thatcould
bedangerous.Shewasalreadyobviouslyveryupset.Knowingherashedid,hecouldimaginethat
shewasmakingallsortsofwildplanstoescapeJacobsvillebynow.Shecouldeasilyloseherselfin
SanAntonio.Thatwouldn'tdo,notinhercondition.

"All right," Grier said finally, with a heavy sigh. "I'll talk. But not in front of witnesses," he added,
glaringattheiraudience."Out,oryou'llallbepullingdoubleshiftsatthegrammarschoolcrossing!"

Theyleftvaportrailsexitingthedoorandthewindows.Griergottohisfeetslowly,feelingbruises
risingalloverhim.JuddDunn'sfacelookedlikeareliefmapofwestTexas.Alongwiththecuts,it
wasturninginterestingshadesofpurple.Griercouldimaginethathedidn'tlookmuchbetter.Hisjaw
hurt.

"Now,whycouldn'tyoujusthavetoldmeinthefirstplace?"Juddaskedbrusquely.

"Ithoughtyoumightfeelsorryformeandgoaway."

Juddlaughedcoolly."Dreamon."

Griershruggedasheshoulderedintohisuniformshirt,buttonedandtuckeditin,andputhistieback
on."IimaginethatChristabelwantstogotoSanAntoniobecauseit'sbigandshecangetabusora
trainoutoftheretoanywherewithoutmuchriskofdiscoveryuntilit'stoolate."

Juddscowledasheputhisgunbeltbackon."Shesaidshewantedtogobacktocollege."

GrierperchedhistallframeonthecornerofhisdeskandgaveJuddapatientlook."Shethinksyou
wantTippy,"hereplied."She'sgoingawaysothatshewon'tgetinthewayofyourhappiness."

"IneversaidIwantedtomarryTippy,"hesaiddefensively.

"It'snoneofmybusiness,ofcourse.ButI'dbehappytoseeyoumarryherandgetoutofCrissy'slife.
I'llmarryCrissyandspoilherrotten."

Judd'spridewaschokinghim.Hecouldn'tbeartothinkofChristabelwiththisman,notineventhe
mostinnocentway."She'smywife,"hegroundout."Untilthatchanges,she'smine."

"Iunderstoodhertosaythatyou'dstarteddivorceproceedings."

"Notyet,"Juddgritted.

"It'sjustamatteroftime,surely?You'retheonewho'spusheditfromthebeginning."

Thatwastrue,andithurt.Juddhadmadesomanystupidmistakes.Itwasincrediblethatamanofhis
experiencecouldn'tmanagetosortouthisownfeelingsforalittleslipofagirlwhomhe'dknown
mostofherlife.

"We'regettingoffthesubject,"Juddsaidevasively."Whydoesshewanttorunaway?"

Griersighed."Youcan'tguess,ofcourse."

"Itcan'tbebecauseofyou,"hesaidmockingly."Orshe'dbefightingtokeepherhalfoftheranch."

"No,"Grieragreedquietly."She'sawonderfulyoungwoman.I'dgivealottobethemaninherlife,
butthathasn'thappened.I'mnotevenintherunning."

Forone,long,horrifiedmoment,Juddwonderediftherewassomeotherman.Butthenherealizedit
wasimpossible.Thenifitwasn'tGrier,andshewasrunning...

"Youcan'tcount,canyou?"Grierdrawled."You'vebeenbackfromJapanforabouttwomonths.She
came home starry-eyed and hopeful, and then she lapsed into depression that hasn't lifted since,
becauseyou'veavoidedherliketheplague.Now,suddenly,she'savoidingyou."

"Inoticed,"Juddsaid."You'renottellingmeanythingIdon'talreadyknow!"

"Iam,ifyou'dlisten,"Grierreturned,foldinghisarmsacrosshischest."Think.Whydoesshewantto
runaway?Whyisitimportantthatshegetssomeplacewhereyoucan'tseeher?"

Itshouldhavebeenclearmuchsoonerthanthis.Ithithimbetweentheeyeslikeabaseballbat.She
wastryingtohidebecauseherbodywaschanging.Becauseshewas...

"She's...pregnant?"Juddalmostchokedonthewords.

Grierjustnodded."That'swhatMaudesays.She'shadmorningsicknessfortwoweeksandnoneof
herclothesfitanymore."

Theotherman'sfacewentwhite.Shehadn'tbeentakingbirthcontrolpills.Shefeltguiltybecauseof
it. She'd avoided him. She'd seen him with Tippy in the barn. But Christabel didn't know that it had
onlybeenastagekissandnowshewasdeterminednottogetinthewayofhishappiness,nottoruin
hischanceswithachildhedidn'tevenknowabout.Maybeshethoughthewouldn'twantit,either.

Hedroppedontothesofaandsatthere,quiet,brooding,shell-shocked.

"Babiesarenice,"Griersaid."I'mjustattheagewhereIthinkaboutthemalot.Icanliveanywhere.If
youwantCrissytogo,I'lltagalong.Maybeshe'llgiveinonedayandmarryme.I'lladoptthechild
andlovehimasifheweremyown."

Doorswereclosing.Somewherealongtheway,JuddhadlostChristabelandthebabyinableak,sad
future.

He looked up at Grier with nightmares in his eyes. He'd worshipped freedom. The thought of
spendinghislifewithawoman,havingafamily,hadbeenutterlyterrifyingtohim.Hewasuncertain.
He'dlivedalone,workedalone,beenalone,mostofhisadultlife.Hehadn'twantties,responsibilities.
He'dhatedthethoughtoflivinginacage.Butthenshegotshot,takingabulletmeantforhim,andhis
wholeattitudehadchanged.He'ddoneeverythinginhispowertoshowherhowmuchhecared,but
she'dgonecoldonhimandstartedclingingtoGrier.Ithadhurt.Couldn'tChristabelseethat?How
couldshebelievehepreferredTippytoher?

WhatsortoflifewouldhehaveifheletChristabelleavetown,andGrierwentwithher?

"IfIwereyou—andthankGodI'mnot—I'dgohomeandthinkaboutthisrealhard,"Griertoldhim
withfaintamusement."Youhaven'tgotalotoftime."

Judd didn't snap back. He looked at Grier as if he really didn't see him at all. He got to his feet,
vaguelyawareofbruisedplacesthatwereuncomfortableandcutsonhisfacethatfeltwet.

"Afewsmalladhesivebandageswouldn'tcomeamiss,"Grierprompted.

"Lookinamirror,Grier,"Juddtoldhim.

"Ican'tstandto.IfIlookhalfasbadasyoudo,I'mwearingapapersacktoworktomorrow."

"That's cute," Judd growled as he strode toward the office door. "You'll be lucky if you have a job
tomorrow,whenChetBlakeseesthisoffice."

"Oh,I'lltellhimyoudiditall,"Grierassuredtheyoungermanwithagrin.

"Tryit."

"Thefirstthingyouneedtodosomethingaboutisyoursenseofhumor,"Grierpointedout."Tosay
nothingofyourpoorskillsindiplomacy."

"Yourideaofdiplomacyisacockedpistol,"Juddpointedout.

"Onlywithhardheadslikeyou."

Juddhadhishandonthedoorknobwhenhepausedandglancedbackattheotherman."Don'ttellherI
knowaboutthepregnancy."

"Don'tworry.Peoplestilldon'tknowwhatIreallydidinIraq."

Juddfrowned."Ididn'tknowyouwereeverinIraq!"

Griergrinned."See?"

Juddopenedthedoor.

"Onemorething,"Griercalled.

"What?"

"Nexttimeyoudothatreverseroundhousekick,keepyouraxisstable.You'llloseyourbalanceevery
timeifyoutiltyourupperbodywhenyouswing."

Juddlookedattheceilingandshookhisheadashewalkedout.Henoticedthatthemenonthedesk
weresuddenlyveryindustriousashewenttowardthefrontdoor.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Cristabel was doing the laundry when a vehicle drove up outside. She was still too shaken by her
near-accident to be very aware of her surroundings. Besides, the loud hum of the old washing
machinedrownedoutanythingmorethanaroomaway.

ButMaudewasinthekitchen,finishingherbread,whenJuddwalkedin.Shestoppedwithherhands
fullofdoughandjuststaredathim.Hishandsomefacewascoveredwithcutsandbruises,andblood
waspooledatthecornerofhismouth.Hisonce-spotlesswhiteshirtwasdottedwithblood.

"Grierlooksworse,"hetoldherwithashrug."Where'sChristabel?"

"Doinglaundry,"shemanagedtosay.Hewasshockingtolookat.Shehadn'tseenhiminafightsince
thedayCrissy'sfa-therhadbeatenher.Thatwasalongtimeago.

He turned and went to find Christabel. She had her back to him. He paused in the doorway of the
laundryroomtostudyher,hiseyesshuttered,hismindworkinglikecrazy.

Shesensedeyesonher.Abruptlyherheadjerkedaround.Shestoodupslowly,facinghim,andher
jawdropped.

"Whatintheworldhappenedtoyou?"sheexclaimed.

"Grierdoesn'tvolunteerinformationwithoutalittlecoaxing,"hesaidgrimly.Hemovedcloser,his
faceunreadable.Helookedatherwithanexpressionthatshecouldn'tunderstand.

"Whatkindofinformationwereyouafter?"sheaskedblankly.Sheknewitcouldn'tbeaboutthebaby.
Cashdidn'tknowshewaspregnant.

"Nevermind,"hemuttered."Ittookalotofbruisesnottofindoutanything,"heassuredher.Hisblack
eyes narrowed. "I don't like him hanging around here, and I told him so. Now I'm telling you, too.
You'remarried."

Sheglaredathimoveratowelthatshe'ddraggedoutoftheagingdryer.Absently,shewonderedif
they'd ever be able to replace the machine. Not that it didn't work, but it was fifteen years old. She
foldedthetowel."YoukissedTippyMoore!"

"Yes,Ikissedher,"hebitoff."Theassistantdirector'sdoinghisdamnedbesttoseduceherandshe's
afraidofhim!Itwasastagekiss."

"Oh,pulltheotherone,"sheshotback."TippyMoore,internationalmodel,afraidofapiss-antlittle
assistantdirector!I'dliketoseethemanshe'safraidof!"

He moved closer, taking the towel away from her. He tossed it onto the dryer. "She has a history I
can'ttellyouabout,"hesaidbluntly."It'senoughtotellyouthatshe'sgenuinelyafraidofmen.That's
whyshe'sbeenhangingonme.I'venevertouchedher,andthat'sthedraw.Shefeelssafewithcops—

withanylawenforcementpeopleinuniform."

Christabel was gaping at him. She'd been envious of Tippy, hated her for that exquisite beauty that
madeJuddandothermensocovetous.Nowshefeltbothsadandsorryfortheotherwoman.Pieces
ofapuzzlefellintoplace.Itmusthavebeensomethingterrible,sheguessed,tohavemadethelovely
womanlikethat.

"Ican'tcomeherewithouttrippingoverdamnedGrier,"hepersisted,blackeyesblazingdownather.
"Ifyouwantthetruth,Iwasgettingeven!"

Herlipsfellapart.Whatevershe'dexpectedhimtotellher,thatwasn'tit.Hewasjealous...ofher?She
couldfeelherheartbeatinglikeawildthinginherchest.

Hecalmedalittlewhenhesawherexpression.Shelookedfascinated.Apparently,shewasn'teagerto
rubitin,either.Herelaxedevenmore.

"I...onlywentaroundwithCashbecauseithurtmetoseeyouwithTippyallthetime,"sheconfessed
withoutraisinghereyes.

His heart jumped up into his throat. So many misunderstandings, all for want of a little honesty. It
wasn'tCashafterall.Hestartedsmilingandcouldn'tstop.

Sheliftedherfacetohisandwastrappedbythelookonit.Helaughed,deepinhisthroat.

"Tippy'sgotacaseonCash,butyoucan'ttellhim,"hemurmured.Hisfingerswenttobrushbackher
long,softblondhair.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "He thinks she's the happy hooker. She said a man like that knew more about most
womenthantheyknewthemselves."

Hereyessearchedhis."Youreallyhaven'tsleptwithher?"sheaskeddoggedly.

Hesighed."I'mmarried,Christabel,"hemused,linkinghishandsbehindherwaist.

"So?"sheasked,flushing.

Hebenthishead."Idon'tsleepwithotherwomen,baby.Onlywithyou.Andjustlately,"hegroaned
againsthersoftmouth,"mybedhasbeenveryempty."

Shelethimkissher.Afewsecondsintoit,sheforgotwhatshewasdoingaltogetherandliftedherself
againsthispowerfulbodywithasob.

"Wait.Waitaminute,"hesaidurgently.Hemovedawayfromherlongenoughtocloseandthrowthe
boltonthedoor.ThankGodithadone,hewasthinking,whilehecouldstillthink.

Hebackedherupintothedryerandkissedheragain,hungrily.Shewasprobablywearingadress,he
mused, because none of her jeans would button and he'd notice. He smiled against her mouth as he
reachedunderherdressandslippedoffherunderwear.

"Judd,no,wecan't!"shewhispered.

He nibbled her upper lip while he peeled off his gunbelt and put it aside and reached for his belt
buckle. "It's okay, baby. We can do it without the red negligee," he teased huskily. "Besides, we're
married.I'llshowyouthelicenseagain."Heliftedheruptohimandhismouthcoveredhersashis
leanhandsbroughtheroverhim.

"We'llgolookforit...later,"hegroanedashewentintoher.

Shestoppedprotesting,thinking,breathing.Sheclungtohim,moaningintohisdevouringmouthas
he drove into her with the noisy washing machine concealing the noises they were mak-ing. She
hopeditwasn'tneartheendofitscycle.Shewassohungryforhimthatshesobbedwitheveryquick,
hardmotionofhiships.Shewantedtodraghisclothesoff,pushhimdownonthefloor,ravishhim...

Shedidn'trealizeshewassayingituntiltheywoundupinatangleoflimbsonthelinoleum,withhis
bodyheavyonhersastheyclungtoeachotherinaragingfeverofdesire.

She'dneverexperiencedsuchinstantpassion.Inthelastlucidinstant,heliftedhisheadandwatched
her face as he drove her right over the edge into ecstasy. She shuddered and shuddered, her cries
almostinhumanashernailsbitintohiships.Secondslater,hisbodycordedandarched.Hemadea
hoarse,harshcryandhisfacecontorted.Shewatchedhim,soexcitedthatherwholebodyfeltonfire
withtheoverwhelmingheatoffulfillment.EveninJapan,ithadn'tbeensointense.Shecouldn'tstop
shivering.Tearsrandownhercheekswhilehemovedhelplesslyagainstherinthepulsingaftermath.

Justashecollapsedonher,thewashingmachinestoppedabruptlybetweencycles.Shefelthisbody
shake.Itwasn'tuntilheliftedhisheadandshesawhisdancingblackeyesthatsherealizedwhy.He
waslaughing.

"What a relief! That damned soundman can hear an ant walk across a sponge at fifteen feet, and he
likestorecordpeoplewhentheydon'tknowhe'slistening,"hemurmuredbreathlessly."Ifthatwasher
hadstoppedafewsecondssooner..."

Shelaughed,too,tryingtoimaginetheembarrassment.Thewasherstartedupagain,noisily,andhe
movedagainsther,hismouthtracingherlips,hercheeks,herear.Henibbledherear-lobe.Shekissed
hischeekandhegroaned.

"Sorry,"shemurmured,notingthatshe'dkissedacut.Shetouchedhisbruisedfacegingerly."Does
yourjawhurt?"

Henodded."Grierhitshard."

"Whatdidyouwanthimtotellyou?"shepersisted.

"Thathe'dkeephisdistancefromyou,"heinvented.Hepursedhislipsandmoveddeliberately,sothat
she could feel the slow, delicious burgeoning of his body. "But I don't think that's going to be a
problemnow.Doyou?"Hemovedagain.

Shegasped.Shewasstillsensitive,andthosetinymotionsweresosweetthatshestartedmovingwith
him.

"Maude..."

"Thecyclelastsfifteenmoreminutes,"heremindedher,bending."ButIdoubtifIwill..."

"Let'ssee,"shewhisperedrakishly,andpulledhimdowntoher.

They were standing again, when the washer wound down for the second time. She'd just pulled her
underwearbackupandhe'drefastenedhisjeans.Butheglanceddownathisshirtandsighed."Grier
tookoffhisshirtfirst.

Ishouldhavedonethesame.HaveIgotacleanone?Ican'tgobacktoworklikethis."

Shesmiledradiantlyandnodded,goingtotheclothesrack.Shepulledoutaclean,ironedwhiteshirt
andhandedittohim.

He took off the one he was wearing, baring an undershirt also liberally splattered with specks of
blood."Damn,"

hemuttered.

"You'vegotacleanundershirt,too,"shesaid,turningtopulloneoutoftheclothesbasketwhereshe'd
beenfoldinglaundry."Here."

Hestrippedofftheundershirt,awarethatshewaseatinghimwithhereyes.

Hetossedtheundershirtandthewhiteshirtintothelaundryhamperandmovedcloser,bringingher
handstohishair-rough-enedchest."Ididn'tevenhavethepresenceofmindtoundressfirst,Iwanted
yousobadly,"hemusedwithasmile."I'mgoingtocommutetoVictoriafromnowon.I'llspendmy
nightshere,whereIbelong,andwewon'tbesleepinginseparatebeds."

"You'regoingtosleepwithme?"sheasked,fascinated.

"Of course." He traced around her soft mouth. "Unless you'd rather I stayed in my old room? That
mightbeinteresting.Youcouldputontherednegligeeandcomeseducemeinthenight."

She hit him gently and laughed. "I'll sleep with you and do my seducing in comfort. You're my
husband,"shewhispered,feelingeveryword.

"You'remywife."Hebentandkissedhergently,drawingherhandsbackandforthoverhischest."I'm
sorryyouwouldn'topenyourChristmaspresent."

"Why?"sheaskedabsently.

"Itwaspearls.Pinkpearls,yourfavorites.Butthereweretwopresents.Tippygavemebackthering.
She'dteasedmeintobuy-ingit,whichIdidtosavemypride.WhenIreturnedit,"headdedgently,"I
boughtasetofrings—oneforyou,oneforme.Weddingbands.Soyougettwopresents,notone."

Shejustlookedathim.

Heshrugged."Ineverwantedadivorce,"heconfessed."Notreally.Mymotherwasyoung,likeyou,
andmaybeshewasn'treadyformarriage.Isawmyfatherdieinsideaftershelefthim.Henevergot
overthedivorce,andhemournedheruntilhedied.Ididn'twanttoenduplikehim.Iwasafraidof
commit-ment.Iknewyoucaredaboutme,butIwasafraiditwasjustacrush,"heconfessed.

"Somecrush,"shesaidwithasmile."Itlastedfiveyears."

"I knew that when you took a bullet for me," he said quietly. "That was when I knew you felt
somethingpowerfulforme.ButGrierwasalwaysaroundandbettermenthanmehavefeltinferiorto
him."

"Cashisasadandlonelysortofperson,"shereplied."Ifeltsorryforhim.Iknowthingsabouthim
thatyoudon't,Judd.Hewasmarriedjustbriefly,andtherewasgoingtobeachild.Idon'tknowwhat
happened,buttheydivorcedbitterly.Hewasjustafriend."

Hegrimaced."Ididn'tknowthat.Iwascrazywithjealousy.Ifinallyrealizedthatyouweren'tgoingto
waitforeverwhileIsortedoutwhatIfeltforyou.ThatwaswhenIknewthatIwasgoingtofightto
keepyou."

Shegazedathim,encouraginghimtocontinue.

"You know, my parents were exact opposites. He was in love, but she married him without really
lovinghim.

She did fall in love, with another man, and she couldn't help what she did. I never understood that
before,becauseI'dneverbeeninlove."Hisvoiceturnedhusky."ButIunderstandheractionsbetter
now,evenifIstilldon'tapproveofthem.Lovetakesawayyourchoices.YouandIthinkalikeandI
believedeepdownIknewallalongthatwehaveenoughincommontomakeagoodmarriage.ButI
just couldn't let go of the past—of the fact that you and Cash seemed so close. I couldn't be certain
whatyoufeltforhim.Hegavemesomebadmoments,especiallyafterwecamebackformJapan."

Shesmiledslowly."Tippygavemesome.She'sbeautifulandsophisticated."

"Sophisticated,likeGrier."Hetracedherear,pressinghersofthairbehindit."Theycanconsoleeach
other,"hesaidwithawickedgrin."Butthey'rebothoutoftherunning."

Shehesitated."Areyousure?"

His dark eyebrows lifted. "Just how many women do you think I've ever ravished on the floor of a
laundryroom?"

Hereyesnarrowed."Ithadbetteronlybeone,"shereturnedwithmockanger.

He chuckled. "Now you sound more like yourself." He reached for the clean undershirt. Her hands
flutteredagainstthethickhaironhischestasshereluctantlymovedaway.Hesmelledofaftershave
and soap. She liked the masculine scents, far too much. "I've got to get back to work. I'm tying up
loose ends in the Clark cases." He glanced at her. "I never told you. Guess who was doing the
poisoningsdownhere?"

"NotJackClark,"sheguessed.

"No.HisbrotherJohnwaspoisoningthecattle,andhekilledoldHob.Hegotafriendandco-worker
—the same man who loaned him the pickup truck—to give him an alibi for the time of old Hob's
deathbymakinghimthinkajealousgirlfriendwascheckinguponhim.JackClarkkilledtheyoung
woman for tes-tifying against him and sending him to prison for six years. Jack was our prime
suspectforthepoisoningsbecausehelivedinJacobsville,andheknewit."

"Don'tleaveanythingout!"shedemanded.

"The councilwoman who was showing Jack the properties in Victoria had no idea that he was
establishinganalibi,whilehisbrotherwasdownherepoisoningbulls.TheypoisonedBrewster'sbull
because it was one of the progeny of Handley's Salers bull. They poisoned ours because they were
bothgettingevenwithusforfiringJack.Butifithadn'tbeenforyou,Imightneverhavesolvedthe
murdercaseinVictoria."

"Me?"

Hepulledhisshirton,fastenedit,andstuckthestarbackonthepocket."Youmentionedhowthefence
wascut,"hesaid."Wehadacutfenceatthesceneofthelasthomicide.Icheckeditagainstthepicture
youhadNicktakeofourcutfence.Itwasaperfectmatch.Ourfence—thatyouhadsenseenoughto
save—has become prime evidence. Not to mention that black pickup truck that belonged to John
Clark'sfriend,Gould,inVictoria.Then,thosecoloredfibersImentionedthatwerefoundatthecrime
scenematchedaswatchfromaflannelshirtyourememberedClarkwearingwhenheconfrontedyou
ontheranch.ItwaswithaboxofhisbelongingsthatJohnClarktooktoVictoriawithhim.There's
oneothercrucialbitofevidencewelatchedonto,also."

"Don'tkeepmeinsuspense,"shesaidexcitedly.

"Besidesahairfoundontheshirtatthecrimescene,theevidencetechniciannotedteethmarksonthe
woman'sbreast.Shehadn'tbeendeadlong,andherbodywashalf-coveredbytheshirtwhenshewas
recovered.Thetechniciansaidherbodywasstillwarmwhentheyfoundit.Heplayedahunch—heput
ster-ile water on a swab and went over the woman's breast. She got DNA evidence that links the
murder directly to Jack Clark. And that hair on the shirt the woman was wearing matched one of
Clark'sexactly.Thatevidenceisalladmissibleincourt."

"Ididn'tknowyoucoulddothat!"sheexclaimed.

Hechuckled."I'llhavetoclueyouinmoreaboutforensicevidence."

"Butwhydidhekillher,doyouknow?"sheasked.

"She was the young girl who testified against him for sexual assault and battery and vanished. He
spent six years in prison on her testimony. After he was released he and John went to work for
Handley, who had the purebred Salers bulls. Handley was her husband's best friend. Handley fired
themaboutthetimeJackrecognizedtheyoungwomananddecidedtogeteven.JohnClarkpoisoned
hisbulls,Jackrapedandkilledthewoman."

"GoodLord.AndwhataboutpooroldHob?"shecontinued.

"WhenwetoldJackClarkabouttheconcreteforensicevidenceagainsthim,hegaveinandconfessed
everythingwiththepublicdefendersittingrightbesidehim.HesaidhisbrotherwenttoHobjustto
threatenhim,tokeephimquiet.Hobrefusedtobethreatened.Hewasgoingtocallthepoliceandtell
themtheClarkboyscutthefence.Johnhithiminthethroatwithafirepoker.Hedidn'tmindbulls,but
hecouldn'tlivewithkillingahuman.HetoldJackhewasgoingtorobabankandifhegotkilledhe
didn'tcare."

"PooroldHob,"shesaidsadly."Whatasadwaytodie."

"So Jack's going away for a long time. It's a good thing, because the behavioral psychologist who
evaluatedhimsaidhemighthavekilledagain.Clarkstillhatesme,ofcourse,forwhathappenedto
his brother and for helping put together the evidence that's going to convict him for murder." He
grinnedather."LikeIcare."

Shehuggedhim,hard,secureforthefirsttimeinhermarriage.

"Andyoudidn'tbelievemeaboutthecattleorthefenceatfirst."

Hedrewherclose."No,tomycost,Ididn't.ThatcouldhavehadfatalconsequencesifClarkhadbeen
alittlemoreconfident.I'msorry,too.Butthosedaysareover.Youtellmeblackiswhite,baby,and
I'll believe you now." Lifting his head, he searched her drowsy, happy eyes and smiled. "Kiss me. I
havetogobacktowork."

Sheloopedherarmsaroundhisneckandkissedhimhungrily."Takemewithyou,"shewhispered.

"I'dnevergetathingdone,"heteased.Heputherawayreluctantlyandbuckledonhisgunbelt."I'llbe
homebysix."

Shefeltasifherwholelifehadchangedinaspaceofhours.Shecouldn'tstopsmiling."Okay.I'lllay
outmyrednegligee."

Hechuckleddelightedly."That'sadate."

He unlocked the door and they walked hand in hand to the front door. He looked down at her and
wishedthathecouldtellherwhatheknew.Shewascarryinghischild.He'dneverfeltclosertoher.
He'dneverlovedhersomuch.Buthehadtowait,tobidehistime.Ifshefoundoutthatheknew,she
might think he was staying with her for all the wrong reasons. He didn't dare let on. He kissed her
goodbye and drove off, making a mental note to phone Grier and warn him again not to spill the
beans.Maudedidn'tsayaword,butshecouldn'tstopsmiling,either.

The next morning, the crew was working again. But this time, it was different, because everyone
couldseewhatwashappeningbetweenJuddandhisyoungwife.Tippyfeltasifithadbe-comeopen
seasononher.Afteroneparticularlydifficultsceneinthebarn,GaryMayscalled"cut"andmoved
into the set with his back to the barn door to slide a very familiar arm around Tippy's shoulders,
deliberatelyforcingheragainsthisbody.GaryhadbecomeTippy'sworstnightmarealloveragain.

"Now,listen,doll,"Garycoaxed,"justdothescenethewayit'swritten,anddon'ttrytodoanyreal
acting,gotit?AllIwantisforyoutolookprettyandswingthosesexyhipsforme."Hesmoothedhis
handlingeringlyoverherbottomwithaleerwor-thyofaparoledconvict.

Secondslater,hishandwasinmidair,facingbackward,withaverycold-eyedCashGrierontheend
ofit.

"I don't think you meant to do that, did you, Gary?" Cash asked pleasantly, and flexed his hand a
fraction—justenoughtomakeGaryflinch."Sexualharassmentissuchanastyterm.Thinkwhatthe
presswouldmakeofit,inourpoliticallycorrectsociety.Youdoseemypoint?"headdedsoftly,and
thatholdtightenedagain.

"Iseeit...perfectly!"Garygasped,turningintothehold,tokeepfromhavinghishandwrenchedoff.

"And even though I can't arrest you for it, since it's out of my jurisdiction, I can call one of my
buddieswho works forthe sheriff's department,and he can arrestyou. So youwon't touch her like
thatagain.Willyou,Gary?"Cashpersisted,smiling.

ThatsmilesentcoldchillsdownTippy'sspine.

"Noteverinmylife,Iswear!"Garygasped.

Cashletgoofhishand,stillsmiling."Ithinkyoumightliketocallaten-minutebreak,"headded."I'd
likeawordwithMissMoore."

"Gorightahead,"Garygritted.HegaveTippyalookofpureloathing."Tenminutes,everyone!"he
called, and then got out of Cash's vicinity as quickly as he could manage, holding his wrist in his
otherhand.

CashmotionedtoTippywithhishead.Shewenttohimlikealamb,withoutasingleprotest,andstood
lookingupathimwithwide,perplexedgreeneyes.

"Whydoyoulethimhandleyoulikethat?"heaskedquietly.

Shewasshaken.Shewrappedherarmsaroundherself."I'mtwenty-sixyearsold,"shesaid."Ihavea
nine-year-old brother to support. Modeling doors are already closing for me. I have to make it in
filmorIwon'thaveasourceofincome."

"Andyouthinkmoneyisworthlettingthatsecondcousintoatarantulaclimboveryourbodylikea
fungus?"hepersisted."WhatdidItellyouatthehospitalwhenCrissywasshot,aboutlookinghimin
theeyeandsaying

'no'?"

Shelookedupathimwithpaininhereyes."That'seasiertosaythando."

Hischinliftedslowly.Hisblackeyesweresteadyandnar-rowonherface.

"Butyou'regoingtotryit.Aren'tyou?"

She nodded, because he had that sort of effect on people. "You could have hurt him," she said
hesitantly.

Hiseyespinnedhersandtracesofhispastmadecoldshadowsinhiseyes."Icouldhavebrokenhis
handaseasilyasIbruisedit.Afewyearsago,Iwouldn'tevenhavehesitated."Hewasthinking.His
mindwasaddingupfactsandproducingconclusions."You'resexonahalfshelluntilamancomes
within two feet of you. Then you ice over. But under the ice, there's fear. You're afraid of him," he
murmured,pointingtowardthemanwithhischin."Butnot,"headdedsoftly,"asafraidofhimasyou
areofme."

Sheswallowed.Shehatedbeingsotransparent,butGary'sboldnesshadunnervedher.

He noted her posture, her defensive stance. "You weren't afraid of Judd at all," he recalled, with
narrowingeyes.

"Buthenevertouchedyou,didhe?"

Herfacegavehimtheansweratonce.

Henoddedslowly."Sothatwasit."

Hereyesliftedtohis,fullofsurprisedcuriosity.

He moved a step closer, torn by conflicting emotions as he watched the pain crawl across her
beautifulface.

She looked like a startled doe, but she didn't move away. He fascinated her. She couldn't remember
sincechildhoodamanwhostoodupforher,ashe'dstooduptoGary,exceptforJudd.Policemenhad
beenkindtoher,longago.Cashwaswearingauniform.

Hesteppedcloserdeliberately,toweringoverher.Shecouldseetheblackfrecklesscatteredoverthe
bridgeofhisstraightnose,thethicknessofthemustacheoverhissensuousmouth,thetinytriangular
goatee under his lower lip. She could see the faint wave in his thick black hair where it was pulled
backintoaponytail.Hesmelledcleanandmasculine.Shelikedbeingclosetohim.Thatwasashock,
anditfilteredintohergaze.Butbeingsoclosetohimmadehernervous,andshetookaquickstep
backward.

Herbehaviorpuzzledhim.Itwascommongossipinthetabloidsthatshe'dlivedwithamanforsix
years,amotionpicturestartwiceheragewhohadanalmostobscenereputationforhisblatantlove
affairswithwomen.

Shehadareputationintheindustryforbeingsexuallyaggressive.Buthowcouldshebeexperienced
and make a habit of backing away from any man who came too close? She might have been
pretendingnervous-ness.Buthecouldtellthatshewasn't.Noneofthismadesensetohim.

His dark eyes narrowed as they searched hers. "He's not going to bother you again, because you're
notgoingtolethim.Right?"

Sheswallowed.Garymadeherskincrawl,butshe'dneverstooduptohim.Usuallyshejustmadea
dead set at men and made them uncomfortable, deliberately making them feel that they could never
measureuptoherideal.

ButGarywasafrog,andheremindedhertoomuchofthatmaninherpast.Shecouldn'tuseherwiles
onhim.

Shewasafraidofhim.

"Right?"heprompted.

Shenodded,asifastringwasattachedtoherchin.

"Tippy,"herepeatedhername,scowling."What'sitanicknamefor?"

"Tristina,"shesaidbitterly.Shebrushedherhairoutofhereyes."It'ssupposedtomean'sadness.'My
motherfeltthatwaywhenshehadme,orsothestorygoes,"sheadded."Shedidn'tlikehavingkids,
but she did love to sleep with men. The more the merrier." She hesitated. "She said she wasn't sure
whomyfatherwas."

He didn't look as if it mattered to him. He studied her quietly. "He must have been a good-looking
man"wasallhesaid.

Shegrimaced."Mymotherisaknockout,evennow.Shehasredhairandgreeneyes,likeme,anda
figure that even years of alcohol abuse hasn't fractured. She's not stupid, either. I had a hard time
gettingRoryawayfromher,butmoneydoestalk.Ihavesolecustodynow,andI'mnotgivingitup."

"Rory?"

"Mybrother."

Hereachedoutabighandandmovedastrandofred-goldhairoutofhermouth."Whydoyouhave
custody?"

"Becausehernewlive-inboyfriendhatedhim,andbeathimup,badenoughtoputhiminthehospital,
whenhewasfour.ApolicemanIknowcalledandtoldme."

"Whatthehellwasyourmotherdoingallthattime?"heexclaimed.

Sheswallowed.Hard."Holdinghimdown."

His sigh was audible. Looking at her, he began to get disturbing images, almost as if they were
passing from her mind directly to his. His dark eyes narrowed. He added up her defensive posture,
herfearofmen,anddisregardedthelicentiousreputationofthemanshe'dlivedwith.Thesolutionhe
gotwasverydisturbing.

"She'snotgettinghimback,"shesaidcoldly."Nomatterwhatitcostsme."

"Includingputtingupwithlizardlipsoverthere?"hesaid,jerkinghisheadtowardGary.

Shelookedup,surprised,andatinkleoflaughterescapedher.

"Garycannursehishandalldayandthinkofme,"hesaidwithnarroweddarkeyes."Comeon."

Hewentwithherbacktotheset,atacomfortabledistancesothathedidn'tmakeheruneasy.Heeven
smiledatGary.

Tippywalkedrightuptotheman,feelingunusuallyconfident."Hesaysthatifyouputyourhandson
meeveragain,Gary,Icanhaveyouarrestedandsueyouforharassment."Shesmiledprettily."You
docarryinsurance,don'tyou,darling?"

Gary went pale. He glanced at Cash and cleared his throat. "All right, people, we've wasted enough
time.Let'sgetbacktowork!"

TippygaveCashaquickglanceandashy,oddlittlesmilebe-foreshewentbacktowork.

Judd's resolve not to let Christabel suspect he knew about her pregnancy lasted exactly four more
days,untilhecamehomefromworkearlyandfoundChristabelonthebackofaflatbedwithNick,
tossingbalesofhayofftothecattleinoneofthepastures.

Tosaythatheraisedhellwasanunderstatement.Heliftedheroffthetruck,carriedhertohisSUV,
putherintheseat,anddroveher,tight-lipped,straighttoDr.JebediahColtrain'soffice.Hewentwith
hertothedeskandtoldthereceptionistthatshehadtobeseenimmediately.Thewaitingroomwas
empty.

"Copper'snothere,"thegirlstammered,"andLouisjustabouttoleave,too..."

"Notyet,she'snot."

HedrewChristabelwithhimthroughthedoorintothehall-way."Lou!"hecalled.

Dr.LouColtraincameout,firststartledandthenamused,whenshelookedathervisitors.

"CanIhelpyou?"LouaskedJudd.

Hislipsmadeathinline."Iwantapregnancytest,rightnow."

"OOOOOkay,"Loureplied,tryingnottogiggle."Whenwasyourlastperiod?"

"Notme,her!"hegroundout,glaringdownatanastonishedChristabel."Shewastossingbalesofhay
offatruck,forGod'ssake!"

Lou'ssmilefaded."That'snotwise,ifyou'repregnant,Crissy,"shesaidgently.

Christabelstartedcrying."Youcan'tknow!"shecriedatherhusband."Howdoyouknow?!"

"I'mnotblind,amI?"hemuttered."Youcan'tfastenyourslacksandyoucan'teatbreakfast,either!"
Hehatedhimselffornottellingthetruth.

"Maudetoldyou!"sheaccused.

"Maudedidn'ttellmeanything,"hedefendedhimself.

"Let'stakeabloodsample,Crissy,"Lousaid,intervening."Whenwasyourlastperiod?"

Shehadtosay,withasmugJuddlisteningtoeveryword.LougotBettyandtheydidthetest.Itwas
positive.

Lou arranged for an appointment for Christabel to see an ob-gyn specialist in Victoria who also
workedatJacobsvilleGeneral.Thenshepre-scribedvitamins.

"Nomorelifting,"shecautioned."Andeatproperly."

Christabel agreed meekly. She was relieved at the way Judd was taking the news of impending
fatherhood.Hewasn'tevenupset.Itrelaxedher.

BackintheSUV,hecouldn'tstopgrinning.Hereachedforherhandandlinkedherfingerswithhis.

"SomuchforGrier,"hesaidsmugly.

Shestudiedhimintently,watchingforsignsofunrest.Thereweren'tany.

"Youaren'tangry?"

"I'mdelighted.I'malsorelieved,"hecountered."NowIcansleepnightswithoutworryingthatyou'll
leavemetorunawaywithGrier."

"Helikesbabies,"sheretorted.

"Hecanfindanotherwomanandmakesomeofhisown.Thisoneismine."Hesighedheavily."What
aChristmaspresentI'mgoingtogetthisyear!"

In fact, the baby would be due just before then. She was fascinated by the play of emotions on his
dark,leanface.Hecouldn'thavepretendedsomuchpleasure.Shewonderedifawomancouldfaintof
purehappiness.

She'dneverfeltsosafe,sosecure,socaredforinallherlife.Hewasfondofher,ofcourse,andhe
wantedthebaby.Maybe,intime,hemightevencometoloveher.Shehadsomuchtolookforwardto.
Somuch!

The film company said goodbye and left for the airport. Tippy made a wholesale apology to
ChristabelandJuddabouttheproblemsshe'dcausedandsaidthey'dbothbeinvitedtothepremiereof
themovieinNewYorkwhenitcameoutinaboutsevenmonths.ThatwouldbeinNovember,andthe
babywouldbeduethatmonth.

CashGrierwenttotheairportjustasshefinishedcheckinginandstartedtowardthemetaldetectors.

"Waitaminute,"hesaidquietly,pullingheraside.Hehandedherabusinesscardwithhisnameand
phone number on it. "Just in case you have any more trouble over your little brother," he added.
"There'saprivatenumberwrittenonback.Ifyoueverneedhelp,useit."

Shegasped."Whywouldyoudothatforme?"sheasked,allatsea."Youhateme!"

Hisdarkeyesmethergreenonesevenly."Hell,Idon'tknow!Doyouhavetoquestioneverything?"

She reached out hesitantly and touched his sleeve, although her hand dropped almost as soon as it
madecontact.

He was wearing his uniform. He looked very neat and clean. "Thank you, for what you did about
Gary.Forwhatyoumademedo.IwassoafraidoflosingtheonlyjobIhad."Shesmiledshyly."I've
hadsomeproblemsgettingworklately.Butyouwereright.Nobodyshouldhavetotakethat,justto
keepworking."

"Seethatyourememberit,"herepliedcoolly.

Shestudiedhisface,sofarabovehers,withrealinterest."YoucancomewithJuddandCrissytothe
premiereofthemovie,ifyoulike.I'llsendaticketanyway."

Hecockedhisheadandstudiedher."I'llcome,"hesaidunexpectedly.

Sheflushed.Hereyesbrightened.Shelaughedinanely.Aroundher,menwerestaring,womenwere
staring,atherstartlingbeauty.Sheseemedtotallyunawareoftheattention.Shehadeyesonlyforthe
maninfrontofher.

"I'dlikethat,"shesaidhuskily."Thanks,Mr.Grier"

"I'mnomorethantwelveyearsyoursenior,"hepointedout."YoucancallmeCash."

Hersmilelingered."What'sitshortfor?"

Hesighed."Cassius."

"Really!"

Henodded."Mymotherwasfondoftheclassics."

Hereyeswenttohisblackhairinitsneatponytail,tohismustacheandthetinytriangleofhairjust
belowhissensuousmouth."Youlovedher."

Henodded."Verymuch."

She sighed and bitter memories pressed the smile from her full lips. "It must be nice." She glanced
towardthemetaldetector,wherethecrewwasslowlypassingthrough."I'dbettergo."Sheputthecard
inherpocket.

"Thanksagain."

Heshrugged."Ilikemoviestars,"hemurmuredblithely,andgrinnedather.

Thatgrinhitherrightintheheart.Shesmiledagain."Ilikecops."Hereyesglancedoffhis,andshe
turned and went quickly toward the metal detector. Just before she followed her suitcase and purse
intothesecurearea,shelookedbackathim.She'dneverfeltsoaloneinherlife.Hewasstillwatching
her,too.

Hewatcheduntilshewasoutofsight,forreasonshecouldn'tbegintounderstand.

AsforChristabel,shediscoverednewthingsaboutherownhusbandinthemonthsthatfollowed.He
lovedtomakethings.Hehadaworkshopoutintheutilityshed,butithadbeenidleforalongtime.
Now,heboughtsomenewequipmentandlum-berandstartedmakingbabyfurniture.

But just before the baby was due, the tickets came for the New York premiere of Tippy Moore's
movie.

ChristabelknewthatJuddwouldgo,andshewassuddenlyinsecureandfrightenedofthefuture.He'd
nevermadeanyconfessionoflovetoChristabel,whohadasneakingsuspicionthathe'dknownabout
thebabybeforesheevertoldhim.SowhatifhewenttoNewYorkanddiscoveredthathereallyloved
Tippyafterall?

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

Surprisingly,CashGrierdecidedtogoalongwithJuddtoNewYork.ChristabelandMaudesawJudd
offfromthefrontporch.Itwassofaralonginherpregnancythathedidn'twanthertoriskthetrip,
or even to go to the airport with him. She didn't want him to go without her, but she was out of
excuses.

"I'll be back day after tomorrow," he whispered, bending to kiss her tenderly. "Don't have the baby
untilIgetback,"headdedwithoutrageous,tenderhumor.

"I'lldomybest.Don'tyouget...entangledwithTippyagain,"sheblurtedout,andthenflushed.

Hescowled.Didn'tsheknowhowhefelt?

"You'regoingtomisstheplane,"Maudesaidworriedly."Don'tspeedtogettotheairport."

"Yes, Mama," he murmured on a sigh. He gave Christabel one last kiss and jumped into the SUV,
speedingupthedriveway.

"Heneverlistens,"Maudemuttered.

"Hewon'tspeed,"shesaidcomfortingly.Shesmiled."Comeon.Let'shavesomenicewarmmilkand
talkaboutlabor."

"Allright,darlin',ifwemust,"Maudesaidgently.

Thepremierewasagalaevent.TippyMooreliveduptoherpublicity,dazzlinginablackvelvetdress
withdiamondsdrippingfromherearsandthroat.Shewentintothetheateronthearmofherleading
man,RaneeWayne,withthedirector,Joel,andhiswiferightwiththem.

Cash and Judd had seats near the front, and they watched the movie with real interest and helpless
humor as the story came alive on the screen. Laughter echoed along the rows as Tippy and the
cowboybounceddrylinesoffeachotherandendedupembracingwildlyinapuddleofmudasthey
discoveredtheirtwoworldscouldmeetandmergeatlast.

Therewasastandingovation.Tippyhadtearsinhereyes.Hernewcareerwasalmostasurething.

ShemetJuddandCashastheycameoutofthetheater,huggingJuddwarmly,butactedreticentand
nervouswithCash.

"Youweregreat,"Juddtoldherwithagrin."It'sgoingtobeablockbuster."

"Doyoureallythinkso?"sheaskedhopefully.

"Isyourbrotherhere?"Cashaskedsuddenly.

"Why... yes," she faltered. She turned and motioned to a nice-looking young boy with dark hair
wearinganeatsuit.Hehadaveryconventionalhaircutandhelookedliketheproductofamilitary
schooluntilhegotcloserandtheycouldseethetwinkleinhisdarkgreeneyes.

"Youwereprettygood,sis,"hemused,bumpingagainstherplayfully."Didn'tfluffasingleline!"

"Watch your mouth, buster," she chided, laughing genuinely as she hugged him. "Rory, this is Judd
Dunn.He'saTexasRanger,andafriendofmine.Heandhiswifeareexpectingtheirfirstchildany
day,"sheadded,tomakesureheunderstoodtherelationship.

"Gladtomeetyou,"Rorysaid,shakinghands."I'vereadalotabouttheTexasRangerssinceTippy
toldmeaboutyou,"headdedexcitedly."There'sevenseveralWebsitesabouttheRangers,pastand
present,ontheInternet!"

"They'reeducational,allright,"Juddchuckled."Nicetomeetyou,too."

"This is, uh, Cash Grier," Tippy said, nodding toward the older man. "He's assistant police chief in
Jacobsville,Texas,wherethemoviewasfilmed."

Rorylookedatthemanintheponytailforalongmoment.Heseemedsubdued."Tippytoldmealot
aboutyou.

I,uh,mentionedyoutoourcommandingofficer.Heknowsyou.HesaidyouwereinIraqtogether."
Hecaughthisbreath."Hesaidheneverknewanybodyasbraveasyouwere.Hesaid,uh,hesaidthey
caughtyouandtorturedyou..."

"Rory!"Tippyexclaimed,horrified.

Cash'sfacehadhardened.Hiseyeswereglitteringlikeblackdiamonds.

"I'msorry,"Rorysaid.Hemovedcloser,uneasyagain."You'resortofaheroofmine.I'mmessing
everythingupbecauseIcan'ttalkthewayIwantto.Ithinkyou'regreat,sir.Asoldier'ssoldier."

Cash took a sharp breath and averted his eyes. He didn't like remembering his tour of duty in the
middleeast,orwhathe'ddoneandwhathadbeendonetohimthere.Theboywaswalkingonbroken
bonesanddidn'tevenrealizeit.

"Rory, why don't you go on to the restaurant with Joel and his wife, and I'll be right along," Tippy
saidquickly,tryingtosmooththingsover.

"Yes,ma'am,"Rorysaid,woundedandashamed.

Butasheturnedaway,abig,stronghandcamedownonhisshoulderandstayedthemovement.

"Honesty is an underrated virtue," he told the boy. "You say exactly what you think. I don't pull my
punches, either. I don't like remembering Desert Storm," he added quietly. "I survived. The other

sevenmenwhowentinwithmedidn't.Theyweregoodmen,too."

Rory'sbreathcaught."I'mgladyouaren'tangry,sir"

"Cash,"thetallmancorrected,andhemanagedasmilefortheboy."I'mgladwegottotalk."

"Me, too!" Rory grinned, all boy again, and flushed a little as he glanced at Judd and his sister and
tookofftowardJoelHunter.

"He'sallmouthsometimes,"Tippymurmured,worriedatthelookshe'dseenonCash'sface."Ihope
hedidn'toffendyou."

Heshrugged."Everybodyoffendsme,asarule,butIlikeaboywithgrit.He'lldo,"headdedquietly.

Sheforcedasmile."Thanks."

Hischincameupandthelookinhiseyeswasdifferentsuddenly."Soyoutalkedaboutmetohim,did
you?"

Shewentscarlet.Itwassuchanoddreactionforaninternationalmodelandanewlyemergingfilm
starthatJudd'seyebrowsmethishairline.Cash'seyesbegantotwinkle.Heactuallylaughed.

Tippymadeanimpatientsoundinherthroatandglancedafterherbrother."There'sacastpartyata
restaurant close by, but you could stay and come home with us, if you like," she added, talking
deliberatelytoJudd.

"Well,"hebegan,atthesametimeasGrier'scellphonevibratedmadlyinhispocket.

Hefrownedandpulleditout,openingit.Heseemedtohavetroublehearingwhoeverwasontheother
end.Heturnedaway,withahandovertheearthatwasn'tonthephone."Allright,calmdown,"hesaid
gently."Nowtellmewhathappened!"

Henodded,glancedatJudd,grimaced,andmurmuredsomethingintothephone."It'sMaude,"hesaid.
"She'sbeentryingtoreachyouonyourcellphonebutyourbatterymustbedead.Soshephonedme
instead.Crissyhadafall.They'vetakenhertothehospital..."

Hewastalkingtothinair.Juddwasatthecurb,hailingataxi.HeglancedatTippy."Sorry,wehaveto
go,"hesaidapologetically."Raincheck,onthevisit?"headdedtohersurprise.

Herfacebecameradiant."Y-yes!Anytime,"sheblurtedout.

Hesmiled,genuinely."ThenI'llseeyou.TellRorygoodbye."

She nodded. He ran to Judd, who was motioning wildly and jumped into the cab with him seconds
beforeittookoff.JuddwastoopreoccupiedtoevenwavegoodbyetoTippy.Hisheartwasclenched
insidehischest.Hewasterrified.Christabelwashurt.

"Whataboutthebaby?"heasked.

"Maude said they didn't know anything yet," Cash told him, and he was worried, too. "We'll go
straighttothehospital.Lis-ten,babiesaresurroundedbyembryonicfluid,"headdedgen-tly."Ittakes
alottohurtthem."

"Whatdoyouknowaboutbabies?"Juddaskedangrily.

Cashavertedhisface."Ialmosthadoneofmyown,once,"hesaidthroughhisteeth."Don'tbother
asking any more," he added when Judd opened his mouth to speak. "I don't talk about it. Not to
anyone."

Judddidn'tknowwhattosay,sohesaidnothing.Buthedidwonderabouttheoddstatement.

Ittookforevertogetback.Butwhentheydroveuptogetheratthehospital,JuddinhisSUVandCash
inhispickuptruck,theyleftthevehiclessittingandrantogetherintotheemergencyroom.

"ChristabelGaines...Dunn,"Juddfalteredatthedesk,hisfaceset,hiseyeswild."Shewasbroughtin
afterafall.She'spregnant.I'mherhusband."

"Oh...Mr. Dunn." The clerk stared at him dumbly and he held his breath, terrified. Then she smiled.
"She's already in a room. Just a second..." She pressed in numbers and spoke to someone. "Room
211,"sheadded."It'sdownthatway...congratulations!"

The last word didn't even register through the fear. They were both running, in blatant defiance of
hospitalrules,untiltheyreachedtheroom,pushedopenthedoorinunison,andstoppeddeadatthe
sightthatmettheireyes.

Christabelwaslyingtherewithatinybundleinherarms,breast-feeding.ShelookedatJuddwithher
heartinhereyes."Darling!"sheexclaimed.

He could barely see her through the mist in his eyes. He went forward, shell-shocked, oblivious to
MaudeandoneoftheHartbrothersandawomanhedidn'trecognizeandanurseputter-ingaround
theroom.HetouchedthetinyfacepressedsoclosetoChristabel'ssoftskinandthenhelookeddown
intoherwide,softdarkeyes.Hetouchedherfacewithahandthatwasjustalittleunsteady.

"Allweknewwasthatyou'dhadafall,"hewhispered."Iwassoafraid..."

"I'mfine.Thebaby'sfine..."

Hewaskissingher,hard,hungrily,abrokengroangoingintohermouthjustbeforehemanagedto
lifthishead.

"Iloveyou,"hewhisperedroughly."Ifanythinghadhappenedtoyou...!"

"Butitdidn't,"shewhispered,overwhelmedatthelookinhiseyes,atwhathe'dsaid."Youneversaid

youlovedmebefore,"shemurmured.

"Ialwaysmeantto,"hereplied,calming.Hesmiledwithwonderashesearchedhereyes."Youokay?"

Shegrinned."Itwasn'tmuchofafall.Iwasputtingupcurtainsinthebaby'sroom.Twistedmyback.I
thought I'd killed myself, and it turned out to be labor!" She indicated the tiny thing in her arms.
"Wouldyouliketomeetyourson?"

Hisbreathcaught."Aboy."

Shenodded.

"Andagirl,"cameadeepdrawlfromacrosstheroomatthewindow,whereCashwasbendingover
thebassinetandplayingwithatinyfinger,anear-to-earsmileonhisface.

"W-what?"Juddstammered.

Christabelpursedherlipsandlookedmischievous."YouweresoworriedaboutmeallthetimethatI
wasafraidtotellyouitwastwins,"sheconfessed,smilingupathim."Iwassavingitforasurprise."
Shegrinned.

"Surprise!"

"Twins.Aboyandagirl.Twoofthem."Heseemedbereftofwords.Hiseyescloudedandhehadto
dashawaymoisturebe-foreanyonesawit.

Cashhadthelittlegirlupinhisbigarmsandhewasmakingreallyun-CashGriersoundsashespoke
toher.

"Hey,givemebackmydaughter,"Juddtoldhimwithamockscowl.

Cashlookedcrushed."Can'tIhavethisone?"heasked."Idon'thaveanyofmyown,andyou'vegot
two.Howisthatfair?"

Juddburstoutlaughing,andsodidChristabel,attheexpressiononCash'sface.Hemovedforward,
handingthechildgen-tlytoJudd,hiseyessoftandtenderonherface.

"Shelookslikehermama,"hetoldJudd,andforaninstant,therewasaflashofsadnessoverhishard
featuresashelookedatChristabel,whichhequicklyerased.

"Yes,shedoes,"Juddsaidhuskily,bendingtokissthetinyforehead."Twoofthem!Shelookedlikea
VWinfront,andIneverconnectedit...!"

Christabelwaslaughingwithpuredelightasshewatchedthebig,strongmenfussoverthelittletiny
girl.Noneedtowonderifshewasgoingtobespoiledrotten.Andtheysaidmenonlywantedsons.
Ha!

"Names?"cameadeepvoicefromthebackoftheroom.Itwasbig,handsomeLeoHart,withhiswife
Janiebesidehim,bothgrinning."Haveyoupickedanyoutyet?"

"Jessaminaforagirl"Christabelsaidproudly."We'llcallherJessie.And..."

"AndJaredforourson,"Juddinterruptedgently."Formygreat-great-grandfather,JaredDunn,who
wasagunmanandaTexasRanger,andthenafamoustriallawyerinSanAntoniobackattheturnof
thetwentiethcentury,"headded.

"Well,congratulations,again.We'dbetterbeoff,"Leosaid."WehavetogetdownthehallandseeRey
andMeredith.Theyhaveabrand-newdaughter,Celina,bornaboutthesametimeyourbroodwas."

"Tellherwesaidcongratulations,"Christabelcalledtothem.

Theynodded,grinnedandwalkedouttogether.

CashwasstillwatchingthetinygirlinJudd'sarmshungrily.Juddmadeafaceandhandedherbackto
him.

"Youcanholdher,Iguess,"Juddsaidwithasigh."Justrememberwhoshebelongsto."

Cashgrinnedathim."Shecanlivewithyou,butI'mgoingtobehergodfather,"hesaid,makingfaces
atthetinylittlethinginhisarms."DaddyCashisgoingtoteachherhowtofighthand-to-handanduse
flashbangsinSWATassaults!"

Maudeletoutawailofpurehorror.

Christabelburstoutlaughing."He'sjoking,Maude!"

"No,heisn't,"Juddmurmureddryly.

Cashignoredbothofthem,wrappedupintheglowofnewgodfatherhood.

When they were finally alone, Judd sat beside the bed and held Christabel's hand tight in his. "Two
babies,"hesaid,stillshellshocked."Ican'tbelieveit.Youdidn'tbreatheaword.Maudedidn'tbreathe
aword!"

"Isworeherandtheobstetriciantosecrecy,"shesaidwithawearysmile."Youhadsomuchonyour
mind,darling,withtheClarktrialandthechangesinourlives.Besides,Iwasinperfecthealthand
therewasnodanger.I'dhavetoldyouiftherewas,really."

TheClarkcasehadmadenationalheadlines,especiallyafterClarkwasconvictedandsenttoprison
for life, without hope of parole, for murder. Judd and Christabel and Cash had all testified against
him.

Hesqueezedherfingersinhis."Okay."

"Howwasthefilmpremiere?"

Hechuckled."Thepremierewasn'tquiteasinterestingaswhathappenedafterward,"hemused."Tippy
andCashraisedeyebrows."

Herlastsecretfearoflosinghimtothemodelfloatedawaylikealoosenedballoon."Theydid?"she
askedhappily.

"Itseemsshetoldherlittlebrotherquitealotmoreabouthimthanshedidaboutme,andtheboysaid
so."Hegrinned."CashwasalmoststruttingwhenMaudephonedandinterruptedus."

"Wow."

Theamusementfaded."Apparentlytheboy'scommandantatmilitaryschoolwaswithCashinIraq.He
toldtheboythatCashwascapturedandtortured,andeveryothermemberofhisunitwaskilled."

Shewinced."Idon'timaginethat'stheonlysecrethe'scarryingabouthispast."

Henodded.Heturnedherhandinhisandlookedatit."Crissy,"hesaid,usinghernicknameforthe
firsttimeintheirlives,"hewasreallycrazyoveryou."

Herfingerscurledintohis."Itwouldn'thavemattered,becauseI'vebeeninlovewithyoualmostall
mylife."

Hischeekswentruddy.Hestudiedherfacehungrily."I'vebeeninlovewithyousincewemarried.But
you were so young, honey, and you knew nothing of men or the world outside the ranch. I was
afraid..."

She squeezed his hand. "You were afraid it would be like your father and mother. But, sweetheart,
your mother liked adventure and parties and excitement," she reminded him. "I love cattle and
ranching.NothingtheworldcouldoffermewouldmatchwhatIalreadyhavewithyou.Andnowour
babies.TheJapanesedealhasputusintoasix-figureincomebracket,theranchisprospering,we're
branching out into raising purebred Salers bulls, Nick is taking over as ranch manager and
improving our equipment and facilities...and you've been offered promotion to Lieutenant again!
How'sthatforayear?"

Hegrinned."It'sgreat,Iguess.ButIdon'twanttohavetoworkoutofSanAntonio,"headdedquietly.
Hegaveheralonglook."Whatdoyouthink?"

Shesmiledathim."Ithinkyoushoulddowhatyouwantto."

Hefrownedthoughtfully."Evenifitmeansstayingasergeant?"

"Evenifitmeansstayingasergeant,"sherepliedsoftly.

Hepursedhislips."There'sanotheralternative."

Shestilled."Yes?"

"ChetBlakewasofferedajoboverinElPaso.Hehasfam-ilythereandhereallywantstotakeit."He
liftedhiseyes."CashwouldbumpuptopolicechiefofJacobsville,whichwouldleavehisjobopen."

Herbreathcaught."You'rethinkingoftakingit!"

Henodded."It'salittlelessdemandingthanRangerwork,althoughIlovewhatIdo.ButI'dliketobe
homeallthetime,withyouandthebabies.Iknowmostoftheguysontheforce."Heshrugged."Cash
isgoingtobeourbabies'godfather,andI'mnotjealousofhimanymore.Well,notveryjealous,"he
amended."Whatdoyouthink?"headded.

Hereyessoftened."I'dgiveanythingtohaveyouclosebyallthetime,"shewhispered."ButIwould
neverhaveaskedyou...!"

He got up, bent and kissed her hungrily, loving the fierce clasp of her arms around his neck. She
kissed him back, just as hungrily, tears running down her cheeks. It was like a dream come true.
Jacobsville was a great place to be a policeman. It wasn't like being a Ranger and having to go all
overthestate,alloverthecountry,allovertheworldoncases.He'dstillhavethechallengeoflaw
enforcement work, but he'd be a little safer. That mattered now, that they had children, and his job
wouldbelargelyadministrative.

Theloudclearingofathroatinterruptedthefiercekiss.Theyliftedtheirheadsatthesametimeand
lookedtowardthedoor.

Anursewasstandingtherewithtwolittlebundles."Sorry,Mr.Dunn,butyou'reblockingthebabies'
supper,andthey'rehungry"

Hechuckled,standingup."Godforbid!"hesaiddryly,standingaside."Bringthemalong."

"Pity you can't help do it," Christabel teased as she sat up against the pillows and unfastened the
hospitalgown.

"I'mtooflat-chestedtobeofanyhelp,"hepointedoutwithagrin.

The nurse laughed as she handed Jessamina to Crissy and Jared to Judd. He cradled his son while
Christabel fed their daughter. The nurse left them alone with their family, smiling wistfully as she
wentoutandclosedthedoor.

"Twins,onthefirsttry.Iwonder,"Juddsaidthoughtfullyafteraminute,frowningashestudiedhis
youngwife.

"Wonderwhat,sweetheart?"sheasked,smiling.

"Ifitwastherednegligee,"herepliedwickedly.

Shelaughedhuskily.Shewasn'twearingitonChristmasEve,butshe'dgottenpregnantinJapan,and

shehadbeenwearingitthen."Maybeitwasgreentea,"shecounteredplayfully.

He looked down at his son with quiet, tender eyes. "Whatever it was, thank God," he breathed,
touchingthelittleboy'scheekwithalongfinger.

She seconded that silently, watching the expression that washed over his hard features with almost
painful delight. She'd never thought of Judd as a father. Suddenly, it was impossible to see him as
anythingelse.Hetooktoitlikeaducktowater.

Shewasthinkingbackoverherlife,fromthehorriblebeatingthathadbroughttheirmarriageabout,
throughthelongyearsofhopelesslonging,thedangeroftheClarkbrothers,thewonderofJudd's
ardoratChristmas,theanguishofthemonthsthatfollowed,thegunshotthatalmostendedherlife,the
Japanesetrip,thejealousyand,finally,themeltingtogetheroftheirlives.Thepainhadbeenalmost
unbearableattimes.Butasshelookedfromherchildrentoherhusbandandbackagain,itoccurredto
herthathappinesscameataprice.Forthosewhowerecourageousenoughtopayit,therewardswere
great.

"Youlookthoughtful,"hemurmured,smilingatherexpression.

She met his eyes with quiet wonder and sighed happily. "Yes. I was remembering something I read
once,aboutpeoplewholivequietlyintheshallowsandneverreallysavorlifebecausethey'reafraid
toriskthedepths.Orsomethinglikethat.Iwasthinkingthatwepayforwhatwegetinlife,oneway
oranother.Andthatthegreatestpleasurecomesonlyafterthegreatestpain."

Henoddedslowly."Iunderstand."

Herdarkeyessmiledintohis."Iwasthinking,"sheadded,"thateverythingI'veeverbeenthroughin
mylife,wasworthit."

Hisblackeyesburnedastheylookeddeepintohers."Yes.We'rerichinawaythathasnothingtodo
withmoney,aren'twe,baby?"

She grinned. The baby at her breast smoothed its tiny hand over the soft skin and she looked down
andtoucheditstinyheadlovingly."Richerthanpirates."

He burst out laughing. His son made a sound and he brought the tiny little boy up to his hard lips,
kissinghimtenderly.

Christabel laid her cheek against her daughter's head and closed her eyes. The joy she felt was too
greatforanywordstoexpress.Anywordsatall.

TableofContents

CHAPTERONE
CHAPTERTWO
CHAPTERTHREE
CHAPTERFOUR
CHAPTERFIVE
CHAPTERSIX
CHAPTERSEVEN
CHAPTEREIGHT
CHAPTERNINE
CHAPTERTEN
CHAPTERELEVEN
CHAPTERTWELVE
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN