Lizzyโs plan was to sneak inside the house, up the stairs
and into her room. She could already feel the cool water
from the shower, washing away the hot sex still lingering
on her body.
Her plan did not work.
She hadnโt even kicked her boots off in front of the hall
tree when her sister Allie shot out of the kitchen,
grabbed her by the hand and tugged her into the table,
where the man sheโd been in bed with not thirty minutes
ago gave her a sly wink. Oh my God, how could her motherโ
standing right thereโnot notice the sparks bouncing
around the room. She was sure Allieโs husband, Blake,
also at the table, was picking up on something.
โWhere have you been?โ Allie accused. Lizzy braced
herself. Allie never paused for breath when she got
worked up. And sure enough she started talking faster
than some auctioneers that Lizzy had heard.
โIโve called a dozen times and we were ready to start up
a search and rescue party to find you. Mama says youโve
been puttinโ in too many hours at the store. Youโve got
to get out of this depression, Lizzy. Mitch isnโt worth
it. Heโs a sorry son of a bitch, but donโt let him ruin
your life. Itโs been over six months since that bastard
left for Mexico. In fact, tomorrow is June first, and I
declare it the day that you are moving forward with your
life.โ Allie paused to suck in some air and looked around
at the other three people in the kitchen. โOkay, now that
sheโs here, get out the ice cream, Mama, so we can tell
yโall our news.โ
Lizzy pulled out a kitchen chair and melted into it.
Droplets of water still hung from Tobyโs hair. So heโd
had time for a shower before heโd been dragged across the
fence to Lizzy and her motherโs house. If she hadnโt had
to run by her feed store for a late delivery, she might
have already had time to clean up, too. But Fate had not
liked her in a very long time. She tried not to notice
the way those droplets ran down his neckโexactly where
her mouth had been less than an hour earlier. Or that
sexy white scar on his face where a bull gored himโher
fingers itched to touch it again like sheโd done so many
times.
He gave her a wink, and she could scarcely believe the
heat between them hadnโt set the wallpaper on fire. A
downright miracle.
Her mother, Katy, dipped ice cream into five bowls. These
days she was less stressed, now that Granny was in a care
facility in Wichita Falls that specialized in treatment
and care of folks with dementia and Alzheimerโs.
Allie, looked like she was about to explode with some
kind of fabulous news. Her husband, Blake OโDonnell, had
one of those smiles on his face that a dose of alum
couldnโt erase. And then there was Blakeโs brother, Toby,
leaning against the wall, his rock hard body sending
waves of desire shooting through her body like blasts of
lightning. It wasnโt fair that he could stand there all
calm and collected while butterflies fluttered around in
her stomach. Sweet Jesus! Why did he have to be right
there in the room with her so soon after theyโd gotten
all slick with sweat on that twin-sized bed in the back
room of her mamaโs convenience store?
Allie and Katy carried the ice cream to the table and as
luck would have it, Toby sat beside Lizzy around the
table made for four people. His thigh pressed against
hers and she had trouble concentrating on the ice cream,
the excitement in her sisterโs dark brown eyes, her
brother-in-lawโs grin or anything else.
โWe had the ultrasound done yesterday, and itโs a
girl...โ Allie reached for Blakeโs hand.
Katyโs spoon hit the table with a thud.
Toby jumped up and hugged his brother across the table.
Lizzy felt as if someone sucked all the oxygen from her
lungs and left her to smother to death in a grove of
mesquite trees. It was exactly the vision sheโd had for
herself before her fiancรฉ had run off with another woman.
© 2003-2026