The second book in the Calamity Janes series, 2001

Soul-deep weary, Karen walked into the kitchen at midnight, made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table to face the mail. She mentally weighed the usual stack of bills against the intriguing envelope with its fancy calligraphy.

Even if she hadn�t desperately needed a pick-me-up, she would have opted for setting the bills aside. There were always too many of them at the end of the month and not enough money in the bank. It seemed as if she and Caleb might never get their ranch in the black, might never be in a position to hire the extra help that would save them from doing all of the endless, backbreaking work themselves with only two seasonal men to pitch in.

As late as it was, she had just come in from the barn. Caleb was still out there, trying to save a sick calf. Always at the edge of bankruptcy, they couldn�t afford to lose a single animal. She had seen the stress in his face, heard it in the terse, angry words from a man who�d always been quietly thoughtful and even-tempered.

She pushed all of that aside as she opened the thick vellum envelope, and removed what turned out to be an invitation to her high school reunion in Winding River, Wyoming, a hundred miles away. Immediately the cares of the day slipped aside. She thought of her lifelong friends, the women who had called themselves the Calamity Janes, thanks to their penchant for heartbreak and mischief gone awry.

This was perfect. A few days with her best friends would give her marriage exactly the boost it needed. It would bring some fun back into their lives. Though Caleb was older and hadn�t gone to school with them, he had grown to enjoy their company as much as she did. And because he was the only husband who�d displayed staying power, they fussed over him in a way that both embarrassed and pleased him.

She was still thinking about catching up with Cassie, Gina, Lauren and Emma, when Caleb finally came in. She studied his face and tried to gauge his mood. Wordlessly he opened the refrigerator and took out a beer, slugging it back as if his throat were parched. Finally he glanced at her, then at the envelope she was holding.

�What�s that?�

�An invitation. My high school class is having its reunion in July.� She beamed at him. �Oh, Caleb, it�s going to be such fun. I�m sure Gina, Lauren and the others will come back. There are going to be all sorts of events, a picnic, a dance, plus the town�s annual fireworks on the Fourth.�

�And how much is all of this going to cost? An arm and a leg, I imagine.�

His tone dulled her enthusiasm. �Not so much. We can manage it.�

He gestured toward the stack of bills. �We can�t pay the electric bill. The feed and grain bill is two months overdue-and you want to go to a bunch of fool parties? And where exactly would we stay now that your parents have moved? You planning on driving a hundred miles each way every single day? Motels are expensive.�

�We need this,� she insisted stubbornly. �I�ll find us a place to stay.�

�We need to hang on to every single dollar we can get our hands on, or this time next year we�re going to be worrying about a place to live.�

It was a familiar refrain, and it was Caleb�s greatest fear. Karen knew that and she didn�t take it lightly. It wasn�t just a matter of holding on to the ranch he loved, the ranch that had been in his family for three generations. It wasn�t even a matter of pride. It was a matter of keeping the ranch out of the hands of the man he considered his family�s worst enemy.

Grady Blackhawk had been after the Hanson ranch for years, the entire time Karen had been with Caleb. She couldn�t recall a week that there hadn�t been some communication from him, some sense that he was circling like a vulture waiting for the ranch to collapse under Caleb�s ineptitude. She didn�t fully understand Grady�s motivation, because Caleb had flatly refused to discuss it. He�d just painted him as the devil incarnate and warned Karen time and again against him.

�Caleb, we�re not going to lose the ranch,� she said, clinging to her patience by a thread. �Not to Grady Blackhawk, not to anyone.�

�I wish to hell I were as sure of that as you are. You want to go to your reunion, go, but leave me out of it. I have more important things to do with my time-like keeping a roof over our heads.�

With that he had stormed out of the house, and she hadn�t seen him again until morning.

She let the subject of the reunion drop, and a few days later, looking sheepish, Caleb apologized and handed her a check to pay for all of the events.

�You�re right. We need this. We�ll see all of your friends, maybe dance a little,� he said, giving her a tired but suggestive wink that reminded her that they had fallen in love on a dance floor.

Karen pressed a kiss to his cheek. �Thank you. It�s going to be wonderful. You�ll see.�

Instead, making up for time lost at the reunion turned out to be more than Caleb�s heart could take. Only days after it was over, he collapsed.

She should have seen it coming, Karen berated herself en route to the hospital, should have known that no man could survive under so much self-imposed pressure.

Maybe if she hadn�t been caught up with all of the Calamity Janes, she would have. Instead, though, she had stolen every spare minute to spend time with her best friends, time away from the ranch she could ill afford.

But with Emma working as a hotshot attorney in Denver at the time, Lauren lighting up the silver screen in Hollywood, with Gina running her exclusive Italian restaurant in Manhattan, and even Cassie living a few hundred miles away, Karen was determined to take advantage of every single second they were home. Seeing them rejuvenated her.

She was in Denver with Cassie, awaiting the results of her mother�s breast cancer surgery, when the call came that Caleb was being taken to the hospital. A million and one thoughts raced through her mind on the flight to Laramie. Nothing her friends did or said could distract or reassure her. Guilt crowded in.

She had pressed Caleb to attend the reunion. She had left him alone to keep up with all of the ranch chores even after the events ended. It was little wonder that he had broken under the stress, and it was her fault. All of it. She would live with that forever.

But he would be all right, she told herself over and over. And she would make it up to him, work twice as hard from now on.

At the hospital, the doctor greeted her, his expression grim. �It was too late, Mrs. Hanson. There was nothing we could do.�

Karen stared at him, not understanding, not wanting to believe what he seemed to be saying. �Too late?� she whispered as the Calamity Janes moved in close to offer support. �He�s�� She couldn�t even say the word.

Neither could the doctor, it seemed. He nodded, his tone conveying what his words merely hinted. �Yes. I�m sorry. The heart attack was massive.�

Sorry, she thought wildly. There was plenty of regret to go around. She was sorry, too. She would spend a lifetime being sorry.

But being sorry wouldn�t bring Caleb back. It wouldn�t save the ranch from Grady Blackhawk. It was up to her to do that.

And she would, too, no matter what it took, no matter what sacrifices she had to make. After all, her husband had paid for that damnable ranch with his life.

The kitchen table was littered with travel brochures, all provided by Karen�s well-meaning best friends. She sat at the table with her cup of tea and a homemade cranberry scone baked just that morning and dropped off by Gina, and studied the pictures without touching them. She was almost afraid to pick up the brochures, afraid to admit just how tempted she was to toss aside all of her responsibilities and run away.

The Calamity Janes had known just how to get to her, selecting all the places she had talked about back in high school. London, of course. Always her first choice since so much of her favorite literature had been written there. And Italy because of the art in Florence, because of the history in Rome and the canals of Venice. Paris for the sidewalk bistros on shady streets and for the Louvre and Notre Dame. They had thrown in a cruise through the Greek isles and a relaxing resort in Hawaii for good measure.

Once the images would have stirred her imagination, the prospect of actually being able to choose one would have filled her with excitement, but today all she felt was sadness. Finally, after all these years, she could make her dream come true, but only because her husband was dead, only if she turned her back on everything that had mattered to him�to them.

Caleb was dead. The words still had the power to shock her, even now, six months after his funeral. How could a man not yet forty be dead? He had always appeared so healthy, so strong. Though he�d been ten years older, she had been drawn to him from the moment they met because of his vitality, his zest for living. Who would have guessed that his heart was weak�a heart that had been capable of such love, such tenderness?

Tears welled up, spilled down her cheeks, splattered on the glossy brochures for places she had put off seeing to marry the man of her dreams.

Not a day went by that Karen didn�t blame the ranch for killing him. That and her stubborn determination to take time off for her high school reunion. Six months hadn�t changed her mind about where the blame lay.

Nor had it dulled her grief. Her friends were worried about her, which explained the arrival this morning of all the brochures. They had remembered how she had once talked of leaving Wyoming behind, of becoming a flight attendant or a travel agent or a cruise director, anything that would allow her to see the world. They were using all of those old dreams in an effort to tempt her into taking a break.

A break, she thought derisively. Her so-called break for that reunion was the reason Caleb was dead. Running a ranch didn�t allow for breaks, not a ranch the size of hers anyway. It was a full-time, never-ending, backbreaking job, with often pitiful rewards.

Once she and Caleb had envisioned taking trips together, traveling to all the exciting, faraway places she had dreamed about before she�d met him and fallen in love. He had understood her dreams even if he hadn�t shared them. This ranch had been his only obsession.

There had been other dreams, of course, ones they had shared. They had dreamed of filling the house with children, but they�d put it off. Just until finances took a turn for the better, he�d promised her.

Now there would be no children, she thought bitterly. No vacations to exotic locales. Not with Caleb, anyway. They�d never gone farther away from home than Cheyenne, where they�d spent their three-day honeymoon.

The Calamity Janes had obviously anticipated her protests that there was no money for a frivolous vacation, no time to indulge a fantasy. Her friends had prepaid a trip to anywhere in the world she wanted to go. It was Lauren�s extravagant gift, most likely, Karen surmised. Lauren�s and Emma�s. Of Karen�s high school classmates, the actress and lawyer were the only ones with any cash to spare right now.

Cassie had recently married a successful technology whiz, but their road was still rocky as Cole struggled to accept the fact that Cassie had kept his son a secret from him for years. Cassie wouldn�t ask Cole for money, though Karen didn�t doubt he would have offered if he�d known about the plan. Cole had been a rock since Caleb�s death, pitching in to handle a hundred little details, things she would never have thought of. He�d wanted to do more, offered to send over extra help, but she had turned him down. Taking on the burden of running the ranch was her penance.

As for Gina, she had been in some sort of financial scrape with her New York restaurant that she flatly refused to discuss, but it was serious enough to have driven her out of New York and back to Winding River to stay. She spent her days in a frenzy of baking and her nights working in the local Italian restaurant where she�d first developed the desire to become a chef. There had been a handsome man hovering around ever since the reunion, but Gina steadfastly refused to introduce him or to explain his presence.

Karen loved them all for their support and their generosity. Her friends� hearts were in the right place, but she couldn�t see how she could go to Cheyenne for a day trip right now, much less on some dream vacation. The work on the ranch hadn�t died with her husband. Hank and Dooley were pitching in to take up the slack, but they were beginning to get nervous about how they�d be paid or whether the ranch would even survive. They were right to worry, too. Karen didn�t have any answers for them. She knew, though, that Dooley, who�d worked with the Hansons for three decades, had persuaded the younger, more impulsive Hank to give her time to figure things out.

It was January now. She could tell them to find other work and manage for a while, but when spring came, she would have to have help once more. Better to scrape by and re-hire these two, whose loyalty she was sure of, than risk finding no one she could trust come April.

She groaned even as the thought crossed her mind. She was beginning to think like Caleb, seeing betrayal and enemies around every corner. He had been totally paranoid about Grady Blackhawk�s designs on their ranch. It was true that Grady wanted it. He�d made no secret of the fact, especially since Caleb�s death, but it was unlikely that he�d try to get it by planting a spy on her payroll.

Apparently she needed this break more than she wanted to admit. She finally dared to reach for the brochure on London and studied the photos of Buckingham Palace, the Old Vic, Harrods, the cathedrals.

She tried to imagine what London would be like in winter, with snow dusting the streets. Currier and Ives-style images from her favorite authors came to mind. It would be magical. It would be everything she�d ever dreamed of.

It was impossible.

She sighed heavily and reluctantly put the brochure down again, just as someone knocked at the kitchen door.

When she opened it, her heart thumped unsteadily at the sight of Grady Blackhawk. He�d been at the funeral, too. And he�d called a half-dozen times in the weeks and months since. She�d tried her best to ignore him, but he�d clearly lost patience. Now here he was on her doorstep.

�Mrs. Hanson,� he said with a polite nod and a finger touched to the rim of his black Stetson.

She had the whimsical thought that he was deliberately dressing the part of the bad guy, all in black, but the idea fled at once. There was nothing the least bit whimsical about Grady. He was quiet and intense and mysterious.

The latter was a bit more of a problem than she�d anticipated when he first came to pay his respects after Caleb�s death. Karen had always liked unraveling puzzles, and Grady was the most complicated one she�d ever run across. Unfortunately, sifting through clues, ferreting out motives took time, time she didn�t dare spend with her husband�s longtime enemy.

She could just imagine the disapproval of Caleb�s parents, if they heard she was spending time with Grady Blackhawk. Word would reach them, too. She had no doubts about that. Most of the people in the area were far closer to the Hansons, who�d lived here for decades, than they were to Karen, who was still regarded as a newcomer even after ten years as Caleb�s wife. The phone lines between here and Tucson would be burning up as the gossip spread.

�I thought I had made it clear that I have nothing to say to you,� she told Grady stiffly, refusing to step aside to admit him. Better to allow the icy air into the house than this man who could disconcert her with a look.

This man, with his jet-black hair and fierce black eyes, was now her enemy, too. It was something she�d inherited, right along with a failing ranch.

She wished she understood why Grady was so desperate to get his hands on this particular ranch. He had land of his own in a neighboring county-plenty of it from what she�d heard. But there was something about Hanson land that obsessed him.

Over the years he-and his father before him-had done all he could to steal the Hanson land. Not that he wasn�t willing to pay. He was. But, bottom line, he wanted something that wasn�t rightfully his, and he intended to get it by fair means or foul.

According to Caleb, Grady had no scruples, just a single-minded determination. He�d tried to buy up their note at the bank, but fortunately, the bank president was an old family friend of Caleb�s father. He had seen the paperwork, foiled the attempt, then dutifully rushed to report everything to the Hansons. That much was fact.

In addition-and far more damning-Caleb had been all but certain Grady was behind a virus that had infected half their herd the previous year. He had also blamed Grady for a fire that had swept through pastureland the year before that, destroying feed and putting the entire herd at risk.

There had been no proof, of course, just suspicions, which Karen had never entirely bought. After all, Grady had been waiting in the wings, checkbook in hand, after each incident. Would he have been foolish enough to do that if he�d been behind the acts in the first place? Wouldn�t he know that he�d be the first person to fall under suspicion? Or hadn�t he cared, as long as he got his way?

�I think it would be in both our interests to talk,� he said, regarding her with the intense gaze that always disquieted her.

�I doubt that.�

He ignored her words and her pointed refusal to back away from the door. �I�ve made no secret over the years of the fact that I want this land.�

�That�s true enough.� She regarded him curiously. �Why this land? What is it about this particular ranch that made your father and now you hound the Hansons for years?�

�If you�ll allow me to come inside, I�ll explain. Perhaps then you won�t be so determined to fight me on this.�

Karen�s sense of fair play and curiosity warred with her ingrained animosity. Curiosity won. She stepped aside and let him enter. He removed his hat and hung it on a peg, then took a seat at the table. She took comfort in the fact that he didn�t remove his coat. He clearly wouldn�t be staying long.

His intense gaze swept the room, as if taking stock, then landed on the scattered brochures.

�Going somewhere?� he asked, studying her with surprise. �I didn�t think you had the money to be taking off for Europe.�

�I don�t,� she said tightly, wondering how he knew so much about her finances. Then again, just about everyone knew that she and Caleb had been struggling. �My friends do. They�re encouraging me to take a vacation.�

�Are you considering it?�

�Not with you circling around waiting for me to make a misstep that will cost me the ranch.�

He winced at that. �I know how your husband felt about me, but I�m not your enemy, Mrs. Hanson. I�m trying to make a fair deal. You have something I want. I have the cash to make your life a whole lot easier. It�s as simple as that.�

�There is nothing simple about this, Mr. Blackhawk. My husband loved this ranch. I don�t intend to lose it, especially not to the man he considered to be little better than a conniving thief.�

�A harsh assessment of a man you don�t know,� he said mildly.

�It was his assessment, not mine. Caleb was not prone to making quick judgments. If he distrusted you, he had his reasons.�

�Which you intend to accept blindly?�

It was her turn to wince. Loyalty was one thing, but her sense of fair play balked at blindly accepting anything.

�Persuade me otherwise,� she challenged. �Convince me you had nothing to do with the attempts to destroy our herd, that your intentions were honorable when you tried to buy up the note on the land.�

He didn�t seem surprised by the accusations. He merely asked, �And then you�ll sell?�

�I didn�t say that, but I will stop labeling you as a thief if you don�t deserve it.�

He grinned at that, and it changed him from somber menace to charming rogue in a heartbeat. Karen nearly gasped at the transformation, but she wouldn�t allow herself to fall prey to it. He hadn�t proved anything yet. She doubted he could.

�If I tell you that none of that is true, not even the part about the mortgage, would you believe me?� Grady asked.

�No.�

�What would it take?�

�Find the person responsible.�

He nodded. �Maybe I will. In the meantime, I�m going to tell you a story,� he said in a low, easy, seductive tone.

His voice washed over Karen, lulling her as if it were the start of a bedtime story. She was tired enough to fall asleep listening to it, but she sat up rigidly, determined not to display any sign of weakness in front of this man.

�Generations ago this land belonged to my ancestors,� Grady began. �It was stolen from them.�

�Not by me,� she said heatedly, responding not just to the accusation but to the fact that she�d dared to let down her guard for even a split second. �Nor my husband.�

He seemed amused by her quick retort. �Did I say it had been? No, this was years and years ago, before your time or mine. It was taken by the government, turned over to homesteaders. White homesteaders,� he said pointedly. �My ancestors were driven onto reservations, while people like the Hansons took over their land.�

Karen was aware that much had been done to the Native Americans that was both heartless and wrong. She sympathized with Grady Blackhawk�s desire to right an old wrong, but she and Caleb-or, for that matter, Caleb�s parents and grandparents-weren�t the ones to blame. They had bought the land from others, who, in turn, had simply taken advantage of a federal policy.

�You�re asking me to make amends for something I had no part in,� she told him.

�It�s not a matter of paying an old debt that isn�t yours. It�s a matter of doing what�s right because you�re in a position to do so. And I certainly don�t expect you just to give the land to me because I say it rightfully belongs to my family. I�ll pay you a fair price for it, same as anyone else would. I guarantee it will be far more than what was paid for it all those years ago.�

Before she could stop him, he named an amount that stunned her. It would be enough to pay off all their debts and leave plenty for her to start life over again back in Winding River, where she�d be with friends. It was tempting, more tempting than she�d imagined. Only an image of Caleb�s dismay steadied her resolve. Keeping this ranch was the debt she owed to him. She could never turn her back on that.

�I�m not interested in selling,� she said with finality.

�Not to me or not to anyone?� Grady asked with an edge to his voice.

�It hardly matters, does it? I won�t sell this ranch.�

�Because you love it so much?� he asked with a note of total disbelief in his voice.

�Because I can�t,� she responded quietly.

He seemed startled by the response. �It�s not yours to sell?�

�Technically, yes. But I owe it to my husband to stay here, to do what he would have done, if he hadn�t died so prematurely. This ranch will stay in Hanson hands as long as I have any control over it.�

For a moment, he looked taken aback, but not for long. His gaze locked with hers, he said, �I�ll keep coming back, Mrs. Hanson, again and again, until you change your mind or until circumstances force your hand. This place is wearing you down. I can see it.� He gestured toward the brochures. �Obviously so can your friends. Make no mistake, I�ll own the land�no doubt before the year is out.�

His arrogant confidence stirred her temper. �Only if hell freezes over,� she said, snatching the back door open and allowing a blast of wintry air into the room as she waited pointedly for him to take the hint and leave.

His gaze never wavered as he plucked his hat off the hook and moved past her. He paused just outside and a smile tugged at his lips. �Keep a close eye on the weather, Mrs. Hanson. Anything�s possible.�

Grady hadn�t expected Karen Hanson to be as stubborn or as foolish as her husband. After the funeral he�d made a few calls to test the waters, but he had deliberately waited six months before going to see her. He�d wanted to give her time to see just how difficult her life was going to be. He�d guessed that by now she would be eager to get rid of a ranch that was clearly draining whatever reserves of cash she had. Obviously he�d misjudged her. He wouldn�t make that mistake again.

More disconcerting than the discovery that she wasn�t going to be a pushover was the realization that she got to him. Those big blue eyes of hers had been swimming with tears when she�d opened the door. Her flushed cheeks had been streaked with them. Her lips had looked soft�and disturbingly kissable. He�d had an almost irresistible urge to gather her in his arms and offer comfort. For a hard man with little sympathy for anyone, it had been an uncharacteristic reaction that made him uneasy.

He grinned as he imagined her reaction to that. If he�d even tried to touch her, no matter how innocently, she probably would have grabbed an umbrella from the stand by the door and clobbered him with it.

Even so, he hadn�t been able to shake that image of lost vulnerability. A lot of women who worked ranches side by side with their husbands grew hard, their muscles well formed, their skin burnished bronze by the sun. By contrast, Karen Hanson�s body was soft and feminine, her skin as pale as milk. The thought of that changing because she had to struggle to keep her ranch afloat bothered him for reasons that went beyond her refusal to give in and sell out to him.

He couldn�t help wondering what drove a woman like Karen Hanson. Well�loyalty to her husband, for one thing. There was no question about that. Pride. Stubbornness. He sighed. He was back to that again. It was hard to fight with someone who�d dug in her heels in defiance of logic.

But what did she long for beyond the travel that those brochures implied? In his experience most women wanted love, a family, the things he hadn�t had time for in his own life. Some wanted a meal ticket. Some had a mile-wide independent streak, needing little more than the occasional companionship of a man to make them content. Those were the ones who appealed to Grady. He had so many family obligations to the past, he didn�t have time to think about the future.

He tried to fit Karen Hanson into a tidy little niche, but she wouldn�t stay put. She was independent, no doubt about it, but her determination to fight her husband�s old battles said a lot about how she felt about family. Ironically, that very loyalty, every bit as strong as his own commitment to his ancestors, was likely to stand in his way.

He had derided himself on the trip home for trying to analyze the woman based on a half-hour meeting that had been rife with tension. He knew better. His grandfather-the single greatest influence in his life-believed in the necessity for walking a mile in another man�s moccasins before reaching conclusions about the choices they made. Thomas Blackhawk had tried to instill that same wisdom in Grady.

Unfortunately, Grady wasn�t usually capable of the patience required. He tended to make snap judgments. He asked straight questions, liked straight answers.

�And look where that got you today,� he muttered wryly. His grandfather would have been appalled, especially by the unveiled threat he had uttered on his way out the door.

He spent the evening taking stock, both of his own behavior and Karen Hanson�s responses to it. Unfortunately, there was little definitive information to go on. She was beautiful, stubborn, hardworking and loyal. He�d gotten that, but not much more, certainly nothing about the best way to handle her.

There was only one way to remedy that. He needed to spend more time with her. He had to discover what made the woman tick, what her hopes and dreams were now that her husband was gone.

And how he could use it to his own advantage, he reminded himself sharply, when the image of her in his bed stole over him. He was going to have to keep that image at bay, he warned himself.

He�d spent his whole life working toward a single goal-getting that land back for his family. His great-grandfather had instilled a desire for retribution in his son, Grady�s grandfather. The mission had been passed down to the next generation, and finally to Grady himself.

That land, part of his Native American heritage, part of a time when his ancestors had had no rights at all, was Blackhawk land. He couldn�t let anything-not even a woman as desirable as Karen Hanson-distract him from getting it back while his grandfather was still alive to savor the triumph.

He chuckled dryly as he imagined how she was going to react to any attempt on his part to get to know her. She�d probably shoot him on sight if he showed up at the ranch again, especially if she guessed that his mission was to find her weaknesses and exploit them.

For once he was going to have to follow his grandfather�s advice and rely on patience and maybe a little subterfuge to get what he wanted. There were a lot of chores around that ranch that needed doing. Karen struck him as a pragmatic woman. If he simply appeared one day and went to work, steering clear of her for the most part, would she run him off or accept the help because she knew she needed it? He was counting on the latter. Maybe over time, she would get used to his presence, come to accept it and allow him a little insight into her soul.

Grady lifted his beer in a silent toast to the ingenuity of his plan. By this time tomorrow he intended to have taken his first steps in Karen Hanson�s shoes.

Of course, he admitted ruefully, it remained to be seen if he�d live to tell about it.

Without even setting foot out of bed in the morning, Karen knew she was going to get up on the wrong side of it. Thanks to Emma, she had spent the whole night trying unsuccessfully to chase Grady Blackhawk out of her dreams. She�d awakened hot and restless, amid a tangle of sheets. She�d been feeling guilty to boot, all over sins her subconscious had committed in her sleep.

�I can�t be blamed for that,� she muttered as she shivered in the icy air and hastily pulled on jeans and an old flannel shirt of Caleb�s. She hugged the shirt tighter around herself as a reminder of the man who�d really counted for something in her life.

She�d been doing that a lot lately, wearing shirts left hanging in Caleb�s closet. Not all of them still held his scent, but the feel of the soft, faded flannel comforted her. It reminded her of evenings spent snuggled in his lap in front of a fire. It was a secret she�d shared with no one, fearful that her friends would chastise her for not moving on, for not letting go. She knew she had to, and she would when the time was right.

Just not yet, she thought with a sigh.

Once she�d tugged on thick socks and her boots, she went downstairs and turned up the thermostat to take the chill out of the air while she made a pot of coffee. To save on fuel costs, she would turn it back down again when she went outside to do the chores. Maybe it would only save pennies, but pennies counted these days.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, then took a sip. She cupped the mug in her hands to savor the warmth, then gazed out the window over the sink, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunrise, rather than the more typical gray winter mornings they�d been having lately.

Instead, what she saw was Grady, unloading things from the back of his truck, looking perfectly at home. The sight of the man, after all those disturbing dreams, struck Karen as an omen. And not for anything good, either. No, indeed. His arrival definitely meant trouble. In fact, it looked almost as if he�d come to stay, as if he�d decided to claim this place whether she agreed to it or not.

She snatched a heavy jacket off the hook by the door and stormed outside, determined to put a stop to whatever he was up to. She was so infuriated by his presumption that he could just waltz in here and take over, she was surprised steam didn�t rise from her as she crossed the yard.

�Why are you here again?� she demanded, her tone deliberately unfriendly. The time for politeness and feigned hospitality was past. �I thought I�d made myself clear yesterday. You�re not welcome.�

He barely stopped what he was doing long enough to glance at her. His gaze skimmed her over from head to toe, his lips curved into the beginnings of a smile, then his attention went right back to a stack of lumber he was pulling from the back of the fancy new four-by-four.

That truck, parked next to her dilapidated pickup, which was in serious need of a paint job and a tune-up, grated on her nerves almost as much as his attitude. The man seemed to be mocking her in every way he knew.

�I asked you a question,� she snapped.

�I didn�t mean to disturb you,� he said without any real hint of regret. �Figured you�d be out checking on your stock by now. Saw a couple of fence posts down on my way in. I can get to those tomorrow.�

She bristled at the thinly veiled criticism, as well as the suggestion that he�d be back again. In fact, it sounded suspiciously as if he intended to pretty much take over.

�The hands will be fixing the fence today,� she said, wanting him to believe that she had all the help she required. �There�s no need for you to trouble yourself.�

He grinned. �It�s no trouble. In fact, I have some spare time. I thought I�d help out with a few things around here,� he said mildly. �I noticed your barn could use a little work.�

In her opinion, he noticed too blasted much. It was annoying. �My barn is my problem. I don�t want you anywhere near it.�

�The work needs doing, right?�

�Yes, but-�

�And I have the time.�

�I don�t want you here.�

�Never throw a friendly offer back in a man�s face. He might think you don�t appreciate a neighborly gesture.�

Karen knew there was nothing friendly about Grady�s intentions. He was up to something. She could see it in his eyes. And it wasn�t as if he lived right down the road. He lived in the next county, too far away for there to be anything the least bit neighborly about this gesture.

Before she could respond to his taunt, he�d turned his back on her and headed for the barn, where paint she hadn�t bought and tools she�d never seen before waited. He stripped off his jacket as if the temperature were seventy, instead of thirty-seven, and went to work, leaving her to struggle with her indignation and her desire to touch those broad shoulders he�d put on display in her side yard. His flannel shirt was stretched taut over well-developed muscles, not hanging as Caleb�s was on her.

�I can�t afford to pay for all of this,� she hollered after him.

He heaved what sounded like a resigned sigh and faced her. �Did I ask for money?�

�No, but I feel obligated to pay for any fixing up that goes on around here.�

�Then you�ll pay me something when you have it,� he said as if it was of no concern to him when-or even if-she did. �This barn can�t take another winter in the state it�s in. It�ll cost you a lot more to replace it if it falls apart than it will if I take care of a few simple repairs now.�

His gaze locked with hers. �You know I�m right, Karen.�

Hearing him say her name startled her. The day before and in their one prior meeting, he�d been careful to be formally polite, referring to her as �Mrs. Hanson� when he used any name at all. Today, using her first name, he made it sound as if he�d forgotten all about her relationship with Caleb, as if they were about to become friends. She shuddered at the prospect. She didn�t need a friend who made her feel all quivery inside, a man who�d already stated quite clearly that he wanted things from her that she didn�t intend to give. Sure, it was land he was after, not her body, but her erratically beating pulse didn�t seem to know the difference.

�What I know is that you are presuming to intrude in my life, to take over and do things I haven�t asked you to do. Why? So I�ll be in your debt?�

�It�s a gesture, nothing more,� he insisted. �I just want you to see that I�m not the bad guy your husband made me out to be.�

�If you�re such a nice guy, then why won�t you listen when I tell you that I don�t want you here?�

�Because you don�t really mean it. That�s just your pride talking.�

She scowled, because he was at least partially right. Her pride-along with some very sensible suspicions about Grady�s motives-was forcing her to look a much-needed gift horse in the mouth.

�Oh, forget it,� she mumbled. She clearly wasn�t going to get rid of him, so she might as well let him do whatever he intended to do and get it over with. She�d just ignore him, pretend he wasn�t there. She certainly had plenty of her own chores to do.

She stalked past him into the barn, fed and watered the horses, mucked out stalls, then saddled up Ginger, the horse she�d owned since she was a teenager.

�We�re getting out of here, girl.�

�Running away?� Grady inquired from just behind her, amusement threading through his voice.

�No, I�m going out to see if Dooley and Hank need any help.�

�Lucky Dooley and Hank.�

She frowned at the teasing. �What is that supposed to mean?�

�Just that I�d welcome your help, if you were to offer.�

�This is your project, Mr. Blackhawk. You�ll have to finish it on your own. If there�s something you can�t cope with, you can always leave.�

His gaze locked with hers. �It�s not a matter of coping. I�d just be glad of the company.�

Goose bumps that had nothing to do with the chilly air rose on her skin. She turned away and concentrated on tightening the cinch on Ginger�s saddle.

�I seem to make you nervous, Karen. Why is that?�

She frowned as she faced him. �You don�t make me nervous, Mr. Blackhawk. You make me mad.�

He chuckled at that.

�You find that amusing?� she asked indignantly.

His gaze settled on her mouth. �No,� he said softly. �I find it promising. A woman with a temper is always more fascinating than one who�s docile.�

�I�m not doing any of this to provide you with entertainment,� she snapped, trying not to acknowledge that his words sent an unaccustomed thrill shivering down her spine and set her pulse to racing.

�I know,� he said, his grin spreading. �That�s what makes it so enjoyable.�

Karen bit back a retort that would only have escalated the ridiculous debate and mounted Ginger. Stepping back, Grady touched a finger to the brim of his hat in a polite salute.

�Enjoy your ride.�

�I intend to,� she lied. She doubted she would enjoy anything as long as this impossible man was underfoot.

An hour later, though, after riding hard, then meeting up with Hank and Dooley to check their progress on the fence repairs, she was feeling more at ease. She expected that to change the minute she reached the barn, but to her surprise Grady was nowhere in sight. His truck was gone, too. The sigh that eased through her was tinged with something she couldn�t identify. Surely not regret, she thought with exasperation. No, it was relief, nothing more.

Unfortunately, though, her relief didn�t last long. The evidence of Grady�s presence and of his anticipated return was everywhere. The tools, paint cans and lumber were right where he�d left them. The ladder was still propped against the side of the barn, and the paint had been scraped only from the highest boards, with plenty left untouched.

She had barely cooled Ginger down and started for the house when his truck appeared in the distance, an unmistakable splash of red against the dull winter landscape. Karen hurried inside to avoid another pointless confrontation.

But as the afternoon wore on and her gaze kept straying to the man who was diligently and methodically stripping the old paint off her barn, she sighed and accepted the fact that he wasn�t going to go away. She had to find some way to make peace with him.

In her experience, home-baked cookies were generally an excellent peace offering. With nobody around to appreciate the results, she hadn�t had the urge to bake for some time now. Still, as a gesture of loyalty to her late husband, she made a deliberate choice to bake oatmeal-raisin cookies, her father�s favorites, rather than the chocolate chip that Caleb had loved.

When the first batch was still warm from the oven, she put some of the cookies on a plate, poured a mug of coffee and carried it all across the yard. As she walked toward Grady, she could feel his speculative gaze burning into her.

The gesture had been a mistake, she concluded as she met his eyes. He was going to make too much of it, twist it somehow and use it as an opening. Impatient with herself for allowing room for him to jump to a conclusion that a truce was in the offing, she plunked coffee and plate down ungraciously and scurried back to the house.

She was all too aware that Grady�s intent gaze followed her every step.

�You are such a ninny, Karen Hanson,� she chided herself as she slammed the door behind her. �Taking the man a few cookies was polite. It wasn�t an overture that he could misinterpret.�

But despite the reassuring words, she was very much afraid that he had. And who knew where that would lead?

Karen woke before dawn, did the necessary chores, left a note in the barn for Pete and Dooley and hightailed it away from the ranch. She headed straight for Winding River, though she didn�t have a specific destination in mind.

Okay, so what if she was running away? She had a right to, didn�t she? Her home wasn�t her own anymore, not with Grady evidently intending to pop up like a stubborn weed every time she turned around.

Sitting across the kitchen table from him the night before had rattled her more than she liked. Other than inflicting his presence on her in the sneakiest way possible, he hadn�t been the least bit pushy. The subject of the ranch had hardly arisen at all.

Instead, he had been attentive and lighthearted. The conversation had been intelligent. All in all, he had been very good company. He�d flattered her some, reminding her that it was nice to receive a compliment from a man every now and again.

Just not from this man, she scolded herself. Nothing out of Grady�s mouth could be trusted. It was all a means to an end, and that end was taking the Hanson ranch away from her, whether he actually mentioned his desire to buy the place or not.

Funny, that was how she thought of the ranch, not so much as her own but as still belonging to the Hansons, with her merely its guardian. These days the duty was weighing heavily on her shoulders.

A pale, shimmery sun was trying to sneak over the horizon as she drove onto Main Street in Winding River and headed straight for Stella�s. Not only would the coffee be hot, but Cassie was likely to be working. Cole had chafed at her decision to stay on after the wedding, but Cassie had been insistent. In Karen�s opinion, even now, with things between Cassie and Cole improving and Jake thrilled to be living with his long-lost dad, her old friend didn�t trust that the marriage was going to last. Cassie wanted the security of her own money and a familiar job. Since Cole worked at home, he was there when nine-year-old Jake got home each day, but even if he hadn�t been, Cassie would have found a way to remain independent.

�My gracious, you must have been up with the birds,� Stella greeted her when Karen walked through the door.

�Before most of them,� Karen said.

�Something on your mind?� the woman asked as she poured coffee and set the cup in front of her. �Won�t be anybody else in here for a few minutes yet. I could listen.�

Karen hesitated, then nodded. �If you wouldn�t mind.�

Stella sat down across from her. She had known all five of the Calamity Janes since they were in grade school, which was when she�d first opened the restaurant. With her ready smile, huge heart and nonjudgmental demeanor, Stella had been mother and friend and mentor to all of them at one time or another. She was playing the same role for another generation now.

�Okay, what is it?� Stella probed. �You still grieving over Caleb?�

�Yes, of course,� Karen said a little too hastily, as if she had something to prove. �He�s only been gone a little over half a year.�

Stella�s gaze narrowed. �The way you said that, all defensive when I just asked a simple question�it�s another man, isn�t it? You�re attracted to someone and you�re feeling guilty?�

�No,� Karen denied heatedly, then flinched under Stella�s steady gaze. �Okay, maybe. It�s just that there�s this man who wants the ranch. He�s been pestering me.�

�Grady Blackhawk,� Stella said at once. �I�ve heard all about it.�

�From Cassie, I imagine.�

�From her and from Grady himself. He comes in here from time to time.�

Karen thought of their conversation the night before. �For the meat loaf?�

Stella grinned. �That man does love my meat loaf. Of course, he�s also partial to chicken-fried steak and pot roast. Any man who drives as far as he does for my food is either close to starving or he genuinely likes it.�

�You sound as if you approve of him.�

�I do,� Stella said, regarding Karen closely. �Why does that surprise you?� She held up a hand. �Never mind. I know. It�s because there was bad blood between him and Caleb.�

�Can you think of a better reason?�

�Sure. One that you came up with on your own after giving the man a chance.� She studied Karen gravely. �I think maybe that�s what�s bothering you. You�re kind by nature. You give most people a fair chance to prove themselves. A second chance when it�s called for. You�re not doing that with Grady, and it doesn�t sit well with you.�

�Maybe that�s right,� Karen admitted. It was true that she liked to form her own opinions about people. And she�d never taken the view that a husband and wife had to have the exact same friends-so why was she so determined to make Caleb�s enemy into her own?

Because Caleb was dead, of course. Who would stand up to Grady if she didn�t do it? And it wasn�t about personalities, anyway. It was about the ranch.

�Are you going to sell the ranch to Grady?� Stella asked, getting to the point.

�No,� Karen said.

�Then what�s the problem? Sounds to me as if your decision is made and it�s final.�

�He�� She regarded Stella with the helpless feeling of a teenager admitting to a crush. After a minute, she gathered her courage and said it. �Grady bothers me.� It felt surprisingly good to get the words out, words she hadn�t been able to manage to her oldest friends, even when they�d given her ample opportunity to say them.

A grin tugged at Stella�s lips. She didn�t look the least bit shocked. �Is that so? Now, if you ask me, you�ve just admitted to being a full-fledged, red-blooded female. That man is something to look at. Ain�t a woman living who would deny feeling her senses go into overdrive when he walks into a room.�

�Really?� Karen asked hopefully. �Then I�m not being disloyal to Caleb�s memory?�

�Sweetie, I would tell you the same thing if Caleb were still alive and sitting right here across from you. There�s not a thing wrong with looking at a fine specimen of a man. Now doing something about it is a whole other story.� Her gaze narrowed. �You thinking of getting involved with Grady? Is that the way things are moving?�

�Absolutely not,� Karen said fiercely. She had never allowed her thoughts to stray beyond admitting to an attraction. And she wouldn�t permit herself to go any further.

Stella chuckled. �Then you might want to temper that protest just a little. Sounds a little too emphatic, if you know what I mean.�

Unfortunately, Karen knew exactly what she meant. �I�m in trouble, aren�t I?�

�Not yet, but you could be looking at it,� the older woman said. She reached across the table and patted Karen�s hand. �And to tell the truth, I don�t think that would be such a bad thing. There�s no set timetable for grieving, not like in the old days, when people were expected to put everything on hold for a full year of mourning. Life goes on, Karen. It�s meant for living. Caleb wouldn�t begrudge you happiness. Just be sure the timing is right for you, not Grady.�

�It�s wrong,� she said, as much to herself as to Stella. �Caleb hated him.�

Stella gave her a serious look. �Meaning no disrespect to your husband-he was a good boy and a fine man-but he held on to grudges that weren�t his. Don�t you do the same.�

Before Karen could ask what Stella had meant by grudges that weren�t Caleb�s, the door opened and the first rush of morning customers came in, bringing cold air and shouted pleas for hot coffee with them.

�Just think about what I�ve said,� Stella said as she stood up. �I�ll bring you your breakfast in a minute. Let me get these heathens settled down first.�

�I haven�t ordered,� Karen pointed out.

�No need. You have the same thing every time, the number three with the egg scrambled.�

As Stella walked away, Karen thought about that, thought about everything going on in her life. �I�m in a rut,� she muttered, just as Cassie slid into the booth opposite her.

�Talking to yourself is not a good sign,� she advised Karen. �I only have a second before it gets crazy in here. Are you okay? Need somebody to talk to?�

�I did, but Stella filled in.�

Cassie grinned. �She always has. Now sit tight. I imagine Emma will be in shortly to keep you company. Of course, Ford may be right behind her. The man�s been like her shadow lately. She still says it�s wearing on her nerves, but she hasn�t chased him off yet. What about you? Did you chase Grady Blackhawk off permanently the other day?�

�Afraid not,� Karen admitted ruefully. �In fact, that�s why I�m here. He was at the ranch all day yesterday and said he�d be back today.�

Cassie�s expression turned indignant. �All day? What is wrong with that man? He wasn�t pressuring you again, was he? Maybe Emma was right about getting a restraining order.�

�No, he wasn�t pressuring me, not the way you mean. In fact, just the opposite. He showed up and went straight to work without a word to me. When I caught sight of him, he was stripping the paint off the barn.�

Cassie looked as stunned as Karen had felt when she�d first seen him outside. �What? Why would he do a thing like that?�

�Your guess is as good as mine,� she said wearily. �He seems to have a list of projects he intends to help me with. Did I ask for that help? No. Do I want it? No. Does he listen to a word I say? No.�

Her friend chuckled. �Interesting. A man who can�t take no for an answer. I have one at home just like that.�

�Don�t even go there,� Karen said.

Before the morning was out, she had advice from Emma and Gina and Lauren, all of whom had popped in and out of Stella�s just long enough to grab some food before getting on with their days. Unfortunately, the only way Karen could get on with her day or her life would be to go home�where Grady would be waiting.

Since she was not prepared to deal with the man-or her own tangled emotions-again so soon, she headed for Laramie instead. Maybe a movie and some wistful window-shopping-the only kind of shopping she could afford right now-would get her mind off him. At the very least, it would mean she could delay dealing with Grady until tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the lead in the movie she chose looked a lot like Grady. And the actor who resembled her sexy nemesis was the romantic hero, not the villain. It seemed that everything was conspiring to change her opinion of Grady, which meant she was just going to have to cling more tightly to all the warnings Caleb had uttered over the years. Maybe, if she repeated them like a mantra, this uneasy weakening of her resolve would end, and she could go on with her life as before.

True, these days everything seemed a bit rocky and difficult, but she�d take that anytime over dealing with Grady and the unlikely, inappropriate feelings he�d begun to stir in her.

What had she done? Karen rested her head on her arms and groaned as she considered Grady�s trap and the way she�d neatly stepped into it with virtually no hesitation at all. She had invited the enemy into the camp and promised to break bread with him. She had to be out of her mind.

But somehow, in the quiet stillness of the night, she hadn�t been able to resist what he was offering-a chance to end this battle once and for all.

More, it was a chance to unravel a puzzle that was increasingly complex. Why she cared so much about that didn�t bear thinking about. She feared it went beyond fair play, beyond curiosity. In fact, she had a terrible sense that it had to do with a yearning that had started in the pit of her stomach and hadn�t let up since the day he�d appeared in her kitchen.

It could be as simple as a yearning for companionship, something she�d missed desperately in the weeks and months since Caleb�s death. A worrisome voice in the back of her mind told her it was something more, something specific to Grady, the allure of the forbidden.

She hadn�t been the rule-breaker all those years ago. That had been Cassie. But, oh, how Karen had longed to be just like her, to shake things up, defy convention. Spending time with Grady would certainly qualify. There would be talk. Her in-laws were likely to be outraged. Deep down, even she disapproved of the choice she had made.

But it was done now. She couldn�t go back on her word. It was only a few meals, she reminded herself. How difficult could that be? How much trouble could she get into by spending an occasional hour in Grady�s company?

Karen snapped awake in the morning to the scent of coffee brewing.

Caleb, she thought for a heartbeat, before she remembered and her mood shattered.

No, not her husband, but his worst enemy, she realized, sinking back against the pillows and drawing the covers up. The gesture was partly because it was cold, but also a halfhearted attempt to hide, to pretend that just outside her door nothing was different. Burrowing under the covers had been her way of trying to escape notice since childhood, when she hadn�t wanted to leave the warmth and safety of home to go to school.

Of course, that had all changed once she had had the Calamity Janes in her life. From then on there had been no hiding. She had been anxious to get to school each morning to see what adventure Cassie had dreamed up overnight, or what treat Gina had baked in her ongoing experiments with recipes.

But that was then. Things were a whole lot more complicated in her life now. She had plenty of reasons to hide, and the most disturbing one was currently in her kitchen.

She snuggled under the quilt her mother had made for her as a wedding present and tried to imagine what it must be like outside this morning. The sun was already up, its brilliance pouring through the windows, casting fingers of warmth and light across the room. The wind had died down. In fact, it was perfectly still, as if the snow were absorbing sound.

When the scent of coffee was joined by that of bacon sizzling, Karen could no longer resist. She couldn�t think of the last time someone had had breakfast on the table for her. That had always been her task, while Caleb was out tending to the animals. This time of year she had made oatmeal with raisins and warm milk to go along with the eggs and bacon Caleb had insisted on.

She pulled on thermal underwear and jeans, then deliberately chose another of Caleb�s flannel shirts.

After she�d brushed her teeth, washed her face and combed her hair, she caught sight of a seldom-used bottle of perfume on the counter. What harm could there be in a little spritz? It wasn�t vanity, she assured herself. Or an attempt to be alluring for Grady. It was just a little scent of lilacs to remind her of spring.

She added heavy socks, then did a haphazard job of making her bed before bracing herself and heading downstairs to find her boots�and whatever else awaited.

As she approached the kitchen, she felt amazingly ill at ease, as uncertain as if the night had been far more intimate and this was the uncomfortable morning after. In some ways it was worse, because the desire had been there, shimmering between them, but they had carefully ignored it.

Hovering just outside the kitchen door, her boots in hand, she watched Grady at work at the stove, his movements efficient and confident. It was a revelation to her after a father and a husband who�d never shared in household chores. Seeing Grady deftly flip a pancake only added to his masculinity. It certainly didn�t diminish it as her father and Caleb believed it might if they lowered themselves to help in the kitchen.

�You might as well come on in,� Grady said without turning around, amusement threading through his voice.

�Do you have eyes in the back of your head?� she grumbled, stepping into the kitchen, dropping her boots onto the floor and reaching for a mug. �I know you didn�t hear me. The floor didn�t creak once.�

�Nope. I smelled the scent of lilacs. Given the time of year and the weather, it had to be you.�

He turned, coffeepot in hand, to fill her cup. His warm gaze rested on her in a way that left her feeling oddly breathless. He was so at home in her kitchen, so at ease, for an instant she almost felt as if this were his house and she was the guest.

�Did you sleep well?� he asked.

Karen smiled at the question.

�You find that amusing?�

She nodded. �I was just thinking that you look as if you�ve made yourself at home. Now you�re inquiring about my night as a good host would.�

He grinned. �I notice you�re not inquiring about mine, so I�ll tell you. I slept very well. Had some fascinating dreams, too.�

Her breath snagged. �Oh?�

�Shall I tell you about them?� he inquired, a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

�Why don�t we leave them to my imagination,� she said.

He shrugged. �It�s up to you, but they certainly kept me warm.�

�Grady!�

He chuckled. �Okay, I won�t tease. How many pancakes can you eat?�

She eyed the size of them. They were twice as big around as the ones she made. �Two,� she decided.

�Bacon?�

She glanced at the plate and saw that he�d fried half a dozen strips. �Two strips.�

He studied her. �Two eggs also?�

�Nope. Only one.�

�Good. I was worried you were getting into a rut.�

�I probably am,� she admitted, thinking about the sameness of her life the last ten years. �But food�s the least of it.�

Grady fixed his own plate and sat down opposite her. �Can I ask you a question?�

She feigned shock. �You�re asking permission? It must be a doozy.�

�It is personal,� he conceded. �And you may not want to talk about it, not to me, anyway.�

Now he�d stirred her curiosity. �Ask,� she said.

�Do you regret marrying Caleb?� When she started to react with indignation, he held up his hand. �No, wait. I don�t mean Caleb specifically, I guess. I know you loved him. I mean do you regret sacrificing all those things you�d hoped to do by marrying a rancher?�

There was less to offend in the way he�d rephrased the question. She took a sip of her coffee and considered it thoughtfully.

�You�re right. I did give up a lot,� she conceded eventually. �I had so many ambitious dreams.�

�About traveling?�

�Travel, adventure, education. Not education as in school, but the kind of learning that comes with seeing places and meeting people. I wanted to feel history by standing in the middle of Westminster Abbey or Trafalgar Square, or standing on the steps of Parliament in London. I wanted to visit the Colosseum and the Vatican. I wanted to learn about artists like van Gogh and Monet and Rembrandt by standing in front of their works in the Louvre and other famous museums.�

�Yet you gave all of that up to marry Caleb,� he said.

She met his gaze. �Yes. Because, in the end, he mattered more,� she said simply. �The rest�we would have done it one day, together if�� She sighed, battled against the familiar threat of tears, steadied her voice. �If things had been different.�

�You never resented him?�

�Not once,� she said honestly. �And don�t forget, I knew what I was getting into. I was raised on a ranch. This life wasn�t new to me, and it has its good points.� She glanced toward the window where tree branches were covered with blankets of sparkling snow. �Mornings like this are among them.�

�They are, aren�t they?� he said quietly, following her gaze to the pristine white scene outside.

When he turned back to her, there was a twinkle back in his eyes. �Do you know what I like about a day like today?�

�What?�

�It gives you permission to play hooky. The roads will be impassable for hours yet. Once you�ve checked to make sure the horses have fresh water and feed, the day is yours.�

She grinned at the boyish enthusiasm on his face and in his voice. �So, what do you do when you play hooky?�

�Well, now, that depends. When I�m all alone, I build a roaring fire, pick a book I haven�t had time to read and settle down in a comfortable chair.� His gaze sought hers and turned warm. �When I have a lovely companion trapped inside with me, there are all sorts of interesting possibilities.�

Heat shot through her. Anticipation made her feel all quivery inside. She swallowed hard. �Such as?�

�Now don�t go getting ideas,� he teased. �I�m not easy. I won�t be taken advantage of, just because we�re locked away here all alone.�

She chuckled and the tension was broken. �You�re outrageous, you know that, don�t you?�

�I do try. Now, seriously, what are our options? Scrabble? Cards?�

�I have a shelf filled with good books,� she offered.

�Oh, no, that would be fine if we didn�t have each other. Since we do, we need something we can do together.� His gaze locked on hers. �Now, there you go again, getting ideas.�

�I am not,� she insisted, but she could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. How could he joke so easily about an attraction that she was desperate to ignore? Perhaps because he�d had more practice at casual flirtations, while she�d had none.

�Okay, then, how about�� He paused, then said, �A jigsaw puzzle?�

She stared at him, astounded. How could he have known that she had a dozen of them stacked in a cupboard for days just like this one? Had he guessed? Or had he been snooping? Surely she hadn�t mentioned it.

�Does that appeal to you at all?� he asked, his expression totally innocent. �Do you have any around?�

�Quite a few,� she admitted. �But are you sure you want to do that? It seems, I don�t know�a little tame, maybe?� Caleb had certainly never been interested in doing one with her. He�d considered it a waste of time to put something together, only to take it apart again. He was too practical for that.

Grady winked. �You�ve never done a puzzle with me. How about this? I�ll go check on the horses. You clear things up in here and get us set up with the most complicated, challenging puzzle you have. I�ll bring in some more wood for the fire when I come back.�

She nodded. �Sounds like a plan,� she agreed, already anticipating the lazy morning ahead. Even the company was surprisingly appealing. Grady continued to startle her with his unexpected insight into her personality and what would make her happy. Was that because he was incredibly sensitive and intuitive, or because he was devious and clever? For the next few hours, maybe it didn�t even matter.

An hour later they were in front of a blazing fire. The damp wood was popping and snapping as it caught. Karen had chosen two puzzles, one a detailed country scene with only five hundred pieces, the other a wickedly difficult thousand-piece image of hundreds of tropical fish. She left it to Grady to decide.

�The fish,� he said at once. He brought paper and pen to the table.

�What are those for?�

�To keep score, of course.�

�You keep score when you put a puzzle together?�

�I told you it was more of a challenge when I did it. Are you game?�

Her competitive spirit kicked in. �Absolutely.� She�d put this puzzle together once before. She knew exactly where some of the trickiest sections were and what to watch for. �How are you scoring? Total number of pieces we each put together?�

�Exactly. We have one hour.�

She looked up from her assessment of the pieces spread across the table. �An hour?�

He grinned. �After that, if it�s necessary, we work together to finish it. Agreed?�

�Agreed,� she said, and solemnly held out her hand.

Grady�s clasp was warm and brief-his attention was already totally focused on the puzzle. Before she�d even had a chance to catch her breath, he�d snapped his first two pieces together.

Karen forced her concentration back to the puzzle. She found two linking pieces of her own, then a third. Within a few minutes she had the bottom right corner of the puzzle coming together nicely.

She glanced across the table and saw that Grady was at work on the top left section, his brow furrowed, his gaze intent. His total absorption was endearing somehow. It made her wonder if he would be that totally absorbed when he was making love.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her cheeks burned. No more of that, she chided herself, forcing her gaze back to the puzzle. It would play havoc with her concentration.

As it turned out, it already had. Though she tried to get back into it, all the pieces began to look the same. She tried to fit together several that were wildly mismatched�as she and Grady were, she reminded herself.

Stop that! she ordered herself as his knee bumped up against hers, sending an electric current racing down her leg. Her thoughts turned chaotic again. Suspicious, she stared at him. Had the grazing of his knee been intentional? Was he deliberately trying to distract her? Was this payback for her game to ruin his popcorn the night before? If so, she couldn�t tell it from his expression. He appeared completely focused, completely oblivious to her presence, and his section of the puzzle was growing by leaps and bounds.

She shifted her foot under the table until it found his leg. To justify her uncharacteristic actions, she told herself this was war as she began a slow, upward slide, her gaze locked intently on the table as if she had no idea what was happening beneath it. Grady jolted as if she�d prodded him with a hot poker from the fireplace. She bit back a grin, delighted that she had his full attention.

That bit of distraction allowed her to quickly assemble several more puzzle pieces, and she grinned as she saw she had completed the full outline of the right side.

The next time Grady reached for a piece, she made sure she reached for it at the same time, her hand covering his.

�Oh, sorry,� she said sweetly, as she withdrew.

He watched her, his gaze narrowed. �What are you up to, Karen?�

�Up to?� she said innocently. �I just thought that piece was the one I needed.�

�Did you now?� he asked suspiciously. �Where did you think it went? Show me.�

She took it and tried it in the bottom corner. Of course, it didn�t fit. �Guess not,� she said with a shrug. She handed it back to him.

�You�re dangerous,� he said huskily. �You know that, don�t you, Karen?�

No man had ever suggested she was dangerous, and Karen discovered she liked it that Grady had. �Remember that,� she advised as she went back to work on the puzzle, deliberately ignoring him.

Naturally Grady wasn�t satisfied to leave it at that. Feeling his gaze on her, she glanced up to find his dark eyes studying her intently.

�Shouldn�t you be concentrating on the puzzle?� she inquired.

�You�re more fascinating,� he said.

Truthfully, he was more intriguing than the puzzle, too, but Karen didn�t dare mention that. The teasing actions she had meant to distract him had affected her as well. The deliberate flirting had made her a little too aware of him as a flesh-and-blood man, instead of an abstract enemy. She was losing her grip on that negative image of him, letting the barriers crumble.

When she realized that he was no longer staring at her but at the puzzle, that he�d used these few minutes to complete another big chunk, she recognized that letting her guard down, even for a second, was a mistake. It was a lesson she needed to keep in mind.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that there were fifteen minutes left in their competition. Grady had a serious lead. She couldn�t let him win. Not at this. Not at any of his games. The stakes were too high and, for one terrifying minute, she had lost sight of that.

It wouldn�t happen again, Karen vowed, as she went back to work on the puzzle with total concentration. This might be just a silly contest, but Grady was clearly playing as he did everything, with a winner-take-all attitude. It would be wise to remember that, because the next time she might lose more than a game.

Grady stayed away for two weeks. Even though it was something she�d once hoped for, Karen found herself watching the driveway day after day, regretting the attack of conscience that had had her sending him off after the snowstorm.

She knew he�d gotten home safely, not because he�d called, but because his housekeeper had. It was as if he�d taken her cue and decided to go one step further, cutting off all contact. The disappointment she had felt the second he had left had only grown in the days since that afternoon.

�You certainly look miserable,� Gina declared when Karen drove into Winding River to have a spaghetti dinner at the restaurant where her friend was filling in as cook. Tony had used Gina�s willingness to step in for him as the perfect excuse to take his wife on a long-promised trip to Italy.

�Just what every woman wants to hear,� Karen said. �Maybe I should have stayed home. I can probably boil pasta as well as you can.�

�Ouch,� Gina protested.

�Well, I can.�

�But your pasta isn�t homemade. Mine is.�

�You�ve got me there, though I doubt I�d notice the difference.�

�Which brings us back to miserable,� Gina said, sitting down opposite her. �I�ve got some time to talk. We�re not that busy. What�s going on?�

�Nothing,� Karen said honestly. There was nothing good or bad going on in her life. Every day it was just more of the same exhausting work and loneliness. She�d had a brief respite, thanks to Grady�which made it seem even more depressing now.

�Hey, this is me you�re talking to, not those nosy in-laws of yours,� Gina said. �Tell the truth. Is this about Grady Blackhawk?�

Karen�s gaze shot up. �Why would you think that?�

�Just hazarding a guess. You two were spending a lot of time together until I told you I�d heard rumors floating around town about him being at the ranch the night of the snowstorm. Is he still coming by?�

�No.�

�Did you two have a fight?�

�Not exactly.�

Gina regarded her with exasperation. �This is like trying to get information out of the CIA.�

Karen grinned despite herself. �Sorry. I�m not being deliberately tight-lipped. I just don�t know what to say. After you called, I explained what you had said, and I told him it would be best if he left. He seemed to understand.�

�But he hasn�t been back,� Gina concluded. �Hasn�t called, either?�

�Nope.�

Her gaze narrowed. �And that really bothers you, doesn�t it? Were you starting to trust him, Karen? Maybe even like him? Was this turning into something for you?�

Karen felt compelled to deny it, even though the truth was that Gina had hit on the problem. �It was a pain in the neck at the outset,� she said. �It�s a pain in the neck now. Nothing�s changed.�

�Except that you�ve realized that the pain is actually a gorgeous, sexy man,� Gina guessed, clearly not buying her disclaimer.

Karen sighed. �Yes, well, there is that.�

�And that maybe you wouldn�t mind getting to know him a lot better,� Gina continued. �At least if there weren�t all these obstacles in the way.�

�But the obstacles are real,� Karen said despondently. �Caleb, his parents, the ranch-how can I overlook any of that just because I�ve been feeling a little lonely and Grady has filled a void in my life?�

Gina stood up. �I�m getting you a glass of wine. No, a whole bottle of wine.�

Karen regarded her with alarm. �I can�t drink and drive all the way back to the ranch.�

�You�re not going to. You�re going to drink and walk to my place and spend the night.� Gina walked off toward the bar before Karen could protest.

While Gina was gone, the rest of her words sank in. When she returned, Karen studied her intently, then asked, �Since when do you have a place in Winding River?�

Gina winced. �You caught that, did you? Since I agreed to stick around and help Tony out. I couldn�t keep crashing at my parents� place, so I rented an apartment here in town.�

�For how long?�

Gina shrugged. �Yet to be determined,� she said, casting a look across the dining room to a table by the window. The man who�d been hanging around off and on since the reunion was sitting there with an empty wineglass and a stack of paperwork. He looked as if he�d set up a permanent office right there. At the moment he was the only other customer.

�Do you want to tell me who he is and what�s going on?� Karen asked, studying her friend�s face with concern.

�Nope,� Gina said.

Alarm rose as another thought occurred to her. �He�s not stalking you, is he?�

�Not the way you mean,� Gina said wryly. �Drink your wine. I�m going to fix your dinner. Forget spaghetti. This will make your mouth water. It will transport you straight to a trattoria in Rome.�

Karen noticed that, on her way across the room, Gina paused to splash a little wine into the man�s glass, though she carefully avoided his gaze, ignored whatever he said and kept right on going toward the kitchen, where the waitress was no doubt filing her nails.

Interesting, Karen thought. And troubling. Gina had never been known for her reticence. In fact, her bubbling enthusiasm and firsthand knowledge of Italian cuisine, combined with her innovative technique in the kitchen, had made her the perfect candidate for running a successful New York restaurant. She wasn�t bubbling now, though. At least not with the mysterious stranger.

And in all these months there had been no mention of that New York bistro or who was running it in her absence. Direct questions had been ignored or evaded, which was very unlike the candid Gina of old.

Another mystery, Karen concluded with a sigh. Her life seemed filled with them lately. And Grady was the biggest one of all. Had he been insulted, even hurt, by her cavalier dismissal that day? Had he simply given up the fight? As incredible as that might be, it was a possibility.

Maybe he was simply away on a sudden trip. She knew he had a ranch, but he also had other business interests. Perhaps he�d had to go to Cheyenne or Denver or who knew where else he might have his finger in some corporate pie. Maybe this disappearing act had nothing to do with her at all.

She sighed at the thought. More troubling than his disappearance was her reaction to it. She missed him, dammit. As Gina had guessed, Karen had gotten used to Grady�s company, exasperating as it was at times.

�It was just a habit,� she muttered. Like anything else that was bad for her, it could be broken.

�Deep thoughts?� a familiar male voice inquired behind her.

Her head snapped around, her gaze clashed with Grady�s, the wine she held with suddenly trembling fingers splashed on the table.

�Where have you been?� she asked before she could bite back the words. Even she recognized they were a stark contrast to her previous greetings demanding to know why he was there.

�Miss me?� he asked, a devilish twinkle in his eyes.

�No more than I would a swarm of bees,� she retorted.

He slid into the seat opposite her, taking note of the second glass of wine. �Where�s your date?�

�I�m here alone.�

�Good. Then I�ll join you,� he said, taking a sip from the untouched extra glass Gina had left for herself.

Karen frowned, annoyed by his presumption and by her own eagerness to have him stay. �Grady, you can�t just waltz in here and invite yourself to have dinner with me.�

�Why not?�

�Just because.�

�Because it�s going to stir up more talk?� he asked, regarding her with a pointed look.

�That, too,� she agreed.

�And what else?�

�Maybe I don�t want to have dinner with you.�

�Maybe?� he teased. �Let me know when you decide, then we�ll discuss it. Until then, I�ll just sit here and enjoy the wine and the vision of a beautiful woman sitting across the table from me.�

�I don�t want you here,� she said with more conviction. �And you know perfectly well why it�s a bad idea.�

He studied her thoughtfully, then shook his head. �Yes, you do want me here. You just feel compelled to deny it. You�re tough enough to stand up to a little idle gossip.�

�If you believe that, then why did you leave the house when I asked you to?�

�Because my being there had clearly upset you and because I was way too tempted to kiss you senseless to make you forget that inconvenient conscience of yours.�

�And now?�

�You�re here. I happened by. I consider that fate.� He smiled, then turned his attention to the menu. �What are you having?�

Because she knew from experience there was little point in arguing, she gave up. Besides, the truth was, she was so happy to see him, so happy to know that he wasn�t furious with her, that her heart felt lighter than it had in days.

�I have no idea what I�m going to eat.�

�You haven�t ordered?�

�Gina wouldn�t let me. She�s fixing what suits her.�

Grady nodded. �Maybe I�d better stick my head in the kitchen and make sure she fixes enough for two.�

As he crossed the restaurant, Karen watched him intently. Her pulse had kicked into high gear the second she heard his voice and hadn�t let up since. This wasn�t good, she thought. Not good at all.

Gina came stalking out of the kitchen on Grady�s heels and followed him straight to the table. Her indignant gaze came to rest on Karen. �Are you okay with this?�

�He�s not going away,� Karen said with an air of resignation. �I guess I�ll have to make the best of it.�

�I can kick him out,� Gina offered.

�You and who else?� Grady demanded, regarding Gina with amusement.

Gina�s gaze strayed to her mysterious man. �I can muster up some help if I need it,� she declared.

�No need,� Karen said. �Grady will be on his good behavior.� She looked at him. �Won�t you?�

He winked. �The best. And I�m a really big tipper.�

Gina grinned then, apparently satisfied that there would be no fireworks. �I�m counting on it.�

After she�d gone, Grady looked at Karen. �She�s very protective of you.�

�As you�ve figured out by now, I�m sure, there are five of us who grew up together. We�ve been best friends ever since. There�s nothing we wouldn�t do if one of us needed something.�

�And these are the friends who are willing to bankroll your vacation?�

�Some of them, yes.�

�It must be nice to have a circle of friends you can count on.�

Her gaze narrowed at that. �Don�t you?�

�I have acquaintances,� he said with no trace of self-pity. �And I have my grandfather. That�s always been enough.�

She thought she detected a rare note of wistfulness in his voice. �It has been? Not now?�

His gaze met hers. �No,� he said quietly. �Not now.�

Deep inside, she felt something give way. It was the last of her defenses crumbling�and for the life of her, she couldn�t seem to regret it.

The first time Grady kissed her, Karen reacted with shock and dismay. How could she have let it happen? Why hadn�t she stopped it, slapped him, done anything to show her displeasure?

A quick peck on the lips could be explained away as a hit-and-run gesture, hardly worthy of protest, but this had been more than that. It had gone on and on. There had been plenty of time for the act to register and draw an appropriate protest, rather than weak-kneed compliance.

The taste and feel of him was still on her lips as she took a step back and then another, trembling with what should have been outrage but wasn�t.

�Why did you do that?� she demanded, her back braced against the sink as she finally-belatedly-put as much distance as possible between them.

�Because I�ve been wanting to forever,� he said, not looking the least bit remorseful. In fact, he looked suspiciously as if he might intend to do it again.

And, God help her, Karen wanted him to. Her pulse was thundering like a summer storm. Her breasts ached. Any second the temptation to reach for him, to slip back into his embrace, would be too much for her.

There was no time to recite all the reasons why it was a terrible idea. Instead, she counted slowly to ten and back again, as if that alone would cool her yearning, as the same technique was used to temper anger.

She heard Grady�s low chuckle and her gaze snapped to his to find amusement lurking in his eyes. �What?� she demanded.

�It�s not going to work,� he told her, clearly understanding the mental war she was waging. �I�m not going away and I am going to kiss you again. There�s your fair warning. Never let it be said you didn�t get one.�

She swallowed hard, accepting the warning as pure truth. All that remained was the anticipation.

�When?� she asked, hoping that knowing that much would give her time to prepare, time to win the struggle with a desire that had caught her by surprise.

He tilted his head, studied her intently, then responded solemnly, �Now, I think. Before you work yourself into a frenzy worrying about it.�

She gulped even as he claimed her mouth yet again with even more ingenuity, more wickedly clever passion. This time Karen wasn�t simply an innocent bystander to the kiss, either. She kissed him back, responding to every persuasive nuance. All those protests and denials had been for nothing, because there was no mistaking that she was as caught up in the moment as he was.

Her head was spinning, her pulse racing. There was so much heat-too much. And the neediness, the overwhelming sense of urgency slammed through her with unexpected force, leaving her reeling. She had never expected to feel like this again, certainly never with Grady Blackhawk.

His name, his identity, finally snagged her attention, cutting through all the other commanding sensations. She was appalled and shaken that she was willingly in the arms of the enemy, though it was getting harder and harder to think of him that way.

Even so, it took her a long time to disengage from his embrace, longer still to take a faltering step back.

�This is my proof,� she murmured, still dazed from the feel of his mouth on hers, but determined to inject a haughty note of disdain into her voice.

�Proof of what?� he said as he trailed more kisses down the side of her neck.

�That you�re a scoundrel and a thief. You stole that kiss,� she accused, managing to get the words out with a straight face, even though she knew it was a blatant lie. He had stolen nothing. She had given it to him willingly.

Laughter filled the air. Evidently he was no more convinced of the lie than she was.

�Maybe the first one, darlin�,� he conceded. �But the second one you gave me of your own free will. You can�t count that one against me, and I�d say it negates the implications of the first one. Once two people start to tango, so to speak, the blame pretty much falls by the wayside.�

She frowned at him. �You would say that, wouldn�t you? It serves your purpose.�

�And what is my purpose?� he asked, studying her with mild curiosity.

�To get my land,� she said at once, but she was no longer as certain as she had once been. A part of her was beginning to believe that he just might be after her, instead.

Something had changed in that split second when Grady had looked into Karen�s eyes at Stella�s. It was as if a light had gone off inside him, as if he�d been defeated. It wasn�t long before he�d made his excuses and left, leaving her staring after him in confusion.

She had told herself then that it would pass, that things would return to normal, that he would pop up when she least expected him at the ranch, but it hadn�t happened that way. Just as he�d disappeared before when she�d hurt him, he hadn�t been around for days now. Even Hank and Dooley, who had regarded him with suspicion from the beginning, had commented on his absence.

�Thought he was becoming a permanent fixture around here,� Dooley said, a hint of disapproval plain in his voice.

�Well, he wasn�t,� Karen said defensively. Hiding her confusion behind anger, she added, �And we don�t have time to stand around gabbing about a man who had no business being here in the first place.�

�Fine by me,� Dooley said.

�And me,� Hank said fervently. �The boss never did like him.�

�I�m the boss now,� Karen reminded him. �You need to worry about what I like.�

Dooley�s eyes widened. �Are you saying you trust a scoundrel like Grady Blackhawk?�

�He�s not a scoundrel,� she said. �And what I was saying is that you both have work to do. Didn�t I ask you to finish checking that fence today? I saw another section down when I drove back here yesterday. We�re going to be moving the herd in a few weeks and I don�t want them wandering off our land. We can�t afford to lose a single head.�

�Yes, ma�am,� Dooley said, his tone respectful, even if he was regarding her with a worried frown that suggested he wasn�t entirely certain she was in command of things.

After both men had left, she sat down with a sigh. Who was she kidding? She might be in charge, but she was only holding on to this place by a thread. She knew well enough what needed to be done, but she didn�t have the resources to make much of it happen. Lately it seemed she lacked the stamina as well. She simply wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep the winter away.

For a brief time Grady�s presence had stirred her out of that depressing inertia, but now that he was no longer around, she couldn�t seem to shake it.

The welcome ringing of the phone jarred her out of her misery.

�Hey, girl,� Lauren said, her cheerful voice bringing a much needed smile to Karen�s lips.

�Hey, yourself. What�s up in Tinseltown? I need some hot Hollywood gossip to perk me up.�

�Since when do you care about celebrity gossip?�

�It�s the closest I�m likely to come to having any glamour in my life,� Karen said. �Come on. Spill something absolutely titillating.�

�Sorry. I�ve been holed up trying to learn my lines for this new movie. Brad Pitt could get married and I wouldn�t know it.�

�Brad Pitt did get married,� Karen pointed out with a chuckle. �Ages ago, in fact.�

�See what I mean? I�m oblivious.�

�What good is it having a friend who�s a superstar if you never know any hot secrets?�

�I do know one,� Lauren retorted. �I know that a certain rancher has been seen hanging out with her mortal enemy. Quite an intense little t�te-�-t�te from what I heard.�

�Cassie blabbed,� Karen said with a resigned sigh. She should have known her friend would make way too much out of that public appearance she and Grady had made at Stella�s. It had probably taken all of fifteen seconds for her to spread the word to the others.

�I never reveal a source,� Lauren said loftily. �So, what�s the scoop with the sexy Mr. Blackhawk? Are you two becoming an item after all?�

�Don�t be ridiculous,� Karen snapped, pushing back the thought of those two steamy kisses. �Even if I was attracted to him, which I�m not, how could I get involved with Grady?�

�Because of Caleb,� Lauren said flatly.

�Of course because of Caleb.�

�You have to live your life for you now,� Lauren reminded her, her tone gentle. �I�m not saying you shouldn�t remember Caleb, but you can�t take on his baggage, Karen. If you like Grady, if you want to spend time with him, that�s your decision to make.�

�Not according to the Hansons,� Karen said dryly.

�Oh, what do they know?� Lauren said, dismissing the importance of the opinion of Karen�s former in-laws. �Besides, they�re in Arizona.�

�With a direct hotline to the gossip in Wyoming,� Karen reported.

�Ignore them,� Lauren advised.

�How can I? They�re Caleb�s parents.�

�So naturally they�re going to be upset if you get involved with someone new. They�ll get over it.�

�Not if it�s Grady,� Karen said flatly.

�Then you are interested,� Lauren said, seizing on her slip and obviously concluding that Karen regretted being unable to act on her fascination with the man.

Karen sighed. �I don�t know how I feel about him.�

�Is he pressuring you to decide that right this second?�

�No. Actually he hasn�t been around much lately. Not since the morning Cassie saw us together. I think something I said or did upset him, but I can�t imagine what. He�s a very complex man.�

�A break may be exactly what you need. Give it some time. You�re a smart woman. You�ll sort out your feelings when the time is right.� Lauren hesitated, then asked, �Do you want me to come home? I�m a pretty good judge of character.�

�Oh, really? I can list two lousy marriages that say otherwise.�

�Ouch,� Lauren said. �No one can see their own mistakes until it�s too late. Everyone else�s, however, are crystal clear. An outside opinion wouldn�t hurt and I can be there tomorrow.�

�No. You�ve put your career on hold enough for me as it is. I can�t ask you to come running every time I get scared.�

�Scared?� Lauren teased. �Of Grady or yourself?�

�Maybe both,� Karen admitted.

�You listen to me, Karen Hanson. Nobody I know has a better head on her shoulders than you do. Trust your instincts. And any time you want me there for backup, you call. I can drop everything and be there in a few hours. To tell the truth, I like feeling needed for a change. Say the word and I�ll be back there mucking out stalls and working with the horses for as long as you need me.�

Karen was so startled by the heartfelt sincerity of the offer that she was at a loss for words. It wasn�t the first time the offer had been made, but something in her friend�s voice suggested that she was truly hoping to be asked to rush home.

�Stunned into silence?� Lauren asked.

�Truthfully, yes. You�ve hinted around about wanting to come home for good, but that�s the first time you�ve come right out and said it. What�s wrong, Lauren? What haven�t you been telling us?�

�There�s nothing wrong,� her friend assured her. �Nothing I can put my finger on anyway. I�m sure whatever it is, I�ll get over it. But the offer stands, no matter what. If you need me, just say the word.�

�Thank you,� Karen said softly. �And�Lauren?�

�What?�

�If you need to be here, don�t wait for an invitation. I�ve got a room waiting any time you want to come. I mean that. And if it�s hard physical work you�re looking for, I can supply that, too.�

�I know you mean it. and I love you for saying it. Take care, sweetie.�

�You, too.�

Karen had barely hung up when she realized she wasn�t alone. She turned to find Grady standing just outside the screen door. Still troubled by her conversation with Lauren, she barely spared him a glance. And this time, she refused to get her hopes up. His habit of coming and going when she least expected it was too disconcerting.

�Anything wrong?� he asked, his expression concerned as he stepped inside without waiting to be invited.

�Not with me,� she said, injecting a false note of cheer into her voice. She was not going to discuss Lauren�s odd mood with a man she didn�t entirely trust. If it wound up being splashed all over the tabloids, she would never forgive herself.

Even as the thought of Grady pitching such personal information to a tabloid ran through her mind, she scolded herself over the absurdity of it. Why would he do such a thing? He certainly didn�t need the money. And he was trying to prove to her that he was trustworthy. Wouldn�t such a deliberate act of betrayal be counterproductive? It just proved how deep her own distrust ran.

�I thought I�d stop in and let you know that I�ll be out helping Hank and Dooley today. The fence along the highway is down.�

�I know. I spotted it yesterday. They�re out there now. They can handle it.�

�I�m sure they�d be grateful for an extra pair of hands.�

Her gaze narrowed. �Look, it�s been obvious the past few days that you have a life of your own to live. You don�t have to keep doing this.�

�Doing what?�

�Pitching in around here. Stay home and take care of your own chores.�

Amusement lurked in the depths of his eyes. �So you did miss me?�

�I never said that.�

�You didn�t have to.�

She frowned at him. �Is that why you stayed away, so I�d miss you?�

�No,� he said curtly. �Now let me make this clear for the last time. I don�t mind helping out around here. I like the company.�

She regarded him with skepticism. �Hank and Dooley�s?�

�Hardly,� he said, grinning at last. �But the boss lady has a certain way about her that I find intriguing.�

Her heart fluttered at the compliment. �Is that so?�

He nodded. �Besides that, she owes me dinner. Our deal�s not over.�

�I thought you�d forgotten about that. Besides, the two weeks were up long ago.�

�We missed a few nights,� he reminded her.

�I never gave you a rain check.�

�But you wouldn�t renege on a deal, would you? Doesn�t that go against that conscience of yours?�

�I suppose.�

�That�s settled, then. And just so you know, I have a real hankering for apple pie.�

�Stella�s is good,� she told him.

�But I�ll bet yours is better.� His gaze caught hers. �Still warm from the oven with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into all the little crevices.�

Karen swallowed hard. Somehow he had managed to make a perfectly ordinary slice of pie sound like something wickedly sensual. Or was that just her state of mind?

�How about it?� he asked. �Pie for dessert?�

She gave him a resigned look. �I�ll see what I can do.�

He winked at her. �I�ll be counting on it.�

Don�t, she thought to herself after he�d gone. Don�t count on me, Grady.

Because the truth was, if push came to shove, she had no idea which of the men in her life she�d choose�a ghost or the flesh-and-blood man who was tempting her more and more each day, despite his entirely too unpredictable comings and goings.

With Karen curved securely against him, Grady was having a hard time thinking straight, but he forced himself to concentrate on that severed barbed wire. It was about the only thing sufficiently fascinating to distract him from the warmth of her body curled next to his.

First chance he got, he was going to track down Tate McDonald and then get his private investigator doing checks on all of the neighboring property owners. One of them was holding a grudge against Karen, or against him. Since he�d never even met McDonald and barely knew the Fletchers or the Oldhams, it seemed likely the dispute was with Karen. Either way, it needed to be settled before things got ugly.

Karen sighed softly, her breath stealing across his bare chest and ruining his concentration. He thought he�d been rather clever at distracting her from all of her questions earlier, even if the outcome had been less than what he�d anticipated. He could wait until she was ready to make love, even if it was getting more and more difficult.

She moaned and snuggled more tightly against him. The sheet slipped away, revealing way too much of an alluring breast, a taut dusky nipple. His breath caught in his throat as he struggled yet again against temptation. He was more sinner than saint, and this was too much.

Gently he shook her awake, tugging the sheet back into place as her eyes blinked open, registering first surprise, then sleepy delight, then worry as she realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. The reactions pretty much summed up their relationship, a curious mix that had kept Grady off guard for weeks now. He�d tried staying away twice now, but it hadn�t worked. He�d concluded he was going to have to see this through to whatever ending it was headed for.

�I must have fallen asleep,� she said, gathering the sheet more securely around her. �I�m sorry.�

�Don�t be. There is nowhere I�d rather be.�

�Really?� she asked skeptically. �You seemed to be in an awfully big hurry earlier. Don�t think I�ve forgotten that.�

He sighed. �I was hoping you had.�

�Not that the distraction wasn�t fascinating,� she said, �but I have a very good memory.�

�Apparently,� he agreed, thinking of more than her interest in his earlier activities. She also had a very long memory when it came to her late husband�s prejudices.

�So?� she prodded.

He regarded her with feigned innocence. �So?�

She nudged him sharply in the ribs with her elbow. �Don�t play dumb, Grady. I want to know what had you so distracted over dinner. What happened when you were with Hank and Dooley? Did it have something to do with the fence?� Sudden understanding spread across her face. �Was it deliberately cut?�

The woman was too smart for her own good and Grady wasn�t about to lie to her. �Yes,� he said tersely.

�But who�?�

He noticed that she didn�t immediately jump to the conclusion that he might be responsible. That was progress, he supposed.

�We�re going to find out,� he told her. �As soon as I get home, I�m going to start making calls.�

�Which explains why you were so anxious to get out of here earlier,� she concluded.

�Exactly.�

�Make the calls from here,� she said. �I want to know what you find out.�

He nodded and reached for his jeans. When he was dressed, he glanced back at her tousled hair and the rumpled sheets. It looked as if much more had gone on in that bed, he thought with regret. Apparently Karen could read him even better than he�d realized. Her expression faltered.

�I�m sorry,� she whispered.

He bent down and kissed her thoroughly. �You don�t ever have to be sorry for not doing something you�re not ready for. I can wait.�

Her gaze searched his. �Can you?�

�For you? Absolutely.�

She returned his gaze, her expression earnest, her brow puckered. �I can�t promise I will ever be ready.�

�You will be,� he said with total confidence. He believed that as he hadn�t believed in anything else in a very long time.

It was almost noon by the time Grady and Karen were able to drive over to see the Fletchers and Oldhams. They were about to leave when they heard a commotion outside. Grady opened the back door just in time to see Dooley thundering toward the house, his horse at a full gallop. The old man looked mad enough to break a few boards in two with his bare hands. He reined in his horse just a few feet from where Grady and Karen stood.

�Dooley, what is it?� Karen asked, regarding him with alarm. �Where�s Hank?�

�I left him in the pasture,� he said, casting a worried frown at Grady. �Could I have a word with you?�

�Hold it,� Karen commanded. �If you speak to anybody around here, Dooley Jenkins, it�ll be me. What�s happened? Is Hank okay?�

Dooley�s expression turned resigned. �He�s fine, but that prize bull you just bought, he�s not so good.�

Grady saw the color drain out of Karen�s face. He put an arm around her waist, but she seemed oblivious to it. He could feel her trembling. This was just one more blow to a woman who�d faced too many of them.

�What happened? Is he sick?� she asked.

�Not sick,� Dooley said. �Shot.�

Karen gasped. �Shot? By whom? Was it an accident?�

�Not unless you believe people are taking target practice in your pasture and that bull just got in the way,� Dooley said with disgust. �Looks to me like somebody took dead aim at him.�

�Is he alive?� Grady asked.

�Barely.�

�I�ll call the vet,� Karen said at once, and disappeared inside, her spine straight, her familiar resolve back in place.

When she�d gone, Grady regarded the old man intently. �Any chance he�ll make it?�

�Not much of one, if you ask me. Whoever did this knew what he was doing. He got him good. Calling the vet�s probably a waste of time and money.�

�Still, she has to try or she�ll never forgive herself,� Grady concluded. �I�ll saddle the horses and ride out with her. Can you wait and bring the vet out when he gets here?�

�Will do,� Dooley agreed. �Then I want to help you find the son of a bitch who did this. The missus was counting on that bull for breeding. Paid an arm and a leg for him.�

�Let�s not worry about that now,� Grady said grimly. �I can spare a couple of bulls. I imagine Frank Davis will offer to help out, too, once his son gets wind of this from Cassie.� He met Dooley�s gaze. �One more thing, from now on Karen doesn�t go anywhere on this ranch without one of us with her.�

�Got it,� Dooley said, his expression somber. �When you�re not around, me or Hank will stick close by, no matter how much she grumbles about it.�

Grady grinned. �I imagine she�ll grumble quite a lot.�

Dooley�s lips twitched. �Yes, indeed. The woman can�t stand to have anybody coddling her. She�s dead set on proving she can handle anything that�s thrown her way. Been that way ever since Caleb died.�

�I doubt she was counting on this, though,� Grady said. �From what you say, whoever took aim at that bull was up to no good. I don�t want to wait around to see what he has in mind next. I think it�s time to get the sheriff involved.�

�She won�t thank you for that,� Dooley said.

Grady figured that was probably an understatement, but he couldn�t afford to worry about Karen�s reaction. It was more important to keep her safe.

�Once we�re gone, can you call and fill him in?� Grady asked.

Dooley chuckled. �If you think having me do the deed will save your hide, you�re dead wrong, but I�ll do it. Now get those horses saddled before she comes out here and wants to know why the two of us are lollygagging when there�s a crisis.�

Dooley seemed to be taking to his role as co-conspirator and self-appointed protector even better than Grady had anticipated. He grinned at the old man.

�You�re a good person to have around, Dooley.�

The old man nodded as if the compliment were his due. �Had my doubts about you, when you first started hanging around here, but you ain�t so bad yourself.�

�What is this, some kind of mutual admiration society?� Karen demanded when she found them both right where she�d left them. Evidently she�d heard the tail end of their conversation, too. �The vet�s on the way. Come on, Grady. I want to get out to that field. Maybe there�s something we can do till he gets here.�

But there was nothing to be done. By the time they reached Hank, the bull was dead. The hand had tried to stanch the flow of blood with his own shirt, but the effort had been futile.

Her expression devastated, Karen fell to her knees beside the animal and ran her hand over his blood-soaked chest. �Damn whoever did this,� she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. �I don�t care if it was an accident.�

The last was muttered as if she were clinging desperately to an explanation she could understand.

Grady glanced at Hank, who subtly shook his head, confirming Dooley�s opinion as well. Grady studied the massive beast and saw what the two men had seen, three distinct wounds. One shot might have been an accident, but three? Not a chance.

Grady glanced up at the sound of hooves pounding across the field. Looked as if Dooley had been successful in getting the sheriff out here in record time, right along with the veterinarian, whose services were no longer needed.

Karen rose stiffly from the ground, her complexion pale, bright patches of color in her cheeks and a flash of anger in her eyes. Surprise streaked across her face when she spotted the sheriff.

�Michael, what are you doing here?� she asked as if it weren�t perfectly obvious that someone had alerted him.

�Dooley called me. Said there was a problem.�

�Some fool accidentally shot my new bull,� she said.

�It wasn�t an accident,� Grady said quietly, ignoring the protest forming on Karen�s lips.

�Oh?� Michael Dunn said, stepping close to examine the animal. �Three bullet wounds. You�re right, Blackhawk. That�s no accident.�

He glanced at Karen. �Why don�t you tell me what else has been going on out here? I understand there have been a few other incidents.�

Karen scowled at Dooley, then turned back to the sheriff. �Nothing serious. Some fence was cut.�

�And an unexpected outbreak of a virus in our herd,� Dooley added pointedly. �That was about a year ago, along with another section of fence destroyed. And a fire that burned out most of the pasture.�

�Any idea who�s behind it?� Michael asked, his gaze subtly shifting toward Grady.

�Not me, if that�s what you�re thinking,� Grady told him.

�It�s no secret that you want this land.�

�I imagine it�s no secret that I�ve also offered to buy it, fair and square.�

�That�s true,� Karen said.

�But you turned him down, am I right?� the sheriff persisted.

�Yes, but-�

Michael cut Karen�s protest off in midsentence. �Which means he has an excellent motive for pulling a few stunts that might make you change your mind,� he concluded.

�Don�t you dare jump to such a ridiculous conclusion,� Karen snapped. �Grady is not behind this. Besides, he was with me when the bull was shot.�

�He could have paid someone to do that,� the sheriff countered.

�Then why would he tell me to call you?� Dooley demanded, shrugging when Grady scowled at him. �Better to have her getting all worked up over you insisting on getting the sheriff than having you hauled off to jail, because the sheriff�s got his facts wrong.�

�Maybe, maybe not,� Grady said, when Karen whirled on him.

�You�re the one who got the sheriff out here?� she demanded.

�Not technically,� Grady said, then conceded, �But it was my idea.�

�And a really brilliant one, don�t you think?� she snapped. �Couldn�t you see that this was exactly what would happen?�

�Actually I thought the sheriff might be a bit more open-minded,� he said with a pointed look at Michael.

�Oh, for goodness� sake, when has a law enforcement officer ever been open-minded? He wants to solve the case as quickly as possible, period.�

Michael winced. �Usually we prefer to nail the right suspect,� he corrected.

�Couldn�t prove that by me,� Karen said. �Not based on the last ten minutes, anyway.�

Michael sighed. �Why don�t we all go back to the house and talk this through rationally?�

�What an absolutely brilliant plan,� Karen said sarcastically.

Grady grinned at her. �Darlin�, I think you�ve won. You might want to be a bit more gracious about it.�

She scowled at him. �I�m not feeling especially gracious at the moment. In fact, I�m mad enough to knock a few heads together.�

�Any heads in particular?�

�Besides yours?� she inquired sweetly. �And Dooley�s and Michael�s?�

�I�d say that about covers it,� Grady said, grinning at her.

�This is not the least bit amusing, Grady Blackhawk.�

His expression sobered at once. �The situation? No, not at all. But you? You are something else.�

Her frown deepened. �Don�t even go there. One word about how cute I am when I�m angry, and you�re going to be as dead as that poor old bull.�

Dooley guffawed, then covered his mouth and looked away.

Karen whirled on him. �I�d watch it, if I were you. You�re next on my list.�

�Me? What did I do?� Dooley asked, looking hurt.

�You got the sheriff out here.�

�Somebody had to,� he said flatly. �Grady was right. It was time.�

Grady touched her cheek. �You know it was,� he said quietly.

She heaved a heartfelt sigh, then nodded. �Maybe so, but I don�t have to like it.�

�No, darlin�,� he agreed sympathetically. �You definitely don�t have to like it.�

After the morning she�d had, she was pretty much entitled to hate the world.

For a day that had begun so traumatically, it was moving toward an amazingly happy conclusion. Karen looked around the table at Stella�s and felt a familiar warmth steal through her. She�d been surprised when first Gina and then Emma had shown up, even more startled when Cole and Cassie had joined them, then she had caught the conspiratorial wink between Cassie and Grady and known that he was responsible for gathering her friends together just when she needed them the most.

She reached for his hand. �Thank you,� she whispered in his ear.

He faced her with an unbelievably innocent look. �For what?�

�For knowing exactly what I needed,� she told him. �And for making it happen.�

�I just spoke to Cassie,� he said, shrugging it off as if it had been no big deal.

�And told her I�d had a lousy day,� Karen added.

He looked embarrassed at being given credit for something so simple. �Something like that. She did the rest.�

�You�re an amazingly thoughtful man, Grady,� she said, even though it was evident the praise was making him uncomfortable. �It couldn�t have been easy. You had to wonder how they�d feel about you being here with me.�

�Because they were all friends of Caleb�s,� he said flatly. �Yeah, well, I figured I could handle whatever cross-examinations they cared to dish out. So far, they�ve been fairly restrained.�

�I imagine Cassie warned them off because she didn�t want me any more upset than I was when I came in here. Now that my mood�s improved, though, watch out.� She glanced across the table, grinned and told him in a conspiratorial tone, �Emma�s getting that gleam in her eyes, the one she gets right before she destroys a witness.�

He followed the direction of her gaze to check out the attorney, who was indeed regarding him with a speculative expression and a worrisome hint of distrust.

�I think I�ll go make a few calls,� he said, clearly anxious to duck out.

�Oh, no, you don�t,� Karen said. �I don�t want her thinking you�re a coward.�

�Not a coward, just cautious. I don�t want to ruin the mood by telling your friend to mind her own business. She might take offense.�

Karen chuckled. �If you think that�s going to faze her, you�re crazy. Emma thinks everything is her business, especially if it affects one of us. Now sit here and face the music. I�ll protect you.�

�So, Grady,� Emma began, leaning toward him, �how did you happen to be at the ranch when Karen got the news about her bull being shot?�

�We had some plans,� Karen said, hoping to waylay that part of the inevitable interrogation.

Of course, that was exactly the wrong thing to say. The glint in Emma�s eyes brightened. �Oh, really? What sort of plans?�

Karen was about to respond, when Grady laid a hand over hers and shook his head.

�I can handle this,� he said, then turned to Emma. �We were going to pay a few calls on Karen�s neighbors.�

That seemed to disconcert Emma completely. �Why?� she asked, her expression baffled.

�Just to chat,� Grady said cheerfully. �Haven�t you ever dropped by to pay a neighborly visit?�

�Well, of course, but the two of you, together�� Her gaze narrowed. �What�s going on? Were you counting on Karen to smoothe the way for you so the neighbors would accept you once you�ve stolen her ranch from her?�

Grady sighed. �I�m not stealing anything. As an attorney, surely you know the inadvisability of making slanderous accusations.�

Emma refused to back down, just as Karen had predicted. She merely leaned forward, her gaze intimidating, and said, �If the shoe fits, Mr. Blackhawk.�

�It doesn�t,� he said mildly. �Which brings us back to being careful about the words you choose to describe a legitimate business offer.�

�Then you still want the ranch,� Emma concluded.

�Of course. That hasn�t changed.�

She glanced at Karen. �And you�re still refusing to sell?�

�So far,� Karen said, determined to match Grady�s light tone.

�Then it seems to me as if your continued presence at the ranch constitutes harassment,� Emma said to Grady.

When a dull flush crept into Grady�s cheeks, Karen concluded enough was enough. �Okay, that�s it,� Karen advised her friend. �Grady is not harassing me. He�s helping me to figure out who�s behind all of the attempts to ruin me.�

Her announcement was greeted by a collective gasp.

�What attempts?� Gina demanded. �And why haven�t you said anything about this to us?�

�I didn�t think they amounted to anything, at least not until today.�

Cole turned to Grady. �But you disagree? These are serious?� he asked.

Grady nodded. �Serious enough. Cut fence lines, an infection deliberately spread to her herd and today somebody shot the bull she was counting on for breeding.�

�Damn,� Cole muttered, then looked at Karen. �No need to worry about that. I�ll speak to my father. He just bought a prize bull for stud. I�m sure he�ll work something out with you.�

�Thank you. Grady�s already volunteered to bring over a couple of bulls from his herd.�

Emma continued to regard Grady with suspicion. �Why would you do that?�

His gaze never wavered from hers. �Why wouldn�t I?�

�I�m sure you�d rather see her go bankrupt,� Emma accused.

�You�re wrong,� Grady said flatly. �At this point, the only thing I care about is keeping her safe.�

Emma regarded him with shock. �You think Karen�s in danger?�

�Whoever shot that bull was making a statement,� Grady said. �So, yes, I think she could be in danger.�

�Then you�ll move in with us, Karen,� Cassie said at once.

�Absolutely,� Cole agreed.

Karen sighed at the rush of protectiveness. �Thank you, but I�m not going anywhere. I�ll be just fine at the ranch. The whole purpose of this is to chase me away. I won�t give in to that.�

�Her hands and I will see that nothing happens to her,� Grady added.

�The hands will be in the bunkhouse, and you�ll be in the next county,� Cassie pointed out.

Grady�s gaze clashed with hers. �No,� he said. �Until this is resolved, I�ll be at the ranch.�

Karen�s mouth gaped at the unexpected declaration. This was a turn of events she definitely hadn�t anticipated. �You will?�

�Oh, no,� Emma said. �You�re not using this to get your foot in the door out there.�

�Oh, Emma, be quiet,� Karen snapped. �This is between Grady and me.�

�But-� Emma began.

�Emma, I said I would handle it,� Karen said pointedly, ignoring the stunned expressions around the table. She touched Grady�s cheek. �I appreciate what you�re trying to do, I really do, but it�s not necessary. Once we tell the sheriff about our conversation with Maggie, I�m sure it won�t be long before he brings her in for questioning.�

�There�s no guarantee he�ll arrest her,� Grady argued. �Nor do we know for certain that she�s behind this. We only know how deep her bitterness toward you runs.�

Gina held up a hand. �Hold it. Are we talking about Maggie Fletcher?�

Karen nodded.

�You think she�s behind all of this?� Gina asked, her expression incredulous.

�It�s possible,� Karen said cautiously. �She wasn�t happy about me marrying Caleb. And this morning she made it abundantly clear that she still resents me.�

Cole shook his head. �Maggie�s not at fault here, not if you�re including what happened to the bull,� he said. �Maggie couldn�t hit a barn at ten paces. She�s terrified of guns, has been ever since her daddy got hit by a ricocheting bullet when he was trying to teach her to shoot. That�s what ended his rodeo career.�

�Oh, my God, I�d forgotten that,� Karen said, recalling how the story had circulated through several counties, making Maggie the butt of a barrage of jokes. �You�re right. Her aim was so bad that her father declared her a danger to herself and everyone around her. She hasn�t picked up a gun since.�

�That you know of,� Grady said, clearly unwilling to give up their prime suspect so readily. �Maybe she�s been practicing.�

No one seemed to buy that, Karen included. �That brings us back to square one,� she said. �We have no idea who�s been behind these attacks.�

Grady�s grim expression turned determined. �All the more reason for me to move in with you until this is settled.� He scowled at her. �Don�t even waste your breath arguing with me.�

Karen didn�t intend to try. For once, Emma remained silent as well. And after intense scrutiny of Karen�s face, even Cassie gave up trying to persuade her to move in with her and Cole.

Grady gave a nod of satisfaction. �I guess that�s settled then.�

It was settled, all right. What was less certain was why the decision had set off a surge of anticipation deep inside Karen. She was pretty sure it had absolutely nothing to do with her sense of security. In fact, quite the opposite. Having Grady move in represented a whole new kind of danger.

Grady had seen her tears, felt them, Karen realized as she lay in his arms. She felt the sudden stirring of tension, saw the distance in his eyes where only moments ago there had been such fiery passion.

When he eased away from her, then turned his back, she felt as if she had betrayed two men, not one.

Eventually she slid out of bed and went to her own room, where she showered as if that could wipe away not just the evidence of their lovemaking but her regrets as well.

How could she have been so wrong? she wondered. She�d been so sure she was ready, that her feelings for Grady ran deep enough for this next step in their relationship.

And they did, dammit. She had felt alive and treasured when he�d been making love to her. She had responded in a way she never had with Caleb, without any inhibitions at all.

�Oh, God, that�s it,� she murmured, burying her face in her pillow. It wasn�t just that awful sense of having betrayed someone that she�d been feeling, but guilt that she had felt more, given more, with Grady Blackhawk than she ever had with the man she�d married.

The passion she had shared with Caleb had been quieter, less intense, comfortable-what a terrible word, she thought-even at the beginning. They had been perfectly matched, no extreme lows or giddy highs, just steady, comfortable companions, partners in the running of the ranch.

There was nothing easy or comfortable about Grady. He was a man who tested the limits, who demanded responses that reached new heights. She�d just experienced one of those amazing, astonishing highs. Now, alone in her own bed, she was crashing to its opposite low.

�I can�t do this,� she whispered aloud.

Being with Grady put her at risk, rocked her emotionally in a way she wasn�t prepared to handle. She was afraid to trust this new passion, afraid the fire would burn itself out and she�d be left with nothing.

It had happened before. She had lost Caleb, the man she had expected to spend her entire life with. And if solid, dependable Caleb could leave her, then what guarantee did she have that a volatile man like Grady might not as well, in one way or another? She wasn�t sure she could survive another loss. Or the discovery that he had merely been manipulating her in order to get his hands on her land.

Too late, a voice in her head mocked her.

Karen sighed. It was true-for better or for worse, she was already involved with the man who slept across the hall. No matter the reason, whether she lost him now or years from now, it would hurt.

By the time the first pale slivers of dawn crept into the sky, she was no more certain of what she needed to do than she had been when she�d crawled into her own bed the night before. Nor was she prepared for a face-to-face encounter with Grady so soon.

She crept downstairs, drank a quick cup of coffee and nibbled at a piece of toast, then all but ran to the barn and saddled her horse.

It was only a little past daybreak when she rode out on Ginger. The air was crisp and smelled of approaching snow. Thick gray clouds rolled across the sky. Karen rode hard for an hour, exhausting herself, the wind whipping at her hair and stinging her cheeks.

The exercise cleared her head, but as she rode back into the paddock, all of the turmoil came back with a vengeance at the sight of Grady waiting, a fierce scowl on his face.

�Where have you been?� he demanded, even as he helped her out of the saddle.

She shrugged off his hands. �I should think that would be obvious,� she said, leading her horse into the heated barn to be unsaddled and rubbed down.

�Not to me, it isn�t,� he snapped. �I thought we had agreed you weren�t going anywhere alone until we know what the hell is happening around here.�

She flinched at the worry underscoring his words. She had completely forgotten about the danger in her haste to retreat from a different kind of threat.

�I�m sorry if you were worried,� she said, meeting his gaze for the first time.

He sighed and raked his hand through his hair as he surveyed her from head to toe. �You didn�t run into any problems?�

�None,� she assured him. �I didn�t see a single soul, nor was there any evidence of more fence down, sick cattle or anything else out of the ordinary.�

Some of the concern faded from his eyes then, only to be replaced by what looked surprisingly like sorrow. �Why did you run?�

She thought about that, debated how truthful to be, then settled for total honesty. �I was afraid to see you because I knew I had hurt you last night.�

He shrugged. �Yeah, well, I�ll get over it.�

�You shouldn�t have to. What I did was unfair. I went to bed with you willingly. No, it was more than that,� she corrected. �I went eagerly.�

�And then you regretted it,� he concluded.

�But not for the reason you think, not entirely anyway.�

�You�re going to have to explain that one to me.�

It was hard to tell him, but she knew she owed him the truth. �The reason I felt lousy was because I felt so much more with you than I ever had with Caleb.� When Grady would have spoken, she held up her hand. �I�m not comparing exactly. What Caleb and I had together was wonderful-our life, our marriage, all of it. I will never forget those feelings for as long as I live.�

�How reassuring,� Grady said with an unmistakable edge of bitterness.

Karen saw that she was going about this all wrong, but she was still sorting through her emotions herself. How could she be expected to explain them so Grady would understand? She knew, looking into his shadowed eyes, though, that she had to try, or they would be lost before they�d even begun. He had too much pride to stay with a woman whose heart would always belong to someone else.

�You like steak, right?� she asked.

He was clearly startled by the question. �You�re going to get into a discussion of beef with me?�

�Just hear me out,� she pleaded. �I�m trying to say this so you�ll understand. Do you like steak?�

�I�m a cattle rancher. What do you think?�

�Okay, then-are all cuts of beef the same?�

�Of course not.�

�So, they�re the same, but different?� she prodded.

�Yes,� he agreed, though he still looked puzzled by the analogy.

�A plain old strip steak is tasty, right? Enjoyable?�

He nodded.

�But a filet takes it to a different level, wouldn�t you agree?�

Understanding flared in his eyes, followed quickly by a hint of pure arrogance. �Are you saying I�m filet?�

She bit back a smile at the typically male response. �In a manner of speaking, but I wouldn�t gloat about it if I were you,� she warned. �I�m still not all that sure I�m ready for a steady diet of filet.�

He grinned for the first time all morning. �I�ll bet I can change your mind.�

She regarded him with a mixture of amusement and impatience. �Men,� she muttered. �Give them a compliment and it goes straight to their heads.�

�Or other parts of their anatomy,� Grady said, taking a step in her direction, then another, until he had her backed against a stall door.

When his mouth slanted across hers, her pulse leaped and her doubts fled. The kiss was persuasive, needy, maybe just a little desperate. But then, she was feeling a little desperate herself.

Feeling her senses swim, she was somehow reassured that last night�s reaction hadn�t been a fluke. Passion seethed just beneath the surface once again, ready to claim her and him.

Just not here and not now, she thought with a resigned sigh as Grady moved away, clearly satisfied by having made his point-that he could make her crave filet�crave him�any time he wanted.

That knowledge filled her with hope, and guilt, all over again. But the guilt wasn�t as sharp somehow, she realized with a sense of bemusement. And that was something she would have to wrestle with another time.

Grady had struggled to keep a lid on his temper when Karen had made her big announcement about possibly selling the ranch to Lauren. He�d seen straight through the ploy. Maybe Lauren had made an offer on the land, maybe she hadn�t, but Karen had been deliberately testing him. Looking back on the exchange, he was pretty sure he hadn�t passed it with flying colors.

Oh, he�d told her to sell it, but he�d said it grudgingly, no doubt about it. He�d set up a test of his own-sell and then we�ll see if there�s anything between us. They were quite a pair. Despite everything they�d shared, trust was severely lacking. He wondered if they�d ever have any faith in each other�s motives�in each other�s love.

Why hadn�t he simply countered with an announcement of his own? Why hadn�t he told her of the conclusion he�d reached earlier in the day, that she mattered more to him than the ranch?

That one was easy. Because, despite knowing that a relationship with her was more important, it had hurt that she was deliberately trying to back him into a corner, to rob him of something she knew he had valid reasons for wanting.

He rode hard over his own acres for the next few days, trying to push Karen out of his head, but she wouldn�t go. He made almost hourly calls to Dooley and Hank to make sure that she was safe, that there had been no new incidents. He�d been careful to skirt the real reason for his absence, letting them conclude that he�d had sudden business to attend to at his own ranch. Dooley grumbled that they weren�t getting a lick of work done with all the baby-sitting they were doing.

�I suggest you not describe sticking close to Karen as baby-sitting,� he suggested wryly. �I doubt she�d appreciate it.�

�Nope,� Dooley agreed, not sounding the least bit remorseful. �And to tell the truth, she�s getting tired of seeing our faces around all the time. When are you coming back over here?�

�I�m not sure,� Grady said honestly.

�Well, hurry it up. Hank and me have real work to do now that the weather�s beginning to turn for the better.�

�I�ll try to wrap things up over here soon,� Grady promised. Just as soon as he finished kicking himself in the butt for walking out on Karen in the first place.

At the end of the week, when he turned up alone at Stella�s, craving company as much as food, Grady weathered the stormy expression in Cassie�s eyes when he slid into a booth at the back.

�Why aren�t you at the ranch with Karen?� she demanded. Evidently she was unaware of the fact that he�d been gone for days now. She regarded him with an accusing look. �When she refused to stay with Cole and me, you promised to keep an eye on her.�

�Hank and Dooley have everything out there under control,� he assured her. �I checked with them less than twenty minutes ago.�

�I hope you�re right,� she said direly. �Because if anything happens to her, Grady Blackhawk, you�ll have all of us to answer to.�

Grady took the threat seriously, but it was no match for the guilt he would live with for the rest of his life if something went wrong because of his own stupid pride. He sighed. It was time to face the music.

�Make that meat loaf to go,� he said, sliding back out of the booth.

�I hope it wasn�t something I said,� Cassie told him with total insincerity.

He frowned at her. �You know damn well it was. In fact, double the order. I might as well take a peace offering with me.�

She grinned. �Take the roast chicken instead. It�s her favorite.�

�Whatever you say.�

He packed the two dinners into the truck and headed toward Karen�s, anticipation mounting with each mile he covered. He envisioned a little fussing and feuding when she first spotted him, but he ought to be able to get around that with an abject apology. Hell, he�d even help her draw up the papers to sell the ranch to Lauren, if that was what she really wanted.

And once Karen had accepted the sincerity of his apology, they could make up the way men and women had been getting back on track for years-in bed. The prospect had him stepping down just a little harder on the accelerator.

Grady was less than a mile away from the ranch when he thought he smelled smoke. As he rounded the last curve in the road, he spotted an orange glow on the horizon that had nothing to do with the setting sun. Panic crawled up his throat and made it impossible to swallow.

Sweet heaven, he thought, just as a car made a squealing turn out of the driveway onto the highway, nearly sideswiping the truck, before speeding past him in a blur. Shock had him hitting his brakes and staring, first in one direction, then the other.

There was no question about it, the ranch was on fire.

And the person most likely responsible had just come within inches of running him off the road.

The minute Grady saw Jesse Oldham�s car parked behind his barn, instinct told him that it was the same car he�d spotted earlier leaving Karen�s. Even though it was cold enough to cool an engine quickly, he touched the hood. Was there a lingering trace of heat? Or was that merely wishful thinking after all this time?

�What do you think?� Dooley asked.

�Nothing yet. I�m keeping an open mind,� Grady insisted as he opened the unlocked car and sniffed the air. This time he knew it wasn�t his imagination playing tricks when he caught a whiff of gasoline. Just in case, he called Dooley closer, then stepped aside. �Lean in there. What do you smell?�

�Gasoline, plain as day,� Dooley said, his blue eyes snapping with indignation. �I�m gonna murder that man with my bare hands.�

�Not without my help,� Grady said grimly.

They stalked across the yard. When Dooley would have politely knocked on the fancy oak door, Grady shouldered it open, shouting for Jesse as he entered the dimly lit foyer.

�What the hell�s the ruckus?� Jesse demanded sleepily, all but stumbling from a room on the left where the flickering of pale light suggested he�d been comfortably watching TV. For just an instant, alarm flared in his eyes when he spotted Grady.

�What are you doing here?� he asked.

�Can�t a neighbor pay a friendly visit?� Grady asked.

�You just about broke my front door down. What�s friendly about that? Besides, you�re not my neighbor. If there�s any justice in this world, you never will be.�

Grady regarded him silently for a full minute, watching his nervousness increase. �Oh?� he said finally. �Why is that? Surely you don�t think I care whether there�s a burned out house on the land I�ve had my eye on.�

Just as Grady had expected, Jesse didn�t show so much as a hint of surprise at the announcement. �You don�t seem shocked,� Grady noted.

�About the fire?� Jesse said with a shrug. �Why would I be? The police scanner�s been blaring the news for the past couple of hours now. Never heard such a commotion.�

That was one explanation, Grady thought, impressed by the man�s quick thinking. �I imagine it has,� he agreed. �But I�m thinking there might be another reason you know all about Karen losing her home tonight.�

Jesse regarded him defiantly. �Such as?�

�Being there when it started,� Grady suggested. �That was you who almost ran me off the road tonight, wasn�t it?�

Jesse�s expression faltered just a bit at the accusation. �I wasn�t anywhere near the place. I�ve been in there right smack in front of the TV all night long.�

�And your wife can vouch for that?�

�She went to bed early. Had one of her migraines. Started round about supper time.�

�What about Kenny?� Dooley asked. �Where�s he been tonight?�

�I don�t keep track of my son�s comings and goings. He�s a teenager. They roam all over the place. I know for certain that he�s in his room right now. Heard him come in.�

�When was that?� Grady asked. If Kenny Oldham had returned at any time in the past two hours, that would leave him wide-open as a suspect. Jesse seemed to be struggling to do the math.

�Beats me,� he said at last. �I fell asleep.� His smile suggested he was proud of his ingenuity.

�Really? Yet you heard all about the fire on your scanner?�

Jesse nodded, that smile fading into feigned sympathy. �Felt real bad about it, too.�

�But not bad enough to get your son and go over there to help out. You are a volunteer firefighter, aren�t you?� Grady guessed, knowing that most of the men around here were. At the very least, they pitched in to help save a neighbor�s property when a tragedy like this struck.

�Nope,� Jesse said, tapping his chest. �Bad ticker. Used to help out, but no more.�

Grady was about to demand that Jesse call his son down to be questioned, when the front door burst open again and Karen came in, trailed by an apologetic-looking Hank.

�Sorry,� Hank said. �There�s a real good reason we�re here.�

Grady scowled at the pair of them, but his gaze rested longest on Karen. There were dark smudges under her too-bright eyes and her complexion was still very pale.

�What might that be?� he asked.

Karen looked from him to Jesse and back again. Whatever had brought her running over here seemed to have been forgotten. She faced her longtime neighbor.

�Did you do it?� she asked bluntly.

Jesse returned her gaze uneasily. �Like I told your friends here, I haven�t left the house all night.�

�Unfortunately, he�s not quite as capable of accounting for his son�s whereabouts,� Grady said.

Karen looked shocked. �Kenny? He used to sit in my kitchen and eat cookies while I visited with his mother. Surely he wouldn�t set my house on fire.�

�He would if he was real anxious to get his daddy�s approval,� Dooley said, speaking up for the first time since Grady�s interrogation had begun in earnest. �That boy�s always been crying out for some man to look at him like he�s worth something. Jesse here�s been too busy to give him the time of day, since he�s not big enough or strong enough to play football, isn�t that right, Jesse?�

Even as Dooley made the accusation, Grady thought he saw movement on the stairs. He glanced up and caught sight of Kenny, hovering on the landing. Given what Dooley had just said about the teen�s relationship with his father, he felt a stirring of pity for him.

�Come on down here, son,� Grady said.

Kenny crept down the stairs, his terrified gaze locked on his father. As Dooley had said, he was slight for sixteen, his body not yet filled out. At the foot of the steps, he instinctively edged closer to Karen. She reached out and took his hand, then gave it a squeeze.

�Kenny, did you start that fire?� she asked, her voice filled with hurt.

Tears welled up in the boy�s eyes, but he nodded, his gaze never leaving her face. �I�m sorry,� he whispered. �I didn�t know it would be so bad. I swear I didn�t. I just thought it would scare you, the way Daddy said. He said we had to have that land or we�d never be certain whether our herd would have water. Mama argued with him. She told him you would never cut us off, but he said you�d be selling out soon enough and the new owner might not be nearly so concerned with an old piece of paper drawn up between friends. It wasn�t even notarized.�

Even as she held the boy�s hand, Karen scowled at his father. �You coward,� she accused. �You didn�t even have the guts to do the job yourself. You counted on Kenny�s need to please you. What kind of father are you? You�re not even a man. You�re scum. And if you were worried about those water rights before, you�d better be on your knees praying now, because I�ll see you in hell before I ever let your herd near that creek again, paper or no paper. I�ll find some way to see that it�s voided.�

When she swayed on her feet, Grady stepped closer, but she steadied herself, then took one last, scathing look at Jesse Oldham and turned to leave.

�Let�s get out of here before I�m sick to my stomach,� she said. She touched Kenny�s tearstained cheek. �Thank you for having the courage to tell us what really happened tonight.�

�Hank, how about sticking around here till we can get the sheriff over here?� Grady asked. �Somebody ought to keep an eye on things.� He lowered his voice. �Make sure Oldham doesn�t do anything to that boy, all right?�

�I�ll stay with him,� Dooley said. �He�ll need a way home.�

Grady nodded. �I�ll call the sheriff. Then I�m taking Karen home with me.� He glanced at her for a reaction, but her face was expressionless. He took that for agreement, or maybe she was simply too wiped out to object.

�We�ll see you in the morning,� he told the two men. �And Dooley, thanks for helping me out tonight. You be sure and tell the sheriff how helpful Kenny was.�

�No problem. I just hope a court can distinguish between a mixed-up boy who set that fire and the man who put the notion into his head.�

Grady nodded. �We�ll see that they do.�

He led Karen to the car and settled her inside, then felt his heart clutch at the despair on her face. He couldn�t help feeling he�d set all of this into motion by making it so plain to one and all that he intended to buy her ranch. Maybe that was what had set off Jesse Oldham�s paranoia about those water rights.

�I�m sorry,� he said.

She glanced up, clearly startled. �Why? You didn�t have anything to do with this.�

�Jesse might not have tried anything if he�d thought his water rights were safe,� he said.

She shook her head. �This started long before you came into the picture. He didn�t trust Caleb to honor them either, remember?�

That was true enough, Grady supposed, but it didn�t seem to lessen his own sense of guilt. He was silent for the entire drive to his ranch, though he couldn�t help sneaking a glance at Karen from time to time. He�d never seen her looking quite so lost.

At his house, he led her inside, then pointed out the master bathroom. �Take a warm bath, why don�t you? I�ll call your friends and let them know what happened and that you�ll be staying here for a bit. There�s a robe on the back of the door. It�ll be too big, but it�ll keep you warm enough.�

She nodded, then retreated into the bathroom and closed the door. Feeling unbearably tired, he stood there listening to the sound of water running. Only when it had cut off and he heard the subtle splash suggesting that she�d climbed into the deep tub did he go back to the kitchen and put a pan of milk on the stove. Maybe a cup of warm milk would help both of them get some sleep.

Then he called Cassie�s house. He was relieved when Cole answered. He explained what had happened.

�We can be over there in an hour if she needs us,� Cole said.

�I think she needs a good night�s sleep more. Come in the morning, why don�t you?�

�We�ll be there,� Cole promised. �Cassie and I will call the others.�

�I�d appreciate it,� Grady said, relieved not to have to go through the explanation of the night�s events again and again.

�Grady?�

�Yes?�

�I�m glad you�re there for her. She�s going to need you.�

�I�m not so sure about that,� Grady said. �I can�t help thinking that when she thinks it through, she�ll blame me for setting it all into motion.�

�No,� Cole said. �She�s going to blame herself for not protecting Caleb�s legacy. It�s up to all of us, you included, to make sure she understands how wrong that is, that this was out of her control.�

With Cole�s words still echoing in his head, Grady was less surprised when Karen walked into the kitchen, her face drawn, her eyes dull. She accepted a mug of warm milk, then sank wearily onto a chair.

�I�ve been thinking,� she said dully. �I have to rebuild. It�s what Caleb would want.�

Grady wanted to shout that Caleb was dead, that his wishes no longer mattered, but he couldn�t. She wasn�t ready to hear that.

Instead, he simply asked, �What do you want?�

She blinked in surprise at the question. �To rebuild,� she said a little too readily.

�Really?�

�Of course.�

He started to point out that the ranch was draining the life out of her, just as it had from Caleb, but he kept silent. She wasn�t ready to hear that, either. To his deep regret, he realized that maybe she never would be.

Karen gazed into the face of her son and felt an indescribable sense of joy steal over her. With his black hair and dark eyes, Thomas Grady Blackhawk was the most beautiful baby she�d ever seen.

His great-grandfather agreed with her. He�d been hovering over the two of them for days now, eager to take over feedings, even diaper changes. Watching the two of them together had been a revelation. Until then she had been just a tiny bit intimidated by Grady�s grandfather. Now she knew that beneath that quiet, solemn, wise demeanor he was a real softie.

She also knew what she had to do. In fact, she had already talked to a lawyer and today, now that the christening was over and the guests had left, she would tell Grady and Thomas what she had decided.

There was a soft knock on the door of the nursery and both men came in. The baby whimpered as if he knew that his great-grandfather was in the vicinity. Only when she had handed him over to the old man did baby Thomas quiet down. She rose and gave them her place in the rocker, then walked over to the dresser to pick up the papers she had left there.

�What are those?� Grady asked.

She grinned as she handed them to him. �Why not read them and see for yourself?�

Regarding her with a puzzled expression, he took them and began to scan the contents. He�d barely read a page, when his gaze shot to hers. �You want to do this?�

�It�s done.�

�What is it?� Thomas asked.

�She�s donated the ranch to the Bureau of Indian Affairs,� Grady said. �It�s to be a working ranch for Native American boys who need a second chance.�

�The Blackhawk Ranch,� she said quietly.

�But Caleb�s family,� Grady protested. �They�ll hate this.�

�I talked with them. I explained what I wanted to do and why. It was one of the most difficult conversations I�ve ever had in my life, but I told them I was prepared to go ahead with it whether they approved or not.�

She reached for Grady�s hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. �Do you know what his father said?�

Grady shook his head.

�He said it was the right thing to do, that if he hadn�t been so blinded by his own anger and hurt all these years, he might have thought of it himself, that maybe if he had, Caleb would have been free to pursue a different life, that maybe he�d still be alive.�

�And his mother?� Grady asked. �What did she say?�

�Not much that first time, but she called me the next day and told me it was okay. She said that loving your father might have been wrong, but that he had been a good man and this would be a fitting tribute to him. She also wanted me to ask if you could ever forgive her for blaming you for what happened the night your father died. She said it was a burden you never should have carried.� Her eyes filled with tears. �After all this time, I think she and I have finally made peace.�

�It�s a fine thing you�ve done,� Thomas said quietly. �But I think there�s one change needed.�

�What�s that?� Grady asked.

�I think it should be the Blackhawk-Hanson Ranch. That would make it the real tribute it ought to be.�

Karen had considered that, then dismissed it, fearing that it would negate the meaning of the gesture to Grady�s ancestors. �Are you sure?� she asked, kneeling beside him.

Thomas Blackhawk rested his hand on her head in a gesture that was part blessing, part affection. �I�m very sure, child. No tribute to the past is complete if it ignores part of the history.�

�Then the Blackhawk-Hanson Ranch it is,� Grady said. �Maybe one day our son will grow up to run the place.�

All three of them looked at the boy sleeping so peacefully in his great-grandfather�s arms. He had quite a legacy to live up to, Karen thought, gazing from his father to his great-grandfather.

Then she grinned. The men in her life were really something. And with Kenny Oldham spending so much of his time with them these days in an attempt to make up for his part in the fire, she was surrounded by males. She needed a daughter to even things up a bit. She met Grady�s gaze.

�I think your grandfather has things under control in here,� she began.

Grady grinned. �Absolutely. What did you have in mind?�

�Don�t tell him in front of me,� Thomas said. �I�m an old man. I don�t need to know the details.�

She winked at him. �Don�t worry. I�ll whisper my plans after I get him all alone.�

A smile spread across the old man�s face. �If he doesn�t know without you spelling it out, he�s no grandson of mine.�

�I agree,� Grady said, leading her from the room. �Talk is highly overrated.�

�Then I�ll show you,� she said, closing their bedroom door securely behind her.

She was pretty sure he�d gotten the message even before her blouse hit the floor.