GARTH PARKED HIS CAR and reached for the grande latte from Starbucks. Extra foam, two sugars, just the way Kathy liked it. He tried to get over to Titanville every few days, but didn’t always make it. Sometimes he got busy, sometimes he couldn’t face Kathy’s happy smile and trusting expression.
He told himself she was fine. That she didn’t remember much about what she’d been like before. He told himself that she loved the pet store and that he should be relieved he was able to take care of her. Sometimes he nearly believed it. Most of the time he didn’t.
He’d bought the pet store for her about twelve years ago. He had a manager in place and plenty of employees. Kathy didn’t have any specific responsibilities. She mostly took care of the animals and decided which ones got adopted by whom. He’d heard she had a gift for matching the right person with the right pet. Not that he gave a damn. As long as she enjoyed her day, the rest of the world could go to hell.
He walked into the brightly lit store and nodded at the teenager behind the counter.
“Hi, Mr. Duncan,” she said.
“Morning, Luanne. How are things?”
Code for “How is Kathy today?”
“Good. She’s good.”
He tried to remember when his mother had changed to “Kathy.” Because that was how he thought of her now. He had for years. She didn’t mind. To her, their relationship was in the past tense, as if it were a story someone had told her. She used to have a son. He didn’t know what he was to her now or how she thought of him. She was always happy to see him, but she was happy to see everyone. It wasn’t personal.
He heard voices in the back of the store and walked toward them. He would guess that Kathy was interviewing someone to discover if they were worthy of a bird or a kitten. But when he stepped around a large display of cat litter, he saw a tall woman in a familiar uniform. She looked up at him, raised an eyebrow, then returned her attention to Kathy.
“You have a visitor,” Dana Birch, Titanville deputy, said.
Kathy turned toward him. Her whole face lit up as she smiled broadly. “You came to see me.”
She always sounded surprised, as if each visit were a treat.
“Hi, Kathy,” he said as he approached. He kissed her cheek, then handed her the coffee. “Just how you like it.”
Kathy took the container in both hands and sighed. “He always brings me coffee. Isn’t Garth nice?”
Dana eyed him with all the affection one would give a colony of ants at a picnic. “He’s just swell.” She nodded. “Garth.”
“Dana.”
She tapped the name tag on her dark blue shirt. “Deputy Birch.”
“But we’re so close now.”
He didn’t like that she was here. The need to protect his own made him want to lash out. He held back because this wasn’t the time.
While he and Dana had never been officially introduced, he knew who she was. She was more than one of the deputies in town, she was close friends with the Titan sisters. She knew all about his plan to take down the family and was determined to stop him. Objectively he knew that her perseverance and loyalty were a testament to her good character. But if she got in his way, he would crush her just like he planned to crush Jed Titan and his daughters.
“Dana is my friend,” Kathy said between sips of her latte.
“Yes, I am,” Dana said. “But now that Garth’s here, you’ll want to talk to him, so I’m going to go. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Garth touched Kathy’s hand. “I’ll walk Dana to her car. Be right back.”
Kathy nodded happily.
Garth followed Dana out of the pet store.
“How unexpected,” she said cheerfully, when the door had closed behind them. “I never thought of you as the gentleman type.”
He grabbed her elbow hard enough to bruise and stepped in front of her. “What the hell are you doing?”
She put her hand on his wrist and pressed with two fingers. Pain shot through his arm. “You’ll let me go right now or I’ll change you from a stallion to a gelding with a single shot and swear on a stack of Bibles that it was an accidental discharge.”
Her brown eyes flashed with temper and a promise to follow through. He knew she would happily take him on. Not just because of her position as a deputy but because she was loyal to the Titan sisters. They were her friends and she protected what was hers.
Something they had in common, he thought, noting the shape of her mouth was surprisingly sensual for a woman who wore no makeup and obviously thought acting girly meant being weak.
“You think you can take me?” he asked, releasing her.
She did the same, letting up the pressure on his arm. Whatever nerve she’d irritated continued to tingle. He ignored it.
“I’m more than confident,” she told him.
“Confidence is good,” he said. “But don’t get cocky. I always get what I want.”
“All you’re going to have in the end is some guy chasing your ass all around your prison cell. You won’t like being Bubba’s bitch, but you will have earned it.”
He chuckled. “Very visual. I’m impressed.”
She poked him in the chest. “You don’t get it. I will take you down. I don’t care about money or mind games. All I know is you’re hurting people I care about. They’re my family, as much as Kathy is yours. I can’t wait for the day I get to drag your sorry self to jail. And I’ll be the one, Garth. I don’t care how many favors I have to call in. I’ll be the one.”
“I’m counting the minutes,” he told her, meaning the words. Dana was a formidable adversary. He could respect that. And her. Which didn’t change his mind about what he was doing.
He thought about warning her away from Kathy, then realized he didn’t have to. Dana would never hurt her, never use her to get to him. She had principles and character.
“It wasn’t me,” he said. “The explosion. It wasn’t me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. And I suppose you’re not responsible for everything else that’s been happening?”
“I’m not talking about that. Dana, it wasn’t me, which means whoever did it is still out there. I don’t know who or what he was after. I have some ideas, not that you’re interested in them.”
She shook her head. “You’re right, I’m not. I’m done listening to you and your lies. Say what you want. I’ll have you in jail before long.”
He wasn’t surprised she didn’t believe him. But he’d tried. That was as far as he was willing to go.
“You keep promising,” he said, mostly to annoy her. “Yet night after night I wait and nothing happens. I’m starting to think you’re all talk.”
She made a noise that was as much growl as a threat, then she walked to her marked sedan.
He watched her. She was strong and frustrated and desperate to hurt him, but constrained by the law and the oath she’d taken when she put on the badge. What would she be like when she let loose?
Not that he would ever find out. But it was certainly something to think about.
NICK WAITED until the vice president of human resources signed the last of the paperwork.
“None of this is going to happen, right?” he asked.
Nick grinned. “We’ve never had a problem at a retreat. Just making sure we’re protected if one of your people breaks the rules.”
The HR guy didn’t look convinced, but nodded anyway.
Nick pointed to the door. “Aaron will show you to your room.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
He left the small office Nick used during corporate retreats. It was in back of the meeting rooms, giving him easy access to his clients. Not that he spent a lot of time here. The corporate functions were an unwelcome reality. They provided him with a steady income, and gave him credibility. It meant he could offer his facility to kids who needed it. He could make a difference, try to atone for the past.
He turned off his computer and walked down the hall. He could hear Aaron directing people to their rooms, handing out keys to the cottages and pointing out the posted schedule. He’d gotten lucky when he’d found Aaron and seeing as Aaron wasn’t dead, his friend had gotten lucky when he’d been found.
The central gathering area of the big house had a half dozen or so sofas, small tables scattered around, and overstuffed chairs. Aaron had overseen the decorating, picking warm reds and golds for the furniture and a few woven throw rugs for the hardwood floor. It was a comfortable space. There was a large media room in back, with theater-style seating and a movie-size screen. The corporate types used it for presentations during the day and movies at night.
He looked at the mostly male group. They were still in button-down shirts and ties. Corporate types, he thought, remembering how he’d been one of them. Briefly. It had ended in disaster, with him and Garth held prisoner in the South American jungle.
“I have T-shirts,” Izzy said, walking into the room with a stack of folded shirts in her arms. “I don’t know what it is with you guys and your matching outfits. If you don’t like them, don’t complain to me.”
She wore a tank top tucked into a short skirt. Her hair was a wild mass of curls, her smile easy and welcoming. The men swarmed around her. Nick couldn’t blame them. She was a walking, breathing male fantasy. Well, not for Aaron, but for anybody else.
He didn’t like the way they crowded her, but he didn’t intervene. Izzy could handle herself and it wasn’t his business. She was there for a specific purpose and him getting laid wasn’t it.
Of course he wanted her. It wasn’t just how she made him feel when they kissed, although that had been hot and arousing and made him burn to take her every way he knew how. It was more than that. It was her laugh, her voice and her strength. It was how she pushed back and didn’t play games. It was everything about her.
Which meant he couldn’t get involved. He wasn’t allowed-not just because he had a responsibility to get her ready for her surgery, but because of what had happened before. Because of what he’d done and who he was. If she knew…
Aaron rushed up to him and grabbed his arm. “Did you see him?”
“See who?”
“That really cute guy. Over by the staircase.”
Nick turned to look.
“Don’t stare!” Aaron hissed. “Don’t be obvious. He’s gorgeous. If we could have babies together. He’s being very friendly, but I’m not sure. Do you think he likes me? Could you ask him? Isn’t he adorable?”
Nick pulled free of Aaron’s grasp. “I’m not the one you should be talking to. Go talk to Izzy.”
“I would because she’s much better at the bondy thing than you are, but she can’t see him. So how can we talk about how cute he is?”
“She’ll figure it out. Seriously? She’s a much better choice.”
Aaron sighed. “Fine. Be that way. But I’ll remember this and when you’re in a world of hurt about something I’m just going to laugh at you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“No, I won’t because I’m a better person than you. Oh, he’s looking. That’s good, right? It’s been so long since I had a boyfriend. What if he’s the one? Wouldn’t that be fabulous? Aren’t you excited?”
“I can barely speak for the thrill of it,” Nick said dryly.
Aaron slapped his arm. “You’re not getting into the spirit of this.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“Then you need to work on your people skills.”
“I’M HAVING A LITTLE trouble finding my table,” a low, male voice said. “Can you help me?”
Izzy turned toward the man. She couldn’t see him very well, but she could tell he was only a few inches taller than her and she thought he might have blond hair. The light was bright, but it was hard to be sure.
Under normal circumstances, she would have been in her element. The corporate types were mostly guys and several of them were very into her. It was flattering and kind of funny, she thought. So far no one had figured out she was blind. She wanted to see how long it took them to notice.
“What’s your table number?” she asked, staring directly at his face so he wouldn’t hand her the paper with the information.
“Eight.”
Aaron had explained the seating chart so she knew the layout of the dining room.
“Third row, far right,” she said, pointing in the general direction. “There’s a sign on each table with the number.”
“Want to show me personally?” he asked, putting his hand on the small of her back.
She sidestepped him easily. “I think you can find it all on your own.”
“I’m Jeff,” he said.
“Izzy.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“Oh, please. Is that the best you can come up with?” Aaron joined them. “Straight guys have the worst pickup lines. Now leave Izzy alone and go get your dinner. Go on. Shoo.”
The guy left.
Izzy grinned. “You crushed him.”
“He deserved it. Tell me you weren’t falling for that horrible line.”
“I wasn’t, but it’s nice to be flattered.”
“I’m sure it is. Now, I have important news. I’ve met someone. His name is Steve, he’s single and too cute for words. We’re meeting for a drink in the main house’s living room after dinner, so when you’re done here, go straight to your room. I don’t want you lurking and spoiling the mood.”
She laughed. “Aaron, you’ve got to stop being shy. If you want to tell me something, then just say it. Don’t hide behind polite euphemisms.”
“Am I being too blunt? I’m sorry. You know how I adore you, but it’s been a long time between boys. This is different. At least I hope it is. I think I really like him.”
“Then you should go for it. I will go directly to my room. I promise. And in the morning, you can tell me everything.”
“Believe me, I will. Oh, Norma needs you to open the wine.”
An easy task, Izzy thought. One she could do completely by touch. “Sure. Point me in the right direction.”
He turned her to the left. “There’s a table against the wall. Wine bottles on the right, corkscrew on the left. We have red and white. The red is a saucy merlot with a yummy finish and the white is crisp and dry. The buffet has opened so they’ll all rush to the food. The servers will deliver the wine to the table. Oooh, Steve’s smiling at me. I’m all quivery. See you later.”
“Young love,” Izzy murmured as she made her way to the table.
The bottles were set up as Aaron had described. She carefully used the foil cutter, then went to work removing corks.
“Hi.”
She pulled out a cork, then turned toward the guy standing next to her. “Hi.”
“I’m Byron.”
“Izzy.”
“This is a great place. You must really like working here.”
It was a better line than “beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” she thought with a smile.
“Yes, it is.”
“Can I have a bottle of red, please?”
“The servers will bring bottles to the table.”
“I know, but if I waited for that, I wouldn’t get to talk to you.”
She laughed. “Don’t you have girls back where you live?”
“Plenty, but there’s something about you.”
She handed him a bottle. “Here.”
“Thanks. Would you-Oh. This is white.” He handed it back to her.
She passed him another one. “Sorry. I had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right.”
“Why wouldn’t you know the difference? Are you color-blind?”
“No. Just regular blind.”
The guy was silent.
“It’s okay,” she added, not sure why it was her job to make him feel better. She was the one who couldn’t see. “Go back to your table, Byron.”
“Right. Yeah. I, ah…See ya.”
Izzy watched him walk away. She paused to see if she would be upset by his dismissal, then realized she didn’t care. If he couldn’t handle her lack of vision, then that was his problem.
The realization was kind of freeing, she thought happily. Which was strange, but true.
A few minutes later a couple of guys came up to the table.
“Hi,” one said loudly.
So word had spread, she thought, turning to them.
“Blind, not deaf,” she said.
“Oh, right. Sorry. So you’re Izzy?” As he spoke he raised his hand in front of her face.
She grabbed his arm. “Partially blind,” she said. “Not totally. Don’t be a jerk.”
“He can’t help it. He’s also really ugly,” the other guy said. “I’m much better-looking.”
She leaned against the table and glanced between them. “Why should I take your word on that?”
“I’m telling the truth. Ask anyone.”
They were flirting, she thought, not the least bit interested, but pleased that she felt comfortable in the situation. To think of all the time she’d wasted hiding out in Lexi’s guest room.
Someone else approached. Someone she recognized immediately.
“Is there a problem?” Nick asked.
She saw the other guys take a step back.
“No,” the first one said. “Not at all.”
Nick ignored him. “Izzy?”
“I’m fine, but these two seem like they need help finding their seats.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what he did but suddenly she was alone at the table.
Aaron sidled up. “That was very macho.”
“I know. Impressive.”
“I’m sure it was. Now let’s dish. Steve is the director of finance. That’s good, right? I mean he’s successful?”
“You’re not just in it for his pretty face?” she teased.
“That, too. I’m so excited. I hope this works out. I’m ready for a real relationship. Oh, and you should head up to the house. The guys are really putting away the wine. They’re going to get rowdy pretty soon and you don’t want to be here when that happens.”
“Are you worried about me? That’s so sweet.”
“I know. I’m an incredible human being. Be sure to tell Steve if he asks.”
“I will,” she promised. “Have fun tonight.”
“It’s what I do best.”
IZZY TOOK A LONG BATH. As she soaked in the large tub, she listened to music and hummed along with the songs.
This was good, she thought. She was adjusting. Happy, even, which she wouldn’t have thought was possible just a couple of weeks ago.
She got out of the tub and used her favorite scented lotion, then pulled on bikini panties and an oversize Dallas Cowboys T-shirt to sleep in. She’d just walked into the bedroom when the door to the hall opened.
Her first thought was that Nick had finally come calling. Anticipation flooded her body, making her thighs a little shaky.
“Don’t you knock?” she asked, smiling as she spoke. Then she turned and caught sight of the man standing just inside her room.
It wasn’t Nick. The shape was all wrong, as was the way he moved. She figured it had to be one of the guys from the retreat, but didn’t know which one.
Irritation replaced eagerness.
“You have the wrong room,” she snapped. “Turn around and go back where you belong.”
“Hey, baby.” The man’s voice slurred slightly. “I thought I’d come say good-night personally. You’re with the staff, right? This is a full-service kind of place.” He moved toward her. “And in the morning, you won’t even know it was me.”
“Jackass,” she muttered, moving away from him. “I’ll break your nose. That will make you easy to identify.”
She wasn’t afraid. Not really. She was more annoyed than anything else. He was drunk. Guys did stupid things when they were drunk.
He reached for her. She sidestepped him, but bumped into the dresser. For a second she was off balance and he grabbed her arm.
She yelped as she kicked out at him. Her bare foot caught the chair instead of the man. It hurt a lot, but she kicked again and this time landed a direct hit on his thigh.
He swore and grabbed her hair. “Bitch.”
“Tell me about it,” she said, letting him pull her against him.
When she was close enough to do serious damage, she jabbed him with her elbow, using as much force as she could. He grunted and released her. She jabbed again and spun to face him. Then she was grabbed from behind and lifted out of the way. Someone else joined the fight.
Izzy stood on the far side of her bed, trying to catch her breath, watching Nick pummel her attacker. She couldn’t tell exactly what was happening. There were a few thuds, several groans, then silence as a body hit the floor.
She rubbed her arm where the guy had bruised her.
“I’m really hoping you won,” she said.
Nick moved to her side. “I did. You okay?”
She stared into his face and wished she could see his eyes.
“Fine.”
He brushed her shoulders, then down her arms. He paused on her left one. She thought he might be examining the growing bruise. He swore.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. He didn’t have time.”
Nick turned away. There was another thud followed by a crunching sound.
“What did you do?” she asked anxiously.
“Broke his nose.”
“I threatened to do that.”
“Good. I hope he thinks you did.”
She stared at the shape on the floor. The fear for herself was gone. “Are you going to get in trouble for that? You can’t go around beating up people.”
“I can when they walk into your room and attack you. Besides, they all sign a release. Short of hanging them, I can do whatever I want.”
He cupped her face in his hands. His fingers were warm and strong as he stroked her skin.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I’ll make sure all the doors are locked. No one else will get in.”
“I know. It’s okay.”
“It’s not. You’re in my house. You’re my responsibility.”
She cared a whole lot less about that than the feel of his skin against hers.
“What are you going to do to him?” she asked, trying to distract herself.
“Dump him in the barn and let him sleep it off. I’ll take all his clothes. He’ll wake up feeling like shit and naked. That should teach him.”
“I don’t think you should be too hard on him. I mean, hey, it was me. I’m fairly irresistible.”
He chuckled. “The Izzy defense?”
“It works in a court of law.”
“Because you’re a wild temptress?”
“Think you can resist me?”
“I’m doing my best.”
“Maybe you should stop working at it. Sometimes giving in is a good thing.”
The fingers stroking her skin stilled. “Izzy…”
“You talk too much,” she whispered, then raised herself up on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his.
He kissed her lightly, then stepped back.
“You should have the surgery.”
The unexpected statement stunned her. “What?”
“You heard me. Have the surgery. You’re ready. What’s stopping you?”
She was offering him sex and he wanted to tell her to go ahead with an operation that could leave her totally blind?
She didn’t know which made her more mad-his dismissal of her invitation or his butting into her personal business.
“Get out,” she said. “Get out and take the jerk with you.”
“Why are you mad? It’s time. You know it’s time.”
“Get out!”
He grabbed the body and dragged it out into the hall. She slammed the door behind him and threw herself on the bed.
“Jerk,” she muttered, not sure which of the two men she meant.
THE NEXT MORNING Izzy debated not helping with the retreat. She was supposed to demonstrate the rope bridge, but wasn’t sure Nick deserved that. Let him deal with the corporate clients on his own.
But instead of staying in bed, she found herself showering, then dressing. While the thought of letting Nick down helped her battered ego, she still liked Aaron. And she was intrigued by the thought of the rope bridge. She would just ignore Nick.
Aaron was waiting for her downstairs. “He’s thirty-three and came out ten years ago after a disastrous six-month marriage to a woman. Why do they even bother to try? Anyway, he works in finance. He likes the same movies as me, we both love to cook and he’s totally yummy.”
She followed him outside to the Jeep they would take to the event area.
“Good kisser?” she asked, thinking Nick was an amazing kisser. Wait. No. He wasn’t. She was mad at him and wanted nothing to do with him.
“Excellent.” He drew out the word to seven or eight syllables. “I really like him. I don’t want to get too excited, though. That road always leads to heartache. I just…” He started the Jeep. “I really like him.”
She smiled. “Then you should enjoy yourself.”
“But? Aren’t you going to warn me to be careful? To not trust too easily? To avoid handing over my bank account numbers or house keys until I’m sure?”
She turned toward him. “It sounds like you already know everything you should be doing. I’m the girl who just goes for it, consequences be damned.”
“Does that work for you?”
“It did until the explosion.”
Which was the wrong thing to say. Now she was thinking about the surgery again-surgery she didn’t want to have. Being in the dark forever. Could she do that? The thought of it terrified her.
Aaron patted her hand. “You’re a brave little soldier.”
“Not really.” A brave little soldier would have scheduled the surgery.
Fortunately, they’d arrived at the site before she could depress herself.
She climbed out of the Jeep and sensed someone at her side.
“Nick,” she said calmly.
“I didn’t think you’d show.”
“Why wouldn’t she show?” Aaron asked. “What happened? Are you two keeping secrets? Did you fight?”
“Some guy got into my room last night,” she said, telling only part of the truth. “He was drunk. Nick took care of him.”
“Who was it?” Aaron demanded. “What bastard did that? Can you hold him so I can hit him? Or get someone bigger than me to hit him?”
“I broke his nose,” Nick told him.
“That’s not the part that should be broken,” Aaron muttered. “Are you okay?”
Izzy assumed Aaron was talking to her. “I’m fine. He was a jerk and I suspect he’s learned a lesson.”
There was a long silence. She didn’t know if Aaron and Nick were exchanging looks or secret codes and she didn’t care.
“Where’s the bridge?” she asked. “I’m ready to intimidate the hell out of these guys.”
Nick put his hand on the small of her back. “Straight ahead, toward that big tree.”
She saw vague shapes and started walking, doing her best to ignore the feel of his palm and the heat from his skin. She was still annoyed with him and wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of responding.
Someone stepped in front of her.
“Hey, Izzy,” the man said. “I’m Jeff. We met last night. I heard about what happened and wanted to tell you I’m sorry. We all are. We’re not like that.”
“One of you is.”
“You’re right. When he gets out of the hospital, he’ll be fired. I know it’s not much, but it’s the best we can do.”
“Hospital?” she asked, feigning surprise. “For what?”
Jeff chuckled. “He fell or something. Broke his nose. Woke up naked in the barn.”
“Oh. How horrible. I hope he’s okay.”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I just wanted you to know we’re all sorry.”
“Thanks.”
He stepped out of her way. She continued walking.
“He was nice,” she said. “I wonder if he’s single. We could go out. Get married. Have a couple of kids.”
Nick didn’t say anything. Izzy glanced back at him.
“No comment?”
“I hope you’ll be very happy together.”
The wrong thing to say, she thought, annoyed all over again.
They stopped in front of a tall tree.
“Rope ladder up about twenty feet,” Nick said as he helped her step into a harness. “The rope bridge swings a little. If you feel yourself starting to lose your balance, drop into a crouch. Lower your center of gravity. Ethan, a mountain-climbing buddy of mine, is in the other tree. He’ll talk you in.”
“Is he cute?”
“Adorable.” Nick seemed to be speaking between clenched teeth. “Maybe you could take them both on at once.”
“Because you’re not interested.”
“Dammit, Izzy, would you just climb the tree?”
She wanted to tell him no. She wanted to stalk away. But there were a group of guys watching her. They all knew what had happened the night before and it was up to her to show them what strength of character meant. It was up to her to demonstrate what a girl could do and challenge them to be men enough to follow.
She started up the tree. The rope ladder made it easy and she climbed until Nick yelled at her that she was there. Then she felt her way onto the rope ladder.
“Who’s next?” she yelled down.
No one answered.
She laughed. “Come on, guys. This is team building at its best. Face death with the person in the next cubicle. Are you really prepared to be shown up by a girl?”
“I’ll go,” someone muttered. “It can’t be that hard.”
“Hey, Izzy.”
The voice came from in front of her. “You must be Ethan.”
“I am. Come on. I’ll talk you in. It’s about twenty feet. The bridge sways the most in the middle. Keep a steady pace.”
She couldn’t really make out the details of the rope bridge, but she did have a sense of the ground being way down below.
“Is there a net?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s no fun.”
Ethan laughed. “If we kill them, they tend not to rebook.”
“Oh. Good point.”
She stepped out onto the rope bridge. She had to feel for the thick bands and place her foot there. It was slow work, but she moved fairly quickly. Before she expected it, Ethan was telling her she was only a couple of feet from him. Then strong hands pulled her onto a platform.
“Like a pro,” he said. “Good job. Are you really blind?”
“Enough that they won’t let me drive.”
“Impressive.”
“Thanks,” she said, heading down and wondering why Nick couldn’t be more like him. Supportive and complimentary. But, no. Nick was only interested in pushing too hard.
Once she reached the ground, Aaron took her back to the barn. She climbed out of the Jeep and headed toward the entrance while Aaron drove back to the retreat. She’d barely stepped into the shadows of the doorway, when she heard a familiar voice say, “Hello, Izzy.”