An Intimate Bargain

Nine

Zach watched Abigail’s slow smile as, one by one, she unveiled the watercolors they’d discovered behind a canvas sheet against one wall of the north tower. He was content to stand back and observe her reaction to the paintings. Time had slipped away while they worked. Midafternoon, and they were now surrounded by treasures both valuable and absurd. He had no desire and no intention of reminding her that it was getting late.

She favored her left hand as she awkwardly lifted one of the larger paintings. He quickly stepped up and took it away, positioning it so that she could get a better look. It was the view from the cliff beyond Lord Ashton’s statue, a man standing in the foreground on a sunny summer day, with Lake Patricia and its two small islands as the backdrop.

“Whoever painted these did a really good job,” Abigail observed.

Zach squinted down in front of himself, trying to make out the scrawled signature in the bottom corner. “E. Ashton.” At least that’s what it looked like to him.

Abigail stepped around the clutter on the floor, dusting off her jeans with one hand as she moved. “E. Ashton,” she confirmed.

“Lord Ashton’s wife was named Elise.”

“I guess she must be the artist. Elise’s paintings are definitely going on the walls of the restaurant.”

“Whatever you say.” Zach couldn’t keep his gaze from Abigail.

There was a smudge of dust on her smooth cheek. Her eyes were deep gold in the streaming sunshine. Her lips were full and dark, and her mussed hair framed her face like a halo.

“You’re beautiful,” he breathed.

“Sarcasm?” she returned without missing a beat.

“I’m dead serious.” Despite her family’s obvious attempts to turn her into some latter-day Cinderella laborer, he’d never met any woman who could hold a candle to her.

“I’m dirty and sweaty, and I haven’t worn makeup in two weeks.” She held up her blunt, unadorned fingernails. “Look at these.”

Setting aside the painting, he reached forward and took her hand, giving in to impulse and gently kissing at her knuckles.

“Doesn’t matter,” he told her. “They can’t erase your beauty.”

She fluttered her long lashes. “You’re starting to sound like a courtly Lord Ashton.”

“I’m beginning to like Lord Ashton.”

“I bet he danced a mean quadrille.”

Zach lifted her hand and spun Abigail in a pirouette, earning a grin. “He strikes me as more of the pheasant-hunting type. Or maybe wild boar.”

“Wild boar?”

“Isn’t that what they do in England?”

“I think they go fox hunting. In those tight little red suits. Quite the dandies back then.”

“I suppose,” he allowed. “I mean, when he wasn’t busy loading a cannon or fighting a duel.”

“Over the honor of a lady?”

“What other reason would there be to fight a duel?”

“Would you fight for my honor?”

“In a heartbeat.” He sobered, his voice going husky, using their joined hands to draw her close.

She didn’t pull away, but fear clouded her expression.

“Don’t look so scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Good.” He couldn’t resist brushing a smudge of dust from her cheek.

“Zach?”

“Relax.”

“That seems unlikely.”

“Let’s stop time again.”

She went still. “I don’t think-”

“I don’t mean jump back into bed,” he quickly assured her.

“Yes, you do,” she countered.

She was right about that, but he wasn’t going to press her. “I mean you should stay here. For a couple of days. Help me put together some ideas for the restaurant.”

“I told Travis I’d come home today.”

“Call him back and tell him you’ve changed your mind.”

“They need me-”

“I know they need you. And I know you love them. And they can have you back. But not yet. Stay here with me and heal.” He searched his brain for something else to say, some other argument that might sway her.

He realized that he couldn’t bear to let her go back to the ranch while she was still injured. He wanted her here, with him. And, yes, he wanted to sleep with her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go. But he’d take her with or without lovemaking. He’d take her however he could get her.

She drew a breath. “I don’t need to hide to take a few days off. There’s some office work at the ranch that I can-”

“Stay, Doll-Face.” He gazed deeply into her eyes, all out of reasonable arguments. “Just… Stay.”

She was silent for what seemed like an eternity. “Okay,” the word whispered out. “For a couple of days.”

The tension rushed from his body, and his hand tightened around hers.

He tried to fight the impulse, but he couldn’t resist brushing a tender kiss across her soft lips.

The tenderness didn’t last. Passion leaped to life inside him, shattering his control. He deepened the kiss, parting her lips, releasing her hand to snake his arm around the small of her back. He reveled in the satisfying feeling of her curves pressed against his taut body. He’d missed her so much, he could barely stand it.

And he wanted more.

He wanted her naked.

He wanted to make love to her so badly that he was nearly shaking with need.

But that wasn’t fair. He forced himself to pull back. He let her go, refusing to take advantage of the situation and risk hurting her.

“The west hall,” he managed to say.

She blinked at him in obvious confusion, her pupils dilated, lips parted, dark and moist. “Huh?”

He mustered his strength and focused. “We should go look at the west hall. See if it’s big enough for the restaurant. I like the high ceilings, and the archways. If it’s too small, we could include the mezzanine level. It wraps around the main hall, one story above.” Zach knew he was babbling, but it was either that or haul her back into his arms and make love to her on the stone floor, or maybe up against the curved wall, or on one of its long trunks.

Damn it. He had to stop letting his mind wander like that.

“The west hall?” he repeated with a steely will. “We can go down there and take a look.” He waited for her response, inordinately proud of his self-control.

She tipped her head to one side, her soft brows going up. “Or,” she proposed in a perfectly reasonable tone, “we can stay up here and have sex.”

His jaw dropped.

She eased in closer, coming up against him, a sultry smile growing on her face. “Come on, Zach. We both know that’s why I’m staying.”

“There’s more to it than that.” There was much more to it than that. Abigail wasn’t just about sex to him.

She leaned a cheek against the front of his shirt. “I suppose there’s the restaurant. That’ll be fun, too.”

“Abby,” he protested. “I’m not asking you to-”

“I’m just sayin’.” She walked her fingertips up his chest. “We can have a quickie now and then concentrate on the restaurant for the rest of the afternoon. Or we can pretend to work, while doing nothing but lusting after each other for the next few hours.”

Zach was honestly speechless. The woman was one in a million. No, one in a billion. How many people out there were so forthright and pragmatic? He’d swear she didn’t have a manipulative bone in her body.

He put his arms around her and tugged her flush against him. “My room?”

“What’s wrong with here?”

“Nothing.”

“Good. It’ll be more efficient.”

“Efficient? That’s your priority?”

“A girl gets more done that way.”

Chuckling, he popped the snap on her jeans, released the zipper and whisked the denim and her panties down her legs. Then he lifted her and set her on top of a waist-high trunk in one smooth motion.

“Happy to help this girl get things done,” he drawled.

She kicked off her boots and got out of her jeans, while he shucked his own pants.

As soon as he was done, she put her hands on his hips and pulled him between her legs. She met his lips in an openmouthed, carnal kiss that went on and on.

Then she wriggled forward, and their bodies met in intimacy.

“Condom,” she prompted.

“Wait a minute, don’t you want-”

“What?”

Didn’t she want foreplay, soft words, hugs and sexy whispers?

In answer, she braced herself on her elbows, and her legs slipped up to his waist, solidifying the angle between them.

Okay. Apparently not.

“You always this slow on the uptake, Lucky?”

He tore open the condom. “You always this impatient?”

“Never.”

“So, it’s just me?”

“It’s just you.”

“Should I be flattered?”

“Absolutely. I’m usually a very deliberate, methodical person.”

Taking her at her word, he pressed fully inside.

Her eyes fluttered closed. Her head tipped back, revealing her slender neck. She moaned.

“Good,” he agreed, his own voice guttural, mouth going to her neck to taste the delicate skin.

“So good.” She arched toward him.

Zach wasted no time. He cupped her bottom with his other hand, pulled her against him, moving immediately into a solid rhythm. Then he stripped off her T-shirt, popped the clasp of her bra and tore off his own shirt, scattering the buttons in his impatience. He needed to feel her hot skin against his, all the length of their bodies.

He inhaled her scent, tasted her sweet lips, cupped her breasts, bringing first one nipple then the other to a beaded point. Her nails dug into his back, her thighs tightened around him. Arousal was like a freight train inside his brain, moving at full speed. There was no stopping it, and there was definitely no turning back.

Abby obviously felt it, too.

He sped up, and she met him thrust for thrust. Her head sank back, and he kissed her neck again, her shoulders, her breasts. His subconscious took over, body arching and withdrawing in a primal rhythm. Her gasps grew higher and shriller, until the contractions of her body sent him completely over the edge.

He locked his knees, stabilizing them both, until the waves of pleasure dissipated. When the strength came back into his muscles, he lifted her, turning her onto his lap, perching himself on the trunk to give his legs a reprieve.

“That wasn’t exactly fast,” she gasped.

“Complaining?”

“No. But it’s a fact, once we get going, we don’t seem to want to stop.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “I don’t ever want to stop.”

Her grin was blurry so close to his eyes.

“Maybe long enough to plan a restaurant,” she said.

“Maybe long enough for a shower and dinner.” Forget the restaurant. They could plan it any old time. Right now, he wanted her in his bed as soon as humanly possible.

“Don’t be a slacker, Zach.”

A laugh rumbled through him, bringing him partway back to reality. “Nobody’s ever accused me of that before.”

“It’s barely four o’clock. We’ve got half the day left.”

“How late do you usually work?”

“Eight, sometimes nine. It depends.”

“You need to join a union or something.”

“I’m one of the ranch owners.”

“Well, the other ranch owners are taking advantage of you.”

“They’re working just as hard.”

“Most of them left, Abigail.”

“You mad at me?”

He drew back in surprise. “No.”

“You haven’t called me Abigail in a while.”

He gazed into her eyes. “I’m not mad at you, Doll-Face. I-” He stopped himself. What the hell had almost popped out of his mouth? “Like you a lot,” he finished.

It was true. He liked her. A whole lot. She was so fresh and fun and unpredictable.

“I like you, too, Lucky. But we have a restaurant to plan.”

“You’ll sleep with me tonight?” he confirmed.

She molded more closely against him. “I’ll sleep with you tonight.”

His body shuddered in intense relief. He might have missed sleeping with her even more than making love with her. Tonight, she’d lay naked in his arms for hours and hours. Her warm, supple body would wrap around his. He’d sleep deeply, and wake up to her scent, her touch and her voice, knowing she was safe, knowing she was cared for, knowing nothing could harm her as long as he was there.

Abigail knew she was being utterly self-indulgent. She’d been at Craig Mountain for three days now, sleeping with Zach at night, and undertaking what felt like a dream job of planning his restaurant during the day. He was busy with DFB work, either out in the brewery, with the construction contractor, on the phone with Houston or, today, working with Alex who had arrived in person last night.

She’d quickly figured out that Zach was content to leave the restaurant planning entirely in her hands. She dived into the research, contacting other theme restaurants across the country, even recruiting a manager, who’d suggested a head chef. From the west hall today, she was calling graphic design firms and interior decorators, looking for some expertise in putting together themes and branding.

“There you are” came Seth’s unexpected voice.

She jolted back in surprise, seeing her brother strolling into the cavernous hall.

“What on earth are you doing here?” she called out.

“I could ask you the same question.” His footfalls echoed on the stone floor of the mostly empty room.

She came to her feet, pushing back the big chair. She’d set herself up with a laptop, printer and telephone on what was likely once the master’s dining table. It was ornately carved mahogany, with pedestal legs and at least two dozen matching chairs. Right now, it was covered with everything from architectural drawings to fabric swatches and knickknacks from the tower rooms.

“I’m getting better,” she answered as Seth made it to her, pulling her into a hug.

“Glad to hear it.” He let her go, glancing meaningfully at the cluttered table. “You convalescing or running a business?”

She waved a dismissive hand over the work supplies, swallowing her guilt over focusing on Zach’s project instead of her family. “I’m just offering my opinion on a few things.”

“Hmm.” Seth looked skeptical.

“What’s up with you?” she said, changing the topic. “How are things in the mayor’s office?” And what was he doing at Craig Mountain?

“Same old, same old,” Seth answered, strolling around the table, glancing more closely at her work. “Travis said he’d talked to you yesterday.”

“I’ll probably head home tomorrow,” Abigail found herself saying. “Or maybe the next day.”

Seth took in the bandage on her arm. “How’s the wound doing?”

“Getting better and better.” She moved back to her chair, motioning for Seth to sit in another of the velvet-upholstered dining armchairs.

He took his seat slowly, bracing his hands on the carved, mahogany arms. “So, little sister, what’s with this Zach guy?”

She tried to gauge his expression, but he was too good at keeping a poker face. “What do you mean?”

“You want me to be blunt?”

“Please, be blunt.” She braced herself.

“Who is he to you? Why are you here instead of at home?”

Abigail gave a studied shrug. “He found me at the side of the highway.”

“Travis told me.”

“My arm was too sore to drive a stick shift.”

“That was three days ago.”

“Zach’s going to drive me back to the ranch soon.” Truth was, it was Abigail herself who was putting off going home. She loved it here. Zach was fun and exhilarating and amazing in bed. She found the restaurant project fulfilling, and she was trying to drag it out just as long as she could.

“I can drive you back today.”

“That won’t be necess-”

“I’m going out to the ranch anyway.”

Abigail couldn’t think of a single comeback. There was absolutely no logical reason for her to stay at Craig Mountain instead of going back to the ranch with Seth. She could hardly tell her brother she was having a really great fling. And she sure couldn’t tell him she wanted to finish planning the restaurant. It could take weeks, even months. But if she left today with Seth, she wouldn’t have a chance to give Zach a proper goodbye, to maybe figure out what happened next.

She hoped something happened next. They’d done their best to stop time once again, to steal a little fantasy with each other amongst their divergent lives. And that might be all that was happening here, a longer, but equally temporary, fling. But she truly hoped it wasn’t. She liked Zach. She more than liked Zach. She didn’t know what it felt to fall head over heels for somebody, but it had to be close to this.

“Abigail?” Seth prompted.

She blinked at her brother, struggling for the words that would buy her a little more time.

Then Lisa’s voice interrupted. She came through the same entry Seth had used. “This place is amazing!” She gaped at the high ceiling. “Did you see the grounds?” she asked Seth. “Hey, Abby. How are you doing? The mayor and I are officially checking out the newest business development in the Lyndon area.”

Abigail felt a surge of relief at seeing Lisa. Maybe Lisa could help her finesse the situation. Or at least she could help Abigail stall for a bit.

“You should definitely take a tour of the grounds,” Abigail told her brother. “While you’re here, check out the new brewery construction. It’s moving along at record speed.”

“I don’t need a tour of the grounds,” he responded.

“Well, at least look outside. If you take that staircase-” she pointed to the far end of the rectangular room “-you’ll get to the mezzanine above. The bay window down at the other end gives you a view of the lake. But if you look north, you can also see most of the construction.”

“Go take a look,” Lisa prompted, grasping the back of Seth’s chair. “You should at least see the lake and the statue of Lord Ashton.”

Seth kept his gaze fixed on Abigail. “Travis doesn’t know what to think of this guy.”

Abigail met his eyes. “That’s because Travis doesn’t know him.”

“Neither do you.”

“I know enough.”

“What are you saying?”

“Seth?” Lisa intoned from behind him. “Quit giving your sister the third degree.”

“She’s needed at the ranch.” Seth still spoke directly to Abigail.

“And I’m coming back,” she assured him.

“Good.” Seth brought his hands down on his thighs.

“Go look out the window,” Lisa prompted.

“Fine.” Seth came to his feet, tone turning sarcastic. “I don’t know why I employ such a bossy woman.”

“Because I’m a smart bossy woman.” Lisa immediately slipped into the chair Seth had vacated.

He looked down at her. “You’re not coming with me?”

“I just saw the statue and the lake.”

With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, Seth paced for the staircase.

“What the heck is going on?” Lisa asked Abigail, leaning forward on the table. “You’re still with one-night-stand guy?”

“I guess it’s a five-night stand.”

Lisa gave a half laugh, half gasp.

“And what’s with Seth?” Abigail returned. “He’s acting so…”

“So like Seth?”

Abigail supposed that was true. “Does he know anything about Zach?”

“Travis told him Zach tried to get your help with the water license.”

“But he thinks I said no, right?”

“He thinks you said no.”

“And he doesn’t know Zach blackmailed me into it?”

“No, no. Not the blackmail. And not that the two of you had a one-night stand.” Lisa grinned. “Well, five-night stand. But he does know about Zach’s initial fight with Travis. And he’s pretty ticked off about that.”

“You can’t tell him the rest,” Abigail reminded Lisa.

“I’m never going to tell him the rest.”

Seth’s footfalls sounded directly above them, and they both glanced reflexively up. Abigail leaned closer in and lowered her voice. “Can you help me out here? I’m not ready to go home yet.”

Lisa’s eyes lit up. “You falling for this guy?”

“Maybe,” Abigail admitted, her face growing warm. “Kind of. Just a little bit.”

Lisa’s grin grew. “He’s living in Lyndon now. So you never know what might happen.”

Nothing was going to happen, at least nothing that really counted. Not as long as Abigail supported her family, and not as long as Zach wanted her to let them down. “It’s all brand-new. And Travis isn’t crazy about him. Now Seth doesn’t like him.”

Lisa waved a dismissive hand. “You can’t please your entire family every minute of the day.”

“I’m not pleasing anyone at all right now.” Every day she stayed here, she was letting Travis down.

“You’re pleasing yourself.”

“That’s not exactly an admirable character trait.”

Lisa gave another shrug. “You’re human. Live with it.”

“I’ve seen the lake” came Seth’s tense voice as he made his way back down the stairs. “And the statue. Are we ready to head home now?”

Abigail’s body went stiff. Surely he didn’t mean right this second. She was in the middle of working. And Zach didn’t even know she was thinking about leaving today.

“Abby needs to say goodbye,” Lisa interjected. “Gather her things, thank Zach for his hospitality.”

“So this was a social visit?” Seth’s jaw was set, his gray eyes hard as steel.

“Come on.” Lisa grabbed Abigail’s hand, clearly intending to remove her from Seth’s line of fire. “Let’s go get your stuff.”

Abigail allowed herself to be pulled to standing. She glanced longingly from the sketches to the phone messages to the fabric samples. She wasn’t ready to leave. She was waiting on return calls. She was waiting on emails, and more samples, and there was still the south tower to explore. But Travis needed her, and Seth was tapping his foot, looking implacable. And she couldn’t come up with a single plausible reason to prolong her stay.

Zach entered the west hall, expecting to find Abigail in her usual spot, expertly juggling the hundreds of details around the restaurant project. Instead, he found a grim-looking man in an expensive suit, glaring daggers at him as he approached.

“Can I help you?” Zach asked, searching his brain for context. Was he a building inspector? A tax collector?

“Seth Jacobs,” the man announced without offering his hand. “I want you to explain why the hell you’ve been blackmailing my sister.”

Zach stopped short, eyes narrowing. “You’re the mayor?”

“I’m the mayor. Now, start talking.”

Zach glanced to the corners of the room. “Where’s Abigail?”

“None of your business.”

“What did she tell you?” Why would Abigail bring Seth in on the secret? What could possibly have happened while Zach was down at the brewery?

“Also none of your business,” Seth snapped. “You don’t need to worry about how I know. You just need to worry that I do.”

“That’s all over and done with.” Zach’s mind was working quickly, trying to assemble pieces of information.

Did Seth know they’d slept together? Did he know Abigail hated working on the ranch? Was everything out in the open? And what did she expect him to do here?

One thing was certain, until he talked to Abby, he wasn’t giving her brother any more information.

“Nothing’s over and done with in my book.” Seth took a menacing step forward. “You come after my sister, you deal with me.”

Anger flashed deep in the man’s eyes. His jaw was set. His fists were clenched. Despite the business suit, he looked a whole lot like his brother, Travis. They might love their sister, but they sure didn’t understand her.

Zach responded in the most reasonable tone he could muster. “What’s between Abigail and me is none of your business.”

“You blackmailed a member of my family. That is my business.”

Zach realized Seth was bluffing. The accusation was too vague. “You don’t know what happened, do you?”

“If it was sex, you’re a dead man. And we mean that literally in Colorado.”

“I’m from Texas,” Zach responded with equal determination. “If I blackmailed a woman into having sex with me, I’d stand here while you killed me.”

Seth drew back in obvious surprise.

Zach used what he hoped was a conciliatory tone. “It might have started off rocky, but things are fine between Abigail and me.”

“Well, they’re pretty far from fine between me and you.”

“She’s not doing a single thing she doesn’t want to do.”

“So says you.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Forgive me if I don’t take the word of a blackmailer.”

“Former blackmailer.”

“You think you’re funny? Okay, then laugh about this.” Seth pointed his index finger to the center of his chest. “I’m the guy who approves your business license. I’m the guy who approves your zoning. And I’m the guy who approves your parking variance.”

A block of lead settled itself in Zach’s stomach. The idea that Seth could block DFB’s move to Lyndon was sickening.

“Not so funny anymore, is it?” Seth taunted.

“You’re blackmailing me?”

“Ironic, isn’t it?”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to stay away from Abigail. Forever.”

“No.” The word burst out of Zach. That was the one thing he couldn’t do.

“No?” Seth asked with obvious incredulity. “You want me to destroy your business?”

“I want you to let your sister make up her own mind.” It was all Zach could do to keep silent about Abigail hating the ranch. “Let her make up her mind about me, and about everything else.”

“You didn’t let her make up her mind about you. You took that choice away from her, didn’t you?”

Zach didn’t have an answer for that accusation. Seth had him. Zach had behaved shamefully, and there was no arguing the contrary.

“I’m walking out this door. I’m taking Abigail with me. And if you dare touch my sister, talk to my sister, even look at my sister ever again, I will take you and DFB down so fast and so far, you’ll never get out of the hole.”

“That’s abuse of power,” Zach pointed out. Seth could lose his office, possibly go to jail.

“That’s protecting my family,” Seth countered. “And I know a hundred ways to do it and not get caught. Don’t test me, Rainer. I’m holding all the cards.”

“I’d never hurt her,” Zach told him plainly and levelly.

“You already have.”

Once again Zach didn’t have an answer. Seth was right. He’d already hurt Abigail. He’d betrayed her trust. He’d coerced her. And everything that had happened since was tainted. Seth was right, and Zach was wrong.

Ironic didn’t begin to describe the situation.

He gave Seth a curt nod of acquiescence and left the castle. There was no chance Seth would let him say goodbye. Abigail was gone, out of his life, back to her family. He’d never deserved her in the first place.

After two days of silence from Zach, Abigail’s guilt turned to frustration. After four days, her frustration turned to anger.

She’d sent him a text. She’d left him a voice mail. So he knew she’d gone home with Seth. But instead of calling to talk about it, he’d cut her off.

She finally realized this was Zach’s way of making her choose. And it had worked. She’d take loyalty over betrayal, her family over a one-night stand, any day of the week.

She hoisted a saddle onto Diamond’s back, settling it on the hunter-green blanket. She was home, and this was where she was staying.

“Need any help?” her sister Mandy offered from the opposite side of the hitching post as she slipped the bit into Happy-Joe’s mouth.

“My arm’s fine,” Abigail assured her. The gash was nearly healed. She’d have a scar, but hopefully, it would fade over time.

“You always were a trouper.”

“That’s nothing unique in the Jacobs family.”

Mandy grinned in return. She was dressed in blue jeans and a quilted plaid shirt, her favorite Stetson planted firmly on her head. Abigail had slipped into a pair of old blue jeans this morning, topping them with a faded gray T-shirt and a sturdy denim shirt against the cooling autumn air. Her boots were familiar and comfortable, as were the sights, sounds and smells of the ranch.

She inhaled deeply. It was good to be home.

“The Jacksons put their place up for sale,” said Mandy.

“I didn’t know that.” Abigail waited until Diamond exhaled, then swiftly tightened the cinch.

“Prices are down because of the water licenses but Edward’s health has been going downhill, and with no kids to take over, they have no choice.” Mandy tucked in the end of the cinch strap and adjusted the stirrups.

Abigail felt a twinge of guilt at the mention of the water licenses. Not that she’d done anything that anyone else couldn’t have done. Still, she had helped Zach.

She determinedly placed her booted foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse, pushing the man from her mind. Then she gazed around their vast ranchland, the oat fields rippling, the leaves turning. She tugged on her leather gloves and settled the reins across her palm. “I can’t imagine selling.”

“I’m not worried about the Jacobs clan.” Mandy swung up into her own saddle. “Between the five of us, I’m liking our chances of coming up with a new generation of ranchers. Even Katrina. With Reed’s genes mixed in there, we might get a rancher out of her yet.”

Abigail laughed at the joke, but her shoulders felt heavy. Between now and the next generation, everybody would be counting on her.

Her cell phone pulsed three short buzzes in her pocket, signaling a text message. Her mind went immediately to Zach, and she stripped off a glove, digging into the front pocket of her jeans while Diamond started into a walk, falling in beside Happy-Joe.

It was Travis, not Zach. Abigail hated the jolt of disappointment. She was going to get past this stupid infatuation. Her family was her future, not Zach. Even if she didn’t produce any babies herself, a new generation of Jacobses running around the ranch would be a wonderful thing.

She read the text. “Travis wants us to check on Testa Springs.” As the summer ended, watering holes started to run dry, and the cattle needed to be shifted from place to place.

“Makes sense,” said Mandy. “We can take the Buttercup Trail.”

Abigail replaced her phone and pulled the glove back on, shifting her seat and focusing on the day. “Diesel went up two cents last week.”

Though the Jacobs ranch was prosperous, and her father and grandfather’s investments provided a cushion against the ups and downs of ranching, Abigail worried about the others in the valley, particularly those with smaller holdings that had higher overhead and big mortgage payments.

“Are you going to tell me about Craig Mountain?” Mandy switched topics.

The question didn’t exactly take Abigail by surprise, but that didn’t make her any happier about it. Thinking some more about Zach was the last thing she wanted. But she knew being coy with her sister was only going to prolong the conversation. And there was no reason to hide it from Mandy. Well, most of it anyway.

“Not much to tell,” she said breezily, reminded of the times she’d encourage Mandy to go to Caleb’s hotel room to be with him. They’d always been honest with each other about men. “I met a guy. Hurt my arm. We had a fling. And I’m now home again.”

Mandy turned to look at her, obviously fighting a grin. “I hate it when you go into so much detail.”

“That’s all there was to it.”

“It’s going to be a long ride.”

“I know how long the ride is.”

“I’m just saying you might want to help the time pass by filling in a few more details.”

“They’re building a restaurant up at the brewery,” Abigail offered.

“I’m more interested in what Zach-it’s Zach, right?-in what Zach looks like naked.”

“Does your husband know you’re wondering about that?”

Mandy laughed. “Was he great? I mean, he must have been great. You stayed up there five days.”

And she would have stayed longer if not for Seth. And she’d go back, if not for Zach’s stubborn insistence she walk away from her family.

“It was great,” she admitted to Mandy. “He’s a smart, fun, sexy guy, and he was letting me help him design his restaurant. I liked that,” she admitted.

“Why’d you leave?”

“Irreconcilable differences.”

“What, over the tablecloths and menu choices?”

“Something like that.”

“Abby.”

“Can we drop it?” Abigail’s tone was sharper than she’d intended.

Mandy went silent. Abigail focused on the sound of the horses breathing and their hooves rustling the grass as they made their way up a slight rise.

Mandy’s tone went sympathetic. “Did he break your heart, Abby?”

Abigail’s chest tightened, and her throat tingled in reaction. She wanted to be strong, keep the secret to herself. But she needed her sister’s shoulder to lean on. “Only a little bit.”

They came to the top of the rise, and a vast valley spread out in front of them. Abigail stopped Diamond to take a long look.

“His fault or yours?” Mandy asked softly.

“His. Mostly. Well, mine, too.” She had left abruptly with Seth. Maybe she should have told her brother to mind his own business. Maybe she should have stood up to him in that moment and bought herself a few more days with Zach.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Mandy asked.

Abigail shook her head in answer, both to her sister and to herself. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“You can talk to him. These things never run smoothly. Heaven knows Caleb and I had our share of rocky moments.”

“Zach’s not Caleb.”

“You can still talk to him.”

Abigail gripped the saddle horn. There was a catch she couldn’t quite keep out of her voice. “I’ve left messages. He didn’t call back.”

Without giving Mandy a chance to respond, she kicked Diamond into a trot.

Abigail couldn’t seem to get Mandy’s words out of her head. Was it better to try to talk to Zach or would a smart woman simply walk away? She couldn’t decide. And she was afraid her judgment was clouded by her intense desire to see him again, no matter what the circumstance.

Then again, she reasoned, if her own judgment was clouded, maybe she should go with Mandy’s. Mandy was a smart woman. Her advice had been specific and concrete. Abigail should take it. After five miserable days she didn’t see how things could get worse.

She knew she could use Ozzy as an excuse to return to Craig Mountain. When she’d left with Seth and Lisa, she hadn’t been able to find the puppy. Not surprising, since Ozzy had taken such a shine to Zach. They’d probably been together.

Mind finally made up, she headed for the brewery, easily finding Zach alone in an office.

She breezed in, playing it cool, pretending there hadn’t been a seismic shift in their relationship. Half of her hoped he’d pull her into his arms. The other half knew that was a hopeless fantasy.

“I tried to call you,” she began, hoping against hope for a simple, logical explanation that would switch everything back to normal.

But instead of answering, he stepped behind the wide desk, obviously putting some distance between them. His expression was guarded. “You shouldn’t have come here, Abigail.”

Her faint hope fled. “You should have returned my call.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you. I knew you’d be busy. You’ve told me what it’s like on the ranch.” His tone was cool. His eyes were cold.

She wanted to run from the chill, but she forced herself to step closer, coming up against the desk. She gathered her courage. “Is this you pouting?”

“No.”

“I didn’t pick my family over you.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“We’re talking now.”

“This isn’t talking.”

He drew a tight breath. “Trust me, Doll-Face. This is talking. And you need to listen.” His words dropped like icicles. “It was always going to be temporary between us.”

Her lungs went tight, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

“And it’s over,” he finished, and her heart sank like a stone.

She shouldn’t have come. She’d completely misjudged the situation. How she wished she’d stayed away. He’d wanted her to leave.

She swallowed hard, a sick feeling bubbling up from the pit of her stomach. Oh, no. Had he been waiting for her to leave? Maybe he’d asked her to stay only out of politeness.

She took a shaky step backward, a chill coming over her body, while humiliation washed through her. The fling had run its course, and she’d embarrassed them both by showing up like this.

She struggled to speak, her voice going small. “I came back to get Ozzy.”

Something flashed through Zach’s eyes. “Ozzy’s fine.”

She gathered her pride. “I’m sure you took good care of him, and I thank you for that.”

“He can stay.”

A fresh flash of pain seared Abigail’s chest.

“I don’t think he likes the ranch,” said Zach.

“He’ll get used to the ranch.” The puppy was hers, not Zach’s.

“Why should he have to do that?”

“Because it’s his home. He’s my dog, not yours.” If she couldn’t have Zach, she could at least have Ozzy. She knew her emotions were off kilter, but giving up the puppy suddenly seemed like a final defeat.

“Leave him here, Abby.”

Her voice rose. “I want my dog.”

“He’s more my dog than yours.”

“That’s not true.”

Zach braced his hand on the desktop. “He’s happy here. Let him be happy. Why don’t you want him to be happy?”

“I do want him to be happy. I want him to be happy with me.”

“You Jacobses are all alike,” Zach snapped.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He’d barely met any other Jacobses.

“It means…” Zach paused, and for a split second she saw raw pain in his dark eyes. He backed away from her. “It means…”

“Zach?”

His back came flush against the office wall. “You need to leave. Right now.”

Her anger immediately vanished, replaced by a hollow loneliness that shattered the last vestiges of her pride. “What did I miss? What happened?”

“Life happened. Your life. My life.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and his stare went cold again. “Time started up again, Abby.”

Her heart ached, and her stomach clenched. “So you’re ending it between us.”

“Yes.”

“It was a fling, and you’re ending it.”

“How many ways do I have to say it?”

She tried to laugh, but it didn’t quite come off. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a bit slow on the uptake. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

She’d never had a one-night stand, never had a fling, never fallen in love and had her heart broken.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, voice breaking.

“It’s all right,” Zach returned, without a trace of emotion.

“You can keep Ozzy.” Everything Zach had said was true. Ozzy was happier at Craig Mountain. He and Zach should stay together.

“You can take him,” Zach unexpectedly offered.

But Abigail shook her head, backing toward the door. She might as well make a clean break of it. She didn’t know what she’d expected by coming out here. But she hadn’t come after Ozzy. She’d come after Zach.

Zach didn’t want her. It had only ever been about sex for him. Well, sex and the water license. And maybe it had only been about the water license. The sex was a bonus. He really was lucky. He got everything he wanted and then some.

She groped for the doorknob, twisting it with a slick palm, letting herself out and rushing back down the hallway, desperate to end this sorry episode of her life.