Read Online Affair of the Heart by Joan Wolf - Free Book Online

abruptly away and in less than half a minute had been claimed by Dan Masters.
    She got through the rest of the dance on sheer nerves. For the last forty-five minutes she sought out Joe and remained strictly under the protection of his company. She did not come within twenty feet of Jay until they went out to the station wagon for the return trip to the ranch. Mary Anne was not with them, as she was returning home with her parents. She had invited Caroline to come into town to meet her for lunch one day, and Caroline had promised to call her.
    Joe held the front door of the station wagon for Caroline, and she glanced at him a little nervously, hoping he was planning to drive home. But it was Jay who slid behind the wheel. He put the car into gear, backed out, and started down the street. “They had a good crowd,” he said over his shoulder to his father.
    “Yep. Did you talk to Donald Barnes?”
    “I did.” Jay’s voice sounded very grave.
    “We haven’t had one of those things to worry about for a while.”
    “No. Let’s hope they get him before he moves onto our range.”
    “Get what?” asked Caroline.
    Jay’s profile was impassive. “Mountain lion up by Montana,” he said. “Donald got a call from his brother-in-law. The cat’s killed a whole lot of cattle, and it looks like he’s headed this way.”
    “A mountain lion,” Caroline repeated. “Dear God.”
    “Yeah,” said Joe. “One lion can account for a hell of a lot of cattle if he’s a mind to.”
    “Is there a hunt out for him?” Caroline asked.
    “There is, and I hope they get him. But just in case ...” The big rancher trailed off meaningfully.
    Jay grunted. “I’ll alert the men. We’ll be ready to go if we have to.”
    Caroline’s throat felt dry. “Will you go after it, then?” she asked her stepbrother.
    “May have to. If it moves this way.”
    “Jay’s the best shot in the county,” Joe said with simple pride.
    “Oh.” Caroline watched the shadowy profile of the man next to her. “Do mountain lions attack humans?” she asked after a little.
    She could see the white gleam of his teeth. “Not usually,” he said.
    “Oh,” Caroline said again.
    He laughed. “Are you worried about me?”
    “No. I’m worried about the lion.” Her voice was very gentle. “I hate to see an animal die of food poisoning. It’s so painful.”
    There was a minute’s silence and then Joe chuckled. “I think you’ve just been insulted, son.”
    “And by an expert.” Jay sounded amused. “Don’t worry, Caroline. No mountain lion is going to get close enough to take a bite out of me.”
    “The ASPCA will be so pleased.”
    “Wait a minute!” said Joe. “You two are beginning to sound as if you were brother and sister.”
    At this very unperceptive comment, Jay and Caroline exchanged an involuntary glance. Brother and sister, Caroline thought. Dear God.
    “Um, Joe,” she said after a minute of silence. “I did so enjoy talking to Dr. Underwood. He had a million stories—though none of them were about mountain lions.”
    “He’s a grand person,” said Joe, diverted as she had intended he should be. There was a faint smile on Jay’s lips as he glanced at her, but he contributed little to the conversation, seemingly intent on guiding the station wagon along the mountain road.
    They arrived home quite late, and Caroline was tired when she finally crawled into bed. She did not go to sleep right away, however, but lay awake for a long time, her mind a chaotic whirl of thought and emotion. Finally she got out of bed and went to sit by her window, wrapped in a blanket against the chill of an early Wyoming morning.
    Jay Hamilton, she thought. No other man she had ever met had affected her as he did. How could that be? And what did it mean?
    Underneath her cool sophisticated exterior, Caroline had an intensely feminine nature. Although she would never have dared admit it to any of her liberated friends, Caroline had no hankering after a