sound of his mother’s tears. Whether she liked to admit it or not, the pain had been about more than shame. It had pierced her heart.
When he spoke again, his implacable voice was laced with understanding. “Mother, I’m sorry for what happened between you and Dad. I love you and you know I’d do whatever I need to for you. You’ve got to try to trust me, and not just with the business.”
“You stay away from that Cooper girl.”
“Her last name is Brannon now, mother.” A small growl escaped his throat as he stood, ignoring her sharp look, and headed for the door. His mother wasn’t going to give one red inch. “I’m going over to see Trent at the stables.”
“And the Cooper place is only a stone’s throw away. How nice for you.”
He stopped, turned, and leveled the well coifed woman with an inflexible stare. “Don’t make me say something we’ll both regret, Mother.” He took a half step closer, a warning that he wasn’t going to allow her to steal even a fraction of his freedom. “My personal life is my own. It’s best if you understand that right now. You might have some interest in the family business and I might have to keep you apprised of that, but who I spend my time with, who I take to my bed, is not fodder for you or the town.”
She gave a small gasp, but never once showed any outward sign of anger. He strode out the front door without looking back, quietly muttering a curse as he went.
****
Maggie leaned back on her knees and wiped her rough work glove across her forehead. The autumn garden was thriving, which meant she would have extra vegetables to can. Not a bad thing since the homemade foods sold remarkably well. Hale wouldn’t get half of what she did out of this property. He wouldn’t know how to cultivate it, care for it, coax it into growing and nurturing the plants that depended on it. Hale Warrick had no idea how precious this land was or what it could produce.
She slammed her eyes shut against his name. For three days she’d been avoiding any thoughts of him, busying herself whenever her mind strayed toward him. She did well during the day. It was the nighttime that was difficult. She couldn’t control the dreams that picked up at their explosive kiss and spun out of control into a full blown fantasy. Waking to shaking hands, gasping breath and a sweat-glazed body wasn’t conducive to her state of mind.
“I’m not going to think about him.”
He’d wanted her to think about him, about what he could do to her, about the pleasure he could draw out of her body. He’d practically dared her to consider the physical attraction.
“So what? He’s good looking. I’ve known that most of my life.” She thrust the trowel into the dirt and dug at the small weeds with furious pulls. “A nice body doesn’t mean a nice heart.”
Chris had been kind. He had been loving and understanding. He hadn’t been as ruggedly handsome as Hale, but there had been a charm to his boy-next-door looks. He’d been her friend, her champion, the man who’d promised to fill the void of a life spent alone. Her husband had been everything she should have ever wanted. But she knew in her heart that he wasn’t. The self-reproach was there again, cutting as a frigid shard of glass.
“Vegetables. Just take care of the damn vegetables.”
Hale was a dark, vital man, full of barely leashed passion and the mind shattering knowledge of how to use it. Even the timbre of his voice had been pitched to seduce her. Her body had been eager to respond, eager to know what he could do to her.
What would it be like to have all that desire, all that protectiveness, focused on you?
“No, I’m not thinking about that.” Maggie yanked at a weed with vicious intent. “Physical is all I’m going to admit and it’s what I’m going to stay away from.”
She was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn’t realize the fresh scent of the woods had changed. A breeze stirred the trees and rolled up the
When he spoke again, his implacable voice was laced with understanding. “Mother, I’m sorry for what happened between you and Dad. I love you and you know I’d do whatever I need to for you. You’ve got to try to trust me, and not just with the business.”
“You stay away from that Cooper girl.”
“Her last name is Brannon now, mother.” A small growl escaped his throat as he stood, ignoring her sharp look, and headed for the door. His mother wasn’t going to give one red inch. “I’m going over to see Trent at the stables.”
“And the Cooper place is only a stone’s throw away. How nice for you.”
He stopped, turned, and leveled the well coifed woman with an inflexible stare. “Don’t make me say something we’ll both regret, Mother.” He took a half step closer, a warning that he wasn’t going to allow her to steal even a fraction of his freedom. “My personal life is my own. It’s best if you understand that right now. You might have some interest in the family business and I might have to keep you apprised of that, but who I spend my time with, who I take to my bed, is not fodder for you or the town.”
She gave a small gasp, but never once showed any outward sign of anger. He strode out the front door without looking back, quietly muttering a curse as he went.
****
Maggie leaned back on her knees and wiped her rough work glove across her forehead. The autumn garden was thriving, which meant she would have extra vegetables to can. Not a bad thing since the homemade foods sold remarkably well. Hale wouldn’t get half of what she did out of this property. He wouldn’t know how to cultivate it, care for it, coax it into growing and nurturing the plants that depended on it. Hale Warrick had no idea how precious this land was or what it could produce.
She slammed her eyes shut against his name. For three days she’d been avoiding any thoughts of him, busying herself whenever her mind strayed toward him. She did well during the day. It was the nighttime that was difficult. She couldn’t control the dreams that picked up at their explosive kiss and spun out of control into a full blown fantasy. Waking to shaking hands, gasping breath and a sweat-glazed body wasn’t conducive to her state of mind.
“I’m not going to think about him.”
He’d wanted her to think about him, about what he could do to her, about the pleasure he could draw out of her body. He’d practically dared her to consider the physical attraction.
“So what? He’s good looking. I’ve known that most of my life.” She thrust the trowel into the dirt and dug at the small weeds with furious pulls. “A nice body doesn’t mean a nice heart.”
Chris had been kind. He had been loving and understanding. He hadn’t been as ruggedly handsome as Hale, but there had been a charm to his boy-next-door looks. He’d been her friend, her champion, the man who’d promised to fill the void of a life spent alone. Her husband had been everything she should have ever wanted. But she knew in her heart that he wasn’t. The self-reproach was there again, cutting as a frigid shard of glass.
“Vegetables. Just take care of the damn vegetables.”
Hale was a dark, vital man, full of barely leashed passion and the mind shattering knowledge of how to use it. Even the timbre of his voice had been pitched to seduce her. Her body had been eager to respond, eager to know what he could do to her.
What would it be like to have all that desire, all that protectiveness, focused on you?
“No, I’m not thinking about that.” Maggie yanked at a weed with vicious intent. “Physical is all I’m going to admit and it’s what I’m going to stay away from.”
She was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn’t realize the fresh scent of the woods had changed. A breeze stirred the trees and rolled up the
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