the door. “We need to get things settled tonight. As you can plainly see, I'm not going away. Where you go, I go. And there's nothing you can do to stop me, short of killing me. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear."
"Then let's set down some ground rules."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"By all means."He waved his hand in a gesture of welcome. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." She plopped herself down on the brown corduroy sofa directly in front of the fireplace. "I hope you realize that I don't relish spending time with you any more than you look forward to enduring my presence. But we have a common goal, don't we? We both want to find Russ and Eddie. You have Eddie's best interests at heart, just as I do Russ's."
Joe nodded, but he kept some distance between them as he looked at her. How was it possible that she'd grown more beautiful?More tempting? He hadn't exactly been celibate the past five years, but he'd never met a woman he'd wanted more than he did Andi. Maybe if they had consummated their relationship, he wouldn't be feeling this hunger right now. Could it be that the great unknown made her all the more alluring?
And what the hell was she doing wearing the bracelet that he'd given her? He had inherited several pieces of silver-and-turquoise jewelry from his mother, the grand-daughter of Benjamin Greymountain, who had been a re-markable silversmith long before the Navajos were known for that specific craft. Joe had chosen the bracelet from his collection with great care, wanting something that would appeal to Andi and yet at the same time brand her as his own.Primitive emotions?Old-fashioned male possessiveness?
Yes, he was guilty of both.
Her twenty-fifth birthday had been special.A night out with her father and Doli, then a private celebration, here at his home. They had come so close to making love that night. But Andi had called a halt, asking him to be patient, to give her more time. She wanted him, she'd said, but she also needed to be sure that their relationship had a future. Despite her Navajo blood, he and she had come from two different worlds, and she wasn't sure they could ever reconcile the two. He had loved her all the more for being a woman to whom lovemaking meant a commit-ment.
"You aren't saying anything." Andi snapped her head around and glared at Joe. "Are we in agreement or not?"
"Sorry," he said. "I'm not quite sure what we're sup-posed to be in agreement on."
Andi huffed indignantly. "Weren't you listening? I was proposing that you look after Eddie's best interests and I do the same for Russ."
Here we go, Joe thought. She was accusing him of lay-ing all the blame on Russ again. Why was it that she couldn't believe he cared about what happened to her brother? It was as if five years hadn't been long enough for her to come to terms with her father's death and Joe's part in the tragedy. Would she never realize that Russell had had other options? He chose to commit suicide, to disgrace his family and leave them bereft.
"Sure. That's easy enough," Joe said in order to pacify her,then added, “but it would be a lot easier if we agreed that we both care about the boys and want what's best for them. After all, it's going to be hard enough spending time together, without the two of us being constantly at odds. If we trusted each other—"
"Ah, but we don't, do we?"
Andi's gaze connected with Joe's, and for one split sec-ond he felt as if someone had hit him in the stomach with a two-by-four. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. He'd have to let Andi comealong, join him in the search for the boys. If he went out alone and something happened to Russ, she'd blame Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
him; she would convince herself that he was at fault. By letting her tag along, he ran the risk of either making love to her or strangling her. But some-how, he had to find the strength to avoid
"Crystal clear."
"Then let's set down some ground rules."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"By all means."He waved his hand in a gesture of welcome. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." She plopped herself down on the brown corduroy sofa directly in front of the fireplace. "I hope you realize that I don't relish spending time with you any more than you look forward to enduring my presence. But we have a common goal, don't we? We both want to find Russ and Eddie. You have Eddie's best interests at heart, just as I do Russ's."
Joe nodded, but he kept some distance between them as he looked at her. How was it possible that she'd grown more beautiful?More tempting? He hadn't exactly been celibate the past five years, but he'd never met a woman he'd wanted more than he did Andi. Maybe if they had consummated their relationship, he wouldn't be feeling this hunger right now. Could it be that the great unknown made her all the more alluring?
And what the hell was she doing wearing the bracelet that he'd given her? He had inherited several pieces of silver-and-turquoise jewelry from his mother, the grand-daughter of Benjamin Greymountain, who had been a re-markable silversmith long before the Navajos were known for that specific craft. Joe had chosen the bracelet from his collection with great care, wanting something that would appeal to Andi and yet at the same time brand her as his own.Primitive emotions?Old-fashioned male possessiveness?
Yes, he was guilty of both.
Her twenty-fifth birthday had been special.A night out with her father and Doli, then a private celebration, here at his home. They had come so close to making love that night. But Andi had called a halt, asking him to be patient, to give her more time. She wanted him, she'd said, but she also needed to be sure that their relationship had a future. Despite her Navajo blood, he and she had come from two different worlds, and she wasn't sure they could ever reconcile the two. He had loved her all the more for being a woman to whom lovemaking meant a commit-ment.
"You aren't saying anything." Andi snapped her head around and glared at Joe. "Are we in agreement or not?"
"Sorry," he said. "I'm not quite sure what we're sup-posed to be in agreement on."
Andi huffed indignantly. "Weren't you listening? I was proposing that you look after Eddie's best interests and I do the same for Russ."
Here we go, Joe thought. She was accusing him of lay-ing all the blame on Russ again. Why was it that she couldn't believe he cared about what happened to her brother? It was as if five years hadn't been long enough for her to come to terms with her father's death and Joe's part in the tragedy. Would she never realize that Russell had had other options? He chose to commit suicide, to disgrace his family and leave them bereft.
"Sure. That's easy enough," Joe said in order to pacify her,then added, “but it would be a lot easier if we agreed that we both care about the boys and want what's best for them. After all, it's going to be hard enough spending time together, without the two of us being constantly at odds. If we trusted each other—"
"Ah, but we don't, do we?"
Andi's gaze connected with Joe's, and for one split sec-ond he felt as if someone had hit him in the stomach with a two-by-four. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. He'd have to let Andi comealong, join him in the search for the boys. If he went out alone and something happened to Russ, she'd blame Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
him; she would convince herself that he was at fault. By letting her tag along, he ran the risk of either making love to her or strangling her. But some-how, he had to find the strength to avoid
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