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“Damn it,” she said, shaking loose from his grasp. “Damn you, Dallas McCray. You’re not playing fair.”
“I’m not playing, Doc.”
“It’s just chemistry, remember?”
“Yeah. Right.” He backed away from her. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries. I’ll go help Dusty and Chad with the drenching. I’ll come around first thing in the morning to check on them.”
“Will you have any results on the blood or the grain by then?”
“Probably not. I’ll get them as soon as I can though.”
“Okay. Thanks, Annie. Thanks an awful lot.”
She tried to force a smile, but wasn’t sure she was successful. “Like I said, Cowboy, it’s my job.”
* * *
The knife again, piercing his flesh, straight to his marrow. Dallas watched Annie walk away, toward Dusty, Chad, and the struggling steers.
Chemistry? Sure, they had that. But this gut twisting dagger and the sadness in his heart had nothing to do with chemistry.
Dallas was in love. For the first time in his life.
He was in love with Annalisa DeSimone. But he couldn’t be with her. He wouldn’t allow himself. The fucking knife—it twisted into his flesh with a piercing pain.
Now he only had to figure out what to do about it.
* * *
Annie helped Dusty prepare dinner. Because Annie had broken her date to cook with Seraphina, the housekeeper had decided to visit her daughter in town.
After they had fed Zach and Sean, Dusty poured two glasses of Chardonnay, and led Annie to her cozy study. She sat down on a brocade sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Girl talk,” she said.
Annie sat down and took a sip of her wine. “I don’t know where to start.”
“At the beginning. Or not at all. It’s up to you.”
“No, I want to talk. I… I really appreciate your friendship. It’s hard, coming to a new place where you don’t know anyone.”
“I know. I felt the same way. But at least I had Zach.”
“He’s great, by the way.”
“Yeah, he is. And so’s Chad. And even Dallas.”
Annie nodded.
“So is it Chad?”
Annie shook her head. “No. He’s wonderful, a lot of fun. But he’s not for me.”
“Dallas then.”
She nodded. “But he doesn’t want me.”
“I think you’re wrong. What happened?”
