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“Dad—no—”
Colton’s gaze moved slowly from Cassie to her father and back again. “Like father, like daughter. Always swearing something that doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
“No!” she cried, colder than she’d been since that devastating night when her mother, her eyes red with tears and her coat billowing behind her, had left through the very same door. “I love you!” she cried, and saw Colton’s shoulders stiffen.
“Don’t, Cassie,” he rasped, shaking his head as if convincing himself that he didn’t care. “Just don’t!” His jaw set, he strode out of Cassie’s life.
“Okay, Cassie,” her father whispered, his lips tight, “I think you have some explaining to do.”
“What do you want to know?” she whispered.
“Everything.”
“Oh, Dad—”
“Come on, now,” his voice was gentle, but firm. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “It can’t be that bad.”
“You don’t know.”
“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it,” he said as they listened to Colton’s Jeep racing out of the driveway. “Didn’t we before?”
“This is different.”
“Not so much. You’re hurt again, and I’m here to help.”
Her heart felt as if it had broken into a thousand pieces. The sobs burning deep in her throat erupted, and she clung to her father’s neck, burying her face against the rough cotton of his work shirt. “I love him so much,” she sobbed, unable to stem her tears. “I’ll never love anyone else.”
“Sure you will,” Ivan predicted, “sure you will.”
* * *
But she hadn’t. No man had ever touched her as Colton McLean had. No boy in high school or college had been able to break through the barriers Colton had built, stone by painful stone.
Now, eight years after he’d left her alone and miserable, silly, futile tears slipped down Cassie’s cheeks to fall on to the eiderdown quilt. Regret filled her. Regret for a love that hadn’t existed, regret for memories tarnished by Colton’s hard heart, regret for the pathetic, lovesick fool she’d once been.
She blinked, then squeezed her eyes shut tight, willing away her tears. She wouldn’t cry for him—she wouldn’t!
Ignoring the hot lump in her throat, she braced herself for the future. No matter what happened, she’d be strong—stronger than she’d ever thought possible. Because, like it or not, Colton had walked back into her life.
Chapter Four
Colton stomped on the throttle. The old Jeep leaped forward, its wheels spinning on the gravel ruts that comprised the Aldridge’s lane. What had possessed him to drive here? And why, when he’d learned that Ivan wasn’t around, had he stayed?
Cassie. Always Cassie. Damn, but he wished he could forget her. She’d changed, of course. Her innocence and optimism had matured with her. Though not worldly-wise, she now had a sophistication within her that she hadn’t possessed at seventeen. She knew her own mind, said what she thought and had developed a hard-edged sense of humor.
All in all, she’d caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected to be attracted to her. In fact, he’d hoped that with time, he’d developed an immunity to her—that his infatuation at twenty-one would seem a simple schoolboy crush.
Unfortunately he’d been wrong. Seeing her now as a beautiful young woman who seemingly could stand u
p to anyone, he’d been trapped by her beauty. Trapped. Again.
“You’ve just been cooped up too long,” he rationalized, cranking the wheel as he nosed the Jeep onto the highway. The pain in his shoulder flared, and he gritted his teeth. “You need to get out more.” And away from this godforsaken scrap of scrub brush.
From the time he’d been a child, he’d known he would leave—that he wanted more than ranching could offer. But for the past six months he hadn’t had many options. His wound had required several surgeries to repair the damaged joint and ligaments.
“Soon,” he muttered, comforting himself with the thought that he could leave as soon as Denver and Tessa were back.
Unless, of course, this problem with the horse was unresolved. And unless he could not get Cassie Aldridge out of his system.
