AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Admit it, Tess, you were jealous!”
“I hate jealous women.”
“And I love them.” He laughed again and dragged her from the relative privacy of the trees. “How about some lunch?”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“I’m hungry.”
Cajoled out of her worries by his good mood, she laughed. “I am, too.”
“Good. If things haven’t changed too much, I remember a great little café with a view of Mount Helena.”
The café was long gone. But they did find a small Italian restaurant not far from the courthouse. As the waiter brought pasta and Chablis, Denver sat across from Tessa at the table and clinked his glass to hers. “Here’s to ... a long and successful business arrangement.”
Tessa almost choked. “Business arrangement?”
“Umm. You said you wanted to buy the ranch.”
“I do.”
“Well, now that Colton’s been found and you’ve sold your horses—you have sold them, haven’t you?”
Swallowing with difficulty, she set down her glass. “Nate’s made a generous offer,” she admitted.
“Then all that’s left is to draw up a contract, sign it and take it to the bank. Right?”
Suddenly feeling depressed, she nodded. “If Colton agrees.”
“And if he doesn’t—you still want my half ?”
“Yes,” she said firmly, though inside she was dying a little. All her dreams of owning the ranch, of being mistress of the McLean spread, seemed to shrivel in front of her very eyes. Without Denver, the ranch meant so little. She shoved her fettuccine around on her plate and tried to eat. Her appetite had disappeared.
“But first you have to pay off your bet,” he reminded her.
“And then what happens? When everything’s signed, sealed and delivered, will you just head back to California?”
“What else?” He eyed her quietly, sipping his wine, his jaw thrust forward.
“Nothing, I guess,” she whispered, then gave herself a quick mental kick. She wasn’t about to let go without a whimper. “You said last night was something special,” she said, meeting his gaze again.
“It was.”
“But it doesn’t have to go on forever, is that it?”
&n
bsp; “I didn’t say—”
Her anger sparked. “Were we just ‘experimenting’ again, Denver? Seeing if it was as good as when we were kids?”
“What’re you getting at?”
“Last night was more than a one-night stand. At least for me. I didn’t wait seven years just to be used and tossed aside again!”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I never intended to use you.”
“But it happened.” She felt her cheeks flame, but she couldn’t control the rage and hurt deep inside. “I don’t want another affair, Denver,” she snapped. “I had enough trouble living through the last one.”
