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One week and the heat of Houston would be the only thing caressing her body. Reality pressed into the cracks of her resolve and weakened the foundation she worked hard to build up over the last month. She just needed to work out how to keep it from crumbling the second Holden’s fingers intertwined with hers or Riley teased her with soft kisses.
She touched her neck where last night’s memories whispered across her senses.
“Staying isn’t such a good idea. My teaching term is up. They’ve already hired another linguistics teacher to replace me so I can’t change that. It has to happen. And, I can’t stay here forever.” She shrugged. “Texas is home. I’ll be there in a few more days once I submit my final reports and scores for the students’ final exams.”
Her sister grunted. “Who are you trying to convince?”
Zahara’s blood pressure rose a notch as she buried her forehead in her hands. Her sister was right. Whowasshe trying to convince?
“Where is she?”
Zahara sprang up and nearly lost her grip on her cell phone.
A hot twinge, like a red-hot poker straight out of the fire pit stabbed at her heart. A pronounced silence settled over the bar as the booming voice blasted through the entire diner. Anger reverberated in her bones, barreling over her sister’s voice.
She slowly turned on her heel, edged out of the storage, and peeked around the stacks of Styrofoam containers stacked in three neat rows behind the wall separating the kitchen from the front of the main dining area.
“Uhh... hey, sis gotta go. I’ll call you with flight numbers and all that jazz tomorrow.”
She pinned her gaze to Riley’s father.
This outta be good. Zahara flicked the end button, stuffed the phone in her back pocket and stopped in front of the bar where another waitress paused, mouth gaped open.
“You.”
A long fat finger gnarled by age pointed her way.
Fuck.
Zahara took half a step backward as the old man’s scathing tone lashed out at her.
Riley’s father took up the space of two men and stood a good head and a half taller than her five-five height. He aimed her way, pushing through chairs and tables, empty or not,
Wild, furious, eyes landed on hers as the double doors to the diner swung shut behind the man that carried the same face as her lover, only a few years older. Handsome, with a streak of silver through his sideburns and a thick beard trimmed close to the chin.
The man never held a kind word for her, but today he seemed riled up more than usual. As soon as he’d learned about her, Holden and Riley, he’d been angry and the crinkled skin at the corners of his eyes only grew deeper. If wrath had a color she would say it matched the same stormy blue clouds swirling a nasty tempest in his irises. His mouth pulled back in a fierce grimace making him appear ten years older and meaner than a hell-bound priest.
Zahara’s back went straight and her eyebrows inched up at the wall of muscle plowing toward her.
He tossed people to the side as though they meant nothing. Probably didn’t. Not to him.
Show no fear.
From halfway across the room, she noted the way the old mountain man curled his fingers into an iron fist.
She couldn't back down. She swore under her breath. This was going to hurt like a mother if he landed one of those clenched fists in her face. From toes to shoulders, every muscle in her body tensed.
“What’s on your mind, Mr. Ashwood?” Her voice wobbled but grit glued her backbone together. She never let his gaze wander as he drew closer. With his teeth bared in a snarl, he growled down at her, a cold glint in his eyes. “If it weren’t for your hussy ass, my boy wouldn’t be in this mess. Putting himself in danger just to impress the fucking likes of you, bitch.”
Hussy? Bitch? What the hell was he talking about? Her hands dropped from untying the slipknot holding her half apron in place.
She eyed the door opposite them then snapped her gaze back to him. Too far to run. Old memories clogged her throat. Her heart raced. Old habits had her hand running along her stomach.
Puzzled, she glared back the huffing bear of a man, her anger mounting.
“What the hell are you talking about, old man?”
“Like you don’t know,” he scoffed, hands raised above her head and looking at her like she should be able to read his mind.
