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“Thank you and congratulations on your success as well, Dylan. Several of my sisters-in-law listen to your music.” She hoped he gathered from her statement that although they did, she didn’t.
“Sisters-in-law?”
“Yes. All my brothers are married now. They’re even fathers, except for Maverick and Jess. Maverick has a baby on the way, though.” She paused and then asked, “What about you? Married yet? Any kids?”
“Neither apply,” he said.
She wondered if that meant there was no special person in his life regardless of what the tabloids printed.
“What about you?” he asked. “Marriage? Kids?”
“No to both.” Charm tried not to think about the number of times they’d talked about getting married and having kids someday.
“So whose wedding were you in yesterday?” he asked.
“My friend Lacey’s. She was one of my housemates from college.”
He nodded. “I recall that. Although I never got the chance to meet your housemates, you mentioned them a lot.”
She again fought back the urge to say what she thought: that he would have met them during her trip to New York if had he hung around instead of jetting off to England. How could he sit here and engage in polite conversation, like he didn’t recall what he’d done? Obviously, success had not only gone to his head but had destroyed a portion of his memory in the process.
When he shifted in his chair, she noticed a tattoo on his upper arm—a beautiful, blazing red flame. It seemed to sparkle under the lights. He hadn’t had the tattoo when they’d been together. She then recalled his grandparents’ ranch had been the Red Flame Ranch. That made her ask, “Does your tattoo have anything to do with your grandparents’ ranch?”
She didn’t miss the look of sadness that flashed in his eyes. “Yes. I had it done in memory of them.”
“In memory of them?”
“Yes. My grandparents were killed in a car accident five years ago.”
Charm drew in a sharp breath. “Oh no, Dylan. I’m sorry.”
She truly meant it. Although she’d never met his grandparents, she’d known how close the three of them were. He would tell her all about them and spending summers at their cattle ranch in Idaho. She’d even spoken with them on the phone one Christmas when Dylan had introduced her as “his girl.” Dylan had promised to take her to meet his grandparents one day and to see the ranch. However, that day never came.
She thought of her own family and all the changes that had taken place over the years. It had expanded with a slew of Westmoreland cousins they hadn’t known about until around eight years ago, her brothers’ marriages and Outlaw babies being born. Hearing about the loss of his grandparents was hard. She recalled losing her maternal grandmother when she’d been twelve and how difficult it had been. Her grief had made her unmanageable, and her grandfather hadn’t been any help since he was going through his own grief. When he’d died the following year, probably of heartache, her unmanageable attitude had gotten worse. That was what had driven her mother to take Charm to Bart.
A part of her wanted to give him a hug. However, another part of her, still resentful of the pain he’d caused, felt offering condolences was sufficient.
“Thank you,” he finally said. “Losing them was hard on me and my parents.”
Dylan had been looking down as if studying the tile on the floor when suddenly he looked up and his gaze snagged hers. At that moment she felt the sexual chemistry between them. When was the last time heat traveled up her thighs to settle between her legs while in the presence of a man? Never. That was her clue to end this little chitchat.
Charm slid off the lounger to stand, noticing how his gaze followed her movement. Even now he stared at her bikini-clad body, making the heat stronger.
“I’m sure when you came in here to swim, you expected to have the pool to yourself, so I’ll let you have it,” she said, easing her arms into her mesh-trimmed cover-up.
He shifted his gaze from her body to her face. “You don’t have to leave on my account, Charm.”
“I’m not. I was about to leave anyway,” she lied. The heat and his gaze were getting to her. His very presence was getting to her. “It was good seeing you, Dylan,” she said, lying again.
“How long will you be here at the resort?” he asked.
She wondered why he wanted to know but answered anyway. “The rest of the week. And you?”
“The same.”
Charm nodded as she grabbed her book and martini glass off the table. “Well, enjoy the rest of your stay.”
“You do the same,” he said, still holding her with his mesmerizing gaze.
