Closer to You (A Haven, Montana) - Jill Sanders(ang.)

Table of Contents Unnamed ALSO BY JILL SANDERS The Pride Series Finding Pride Discovering Pride Returning Pride Lasting Pride Serving Pride Red Hot Christmas My Sweet Valentine Return To Me Rescue Me The Secret Series Secret Seduction Secret Pleasure Secret Guardian Secret Passions Secret Identity Secret Sauce The West Series Loving Lauren Taming Alex Holding Haley Missy’s Moment Breaking Travis Roping Ryan Wild Bride Corey’s Catch The Grayton Series Last Resort Someday Beach Rip Current In Too Deep Swept Away The Lucky Series Unlucky In Love Sweet Resolve Unnamed This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2017 by Jill Sanders All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542047388 ISBN-10: 1542047382 Cover design by Erin Dameron Hill To all my wonderful friends in HB CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTYTHREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT ABOUT THE AUTHOR CHAPTER ONE Tyler was pissed. Not just pissed, but pissed pissed. He stormed into his office and slammed the thin door behind him, sending a few hanging pictures to the floor and breaking the glass and frames along the way.

That didn’t stop him from dropping into the chair behind his desk and pounding on the heavy wood a few times. “What the hell?” he growled. But, at this point, nothing was going to calm his anger. Nothing except seeing Haven, Montana, in his rearview mirror for the last time. Closing his eyes, he realized that was a dream that, if he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t expect to happen anytime in the near future. Haven, the small little hometown he thought he’d escaped, was his penance for all his years of partying. He was doomed to be stuck in this hellhole for the rest of his miserable life. “Hey.” The office door creaked open and his brother Trent’s head poked in. “Everything okay?” His younger brother was almost a spitting image of Tyler. His shaggy brown CHAPTER TWO Tyler was pissed again. Only this time, it wasn’t due to his ignorance or stupidity. Everything had been going great the last several months. He’d turned things around. Business had been booming. So much so that they had acquired one of their smaller local competitors, and the rumor was that another had gone under because of their success. They had also signed a lucrative deal with NewField Production Company, one that would keep McGowan Enterprises in business for the next

few years. But now, JB Holding had sent trouble in high heels. What the hell had the woman been thinking when she’d worn those shoes? Her heels were taller than any he’d ever seen and they had been covered in white fur. It wasn’t bad enough that the woman was dressed as she was, but having his body react to her the way it did drove him even more toward the edge. Maybe it was just that it had been almost four months since the last time he’d enjoyed the feel of a woman’s body pushed up against his. Or, may CHAPTER THREE Dinner was pleasant enough after his mother had bombarded Kristen with questions, and everyone moved on to polite conversations. Honestly, if Tyler had known that his mother was going to pull a stunt like that, he would have tried to convince her not to. He could tell by the reaction of his brothers that neither of them knew their mother was going to spring that line of questions on Kristen either. He was impressed that Kristen had risen to the occasion and hadn’t seemed to hold back on the truth. Was she really clueless as to what JB Holding wanted with McGowan Enterprises? Maybe he needed to spend more time reading through the proposal she’d left on his desk. After all, his mother had been correct that lawyers could muddle up even the simplest

things. There were a few lawyers in town he could talk to if he had questions. One of them, Steven Rice, was his father’s friend from way back. After eating, they moved back to the living room and sipped coffee while they enjoyed CHAPTER FOUR She tucked her shaky hands together and took a few deep breaths. Her body always reacted that way when dealing with her aunt. Even after all these years of doing so, it still got to her. Sure, she’d seen the determination in Tyler’s eyes. She’d also seen his clenched fists. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew how to use them, but she was thankful he hadn’t. She’d read the file on the uncle. Carl McGowan was more than a drunk. He had too many DUIs; even after he’d lost his license almost five years ago, he’d still been caught driving. He had a long police history with other arrests as well. He’d been divorced three times. Each time ending with accusations of spousal abuse. He had six restraining orders filed against him and several other arrests for breaking most of them. “Why does he come around?” she asked. Tyler sighed and shrugged. “Why else? Money.” He leaned back in his chair. “Does that happen often?” she asked, more curious now than ever. “Whenever he runs l

CHAPTER FIVE There was a time in her life when Kristen could have listed off a dozen or more things that she’d worked hard for. But, sitting across from Tyler, nothing sprang to mind. Especially seeing the look in his eyes. Had she ever felt that strongly about anything before? Sure, she’d worked hard to get where she was in her life and her career, but still, if something happened to her job, she knew there were at least a dozen or more places lined up that she could walk into and start over. They sat in silence as they ate their lunch, and with the first bite of the juicy steak, she had to admit that he had a point about the food there. So the atmosphere left a lot to be desired, but the food was the best she’d had in a long time. “So?” he asked after her plate was cleared. “How’d you like it?” He stood up and helped her on with her coat. “Okay, so the food was amazing.” She felt a shiver run down her spine when he reached up and gently pulled a strand of her hair out from the collar CHAPTER SIX Kristen could feel Tyler’s eyes on her from across the room. But she was too busy trying to explain why Rea wasn’t in the office without telling everyone the woman’s private affairs. Finally, after dancing around it for a minute, Tyler walked over and took the phone from her. “Steve, she’s off for the rest of

the day. Whatever you need, you can tell Kristen here. She’s covering for us today. I’m sure she’ll make sure you get everything handled.” His eyes moved to her and then he nodded and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry,” Steve apologized and for the first time in ten minutes, the man sounded nice. “It’s just that I always deal with Rea. I’ve never dealt with anyone else before. Not in almost twentysome years.” “I understand. What can I help you with today?” Kristen asked, feeling slightly relieved that Tyler had stepped in. “Well, we need a couple more porta-johns down at the east site.” “I understand. I’ll arrange for those to be delivered first thing tomorrow.” “G CHAPTER SEVEN She avoided Tyler all weekend by staying in her hotel room. He’d called her a few times, but she’d let each call go to her voice mail. She ventured out for one late lunch but made a point to avoid normal meal hours. She was thankful she’d had a couple days to recover from that kiss. She’d needed it. Who was she kidding—she still wasn’t over it. As she drove up to the trailer Monday morning, she knew something was wrong. There were two police cars parked out front next to Rea’s car. From what she understood, the woman practically lived there. Worry flashed so fast that Kristen was out of

the car and running to the front door before she felt the cold and snow. When she rushed in, every eye turned toward her. Tyler, Trent, and at least four officers. “What’s happened? Where’s Rea? Is she okay?” She couldn’t hide the panic in her voice. Then Tyler took a step back and she noticed Rea sitting at the desk, smiling up at her. “I’m fine, sweetie. They aren’t here because of me.” CHAPTER EIGHT Kristen spent the rest of the day going through McGowan’s books. Trent and Trey showed up shortly after they returned from lunch. She could hear them all arguing in Tyler’s office. Rea only chuckled every now and then when a choice curse word was loud enough for them to hear. At one point, Kristen had gotten up to go intervene, but Rea had stopped her. “Honey, it’s what brothers do. Maybe if Brian had a brother, he would have turned out better.” Sadness crossed the older woman’s eyes. Then she shocked Kristen by looking up into her eyes. “When you have kids, don’t stop at one.” “Kids?” She took a step back. “I’m not having kids.” “Ever?” Rea smiled and shook her head. “Honey, you’re too young to write off having a family.” She turned back toward the computer screen, dismissing the conversation. Rea’s casual comments shook Kristen to the core. As the afternoon hours

ticked by, she struggled to focus on the numbers in front of her. All she could think about was what she wan CHAPTER NINE Kristen held her breath as she watched Tyler’s brown eyes register her words. Her entire body was on fire for him. Could he feel the heat that was coming from her? She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pushed to the toes of her boots and placed her lips softly over his. She felt the moment he allowed himself to relax into the kiss. Into her. His hands circled around to her hips, pulling her closer until she felt him pressed against her stomach. Her desires tripled instantly and she felt her knees turn to jelly as his hands fisted in her clothes. In one swift move, she was pinned against the wall. “You’re playing with fire,” he warned, holding her still as his eyes ran over her. When they settled on the spot of skin, just above where the zipper of her jacket stopped, she knew he’d decided like she had. “Maybe, but I think I can handle it,” she said, pushing her hands into his hair and pulling him back to her lips. His hand moved her leg up, until she fe CHAPTER TEN The house was as impressive as the home Tyler had grown up in. He knew that the place had been built by John’s father and grandfather, much like his own home had

been built by his family. Kristen sat back quietly while Tyler talked to the Meiers about the process of hunting for oil, how they would drill then pump the oil, and once the well dried up, cap it all off. He went into great detail on how they would leave the land better than they had found it. “Of course, my brother Trent is in charge of what happens after. I can set up a meeting if you’d like?” “That would be fine. Maybe we can pick a sunny day when we can walk the land.” “I hear the cold is supposed to let up in a few weeks,” Tyler replied. “I’ll have him call you and arrange it.” He stood with John. “So, do we have a deal?” John glanced over at his wife. When Robyn nodded and smiled, Tyler reached out and shook the man’s hand. As they drove back into town, Kristen sat silently looking out the window. “Have you CHAPTER ELEVEN Tyler kept himself busy the following days. The police weren’t any closer to finding out who’d broken into the trailer. They had talked to the protesters, with little luck. Apparently, the entire group had attended a viewing of a movie at the local VFW that night. One of those new documentaries on climate change. Still, everything had been quiet since, so he was hoping that whoever had broken in had gotten it out of their system. His mind was too

consumed with other things. The fact that Kristen hadn’t come into the trailer since the day after their near-tryst didn’t escape him. He thought about driving by the hotel and checking on her, several times. She was leaving tomorrow and he wondered if she would stop by and say good-bye. Did he want her to? The fact that his brothers kept telling him he was growing more agitated by the hour did little to settle his temper. He wasn’t sure who he was mad at—Kristen or himself. After all, she was innocent. Wasn’t she? He highly dou CHAPTER TWELVE Tyler couldn’t believe the beauty looking up at him. Or the fact that his body and mind wanted her so much. It gave him pause to see the want in those green eyes of hers. He ripped open the condom package with his teeth and then held still as she helped him roll it on. Her fingers wrapping around him sent a pulse shooting through every inch of his body. Their eyes locked once more and he knew he’d passed the point of stopping. Nothing and no man could hold him back from sliding into her, taking her, claiming her. He leaned down and took her sweet lips once more. She tasted like heaven, looked like a goddess, and was pure addiction. When she moaned with pleasure, he let out a moan to match hers. “Hold on to me,” he said softly as

his lips returned to her neck. He felt her legs wrap around his hips and squeezed her body closer to his. “Tyler.” He could hear her begging him as he plunged into her heat. Slowly, he began taking his pleasure, giving her as much. Her nails bit CHAPTER THIRTEEN “Enough business talk.” Tyler rolled over until he held Kristen in his arms. “I didn’t bring you out here so we can talk business.” His mouth moved down until it covered hers. He felt her respond to him and wondered if it was warm enough to peel those clothes off her and make love to her right there in the field. Then he felt her shiver and knew it wasn’t. Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t have some fun. Her body fit nicely under his. Her softness was something he knew he could take years exploring. Desiring. His hands moved over her clothes, then slowly inched under her clothes. When she tried to pull his shirt off him, he gripped her wrists and held them by her side. Then used his mouth to roam her exposed skin just above her belly button. Again, he felt her shiver. This time, he knew it was from desire. Her jean clad knees spread, so he could settle between them. He’d unbuttoned her jeans, and tugged them until they lay just below her hips. He ran his mouth and CHAPTER FOURTEEN The meeting the next

day was hell. Tyler hated wearing a suit, hated being stuck in a stuffy room all day, full of stuffy people who presumed to know more than he did about what the town of Haven needed. The worst part of it was, it was on a Sunday. He should be sitting around, watching a game at home with his brothers, with his mother cooking dinner, but he wasn’t. He was here, listening to people talk and fight about the future plans for his town. They went over everything from the new construction for the grade school to speed limits, and even touched on if they should allow temporary signs above businesses. Even his brothers looked frustrated, sitting across from him in their own suits. He knew that most of the men and women in the room would be more comfortable in a worn pair of jeans, enjoying a beer after a long day’s work. But once a year, they dressed in their finest and argued about the future of Haven. Even Martha Brown, the mayor of Haven, had a hard time k CHAPTER FIFTEEN When everyone stepped out of the diner, Tyler took a deep breath and could tell instantly that warmer weather was on its way. “We’ll have some rain first.” His mother smiled over at him as if she knew what he was thinking. Kristen had been right. Playing charades against them would be fatal.

Tyler didn’t know how his mother knew what he was thinking, but it had always been nice knowing they were on the same wavelength. “Yeah, which means everything will be extremely muddy in the coming days.” He sighed. “I’ll have the trailer’s parking lot regraveled this week,” Trent added, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Come on, Mom, I’ll take us home.” Trey was already leaning against the hood of their mother’s SUV. Kristen watched his family leaving, while Tyler watched Kristen. “It must be nice to have such a wonderful family.” She sighed and turned back toward him. “Sometimes.” He smiled and held out his arm, much like his brother had for their mother. Kristen hesitated CHAPTER SIXTEEN Kristen sat in Tyler’s truck until two police cars pulled in next to them. Then he glanced over at her. “Stay in the truck,” Tyler warned, but she was already climbing out to talk to the officers. She’d already seen that her laptop was missing from its spot on the desk and laying in pieces on the floor. What she hadn’t noticed in her first glimpse of the ruined room was that most of her expensive clothes had been slashed. “It looks like they used this.” One of the officers held up a bag with one of the knives she’d been using in the makeshift kitchen since arriving.

“Who would do this?” she asked, tears sliding down her face. “Why would they do this to me?” Tyler gathered her up in his arms and held onto her. “I’ll call my mom. You can stay with her.” “No.” She shook her head. “I . . .” “It might be best,” the older officer broke in. “At least for tonight. Then you can come back tomorrow and start cleaning up after we’re done here.” She hadn’t thought about what they mi CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The dreams were so real. Her mind flashed between places. First, she was in her hotel room. In the shower, as someone came into her room, a dark figure hovering just beyond the foggy glass doors. When she wiped the fog away, no one was there, until the fog built up again, then the menacing shadow returned. Next, she was in the trailer. It was night and the figure was there, stalking her in the darkness and cold. When she ran, the figure was always just a few steps behind her. In her slumber, her body twitched until a warm hand landed on her stomach, a soft whisper in her ear. “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m right here,” the voice said as warm arms pulled her closer. She buried her face into his chest, smelling the sexy scent she’d come to know. She sighed with relief as she melted into a dreamless slumber. When she woke, she was

alone in the soft bed. Chalking it up to another dream, she showered and dressed in the borrowed jeans and sweater. She took her time braiding her hair CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The next morning, Kristen dressed in her new jeans and sweater she’d bought, then pulled on her mud boots. On the way to the trailer, they stopped at Tyler’s house so he could get a fresh change of clothes. She sat and waited in the truck while he ran upstairs to change his clothes. Even at this early hour, she watched several people coming and going at the Wet Spot. Despite the chill, there were three workers standing outside the door to the club smoking. Even though they were bundled in coats, she could see the short skirts and heels underneath. She didn’t have anything against the working girls. Actually, she looked up to them. They were on their feet for hours at a time, grinding half-naked against men they didn’t necessarily find attractive, but with smiles on their faces at all times. Keeping up appearances, playing a role, and charging top dollar for their troubles. She’d heard that most oil town strippers made six digits a year. She smiled when she saw Tyler st CHAPTER NINETEEN Kristen stood outside in the crisp air, hoping it would cool her temper some. It didn’t. By the time Mr. Burnett walked

out, she was ready to give her notice. First, he’d shown up unannounced. Then he’d treated Tyler like he was . . . Her anger deflated when she realized Mr. Burnett had treated Tyler the same way she had when she’d met him at the airport. How had so much changed in such a short time? Mr. Burnett walked out and took her arm. “Come on, let’s go find someplace decent to eat lunch and talk.” She followed him for a few steps, then realized there was a new BMW sitting in the gravel parking lot. “You rented a car?” she asked. “I flew into Helena this morning. The first charter flight I could get here was next week.” He rolled his eyes as he opened her door for her. When she slid into the leather seats, she looked up and saw Tyler watching them from his office window. Her heart sank a little. If Mr. Burnett was in town, she would have to put the brakes on her CHAPTER TWENTY Kristen stood at the baggage claim and waited for her luggage. Mr. Burnett had only had a carry-on and had left her almost half an hour earlier. As the luggage circled in front of her, she thought about Tyler. She’d crawled out of his bed early yesterday morning and crept around, pulling on her clothes in the dark. She’d left him without even writing a note or saying good-bye. It hurt

too much. She hadn’t trusted herself to let go. But she knew she had to. Her life was here, she thought as she looked around the busy airport. The city was where she’d only ever felt like she belonged. Up until a small town in Montana had melted her heart. She shook that thought from her mind and reached down to grab her luggage. Instead of hiring a mover, she stacked the two cases and pulled them through the airport herself. By the time she reached the curb in front of the taxi stations, she was winded. It took her no time at all to get through the line for a cab, and as the older man put CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Kristen stood slowly, her eyes moving around the beautiful conference room. She hadn’t seen these offices when she’d been in Haven the first time. She’d driven by the building, but since Tyler had been working out of the trailer, she’d never actually gone inside. She was more than impressed with the building. It was stunning. On the inside and out. Mr. Burnett cleared his throat again and she focused on the task at hand. Her stomach had been uneasy since the short flight from Billings to Haven, and when she saw Tyler again she knew it would be a while before it settled. “On behalf of JB Holding . . .” She swallowed deep and locked eyes with Tyler. “A subsidiary of DW Petroleum Industries, we

would like to . . .” “No.” Tyler’s eyes narrowed at Mr. Burnett, then he turned to Kristen and she felt her heart kick in her chest and her stomach roll. “. . . to license your proprietary drilling technology intellectual property for use by our companies and subsidiaries.” She f CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Kristen’s heart skipped beats in her chest as she watched the hurt behind Tyler’s eyes. “That will never happen again,” she promised. He held her gaze for a moment, then broke contact as her dessert was delivered. “So, tell me about this new offer. What does it mean for you?” he asked. “Mr. Burnett brought me along on this trip because he believes I’ve built trust with your family. He’s clearly trying to use me as a means to an end. To be honest, I’m not sure how much longer I can work for a man like him.” She took a bite of her pie before continuing. “But this deal—I wanted to come back to present the offer because this means that you finally know who’s behind all the offers.” “DW Petroleum Industries. They own a stake in JB Holding?” he asked. “Yes, and now maybe you could . . .” He cut her off. “Kristen, I’ve always suspected as much. I mean, DW pretty much runs the oil refinery industry in these parts. They’ve made some noise about adding another big pipeline tha

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Kristen held her breath as the men’s argument escalated. Finally, she’d had enough, so she stood and walked out of Tyler’s office without a word. Believing the men fully absorbed in their shouts, she was surprised when someone grabbed her arm. Turning, she looked up at a very angry Mr. Burnett. “We’re done here,” he said as he maneuvered her down the hallway toward the front door. She glanced back and noticed Tyler standing inside his office door, watching her. She jerked her arm away from him. “Why are you so insistent on closing this deal?” He glanced toward Tyler and then lifted his hand to grab her once more, but she moved beyond his reach. He lowered his voice so that Tyler wouldn’t be able to hear him. “It’s my job. Our job.” She glanced over at Tyler, who glared at her boss. “It’s my job to present a compelling offer and a solid case for selling,” she said. “But we can’t force a client into a decision.” Mr. Burnett brushed past her and didn’t stop until he w CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR A constant dripping sound woke Kristen from a deep sleep. The moment her mind kicked in gear was the exact moment the pain roared in. At first, she believed that she’d left the bathroom sink on, then the pain spiked further and she cried out

and tried to reach for her head. Only her hands wouldn’t move. It took her a few moments before her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The throbbing in her head didn’t help as she tried to focus. She pulled air into her lungs to scream, but when she let it out her head spun and her stomach rolled and she knew that if she tried it again, she’d be sick. Her voice echoed, which gave her a clue that wherever she was, it was large and empty. She allowed herself a small rest, then wiggled until she was in a sitting position. The ground was soft enough, but it was damn cold. She shivered but forced her body into stillness. If she was going to figure out where she was, she’d need to overcome her discomfort. She realized she’d lost a shoe. T CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE They drove back into town together, Tyler’s worry increasing with each flake of snow that fell. They planned to question Darla at the Wet Spot but wanted to check in at the police station first. Tyler wasn’t surprised to see his mother there, working with the police to set up volunteer search parties to go out at first light. He was surprised to see Mr. Burnett helping. The man looked as concerned as he was. Maybe Tyler had misjudged him. Everyone spent a few minutes updating the group and debating their next move. Then Mr. Burnett pulled him aside. “I

think we should call Kristen’s mother,” he said. “I . . .” He hadn’t thought about calling Kristen’s family. At least not yet. Not until they knew more. Tyler’s throat closed, so he turned and walked over to Mike’s desk. “Have you contacted Kristen’s family?” he asked. “Not yet,” Mike said. “We were just about to . . .” “I’ll do it,” Tyler said. “It’s against protocol, Tyler.” Tyler sat down and listened while Mike ma CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Tyler marched toward the house. When he banged on the door, both his hearing and eyesight had narrowed. He was ready for anything. Anything except Dennis’s second wife, Crystal, opening the door a minute later, instead of Dennis himself. Her hair was tousled and she held a bathrobe tightly around her body against the chill wind outside. “Where’s Dennis?” Tyler barked. He wanted to shove past the woman but knew they had two small kids in the house and he didn’t want to scare them. “He’s asleep. Is there a problem?” she asked, looking worried. Crystal was easily half Dennis’s age and everyone had wondered why the woman had married the man several years back. “Wake him.” As Crystal disappeared, he punched a text to Trent. Over at Dennis’s place. Found one of Kristen’s shoes in his

truck. Call Mike & get your ass over here. Now. He tucked his phone back into his pocket without waiting for a response. Thankfully, he hadn’t touched the shoe. The police should still be able CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Tyler drove like the hounds of hell were chasing him. He knew that Tom and the guys from the station were following him, but didn’t care if they issued him a ticket . . . later. He made it to the parking area in record time. “I’ve got a flashlight in the glove box,” he told Trey. “We should have stopped . . .” Trey stopped talking when Tyler pulled out the other flashlight from his pocket. “Never mind,” he said, following Tyler out of the truck. “There are three caves,” he said, starting up the path. “Let’s hit the first one together, then we can split and take the last two separately.” He broke into a run. His body screamed at him. He’d gone without dinner and the frigid cold seeped through his heavy jacket. Snow and ice made the trail treacherous. “The first cave is about a quarter of a mile up,” Trey said, just behind him. Their flashlights barely lit up the pathway, causing them to slow to a stumble. “It’s got to be below freezing,” Trey said, earning him a gla CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT “Here.” He moved the table toward her as she shifted and

pulled it closer to her. Just smelling the soup had her stomach growling. She was extremely happy to see that there was a small roll next to the bowl and some Jell-O as well. Tyler sat beside her on the bed as she downed the soup. “Slowly,” he said, touching her arm. “My god, this is so good.” She sighed as the warmth spread throughout her system. “Here’s some hot tea.” He pulled the lid off the cup. “Sugar?” She nodded, then took the cup from him after he dropped the sugar into the cup. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the tea. “You doing okay?” he asked. She smiled. “I never thought how wonderful simple hot tea could taste.” When she was done eating, she leaned back and pushed the tray away. “What’s going to happen now?” she asked as Tyler moved back over and sat next to her. “Now?” He sighed and pulled her close. “You get some rest and when you’re feeling better, we go home.” “I mean with Dennis.” She glanc ABOUT THE AUTHOR Photo © 2015 Daryl Sanders Jill Sanders is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pride Series, Secret Series, West Series, and Grayton Series romance novels. Her sweet and sexy stories, available in print and audio in every English-speaking country, continue to lure new readers and are currently being translated into

six different languages. Born an identical twin to a large family in the Pacific Northwest, she relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career. She then discovered her talent as a writer. Now she makes her home along the Emerald Coast in Florida, where she enjoys the beach, hiking, swimming, wine tasting, and of course, writing. Visit her at www.JillSanders.com.

ALSO BY JILL SANDERS The Pride Series Finding Pride Discovering Pride Returning Pride Lasting Pride Serving Pride Red Hot Christmas My Sweet Valentine Return To Me Rescue Me

The Secret Series Secret Seduction Secret Pleasure Secret Guardian Secret Passions Secret Identity Secret Sauce

The West Series

Loving Lauren Taming Alex Holding Haley Missy’s Moment Breaking Travis Roping Ryan Wild Bride Corey’s Catch

The Grayton Series Last Resort Someday Beach Rip Current In Too Deep Swept Away

The Lucky Series Unlucky In Love Sweet Resolve

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2017 by Jill Sanders All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542047388 ISBN-10: 1542047382 Cover design by Erin Dameron Hill

To all my wonderful friends in HB

CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER ONE Tyler was pissed. Not just pissed, but pissed pissed. He stormed into his office and slammed the thin door behind him, sending a few hanging pictures to the floor and breaking the glass and frames along the way. That didn’t stop him from dropping into the chair behind his desk and pounding on the heavy wood a few times. “What the hell?” he growled. But, at this point, nothing was going to calm his anger. Nothing except seeing Haven, Montana, in his rearview mirror for the last time. Closing his eyes, he realized that was a dream that, if he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t expect to happen anytime in the near future. Haven, the small little hometown he thought he’d escaped, was his penance for all his years of partying. He was doomed to be stuck in this hellhole for the rest of his miserable life. “Hey.” The office door creaked open and his brother Trent’s head poked in. “Everything okay?” His younger brother was almost a spitting image of Tyler. His shaggy brown hair was a little too long

and both brothers were sporting almost a full day’s growth of stubble on their faces. They even had the same dimples and deep-brown eyes, eyes they had gotten from their mother’s side of the family. Only Trey, the youngest of the three brothers, had won the lottery and inherited blue eyes and curly blonde hair, much like their late father’s. “Can you believe this shit?” Tyler said, leaning back in the big leather chair, one that had been their father’s only a few short weeks ago. “Well.” Trent walked in and quietly shut the door behind him. Tyler continued to brood silently. Then, when that wasn’t making him feel any better, he stood up and paced the small room. “What?” Tyler finally turned on his brother after almost a minute of silence. “You think I had this coming?” His brother chuckled in response. “Damn it,” Tyler growled. “Okay, so I forgot about the meeting yesterday.” He turned away and glanced down at the broken glass on the floor. Feeling guilty, he stooped and started cleaning up the mess. “It’s not like skipping one meeting gives them the right to cancel the deal on us.” He stopped when he realized the picture he held in his hand was that of his father and the three of them at a young age. He’d been eleven at the time and his parents had taken the entire family to Yellowstone Park. Without realizing he’d shed it, he felt a tear

slide down his face. Dashing it away before his brother could give him shit, he set the picture on the desk and dusted off his hands. “It was a pretty important meeting,” Trent said. “So? There’ll be plenty more.” He sighed. “Yeah, it just sucks that this deal would have been our first . . .” Trent let the rest drop. “Without the old man,” Tyler finished. Trent nodded. “It’s not like we have a lot of options lately. Once the word got out that Dad had died, it’s like everyone jumped the sinking ship.” Tyler banged his hand on the desk, startling his brother. “Damn it, we deserve a chance.” Trent stood up and faced him. “Yeah, but didn’t they deserve to have us show up on time?” Tyler sighed and closed his eyes. “I’ll make the call and see if we can reschedule.” Trent slapped him on the shoulder. “And this time, maybe the night before the big meeting, you shouldn’t hit the Wet Spot for drinks.” “Yeah,” he growled, really wanting to hit something, but decided he’d done enough damage in his father’s office. Scratch that. His office. He watched his brother walk out, then moved over to finish cleaning up the glass before he made the phone calls he knew needed to be made.

Two hours later Tyler locked up his office for the

night and felt like bitching to someone about a massive headache he had, but instead kept his mouth shut as he walked out of the small trailer and headed toward his truck. He passed by Rea, his father’s faithful secretary for the past twenty-some years. The woman was older than the hills but could type faster than his eyes could track. He’d assumed that she’d guessed he’d been in a sour mood, since she’d avoided eye contact as he made his way out. The small trailer that housed his father’s mobile office traveled all over the state, wherever the most lucrative jobs were. He’d rather be working out of the old brick building in town, which housed the larger, official offices of McGowan Enterprises. But, since he was required, as the new boss of the family business, to be on the site of the current leases, he was stuck in the small trailer for the next few months. That was until he could convince one of his brothers to take over for him. The company’s current lease was on an old farm in the middle of nowhere. Sure, it was only ten miles out of town, but when he stepped out of the trailer and glanced around, there wasn’t another person or building in sight. No lights, no city noises, no women to come running when he smiled at them. Damn! He missed the city. He made his way toward his father’s truck and

cursed when the old thing didn’t start up. Why the hell his old man hadn’t replaced the damn thing years ago was beyond him. The memory surfaced fast and hard, almost like a quick punch to the gut. His father laughing as he leaned over the engine of the old Ford truck. “No, son, a carburetor doesn’t yell at the rest of the car to go faster.” He must have been ten since he’d needed to stand on a five-gallon bucket in order to see inside the engine block. “What does a car-berate-tor do, then?” His father had chuckled again. “A carburetor controls the flow of gas that goes into the engine.” His father had tapped the large metal piece in the engine. “This”—he smiled up at him—“is what we’ll be taking apart in the next few weeks.” “Why? Why not get a new one?” he’d asked. “Because, son, sometimes the answer to a problem isn’t throwing money at it. Sometimes you need to put in a little elbow grease in order to solve a problem.” “Like you and Uncle Carl?” His father had sighed and wiped a cloth along his forehead. “Well, in the case of people problems, it takes both people to want to work the problems out.” “Doesn’t Uncle Carl want to be your brother

anymore?” “Son, he’ll always be my brother.” “Like Trent, Trey, and me?” “Yeah.” His dad grinned. “Carl just needs to want to work things out.” “He’ll come around, though, right?” “I hope so.” His father’s eyes had been filled with sadness. “I sure do hope so.” Tyler shook off the memory and after he punched the gas a few times, the engine roared to life. He made his way back into town, toward his parents’ place. The old ranch house sat on the outskirts of town and, if you could believe it, was one of the nicer homes around Haven. He knew that his dad and Uncle Carl had designed and built the place themselves. Back before Tyler had been born, before they had a falling out. He passed through town without stopping at his place. The first thing Tyler had done after returning to town was to rent the apartment above the Wet Spot, the local bar slash strip club. Haven wasn’t known for its churches, but they had some of the nicest tits in Montana. Ones he had frequently enjoyed. Up until now. After spending almost an hour on the phone with NewField Production Company that afternoon, he’d convinced himself that it was high time to take a hiatus from drinking. He needed to focus for the next three months, which meant no

more drinking himself to oblivion every night and no more women. Period. After he pulled up behind his mother’s new sedan and jerked the truck into park, he sat there in silence as he looked at his childhood home. His father had been a stickler for keeping the place up. He’d even hired several of the oil crew to swing by once a week to tend to the yard work. Since none of the three boys could ever muster up the strength to do the job themselves. Reflecting on that made Tyler realize how worthless they really had been. Why had their father never yelled at them? Hell, the old man had never really had a harsh word for anyone in his life. Even when all the employees had gone on strike several years back, his dad was right there with his calm voice, negotiating until everyone was satisfied and back at work. They’d always called him the gentle giant. His old man had followed the rule of “speak softly” literally—only his stick was the power of persuasion. Which, at this point, Tyler was seriously envious of. “You going to sit there all night or come in?” Trey, his youngest brother, stood just outside the truck, completely bundled up in a thick coat with a beanie covering his head and scarf over his face. “I’m thinking . . .” Tyler sighed, then reached over and snatched up the box of gifts he’d hastily

wrapped the week before. Opening his door, he pulled his jacket closed and followed his brother up the front porch and into the warm house. Winters in Montana were the worst kind of a bitch, but he’d grown up here and knew how to deal with the cold. The two of them took their time in the entryway removing their outer clothing and boots. He noticed that Trent’s boots and the jacket were already hanging up and dry. Even though all three boys had moved out shortly after graduating, Trent had been the one to move back in a few weeks ago when their father had suddenly died from a heart attack while out on a job. Trent had wanted to move in and take care of their mom, Gail. They all saw how she was so emotionally drained, left all alone after thirty years of being happily married. Trent stepped in to keep her from living in that big house alone. That move had worked out just great since Tyler couldn’t imagine sleeping in his old room again. Especially after his mother had turned it into an office and sewing room. “What’d you get her?” Trey asked as he shook his head. The fact that his hair fell perfectly into place caused Tyler to grimace. He knew he’d have to pull a comb from his back pocket and spend a minute or two at the mirror by the door making it look like he had at least tried to look nice for the

family dinner. “A picture frame,” he answered as he walked over and started trying to tame the mangled mess that was his hair. “That’s it?” His brother stopped and looked at him in the mirror. “Jesus, bro! The first Christmas without Dad, you’d think you would have gone out of your way to . . .” His words dropped away when their brother walked in. “Keep it down. Mom’s just in the other room,” Trent whispered. He was the rational brother. The one who always stepped up to the plate when things got rough. He’d been the one who Tyler imagined his father would have left the family business to. But, at the reading of the will, the brothers had been given equal shares to the family business. It had been a shock, though, when Tyler had been named head, with Trent and Trey following behind. Trent knew more about running the oil rigging business than any of them. So, for the first few weeks, Tyler had just assumed that his brother would step into that role. But instead, Trent had stepped into the role of helping their mother get back on her feet after losing their dad. So, naturally, Tyler had tried to fill their father’s role in the business. Which was turning out to be a bigger disaster than any of them had ever imagined.

“Sorry,” Trey mumbled, then gathered his own wrapped presents and disappeared into the next room. “Tell me you got her more than just a stupid picture frame.” Trent crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Sure,” Tyler answered as he shoved his comb back into his back pocket. “Whatever.” He picked up the rest of his presents and carried them into the next room. The house smelled like heaven. Coming home for Christmas was one of those pure pleasures a person could never get over. Cinnamon and spice. Pine trees and candlelight. It was paradise. Especially when he saw his mother sitting by the fireplace, smiling up at him. He’d missed seeing that smile. Her brown eyes had been filled with nothing but sorrow. Even the dimple by the side of her mouth was now back in place. “Hey.” He walked over, set his packages down, then leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You look beautiful tonight.” He watched as tears formed in her eyes. “Hey, don’t do that.” He took her shoulders and leaned down. “I’m sorry.” She sniffled. “It’s just so good to have you all back home. Your father . . .” She dropped off and shook her head as her eyes closed. “Dad would be pissed that we caused you to

cry,” Tyler said. When her eyes opened, he realized it was the right thing to say. She nodded, then the smile was back in place. “A mother is allowed to indulge in tears, as long as they are for the right reasons.” She sighed. “Shall we open presents first or . . .” “Eat,” all three of the brothers said at the same time, causing their mother to laugh. “Eat first, then I can open that picture frame of yours.” She patted Tyler on the cheek, making him feel like a complete jerk.

Three months later Kristen stepped off the small plane and shivered. What the hell was she doing with her life that caused her to be in the middle of nowhere for the next two weeks? She blinked a few times against the sheer brightness of the sun beaming off the frozen land and shivered once more, pulling her Armani jacket closer to her. The stylish long beige coat with faux fur was all the rage back in the city, but here . . . She desperately wished for another layer of clothing as the wind hit her. Then she looked down the small ladder and realized that they meant for her to walk from the tiny plane to the airport. Which consisted of a small

metal building with a bright-orange windsock attached to the roof. Tucking her Gucci overnight bag closer to her body, she made her way down the ladder, only to pause at the base of the steps and cringe. She’d worn her heeled, beige Gucci boots, never imagining she’d be trekking across three inches of snow. And, from the looks of it, it wasn’t very clean snow either. “Well?” someone said, causing her to jerk her head up. “You going to stand there all day?” A very tall, lean man stood a few feet from her. He was so covered with a thick coat and heavy hat that she couldn’t get a good look at him. Other than he had dark eyes and a frown on his lips. “Don’t you have a snow shovel?” she asked, causing the man to laugh. “Lady, why on earth did you wear those shoes here?” He laughed again and she watched his dark eyebrows rise with humor. “In the city, these are perfectly sensible boots.” “Well, you’re not in the city anymore.” He held out a gloved hand for her to take it, but she shook her head. “I’ll just wait here until the car for me arrives. I’m waiting for . . .” “Tyler McGowan,” he said. When she looked at him questioningly, he added, “Small town. That’s your . . . car, over there.” He nodded to a very dirty, very old-looking truck. Which appeared too

tall and dangerous for anyone to drive. “Then I’ll just wait until Mr. McGowan comes and picks me up.” “Can’t.” His hand was still extended. “Why not?” she asked. “Private vehicles aren’t allowed on the runway.” He waved his hand, waiting for her to take it. “I’m not stepping down in that muck.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Suits me.” He put a hand behind her knees and tossed her over his shoulder, overnight bag and all. “What on—what do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed as her long dark hair fell over her eyes. She tried to push it out of her face, but her gloved hands were locked between her body and his. “Getting you to your car.” He chuckled. “We’re on a schedule here, lady.” He stomped through the snow like he was walking through the grass at a park. “I’ll have you fired for this. How dare you manhandle me!” she continued as he shifted her to open the side door of the large truck. When her backside hit the soft cushion of the seat, she pushed him away with her hands and swiped her long hair out of her face. “There, now you won’t get those fancy boots of yours dirty.” He smiled. “Do you have any more

luggage?” He glanced back toward the plane. “Yes,” she growled. “Which I’m sure . . .” She stopped talking since he’d turned around and was already halfway back to the plane. Less than a minute later he returned with both of her larger bags tucked under his arms. She’d had to hire a mover in the New York airport to shuttle her and her luggage to the gate, and here was this country boy, carting them around like they weighed nothing. When he tossed them in the bed of his truck, Kristen gasped. “Those cannot go back there.” She moved to get out of the truck, but then remembered how far down it was and the dirty snow on the ground. “Where do you expect them to go?” His eyebrows rose slightly. “Well.” She glanced toward the back seat. “There. Inside, where they won’t get snowed on.” “Lady, we have other passengers to pick up before we reach McGowan Enterprises. They’ll just have to stay in the bed.” “That luggage cost more than this truck.” She crossed her arms over her chest again. “It goes in the back.” He whistled. “Why would you pay so much for bags the airlines are going to toss around?” “Because I can,” she added, feeling her entire body vibrate. Why was she letting this airline

worker question her? More importantly, why hadn’t she seen another person since arriving? Even the pilot was mysteriously absent. “I’d like to see some ID,” she said, feeling nervous all of a sudden. His dark eyebrows rose and she could tell he was on the verge of laughing at her. “At your service, ma’am.” He bent at the waist and bowed. Her muscles tensed and something in her felt like kicking out and catching him in the jaw. But instead she waited as he pulled out his wallet from his jeans. Kristen’s eyes roamed over the man. He wore a heavy brown coat that looked warmer than anything she owned. His jeans were worn but in good shape. He had a pair of tall boots on that looked like they’d been worn as long as the jeans had, but still looked warm enough that she dreamed of purchasing a pair for herself while she was here. His hair was longer than any man who ran in her circles, and it hung below a thick beanie. It looked slick, as if it had been snowed on earlier. His brown eyes were still laughing at her as she watched him. As he handed her his ID, his smile increased until she noticed a small dimple near the right side of his mouth. “Tyler McGowan, at your service,” he said, causing her to gasp. “You . . . you’re McGowan?” She blinked a few

times, then glanced down at his driver’s license. Sure enough, the name and face matched that of Tyler Reginal McGowan. Closing her eyes, she took several calming breaths. Then handed him back his driver’s license. “I’m sorry. You can’t be too careful these days . . .” He nodded, then moved to shut the door. “What about my luggage?” She reached out to stop him. He shook his head. “Like I said, we have several other people to pick up before we get to the office. It’ll have to stay in the bed.” He shut the door and walked around the truck. Before getting in, he banged his boots together, knocking off the snow. “I know why you’re here,” he said after pulling out of the airport parking lot. “And the answer is still no.” His eyes were glued to the road. “I think you’ll reconsider once you see our new offer,” she responded with as much sweetness as she could muster. After all, now that she knew exactly who she was dealing with, she knew that laying on the charm would only help her cause. “I don’t care what you offer. McGowan Enterprises isn’t for sale. Now or ever.” His tone had a hint of sharpness to it. She made the decision to postpone the negotiations until after she had a hot shower and a change of clothes. “Would you mind dropping me off at my hotel

instead of heading directly into the office? I’d like some time to freshen up.” He nodded. They sat in silence for several minutes. She watched out the window, waiting for a sign of life, but there was only an occasional building and more snow. “Have you always lived in Montana?” she asked, deciding it couldn’t hurt to get a little more personal information out of him. Not that it mattered, since she’d read up on all three McGowan brothers. “No,” he answered, then continued to drive in silence. “Did you live in a city?” she asked, trying again. “Yes.” Again, he was silent. “You’re not the talkative kind, are you?” “Nope.” She shifted slightly. “Well, whether you like it or not, I’m stuck here for two weeks. We’re going to have to talk sooner or later.” He glanced over at her as he pulled off the road. “As I told your boss on the phone, just because he sent you out here doesn’t mean I have to deal with you.” The truck stopped in front of a small building with five bright-red doors. “What is this?” She frowned at the building. “This is your hotel.” He chuckled when she made a face. “I’m sure it’s not as fancy as you’re

used to, but it’s the best Haven has to offer. Unless you’d prefer to ride along as I pick up the rest of the crew and head in to work?” She shook her head quickly. She might as well get freshened up first while she was here. Her eyes scanned the small building again. He got out of the truck, carted her bags to the doorway, and set them down in the snow, then walked over to open her door. “Do you think you can manage, or should I carry you again?” She narrowed her eyes, then reached out and took a hold of the door handle and eased out of the truck. She had gauged the distance wrong and felt herself falling through the open air, only to be snatched up and eased slowly down until her feet touched the soggy ground. Instead of offering a polite thank you, she pushed her hands against his shoulders and tried to shove him back. But the solid wall of a man had his feet planted firmly on the ground. “If you need anything, Marg in the office will see to it.” He nodded toward the last door. He dropped his hands from her waist and walked around the truck. She watched him drive away, leaving her standing in the frozen parking lot of the smallest hotel she’d ever seen, in the frozen hellhole that would be her prison for the next two weeks. Or at least until she proved to her boss that she was worthy of moving up the corporate ladder

of one of the biggest holding companies in the States.

CHAPTER TWO Tyler was pissed again. Only this time, it wasn’t due to his ignorance or stupidity. Everything had been going great the last several months. He’d turned things around. Business had been booming. So much so that they had acquired one of their smaller local competitors, and the rumor was that another had gone under because of their success. They had also signed a lucrative deal with NewField Production Company, one that would keep McGowan Enterprises in business for the next few years. But now, JB Holding had sent trouble in high heels. What the hell had the woman been thinking when she’d worn those shoes? Her heels were taller than any he’d ever seen and they had been covered in white fur. It wasn’t bad enough that the woman was dressed as she was, but having his body react to her the way it did drove him even more toward the edge. Maybe it was just that it had been almost four months since the last time he’d enjoyed the feel of a woman’s body pushed up against his. Or, maybe it was those sexy, sleepy green eyes of hers or those soft-

looking lips that had been covered with a deep shade of lipstick. Lips he was already imagining under his own. He shook his head clear as he finally pulled into his office’s parking lot. It had taken him almost three hours to finish up delivering the pipe to the east site. He was muddy, cold, and hungry, which meant he was in a foul mood. When he stepped in the front door, the sexy smell of perfume hit him and he groaned. He didn’t think he could deal with Sexy in Heels twice in one day. Why hadn’t she stayed at the hotel? Better yet, why hadn’t she turned around and gotten back on the plane out of here? It was obvious she didn’t belong in the country. Hell, she didn’t belong anywhere she might step in something unpleasant. He glanced down at his boots and grimaced. He’d forgotten to stomp off the mud. Rea was going to skin him. Backtracking, he did the best job he could with getting as much muck off before walking the rest of the way into the office. Sure enough, Sexy was sitting in one of the lounge chairs, reading a magazine like she was waiting to have her hair done. “It’s about time,” Rea piped up, thankfully diverting his attention from temptation. “Ray’s been calling for the last half hour. He says the pipe you delivered is too short.”

“Like hell it is,” Tyler growled, ignoring the stares from the corner of the room. “Tell him . . . better yet, I’ll call him.” He thought he could make his escape, but instead, Kristen stood and followed him into his private office. “What do you think you’re doing?” He turned quickly, causing her to bump solidly into him. To keep her from falling, his hands came up and wrapped around her tiny waist. He’d enjoyed the feel of her earlier, and now was no different. Except now she didn’t have the extra layer of a coat, which only made him realize that she was much smaller than he’d first thought. And much softer. “We have business to discuss.” She took a step back and he dropped his hands. “It can wait. I’ve got—” “I’ll wait in here.” She nodded to the chairs opposite his desk. “—private business to attend to.” “Surely there is nothing private about talking to someone about how long your pipes are.” Her head tilted to the side and he watched her dark hair fall around her face. She’d changed into a different outfit. Instead of dark slacks, she wore a slim skirt with a long slit up the side, showing off enough leg to cause his mouth to water. Her blouse was teal; a color he’d imagined belonged on a warm beach somewhere

instead of at the end of winter in Montana. The room was silent and he waited until it dawned on her what exactly she’d hinted at. As he watched her cheeks heat, he smiled. “Suit yourself.” He motioned toward the chairs. She moved quickly and sat down without a word. He held in a chuckle, then sat down behind the massive desk his father had built with his own two hands when Tyler was six. For the next hour, he argued on the phone, making sure to let as many four-letter words fly from his mouth as he normally did. Hell, if she wanted to sit in his office for the private conversations, she’d just have to deal with the language. After all, even his father had cursed. By the time he hung up the phone, his head was splitting and he desperately wished for a cold beer. His throat was aching and raw. Walking over to the coffee maker, he poured himself a cup of coffee instead. Then turned and held up a cup for her. “No, thank you,” she said, straightening her skirt. “Now, if you’re done yelling at your employees, maybe we can go over—” Just then, his phone rang and he smiled. Walking back to the desk, he picked up the phone and groaned when he heard his mother’s sweet voice on the other side. “I don’t mean to bother you, I know how busy

you boys are, but I was hoping you’d invite the woman from JB Holding who arrived today over to dinner. I know that the diner in town is always packed and I’d hate for her to go without a good meal on her first day in town.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” His eyes roamed over to where the woman sat across from him, taking in how the blouse and skirt fit her like a second skin. “Tyler, I understand she’s here on business, but the least we can do is show her the McGowan hospitality.” His mother’s tone turned stern and he knew there was no getting out of it at that point. “I’ll ask,” he replied. “I’ll wait. I hear from Rea that she’s in your office now.” His eyes flew to the door and imagined the small smile on the face of the woman sitting outside. Rea and his mother talked too damn often. Nothing escaped either of them. Not when they ganged up on him. He set the phone aside, then sighed. “My mother would like to invite you to dinner tonight.” “I’d love to.” She smiled, making him believe that she’d known what was going on all along. “Fine,” he growled. “Fine,” he said into the phone. “Good, I’ll expect you two around six. Oh, and Tyler, make sure you shower and dress up before

picking her up.” He raised his gaze and locked eyes with the gorgeous green eyes across from him, and her sexy smile grew. And at that moment he understood she could hear his mother perfectly. Instead of answering his mother, he hung up the phone. “There, now we can talk.” He leaned back and waited for her to start negotiations so he could shoot her down. “Now.” She stood and held out her hand. “I realized we hadn’t formally been introduced. I’m Kristen Howell.” She waited and he felt like laughing, but instead decided to play her game and took her hand in his. “Tyler McGowan.” “Right.” She turned and pulled out a folder from the case she’d brought with her. “JB Holding company would like to extend an offer to purchase you and your brothers’ shares in your company. We have—” “No,” he broke in and closed the folder she’d just laid on his desk. “But you haven’t looked—” “I don’t need to. McGowan Enterprises is not for sale.” “We’d only be buying—” “No.” He maintained the tone of his voice but could feel his temper growing. She was as persistent as she was sexy.

“I think you’ll find our offer—” “I don’t care.” He felt his left eye twitch and reached over to take another sip of his coffee. She sighed and sat down, then crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “What will it take for you to open your mind?” His eyebrows rose as his eyes roamed over her. Instantly his imagination conjured up a hundred images of what she could do to him to make his mind a little more open. “Mr. McGowan, I’m very good at my job. I think you’ll find I can be very persuasive.” Her tone was all innocence, clearly unaware of his train of thought. His smile grew as he continued to daydream about ripping off those expensive clothes of hers and finding out what kind of soft frilly things she wore underneath. “Are you even listening to me?” She broke into his thoughts. “No,” he said honestly. He shook his head and took another drink of coffee, but wished for a cold beer instead. “No? You’re not listening to me, or no, you won’t listen to me?” “Both.” He stood up and walked across the room to pour himself another cup. “I think you’re wasting your time here.” “It’s my time to waste.” She stood up and walked to the window. “It’s snowing.” Her sigh had

a hint of a groan in it. “It’s Montana in the spring. We expect snow through the end of May, sometimes on through June.” He glanced down at her shoes and shook his head. “I hope you brought something other than those things.” He nodded to her sexy boots. “Of course I did.” She turned and frowned at him. “Is there a place to rent a car around here?” He laughed. “Nope.” Her eyes narrowed, and he could see wheels turning in her head. “I don’t suppose . . .” She dropped off, biting her bottom lip. “You can borrow one of the company cars. I’ll set it up with Rea.” He walked out of the room, if only to give him a moment to clear his head from what her sexy scent was doing to him. When he walked back in, she was sitting in one of his chairs, using her cell phone like she belonged in the space. “I understand, yes, thank you.” She glanced up at him before she hung up the phone. Instead of standing up, she leaned back in the chair and looked quite comfortable. He waited, then leaned against the doorframe as she took the folder and shuffled the papers in it. “I just spoke to my boss, Mr. Burnett. He’s willing to—” “No,” Tyler broke in, shaking his head before walking over and twisting the chair toward him.

Her eyes moved up to his as he waited for her to stand. When she didn’t, he took her arm gently and pulled her out of the chair. “Are you at least going to—” “No,” he repeated, feeling her breath on his face. “You are, without a doubt, the most—” “Your car is ready, Ms. Howell.” Rea broke into the room, holding up a set of keys. Two sets of heated eyes moved to the doorway. He felt her shiver and could see she was irritated, then watched her shoulders tense and straighten. “Thank you, Rea.” She leaned down and hugged the folder to her chest. “If you’ll be kind enough to give me the address for tonight, I’ll—” “No, I’ll pick you up,” he said as she walked toward the door. “That won’t be necessary.” She took the keys from Rea. “It is if I expect not to be chewed out by my mother,” he replied. Kristen looked toward Rea, who nodded in agreement. “I wouldn’t cross Gail McGowan. Not even after thirty-odd years of friendship and working for her husband.” “Fine, I’ll be ready at—” “Quarter ’til six,” he finished. “Fine, see you then.” She turned and left without another word. Rea followed slowly,

shutting Tyler’s door behind her. Less than five minutes later, Trent walked in the door, his eyes sparkling. He whistled when he sat down. “Damn! Why didn’t you tell us JB sent a hottie?” “Because she’s here to try and take over the family business. Hotness has nothing to do with it.” Tyler punched keys on his keyboard. “Doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with her while she tries.” Trent chuckled, causing Tyler to glare at him. “She’s off-limits,” he said in a voice that was a little too like his father’s for comfort. “You sound like Dad.” Trent frowned. “Damn, you even look like him behind that desk.” Tyler turned back to his computer. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been in charge around here for almost four months now.” “Who would have ever guessed . . .” “What the hell does that mean?” He turned to Trent, who just shrugged. “Just that I guess I always thought that Dad would leave the business to Uncle Carl.” “Carl’s a drunk.” Tyler swiveled back to the spreadsheet on his computer. “Yeah, but he’s been a part of the business since the start and still owns part of it.” “So have we. I mean, I was four and you were two when Dad started out. It’s up to the sons to

carry a father’s legacy.” “Sure, but . . .” Trent shook his head and stood to leave. “Never mind.” “Trent.” Tyler stopped his brother from walking out. “I always thought he’d leave you in charge.” “Me?” His brother frowned over at him. “Yeah, because of your head for business,” he added. The last time he’d talked to his father, shortly before he’d left town for LA, he’d walked in on his dad talking to Trent. He hadn’t known that the months after he’d left town that Trent and Trey would follow. He could remember Trent and his dad spending hours poring over business plans. Even back in high school, Trent had a knack for planning. “Sure, that part’s easy; it’s the negotiations and the ass-kissing I can’t stand. Unless it’s with someone like Kristen.” Trent chuckled. “No, if the last few months have proved anything, it’s that you’re perfect for this job.” He turned to go, but then stopped and threw over his shoulder, “Dad knew what he was doing, leaving you in charge.”

Kristen checked her reflection one last time. She knew she’d probably overdone it. But she was even more determined to make an impression after talking to her boss today.

She’d told him that Tyler wasn’t even willing to look at the proposal, let alone negotiate. Her boss had warned her that she’d better make him listen. For some reason, Charles Burnett, head of JB Holding, was determined to take over McGowan Enterprises. For what reason, she didn’t know, but honestly, she didn’t care. If making this deal meant moving up the next rung in the ladder that had been her career for the past three years, then she’d wade through five feet of snow in her Gucci boots. The trick was to make the family understand that it was in their best interest to sell out. She’d done it before, and she could do it again. There was a knock on her door just as she finished applying more lip gloss. When she opened the door, she felt her breath hitch. Tyler McGowan had been sexy as hell as a rugged man in faded work clothes. She’d never expected him to clean up to be an even sexier man who stood in front of her now dressed in a black suit that happened to fit him just right. “I hope you don’t expect me to carry you to the car dressed like this.” He waited until she smiled. “No, I think I can manage myself tonight.” She thought she heard him say good. But wasn’t sure. “Ready?” He held the door open. She nodded as an answer.

“I heard you met my younger brother Trent as you left the office.” “Yes, he seemed charming.” She’d been surprised at how much the brothers looked alike, but yet they seemed so different. Trent had shown her nothing but kindness and had outright flirted with her, where Tyler had been all business and annoyance. Sure, the brothers were tall, dark, and sexy, but that didn’t detour her from pushing her own desires aside to get what she wanted. She’d been in this business too long to let her emotions and feelings get in the way. She’d passed up too many opportunities for herself to count. This was just another in the history of the social life she’d sacrificed, all for the betterment of her career. She followed him to a small sedan. “Not driving the truck tonight?” “That’s for work. This isn’t work.” He held open the door and she slid into the leather seat that was already warmed for her. When he got behind the wheel, he paused before driving. “My mother means the world to us, and I’ll respect her wishes, but the second you try to convince her to sway us into selling out, that’s the second you’ll end up walking back here tonight. Understand?”

She raised her chin slightly, then nodded. “Business is off the table for the night.” “Good.” He pulled out of the parking lot. “So,” she said after a moment. “Since business is out for the night, maybe now you can answer some personal questions.” He glanced over at her quickly, but she didn’t give him time for a rebuttal. “What city did you live in?” She heard him sigh, then answer. “LA.” “For how long?” she asked. “Almost a year. Before that, I bounced around for a while.” He shrugged. “What did you do in LA?” “Partied.” His short answer caused her to tilt her head until he added, “Went to school.” “For?” “This and that.” She sighed, then he surprised her by asking his own questions. “Have you always lived in New York?” “Yes,” she answered. “Did you go to school?” “Yes.” She kept her answers short like he had. “Parents? Siblings?” he asked, turning the car toward the outskirts of town. “Yes.” “Brothers? Sisters?” he asked as they turned down a narrow driveway. “Neither. I’m an only child.”

“That explains . . .” He stopped when she turned her head. “Never mind.” “No, please. Continue,” she said as he pulled the car into park. Her eyes remained on him. “Very well, that explains the necessity for attention.” She laughed. “I don’t have a need for—” His eyebrows rose slightly. “Lady, you’ve been in town less than a day and every eye is on you.” “It’s not my fault that there isn’t anything better to do in Haven than gossip about someone new in town.” “We get a lot of people passing through, but never dressed like you.” He switched off the car and turned slightly toward her. “Or any that smell like you either.” She tilted her head and looked at him, not wanting to admit what the last statement of his did to her insides. Since the moment she’d seen him standing outside her hotel door, her heart had been racing. Seeing him in an actual suit did something to her and she wasn’t liking the distraction one bit. She decided to switch tactics. “You seem like a civilized person. Why are you so determined to keep control of your father’s business? Why not sell and head back to LA?” She saw the cords in his neck tense. “Because it’s what he wanted.” He turned and slid out of the car. She watched him walk around and open her

door, then he held out a hand for her to take. When she got out of the car, her eyes fell on the simple house for the first time. At first glance, it looked like a small log cabin. But with every light in the home on, the place glowed, making her realize that it was a lot bigger than she’d first thought. High windows shined as long, thick wood beams held up a wide porch which ran the entire length of the front of the home. The place was quite lovely and looked like the kind of home she’d imagined three boys had grown up in. “You met my brother Trent,” he said when they made it to the front porch. “Trey is our youngest brother.” He opened the door and there was a blonde man standing just inside. “Trey, this is Kristen Howell. She works for JB Holding.” “I’ve heard a lot about you.” His brother reached out and took her hand. “Let me take that coat for you.” She watched Tyler roll his eyes as his brother smoothly removed her jacket. Where the two older brothers had dark hair and dark eyes, Trey had curly blonde hair with silverblue eyes. There was something undeniably attractive about the man. All three of the brothers could easily be on the cover of any magazine as the sexiest man alive. Trent’s hair was the longest, and while the other

two brothers had shaved and dressed up for the occasion, the middle brother looked more relaxed for the evening in a sweater and slacks. She followed them into a great room and noticed a tall woman standing by a massive twostory fireplace, which was nestled in a wall of windows. The woman’s coloring matched that of the two older boys. Her dark hair was cut short, in a stylish bob, giving her a much younger appearance. When they walked into the room, she smiled, showing off the same dimple Kristen had noticed on Tyler. “Welcome. I’m Gail McGowan.” She moved across the room with her hand extended. “I hope your flight in was a pleasant one.” Kristen shook the woman’s hand. “I’ve had worse.” She smiled. “You have a lovely home,” she said, glancing around. The place was quite a contrast to anything she’d seen so far in Haven. It was truly gorgeous. It could be right up there on the cover of a magazine with the rest of the family. “Thank you. Please.” Gail motioned for her to sit. “We’ve got the fire going, but let us know if you get chilled. Spring in Montana can be quite a shock if you’re not used to it.” “I’m fine. Thank you,” Kristen said as she sat down. “So, Tyler tells me you’re here to try and take over our business,” Gail said.

“Jesus, Mom,” all three boys said in unison. “Hush now.” She waved them off as she sat across from Kristen. “We’ll just get the business side out of our way so we can get on with the evening.” Gail turned back toward her. Kristen was a little surprised at the woman’s forwardness, but really, she was more impressed. “Yes, the company I work for, JB Holding, would like to buy out the remaining shares that your family holds.” “How long have you worked for JB?” Gail asked as her sons stood around, shaking their heads at her. “Almost three years,” she answered. “Do you trust them?” The question threw Kristen off. “Trust them?” She shook her head, her confusion evident. “Are they a good company?” Gail reiterated. “Of course. The business was founded twenty years ago and we own controlling interests in hundreds of companies across dozens of industries. I’ve personally negotiated deals that have made business owners very wealthy.” “That’s nice. What does JB plan on doing with the shares in McGowan?” she asked. “I . . .” Again, she was stumped. “I’m not sure at this point.” “They sent you out here”—Gail glanced toward

the large windows, where fresh snow was falling —“halfway across the continent, and you don’t even know what they plan on doing with our business? Are they intending to run things as we have or impose policy changes?” “They haven’t shared that information with me yet. There are some details in the proposal I gave to . . .” “Yes, lawyers will jumble anything to the point that it’s illegible. What happened to the other companies you’ve helped acquire?” She thought about it. “Some have been sold, others are still running as they did before we purchased them.” The room was silent for a while, then Gail stood suddenly. “Thank you for being honest with me. Now,” she sighed. “How about we move on to the food portion of the night?” She held out her hand for Kristen to take. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, truly.” “Thank you.” She felt her heart skip and wondered if she’d said the right things to convince the family to give her a chance.

CHAPTER THREE Dinner was pleasant enough after his mother had bombarded Kristen with questions, and everyone moved on to polite conversations. Honestly, if Tyler had known that his mother was going to pull a stunt like that, he would have tried to convince her not to. He could tell by the reaction of his brothers that neither of them knew their mother was going to spring that line of questions on Kristen either. He was impressed that Kristen had risen to the occasion and hadn’t seemed to hold back on the truth. Was she really clueless as to what JB Holding wanted with McGowan Enterprises? Maybe he needed to spend more time reading through the proposal she’d left on his desk. After all, his mother had been correct that lawyers could muddle up even the simplest things. There were a few lawyers in town he could talk to if he had questions. One of them, Steven Rice, was his father’s friend from way back. After eating, they moved back to the living room and sipped coffee while they enjoyed some of his mother’s coffee cake. The snow was growing

heavier and soon after dessert, Tyler mentioned they’d better get going before the roads got too bad. Kristen looked relieved and a little nervous as he helped her on with her coat. “You really should think about getting something warmer.” He glanced down at her sleek black high heels and shook his head. “And some boots. Real boots, not the ones you wore earlier.” As he pulled her coat over her shoulders, his eyes roamed over the open-back dress she’d worn and tried to hold in a moan. “Thank you, I don’t think I’ll be in town long enough to . . .” “I thought you were here for two weeks regardless.” “Yes, but . . .” She turned toward him, biting her bottom lip. Then she shook her head and reached for her bag. “I’ll think about it.” “There’s a place right in town that carries anything you’ll need.” He opened the door as she said her good-byes to his family. After helping her into his car, he shook the fresh snow from his hair and slid in the driver’s seat. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, leaning forward in her seat to look out the window. “It always is, until it starts to melt. Then it turns to mud.” He pulled out of the driveway slowly. “Yes, I noticed that.” She frowned and leaned

back in the seat. “You must be tired,” he said, turning onto the main road. “Why don’t you take a day—” “Are you trying to get rid of me already?” she broke in. “What?” He glanced over at her quickly. “No, I was just thinking that you might want to do some shopping. We’re supposed to get more of the white stuff this week.” “I think I’ll manage,” she responded, looking out the window. He glanced down at those sexy legs peeking out from under her dress and shook his head. “Suit yourself.” He sighed and pulled into town. “But if you need it, this is the place to get supplies.” He nodded to Granger’s Market. “Thank you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and he had a hard time returning his eyes to the road. “I like your mother,” she said after a moment. He turned toward her again. “Why do you say that?” he asked. “She’s a strong woman. One who doesn’t hold back. I’ve always appreciated women like that.” Kristen sighed and turned her eyes toward him. “Most women I’ve known would have remained silent and not asked the questions they wanted.” “Like you?” he asked as he pulled into the parking spot in front of her door.

She thought about it a moment, then shook her head. “No, I’d like to think that I’m not afraid to ask questions.” “Like . . . what JB plans to do with our business?” He shifted toward her. “It’s my job to negotiate the sale, and the future of the company under JB Holding is need-to-know. Mr. Burnett wouldn’t provide that information to me if I had asked.” He tilted his head and looked closer at her. “Yet you were willing to hop on a plane and put your best foot forward doing his bidding?” “It’s my job.” He watched her chin rise slightly. “Sure, and this is my family’s business. One my father worked all his life to create and maintain. One that sustains this community. Why would we willingly sign on a dotted line when we’re not onehundred percent sure what your boss intends to do with it?” He heard her sigh, then she dropped her arms and nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll see what answers I can get from him.” “Until you do, maybe you can lay off the negotiations and sit back and enjoy yourself some.” She laughed as she looked around. “I doubt it. I’m a city girl. I don’t think Haven has a lot to offer. Unless you intend for me to visit one of the many strip clubs we just passed.” He smiled. “You might like them. The Wet Spot

is the biggest and most popular.” “Of course it is.” He could tell she was trying to hide a smile. “With a name like that . . . who wouldn’t want to walk through the doors?” “Hey, what else are a bunch of men who work almost fifty-hour weeks supposed to do with their money and time off?” He thought back. “You know, there was a time I thought I’d like city life.” His entire youth he’d dreamed of living in the bustle and chaos of a big city. Now, however, he wouldn’t trade Haven for anything. The few months he’d lived in the city had proven one thing: he was a country boy right down to his core. Sure, he’d had fun. Too much fun. But there had been something missing in the hard-working days, late nights partying, and all the women he’d enjoyed. None of his time there had felt like he’d been building a home. In fact, looking back at it, he realized how selfish he’d been. Using all his college money to party had been a huge waste of his father’s hard work. Not to mention squandering it on a particular girl, who had, once the money had run dry, left him without a look back. No, he couldn’t imagine continuing living the way he had in the city. A few months there and he’d been burned out. “And?” She tilted her head slightly and looked over at him. “Things change.” He smiled over at her and

threw the car into park. He wondered if he was falling into the same mistakes he had in LA. His eyes ran over Kristen in the dark car. She looked a lot like the women he’d dated then. Even dressed like them, but he could tell there was something different. Which only made him want to discover what that difference was. She smiled back and reached for the door. He jumped out quickly and held the door as she slid out. “Thank you for dinner,” she said, dusting the fresh snow from her coat. “Thank you,” he replied. She tilted her head in question. “For being honest with my family.” After nodding, she reached for her hotel door, only to have him once more hold the door open for her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She closed the door behind her, leaving him out in the snow.

Kristen waded out to her car the next morning and cringed as she thought about what the snow was doing to her shoes and slacks. Her legs were frozen by the time the car warmed up. She did stop at the market and purchased a few items for herself. Some toiletry supplies, thick socks, a pair of black boots, some food that would keep in her hotel room for when she didn’t feel like

venturing out to find a place to eat. Which, after driving around town a few times, seemed limited. It appeared there were more strip clubs in Haven than diners. There was only one diner in town that she found. The Dancing Moose Diner looked inviting enough, so she pulled in the parking lot. When she walked in, a loud bell rang, and every eye in the place turned toward her. Ignoring the stares, she walked over, sat at the bar area, and started glancing through the menu. She was going to have a hard time finding something halfway healthy to choose from. She’d started a new yoga program the week before leaving and wanted to stick to her goals. Which meant half of the items on the menu were offlimits. “Is that your breakfast or are you feeding a rabbit?” Tyler asked almost fifteen minutes later as he took a seat next to her along the bar. “Very funny.” She took another bite of her veggie omelet. She watched as he ordered the logger breakfast. Which, according to the menu, included three types of meats, four eggs, a stack of pancakes, and coffee. “Are you feeding an army or just yourself?” she asked. He smiled. “Don’t knock it, it’s about the only hot meal I’ll get until late tonight.” He took a sip of

the coffee the waitress set in front of him. “When are you coming back into the Spot?” The woman leaned on the counter and batted her eyes toward Tyler. “I’ve got too much work. You know that, Darla.” He turned toward Kristen as the other woman sighed and walked away to deal with other customers. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at Tyler. “What?” He smiled as she shook her head. “Why do I get the feeling that the McGowan brothers are somewhat infamous around here?” She’d overheard a few conversations since being in town, and everything she’d heard led her to believe that the men were the most sought-after available bachelors in the entire state of Montana. “No McGowan ever walked away from a good time,” Tyler said as Darla set a massive plate of food in front of him. The woman giggled, then walked away, her hips swinging extra wide. Kristen watched as he dug into the food quickly. He ate like he and his brothers had last night. Quickly. “Do you always wolf your food down?” She leaned back and pushed her half-empty plate away. He stopped and glanced at her, then swallowed a sip of coffee. “I suppose it comes from having two younger brothers on your heels waiting to take what’s left.”

She smiled. “I’m sure that your mother always made sure there was plenty of food on the table.” He nodded. “Yes, but Dad didn’t always give us time to eat it all.” She raised her eyebrows in question. “We started working for him early.” “How early?” she asked. He thought about it. “I suppose I was around eight when I started.” She frowned. “That’s appalling. Why would your father force you to work?” “Whoa. My dad never forced anything on anyone.” She could see the instant temper in his eyes, then he leaned back and took a deep breath. “He had us working in the office, doing stupid shit like taking out the trash or making copies. Then, the week I got my driver’s license, I was put in charge of driving the crew out to the sites every day I didn’t have school.” She relaxed a little and listened to him talk about the odd jobs their father made them do to keep them busy. “I guess that’s why all of us left town shortly after graduating. We wanted to see what else was out there. I ended up in LA, Trent in Vegas, and Trey”—he shook his head—“went to Miami.” “What did you find out?” she asked, gaining his attention again. She’d read in the files that the brothers had split, but still, she wondered why. And, more importantly, why they dropped their new lives

to return. “That city life is pretty screwed up. I tried school, then worked as a mechanic for a while. I’d helped my dad rebuild a few cars in my time. Made just enough to stay in a hellhole and feed myself. I partied too much, blew my dad’s hard-earned college fund on . . . stuff.” He shook his head and she could see to this day he was still disgusted about it. “Found out the hard way that what’s important to you isn’t always important to others.” “What brought you back?” she said after a moment and watched as his eyes turned sad. “I got a call just before Halloween that Dad had collapsed while visiting a job site. I flew back just in time to see him take his last breath.” “I’m sorry.” Kristen almost whispered it as her hand reached out to cover his. Tyler’s eyes moved to her hand. She moved it away and tucked it under the counter. “So, we all returned and tried to make a go of running the business.” “From what I’ve seen, it sounds like you’re doing a pretty great job.” He nodded, then pushed his empty plate aside. “The first few months were tough, actually. If I’d been a betting man, I would have said that if things had continued to go the same way it was in the first month, we would have gladly signed the first offer JB made us.”

“What changed?” She leaned back. He stood and threw a wad of cash on the counter. “We did.”

Tyler was getting tired of answering questions. He’d been on the phone for almost an hour and had a splitting headache. He felt like pulling out his hair, but instead took several deep breaths and answered every question patiently. His mind kept screaming to him to be more like his father when his temper wanted him to revert back to the good ol’ Tyler ways he knew so well. “Yes, we do both.” He answered the same question for what seemed like the hundredth time. “We’ve been drilling and servicing the lines for over twenty years.” Since he had the woman’s attention, he continued. “We use a precision drilling method perfected by my father over twenty years ago, then lay the lines and ship the oil to Billings. Once the well is dried, we cap and abandon the site, leaving it in better condition than when we started. Plant a dozen or more trees on the site too. I’m sure that if we find sufficient cause to drill on your land, you’d be happy with the improvements we made. Not only would you have better access to your land, you would have the extra money from the commissions . . .” He glanced up as his door

opened and felt his headache triple when he watched his Uncle Carl walk in. The man looked drunk already. “Yes, I’m still here. I’m sorry to break this conversation short, but I’ve just had an important meeting walk into my office. Why don’t I swing by your place later this week so we can talk face-toface?” He wrote down the date and time she requested and quickly got off the phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit this morning?” Tyler leaned back. “Oh.” His uncle walked over to the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey like he owned the place. “Do I need a reason to visit my favorite nephew?” Tyler waited silently until Carl sat down across from him. “Why are you here?” he asked more blatantly. “Why do I always come around?” His uncle swallowed the whiskey in one gulp. “You need money?” Tyler asked, already knowing the answer. “What I need is for you brats to give me what I deserve.” His uncle’s fist slammed down on the desk, sending several of the pictures to the floor. Tyler lifted his eyebrows in return and felt the pounding in his head increase. “You’ve already gotten what you deserve, and more.” “If your father were alive . . .”

“He’s not. And, according to his will, you’ve already gotten everything you should have.” Carl stood up and wobbled as he leaned over the desk. Tyler could smell the liquor on his breath as he moved closer. “I made this company. Without me, this wouldn’t be.” He motioned around the room. “And, as mentioned before, you’ve gotten your payment, which everyone in town knows you’ve squandered away on booze and prostitutes.” It was an old argument, and despite repeating it more times than Tyler could count, Carl had yet to squeeze another dime from any of the brothers. They knew how to handle the man, but Tyler always gave him the benefit of the doubt. Until he crossed the line. “You little shit . . .” His uncle reached across for him, sufficiently crossing that line, just as the door swung open. Kristen stood in the doorway, next to Rea, who had a cell phone up to her ear, no doubt with the sheriff on the other side. “Is there a problem?” Kristen said as she calmly walked into the room. Her eyes moved from one man to the other. For the first time in his life, Tyler watched his Uncle Carl shrink back. When no one answered, she walked over and stopped at the end of his desk. Her chin raised as her eyes bore into his uncle.

“Rea has informed me that the sheriff is on his way here . . . to see to some business.” She turned to Tyler and nodded slightly. “So, unless there is some other business you have here, I think it’s best if you leave.” Tyler’s mouth dropped slightly as he watched his uncle blink, then turn and stumble from the room. When the room was empty, he turned and looked up to Kristen with a smile. “Marry me,” he croaked out, causing her to laugh. “Why? Because I know how to handle a bully?” Since he hadn’t found his full voice yet, he nodded. She smiled. “I have a crazy Aunt Hilda, who likes to hit the bottle and slap my mother around. I learned to stand up to her when I was twelve, and from then on, Hilda never comes around without my mother making sure I’m there as well.” “You oughta keep that girl around,” Rea said as she walked from the room and reached back to close the door behind her. “I could have handled him,” Tyler said after a moment of silence. Kristen had moved over and sat in one of the chairs across from him. “I’m sure you could have.” She smiled. “But I had too much fun. Besides, Rea was going to barge in all by herself and something tells me she wouldn’t have done such a good job of getting rid

of him.” “No.” He frowned, remembering the last time he’d hauled his uncle from the office. “No,” he said again, leaving it alone.

CHAPTER FOUR She tucked her shaky hands together and took a few deep breaths. Her body always reacted that way when dealing with her aunt. Even after all these years of doing so, it still got to her. Sure, she’d seen the determination in Tyler’s eyes. She’d also seen his clenched fists. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew how to use them, but she was thankful he hadn’t. She’d read the file on the uncle. Carl McGowan was more than a drunk. He had too many DUIs; even after he’d lost his license almost five years ago, he’d still been caught driving. He had a long police history with other arrests as well. He’d been divorced three times. Each time ending with accusations of spousal abuse. He had six restraining orders filed against him and several other arrests for breaking most of them. “Why does he come around?” she asked. Tyler sighed and shrugged. “Why else? Money.” He leaned back in his chair. “Does that happen often?” she asked, more curious now than ever.

“Whenever he runs low.” He glanced back toward his computer. “Why does your aunt come around?” She sighed. “Not for money. My grandparents set her up for life.” “Oh?” He leaned closer, his eyes on her now. “They owned several outlet mall stores. You know, the buildings.” He nodded, so she continued. “Anyway, before my grandmother passed away, then my grandfather less than a year later, they had set up a trust fund for my aunt. She’s never been right in the head.” She sighed again. “So, naturally, most of their money went to her.” “What about your mom?” Tyler asked. “My grandparents never really recognized her. It’s almost as if they were so tired of dealing with Hilda that they forgot they had another daughter.” “Sad,” he said under his breath. “Yes,” Kristen agreed. “So, when my mother does have to deal with Hilda, it’s been hard. But she’s used how she was raised to become the best mother possible.” She smiled and her eyes lit up with love. “Something we have in common then.” He smiled and she felt her heart skip as she nodded. “Was there something you needed?” he asked. She’d come into the office because she’d been curious. Her early-morning call to her boss hadn’t gone well. She’d asked him the questions but had

been highly disappointed at his short answers. The official position from JB on McGowan Enterprises was simply their intent to acquire the business. Nothing else had been planned, or at least nothing that Mr. Burnett would say over the phone. He had pivoted quickly, tasking her with finding out more about McGowan Enterprises, telling her to dig deep for something they could use to sweeten their offer. For some reason, the facts she’d presented to him on paper weren’t enough. He wanted more detailed reports on the brothers and their mother. Which, after she’d met them that first night, she’d written up and sent to him. Still, he asked for more. Kristen got the impression he was hiding something but wasn’t in the position to press him at the moment. Especially after he’d started taking the “tone” with her. She’d worked for the man long enough to know when he’d said all he was going to about a subject. Which led her straight back to Tyler’s office to see if she could get some answers there. “Yes.” She leaned forward in the chair. She’d thought about how to approach him with her questions. Figuring bold and direct was best, she said, “I was wondering if I could take a look at your books.” She was impressed that he didn’t immediately laugh at her. Instead, his eyes narrowed, causing a

small line to form between his dark brows. “Why?” he finally said. “Well . . .” She shifted in her seat. “I asked about JB’s plans for McGowan.” “And?” He too leaned slightly forward. She shook her head and sighed. “Didn’t get far. But I was thinking . . .” She bit her bottom lip, then decided to jump all in. “If I could look at your books, maybe I can find out why they’re so interested.” He was silent for a moment as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning hers deeply. “Why should we trust you?” he asked. “Why shouldn’t you?” She shrugged. “I mean, I’ve seen your numbers for the past few years. The ones that JB has anyway.” “Yes, but those are public records. You’re asking me to give you full access to . . . everything?” he asked, and when she nodded, he sighed. “Why?” “Would you believe me if I said I’m curious?” Another moment of silence passed between them. “Rea will give you the log-ins.” He turned to his computer as she got up from the chair and walked toward the door. “Kristen.” She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at him. “If you find something, anything, I expect to be notified first.” She smiled and then nodded her head quickly.

When she shut the door behind her, she took a deep breath. The man had a way of sucking up all the air in a room. “Rea, can you get Ms. Howell a guest log-in for our accounting, please?” Tyler’s voice chimed over the phone system. Rea’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Yes, sir.” The older woman smiled at Kristen. “You must have made an impression on him,” Rea said, clicking away at her keyboard. “I think he finally realized that we have the same goal.” “Oh?” The woman stopped typing and looked up at her in question. “Believe it or not, my best interest is in seeing what’s best for McGowan Enterprises.” “Even if that means not selling to your employer?” Rea asked. Kristen thought about it for a moment. “I’m sure that when I’m done, the brothers will change their minds.” “What if they don’t?” the woman asked. “Then I’ll leave quietly.” She walked closer to the desk. “What system do you use?” For the next half hour, Rea filled Kristen in on how to access the system. It was a version of QuickBooks she’d used before so she knew it fairly well. She had already seen most of the figures while researching the company, but still, there was

enough there to keep Kristen busy for the next few days. Rea cleared a spot for her in the corner at a desk. Kristen made herself as comfortable as possible. Several times during the day, she heard Tyler raise his voice as he talked on the phone. Around lunchtime, he stormed out of the office and stopped when he noticed her scanning her laptop screen. “Lunch?” he asked. She could tell he was only asking out of courtesy. Smiling and shutting her laptop, she stood up. “Yes, that would be wonderful.” She’d been right. He frowned and continued walking out of the building. She grabbed her coat and followed him. “There are only a few places to eat in town,” he said as he pulled the truck out of the muddy parking lot. “I’m good with whatever,” she said. She wished she’d thought to bring a pair of sunglasses along. The snow had stopped and every cloud in the sky had disappeared, leaving the snow to melt and blind her as the sun reflected off the whiteness of everything. Tyler reached across her lap, brushing his arm against her legs as he reached into the glove box and pulled out a spare pair of sunglasses. “You’ll need these.” He set them in her lap.

“Thank you.” She put the glasses on and instantly felt the tension behind her eyes dissipate. “Montana is hard on a body,” he said quietly. “I suppose it is.” She felt the heat of the sun on her shoulders and thought about removing her coat. “It must be in the seventies,” she said absently. Tyler chuckled. “One day it’s in the teens, the next day you’ll broil.” He shook his head. “Gotta love it.” The truck turned a corner and for the first time since arriving yesterday, she got her first view of the hills around Haven, Montana. It had been overcast and dark when she’d driven around before. Now, however, the sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Her breath caught at the beauty of it all. The small town was nestled at the base of snowcovered hills. Everything was still freshly blanketed in snow and had yet to melt to the point of being dirty. Tyler turned on the main street and Kristen could just imagine this is how the town had looked for the past hundred years. Sure, there were probably horses and carriages at one point instead of trucks and cars. But still, the beauty of it was almost overwhelming. The older buildings were in good enough condition that nothing looked fallen in or neglected. For an old town, the place looked very well

maintained. Even her hotel was in better condition than she’d first imagined. “Tell me about the town,” she said as he drove slowly up the street. He glanced at her quickly, then shrugged. “Haven was initially built in the great gold rush. After all the hills were dry, the town went silent, only to be revived when oil was struck about thirty years ago. We have a population of just under five thousand, our own police force, and . . .” he glanced over at her. “A woman was just elected mayor last year. Mayor Martha Brown.” He smiled. Facts. Short and to the point, she thought as he parked along the main street. “It may not be much,” he said, helping her out of the truck, his hand on her elbow as she stepped onto the sidewalk. “But it’s home.” She glanced up at the sign on the building in front of them and watched as Tyler walked toward the brightly painted door. “You . . . you don’t mean to go in there?” she asked, stopping him from disappearing into the door. “Sure, why not?” He glanced back at her. “They have some of the best steaks in town.” He shrugged and held the door open for her. His smile had grown until she was sure he was laughing at her silently.

“But—” She took a step back and blinked a few times. “But it’s a strip club.”

Tyler sat across from Kristen and held in a laugh. Her eyes had turned to huge saucers since following him in the pink doors. She’d yet to say another word to him, but instead sat silently, looking down at the menu Carolyn had handed her after they’d sat in his favorite booth. Every now and then he’d see her eyes trail up to glance at the dancers. “They don’t bite,” he leaned forward and whispered to her. “I don’t know what you mean.” She shifted and set her menu down. Then took it up again and dipped her head down until all he could see was her dark eyebrows over the cover. “Listen, this town isn’t all beautiful scenery. These men work hard and deserve to play hard too,” he said, nodding around the room. For the first time since walking in the doors, he watched her eyes travel around the room. This time not seeing the half-naked women working for a dollar, but the men who filled the tables and booths around. Most of them were too busy eating lunch or talking with one another to bother with the half dozen girls trying to get them to spend their hardearned money.

“Why do they allow it?” she asked after a moment. “Who? What?” he asked as she set her menu down. “Them.” She nodded to a group of men who worked for him. They were having lunch with their wives. “Why do they eat here with their husbands?” He chuckled. “Because sex is sex and a good meal is a good meal.” He shook his head. Kristen was stopped from saying anything more when Carolyn walked over to take their orders. Tyler ordered the steak and was surprised when Kristen said she’d have what he was having. “Surely you’ve been to a strip club before?” he said, leaning back in the booth and taking a sip of his beer. Normally he didn’t drink during lunch, but after the phone calls he’d had that morning plus the unwelcome visit from his uncle, he figured he was due. “They aren’t as popular in New York,” she said dryly, causing him to laugh out loud. “Their loss.” He glanced over to where Darla was working the pole and cringed. He’d been trying to avoid her for weeks. Ever since she’d made it known to the entire town that she had an eye on him. Now he was seeing her twice in one day, and he expected she might think he was doing it on purpose.

His eyes moved back to Kristen and wondered why she’d followed him into a place like this. Just looking at her, he could tell she was too good for this place. Hell, she was too good for Haven or the entire state of Montana. She’d tied her long dark hair up today. There were a few wisps falling around her face. Having her hair pulled back only accented the pale-green color of her eyes more. Her lips were painted a pale pink, the same color as her sweater, which clung to her body like a glove. Suddenly, it was too hot in the room. Tyler pulled his sweater over his head and tossed it in the seat next to him. When his eyes met hers again, he realized she’d watched his every move. She was biting her bottom lip again and he found it hard to focus. Blinking as his mind focused, he cleared his throat from the aching with another sip of cold beer. “So, did you find anything in the books?” He decided to keep their conversation professional. That way thoughts of peeling off her tight sweater slowly wouldn’t cause his libido to overheat during lunch. She shook her head and glanced down at her fingers. “Nothing yet. From what I can tell, you’ve bounced back nicely after your father’s death.” “Thanks,” he mumbled, knowing what it had

taken to get there. Her head tilted as she looked at him. “Your father ran a pretty tight business.” He nodded, not trusting his voice. Thinking about his father still got to him. She laid her elbows and arms on the table and leaned closer. “Why won’t you sell?” He shifted slightly and was about to give her the same answer he had before, but then stopped. “Have you ever worked hard for something, so hard that you feel like it’s no longer just a part of you, but . . . everything?” He watched her take several deep breaths. When she shook her head from side to side, he nodded. “When you do, you’ll understand,” he said, just as their food arrived.

CHAPTER FIVE There was a time in her life when Kristen could have listed off a dozen or more things that she’d worked hard for. But, sitting across from Tyler, nothing sprang to mind. Especially seeing the look in his eyes. Had she ever felt that strongly about anything before? Sure, she’d worked hard to get where she was in her life and her career, but still, if something happened to her job, she knew there were at least a dozen or more places lined up that she could walk into and start over. They sat in silence as they ate their lunch, and with the first bite of the juicy steak, she had to admit that he had a point about the food there. So the atmosphere left a lot to be desired, but the food was the best she’d had in a long time. “So?” he asked after her plate was cleared. “How’d you like it?” He stood up and helped her on with her coat. “Okay, so the food was amazing.” She felt a shiver run down her spine when he reached up and gently pulled a strand of her hair out from the collar

of her coat. “Well, well,” a woman purred from just behind them, causing Tyler to turn and drop his hands from Kristen’s shoulders. “It’s about time you showed up again.” Kristen turned just in time to see a half-dressed woman wearing a shimmering evening dress that barely covered the most impressive pair of breasts money could buy plaster herself to Tyler. The skirt had a long slit that traveled up the woman’s leg, showing off a towering pair of neon heels that were lit up and blinking with the music. The bleach-blonde woman ran a very long painted fingernail up Tyler’s chest to his neck until she covered his lips with it, stopping him from saying anything. “No.” She reached with her other hand and tugged on his arm, trying to get him to follow her. “I owe you a private dance.” Her eyes scanned over and narrowed at Kristen. “You know, from last time,” she purred and turned back toward Tyler. She tried to tug him toward the back hallway, which no doubt led to private booths, but Tyler planted his feet and didn’t move from Kristen’s side. “Sorry, can’t today.” He stood, not budging, until the woman dropped her hand. Kristen watched as her bright-pink painted lips puckered up into a frown. She was surprised when

she realized this brazen woman had been their waitress at the diner this morning. It seemed like the men weren’t the only ones in Haven who worked hard. “Surely you have a few minutes to enjoy . . .” Tyler leaned in and picked up his sweater, ignoring the woman’s pouting. “Sorry, Darla, not today.” He reached down and took Kristen’s hand and pulled her toward the front door. They were outside so fast that Darla didn’t have a chance to respond. Tyler opened the truck door and helped Kristen up into the cab. She watched him walk around and climb in behind the wheel. “Yes, I can see that the Wet Spot doesn’t just have good food,” she said dryly, hoping that the sarcasm in her voice didn’t go unnoticed. Instead of responding, Tyler just chuckled as he drove out of town. Her eyes traveled over the countryside as he drove. In the last hour they had been inside, the weather had turned. “It looks like it’s going to snow again,” she said. “Yeah, we’ll probably get a few more inches of the stuff by tomorrow.” “Does it ever get old?” she asked. When he didn’t respond, she turned and looked at him. “You know, the snow? I mean, we get a lot in New York, but . . .”

He smiled at her and nodded. “I know what you mean. When I went to LA I couldn’t get enough of the beach. The warm water, the sun.” He sighed. “But after a while, I missed this,” he said, reaching down and turning on the wipers as snow started falling. “We do have some pretty awesome summers.” “I bet.” Kristen sighed and looked out the window, imagining how the hills would look covered in green. “You should come up and see it when everything is green and warm.” She turned back toward him. “I’d like that.” His eyes held hers for a moment, then he turned into the parking lot and cursed suddenly. “Stay in the truck,” he said as he jerked it into park. She wanted to argue with him, but he’d jumped from the cab and was striding across the makeshift parking lot toward a white sedan. Tyler walked over to it, yanked open the door, pulled out the driver, and pushed the very tall man up against the car before she could even blink. She jumped from the truck, feeling something twist in her ankle from the long drop and hard landing. Pushing the twinge of pain aside, she rushed over to Tyler. She grabbed his arm just as he was pulling it back to slam his fist into the man’s face. “Tyler!” she screamed, holding his arm back.

“What’s going on?” She held tight as he tried to jerk his arm free. “Get inside.” He turned to her, anger darkening his brown eyes. “Tell Rea to call the sheriff.” But instead of moving, she held onto his arm, feeling his muscles flinch under her fingertips. “I think you’d better come with me. We can call the police together.” She tried to tug him toward the door, but he stopped her. “Yeah.” The man who Tyler had pinned up against the side of the car smiled over at her. “Yeah, McGowan, better hurry up inside.” “What the hell are you doing here?” Tyler growled. “There’s a restraining order . . .” “I know,” the man said between clenched teeth. “You think I don’t know what the bitch has said to the law about me?” “Kristen, go inside and make the call.” Tyler’s muscles relaxed under her arm and their eyes met. She could see that he was back under control. He wouldn’t beat the man senseless. “I’m going, but I’ll be right back,” she warned and watched as Tyler nodded at her. She rushed through the snow and when she opened the front door, she noticed Rea standing and looking out the window in complete shock. “Rea, call the police,” Kristen said, but when the woman didn’t make a move, she stepped over to her and took her shoulders in her hands. “Rea?”

“I . . . I didn’t think,” the woman said, shaking her head. “He’s grown so much.” “Rea?” Kristen shook her lightly. “Tyler wants you to call the police.” “Yes.” The older woman blinked and Kristen watched as a tear fell down her cheek. “I’ll make the call now.” She walked over to the desk, then stopped and looked up at her. “Make sure he doesn’t kill him.” “I think Tyler can handle himself.” Rea shook her head. “It’s not him I’m worried will get hurt.” She turned and picked up the phone. Kristen walked out of the building and by the time she was next to Tyler, he’d stepped back and dropped his hands to his sides, keeping the man pinned with a dangerous look. “Kristen?” Tyler asked without dropping his steely gaze. Kristen’s eyes ran over the man. He was roughly Tyler’s age and weight. She knew that Tyler was built of lean muscles; the other man appeared to be similarly built, although he was much taller than Tyler. “She’s making the call now.” “You don’t have to call, I’m going,” the man said, taking a step toward the car. “You’ll stay,” Tyler growled. “Until they haul you away.” That’s when the taller man whipped back

toward Tyler, menacing. “You shit, McGowan! I have every right to see her!” “No, you gave up your rights when you held a knife to her throat,” Tyler said calmly. Kristen tried to hold in a gasp, but when the other man’s eyes moved toward her, she knew it had escaped her lips. “What?” The man’s blue eyes narrowed at her. “You haven’t heard their lies about me yet?” He turned back toward Tyler. “I’m surprised you haven’t told all your lies to your latest bitch.” Tyler moved so fast, she didn’t even realize he’d moved at all until the other man sat in the snow, blood flowing from his nose. “If you ever come within twenty miles of this town again, you’ll get more than a busted nose,” Tyler said. Just then, Kristen heard the siren, shaking her from her stupor. She took Tyler’s arm and pulled him toward the door. As soon as they crossed the threshold into the warmth of the trailer, Tyler rushed over to Rea and gathered the massive woman up in his arms. “You okay?” he asked her gently. “Yes. You didn’t hurt him, did you?” the woman asked. “Broke his nose, but it’s nothing compared . . .” His words dropped off and Kristen heard Rea sniffle.

“I’m sorry,” she said several times. “Stop it,” Tyler said, brushing a hand over the woman’s hair gently. “You have nothing to apologize for.” “He’s my son,” Rea said, shocking Kristen to the core. “Your son?” Kristen said, taking a step forward. Thoughts of the older woman with a younger man had crossed her mind instantly when she’d overheard Tyler talking to him, but she hadn’t once thought that the man who’d held a knife to Rea’s throat had been her own son. “I’m sorry,” Rea said, her eyes going toward Kristen. “Brian . . . lost his way,” the woman said, taking a step back from Tyler. “Shortly after his father . . .” “Don’t make excuses. Brian has always been an ass,” Tyler broke in and walked over to open the door and allowed the sheriff in. “Tom.” He reached out and shook the man’s hand. “You know, I could arrest you,” Tom said to Tyler. “For what? The criminal was on my property and he was in violation of his restraining order.” Tom sighed and ran his eyes over to Rea. When he noticed the tears, Kristen watched as the gruff, uniformed man softened. “You okay, Rea?” “Yes,” Rea said, sitting down behind her desk. “What’s he doing back in town?”

Tom shrugged. “Mike’s talking to him now. We’ll haul him in, tow his car. He shouldn’t be back around anytime soon.” “Thank you,” Rea said as she used a tissue and wiped her eyes dry. “Tyler, can I have a word with you?” Tom asked, then glanced back toward Rea. “Outside.” The two men stepped out the door and Kristen followed behind them. Tyler gave her a look, but she didn’t back down. “You know I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to haul you in,” Tom said. “Why?” Kristen broke in before Tyler could reply. “He didn’t do anything,” she added. “I never saw Tyler hit him.” She wasn’t actually lying since he’d moved too fast for her eyes to track. “The man must have slipped on a patch of ice.” She didn’t know why she’d spoken up, but something told her it was the right thing to do. Both Tom and Tyler looked at her like she’d grown an extra head. She turned to Tyler and tilted her head. “Didn’t he?” Tyler seemed stupefied for a moment, then turned back to Tom. “Sure,” he smiled at the man. “Like Kristen said, he must have slipped on some ice.” Tom’s eyes moved between the two of them, then he sighed and turned to go. He stopped at the

base of the stairs. “Tyler, next time Brian shows up, call us first before . . . letting him slip on ice.”

Tyler watched the police cruiser disappear down the road, then turned back to Kristen with a frown. “Why did you lie?” he asked her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle and he could tell that she was cold, but he didn’t want Rea to hear their conversation. Instead, he walked over and removed his jacket and placed it on her shoulders, over her own thin coat. “I didn’t lie. I honestly didn’t see you hit him.” He watched her chin rise slightly. The wind whooshed from his chest in a laugh. “Do you wear glasses?” he asked, shaking his head. She frowned up at him and shook her head. “You must be blind,” he said, not knowing how she could’ve missed his move. “You move fast,” she said, and he watched as snowflakes fell over her face. The cold wind kicked up and the snow swirled around them. Pink color rose in her cheeks. Her eyes met his and he couldn’t explain what drew him a step toward her, but suddenly he was a breath away from her. “I can,” he said softly. He reached to where her hair was bound and tugged gently until the soft locks fell around her face. For some reason, he

desperately wanted to see snow among the brunette locks. Her eyes searched his as he closed the small space between them. He rejoiced silently when he felt her hands move to his shoulders and stay there —grounding him, but not pushing him away. “When the occasion calls for it.” He finished just before their lips met. There was little left in life, at this point, that shocked Tyler. But just the feel of Kristen’s lips beneath his shook him to the core. When he finally stepped away, his entire body shivered and he felt as weak as a baby. Even his breathing was labored. Eager to hide his reaction from her and himself, he turned away and opened the door, holding it until she moved past him without a word. “You’re in trouble,” Rea said as he stepped through the door. Boy, was he. He shook his head clear. “No, not this time,” he said, his eyes avoiding Kristen. “Rea, why don’t I drive you home?” “No,” Rea said, looking between him and Kristen. “I have too much to do still today.” Kristen stepped forward. “Rea, take the rest of the day off. You need it.” Rea shook her head. “I have to get this proposal out to the Rowans.” “I can step in. I’ll finish it for you,” Kristen said. “Let Tyler take you home. Take a hot bath, have a glass of wine, watch TV.” Kristen walked

over and gave the older woman a hug. “Forget about today.” “I . . .” More tears slid down Rea’s face. “You wouldn’t know how to . . .” “I think I can manage it,” Kristen added. “The file is here,” Rea said, tapping a thick folder. “Everything you need to know is in there.” “Go.” Kristen turned to Tyler. “Take her home.” He nodded and picked up Rea’s coat from the hook and held it out for her. He waited as the woman pulled her purse and lunch box from her bottom desk drawer. “Thank you,” Rea said as he helped her on with her coat. “If you need anything . . .” “I’ll leave it for tomorrow.” Kristen smiled. “Thank you,” Tyler mouthed to Kristen before he shut the door behind him.

Rea lived just outside of town, but with the snow falling faster and piling up, it took him almost an hour to drop her off and get back to the trailer. When he walked in, he held in the laughter as his eyes scanned the once very tidy room. There were stacks of papers all over Rea’s normally very neat desk. Kristen had the phone tucked under her ear while she typed away at the computer. “Yes, okay, did it go that time?” she asked, then

when she got the answer, did a fist pump in the air and smiled. “Now I’ll send you the . . . Wait, no!” He watched her chin drop and her eyes get huge. “What did I just . . . No!” She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “The computer is rebooting. I’ll call you back when everything comes back up.” He leaned against the door frame and watched her pound her fist on the desk, then for good measure tap the keyboard a few times while cursing at the computer. “Rea needs a new computer,” she said without glancing over at him. “We all need something,” he replied, walking over to the end of the desk. “Yes, but how do you expect her to get anything done when the damn thing keeps shutting down?” She turned toward him, her eyebrows up as she waited. “I’m looking into replacing all of our systems.” He sighed and remembered it was on his very long to-do list. “I don’t know how Rea has been able to do anything around here.” She let out a breath and started typing again. “It’s back up. I’d better call them back.” She reached for the phone. “Kristen,” he said, and she glanced up at him from the computer screen. “Thank you.” He saw something flit across her eyes, but

before he could tell what she was thinking, she gave a quick nod and turned back to the screen. He felt like a fool when he shut his office door behind him. He sat behind his desk for almost five minutes before his mind settled down. What had that simple kiss done to him? Why had he kissed her in the first place? He’d set his overwhelming reaction aside to make sure Rea had been okay. But now his mind was consumed by thoughts of Kristen’s lips. He stared at his computer screen for almost an hour before finally giving up and walking back into the front office.

CHAPTER SIX Kristen could feel Tyler’s eyes on her from across the room. But she was too busy trying to explain why Rea wasn’t in the office without telling everyone the woman’s private affairs. Finally, after dancing around it for a minute, Tyler walked over and took the phone from her. “Steve, she’s off for the rest of the day. Whatever you need, you can tell Kristen here. She’s covering for us today. I’m sure she’ll make sure you get everything handled.” His eyes moved to her and then he nodded and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry,” Steve apologized and for the first time in ten minutes, the man sounded nice. “It’s just that I always deal with Rea. I’ve never dealt with anyone else before. Not in almost twenty-some years.” “I understand. What can I help you with today?” Kristen asked, feeling slightly relieved that Tyler had stepped in. “Well, we need a couple more porta-johns down at the east site.”

“I understand. I’ll arrange for those to be delivered first thing tomorrow.” “Great,” the man said, then hung up without even a good-bye. Setting down the phone, she turned to Tyler, who was still just looking at her. “Is there something you needed?” she asked. He leaned against the edge of the desk. His knees were close to hers and she could smell his musky aroma, which sent a wave of awareness throughout her system. Shoving all thoughts of him and that kiss to the back of her mind, she waited for his answer. “I need the . . .” He glanced around and when his eyes landed on a file at the edge of the desk, he walked over and picked it up. “This,” he said, then turned around and stormed back into his office. Kristen could tell that wasn’t why he’d come into the room. She knew for a fact that the file he’d grabbed was empty, since its contents were currently scattered around the desk. She wondered just how long it would take him to realize it. Leaning back, she waited and silently counted the seconds. Fifty seconds later, his door opened. “I guess you’re still working on this,” he said, walking over and setting the file back down. “Yup,” she said, smiling slightly. “I’ll leave you to it.” His eyes moved over her

once more as silence filled the room. From her seat behind the desk, she could feel the vibes shooting from him. “Anything else you need?” she asked, not feeling too steady anymore. The fact that the question had come out as a whisper caused her some discomfort. “Why . . .” He shook his head, then sighed. “If you need anything, let me know.” With this, he turned back into his office and disappeared. By five o’clock, she was ready for a hot meal and shower. Maybe she’d even stop by the liquor store and grab a bottle of wine. After turning off the computer, she stood up and stretched just as Tyler walked out of his office. “Clocking out?” he asked with a smile. “Yeah. You know, you should really invest in a new chair for Rea.” She rolled her shoulders and did a few stretches. “I’ve only been sitting here for a couple hours. I don’t know how Rea could sit here for eight hours every day of the week and not have back problems.” “Duly noted.” He walked over to the door and took her coat off the hanger. “Well, since you put in a few hours, the least I can do is buy you dinner.” Images of having another steak at the strip club filled her head. He must have read her thoughts, because he chuckled.

“I’m sure I can do better than the Spot.” He helped her on with her coat. He hadn’t been lying. They had driven for a while but finally stopped outside of a small, familyowned Italian place. Soft lights, music, and a warm atmosphere greeted them as they walked into the place. “This is nice,” she said as they were seated in a cozy booth. “Yeah, it used to be a burger joint, until the Steins took it over a few years back,” he said, glancing over his menu at her. “Course, it’s the only Italian place for about a hundred miles.” She smiled. “Do you like it?” His eyebrows shot up in question. “Living in a small town in the middle of nowhere.” She finished her question. He shrugged. “As a kid, it was great. As a teen, I couldn’t wait to get out of here. When I first came back, I didn’t like it much at all.” “Now?” He sighed and set the menu aside. “I guess I’ve been too busy to care.” She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “If you had your choice?” She saw his inner struggle with coming up with an answer. “I suppose I’d stay here. I’ve been a few other places. This is home.” After the waiter delivered their wine and took their orders, she leaned forward. “I envy you.” She

sipped her wine. “I grew up in the city. I’ve never really thought about one place as home. Sure, the house I grew up in was home as a kid, but since I’ve been out on my own . . .” She shook her head slightly. “I know what you mean about a home. My mom’s place doesn’t seem the same since I moved out. It’s no longer my place, especially without Dad.” “Where do you live now?” His eyes met hers and she got the impression he was laughing inside. “An apartment above the Spot,” he answered. She choked a little on the sip of wine she’d just taken. “The strip club?” He laughed this time. “It was the only place available when I moved back into town.” “When was that?” she asked. “Shortly after my dad passed.” “And you’re still there?” He answered with a shrug. “Doesn’t the noise bother you?” What would it be like, living above a place that never closed and pumped loud music nonstop? Not to mention knowing what was happening below. “I’m on the third floor. The noise isn’t too bad up there,” he said as their food was delivered. “So,” Kristen said after taking a few bites of the hot meal. “I don’t mean to pry, but that incident

today seemed pretty serious. Is Rea going to be okay? How could that man be her son?” She listened to Tyler talk about how Rea had raised Brian on her own since he was eleven. How he and Brian had played together as young boys, but how, shortly after his father’s death, Brian had turned into someone else. Evil was a word Tyler used. Psycho was another one. “To be honest,” Tyler said, finishing his plate of noodles and pushing it aside, “I’m not sure there’s a drop of good left in him, or if there ever was. I remember him in school, he was always . . . mean.” Tyler took another drink. “I was bullied when I was in school,” she admitted. She wasn’t sure why she’d spoken up. He waited for her to continue. She shifted in the booth and took a sip of her wine before continuing. “It started in first grade. Then, when I didn’t stand up for myself or fight back, continued on through middle school until it finally stopped.” “What happened in middle school?” he asked. “I grew breasts before she did.” Kristen smiled as Tyler laughed. “That must have been hard on you, though?” he asked, his smile slipping slightly. She shrugged. “It made me stronger. Still, I’d like to run into Angie Higgs one day and rub my success in her face.” She shifted gears quickly, since she didn’t want to go into all the horrors she’d

gone through as a child. “Do you think Rea will be okay?” Instead of answering, he just looked at her as their plates were cleared. Once they were alone again, he shifted slightly. Moving closer to her somehow from across the booth. “I thought I had you pegged,” he finally said. “How so?” “Well, it’s obvious from . . .” he waved his hand toward her, gesturing to her expensive haircut and clothes, “that you’re a city girl who isn’t afraid to spend every dime on . . .” He trailed off again, but she knew what he was saying. And he wasn’t wrong. The blouse she was wearing had been her most expensive purchase last month. “Okay,” she leaned on the table, waiting. “And?” “Well, I guess I didn’t peg you as someone who’d care about an old woman’s problems with her son. Especially since you’d just met her.” “I like nice things, and I like nice people,” she countered. She watched his eyes as he thought about her words. When he nodded quickly, she felt a little relieved and couldn’t explain why. The fact of the matter was, she’d worked for JB Holding for three years and had never had this much of a conversation with anyone else who worked there. Sure, she’d busted her butt day after

day, month after month, until the years seemed to melt together. She had what she liked to call “working friends.” People she occasionally went out to lunch with, but she’d never really talked to them like she was talking with Tyler. As they left the building, she kept wondering why that was. It wasn’t as if she’d missed talking to people, or even feeling like she hadn’t had deep conversations. What was strange was that she wondered why opening up to Tyler felt so good.

Tyler knew Kristen was deep in thought, so he kept quiet during the drive back to the hotel. What he’d said was true. He had thought he’d pegged her. But seeing her so concerned for Rea had completely thrown him off. After all, she’d made it very clear that she was here to do everything in her power to convince him to sell his family business. It would mean a promotion for her, and that would mean more money to spend on more fancy things. But he couldn’t stop wondering why a woman like that would care about Rea’s business. Then there was the attraction between them. He knew she’d felt it the moment he had, the second she’d stepped off the plane. Since he’d returned home and committed to the family business, he’d put aside his needs. Well, most of them anyway.

Women being on the top of that list. That was until the kiss earlier. Since then, his mind and body refused to stop thinking of anything other than her soft lips under his. If he concentrated, he could probably still taste her sexiness. Then his mind snapped back into gear when they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. He knew he still couldn’t afford distractions. Especially sexy brunettes with green bedroom eyes. Not until the business books were where they should be. And, if his calculations were correct, that would mean staying focused for the next six months to a year. If everything went according to his plan and he avoided distractions. He parked the truck in front of the small hotel. When his headlights hit the old building, he realized that it really was a run-down place and instantly felt bad. Even his apartment above the Spot was better than this hellhole. “You know, my mom’s place has plenty of room,” he blurted out before thinking it through fully. The shocked look on her face told him he’d crossed the line, but still, he felt the need to continue. “I mean, this place is . . . well,” he nodded toward her door. Which looked like it would fall off its hinges at any moment. “Plus, it’s closer to the office.” He shrugged, beginning to feel bad. “The

offer is out there.” He reached for the door handle, but her hand on his arm stopped him. “Tyler, thanks.” She sighed. “But it wouldn’t be right. I wouldn’t feel right. Besides, JB has already paid for the room for two weeks, which means I’ll be here until the end of the month.” “That long?” he said sarcastically. When she tilted her head and he saw a spark of anger flash in her eyes he chuckled. “Okay, I know when to quit.” He got out and helped her down from the truck, enjoying the way her body felt in his hands. “This truck ought to be illegal. It’s too tall,” she said nervously. He let her go, dropping his hands from her narrow hips. But as she moved to take a step back, her heeled boots slipped on the snow and once more, his arms wrapped around her as he pulled her close. Even through the layers of thick material keeping them both warm, he felt her heart kick in her chest, which was pressed tight next to his own. Okay, he thought as he bent toward her mouth, this isn’t exactly avoiding distractions. Then his mind went blissfully blank as his lips covered hers. There was nothing, at that exact moment, to stop him from enjoying the feel of her against him. She melted into him. Her arms wrapped around him as he urged her tighter against his chest. The soft sounds she was making were heating

him up from his core until he felt his entire body burn for the feel of her. Naked, bared to him. “Invite me in,” he moaned between kisses. “I . . .” She shook her head and pushed against his chest until he took a step back. “I don’t think . . .” He watched her green eyes return to focus. “Tyler, this isn’t a good idea.” “It’s a terrible idea,” he said with a smile. “But still . . . it’s an idea.” Her eyes closed and he watched her take several deep breaths. He watched the puffs of air dissipate in front of him and knew that the moment had disappeared too. “There’s something here,” he said, taking another step back. “No matter what brought you to me, you can’t deny it. Not forever—maybe not even for two weeks.” He turned and jumped behind the wheel before she could respond. As he drove off, he glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled when he noticed that she was still standing in the same spot, her hands over her heart as she watched him drive away.

CHAPTER SEVEN She avoided Tyler all weekend by staying in her hotel room. He’d called her a few times, but she’d let each call go to her voice mail. She ventured out for one late lunch but made a point to avoid normal meal hours. She was thankful she’d had a couple days to recover from that kiss. She’d needed it. Who was she kidding—she still wasn’t over it. As she drove up to the trailer Monday morning, she knew something was wrong. There were two police cars parked out front next to Rea’s car. From what she understood, the woman practically lived there. Worry flashed so fast that Kristen was out of the car and running to the front door before she felt the cold and snow. When she rushed in, every eye turned toward her. Tyler, Trent, and at least four officers. “What’s happened? Where’s Rea? Is she okay?” She couldn’t hide the panic in her voice. Then Tyler took a step back and she noticed Rea sitting at the desk, smiling up at her. “I’m fine, sweetie. They aren’t here because of me.”

Kristen relaxed. “Oh.” Her eyes moved around the room and she could tell Tyler was upset when their eyes met. “Well, then what seems to be the problem?” The older officer stepped forward. “We’re just here as a service. To warn of the protesters that have set up camp on the north side of town.” “Protesters?” She removed her coat and shook the fresh snow from it, then hung it up on the hook. “What kind of protesters?” “We’ve dealt with them before,” Tyler said, holding out his hand and shaking hands with the older men. “Thanks, Tom, we’ll take the normal precautions.” “If you need anything . . .” Tyler nodded. “You’ll step up the drive-bys?” “Yeah, we’re working out a schedule now. I’ll let Rea know when we have it all set.” “Thanks, Tom.” Rea smiled up at the man. Kristen thought she saw the man blush slightly, but he turned away and followed the other men outside. “What kind of protesters?” she asked again when the officers were gone. “The usual kind,” Tyler growled, then walked into his office without a look back at her, then shocked her by shutting his door. Trent turned toward her with a frown. “What’d you do to set him off?”

“Me?” Her eyebrows shot up. “I just got here.” Trent tilted his head toward her. “Come into my office,” he said after a moment. She glanced at Rea, but the woman just shrugged her shoulders and busied herself at her ancient computer. Kristen turned and followed Trent into the smaller office down the hallway. When she walked in, Trent was sitting behind the desk. He motioned for her to sit in the only other chair in the tiny room. “Listen, I don’t know . . .” She stopped when Trent held up his hand. He leaned back in the chair and just looked at her, then a slow smile crossed his face. “So, when did it happen?” “What?” Her eyes narrowed at the man. He was so much like Tyler, yet so different. Trent’s eyes held more humor behind them. Almost like he had a private joke that he was constantly telling himself. “Come on, I know my brother better than anyone else. Only a few things can make him act like that, and I don’t think you’ve pulled any major pranks on him to piss him off.” “Pranks?” She leaned forward. “Like what?” Her curiosity spiked. Trent laughed and crossed his arms over his chest again. “Oh, there was the time that Trey filled his shoes with pudding or the time that Trey and I

spent the whole night sewing up the hems of all of his jeans two inches to make him believe he’d grown overnight. Or the time we superglued his butt to the . . .” He shook his head and chuckled. “You’ll have to ask him about the superglue.” He shrugged. “Just to list a few.” She couldn’t help smiling back at him. “You guys are terrible.” “Tell me about it. Don’t think that Tyler didn’t pay us back.” He laughed. “He’s worse than us, and if I remember correctly, he started it all.” She laughed. Really laughed, even though she was still hurt inside. Just then Trent’s office door swung open and Tyler walked in. The frown on his face had increased by double. “What’s going on?” he said, his eyes going between them. “Just catching Kristen here up on some family issues,” Trent said with a smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be making a delivery?” Tyler said. “Not until . . .” But the look on Tyler’s face stopped Trent from finishing. “I’m heading out now.” He got up, but before leaving, he leveled a mock-serious gaze at Kristen. “We’re not done with this.” She nodded, swallowing her laughter. “Done with what?” Tyler said once his brother

was gone. “I think your brother was trying to question me on what had gotten you in your sour mood.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m not in a sour mood,” he said, then turned and left the room. She followed him down the narrow hallway, but he stopped abruptly and she bumped into his solid back. He turned around, his hands going to her shoulders as his eyes searched hers. “Sorry . . .” He shook his head. “Why did you avoid me?” “I didn’t,” she lied. His eyebrows rose slightly. “I called.” She took a step back. “Sure you did. But you also knew where I was staying and not once did I hear a knock on my door.” “I thought . . .” He stopped when he heard Rea answer a call behind him. Shaking his head, he dropped his hands and continued to his office. She followed him more slowly. When she shut the door behind her, he turned back toward her. “I thought you would need some space.” “Yet you’re mad at me for not answering your calls?” she said, raising her chin slightly. He sighed and leaned against his desk. “Yeah, I guess my reasoning was a little . . . flawed.” “You think?” she said, smiling. She’d gotten the upper hand and wasn’t going to let that go for the

moment. When he didn’t respond, she stepped forward. “What’s this about protesters?” He sighed. “A group of activists have made camp just north of town in the state park. Most of the time, protesters are peaceful,” he added. “What, exactly, are they protesting?” She wondered what had brought them to the area, and whether it might have an impact on JB’s interest in Tyler’s company. He shrugged before answering. “Usually, they protest either oil fields, the pipelines, or just the use of the land in general.” She walked over and sat down in front of him. “Are you worried?” “We’ve had them before.” He sighed and looked a little sad. “I won’t know anything more until I go out and talk to them.” “You?” She sat up. “You’re going to talk to them?” “Sure,” he walked over and sat behind his desk. “My father used to settle things one-on-one.” His eyes turned sad and she could tell he was lost in memories. “I remember this one time he brought me out with him. That group had done some minor damage to some of our equipment. He didn’t go out to confront them, he just wanted to talk, to hear them out. He took them all hot food and cold beers. Then, the next day, everyone packed up and left.” “He must have made an impression,” she said.

“I would’ve liked to have met him.” Tyler looked up at her. “He would have welcomed you with open arms.” He laughed. “Would’ve had you eating out of his hands too. My father was a smooth talker.” “And you aren’t?” she said, remembering how he’d made her melt with his words before his lips met hers. His eyes moved back to hers and cleared. “I didn’t kiss you to win you over.” “No.” It came out as a whisper. “I didn’t think you had.” “Good. At least we’re clear on that point.” “I’d like to go with you.” She wanted to see how he would handle the situation, and she was curious how news of the protests might affect her boss—he’d be expecting an update soon on her progress. He shrugged, then turned back to his computer. “I’ll leave in an hour.” She made her way back out to Rea. The woman smiled as she shut Tyler’s door. “Are you okay?” Kristen asked. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry about . . .” “Don’t.” Kristen sat in front of the woman. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. Tyler filled me in for the most part.” “Brian has just lost his way. I should have given him more attention.”

“From what Tyler says, there wasn’t really anything anyone could have done.” Rea sighed and closed her eyes. “No, there wasn’t. He was a bad seed just like his father.” “How did he die?” Kristen finally asked after a moment. “He killed himself,” Rea said and Kristen could see the pain behind her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She felt bad for asking. “Don’t be. He wasn’t any good. He put me in the hospital a few times. The McGowans were always there for me.” She wiped a tear from her face. “They helped me through the tough times. Helped me back on my feet after everything.” Her eyes met Kristen’s. “I know you’re here to try and get them to sell out, but believe me when I say that this”—she glanced around—“is so much more than a business, it’s a family. Go with Trent one day to the fields. Talk to the men who’ve worked here for years. McGowan Enterprises is more than just numbers in a spreadsheet. It’s the livelihood of so many people in this town.” Kristen thought about it while she waited for Tyler to come out and get her. When he finally did, he looked determined. Without saying a word, she pulled on her coat and followed him outside. “When we get there, I do the talking,” he said, helping her up into the truck. She’d grown accustomed to riding in it and had worn her slacks

today just in case. “Sure, no problem,” she said. They drove in silence through town and when they reached the outskirts, he turned off the main road. When they pulled into the parking area of the state park, Kristen was shocked to see how many protesters there were. It appeared that everyone was trying to get organized at the moment. They were busy setting up tables and booths while others continued to build or pitch their own shelters and tents. “There must be close to a hundred.” “You’d be surprised at how many people will show up for free food,” Tyler said under his breath. She stopped him from getting out of the truck by putting her hand on his arm. “My cousin has been involved in a few protests.” He shifted toward her, interested. “My aunt may be crazy, but her son is very sane.” “And?” He waited. “Zack loves all things Earth, people, animals, and health. He’s an advocate for fairness. He doesn’t do it for the free food. These people deserve to be heard and respected. No matter what.” Tyler took a deep breath, then nodded. “You’re right. My father always treated them with kindness. He said it was one of the main reasons we never

had any major issues with them.” She smiled. “He sounds like he was a really intelligent man.” “I’m finding it very difficult to live in his shadow.”

Tyler stood in the cold and talked to a group of people he’d been told were the organizers of the protest. There were three of them. One man by the name of Beau and two women, Joy and Addy. Addy seemed to know Tyler, which threw him off. He didn’t remember her until she told him that she’d grown up in Haven and gone to school with his brother Trent. Tyler apologized to the pretty brunette, embarrassed, but she just laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t his type,” she said, looking down at her hands. Tyler found that hard to believe, since the woman was a knockout. It appeared the protesters were there for one reason. They’d gotten wind that NewField, a subsidiary of DW Petroleum Industries, was going to be buying McGowan Enterprises. Once the sale went through, they’d begin fracking in the area, on his current clients’ private land and without their permission.

He spent almost an hour assuring the group that his family was not selling his company and even if they did, it would void any contracts currently between McGowan Enterprises and the landowners. Not to mention that the fracking they were afraid of was expressly against all contracts he had with NewField. He couldn’t count how many times he reiterated that they were not selling McGowan Enterprises and that they would never frack for oil, but the protesters were still adamant about sticking around. By the time he and Kristen drove away, his head was splitting and his voice was a little hoarse. It made him wonder what exactly NewField and DW Petroleum had to do with the flood of buyout offers just after his father’s death. Were they somehow behind this new offer from JB? He knew that NewField was currently fracking to get to oil in other locations, but never on private land, and never on land McGowan serviced and had contracts with. His father had been anti-fracking, and so he and his brothers continued that sentiment. “Where do you think these rumors are coming from?” Kristen asked as they drove through town. “I don’t know,” he said, but something in the bottom of his gut twitched. After a few minutes of silence, he pulled into the diner. “Hungry?”

“Starved,” she answered. When he walked in, instead of heading back toward an empty booth, he walked over to the bar area where Dennis Rodgers and two of his cronies sat eating burgers. Tyler knew he’d find the man—a project manager for NewField—at his regular spot. At least he could be relied on for that much. “You hear about the protesters?” he asked, without saying hello. Tyler didn’t like Dennis, despite the fact that he’d known the guy his entire life. Dennis was his father’s age, and a million times more ruthless than anyone he’d ever met. The man went through workers like Tic Tacs. Actually, back in the day, Dennis had worked for Tyler’s father, back when he’d gotten the business started. But a few months before McGowan Enterprises really took off, Dennis took a job with NewField. Dennis glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “They’ll be gone before the next cold breeze.” “They tell me there are rumors that we’re gonna sell, and that NewField plans to expand their fracking to this area. Where would they hear such a thing?” Tyler said, planting his feet firmly, showing the man he wasn’t going to be brushed off. Dennis set his burger down and swiveled toward him. He could see the instant fire behind the man’s eyes until those eyes landed on Kristen, who stood to his right.

“Well, well, you must be the lucky lady JB sent?” It was more of a statement than a question, but Kristen’s chin fell slightly in agreement. “I’m Kristen Howell.” She moved closer to Tyler’s shoulder but didn’t hold out her hand for the man. “You work for NewField?” Tyler watched the man’s eyes roam over her, then return to lock with hers. “Yes, I’m the project manager for NewField. We lay and service the pipelines, do our own digging where necessary. Tyler here may negotiate the local land deals, dig in these parts, but I’m the go-between with him and the bigwigs at DW Petroleum, the guys that buy all the crude oil and refine it.” “Which is why I assured the protesters that McGowan is not selling to NewField and that there was no way NewField was going to start fracking around here. Since as you’ve said yourself, I’m in charge of digging in these parts,” Tyler pointed out. Dennis turned back toward him. “We do have a few places we do our own digging.” “Yes, but those are all on land DW Petroleum owns,” Tyler responded. “And they’re about a hundred miles from Haven.” He widened his stance slightly. “It might go a long way if you’d stop by and tell the protesters NewField has no intention of breaking a contract.” Dennis’s eyes narrowed. “I see no reason to

waste my time.” He turned back around, but paused and smiled up at Kristen. “It was sure nice meeting you. If you need anything while you’re in town, look me up.” Tyler took Kristen’s arm and walked her toward the back booth. When he sat down, his sour mood and headache had tripled. Dennis hadn’t exactly confirmed or denied anything. The man was as slippery as a snake. Which meant Tyler was going to spend the rest of the day bringing his brothers up to speed so there could be three sets of eyes and ears watching the protesters and Dennis Rodgers.

CHAPTER EIGHT Kristen spent the rest of the day going through McGowan’s books. Trent and Trey showed up shortly after they returned from lunch. She could hear them all arguing in Tyler’s office. Rea only chuckled every now and then when a choice curse word was loud enough for them to hear. At one point, Kristen had gotten up to go intervene, but Rea had stopped her. “Honey, it’s what brothers do. Maybe if Brian had a brother, he would have turned out better.” Sadness crossed the older woman’s eyes. Then she shocked Kristen by looking up into her eyes. “When you have kids, don’t stop at one.” “Kids?” She took a step back. “I’m not having kids.” “Ever?” Rea smiled and shook her head. “Honey, you’re too young to write off having a family.” She turned back toward the computer screen, dismissing the conversation. Rea’s casual comments shook Kristen to the core. As the afternoon hours ticked by, she

struggled to focus on the numbers in front of her. All she could think about was what she wanted for her future. Living in the city, one thing had been extremely clear: she was never going to have kids. It wasn’t as if the schools weren’t good in New York. But when you factored in the high cost of living in a place big enough for kids, then added private schools, cars, and so on, she had never believed she could afford to want anything other than a cozy relationship with a man she loved and respected. But, out here in the wide-open space, that probably seemed ridiculous. Here, people could easily afford to have half a dozen kids. Something she’d dreamed about when she’d been younger, an only child. A large family. When the numbers and letters started to blur on the screen, she shut the computer down and decided to call it an early day. She wasn’t getting anywhere trying to determine from the back end why her boss was so set on this business deal. When she walked out, both Trey and Trent were still in Tyler’s office. The room had grown quiet, and she was dying to find out what they were discussing. Her cell phone rang when she climbed into the car. Turning the key, she cranked the heater to full blast and answered the call from her boss. “I thought I’d check in and see how things are

going.” “They aren’t.” She sighed and leaned back, tucking her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she rubbed her hands together, waiting for the windshield to defrost. “What do you mean? Have they looked over the proposal?” “Not that I’m aware of.” She glanced up as she watched Trey walk out of the trailer. “What do you mean?” Her boss’s voice raised slightly. “You’ve given it to them, correct?” “Of course I have.” She smiled at Trey as he climbed behind the wheel of his own massive truck. “Well, do they have any questions?” “Loads of them, starting with the same one I asked you a few days ago. What are JB’s plans with McGowan Enterprises?” “I’ve told you, we currently don’t have—” “Mr. Burnett, it’s the only question they have. The business is their father’s legacy. They won’t sell unless they’re certain of what a sale means for the company’s future. As soon as you answer their question, I’m sure we’ll have our answer.” He was silent for a few seconds. She’d never interrupted her boss or spoken so frankly before. Always careful not to be labeled as shrill, Kristen had never rocked the boat. Thoughts of getting fired while she was halfway across the United States crossed her mind. Until he

finally sighed. “I’ll get back to you. Until I do, I expect you to do everything in your power to make the McGowan brothers believe selling is in their best interest.” She rubbed her fingers over her forehead and nodded. “Fine.” She sighed. “Is there anything else?” “No. For now, stay put, and stay charming.” He hung up the phone and her eyes narrowed. “Stay charming?” The statement ran through her mind as she drove back to her hotel room. Her stomach had been growling when she’d gotten into the car, but by the time she shut herself in her hotel room and away from the cold, food was the farthest from her mind. “Stay charming?” The more she thought about it, the more she was sure he was playing a dangerously sexist game. What did that mean? Surely he wasn’t trying to hint that she’d been shipped off to the frozen wasteland just because she was charming. Or that her job was to get the McGowan men to sell out because she was . . . what? Pretty? Charming? Sure, smoothing things over with clients was a major part of her job. She’d even learned how to work her charms to the company’s benefit. But, for some reason, hearing it from him made her feel . . . dirty. Her mind flashed on an image of Darla walking

around with more than half of her skin exposed for everyone to see. The comparison had her stomach turning. Kristen’s skin started to crawl as she wondered if her job was somehow akin to the women working down at the Wet Spot. Peeling off her clothes, she stepped into the hot shower as her mind played over the last few years she’d worked for JB. It was like the crisp mountain air of Montana combined with Mr. Burnett’s careless words had removed blinders she’d been wearing. Instance after instance suddenly became clear to her. All the times she’d been expected to dine out with potential clients in lieu of holding normal business meetings in a conference room. All the deals she’d been involved with in a junior capacity —the men handling the nitty-gritty negotiations, and her just smiling along. She’d been flirted with more times than she cared to count, and a couple of times, a client’s hand had rested on her leg for too long. She’d brushed it off as harmless, stayed silent for fear of repercussions. Anything to climb the corporate ladder. After all, her eyes had been solidly fixed on her own goals. Closing her eyes now, she let the water run over her and realized tears were sliding down her cheeks. Turning off the water, she wrapped a towel

around her and looked at her reflection in the foggy mirror. Her skin was red from the hot water and tears, causing her eyes to appear greener than ever. Even with the extra hue, she could see the sadness behind the color. This wasn’t what she had planned. Was it? How had she allowed her life to take such a dramatic turn? And for what? The latest styles, expensive shoes, and handbags? She walked into the next room and glared at the clothes hanging up neatly in the closet. Mulberry silk scarfs, charmeuse silk shirts, cashmere sweaters that wouldn’t warm her for more than a second in the frigid wind. Her red-soled heels sat on the top rack in the closet, all lined up and looking so very pretty. Why had she brought six pairs of worthless shoes to this snowy hellhole? None of which she would even think about wearing on one of the sunniest days in Haven. She knew she had a dozen more of them in her massive closet back in the city. And not just shoes. Clothes, bags, and furniture. She’d spent thousands and thousands of dollars to fill a void. Slamming the closet door, she walked over and pulled out a pair of yoga pants she’d paid almost a hundred dollars for. Throwing on the matching top, she pulled on a thick pair of socks she’d bought at Granger’s and sighed with the warmth.

She moved to the small kitchen area and made herself a cup of the hot cocoa the hotel supplied for all its guests. Blowing the steam from it, she walked over to the large window and watched the fresh snow fall. Even here, in the smallest and oldest hotel she’d ever seen, watching the snow swirl and drift over the tiny parking lot was so peaceful, she felt herself settle. She stood there, looking out at the fluffy white flakes dance until the sky darkened. Every choice she’d made to get to this moment ran through her mind, from grade school fights to the negotiations of the present day. By the time darkness flooded the room, she’d made a decision. Pulling on her new sturdy boots, she grabbed her jacket and walked out the hotel door.

Tyler climbed the stairs. The thumping bass notes from the Spot were something he’d learned to ignore, but even after almost four months, he still found himself cringing when someone let out a barking laugh or a shout in advance of a fight breaking out. He’d wasted so much of his youth in places like this. At this point in his life, he was having a hard time just sitting in there, eating a steak. His taste for women had changed drastically

since Kristen had stepped off that plane. He stopped at the top of the first landing and froze as he calculated. If she was only here for two weeks, that meant in just a few days, she’d be climbing back on the small plane and heading out of his life forever. He couldn’t stop the sudden wave of sadness that washed over him. Just one more shitty thought to add to the pile that had been his shit-filled day. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning. If he agreed to the offer from JB Holding, would she have to extend her stay? Spend a few extra days to negotiate the details? As quick as it appeared, the thought was gone. He started climbing up the stairs again. The floor was sticky and the stairwell was too dark. Making him realize he didn’t want to be in this hellhole for much longer. He added finding a new place to live to his long mental to-do list before his mind drifted again to the shitty day he’d had. The protesters’ numbers were growing and so was their voice. They had gained the attention of several local networks and were on every channel talking about the horrors of the industry. They talked as if everything that could go wrong was already happening in Haven. When the truth was, since his father had started McGowan Enterprises, they had never experienced any leaks, spills, or

explosions. The safety and security of the land surrounding Haven had been his father’s number-one priority, and Tyler would see to it that it remained the company’s number-one priority to uphold his legacy. So Tyler had put his brother Trent in charge of communicating with the leaders of the protesting group, getting them the company’s statistics. Trent had argued about being put in the position, but Tyler had gently pointed out that he was already in charge of land development and protection. A job Trent was well suited for, since he knew all about the upcoming jobs and the effects on the environment. Trey had taken more of an HR role and oversaw most of the work in the field. All three of them had finally settled into positions they were best suited for. He paused at the top of the landing and his mind went completely blank when he saw the dark figure just outside his door. “What are you doing here?” He marched toward Kristen, then stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed how she was dressed. Tight black yoga pants stretched over those long beautiful legs and the sexy bend of her hips. His mouth went dry as his eyes traveled over the perfect curves. Her light jacket was just as tight as the pants and, even in the dark light, he could tell

there wasn’t much of anything underneath it. Her hair fell around her face, still dripping wet from either the snow or a shower. When his eyes met hers, he realized she had washed her face clean of any products. His heart stopped at her beauty. “I . . .” She crossed her arms over her chest in a nervous move. He watched as the motion pushed her perfect breasts closer together. He forced his eyes upward until they met hers. “I . . . can we talk inside?” She nodded toward the last door in the hallway. Suddenly, a loud laugh from downstairs reached his ears. Moving quickly, he walked to his door, next to the one she’d been standing outside of, and opened it. Holding it wide, he waited until she walked past him before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He meant for it to clear his head, but instead, he got a whiff of her shampoo and felt his groin instantly respond. Damn, he thought. What he needed was to march her back downstairs . . . that thought stopped him. No, what he needed to do was take her back to her hotel. Hell, what needed to be done was to get her as far away from Haven as possible. Even like she was now, barefaced and in workout clothes, she was too good for this place. Shutting the door behind him, he tossed his heavy coat on a chair. She’d walked over to the

window and was looking out at the dark street. “You’re right, you can’t really hear much from up here.” She turned to him and smiled. “What do you want?” It came out as a grunt and he saw her smile falter. Good, push her away. That’s what he needed. To get her out of here quickly. Resist temptation and deny distractions. Suddenly the one-room apartment seemed the size of a shoe box. He walked over and tossed his keys in the bowl he kept on the bar that separated the small kitchen from the rest of the room that served as his bedroom and living room. The bathroom was the size of his old closet he’d had growing up. The one that was currently stuffed with his parents’ Christmas decorations. Why the hell hadn’t he looked for a better place sooner? “I was thinking . . .” she started as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out two beers from the fridge. “And?” He twisted the tops off and tossed them on the counter, then walked over and handed her a beer, before taking a swig himself. She took it and instead of taking a drink, just looked down at the label. “We’re different,” she followed up. Her green eyes slowly moved up to meet his own. “Yeah,” he almost laughed. “I mean . . .” She walked over and set the beer

down on his end table, untouched. Again, she crossed her arms over her chest and he watched those beautiful breasts of hers being pushed together. Taking another deep drink of the cold beer, he gritted his back teeth and tried to get his libido in check. “You’re meant for the country.” He nodded, waiting as she took her time talking. “I’ve always lived in the city. I mean—” Her shoulders moved up and down as she uncrossed her arms and walked back toward the window again. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in a place like Haven.” “You’re too good for this place.” He hadn’t realized he’d talked until she turned around. The anger he saw behind her eyes was a bonus. He moved over and set his beer next to her untouched one. He stopped a foot in front of her. His eyes narrowed as he once more looked at her completely. “What? Does that make you angry? Someone telling you the truth? You are too good for a place like this. You belong in the city, in a million-dollar palace. With people waiting on your beck and call. Dressed in the finest silks.” His finger brushed down the shoulder of her jacket. He watched as her breath hitched. Enjoying the soft material, he continued to run his fingertip over it until he brushed the zipper holding the material

over her breasts. “You deserve to be pampered. Worshipped.” The last came out as a whisper. “I don’t want to be pampered.” She pushed his hand away. “I’m not some princess to be . . .” “You are.” He took a step closer, blocking her from any escape. “You deserve to be worshipped,” he repeated and moved his hand to her chin, holding her face there until her eyes met his. “The last place you should be is two floors above a strip club, in a run-down one-bedroom apartment with a man that’s just as bad as the carpet on the floor.” “Don’t talk about yourself like that.” Her hand moved to cover his. He laughed and dropped his hand, then turned away, grabbed her beer and swallowed half of it. The drink did nothing to the fire building inside him. Still, his body and mind burned for her. “Tyler.” Her hand rested on his shoulder until he moved closer to her. “I came here tonight to be with you. Because I want you.” Her hand cupped his face as those green eyes turned the shade of clear emeralds. “I want you, and I know that you want me in return.” “This is a terrible idea,” he said, shaking his head. She smiled. “Still.” He watched as she licked her bottom lip slowly. “It’s an idea.”

CHAPTER NINE Kristen held her breath as she watched Tyler’s brown eyes register her words. Her entire body was on fire for him. Could he feel the heat that was coming from her? She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pushed to the toes of her boots and placed her lips softly over his. She felt the moment he allowed himself to relax into the kiss. Into her. His hands circled around to her hips, pulling her closer until she felt him pressed against her stomach. Her desires tripled instantly and she felt her knees turn to jelly as his hands fisted in her clothes. In one swift move, she was pinned against the wall. “You’re playing with fire,” he warned, holding her still as his eyes ran over her. When they settled on the spot of skin, just above where the zipper of her jacket stopped, she knew he’d decided like she had. “Maybe, but I think I can handle it,” she said, pushing her hands into his hair and pulling him back to her lips.

His hand moved her leg up, until she felt him, hard, against her core. The moan that escaped her lips ended on a gasp as his mouth roamed lower, down her neck, to the spot he’d been focused on. His free hand slowly tugged the zipper, then edged it off her shoulders until her jacket fell to the floor. His fingertips ran over the soft material of her shirt. “Did you know that it’s see-through?” he asked, his voice low. “Hmm?” She’d closed her eyes and had rolled her head back in pleasure. “This shirt. The material is so light.” She felt his fingers run over the soft fabric. Tracing her underneath. “I can see everything.” “Tyler.” It came out as a plea. “Makes me wonder . . . what will happen if I . . .” Her eyes opened when his hot mouth covered one of her erect nipples through the cotton, soaking it with his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair and pulled him closer as her back arched, so she could get closer to him. He repeated the process again with her other nipple, then he raised her arms up over her head and she held them there while he skimmed her thin shirt up and over her head. She stood, somehow both frozen and on fire, fully exposed to his view.

He held still, his eyes roaming over her and she could see and feel his desire growing. When he touched her bare skin, she lost control. Her body moved on its own. Suddenly, her hands were pulling and tugging his shirt over his head. He was more impressive than she’d imagined. His arms and chest were lean, toned, and covered with rippling muscles her fingers itched to feel. When her hands grazed over him, he moaned. She watched his eyes close as his head tipped back. She continued her exploration until she came to the top of his worn jeans. Then his eyes opened and his hand covered hers to stop her movement. “Soon,” he said. For a moment, she believed it was more of a warning than a promise. When she smiled, he circled both of her wrists and tugged until they were again above her head, held against the wall by one of his strong hands. Then it was his turn to explore, his fingertips light, trailing goosebumps in their wake. When he raised his mouth to hers and held her against his chest, she felt her knees give out as their skin touched. In one quick move, he swept her up and laid her gently on the soft bed. When his body covered hers, his mouth returned to hers in a passionate kiss that had her entire body vibrating.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said between kisses. “You deserve . . .” “You,” she broke in. Her fingers tangled in his thick hair. He pulled back, his dark eyes searching hers. “I deserve you. I want you.” She tried to tug him back down, but he stopped and just looked down at her for an intense moment. When he moved to kiss her again, she heard the theme from Star Wars and watched Tyler’s eyes roll in frustration. “My brother’s ring.” He shook his head, ignoring the phone. This next kiss was lighter, more controlled. Less than a minute later, his phone started to ring all over again. His mouth stilled and he growled, then pushed up and away from her. “They never call twice unless . . .” He found his phone in the pocket of his jacket and she watched him answer with frustration. “What?” She saw his body stiffen. “How bad?” he asked, his eyes going to hers. “I’ll be there.” He ended the call. “Someone broke into the trailer. I have to—” “Go,” she finished for him. “Of course. I’ll come with you,” she said. He shook his head and frowned at her as she hunted the floor for her shirt. “No, you’re not dressed warm enough. I’ll drop you off at the hotel. Besides, Trent says it’s not too bad. We can handle it. You should get some sleep.”

She pulled on her shirt and the coldness of the night finally hit her. Suddenly she felt too weary and too cold. “I can drive myself—” “I’ll take you back,” he broke in, then tugged on his shirt and coat. He walked over, picked up her jacket and held it up for her. “You shouldn’t leave the house in a place like this dressed like that. You’d freeze if your car ever broke down somewhere.” She kept silent as they walked back down the stairs together. When they reached the door to the outside and stepped out into the frigid air, she shivered and realized how stupid it had been to leave the hotel dressed in such thin layers. “Well, well, no wonder you aren’t interested.” Darla’s voice came from behind them. Kristen turned around to see the woman leaning against the brick wall, cigarette dangling from her mouth. “Why pay for the local stock when you’re given an exotic porcelain doll for free?” The woman stood up straight. “And to think, all just to convince you to sell out.” The woman laughed as she flipped her cigarette toward them. Then turned and walked into the Wet Spot without another word. They drove back to her hotel in silence, and when he parked the truck in front of her hotel door, she felt all the nerves returning to her stomach. “Tyler, I hope you don’t think . . .” she started.

“I don’t.” He turned slightly to her. “Go inside, you’re cold.” The fact that he didn’t help her down from the truck gave her a moment’s pause. She rushed inside and shut the door without a backward glance, then leaned against the closed door until her heart returned to normal.

Darla’s words wouldn’t get out of his head the entire drive out to the site. He knew better than to let the woman’s scorn affect him, but for some reason, what she’d said made sense. He saw the flashing lights and sighed as he pulled into the wet parking lot. “Hey, Tony.” He got out of the truck and walked over to the group of officers, standing around in a small circle. “Hey, Tyler. Hate to call you back here,” Tony said. “We noticed the door was kicked in during a drive-by.” “It’s okay. What’s missing?” “Trent and Trey are inside checking.” Tony nodded toward the trailer. The front door hung open on one hinge. “I’ll go help them.” “Let us know if you find anything. We’ll have the paperwork ready for you.” “Will do.” He started to head toward the trailer

but stopped. “Any movement at the camp?” All four of the officers shook their heads. “Not that we know of. We were just talking about who’s going to go check with the protesters and see what’s what.” “I drew the short straw,” Tom rolled his eyes. “Keep me up-to-date,” Tyler said. “Will do.” He turned back to the trailer. When he walked by the door, he realized how paper-thin the front door was. It appeared to be made from plywood. It probably only took one good kick to break in. “Hey.” He found both of his brothers hard at work looking through the files and drawers. “Found anything?” “It appears the alarm spooked them before they could get anything important,” Trey chimed in. He was sitting at Rea’s desk, testing her drawers. “They’re still locked.” He watched as his brother’s eyes flew to his closed office door. “What about in there?” He nodded to his door. “You don’t want to go in there,” his brothers said in unison as he swung open the door. He could tell instantly that someone had been in there. Even with the lights off. “What the hell?” Tyler said as he flipped on the lights. “We tried to warn you,” Trey added. “Damn it! Better go get Tony.” He sighed and

wondered if the night could get any worse.

The sun was just peeking out from above the hills when he finally drove back to his place. As he climbed the stairs, the music from the Spot was still pumping strong. He hated his place and, for the first time since returning to Haven, he thought about heading to his mother’s place instead. But he was too tired to face the hassle of packing enough to get him by. After a tepid shower, he dragged on a fresh pair of jeans and shirt, then pulled on his boots and waited while the coffee machine poured out his extra-strong brew. He thought about a few hours of sleep but knew that if he went horizontal, he’d stay there for too long. He had meetings today: first a drive out to the Meier ranch to discuss setting up a site on their outer acres. Then he had a meeting scheduled with the heads of the protesters. After they had been visited by the police last night, he’d immediately received a call for a meeting today. He could just imagine how it was going to go. The McGowan brothers had managed to clean up most of the mess in his office last night. Mud and cans of motor oil had been spilled all over the carpet, which meant that he and his brothers had spent the frozen night yanking out the commercial-

grade carpet and tossing it in the dumpster. Now his office floor sat bare and ugly. He’d have to get Rea on the task of ordering and arranging for new carpet. Maybe he’d go with hardwood instead? He parked beside his brother’s truck and his mind cleared as he watched Kristen walk out of the new door he’d hung less than two hours ago. She stood by the door, her arms covering her light silk shirt, which he noted was entirely too thin for her to be standing outside in. He shook off the memory of the night before and her thin yoga top. Taking his thermos with him, he made his way up the stairs and stomped his boots off, ignoring her until she blocked the doorway. “How did it go last night?” she asked, biting her bottom lip. He could see the worry in her eyes, but instead of memories of the break-in, the thought of her wrapped around him surfaced. He shook his head clear and tried to step past her. “Fine,” he replied quickly. “We need to talk.” “Later. I have about an hour of work before I’m due out at the Meiers’ place.” He reached past her and opened the door, enjoying the weight of the metal door. “Then I’ll come with you,” she said, moving aside. That stopped him. His hand stilled as the door

was half-opened. “Why?” “Because, like I said, we need to talk.” She pushed the door the rest of the way and walked in. Seeing his brothers and Rea in the main part of the trailer, he decided not to start an argument with Kristen in front of them. Without another word to her, he made his way back to his office and cringed at the bareness of the room. He supposed that the old brown carpet had been ugly, but it was a great deal better looking than plywood with glue spots and tack boards all over the place. Sitting down behind his desk, he punched his computer on and tried to get as much done as he could before his meetings.

When his door opened and Kristen walked in, he shut his computer down and led her outside. “Where is the Meiers’ place?” she asked after he helped her into the truck. “West of town about fifteen miles,” he answered. “What’s out that far?” she asked, watching the scenery fly by them. “Oil,” he answered. “Tyler.” She turned slightly toward him. “About last night . . .” He waited. He’d thought about how

to handle the conversation. How to handle her, and had made up his mind. She had a few more days in town. Since he knew she wasn’t going to get him to sign over his company, he doubted that JB would keep her there much longer. Which meant four more days and she’d be out of his life forever. He’d controlled himself for half a year, what was a few more days? Besides, Darla’s words were messing with his head. “I didn’t come over to your place because of this.” She waved her hand at the hood of his truck. “Because of my truck?” He chose to be difficult on purpose. Build a wedge, his mind kept telling him. Take a step back. Let her go. “No, because of work. It had nothing to do with JB or McGowan Enterprises.” “I never thought it did,” he said as his knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. “Then why do I get the impression that you’re angry with me?” “Not you.” His hands relaxed slightly. “Then who?” “Myself. For allowing it to go as far as it did.” “Tyler, we’re two adults, attracted to one another. Why would it be a problem?” “You’re here to do a job, isn’t that reason enough?” She just looked at him and he knew it was a cop-out answer.

“Just forget it.” He glanced over at her. “It won’t—” He shook his head. “It can’t happen again.” “Why?” “Because I said so,” he replied sharply. “I’ve too much riding on this. I can’t afford to be distracted. Not now.” “Is that what you think I am?” Her arms crossed over her chest and for a split second, he remembered seeing her perfect bare breasts last night. Then he shook his head clear. “There are a lot of ways I think of you.” He turned off the main highway and started heading west. “But for now, I can’t indulge in the distractions.” The rest of the trip out to the Meier ranch, they rode in silence. He could tell she was upset but pushed that thought aside. Kristen stood back and watched as he met with the Meiers. Robyn and John were an older couple who had lived on the ranch since John’s grandfather passed away almost ten years ago. They’d moved from the city and had become part of Haven’s community. Even though they lived so far out of town, most people thought of them as family. The ranch had almost two hundred acres. None of which had ever been explored for oil until Robyn found out that there was a possibility of it hiding

there. “I’ll have our Wildcat come out and take a look around. Jim is our petroleum geologist, he’ll come out and scout around and see what the possibilities are.” “What happens to the land?” John asked. They were standing on a large back porch, overlooking a massive field with a view that most people in the city would pay big bucks just to spend a night looking at. “Well, for starters, if you don’t want any of this to be disturbed”—he motioned to the field —“you’ve plenty of other places Jim can look at.” He watched John relax slightly. “It’s hard to think about losing something that makes you happy.” The man sighed. Tyler turned just in time to see an eagle fly across the sky. Suddenly, his heart yearned for just that. A place to make him happy. He hadn’t thought about owning a house. Renting one in town, maybe, but not purchasing a place of his own. And, for that matter, nothing outside of the town’s limits. But suddenly it was the only thing he could think of. “Why don’t we go in? I’ll show you a map of the area I was thinking of, and you can tell me what it is you do and what we should expect in the process.” John opened the back sliding door and they walked in.

Kristen and Robyn were sitting at the kitchen table, each with a mug of hot liquid cupped in their hands. Both women were smiling and looked up at them when they walked in. “You have a beautiful place here,” Kristen said. “I thought I would die, moving out someplace so far away from the city,” Robyn said. “I’d never lived in the country before.” “Do you like it?” “It took me a few months to get used to it, but now . . .” The woman sighed as her husband walked over and laid his hands on her shoulders. “I can’t imagine being happy anywhere else.”

CHAPTER TEN The house was as impressive as the home Tyler had grown up in. He knew that the place had been built by John’s father and grandfather, much like his own home had been built by his family. Kristen sat back quietly while Tyler talked to the Meiers about the process of hunting for oil, how they would drill then pump the oil, and once the well dried up, cap it all off. He went into great detail on how they would leave the land better than they had found it. “Of course, my brother Trent is in charge of what happens after. I can set up a meeting if you’d like?” “That would be fine. Maybe we can pick a sunny day when we can walk the land.” “I hear the cold is supposed to let up in a few weeks,” Tyler replied. “I’ll have him call you and arrange it.” He stood with John. “So, do we have a deal?” John glanced over at his wife. When Robyn nodded and smiled, Tyler reached out and shook the man’s hand.

As they drove back into town, Kristen sat silently looking out the window. “Have you heard back from your boss?” Tyler asked, breaking the silence. “No, nothing new.” He heard the worry in her voice. “Have you found anything in our books that would give a clue as to what JB Holding’s plans are?” “Nothing. I haven’t found anything much out of order in your books, other than a few unpaid invoices.” “Unpaid? By McGowan?” he asked, glancing her way. “No, invoices sent to NewField and DW Petroleum,” she answered. “How many?” “Half a dozen. Totaling several tens of thousands.” “Why hasn’t Rea talked to me about this?” Worry flashed in his mind. Was the dependable assistant starting to slip? “I asked her. She said she usually waits four months before telling you.” “How long has it been?” “Four and a half,” she answered, then he watched her bite her bottom lip. “Okay, sounds like I’ll need to have a chat with Rea when I get back.” He wondered why she

hadn’t told him sooner. “She was going to tell you, then I arrived in town, and her son showed up, and then the breakin. With all the excitement, she probably forgot. Don’t hold it against her.” “I would never.” He sighed and wondered if he had come off as a tyrant. It was strange to have her defend Rea, his employee. Of course, most people ended up loving Rea. Even if they didn’t work with her. “I didn’t think you would,” she said under her breath. “Then why say anything?” he asked. “Because, up until this morning, I was pretty sure I had you pegged.” He laughed. “You haven’t been around me long enough to scratch the surface. What makes you think you could have me pegged so quickly?” He pulled into the parking lot of the Dancing Moose diner and shut off the truck. Then he turned to her, pinning her with his gaze, waiting for her to speak, but she remained silent. “Do you know why it’s called the Dancing Moose?” he asked, breaking her out of the trance. When she turned her eyes toward him, he gestured to the old building in front of them. “No. Why?” she finally said. “Well, back when they were still pulling gold from the hills, this used to be the only diner for

miles. One evening, during a huge snowstorm, in the middle of a large wedding feast, the front doors flew open. Everyone at the party stopped and looked toward the wide-open doors. In walks the largest moose the town had ever seen. Well, the moose, seeing the crowd of partygoers, stopped in his tracks, took one look around, then started dancing around the floor.” Her chuckle stopped his story and he smiled. “Of course, the moment the men tried to capture the moose was the moment it went mad. Knocking over tables and chairs and terrorizing the partygoers.” Her eyes turned back to the old diner. “How did they finally get the moose out?” “Well, the story goes that he quietly walked out . . . once the party was over. Of course, another story tells of how the bride grabbed a carrot and coerced the beast out into the night. Neither were ever seen again.” He smiled over at her. She laughed. It was a beautiful sound. “Shall we?” he asked, once her giggles died down. “Yes, but I’m afraid I’ll never be able to walk through the doors without seeing a moose dancing around inside.” “Good,” he said, then got out and walked around to help her down. When they walked in, he smiled as one last giggle escaped her lips.

But his laughter died in his chest before he could enjoy the feeling. Sitting across the floor at the bar was Dennis Rodgers, talking to Rea’s son, Brian. The men were hunched over as if trying to keep a secret in the crowded room. He was reminded of a time in high school when Brian had plotted with a few of his good-fornothing buddies to jump Tyler after a football game. He’d seen them huddled together at the lunchroom table and had wondered what was up. Not until that next Friday night did he figure it out, way too late. He’d ended up with a black eye, sore ribs, and more bruises than he could count. Of course, he’d gotten in a few good punches too. But shortly after that incident, he’d cornered Brian’s two buddies and from then on out, it was only Brian he had to deal with. He wondered what the man was up to this time. Turning to Kristen, he sighed. “Would you mind grabbing us a booth? I have some . . . things to deal with first.” Kristen’s eyes moved over to the two men, and he was thankful that she immediately nodded and walked toward the back of the diner. “Afternoon,” he said a little too loud, causing the men to spring apart and glare up at him. “Tyler,” both men said at the same time. After a moment, Brian jumped up. “Well, I’d best be . . .” He rushed away quickly, leaving a full

plate of unpaid-for food. “Dennis,” Tyler smirked down at the man. “What can I do for you, Tyler?” He sneered as he turned back to his food. “For starters, you can tell me what you want with Brian Laster.” “Who?” The man didn’t even blink. Instead of answering, Tyler nodded toward the door. “Job interview,” Dennis said. “Then I’ll give you a hint.” He leaned forward and squeezed the man’s shoulder tight. “Don’t hire him.” He squeezed once more, then turned and walked away. When he walked up to the booth, Kristen was on the phone, talking low. When she noticed him approaching, she excused herself and shut her phone off. “Problem?” he asked, sitting down across from her. Her eyes said it all. She was questioning something deep. “No, just . . . my boss.” “And?” He asked. “I’m no closer to understanding what they want.” “It must be frustrating.” “What?” she asked. “Not having answers . . . or a purpose.”

The rest of the spark died from her eyes. “I have a job to do.” “Yes, we all do.” He picked up his menu and glanced down at it. He knew every item on it, but spent the time silently debating his next move.

Kristen sipped her soup, but couldn’t muster the strength to enjoy a drop of the richness. Her gut twisted and turned at what her boss had told her. That call had effectively killed the last bit of laughter Tyler’s moose story had inspired in her. She’d argued that she couldn’t do her job without all the facts, but he’d simply stated that she had all the facts she needed, and if she expected to succeed at JB, she would force the McGowans to sell out. She’d thought about giving her notice, but something had caused her to hold her tongue. Maybe she was too dumbfounded to speak, especially after Mr. Burnett had yelled at her for asking too many questions and not doing her job. Her stomach rolled again and she pushed the still-full bowl away. “Is there something wrong with the soup?” Tyler asked her. Her eyes moved up to his and she shook her head slowly. “I’m just not hungry.” “Maybe you’d like some pie or cake instead?”

“No, thank you.” She glanced down at her fingers. “I think I’ll head back to the hotel and get some rest. I’m not feeling like myself.” She avoided his eyes, since looking into the dark pools were too painful. She had a feeling he could read her thoughts by just looking. Something she couldn’t afford. Not until she could make sense of everything she was thinking and feeling. “If you wish.” His voice softened. Less than half an hour later, she leaned against the closed door of her small hotel room. It was becoming more of a prison than she’d ever imagined. Opening her eyes, she scanned the room. Her laptop sat opened on the small table. Walking over, she sat staring at the screen saver for a moment. Bright images of her and her mother flashed across the screen. Then one of her mother and aunt one Christmas crossed her vision and she leaned forward. She’d been asking herself what would cause someone to want the brothers to sell out. To send her there, until she convinced them to sign. Mr. Burnett had more than tripled the first offer he’d made the brothers. Why was JB Holding so desperate to get their hands on a small oil drilling company? Maybe it wasn’t JB pulling the strings? After all, the business was worth a lot. She’d

found nothing in their financial books that even hinted at the business doing anything but growing. At least not since the brothers took over. She hadn’t thought through all the possibilities. She spent the next few hours staring at the computer screen, reading, searching for answers until her eyes burned. Then she showered, pulled out a box from the small freezer, and waited while her meal heated in the tiny microwave. She tried not to wonder what Tyler was doing. She’d been hurt by him, by his ability to shut down and shut her out. To label her a distraction. But she supposed she should be thankful that things had come to a halt before they’d gotten any further. Besides, did she really want to be with a man who could go from fun sexy-times to strictly business so easily? She flipped on the television and listened to the local news talk about the weather, the local sports team, and the protesters. She watched the pretty brunette named Addy talk to the older news anchor about the horrors of oil drilling, pipelines, and fracking. Some of the information she knew, some of it she didn’t. From the business files, she knew the McGowans’ reputation and stats. Tyler was correct, when his father first started the business, there had been an accident, but after that first loss of life, in the many years of being in business, there had only

been small incidents. Which, according to the news reports, were very rare. So, what made McGowan Enterprises so different? Was it the process Tyler’s father had perfected? Or was it the work ethics that Tyler had hinted at the first day she’d met him? Whatever the reason, she was determined to get to the bottom of what made McGowan Enterprises so special that one of the best companies would devote so much time and energy to obtaining it. The following morning, she woke with a headache and decided to walk to the grocery store to clear her mind and restock her paltry hotel pantry. She wanted to avoid the diner, so she scanned the frozen section and tossed several meals into her cart. She was turning the corner near the back when her cart bumped solidly into another cart. She was about to apologize when she looked up and met Darla’s glare. “You’re in my way, city girl,” Darla sneered. When Kristen tried to move aside, Darla pushed her cart to block the way, causing another bonerattling crash. The woman’s smile doubled as she rammed her cart once more. “What’s your problem?” Kristen sighed, knowing some bullies were more persistent than others. “You are,” Darla said in a firm voice. “You

waltz into town like you own it in your fancy clothes.” The woman’s eyes ran up and down the cream-colored stretch pants, cream laced flats, and silver silk blouse Kristen was currently wearing. Darla eyed the black studded Valentino purse sitting in her cart. “And with your fancy things, you think you can just wink your eyes and have our men running to you.” Darla walked around the carts and got close enough that Kristen could smell alcohol on her breath. “You need to leave them alone.” “Your men?” Kristen asked, tilting her head. “Tyler McGowan,” Darla hissed. “He’s mine.” “Does he know this?” Kristen held in a chuckle. Just then, a young family turned the corner and started down the aisle toward them. A little girl came skipping halfway down and started begging her mom to get her a box of cereal. Darla leaned so far into her space that Kristen held her breath to keep from inhaling the smell of cigarettes and tequila. “Like I said, stay out of my way or you’ll regret it.” With this last threat, Darla turned and pushed her cart toward the front of the store. Kristen shook the entire ordeal off and tried to finish her shopping. She was grabbing a container of orange juice when she noticed Trent walking toward her. “Doing some shopping?” he asked. “Yes, and it looks like you should have grabbed

a cart.” She nodded to the small basket he held, overflowing with items. “Yeah, that’s usually what happens. I come in for a few things, then I realize I need more than a few.” He chuckled. “What are you up to this morning?” “I’ve been doing some of my work at the hotel.” She shrugged and put the carton of juice in her cart. Before he could ask any questions she wasn’t in the mood to answer, a man’s raised voice caught their attention. They glanced up in time to see Brian grab a woman’s arm. Instantly, Kristen recognized Addy, one of the organizers of the protest. Before she could move, Trent marched toward the couple. “Is there a problem?” Trent asked loudly. Kristen watched as Brian took a slight step back and glanced around. His eyes zoned in on her, and then back to Trent. “No problem, just trying to do some shopping,” Brian said, still holding Addy’s arm. Addy jerked her arm free. “I’ll discuss this with Beau. Good-bye, Brian.” Brian’s eyes narrowed, but then he spun around and marched out of the store without buying anything. When Addy started to turn away, Trent stepped closer.

“Addy?” Trent asked. “Yes, hi, Trent.” Addy sighed and smiled at him. “I ran into Tyler the other day.” “He told me,” Trent said, then suddenly looked uncomfortable. The silence stretched between them. Kristen stood back and watched, mesmerized by the display of attraction between them. She wondered if they knew about it. “I hope Brian wasn’t bugging you,” Trent finally said. “No, I’ve known how to handle him since grade school,” she joked. Kristen watched as Trent struggled with what to say next. Walking forward, she cleared her throat. Trent jerked, then turned toward her. “Oh, have you two met? Kristen, this is Adrianna Collins.” “Addy,” the woman smiled at her and held out her hand. “We met when you came out to the park with Tyler.” “Yes, I remember. How is everyone holding up out there?” Addy’s smile doubled. “Just fine. Some of us will be moving on in a few weeks. We have a base camp set up in North Dakota, but a bunch of us came down here to . . .” Her eyes moved to Trent. “See what was what and make our voices heard.” “Is this what you do full-time?” Kristen didn’t understand how someone could travel and live like

the group did. “Yes, some of us have full-time jobs or parttime jobs. Others . . .” She glanced down at her hands and Kristen wondered if she was hiding something. “This is our job.” “You’re not worried about the weather? It must get awful cold living like that.” Addy shook her head. “No, most of us are prepared for all kinds of weather. I’ve got my own travel trailer I’ve been carting around.” The woman’s eyes quickly moved over to Trent, and then back to hers. “It’s quite comfortable.” “That’s good. I was worried about everyone during the last snow.” “When it gets too bad, those who don’t have access to heat bunk up with those who do,” Addy said. “That’s good to know.” Kristen glanced at Trent, who still looked like he wasn’t sure what to say. Kristen wanted to ask more questions but knew standing in the dairy aisle wasn’t the best place or time. “Well, I’d better get back to my shopping,” Addy added. “It was nice running into you again.” “You too,” Kristen replied. “Trent.” Addy nodded in Trent’s direction, then pushed her cart away slowly. “She’s changed,” Trent said under his breath.

“Some of us do.” Kristen sighed. “I’d better get going. Before my ice cream melts.” She nodded down to her cart. “What are you doing for dinner?” he asked suddenly. She knew that whatever he had planned would, no doubt, include his brother and she still wanted to avoid Tyler McGowan for at least another day. “I’m set. Thank you, though.” She smiled. “Have a good night.” “You too,” he said. She noticed as she walked away that his eyes had traveled back to where Addy was picking out a loaf of bread. Kristen carried the bag of groceries back to her hotel room and spent the rest of the day on her computer. As the sun dropped to the horizon, she heated up her frozen mac and cheese dinner. Then enjoyed some of the mint chocolate chip ice cream she’d purchased as she scanned through some old news articles about McGowan Enterprise. There were pictures of Tyler’s father and his brother when they were younger. She wondered what had caused Tyler’s uncle to go from the young, eager-faced man in the picture to the drunk bully she’d seen in the trailer. Yes, people did change. She came across an article about Tyler’s father, Thurston McGowan II, and his family donating Christmas presents to the local shelter. Tyler looked

around twelve, and just seeing the big smile on his face as he handed a new doll to a little girl melted her heart. Looking at the picture of the three brothers, she wondered if everyone had known they’d grow up to be heartbreakers. No matter how many days she had left in Montana, she planned on steering clear of Tyler McGowan. It had nothing to do with Darla’s warning. She just didn’t think she could stop the wanting, and he’d made it clear he didn’t want to give in to any distractions. Knowing anything that they might try to build between them would be complicated and temporary. Besides, she’d seen firsthand what long-distance relationships could do. Her mother was proof of it. Her father had been a standard military man. He’d been raised in the military and had followed suit. He’d been stationed all over the world, dragging Kristen’s mother and her along. Until the day he’d gotten a temporary position and decided not to pull Kristen out of school or to uproot his family for it. Two months later, the divorce papers came and less than a month later, he’d remarried. No, her intentions were to steer clear of Tyler McGowan until the last moment. After all, she didn’t think she’d recover from being with him. So she’d focus on work and stay in her hotel room working on a few projects and more research

she needed to tend to. But her main focus was still trying to figure out more about why JB was so interested in McGowan Enterprises. Looking at the McGowan books, she could see the initial drop shortly after the family patriarch passed away. But within the first few months of the brothers taking over, things had skyrocketed to the point that Tyler had purchased one smaller local oil field service business, and another had closed. She’d done a little digging on the closer and found out that the company had been in bad standing for a while before Tyler’s father had passed away. Still, it was likely the McGowan success that finally tipped the scales and sent the lesser company into bankruptcy.

She had successfully hidden away until she was due to leave the following afternoon and was running through what she’d say to Tyler tomorrow when her cell phone buzzed. Seeing Mr. Burnett’s office number, she sighed and answered. “Kristen, give me an update.” He had always been short and to the point when he had bad news. Instantly, her guard went up. “Nothing has changed since the last time we spoke.” She waited. “What else have you found out about the

family that we could use as leverage?” “Nothing else yet.” She sighed and leaned back. “I’m looking at a few other angles.” It was quiet for almost a minute. “I’m extending your stay in Montana.” “Extending?” She rolled her eyes. “Why?” “Because we need you out there as our eyes and ears,” he replied. “I don’t understand, sir. If you could just . . .” “We’ve already arranged for you to keep the same hotel room. I’ll be in contact when I know more. Just keep digging.” He hung up before she could respond. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at her cell phone for almost an entire minute. She’d been on plenty of assignments before. Some of them, she’d spent months onsite arranging the details. But none of them felt so . . . different. Wrong. Her perfectly planned career path now seemed less clear. She’d wanted a higher position. She’d wanted to make partner someday. But she didn’t like compromising her own ethics to get there. Especially now, after getting to know Tyler and his family. They seemed so determined not to sell. Then it dawned on her. She was staying in Haven. Now the prospect of avoiding Tyler had become impossible. There was no doubt in her mind that she was in

deep trouble.

CHAPTER ELEVEN Tyler kept himself busy the following days. The police weren’t any closer to finding out who’d broken into the trailer. They had talked to the protesters, with little luck. Apparently, the entire group had attended a viewing of a movie at the local VFW that night. One of those new documentaries on climate change. Still, everything had been quiet since, so he was hoping that whoever had broken in had gotten it out of their system. His mind was too consumed with other things. The fact that Kristen hadn’t come into the trailer since the day after their near-tryst didn’t escape him. He thought about driving by the hotel and checking on her, several times. She was leaving tomorrow and he wondered if she would stop by and say good-bye. Did he want her to? The fact that his brothers kept telling him he was growing more agitated by the hour did little to settle his temper. He wasn’t sure who he was mad at—Kristen or himself. After all, she was innocent. Wasn’t she? He

highly doubted that it was her intention to seduce him that night. It wasn’t as if she’d shown up at his place dressed in silk. How the hell was she to know that her simple yoga pants would be more exciting to him than all those damn sexy clothes and shoes she’d brought along with her? Just thinking about her with her hair dripping wet, falling around her face, fresh from the shower and clear of any makeup, had his body reacting. Standing up, he walked over to the bar area and poured himself a shot of brandy. When that didn’t soothe him, he poured another. When his brother Trey walked in, shortly after five, he was well past his fourth drink. “So, this is where the party is?” Trey moved over and sat down in a chair and propped his feet on their father’s desk. “Go away,” Tyler said, not giving his brother another thought. “Are you drinking to celebrate or to forget?” Trey asked. “Go away.” He growled it this time. “Forget it is.” Trey smiled and leaned back, relaxing. His brother looked like he belonged in the office. Belonged in their father’s chair on the other side of the desk. “Why the hell didn’t Dad put you in charge?” Tyler asked, rubbing his forehead.

“Because he thought you could do a better job at it,” Trey said. His brother glanced back at him. “And he was right.” “What do you know?” Tyler moved over and sat behind the desk, swallowing up the last of the drink. “A deal more than you, I’d wager.” Trey chuckled. “Yeah?” He got up and started walking toward the liquor cabinet, but stopped halfway when he realized he wasn’t too steady on his feet. Instead, he chose to lean against the wall. “Like what?” “Well, for starters, I know that our lovely Kristen Howell isn’t leaving tomorrow.” That caused Tyler to do a double take, which, in his condition, ended up almost causing him to fall on his ass. “How do you know?” he asked, trying to clear his head. “Well, I happened to be at the airport when she called in and canceled her flight.” “Why . . .” he dropped off. “I told you, I’m learning how to fly,” Trey said, sounding annoyed. “I must have told you a dozen times. You said it was a good idea for scouting out the land.” “Right,” he agreed, without giving it much thought. Most likely he’d forget again by the next morning. He didn’t care why his brother was at the

airport, only why Kristen had canceled her flight. “So, my question to you, brother, is why is she staying?” “You’re the McGowan who seems to know everything. You tell me,” Tyler shot back. “It could be that she found the fresh air in Montana better than the stench of the city.” His brother got up and helped himself to a beer from the minifridge. His father had kept the place stocked for meetings with the workers. Tyler kept it stocked for the same reason. When Trey had downed a sip, he turned to him. “Or it could be she found a reason to stay?” Tyler thought about it and sighed. “Can you give me a lift into town?” As an answer, his brother just laughed and walked to the door, holding it open wide. They rode in silence into town. His brother kept the heater low, no doubt so the cold air would clear his head. It worked. Doubts started surfacing. By the time Trey parked in front of the hotel, Tyler’s mind was clear. Too clear. “Having second thoughts?” Trey chuckled. “Shut up,” he growled as his eyes zoned in on the light coming from inside Kristen’s room. Still, he sat there for a few more seconds. “Well?” Trey finally said. “I’m thinking.” He sighed. Every scenario flashed through his mind, but none of them had a

positive outcome. No matter what happened, a time would come when Kristen would leave Haven. She’d go back to the city, working for JB or someone else. Later, she’d find some man in a suit to give her everything she’d dreamed of. A brownstone home bordering the park, or maybe a nice large property in upper New York. Closets full of expensive clothes, a fancy car in the garage. Not to mention children. She’d probably settle for two, a safe number. The thought of her being with another man, forever, caused his stomach to roll. “If we’re going to sit out here too much longer, people will think we’re parking,” Trey added dryly. “Shut up,” Tyler said again as he climbed out of the truck. When the cold night air hit him, he wondered if he’d freeze to death walking home. He stood outside Kristen’s door, watching the truck’s taillights disappear. Tucking his hands in his coat, he turned to start heading back to his hellhole of a place, only to come up short when he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him through the windows. He was mesmerized by her beauty. Once again, her face was clear of product. Her hair was tied up, away from her face. She was wearing that damn thin tank top again. Her nipples poked out toward him, begging for attention. His attention. With his eyes on hers, he moved toward the

door slowly. “What are you doing here?” she asked when she finally opened the door. “I heard you canceled your flight.” He made no move to step inside. “I was told to stay.” Her eyes turned downward. “Why?” “They didn’t say.” He heard the sadness in her voice. “Do you always do what they tell you?” “He’s my boss.” She crossed her arms over her chest and his eyes followed the move. The silence stretched between them. “Is that whiskey?” she finally asked. “What?” “I smell whiskey.” “Brandy.” He glanced past her and noticed an opened bottle of wine. “Having some wine?” “Yes, would you like—” She didn’t get anything else out because he walked past her, poured himself a glass and refilled her own half-empty glass. She walked over and took it from him. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, swallowing the wine in a gulp. “I’ve been working.” “On?” She paused to take a sip of her wine as he filled his glass again. “Trying to figure things out,” she supplied.

“What kind of things?” he asked between drinks. She moved over and sat down in front of her laptop. “I’m trying to figure out why JB wants your company.” “Who cares?” He leaned against the countertop. “I care. You cared, until . . .” Her eyes moved back up to his. “There has to be a reason why I’m stuck here until . . .” “I sign everything away?” he asked. “Or I quit.” Her chin rose slightly. “Would you?” Suddenly another possibility was in front of him. Kristen’s eyes moved back to the computer screen and she thought about what she’d found out so far. What her boss had asked of her. How she was supposed to get anything she could on Tyler and his family. But it went beyond that. She had to know why her boss was so determined. “Not until I know more,” she answered him. “What have you found out?” he asked. She could see that his brown eyes were unfocused and set her glass of wine down. “Not much, besides the unpaid invoices. I’ve been working on a different angle.” “Oh?” He watched her. “Does your uncle have access to funds?” “Not that I know of.” He laughed. “Unless he

persuaded one of my brothers to give him some extra.” “What about Rea’s son?” “Brian?” He thought for a moment. “When his father died, I believe there was a fund set up for him.” “A large amount?” He shook his head. “Rea’s husband worked for my father, but I doubt it was anything of significance.” She nodded. “I thought as much.” “What has this got to do with JB Holding?” “Someone’s pulling the strings,” she whispered. “Someone other than my boss.” “What makes you think so?” “Because after my conversation with him the other day, I don’t believe even he knows what’s going to happen to your business if you sell.” “What does it matter to you?” “You asked me that once before.” She stood up and walked closer to him. “And?” “My answer hasn’t changed.” “Hasn’t it?” She hadn’t seen him move, but suddenly he was in front of her. His hand reached out and took her face. “Hasn’t it?” She was transfixed. Locked in place until the touch of his fingers brushed against her lips. “I . . .” She shook her head.

“I shouldn’t have come here.” “Why did you?” She felt her breath lock in her lungs, waiting for him to speak. “My brother . . .” His hand dropped away. “Told me you were staying and I thought . . .” “What?” His head shook again. “Would you have left without saying good-bye?” His eyes searched hers. “No.” She sighed. “Of course not.” She thought about her well-rehearsed good-bye. “Why did you avoid me?” “You were angry,” she said. “Not at you,” he supplied. “Who then?” He took a step back. “At myself.” “For?” “Letting this go too far. Losing sight of what needs to be done.” He turned away and picked up his glass once more. “Is life a distraction?” she asked. “It can be,” he said, without looking back at her, and he set the glass back down. “I doubt your father saw you and your brothers or your mother as such.” He turned back to her. “He could control himself.” “And you can’t?” She tilted her head and looked at him. “It’s funny. Since I stepped off the plane, you’ve done nothing but control yourself.”

His eyes narrowed at her. She moved closer to him, feeling stronger and surer of herself. “All except one night.” Her arms moved to his shoulders. “Why are you so afraid to lose control?” As an answer, his mouth covered hers as he crushed her body against his. Her entire body responded, melting against his hardness. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and arms. Trying to pull him closer as his mouth slanted over hers, consuming her. Making her feel whole. He was right, she’d been avoiding him. How could she stand to be in the same room with him, without remembering how wonderful his lips felt? What his touch had done to her. What he was doing to her now by just being so close. She tugged at his clothes until his chest was bare and her fingernails dug into his skin. She enjoyed the play of muscles under her fingertips. The way they seemed to jump when she ran a finger over him. His mouth trailed a pathway down her neck as his hands roamed from her hips, upward. Goosebumps rose everywhere he touched her, causing her skin to ache for his touch. She thought he would continue where they had left off last time, but instead, in one quick motion, the flimsy top was torn from her body. Leaving her a little shocked and totally turned on. His eyes moved over her, heating as he looked

at her skin. She felt her nipples instantly respond to his gaze. Her entire body ached for his touch. As he tugged at her yoga pants, she held still, totally transfixed by his dark eyes, until she stood in front of him, completely naked. His lips moved back to hers for a brief moment before retreating. With his eyes locked on hers, he took a step back and quickly removed his boots. When his hands moved to the buckle of his jeans, she stopped him by placing her hand over his. “Let me.” She waited until he nodded, before moving her fingers. She inched his jeans over his hips and sucked in a breath when they fell to the floor. His thighs were strong and toned, covered with a light dusting of dark hair. She watched him step out of his jeans, her eyes moving over his entire body slowly. He was beautiful. Tall, lean, and full of muscles she dreamed of enjoying. When he moved back to her, her eyes closed in the sheer pleasure of feeling his warmth next to her skin. His fingers dug into her soft hips, holding her close to his hardness. She felt her body respond with desire. Her knees actually began to shake as his fingers brushed up her ribs and she watched his head dip as his mouth covered first one, then the other nipple.

He took his time, enjoying, giving her enjoyment as he used his tongue and teeth on her warm skin. Raising her body temperature until she felt like she’d burst into flames. When his mouth moved back over hers, he walked her backward until her knees hit the edge of the bed. “Tyler,” she said as they fell together to the mattress. “Tell me to stop,” he said, pulling her hair free of the loose braid. She moaned when he sank his face into it and took a deep breath. “God, you smell like heaven. Tell me to go to hell. Push me outside in the snow, lock your door to keep me out.” “No,” she said, placing her hands on either side of his head and holding him until his eyes focused on hers. “No, you belong here with me tonight.” Because she needed to say it, she added, “This has nothing to do with anything else, other than us.” “The hell it does,” he said before taking her mouth again in a kiss that seared her soul. “Everything is connected.” His hard body pressed up against hers. She ran her hands over his arms, down his chest, and she quite literally forgot about anything else, other than the feeling of his hands pleasing her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and held onto him while he discovered her body slowly. Pleasing her with every touch, every kiss. His

mouth trailed behind her ear, down her neck, over her shoulders. She held her breath when his lips crossed over the mound of her breasts. He was talking to her the entire time. Telling her how beautiful she was. How soft, how sweet she tasted. When his shoulders sank below her hips and he took her with his mouth, she cried out his name and held on as her body responded faster and harder than it ever had. His tongue rolled over her sensitive skin as his fingers dove into her heat. Her shoulders lifted off the mattress as she cried out for more. She closed her eyes tightly as she felt herself building fast. Her fingernails dug into his thick hair, holding him, pushing him where she wanted him. When brightness exploded behind her eyes, she called out to him and heard him respond by saying her name softly next to her skin. She couldn’t believe that she’d lost all control so quickly. Allowing her mind and heart to leap before all caution. By the time he crawled back up the bed and looked down at her, a large smile on his face, she’d lost the last strings of her control. The last shred of hope she had of leaving Montana intact.

CHAPTER TWELVE Tyler couldn’t believe the beauty looking up at him. Or the fact that his body and mind wanted her so much. It gave him pause to see the want in those green eyes of hers. He ripped open the condom package with his teeth and then held still as she helped him roll it on. Her fingers wrapping around him sent a pulse shooting through every inch of his body. Their eyes locked once more and he knew he’d passed the point of stopping. Nothing and no man could hold him back from sliding into her, taking her, claiming her. He leaned down and took her sweet lips once more. She tasted like heaven, looked like a goddess, and was pure addiction. When she moaned with pleasure, he let out a moan to match hers. “Hold on to me,” he said softly as his lips returned to her neck. He felt her legs wrap around his hips and squeezed her body closer to his. “Tyler.” He could hear her begging him as he plunged into her heat. Slowly, he began taking his

pleasure, giving her as much. Her nails bit into his shoulder blades, and he hoped there would be marks so he would never forget how passionate she was. He moved above her, faster, frantic, hoisting her legs higher around him as his lips covered hers and he took what he wanted. When he felt her teeth sink into his shoulder, his control slipped from him. He drove hard and heard her cry out in pleasure during the heights of his own. Every sense of his had been filled, consumed by her. It took too long for him to regain consciousness. When he did, he realized he was crushing her, and rolled so he could tuck her body next to his. “Will you stay?” she asked, burying her face in his chest. “It beats walking back to my place in the snow.” “Is it snowing again?” She sighed and snuggled closer as he nodded and brushed a hand through her hair. “When does it stop?” she asked. “Soon,” he said softly. He kept his mind from returning to the fact that with the spring he’d be alone again. He dreaded the warmth. He fell asleep holding her and when he woke, her side of the bed was cold. Glancing around, he saw her sitting at the table, engrossed in her computer screen.

“Come back to bed.” He reached for her. She glanced up and smiled, then rolled her shoulders and moved toward him. When she climbed in next to him, he rolled over until she was pinned underneath him. “There. Back where you belong.” He smiled down at her. Her fingers dug into his hair, pulling him to her until her lips grazed across his. Before he knew it, she was pushing him, using their momentum to roll them again until she ended up on top. Her long dark hair fell over her shoulders. Reaching up, he ran the softness through his hands. “It’s still damp.” He smiled up at her. “Yes, one of the reasons I wash it at night.” She leaned in and placed a kiss on his mouth as her hips settled over his. He laid back and enjoyed letting her take control. She pinned his arms above his head as she claimed him. He held there, motionless as her softness moved against him. She’d pulled on the tight yoga pants and a new tank top, since the white one was laying in pieces on the floor. He doubted she’d allow him to tear this one off. Instead, he broke his hands free, then slowly inched the silk up until she was freed. Enjoying the feeling of her soft skin under his hands. His eyes ran over her and he smiled when her nipples responded to his gaze. She was perfect.

Beautiful. More so than any other woman before her. He leaned up, placing his mouth over one erect nipple. She gasped, pulling his hair until he continued to the other one. He couldn’t explain how much he wanted her if he tried. He dug his fingers into her hair, tugging gently, pulling her closer as his mouth took hers. She made soft, sexy noises as his hands moved downward, covering her soft bottom. Then further, spreading her legs wider over him. He trailed a hand over the waistband of her tight yoga pants, the snug fabric pushing his fingers closer to her damp heat. When he brushed a finger over her clit, she moaned and he enjoyed feeling her body respond to his touch. She gasped and threw her head back when he dipped a finger into her, then added another one. He watched her eyes heat as he played with her, while his own body begged for release. Her hips moved gently against his, stirring him even further as his mouth brushed over her skin. He held her hips as she slid down on him, then dug into her hot skin and pulled her closer, their mouths coming together once again. The sounds she made in his ear as she moved over him caused his entire body to heat. Before he knew it, he’d rolled and her body was trapped under his own. Pinned to the mattress as his hips jerked on their own. He peeled off her leggings,

exposing her to him fully. He rolled on a condom while she waited, her gaze hot and ready. Pulling her leg up, he tucked her knee close to his heart as his mouth covered hers, swallowing those sexy noises she was making as he thrust within her. Her fingernails were once more digging into his skin, this time, just above his hips. He pulled back, chancing a glance down at her. Her eyes were half closed, her chin raised slightly, and her lips . . . he had to dip his head down and cover them once more. He heard her groans of pleasure, then watched her breath hitch as she bit her bottom lip. Her shoulders raised off the bed as she cried out. Just watching her come, feeling her tighten around him, he felt himself going and cried out her name as he followed her. Once again, he believed he was crushing her, so he twisted until she was sprawled over him, her hair fanned out across his chest. Automatically his fingers played with the long strands of her hair. “What will you do today?” he asked absently. “I was thinking of doing some more research,” she began. “On a Saturday?” he asked. “Why not?” “Because the sun is supposed to shine today.” He sighed and tugged her head up slightly until her

green eyes met his. “And?” “And I figured we’d get out and enjoy it while it lasts.” “How do you suppose we do that?” she asked. “I was thinking about going out for a picnic.” She leaned up until she looked down at him. “It just snowed.” She glanced toward the window. “But the sun is out now, and by the time we get where we’re going, it should be nice and warm enough to enjoy. Even if we have to cart along a wool blanket to sit over the snow, it will be worth it.” She was silent for a moment. “That sounds wonderful.” He continued to play with her hair. “You do know how to ride a horse?” She stilled, her lips turning down slightly. “I . . . I’ve never tried.” He smiled. “Then I’ll have to teach you.” His hand trailed down to her hips. “But first, we both could use a shower.” He took hold of her and rolled until he was standing with her in his arms. He walked to the bathroom and groaned. “That has to be the smallest shower I’ve ever seen.” She laughed as he flipped on the water, then she screamed when the cold hit them both. He cringed, then laughed and held steady under the water,

knowing he needed it.

Two hours later, they were leaving his parents’ barn. Tyler was on the back of Hank, his father’s horse. Hank was one of his father’s prized possessions and best friends. Tyler laughed when he saw Kristen’s horse, Grace, snicker and shake her head. “Hold the reins like this.” He showed her. She took a moment to adjust her hands to match his. She was wearing a pair of jeans, his mother’s boots, and one of his old thick flannel shirts. He knew that a sexy silk tank top was underneath it all. And he knew for a fact that she was wearing sexy underwear that matched it. Just thinking about it, about her, he realized he was going to have a difficult time riding if he didn’t stop focusing on her. He adjusted his position and glanced over at her as they started to move out of the corral. “Stand in the stirrups like this.” He showed her. “Or you’ll be really sore tonight.” She followed his lead. “Don’t your legs get tired?” she asked. “Only if you stand the entire time. See . . .” He spent the first half hour of their journey showing her the proper way to ride. The fields were clear of the snow from last

night, so they stuck to them and kept away from the snow-covered hills. Almost an hour later, they pulled to a stop near a large tree. Most of the fields were too muddy to ride, but Tyler had chosen a path where the sun had already warmed and hardened the ground. The spot he’d picked for the picnic should be perfectly dry. “How about a rest?” he said, sliding off the horse. Then he moved over to her and helped her down from the saddle. Kristen was still smiling, but he was dying to know if she enjoyed horse riding. “Are you enjoying yourself?” “I can’t believe I haven’t done this before.” She laughed as his hands dropped from her hips. He noticed that she leaned on Grace for a moment and looked a little unsteady, so he held onto her again. “It takes some time getting back on your feet. You should do some stretches while I set up our lunch.” She laughed and nodded. He took his time laying out the meal they had helped his mother prepare for them. When Kristen walked over and sat next to him, he was glad, since he was pretty sure that she’d almost given him a heart attack walking around the field, doing squats, leg stretches, and other moves that made his body react. Now she sat next to him, nibbling on the

sandwich like it was the finest meal she’d eaten. Her booted feet stretched out in front of her while she took in the meadow. “I can just imagine it in the spring.” She sighed and took a sip of the wine he’d poured them. “The spring is nice, but you should see it in the fall.” He looked around and in his mind saw the beautiful fall colors filling the hills. The smell of ripe wheat, grass, leaves falling, and the crisp cool air coming down from the hills, preparing for the winter. “The summers aren’t too bad either.” He smiled. “The warm air rising from the fields, bees buzzing around the colorful flowers everywhere.” He leaned back on his elbow and glanced up at the sky. “There are days where there isn’t a cloud in the sky and at night, the stars.” He glanced over at her. “We would be able to lay here, all night, watching the world spin.” “You surprise me.” She had sat up slightly, resting her head on her hand. Her green eyes roamed over his face now. “How so?” He turned slightly toward her, matching her position. “I believed you to be . . . well, rough. Yet you lay in a field, spouting poetry.” He laughed. Really laughed. “The hell I do,” he finally said. “What would you call it?” “My feelings.” He rolled again, his eyes

returning to the sky. “Have you ever felt so strong about a place that you would gladly embarrass yourself, gladly give up everything you own, fight for it, for just the hope of one more day lying in the field on a lazy summer afternoon?” He could tell she was thinking about it. Then she shook her head slowly.

For some reason, Kristen’s stomach was unsettled. She should be enjoying herself, enjoying the warmth, the sun on her face, lying next to the man who’d pleased her throughout last night. She glanced over and took in every detail of the man from the top of his head to the tip of his strong chin. There was so much straight in him. He’d taken over his father’s company, rebuilt it from the ground up. She’d seen the numbers. She’d known that the family business was doomed before his father’s death. Even if no one had wanted to admit it, McGowan Enterprises wouldn’t have survived much longer under Tyler’s father’s control. Now, however, the brothers seemed to have given it a second chance. Even though she hadn’t been here to witness it, she found some satisfaction in knowing that the men could take something broken and turn it around. She’d once dreamed of doing that. Starting her own business, making

something out of nothing. But instead she’d fallen into the rut of spending. Paycheck after paycheck. It had been a game. How much could she afford, what could she buy? What was the next item she could showcase on her body? So much time she’d wasted. So much effort wasted on others’ gain. No, she’d never felt like Tyler did about a place. Nothing had ever caused her to desire to fight against her own selfish nature. She’d spent a portion of her childhood dreaming of the day she’d be grown-up enough to have everything she’d ever wanted. How was she to know that her dreams would change? “Who else has made an offer for your company?” she asked. “Who says anyone has?” he said, crossing his arms behind his head. “Tyler, who else?” He sighed. “There have been a few.” “Who?” She rolled toward him again. “Mostly local companies, when we first started out, while we were still having . . . problems.” “No larger companies?” He shook his head. “Why does this still matter to you? We won’t sell.” “Doesn’t it bother you? Not knowing?” He chuckled. “I was never the kind of person who demanded all the answers to everything.”

“I am.” Her chin rose. “Why?” he questioned. She shook her head quickly. “There has to be a reason why someone wants to get a hold of it. I mean . . . a reason other than profit and gain. Your company isn’t the biggest or even the most profitable one in Montana. Don’t get me wrong,” she said when his eyes turned sharply toward her. “It’s a good company and you’re quickly on the right path to becoming one of the best, if all keeps going in the direction it’s going.” “Thanks for your vote of confidence,” he said dryly. “I’ve looked at your books,” she said. “I’ve looked at other books too. Books from companies who were worth double, even triple what yours is. None of them even gave JB a reason to pause. Sending me out here was just business. But keeping me out here indefinitely? First doubling their offer, then doubling that one?” She shook her head. “Not for what you have. It’s not smart business.” “Thanks,” he said again. Her eyes moved to his. “I’m missing something. It’s a puzzle and I have to solve it. Sooner or later, I’ll find out what is behind all this. Why JB is so gung ho about getting their hands on it.” “I’m beginning to believe you won’t be leaving Montana without an answer.” He smiled at her. She smiled and nodded.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN “Enough business talk.” Tyler rolled over until he held Kristen in his arms. “I didn’t bring you out here so we can talk business.” His mouth moved down until it covered hers. He felt her respond to him and wondered if it was warm enough to peel those clothes off her and make love to her right there in the field. Then he felt her shiver and knew it wasn’t. Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t have some fun. Her body fit nicely under his. Her softness was something he knew he could take years exploring. Desiring. His hands moved over her clothes, then slowly inched under her clothes. When she tried to pull his shirt off him, he gripped her wrists and held them by her side. Then used his mouth to roam her exposed skin just above her belly button. Again, he felt her shiver. This time, he knew it was from desire. Her jean clad knees spread, so he could settle between them. He’d unbuttoned her jeans, and tugged them until they lay just below her hips. He

ran his mouth and fingers over the softness he’d exposed. Enjoying the way her breath would hitch when he hit a certain spot. “Ticklish?” he asked against her skin. “No,” she said, holding her breath. “Not even here?” he asked, using a fingertip to lightly brush the spot. Her hand came up and covered his, then surprised him by moving it to where she wanted him to touch her. “Try here,” she said. When he looked up, he could see her eyes laughing and knew she was most certainly ticklish. Still, he took his time, exploring the rest of her skin. Covering her body with kisses until he felt his own jeans grow uncomfortably tight. He felt a chill down his spine. Slowly, he stilled his hands and mouth. Then rolled aside and gathered her to his chest. His fingers tangled in her hair as their breathing labored in the silence. “We should get going. The sun sets early still.” He sat up and she followed him. He helped her back up on her horse after gathering the mess from their picnic. As they rode, they talked about the fields, the land surrounding his parents’ place. “How much land is there?” she asked after the horses jumped a small creek. “A few hundred acres.” He sighed. “Split into four since my father’s passing.”

“You? You own this land?” “No, when we crossed the creek, we’re back on my mother’s land. But we had a nice lunch where I plan on building my future home.” She pulled her horse to a stop. “You’re going to build your own home?” “Why not? My father did with the help of his father.” “Your father built your family home?” He nodded. “With the help of a group of friends and workers.” “It must be great, knowing where you’re going. What you want.” He thought he heard the sadness in her voice, but she’d turned away from him and was looking behind them, and he couldn’t be sure. “I didn’t always want to build here.” He glanced back toward his land. “Not until recently.” They were silent as they walked the horses. “Does it bother you that much?” he asked. “What?” “Not having answers.” When she shook her head as if she didn’t understand, he continued. “Does it bother you so much that you’d give up your job?” She chuckled. “I wouldn’t give up my job because I didn’t know answers; I’d give it up if I found them out and didn’t like them.” She steered the horse and sent it off back

toward the barn at a trot. “You’re getting the hang of this.” He laughed, trying to catch up with her. He let her beat him back to the barn, even though his horse was bigger and faster. They were both breathless and he could tell she was very happy to be out of the saddle. He taught her how to brush the horses and feed them. His mother invited them to stick around for dinner, and he knew better than to reject his mother’s offer. He watched Kristen stand in the large kitchen and help his mother chop vegetables as they both drank wine. His brothers grabbed him, turned on the television in the next room, and started arguing about the game. Still, he watched and listened to the voices in the next room, trying to hear what his mother was saying to Kristen. What they were talking about. “You’re not even paying attention.” Trey slugged him on the shoulder. “Sure I am.” Tyler turned his mind back to the game. Trent laughed. “Denver just scored and you didn’t even make a peep.” He sat forward and tried to focus again. “He’s too busy eavesdropping,” Trent said a little loudly. “Shut up,” Tyler hissed and glanced toward the

kitchen. His mother and Kristen laughed over the noises of cooking. “He’s got it bad.” Trey chuckled. “I’ve never seen him looking the way he does now. All . . . smitten,” Trent joked. “Shut up, the both of you,” Tyler hissed again and tossed a sofa pillow at both of their heads. This time when he looked, Kristen was smiling back at him. He turned quickly back to the TV and his brothers. “Will you two shut up?” “You think she doesn’t already know this?” Trey joked, the game all but forgotten for the moment. “What?” This got his attention. “She knows what?” “That you have it bad for her,” Trent replied. “I don’t . . .” His brothers’ laughter stopped him. When he reached back to grab another pillow, he came up short, since there wasn’t another small pillow within reach. “He’s in denial.” Trent sighed and leaned back on the pillows. Making a point to arrange them for show. “Denial of what?” Tyler asked, wishing he had more pillows. “He doesn’t know,” Trey said. His brothers’ smiles grew. “What?” he asked, glancing again to the kitchen.

“Leave him alone,” Trent said. “He’ll figure it out soon enough. He’s smarter than you.” Tyler spent the next few minutes trying to ignore his brothers and focus on the game. But he strained his ears to hear what was being said in the next room. He knew his mother had a knack for getting to the heart of things and wondered if she’d be able to get something from Kristen. Not that he believed there was anything she was hiding from him. Just that . . . What? She had feelings for him, like his brothers were hinting at? Which got him thinking about his feelings toward her. Did he have any other than temporary enjoyment? After last night and today, his answer had changed to a hell yes. Which pleased him and, at the same time, scared him.

“I hear you’ll be staying around here a while longer.” Gail turned toward Kristen after she placed the chicken in the oven. She walked over and took up her glass of wine and sipped it. “It appears so.” Kristen sighed. “Not that I’m complaining.” She smiled. “I’m beginning to enjoy the country life.” She picked up her own glass and sipped the blackberry wine Gail had poured for her. “You look happier than when you first arrived.”

Gail leaned against the countertop. “I am happier.” She hadn’t realized that her eyes turned toward Tyler. “My sons.” Gail’s words caused her attention to move back to the kitchen. “They have a way about them . . .” She shook her head and smiled. “Their father had it too.” “Tyler talks about him all the time.” “He would have liked you.” Gail chuckled and Kristen could see the sadness behind the laughter. “He had an appreciation for strong women.” Kristen smiled. “He married you.” “Yes, it took me two years to convince him I was the woman for him.” Kristen laughed. “Two years. You’re a very patient woman.” “I had three boys. You have to be patient with three boys.” They both laughed and took another sip of wine. “When’s dinner going to be ready?” One of the men called from the other room. Gail smiled at Kristen. “When my driveway is cleared and the wood is chopped.” They heard three groans from the other room, but immediately, the sound of the television was replaced with sounds of lumber being chopped outside. Less than an hour later, before sitting down for

dinner, Tyler and his brothers argued on how to rebuild the fire in the fireplace. Finally, Gail walked in and tossed a log on the top and within a minute, the thing was going again. Then they all sat at the big dining table, laughing and enjoying the food. One thing had been made clear to Kristen that evening: she really enjoyed and looked up to Gail. Later, when Tyler drove her back to her hotel, she asked if he’d come inside, but he shook his head. “I have an early morning meeting. I’ll need some rest.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “And if I stay, we both know there’ll be no sleep tonight.” “For just a while then?” she asked, and again he shook his head. “Go in, get some rest. I’ll see you Monday morning.” He kissed her one more time, this time quickly. Then he climbed out and opened her door for her. She was a little disappointed, but when she shut her hotel door behind her, she realized that she could use a night alone. Maybe a hot bath . . . Then she remembered there was only a shower in the bathroom. She settled for standing under the hot spray until the water ran warm, then flipped through the television stations until she found an old movie to watch. She grabbed some ice cream, climbed into bed,

and pouted. Well, not really pouted, but contemplated her future. Even though she’d tried to deny it, she was at a crossroads in life. She’d never been in such a position before. Reaching over, she grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand and flipped through her contacts. When her mother’s face came up, she smiled and punched call. “Hey, sweetie.” Just hearing her mother’s voice calmed her. “Hi, Mom.” She sighed and settled back against the headboard. For the next hour, she enjoyed her mother’s advice and laughter. “I’d like to meet this young man who has you questioning things.” “Maybe you will.” She sighed. “Soon.” “Hilda stopped by the other day.” Kristen groaned. “I should have been there.” “You’d be proud of me.” “Why?” “I stood up to her.” “What happened?” “She came over and I offered her tea.” Kristen groaned again, interrupting the story since she knew where it was going. “I’d forgotten about Grandmother’s tea set, the one that Hilda had wanted. What happened?” she asked again, biting her lip as she waited. “I told her she couldn’t have it.” She heard the

pride in her mother’s voice. “What did she do?” she asked, scooping another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. “She threw a fit.” Her mother laughed. “Then, when I tried to take the cup and saucer from her, she shattered them. So, naturally, I took the rest of them into the other room and locked them away. Then I promised her that she’d never be invited inside my house for tea again.” “I should have been there,” Kristen said again. “Honey, I’m fifty-six years old. I’m old enough to fight my own battles.” By the time she hung up the phone, Kristen was feeling like her mother had changed so much. Over the past few months, her mother had started selling the jewelry she made online, and Kristen was so proud to hear her talk about how many new orders she had coming in. Enough that she was thinking of hiring a part-time worker to help out. The story about her aunt had her thinking. A lot. She got up, poured herself a glass of wine and took it back to bed with her just as her phone chimed. Are you asleep yet? Tyler’s text read. No, she texted back. Can’t sleep? Nope. You? She sighed and took a sip of wine.

Nope, laying in this bed all alone, dreaming of holding you. She settled farther down in the bed and smiled. It’s cold here without you. It’ll be warm soon. We’re supposed to have a break in the weather late next week. Who is your meeting with tomorrow? It’s just a meeting, he replied. Then, after a moment: What are you wearing? She laughed and thought of how she’d answer. Before she could compile a text, her phone rang and she smiled at seeing his number. “What are you wearing?” His voice was low and sexy, causing her body to respond. “Silk,” she whispered. “You?” “Nothing,” he said. “Tell me what color the silk is.” “Pink. Like my skin.” She heard him groan. “Run your hands over it.” His voice sounded hoarse and low. “I am,” she replied, tucking her phone close to her ear. She did so, listening to him breathe and dreaming of him. “Slowly remove it,” he said. She did as he asked. “What about those yoga pants of yours?”

“I’m not wearing them.” She heard him hiss in a breath. “What, then?” “Matching silk bottoms.” “Why haven’t I seen those yet?” “You chose to spend the night alone.” She smiled at the sound he made. “Slide them down . . .” he started to say, but she stopped him. “Not until you do something for me first,” she interrupted. “What?” he asked. “Touch yourself. Slowly,” she whispered. She’d never been so bold before. Never wanted to be. “Honey, I already am,” he said. Okay, so she didn’t know what to do or ask of him next. She’d never had phone sex before. And, it felt . . . sinfully wonderful. She was thankful he took the reins again. Telling her what to do, how to do it, and moaning his own pleasure as she made sexy noises while she imagined his hands doing what hers were.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN The meeting the next day was hell. Tyler hated wearing a suit, hated being stuck in a stuffy room all day, full of stuffy people who presumed to know more than he did about what the town of Haven needed. The worst part of it was, it was on a Sunday. He should be sitting around, watching a game at home with his brothers, with his mother cooking dinner, but he wasn’t. He was here, listening to people talk and fight about the future plans for his town. They went over everything from the new construction for the grade school to speed limits, and even touched on if they should allow temporary signs above businesses. Even his brothers looked frustrated, sitting across from him in their own suits. He knew that most of the men and women in the room would be more comfortable in a worn pair of jeans, enjoying a beer after a long day’s work. But once a year, they dressed in their finest and argued about the future of Haven. Even Martha Brown, the mayor of Haven, had

a hard time keeping everyone on topic. While everyone in town respected her, most had a hard time not stating their opinions and giving back a little attitude in the process. Everyone was arguing over what to do with the aging playground equipment in the public park. Some people wanted to trash it and buy all new stuff, while others wanted to have someone come in and clean it up. Either way, half of the people in the room were against the other half. By the time lunch rolled around, Martha finally had everything back under control and had promised to look into both options and get back to everyone by the end of the month. Her ability to control a room of irate people was one of the reasons Tyler knew she was perfect for the job. They took a break for lunch and ate the cold sandwiches that were supplied. He’d never desired a beer more than at that moment. “Can you believe we still have three more hours to go?” Trey tossed back a drink of water. “Why don’t I have a flask?” Trent added under his breath. “You know, that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.” Tyler slapped his brother on the back. “Guess I know what we’ll all be getting each other next Christmas.” Low twin chuckles could be heard from his brothers, just before the meeting was called to

order again. He swore he’d find someone to take his place in the meeting next time, but when they came to the gossip about McGowan selling out, he knew it was no longer an option. Not if they planned to keep running their father’s business. Everyone in the room turned toward him. So he sucked it up and did his best to put out the fires of rumors. He raised his voice, arguing against people who swore he was lying since they had heard otherwise from secret sources. “We’ve had offers before, none of them have swayed us,” he argued. “No one has ever sent someone to town before,” Martha pointed out. “Especially not someone so young and attractive.” Tyler read between the lines and knew that the mayor of the small town knew everything that was going on. His eyes narrowed as he tried to outwit the woman who knew everything Haven. By the time the end of the meeting approached and past, he was still arguing with several people about selling out. His brothers stood behind him. Stating the facts over and over until finally, everyone had enough. “Can we all agree that as long as we”—he looked between his brothers, then back to the room of a dozen people who he’d considered friends —“have control of McGowan Enterprises, all of this hearsay will never be an issue.”

The room was silent, but then Dennis Rodgers stood up, a damn smirk on his face, and said, “We heard you were selling out, that someone else will be running the shots around here. And that they plan to start fracking.” For the next few minutes, the room exploded with more arguments. When everyone finally quieted down, Tyler sighed. “Once again, we have no intentions of selling,” he started to say. “Then what’s that woman still doing in town?” The question was shouted out. “I’ve heard she’s paid for another two weeks at the hotel,” someone added. “That doesn’t mean we will sell,” Trent said. “She can set up a permanent residence in town for all I care, nothing is going to change our minds,” Trey added. “My brother is right. As long as I’m head of the company, nothing will change.” Tyler glanced around the room, his eyes narrowing to each individual in the room who he believed was responsible for most of the rumors. “If we’re done acting like a bunch of teenagers who like to gossip and spread lies, I’m tired and would like to call it a day.” He stood up, glanced around at his brothers who stood beside him. Several other people nodded their heads in agreement. “Then I call to adjourn this meeting.”

“Second,” someone called out. The room stayed silent as everyone slowly started standing and gathering their things. “That was hell,” Trey said as they walked out of the town hall. “Who’s up for some real food?” “Me,” Trent said. “Me.” Tyler rolled his shoulders. “The Moose?” Trey asked. “Sounds good to me,” Tyler said before getting behind the wheel. Trent climbed in next to him while Trey got in the back. His little brother always had to sit in the back if they were together. He’d used to argue about taking turns, back when they were in school, but stopped trying long ago when Trent argued that as soon as Trey could beat him at arm wrestling, he would get to sit in the front with the big kids. Until then, he was stuck in the back seat. “That was a bitch of a day,” Tyler said once the truck was purring and heat was pouring out of the vents. “You handled it well.” Trey leaned forward and slapped him on the shoulder. “The kicker was”—Trent glanced over at him —“I think you handled it better than the old man would have.” Tyler felt his stomach roll, then the strangest thing happened: his chest hurt and he found his throat closing up. So he drove in silence and parked

in front of the Dancing Moose. “Isn’t that the car Kristen’s been using?” Trent said, looking at the car he’d parked next to. “Yup,” Tyler said under his breath. He didn’t wait for his brothers to respond since he was already out of the car and heading toward the doors. When he walked in, Kristen was sitting in the same booth they had sat in before. And she wasn’t alone. He walked over, knowing his brothers would follow. “Evening,” he said, causing her to jump and look up at him. “Oh, Tyler.” Kristen smiled and scooted over. He sat down and looked across the table at her dinner guest. “Mom.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t look at me like that.” His mother’s chin rose. “She’s the one who invited me here.” His eyes moved to Kristen’s. “I . . . wanted to ask your mother some questions.” “About?” Trey and Trent walked up. Trent took the spot next to their mother, while Trey grabbed a free chair and turned it around backward to sit at the end of the table, directly in the aisle. “Business,” Kristen said, with some color rising in her cheeks. “How did your meeting go?” She tried to turn the conversation around, but he wasn’t

going to allow her off the hook that easy. “Long and boring. What kind of business?” he asked. Kristen’s head tilted, then a slow smile crossed her lips. “I’ll tell you if you tell me first. What was your meeting about?” Everyone was silent, waiting for him to respond. Finally, when he’d decided to tell her, Trent jumped in. “It’s an annual Haven meeting. All of the business owners get together once a year to discuss what’s going to happen in the coming year.” He sighed. “Boring stuff.” “And they hold it on a Sunday?” she asked, still looking at Tyler. “Not normally. They hold it on the first day of spring. This year, it happened to fall on a Sunday,” Trey said, his eyes immediately going to the television over the counter, where the end of the game was playing. “What kind of business do you have with our mother?” Tyler asked. “The private kind,” his mother chimed in, but Tyler ignored her and kept his eyes locked on Kristen, who suddenly looked guilty. “I . . . I thought she might have some more insight as to who might be trying to buy out your company.” He thought about it for two seconds. “And?”

“What is there to tell? I wish I knew someone with millions to drop on our business.” His mother sighed and leaned back, placing her arm around Trent. “But the McGowans aren’t known for hobnobbing.” Tyler and Trent chuckled. Trey was too involved in the game to take part in the conversation. “We’ve ordered dinner, would you men care to join us?” Kristen asked. “I’m starved.” Trey finally joined the conversation again and waved a waitress over to take their orders. “Were there problems with the protesters?” his mom asked. Tyler rolled his eyes at her for not dropping the subject, but he knew his mother desperately wished to know how the meeting went. “Yeah, but Old Smoothy here handled them like a pro.” Trey slapped him on the back. “Did a damn good impression of Dad up there while he was at it.” His mother’s eyes softened and he knew she was on the verge of tears. Tyler opened his mouth to change the subject, but she shook her head at him and reached across the table and took his hand. “They’re tears of pride,” she said, wiping the moisture from her cheek with her free hand as she squeezed his hand. “A mother is allowed to indulge

in tears, as long as they are for the right reasons.” It was a statement all three of the boys had heard many times. As such, they knew better than to argue with her when she was like this. Instead, Tyler buried his head in the menu and tried to hide his feelings from everyone at the table.

Kristen sat in the corner booth and listened to how the family interacted. She’d called Gail and asked her to meet since she hadn’t gotten a chance to talk business the other night. Nor had she believed it had been appropriate to do so. Gail had sounded eager to meet and suggested doing dinner. During the course of the time there, several town members stopped by the booth to talk to Tyler. They shook his hand like he was the most important person in town and told him how good of a job he’d done in the meeting and how proud his old man would be of how he was handling the family business. She’d always enjoyed people watching, especially when the people were as animated and fun as Tyler and his family. The brothers had a way about them that sucked her in. Just the way they treated one another was something she wished she could show the world. She’d heard about married couples who had been together so long that they could finish each other’s

sentences. Well, with the four people sitting at the table with her, it was beyond that. Most of the time, the McGowans knew what their family members were going to say before they even opened their mouths. At one point, Trey was talking about a movie, but couldn’t remember the name or any of the actors in it. The only description he gave was that it was a horror flick. To which Trent jumped in and provided the title, actors, and even the scene in which Trey was trying to tie to the conversation. “I’d hate to play charades against you four,” Kristen joked. But instead of laughing, everyone looked at her like she’d grown two heads. She chuckled. “You’re so connected. It’s like you’re all part of the Borg Collective,” she joked. Tyler reached over and took her hand in his. “You like Star Trek?” “Who doesn’t?” She laughed. “Marry me,” he said, his brown eyes locked with hers. She laughed again and tugged her hand free. “You know, that’s the second time you’ve asked . . .” “Three times a charm,” Trey added with a huge smile. “That’s why Mom and Dad stopped having kids after me. I was so perfect, they knew they couldn’t top me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled bigger.

Everyone at the table laughed. “We stopped having kids after you because I decided to stop trying for a girl after the third boy.” His mother smiled at him. “Not because you were perfect, but because you all were a handful. We couldn’t have handled another child after you.” She smiled at Trey, who laughed back. “You keep lying to me, but I know the truth.” Trey finished his food and leaned back as the waitress cleared the table for them. Just then, a group of people came in the door. It wasn’t so much the sound of the door opening that had everyone glancing over, but the fact that it was a rather large group of loud people. “Protesters.” Trey sighed. “So far, they’ve stayed outside of town, eating their granola bars.” “That’s no way to treat someone you don’t know.” Gail slapped Trey’s hands. “Until you walk a mile . . .” “Yeah, yeah.” Trey sighed and leaned back. “I’m done here.” He started to get up, but then stopped. “Is that . . . ?” Kristen craned her neck around until she could see who Trey was nodding to. “Oh, yeah,” Tyler jumped in. “Addy said she went to school with you.” Tyler shrugged. “I can’t seem to remember her, though.” “That’s because she used to wear thick glasses, was rail thin, and had a boy haircut,” Trey

explained. “Man, has she changed.” He whistled. “We ran into her at the grocery store the other night.” Trent nodded to her. “You . . . did?” Tyler asked. “I ran into Trent at the store and while we were talking, ran into Addy.” Kristen smiled and took Tyler’s hand in hers. “She was talking with Brian.” “Brian? Brian Laster?” “Yeah, he was harassing her.” Trent frowned as he looked over at the pretty brunette. When he did, it seemed to have gotten the woman’s attention. Her eyes scanned the group, then she turned and said something to the other woman—Kristen remembered her name was Joy. Then Addy began walking toward them. “Good evening.” Addy tucked her hands into her coat pockets. “Mrs. McGowan, I hope you remember me . . .” “Of course, I do, Adrianna. It’s so nice to have you back in Haven.” Gail reached over the table, across Trent, who looked frozen in place, to shake the woman’s hand. “I bet your parents are happy to have you back in town.” “I . . . I haven’t seen them yet.” Addy’s eyes moved down to her hands. Then she looked at Tyler. “I heard about the break-in. I was out of town and wanted you to know that if it was someone in our group, I’ll get to the bottom of it.” “I appreciate it.” He nodded.

“Well, I just wanted you to know . . .” Her eyes moved over to Trent, then quickly away. “Good night.” She waited a moment, then turned away and walked across the room to where her group was being seated. “That’s Addy?” Trey finally said. Then added a low whistle, which caused Trent to reach over and slug his brother’s shoulder. “Knock it off,” he warned Trey. Trey slapped him on the back and laughed. “Too bad she was the only girl in school you didn’t score.” Trey stood up quickly before Trent could return the punch and then walked over to the cash register. He glanced back and announced to the waitress, “Trent said he was paying tonight.” “Like hell . . .” Trent got out of the booth and headed toward his brother, who made a dash for the door. “I’m paying,” Kristen said. “We can’t let you do that,” Gail said. “It’s not a problem—besides, it’s a business expense.” She smiled and pulled out the corporate card.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN When everyone stepped out of the diner, Tyler took a deep breath and could tell instantly that warmer weather was on its way. “We’ll have some rain first.” His mother smiled over at him as if she knew what he was thinking. Kristen had been right. Playing charades against them would be fatal. Tyler didn’t know how his mother knew what he was thinking, but it had always been nice knowing they were on the same wavelength. “Yeah, which means everything will be extremely muddy in the coming days.” He sighed. “I’ll have the trailer’s parking lot regraveled this week,” Trent added, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Come on, Mom, I’ll take us home.” Trey was already leaning against the hood of their mother’s SUV. Kristen watched his family leaving, while Tyler watched Kristen. “It must be nice to have such a wonderful family.” She sighed and turned back toward him. “Sometimes.” He smiled and held out his arm,

much like his brother had for their mother. Kristen hesitated for a second, then tucked her hand through his arm and walked with him toward his truck. He stopped her from heading toward her car and led her toward the passenger side of his truck instead. “I’ll take you back to the hotel.” She smiled up at him. “Then you’ll be bringing me right back tomorrow morning for the car.” “We’ll have breakfast here too.” He smiled down at her. He was just about to lean down and cover her lips when he heard someone clear their throat directly behind him. His entire body tensed since before he even looked, he knew who it was. “What do you want, Brian?” He turned, making sure to keep Kristen behind him. He’d been sucker punched by the man one too many times to let his guard down. “You should know by now to stop spreading lies about me.” Brian stepped into the light from the diner. “Lies?” Tyler chuckled. “I don’t lie. Besides, I’d have to be talking about you in the first place. I don’t waste my time on gossip.” He reached around and opened the passenger door, then helped Kristen into the truck. She was wearing another skirt, and when she climbed in, he watched the material shift higher on her thigh. Shutting the truck door quickly, he turned

around to find that Brian had moved closer. He widened his stance automatically. “Is there a problem?” His eyes narrowed on the man. Brian looked like he hadn’t showered or shaved since Tyler had broken his nose last week. “No.” Brian smiled and took another step forward. “Just wanted you to know that I’ll be sticking around town for a while.” “Seems like a bad idea to me.” Tyler took a step toward him and was pleased when Brian moved back. “If you come around the trailer or the office again, you’ll have me or my brothers to deal with.” He moved closer again, and this time Brian stood his ground. “Oh, and if I hear that you’ve been to see Rea, you’ll deal with all three of us at once.” He turned to leave, but when he saw Kristen gasp, he sidestepped as Brian flung himself at him. Brian tripped over the parking block and landed on his hands and knees on the pavement, in the wet dirt. Without saying a word, Tyler stepped over him and got into the truck. “He tried to hit you,” Kristen said as he got in. “He tried.” He smiled at her. “And failed.” He put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. Instead of driving back to her hotel, he decided a slow drive in the hills would cool him off. In truth, seeing Brian again had him itching for a fight.

But with Kristen sitting in the truck, he’d decided against hoisting Brian off the ground and punching him until someone pulled them apart. Besides, it wouldn’t have been a fair fight. He couldn’t believe that his father had once wasted an entire summer trying to help a young Brian. Playing ball with him, working with him on projects around the house, and even purchasing new shoes and a baseball glove for the kid. All he’d gotten in return was broken trust, missing money, and his oldest son’s bike totaled. Not to mention the many times Tyler or his brothers had been punched. He steered the truck toward one of his favorite places to hike in the spring and summer. The state park would be closed at this time of night, but there was a nice empty parking lot near the crest of the hill that overlooked Haven. It had been his favorite place to bring girls when he’d been in school. It had been everyone’s favorite place to bring girls. “Where are we going?” Kristen asked when he drove past the hotel. “I need a short drive to cool off.” He glanced over at her. “I hope that’s okay?” She reached over and took his hand in hers. “That sounds wonderful. I don’t know why, but I’m too hyped all of a sudden.” “Adrenaline,” he replied. “I get a dose of it every time I’m around Brian.”

She sighed. “You’re probably right. Does stuff like that happen to you often?” “Only when that scum is back in town. Brian has always had it out for us, for me.” “Why?” she asked. He shrugged in response, but he had an idea why. “Is it because of Rea?” Glancing over at her, he shook his head. “No, I think it’s because of my dad.” “Your father? What does he have to do . . .” Her words dropped off and he could tell she wanted to ask about his father and Rea’s relationship. In fact, a lot of people in town believed they had spent years having an affair. “No,” he said, chuckling. “I can read your thoughts from here. My father and Rea were never . . .” He trailed off, his throat closing. “They were like brother and sister.” “Oh.” He could hear the hint of a question still in her tone. “Honestly. Rea and my mother were best friends growing up. Still are, if you haven’t noticed.” “I noticed.” She smiled at him. “After Rea’s husband died, Dad tried to take Brian under his wing. You know, he hated seeing a kid without a man in the house. Well, things didn’t quite go as planned, and Brian only got more

jealous, especially of me.” He remembered the first time Brian turned on him. They each ended up with a black eye. If his brothers hadn’t been there to step in, he doubted things would have stopped there. He had believed that his dad trying to help Brian would have changed things, but instead, it had only made things worse. Brian did everything in his power to turn Thurston McGowan against his own sons. Of course, the man was too smart to fall for his tricks. But Tyler could tell it wore his dad down. “He treated me like it was my fault I had an awesome dad and he didn’t.” He turned left and was pleased when they were the only car in the dark parking lot. “Come to think of it, he’d always treated me like that, even before his father passed away. But it got especially bad afterward.” He remembered all the times Brian had started after his brothers. He’d always tried to take the brunt of his attention since he doubted his brothers were big enough or strong enough to handle him on their own. He smiled. Nowadays, he didn’t doubt either of them could handle anything Brian threw their way. He pulled toward the edge of the hillside and shut the truck lights off, keeping the motor and the heater running. “Wow, what a view.” She flipped off her

seatbelt and leaned forward. “You can see all of the town from here. What is that?” She pointed to a cluster of lights on the other side of town. “That’s the mill at Crooked Creek.” He shifted closer, putting his arm around her. “The crews work twenty-four seven.” “And there?” She pointed to another patch of lights. “Meadows Park subdivision,” he said, keeping his eyes on hers. He used a finger to turn her chin until she looked over at him. “Kristen,” he said softly, “I didn’t bring you up here to look at the lights.” “No?” She smiled up at him. “Then why?” His lips covered hers as her body melted next to him. Before he knew it, she was sprawled over his lap. Her hips grinding against his. She groaned when his hands traveled the smoothness of her skin, hiking up her skirt even farther. His fingers dug into her thighs, holding her above him. Imagining what it would feel like to have her slide down on him, here, now. “Tyler.” Hearing his name on her lips as she hovered over him caused his entire system to jump into overdrive. His hands found the silk covering her and he tore it away, plunging his fingers deep into her heat. He swallowed her gasp, moving his hand and savoring her resulting moans.

He couldn’t explain it, but for some reason, he felt like he had to take her quickly. Hurry to claim her and make her his. He knew she felt the same urgency when she reached for his jeans. He helped her free him as their lips stayed locked together. He closed his eyes as she pulled a condom from his pocket and slid it down on him. “Now,” he groaned, his hands returning to her hips, ushering her to where he wanted. Lowering her, pushing up into her, until finally he sunk fully home and she closed around him. His fingers dug into her hips, urging her to move. The spikes of those damn sexy high heels dug into his thighs, causing him more pleasure. Reaching down, he ran his hands over her legs, then gripped her ankles as she rocked above him. Her lips traveled the length of his neck until her teeth scraped just under his ear. Her hips bucked in a frenzied rhythm, her hands pressed flush against the roof of the cab for balance. She bit his earlobe and he couldn’t remember much of anything after that since the explosion in his body was so intense, he felt his toes actually go numb.

Kristen felt Tyler’s heart beating in his neck. Her lips were still pressed up against his warm skin, just under his ear. She’d been destroyed and loved it. Her body shook. Every part of her shook.

“Have you ever . . .” she started to ask, but he shook his head from side to side interrupting her. “Never. You?” he responded. He still held her and she didn’t want him to let her go just yet. “A first.” She laughed and leaned back so she could look down at him. “Just so I’m clear, what are we talking about?” He smiled up at her, brushing a strand of her hair away from her eyes. His fingers traced down her arm to play with the bracelet she always wore, the one her mother had made for her. “That . . . here . . . In a place like this . . . In a car—” she started. He smiled. “It’s a truck.” She slapped at his shoulder playfully and when she tried to move, he held her in place. “The car thing, yes. Here.” His smile widened. “Yes, but that . . .” His smile fell away. “Never, before you.” Something deep inside her clicked on. It was like a switch she’d held at bay, had suddenly flipped on. “I . . .” she choked. “I don’t know . . .” “This is nice.” His fingers went back to her bracelet. “Something an old boyfriend gave you?” She smiled down at the two interlocking silver hearts on the bracelet. “No, my mother made it. She makes her own pieces and sells them. There are only two of these in the world.” She held up the bracelet in the dim

light and smiled when the moonlight danced on the metal. “Mine and my mother’s.” “Good,” he said, causing her to look at him. “I’d hate to think that you’re still wearing another man’s gift.” She chuckled as his smile returned and he leaned up to place a soft kiss on her lips. “How about I take you back to the hotel?” She nodded for an answer and moved off of him. “This is the second pair of underwear you’ve ripped off me.” She picked up the ruined silk. “I’ll buy you more.” He smiled as he took the useless undergarment from her and tucked the soft pink material into his jeans pocket. “You’re going to keep them?” He smiled and pulled the truck into reverse. “Yup. I tear ’em, I keep ’em. Like a trophy.” She laughed as he drove down the hills, back to the town. “You’ll have to bring me up here during the daytime,” she suggested. He glanced over at her quickly and wiggled his eyebrows. “Like doing it with the lights on?” She laughed again. “No, yes . . . I mean, for the view.” She shook her head. “I’ll bring you back, but we need to keep driving up to the peak next time. You can see forever. Plus, if you like to hike, there are some old

caves up farther.” “Then it’s a date. How about this Saturday?” “Sunday? My Saturday is booked.” “Sunday then.” She wanted to ask him what he had planned for Saturday but bit her lip. She didn’t want to come across as too obvious, and vulnerability felt new. After all, she didn’t know how much more time she had in Montana. When they pulled into the hotel parking lot, he helped her out of the truck. “You’re back to those fancy shoes I see.” He nodded to her heeled boots. “Yes, they go better with the skirt than the mud boots I bought.” He chuckled and opened her hotel door. When she reached in and turned on the light, she gasped at the disaster that met them.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Kristen sat in Tyler’s truck until two police cars pulled in next to them. Then he glanced over at her. “Stay in the truck,” Tyler warned, but she was already climbing out to talk to the officers. She’d already seen that her laptop was missing from its spot on the desk and laying in pieces on the floor. What she hadn’t noticed in her first glimpse of the ruined room was that most of her expensive clothes had been slashed. “It looks like they used this.” One of the officers held up a bag with one of the knives she’d been using in the makeshift kitchen since arriving. “Who would do this?” she asked, tears sliding down her face. “Why would they do this to me?” Tyler gathered her up in his arms and held onto her. “I’ll call my mom. You can stay with her.” “No.” She shook her head. “I . . .” “It might be best,” the older officer broke in. “At least for tonight. Then you can come back tomorrow and start cleaning up after we’re done here.” She hadn’t thought about what they might need

to do. Did they take fingerprints? She glanced around and frowned. How would they know whose belonged? “We’ll need you to keep track of anything that’s missing.” “It’s all here, just destroyed.” She sighed. “Are you sure?” Tyler asked. “Yes.” She looked around and mentally took stock. “Everything is ruined.” She felt a tear slide down her face. “Why don’t you take her over to Gail’s? We’ll finish up here. The hotel will replace the locks. You’ll have to get a new key at the front desk tomorrow.” “Thank you,” Kristen managed before Tyler dragged her back outside and helped her into the truck. “Mom will have some clothes for you. It’s a good thing you’re about the same size.” She nodded, resting her head against the window. She was too dulled to listen to what Tyler chatted about. She knew he was trying to get her mind off the destruction back at the hotel, but she just couldn’t seem to clear the image from her mind. As they drove up to the house, she realized something and gasped. “What?” Tyler jumped and looked over at her. “I don’t even have a pair of underwear now.”

She shook her head and felt more tears build up behind her eyes. Then she reached out and smacked Tyler in the shoulder as he laughed. “Honey, I’ll take tomorrow off and we’ll go into town to buy you everything you’ll need. Can you go one night without?” Gail and Trent were waiting for them on the front porch. “Oh, honey.” Gail rushed toward her and wrapped her arms around her, causing Kristen to let loose more tears. “Everything will be okay.” The woman tucked her into her arms and walked into the warm house. “We’ve got everything set up in the guest room. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.” “Just tonight.” She held in a sniffle. “I . . . I’ll be okay.” “Sure, you will. Stuff is just stuff. It can be bought over and over again.” Gail smiled down at her as she sat down on the sofa. “Would you like some hot chocolate and popcorn?” “That sounds wonderful.” She smiled up at the woman. Gail turned to go but stopped. “Trent, why don’t you help me in the kitchen?” Tyler’s brother rolled his eyes, but got up and followed their mother. Tyler walked over and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around

him and held on. “It’s stupid to be so upset about clothes.” “What about your laptop?” “That was the company’s—I’ll have to call Mr. Burnett.” She pushed the thought away, unwilling to worry about what tomorrow would bring, then sat up. “I forgot. My iPad was locked in the safe. I wonder . . .” Tyler pulled out his phone. “What’s the combo?” She rattled off the numbers and held her breath as he relayed them to one of the officers. “It’s still in there. Looks like they tried to get in but couldn’t.” “Thank god.” Relief swept through her as she mentally crossed off having to buy a new iPad and remember all her stupid passwords for everything. She relaxed against the sofa as Tyler continued to talk on the phone. By the time he hung up, Gail and Trent were back with drinks and a large bowl of popcorn that smelled amazing. “Everything that was in the safe is there. And it appears that one pair of shoes was left unscathed.” “The new boots?” Tyler nodded. “Whoever did this wanted to destroy everything. Why leave the boots?” “They weren’t expensive.” “Forty dollars isn’t expensive?” he asked. She shook her head.

“I hate to ask, but how much did you pay for those?” He glanced down at the boots she was wearing. “You don’t want to know,” she said dryly. He waited. “Eighteen,” she said, looking down at her hands. She’d never felt guilty for spending her money before and still didn’t. She earned that money and used it to buy things that would make her feel good. But now, she realized, the stuff back at the hotel, lying on the floor, destroyed, didn’t make her feel good. Not the way she’d felt sitting down in a greasy diner, laughing with Tyler’s family. Or the way he’d made her feel up on the hill, overlooking the town. Nothing she’d ever bought had ever made her feel half as good as Tyler did. “Eighteen hundred?” Trent asked. “What about the other shoes? The ones back at the hotel?” Tyler asked. “Around the same.” She shrugged. “Like your mom said, they were just things.” Trent whistled, then took another handful of popcorn. “Whoever broke in could have hocked all the stuff instead.” “You’re right,” Tyler said, his eyes going narrow. “Whoever did this didn’t break in to steal. They broke in to make a point.” He picked up his

phone again, but this time walked out to the back deck to talk in private. “What’s going on?” she asked. “I’m sure my brother has a hint as to who did this.” Trent took a sip of his beer. “Relax, he’ll take care of everything.”

Half an hour later, Tyler strolled back into the house. “I’m going to head down to the station,” he announced. Kristen started to rise from the sofa. “I’ll go . . .” “No, you stay here. Get some rest. The guest bathroom has a nice big bathtub and my mom makes her own bath-bomb thingies.” He looked to his mom for help. “Yes, you’ll simply love my new lavender and vanilla.” Gail got up and took Kristen’s empty mug from her, then helped her up. “I’ll pour you a nice glass of wine, then show you where everything is. I’ve laid out some clothes that should fit you.” She hooked her arm with hers and started heading down the hallway. Kristen stopped and looked back at him. “Will you be coming back?” she asked. His eyes moved to his mother’s and he shook his head. “No, I’ll stay at my place. Mom’s kind of . . . old-fashioned.” Suddenly his entire body felt heated. He

realized what he’d just admitted to his family. His eyes landed on Kristen and he could see a flush on her face and knew she understood the admission as well. Which only caused him to smile and relax. So, she was nervous about his family knowing they were doing . . . he tried not to chuckle as a memory of the first time Trent had caught Tyler kissing a girl. The childish song, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, started playing in his head. His mother’s voice broke him from the memory. “No hanky-panky under my roof. At least not until you put a ring on it.” Gail smiled, then turned away and started singing Beyoncé as she made her way down the hallway. “Doesn’t stop it from happening,” Trent chuckled, earning him an over-the-shoulder glare from their mother. “I’ll pick you up in the morning,” Tyler said. “You still owe me a breakfast.” He smiled before his mother returned to lead Kristen down the hallway. “Fill me in,” Trent said, standing up and following him to the door. “You coming with?” he asked. “Hell yeah. We might want to pick Trey up on the way.” Tyler sighed and nodded. “I don’t want to give the update twice. Let’s wait until we’ve got him in the car.”

Ten minutes later, Tyler stopped at the small house at the end of Main Street that Trey had rented, where his brother waited at the curb. “How is it that you got the only decent place in town to rent?” Tyler asked. Trey smiled as he climbed in the back of the truck. “I told you, I’m lucky.” “Talk to us,” Trent said as he turned back around. “We had a little run-in with Brian tonight,” Tyler said. “Son of a—” Trent started. “Hold on, remember who his mama is. That’s Rea we’re talking about.” “Right. In that case, let’s go with that bastard,” Trey supplied. “That bastard tried to sucker punch me when my back was turned.” Tyler grew a little angrier just remembering it. “And?” “I saw him coming, dodged, and he landed flat on his face.” He held in a chuckle, but his brothers didn’t. “You think he tore up Kristen’s room?” “He’s the first on my list,” Tyler replied. “I told Mike and he agreed it was an avenue worth pursuing. He was picking him up and bringing him down for questioning. I figured it might jog Brian’s memory if we just happen to be sitting around.”

“I’ll jog his—” “We’re not to touch him,” Tyler repeated Mike’s warning. “I promised Mike.” “You promised him. I didn’t,” Trent said, and Tyler chuckled. “Sorry, brother, I gave my word that none of us would lay a finger on him tonight.” “Why’d you go and do a thing like that?” Trey said. “Didn’t Dad ever teach you to not make promises you couldn’t keep?” “I did make sure to specify tonight.” He smiled back at his brother. When they arrived at the small police station, every eye turned toward them and a hush fell. Mike stood up and walked their way. As he walked, he flipped his keys in a move that Tyler knew so well. Mike was a frustrated fidgeter. When the man was agitated, he fiddled with his keys. “Evening.” “Are we late for the party?” he asked. “No, Tony’s got him back in interrogation.” He glanced between the three of them, shoving his keys into his pockets. “You’re welcome to wait . . .” “Mike,” Tyler said softly. Mike let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t give me that look.” After a moment, he rolled his eyes. “Since I owe your dad, you can watch from the observation booth, but no interruptions.”

They followed him down a long hallway and entered a dark room. There was a large pane of glass between them and Tony and Brian. Brian looked smug, sitting on the other side of the table as Tony asked questions. The three brothers crammed into the small space and listened. “You know, we’ve already got you for trespassing. We can tag destruction of property onto that.” “That’s bullshit. You know I didn’t do nothing.” “Breaking and entering into the hotel, then destroying property, that’s nothing?” “I didn’t do any of that.” Brian’s eyes narrowed. “Like I told you, I was with a group of friends.” “Who?” Tony leaned forward. “Give me names.” “I don’t know their names. They’re part of the protesters.” “You don’t know the names of your friends you were with?” Tony leaned back. “You’ve got to give me something solid, otherwise we can . . .” “You can’t do shit. You’ve got no proof. I wasn’t there.” Brian moved to stand up. “We’ve got a witness,” Tony said. Tyler looked over at Mike. “Do you?” he asked softly. Mike nodded his head. “Marg was in the hotel

office. She said she saw a dark figure entering the room. Figured it was Kristen until she saw someone leave ten minutes later and realized that the figure was too tall to be Kristen.” “How tall?” Trent asked. “Taller than Kristen,” Mike said, his eyes on Brian as he played with his keys again as he thought. “The real question here is . . . why? Why her? Why didn’t he steal anything? Why trash the place, smash the computer instead of stealing it?” “It’s my fault,” Tyler said and felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. He’d believed he’d sheltered Kristen from Brian, but instead, he’d only shown Brian his weakness.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The dreams were so real. Her mind flashed between places. First, she was in her hotel room. In the shower, as someone came into her room, a dark figure hovering just beyond the foggy glass doors. When she wiped the fog away, no one was there, until the fog built up again, then the menacing shadow returned. Next, she was in the trailer. It was night and the figure was there, stalking her in the darkness and cold. When she ran, the figure was always just a few steps behind her. In her slumber, her body twitched until a warm hand landed on her stomach, a soft whisper in her ear. “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m right here,” the voice said as warm arms pulled her closer. She buried her face into his chest, smelling the sexy scent she’d come to know. She sighed with relief as she melted into a dreamless slumber. When she woke, she was alone in the soft bed.

Chalking it up to another dream, she showered and dressed in the borrowed jeans and sweater. She took her time braiding her hair and let it lay over her shoulder to finish drying. When she walked out into the kitchen, she was surprised to see all three of the McGowan boys sitting at the table while Gail served them French toast. “Morning.” Gail smiled up at her. “Did you sleep well?” “Yes, thank you.” She moved over and sat next to Tyler, who had pulled out the chair for her. She narrowed her eyes, remembering how real he felt last night. Then he winked at her and smiled until that sexy dimple appeared, and she knew he’d snuck into her bed. “We decided to crash here last night,” Trey added. “The sofa isn’t as comfortable as it looks.” He added, rolling his shoulders. Gail stopped what she was doing. “Well, it’s better than the floor.” She turned her eyes to Tyler. “Why aren’t you complaining?” Her eyes narrowed. “I won the coin toss.” He nodded to the two sofas. One had a stack of pillows and blankets piled high. “I got the extra pillows.” He smiled, but Kristen knew that he’d slept in her bed with her. Holding her and comforting her in her dreams. She doubted she could hide the truth from Gail,

so she kept her focus on filling her plate with eggs and French toast. “This smells so wonderful,” she said as Tyler poured her some orange juice. “So, did they catch the guy?” Gail asked as she sat down at the end of the table. “We think so, but they’re still checking on his alibi.” “Who was it?” Kristen asked, setting her fork down as memories of her ransacked hotel room flashed in her mind. “Brian Laster,” Trey replied. “His alibi is bull —” His eyes flew to his mother, then he coughed. “He’s lying. After all, he supposedly can’t even remember who he was with.” Trey shook his head. “Yeah, most likely they’ll ask around. But they’ll need more than a weak alibi to charge him. Unless there is solid proof . . .” Tyler sighed, then reached over and took Kristen’s hand. “We’ll hit the stores today and see if we can replace some of what you lost.” “I called my boss last night. He’s overnighting me another laptop. He’ll need a copy of the police report.” Tyler nodded. “I figured we’d stop by the station after some shopping to see if they’d found out anything new.” “Eat.” Gail interrupted her thoughts. “You’ll need the energy today.” She smiled and handed her

a plate of fruit. Kristen ate as much as her stomach would allow her, then helped clear the table while Tyler and his brothers talked about work and tidied up the extra blankets and pillows in the living room. By the time they climbed into his truck, she was feeling guilty for dragging him away from a day of work. “If you drop me off at my car, I’m sure I could . . .” “Don’t you want to spend the day with me?” he broke in. “What?” “It sounds a lot like you’re trying to ditch me.” He smiled over at her. “No, I . . .” She sighed. “I know you have a lot to do. After all, you are running a business . . .” His chuckle stopped her. “My dad always said, what’s the use of being your own boss if you can’t play hooky once in a while?” He leaned over and took her hand in his. “It’s one day. Besides, it’s already done. Trent is filling in for me.” She sat back, silently mulling over her own work responsibilities. Mr. Burnett hadn’t shared with her any new information about the updated proposal they were working on, only that it should be ready early next week. Her trust in her boss was beginning to fail. The waiting was driving her crazy. He still wouldn’t tell

her what she was doing hanging around there. His only concern seemed to be her digging deeper into Tyler’s family. Normally, she’d be sent to a potential buyout’s location to negotiate the deal, then move on. Once or twice, she’d been assigned to profile a business with a contingent offer, auditing assets and doing due diligence with any clients or vendors. But she’d never been directed to investigate the private lives of owners and their family. Sticking around after the business owners made clear their intentions not to sell wasn’t a normal procedure. She felt like a spy, sent there to penetrate the company. She felt dirty. When they drove into town, Kristen asked to head to her hotel room first. To reassess the damages. She walked down to the office and got the new key from Marg, the older woman who was always in the office. Tyler was right behind her as she opened the door. “Looks like Marg did a little cleaning for you.” “Yes, she said she did what she could.” She sighed and looked around. All of her destroyed clothes were in large plastic bags on the neatly made bed. Marg had told her they had pulled a new mattress in for her since the other one had been slashed.

Her laptop sat on the desk in pieces. “You know, I bet they could pull the hard drive from that and . . .” She shook her head. “It’s a company machine. It’s locked out. Basically, we can’t save anything to them locally, but everything is on the cloud.” She smiled. She walked over to the closet and opened the safe, then pulled out her iPad. “Thank goodness I have this.” She held up her iPad and hugged it to her chest. “It’s a good thing you put it in the safe,” he said. “Yeah, too bad that the safe was too small for the laptop.” She frowned and looked down at the small safe. Then gasped slightly. “He didn’t touch my suitcases.” She pulled out the two pieces and looked them over. There wasn’t a scratch on them, and she smiled up at Tyler. “Well, it looks like we don’t have much to do here. Shall we head out?” He nodded toward the door. “I want to check the bathroom. See what things I need in there,” she said. When she walked into the bathroom, all her items were right where she’d left them. Strange that whoever broke in would spend so much time in the bedroom, destroying everything in there, but not touch anything in the bathroom.

“Looks like you lucked out,” Tyler said from behind her. “Yeah, strange.” She shrugged, then stopped. “What’s that?” She walked over and pointed to a small silver box in the corner near the bathtub, just under the toilet. The decorative cover had a carving of two dogs taking down a large stag in the woods. The scene looked bloody and horrible, with the stag’s eyes wide open in death. “Don’t.” Tyler grabbed her hand before she could pick it up. “That”—he smiled at her—“is our proof.”

Tyler stood back as Mike walked into the hotel room. “How did we miss this last night?” he said, looking down at the small silver box. “Damn. We were focused so much on the destruction in here . . .” Mike shook his head. “You know who this belongs to?” “Yup, and so do half the people in town.” “That’s one stupid son of a . . .” Mike sighed. “I guess we can’t really blame Rea.” “Nope.” Tyler sighed. “Is this enough to convict him?” Kristen asked, biting her bottom lip. “It’s enough to charge him with criminal mischief. Basically, we’ll get him for trespassing and destruction of property. If you can get us proof

that the property he destroyed was greater than a thousand dollars, we can get him . . .” “It was,” Kristen said, causing both of them to turn toward her. “Are you sure?” Mike asked. Kristen walked over and picked up a broken shoe. “This pair alone cost me twenty-five hundred.” Mike whistled. “Wouldn’t happen to have proof?” “An email receipt.” She glanced over at him and shrugged. “What? I shop online.” Mike shook his head and smiled. “Then it’s a felony. He can get up to ten years or a fifty-thousand-dollar fine.” This time it was Tyler who whistled. “I always knew he was stupid.” “Yeah, plus he might be ordered to pay restitution.” Mike bagged the silver snuff box that used to belong to Rea’s husband, passed on to his son when he died. “If you can email me a list of items destroyed and any receipts you have, we’ll add them to the report.” Mike handed Kristen one of his cards. “What happens next?” Kristen asked, tucking the card into her pocket. “We’ll book him, but most likely he’ll be out on bond until it goes before a judge.” Tyler wrapped an arm around Kristen, who had

paled slightly. “Why don’t you come stay with me until—” “No.” She shook her head. He could tell instantly that staying above a strip club was out of the picture. “I guess not.” He thought about it. “What about staying at my—” “No,” she interrupted again. “I’m fine here.” She turned to him. “Thank you.” She turned back to Mike and held out her hand. “I’ll send you what I have later tonight.” They left the hotel parking lot the same time Mike pulled out. “Where to?” she asked as he drove farther into town. “There are a few shops along the side streets. We’ll hit them first to see if you can get what you need before heading to Granger’s. I should drive you over to Helena.” “No.” She shook her head. “It’s too far to go for a few items.” She sighed as she looked out the window. “Well, I can’t promise what you’ll get here is as fancy as you are used to, but at least you’ll be warm.” He reached over and took her hand, then carried it up to his lips and placed a kiss on the soft skin along her wrist. “I’m beginning to believe that I don’t always need fancy.” She smiled.

For the next hour, he stood in a corner while Kristen tried on clothes. She left the first shop with two bags full. Then they spent almost another hour in Granger’s and she left with another bag full of items, including two new pairs of shoes. “I never could understand why anyone would need more than two pairs of shoes,” he said, helping her back into the truck. “That’s because you’re a man,” she said when he finally got behind the wheel. “That’s because I’m practical.” He smiled over at her. “Last I remember, you liked my less-thanpractical shoes,” she purred, running a hand over his chest, and he felt all his blood leave his upper body. “Where to now?” he asked, trying to focus. “How about the diner for some lunch? Then I can pick up the car so you don’t have to drive me around everywhere.” He nodded, feeling the lump in his throat. He didn’t mind driving her around. He actually enjoyed it. But he knew the next few days were going to be extremely busy, so he headed toward the diner. When he parked the truck next to the company car she’d been driving, he instantly saw the problem and groaned. “Damn it.” “What?” she asked. He nodded to the car. “Someone got the tires.”

“Oh no.” She jumped out of the truck. “Who would . . .” Her words dropped away. “I’ll call Mike.” He pulled out his cell phone. They ordered lunch and waited in the diner until Mike showed up, then stepped outside to file another report. When they finished up, Kristen headed back inside and Tyler called the local shop to have the car towed and four new tires put on it. They told him they would deliver it to the hotel for Kristen and leave the keys at the front desk with Marg. When he walked back into the diner, Kristen was chatting with several of his crew. “John was just telling me he’s heading out on a job site tomorrow and asked if I’d like to tag along to see the digging process. I’ve been meaning to head out and talk to the crew.” Thoughts of the million things that could go wrong flashed through his head. He turned to John, about to berate the man for offering, but Kristen took his hand in hers. “John’s going to drive so I don’t get the car stuck in the mud. He assures me it’s perfectly safe, and I’ll wear all the required protective gear, plus my mud boots. We’ll be back to the trailer by noon.” Then she turned back to John. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She waved as he nodded to her and stepped away. Tyler sat back down in his spot, his teeth

grinding as he tried to come up with a reason she shouldn’t go out on a job. “I don’t think you should go,” he began. “Tyler, I’m here to do a job. Talking to the staff, building out a complete report—this is all part of that job. Who knows, maybe it’ll help me figure out why JB wants your company so bad. I’ll be okay.” She took his hand again. “I’ll go . . .” he started. Her laughter stopped him. “You’ll have enough to catch up on after taking today off. I’ll be okay.” She shook her head at him. By the end of their lunch, he was feeling totally deflated. His worry for her going out to a job site was real and powerful. He’d been to more dig sites than he could count. He’d known of the dangers since he was a kid. Kristen was a city dweller. She belonged in fancy clothes in a ballroom instead of wearing worn jeans and mud boots in a torn-up field where at any moment something could happen to her. As he drove her back to her hotel, he resolved to visit the site himself. She may say she didn’t need him there, but she couldn’t stop him from showing up. He helped her carry in the bags of items she’d purchased. Then sat on the edge of the bed as she hung up each item as if they were more precious than the ones that had been destroyed. Even though

he knew she’d probably paid way less for these. “I’ve got something for you too,” she said, holding up a small bag and waving it around. “Oh?” He started to get up. “No, stay put.” She edged backward, toward the bathroom. “I’ll be just a moment.” Her eyes locked with his and his mouth went dry. When she walked out of the bathroom wearing soft pink silk shorts and a matching top, he figured he was the luckiest man alive. He watched her move slowly toward him. His eyes tracked the sway of her hips. With each step, the light material flowed around her curves. She stopped directly in front of him and automatically, his hands went to her hips. He couldn’t tell by touch where the silk stopped and she started. Both were equally smooth. “Stay with me tonight,” she whispered as her green eyes moved over him. Since his mouth had gone dry, he nodded in agreement. In truth, nothing and no one could drag him away from her at that moment. She inched closer, and then climbed up until she straddled his hips. The pink silk top brushed against his chest and he had the sudden urge to know what it felt like next to his skin. He tugged his jacket off, then tossed it onto the floor and started on his shirt, only to have her reach up and slowly undo his buttons for him.

“Mmm.” She smiled at him. “From the moment I saw you, I wanted to know what was underneath.” When she tossed his shirt aside, she groaned as she ran her hands over his chest. “Me too.” He smiled and used a finger to push the thin strand of fabric off her shoulder. She closed her eyes as her head dipped back, exposing her neck. Leaning up, he ran his mouth over the milky white column until he felt her hips start to move against his. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she teased and reached for his jeans. He shook his head and gripped her hands, holding her still. “I want to enjoy this,” he said as he kicked off his boots. “So do I.” She twisted her hands until he freed them. Then she reached for his jeans again, her smile doubled. “You’re not the only one who likes to be in control.” “Oh?” His breath caught as she freed him and her fingers wrapped around his length. “My god,” she said, gripping him. Her hips swayed against him, causing his own body to jolt with desire. When her hands flattened on his chest and she lightly pushed him, he fell backward. She nudged his jeans down his hips and he watched as she climbed on top of him. She ran her fingertips over his legs, his hips, then up his chest and back down

again slowly. “I never thought I’d enjoy this so much.” Her smile grew. “What?” He moved his arms behind his head and watched her. “Taking control.” “I’m all yours to do what you want with.” His smile fell away when she moved again and this time, it was his turn to moan as the silk ran over his desire. She trailed kisses along his neck, over his chest, down each rib. He held his breath when she reached a ticklish spot. “Ticklish?” she said against his skin. “As much as you are,” he joked back as she continued exploring him with her mouth. She flicked her tongue over him, causing him to jolt and grip her, holding her still. “Kristen,” he warned. “I’m in control, remember?” He closed his eyes and tried to think of something, anything other than the feeling of what her lips and tongue were doing to him. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he pulled her up and tossed her on the other side of the bed. “Enough,” he said, meeting her eyes with his, and he yanked open a condom. She watched as he slid it on quickly. She laughed and he slipped the wisps of

material off her body. His hands returned to her hips as she opened her legs for him. Their eyes locked as they slid together, her taking him into her searing heat. Then he began to slowly move. His fingers dug into her soft skin, guiding her, begging her to never stop. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he was too shocked at his own reaction to what she’d done to him. How could he have known she’d be like this? That she would have changed so much of his life? What the hell was he going to do about it?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The next morning, Kristen dressed in her new jeans and sweater she’d bought, then pulled on her mud boots. On the way to the trailer, they stopped at Tyler’s house so he could get a fresh change of clothes. She sat and waited in the truck while he ran upstairs to change his clothes. Even at this early hour, she watched several people coming and going at the Wet Spot. Despite the chill, there were three workers standing outside the door to the club smoking. Even though they were bundled in coats, she could see the short skirts and heels underneath. She didn’t have anything against the working girls. Actually, she looked up to them. They were on their feet for hours at a time, grinding half-naked against men they didn’t necessarily find attractive, but with smiles on their faces at all times. Keeping up appearances, playing a role, and charging top dollar for their troubles. She’d heard that most oil town strippers made six digits a year. She smiled when she saw Tyler step out of the stairwell door. Then her smile fell away when she

noticed Darla approach him. She noticed Tyler’s body language change instantly. He went from relaxed to guarded and tense. They spoke for a few minutes, then he pushed the woman gently away and walked to the truck. When Darla noticed her sitting in the truck, she flicked her cigarette in her direction and turned to talk to her friend, who also turned and stared at Kristen. “Problem?” she asked as he got in. “The police let Brian go.” He sighed as his eyes stayed fixed straight ahead. “Why?” He glanced back at the strippers, who still had nasty sneers fixed on their faces. “According to the gossip, he’d reported the snuff box stolen almost a year ago.” “So . . .” she trailed off. “Whoever broke into your hotel room wanted us to believe it was Brian.” Darla took that moment to send a wink and a kiss Tyler’s way. Then she turned and disappeared back into the blue doors. “When will she get the hint?” Tyler said, starting the truck up as he shook his head. “You’re one of the most eligible bachelors in town.” She held in a chuckle. “Who wouldn’t work extra hard to get you?”

His eyebrows shot up, before backing out of the parking spot. “Have you worked extra hard?” She smiled at him. “I’ve pulled out a few tricks for some fun.” “Is that all this is?” His hand came up and rested on her chin, holding her face so their eyes locked. His question surprised her, and she blurted out a response without thinking. “Hasn’t it been?” She felt her heart skip. He blinked a few times, then nodded. “I’d better get you to the trailer or John will leave without you. We’ll deal with whoever broke into your place later.” Why had she said that? She kicked herself mentally. After all, they both knew she was leaving soon. It wasn’t as if JB was going to keep her in Montana forever. He drove them out to the trailer. Trent and his crew were still laying fresh gravel over the mud, so the parking lot wasn’t as muddy as it could have been. Still, Tyler parked the truck in a freshly graveled spot instead of where he normally parked. “How’s it going?” he asked his brother as he helped her down. “Fine. We got a late start today because the tractor wouldn’t start.” “What’s wrong with it?” Tyler left her to go into the trailer and walked over to the big machine.

The men were spreading the gravel by hand with shovels instead of using a big backhoe that had been parked at the edge of a fenced area. Kristen walked into the trailer and saw Rea sitting at her desk, appearing small for the first time since Kristen had met her. A wave of shame hit her. Not once throughout the ordeal of the weekend had she thought of how Rea must be feeling. “Rea?” She moved over to the woman’s desk. “I . . .” “I’m so sorry.” Rea burst into tears and moved around the desk to enclose her in a hug. Kristen held onto the woman and shook her head. “No, you have nothing to apologize for.” “He’s my son. He destroyed all your things.” “They’re just things.” She smiled at the woman. “Besides, Tyler said that they let him go. Apparently, he had reported the snuff box stolen over a year ago.” “He’s out?” Rea shook her head and wiped a tear from her eye. “Is it bad for me to want him locked up? Even though he’s my son?” “Have I ever told you about my aunt?” She pulled out Rea’s chair and told her the story until John walked in. Then she hugged Rea again and followed John outside. Tyler had rolled up his sleeves and was helping the men spread the gravel when John drove his truck out of the parking area.

“It’ll take them the rest of the day doing it by hand,” the older man said, shaking his head. “Damn shame. That tractor set the boys back a few grand.” “What’s wrong with it?” “They didn’t know. The mechanic is coming to look at it later today.” “Tell me about the site,” she asked after a moment. “How do you determine where to dig?” For the next few minutes, she listened to John explain how they pick a site, test it, then set up the digging and wells. The truck bumped along the muddy makeshift road. The dirt path was full of massive divots that he had to maneuver the truck around. Half the time up the access road was him gauging if he could make it around the holes. Still, he talked the entire time like driving the obstacle course was no effort at all. She’d never known how much work went into finding oil, how many hours were invested before a drop of oil was pumped out. John even explained how McGowan Enterprises left the land after they were done. That it had been a standard that most oil companies around the States didn’t have to abide by, but Tyler’s company prided themselves on. When they reached the site, she was shocked at how many men were working there. “We’re still digging this one,” John added as he parked. “Haven’t hit the pay dirt yet.” He helped her down from the truck.

“Why are all the trucks out here so tall?” she asked when she almost tripped. He chuckled at her. “They have to be, to make it up that pathway through the snow and mud. Plus, we use them sometimes to tow heavy rocks and pull down trees.” Of course, having large vehicles that could handle the terrain and the workload made sense. She felt her face heat at her own ignorance. She really was a city slicker and felt like a fool for asking. Still, John smiled at her like the question hadn’t fazed him. “I’ll show you around.” John started walking toward the drill. It looked a lot like a radio tower on steroids. It was massive. There was a large blue base that sat up at least two stories from the ground. The white-and-red tower hovered high above as a loud pounding noise sounded. “Here, you’ll need these.” John stopped at a station and handed her a pair of large ear muffs and a brightgreen safety helmet. She took her time putting everything on, making sure to tuck her hair under the helmet so it wouldn’t fly loose. Then she followed John up the stairs. As they walked the site, John talked to her about the entire process of drilling and pumping oil while the machine kept up the loud digging. The noise was almost deafening, but the ear muffs

helped muffle it. John would be hoarse after yelling out all the information. She found the entire process fascinating. How they prevented hitting water and gases, pumping them out of the hole so they didn’t cause issues while looking for oil. He told her that they used a top-secret specialized method for drilling, something Tyler’s father had perfected years before. “We’re so fast and efficient we’ve been putting other local oil field companies out of business.” He smiled. “The boys have bought up one of their competitors since taking over after their old man passed.” He shook his head. “I worked for Thurston McGowan since the day he started. I’ve never been prouder that those boys finally got their shit together.” He glanced over at her. “Pardon me, miss.” She smiled and nodded as he shifted gears and focused again on the drilling. “We still have about thirty-five hundred feet yet to reach our first zone,” John said, walking back down the stairs. Her eyes wandered around the land and she zeroed in on Tyler, standing a good distance away from the bottom of the stairs. He was watching her, his hands shoved into his pockets. She almost lost her footing on the stairs when she noticed him but recovered quick enough.

“Tyler.” John walked over and shook his boss’s hand. “Didn’t know you were stopping by today.” “I figured I’d come out and check to see how things were going,” he said, keeping his eyes on her. She stood back and listened as John updated Tyler on the status of the dig. She’d forgotten about the ear muffs and hard hat, so tugged them off since they were well outside the work zone and since Tyler wasn’t wearing any himself. “Well, since I’m heading back in, I’ll get her back to the trailer,” Tyler started to say. Just then there was a loud metal-on-metal sound. Everyone turned toward the drill, and Kristen watched in horror as several men yelled and started running away. Their escape seemed both organized and chaotic, with one man even sliding down the stair railing like a firefighter to get away as quickly as possible. Tyler took off toward the tower. She watched in horror as he climbed the stairs. He glanced back over his shoulder and yelled to her, “Stay put!” John grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back toward the trucks. Another loud boom echoed in the field and she watched as dust and smoke lifted from the entire rig. “Get inside and stay there!” he yelled at her, then he pulled out his phone and shouted into it as he ran toward the drill himself.

She felt the blood drain from her face as she watched the chaos unfold before her. Most men were running away from the tower, but the one she cared about had run toward the disaster. She sat in the truck, twisting her hands together as a huge section of the tower came tumbling down. It hit the platform with a loud thud that echoed and she watched in horror as the metal and wood shattered under its weight. The booming crash shook her body, even from her position yards away. Her heart beat erratically as her breath caught in her throat. Finally, she watched as two figures emerged from the dust. They were moving with a frantic urgency on the platform, tossing heavy items and working to lift a heavy beam. She spotted Tyler’s silhouette immediately. Both men were completely covered in dust and grime. Tyler yelled something to the men nearby. Several rushed forward to help as another plume of smoke and dust enveloped them. She held her breath, waiting. It must have taken only a few minutes, but to her, it felt like hours before the men descended the stairs. Half a dozen men stood around talking at the base of the stairs, as Tyler motioned around as he gave directions. She could hear the sirens getting closer from a distance and figured it was safe to get out of the

truck when the ambulance drove right up to the stairs. Tyler talked to the EMTs, directing them up onto the platform. When they disappeared into the rubble, Tyler moved down the stairs toward her. She tried to hold in her emotions, but she was so thankful to see that he was unhurt. “What happened?” she asked as she stopped next to him. Tyler glanced over at her, then he took her arm and pulled her a few feet away. “The drilling rig elevator exploded,” he said, still walking toward the truck. He didn’t stop until she was standing back where she’d been a moment earlier. “We lost a section of the drill.” His voice was strained, and he sounded off, dazed. “Is everyone alright?” Her eyes moved back to the crowd of men. His eyes turned back to her and she could see anger and frustration fighting with sadness. “I’m going to need to deal with things here. I’ll call Rea and have her come get you.” “I can drive back myself,” she said, making sure she sounded confident. She didn’t want to be in the way, and she couldn’t help. “Tyler, was someone hurt?” He sighed and took out a handkerchief from his back pocket, wiping his face as his gaze returned to the rig. “There’s a worker—Glenn—he’s trapped.” “I’m sorry, Tyler, how can . . .” she started to

ask what she could do, but he shook his head. Tyler looked toward the truck and sighed. “Are you sure you can make it back okay?” He was still trying in vain to remove the grime from his face. Only his eyes and lips were visible through the thick layer of dust and grit. She nodded, not letting her nerves show. “Okay.” He leaned down to plant a kiss firmly on her lips. “Take it slow.” He turned and walked back toward his men, who were standing around, shaking their heads. She climbed up into the driver’s seat of the truck and turned the keys. She’d gotten used to the loud rumble of the motor and the feel of it underneath her. She put the truck in reverse and lightly tapped on the gas, sending the truck slowly backward until she could turn the wheel and put it in drive. It probably took her twice the time to reach the trailer as it had taken John to drive out there. She’d been so afraid of getting stuck in the mud that she’d pulled off several times and sat as she tried to think her way out of the situation. However, after several sketchy spots, she realized how useful the big tires really were. Still, when she drove up, Rea was on the stairs and on her cell phone. Kristen could see that the woman had been crying. “You made it okay?” she asked after tucking

her phone in her pocket. “Yes, was that Tyler?” Kristen asked. “He was worried about you,” Rea said, taking her shoulders and walking her into the trailer. “How’s it going? Were they able to free the man who was trapped?” “Yes. They pulled Glenn out and he’s on his way to the hospital.” Rea broke into more tears and wiped them with a tissue she had tucked in her hand. “He’s only worked for us for a few months, but still.” She sniffled. “I can’t imagine what went wrong. We’ve always prided ourselves on our safety record. We’ve never had something like this happen before. Never.” She sniffled again and Kristen pulled her back into the warmth of the building so they could both wait for Tyler to bring more news.

This kind of situation was exactly why he didn’t want Kristen on the dig site. He looked around at the destruction and thought of what could have happened had she been standing on the platform when the rig elevator had blown. Other companies had lost men in similar accidents. He felt his entire body shake with the thought. Glenn had been trapped under several of the pipes. The man’s leg had been broken, that much was clear. But he couldn’t tell what else might be

wrong, and he worried about more bad news coming from the hospital. As John drove him back into town, for the first time in a long time, Tyler was completely worn out. Physically and mentally. He wanted John to drop him off at his place so he could have a hot shower and fall flat on his bed and clock out, but he knew there was still a lot to do. He called the hospital but hadn’t been given any new information on Glenn. He was told that if there were any changes, they would call him. When he walked into the trailer, Rea wasn’t at her desk. Glancing down, then wiping the dust from his watch, he realized it was lunchtime. Heading back to his office, he came to a complete halt just inside his office door. The last thing he expected to see was Kristen, holding what looked to be a meeting in his office, with an older man in a suit that, no doubt, cost more than he cared to imagine. The duo turned and looked at him. Kristen looked tired and he could read frustration in her body language. The man, on the other hand, looked pissed but completely under control. “Your boss isn’t in right now,” the man said dismissively, turning back to Kristen. Since he was in such a foul mood, it shocked him that he had to hold in a chuckle. He walked over to drop into one of the chairs across from

Kristen, who happened to be sitting in his at the moment. “Mr. Burnett,” Kristen started, but one look from him and she shut her mouth quickly. “This is a private conversation.” Charles Burnett, Kristen’s boss, leveled a steady gaze at Tyler, crossing his arms over his chest and letting his annoyance show. The man was younger than Tyler expected, somewhere just shy of fifty. Good-looking enough that he wondered if there had ever been something between Kristen and her boss. Still, he sat back and watched the show, since he was too tired to argue. “Do you have business with the McGowans?” he asked. “I’m here to talk to my employee.” Mr. Burnett nodded toward Kristen. “Then why are you in the boss’s office?” Tyler asked. “We were just—” Kristen started, but again, Charles cut her off. “I don’t think your boss will mind if we used his office for a little chat. I’ve just arrived in town and need some privacy with my employee. You can wait out in the hall.” The pompous man stood and gestured to the door. “Enough!” Kristen jumped up from his chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “Charles

Burnett, this is Tyler McGowan. Tyler, my boss, Charles Burnett. Now, I’m going into town to grab some lunch while you two men play your stupid games.” She slammed his chair back and walked past the two men. He couldn’t hold in a laugh when she slammed his office door, sending several pictures to the floor. Thankfully, he’d never had the glass replaced in any of them so they hit the floor with a dull thud. Tyler’s gaze returned to Charles Burnett and he saw recognition and frustration surface on the other man’s face. Without saying a word, Tyler rose, picked up the pictures, and took his time hanging them back where they belonged. Then he walked behind his desk and sat down. “Now, maybe you’d be so kind as to tell me what you’re doing in my office?” Putting up his confident veneer again, Burnett said, “Like I said, I just arrived in town and Kristen was catching me up on where we stood.” “We stand in the same place we did before. We are not interested in selling McGowan Enterprises.” Mr. Burnett looked him over silently. Tyler knew what he looked like. He was a mess. Besides wearing worn jeans, his thick denim jacket, and his trusty boots, he was also covered in at least half an inch of dirt, oil, grime, and blood. His hair was probably standing straight up since he’d run his hands through it multiple times since the blowout.

“I’m in town to help convince you otherwise,” Mr. Burnett said smoothly. “And you think I was impressed with that little display? Showing me how you would treat my employees?” The man looked like he was debating what to say. “Mr. McGowan, I apologize for my behavior. I hope we can start over. I think you can understand why I didn’t recognize you.” “Why is JB interested in my business?” He figured asking the question face-to-face was his best bet for getting an answer. Mr. Burnett motioned to the chair. Tyler nodded and waited until the man settled across from him. “JB Holding acquires many different kinds of businesses. McGowan Enterprises has shown a great profit in the past few months. We’ve noticed that you’ve acquired one of your competitors since taking over the business. We’d like to take your company under our wing and continue with that growth.” Tyler had heard the standard bullshit so many times already. “Why don’t you give me an answer that you don’t read from a cue card? Why are you so adamant on buying us out?” The other man leaned back slightly and Tyler realized there was nothing he could do to get a straight answer from him.

“Like I said, we believe we can take your business to the next level.” Tyler stood, tired of the game. Kristen’s boss followed him. “Until I get a straight answer from you, my answer will continue to be a resounding no. It will be a no after too, but until I hear some truth from you, I’m not going to be wasting any more time on JB’s offers.” He walked over to his office door and opened it. “I’m sorry you came all the way to Montana for nothing. I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy its beauty while you’re here.” That seemed to get a rise out of the man. “I’m only here for two nights. Then we’ll be heading back to Manhattan.” He moved past him. “Until then, I’ve left the latest proposal on your desk.” The man reached out his hand for Tyler’s. Tyler hesitated for a moment, then shook it and shut the door behind him.

CHAPTER NINETEEN Kristen stood outside in the crisp air, hoping it would cool her temper some. It didn’t. By the time Mr. Burnett walked out, she was ready to give her notice. First, he’d shown up unannounced. Then he’d treated Tyler like he was . . . Her anger deflated when she realized Mr. Burnett had treated Tyler the same way she had when she’d met him at the airport. How had so much changed in such a short time? Mr. Burnett walked out and took her arm. “Come on, let’s go find someplace decent to eat lunch and talk.” She followed him for a few steps, then realized there was a new BMW sitting in the gravel parking lot. “You rented a car?” she asked. “I flew into Helena this morning. The first charter flight I could get here was next week.” He rolled his eyes as he opened her door for her. When she slid into the leather seats, she looked up and saw Tyler watching them from his office window. Her heart sank a little.

If Mr. Burnett was in town, she would have to put the brakes on her trysts with Tyler. She glanced over as he got behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot, spitting up gravel as he went. She doubted she’d get a moment alone with Tyler again, now that her boss was here. Would she get a chance to say good-bye to him? She kept her eyes glued out the window to hide her feelings from Mr. Burnett. How could she have known that she’d feel so much so quickly? Her mind played over every option as he drove into the small town. “Is there any place to eat around here?” he asked once they reached the outskirts of town. “The Dancing Moose. It’s up here on the right.” She pointed. The place was packed when they drove up. “This is decent?” Mr. Burnett asked. She sighed and nodded. “Unless you want to eat and try to hold a meeting at a strip club.” He parked the car and then turned and looked at her. “You’re joking?” She shook her head and got out of the car, not waiting for him to help her out. She’d gone to lunch several times with her boss before. Most of them had been pleasant enough, but one thing had been made clear: they had nothing in common to talk about other than work. There were no empty tables, and the place was

abuzz with locals talking about the accident at the dig site. Mr. Burnett complained about the wait, but it wasn’t too long until a spot opened up. They waited as the waitress wiped down the table. Mr. Burnett looked even more annoyed when the woman handed him a menu. Kristen knew that the pages were sticky and there wasn’t anything really healthy to eat. It was well known around the office that Charles Burnett was a fitness fanatic. She ordered her usual, the turkey sandwich on rye and a side salad. Mr. Burnett ordered a salad and the pea soup. “So.” He leaned forward. “Bring me up to speed.” She sighed. “There’s nothing really to tell. I went to one of the dig sites today—” He waved his hand, cutting her off. “I left the new offer with Tyler McGowan.” She shook her head. “To be honest, I’m not sure he’ll even look at it.” His eyes narrowed. “What have you been doing up here? Besides sending me reports of the McGowans full of fluff.” All of a sudden, her mind flashed to how she’d spent last night and she felt her face heat. She was thankful that their waitress walked by and refilled her water glass at that moment. “There wasn’t a lot I could do. Every time I bring up the offer, they shut me down. I’ve told

you, they’re not interested in selling until they know what JB plans to do with the company.” She fidgeted with her hands under the table. He looked like he was thinking. “What about the mother? We can use her as a pressure point. You must have found out something more on this family. From what you’ve sent me, they’re . . . boring. They don’t take risks financially, have no big loans, pay their employees on time.” He sighed and leaned back as if he was trying to sift through the facts she’d passed along. “What about personal lives? There has to be something there we can . . .” His eyes moved away from hers. “Something that can give us more insight.” “No,” she said, a bit too loud. When his eyebrows rose she shook her head. “I mean, the brothers respect their mother’s opinion, but they’re the ones in charge. As far as personal lives, I don’t know much. I thought you wanted me to . . .” “I wanted you to dig deep. If I remember, those were my exact words.” He frowned over at her. “What do their personal lives have to do with business?” she asked. Mr. Burnett shook his head slowly. “What about these protesters?” “Like I’ve said, they haven’t made much of a noise.” “And the break-in at the hotel?” he asked, changing tacks.

“The police are investigating, but they’ve released the suspect . . .” Her voice trailed off as she realized that if Tyler was right, if Brian had ransacked her room because of her closeness to Tyler, she couldn’t let her boss know. Once again, she was thankful that the waitress showed up with their salads. She leaned back as their salads were delivered. He waited for her to finish. She shook her head, unsure what to say. “It was nothing. Just a break-in,” she lied. He sighed. “Too bad we can’t convince the protesters to make a little more noise. Especially given the new incident.” “Why would we?” She set her fork down, not liking where this conversation was going. “You’re not thinking of forcing the issue, are you?” His eyes moved to hers. “We’ve been given the task to get the McGowans to sell at any cost,” he said quietly. She felt a shiver run down her back. “By who?” He leaned back. “Let me worry about the logistics. You just do your best to convince them to sell.” “I have been doing my best.” “Really? Because I would think that after two and a half weeks, you’d have one of the brothers eating out of your hands.” His voice was low, his expression nasty. “At least you’d have more

information about their personal lives that could be of some benefit.” She felt her skin crawl as she looked up at him. Just then, someone coughed lightly at the end of their table. “I thought that was you,” Trent said, smiling down at her. “Who’s this?” He turned to her boss, his hand out. She wondered if the lunch could get any worse. “Trent, this is my boss. Charles Burnett, Trent McGowan.” The men shook hands. “You’re the man trying to buy us out?” Mr. Burnett nodded and Trent laughed as he sat in the seat next to hers. “Too bad for you. Making a trip all the way out here from the city for nothing. Of course, when you leave, if you want to leave Kristen here, we’ll be more than happy to have her for ourselves.” She knew Trent meant it as a joke, but still, she watched Mr. Burnett’s eyebrows shoot up as if he were sprouting a new plan. “Well, if it’ll make a difference,” Mr. Burnett said, earning another laugh from Trent. “Nothing can make us sell.” His smile dropped slightly. Then he turned to her. “Heard you were out at the drill site when the elevator blew.” “Yes,” she nodded. “I was impressed at how everyone handled themselves,” she added. “You’ve got to be careful. A dig site can be

very dangerous,” Trent said. “So I saw this morning,” she said. Trent stood as the waitress delivered her sandwich and Mr. Burnett’s soup. “I’ll let you get back to your lunch.” He nodded toward her boss, then laid a hand gently on her shoulder and squeezed. She knew he was trying to tell her good-bye, which hurt almost as much as the thought of not seeing Tyler again. Not saying good-bye to him. Not having him in her life. “What about that brother? Trent,” Mr. Burnett said, watching Trent walk over and lean against the counter to pay. “What about him?” she asked, her eyes following his. “What can you tell me about his personal life?” She almost laughed, but then shook her head. “Not much. As far as I know, none of the brothers have much of a personal life at the moment. They’re focused on keeping their father’s legacy alive.” That thought made her very proud to know the family. They were so unlike anyone she’d ever done business with before. Most people had a price tag. The McGowans didn’t. Suddenly, she wasn’t very hungry.

Tyler stewed in his office. He didn’t know how long he stood there, at the window, watching the empty parking lot. He listened to his messages and his frustration grew. Someone had put sugar in the tractor’s gas tank. Which, according to the mechanic, would cost almost a thousand dollars to clean up. He left a message for Rea to call their insurance company and file a claim on the tractor and let them know ahead of time about the incident today. Of course, he’d need to file a police report on the damage to the tractor. Which meant making another trip down to the station. He wanted to talk to them about Brian anyway. Maybe see if he could get a copy of the report Brian had supposedly filed about the stolen snuff box. It just seemed too convenient. He drove down to the small hospital and waited with Rea, his mother, Glenn’s family, and with some of the other employees to hear something about Glenn. They had taken him into surgery to try and save his leg—the damage was much more than a simple break. After about an hour, Tyler knew he needed to get back to the office. He bought a round of coffee for his men and asked them to call as soon as Glenn was out of surgery. When he walked out of the hospital, he was greeted by a small but loud group of protesters. They waved signs and shouted at him as he made his way to his truck. Obviously, the news of the

accident had spread quickly through town. By the time he drove across town, his head was splitting. He swung by the station and filed the report on the tractor, then stood around while Mike made a photocopy of the report in which Brian claimed that his car had been broken into and the list of items that had been stolen. Including the silver snuff box. In a foul mood when he got back to the trailer, he honked at the more than two dozen protesters who now blocked the road. He slowly made his way through people shouting at him while holding signs saying how dangerous oil drilling was. Some shouted that the accident was all his fault and he should be ashamed. There were even news vans parked just outside the gated parking lot on the public road. When he finally parked, he noticed Rea’s car was still in the lot. She’d had a big bouquet of flowers for Glenn delivered to the hospital; he’d seen them arrive with the company logo on the card. She was always thinking of things like that. One of the main reasons he—and his father before him—made sure she was happy with the job. He’d taken Kristen’s advice and had ordered Rea a new office chair for the trailer, and he was having a local company piece together two new computer systems for her. One for their downtown office and one for the trailer.

Walking into the trailer, ignoring the shouts from the street, he gave her an update on Glenn, then went and sat behind his desk and stared at his blank computer screen until his brother walked in. “You need a shower,” Trent said, sitting down across from him. “Fuck off,” he growled. Trent’s eyebrows shot up in question. “We’re not playing very nice.” “Fuck off,” he said again. He didn’t care if he was in a sour mood. Hell, he didn’t give a shit about much at this point. “I stopped by the hospital.” Tyler’s pulse sped up, anticipating bad news. “No change since you were there. Trey is hanging out until Glenn’s out of surgery.” He sighed and ran his hands through his dirty hair. “This shouldn’t have happened.” “What exactly did happen?” “Damn if I know. I heard a pop, then the whole thing exploded.” He remembered the sounds. Remembered how concerned he’d been for Kristen once he realized she’d been standing up there a few minutes before. “Is this sour mood because of the accident, the protesters, or because Kristen’s boss is in town?” He was about to tell his brother to fuck off again, but Trent held up his hand. “Yeah, I know . . . Fuck off.” Trent sighed. “I’ll

have the guys look into what happened.” “Get someone out there ASAP.” He flipped on his computer. “Damned if I’ll let something like this happen again.” “We’ve never had anything like this before,” Trent added. “Could it be a worker issue?” “There’s always a chance of employee error.” He rolled his shoulders. “Whatever the case, I want to know as quick as possible. Until then, no one touches a thing out there.” “I’ll put security on the site. And I’ll add more here since it looks like this crowd is going to be camping out.” Trent nodded toward the window and the protesters, then typed a few things into his phone. “I ran into Kristen at the diner.” Tyler was about to tell him where to stick his smirk but stopped himself. “You’ve got it bad, bro. You’d better not waste too much more time. Who knows how long she’ll be in town now.” Tyler leaned his head back and shut his eyes. “Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to do?” “Tell her how you feel,” Trent said. Tyler laughed. “Yeah, right.” “Why not? What have you got to lose?” Everything, he thought, but he kept his mouth shut. Just then Rea knocked on his door. “Any word from the hospital?”

Tyler shook his head. “No.” He sighed. “Do you have a moment? I was hoping to speak to you about those invoices.” He waved her in and she sat next to Trent, who started to get up, but she put her hand on his arm. “Stay, this involves you too.” “What’s going on?” Trent asked. “While Kristen was looking over our books, looking for a reason JB was so interested in us, she found some invoices from NewField that haven’t been paid yet. Normally, I would hold onto the invoices for a ninety-day grace period. You know, keep sending them as late notices.” Tyler nodded in agreement. “That was your father’s standard practice, but these . . .” She opened her folder. “Kristen found these that had been marked paid, but when we tried to match them to our accounts, we don’t show payment was ever made.” “How is that possible?” Tyler asked, looking over the stack of invoices Rea handed him. “I don’t know. The accounting firm we work with sends me reports weekly so I can match payments with invoices. So, I looked further into this and it appears that several of the larger payments from NewField associated with these invoices were rejected or there was a charge-back. Now, our bank normally would have notified us, but I guess since your father passed . . .” Tyler groaned. “I’ve had a few messages from

the bank. I didn’t think anything about it because I checked the balance and we were okay.” The room was silent for a moment while Tyler looked through everything. “What’s the total?” “At this point, their payments are behind in the mid tens of thousands. But if we keep doing business with them, it won’t take long for them to sink us,” Rea said. “Damn.” Tyler slammed down the folder. “Have you called them?” Rea nodded. “I was told that they would be sending us a check.” “But?” Tyler asked. “We haven’t received anything.” “I’ll call them.” Tyler reached for the phone and wondered if the day could get any worse.

By the time he parked in front of the Wet Spot, he was in an even fouler mood. As he made his way toward the front of the building, he spotted Darla out front with a redheaded woman whose name he could never remember. He wished there was a different entrance to his place, then thought about moving out to his land and pitching a tent. Anything would be better than being accosted daily. Why did they allow the girls to stand out front and smoke so close to the door? Wasn’t there some law against it? “Hey there, Tyler. It looks like you’ve had a

hard day,” Darla purred as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him in place. She knew he was too much of a gentleman to push her away. “Why don’t you come on inside? I’ll give you that dance I owe you.” She didn’t owe him anything. He figured it was her way of getting her hands back on him and crawling back in his bed. That thought caused his skin to crawl. Not that she wasn’t attractive, but he’d found that his taste in women had changed over the past few weeks to something with a lot more class. “Can’t tonight.” He started prying her hands away from him, then heard a car door slam and looked over to see Kristen marching toward them. “Tyler, I need to talk to you,” she said, her eyes heating as she looked Darla up and down. Guilt shot through him and he dropped his hands from Darla’s arms, which she took as an opportunity to wrap herself further around him like a snake. “Do you mind?” Kristen took a step closer. “We have business to discuss.” “I bet you do,” Darla’s redheaded friend said under her breath, causing Kristen to glare at her. “What?” The redhead shrugged. “Everyone in town knows what kind of business you two have been doing since she came into town.” Darla snickered and tightened her hold on Tyler,

almost choking him. Stepping back and reaching up, he eased her arms from his neck. Then without saying anything, he walked over to the door and opened it for Kristen. He followed her up the dark stairs and she waited silently as he unlocked his apartment door. Then stood back and watched her walk in and move to the windows. He was thankful his place overlooked the back of the building. Not only did he have a nice view of the mountains during the day, but he didn’t have to look down at the front of the building and the people that came and went at the Spot. “Would you mind if I jumped through a shower?” he asked. She shrugged her shoulders and he started toward the bathroom, but then turned on him. “We’re leaving tomorrow.” “What?” That stopped him. “Tomorrow?” He felt his heart kick in his chest. She nodded. “I thought you ought to know.” “Why so soon?” he asked after he found his voice again. “Mr. Burnett says he doesn’t want to waste any more time here. I think he found the accommodations at the hotel a little . . . unpleasant. Soon after checking in, he let me know that we’d be heading to Helena to fly out as soon as possible.” She sighed and met his eyes. “Before

checking into the hotel, he received a call.” Her gaze moved away from his face to her feet. “He seemed very upset and tried to catch a flight tonight, but nothing was available.” She looked back up at him. “Whatever the call was, the result was the decision to pull both of us out of Montana as quickly as possible.” Tyler was rooted in the spot. He didn’t know what to say. His brother’s words flashed in his mind over and over—tell her how you feel—but somehow, he couldn’t get his tongue to move. Then she moved across the room and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I thought we’d have more time together,” she said softly. “Me too.” His hands went up to her hips. “I’d hoped . . . things would be different.” He dipped down and covered her lips with his. The kiss spoke everything he couldn’t. When he pulled back, he noticed that he’d left a smudge of dirt on her cheek. “I need a shower.” He dropped his hands. “Let me shower.” She smiled, but there was a sadness in it. “I could use one too.” He took her hand and tugged her into the bathroom, their clothes ending up in a pile on the tile floor. The water was too cold to begin with, but as it ran hot the shower doors fogged up with the steam and the heat of their bodies. He took her against the shower wall, holding

her body tightly against his own. He didn’t ever want to lose that moment. He tried to hold onto the feeling of being so close, to keep the memory forever. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her gently on his bed. Then spent his time drying her wet skin with a towel. When she responded again to his touch, he did what he could to please them both. His fingers and mouth roamed over every soft spot, every beautiful curve she had. Then he slid into her and realized that she was everything he’d ever wanted. Everything he’d ever dreamed of. How was he supposed to let her go? Where would he find the strength to tell her how he felt?

CHAPTER TWENTY Kristen stood at the baggage claim and waited for her luggage. Mr. Burnett had only had a carry-on and had left her almost half an hour earlier. As the luggage circled in front of her, she thought about Tyler. She’d crawled out of his bed early yesterday morning and crept around, pulling on her clothes in the dark. She’d left him without even writing a note or saying good-bye. It hurt too much. She hadn’t trusted herself to let go. But she knew she had to. Her life was here, she thought as she looked around the busy airport. The city was where she’d only ever felt like she belonged. Up until a small town in Montana had melted her heart. She shook that thought from her mind and reached down to grab her luggage. Instead of hiring a mover, she stacked the two cases and pulled them through the airport herself. By the time she reached the curb in front of the taxi stations, she was winded. It took her no time at all to get through the line

for a cab, and as the older man put her luggage in the truck, he rattled off questions. “Is this your first time in the city?” he asked. “No, I live here,” she said absently. She watched a shocked look cross the man’s face, then his eyes moved down to her clothes. Everything about her screamed tourist, down to her mudcovered boots. She’d taken one of Tyler’s button-up shirts while dressing in the dark, and wore it now. She looked like a mountain woman and realized she didn’t care. By the time she let herself into her apartment, she was too tired to even unpack. She dropped the bags just inside the door and looked around her space. One entire wall was windows. The large room consisted of living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one. The one bedroom and bathroom were just through the French-style doors. It was small, but it was all hers, down to the Surya Milan rugs. It had taken her years to get the place just right. She’d picked out every single piece in it like she’d picked out her wardrobe. Seeing it now, after time away, she recognized that it was as much of a showpiece as she was for JB. She walked over and stood, looking out the window. She was only on the fourth floor, so the

view wasn’t that great, but still, if she craned her neck just right, she could see the park a few blocks away. The place felt hollow. She hated it. Turning away, she tugged off her boots and tossed them in the closet, then moved into her bedroom, threw herself on her bed, and cried. When she woke several hours later, her phone was ringing in the other room. She raced, halfawake, and stumbled in the dark to find it. Scattering the contents of her purse, she answered without looking at the screen. “So, are you back?” Her mother’s voice woke her further. “Yes, I’m sorry, I fell asleep and forgot to call you.” “I suspected as much. I’m just happy you’re home.” She started to say me too, but stopped herself. She wasn’t happy to be home. She’d left something very important in Montana and wondered how long it would take to replace it. If she could. “Are you okay?” her mom asked. “Yeah, I’m just tired.” “I’m a few blocks away. I can pick up some takeout and be there if you want.” Her stomach growled loudly and she sighed. Maybe having company was just what she needed.

“I’m going to hop in the shower, use your key.” “See you in a few.” After hanging up, Kristen tugged both suitcases into her room and left them unopened in her massive walk-in closet. The closet had been the reason she’d purchased the apartment in the first place. It was easily as large as her bedroom and filled with all the wonderful gadgets any woman would swoon over. Since she’d taken her time buying her wardrobe, and since many of her carefully chosen pieces had been destroyed and left behind in Montana, the massive space appeared empty. Tossing off her clothes, she climbed into her glass shower and sat down on the tile seat as the hot water soothed away her sorrow. When she finally climbed out, she heard her mother moving around in her living room and quickly pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, then doubled back and pulled on Tyler’s button-up over that. Its sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and smelled so much like him, she buried her head into the soft cotton and inhaled a few times. The second she stepped out into her living room, her mother set her plate down, moved across the floor, and enclosed her in her arms. “What’s wrong?” she asked, holding her close. Kristen hadn’t meant to cry. Really. But

between sobs, she got out as much as she could. “I think I screwed up,” she said. “I left him without telling him anything.” “Sweetie.” Her mother stepped back and brushed a strand of her wet hair away from her face. “If he let you go, then he’s an idiot.” She chuckled between the tears. “No, I’m the idiot.” She shook her head as her mother led her to the sofa. “I didn’t tell him how I felt.” “How do you feel?” Her mother patted her knee. “I love him, Mom,” she admitted and suddenly, her heart felt so much lighter. More importantly, at that moment, she knew exactly what she had to do.

Tyler had been in a foul mood for weeks. He spent most of his time at work yelling at his brothers or their crew. The protesters had backed off slightly when Glenn had been discharged from the hospital. Glenn had gone on camera and assured everyone that the accident wasn’t McGowan’s fault and that he was being very well taken care of by the company. Tyler had been even more impressed by Trent’s PR skills since he’d shared with the head of the protesters that they were looking into the safety of all of their sites.

Still, a small group of protesters sat out front of the trailer most days. When Tyler clocked out of work, he busied himself with his own private plans. The weekend after Kristen had left, he’d moved out of the apartment above the Wet Spot. Darla had become too much of a nuisance, and he found he didn’t like the noise anymore. So he’d rented a used trailer and moved it out to his land. It had taken two days on the tractor to clear a driveway and a spot to park the damn thing, then three more days to have the water and power hooked up. He’d had to go with digging a well, which had cost more than he’d expected. Hell, he had the equipment to do it himself, but because of permits and codes, went with the local company instead. They had even built a little well house around his new pump and filter. He’d chosen the spot for his house and had spent one Saturday morning with his brothers clearing the land and setting up the stakes. He’d looked at house plans but still couldn’t narrow them down to the one he wanted, which meant progress was stalled. Still, if he made a decision soon and then worked his butt off, he could have the place built by next winter. Staying busy had kept his mind off Kristen and how’d she’d left him without even a good-bye kiss. It had hurt.

It still hurt. Charles Burnett at JB had made several attempts to reach him. Tyler ignored all the calls, since none of them were from Kristen. He’d hired a few new staff, including a site foreman, so he could move back into the old brick building in downtown Haven. He now sat in his father’s large office, overlooking the small park across from the city building. He was getting concerned about McGowan Enterprises’ business with NewField. The invoices had still gone unpaid and when Rea contacted their corporate offices, they claimed they were looking into the issue. As it stood, he’d placed a hold on any future work with them. Trent had taken on the task of figuring out how to work around them for future projects. He was pretty sure that Dennis had been behind all the gossip that had brought the protesters in the first place, but he couldn’t prove anything. The man had been absent of late. He’d caught a few glimpses of him at the diner, but Dennis made excuses and hightailed it out of there whenever Tyler tried to start a conversation. Between the business and building, Tyler had been too busy to dwell on the pain and loneliness of Kristen leaving. Or so he thought. It was almost three weeks after she’d left that he glanced down at his cell phone and did a double

take when he saw Kristen’s name on his screen. He thought about sending it to voice mail but didn’t want to be too obvious. “McGowan.” He answered as he walked over and shut his office door. “Hello, Tyler.” Just hearing her voice sent his body into overdrive. “Hi.” He had to swallow before he could say her name. “Kristen. Did you make it back to the city okay?” “Yes.” She sounded a little sad. “I’m sorry I left things . . . up in the air.” He closed his eyes and listened to her breathing. “I wanted to call you . . . to tell you that I’m heading out there again.” “We still won’t sell the business,” he said gruffly. “My visit isn’t really about the business, not this time,” she whispered. “Why are you coming, then?” “I can’t go over this on the phone. I should be there tomorrow morning,” she said quickly, and he could hear someone else in the room with her. “I’ll pick you up myself.” “Good, I’ll see you then.” She added softly in a sexy tone, “Tyler, we need to talk. I’m looking forward to seeing you.” “We will,” he promised before hanging up. He felt like dancing, but instead, fist pumped

the air and twirled around in his chair. When the chair stopped, he realized that his brother Trent had entered his office. “Playing boss?” Trent joked. “Kristen’s coming back tomorrow,” he blurted out like a damn school kid. “That’s good news.” Trent smiled and sat down. “Why is she coming?” His smile fell away. “She didn’t say.” “Does JB have another offer we can shoot down?” “No, actually, she said it wasn’t about business.” “Then what?” Trent asked. His smile spread as Trent chuckled. He couldn’t concentrate the rest of the day and decided to clock off early and get some more work done on his place. He made progress on clearing some big rocks and trees that didn’t want to be knocked down easily. When he climbed into bed that night, every muscle in his body hurt, but his mind kept running over the excitement of seeing Kristen tomorrow. He arrived at the airport early and sat in his truck watching the clear sky. The plane was almost half an hour late. Which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but had him concerned nonetheless. When he spotted the plane coming in, he climbed out of the truck and made his way across

the field. He couldn’t explain his nerves. He tried to hide it, but the second she stepped out of the aircraft, he felt his hands shake with wanting to touch her again. She was back in one of those sexy outfits she’d brought with her the first time. The cream-colored skirt was pencil thin with a slit that started at her knee and went up a few inches. The heels matched and looked expensive. He wondered how she could walk in such high spikes, let alone move with a sway that made his mouth water. She wore a tailored jacket and blouse, with gold at her ears and around her neck and wrists. She looked like she belonged in the city, far away from here. But then he remembered how appealing she was in a flannel shirt, worn jeans, and mud boots. His eyes narrowed when he noticed who was with her. The man guided her with a hand at the small of her back as they walked toward him. Instantly, Tyler’s guard went up. By the time they reached him, he had control of himself. Charles Burnett reached his hand out for a handshake. Since Tyler couldn’t think of any reasons not to, he took the man’s hand. “We didn’t think you’d be out here again, Mr. Burnett,” he said. “Well, sometimes the situation calls for a more . . . diplomatic stance.”

“Oh?” Tyler’s eyes moved to Kristen’s. Then he noticed how pale she was. Her green eyes stood out even more now that her skin was almost as white as freshly fallen snow. Reaching down, he took her bag from her and started walking toward the car, thankful he decided against bringing the truck with its back seat full of tools. When he’d tossed her bag into the trunk, he stood back so Mr. Burnett could put his small case in. Then they all climbed into the car, Kristen sitting in the front with him. “Why don’t you tell me what this is all about?” he said, before turning on the engine. His eyes met Mr. Burnett’s in the rearview mirror. “I think this is something we should discuss in front of every member of McGowan Enterprises.” Tyler’s eyebrows shot up in question. When he glanced over at Kristen, she avoided his eyes but dipped her chin in a slight nod. “Fine, I’ll have my brothers meet us at the office.” “Tyler?” It was the first time Kristen had spoken since getting off the plane. “You might call your mother and have her come down as well.” “My . . .” He could see he wasn’t going to get any more information from her. Instead of arguing, he nodded and punched his office number so he could have Rea call everyone into the downtown

office. Then he backed out of the dirt lot at the airport and drove into town. They rode in silence aside from the few quiet sighs Kristen let out as she looked out the window. When they reached the outskirts of town, she finally spoke again. “Everything is so green now.” He nodded in agreement. Of course, the change had been so gradual over the past few weeks that he hadn’t really noticed. Now, however, he glanced around and realized spring was in full bloom. Sure, they would probably get one or two more snow days, but even the flowers were beginning to peek out. When he parked at the old building downtown his father and uncle had originally purchased to run their business, Kristen glanced over at him. “You’re not in the trailer anymore?” “No, I hired an onsite rig manager last week.” He raced around to open her door, but her boss had already opened it for her. They walked into the building just as his mother drove up. “Kristen.” His mother embraced her in a warm welcome hug, the kind his mother gave to all her closest friends. “We’ve missed you.” His mother took Kristen’s arm and started walking past the large waiting area and back toward his conference room, chatting with her the entire way, leaving him and Mr. Burnett to follow them.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Mr. Burnett said as they passed through the old building. Tyler’s father had remodeled the place shortly after buying it, restoring it to its historic beauty. Everything from its ornamented high plaster ceilings down to the original hardwood flooring. One wall, which ran the length of the entire building, was the original brick, giving a unique texture and warmth. He’d always loved the place. It was one of Haven’s true beauties, besides the city building, which sat directly across from the park. His brothers were already waiting for them in the conference room. When they noticed Mr. Burnett, their smiles for Kristen slightly fell away. By the time everyone sat down at the large table, the tension in the room had built to enormous proportions. When he took his seat, at the head of the table, Mr. Burnett cleared his throat and nodded to Kristen to proceed.

CHAPTER TWENTYONE Kristen stood slowly, her eyes moving around the beautiful conference room. She hadn’t seen these offices when she’d been in Haven the first time. She’d driven by the building, but since Tyler had been working out of the trailer, she’d never actually gone inside. She was more than impressed with the building. It was stunning. On the inside and out. Mr. Burnett cleared his throat again and she focused on the task at hand. Her stomach had been uneasy since the short flight from Billings to Haven, and when she saw Tyler again she knew it would be a while before it settled. “On behalf of JB Holding . . .” She swallowed deep and locked eyes with Tyler. “A subsidiary of DW Petroleum Industries, we would like to . . .” “No.” Tyler’s eyes narrowed at Mr. Burnett, then he turned to Kristen and she felt her heart kick in her chest and her stomach roll. “. . . to license your proprietary drilling

technology intellectual property for use by our companies and subsidiaries.” She finished as if she was in a trance. She’d practiced the words so many times on the trip out here. She wanted to convey the information Tyler and his family needed without tipping her boss off. Everyone in the room was silent as she counted every heartbeat pounding in her head. She knew this modified offer was JB’s last-ditch effort. They were resorting to a Hail Mary. Mr. Burnett was determined to get his hands on the McGowans’ technology. Something had changed in the office since the day he’d flown out to Montana. But since he wasn’t talking to her, she had no idea what it was. All she knew was that there was a renewed drive to sink their teeth into McGowan. And she had a feeling that licensing their technology was only the first step. “Our father’s drilling technology is not for sale or lease,” Tyler said as he stood. “Mr. McGowan.” Mr. Burnett rose as well. “I think you’ll find the license agreement to be more than lucrative.” “I don’t care if it includes the queen’s crown, we’re not selling anything.” Kristen glanced down at her hands so she could hide the smile from her boss. Of course, she’d known it was impossible. There was no way they would agree to the deal. Especially after she’d

found out who she’d really been working for all these years. That had taken some digging. DW Petroleum Industries had gone to great lengths to hide their stake in not only JB Holding but several other holding companies around the world. Oh sure, if you had access to tax documents you’d be able to get all the information in minutes, but it had taken her several trips to the clerk’s office and hours and hours of research to track it down. She doubted that even Mr. Burnett had known about DW Petroleum’s controlling interest in JB Holding until she’d mentioned it. The surprised look on his face when she’d told him had been genuine. The way she figured it, DW Petroleum had gone the easy route by offering to purchase McGowan Enterprises first, and when that didn’t work, they had regrouped around the strategy to offer to license Tyler’s father’s drilling technology. She guessed that it all must have been for the technology. All three of the sons had mentioned it. Not to mention Rea, John, and several other people she’d talked to who worked for McGowan. Kristen just hadn’t been open to seeing what was right in front of her. She desperately wished for a moment alone with the family but knew that her boss was

watching her like a hawk. Especially since he’d heard a rumor about her relationship with Tyler— she suspected that’s why he brought her back here in the first place, to push Tyler’s buttons. After almost half an hour of Mr. Burnett’s persuasion techniques falling on deaf ears, he conceded a temporary defeat. He gathered up his papers and ushered her out of the building with Tyler trailing behind. He drove them to the hotel, and she avoided meeting his eyes, staring out the window instead. “We’ll meet for lunch in an hour and walk over to the diner,” Mr. Burnett said after they’d checked in. He hadn’t waited for her to agree or reply. Instead, he walked into his room—the room she’d stayed in a few long weeks ago—and shut the door behind him. Her room was four doors down. She was happy to see that it was a much larger room this time. It was on the very end and had a full bath/shower combo instead of the small shower of the room before. She wondered if she could convince her boss that she wanted to fend for herself for dinner and somehow get over to see Tyler. No sooner had she shut her door than someone banged on it. When she opened her door, Tyler stepped around her and into the room. Her eyes locked with his and she realized that he looked very angry.

“Did you know?” he asked. “No,” she answered, knowing what he was asking. “I found out a few days ago.” “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” he asked. “I . . .” The truth was, she’d been afraid, avoiding her feelings. How could she tell him that just hearing his voice would have been too painful for her? Feeling defensive, she shot back, “Why didn’t you call me?” “You left without saying good-bye, Kristen.” He sighed. “What were we doing?” he asked, moving closer to her. “What did it mean?” He was close enough that she could see the rich depths of his brown eyes. She felt his breath on her face and for a moment, she wished she had the words to tell him everything she was feeling. Both of them jumped when a firm knock sounded on her door. She wanted to ignore it, but the knock came again and this time it sounded more urgent. She took the few steps to the door and opened it just enough to see who it was. Mr. Burnett stood on the other side, pinning her with an assessing gaze. After a moment, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and strode into the room. “Is this what it looks like?” “What does it look like?” Tyler said, crossing his arms over his chest and adding a smirk to his lips. Kristen closed her eyes and prayed that she still

had a job. At least until she could figure out her next move. “It looks like one of my employees has been compromised.” Tyler laughed, actually laughed out loud. “We can finish this conversation later, Kristen.” His eyes met hers. She swallowed the hurt and nodded, wanting to get them both out of her room as quickly as possible. She needed to think. Tyler moved to the door and turned back toward her and she saw a flash of something else behind his eyes. Something she hadn’t seen yet from him. Hurt.

He wasn’t surprised when he drove up to his place and saw his brothers’ trucks parked out front. Since he’d decided to work on his land, both Trent and Trey had devoted most of their free time to helping. The work day had gone downhill since the morning meeting and the incomplete conversation with Kristen at the hotel. He’d finally received the official report about the incident that had ruined the company’s safety record and left Glenn with a shattered tibia. The official ruling was sabotage. He spent part of the afternoon filing the necessary police and insurance claims. Then he’d ordered new security

cameras for all the sites, figuring he and his brothers could install them as soon as they arrived. He jumped out of the truck and walked over to where his brothers were clearing the space for his garage. “How’s it going?” he asked once they shut the tractor down. “Son of a bitch tree.” Trent nodded to the stump he’d been pulling out of the ground. “Want me to take over?” he asked. It was an argument between the three of them who got to drive the tractor. Since it was the easy part, whoever showed up first usually got the job. “Right,” Trent said dryly, then smiled at him. “I thought you’d be busy tonight. Seeing as Kristen is back in town.” Trent took a swig from his water bottle. “Right,” he replied, matching his brother’s dry tone. He walked over to where Trey was cutting wood into smaller chunks with the chainsaw. Trey cut the machine off and sat down. “Ready to start stacking?” he asked, nodding to the pile of wood he’d cut up so far. “How about you let me take over the chainsaw and you . . .” Trey’s laughter stopped him. “You know the rules. Last one here gets the shit job.” He nodded to the pile of rough cut wood. He’d work off his frustration by chopping and

stacking wood. They had been piling chopped wood near what would be the back door of his new house. He had already ordered a wood stove, so he could keep the place warm and still be able to cook if he lost power. His parents had a stove installed in the basement after one winter where they went almost a week without electricity. He removed his jacket and got to work on the downed tree. After a time he heard the tractor stop, and Trent joined him in stacking and chopping. Then Trey cut off the chainsaw but instead of joining in the labor, he started a fire in the makeshift fire pit they had built and handed out a few beers. They sat around the fire, drinking beer and talking about who could be behind the sabotage. The reports had found a few bolts on the elevator had been purposely loosened. The inspectors were shocked that there hadn’t been more damage, given the potential that such sabotage could have for disaster. The brothers struggled to contain their own shock and anger. Trent vowed to triple security, adding almost half a dozen new workers to his forces. They even considered running a few nightly drive-bys at active sites themselves. “It has to be Brian behind this,” Trent said, leaning back against a log. “I don’t know. We haven’t heard anything from

him since he was released. Maybe he’s left town for good this time.” Tyler shook his head and took another sip of his beer. “Doesn’t mean he’s not behind it.” “True.” He thought about it. “Remember when he trashed your bike?” Trey added. “How could I forget?” He took another sip of beer, trying not to remember how he felt as an eleven-year-old whose new birthday bike had been tossed off a roof. All because Katie Hill asked Tyler to the dance instead of Brian. “And it was more than just a bike.” He closed his eyes and remembered the shiny blue Haro. “I miss that bike.” “We all do.” Trent sighed. “I remember having to lug you around all that summer on the back of mine.” “I remember half the time it was me pedaling,” Tyler shot back. “Your memory must be going. After all, you are the oldest.” Trent laughed. When darkness fell, his brothers headed out and he headed toward his trailer. His mind wandered to what Kristen might be doing. Before reaching the door, his stomach growled and he decided that a shower and a drive into town for dinner wouldn’t hurt. And if he happened to drive by the hotel and see her light on, maybe he’d stop by again.

He had wondered how her conversation with her boss had gone after he’d left. The man was an ass, from what Tyler could tell. But then again, he was probably biased. And in any case, Tyler didn’t want to be the reason she lost her job. He desperately wanted to know what her answer would have been to his question. What had their time together meant to her? To him, it had meant everything. It was strange how he’d changed so much. Less than a year ago, he would have gladly enjoyed the sex and shut down any thoughts of relationships. Now, however, he knew that was no longer enough. He parked next to a patrol car and walked into the diner. The place was normally packed; however, tonight, there were only a few people in the dining room. He said his hellos to Mike and Tom as he walked by their table, then picked a booth near the back. He ordered a burger and clicked around on his cell phone while he waited for the food to arrive. When the diner door opened, he glanced up to see Brian walk in. The man caught sight of Tyler and for a moment, looked like he would bolt. Instead, he chose to sit at the table as far away from his as possible. Tyler didn’t rush through his dinner. When his plate was empty, his patience was rewarded as

Kristen entered, looked around, and, when she spotted him, headed his way. He’d ordered a slice of apple pie à la mode and after Kristen sat down, the waitress delivered it. “I’ll take one of those.” She smiled up at the woman. “And a cup of coffee, please.” “Sure thing, hon.” He waited until the woman disappeared before speaking. “All alone tonight?” he asked. “Tyler,” she sighed. “I’m sorry we were interrupted.” “Did you lose your job?” She frowned. “Of course not.” She leaned forward. “But Mr. Burnett isn’t pleased with how I’ve . . . handled things.” Her words stung. “So this was all just business to you?” “No,” she said quietly, and he thought he saw a sadness in her eyes. “Is that what it was to you?” “No.” He had barked it out and somehow the word echoed in the room. He leaned forward and whispered it again. “But what can we do?” she asked. “Why did you leave without saying good-bye?” This question seemed to set her back. The sadness in her eyes deepened and she bit her bottom lip. “Haven’t you avoided something hard before?”

she finally asked. He thought about it, then reached across the table and took her hand. “I’ve had to do a lot of hard things in life. Letting you go was by far the hardest one to date. But I would have preferred saying good-bye.”

CHAPTER TWENTYTWO Kristen’s heart skipped beats in her chest as she watched the hurt behind Tyler’s eyes. “That will never happen again,” she promised. He held her gaze for a moment, then broke contact as her dessert was delivered. “So, tell me about this new offer. What does it mean for you?” he asked. “Mr. Burnett brought me along on this trip because he believes I’ve built trust with your family. He’s clearly trying to use me as a means to an end. To be honest, I’m not sure how much longer I can work for a man like him.” She took a bite of her pie before continuing. “But this deal—I wanted to come back to present the offer because this means that you finally know who’s behind all the offers.” “DW Petroleum Industries. They own a stake in JB Holding?” he asked. “Yes, and now maybe you could . . .” He cut her off. “Kristen, I’ve always suspected

as much. I mean, DW pretty much runs the oil refinery industry in these parts. They’ve made some noise about adding another big pipeline that leads directly to their refinery.” “You knew . . .” Her words dropped off. “I thought . . .” “What?” He smiled over at her. “That it would make a difference? We won’t sell. No matter who makes the offer.” She shook her head. “No, I didn’t think you would. But I thought that you’d look at the offer to license out your father’s technology.” “When my father perfected his technique, he was offered several million for it. He turned them down then, and we’ll continue doing so now.” “Why?” She shook her head, not understanding. He glanced around and sighed. His eyes zoned in directly behind her. “Why don’t we go somewhere else? How about some fresh air?” She pushed her empty pie plate aside and nodded. “Sounds good.” He took her hand once they stepped out into the cool night air and walked with her to his truck. It felt so right as he helped her up into the cab. They drove for a while in silence, then he pulled down a long driveway and parked in front of a double-wide trailer. “Where are we?” she asked, looking around.

“My place.” He smiled. “It’s temporary until the house is done.” He helped her out of the truck. She glanced around, but it was too dark to see much. “This is the field we ate lunch in?” Nothing looked familiar. “Yeah, I had a drive put in on the side, instead of going through my mom’s place,” he added. “How about a walk around? I’ve got a fire pit over there.” He pointed a few feet away. She followed him through the short grass. She was thankful she’d changed into some jeans and the mud boots she’d bought the first time she’d been here. He rolled a log closer to the makeshift fire pit, and she sat down on the edge of it. Then she watched him lean down to build a fire. When the fire was going well, he rolled another log close to hers. She watched the flames for a while. “Do you know why DW Petroleum wants to get their hands on my father’s technology?” She glanced in his direction. “I would assume to use it. It’s safer and more efficient, right?” He sighed. “I thought that at first too.” He turned slightly until he met her gaze. “I looked over the new proposal.” “And?” she asked. “If I signed, they would have sole access to the

technology. Meaning we’d have to stop using it on our sites. I’d be forced to revert to the old ways of drilling or to sell out to DW eventually anyway. The agreement blocks all other licenses for the technology. They would have a monopoly.” “Don’t you have one now?” she asked. He nodded. “My father worked for years to come up with something that worked better, faster, safer, and cheaper. His intentions were honorable. When I was young, just after my father and uncle started the business, there was an accident.” He shifted and looked back into the fire. “They lost three crew in less than five minutes. My father swore he’d never let anything like that happen again. After years of working on creating a safer, better way, he found one. When he thought he’d perfected his new method, he made a deal with my uncle. After ten years of testing the method, he’d give away his technology for free. So the rest of the industry could adopt it and hopefully it would become standard.” He glanced at her. “For free?” she asked, shaking her head. “But . . . it’s worth . . .” “So much more than one person deserves. It can save so many lives. Once it’s proven itself.” She watched as the light from the fire flickered across his face. “DW Petroleum would destroy everything my family has worked hard for. I get the feeling they’re not interested in improving

technology industry wide. They’re worried about keeping their competitive edge.” “What makes you say that?” “DW Petroleum is one of the largest petroleum companies in the States. They’re known for using controversial methods and because of that, they’ve had some pretty big oil leaks.” He sighed. “There’s a reason my father didn’t trust them. I don’t know what it was, but something in my gut tells me to follow his lead in this.” “Are you going to follow your father’s wishes?” “Yes. My uncle has been doing everything he can to stop us, but we are all in agreement to go ahead with releasing the technology. We almost have everything ready.” “How much more time do you have before . . .” “Another year and we’ll be ready to go public,” he said. “Of course, the accident has us worried.” “Do you think your uncle . . .” She trailed off. “I don’t know what to think.” “What will you do now?” she asked after a moment. “Now . . .” He reached over, took her hand, and tugged until she moved over and sat on his lap. His arms wrapped around her. “Now I will enjoy a few more days with you.” He leaned up and placed his lips over hers. Instantly, her body melted against his. He surprised her by breaking the kiss, his hands

roaming over her back gently. “Tell me what you did since I last saw you.” She laughed. “You don’t want to know about my boring life.” She tugged on his neck until he was kissing her again. “Sure, I do,” he said between kisses. “I’m extremely interested in . . .” She didn’t let him finish. Moving up, she straddled his hips, pressing herself against his hardness. She heard him groan and knew he was no longer interested in talking. She wanted to take her time. To show him how much she’d missed him. Instead, her body had demands of its own. Tyler’s hands roamed her curves, building a need in her she couldn’t control. Her desire overrode every shred of coherent thought she had. When his hands skimmed under her top to brush against her bare skin, she felt her breath hitch and her heart jump. Goosebumps rose everywhere his mouth traveled. When they finally lay naked together, she wondered how she’d ever be able to leave him again.

Tyler woke with Kristen’s hair in his face. She was sprawled across his chest. He wanted nothing more than to lay for the rest of the day, holding her body against his. Then his cell phone chimed again and

he realized why he’d woken. He reached over to grab it from the nightstand, only to end up a few inches too short. Shifting while trying to keep Kristen where she was, he bumped his elbow on the edge of the nightstand and cursed under his breath. “Here.” In a smooth motion, Kristen reached over, snatched up his phone, and handed it to him. She graced him with a dazzling sleepy smile. “Sorry,” he mumbled, then answered his phone with a resounding “What?” “Tyler, you might want to get down to the office.” His mother’s tone jolted him fully awake. “I’ll be there.” He tossed his phone on the bed. “What happened?” Kristen moved aside as he sat up. “Mom said I’m needed at the office. That’s all I know.” He glanced back at Kristen and groaned. “Damn.” He leaned in and placed a firm kiss on her lips. “I wanted to spend the day in bed with you.” “Me too.” She smiled, then glanced down at his phone. “Do you think it’s bad?” “Not sure. We’ve had a few . . . things happen since last time.” “I’ll go with you.” She climbed out of his bed. “No, you should . . .” “Tyler, I’ll need a ride back into town. Mr. Burnett will be . . .” She shook her head and trailed off. “I’ll need to be back in town.”

He sighed and nodded. “Sorry about this,” he said as she pulled on her jeans. He’d already tossed on his jeans and a shirt and was looking around the room for his shoes, but stopped and walked over to wrap her in his arms. Her arms came around his neck. “Don’t apologize.” She leaned up and placed another kiss on his lips that had him cursing whoever was responsible for the drama that was pulling him away from this woman.

He dropped her off at the hotel on his way to his office. He guessed that her boss would be looking for her soon and felt a wave of guilt. He didn’t want her getting in trouble. He also didn’t want to face any strained conversation with Mr. Burnett on top of the mess he was walking into at his office. As he expected, two patrol cars sat at the curb. When he walked to the front door, he groaned as he saw the shattered glass all over the entryway. Rea sat on the sofa, and his mother held a cloth to Rea’s forehead. Worry propelled him forward. “What happened?” he asked when he reached her. His mother shook her head and he knew he needed to lower his anxiety level. “It happened so fast,” Rea cried and shook her head. “Who did this to you?” His eyes narrowed and

he turned to Mike. “Was it Brian?” “No, it wasn’t him,” Rea said. “How do you know?” his mother asked. “I know.” Rea’s swollen eyes met his. “I was opening up, unlocking the doors when I heard a loud crash. The glass, it just shattered in front of me.” She dabbed the cloth on her head and he saw blood. “I turned around and saw someone running away.” “What did he look like?” he asked. “We have a pretty vague description.” Mike stepped forward. “There’s a note. It was attached to the brick the guy threw.” Mike held up a plastic bag. “I guess some of the glass caught me,” Rea said. His mother moved the cloth and he saw the cut. “Have you called an ambulance yet?” he asked his mother. “She wouldn’t let me.” She nodded to Rea. “But I had Mike call anyway.” “It’s just a cut,” Rea started to say, but he stopped her. “I’ll take you down to the clinic myself,” Tyler said. “Tyler, I don’t need . . .” The look he gave her stopped her from finishing the sentence. “Rea, let him drive you there. You might need

stitches. I’ll ride along with you,” Gail said. Rea finally nodded and reached for his mother’s hand. “Thank you.” “Give me just a moment,” he told them. “Then I’ll take you.” He walked over to Mike. “What does the note say?” he asked softly. Mike handed him the paper in the bag.

McGowan—You think this town belongs to you. You’ll get what’s coming to you soon enough. “That’s all?” he asked and handed the note back. “Yup, we figured whoever threw this probably just intended to do damage to the property, didn’t see Rea in the way. It was still early, pretty dark and according to her, the street lamp was out.” Tyler glanced back outside, to where the sun was warming everything up. Less than an hour ago, he knew that the street would have been dark. Glancing over, he realized Rea was dressed in dark colors. “Still,” he said, turning back to Mike. “Find the bastard that did this. I’m taking Rea to the clinic.” He walked out, holding onto Rea’s arm, and helped her into the corporate car. For the next hour, he stood by her as she was examined and cleaned

up. Thankfully, she didn’t need stitches. When they walked out of the clinic, Brian stood outside, leaning against the company car. “Tyler.” Rea stopped him from marching forward. “Let’s see what he wants first.” He sighed as they walked toward the man. “Are you okay?” Brian asked Rea. Tyler noticed genuine concern in his voice. “I’m fine,” she said as they stopped a few feet away from him. “Who did this?” Brian asked. “I . . . I didn’t see clearly,” she answered. Then Brian’s eyes moved to Tyler and he saw the temper return. “This is all your fault,” he said. “If you’d just shut down McGowan Enterprises after your dad died then there wouldn’t be all this trouble.” “Oh?” He took a breath to give the man a piece of his mind, but Rea interrupted him. “Brian, if Tyler shut down his business, I’d be out of a job and would have to move to the city,” she said. “More than half of this town would have to follow. Haven relies on the McGowans.” Brian glanced between them. “You shouldn’t be working so early.” “I’m fine,” Rea said again. Tyler could tell that Brian wanted to say something else, but he stepped aside as Tyler opened the car door for Rea and helped her inside.

“If you need anything . . .” Brian said just before she shut her door. Tyler turned to face Rea’s son. “You’ve poisoned her against me,” Brian hissed. Tyler didn’t want to engage the man, so he simply stayed quiet as he walked around to the driver’s side. “I’m taking you home,” Tyler told Rea once he shut the car door. “No, I’ll be okay. Really, I have . . .” “You have to rest,” Tyler said, heading toward her place instead of the office. She tried to argue with him the entire drive to her place, but he was having none of it. He helped her inside and made sure she was comfortable. “Tyler.” Rea stopped him just before he left. “It wasn’t Brian.” “I believe you,” he said. “We’ll find out who it was.” She nodded, then fixed him with a serious gaze. “Don’t let Kristen slip from your fingers this time,” she added. He smiled and hugged her. “I don’t intend to.”

When he got to the office, Trent and Tyler were there. Someone had put a board over the broken glass and Trey was sitting at Rea’s desk, on the

phone. “How’s she doing?” Trent asked. “She’s okay. I took her home so she could rest,” he said. “I’m ordering the glass,” Trey said and gestured toward the door. “Been on hold for fifteen minutes.” Tyler slapped his brother on the back as he headed to his office. “Better you than me.” “Aren’t those the same clothes you wore last night to dinner?” Trent joked as he followed him. “Shut up,” he mumbled. Less than an hour later, Kristen and her boss walked into his office. She was back in an expensive skirt suit, this one in a soft caramel color, along with another pair of sexy heels that matched. She’d tied her hair in a loose bun that sat at the nape of her neck. Mr. Burnett cleared his throat, stealing his attention from Kristen. “We thought we’d give it one more shot.” Mr. Burnett shut his office door behind him. “Your brothers told us to come on back.” Tyler sighed and motioned for them to take a seat. “I happened to look over the new proposal,” he told her boss. “And?” “The answer is still no.”

For the next few minutes, he listened while Mr. Burnett tried to convince him he didn’t know what was best for his family’s company. With each successive refusal from Tyler, Mr. Burnett looked closer to completely losing his patience. That was fine with Tyler. He’d lost his own the moment he’d seen Rea’s blood.

CHAPTER TWENTYTHREE Kristen held her breath as the men’s argument escalated. Finally, she’d had enough, so she stood and walked out of Tyler’s office without a word. Believing the men fully absorbed in their shouts, she was surprised when someone grabbed her arm. Turning, she looked up at a very angry Mr. Burnett. “We’re done here,” he said as he maneuvered her down the hallway toward the front door. She glanced back and noticed Tyler standing inside his office door, watching her. She jerked her arm away from him. “Why are you so insistent on closing this deal?” He glanced toward Tyler and then lifted his hand to grab her once more, but she moved beyond his reach. He lowered his voice so that Tyler wouldn’t be able to hear him. “It’s my job. Our job.” She glanced over at Tyler, who glared at her

boss. “It’s my job to present a compelling offer and a solid case for selling,” she said. “But we can’t force a client into a decision.” Mr. Burnett brushed past her and didn’t stop until he was standing outside. Not yet ready to let the topic drop, she followed. “Why does it matter so much?” Her heels clacked on the pavement outside. “What did they offer you? The CEO position?” She jerked her chin up. She’d heard rumors when she’d been back at home. Seeing his eyes heat in response, she realized all the rumors were true. Mr. Burnett had been promised a higher position if he could bag Tyler’s business. Which meant Mr. Burnett’s position was going to be opening soon. Suddenly, she realized why he’d sent her on this trip. He was prepping her for his position. “I’ve made my deals.” His eyes narrowed. “You’d be wise to follow suit.” She took a step back and shook her head. Her eyes moved to the remaining glass door and she saw Tyler standing inside, watching them. There had been a time a few weeks ago when she would have done anything to get Mr. Burnett’s job. But the thought of forcing Tyler’s hand— tempting him to sell out his principles for material gain—caused her stomach to roll. She was no longer the person who had stepped, or rather, been

carried off the plane nearly two months ago. Her eyes met Tyler’s through the glass and she realized what she had to do. Shaking her head, she said, “I’m done playing games and trying to climb the ladder.” She took another step back, looking her boss in the eye. “I thought it was what I wanted . . .” She glanced around and sighed. “I was wrong.” She turned and began walking toward the hotel. The cool air felt good, and she decided a nice long walk through town, back to her hotel would be just what she needed to clear her head. But before she made it a few steps, Mr. Burnett grabbed her arm again. “If you walk away now, don’t expect me to suggest you for my position,” he hissed. “I don’t think you understand.” She took a deep breath and realized that the fresh air was making her think clearer than she had in a long time. “When I walk away, I no longer want a position at JB Holding.” Her chin rose slightly when she watched the shock cross his eyes. “Think about what you’re doing,” he said, dropping his hand from her arm. “I have been doing a lot of thinking.” “You’re tired.” He tilted his head as his eyes ran over her. “You’re one of our best—” “Which is why I’ve decided I’ve been wasting my talents.” She smiled. “It’s time I moved on to

bigger and better things,” she added and turned away. Half a block later, she felt so much lighter. Like the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. For the past few years, she’d stressed about where she was going and what she could afford and how to get further up in the business. She’d wasted a lot of time stressing. Now, however, she was freed. No more games. No more telling clients halftruths, or parsing words to convince them that whatever deal she was offering would be the answer to all their problems. No more. She’d walked for almost half an hour and had ended up only a block away from the hotel when she heard someone behind her. Before she had a chance to turn around, pain exploded in her head and then everything went black.

Tyler watched Kristen and her boss leave and was about to head after her, but Trey stopped him. “Let them hash it out,” Trey said. “We’ve got a few things to talk about.” Trent nudged Tyler back toward his office. “Let’s talk.” He had a distinct impression that his brothers were cornering him. “What?” He walked over and sat down behind his desk, one that was a lot bigger and newer than

the one his father had built for the trailer. “What do you two want?” “Something has to change,” Trey said, sitting down across from him. Trent moved over and sat next to him. “For the past few weeks, we’ve had to deal with your . . .” Trent paused as he struggled to find the right word. “Shitty attitude,” Trey supplied. Trent sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Then Kristen shows up again and you’re back to your normal happy self.” “Shut up.” Tyler stood up again and started pacing in front of the window. “See,” Trent smiled. “Pure sunshine and rainbows.” He waved toward Tyler. “When are you going to be man enough to own up to the truth?” Tyler turned around and narrowed his eyes as his brothers. “About what?” “Kristen.” Both of his brothers said it at the same time. He turned back toward the windows and closed his eyes. “What good would it do?” “To us? Nothing. To her . . .” Trent said. “Everything,” Trey finished. He turned back toward his brothers. “What do you two screwups know about this?” “Nothing . . . yet,” Trent said, smiling. “But we’re not so dumb as to not see love when it’s

staring us in the face.” “And, trust me, it’s staring at us now,” Trey added. After a moment, he asked, “How?” “Go to her, open up. Dad always told us that if you know it’s right, you’ll find the right words,” Trent said. Tyler turned back toward the window and watched a hawk fly across the sky. “She belongs in the city.” “I think she is the best person to decide where she belongs. Where she wants to be,” Trey said. Tyler glanced over his shoulder. “Go.” Trent stood up. “We’ve got things here.” “Now?” Tyler felt his heart rate double. “There’s no time like the present,” Trey said, standing up. “She’s with her boss,” Tyler said. “No, I saw them going in different directions,” Trent replied. “I’m sure she’s back at the hotel by now.” Tyler thought about it and decided that no matter what, getting out of the office for the day was just what he needed. Grabbing his jacket, he left without a clear plan. He was still so worked up from seeing Rea hurt and dealing with Kristen’s boss that he doubted he could think straight enough to form a complete sentence with her. As he stepped outside, he

decided he’d take his time heading over to the hotel. A nice slow drive would clear his mind. So he drove. And drove. When he ended up at the dead end up in the state forest, he hopped out of his truck and headed to the trails. He had an inkling of what he wanted to say. How he felt about her. Hell, he’d known that since the moment she’d stepped off the plane the first time. But knowing himself and actually telling her were two different things. He turned on a trail that would lead him up higher over the town. He didn’t even mind that he’d worn his work boots instead of his hiking boots. The steel toes weighted him down as he walked, but his comfort was the last thing on his mind. When Haven finally came into view, he stood and looked out over the town, unseeing, as he ran over the right words to say to her. He must have stood up on the side of the mountain for an entire hour. When he heard other hikers around him, he gathered his thoughts and started back down the trails. Ready or not, he was going to tell Kristen his mind today. And, he figured, he might as well do it in style. He thought about hitting the flower shop and the liquor store for a bottle of champagne before heading to the hotel. When he drove into town, he was passing the

hotel when he spotted the police cruisers parked out front with their lights on. His heart skipped and he jerked the steering wheel until he stopped directly behind one of the cars. “What’s up?” he asked Mike. “It seems we’ve got a missing person.” “Who?” A loud buzz started in his head. “Well, Tim Colwell found a woman’s purse laying in the middle of the sidewalk about half a block down. When he contacted us, we brought it over to the hotel, only to find out the lady isn’t here. Her boss, there”—Mike nodded to Mr. Burnett, who was standing just outside, glaring at him—“says he left her back at your office and walked over to the diner to get some food, then went back to the hotel.” “Why do you think Kristen’s missing? Maybe she just lost her purse?” Tyler asked, his heart pounding as he tried to ignore the sense of building dread. He pulled out his cell phone to call her, but Mike held up a phone in an evidence bag. “Her phone was here, charging in her hotel room. Tyler, we also found some blood. Tim spotted a pool of it near where he found the purse. Tony’s down there now—” Tyler didn’t wait to hear the rest. He barged into the open hotel door and looked around Kristen’s room. Everything looked in order, nothing like the

night when they’d discovered all her belongings destroyed. He rushed back outside. “Where was her purse found?” Mike pointed down the street and Tyler took off at a run. When he reached Tony, he felt his entire body shake. The pool of blood at his feet was relatively small but still, it was big enough that his worry tripled. He punched his brother’s cell number, holding his breath, and glanced around helplessly, hoping some clue would jump out at him. “Hey, I thought—” “Is Kristen there?” “No?” Trent turned the word into a question. “Ask Trey. Has either of you seen her since she left earlier?” He heard Trent put a hand over the phone, then came back a moment later. “No, what’s going on?” “The cops think she’s gone missing. They found her purse and her phone. And some blood.” Just saying it out loud had his body shaking again. “Where?” Trent asked. Tyler rattled off the cross streets. “Be there in a sec.” His brother hung up. Tyler dialed his mother’s number and repeated the questioning, with the same results. When his brothers and mom showed up, they found him badgering Tony with questions.

Tyler was in full panic mode. His mother took him by the arm and pulled him close. “Tyler, I need you to take a breath.” “I love her, Mom. I was going to tell her,” he blurted out. His mother didn’t look surprised. “We’ll find her. But I need you to get it together. Can you do that?” she asked. He took a couple deep breaths and then nodded. “Yeah.” He knew he had to get himself under control, but he just couldn’t will his mind into gear. Not when it was overwhelmed with all the horrible possibilities.

CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR A constant dripping sound woke Kristen from a deep sleep. The moment her mind kicked in gear was the exact moment the pain roared in. At first, she believed that she’d left the bathroom sink on, then the pain spiked further and she cried out and tried to reach for her head. Only her hands wouldn’t move. It took her a few moments before her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The throbbing in her head didn’t help as she tried to focus. She pulled air into her lungs to scream, but when she let it out her head spun and her stomach rolled and she knew that if she tried it again, she’d be sick. Her voice echoed, which gave her a clue that wherever she was, it was large and empty. She allowed herself a small rest, then wiggled until she was in a sitting position. The ground was soft enough, but it was damn cold. She shivered but forced her body into stillness. If she was going to figure out where she was, she’d need to overcome

her discomfort. She realized she’d lost a shoe. The toes of her right foot were painfully cold. She could tell she’d been dragged through the mud since it was caked all along her back side and hair. Her outfit was probably a complete loss. Not that it mattered, since she was pretty sure that she was going to die. Her eyes had adjusted well enough that she could see she was in a cave of some sort. She noticed some large wooden planks that made up a makeshift door. Through the thin space at the bottom of the door, she could see it was pitch-dark beyond. Her hands were bound together in front of her with duct tape and when she moved, the tape dug into her skin. Suddenly, she remembered the YouTube video one of her coworkers had shown her a few years back. How to get out of duct tape. “Well, here goes nothing.” She raised her arms over her head and slammed them down hard on her knees. Pain shot out through her wrists, but the tape broke. “Damn.” She rubbed the sore spots, then stood and tossed off her other shoe. She didn’t want to limp around and if given the opportunity to run, she wanted to be ready. She moved to the door and tugged, but it didn’t budge. She felt around the edges of the door, searching for the hinges—a point of weakness. They must have been on the outside. When she banged on the

door in frustration, she heard heavy metal knock against the outside of the door. Was it secured with a padlock? She took the next few minutes to explore her prison. There was only one way in and one way out. The locked door. She was happy to find a makeshift bed, an old sleeping bag, in the far corner. She also discovered a few candles. She only wished she had matches or a lighter. When her head started pounding again, she touched the tender area and realized that she had a bump just above her left ear. As she pulled her hand away, she assumed the wetness on her fingers was blood. The hair covering the bump was clumped together in a crunchy tangle, telling her it had been a while since she’d been attacked on the street. She felt around the space for her purse and phone but came up empty. Moving over to the door again, she tried everything she could think of to get it opened. When her head started spinning and she was out of breath, she shook out the sleeping bag and sat down with her back against the stone wall. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. Her thoughts raced. She tried to remember anything about who had attacked her. But every time she played over those moments, again and again, all she came up with was hearing someone behind her just before everything went

black. She didn’t know how long she sat there, listening to the dripping water, going over the last few weeks, months, years in her mind. At one point, she must have fallen asleep, because when she heard someone coming, she jolted awake. A weapon. What she needed was a weapon. She grabbed her shoe and held it up as she moved to the other side of the doorway. Then she waited.

Tyler’s brothers pulled him aside. “We should check with Brian. He’s been staying out with the protest group,” said Trent. Tyler looked around the street, at the police who were still gathering clues and making a plan, and at his mother, who was starting to talk to the townspeople about what they might have seen. Talking to everyone in town would take too long— Tyler needed to take action. If Kristen was bleeding, she could be in serious trouble. It took less than ten minutes until they pulled into the state park. The place was packed with trailers and tents. A large group of people milled about the campsite. Some were making signs like the ones he’d seen cropping up along the roads for the past few weeks. All stressing how dangerous fracking was. He had to admit, some of the signs were funny and witty. Others had the McGowan

business logo beneath big red letters spelling STOP. Tyler zeroed in on the small group where Addy was standing and approached her with urgency. “Kristen is missing. I think she’s in trouble,” he said. “We heard Brian has been staying out here. Can you show me his tent?” She nodded in shock, and worry played out on her face. “His group is up here.” She turned and walked down a pathway. As they went, she asked questions about when Kristen went missing. Tyler was thankful that Trent filled her in instead of him. He was having a hard time putting two thoughts together, he was so consumed with worry. He kept up with her but pulled her to a stop before they turned the last corner. “They’re just up ahead.” She indicated around the corner. “Stay here,” Tyler said. “Trey?” He nodded to his brother to let him know he wanted him to stay with Addy. Trey nodded and sighed as Trent followed Tyler around the corner. There were four tents set up around a fire pit. From what he could tell, no one was around. “You take those two.” He nodded to the ones on the left. “What are we looking for?” Trent asked. “Hell if I know.” He moved to the first tent. “Anyone in here?” When no one answered, he bent down and unzipped the flap and glanced in. Two

sleeping bags, a lantern, and water. Nothing else. Zipping the flap back up, he moved to the next tent. This one held basically the same with the exception of some clothes, two backpacks, and shoes. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He was just zipping up the tent when he saw a movement behind him and then pain shot as a fist connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling down to the mud. “What the hell are you doing?” Brian stood above him, his fists clenched. Just as the man was rearing to kick him, Trent jumped out from a tent and tackled him to the ground. Tyler didn’t waste any time—he rushed over and helped his brother hold the man down. “What the hell?” Brian cried out after Tyler sat on his chest. “Why are you here?” “We’re looking for Kristen,” Tyler answered. “What are you talking about? She’s not here,” Brian yelled up at him. “I could have you arrested for breaking and entering.” Tyler laughed. “I never went into your crummy tent. I was looking for you so we can have a nice chat.” Tyler reached down and pulled the man up. Trent helped haul him toward a picnic table and forced him to sit down. “Now, you’re going to tell us all about your day and just how you lost your dear old daddy’s snuff box.” He stood over the man as Trey and Addy

came rushing around the corner. Brian’s eyes moved over to Addy and Tyler watched the man sneer in her direction. “I didn’t expect you to take their side,” he said to her. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m just trying to find Kristen. Safe and sound,” Addy said, stomping her foot lightly. “Where were you today around two o’clock?” Trent asked Brian. “Here. I’ve been here all day,” he barked. “Are you sure?” Trent asked. Brian narrowed his eyes in his direction. “Ask around. We were making new signs to stop your stupid company.” Brian jerked his head toward a group of people standing in an opening just through the trees. Trey disappeared again and Tyler knew that he was going to get confirmation. “I don’t know anything about your missing girlfriend.” He tried to jerk away, but Tyler put a hand on his shoulder, holding him still. “When was the last time you saw your snuff box?” Tyler asked. “What’s it to you?” he sneered. “Whoever destroyed Kristen’s hotel room left your snuff box behind. Maybe that person is behind her disappearance.” “I lost it last year. Reported it stolen to get some insurance money.” Brian shrugged. “I was

due. That box was worth a grand.” He glanced back to Trent. “I was staying with Darla at her place. I came back one night and she kicked me out. Tossed my shit out on the street. When I went back to get my snuff box, she said it wasn’t there.” “You think she kept it?” he asked. “Yeah, like I said, it was worth a grand.” He stood up and Tyler let him go this time. “Go ask her; she probably knows more about your girl. After all, she’s had it bad for the three of you for years.” He turned and walked away just as Trey was coming back. “I’ve got three guys and two women over there that can vouch for him all day.” “Damn.” Tyler slammed his fist down on the table. It was getting dark. And cold. He had to find Kristen soon.

Kristen held her shoe over her head and was prepared to swing, but instead of the lock and door being opened, a small box was shoved under the planks. She cried out and banged on the door, but whoever it was just walked away. She must have screamed for a few minutes until she knew that whoever it was had gone. Then she knelt and picked up the box. When she opened it, she half expected something to jump

out at her. Instead, there was a sandwich and a bottle of water. The water was still sealed, so she quickly opened and downed half of it. She hadn’t realized she’d been so thirsty until then. How many hours had she been in this cave? The sandwich, however, she questioned. She smelled it, opened it and tried to scrutinize it in the dim light. Ultimately, she decided that dying by poison was probably better than starvation. She nibbled on the sandwich and immediately decided to keep half of it for later. After all, she didn’t know when she’d receive another delivery. After tucking the food and water back into the brown box, she slowly walked around the space again. This time, searching with her hands for any weak spots. Especially around the wood-planked wall. She even took her one Jimmy Choo shoe and used it as a hammer, trying to loosen boards and the dirt on the walls. Nothing moved. Giving up, she went back into her corner and sat down in defeat. Whoever had taken her knew that she couldn’t escape her prison. How long would they keep her alive? Did they expect to drop food off to her every day for the rest of her life? Suddenly, sheer panic hit her. How long was she going to be kept here? Why? Her mind turned to Tyler, to her mother, to everything she’d wanted to

do in life but hadn’t yet. She’d quit her job. That didn’t cause her panic, but the possibility of not being able to pursue her new dreams did. Her mind went over and over all the things she wanted to do in the future. She tucked her knees up to her chest and felt the moment the cold air rushed in and knew that it was snowing outside again. She’d avoided zipping herself up in the sleeping bag since she didn’t know how clean it was, but looking down at herself now, she realized she was probably dirtier than anything she’d find inside its warmth. When she crawled inside, she tucked herself into a tight ball and made sure no cold air could get in. Then she buried her head under the covers and tried not to cry.

CHAPTER TWENTYFIVE They drove back into town together, Tyler’s worry increasing with each flake of snow that fell. They planned to question Darla at the Wet Spot but wanted to check in at the police station first. Tyler wasn’t surprised to see his mother there, working with the police to set up volunteer search parties to go out at first light. He was surprised to see Mr. Burnett helping. The man looked as concerned as he was. Maybe Tyler had misjudged him. Everyone spent a few minutes updating the group and debating their next move. Then Mr. Burnett pulled him aside. “I think we should call Kristen’s mother,” he said. “I . . .” He hadn’t thought about calling Kristen’s family. At least not yet. Not until they knew more. Tyler’s throat closed, so he turned and walked over to Mike’s desk.

“Have you contacted Kristen’s family?” he asked. “Not yet,” Mike said. “We were just about to . . .” “I’ll do it,” Tyler said. “It’s against protocol, Tyler.” Tyler sat down and listened while Mike made the call. He couldn’t hear the words Kristen’s mother was saying, but the worried tone in her voice carried loudly from the phone. Mike seemed out of his depth. After a moment, Tyler’s mother walked up and put a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Let me.” She held her hand out for the phone. “From one mother to another.” He listened to every word his mother said to Kristen’s mother, and something changed inside him. The fear and pain started to fade, replaced only by anger and a desperate need to find Kristen. No matter the cost. Once his mother was off the phone, he grabbed his brothers and headed back out to the Wet Spot. Addy had followed them to the station and stopped them before they left. “Did you know that Darla and I used to be friends in grade school?” she asked, looking between the three brothers. “No,” Tyler said slowly. “I have an idea, but it will require some acting on your part.” She bit her bottom lip.

“Okay.” He stretched the word out. “What do you have in mind?” She smiled and briefly went through her plan. Five minutes later, Tyler and Addy walked into the Wet Spot, holding onto each other. Addy had removed her jacket and had unbuttoned her top buttons on her flannel shirt. Her arms were wrapped around Tyler tight as they walked into the dark room. Instead of heading over to where Darla was serving drinks, they took a back booth and sat on the same side, really close to each other. “Is she looking?” Tyler asked Addy. He was sitting on the outside, giving him a view of only the window and the back corner. Addy leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let me check,” she whispered in his ear and he could tell her eyes were scanning the room. “Yes, and boy, does she look pissed.” She giggled and batted her eyes as she pulled away from him. “In the end, she turned out very mean to me and her seeing me with you is a wonderful payback.” As far as flirting went, Addy knew how to act. He figured he needed to step up and pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “You’re good at this.” She giggled again and slapped playfully at him. Then her eyes moved past him and her smile

fell away slightly. “Oh, hi Darla. I didn’t know you worked here.” He could hear the surprise in Addy’s voice that she’d added just for Darla’s benefit and decided never to go up against her in anything. “What are you doing back in town?” Darla blurted out. “Oh, just visiting.” Addy wrapped his hair around her fingers playfully. “And I ran into Tyler here.” She sighed. “And we decided to have some drinks.” She leaned up and placed a kiss just below his ear. Since he doubted he could hide his anger toward Darla, he kept his eyes toward Addy. “I can’t believe my luck,” he said. “What about that city girl? I heard she came back to town but that something happened to her this afternoon,” Darla said. “Hmm?” He closed his eyes and gathered his strength to mask his emotions, before turning toward Darla. “Oh.” He shrugged. “She probably just got lost on her way back to the hotel.” He chuckled and turned back toward Addy, who squeezed his hand under the table for encouragement. Then he turned back toward Darla. “We’ll have a couple beers,” he said, then turned back to Addy as if dismissing the other woman. He could tell that Darla hadn’t moved, so he leaned in and started raining kisses on Addy’s neck, causing Addy to sigh and pull him closer. A

moment later, Addy tapped his arm. “Now for me to make my move. Let me up, I’ll run back to the ladies’ room.” He scooted out of the booth, making a show to help her out. Then he watched Addy make her way toward the back. The hallway was dark and he watched as Darla’s eyes followed Addy, then she set her tray of drinks down and followed her into the bathroom. He wanted to go after her but knew it wouldn’t do any good. A few minutes later, Addy came out of the bathroom, looking a little haggard but with a bright smile. “Well?” he asked when she sat back down. “Oh, she’s pissed.” Addy kept the smile on her face. It was then that he saw a bright-red mark on Addy’s cheek. “Did she hit you?” he asked, feeling his anger grow. “Not as hard as I hit her.” Addy smiled again. “Did she say anything?” he asked. Here was where Addy’s smile fell away. “She hinted that I might have something to do with Kristen’s disappearance since I’m now with you.” “What does that mean?” He chanced a glance and watched as Darla came out of the restroom. Sure enough, a bright-pink mark just under her left eye.

He turned back to Addy. “I could always tell when she was lying. She wasn’t.” Addy sighed and looked defeated. “So now what?”

Everyone ended up at Tyler’s mother’s place. It was past midnight and his worry for Kristen had tripled since five hours ago. The snow was falling relentlessly and the temperature was dangerously cold since the sun had set. His mother’s living room was packed with people he knew and some he didn’t. He’d been surprised to see the other two leaders of the protest group standing by the fireplace talking to his mother. Addy walked over to join them. Mr. Burnett was there too, looking haggard and worried. “How are you holding up?” his mom asked him. “We should be out there, looking . . .” “Honey, we’re doing what we can. If we all go around stumbling in the dark, someone could get lost or . . . god forbid, get hurt.” She patted his hand. “We’re organizing search parties for first light and arranging for water and food for all the volunteers.” He felt his heart kick. He hadn’t thought about any of that. To be honest, he hadn’t thought about anything other than finding Kristen. If he had to, at

this point, he figured he could go without food and sleep until he saw her again. “I’m sure we’ll find her.” Addy reached over and laid a hand on his arm. “I just want you to know that we are all here for you. We plan on starting first thing in the morning.” “Why? Why would your group be willing to help—after all, they’ve been protesting our family since you got here.” “We’re protesting what big oil companies do to our lands and environment. We don’t want any harm to come to anyone,” she said. When the preparations were finished and most of the group had gone home to rest before the search, his mother said, “Tyler, I’ve made you soup and sandwiches.” “I’m not hungry.” His mother gave him one of those “mom” looks, so he sat down and ate a couple spoonfuls of the warmth. Then she insisted he go into the guest room and lay down. She didn’t want him driving to his trailer in his state of mind with the weather how it was. He laid there, not able to sleep. His eyes were glued to the ceiling as he wondered where Kristen was. If she was safe. If she was scared and thinking of him.

Kristen had lost track of time. Lost track of everything. She’d eaten the rest of the sandwich and drank the rest of the water. Then, when she had to use the restroom, used the lid of the cardboard box as a shovel and dug a hole in the soft dirt near the front of the cave and sucked it up and went. She felt completely gross, and desperately wished for a shower, but refused to let it get to her anymore. She’d cried enough. Her mind was focused on two things: escape and Tyler. She was dozing again, unable to keep her eyes open, either from exhaustion or because of the bump on her head, which still throbbed painfully, when she heard someone coming again. She screamed. Once again, another box was shoved under the door without a sound. A moment later, a scraggly blanket, rolled up to fit through the small space, followed. She grabbed one end of the blanket and tugged, eager for another source of warmth and wanting some connection to whoever was keeping her captive. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. The person on the other side of the door let go of the blanket and seemed to go still. When there was no reply, Kristen asked, “Does this have to do with Tyler?” No response again. Since she’d had nothing but time while trapped

in the cave, she thought she’d worked a few things out in her mind and took a chance. “Did Dennis Rodgers send you?” That got a response. Suddenly, there was a bang on the other side of the door as if someone had kicked it. She jumped back, expecting it to open, and held her shoe up as a weapon. But instead of the door opening, she heard footsteps receding. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as silence once again filled the cave. She moved over to her corner, tucked herself into the ragged blanket and sleeping bag and cried, shivering, until she fell asleep.

Tyler gave up on sleep. He had a couple hours until sunup when he knew that everyone would be spending the day searching for Kristen. Deciding he needed a shower and some space to clear his head, he rolled out of the guest bed and headed to his car. He’d drive into town and try to retrace Kristen’s path before the search started. He needed to be moving. He was at the outskirts of town when he passed a truck. At first, he didn’t think anything about it, lost in his thoughts of Kristen. The snow was gathering in big drifts, swirled by the biting wind. Something nagged him about that truck. Who else would be out at this time of day, in this

weather? He was more than a little tired but knew that he couldn’t rest until he found out something about who had taken Kristen. He pulled off the road, waited for the truck to pass him, then followed. When he saw the truck pull into a residential area, Tyler parked a block away and killed his headlights. Tyler watched Dennis Rodgers get out of his truck and sneak back into his house. The way Tyler figured it, either the man was cheating on his wife of ten-plus years or he was hiding something. When he saw the light inside go off, he waited ten minutes before getting out of his truck and walking over to Dennis’s work truck. Tyler pulled out the flashlight that he’d tucked in his jacket pocket. Using it, he searched the inside of the man’s truck. He was about to turn away when something caught his eye. His heart stopped for what seemed like a full minute, until he heard buzzing in his head, and then it sped up. Without thinking, he reached for the door handle, opened the back passenger door, and bent down. There, on the floorboard of Dennis’s work truck, was one of Kristen’s shoes.

CHAPTER TWENTYSIX Tyler marched toward the house. When he banged on the door, both his hearing and eyesight had narrowed. He was ready for anything. Anything except Dennis’s second wife, Crystal, opening the door a minute later, instead of Dennis himself. Her hair was tousled and she held a bathrobe tightly around her body against the chill wind outside. “Where’s Dennis?” Tyler barked. He wanted to shove past the woman but knew they had two small kids in the house and he didn’t want to scare them. “He’s asleep. Is there a problem?” she asked, looking worried. Crystal was easily half Dennis’s age and everyone had wondered why the woman had married the man several years back. “Wake him.” As Crystal disappeared, he punched a text to Trent. Over at Dennis’s place. Found one of Kristen’s shoes in his truck. Call Mike &

get your ass over here. Now. He tucked his phone back into his pocket without waiting for a response. Thankfully, he hadn’t touched the shoe. The police should still be able to gather the evidence they’d need. Just as Dennis walked out of the back room, Tyler heard the far-off sirens and smiled. “What seems to be the matter?” Dennis started. For a man who was supposedly asleep a moment ago, he looked awfully alert. Tyler didn’t give him a chance to say anything else before he had the man pulled into the cold and pinned against the front door. “Where is she?” he growled. His entire body was ready, eager for the man to fight back. When he did, Tyler gave him two quick jabs in the gut and had him back up against the wall. “I’ll ask again.” He heard Crystal screaming, then heard her calling the police for help. “I’ve already called the cops.” He glanced over his shoulder. “And, from the sounds of it, they’re already on their way.” He turned back to Dennis. “Why don’t you do yourself a favor and answer my question before they get here?” “What the hell are you talking about?” Dennis asked, but Tyler pushed him again, causing Dennis’s head to bang on the wall. “What did you do with Kristen?” he asked.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You’re crazy,” Dennis said. “Then why the hell is her shoe in the back of your truck?” Tyler watched as shock and fear crossed the man’s face. “It’s probably one of Crystal’s.” His lame reply was nearly drowned out by the wailing sirens at the curb. “Crystal,” Tyler said, looking over his shoulder at the woman. “Do you own a pair of Jimmy Choos?” “N . . . No. I could never afford . . .” She dropped off as her eyes moved to her husband. “Dennis?” Just then Mike and Tom rushed to the front door, yelling at Tyler to get his hands up. He still held Dennis firmly against the wall. “Where is she?” he asked again as Mike screamed for him to let the man go. “Mike, I’m not letting him go until he tells me where Kristen is.” A moment later, he was tackled by Tom and shoved to the cold ground. Handcuffs were placed on him as Dennis started spewing lies. “He’s gone crazy. He broke in here and tried to kill us,” Dennis screamed. “Mike,” Tyler said calmly as he looked up at his friend and the chief of police. “In the back of his truck, there’s a caramel-colored shoe. It’s

Kristen’s.” Hearing this, Mike took Dennis by the arm and held him in place. “He took Kristen,” Tyler said again as Tom helped him up. “Let me loose. I won’t fight you.” He said to Tom. Tom looked to Mike, who nodded. Dennis broke free, shoving Mike forward into Tom and Tyler. The four men went sprawling into a snowdrift. Since the handcuffs were biting into Tyler’s wrists, he had a harder time getting up than Dennis and Tom. Mike wasted no time rushing after Dennis while Tom helped Tyler back up. “I’m fine, go help,” he yelled, but Tom stayed put. Before he could ask Tom to remove the handcuffs, he heard a scuffle halfway down the block. Mike and Trent appeared, dragging an unconscious Dennis between them. “Thanks for your help,” Mike told Trent. “No problem.” Trent smiled. “I’ve been wanting to punch that son of a . . .” Trent stopped when he saw Crystal standing in the doorway, watching everything that was going on. She was shivering, looking shocked and very pale. The next hour was spent hauling Dennis down to the police station. He’d regained consciousness moments after they’d cuffed him for the ride downtown, and had started screaming and

demanding he be released and that Tyler and Trent be arrested for assault. That was until Tom pulled Kristen’s shoe from the back floorboard of Dennis’s truck and placed it in an evidence bag. Tyler was thankful when Tom released him from the handcuffs, but he knew he was in deep trouble when Mike informed him that he was to follow them down to the station. By the time they had booked Dennis, Tyler was completely exhausted. The sun hadn’t quite risen, but the snow had slowed some. He was sitting at Tom’s desk along with Trent when his mother and Trey walked in. They were followed by a woman. Her eyes were red like she’d been crying. She had green eyes—the same green eyes as Kristen. Silently, he walked over and gathered Kristen’s mother in his arms and held onto her as she cried. “We’ll find her,” he said. “I promise.”

“What made you go over to the Rodgers’ place this morning?” Tom asked when he sat back down. “I followed him back into town. I was restless, driving around . . .” Tyler stopped himself from admitting he hadn’t slept at all the night before. “I noticed his truck, out in the weather at an odd hour, and so I turned around and followed him home. I

watched him sneak back into his house.” “Why look in his truck?” Tom asked. “It was just a hunch,” he said. “You didn’t plant the shoe there?” Tom looked up at him over his reading glasses. “No.” Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Dennis is saying that you did.” “He’s lying.” He leaned back. “Where were you?” Tom asked. “Before you followed Dennis home.” “He was with us at home, at our mom’s place. We all were there,” Trent answered. “Dennis claims you planted the shoe in his truck,” Tom said again. “I didn’t,” Tyler said plainly again. “Besides, Mike has already confirmed that I was in my office when Kristen went missing. Where was Dennis?” Tyler uncrossed his arms. “We’re checking his whereabouts. He claims he was at home.” Tom wrote down a few things. Just then, Crystal walked in. She had one child in a stroller and another one walked behind her, holding her hand. Everyone watched as Tyler’s mother walked over to meet the weary mother and picked up the sleepy boy. “Hi there, Jack. Why don’t I take you and your sister into the other room?” His mother glanced to Crystal, who nodded her agreement. His mother pushed the stroller as she carried the boy into the

waiting area. “Where is my husband?” Crystal asked Tom, glancing a few times at Tyler. “We’re questioning him.” Tom pulled out another chair for her. “Why don’t you sit down? I have a few questions if you feel up to it.” She nodded as she sat down. Tom glanced down at his notes. “Do you know where your husband was when Kristen Howell disappeared?” He listed the date and time for her and Tyler could see that Crystal was thinking about it. “I’m not sure. Usually, he doesn’t get off work until later in the evenings.” “Does he ever come home for lunch or on breaks?” “No,” she said firmly. “He used to, but it’s been almost a year since . . .” She twisted her hands and glanced toward the waiting area. Her son, Jack, was sitting on Tyler’s mother’s lap as she rocked the stroller slowly, trying to keep the baby asleep. “No, he normally doesn’t come home during the day,” she said again. “What about yesterday?” Tom asked. “No,” she whispered. “Is he in trouble?” “Do you own a pair of . . .” Tom glanced down at his notes. “Jimmy Chow shoes?” Tyler sighed. “Choo,” he corrected. “Oh, right.” Tom made some changes in his

notes. “Choo.” “No, like I said, I can’t afford . . .” She shook her head. “No, I don’t.” “Do you know how one might have gotten in the back of your husband’s truck?” Tom asked. “No,” she replied softly. “Where was Dennis this morning?” Tyler asked. “He was home. Asleep with me,” she answered. “That’s not true. I watched him sneak into the house just before I knocked on your door.” He watched Crystal frown. She’d been a year behind him in school. He remembered a time when she’d been pretty and popular. Now, she looked tired and stressed out. Her sandy hair was tied up, away from her clean face. Her clothes were baggy. Even though she’d lost the baby weight, she hadn’t ditched the maternity clothes. He supposed being married to someone twice her age had caused her to age prematurely. He knew that Dennis’s first wife had left him years ago and moved to California. What Crystal ever saw in Dennis was a town mystery. “He was in the bathroom when I heard you pounding on the door,” she said. Tom wrote a note. “When was the last time you’re sure he was in the house?” She thought about it before answering. “We went to bed shortly after nine. Since the kids have come along . . .” She shook her head and sighed.

“We don’t usually stay up late after dinner. The second Beth goes down, we get what sleep we can with a one-year-old.” Her eyes moved over to where her kids were. “Where is he keeping Kristen?” Tyler asked, only to have Tom break in. “Tyler,” the man warned. “What?” Tyler replied. “We’re running out of time.” The weather forecast had promised more snow in a few hours, and temperatures had been consistently frigid since Kristen had disappeared. Tom sighed and then nodded. “Does your husband have someplace he likes to go? By himself?” Crystal glanced around, then nodded slowly. “He has a cabin.” “Where?” Tom asked, then wrote down the location when she told him the address. “Anyplace else?” he asked. “There’s the cave. He’s taken me there several times. Well, we used to go hiking there, before the kids.” She sounded sad and frustrated. “Can you tell me where?” Tom asked and jotted down the directions as she gave them out. Tyler knew exactly where both were and stood up. “Tyler,” Tom warned. “Mike will want to . . .” Tyler glanced down at the man. “One way or another, if I find anything, I’ll be back for Dennis,”

he said as he walked out. “I’ll take the cabin,” Trent said, heading toward the parking lot. “I’ll go with you,” Trey added, following Tyler. Trent said, “If I don’t find anything, I’ll meet you up at the cave site. If I remember, it’s a labyrinth up there. You might want to stop by the house and get some flashlights.”

Kristen struggled to wake up. Her entire body was frozen. Her muscles screamed at her from dehydration. The two small bottles of water weren’t helping much. Her hands and fingers were frozen. She’d gained several blisters from working on breaking through the wood. She had a few cuts and splinters that she was thankful she couldn’t feel much. Her feet were red and covered in blisters from either the cold or the stone floor. She’d given up trying to pry the wood away. It was just too thick and strong. Instead, she tucked the sleeping bag around herself and sat in the corner, shivering as she felt a new blast of cold air enter the cave. Closing her eyes, she couldn’t even muster enough strength to cry anymore. She’d retreated into the depths of her mind, so far that memories from so long ago seemed like just yesterday. Scene after scene flashed in front of her eyes.

Images of the people she loved. Even those she didn’t like, such as her aunt, haunted her mind. A memory of her father surfaced. She’d been eleven years old when he’d left, too young to lose her father because he’d found someone better to love. She remembered she’d cried as he packed his things up. Her mother stood in the doorway and watched him leave. Kristen could remember seeing the other woman, now his wife, sitting in the front seat of the car, smiling. Maybe that was why she’d always feared intimacy? It was her father’s fault that she had a fear of being hurt like her mother had been. Sure, she’d owned up to the fact that she cared deeply for Tyler, but she had yet to admit to him that she loved him. After all, how could she fall so hard for someone so quickly? Love didn’t work that way. Did it? Memories of Tyler flooded her dull mind. Seeing him for the first time as she stood on the ladder of the plane. His rugged, handsome face as he laughed at her fur boots. The frustration she’d seen in his eyes after dealing with his uncle. The hurt in his eyes when she’d told him she was leaving. The joy when she’d told him she was staying. The pleasure in his eyes when he’d kissed her. The heat in his eyes as he’d seen her standing in the doorway in barely anything.

She shifted and held in a cry as her bones felt brittle, ready to break in the cold. She was past the point of shivering. It was too cold and she knew that as she drifted off, it would be the last time she’d fall asleep. In her dulled mind, she realized that the one thing she would regret the most was not telling Tyler how she felt.

CHAPTER TWENTYSEVEN Tyler drove like the hounds of hell were chasing him. He knew that Tom and the guys from the station were following him, but didn’t care if they issued him a ticket . . . later. He made it to the parking area in record time. “I’ve got a flashlight in the glove box,” he told Trey. “We should have stopped . . .” Trey stopped talking when Tyler pulled out the other flashlight from his pocket. “Never mind,” he said, following Tyler out of the truck. “There are three caves,” he said, starting up the path. “Let’s hit the first one together, then we can split and take the last two separately.” He broke into a run. His body screamed at him. He’d gone without dinner and the frigid cold seeped through his heavy jacket. Snow and ice made the trail treacherous. “The first cave is about a quarter of a mile up,” Trey said, just behind him.

Their flashlights barely lit up the pathway, causing them to slow to a stumble. “It’s got to be below freezing,” Trey said, earning him a glare from Tyler. “She’ll be okay,” he kept saying over and over as they made their way up the trail. When they reached the first cave opening, his cell phone buzzed. “She’s not in the cabin. I’m heading your way,” Trent said quickly, then hung up. “He’s coming to us,” he told Trey. “She’s here,” he said, feeling it in his bones. “She’s got to be here.” His light hit the dark cave and he knew instantly that no one had entered it in months. “You thinking what I am?” Trey said. “Yeah.” He turned to go, but then turned back around. “Just in case.” He stood at the mouth of the cave and screamed Kristen’s name. The sound echoed, and they stood silently as they listened for a response. After almost a full minute, they turned back toward the trail. “I’ll take the cave on the left,” Trey said when they hit the split in the pathway. Tyler hit the right pathway at a sprint. He was out of breath and his body had just begun to heat when he tripped. He went down hard and felt his skin split open on a rock. Wasting no time, he picked himself up and cursed the delay. It seemed to take forever to reach the mouth of the cave. The

sun was just coming up, lighting the sky in a slightly brighter blue. It was still too dark to see, though, and he knew the cave would be pitch-black no matter what time of day it was. He slowed down inside the cave and flashed the light on the floor. The mouth of the cave was solid rock, but a few feet in, it turned to dirt. He saw footprints. He followed them, calling out Kristen’s name constantly until he reached a solid wall of wood planks secured with a padlock. The padlock was new and it took him several minutes to break it open with a heavy rock, as he held the flashlight under his chin. He’d just broken it when Trey rushed in. “Anything?” his brother asked. “Just broke this damn thing,” Tyler said, tossing the lock to the ground. He’d wished his brother had been there a moment ago, to help or hold the light. They pulled the thick door open, the hinges groaning. “This must have been a smuggler’s hold,” Trey suggested. “A what?” he asked as he cast his light around the small space. “Never mind,” Trey said. “What’s that?” Both of their lights shone in the back corner to a dark mound. He moved forward, holding his breath. It was

too small and dirty to be Kristen. He knelt and his hands shook as he reached out. The material was cold. Too cold. He felt something solid underneath and his breath hitched as he pulled the light sleeping bag away. She was pale. Too pale. He felt for a pulse. When he found a soft beat, he cried out in relief. “She’s alive!” Instantly, he was up, removing his jacket and covering her body. Pulling her as close as he could to his warmth. “I’m calling everyone.” Tyler could hear the concern and fear in his brother’s voice. He picked her up gently, keeping the sleeping bag wrapped around the rest of her as he carried her out of the cave in the dark. His brother’s light led the way as he spoke on his cell phone. It took half the time to get down the mountain, and they were met by Trent and several of the police and park service employees. Kristen was wrapped in more materials to keep her warm the rest of the way down the hill. He refused to give her up and carried her the entire way. When they reached the parking area, he wasn’t surprised to see an ambulance waiting. Instead of laying her down on the gurney, he stepped in the back door with her and sat down on the bench, still holding her against his chest. “Body warmth,” he murmured as his eyes ran over her pale face. She hadn’t even batted an eye.

“Sir, we can’t move until she’s strapped in. We’ll want to start getting fluids into her,” one of the EMTs said. Tyler said a few choice words and the kid backed down. “Son, she needs medical help,” someone said and when he looked up, he realized it was Mike who had spoken. He gently laid her down on the gurney and sat back as the EMTs got to work on her. They bumped down the road out of the park. He didn’t even know who else was in the back of the ambulance with him. His eyes never left Kristen’s face. He was dimly aware of the men giving her an IV line and checking her vitals. When they reached the ER at the clinic, he got out and helped them pull out the gurney and held onto the rail as she was wheeled back into the ER. At one point, he was shoved aside and directed into the waiting room. Less than a minute later, his mother’s arms wrapped around him, followed by his brother’s and more arms than he knew. He closed his eyes and let the fear flow from him. His knees collapsed, but because of the arms holding him up, he didn’t fall flat on his face. Instead, he was moved into a private room and pushed into a chair. He buried his face into his hands until a cup of coffee was placed in front of him.

“Warm up, you’re freezing,” someone said. When he looked up, he had to blink a few times until Kristen’s mother’s face finally came into focus. Trisha—he remembered Kristen saying her name was Trisha. That seemed like a lifetime ago. “Drink all of it. Your mother went to get you something to eat.” Trisha sat next to him as he took the hot coffee from her. The warm liquid was soothing and by the time it was completely gone, he felt his body heated. “She was so cold,” he said. “She’ll be okay.” Trisha took his hand. “Thanks to you. She’s strong,” she reassured him. He watched tears slide down her cheek and reached over to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “You love her.” It wasn’t a question. She looked up at him with Kristen’s green eyes and smiled. “More than I ever believed was possible,” he said. She laughed, shocking him. “What’s so funny?” He frowned down at her, suddenly concerned that the woman was going into shock. She sniffled and shook her head. “I was just thinking that I’m glad I didn’t sign another year lease on my place.” His frown and worry doubled. “Why?” She smiled up at him. “Because it looks like I’ll

be moving to Montana to be close to my daughter.” Her meaning finally hit his foggy mind and he smiled down at her, then his smile fell away. “I promise you if I’m lucky enough to convince her to move across the country that I’ll never let something like this happen again.” Trisha shook her head and took his face in her hands. “This is not your fault.” He started to open his mouth, but she shushed him. “I know you’re a good man. You come from an amazing family.” Her eyes moved past him and he knew that his mother or brothers were standing behind him. “My daughter was lucky to find you.” “We’re the lucky ones,” his mother said from the doorway. When he turned, she walked in with a to-go container from the diner. “We brought enough for everyone,” she said, setting the container down on his lap. Then she leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips. “You did well.” He watched as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m so proud of you boys.” She straightened and then took a deep breath. “Now eat before I have to berate you so soon after praising you.” He nodded, then opened the container. There was a hot breakfast sandwich, which he downed quickly. Less than half an hour later, the nurse found

them. “Ms. Howell was suffering from an extreme case of hypothermia and dehydration. We’ve put her on an IV and are slowly warming her up. It will take some time, but if she doesn’t show any signs of a fever, she should make a full recovery in a few days.” “Is she awake?” Tyler asked. “She’s in and out of consciousness. We’re keeping a close eye on her and expect that she can have visitors by later this evening.” When she left, he glanced around the room and realized how many people were crammed into the small space. Rea sat in the corner, next to several other people from the office and even some of his crew, including John. Even Marg from the hotel was leaning against the wall of the small room. At one point, his family tried to convince him to go home and shower and get some rest, but instead, he informed a nurse that he was taking a shower in one of the empty rooms. When he came out, his brother walked in and tossed him some clean clothes. “Sorry, I grabbed the first things I found that were clean,” Trent said, nodding down at the sweater and jeans he’d picked out. “Any word yet?” Tyler asked, throwing the sweater over his head.

“No, nothing has changed. You should try to get some rest.” His brother nodded to the empty bed. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” “I’ll wait.” He shoved on his shoes just as the door to the room opened. “Mr. McGowan.” The nurse poked her head in. “Yeah,” both turned and spoke at the same time. Trent chuckled and shook his head. “Ms. Howell is asking for you.” She smiled at him.

The shivers were back, along with the dullness in her head. She murmured Tyler’s name, almost like a prayer. Slowly, she started to feel every ache, every scratch on her body. When she shifted, she cried out in pain, only to be hushed and soothed by warm hands. Hands she’d dreamed about. Then, a warm body was next to hers and the shaking stopped as arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. She snuggled against Tyler’s chest and sighed. “You’re safe now.” His voice sounded so real, so close. She fought back tears but they seeped out because she knew he wasn’t real. She was dreaming about him again. She’d dreamed that he’d hold her just like this. That he’d whisper comfort to her, telling her that he loved her. Just like he was

doing now. She faded into her nightmares again and next time she woke, the shivers and cold were gone completely. When she opened her eyes, she had to blink a few times from the brightness. “She’s coming to,” someone said close to her. She could have sworn it was her mother’s voice. When her eyes adjusted, she saw her mother standing next to her. Kristen cried in relief and happiness. Her mother gently grabbed her up and hugged her as they both cried. The tubes running out of Kristen’s left arm pulled painfully, but she didn’t care. She shut her eyes and just took in the smell of her mother’s hair in her face, the feeling of her arms wrapped around her. She could have held onto that moment for the rest of her life if she hadn’t heard another sniffle in the room. Glancing around, she realized there were four other people crowded into the small space. She gently embraced each one, ending with Tyler, who sat down gingerly next to her. He kept her hand in his and his other arm wrapped around her shoulders as she settled back against his chest. “How did you find me?” she asked once everyone settled down. Every eye in the room turned to Tyler. “It’s a long story.” He sighed. “I’ll tell you later. Now, we’ll want to get some food in you.” He

nodded to his brother, who left the room. No doubt to find a nurse. “Was it Dennis?” she asked, looking around. “Did he hurt you?” Tyler sat up a little. “No, I mean, other than the initial blow that knocked me out.” She reached up and touched the bump on her head and realized her hair was still sticky and dirty. She had a sudden and desperate urge to shower. “He’s claiming he had nothing to do with your disappearance,” Trent said. “Did you actually see him?” Tyler asked. “No.” She started to shake her head but stopped when the room spun. “No, I never saw who it was.” “Why do you think it was Dennis?” Trent asked. “It was something . . .” She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. “I remembered the unpaid invoices that I’d found before I left . . .” A wave of weariness hit her, and she leaned back onto Tyler’s strong shoulder. “She’s tired,” her mother said. “We should let her get some more rest.” “I lost my bracelet.” Her voice hitched as she looked down at her bare arm. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes moved to her mother. “Oh, honey.” Her mother moved back over to her and took her hand. “I can make another one.” She smiled down at her daughter and Tyler saw the

love between them. Just then a nurse walked in carrying a large tray. “I brought you some soup. We’ll start slow.” She set the tray down on the table and looked around. “I think it’s time everyone allowed Ms. Howell to get some rest.” “We were just leaving,” Gail said, pushing her two younger sons out of the room. Kristen’s mother followed, leaving Tyler and her alone.

CHAPTER TWENTYEIGHT “Here.” He moved the table toward her as she shifted and pulled it closer to her. Just smelling the soup had her stomach growling. She was extremely happy to see that there was a small roll next to the bowl and some Jell-O as well. Tyler sat beside her on the bed as she downed the soup. “Slowly,” he said, touching her arm. “My god, this is so good.” She sighed as the warmth spread throughout her system. “Here’s some hot tea.” He pulled the lid off the cup. “Sugar?” She nodded, then took the cup from him after he dropped the sugar into the cup. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the tea. “You doing okay?” he asked. She smiled. “I never thought how wonderful simple hot tea could taste.” When she was done eating, she leaned back and pushed the tray away.

“What’s going to happen now?” she asked as Tyler moved back over and sat next to her. “Now?” He sighed and pulled her close. “You get some rest and when you’re feeling better, we go home.” “I mean with Dennis.” She glanced up at him. She was a little groggy and his words didn’t hit her until after she’d spoken. When they finally dawned on her, she smiled. “We’ll go home?” she questioned. “Well, Dennis is being held and will be shipped to the county courthouse so he can go before a judge later tomorrow.” He smiled down at her. “And yes, home. That is if it’s okay with you if I move your stuff out to my place?” She nodded and leaned against his shoulder. Just then, someone knocked on the door. “Sorry to interrupt,” Mike said. “If you have a few minutes, we need to ask Kristen some questions.” Tyler sat with her and held her hand as she answered a barrage of questions from Mike. She couldn’t tell him much and felt bad that she hadn’t seen who had delivered the food or water to her. He seemed interested in the water bottles. He even took her fingerprints so they could eliminate them from any others they found on the bottles. When Mike finally left, she leaned back against Tyler, then remembered how filthy she must be and

sat back up. “I’d kill for a shower.” She glanced down at her arms and groaned at the dried blood and mud on her skin. “They cleaned you up as much as they could. I can ask a nurse if it’s allowed.” He got up and walked to the doorway and disappeared. By the time he came back, she was standing next to the bed, holding onto the chair as she untangled the IV lines coming out of her arm. “What are you doing?” He rushed to her side and took her arm gently. “Going to the bathroom.” She smiled as he tried to get her to sit back down. “Tyler, I think I can at least walk to the restroom.” He glanced between her and the door less than five feet away, then took her arm and grabbed the stand that was holding the bags of fluid that were draining into her arm. “Do you need help . . .” He stopped talking midsentence when she looked at him. “Okay, if you need anything.” He started to shut the door behind him. “Oh, the nurses said you could shower. They’ll be in to take care of your IV and bring in a new gown.” He glanced down at the nasty blue one she was currently wearing. She wondered what had happened to her clothes, but realized it didn’t matter. They had been ruined and she doubted she wanted to see them

ever again. Just using the bathroom in a clean environment felt amazing. When she was finished, a nurse bustled in and efficiently covered her IV site with a washcloth and plastic wrap. She turned the water on and gave the nurse repeated assurances that she’d be fine on her own. After showing her the emergency button, the nurse left. Peeling off the gown, she chanced a look at herself in the mirror and frowned at her image. Bruises, cuts, and grime covered her entire body. She stepped under the spray, felt her knees go weak. Thankfully there was a bench in the shower and she wasted no time sitting down and tucking her knees up to her chest. Everything that had happened to her in the last few days surfaced, causing her to shake. Her eyes closed as tears mixed with the water. She hadn’t heard Tyler come in, but soon he stood over her, under the spray, completely naked. He took her hands and pulled her up until she stood wrapped in his arms. “I figured I could use another shower too.” He kissed the top of her head. “And the thought of you slipping in here scared me.” He kissed her head again and held onto her as long as he could. When she pulled away, he helped her shampoo her hair, since the tubes hanging from her arm gave

her some mobility issues. “Does this hurt?” he asked, rubbing a finger over the bump on her head. “Yeah.” She groaned as he gently washed her hair around the bump. “Sorry,” he mumbled and moved on to cleaning her shoulders and her arms. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her. She rested against him, then sat when he nudged her to do so. He took each foot and cleaned around the sores on each one gently. When she felt clean again, he shut the water off and wrapped a towel around her. Her head felt dull and suddenly she was exhausted. Tyler dressed her in the new hospital gown, carried her into the other room, and laid her gently on the bed. “Stay,” she said, reaching for him. “Of course.” He pulled on his jeans and stretched out next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She shifted and laid her head down on his chest. “This is where I belong.” She sighed and quickly fell asleep, happy for the first time in weeks.

Tyler stood in the police station’s lobby with his brothers the following day and listened to Mike

retell Dennis’s story once more. Dennis kept talking about how Tyler must have planted Kristen’s shoe in the back of his truck and how the McGowan brothers had it out for him. “He’s repeating the same story over and over.” Mike shook his head. “His wife isn’t corroborating his story of being home when Kristen was grabbed. She says that he didn’t return to the house until after a few hours after dark that day. We’ll need to question Kristen, see if she knows or saw anything.” “They’re going to discharge her later today,” Tyler said. “I’ll be taking her back to my place.” Mike nodded. “Mind if I swing by later and have another quick chat with her?” “I’d prefer it be tomorrow, but I know Kristen believes the sooner she gets it over, the better.” He sighed. In fact, it had taken a lot to convince her to spend the rest of the morning resting instead of coming down to the station with him. In the end, the nurse had come in and told her they wouldn’t release her until that afternoon. Tyler had left only after her mother had shown up with her bag of clothes and promised to not leave her side until he returned to get her. He’d tried to convince Trisha to stay out at his place with them, but she assured them that she was already settled in with his mother. “What happens to him if we can’t prove he was

the one who took Kristen?” Tyler asked. Mike sighed and started walking over toward his desk. Tyler followed the man. “Well, unless we find something tying him to her disappearance . . .” “Other than the shoe?” Trent asked. Mike nodded. “Other than the shoe, we’ll have to let him go.” Tyler watched Mike toss his keys down on the desk in frustration. “We all know, everyone in the station, that you didn’t plant the shoe.” “What about the food, the bottles of water?” Tyler asked, sitting down, his eyes still on Mike’s keys, held together with a silver Superman key chain. Everyone knew that Mike’s son had died several years back, after a long battle with cancer. Mike had sent the five-year-old off with a superhero funeral and had kept the Superman ring on his keys as a reminder. Tyler couldn’t imagine losing a son. It had devastated Mike and his wife, Carla. So much so that Carla had left Haven to go live with her folks in California. “Anyone could make sandwiches and get bottled water.” Mike leaned back in his chair. “What about the sleeping bag?” Trey asked. “From what we can tell, it’s been in the cave for years.” He reached out and fingered the Superman symbol. A move that told Tyler that Mike was deep in thought. “Did you find a silver bracelet?” he asked.

Mike looked at him and frowned. “No.” “Trisha, Kristen’s mother, made it for her. She says she lost it.” “Was she wearing it when she was taken?” Mike asked. “She always wears it. It’s a unique design. Two hearts interlocked.” He reached over and took a pen and drew a sketch of it on a piece of paper. “Trisha has a matching one.” “We’ll keep an eye out for it. It could still be up in the cave?” Mike suggested. Tyler was about to sit down, but something was nagging him. His eyes were drawn to Mike’s keys laying on the desk. He stopped halfway down to the chair and froze. His breath, his heart, and even his hearing ceased. In his mind, he was back in the cave. Looking for any clue. Suddenly Tyler’s mind sharpened. “The door.” He straightened up quickly. “The lock. Did you find the lock?” “The padlock from the door?” Mike paused playing with his keys, then smiled. “A lock is bound to have a key.” Tyler nodded. “Tell me you have his keys.” “We took them when we booked him.” He stood up. “Go back to the hospital. I’ll keep you posted.” He turned and disappeared down the hallway. Tyler did what Mike asked. He didn’t want to

leave Kristen for too long. Even if he knew that both her mother and his were most likely keeping her company. When he walked back into Kristen’s room, he smiled. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, freshly showered and dressed in her own clothes. No tubes running from her arms. Trisha and his mother were there, talking to her. Everyone stopped and watched him walk in. He’d stopped by the store and had picked up a bunch of wildflowers in a silver vase and when he entered the room, he suddenly felt stupid as three sets of eyes watched him. “What?” he asked after everyone remained silent. It was as if they had been talking about him and didn’t want him to know it. He watched as both his mother and Kristen’s smiled up at him. “They’re beautiful,” Kristen broke in. “For me?” She stood up and walked toward him. “Did they clear you to leave?” he asked, handing over the flowers and giving her a quick kiss. “We’re waiting for them to discharge her now,” his mother said. “What did they say down at the station?” “They’re checking into something,” he replied, watching Kristen bring the flowers up to her face and smell.

“We’re heading over to your mother’s place for dinner,” Trisha said. “I’ll let Mike know that he can swing by when he knows something.” He turned to Kristen. “He had a few questions for you. If you feel up to it later.” Her smile slid slightly, but she nodded before turning away from him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him. “Hey,” he whispered. “We’re in this together,” he said softly.

Two hours later, after eating one of his mother’s best meals of roasted chicken, wild rice, and veggies, they all sat around in his mother’s living room. Tyler held Kristen close on the sofa, while Kristen’s mother and his mother sat across from them. Mike and his brothers stood. Everyone waited for Mike to fill them in. “So?” Gail finally said impatiently. “Did we get him?” “We found the Master lock and matched it with a key on Dennis’s key ring.” Mike smiled. “We lifted fingerprints from the lock and have matched them with Dennis. So, yeah, we got him this time.” “Did he say anything?” Tyler asked. Kristen’s hand was in his. “When we told him about his key working on

the lock, he tried to pin it on you again.” Mike chuckled and shook his head. “It took less than half an hour before he opened up to us.” “And?” Tyler asked, leaning closer. “From what he said, he’s been pocketing some of the NewField checks. We’re looking deeper into it, but we did find a stack of McGowan invoices in the glove box of his truck.” “Why would he do that?” Gail asked. “He’s not giving us any more on the subject. Only that he took Ms. Howell to throw you off the trail.” “Is he the one who broke into my hotel room?” Kristen asked. Mike shook his head. “We asked him about that, but he swears it wasn’t him. We’re checking with Crystal to confirm that he was home that night.” Mike turned to Tyler. “Dennis said he got spooked when he found out that you’d called his office and threatened to call corporate about the missing checks.” “Yeah,” Tyler leaned forward. “Rea had called them a few times. They claimed they had sent the checks, but we hadn’t gotten them. I called the other day and mentioned I’d have to call corporate if we didn’t see anything from them soon.” It dawned on him. “Damn.” He stood up. “Of course.”

“What?” everyone said at the same time. “Their payments to us always go through the local branch.” He walked over to the windows. “I should have known.” He turned back toward everyone. “I would have pieced it together . . . if I hadn’t been so distracted.” His eyes landed on Kristen. “We send our invoices to NewField’s corporate office, and they turn around and pay the local branch, who forwards payment on to us. Every payment we get from them goes through Dennis. It was one of the things my father hated about working with them, but”—he shrugged —“how others run their business is out of our control.” “So why didn’t Dennis pay up?” Mike asked. “Think he was pocketing the funds? We’re looking into his accounts.” “He did make a pretty big bid on McGowan,” Kristen added, causing everyone to turn toward her. “It was one of the early offers you turned down. Before JB’s,” she added. Tyler turned to her. “Dennis or NewField never made an offer. I would have known about it.” “R&R Enterprises gave you an offer two weeks after your father passed away.” She shifted. “Dennis Rodgers is a partner in R&R.” He thought about it for a moment. “So what? He thought he could withhold NewField’s money from us and that would do what? Do you really

think he intended to use that money to try and buy us out?” He shook his head. “Maybe he hoped that if you didn’t get paid, you’d go under? Then you’d have no option but to sell out?” Trisha suggested. Tyler shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul—buying a company with funds that that company was owed.” “I don’t know.” Kristen sighed and Tyler noticed how pale and tired she looked. “None of it really makes sense. I get the feeling that there’s something more behind it all.” She raised a hand to her forehead. “If I had some time to go through past invoices again, I’m sure I could figure it out.” He didn’t doubt it. After all, she was the one who had found the unpaid invoices in the first place. Even Rea hadn’t found half of them. But just looking at her now, he knew it wasn’t the time to get to the bottom of everything. “I think it’s time I took you home.” He walked over and pulled Kristen up into his arms. “We can figure this out later. Right now, Kristen needs her rest.” “I’ll follow you out,” Mike said, getting up. “If we find out more, I’ll let you know.” They drove to his place in silence and when they pulled up, he shut the truck off and shifted toward her. He reached up and brushed her hair aside. “You scared me.”

She closed her eyes as he pulled her across the seat and wrapped his arms around her. “I scared you?” She sighed into his chest. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She pulled back slightly. He opened the door and pulled her out the driver’s side. She laughed as he carried her up the stairs and onto the porch. “Wait,” she said, stopping him from going inside. “I want to enjoy the fresh air.” She glanced around his dark yard. “It’s warmed up and I just really want to be outside right now. To be able to see the sky.” He nodded, and instead of going inside, moved over and sat down on the swing he’d bought last week. He shifted until she sat cradled in his lap. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She sighed and looked up at the clear night sky. “What a difference from last night.” He sighed. “I think that was the last snow we’ll get until next fall.” He felt her shiver and almost suggested they go inside where it was warm, but she snuggled closer and when his eyes met hers, he doubted the shiver had anything to do with the temperature. “I shouldn’t have let you walk away.” He frowned. “I should have . . .” “Tyler, there wasn’t anything you could do.” She leaned back and looked up at him. “There’s so

much I didn’t get to tell you.” Her hands came up and cupped his face. “Like?” he asked. “I quit my job.” She smiled. He felt his heart skip. “Does Mr. Burnett know this?” She smiled. “Yeah, I told him just before . . .” Her smile fell away. “When I left your office that day—” “Don’t.” He cupped her chin. She had bruises on her cheek and scratches in places. Her eyes still looked hollow, but he could see that her coloring was getting better. She was alive and with him now and he didn’t plan on letting her go so easily this time. “Don’t think about it.” “I don’t want to live in the city anymore,” she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. “You don’t?” He brushed them away with his thumb as his heart skipped. He couldn’t stop the smile playing on his lips. She shook her head. “No. I never thought I’d enjoy the country.” She glanced around and her smile returned. “But I find the air here to be very pleasant.” “Just the air?” He turned her face back to his by using a finger under her chin. “That . . . and this.” She leaned forward and placed her lips over his. It was like home. Her body melted against his.

He knew he had to be gentle with her since she was still covered in bruises and cuts. His hands ran over her slowly as she kissed him with such need that his body responded quickly. He nudged her back so he could look at her. “Let me take you inside. You need some rest.” She shook her head. “Just a few more minutes. There’s still so much I have to say to you. I don’t want to go to bed without saying this.” She smiled up at him. “I promised myself that if I got out of that cave, that I wouldn’t waste any more time.” “Okay,” he shifted her closer. “I love you,” she said, causing his heart to skip. “I’ve never said that to a man before.” She smiled. “I didn’t think I would be lucky enough to find someone like you.” He’d wanted to tell her those three little words himself. But had planned to wait, to make the moment special, with candlelight, champagne, and . . . moonlight. One out of three wasn’t bad. “I love you.” He leaned down and placed his lips over hers softly. “I can’t let you go. I don’t want to. I want to be with you, here.” He rested his forehead on hers. “Please tell me you’re okay with staying in a double-wide until we can build our home. Together.” He glanced at her. Her eyes sparkled. “I’m more than okay with it.” She chuckled. “As long as you’re good with being in a committed relationship with an out-of-

work woman who loves to shop.” He laughed too. “Committed relationship?” He sighed and shook his head. “I think we could do better than that.” “Oh?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders again. “What were you thinking?” “Marry me,” he blurted out, then felt like kicking himself. “I can do better at a proposal, but . . .” She placed a kiss on his lips, silencing him. “I don’t want better. That was perfect. The third time’s the charm. I’ll take it, and you, just the way you are.” “Is that a yes?” He waited, his heart refusing to beat until she answered him. “Yes,” she said and then kissed him again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © 2015 Daryl Sanders

Jill Sanders is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pride Series, Secret Series, West Series, and Grayton Series romance novels. Her sweet and sexy stories, available in print and audio in every English-speaking country, continue to lure new readers and are currently being translated into six different languages. Born an identical twin to a large family in the Pacific Northwest, she relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career. She then discovered her talent as a writer. Now she makes her home along the Emerald Coast in Florida, where she enjoys the beach, hiking, swimming, wine tasting, and of

course, writing. Visit her at www.JillSanders.com.