fingertips on her cheek. She could still remember her delight in their brief embrace.
Victoria’s body grew uncomfortably warm. She had tingling feelings in her breasts, in her belly, in her groin. Feelings she had never had before, bone-melting feelings which continued to grow stronger the longer she thought about Trinity’s touch. It was a strange but not uncomfortable feeling, one that made her long to increase its intensity tenfold.
But her worry wasn’t all for Trinity. She didn’t know what to do about herself. Trinity had stirred her up, made her unsatisfied with her life, but he refused to help her change it. Now, after a couple of hours of intense concentration, she still hadn’t come up with any answers. Not any she liked.
She could try to lose herself in someplace like New York or London, but she would need to get control of her inheritance. She couldn’t go on expecting her uncle to support her. Only thing was, she didn’t want to leave the ranch. She loved the feeling of limitless space. Crowds of strangers would smother her.
She couldn’t go back to her mother’s home. Nobody there wanted anything except her money. And of course she couldn’t go back to Bandera. Not until she was proved innocent.
She had to convince Trinity to go to Texas. Buc wouldn’t like it, but that was too bad. He had gotten what he wanted: Trinity was leaving. She deserved a chance to see if she could have what she wanted: freedom.
Trinity crouched in the shadows of the pines, which covered the hill behind the ranch house, and waited for everyone to leave. During the night he’d considered and tossed aside several plans for getting inside the house without anyone knowing. The one he’d chosen depended upon Victoria’s being so angry and upset she wouldn’t stay home.
He didn’t have to wait long to see he had made the right choice. Fifteen minutes after Buc and Grant left the house, Victoria came out through the kitchen door. She nearly ran to the bunkhouse. She emerged a few seconds later, her mouth compressed in anger. Shortly after that she saddled her horse and took to the hills. Trinity had an idea she meant to follow Buc and have some rather sharp words with him.
He smiled at the thought.
Being careful to stay under cover, Trinity scrambled down the ridge. Ramon and Anita were still in the house. He didn’t want anybody but Victoria to know he hadn’t left Mountain Valley.
It took Trinity nearly an hour before he was able to get into the house without anyone seeing him. But he didn’t care. He had all day.
First he went through Victoria’s room, taking a few pieces of clothing from each drawer and chest and putting them into a learner bag he brought with him. After he satisfied himself he had taken enough, he placed a folded note in her hair brush where she couldn’t miss it. He hoped Anita wouldn’t discover it and destroy it.
Then he climbed out of a window and melted into the pines once again.
Victoria didn’t reach home until after her uncle and Buc had returned. Despite a fight with Buc, the tenor of which should have banished any hope he had of marrying her, her mood hadn’t improved. She had hoped Trinity would want to see her before he disappeared forever. She was upset he hadn’t.
She had tried to finish surveying the ridge they had begun together, but every time she needed a second pair of hands, she thought of him. Every time she wanted to share a thought, she missed him. Every time she wanted to ask a question, she felt his absence.
Trinity had excited her more than any man she’d ever met. He had so much energy, vitality, a sense of humor, a confidence, an outlook on life which allowed him to laugh at himself and the things that happened to him.
After five years, during which even trivial occurrences were viewed with life-and-death importance, Victoria had exulted at the change.
It had been like a breath of fresh air, a rekindling of interest in living. For years she had
Victoria’s body grew uncomfortably warm. She had tingling feelings in her breasts, in her belly, in her groin. Feelings she had never had before, bone-melting feelings which continued to grow stronger the longer she thought about Trinity’s touch. It was a strange but not uncomfortable feeling, one that made her long to increase its intensity tenfold.
But her worry wasn’t all for Trinity. She didn’t know what to do about herself. Trinity had stirred her up, made her unsatisfied with her life, but he refused to help her change it. Now, after a couple of hours of intense concentration, she still hadn’t come up with any answers. Not any she liked.
She could try to lose herself in someplace like New York or London, but she would need to get control of her inheritance. She couldn’t go on expecting her uncle to support her. Only thing was, she didn’t want to leave the ranch. She loved the feeling of limitless space. Crowds of strangers would smother her.
She couldn’t go back to her mother’s home. Nobody there wanted anything except her money. And of course she couldn’t go back to Bandera. Not until she was proved innocent.
She had to convince Trinity to go to Texas. Buc wouldn’t like it, but that was too bad. He had gotten what he wanted: Trinity was leaving. She deserved a chance to see if she could have what she wanted: freedom.
Trinity crouched in the shadows of the pines, which covered the hill behind the ranch house, and waited for everyone to leave. During the night he’d considered and tossed aside several plans for getting inside the house without anyone knowing. The one he’d chosen depended upon Victoria’s being so angry and upset she wouldn’t stay home.
He didn’t have to wait long to see he had made the right choice. Fifteen minutes after Buc and Grant left the house, Victoria came out through the kitchen door. She nearly ran to the bunkhouse. She emerged a few seconds later, her mouth compressed in anger. Shortly after that she saddled her horse and took to the hills. Trinity had an idea she meant to follow Buc and have some rather sharp words with him.
He smiled at the thought.
Being careful to stay under cover, Trinity scrambled down the ridge. Ramon and Anita were still in the house. He didn’t want anybody but Victoria to know he hadn’t left Mountain Valley.
It took Trinity nearly an hour before he was able to get into the house without anyone seeing him. But he didn’t care. He had all day.
First he went through Victoria’s room, taking a few pieces of clothing from each drawer and chest and putting them into a learner bag he brought with him. After he satisfied himself he had taken enough, he placed a folded note in her hair brush where she couldn’t miss it. He hoped Anita wouldn’t discover it and destroy it.
Then he climbed out of a window and melted into the pines once again.
Victoria didn’t reach home until after her uncle and Buc had returned. Despite a fight with Buc, the tenor of which should have banished any hope he had of marrying her, her mood hadn’t improved. She had hoped Trinity would want to see her before he disappeared forever. She was upset he hadn’t.
She had tried to finish surveying the ridge they had begun together, but every time she needed a second pair of hands, she thought of him. Every time she wanted to share a thought, she missed him. Every time she wanted to ask a question, she felt his absence.
Trinity had excited her more than any man she’d ever met. He had so much energy, vitality, a sense of humor, a confidence, an outlook on life which allowed him to laugh at himself and the things that happened to him.
After five years, during which even trivial occurrences were viewed with life-and-death importance, Victoria had exulted at the change.
It had been like a breath of fresh air, a rekindling of interest in living. For years she had
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