Lone Star Rancher by Laurie Paige

his bedroom.”
    â€œUh, yes.” Jessica had gone upstairs to search the shelves for a new book to read one night last weekend and spotted Clyde working in his room through the open door.
    His bedroom was nearly a replica of hers, except the bed appeared to be larger. Images of sharing it with him had driven her down the steps and outside until her blood had cooled and the lightness had disappeared from her brain.
    â€œI’m about to forget why I called. Have you had any calls from our favorite stalker?” Violet asked.
    â€œNone. I’ve hardly been off the ranch since I arrived.” She realized it was Friday and it had been exactly two weeks ago that she’d arrived in a driving rainstorm. She’d been at the ranch only three days when she and Clyde had…
    She hesitated over a descriptive term and mentally changed “made love” to “had that episode at the lake.”
    â€œI can’t tell you what a relief it’s been not to have to deal with Roy and his obsession,” she concluded.
    â€œHave you seen your parents?”
    â€œNo. I’m following our plan. I do miss them, though,” Jessica admitted. “I’m thinking of moving back here.”
    â€œYou’re not!” Violet said in surprise.
    â€œYes, I am. It’s time we were settling down, old friend,” she said, reminding Violet that they weren’t getting any younger. They’d discussed this very thing when they’d turned thirty and decided they should start seriously looking for their dream mates.
    â€œWho with?” Violet asked glumly.
    â€œI don’t know. I do know I want my kids to know their grandparents on both sides.” She laughed softly. “So I’ll have to marry a Texas man and settle here.”
    â€œHey, we were going to raise our kids together.”
    â€œWell, you’ll have to find a Texas man, too. Hold on,” she said to her friend, hearing something behind her.
    Clyde stood on the threshold of the back door, glaring at her in his best Heathcliff imitation. She wondered how much of her conversation he’d heard.
    â€œYour brother’s here,” she told Violet, ignoring his moody scowl. “You want to talk to him?”
    â€œI suppose I’ll have to,” her friend said, pretending to be reluctant to do so.
    Jessica handed over the phone.
    â€œHey, where are you?” Clyde asked. He rummaged around in a kitchen drawer until he found the item he was looking for, an air needle to blow up the Perez kid’s basketball.
    As his sister told him of her cruise and the ports she’d visited, he was intensely aware of Jessica at the counter. She ate from a large bowl of salad, her eyes on the food as if this was the only thing that occupied her thoughts.
    Being anywhere near her drove him right up the wall!
    That was why he’d forced Miles to change places with him. He’d needed to get away from the house this past week. Not that it had helped a whole lot. His every thought, waking or sleeping, was of the woman who now silently ate and totally ignored his presence.
    â€œAre you keeping an eye on Jessica?” his sister asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow?” she demanded. “Jessica said you were directing the roundup while Miles stayed at the house.”
    â€œWell, he’s watching over her. I explained the problem to him.”
    â€œYou promised you would do it.”
    Other than his mom when she was on one of her crusades, he’d never known anyone as stubborn as his kid sister. “She’s fine, isn’t she?” he demanded.
    â€œSo far.” Her tone changed, becoming pensive. “I listened to the tapes of Roy’s calls. It was spooky. He truly is obsessed.”
    â€œYeah, well, everything is fine here. Are you having a good time?”
    â€œI suppose.” She sighed. “I’m rethinking my life.”
    A ripple of concern went through him. This