Man on a Mission by Carla Cassidy Page B

wind, explain the whole subterfuge to April. But he knew better than anyone that the safest course of action would be for him to maintain silence. Still, the burden of his secret weighed heavily on him.
    For the past three weeks, since making the decision to appear addled, Mark had been forced to live an existence of isolation. In those weeks he hadn’t had a truly meaningful discussion with anyone, nor had he been able to relax for a moment, fearful that he might somehow give himself away.
    They were clearing the table when a knock sounded at the door. Brian answered and instantly turned to his mom. “It’s Ricky. Can I go over to his house and play his new video game with him?”
    April nodded, then looked at her watch. “Okay, but be home by eight-thirty.”
    Almost before the words were out of her mouth, Brian shot out the door. “Thanks, Mom. See you in the morning, Mark,” he said over his shoulder, then he pulled the door closed, leaving Mark and April alone in the small cottage.
    April flashed him what appeared to be a slightlynervous smile as she put the last dish away in the cabinet. “Sit down, Mark. We need to have a talk.” She gestured to the sofa.
    â€œA talk?” He eyed her curiously as he sat.
    She joined him on the sofa, her expression somber. Mark’s curiosity was piqued. He couldn’t imagine what she needed to discuss with him.
    She raked a hand through her short, pale curls and drew a deep breath. “Mark, you mustn’t kiss me anymore.” Her cheeks instantly flamed with color.
    â€œWhy not? I liked kissing you, and you liked kissing me.”
    Her blush intensified. “That’s not the point.” She sighed and once again threaded a hand through her curls. “You’re a Delaney, and that means you’re one of my bosses. It isn’t good to have a relationship with a boss.”
    â€œI’m not a boss,” Mark scoffed. “Matthew is the boss. I just work with the horses.”
    â€œMark, you’re a very nice man, but it isn’t appropriate for you to kiss me anymore.” She averted her gaze from his.
    He wanted to kiss her again now, at this very moment, with the blush on her cheeks and her discomfort with the conversation so obvious.
    He wanted to kiss her and watch the green of her eyes deepen and taste the sweetness of her lips. His fingers itched with the need to caress her soft skin, to feel the sensual softness of her blond curls.
    â€œMatthew doesn’t want us kissing,” she finally said, and looked at him once again.
    He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “He told you that?”
    â€œNot exactly,” she hedged. “But he said he didn’t want me taking advantage of you.”
    â€œTaking advantage…” Mark cursed inwardly. For years Matthew had virtually ignored Mark. But now, after a knock on Mark’s head, Matthew was suddenly the poster boy for big brothers of the world. “Matthew is not my keeper, and he has no right to involve himself in my personal life.” Instantly he recognized he’d been too eloquent in his statement.
    April’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he saw a trace of suspicion in the depths. “He’s your brother and he worries about you,” she finally said.
    â€œMatthew doesn’t worry about anything but the ranch,” he countered, his tone sharper than intended.
    April frowned. “You mentioned something earlier about your father’s will forcing your sister to spend time on the ranch.”
    Mark nodded and saw her relax as the conversation moved away from the reasons he shouldn’t kiss her. “In his will, it’s stipulated that all of us have to spend twenty-five hours a week working the ranch for a year or else the ranch is sold and everything goes to our aunt Clara.” Again he realized he wasn’t using the words of a man who found thinking and speaking difficult. But April