difference.’
‘And the land eco thingy is what you want to do?’
He sat forward and took her hand, his sincerity almost palpable. ‘Yeah. I’ll try to get a job with the Bureau of Land Management, and work with the ranchers and the conservationists so that everyone’s happy.’
‘It sounds, um, fascinating.’
His warm laughter filled the small space. ‘It’s OK, I know I sound like a do-gooding dork, but I really do think it’s time for the government, the environmentalists and the ranchers to work together instead of all this constant bureaucratic bickering.’
She found herself nodding. ‘I’m all for the environment and keeping the Earth turning.’ Yet another side to the complex man in front of her, yet another layer to break through.
He squeezed her fingers. ‘Did you go to college?’
Her faint smile died and she eased her hand away. ‘I never really got the chance. I was too busy smoking weed, drinking and snorting coke. I think they call that the college of life.’
He studied her, his expression deliberately neutral. ‘It’s never too late to get an education.’
She got up from the couch and stood over him, arms folded across her chest. ‘You sound like a pain-in-the-ass parent again.’
‘So your parents did encourage you to go to college?’
‘My dad only turned up when he wanted money and my mom . . .’ She paused, suddenly aware of her own breathing, of the hurt that lingered just beneath her skin. ‘My mom had other plans for me.’
‘Such as?’
‘Keeping her in the luxury she’d become accustomed to.’
‘That’s a cliché if ever I heard one.’
‘And it’s a cliché because in this case it happens to be true.’
He shifted in his seat. ‘I’m not doubting what you said. I’m just trying to understand you.’
‘Don’t.’ She flashed him her best dismissive smile. ‘Just be grateful that I spent my formative years having too much sex and that you get to benefit from it.’
He stood up and the room seemed to shrink. ‘Why do you put yourself down all the time?’
She shrugged. ‘Before someone else can? It’s not exactly hard to see that I’m a mess, Dakota, a fucked-up mess.’
‘Did your last lover tell you that as well?’
She held his gaze. ‘No, everyone told me that, and to some extent they were right. There are some years of my life that are almost a total blank. I can’t remember them or what I did at all.’ All she had were the ripped-out photographs from glossy magazines of her falling out of cars, and dresses, of faceless men and bodyguards carrying her home in their arms.
He tried to touch her but she stepped back and came up short against the kitchen countertop.
‘Don’t try to make me feel better about myself, Dakota. I really don’t want to hear it.’
He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, his hazel eyes steady on hers. ‘No point me telling you something you’ve already worked out for yourself, is there? In my book, knowing what you did wrong is halfway to knowing how to fix it.’
She found herself smiling. ‘I haven’t got that far, but I’m working on it.’
‘You’re here, aren’t you?’ He moved forward and kissed her cheek. ‘Now will you sit down and help me get through this application form?’
Robyn sank down onto the couch again, her legs trembled as if she’d just survived a near miss. What had she expected him to do? Cast her out? Start telling her how to fix things like most men did? How the hell did he get to be so non-judgmental?
‘Are you a Christian?’ she asked.
‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ Dakota stopped rummaging in the bag at his feet and looked up at her.
‘I just wondered.’
His slow grin made her feel heated. ‘Because you’ve finally realized what a saint I am?’
‘No, because you seem to be intent on early martyrdom.’
His smile widened. ‘Saint Dakota. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?’
She shrugged. ‘Sure, just as long as
‘And the land eco thingy is what you want to do?’
He sat forward and took her hand, his sincerity almost palpable. ‘Yeah. I’ll try to get a job with the Bureau of Land Management, and work with the ranchers and the conservationists so that everyone’s happy.’
‘It sounds, um, fascinating.’
His warm laughter filled the small space. ‘It’s OK, I know I sound like a do-gooding dork, but I really do think it’s time for the government, the environmentalists and the ranchers to work together instead of all this constant bureaucratic bickering.’
She found herself nodding. ‘I’m all for the environment and keeping the Earth turning.’ Yet another side to the complex man in front of her, yet another layer to break through.
He squeezed her fingers. ‘Did you go to college?’
Her faint smile died and she eased her hand away. ‘I never really got the chance. I was too busy smoking weed, drinking and snorting coke. I think they call that the college of life.’
He studied her, his expression deliberately neutral. ‘It’s never too late to get an education.’
She got up from the couch and stood over him, arms folded across her chest. ‘You sound like a pain-in-the-ass parent again.’
‘So your parents did encourage you to go to college?’
‘My dad only turned up when he wanted money and my mom . . .’ She paused, suddenly aware of her own breathing, of the hurt that lingered just beneath her skin. ‘My mom had other plans for me.’
‘Such as?’
‘Keeping her in the luxury she’d become accustomed to.’
‘That’s a cliché if ever I heard one.’
‘And it’s a cliché because in this case it happens to be true.’
He shifted in his seat. ‘I’m not doubting what you said. I’m just trying to understand you.’
‘Don’t.’ She flashed him her best dismissive smile. ‘Just be grateful that I spent my formative years having too much sex and that you get to benefit from it.’
He stood up and the room seemed to shrink. ‘Why do you put yourself down all the time?’
She shrugged. ‘Before someone else can? It’s not exactly hard to see that I’m a mess, Dakota, a fucked-up mess.’
‘Did your last lover tell you that as well?’
She held his gaze. ‘No, everyone told me that, and to some extent they were right. There are some years of my life that are almost a total blank. I can’t remember them or what I did at all.’ All she had were the ripped-out photographs from glossy magazines of her falling out of cars, and dresses, of faceless men and bodyguards carrying her home in their arms.
He tried to touch her but she stepped back and came up short against the kitchen countertop.
‘Don’t try to make me feel better about myself, Dakota. I really don’t want to hear it.’
He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, his hazel eyes steady on hers. ‘No point me telling you something you’ve already worked out for yourself, is there? In my book, knowing what you did wrong is halfway to knowing how to fix it.’
She found herself smiling. ‘I haven’t got that far, but I’m working on it.’
‘You’re here, aren’t you?’ He moved forward and kissed her cheek. ‘Now will you sit down and help me get through this application form?’
Robyn sank down onto the couch again, her legs trembled as if she’d just survived a near miss. What had she expected him to do? Cast her out? Start telling her how to fix things like most men did? How the hell did he get to be so non-judgmental?
‘Are you a Christian?’ she asked.
‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ Dakota stopped rummaging in the bag at his feet and looked up at her.
‘I just wondered.’
His slow grin made her feel heated. ‘Because you’ve finally realized what a saint I am?’
‘No, because you seem to be intent on early martyrdom.’
His smile widened. ‘Saint Dakota. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?’
She shrugged. ‘Sure, just as long as
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