things going on in my
life,” she finally said, settling for the truth and avoiding the dangerous ground
of Brady’s feelings.
Ty turned into the driveway in front of the main house and stopped the truck. When
she went to leave, he put a restraining hand on her forearm. “For what it’s worth,”
he said, staring out the front window, “My advice is to give it a try. There are few
things worse than regrets. They kill you slowly, eating you alive from the inside
out.” He stared at her. “I know.”
For once she could read his emotions in his dark eyes. Raw pain flared out. She caught
her breath, wishing there was something she could say or do to ease his discomfort.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“Don’t be sorry, just don’t do what I did. Love is worth it, Rita. Take a chance.
If you don’t, you have to live with the memory of what could have been. Regret is
forever. Trust me, it’s no way to spend a life.”
He leaned close and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes briefly and wished there
was some hope for him. But who was she to offer advice?
“Thanks,” she said. “For everything.”
“You bet, kid.”
She slid out of the truck and slammed the door shut behind her. Poor Ty. Was that
her destiny, too? Was she going to be caught up in a past she couldn’t change and
couldn’t forget? That’s not what she wanted, but did she get a choice?
When she walked in the house, she was surprised to see Brady standing at the foot
of the stairs. At the sight of his familiar face, the warm brown eyes and the dimple
hovering on his left cheek, her heart picked up its cadence. She had the strongest
urge to throw herself in his arms and beg him to make love to her. Fortunately, she
managed to bite back the words.
“Hi,” she said, and smiled.
He didn’t smile back. It took her a couple of seconds to register the tension in his
body. “Rita.” He nodded.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I would like to have a moment of your time, if that’s not too much trouble.”
She swallowed. Had she done something wrong? Had he guessed her secret? “Go ahead.”
He shifted his weight, then stared at a point just beyond her right shoulder. “You’re
relatively new to the ranch,” he said. “As your employer, I feel a certain responsibility
toward you that goes beyond your job performance. Therefore I feel obligated to say
something I wouldn’t normally mention.”
She’d never been very good at double-speak. “I don’t understand.”
“Then let me be more plain. Ty is a good man and an excellent leader. But he’s a loner
by nature. What you do with him on your own time is your business. However, as a—”
He hesitated. “As a friend, I feel obligated to warn you he’s not the kind of man
you can count on to be there.”
She half wanted to turn around to see if there was someone else he was talking to.
“None of this makes sense,” she said. “Ty and I aren’t involved. He gave me a ride
into town, but we weren’t spending time together. I went shopping and got my hair
trimmed.” She frowned, thinking. “I don’t know what he did.”
Brady brushed off her comments with a wave of his hand. “I don’t want to know the
details of your relationship. I just wanted you to know what you were getting into.”
“There’s no relationship. I’m not getting into anything.”
He took a step toward her. “I saw him kiss you.”
“On the cheek.”
“Tex saw you kissing after the dance.”
She felt as if she were fifteen and had been caught necking with a boy her parents
had forbidden her to see. “Also on the cheek. He was talking about his past. If you
must know, we were sympathizing with each other and the rotten luck we’ve had in the
game of love. He’s just a friend.”
“I don’t want to hear this, Rita. You don’t have to explain.”
“I know that. I want to.” She shifted her packages to her left arm
life,” she finally said, settling for the truth and avoiding the dangerous ground
of Brady’s feelings.
Ty turned into the driveway in front of the main house and stopped the truck. When
she went to leave, he put a restraining hand on her forearm. “For what it’s worth,”
he said, staring out the front window, “My advice is to give it a try. There are few
things worse than regrets. They kill you slowly, eating you alive from the inside
out.” He stared at her. “I know.”
For once she could read his emotions in his dark eyes. Raw pain flared out. She caught
her breath, wishing there was something she could say or do to ease his discomfort.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“Don’t be sorry, just don’t do what I did. Love is worth it, Rita. Take a chance.
If you don’t, you have to live with the memory of what could have been. Regret is
forever. Trust me, it’s no way to spend a life.”
He leaned close and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes briefly and wished there
was some hope for him. But who was she to offer advice?
“Thanks,” she said. “For everything.”
“You bet, kid.”
She slid out of the truck and slammed the door shut behind her. Poor Ty. Was that
her destiny, too? Was she going to be caught up in a past she couldn’t change and
couldn’t forget? That’s not what she wanted, but did she get a choice?
When she walked in the house, she was surprised to see Brady standing at the foot
of the stairs. At the sight of his familiar face, the warm brown eyes and the dimple
hovering on his left cheek, her heart picked up its cadence. She had the strongest
urge to throw herself in his arms and beg him to make love to her. Fortunately, she
managed to bite back the words.
“Hi,” she said, and smiled.
He didn’t smile back. It took her a couple of seconds to register the tension in his
body. “Rita.” He nodded.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I would like to have a moment of your time, if that’s not too much trouble.”
She swallowed. Had she done something wrong? Had he guessed her secret? “Go ahead.”
He shifted his weight, then stared at a point just beyond her right shoulder. “You’re
relatively new to the ranch,” he said. “As your employer, I feel a certain responsibility
toward you that goes beyond your job performance. Therefore I feel obligated to say
something I wouldn’t normally mention.”
She’d never been very good at double-speak. “I don’t understand.”
“Then let me be more plain. Ty is a good man and an excellent leader. But he’s a loner
by nature. What you do with him on your own time is your business. However, as a—”
He hesitated. “As a friend, I feel obligated to warn you he’s not the kind of man
you can count on to be there.”
She half wanted to turn around to see if there was someone else he was talking to.
“None of this makes sense,” she said. “Ty and I aren’t involved. He gave me a ride
into town, but we weren’t spending time together. I went shopping and got my hair
trimmed.” She frowned, thinking. “I don’t know what he did.”
Brady brushed off her comments with a wave of his hand. “I don’t want to know the
details of your relationship. I just wanted you to know what you were getting into.”
“There’s no relationship. I’m not getting into anything.”
He took a step toward her. “I saw him kiss you.”
“On the cheek.”
“Tex saw you kissing after the dance.”
She felt as if she were fifteen and had been caught necking with a boy her parents
had forbidden her to see. “Also on the cheek. He was talking about his past. If you
must know, we were sympathizing with each other and the rotten luck we’ve had in the
game of love. He’s just a friend.”
“I don’t want to hear this, Rita. You don’t have to explain.”
“I know that. I want to.” She shifted her packages to her left arm
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