White Dove's Promise by Stella Bagwell

all of them are reading the article. I think most of them are just looking at the three of us hugged up together like mama bear, daddy bear and baby bear.”
    Jared’s loud laughter sounded in her ear. “Kerry, I really don’t know how you can be so funny when every bone in your body is the serious kind.”
    She swallowed down a few sips of tea in an effortto loosen the ball of nerves in her throat. “Look, Jared, I told you last night—”
    â€œPlease don’t go into that again. I remember everything you told me. And I have no intentions of letting that stop me from trying to see you again. So what about having dinner with me? Tonight?”
    Jared Colton was asking her out on a bona fide date. Kerry couldn’t deny that she was thrilled he found her attractive. After all, there wasn’t a woman on earth who didn’t want to be desired by a man. Yet the part of her that Damon had crushed was very afraid.
    She breathed in a deep bracing breath. “Don’t you ever work?”
    Once again his soft laughter met her ear. The sound was so seductive, it was all she could do to keep from shivering.
    â€œI’m working now, Kerry. If you walked out to the open field behind your house and looked toward the site, you could see me standing beside my pickup truck.”
    â€œWell, then keep working and forget about having dinner with me,” she said as sternly as she could.
    â€œI have to eat and so do you.”
    â€œI already had Peggy out late last night. I’m not about to take her out two nights in a row.”
    â€œI wasn’t planning on taking Peggy with us.”
    Even though she wasn’t looking at him, she could easily envision his gray eyes glinting sexily back at her.
    â€œYou’re crazy if you think I’d go without Peggy.”
    â€œThat’s easy to fix. We’ll take Peggy with us.”
    She rolled her eyes. “No. We have nothing in common, Jared. And you’ve already said yourself that you’ll be leaving once your job is finished.”
    His sigh was full of frustration. “Kerry, this isn’t amarriage proposal. I’m just asking you to have a meal with me. As two friends. Nothing more.”
    â€œWhy would you want to do that?” she asked suspiciously.
    There was a long pause, then he said, “I’m not sure what that question means.”
    Expecting her mother to walk into the room at any moment, Kerry moved as far as the coiled cord would allow in order to peer through the straight shot of rooms to the front of the house. Through the open screen door, she could see Alice’s crossed legs. Apparently the two neighbors were keeping Enola occupied.
    In a hushed voice, she said, “Jared, I’m not stupid. You don’t need to bother yourself with me just to have female company.”
    He clicked his tongue with disapproval. “Kerry, you don’t believe all those old rumors you’ve heard about me, do you?”
    â€œYes.”
    He laughed. “Then you have to give me a chance to plead my case. And Kerry, just so you understand, I want your company. Not just female company.”
    How could she resist him when the hungry, lonely part of her heart was begging her to reach out to him.
    â€œLike I said, I won’t take Peggy out again tonight.”
    â€œThen tomorrow night?”
    Her heart began to hammer at what she was about to do. “All right. Tomorrow night.”
    â€œGood. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty,” he said with undisguised pleasure. “And Kerry, it doesn’t matter what you wear, just so you’re wearing a smile.”
    â€œGoodbye, Jared. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
    Â 
    Early the next morning, Jared was using a laser instrument to shoot the correct angle of the new pipeline his crew was laying when he heard one of the workmen yell that the high sheriff had arrived.
    Handing the laser tool to his foreman, he said,