glass.
“Fine.” Sniffing, she turned to find her footing on the first step. “You can watch me pack.”
He stayed on her heels. “How about the Sundance? Would you feel comfortable staying there?”
She stopped halfway and cautiously met his eyes. “Just being in the same room with him makes me sick.”
“I know.” Matt scrubbed at his face. “I understand,” he said, lying, because he was at a complete loss. He didn’t know what the hell was going on in his brain. Nikki, Rachel, Wallace, his mother...everything was a damn jumble. “Give me...give this thing with Wallace a few more days?”
Nikki studied him, as if he’d spoken to her in a foreign language she had to translate. Her lips slowly curved in a worried smile. She hesitated, then rubbed his arm. “Sure, Matt. I can do that.”
8
R ACHEL ’ S DAY IMPROVED a hundred percent after she answered Matt’s call. Hilda and her mother had offered to cover for her in the kitchen so she could ready Nikki’s room. They probably suspected she was anxious to race upstairs to touch up her makeup before Matt arrived within the hour. Not that she cared. They knew about the casserole she’d taken to the Lone Wolf, and when she returned she might’ve been a bit flushed and chattered on about Matt a minute or two longer than prudent....
Oh, well, it seemed her teenage crush on him hadn’t been the secret of the century she’d imagined. No big deal. And if her mom’s and Hilda’s shared glances meant they thought she might still have a crush on him, that didn’t bother Rachel either.
That kiss.
The new hard body Matt was rocking.
And holy crap, that huge bulge behind his fly this morning... If her adrenaline hadn’t been pumping before, it was now.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she sighed happily. Oh, they were so going to do more than kiss. Location could be a problem. Plus there was Nikki to consider. They couldn’t ignore her. Trace would eagerly step in and keep her entertained, but Rachel wasn’t sure if Nikki would like that. Ninety-five percent of the single women in the county would offer to have Trace’s firstborn. Just Rachel’s luck, Nikki hadn’t been dazzled.
She slowed her pace, thinking that if she had a shred of decency she’d be more concerned about why their plans had changed. Why Nikki no longer wanted to stay at the Lone Wolf. Matt had sounded a little off during their brief conversation, but Rachel figured it was because he wasn’t alone.
The downstairs grandfather clock chimed and got her moving again. She was putting Nikki on the same floor with the family. One room was still available in the guest wing, but only for a couple of days and then the Sundance would be booked for the rest of the week.
Passing her own room somehow reminded her that she hadn’t shaved her legs in a week. Wow, remembering at the last second would’ve been awful. Though she was jumping the gun. Matt could simply drop off Nikki, and Rachel wouldn’t see him again until they were ready to leave Blackfoot Falls.
No, she couldn’t let that happen. Matt wouldn’t let that happen, not after this morning. But he’d left before, without warning.
Just like that her mood plummeted. Logically she understood this time was different. They were both leaving eventually. He’d be going much sooner, but that didn’t matter because she had no expectation he would stay. She opened the door to the room, relieved to see Hilda had already changed the sheets and dusted the oak dresser and matching nightstands.
Rachel had no idea how long she’d been standing there, her thoughts drifting back and forth to Matt, when she heard the doorbell. Quickly she grabbed towels from the linen closet and set them on the bed, then hurried down the hall despite knowing someone would beat her to the door.
Her mother was hugging a very somber Matt when Rachel started down the stairs. Nikki stood off to the side, her face pale and tense. Seeing her made Rachel feel like
“Fine.” Sniffing, she turned to find her footing on the first step. “You can watch me pack.”
He stayed on her heels. “How about the Sundance? Would you feel comfortable staying there?”
She stopped halfway and cautiously met his eyes. “Just being in the same room with him makes me sick.”
“I know.” Matt scrubbed at his face. “I understand,” he said, lying, because he was at a complete loss. He didn’t know what the hell was going on in his brain. Nikki, Rachel, Wallace, his mother...everything was a damn jumble. “Give me...give this thing with Wallace a few more days?”
Nikki studied him, as if he’d spoken to her in a foreign language she had to translate. Her lips slowly curved in a worried smile. She hesitated, then rubbed his arm. “Sure, Matt. I can do that.”
8
R ACHEL ’ S DAY IMPROVED a hundred percent after she answered Matt’s call. Hilda and her mother had offered to cover for her in the kitchen so she could ready Nikki’s room. They probably suspected she was anxious to race upstairs to touch up her makeup before Matt arrived within the hour. Not that she cared. They knew about the casserole she’d taken to the Lone Wolf, and when she returned she might’ve been a bit flushed and chattered on about Matt a minute or two longer than prudent....
Oh, well, it seemed her teenage crush on him hadn’t been the secret of the century she’d imagined. No big deal. And if her mom’s and Hilda’s shared glances meant they thought she might still have a crush on him, that didn’t bother Rachel either.
That kiss.
The new hard body Matt was rocking.
And holy crap, that huge bulge behind his fly this morning... If her adrenaline hadn’t been pumping before, it was now.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she sighed happily. Oh, they were so going to do more than kiss. Location could be a problem. Plus there was Nikki to consider. They couldn’t ignore her. Trace would eagerly step in and keep her entertained, but Rachel wasn’t sure if Nikki would like that. Ninety-five percent of the single women in the county would offer to have Trace’s firstborn. Just Rachel’s luck, Nikki hadn’t been dazzled.
She slowed her pace, thinking that if she had a shred of decency she’d be more concerned about why their plans had changed. Why Nikki no longer wanted to stay at the Lone Wolf. Matt had sounded a little off during their brief conversation, but Rachel figured it was because he wasn’t alone.
The downstairs grandfather clock chimed and got her moving again. She was putting Nikki on the same floor with the family. One room was still available in the guest wing, but only for a couple of days and then the Sundance would be booked for the rest of the week.
Passing her own room somehow reminded her that she hadn’t shaved her legs in a week. Wow, remembering at the last second would’ve been awful. Though she was jumping the gun. Matt could simply drop off Nikki, and Rachel wouldn’t see him again until they were ready to leave Blackfoot Falls.
No, she couldn’t let that happen. Matt wouldn’t let that happen, not after this morning. But he’d left before, without warning.
Just like that her mood plummeted. Logically she understood this time was different. They were both leaving eventually. He’d be going much sooner, but that didn’t matter because she had no expectation he would stay. She opened the door to the room, relieved to see Hilda had already changed the sheets and dusted the oak dresser and matching nightstands.
Rachel had no idea how long she’d been standing there, her thoughts drifting back and forth to Matt, when she heard the doorbell. Quickly she grabbed towels from the linen closet and set them on the bed, then hurried down the hall despite knowing someone would beat her to the door.
Her mother was hugging a very somber Matt when Rachel started down the stairs. Nikki stood off to the side, her face pale and tense. Seeing her made Rachel feel like
Similar Books
