Page 62 of Texas Temptation

“I left you a note.”

“Don’t you think I deserve more than a brief note? We’re getting married, Jordan. Surely you can do better than that.”

The rain bounced off the pavement. The scent of wet asphalt filled her senses.

“We’re getting wet,” she said, wishing he was right—that they were still getting married. She watched him warily.

“So invite me inside.”

It was the least she could do. Hadn’t he taken her in when she knocked on his door in the rain? It wasn’t quite déjà vu. He wasn’t sick. She hoped he didn’t plan to stay beyond the time it’d take her to explain. She hoped she could do so without making a total idiot of herself blubbering about love and devotion and obligations and all.

As soon as they entered her apartment, she knew it had been a mistake. Cade seemed to take up all the space. She glanced around. The place was neat, if a bit musty, being closed up for so long. But it was nothing to compare with the lavish Everett ranch home.

“Go change into dry clothes,” she instructed Caleb.

He ran into his room. She just hoped he’d pick out something that was suitable, and not a bathing suit with a sweater.

Turning, she brushed back her dripping hair.

“You should go change, too,” Cade suggested.

“I’m fine.”

“You’ll get chilled if you stay wet. I’m not going anywhere.”

It almost sounded ominous.

“What about you?” she said, stalling.

“I doubt you have anything here that will fit me. I’ll be fine. Time enough to change when I return to the motel.”

She brought him a towel and then went to her room to put on dry clothes. She was nervous, no denying that. Why had Cade come? She thought she’d explained everything in her note.

He looked so good. She wanted to fling herself into his arms and let him hold her. But she couldn’t do that again. She must never forget that.

Reasonably dry, she returned to the living room. Cade had taken off his shirt and hung it in the doorway to the kitchen. It was too damp to dry quickly, but he was probably warmer with it off.

She definitely was, unable to stop staring at his broad chest.

He held out a rumpled sheet of paper. It was her note.

She looked at him.

“I thought it explained everything.”

“Now that you know who Caleb’s father is, are you hoping for some kind of reconciliation?” he asked.

Jordan was dumbfounded.

“Of course not.”

How could he ever imagine such a thing? Hadn’t she told him more than a hundred times over the last week she was in Texas how much she loved him?

And hadn’t he been silent every time? She should have listened to that.

“Then you changed your mind about getting married.”

She nodded.

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