Page 54 of Treat Her Right

After Zack secured Wynn’s promise to see a doctor, he’d rushed back home to prepare for work. He left the house right on time. Unfortunately, when he reached Eloise’s house to drop off Dani, he’d found the elderly woman ill.

With Dani hovering nearby, Zack did a medical check on Eloise. She was feverish and pale, her pulse too weak. Eloise claimed it was no more than the flu and she warned Dani to beware of her germs. She said she’d been sick off and on all night, so she’d called Zack that morning. But it must have been while he was at Wynn’s house, and he hadn’t thought to check his answering machine in his hurry to get out the door.

He called his supervisor and explained why he’d be late so one of the men from the shift before could stay over, then he’d bundled Eloise up for a trip to the emergency room. He wasn’t willing to take any chances with a woman her age, especially when she looked so weak. While he gathered a few things for her, he’d called Josh, who was off that day.

A woman had answered.

Zack thought about hanging up and calling Del or Mick instead, but Josh retrieved the phone, discovered the dilemma and made plans to pick up Dani at the hospital.

En route to the hospital, Zack got hold of Eloise’s granddaughter, who also agreed to meet them there in case Eloise needed to be admitted.

By the time he finally got to work, he was almost two hours late. The women he worked with teased him about his unshaven appearance and harried demeanor.

And throughout it all, he’d thought of Wynn.

She plagued him, making his brain ache and his body hot. He alternately worried about her and her broken toe, and contemplated making love to her again.

He glanced to the front of her house now where the driveway, just visible from his side yard, could be seen overflowing with a variety of vehicles.

A party.

She’d promised him she’d take it easy, that she’d prop her large feet up and rest. Instead, she was having a party.

Zack locked his jaw tight and stomped up to his kitchen stoop. Fine. Whatever. He’d simply ignore her and her irresponsible ways. It wasn’t as if he wanted to worry about her, or even think about her.

No, he just wanted to take her again and again, in about a hundred different ways. He wanted to kiss her body all over, starting on her toes and working his way up those sexy shapely legs until he reached her…

“Oh hell.” Zack jerked his door open, called out, “I’m home,” and was greeted by silence. He suddenly realized there had been no extra cars inhisdriveway, which meant Josh wasn’t here with Dani as he said he’d be.

But just to make certain, Zack went through the house. It was empty.

He was so tired he ached, and now he stopped in the middle of the living room and looked around, trying to decide what to do next. Where would Josh be?

He’d left the kitchen door open and now he heard a robust laugh carry across the yards. His mind cramped as he considered the possibilities. With deliberate intent, feeling ill-tempered and irked, he went to the kitchen to look out the window.

There in Wynn’s yard were close to a dozen people, including Josh and Dani. A boom box blared from the patio and a badminton net had been set up. A woman he didn’t recognize partnered Conan against Marc and Clint, while Bo leaned against a tree and shouted encouragement. It appeared to be a highly competitive game, given the viciousness of the play.

On the patio, he could see Chastity singing as she wielded a long-handled fork on the grill. Artemus, now dressed all in black except for a large silver buckle on his belt that glinted in the late day sun, danced with Dani. His daughter appeared to be wearing one of Chastity’s tie-dyed shirts. It hung down to her feet.

Zack looked around without conscious thought and finally located Wynn. She sat on the settee with Josh, her foot in his lap.

Zack felt as though the top of his head had just blown off.

Before he’d even made the decision to move, he was halfway across the lawn, his gaze set on Wynn who was, as yet, unaware of his approach.

Today she was dressed in a pale-peach camisole that almost exactly matched her naked hide, and a pair of loose white drawstring shorts that showed every sexy inch of her long legs and put on display a tiny strip of her delectable belly.

Zack’s lungs constricted. When he reached her, he’d—

Conan stepped in front of him. “Whoa, where ya going there, Zack?”

Zack heard a few snickers from behind Conan and knew he’d gained the players’ attention.

Conan leaned closer. “The thing is,” he whispered, “you look mad as hell and my sister’s already been upset all day.”

“Yeah,” Zack said, still watching Wynn while she smiled and laughed with Josh. “She looks real upset.”

Conan blinked, then laughed. “Jealousy is a bitch, ain’t it?”

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