Page 7 of Spilling the Tea

Checking her watch, she now saw it was almost ten thirty. Deciding not to waste any more time and hoping that the person who currently owned the house would be kind and understanding, she pulled onto the horseshoe driveway. After driving thirty feet, she saw the enormous ranch-style house in the distance. The tingling sensation in her stomach increased. Bringing the car to a stop, she gazed around.

There was something familiar about that tall oak tree she saw, whose branches seemed to stretch the perimeter of the front yard. Had she tried climbing it once? She beamed broadly, imagining doing so. Just because such a thing hadn’t been in her dreams didn’t mean it hadn’t happened.

Moving the car forward again, she finally stopped in front of the huge house. In addition to the tingling sensation, she felt a shiver begin washing over her as she stared at the widewraparound porch with a swing. There was no doubt in her mind she had been here before. That swing seemed familiar.

Not far away, she saw a huge red barn, and beside it was another enormous structure. There was so much land, and it amazed her to think that, at one time, her mother owned all of it. She could imagine her mother growing up here as a child. Suddenly, Zoey felt a connection to this place that would have been hers had her aunt not sold it.

As she got out of the car, she wondered if anyone was home. There weren’t any cars parked out front, but there was a detached six-car garage. Did that mean a large family lived here? Would they believe her story about why she would show up on their doorstep asking to look around? Well, there was only one way to find out, she thought as she moved up the steps to the door.

It turned out to be a gorgeous day after such a torrential downpour the day before. Texas’s weather was different from Maryland’s, but she liked it more after two days.

After knocking on the door, she glanced around again. In the distance, she saw a herd of cows being moved toward an open range by several cowboys. That made her remember the cowboy she had seen yesterday. Did he work at one of the ranches in the area? Possibly even here?

“What the hell are you doing here?”

The angry male voice made her jump, and in stunned silence she turned and stared at the person who’d opened the door. The cowboy from yesterday—the same one she’d just been thinking about—was standing before her and looking just as tall, hot, and handsome as he had yesterday. And it was apparent that he was very angry. Why? Since he’d opened the door, she could only assume he lived here. She guessed his age to be in his early thirties. Was he the son of the owners? Why was he frowning at her like that? Surely, he remembered her after he’d stopped and offered help the day prior. What had him so riled today?

“I asked what the hell are you doing here?” he said again in a harsher tone. “If you’re here to ask questions, don’t bother. I won’t be telling you a damn thing.”

Zoey swallowed. How had he known she wanted to ask him questions? The only person who knew why she was here was Lucky. Finding her voice, she said, “Surely you can answer a few of my inquiries.”

He placed his arms across his chest, and his frown deepened. Why did his menacing stance make him appear even sexier? And why on earth was she noticing that? “I won’t answer anything,” he snapped. “Nor will any of the other neighbors. So, I guess you’ll have to write your article without our input.”

Now she was the one frowning while looking up at him. “What article?”

“The kind reporters write. And to give you a warning, the last tabloid that thought of doing so found out the hard way what can happen when they publish lies.”

Tabloid? What on earth was this man talking about? “You think I’m a reporter?” she asked incredulously.

“Aren’t you?”

“No.”

“And you want me to believe that?” he asked, chuckling derisively.

Zoey mimicked his stance and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t see why not.”

She wasn’t sure how it was possible, but his frown deepened even more. “Look, lady, I can tell you why I don’t believe you. I saw your camera and the equipment you took out of the trunk of your car yesterday. Secondly, you’re here to ask questions. That’s what reporters do.”

She stared at him. Now it all made sense. She recalled that when she’d taken that stuff from her trunk, his entire demeanor had changed, and he’d quickly left like a bunch of hounds were on his heel. That meant his attitude, then and now, wasbecause he assumed she was a reporter. Although she had no idea why a reporter would come here, she could see why he thought she was one.

“Photography is a hobby of mine, and my camera and equipment usually go wherever I do,” she said, refusing to be intimidated by the likes of the man standing in front of her. However, she wished that would somehow extend to her attraction to him.

She momentarily broke eye contact with him by glancing down at the doormat beneath her feet. It was either do that or risk a heart rate and blood pressure increase. His sexual magnetism should be outlawed. She met his eyes again when she felt better in control of her senses. “Maybe I should introduce myself,” she said in a calmer, less defensive voice.

“Don’t bother.”

“I honestly think that I should bother under the circumstances. If for no other reason than to prove I am not a reporter,” she said, opening her cross-body purse and pulling out her business card. Just in case he assumed it was a phony business card, she also took out her driver’s license. She handed both to him, but for a minute, she thought he wouldn’t take them.

Then he did.

Chapter Three

Chance glared at the woman who, like yesterday, was gorgeous. And like yesterday, he couldn’t help but home in on everything about her, especially the way her wind-blown hair gave her a sexy appeal and how good she looked in a pair of jeans and a yellow shirt. Yes, she was a beauty. And why was her scent more arousing than yesterday?

It was hard to believe their paths had crossed again. He would never have thought that would occur in a million years. Now she was here, on his property, invading his space, and he didn’t like it.

Forcing his gaze off her, he studied the business card.

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