Page 16 of Deadly Vendetta

There was a hint of longing in the boy’s voice that spoke of a need for male companionship, and suddenly Zach knew there wasn’t a Mr. Hathaway in the picture any longer. So she’s doing it all on her own, he realized. No wonder she looks so harried. “It was just a thought. No big deal. Your mom needs to get home.”

Dana wavered, clearly torn between social graces and the personal desire to leave. Her gaze settled on his splint. “How are you managing bath times?” she asked finally, her voice laden with resignation.

“We do okay, I guess,” he said slowly. “She says it hurts when I try to brush her hair afterward. All those curls and tangles...”

Dana shoved the keys back into her pocket. “Molly, go find some towels. You can start running bathwater for Katie right after we eat, and help her with her bath. Alex, take the empty boxes out to our truck, then come in and set the table. I’ll take care of the food. Everything ought to be ready—we’ll just have to heat something up. Deal?”

Gone was the shy girl who’d hung on Zach’s arm and stared up into his eyes with awestruck wonder after he had kissed her at the prom. Now, he’d lay bets that she could manage an army platoon or a herd of cattle with equal calm.

“Thanks for staying,” he murmured. Setting Katie down on the floor, he gave her nose a little tap. “Want to go see what Molly is doing?”

After just a heartbeat of indecision, Katie tucked her doll under her arm and made a beeline for the living room.

“So tell me,” Dana said as she peered into the refrigerator and began peeking beneath coverings of foil and plastic wrap. “How did you get hurt, and how bad were you?”

The lie now came easy as sin. “A fender-bender accident on the freeway. I was lucky it wasn’t worse.”

“No seat belt, right?”

The hard look in her eyes and her tone of derision rankled. “Uh...yeah. Actually, it was more of a side hit. Totaled the car.”

“So the airbags didn’t deploy?”

He suppressed a surge of defensiveness, then had a flash of insight. “No, they didn’t. Did you lose your husband in a car accident?”

She straightened, bearing an oblong glass dish in one hand and a large bowl in the other, and nudged the refrigerator door shut with her hip. “There’s not much contest between a semi and a pickup. We lost him three years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The kids are doing okay, now. It was hard. Still is, on all those special holidays and anniversaries.” She lifted the containers in her hands. “Lasagna and fresh fruit salad? I didn’t see any lettuce salads in there.”

“Look, I—”

“I’d better get this going. The lasagna is still warm, but it’s going to need fifteen or twenty minutes in the oven.” She put the fruit on the counter, then slipped the pan of lasagna into the oven and turned the temp to 350 degrees. “I’ve got to run out to check my cell phone—it’s charging in my truck, so I couldn’t bring it in.”

In a flurry of efficiency she was out the door, leaving him bemused and staring after her.

When he realized she still lived in the area, he’d hoped she hadn’t been nursing a serious grudge for the past fifteen years that would make his stay in Fossil Hill difficult. Or worse, that she’d built up some sort of romantic fantasy over time, and would be impossible to avoid.

He gave a short laugh as he headed into the living room to check on Katie. Living this close to Dana Hathaway wasn’t going to be the problem he’d expected. The more he saw of her, the more his old memories flooded back. He’d never been able to forget her.

But she clearly had no feelings for him at all.

* * * *

BACK HOME, AFTER AN awkward evening at Zach’s place, the usual round of chores, and a colic call out to the Gregorson’s ranch, Dana slipped out onto the wide porch with a glass of lemonade and headed for her favorite spot.

The big old porch swing could seat four, and with the new cushions she’d bought last year and a pile of puffy pillows at either end, it was the perfect place to unwind after a long day.

Gabe thought so too. He was already curled up against the pillows at one end with his paws hanging over the edge, taking up over half the space. Now and then his legs twitched and respirations speeded up as if he was dreaming of the fast rabbits and long summer days of his youth.

Careful not to rock the swing, Dana eased down at the other end and held the cool condensation of the glass against her cheek before taking a long sip. Tart and lemony, with just a hint of sweetness, it tasted heavenly after a long, hot day.

Fireflies flickered like a host of dancing stars in the yard. A mellow breeze ruffled the pots of petunias flanking the steps. The warm, familiar scents of cattle, horses, and high-country pine washed over her like a soothing balm.

Two minutes later, Alex appeared.

He stepped forward to brace his hands on the railing of the deck and leaned over it, peering into the darkness toward Zach’s place.

---