“That doesn’t mean they have a brain between them.”

“That doesn’t make it your responsibility.”

Mandy shook her head. Her sister wasn’t getting this. How had nobody else noticed? “The universe is out of balance, Abby. It has been for ten years. I love Reed.”

“We all love Reed.”

“There you go. I can’t abandon him at a time like this, can I? He’s my third brother.”

Abby’s face winkled in consternation. “Do you think there’s any chance.” She paused, watching Mandy carefully. “Any chance at all that-I mean, right now-you’re somehow substituting Reed for your own family.”

“I’m not-”

Abigail held up a hand. “Hear me out. We’re all busy. And you’re feeling adrift. And along comes this very juicy family problem that you think you might be able to solve.”

“A juicy problem? You think I’m getting some kind of emotional satisfaction out of Caleb Terrell threatening to sell his family’s ranch?”

“I think you’re like a moth to a flame. Someone’s hurt? There’s Mandy. Someone’s upset? There’s Mandy. Two people in a dispute? There’s Mandy.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not a bad thing. It’s a great thing. And it’s an important role, in your own family. But when you start franchising out, it’s a problem.”

“This is Reed Terrell, not some stranger I picked up on the street.”

Abigail chuckled at that. “All I’m saying is don’t get too invested in Reed and Caleb Terrell. This may not be a problem you can solve.”

Mandy’s hand clamped down on the padded arms of the chair. In her mind, failure was not an option. “I have to solve it.”

“And, if you can’t?”

Mandy wasn’t going to think about that right now. Reed gone from the Valley forever? Someone other than the Terrells living down the road? And Caleb gone, with no reason to ever return.

She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she’d started hoping he’d reconnect with Lyndon Valley, maybe come back once in a while. He did have his own jet. And then, they could…could…

Okay. Shelving that thought for now.

Abigail was watching her expectantly. “And if you can’t?” she repeated.

“If I can’t get them to reconcile,” Mandy responded breezily. “Then, that’s that. Reed will move and life will go on.”

There was a long pause. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you’re naturally suspicious. You have that in common with Travis.”

“Ha. I’m naturally fun and exciting.” Abigail was obviously willing to let the argument go. “Did you see all the guys who asked me to dance down there?”

Mandy smiled at her sister’s exuberance, forcing herself to relax again. “Green is definitely your color.”

“I’m wearing it more often. Five of them asked for my number.”

“Did you give it out?”

“Nah. I’m not particularly interested in cowboys. What about you?”

“Nobody asked for my number.”

Abigail’s dark eyes glowed with interest. “I think Caleb’s already got your number.”

Mandy felt her cheeks heat.

Abigail sat up straight, staring intently. “So, I’m not crazy. You are into him.”

“He’s a good guy,” Mandy offered carefully.

“You just told me that he’s trying to sell the ranch, and you’re trying to stop him. That doesn’t sound like a good guy.”

Mandy’s cheeks grew hotter still. “Okay,” she allowed. “Aside from that particular character flaw, he’s a good guy.”

Caleb was misguided, that was all. She was confident he’d eventually see the light. Assuming she could keep him from selling the ranch between now and then.

“He’s definitely hunky,” said Abigail.

Mandy nodded. There was no point in pretending she was blind. “Sexy as they come.”

“So?” Abigail waggled her brows. “Did he kiss you?”

Mandy hesitated, wondering how much, if anything, she dared share with her sister.

“He did, ” Abigail cried in triumph. “When? Where? I want the details.”

A few beats went by in silence.

“Are you sure you want the details?” Mandy asked, a warning tone in her voice.

“Yeah.”

Mandy screwed up her courage. “Everywhere.”

Abigail blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, he kissed me everywhere. ”

Abigail’s eyes went round. “We’re not talking geography, are we?”

Mandy shook her head, a secretive grin growing on her face.

“When?”

“Two days ago.”

“At the ranch?”

“His ranch.”

“You didn’t?”

“We did.”

Abby plunked back in her chair, her expression a study in shock.

“Then I didn’t hear from him afterward.” Mandy found the words rushing out of her. “And I thought, okay, that’s it, he’s from the big city, and it was a one-night stand, and I can handle it. But then we got here-”

“And he made that stupid excuse to take you down to his room.”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And it was like no time had gone by. He grabbed me, kissed me, talked about going crazy for not seeing me.” For Mandy, it had been both gratifying and confusing. Her emotions had done a complete one-eighty in the space of about ten seconds.

“So, why didn’t he call you?”

“Out on the range. Out of cell service. Apparently Travis was keeping him busy, and he didn’t have a chance to see me. He said he tried.”

“And while you were dancing tonight?” asked Abigail. “Did he proposition you again?”

Mandy nodded. That appeared to be the thing about a heat-seeking missile. They didn’t leave you guessing.

Abigail’s brows went up. “And you’re sitting here with me, because…?”

The answer to that was pretty obvious. “Because two of my brothers and my sister are in the same hotel, and I don’t want to upset anyone.”

“You think I’ll be upset because you spend the night with Caleb?”

“I think you’ll be… I don’t know.” Mandy tried to put it into words. “Disappointed?”

“You’re twenty-three years old. Besides, you already did it once. You think my delicate sensibilities can’t stand being five rooms away while you have a sex life?”

“And there’s Travis.”

“What’s Travis got to do with this?”

“He warned Caleb to keep his hands off me.”

Abigail sputtered out a laugh. “Grow up, Travis. It’s none of his damn business.”

“I know that. And you know that. And believe me, that’s Caleb’s opinion. But I don’t want to upset Travis.”

Abigail sat forward again. “Mandy, honey, this family’s emotional health is not your responsibility. I’m not suggesting you sleep with Caleb or you don’t sleep with Caleb. What I am suggesting, is that you make up your own mind. You’re allowed to do that.”

It wasn’t as simple as Abigail made it out to be. In families, people had a responsibility to the group, they couldn’t just selfishly think of themselves alone.

“You think that when I date a guy, I’m worrying about your opinion?” Abigail asked.

“Well, I’d never-”

“I don’t. And neither does Travis when he’s dating a woman. And you shouldn’t, either. Now.” Abigail brought her palms firmly down on her lap. “If the rest of us weren’t here, what would you do?”

Mandy pondered her sister’s question. If she had it to decide all on her own, remembering their lovemaking from last time, thinking about his words and her feelings on the dance floor, taking into account that Caleb was here only temporarily?

Mandy bit down on her lower lip.

Abigail waited.

“I’d already be down the hall in his room,” she admitted. “I’d be with Caleb.”

Abigail’s grin was a mile wide.


Three minutes later, standing barefoot outside Caleb’s hotel-room door, Mandy was forced to tamp down a swell of butterflies battering her stomach. She was pretty sure he’d be glad to see her, but there was no way to be positive. Other than to knock on his door.

Right.

She brushed her palms against the skirt of her red dress, took a deep breath, glanced both ways down the corridor and knocked.

After only a few seconds, Caleb opened the door. His expression registering surprise, but the surprise was followed quickly by a broad smile that lit the depths of his blue eyes.

He reached for her hand, tugging her quickly inside the room.

“Hey, Mandy,” he whispered gruffly.

As the door swung shut behind her, his lips came down on hers in a long, tender kiss.

He pulled back, grin still firmly in place as he smoothed back her hair. “You’re here.”

She couldn’t hold back her answering smile. “I am.”

“Can you stay?”

She nodded, and he drew her into a warm, enveloping hug, wrapping his body possessively around her.

For some reason, she suddenly felt trapped. “Uh, Caleb?”

“Hmm?” he asked between kisses.

“I know you probably want to jump straight into bed.”

He immediately pulled back again, his hands gently, loosely cupping her bare shoulders. “Hey, no.”

There was genuine regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. That was presumptuous and disrespectful. You being here, in my room, doesn’t mean anything you don’t want it to mean.” His words sped up. “Seriously, Mandy. No pressure.”

Her heart squeezed with tenderness. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t go to bed at all. I just thought, maybe first-”

“You want a glass of wine?” He took her hand and led her to the big sitting area at the far end of the huge, rectangular room. A big, bay window overlooked the river and the moon hung high above the mountains. It was a clear night, with layers of stars twinkling deep into space.

“Wine sounds good.” She perched on one end of the couch.

“We can talk,” he said as he moved to the wet bar, stopping to turn on some soft music, before returning with two glasses of red wine. “Merlot okay? I can order something else if you’d like.”

She accepted the glass. “This’ll be fine.”

He sat down at the opposite end of the couch, leaving a wide space between them.

She leaned back, and their gazes locked for a long, breath-robbing minute. The air seemed to sizzle, and her skin broke out in goose bumps while her heart sped up, throbbing deep in her chest.

“Tell me about Chicago,” she managed, hoping to keep from throwing herself at him for at least five minutes.

“What do you want to know?”

“Where do you live?” She took a sip of the robust, deep-flavored wine. It danced on her tongue, then warmed her extremities as she swallowed. Or maybe it was Caleb’s presence that warmed her extremities. It was impossible to tell for sure.

“I have an apartment. It’s downtown. On top of a thirty-five-story building.”

“So, it’s a penthouse?” That shouldn’t have surprised her. But she found it was hard for her to get used to Caleb’s level of wealth. Though the fact that he owned a jet plane should have made it clear.

“I guess you could call it that,” he answered easily. “I bought it because it’s close to our head office. The plants are all in industrial parks in the outskirts of the city, but it makes sense to have the head office downtown.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me for having a downtown office.”

He chuckled. “When I’m talking to you, it feels a little extravagant. Truth is, most of our international clients stay downtown, so it’s for convenience as much as anything else. I’m not trying to impress anyone.”

“I wouldn’t think you’d have to try.” She imagined people would be impressed without Caleb having to lift a finger in that direction.

He gave a mock salute with his wine glass. “Was that sarcasm?”

“Truthfully, it wasn’t. Though I am struggling to picture you with a list of international clients.”

“That’s why I’m forced to wear a suit. It helps them take me more seriously.”

She smiled at his joke and drank some more wine, feeling much more relaxed than when she first walked in.

“We’ve had inroads into Canada and Mexico for quite some time,” Caleb elaborated. “Our first expansion of a plant outside of the Chicago area was Seattle. With the port there, we had access to the Pacific Rim. It turned out to be a really good move. So, now, we have buyers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, as far away as Australia. That’s when we bought the jet. We started doing trade shows over there. In many Asian cultures, status is very important. So that meant I had to go, as president of the company. Otherwise, we couldn’t get the right people in the room for meetings.” He paused. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to fly from Chicago to Hong Kong?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“Long time.”

“Is that why there’s a bathroom in the jet.”

“And why the seats turn into flat beds.”

“Not to brag,” she put in saucily. “But I went as far as Denver this year.”