“Nothing’s over and done with in my book.” Seth took a menacing step forward. “You come after my sister, you deal with me.”

Anger flashed deep in the man’s eyes. His jaw was set. His fists were clenched. Despite the business suit, he looked a whole lot like his brother, Travis. They might love their sister, but they sure didn’t understand her.

Zach responded in the most reasonable tone he could muster. “What’s between Abigail and me is none of your business.”

“You blackmailed a member of my family. That is my business.”

Zach realized Seth was bluffing. The accusation was too vague. “You don’t know what happened, do you?”

“If it was sex, you’re a dead man. And we mean that literally in Colorado.”

“I’m from Texas,” Zach responded with equal determination. “If I blackmailed a woman into having sex with me, I’d stand here while you killed me.”

Seth drew back in obvious surprise.

Zach used what he hoped was a conciliatory tone. “It might have started off rocky, but things are fine between Abigail and me.”

“Well, they’re pretty far from fine between me and you.”

“She’s not doing a single thing she doesn’t want to do.”

“So says you.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Forgive me if I don’t take the word of a blackmailer.”

“Former blackmailer.”

“You think you’re funny? Okay, then laugh about this.” Seth pointed his index finger to the center of his chest. “I’m the guy who approves your business license. I’m the guy who approves your zoning. And I’m the guy who approves your parking variance.”

A block of lead settled itself in Zach’s stomach. The idea that Seth could block DFB’s move to Lyndon was sickening.

“Not so funny anymore, is it?” Seth taunted.

“You’re blackmailing me?”

“Ironic, isn’t it?”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to stay away from Abigail. Forever.”

“No.” The word burst out of Zach. That was the one thing he couldn’t do.

“No?” Seth asked with obvious incredulity. “You want me to destroy your business?”

“I want you to let your sister make up her own mind.” It was all Zach could do to keep silent about Abigail hating the ranch. “Let her make up her mind about me, and about everything else.”

“You didn’t let her make up her mind about you. You took that choice away from her, didn’t you?”

Zach didn’t have an answer for that accusation. Seth had him. Zach had behaved shamefully, and there was no arguing the contrary.

“I’m walking out this door. I’m taking Abigail with me. And if you dare touch my sister, talk to my sister, even look at my sister ever again, I will take you and DFB down so fast and so far, you’ll never get out of the hole.”

“That’s abuse of power,” Zach pointed out. Seth could lose his office, possibly go to jail.

“That’s protecting my family,” Seth countered. “And I know a hundred ways to do it and not get caught. Don’t test me, Rainer. I’m holding all the cards.”

“I’d never hurt her,” Zach told him plainly and levelly.

“You already have.”

Once again Zach didn’t have an answer. Seth was right. He’d already hurt Abigail. He’d betrayed her trust. He’d coerced her. And everything that had happened since was tainted. Seth was right, and Zach was wrong.

Ironic didn’t begin to describe the situation.

He gave Seth a curt nod of acquiescence and left the castle. There was no chance Seth would let him say goodbye. Abigail was gone, out of his life, back to her family. He’d never deserved her in the first place.


* * *

After two days of silence from Zach, Abigail’s guilt turned to frustration. After four days, her frustration turned to anger.

She’d sent him a text. She’d left him a voice mail. So he knew she’d gone home with Seth. But instead of calling to talk about it, he’d cut her off.

She finally realized this was Zach’s way of making her choose. And it had worked. She’d take loyalty over betrayal, her family over a one-night stand, any day of the week.

She hoisted a saddle onto Diamond’s back, settling it on the hunter-green blanket. She was home, and this was where she was staying.

“Need any help?” her sister Mandy offered from the opposite side of the hitching post as she slipped the bit into Happy-Joe’s mouth.

“My arm’s fine,” Abigail assured her. The gash was nearly healed. She’d have a scar, but hopefully, it would fade over time.

“You always were a trouper.”

“That’s nothing unique in the Jacobs family.”

Mandy grinned in return. She was dressed in blue jeans and a quilted plaid shirt, her favorite Stetson planted firmly on her head. Abigail had slipped into a pair of old blue jeans this morning, topping them with a faded gray T-shirt and a sturdy denim shirt against the cooling autumn air. Her boots were familiar and comfortable, as were the sights, sounds and smells of the ranch.

She inhaled deeply. It was good to be home.

“The Jacksons put their place up for sale,” said Mandy.

“I didn’t know that.” Abigail waited until Diamond exhaled, then swiftly tightened the cinch.

“Prices are down because of the water licenses but Edward’s health has been going downhill, and with no kids to take over, they have no choice.” Mandy tucked in the end of the cinch strap and adjusted the stirrups.

Abigail felt a twinge of guilt at the mention of the water licenses. Not that she’d done anything that anyone else couldn’t have done. Still, she had helped Zach.

She determinedly placed her booted foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse, pushing the man from her mind. Then she gazed around their vast ranchland, the oat fields rippling, the leaves turning. She tugged on her leather gloves and settled the reins across her palm. “I can’t imagine selling.”

“I’m not worried about the Jacobs clan.” Mandy swung up into her own saddle. “Between the five of us, I’m liking our chances of coming up with a new generation of ranchers. Even Katrina. With Reed’s genes mixed in there, we might get a rancher out of her yet.”

Abigail laughed at the joke, but her shoulders felt heavy. Between now and the next generation, everybody would be counting on her.

Her cell phone pulsed three short buzzes in her pocket, signaling a text message. Her mind went immediately to Zach, and she stripped off a glove, digging into the front pocket of her jeans while Diamond started into a walk, falling in beside Happy-Joe.

It was Travis, not Zach. Abigail hated the jolt of disappointment. She was going to get past this stupid infatuation. Her family was her future, not Zach. Even if she didn’t produce any babies herself, a new generation of Jacobses running around the ranch would be a wonderful thing.

She read the text. “Travis wants us to check on Testa Springs.” As the summer ended, watering holes started to run dry, and the cattle needed to be shifted from place to place.

“Makes sense,” said Mandy. “We can take the Buttercup Trail.”

Abigail replaced her phone and pulled the glove back on, shifting her seat and focusing on the day. “Diesel went up two cents last week.”

Though the Jacobs ranch was prosperous, and her father and grandfather’s investments provided a cushion against the ups and downs of ranching, Abigail worried about the others in the valley, particularly those with smaller holdings that had higher overhead and big mortgage payments.

“Are you going to tell me about Craig Mountain?” Mandy switched topics.

The question didn’t exactly take Abigail by surprise, but that didn’t make her any happier about it. Thinking some more about Zach was the last thing she wanted. But she knew being coy with her sister was only going to prolong the conversation. And there was no reason to hide it from Mandy. Well, most of it anyway.

“Not much to tell,” she said breezily, reminded of the times she’d encourage Mandy to go to Caleb’s hotel room to be with him. They’d always been honest with each other about men. “I met a guy. Hurt my arm. We had a fling. And I’m now home again.”

Mandy turned to look at her, obviously fighting a grin. “I hate it when you go into so much detail.”

“That’s all there was to it.”

“It’s going to be a long ride.”

“I know how long the ride is.”

“I’m just saying you might want to help the time pass by filling in a few more details.”

“They’re building a restaurant up at the brewery,” Abigail offered.

“I’m more interested in what Zach-it’s Zach, right?-in what Zach looks like naked.”

“Does your husband know you’re wondering about that?”

Mandy laughed. “Was he great? I mean, he must have been great. You stayed up there five days.”

And she would have stayed longer if not for Seth. And she’d go back, if not for Zach’s stubborn insistence she walk away from her family.

“It was great,” she admitted to Mandy. “He’s a smart, fun, sexy guy, and he was letting me help him design his restaurant. I liked that,” she admitted.

“Why’d you leave?”

“Irreconcilable differences.”

“What, over the tablecloths and menu choices?”

“Something like that.”

“Abby.”

“Can we drop it?” Abigail’s tone was sharper than she’d intended.

Mandy went silent. Abigail focused on the sound of the horses breathing and their hooves rustling the grass as they made their way up a slight rise.

Mandy’s tone went sympathetic. “Did he break your heart, Abby?”

Abigail’s chest tightened, and her throat tingled in reaction. She wanted to be strong, keep the secret to herself. But she needed her sister’s shoulder to lean on. “Only a little bit.”

They came to the top of the rise, and a vast valley spread out in front of them. Abigail stopped Diamond to take a long look.

“His fault or yours?” Mandy asked softly.

“His. Mostly. Well, mine, too.” She had left abruptly with Seth. Maybe she should have told her brother to mind his own business. Maybe she should have stood up to him in that moment and bought herself a few more days with Zach.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Mandy asked.

Abigail shook her head in answer, both to her sister and to herself. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“You can talk to him. These things never run smoothly. Heaven knows Caleb and I had our share of rocky moments.”

“Zach’s not Caleb.”

“You can still talk to him.”

Abigail gripped the saddle horn. There was a catch she couldn’t quite keep out of her voice. “I’ve left messages. He didn’t call back.”

Without giving Mandy a chance to respond, she kicked Diamond into a trot.


* * *

Abigail couldn’t seem to get Mandy’s words out of her head. Was it better to try to talk to Zach or would a smart woman simply walk away? She couldn’t decide. And she was afraid her judgment was clouded by her intense desire to see him again, no matter what the circumstance.

Then again, she reasoned, if her own judgment was clouded, maybe she should go with Mandy’s. Mandy was a smart woman. Her advice had been specific and concrete. Abigail should take it. After five miserable days she didn’t see how things could get worse.

She knew she could use Ozzy as an excuse to return to Craig Mountain. When she’d left with Seth and Lisa, she hadn’t been able to find the puppy. Not surprising, since Ozzy had taken such a shine to Zach. They’d probably been together.

Mind finally made up, she headed for the brewery, easily finding Zach alone in an office.

She breezed in, playing it cool, pretending there hadn’t been a seismic shift in their relationship. Half of her hoped he’d pull her into his arms. The other half knew that was a hopeless fantasy.

“I tried to call you,” she began, hoping against hope for a simple, logical explanation that would switch everything back to normal.

But instead of answering, he stepped behind the wide desk, obviously putting some distance between them. His expression was guarded. “You shouldn’t have come here, Abigail.”

Her faint hope fled. “You should have returned my call.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you. I knew you’d be busy. You’ve told me what it’s like on the ranch.” His tone was cool. His eyes were cold.

She wanted to run from the chill, but she forced herself to step closer, coming up against the desk. She gathered her courage. “Is this you pouting?”

“No.”

“I didn’t pick my family over you.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“We’re talking now.”

“This isn’t talking.”

He drew a tight breath. “Trust me, Doll-Face. This is talking. And you need to listen.” His words dropped like icicles. “It was always going to be temporary between us.”