Catie inhaled, closed her eyes, and hoped beyond hope the ground might open up beneath her and swallow her whole. What in the hell had Harper been thinking? She’d seen herself in the mirror in the restroom. The ten hour flight hadn’t been kind. Her hair was limp, her eyes puffy, and her left cheek still had a faint imprint from the airplane seat where she’d fallen asleep for a blessed two hours. Still, she was shy about six more hours of slumber, and her face and body showed it. Thankfully, she hadn’t tripped coming out of the bathroom.

Chad McCray.

He was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. His dark walnut hair fell to his shoulders in silky waves—silky waves she’d fantasized running her fingers through more than once. His brown eyes were long lashed and mesmerizing, and now, little crinkly laugh lines added to their allure. His sinewy and sexy forearms were as muscular as ever, and those wispy brown hairs still peeked out from his western shirt. Tall, the tallest of the McCray boys at six-feet-four—the most beautiful cowboy she’d ever laid eyes on.

And clinging to him was a pretty blond woman. A jolt of jealousy hit Catie in the gut.

Had she really wanted to come to the Bullfrog? What had she been thinking? Her margarita could wait.

Too late now, though.

“Hi, Chad,” she said, and held out her hand. Might as well make the best of the situation. She was an adult now, not some drooling kid with a crush. So she didn’t look her best. She could still act the part.

“Catie, I can’t believe it,” Chad said. “I wouldn’t have recognized you. You’ve sure grown up. Where the heck have you been? Why didn’t you come home to visit more often?”

“Well, I—”

“She hasn’t been home at all,” Harper said. “She’s been traveling the world with her global friends.” He laughed. “But I hope we can convince her to stay for a while, now that she’s here.”

“Uh, Chad?” The pretty blond woman tugged at his sleeve.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Catie, this is Amber. Amber, Catie.”

“Caitlyn,” Catie said. “I go by Caitlyn now.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Caitlyn,” Amber said. “I just moved here from San Antonio.”

“Really? How nice,” Catie said. “Would the two of you care to join us for a drink? I told Harper I just had to have a Colorado margarita after that plane ride. You must excuse me, I know I’m a mess. Overseas flights are a killer.” Catie stopped to take a breath. She was talking too fast. And what was she thinking? Inviting them for a drink. Chad McCray was the last cowboy in Bakersville she wanted to have a drink with.

Yeah, right.

“Yeah, please join us,” Harper said. “The more, the merrier.”

“We were just leaving,” Amber said, “but I’d love a rain check. How about it, Chad?”

“You don’t mind if we join them, do you?”

Chad’s words were for Amber, but he raked his gaze over Catie. Her heart sank. She didn’t want him to see her like this. He was no doubt thinking she looked as bad as she felt.

“Well…” Amber fidgeted with her small purse.

“You’re new here, honey,” he said, and the word “honey” sent another slice into Catie’s gut. “Don’t you want to meet more people?”

“Of course I do.” Amber continued to fidget.

Catie felt a little sorry for her. She seemed like a perfectly nice person, and Chad had totally put her on the spot. Of course, she was Chad’s date for the evening, so Catie didn’t feel all that bad.

Then again, Chad always had a date.

Ever since that fifteen-year-old boy had strutted into her house to work with Angie on some sociology project, he’d been a ladies’ man. He’d never dated Angie, but he’d dated every other pretty thing in Bakersville. Every time he had, another chisel had chipped away at Catie’s heart.

Her little girl crush had never gone away. She’d always thought it would, had actually hoped it would, but nope, it’d only gotten stronger over the years. When she hit puberty herself at twelve, it turned into full blown heart-breaking puppy love. Puppy love that bloomed and grew for the next six years.

Deciding to attend the Sorbonne in Paris had been Catie’s own idea. Her mother had balked at it, saying the distance was too far to go for college, but Catie had wanted to leave Bakersville. Leave the whole U.S.A. She loved her country, but she thought if she got away from Chad McCray, maybe she could stop pining over him.

She’d left after her eighteenth birthday, though she’d made the decision several months earlier. On her eighteenth birthday, though, after her botched seduction attempt with Chad, she’d realized the decision had been a good one. A perfect one. She needed to get over Chad McCray.

That’s why she hadn’t come home for four years.

Oh, the traveling had been fun, and she’d learned and experienced so much. Wonderful memories and amazing friendships that she’d treasure forever.

But the traveling wasn’t why she hadn’t returned.

The reason she’d stayed away was embodied in the tall and ruggedly handsome cowboy staring at her.

“Well, then,” she said, trying her darnedest to act nonchalant, “let’s have a seat, shall we? I’m thirsting for that Colorado margarita.”

She took Amber’s arm, bypassing Chad. “It’s wonderful to meet you. What brought you to Bakersville?”

“I’m working for Judy at the salon. I do nails.”

“Oh, how nice.” Catie led Amber to a table for four in a corner. “Mine are a fright. I’ll have to come see you.”

“Oh, yes, please do. I’m just starting to build my clientele.” Amber sat down next to Chad and possessively glommed onto his arm. “I’d appreciate any new business.”

“I imagine I’ll be coming in for the works in a few days,” Catie said. “Traveling does terrible things to my hair.” She shook her head and tried to act casual. “I need a facial, too.”

“Sheesh, Catie, what’s all this girl talk?” Harper said. “Let’s get you that margarita. Then you can tell us about your trip to Greece.”

“Greece?” Chad shook his head. “You went to Greece, little bit?”

Little bit? Chad McCray hadn’t changed. She tried to ignore the nickname. “Yes, my friend Dominic and I spent two weeks there during spring break. It’s gorgeous, as you can imagine.”

“She’ll have all her photos at the shindig tomorrow night,” Harper said. “You’re coming aren’t you, Chad?”

“Sure, wouldn’t miss it,” Chad said, his gaze meeting Catie’s. Again.

Amber looked self-conscious, biting her lip. Should Catie invite her? Would Chad? She waited a moment, but Chad said nothing.

Catie turned to Amber. “I hope you can come. It’d be a chance to meet lots of folks. My silly mama thinks everyone in town wants to hear all about my travels.” She smiled as Amber started to relax. “But it’s really just an excuse for a big party. Please say you’ll come.”

“I’d love to come,” Amber said. “Thank you for the invitation. I’ll need to get directions to your place.”

“Chad can pick you up, can’t you?” Harper said.

“Uh, sure. Yeah, I can do that.” Chad played with the collar of his shirt. “You working tomorrow?”

“Till six,” Amber said.

“I’ll pick you up at Judy’s at six, then. Will that work?”

“Sure, that’d be fine.”

A waitress interrupted their conversation and took their drink orders. Chad and Harper started talking about ranching, seeming to forget all about her trip to Greece. Amber smiled up at Chad, her hand resting possessively on his arm.

When Catie’s margarita came, she took a long drink. The salt around the rim stung her lips, chapped from the dry air on the plane.

Nothing like it.

She chugged the rest and stood up, her head a bit hazy. When had she last eaten? On the plane sometime.

“I want to dance,” she announced, and grabbed her handsome cowboy’s arm. “Come on, Chad.”

“Little bit,” Chad said, as she dragged him away, “are you sure you want to do this?”

“Sure I’m sure,” Catie said. “It’s just a dance.”

“You drank that ’rita awful fast, sugar.”

Sugar? She liked the sound of that. “A little tequila, a little Garth Brooks, a little dance with a handsome cowboy. Sounds like heaven.”

“Whatever you say, little bit.”

“Little bit?” She looked into his eyes, so dark they were nearly black. They seemed to smoke. “I like sugar better.”

“Okay,” he drawled. “Come on.” He snaked his arms around her waist. “Let’s cut the rug, sugar.”

The song wasn’t made for slow dancing, but the crowd on the dance floor necessitated closeness between them. Chad’s hard body crushed against her, and her pulse quickened.

“I’m glad you decided not to ignore me all night.”

“Ignore you?”

“Yeah, you talking on and on with Amber, when it’s clear to a saint you and she have nothin’ at all in common.” He chuckled. “You sure have changed, little…I mean, sugar,” Chad said. “I hardly recognized you.”

“It’s been four years, Chad.”

“What happened to the little girl who loved horses more than people?”

“She’s still in here.”

“I admit, I sure was surprised you left your mare. You must have had a huge reason for leaving the country.”

“Oh, I did.”

“What was it?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you sometime,” she said coyly.

“Okay, sugar.” He chuckled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

The music changed from fast to slow, and she leaned into Chad’s muscles, closed her eyes, and inhaled. Leather. Leather and cinnamon. And Chad. Musky, male, perfect Chad. If anything, he’d become even more appealing in the four years she’d been gone.

They swayed gently to the music, their bodies melting together in all the right places. Catie slipped into a dreamworld, a world she hadn’t dared visit in the last four years. A world she’d thought she could forget.

No. She couldn’t forget. They might have only this one dance, but she’d make it worthwhile. She pulled away just a smidge and stared up into Chad’s face. She wanted only to look at him, to drink him in. But his dark eyes smoldered, and she read something in them. Something she couldn’t quite decipher.

“Sugar?” His voice cracked. Just a little, but she noticed.

“Hmm?”

He shook his head slightly. “Goddamn, sugar.”

He lowered his mouth to hers.