Chapter Sixteen
“So, I was thinking that seeing as you’re doing such a great job with Sam, that you could teach Rachel to ride as well.” Chase smiled engagingly at HW.
“What?” HW put down his mug of coffee.
He and Chase were sitting at the kitchen table, chowing down on eggs and bacon. It was still early. HW had left Sam’s around dawn and gotten a head start on his chores before going into the ranch house for breakfast. Ruth had gone to supervise in the guest dining room and Chase was always an early riser, having two jobs to do.
Chase smiled at him again. “Teach Rachel how to ride.”
“But I’ve still got a week or so left with Sam.”
“You’re a rodeo star. You can teach both of them at the same time, right?”
HW stared at his irritating older brother. He suspected that if he objected, Chase wouldn’t let up until he knew why, and seeing as he wasn’t sure himself what he felt about Rachel, he really didn’t want to go there.
“Sure.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “There’s no need to sound so enthusiastic. If it really isn’t your thing, just let me know.”
“Yeah right.” HW took a sip of coffee. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually like teaching stuff to the guests.”
“Roy said you’ve been great at explaining why we do things the way we do on the ranch and that you’re really patient. Must come from dealing with all those fans.” Chase checked his cell. “By the way, that idea of yours about the mechanical bull? Awesome. I think we’ll go ahead and get one. Maybe you can get some of your friends to come demonstrate how to do it properly.”
“I’m sure I could persuade my buddy Rio Martinez to come visit,” HW said slowly. “The bull idea was actually Sam’s.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. She’s been the absolute best at providing specific and detailed feedback about the ranch experience. I wish she lived closer because I’d hire her on in a second.”
“She works as a physical therapist.”
“Yeah, she told me. We also talked about the therapeutic riding option. I love that idea as well. She and Jenna are going to draft a full proposal.” Chase checked his cell again and typed something with one thumb as he rose to his feet. “Gotta go on a call. Talk to you later. I’ll send Rachel down to the barn at midday, okay?”
“Sure.”
HW contemplated his coffee mug and refilled it before settling back down at the table with two more eggs and some bacon. Maybe if he spent an hour or so with Rachel every day his family would stop bugging him about bonding with her. And he’d actually get to know her a bit. He was already wondering what his mother had said about them to her youngest child and he knew his brothers were, too.
Was it really possible that Rachel had no idea about any of them until the last year of Annie’s life? Even him? His mother’s favorite child?
HW snorted at his own conceit. Annie had left and never come back. That was how much she’d wanted any of them. Like Sam had reminded him last night, sometimes you knew all the logical reasons why someone behaved the way they did, but it wasn’t enough to cancel out the hurt.
“Hey, bro.”
HW looked up as Ry came into the kitchen and headed for the stove, where Ruth had left their breakfast keeping warm.
“’Morning.” Ry took oatmeal, loaded it with brown sugar and raisins, and took the seat opposite HW. “You taking Sam out today?”
“Yeah. I was planning on heading out toward the hot springs; why?”
Ry stuck his spoon in his oatmeal and vigorously stirred in all the fruit. “That cougar’s still hanging around. Roy said it was prowling around his pigs last night, so keep an eye out and take a weapon with you.”
“I can’t shoot a damn thing anymore.”
“No need to kill it. Just scare it off if you see it—unless it’s trying to eat you—at which point you might change your mind about the killing part.”
“Funny. They don’t usually take down humans, do they?”
“Nope, but newborn calves, foals, dogs, and anything furry and feral can be targets. It depends how hungry it is or whether it’s a mama feeding cubs.”
“Okay. I’ll keep a good lookout.” HW finished his second plate of food. “I’m going to teach Rachel how to ride.”
“Awesome.” Ry looked up from his oatmeal. “You have way more patience than I do. Who would’ve thought that?”
“No, I don’t. I just charm them into it. Works every time.” HW wiped his mouth on his napkin and stood up. “It’s kind of nice to see someone learn a new skill.”
Ry made a goofy face. “Aw, look at you, Mr. Teachy Marshmallow Pants.”
“Shut it, bro.” HW threw his balled-up napkin at his twin’s head. “I’ve got work to do.”
“Don’t forget to all hold hands and sing “Kumbaya” before you go on that ride, okay?”
HW was still grinning as he walked away. One of the best things about coming back to the ranch was the restart in his relationship with Ry. Away from the rodeo scene, with all its tensions and uncertainties, they were finding each other again, meeting on neutral ground and making it work. Jeez, what was wrong with him? He almost sounded happy. He wasn’t even missing smoking anymore.
His cell buzzed and he retrieved it from his jeans pocket. Lally had called him again. He had no idea why she was still after him. He waited for a sec to see if she’d leave a message and then reluctantly put the phone to his ear to hear what she’d said.
“HW? Can you call me? I think there’s some collection agency after you.”
He squinted into the sun and put on his sunglasses. He had no idea what she was talking about. He’d cleared up all his debts last year and had nothing on credit at all. It was far more likely that it was her problem and she was trying to foist it on him. Just to make sure, he checked in with his bank app and looked at his credit score.
“Damn it!” HW was so loud he scared a couple of chickens. “What the hell ?” His carefully restored credit was in the dumpster again. Changing direction, he went back into the house and straight up the stairs to his bedroom. He called his credit card company and listened, grim-faced, as they listed a whole series of cash withdrawals and missed payments that he was pretty damn sure had nothing to do with him.
“Do you believe these transactions are fraudulent, sir?”
“Yes.” HW paced the floor as he totaled up the crazy amount of cash that had been leeched from his account.
“Can you be specific about which ones?”
“All of them. I haven’t used that card for six months.”
“But you didn’t cancel the account?”
No. I got the balance down to zero and forgot about it.” HW shoved a hand through his hair. “I think this might have something to do with my ex-girlfriend. When we lived together she might have had access to my card.”
“Have you filed a police complaint against her?”
“If I’d known what she was doing I would have, but this is the first I’ve heard about it.”
“Can you give me your current address?”
HW obliged and then paced some more, listening to the awful canned music until she came back to him.
“I’m going to pass the matter over to our fraud department. They’ll be in touch with you very soon.”
“But you’ll stop the card?” HW asked.
“Yes, we’ll freeze all activity on that account.”
“Thanks.” HW slowly exhaled. “I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
HW ended the call, went down the stairs, and found Ruth in the kitchen. “Do you have any idea where Chase is?”
Ruth looked at him over the top of her newspaper. “Good morning, HW, and how are you today?”
“Sorry. I’m good and I hope you are, too.” HW fidgeted in the doorway as she shook her head.
“Chase, your much-more-polite older brother, is over at the welcome center in his office.”
“Thanks.” He left the ranch house and went across to the new offices and guest dining room. January was arranging fresh flowers in what passed as the lobby and some of the guests were finishing up their breakfast.
“Is Chase out back?” HW asked as he went by.
“Yup. I think he just came off the phone.” January paused to stare as he went by. “You okay?”
“Nope. That’s why I need to talk to Chase.”
He knocked on Chase’s door and went right on in. “Hey, Lally’s been using my credit card and has run up a ton of debt.”
“Who’s Lally?” Chase looked up from his laptop.
“My ex-girlfriend. Keep up,” HW said. “She must have taken my credit card when we lived together—or I gave it to her when I was drunk and forgot to get it back—or something, and she’s destroying my credit.”
Chase pointed at the chair in front of his desk. “Stop pacing and sit down. How did you find out?”
“Lally called me to say she was being dinged by a collection agency and it was my fault.”
“She called you?”
“Yeah. If she hadn’t done that I probably still wouldn’t know what was going on.” HW shook his head. “Not the smartest thing for her to do, was it? She probably didn’t think it through.”
“Have you contacted your credit card company?”
“Just did. They said they’d put a stop on the card and link me up with their fraud department.”
Chase sat back. “So, problem solved, although you might consider checking out all your other accounts and at least changing your passwords or something.”
HW sat down. “They could claim I let her use the card, right? That it’s my fault and that I’m liable for all the charges.”
“I suppose they could.” Chase rubbed a hand over his jaw. “But you can always contest that.”
“They said I should file a police report.”
“Then go into town, talk to Nate at the sheriff’s office, and get that done immediately.”
“But what about Lally?”
Chase frowned. “Hang on; she’s the one stealing from you, right? Are you okay with that?”
“No, of course I’m not.” HW tried to explain. “It’s just that filing a report seems kind of over the top.”
“It’s the only way to get your money back from the credit card company. You have to look like you’re taking this seriously or they might think you were okay with it and now have buyer’s remorse,” Chase said firmly. “What’s she been using your cash for?”
“From what I could see on the statement, clothes, shoes, and makeup online and cash withdrawals.” HW scowled. “Jeez, I thought Paul had given her access to more dangerous drugs, but maybe I was paying for her new habits all along.” He shot to his feet. “I’ll have to go see her.”
“Hold up.” Chase stood as well. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re mad, and she’s going to be even madder when she realizes you’ve cut her off.” Chase held up his hand. “Look, how about you do this? File the report with Nate, talk to the fraud department so you can get a sense of whether they’re going to cancel the charges or not, and then make a decision as to whether you really need to see Lally.”
“Okay. Thanks.” HW rammed his hat back on his head. “You really do talk a lot of sense sometimes.”
“That’s because I’m the oldest and wisest.” Chase winked at him. “If you have any problems with the credit card company, let me know immediately and I’ll see if there’s anything else I can do to help.”
HW nodded. “I’ll go into town and see Nate right now so that when the fraud people get back to me I’ll have all my ducks in a row”
“Great.” Chase hesitated. “I’m sorry about Lally, HW.”
HW turned one hand on the door handle. “When I decided to quit hard liquor, drugs, and smoking, I tried to get Lally to do it with me, but she laughed in my face. She said I got boring, that I was no fun anymore.” He sighed. “She was probably right, but I wasn’t comfortable being that person, you know?”
“So you did the right thing,” Chase said gently.
“For me, sure, but for Lally.” HW opened the door. “I’ll do my best not to be late back for Sam and Rachel’s lesson.”
“I’ll make sure they’re kept informed if you’re running late.”
“Thanks, Chase.”
“You’re welcome.”
HW checked he had his car keys and wallet in his pocket and headed straight for his truck. The sheriff’s department opened at nine, so Nate Turner should be sitting at his desk by now. HW was halfway to town when it struck him that he hadn’t hesitated to go to Chase for help. A month ago, when he’d first arrived, he probably wouldn’t have done that.
Seeing his big brother regularly, watching how well he treated his new wife and the rest of his family, had been a revelation. The hangover of his resentment of Chase from when he’d been a child had evaporated. It couldn’t have been easy for his brother to look out for his younger siblings when both parents had abandoned them. HW had hated Chase’s attempts to parent him so much that he’d left home at eighteen. At least that was one part of his childhood he’d let go of. Sam would be proud . . .
* * *
“Um, hi. Are you Sam? I’m supposed to be having a riding lesson with you and HW.”
Sam turned around to find a kind of familiar-looking blond woman smiling awkwardly at her.
“Hi. You must be Rachel Morgan.” Sam smiled back.
“Rachel’s just fine.” She scuffed the toe of her boot in the dirt. “I’m still a bit confused as to my real last name.”
“It must be weird to discover a whole new side to your family you never knew about,” Sam said encouragingly. “I can’t imagine how you’re coping.”
“To be honest, I’m just winging it.”
“You sound just like me.” Sam moved toward the barn. “Is HW here?”
“Oh, he had to go into town. Chase said he’d be about ten minutes late and for you to get me started.”
“Typical.” Sam sighed. “I don’t suppose he mentioned which horse you were supposed to be riding, did he?”
“No.”
“Then let’s start with my awesome horse, Dollar, and take it from there.”
Sam was busy explaining the intricacies of putting on a bridle when HW’s fancy truck drew up in front of the barn and he got out. She paused to admire the sight of him walking toward her, his Stetson angled low over his face and his jeans showcasing the finest legs in the world.
For the first time since meeting him, she felt shy and busied herself by avoiding his gaze and talking to Rachel. She hated crying and she’d really lost it last night. He must think she was such a wuss.
“Sorry I’m late, ladies.” HW took off his sunglasses and gave them his famous smile. “I had some business to take care of in town.”
Sam kept on buckling Dollar’s bridle. “You didn’t mention it last night.”
“It was something that came up this morning.”
He didn’t sound in a very communicative mood, but that might be because Rachel was present. Sam didn’t want to get on his case in front of his sister.
“I was going to take you out for a ride up to the hot springs, Sam, but we might need to do that tomorrow instead.” HW patted Dollar, who was busy nosing around his pockets for treats.
Rachel cleared her throat. “If you’ve already made plans, I don’t mind waiting for a better day to start my lessons.”
“It’s not a problem.” HW finally turned toward his sister. “It’s too late to go up there now anyway, so let’s just see how much Sam has learned, and if she can pass her knowledge on to you.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “You mean like I do all the work while you stand around and criticize?”
“That’s right.” HW leaned back against the fence post. “Carry on, Sam. You’re doing great.”
Rachel proved to have a better understanding of horses than Sam had ever had. Watching her smiling down at HW as he led the horse around the perimeter of the field made Sam wonder whether it was genetic, that if your name was Morgan, you just automatically looked good on a horse. Even Blue’s daughter Maria was a better rider than Sam, and she’d only started learning when she came to live on the ranch.
It had taken HW the whole hour to get relaxed around his sister. Sam couldn’t work out what was going on, but for some reason he wasn’t comfortable with Rachel at all. He’d resorted to his most charming smile and a showy persona that had nothing to do with the man she knew under the glitter. But then, Rachel had been a bit wary of him, too. Had her mother told her that HW had been her favorite?
There were so many questions Sam wanted to ask, but unless she was prepared to tie them both up and force them to confess, she doubted they were going to open up and share all in front of a stranger. . . . Maybe if she left, they’d really talk to each other and she could ask HW for details later.
She waited until they approached the gate and then waved HW down.
“I’ve got to go speak to Ruth. Shall I meet up with you after lunch, HW?”
“What?” His frown was a thing of beauty. “Why can’t you hang on for a few more minutes?”
“Because I promised Ruth I’d help her out with something and I hate being late.” Sam smiled at Rachel. “It was really nice to meet you. I’ll see you around.”
* * *
HW watched Sam sashay away and wished he could order her to come right back—like she’d actually obey him. . . . He looked up at Rachel and found a smile somewhere.
“Looks like we’re on our own. Would you like to try walking Blocky by yourself? I’ll mount up on Dollar and follow you around.”
Rachel bit her lip. “Do you think I’m ready to do that? It’s really different from English-style riding, isn’t it?”
“I think you’ve got the skills.” HW detached the lead rope and hopped over the fence to get Dollar. He came back through the gate and shut it behind him. “Click to the horse, a gentle squeeze with your knees, and he should move off.”
HW waited a sec before falling in behind Rachel. She was still a bit stiff in the saddle but much better than Sam had been.
“How long ago did you learn to ride?” HW said as he came up alongside her.
“I was about ten. Everyone in my class was doing it. I rode for a couple of years, then a lot of my friends started taking it way too seriously and I gave up.” She glanced over at him. “My mom didn’t like me learning. She used to sit in her car when I was at the riding school and refuse to get out.”
“Sounds just like her.” HW grimaced as the words flew out of his mouth. “I mean, sorry, that probably wasn’t fair; she—”
“It’s okay. She wasn’t always easy to live with, HW,” Rachel said quietly. “I wonder whether she didn’t like me riding because she hated anything that reminded her of this ranch.”
“Makes sense.” HW tried to sound calmer than he felt. “I guess she never mentioned this place to you, did she?”
It was her turn to look away. “When she knew she was dying, she started to talk about stuff a bit.”
“Yeah?”
“She mentioned living on a California ranch. I thought she was talking about where she’d grown up.”
“She was a city girl before she married Dad. They met in college. I don’t think ranching was in her blood. She hated it out here—especially in the winter.”
Rachel looked around, her gaze lingering on the majestic mountain range. “I think it’s beautiful. It’s so quiet and unspoiled.”
“It does get cut off in the winter. Some people can’t handle it.” HW stopped as they’d reached the gate. “Do you want to go around again?”
“No, I think that’s enough for one day. My knees feel like Jell-O.”
HW dismounted and opened the gate to lead Dollar through. Rachel followed, and HW grabbed Blocky’s bridle and led him over to the hitching post and the mounting block.
“You okay to get down or do you need some help?”
“I can do it.” Rachel just about managed to swing her leg over and step down onto the mounting block. “My feet feel like they’re made of lead. I can’t believe how weak I am.”
“Give it a couple of weeks and you’ll be fine.” HW made sure her reins weren’t trailing on the ground. “Want to help taking off the tack or are you too tired?”
She raised her chin. “I’ll help.”
As they worked together, HW had to admit that Ry had a point: Rachel was much more like Billy in her quiet approach to life than their mother. Maybe looks were deceiving, although it was still hard for him to stare at her for too long without getting twitchy.
Eventually, the two horses were returned to their stalls and HW and Rachel walked back up to the ranch house.
“Thanks for helping me,” Rachel said. “You were really patient.”
“You’re welcome.” HW held the screen door open for her, but she didn’t move past him.
“You aren’t at all how I expected you to be.”
“Me personally or everyone with the name Morgan?” HW countered as he squirmed beneath her direct blue gaze.
“You.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’re a big rodeo star.” Rachel hesitated. “Even though Mom said she hated everything to do with horseback riding, she used to secretly watch the rodeo. I came home from school a couple of times and found her.” She paused. “I guess she was watching you.”
“I doubt it.” HW tried to sound casual, though his heart was knocking against his ribs. “And don’t forget, Ry competed as well.” Not wishing to prolong the conversation, he eased past her into the hallway. “You can take your boots off in the mudroom and wash up. I’ll show you where it is.”
“I might go take a shower.” Rachel accepted the change of subject without a blink. Maybe she wasn’t keen to get into all that back history either. He had to wonder why. “I’m all sweaty. Thanks again for the lesson, HW.”
She went upstairs and HW made his way to the kitchen, where Sam was sitting, talking to Ruth. She gave him a sweet smile that made his hackles—and other more basic parts of his anatomy—rise.
“Hey, how did Rachel do?”
“She was way better than you.” HW took the seat opposite Sam at the table and she just grinned at him.
“You’re so rude,” Sam protested.
“Rachel’s a Morgan,” Ruth said smugly. “Of course she’s a good rider. Where is she? You didn’t leave her out in the barn, did you?”
“She’s taking a quick shower. It was hot out there.”
Sam passed a plate of cookies over to him and he took one and examined it carefully.
“Any raisins in this?”
“What’s wrong with raisins?” Sam asked.
“Dead flies.” HW shuddered. “BB told me that when I was little and I’ve never gotten over it.”
“How old are you?” Sam smacked his hand away. “These cookies have macadamia nuts and white chocolate in them. If you don’t like them, keep your paws off and leave them for me.”
“Take a couple with you for later, Sam,” Ruth advised her. “Otherwise the boys will eat them all.”
“I bet they will. Thanks, Ruth.” Sam took a napkin and carefully wrapped up two more cookies. “I’ll have them with my coffee later.” She stood and pushed in her chair.
HW looked up at her. “Where are you off to?”
“I’m going back to my cabin to finish writing up that proposal for Chase. I was just asking Ruth for her thoughts on the matter.”
“I think it’s a great idea, especially the disabled kids’ camps during the summer.” Ruth smiled at Sam. “There’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned ranch for slowing your heartbeat and making you see things in a different way.”
“You’ve been reading that cheesy ad copy Chase wrote again, haven’t you?” HW snorted as he got to his feet. “I have to check Cisco’s leg. I’ll be back soon.”
“Dinner’s at six.” Ruth handed him a cookie. “Why don’t you come as well, Sam?”
HW gave his grandma a hard stare, but she looked way too innocent.
“That’s really kind of you, Ruth.” Sam headed for the door. “I’d love to come.”
“Then I’ll see you both later.”
HW followed Sam out of the house and across to the barn.
“Are you following me again, HW?”
“Nope. I’m going to check on my horse. I thought you were following me.”
“How can I when I’m in front of you?”
“I wouldn’t put anything past you, Sam Kelly,” HW muttered.
She paused in the shadow of the barn and reached out to cup his jaw. “Anything you want to talk about?”
He scowled at her. “Why would you think that?” “Because I owe you.” She went up on tiptoe to kiss him. “You were really kind to me last night.”
“Stop trying to be nice. I know you just want to worm out all my secrets from me.” HW kissed her back.
“I’m always nice!” Sam protested. “And if you don’t want to share with me about how it went with Rachel, of course I’ll respect that.” She patted his cheek. “See you at dinner, okay?”
He gently closed his fingers around her wrist. “How about we do this? I’ll check Cisco and then we walk down to your cabin together and make love?”
She huffed out an exaggerated sigh. “I dunno; you know how chatty I get when we do that? I might expect you to reciprocate or something.”
“You have a point.” HW stared her right in the eye. “If you wear me out making love, maybe I’ll be too weak to argue when you ask me all your infuriating questions.”
“That’s a distinct possibility.” She bit her lip as she considered him, and he wished they were both in bed right then. “Okay.”
“Good.” He stepped back and walked into the center aisle of the barn, his boots echoing on the cobbled concrete floor. “Unless you want to go on ahead of me and get naked to save some time?”
Something smacked him in the back of the head, knocking his hat off. He bent down to pick it up and discovered a pair of balled-up riding gloves.
“These yours?” He held them up so Sam could see them.
She was standing at the entrance of the barn, her hands on her hips. “You should be glad I wasn’t standing close to a bucket.”
“Yeah, because if you’d chucked one of those you would’ve caused a stampede in here and BB would be after you like hell and damn.”
He winked as he unlocked Cisco’s stall. The horse offered him a soft greeting and stood patiently while HW crouched down and checked his foreleg. Reassured that there was nothing needing the vet’s attention, HW gave Cisco another pat and a carrot and left the stall.
There was no sign of Sam and his smile disappeared. “Damn.”
Now what was he supposed to do?
* * *
Sam stomped back to her cabin. Hoss William Morgan really was the most irritating man alive. How dare he assume she was nosy? Okay, she was a tad nosy, but only in the most saintly and helpful way. If he really didn’t want to tell her what he’d been up to with Rachel, she’d just have to suck it up and move on. Except she didn’t want to. Some part of her felt hurt that he hadn’t immediately chased her down to share his thoughts with her.
She unlocked her cabin door and went inside. The rooms had been freshened up and smelled like sunshine and lavender polish. Her smile faded as she closed the door. It really was on her. Just because she’d confided the reasons for her nightmares didn’t mean HW had to do the same. She was already wishing she’d kept the information to herself. It made her feel vulnerable. Forced confidences meant nothing. The fact that she genuinely cared how HW felt about his sister was also on her. He hadn’t given her permission to take on his worries. They were supposed to be having a vacation fling. If she really wanted to be his friend, she’d stand back and wait for him to share.
“Bullcrap,” Sam muttered as she went to take a shower. “He should be telling me everything.”
She was up to her elbows in shampoo suds when somebody stepped into the shower behind her and the space suddenly shrank.
“Need a hand with anything?” HW wrapped one arm around her waist and nipped her ear.
She started to speak and her mouth filled with shampoo foam, which had her spitting and laughing as she tried to get rid of the flowery taste.
HW didn’t seem to care as he spun her around and kissed her, one strong hand massaging her scalp as hot, scented water streamed down her back.
“Conditioner?”
She bit his shoulder. “Of course you’d know all about making yourself look pretty. I’ve got some leave-in stuff I can use later.”
“Good.” He swung her up into his arms and marched through to her bedroom.
“How about we dry off ?” Sam suggested as he backed up to the bed and sat down with her still astride him.
“No point. We’ll need to shower again afterward.” He held on to her hips, settling her down over his hardness and grinned up at her. “Damn, you feel good. How about you practice your riding skills on me right now?”
“So bossy.” Sam bent to bite and then lick his nipple. “So demanding.”
“Yeah?”
“Just the way I like ’em.” She reached past him to open her bedside drawer and retrieved a condom. “All I need to do is hang on for eight seconds, right?”
“And the rest.” He sighed as she covered him.
“If you can manage eight seconds, I know what you’re like.” She eased down over him, her breath catching as he rolled his hips, making him sink deeper. “Hmm . . . nice.”
He caught her around the waist, his thumbs spanning the jut of her hip bones.
“How about I bet I can make you climax in eight seconds?”
She frowned at him. “Don’t be ridiculous, you—”
Her words ended in a gasp as he started rocking up into her, one hand sliding from her hip to explore between her legs, finding her most sensitive flesh and—
“Oh God . . .” she moaned and closed her eyes as pleasure roared through her and she collapsed over HW’s body.
When she finally opened her eyes and raised her head, he had one hand propped behind his head as he lazily regarded her.
“You owe me.”
“I forget how fit you are.” She stroked his abs. “Most men can’t dictate the pace when they’re lying on their backs.”
“You still owe me.” He rolled her underneath him and braced one hand on the pillow beside her head. “Try to keep up this time, okay?”
Sometime later, she smoothed a hand over his biceps. It was still bright outside, so her contented nap couldn’t have been that long.
“Do we need to get up yet?” Sam murmured.
“Probably.”
He sounded distant again, as if the last hour or so had never happened. Even his body was tense, as if he couldn’t wait to leave.
“Don’t let me stop you leaving.” Sam tried to sound polite and not whiny. “I’m sure you’ve got lots to do.”
“Sorry.” He kissed her nose. “It’s kind of new for me to hang around after I’ve had sex.”
“So you said. It must be just awful when all those beautiful women want to cling to you.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’d get twitchy when they started inviting me to meet their families, planning weekends away together, and making wedding plans.”
“After one night?” She poked him in the chest. “Trust me, you’re not that good.”
He grimaced. “You probably think I’m a conceited jerk.”
“Yup. But I kind of like you anyway.”
“I don’t mean to be.” He hesitated. “I just don’t like being rushed into things, you know? I get . . . claustrophobic.”
Another thing to blame his mother for . . . “Sure. I’ll keep it in mind when I plan our surprise wedding.”
As if on cue, his phone buzzed, and he leaped out of bed and grabbed it.
“Hello? Yeah, this is HW Morgan.”
He paced the small space, so Sam got to watch him being naked for a while longer, but he wasn’t smiling.
“I filed a police report this morning. As I mentioned to your colleague, I stopped using the card six months ago, when I cleared the balance—you can see that, right? I thought I’d thrown the darn thing away, but I guess not.”
Sam sat up and clutched the sheet to her chest.
“You’ve stopped the card now? Good.” HW nodded as if the person on the other side of the call could see him. “What happens to the disputed charges?”
He frowned and went still. “Why can’t you just clear them now? I’ve done everything you told me to do and filed the report.”
He listened for awhile and let out his breath. “Okay. Thanks for your help and keep me informed.”
Sam waited until he lowered the cell and punched in a text.
“Is everything okay?”
“Nope.” His shoulders were rigid, as was his jaw.
“Anything I can help you with?”
“Not really.” He went into the bathroom, washed fast, and returned with his clothes. “Lally’s been using my credit card.”
“Your girlfriend Lally?”
“You know damn well she’s my ex-girlfriend.” He put on his shirt, his movements abrupt, and buttoned it up.
“How did she get hold of your card?”
He struggled into his jeans. “Probably when we lived together. I thought I’d canceled it.”
“And you didn’t notice anything was wrong until now? What happened? Did she default on payment?”
“Something like that.”
“And your card company is disputing the charges?”
“They’re investigating them, which probably means they’ll say it’s all my fault and I’m liable because I fricking gave her access to my card.” HW buckled his belt and sat down to pull on his socks and boots. “She called me this morning to say she was being hounded by a collection agency.”
“She called you?”
“Why wouldn’t she?” He gave her an irritated glance. “She knows I’m the only one who can help get her out of this shit. I’m going to have to see her.”
Sam got out of bed and wrapped the sheet around herself.
“Why? She stole from you.”
“Yeah, but she’s not doing well. She made some bad decisions and—”
“HW, she stole from you and has probably been using your money to pay for her drug habit.”
“What do you know about that?”
Sam just refrained from rolling her eyes. “It was pretty obvious she had some kind of problem when she came here, HW.”
“Which makes me partly responsible, right?”
“No!” Sam went up and touched his arm. “HW, she made her own choices. She used your money to harm herself and now you’re going to save her?”
He didn’t reply, but he didn’t move away either, so Sam tried again.
“If you run back and save her, what will she have learned, and what’s to stop her going out and doing exactly the same thing again?”
“I’ll tell her this is the last time. I’ll make sure she understands that—”
“And how are you going to follow through with that ultimatum? What do you plan to do? Follow her around for six months, go back, and live with her to keep her on the straight and narrow?”
He set his jaw. “Of course not. I just need to make sure she—”
Sam cupped his cheek. “You can’t save her from the consequences of her own actions, HW. The only way she’ll ever get clean and pay her own way is if everyone stops enabling her.”
He jerked away from her touch. “That’s easy for you to say, Sam, but—”
“Easy?” Sam stumbled backward and sat on the side of the bed. “You have no idea, do you?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” HW retorted. “I meant that you’re strong. You don’t need anyone. You certainly don’t need me.”
“And Lally does?”
Sam gripped the sheet so tightly her fingers hurt. Was that how he saw her? As someone who didn’t need anyone? Even after she’d blurted out her most precious secrets into his ear the night before? Things she’d never shared with another living soul? Sure, she prided herself on her independence, but she’d thought he knew better—that he’d seen her at her most vulnerable and accepted her anyway.
“Maybe this isn’t about me or Lally, HW.” Sam met his outraged stare. “Maybe this is about you, and how you have to be some kind of savior to womankind, which means Lally qualifies and I don’t.”
A muscle flicked in his jaw. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She pointed at the door, her temper rising to match his. “How about you work it out while you ride off on your white horse to save your princess?”
“There’s nothing to work out. I’m just trying to help a friend. If you can’t see that, maybe you’re the problem.”
“Right.” She blew him a kiss. “Then off you go and good luck.”
He crammed his hat down on his head. “Thanks for nothing.”
She winced as the front door crashed behind him and lay back on the unmade bed. The scent of him lingered on her pillow and she turned her face into the cotton and breathed through the hurt. If he really was the kind of man who thought he could save every woman, maybe he wasn’t who she thought after all. Was it possible to be too strong? To shut everyone out and still find love?
Sam swallowed hard and pressed her hand to her heart. She didn’t regret the person she’d become. If HW wanted Lally, so be it. She’d learned a valuable lesson: even when she did allow herself to be vulnerable, she still didn’t quite measure up. Next time she’d remember that and not allow anyone to get that close to her ever again.