Chapter Three
Sam opened the door of her car, breathed in the heat and dust surrounding her, and immediately sneezed. She checked her phone one more time to make sure she was in the right place and slowly levered herself out of the seat to stand upright. Using the roof of the car for support, she turned her head, trying to take everything in. There was a big old house with a fancy porch that looked like it came out of a western movie, a wooden barn large enough to put on an impromptu show in, and dust. Lots of spiraling, choking dust.
“Welcome to Morgan Ranch!”
The shout came from the barn, and Sam shaded her eyes to see some kind of cowboy coming toward her, his spurs clinking as he walked. He looked like the real thing, Stetson and all. She bit back a grin.
“Howdy, stranger.”
“Isn’t that my line?” He had very blue eyes and a hard mouth that relaxed into a smile as he tipped his hat to her. “I’ll have to work on my meet-and-greet strategy.” He held out his hand. “I’m Blue Morgan.”
“Sam Kelly.” She shook his work-roughened hand. “Jay Williams asked me to come up here to be a trial guest for your new ranch.”
“Jay recommended us to you?”
“Let’s just say I owed him a favor. Where do you want me to put my stuff ?”
Blue glanced at her car, which was packed full to bursting. “You okay to walk up to the guest center and register? It’s just up this slope. Then we can take your car around to the right cabin.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Sam bent to drag her backpack from the passenger seat and straightened to find Blue already walking off. She calculated the distance to the building he’d pointed at and figured she wouldn’t need to get her chair out. Instead, she grabbed her cane and set off slowly, testing her balance with every step. After a minute, she was good to go, the stiffness of the car ride forgotten.
Blue waited for her at the door and held it open for her to pass through.
“Sorry; I didn’t mean to rush you. I just wanted out of that wind.”
“I’m good.”
She took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the interior of the building. There was a comfortable lounge area, a bar, and a dining room set with white tablecloths and vases of fresh flowers. Unlike a regular hotel, there were three separate check-in desks and plenty of chairs, sparing her a long wait on her feet.
“January? You there?” Blue hollered. “Guest on deck!”
Something about his cocky manner made her think he must have been in the military.
“Did you meet Jay in the Navy SEALs?” Sam asked.
“Nope. We went to school together in Morgantown, and then I went into the Marines—a much classier fighting unit than those overblown, overconfident half-assed SEALs.”
She smiled as she eased herself into a chair. “Weird. I’ve heard people say the same thing about the Marines.”
“Yeah? Can’t imagine why. We’re definitely the best.” His gaze narrowed. “So if you weren’t in the Navy, what branch of the military are you from?”
“I was in the Army. You know, the good guys who save everyone else’s asses.”
“Don’t let Jay hear you say that.” His grin flashed out. “There’s a lot of things I could say, but as you’re a guest at my family ranch, I’ll stick with ‘thank you for your service.’”
Sam burst out laughing. “Right back at you.”
A blond woman came through from one of the doors behind the desks and headed straight for Sam.
“Hi and welcome to Morgan Ranch. I’m January Morgan.”
“Sam Kelly.”
“Jay’s friend?” January asked.
“Yes. Thanks for having me.”
Blue nodded at Sam. “I’ll just get some water and I’ll be back to show you around.”
“That’s okay, BB,” January said. “I’ll take Sam over to her cabin. There are a few things I want her opinion on right away.”
“Sure.” Blue tipped his hat again. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Did she really look like a ma’am these days? She was only in her midtwenties. Sam watched him leave, gaining a new appreciation for the Wrangler brand of jeans with every second.
January was tapping away at the keyboard on the desk. “Sorry I wasn’t there to greet you myself. We still haven’t decided where to ask guests to park. I think we need an area closer to the reception center, so I can spot new arrivals, but the guys think most guests would prefer to arrive at the older part of the ranch. What do you think?”
“Some people might prefer a shorter walk, but I enjoyed seeing the original setup.”
January glanced up from her typing. “Path up to the center was okay for you?”
“I walked using my cane and the gradient was fine.”
“Good to know.” January smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me asking you all these questions.”
“That’s what I’m here for, right? To help you get this place organized—or that’s what Jay told me.”
“I just don’t want to be too intrusive.” January hesitated. “But I do want to get things right for all our guests, especially those with diverse needs.”
“I get that and hey, you’re feeding and housing me for a month, so I’m hardly going to complain. Ask me anything you want.”
January’s smile was more natural now. “Well, let’s start with your driver’s license and take it from there.”
Twenty minutes later, Sam was back in her car with a map of the ranch in her hand and instructions on how to reach her cabin. It wasn’t hard to find, being on the far side of the barn, and just meant driving around in a circle on the freshly laid road. By the time she arrived, January was already waiting for her by the door.
There was a nice, wide ramp up to the cabin, with railings on either side of the matching doors.
“You’re the one on the right,” January called out. “There’s an interconnecting door if you’re with family, but otherwise each unit is self-contained.”
“Great.” Sam walked into the cabin, which was surprisingly well equipped, with its own bathroom and kitchenette. “Smells brand new in here.”
“It is. You’re the first guest.” January smoothed a hand over the back of the blue couch. “I hope you like it. Chase made sure it surpassed the ADA codes.”
“Chase Morgan, right? He’s the one who emailed me the invitation.”
“Yes, he’s my husband.” January’s expression was blissful. “It was his idea to develop the ranch into a historic dude ranch.”
Sam set her backpack down on the countertop. “Exactly how many Morgans are there?”
“Well, you’ve met Blue, and then there are the twins. Chase is the oldest brother.”
“And they all live and work on the ranch?”
“Chase commutes to San Francisco, where he has a tech company, but Blue and Ry are pretty settled here.” January propped open the front door and started down the ramp to Sam’s car. “We’re not sure what HW’s plans are yet, but he’s here at the moment.”
Sam followed her out, pausing to admire the spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada foothills and towering peaks. “It’s beautiful out here.”
“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” January agreed. “I don’t miss the city much at all, although it can get cold, and sometimes the pass over the mountains gets snowed in and it’s hard to get out of the valley.”
“I see what you mean.” Sam shivered as a sharp breeze cut through her thin jacket. “Let’s get this stuff stowed away.”
January grabbed Sam’s old duffel bag and heaved it out of the trunk, puffing with the effort. “Jay said you were in the military.”
“That’s right. We met in hospital.”
Sam expertly extracted her wheelchair and left it folded up and leaning against the car. She was trying not to use it anymore, but having no idea what she would be doing on the ranch meant she needed to be cautious. One of the hard lessons she’d learned along the road to recovery was not to overexert herself. For someone who’d thrown herself into danger at every opportunity, remembering that little lesson was still something of a struggle.
“I saw Jay in town this morning,” January said. “He’s coming up to see you tomorrow and said to call him if that’s not okay.”
“As I’m not sure what I’ll be doing, that’s going to be tricky.”
January checked her cell. “Tomorrow will be a basic welcome-to-the-ranch presentation: about what we offer and all that other stuff. Then we’ll probably drive you around the place to give you a sense of where everything is. Blue has already set you up for your first riding lesson in the afternoon. If that works for you?”
“Sounds good.”
January dumped the heavy bag on the floor and wiped her brow. “Phew, that was heavier than it looked!”
“How many other guests do you have right now?” Sam asked.
“You’re the first.” January grinned. “But we’re expecting a family of four, a retired couple, and three of their grandkids tomorrow. It should be fun.”
Fun wasn’t the first word that sprang to Sam’s mind, but she needed to come out of her shell, and a bunch of strangers she’d never see again seemed like a great place to start.
January checked that the refrigerator was working and flicked on all the lights. “Seeing as there’s just you, would you prefer to eat with us up at the house tonight?”
Sam did a mental review of her current physical status. “I think I’d like to go to bed pretty soon. I’m exhausted from the drive.”
January didn’t seem a bit offended by her refusal, but Sam already sensed that little would dent her positivity and outgoing attitude.
“Then how about I bring you a dinner tray, and then you can eat or reheat later and go to sleep whenever you’re ready?”
“I don’t want to put anyone out.” Sam sank down onto the nearest chair, aware that her limbs were subtly trembling with fatigue. She hadn’t driven this far for three years.
“Nonsense! Don’t forget, you’re the one doing us a favor.” January headed for the door. “I’ve got your dietary preferences in the system already, so I’ll get Ruth to work from that.”
“Ruth’s the chef ?” Sam tried to continue to make conversation, but it was hard. The chair was super comfortable. Maybe she’d take a nap and then unpack . . .
January chuckled. “Chef, grandma, and boss of the whole ranch, including all the Morgans. She loves a challenge.” She gave Sam a quick glance. “I’ll leave you in peace.”
Sam managed a smile. “Thanks for making me feel so welcome.”
“Thanks for helping us out.” January hesitated at the door. “I’ll text you before I bring the food over, okay?”
“Great; thanks again.”
And then January was gone, leaving an ocean of silence behind her that Sam gratefully embraced. She knew enough about her body not to fall asleep in the chair, made it to the bedroom, and face-planted the pillow. With a groan, she just remembered to set her alarm for an hour and then allowed herself to fall into a deep, hopefully dreamless sleep.
* * *
“You want me to do what ?” HW said.
Chase shrugged. “Teach a newbie guest how to ride. Wasn’t I clear?”
“A newbie ? As in someone who’s never been on a horse before?”
“That’s the usual definition of that word, yeah. Would that be a problem for you?”
HW had helped out with the morning chores and was now standing in the barn with Chase, being given his afternoon assignment. January and Blue had taken care of the newly arrived guests and whisked them off for a tour of the ranch. Although the sun was shining, there was a definite bite to the wind rolling off the fields and a hint of the snow to come later in the year.
“Why would anyone who can’t ride choose to go on a ranch vacation?”
“To learn a new skill? A large proportion of our expected guests are madly curious about sitting on the back of a horse and finding their inner cowboy.” Chase had that patient look on his face that made HW feel like a ten-year-old again.
HW slowly exhaled. “Are you sure that’s the best use of my talents? Wouldn’t I be better taking some of the advanced riders out?”
“BB’s doing that. He needs to keep up his skill set for that Marine course he’s running in Bridgeport.” Chase checked his clipboard again. “You in or out?”
“Who am I teaching?”
“Does it make a difference?”
“It might.”
“There’s only one newbie. Her name is Sam Kelly. I have her file right here; she’s—”
“Okay, I’m on it.” HW was already moving toward the house. It might not be his first choice of an occupation, but things could be a lot worse. He’d teach the kid to ride in a day and everyone would think he was the greatest thing ever. Maybe then, once he’d proved his worth, they’d let him do more.
* * *
Sam made her cautious way to the barn and heard voices echoing from within, so she backtracked and entered from the other end. She’d had lunch in the dining room and the food had been so amazing that she hadn’t wanted to leave. Now the smell of straw, leather, and horse filled her nose. It wasn’t as unpleasant as she’d imagined. For a moment, she stayed by the door, just appreciating the view.
She’d met the other guests that morning and they’d all seemed really nice. The tour of the historical ranch, which contained its own abandoned silver mine and a ghost town, had been brief but fascinating. She couldn’t wait to get back out there. One of the things that had really been brought home was that the terrain wasn’t vehicle friendly, that only a horse would do the job, which was why she really wanted to relearn how to ride.
Several horses came to look out over their half-open doors, and one of them whickered at her. Just as she was about to go over and pat the horse, one of the voices inside the barn grew louder.
“Why the hell do I have to teach some kid to ride, Roy?”
Sam held her breath and took a few steps backward toward the exit as someone answered, “Because Chase asked you to. Now don’t come around here complaining to me, HW. Just do your job like the rest of us. You think I like getting up at the ass crack of dawn to move cattle? Running a ranch isn’t like one of those reality shows on TV. It’s darned hard work.”
“I know that, Roy. I grew up here! But—”
“But nothing. You wanted a job, Chase gave you one, now get on with it.”
An old man came out of one of the rooms carrying a halter and turned in the opposite direction from where Sam was standing. The second man followed him out and slung an arm around his shoulder.
“If you really hate getting up early, Roy, I’ll do it for you.”
“You?”
“Yeah, me.”
Roy chuckled. “You really are desperate to avoid teaching Miss Sam, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but—”
Sam deliberately cleared her throat, as if she’d just arrived, and the tall blond guy swung around to stare at her. She gave him her sweetest smile.
“Hi, I’m Sam Kelly. Someone is supposed to be giving me a riding lesson. Is it one of you guys?”
“I wish it was me.” Roy winked at her. “But you’re stuck with this reprobate. HW, say hi to Miss Sam.”
HW Morgan lived on this Morgan ranch? Sam knew exactly who he was, had spent a couple of nights dreaming about him after a friend had taken her to see the rodeo come through the Cow Palace in San Francisco. She might not be able to ride well, but she still enjoyed following the rodeo. He was one of the superstars of the sport and obviously had all the entitlement issues to go with it. Maybe teaching someone to ride was beneath his dignity.
Maybe she’d be the worst pupil ever . . .
Oh, this was going to be fun.
She pretended to sigh. “I wish it was you, Mr. Roy. I bet you’re a really good teacher.” She flicked a doubtful gaze at HW Morgan. “Your friend looks a little . . . young to have any experience in anything. How old is he? Twenty ?”
HW Morgan tipped his hat to her and strolled closer, his smile so bewitching Sam wanted to look away.
“I’m plenty old enough to teach you anything you need to know, ma’am.”
She met his gaze and discovered his eyes were a warm hazel gold and filled with amusement.
“If you think I’m a ma’am, you’re definitely too young for me.”
Roy snorted. “He’s almost thirty. Don’t let that baby face deceive you.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t,” Sam purred. “But it must be hard to be taken seriously when you look so . . . immature.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever found it a problem.” HW held out his hand, confidence oozing from every pore. “Good to meet you, Miss Sam.”
“And you, Mr. Morgan.” She quickly disengaged her hand. She was above average height, but he must be over six foot tall. “Perhaps we could get started?”
* * *
HW set his jaw. “Yeah, that’s correct. You put the bridle on the horse’s head and take the halter off.”
His student fluttered her long eyelashes at him and pouted. “It’s terribly complicated, isn’t it?”
“Not really.” He found a smile somewhere. They’d been at it for almost an hour and he still hadn’t managed to get her on the back of the horse. “How about we move on and tackle the saddle now?”
She bit her lip and twirled her dark hair. “But I like to get things right and you’re kind of rushing me and confusing me, and . . .”
He took another calming breath. “Okay, which bit don’t you understand?”
“You said bit!” She giggled. “Like you put in the horse’s mouth! You’re so funny! You should be on the stage. What do you do when you’re not teaching riding?”
“I’m a professional rodeo cowboy.”
She wrinkled her brow. “A what?”
“I compete in rodeos all around the country.”
“Like at the county fair?” She nodded. “My cousin did that once. Fell off a bull and busted his head, but he did win a few bucks.”
“Good for him. I’ve actually competed at the national finals.”
Her nose crinkled. “Is that good?”
“Some people might think so.” He fingered the reins in his hand. “Do you want to try putting on the bridle again?”
“Sure! Why not?”
This time, with his help, she managed to get the bit in the poor, patient horse’s mouth and sort out which buckle went where.
“I did it!” she squeaked. “Go me!”
HW wanted her to go . . . preferably as far away from him as possible. Where on earth had January found this chick? She was pretty but obviously as dumb as a post. The only reason he kept on being pleasant was because he didn’t want Chase to think he couldn’t handle any job thrown at him.
“What did you say your name was again?” she asked.
“HW Morgan.”
She studied him carefully. “I’ve watched the rodeo on TV. I remember a guy called Ry Morgan; are you sure you aren’t him?”
“He’s my twin brother. He works here as well.”
She clasped her hands to her bosom and gasped. “Oh my gosh, really ? Can you get me his autograph? He was amazing !”
He picked up the horse blanket from the fence and contemplated dropping it over her head and dumping her somewhere. “You should tell him when you see him. He’ll be around at dinnertime.”
“I will; how awesome !”
He handed her the blanket. “Put this over the horse’s back.”
She did what he said and somehow managed to get it right first time.
“Good job; now I’m going to put the saddle on for you because it’s extremely heavy and—”
“Is it hard for you having a super-successful sibling? I mean, like that he’s so much better than you, and well known, and kind of famous, and you’re not?”
“It’s totally fine.” HW heaved the saddle on with unnecessary vigor. “He loves it. Now, this is the cinch; some people call it the girth. It goes under the horse and buckles up on the other side so the saddle doesn’t fall off when you’re sitting on it. Do you want to try to buckle it up?”
“Sure!”
Dammit, he was used to being mistaken for Ry at home, but on the rodeo circuit it was usually the other way around. He was the more famous twin. Didn’t she know anything? How could she know about Ry and not him? He simultaneously wanted to set her straight but also didn’t want to be that guy.
He checked the buckles and slid a couple of fingers beneath the band. “That’s good. You don’t want it too tight or too loose.”
“That makes sense.” She nodded and then squeaked so loudly both he and the horse jumped.
“Eek! I broke my nail! Darn it!” Her lush lower lip wobbled like a toddler’s.
“Next time I suggest you wear gloves,” HW said.
If there was a next time. Maybe he should speed things up and really tick her off so she’d demand someone else continue her lessons or decide not to continue at all. She seemed way too fragile to really want to go out on the ranch.
“Okay, Miss Sam, come stand by me on the left side of the horse.”
“Why?”
He halted to look down at her. “Why what?”
“Why the left side?”
“I’m not sure.”
She blinked her big green eyes at him. “Then does it matter?”
“It’s just the way it’s done.”
“Well, there must be a reason for it.” She frowned. “I would’ve thought—seeing as you’re my teacher, you’d know that kind of thing.”
He held her gaze. “I’ll find out, okay? Or ask someone else. January’s a historian; she probably loves that kind of question.”
“Good idea. She seems super-smart.” She patted his arm, her tone so sweetly patronizing he wanted to cry. “It’s okay, though; what you do is just as important. We can’t all be geniuses, right?”
“We certainly can’t.” He put a hand on the stirrup. “Do you want to try to mount up?”
She looked doubtfully up at the horse. “Are you sure? Can’t I use a ladder or something?”
“It’s better to learn how to mount from the ground. What would you do if you had to remount out on the ranch and there was nothing to stand on?”
“Call for help?”
“What if you were alone and had lost your cell phone?”
“Like that’s going to happen,” she scoffed. “My phone is welded to me.”
“Things do happen that are beyond your control, you know,” HW said quietly.
Something flashed across her face and was gone before he could put a name to it.
Suddenly, she was all business. “Okay, so tell me how to mount.” She placed her right foot in the stirrup.
“First, you need to grab hold of something to haul yourself up with.” He took her left hand and placed it on the pommel. “Now, hop on your other foot and—hold on—not that foot.”
Her rather nice ass was now level with his face and she was pointing backward. With a muffled sound, she lowered herself to the ground again, her shoulders shaking as she refused to look at him. It sounded like she was trying not to cry. Or laugh . . . The faint hint of something not being right drifted through his mind. He forced himself to regroup.
“Put your left foot in the stirrup, bounce off your right, and swing your free leg over the horse’s back.”
“Okay.”
She was definitely laughing at him. He watched her trying to compose her features back into that gum-chewing, hair-twirling, annoying look she’d perfected and not quite managing it. Had one of his brothers set him up? It was more than likely. Maybe they’d really wanted to see if he was serious about taking on the job.
He waited while she carefully brought her booted left foot up and placed it within the stirrup.
“Good, now go for it.”
She tried and tried again.
“I don’t think I can do it.”
“You just need to practice,” HW said. “Let me help you.”
* * *
The next thing Sam knew, her instructor placed his hand under her butt, threw her up in one easy motion, and dumped her on top of the horse. She scrambled to hold on to the pommel and find her balance. Letting out her breath, she glanced down at the still-smiling face of her instructor. Did he ever get mad? She’d tried her best to rile him up, but so far, he’d been the perfect gentleman. And boy, was he pretty close up—the wheat-colored hair and hazel eyes just the frosting on the cake of that lean, muscled body.
“You okay, Miss Sam?”
She almost licked her lips as he removed his hand from her ass.
“It’s high up here.”
“You’ll get used to it.” He handed her the split reins. “Now, remember what we talked about? Hold them in your fist like an ice cream cone.”
She did what he said, aware that she was trembling. Was it because she’d managed to get back on a horse or because an hour standing around trolling her teacher had worn her out?
“Can I get down now?”
His gaze narrowed. “What?”
Good; she’d finally made him mad. “I think I’m done for the day.”
“Lady, you just got up there!”
“Then teach me how to get down!”
He opened his mouth as she shoved the reins at him and simultaneously swung her leg over the broad back of the patient gelding. Even as she tried to stabilize herself, her left thigh cramped and she fell sideways, right into the arms of HW Morgan, who caught her with ease and reestablished her on the saddle.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”
He smelled like warm leather and lavender soap. She had to resist an urge to snuggle up against his neck.
“I want to get down.” Now she sounded like a petulant five-year-old.
“How about we do this instead?” To her amazement, he vaulted up behind her to sit astride the horse. “You sit on my lap and we’ll take Dollar for a spin around the field.”
Even as he made the suggestion, he was lifting her to sit wedged against his thighs, her ass to his flat stomach, his arms . . . wrapped around her to take control of the reins. It was downright uncomfortable, glorious, and infuriating all at the same time.
“Come on, Dollar.” He clicked to the horse, applied slight pressure with his thighs, and they moved off. “I just want you to get a sense of the motion so next time you won’t be so worried.”
Sam swallowed hard and allowed herself to settle deeper into his body.
“I’m not worried. I’m just tired.”
“Then you need to build up some stamina. How do you think you’re going to go out on the ranch if you can’t manage more than twenty seconds in the saddle?”
“It was at least a minute.”
“Maybe, but that’s still not going to hack it.” He clicked to Dollar, pressed his heel against the right flank, and the horse walked quietly around the perimeter of the fence. “It really is the best way to see the ranch.”
“Mmm.”
They continued to the rhythmic sway of the horse, and Sam finally got her breath back. Sometimes, when she was least expecting it, her body gave way to fear or fatigue. It hadn’t happened to her for awhile, but she’d been pushing her boundaries and should have expected some kind of payback. This was nice. She felt . . . safe.
“So, who set me up?” HW said close to her ear.
She blinked awake. “What?”
“Which one of my brothers told you to behave like an obnoxious brat?”
She stiffened. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Come on; you did it deliberately, didn’t you? Tried to make me lose my temper, or walk out on you, so you could go tell my brothers I was a failure.”
She half-turned to see his face, her cheek brushing against his stubbled chin. Was that the only reason he’d been so patient with her? Was he really a giant ass after all? “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Huh. I don’t believe you, but hey, you can tell them I stuck it out.”
She returned her gaze to the front. “Can you take me back now?”
“Sure.”
She had to admit he’d taken her teasing really well, which had been a surprise. She’d expected him to storm off in a celebrity huff, but he’d stuck it out, been as patient as Job, and never once lost his temper. She could respect that. But maybe he’d done it for reasons that didn’t concern her. Did she feel guilty about messing with his head?
Nah. Not really. It had been fun to be silly and stupid for a change. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d giggled.
“Is that you, Lieutenant Kelly?”
A shout from the fence had her looking up to see a familiar figure waving at her.
“You know Jay Williams?” HW said.
“Yes; he recommended me for the opportunity to guest test the ranch.”
“Jay did?”
The confusion in his voice made her want to smile again.
HW drew the horse up in front of Jay, who grinned at Sam. He looked like a different person from the man she’d first met at the rehab center. He positively glowed with health and happiness.
“I thought you were supposed to be learning to ride again, Sammy girl, not sit on Ry Morgan’s knee,” Jay joked.
“Not Ry.” Her instructor got down and held out his arms to her. “HW.”
Boy, he sounded tired of saying that. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Sam was lifted off them again into a bear hug.
“So good to see you,” Jay murmured in her ear. “So damn good.”
“Right back at you.”
He put her carefully down on her feet and turned to HW.
“How’s it going?”
“Great, thanks.”
“My little friend driving you nuts?”
HW’s smile was a little forced. “She’s been great. We’ll make a rider of her yet.” He turned to Sam. “Normally, I’d expect you to help put the horse away, but let’s save that for tomorrow’s lesson.”
“Are you sure?” Sam held his gaze. “I’m not that tired.”
He patted her shoulder. “You go hang out with Jay and I’ll see you both later. Same time tomorrow, okay?”
She stopped in her tracks. “You’ll give me another lesson?”
His slow smile held the hint of a challenge. “You won’t get rid of me that easily.”
Sam shook her head. “Oh, don’t do that.”
He halted. “Do what?”
“Double dare me.”
“No, don’t,” Jay chimed in. “She’s a killer.”
HW’s smile this time was startlingly intimate. “Then I’ll just have to take my chances.”
Jay snorted. “It was nice knowing you, HW. Come on, Sam. Let’s go get something to drink in the kitchen.”