“I think I’ll ask him to dinner on Saturday,” Ashleigh announced, checking her lipstick in the mirror above the sun visor.

  Hannah tried to imagine how Gabe might respond to such an invitation. Personally, she thought it premature. “I don’t know, Ashleigh….”

  “You said you wanted me to get him out of the cabin, right?”

  “Right,” she said. “But…”

  “What?”

  “You might first try getting him to join you and a group of people. You know, so it’s not like a date. It’ll seem more casual that way.” And somehow it would be easier on me….

  “What do you suggest?”

  “I don’t know. Tell him you and a few friends are going to dinner in Boise on Saturday night or something.”

  “But we’re not,” Ashleigh replied. “Mostly, my friends and I hang out at the Honky Tonk on weekends.”

  Hannah had bad memories of the Honky Tonk. Russ had spent far too much time there when they were married. She didn’t want to see Gabe frequenting a bar. She’d driven him into seclusion; she didn’t want to drive him to drink.

  “Dinner or a movie would be better. You could always get a group together, right? Especially if Gabe’s going. Everyone’s curious about him. Just make sure the people you take don’t come on too strong—” here, she hoped her hint penetrated but feared it did not “—and be careful not to overwhelm him.”

  “If you ask me, a party of three would be too many,” Ashleigh muttered, but Hannah didn’t have a chance to comment because Ashleigh immediately turned to her window.

  “This is nice,” she breathed as they finally drove into the clearing that revealed Gabe’s large cabin with its quaint porch, detached garage and natural landscaping. “He must have a housekeeper and a gardener, huh?”

  “As far as I know, he doesn’t have either.”

  “He takes care of this place himself?”

  “I think so.”

  “But why? It’s got to be difficult in that wheelchair. And he’s rich.”

  “He must prefer to do the work himself.”

  Ashleigh shot her a quick grin. “Further proof that he has plenty of working parts.”

  Hannah didn’t want to talk about Gabe’s sexual abilities again. This week she’d already spent too much time daydreaming about the man—and they were not her usual dreams of discovering some medical breakthrough that would fix what she’d broken. She’d imagined him kissing her and touching her until she moaned his name…. Then she’d imagined him satisfying her so completely that she didn’t think real life could ever match it.

  Her cheeks burned just thinking about the images she’d entertained, but she told herself to stop being silly. Everyone had fantasies—and hers had probably imbued Gabe with more sensitivity and responsiveness than he really possessed. Certainly they had imbued him with more than Russ had ever shown her.

  Still, she knew she was going to have a difficult time looking Gabe in the eye today without feeling a little embarrassed.

  She studied Ashleigh again. With such a tall, beautiful blonde around, he probably wouldn’t spare Hannah a glance.

  She tried to convince herself that this was a good thing as they parked behind his Ford F-150, which he’d left in the drive near the garage, and got out. Tonight, she’d packed his dinner in a basket, thinking it’d be easier to transport. Each day, he could bring her the basket with the dishes from the previous night, and she could refill it with his new dinner.

  “How long has he lived here?” Ashleigh asked as Hannah slung her camera over her neck.

  It wasn’t difficult for Hannah to calculate. After the accident, she’d followed his progress day by day, hoping and praying for a full recovery. “He was in the hospital for thirteen days after the accident. Then he went into therapy at a clinic in Boise for two months. After that he lived with his folks until summer. So it’s been about two and a half years.”

  “I could never live out here by myself,” Ashleigh said. “I’d be bored stiff in two days. And I’d be terrified about the possibility of running into a bear.”

  Hannah suspected Gabe was more afraid of the things he confronted in town. The people who’d invariably bring up his lost career or press him for an autograph. The stares and curiosity he’d encounter as he tried to maneuver in his chair. His father and the scandal that had chased him even farther into seclusion. “I can see why he likes it,” she said. “It’s beautiful and it’s quiet.”

  They reached the porch. Once again, Hannah could hear rock music playing inside the cabin, so even though Lazarus barked a couple of times, she assumed Gabe wasn’t waiting for them at the door and allowed herself a brief moment to admire the chair that would soon be sitting in her studio.

  “Isn’t this the coolest chair you’ve ever seen?” she asked, putting her picnic basket on the porch and settling into it.

  Ashleigh shrugged. “I guess. If you like the natural look.”

  Obviously, Ashleigh didn’t have an eye for furniture. But she had an eye for men. Hopefully, she wouldn’t—

  Suddenly, the door swung open and Lazarus came charging outside, wagging his tail in excitement.

  “Hello?” Gabe’s voice was filled with surprise to see Ashleigh standing on his front mat.

  Hannah scrambled to her feet and hurried over to her friend’s side. “Hi Gabe. This is Ashleigh Evans.”

  “We’ve met.” His eyes lifted to Ashleigh’s generous display of cleavage, and Hannah began to wonder if Ashleigh had done the right thing in wearing that tight blouse, after all. She’d certainly gained his attention. Men were so predictable….

  “You mentioned that you needed to get a haircut, so Ashleigh agreed to come with me and give you one.” Hannah smiled brightly as Lazarus circled around her, obviously interested in the food she’d brought. “This is dinner, by the way. Beef Stroganoff.”

  Gabe’s expression remained pleasant, but as he told Lazarus to sit, she sensed he was none too pleased. She supposed it was possible he hated beef Stroganoff—but guessed it had more to do with the license she’d taken in bringing Ashleigh to his house when he’d already been reluctant to let her come. “Thanks,” he said. Another brief pause, then, “Would you like to come in?”

  “Actually, we could do the cut right here on the porch,” Ashleigh said. “It’d save the clippings from getting into your house. And the weather’s so nice.”

  He hesitated. “Okay. But…don’t you need me to wet my hair first?”

  Brandishing her big bag, Ashleigh pulled out a spray bottle and a pair of clipping shears. “I’ve got everything I need right here. You have a beautiful dog, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” He considered her shears and water, then shrugged and pushed himself outside.

  Ashleigh raked her long nails through Gabe’s hair. “Wow, you’ve got great hair.”

  Hannah’s fingers itched to feel it, too, so she sunk them into Lazarus’s fur and cleared her throat to help get her mind back on the right track. She was the one who’d set up this whole thing. Maybe Ashleigh had taken it a little farther than Hannah had anticipated, but it was silly to feel such envy. “Do you mind if I heat up your dinner so it’ll be ready for you when we’re finished?” she asked him.

  “Go ahead,” he said as Ashleigh pulled out a plastic cape, and Hannah left Lazarus to play in the yard while she carried the food inside.

  She’d expected Gabe’s house to contain more of the furniture she’d seen in the workshop, but there was an even bigger variety than she’d anticipated. The triangular accent tables in his living room drew her eye first. There were three, two side tables and a coffee table, and they were all made of a smooth, light-colored wood with a darker inlay. They were beautiful; she’d never seen anything quite like them.

  Feeling the weight of the camera hanging around her neck, she longed to photograph the exquisite tables. But first she’d replace the more practical items he had on top of those tables—a remote control for his television, some Sports Illustrated magazines, a telephone and perpetual-motion clock—with a hand-blown glass vase and some exotic flowers.

  She wondered if he’d ever thought about getting his furniture into decorator magazines.

  Circling an unusual metal table that was as interesting as everything else, she moved into a kitchen that had blue marble countertops, white cupboards and a hardwood floor. Copper pots hung on hooks above an island, a wheat grinder was affixed to the counter, and a string of garlic hung from the ceiling along with baskets of fresh herbs and vegetables.

  She liked it here, she realized. Maybe Gabe was closeting himself away, but he seemed to be handling the basics of life quite well. The only thing that made her uncomfortable was the absence of football plaques, trophies and pictures. Gabe had risen to heights most men only dreamed about. She should have found evidence of it here. But, so far, she’d seen only his exquisite collection of furniture and, on the walls, paintings of mountains, lakes and animals.

  Why didn’t Gabe hang up anything to remind him of his incredible achievements? Did the contrast of what he’d once been make the present too painful?

  With a sigh, she set the food on the metal table so she could rub her temples. If only she hadn’t tried to overtake…

  “Hannah?”

  Ashleigh’s voice carried easily through the screen door.

  “What?”

  “I was just telling Gabe about the stuffed mushrooms you made. Any chance you could bring us a couple?”

  “Sure. Let me heat them up. They’ll be better that way.”

  Hannah put the Stroganoff on the stove to simmer, then used the microwave to warm the mushrooms. She was tempted to explore the rest of the house, but she knew he valued his privacy and she needed to respect that.

  She did allow herself a quick peek into the room off the kitchen, though. It had a high ceiling and one whole wall of windows, and was completely filled with exercise equipment. Obviously, Gabe worked out often. She knew that from looking at him, but—

  The microwave beeped. She ducked back into the kitchen, grabbed the mushrooms and three glasses of wine and carried everything outside on a tray she found hanging just inside a large pantry.

  Ashleigh paused from her work long enough to let Gabe try a mushroom and have a sip of wine. Then Hannah took his glass and set it on the ground next to her chair, away from the hair falling from the clippers.

  “It’s incredible up here,” she said.

  Gabe’s eyes darted her way, but he didn’t say anything. She suspected he was still a little put out by his surprise visitor and impromptu haircut. But she didn’t care. She had to push him. Someone had to push him.

  “What do you think?” Ashleigh asked her several minutes later.

  Hannah considered what Ashleigh had done to Gabe’s hair, and felt the same fluttery feeling she’d experienced when she’d stared up at him in his truck yesterday. The back was very short, but Ashleigh had left the front long enough to fall across his brow. The style seemed careless enough to fit his bad-boy image. It also emphasized the slight cleft in his chin, the five-o’clock shadow that darkened his jaw, and the pretty blue of his eyes.

  “It’s…nice,” Hannah said simply, although “nice” didn’t begin to describe how good he looked.

  Ashleigh dug a mirror out of her bag. “And you, sir? What do you think?”

  He gave her a winning smile, but Hannah felt certain it was forced. They were dealing with the public, charming Gabe right now. He was on stage, doing his show. The real Gabe probably wanted to choke them for bothering him.

  “I appreciate the house call,” he said. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing.” Ashleigh glanced at Hannah. “But I was hoping that maybe…Well, Hannah mentioned that you might like to go out with me on Saturday night. To dinner and a movie. Right, Hannah?”

  Hannah had mentioned? Hannah had told her to ask him to join a group! But now that the subject of a date had been broached, she had no choice except to lend her support. “Right, uh…” She pasted a bright smile on her face. “Actually it’s a group thing. Ashleigh and a few friends are going to Boise for dinner and want you to join them.”

  Gabe’s pleasant expression never wavered, but Hannah felt a distinct undercurrent. He blamed her for getting him into this awkward situation, and he wasn’t happy. “Really.”

  “Right. It’s a group,” Hannah added.

  “I think you mentioned that.”

  “It’ll be just a few friends, having fun.” She waved toward Ashleigh, hoping to remind him of the appeal of those breasts he’d admired not too long ago. “All the girls look like she does. Well, not exactly like she does, of course, but young, beautiful—” she scrambled for other descriptors that might appeal to him “—blond.”

  “Blond?” he repeated with an arch of one eyebrow.

  Hannah stifled a groan. Blond? Was she an idiot? She needed to calm down. “Mostly,” she said, hoping to smooth over her blunder. “Right, Ash?”

  Ashleigh looked as though she was about to say something else. Knowing it probably wouldn’t be helpful, Hannah held her breath but, finally, Ashleigh nodded. “Uh…yeah, I guess.”

  “Are you going?” he asked pointedly.

  Hannah’s nails dug into her palms. “Me? No.”

  “Why not? I’m sure Ashleigh wouldn’t mind if you joined us.” He looked to Ashleigh for confirmation.

  “Of course not,” she said, but slowly enough to let Hannah know she wasn’t particularly excited about the idea.

  “That’s sweet of you both,” Hannah said, ignoring the delay in Ashleigh’s response. “But I’m busy that night.”

  “Doing what?” he prompted.

  “I have to work.” She figured that was a pretty safe excuse because it was true. She always worked on the weekends—after the boys went to bed.

  “Surely, you can miss one night. There’ll be a group going,” he said, throwing her words back at her. “And I might even be able to come up with someone blond, for you.”

  She made a face at his sarcasm. “Right. Well, I don’t think blond hair appeals to me quite as much as it appeals to you, so maybe I’ll take a rain check—”

  “Are you kidding?” he interrupted. “It wouldn’t be the same without you. I’ll pick you up at six, and we’ll meet Ashleigh and her friends at—” he turned to Ashleigh “—where?”

  “Asiago’s?” she said uncertainly.

  “Perfect.” He flashed them the toothy smile Hannah had seen splashed on so many magazine covers, but a muscle twitched in his cheek, confirming that he wasn’t as pleased as he pretended.

  She straightened her spine. Maybe Gabe wasn’t happy to have her interfering in his life, but someone had to take him on, damn it. He’d been living like a hermit long enough.

  She gave him a glacial smile. “Sounds great.”

  “Then we’re equally excited.” He removed a twenty from his wallet and handed it to Ashleigh. “Here, you did such a nice job, I insist on paying you a little something.”

  Ashleigh beamed at the compliment and took the money. “Thanks. It was easy. You have such nice hair,” she gushed.

  “Too bad his hair doesn’t match his disposition,” Hannah muttered.

  Ashleigh’s jaw dropped in surprise, but Gabe acted as if he didn’t hear her. “Thanks for coming, ladies,” he said. Then he whistled for Lazarus, rolled into the cabin and shut the door, leaving Hannah standing on the porch with no basket filled with dishes from the night before, and no yearbook picture.

  * * *

  GABE NARROWED HIS EYES as he watched Hannah’s taillights disappear into the trees. What the hell had she been trying to do, bringing Ashleigh out here to run her fingers through his hair and rub her chest in his face? Obviously, Hannah Price had plans to get him involved with her little friend. But he wasn’t interested in Ashleigh. And he sure as hell wasn’t interested in having Hannah meddle in his love life. He’d dealt with enough interference over the past few years. If Reenie couldn’t railroad him into dating again, nobody could. Evidently Hannah didn’t understand that she was out of her league when it came to stubbornness.

  Dropping the blind, he turned back to the kitchen and the beef Stroganoff she’d made for him, wondering why he’d handled Ashleigh’s invitation the way he had. He could have told her no and sent them both on their way. Instead, he’d derived some kind of perverse pleasure in turning the tables on Hannah, who probably needed to get out more than he did.

  He thought of the plain slacks and shirt she’d been wearing and nearly chuckled. With a little help in the clothing department and a new hairstyle, he believed she could come pretty darn close to stunning. But he doubted she’d ever go to the expense of a makeover. She probably skimped on herself to provide for her children—and somehow her sacrifice was ten times sexier to him than Ashleigh’s low shirt and short skirt.

  So where did that leave him?

  With the vague memory of how sweetly she’d let him kiss her twenty years ago—and an ill-advised date for Saturday night.

  But trying to avoid Hannah wasn’t working. She wouldn’t forget about the accident and move on. Maybe she couldn’t. Her sense of justice seemed to dictate she pay a price for her mistake. So maybe, for his sake as well as hers, he needed to let her. If he exacted a little retribution, allowed her to atone in some way, maybe she could finally put the whole thing behind her.

  It was an interesting thought—seemed to make sense. But what could he have her do for him?

  He piled his plate high, added the steamed vegetables she’d brought and a homemade roll and turned on his football tapes. But his mind remained on Hannah. She seemed to like cooking well enough. He supposed he could have her continue to make him dinner until she tired of it. Maybe he’d even have her clean his house, his truck, weed his garden, run his errands. Coaching was already causing him to slack off the rigid schedule he’d designed for himself….