God, I’m stupid.

  “Leah, I really—”

  The way he said her name made her madder than hell. It didn’t matter how many sparks were flying in the moment—he had no right to use her to avoid his family. It was humiliating. And she’d suffered enough humiliation over the past few years.

  She shook off his hand and got to her feet. “If you are worried about your family overstepping, don’t give them a reason to, O’Sullivan. Don’t shack up in that big house by the river with only your misery for company.” Leah grabbed her notepad and tape and took a step back, meeting his gaze head-on. “And get a haircut.”

  Leah ignored the hurt churning in her belly. She took one last look at his startled expression and quickly turned on her heel and fled.

  Chapter Three

  The one thing Sean missed about California was the weather. Cold had never been his thing. As he trudged up the narrow path from the river, fighting with a few low-hanging branches, he thought about warm summers at the beach. He thought about the friends he’d left, the huge house he’d sold, the career he’d traded for his solitude.

  But he had to admit he liked it back here, too, even if the cold weather wasn’t to his liking. In the spring it was picture-perfect. From the small jetty by the water’s edge, he had a clear view of the river. His brother Liam owned a place half a mile down the river, and along with several other neighboring homes, the entire area was private and peaceful. He simply had to get used to his new life. He had family and several friends from high school in Cedar River, and he had time. Plenty of it. It wasn’t as though he had to rush into some new career. He was thirty-two years old and had money in the bank...what was the hurry?

  As he left the footpath and found the clearing that led back to the house, he stopped in his tracks, suddenly not feeling the least bit peaceful.

  Because two yellow dogs were lying on his porch.

  Leah’s dogs.

  Sean trudged toward the house, mindful that the ground was damp and slippery. He got a couple of yards from the porch, and the lazy hounds lifted their heads and whined in greeting and then promptly went back to sleep.

  Sean called the dogs to heel, but it took several minutes to get them down the steps. He didn’t bother finding a rope to lead them, since they obediently began following him the moment he began to head through the hedge and toward the Petrovic house. It was early Saturday afternoon, and he knew Ivan was at his usual weekend book club meeting for the first time since his stroke. Which meant Sean had to suck up his reluctance to face Leah again.

  Hell. He owed her an apology and he knew it. He’d been out of line at the hotel earlier that week, and her words had given him plenty to think about.

  He walked along the path and through the hedge and saw that the shed doors were open and then stopped walking when he reached the doorway. The two dogs remained by his feet, seeming content to stay with him, and he had a vague thought that the hounds had become quite comfortable in his presence.

  He stuck his head around the door and spotted Leah immediately. In bright red overalls and a long, knitted coat, her hair falling down her back and large protective glasses shielding her eyes, she looked quite different. Less like the quirky girl next door he was used to...no, she seemed in her element. Powerful.

  Sexy.

  He dismissed the notion immediately. He didn’t like Leah. To imagine her being sexy in any kind of way was just stupid. Still, the idea lingered as he watched her work. She had a small mallet in her hand and was beating a narrow piece of metal into a shallow curve, bending and then flexing the material to create the shape she wanted. He watched for a moment, noticing how intensely she concentrated on her task.

  It was intriguing to watch her at work. He’d always admired creativity, it’s what had drawn him to the music industry so long ago. As a kid he’d learned to play the piano, as a teenager he gotten his first guitar—even though he preferred being behind the microphone rather than in front of it. He’d been in a band in high school and still enjoyed playing the guitar. Watching Leah work her magic on the metal in her hands had an almost mesmerizing effect on him. He shook the feeling off and pushed some action into his legs. By the time he was a few feet from her, she was aware of his presence and had flipped the glasses onto her head, staring at him.

  Long and hard.

  Her inspection made him smile and he crossed his arms, leaning carefully against one of the workbenchs, waiting for her to speak.

  She bit down a little on her bottom lip and tilted her head a fraction, inspecting him without hiding the fact. “Better.”

  Sean raised his brows. “You think?”

  “Well,” she said and motioned to his jaw. “Now the world can see all of your pretty face.”

  He’d gotten a haircut and shaved off the beard two days ago, but her words made him laugh. “You know, that’s not exactly the look I was going for.”

  She shrugged slightly. “I’m sure your ego is healthy enough to take it.” She turned away for a moment and ditched the glasses and mallet. When she swiveled back, she was frowning. “So?”

  Sean realized he’d missed something she’d said, and a familiar uneasiness at his failing hearing quickly curled up his spine. “What?”

  “I said,” she replied and walked around the workbench, “what can I do for you?”

  Sean straightened up and moved closer. Time to get it over with. “I wanted to...” His words trailed off, and he let out a heavy sigh. “I...”

  “Well,” she prompted, hands on hips. “What?”

  “I’m sorry, okay?” he said quickly. “My behavior the other day was crappy.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “It was.”

  Irritation crept up the back of his neck. Damn, the woman knew how to push his buttons. But she had every reason to be mad at him. Now he knew they’d met before; he racked his memory banks and did vaguely recall meeting her all those years ago—when she’d said he’d faked interest in her to get to her friend. There’d been a lot of women in his life over the last decade. Too many to count. He couldn’t remember faces, let alone names. And her college roommate with the long legs hadn’t stuck with him over the years. Of course, he remembered her now, but on reflection the casualness of their hookup wasn’t something he was particularly proud of. But he couldn’t change the past.

  “I’m not usually such a jerk.”

  She looked skeptical. “I guess time will tell.”

  The heat crawling up his neck smacked him squarely in the cheeks, and he cleared his throat. “Well, anyway, I’m sorry. And I brought your dogs back. They seem to like hanging out on my porch.”

  She smiled, and the action unexpectedly made his insides flip over. Sean couldn’t understand his reaction to her. She wasn’t his type. Far from it. But she did something to him.

  “Life by the river obviously suits them,” she said and then whistled for the dogs to come into the barn. “But if they’re getting in the way, I’ll keep them inside so they don’t bother you.”

  “They don’t bother me,” he said quickly, realizing that he’d been very clear to himself that they were bothering him, and he didn’t understand why she had him so tongue-tied that he couldn’t admit to the fact. The dogs rushed into the barn and began curling around his legs. Damned animals wouldn’t leave him alone. “I mean, I’d hate them to wander off too far from home.”

  “I’m sure they won’t. But I’ll keep a closer eye on them in future.” She looked at the dogs, and her lips curved up. “They do seem to like you.”

  His skin got hotter, even though it was a cold morning. “Yeah. So, I guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Dad said you missed your chess game yesterday?” she queried, hands now on her hips.

  Sean shrugged. “I was busy. Anyway, he wins every time.”

  She grinned. “I can show you how to beat him.”

  Sean was instantly suspicious. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I take pity on your bad moves.”

  He laughed, certain there was nothing intentionally flirtatious about her words, but they still had that effect. “I think your dad wins because he cheats.”

  “Haven’t you ever been really good at something?”

  Sean rocked back, having the crazy thought that she was suddenly being deliberately inflammatory...almost provocative. He was being foolish. Imagining things simply because he’d been off the dating grid for a long time now. He wasn’t used to having a lack of female company...platonic or otherwise. Not that he was renowned for having platonic relationships.

  “I’m good at things,” he said quietly. “Want me to prove it?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You can save the pickup routine for someone else, Sean. We both know I’m not your type. And frankly, you’re not mine.”

  “I’m not?”

  She laughed. “Don’t look so offended. We all have a type, right?”

  Sean nodded. “I suppose.”

  “Well, you like tall blondes with long legs, correct?”

  He wasn’t about to tell her that he preferred brunettes. “Sure. And you?”

  “Well, history might suggest that I like the charming, shallow type. But now that I’ve moved back home, I’ve made a conscious decision to do the opposite of everything I’ve done in the past. Case in point—find charming, egotistical men attractive.”

  “So, you had your heart broken?” Sean asked.

  “Hearts,” she corrected, and held up two fingers. “Two jackasses in my past. What about you?”

  Sean figured there was no point in being coy. “No broken heart.”

  “Oh, I get it...you don’t let anyone in,” she said bluntly. “Afraid of being hurt?”

  He shrugged. “Not at all.”

  “Cynical, then,” she said, regarding him curiously. “Not sure you believe in all that romantic nonsense?”

  “So you admit that it’s nonsense?”

  “Romance?” she queried. “I’ve haven’t had much luck with the concept. Like I said, I have a history of choosing badly, and in my meager experience men use romance to get sex.”

  “And women use sex to get romance,” he added. “Isn’t that what they say?”

  She shrugged slightly. “Probably. For the moment I’m fine concentrating on my dad and my work.”

  Sean ignored the twitch in his belly, which he figured had nothing to do with the fact he was discussing sex and romance with a woman he barely knew. She’d moved around the workbench and he followed, ensuring that he could hear what she said.

  “I like your dad,” he said.

  Her mouth curled at the edges. “He likes you, too,” she replied. “Not sure why though.”

  Sean chuckled. “There you go, still thinking the worst of me.”

  “Absolutely.”

  He ignored her reply, and gestured to the metal she’d been working on earlier. “Tell me about your work.”

  Her gaze narrowed, but after a moment her shoulders relaxed a little. “It’s part of the piece I’m doing for the foyer at your hotel.”

  “Liam’s hotel,” he corrected.

  “Same name on the stationary,” she noted, brows up.

  Sean dismissed the twitch between his shoulder blades. “What’s your inspiration?”

  “This place,” she replied and waved a hand. “This town. The people. The history. Before it became a tourist stopover with holiday dude ranches and bus tours, Cedar River was once a thriving mining community. I’d like to reflect that, while respecting the relationship between the original occupants of the area, and the land. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota Sioux people and I feel I have a responsibility to make sure that is reflected in what I do.” She shrugged lightly. “It’s a work in progress, I guess.”

  He was impressed by her passion and couldn’t help thinking how lovely she looked with her hair falling down her back. And her perfume unexpectedly reached him—some kind of spicy, vanilla scent he found pleasant assailed his senses. Perhaps it wasn’t even perfume and more likely her shampoo, but he discovered that he liked it and moved a little closer. For the first time, he noticed that her eyes had a darker ring around the iris, highlighting the vivid green color.

  “Have I got something on my face?”

  Her voice was soft and husky and barely audible, but still he heard it clearly enough to jerk his thoughts back to the moment. “Ah...no. I was just... I was thinking...”

  She propped her hands on her hips and laughed softly. “Tell me something, does this sexy staring thing you do generally work for you? It’s almost like you watch when someone speaks, rather than listen. It’s very...intense.”

  Sean’s spine straightened. She was so close to the truth. Too close. He found some solace in watching people speak, even if he couldn’t always hear them. It was unnerving that she’d noticed, and at the same time oddly comforting. He felt ridiculous even thinking it, but still, the idea lingered as he watched her.

  “You’re still doing it,” she remarked, smiling.

  Sean’s insides jolted. “Sorry.”

  She nodded. “I was about to head inside and make coffee. Coming?”

  It was more of a demand than an invitation, but he nodded and followed her from the shed and toward the house. Sean had been inside Ivan’s home many times and traced her steps through the back door, through the mudroom and into the large kitchen. There was a big scrubbed oak table in the room, surrounded by matching chairs and an old-fashioned dresser with its mix of china and glassware and collection of old jugs.

  “Sean?”

  Her voice, louder than usual, got his thoughts back on track. “What?”

  She came around the counter and placed the mugs on the table. “I asked if you want cream and sugar?”

  “Neither,” he replied and sat down.

  She pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “Can I ask you something else?”

  A cautionary wall rose up immediately. “Sure.”

  She placed her elbows on the table. “Why did you really leave California?”

  “I wanted to come home to spend more time with my family.” They were the same words he’d voiced many times since he’d returned to Cedar River. “Like I said.”

  “You don’t strike me as the family man kind of guy,” she said flatly. “From reputation alone you clearly have had a successful life in the fast lane, and Cedar River is a world away from that. Why the sudden change?”

  Sean was about to begin his usual spiel about taking a break and reshifting his focus when he saw her attention suddenly diverted from him and toward the back door. Moments later Ivan Petrovic came through the mudroom and into the kitchen. Two seconds later he realized that Ivan wasn’t alone. A woman was behind him, her tall stature and silvery hair instantly recognizable.

  Mom.

  * * *

  Since she’d first met Gwen O’Sullivan, Leah had been drawn to the other woman. She was tall and strikingly elegant, a kind, warm person who possessed a compassionate, caring nature and was well regarded within the community. She’d handled herself throughout the very public separation and divorce from her husband of thirty-five years with reserve and self-respect. Leah knew her ex-husband had since married the woman with whom he’d secretly had a child thirty-two years earlier. It was a complicated situation, but Gwen appeared to be coping with everything as well as could be expected—at least that’s what Leah’s father had told her. And as she watched her dad and Gwen walk into the kitchen, Leah suspected there was definitely more to their budding friendship than her dad was letting on.

  She glanced at Sean and saw the surprise and then suspicion in his expression. Damn, he was as handsome as the devil. Clean-shaven and sporting a short hairstyle, in jeans and a black shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders, and a leather aviator jacket, he looked like he’d stepped out of a sexy cologne ad. And suddenly, an old and deliberately forgotten longing rumbled throughout her blood. She pushed it back, unwilling to go there because it was stupid and futile, and she wasn’t the kind of woman to waste time when it came to men. At least not anymore.

  “Hi, Dad. Hello, Mrs. O’Sullivan,” she said and pushed back the chair as she got to her feet.

  The older woman smiled. “Oh, call me Gwen,” she insisted and then glanced toward her son, smiling broadly. “Hello, darling.”

  His mouth twitched at the sweet endearment, and Leah had to fight the laughter bubbling in her throat, waiting for him to speak. “Hi, Mom.”

  “It’s good to see you.”

  It was a pointed remark, and everyone in the room knew it.

  Sean shrugged. “You, too.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

  His jaw tensed. “Likewise.”

  “You got a haircut,” Gwen said and moved around the table. “Good.”

  Leah looked at her dad, saw that he was smiling and he winked at her. And then she laughed. A great guffaw that had both the O’Sullivans staring at her. Gwen chuckled. Her dad grinned. And Sean scowled, clearly unhappy that his mother appeared to be keeping company with Leah’s father.

  “I was about to make lunch,” Leah said and moved back behind the counter. “Would you like to join us?”

  She saw that Sean was about to get to his feet and refuse the invitation, until Gwen placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, pressing him back into the seat. “We’d like that very much, thank you. Sean, why don’t you keep Ivan company in the living room for a while and I’ll help Leah.”

  He did a little grumbling as he got to his feet, and by then her father was halfway out of the room. Gwen shooed Sean the rest of the way, and when they were finally alone, the older woman spoke.