“That’s the idea.”

  Mandy and her mom stood by to help, but Zane had the process under control. With gentleness and dexterity, he eased Aunt Kendra out of the backseat and carried her inside. Clearly the pain medication was still working because she gave him an animated description of how they’d sliced up her jeans and pinned them back together so they’d be like new.

  Mandy hauled in the crutches and her mom carried the bag of medical supplies and instructions provided by the hospital. Zane settled his mother on the couch and positioned a small table next to her.

  “See this, Mandy-Wandy?” Aunt Kendra gestured to the table and the afghan Zane had spread over her. “That’s how I used to set things up for my boys when they were sick. Now Zaneman’s doing the same thing for me. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “It sure is.” She glanced at Zane as he left to get a pitcher of water and a glass. She hoped he was doing okay. The reality of the situation must be hitting him about now.

  He came back with the water pitcher and glass. “I know she needs this.” He looked at Mandy and her mother. “Do you remember what else is on the list?”

  “No,” her mom said. “But we can take it from here. Deidre should arrive any minute. Christine and Judy are on the way.”

  Mandy turned toward the grandfather clock in the corner and was shocked to discover it was nearly five-thirty. No wonder her stomach was rumbling. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

  Aunt Kendra perked up. “Is it Whine and Cheese night?”

  “Yep!” Mandy’s mom smiled at her. “Isn’t that a coincidence?”

  “Boy howdy, it sure is. Does everyone know I broke my leg?”

  “I believe they do.”

  “We certainly do.” A short, plump woman with red hair appeared in the doorway. “But listen here, girlfriend.” She crossed the room and leaned over Aunt Kendra. “When you feel like having a Whine and Cheese party, just say so. We don’t need you to go breaking your leg so we have an excuse.”

  “Worked like a fucking charm, didn’t it?” Then she clapped her hand over her mouth and gave Zane a horrified glance.

  He laughed until he was gasping for breath. “Okay, okay. I see it’s time for me to leave you ladies to it. Anyway, I need to bring the horses in and feed them.”

  “I’ll help you.” The words were out of Mandy’s mouth before she gave herself time to think.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”

  “No, seriously.” She started toward him. “It’ll go faster with two of us.”

  He gazed at her. “Then sure. That would be great.”

  “Hold on.” Deidre hurried toward them. “Before you two leave, I want to introduce myself to the fabled daughter. I’m Deidre. Pleased to meet you.” She grasped Mandy’s hand in both of hers.

  “Same here.” Mandy met the woman’s friendly gaze. Deidre might know her mother better than she did. That was disconcerting. “I’ll be back after I help Zane.”

  “Great.” Deidre gave her hand a squeeze. “See you soon.”

  Zane held the door for her as they walked out into the cool night air. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know. I want to. I can check on Licorice.”

  He fell into step beside her. “Okay, but then you can go back to the party.”

  “What about you? What will you do tonight?”

  He shrugged. “Head back to the cabin. Rustle up some food. I’m pretty hungry.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  “Then let’s get ‘er done.”

  Mandy had a blast helping Zane with the horses. She’d forgotten how chatty he was with the animals, especially a Paint named Winston. Zane handed her some gloves and she worked in tandem with him delivering hay flakes. She took the side of the barn Licorice was on so Zane wouldn’t have to deal with her.

  “This is great exercise,” she called out to him about halfway through the process.

  “Now there’s a concept. Instead of hiring an extra hand, I’ll bill the chores as a workout for fitness buffs and charge them. What d’ya think, Winston?”

  The Paint answered with a loud snort and Mandy laughed. “Nice try, McGavin. Do you have any prospects for the job?”

  “There’s a high school kid we’ve hired the past couple of summers during our busy time, so if I can manage the barn until school’s out, he’s the logical choice.”

  “What about the trail rides until then?” He’d lose a ton of business and income between now and summer if he had to suspend the trail rides.

  “That’s trickier. I can’t ask the high school kid because he uses his weekends to study and I can’t just hire somebody off the street. I need to have complete confidence in whoever’s riding with me. I’ll think about it.”

  “I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

  “I will. Takes time.”

  Time away from his raptor project. Poor guy had a lot to deal with right now. Helping him tonight wasn’t much, but she was glad she could do it.

  When they finished, he doused the overhead lights and closed the barn doors. Then he stood with her under a sky spangled with stars. Light streamed from the windows of the house and the faint sound of eighties music drifted toward them. “I’ll walk you back.” He started up the hill.

  “Hang on a minute.”

  He paused and turned to her. “What?”

  “I just realized I don’t want to spend the night with the Whine and Cheese ladies.”

  “Why not? They’re terrific.”

  “I’m sure they are, but –”

  “They’re expecting you.”

  “I know, but it’s not like they need me.” But Zane might. “Besides, I’ll be the outsider. It’ll feel sort of awkward.”

  “No, it won’t. You’re Aunt Jo’s daughter. They’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  “Of course they will, but they have a history that I don’t share. Inside jokes I won’t get. I can’t possibly catch up in one night.”

  “So what’s the alternative? Go back to your mom’s house by yourself? They’re not going to let you do that.”

  “No.” The picture snapped into focus. “My mom cooked a big pot of veggie soup for lunch.” She gazed up at him. “How does that sound for dinner?”

  “Like heaven on earth. When you go in, ask your mom if I can drive over and steal some.”

  “I have a better idea. I’ll tell her I invited you to have dinner at our house.”

  He stared at her for a long time. Then he cleared his throat. “Dinner at your house. You and me. Alone.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Mandy, if you’re thinking we’ll have dinner and then play Monopoly…“

  She looked him straight in the eye. “No, I was thinking we’d have dinner and then have sex.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Zane gulped. “All righty, then.”

  “I’ll be back in a flash.” She smiled. “Wait here.”

  “I need to take care of the birds.” And grab condoms.

  “Want me to meet you up there?”

  “No. I’ll be quick. But if you beat me back, just wait in the truck. It’s getting cold.” He was vaguely aware of that although he felt hotter than a Halloween bonfire.

  He accomplished his chores in record time but even so she was sitting in the passenger side of his truck when he made it down the hill. He’d been short on air ever since she’d dropped this bombshell of an idea. He climbed behind the wheel and took a deep breath. “What’d your mom say?”

  “She told us to have fun.” She held up a bottle of wine.

  “Wow. Do you think she knows what –”

  “She does, but the rest don’t.”

  “You told her?”

  “Didn’t have to. I wore the same jacket to the emergency room and she saw my bra sticking out of the pocket.”

  “When was this? I didn’t see anything sticking out.”

  “She told me before we got out of the car, so I shoved it in deeper.”

  “But when you walked into the hospital, it was in your pocket?”

  “I wasn’t going to take it out and leave it in my mom’s SUV.”

  “It’s a damn good thing I didn’t know. I was having enough trouble blocking out the image of you lying naked on my bed.” He shoved the key in the ignition and started the truck.

  “Guys are so visual.”

  “And you’re not?”

  “Well, um, sometimes, maybe.”

  “You checked me out. I saw you do it.” He backed around and started down the ranch road.

  “I did. But then, afterward, I freaked out.”

  “I noticed. You pulled the covers up the minute I got out of bed. That’s why I came out of the bathroom wearing a towel.”

  “For which I was grateful.”

  “You don’t like seeing a guy’s package?”

  “Sure I do, but it seems wrong to look at yours!”

  “Why?”

  “Because…because you’re Zane, the boy I used to build forts with and beat at Monopoly. We were all about board games and snowball fights. It was never about sex.”

  Talk about confusing. “Are you sure you want me to come over tonight?”

  “Yes!”

  “Why?”

  “For one thing, it doesn’t seem fair that you should be all by yourself after such a traumatic day, and for another thing, I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

  “That makes two of us. But maybe you should lay out the rules before we get there. Would you rather do it in the dark?”

  Silence.

  “Buttercup? Would you be less embarrassed if we doused the lights?”

  “The thing is, although I did look, it was kind of dim lighting.”

  He laughed. Couldn’t help it. “So, lights turned on?” Speaking of turned on…this discussion was heating up fast. Good thing her house wasn’t far away.

  “Yes. But is it going to be totally weird if we do it in my bedroom?”

  “Not for me.” His jeans were getting damned tight in the crotch. He wondered how she’d feel about doing it in the truck in about two minutes.

  “I know. We’ll haul my mattress into the living room. That’ll be better.”

  “Okay.” He’d haul it up to the roof if that would make her happy. “Listen, I know I said I was hungry, but…”

  “You want to eat afterward?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  He let out a breath. “Good.”

  “But we’re moving the mattress.”

  “Got it.” But once they were inside the house, he discovered that was easier said than done. He stood in her bedroom staring at a queen-sized innerspring. Now he understood why earlier she’d wanted to clear such a large area in front of the fireplace. “Didn’t you used to have a twin?” He reached up to tug on the brim of his hat and remembered he’d left it on the coat tree by the front door.

  “I used to have a trundle bed but Mom upgraded me after my dad moved out.”

  “Guess I didn’t know that.”

  “You weren’t coming over by then.”

  “I suppose not.” He glanced at her. She was so much more beautiful than she had been in high school. Her features had lost their rounded teenage look to become stronger and more defined. The girl he’d known had turned into a woman, one he wanted more than he would have imagined possible.

  This time their lovemaking would be slow and easy. Instead of driving for the goal, he’d cherish every moment she’d give him. He told himself there was no rush to get started, but they were standing side-by-side in a room with a very inviting bed. “You’re sure you want it out of here?”

  “Yes. This room is stuffed with memories. Let me pull off the bedding.”

  While she accomplished that, he focused on a picture hanging on the wall so he wouldn’t think about what they would be doing on that mattress. He recognized the view. They’d seen it yesterday from the lookout. “You took that, right?”

  She stopped to look at it. “Sophomore year when I was in photography club. I’m so used to it I forgot it was there. Want it?”

  “You don’t?”

  She studied it a moment. “No. If you like it, it’s yours.”

  That bothered him. The lookout was their special place and one she’d appreciated enough to print and frame a picture she’d taken on one of their rides up there. The lookout was where they’d first kissed, although that hadn’t ended well. But if they’d never kissed, they might not be moving a mattress tonight. “I’ll take the picture.”

  She met his gaze. “You sound upset.”

  “I guess I’m more sentimental than you.”

  “You can afford to be.”

  That knocked him back. He remembered the ugly story of her dad’s rejection, which helped explain why she wouldn’t be keeping a bunch of souvenirs. If she succeeded in moving Aunt Jo to New York and severing her last tie, she’d never have to set foot in Eagles Nest again. He sighed. “You’re right. Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” She gathered up the sheets and comforter. “Ready.”

  “Stand back.” He wrestled the mattress off the bed and onto its side. “Go ahead of me and guide it so we don’t scrape paint off the walls.”

  “You’re the one planning to buy the place. Do you care?”

  “When you put it that way, no. Coming through.” He shoved the mattress down the hall and into the living room. Once there he lowered it to the floor in front of the fireplace and helped her spread the sheets and comforter on top.

  A manufactured log wrapped in paper sat on the grate. He briefly considered lighting it for atmosphere. Then he looked over at Mandy and scuttled the idea. They didn’t need atmosphere. They could create their own.

  She stood at the opposite end of the mattress, her body language telegraphing pride and a whisper of defiance. But her expression was filled with yearning. She was a bundle of contradictions that somehow reminded him of the golden eagle he’d rescued from the baling twine. He couldn’t repair all the damage life had caused her, but maybe he could ease her pain.

  He unsnapped the cuffs of his western shirt and watched her shrug out of her blouse. A lacy confection of a bra covered her breasts. He remembered their soft pliancy, their erotic taste and her whimpers as he’d kissed and suckled. A shiver of desire shook him to his core.

  Instead of taking off her bra, she turned away, leaned against the arm of the couch and pulled off her boots and socks. He stood motionless, unable to tear his gaze from the graceful curve of her back, the gentle slope of her shoulder and the luxurious sweep of her hair as it fell forward, hiding her face.

  She was undressing for him, and this time it wasn’t because of an emotional meltdown. Instead of running away afterward, she’d stay. She was giving him the whole night.

  The enormity of that began to sink in. He had a hunch that when dawn came, he wouldn’t be ready to let her go. Yet like the birds he rescued, that’s what she wanted. He’d been focused on pleasure. He hadn’t factored in what it would cost him.

  She faced him again and smiled. “So serious! I was hoping this would cheer you up.” She unfastened the button on her pants.

  “This isn’t my serious face. It’s my awestruck face. You’re breathtaking.”

  “But you’ve already seen me naked.”

  “Like you said, the light was bad. I didn’t fully appreciate–” He sucked in a breath when she shimmied out of her pants and laid them on the couch. “Thank you for not wanting to do this in the dark.”

  “I told you I was curious.” Color bloomed on her cheeks. “I’d say it’s time for you to satisfy my curiosity.”

  “Okay.” His heart pounded as he threw his shirt on the couch. Once his boots and socks were off, he reached for the button on his jeans. His fingers trembled.

  He’d stripped for women before. This was different. In some ways, he knew Mandy so well. In others, not at all. His first time with her had been unexpected, and at the end, awkward. Now she’d given him a chance to explore the possibilities, but there was a kicker. It couldn’t lead anywhere.

  If he thought about that, he’d drive himself crazy. He shoved down his jeans and briefs and kicked them aside.

  She gulped. “Well, that explains it.”

  “Explains what?”

  “Why I left your cabin so satisfied.”

  That pricked his ego. Size didn’t matter if a guy didn’t develop finesse and he prided himself on having some knowledge to go with what nature had given him. “Or maybe it was my excellent technique.”

  “I’m willing to believe that.” She took off her bra and slipped out of her panties.

  The sight of her slender body in all its glory reduced him to primitive needs. With a low groan, he moved toward her, unable to tolerate the space between them another second.

  She met him halfway. The moment they touched, skin to skin, he began to shake. Pulling her in tight, he gasped at the luxury of it. “I swore I’d go slow.”

  “You can go slow next time.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and wiggled closer as she gazed up at him. “I think we need to make some noise.”

  “I think you’re right.” When his lips met hers, it was like coming home. Even though he’d only kissed her a few times, his tongue settled in as if he’d been loving her for years. He sank to his knees and brought her with him.

  Sliding both hands down her sleek back, he cupped her tight little ass. The urge to bury his cock in her warm body made him tremble. Lifting his mouth from hers, he dragged in air. “I’d better get –”

  “Yes.” Her voice was low and throaty.

  He released her and grabbed his jeans. After he pulled a condom out and tore it open, he glanced over at the mattress.

  Mandy had stretched out on it and was watching him, her gaze hot as she followed his movements. Her thighs were parted, giving him a tantalizing view of his ultimate destination.

  A fresh wave of desire stole his breath. Her shyness was gone. He snapped on the condom, joined her on the mattress and moved over her. But when she grasped his hips and tried to pull him down, he resisted.

  “Hey.”

  “Change of plans.”