Kitabı oku: «White Dove's Promise», sayfa 3

Giving her his best smile, he shook his head. “Thank you, Kerry, but I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Disappointment flashed through her, catching her completely off guard. She didn’t want to entertain this man, she silently argued with herself. It would be like inviting a stick of dynamite into the house. And she’d already had too many explosions in her life to risk another one.

Feeling incredibly awkward, she tucked her bobbed hair behind her ears and darted a glance toward his face. “I hope you’ve had a chance to get rested up from yesterday’s ordeal,” she said.

He shrugged as though the part he’d played in Peggy’s rescue had been superfluous. Kerry could only wonder if the gesture was an attempt to appear humble or if these past years had honestly changed him into a more modest man than the Jared Colton she remembered.

“I’m fine,” he said with a quick grin. “What about you? How are you holding up?”

It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun had dipped below the bare hills that skirted the edge of town and a warm breeze was blowing the scent of honeysuckle across the porch. If this man had been anyone except Jared Colton she might have enjoyed having male company for a change. She might have invited him to take a seat and drink a glass of tea with her. Instead, she was afraid to trust him and afraid to trust herself.

“I’m okay. It’s Peggy and Mom that worry me. Peggy is—well, she’s hardly spoken to anyone today. And she’s eaten even less than she’s talked. Mother blames herself, of course. I’m not sure how to help either one of them.”

“I hate to hear that. I was hoping Peggy would be the sort of child that would bounce right back.” A rueful grin suddenly twisted his lips. “I mean, there’s not many little girls her age that would have enough courage to go exploring a deep dark place like she went into. Especially without another child with her.”

His remarks surprised Kerry. She’d not expected him to understand anything about the way a child’s mind worked. Especially a little female mind. But then females were his specialty; he ought to know how their minds worked, she quickly reminded herself.

“Peggy is very adventurous. I used to be proud of the fact that she was so curious about the world around her. But now I’m wondering if that curiosity is a curse. When I asked her why she left the yard, she told me that she went hunting birds with Fred. I don’t even know if she understands what the term hunting means. No one that I know of has talked about hunting birds or anything else to her.”

She looked weary, Jared thought. The harrowing hours she’d gone through yesterday and last night would have been enough to break any young mother. Much less one without the support of a husband. And suddenly he wished he had the right to try to comfort her with touches and whispered words.

“She’s probably heard someone refer to Fred as a hunting dog,” Jared suggested. “Or it could have come from television.”

Kerry nodded. “You could be right. Either way, I’m wondering now how to keep this from happening again. I don’t want to get rid of the dog. Losing her buddy would only make matters worse.”

His black brows pulled together in a thoughtful frown. “I don’t have any kids, Kerry, so I’m the last person to give you advice. But I used to be a kid with a dog and I know losing him would have broken my heart.”

Hearing one of Black Arrow’s most prominent playboys discuss children and dogs and broken hearts was as unsettling to Kerry as the potent sensuality that swirled around him. Because it made him more of a man somehow. A man that she could care about.

Alarmed by the soft thoughts running through her head, she glanced away from him and breathed deeply. “I’m—uh—I’ve been thinking I’ll go by the animal shelter and adopt a kitty for her, too. That way if Fred decides to take off again, she might decide it’s more important for her to stay behind and take care of her new friend.”

A grin lifted the corner of his lips, giving her a glimpse of snow-white teeth. “That sounds like a great idea. As long as Fred doesn’t decide he wants to make a meal out of the cat.”

Kerry actually laughed and the unexpected sound darted through Jared like a ray of golden sunshine. Of all the times he’d been in her presence he’d never heard her laugh before. It made him wonder if the years had loosened her rigid personality or if she was just now allowing him to see the woman she’d always been.

“I’m not too worried about that,” she said. “He loves all of our neighboring felines.”

Enola’s voice suddenly carried through the screen door. “Kerry? Who is it?”

Both Kerry and Jared turned to see Enola stepping onto the porch with a sleepy-eyed Peggy in her arms.

“Jared has stopped by to check on Peggy,” Kerry quickly explained to her mother. “I asked him to join us for supper—but he has other plans.”

“Good evening, Mrs. WindWalker,” Jared greeted the older woman.

She inclined her head in his direction but didn’t grant him any sort of semblance of a smile. Jared couldn’t help notice the woman’s eagle-eyed gaze was encompassing both him and her daughter as though she was trying to gauge the sort of conversation that had been going on before she’d arrived. Her attitude was faintly insulting, but Jared tried his best to ignore it. From what he knew of Marvin WindWalker, it wouldn’t surprise him if Enola despised all men.

“Evening,” she stiffly replied.

Jared’s attention zeroed in on Peggy, who was chewing on one finger while studying him with guarded interest.

Stepping closer, he smiled at the little girl. “Hello Peggy. Do you remember me?”

Peggy squirmed in Enola’s arms and demanded to be put down. Then to her mother and grandmother’s total surprise, she scurried across the wooden porch straight to Jared.

“You’re Jared,” she said, then held up her arms to him in a totally trustful gesture.

A rush of tender emotions filled his chest as Jared bent down and scooped up the child. After carefully balancing her with one arm against his chest, he touched a forefinger to her cheek.

“That’s right, little dove. I’m Jared.”

Peggy’s tiny fingers reached out and played with his shirt collar, a signal, Jared realized, that she felt comfortable with him.

“You got me out of that hole,” she said to him.

Jared was surprised at her clearly pronounced words. Last night she’d refused to say anything to him except that she wanted her mama. And those words had been muffled with tears.

“That’s right, sweetheart. And I’m glad I did. You’re just about the prettiest little girl I’ve ever seen.”

For a moment her lips twitched as though she might give him a smile. Then all of a sudden she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. Since fathering skills were something Jared knew precious little about, all he could do was follow his instincts and pat Peggy’s back with gentle reassurance.

A few steps away, Kerry tried to swallow away the tightness in her throat as she watched her daughter’s reaction to Jared. Even though Peggy was usually a tiny tornado, she’d always been slow to warm up to the male gender. To see her clinging so trustingly to Jared, a man she’d only seen once, was somewhat of a phenomenon.

Across the porch, Enola cleared her throat loudly. “Peggy, it’s time for you to eat supper,” she said firmly. “Tell Mr. Colton goodbye.”

Peggy ignored her grandmother and continued to bury her face against Jared’s neck. At the same time, Kerry stared with an open mouth at her mother.

She gathered her wits and said, “Mom, I’ll handle this. Why don’t you go finish eating. We’ll join you in a few minutes.”

The surprise that registered on Enola’s face told Jared the older woman wasn’t accustomed to having Kerry intercede with her own wishes. Especially in such a blunt way. Enola opened her mouth to say something else. But instead, she threw Jared a withering look, then turned and headed into the house.

Once the woman was out of sight, Jared joked in an effort to lighten the moment, “I don’t think she likes me.”

Kerry sighed. “Her behavior embarrasses me. I don’t know what’s making her this way.”

Jared did. There weren’t many mothers in Black Arrow that welcomed the sight of him on the doorstep. He knew he had a reputation for dallying with women’s hearts, maybe even crushing a few. If that was true, he’d not done it intentionally. Of all the women he’d dated in the past, he’d never once led them to believe he was a serious suitor with marriage on his mind. They’d gone into a relationship with him knowing it would only be fun and games. But convincing Enola WindWalker of that would be as fruitless as talking to the wall.

“Forget it,” he told Kerry with a rueful grin. “I take no offense. Especially since I got such a nice greeting from my little dove here.” Placing his forefinger under Peggy’s chin, he lifted the angelic face up to his. “Are you going to be a good girl for your mother and stay in the yard from now on?”

Peggy nodded emphatically and Jared stroked the shiny black waves tumbling about her shoulders. He could see touches of Kerry in the girl’s proud thin nose, high cheekbones and faintly pointed chin. Yet her café au lait complexion made Jared suspect her father had been a white man. His own father had been half-white.

“That’s just what I wanted to hear,” he told her proudly.

“I have a dog,” Peggy said to him. “Do you have a dog?”

Jared chuckled as he found himself charmed by a set of big brown eyes and twin dimples. “No. But I met your Mr. Fred yesterday. And you know what, I think he’s almost as smart as you are.”

Peggy gave him another emphatic nod of agreement, then to Kerry and Jared’s amazement, she leaned forward and smacked a kiss on his cheek.

“I gotta go feed Fred,” she said suddenly, then squirmed, signaling that she wanted to be put back on her feet.

Jared complied, and smiled as he watched her scurry into the house.

“Looks like I need to be thanking you again,” Kerry said.

He turned his head in her direction and was instantly taken with the natural beauty of her face, the sensual curves, partially camouflaged by her loose clothing. She was not a glamour girl. So why did he wonder, as he had so many years ago, what she would look like in his arms with nothing on but a smile just for him?

“For what?” he asked, forcing his mind off the tempting thought.

“That’s the most Peggy has said to anyone today. She’s obviously taken with you.”

Jared was glad the child had warmed up to him. Yet it was her mother that he really wanted to charm.

Shrugging, he glanced down at the toe of his boot and wondered why this woman made him feel like a shy teenager wanting to steal a kiss. “Well, I’m kinda taken with her, too. That’s why I wanted to stop by and check on her.”

Kerry folded her hands primly in front of her. “Thank you. It was kind of you.”

No, it was selfish, Jared thought. Sure, he’d wanted to see little Peggy and make sure she was okay. But even more he’d wanted to see this woman. Yet he wasn’t going to confess such a thing to her. Right now she saw him as a gallant knight and he didn’t want to spoil it.

With a sudden grin, he lifted a hand in farewell. “You’d better go get your supper, Kerry. Before your mama comes after you.”

Kerry watched him walk to his truck. As he pulled away from the house, she wondered if this was the last time she would ever see him. Or if Jared Colton was going to try to make her one more notch on the foot of his bed.

Chapter Three

The kitten’s meow was more like a squall of protest. Jared glanced down at the small animal carrier sitting on the truck seat beside him. The yellow tabby had caught his eye the first moment the volunteer worker at the shelter had shown him into the room of orphaned cats. His broad nose, proud tail and coarse voice had convinced Jared he would be the perfect companion to frisky Fred and Peggy.

“Just hold on and I’ll let you out of that cage,” he told the cat as he turned off the main highway and onto a graveled dirt road.

At the end of the dusty, quarter-mile drive, stood an old square ranch house with a hip roof and a porch bordering three sides. The house and two acres had come up for rent five years ago when a local farmer had sold off the surrounding crop land and moved into town. Jared had taken it on a long-term lease, mainly to have a place to hang his hat when work brought him back to the Black Arrow vicinity.

There were times the old house stood empty for months running. But Jared had never had a problem with stealing or vandalism. There were benefits to having the county sheriff as your brother, he thought with great affection. Also to having a sister who was kind enough to keep the dust from piling up inside. And from the looks of the pickup truck parked to one side of the driveway, Willow must have taken pity on him and stopped by today to do a little cleaning.

After parking the truck in front of a faded wooden fence that separated the yard from weedy pasture, Jared climbed out and carefully carried the caged cat into the house. The moment he closed the door behind him, he was hit by the smell of fresh-baked cookies and the sound of his sister’s voice. He followed the sound into the kitchen to see her sitting on the tall barstool he kept beneath the wall phone.

“Here he is now,” she said to the caller. “So I’ll let you ask him.”

Jared cocked a questioning brow at her. She mouthed the word “newspaper” as she handed him the phone.

Two minutes later, Jared hung up.

“That was quick,” Willow remarked.

“I’m sure he’d already told you that he wanted to do an interview with me, Kerry and Peggy. I told him we’d meet him here tomorrow night.” He made a general wave in the direction of the sink full of dirty dishes. “Do you think you could clean the place up a bit?”

Willow shook her head in amazement. “Listen, little brother, you might not even need this place cleaned up when Kerry hears that you didn’t bother to consult her about this meeting. Sounds to me like you’re asking for big trouble.”

He probably was asking for trouble, Jared thought, but not the sort his sister had in mind. “I’ll get her to agree,” he told her with a confident grin, then motioned for her to follow him out to the living room. “Come here and look what I’ve got.”

“What is this?” Willow exclaimed as soon as she spotted the animal cage sitting in the middle of the floor. “You found a snake at the work site?”

He chuckled. “I’m not into reptiles. I like soft, cuddly things.”

“Hmm, don’t I know it,” she said dryly.

Jared bent down and unlatched the cage. The tabby pranced out as if he was ready to take possession of the place.

Willow squealed with pleasure, then quickly knelt down and stroked the cat’s arched back. “Oh, how adorable! Where did he come from?”

“I stopped by the animal shelter on my way home.”

His black-haired, gray-eyed sister looked up at him with disbelief. “Am I hearing this right? My playboy brother actually adopted a kitten? What are you going to do with him when your job here is finished? Take him with you?”

Jared laughed at her flurry of questions. “He’s not for me. He’s a gift to Peggy WindWalker. Her mother thought it would be a good idea to get her a kitten, so that she wouldn’t be tempted to follow her dog away from the house.”

Willow smiled at the kitten as he batted at a piece of fuzz he’d discovered under the edge of an armchair. “So you took it upon yourself to get the kitten for her,” she said with sudden understanding.

Grinning, Jared bent down and picked up the kitten. “The last time I looked it wasn’t against the law to give someone a gift.”

Willow laughed again. “Little Peggy must have made quite an impression on you. I can’t ever remember you taking such an interest in a child.” She slanted him a knowing look. “Or is it her mother that’s the real appeal here?”

Jared chuckled as he rubbed the yellow tom between the ears. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Willow clucked her tongue in disapproval. “Jared, I can tell you right now that you’re headed in the wrong direction. Kerry WindWalker is not your style.”

Nestling the cat against his chest, Jared headed out of the room. “And how would you know my style?” he tossed over his shoulder.

Willow followed her brother into the kitchen. “Probably because I’ve watched you go from one pretty face to another these past ten years. You like easy, fun-loving women who have reputations for being just as reckless as yourself. Kerry seems like she’s the complete opposite. As far as I know she’s a nice girl. You’d be bored to death.”

He poured a small amount of milk onto a saucer then placed it and the cat on the floor. “Maybe I’m getting tired of reckless, fun-loving girls.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “That’ll be the day.”

Jared feigned an offended look. “I do have my serious moments, sis. Besides, I’m only asking her to do an interview, not spend the rest of her life with me.”

An hour later, Jared parked in front of the WindWalker house and carried the cat, cage and all to the front porch. A tight-lipped Enola met him at the door and Jared decided a door-to-door salesman would have probably been greeted with more enthusiasm.

“Hello Mrs. WindWalker. Is Kerry home?”

“She’s eating supper right now. Maybe you’d better come back some other time.”

Clearly the woman didn’t want him around. But Kerry was a grown woman with a child of her own. If Jared was going to be kicked off the place, he wanted Kerry to do it herself. Not her smothering mother.

“I’ll just wait out here until she finishes,” Jared told her.

Not bothering to wait for the woman’s reply, he took a seat on the end of the porch and placed the cat cage beside him. After a few moments he heard the low murmur of voices, then the sound of the front screen opening and closing.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Kerry bearing down on him and she wasn’t exactly smiling.

“What are you doing here?” she asked without preamble.

Jared stood and gave her a wide grin. “I brought Peggy a gift. Is she here?”

Kerry’s eyes darted to the animal cage. Before she could ask, Jared said, “It’s a kitty. Come look.”

Kerry couldn’t believe he was here. Again. And she certainly couldn’t believe he’d brought a kitten with him. The whole picture was sending up warning flags right and left.

“Jared, when I tossed the idea to you about Peggy having a cat, it wasn’t my intention for you to bring her one.”

“Yeah, I know. But I wanted to do this for Peggy.” He opened the cage and allowed the little yellow tomcat to venture onto the porch.

Rather than squeal with delight like his sister had done, Kerry stared stonily down at the cat as he rubbed himself against her bare legs.

“Don’t you think he’s cute?” Jared prompted.

“All kittens are cute,” she said, trying her best not to be sucked into his playful attitude. Perhaps he had truly wanted to give Peggy a gift, she thought. But something was warning her that this man would use any and every means available to get what he wanted. If his wants included her, then Kerry was going to have to set him straight. She wasn’t available to him.

Jared picked up the kitten and scratched him behind the ears. “Kerry, loosen up. There’s no strings attached to this little animal.”

The idea that he’d read her thoughts flooded Kerry’s face with embarrassed heat. Jared Colton could have most any woman he set his steel-gray eyes on. She was putting herself on a pedestal to think he was interested in her.

“I wasn’t thinking that,” she quickly denied. “It’s just that I wanted to choose the pet I thought would fit my daughter.”

Pleased that she was softening, he said, “Well, just look at this little guy. He’s perfect.”

Kerry pretended to study the cat’s autocratic face, but in actuality her eyes were begging to slip up to Jared’s strong, sensual features. Like yesterday, she’d spent most of her time today trying not to think about this man. So far she’d failed and his showing up on the doorstep once again had literally been like a cherry topping off a sinful ice cream sundae.

“I think Peggy—”

Her words were suddenly interrupted by the slam of the screen door. Both Kerry and Jared turned to see Peggy standing on the porch, studying the two of them with quiet interest. She was dressed in sturdy striped overalls and a red T-shirt. Her shiny black hair was fastened in ponytails behind each ear and Jared couldn’t help thinking that next to her mother, she was the most adorable little thing he’d ever seen.

Just looking at the child made Jared wonder, as he had many times these past few days, how any man could have given up his own child. Or maybe he was jumping to conclusions about things he didn’t know about, Jared thought. It could be that Peggy’s father was still somewhere in the background. Perhaps seeing her on an odd weekend or taking her for a couple of weeks in the summer, sending her birthday cards and telephone calls. Yet Jared seriously doubted that was the case. If a man cared enough about his child to do that much, then he surely would have shown up when she was trapped beneath the ground.

Peggy doesn’t have a daddy. Kerry’s words had pretty much said it all.

“Hi Peggy,” he said, then, not waiting for her to come to him, he went over and knelt down to her height. “Did you finish eating your supper?”

She nodded as her fascinated gaze vacillated between his face and the kitten he was holding. “You have a kitty,” she finally spoke.

Jared smiled at her. “That’s right. I have a kitty for you.”

He placed the animal at Peggy’s feet and her eyes slowly lit up like a candle on Christmas Eve.

“Do you like him?”

The answer was a squeal of excitement as she made a dive for the animal. Before she could put a choke hold on the cat’s neck, Jared quickly took control and showed her how to hold him gently and carefully. The child listened intently to his instructions and after a few minutes, she was carrying the kitten with the same care as her baby dolls.

“That’s my girl,” Jared praised her, “now go show your mother.”

Peggy raced across the porch to where Kerry had been watching the scene taking place between her daughter and Jared. For years now, she’d longed to give Peggy some sort of male contact to make up for the absence of a father. Yet she’d never found a man she trusted enough to allow him into Peggy’s sheltered life. And though she might not trust Jared Colton, it appeared her daughter had already decided to make him her trusty friend.

“Look Mama, Jared brought me a cat,” she said proudly. “I’m gonna name him Claws. See, he has claws on his toes. But they don’t scratch.”

Kerry bent over her daughter and made a show of inspecting the kitten. “He can scratch, Peggy. Just like the neighbor’s cat,” she warned her. “That’s why you must handle him like Jared taught you.”

At that moment Fred came bounding around the side of the house. Sensing that something interesting was going on, the dog leaped onto the porch and for the next few minutes, the scene was comical as the dog and cat greeted each other, then decided to be buddies.

When Peggy and the animals finally quieted down and left the porch to play out on the clipped grass, Jared sidled up to Kerry.

“I think she likes him,” he said, unable to keep a bit of smugness from his voice. He’d never realized that pleasing a child could make him feel so good.

“Oh, she likes him all right,” Kerry said with a sigh of resignation.

Jared darted her a look. “Why do you say it like that? Are you still mad at me?”

The wounded, incredulous tone in his voice made it impossible for Kerry to prevent a grin from spreading across her lips. “Yes, I am. I should make you take that kitten back home with you.”

The smile on his face practically oozed confidence. “You couldn’t do that to Peggy or to Claws. They’ve already become fast friends.”

He was right and he knew it. Kerry had no choice but to let her daughter keep the kitten.

“It is nice to hear her laugh again,” Kerry admitted. “I think that’s the first I’ve heard her laugh since she was lost in the pipe.”

“I’m glad,” he said, then taking her by the shoulder he urged her to take a seat on the edge of the porch. “Sit down here beside me. I have something to ask you.”

Kerry was instantly on guard as she kept her bare thigh a respectable distance from his. “Couldn’t this question have been asked standing up?” she replied.

He grinned. “Sure. But this is much nicer like this.”

For him maybe. For her it was more than a little disconcerting. Her heart was a quick drum beat in her chest. Her breathing seemed to be going in and out too quickly to satisfy her lungs.

“Okay,” she said, hoping she sounded normal. “What is this question?”

Her hands were folded together atop her lap. As Jared angled his body around to hers, his first instinct was to reach for one of them. But he quickly decided not to push his luck. Two nights ago while Peggy had been trapped in the drainpipe, he’d had a good excuse to touch her in a comforting way. But this evening they were simply a man and a woman.

“Well, I—when I got home this evening from work, the local newspaper was on the phone with my sister. Seems like they want to do a story about Peggy’s rescue.”

Kerry shrugged. “That’s all right with me. There’s been so many townspeople who’ve expressed their interest and concern in my daughter. It would give me a chance to let them know how grateful I am.” She settled her gaze on his face. “To them and to you.”

Being grateful to him wasn’t exactly what Jared wanted from Kerry, but if it would help to give him a chance to get to know her better, he’d have to play upon it. At least, for the time being.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said, “because I told the reporter the three of us would meet him tomorrow evening at my house.”

Kerry’s brows slowly lifted as she took in the full meaning of his words. “You told him that without asking me first?”

The incredulous tone in her voice said she wasn’t happy and it dawned on Jared that this woman was unlike any he’d pursued in the past. He’d never had to work at getting a woman’s attention, much less in making her like him. With Kerry it seemed like everything he did was wrong.

“Uh—yes, I did. I didn’t think you’d want to refuse the newspaper. Especially when the whole area is interested in reading about Peggy’s rescue.”

Her soft lips compressed together and Jared wondered how it would feel to take her in his arms and coax her lips apart with a kiss.

“Giving the story to the newspaper has nothing to do with it,” she clipped. “We could have met him at the library, a restaurant, anywhere but your home!”

Jared looked truly offended. “And what’s the matter with my house? You probably don’t even know where I live.”

She heaved out a breath as she focused her gaze on Peggy. At the moment, the two animals were stretched out on the grass near Peggy as she tempted both cat and dog to catch the dandelion in her hand. Her daughter was safe and healthy because this man had risked his life, Kerry thought. And now she was playing and giggling because this man had brought her a special gift. She couldn’t be annoyed with him. Even if she tried.

“I didn’t even know you lived around Black Arrow,” she admitted.

“Well, I only live here when I’m not away on a job,” he conceded. “But I keep a place south of town. The old Wafford farm. Know where that is?”

Kerry nodded, surprised to hear he chose to keep residence in an old farmhouse rather than an easy-living apartment in town. “I rarely have any reason to go out that way. I thought the house was empty.”

He grinned. “Oh, I show my face around here every so often. If I didn’t my brothers and sisters would disown me.”

The idea that he was only here in Black Arrow temporarily was enough to allow Kerry to relax her guard. The man would be gone soon, she reasoned with herself. He wasn’t trying to get involved with her. And she knew not to let herself get interested in him. There wouldn’t be time enough or a reason for anything heartbreaking to happen.

“Okay, Peggy and I will be there,” she told him. “What time?”

“The reporter will be there at seven. Make it a few minutes before so I’ll have time to show you around the old place.”

She turned her head toward him and as soon as their eyes met, her heart leaped with forbidden excitement. “We’ll be there at a quarter till,” she promised.

“Kerry, I don’t want you to do this. Call the man right now and tell him you’re not coming.”

Kerry continued to study her image in the mirror rather than look at her mother who’d entered the bedroom moments ago. “Don’t do this to me, Mom. Not now.”

Shaking her head, Enola sank onto the foot of Kerry’s bed. “You’re making a big mistake.”

Kerry sighed. Ever since her mother had learned about the interview at Jared’s house tonight, she’d been treating Kerry as though she were sixteen years old rather than twenty-six. “I’m going to do an interview for the newspaper, Mom. This isn’t some life-or-death mission.”

Enola clamped her jaws together. “It isn’t like you to be disrespectful, Kerry. Is that what this man is doing to you?”

Kerry adjusted the soft beige blouse she’d tucked into a broomstick skirt which was printed in narrow stripes of black, beige and turquoise. The clothes were feminine, she decided, but casual enough so as not to appear she’d gone to pains to dress up for him.

“Jared Colton hasn’t done anything to me. Except save my daughter’s life.”

Enola tossed her hands into the air. “He wasn’t the only man there that night. The firemen, the lawmen, the emergency people were all working to get Peggy out.”