Free Out of Exile by Carla Cassidy Page B

only counseled children, but had also painted, cut grass, and done a variety of other odd jobs.
    He talked to her about his father’s decision to turn the ranch into a dude ranch and the work that had been involved in transforming the place from a private home to a working resort.
    And with each word that was exchanged, Lilly sensed a new relaxation in Matthew. His eyes sparkled and there were no tension lines marring his handsome face.
    The only time she was conscious of a burst of tension radiating from him was when they stood too close together or when their shoulders brushed while they worked. It was then she felt the tension, saw the flare of something in his eyes, and knew he wasn’t as unaffected by her nearness as he’d like to pretend he was.
    This knowledge affected her, building in her a corresponding tension that was both irritating yet bewitching. Again she found herself wondering what it would be like to make love with him, to feel thosepowerful arms of his wrapped tightly around her, to lose herself in the darkness of his eyes and the absolute intensity of the act.
    It was about ten o’clock when Johnna and Jerrod arrived, ready for paint duty and soon after that Mark and Luke’s wife, Abby showed up.
    â€œI told April to stay at home,” Mark said. “With her being pregnant, I didn’t think the paint fumes would be good for her. And Luke said to tell you he’ll be here later, he had some things to take care of this morning.”
    Matthew nodded, lines of tension back in his forehead. “Then let’s get to work,” he said.
    Within minutes everyone had a paintbrush or a roller, and despite the circumstances that had brought them all together, a party atmosphere appeared.
    At noon Aunt Clara arrived, bringing with her a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade. They took a quick break to eat, then got back to work.
    As Lilly painted, she once again found herself watching the byplay between the Delaney siblings and wondering why Matthew seemed so isolated from the others. He was a lone wolf in what should have been a pack.
    It was nearing noon when Luke appeared at the door of the cottage they were all now painting. “Matthew?” Luke’s face was set in grim lines. “We have another problem,” he said.
    â€œWhat now?” Matthew asked.
    â€œI was just out at the old barn. The supplies thatwere delivered yesterday morning? Half of them are gone now.”
    â€œGone? What do you mean, gone?” Johnna asked.
    Luke shrugged. “Disappeared. Vanished. Stolen. I don’t know what happened to them, but they’re gone.”
    Matthew raked a hand through his hair. “What in the hell is going on around here?” he asked nobody in particular.
    And nobody had an answer for him.
    Â 
    Matthew sat on the baled hay in the hayloft of the old barn, staring out the opened loft door toward the main house and outbuildings of the ranch in the distance.
    He’d spent most of the afternoon in town at the lumber yard, trying to figure out exactly what had been stolen and what needed to be reordered. He’d then gone to Sheriff Broder’s office and had filed another report.
    He lay back on an old blanket on top of the hay and stared up at the rafters. He might have been able to agree with Broder and write off the spray-painted cottages as preHalloween mischief, but the robbery of the materials made him rethink everything.
    He just couldn’t believe it had been kids who had loaded up that material and hauled it off. Matthew had a feeling it was something much more sinister than mischief. But what? Who was responsible? And what did they hope to accomplish?
    He drew a deep breath, his head filling with avision of Lilly. He’d enjoyed her company that morning while the two of them had painted. She’d been a charming and entertaining companion on those summer days so long ago, and she hadn’t lost those qualities in the