Free Renegade Moon (CupidKey) by Karen E. Rigley, Ann M. House

She pressed the thermos cup into his hand. Tiny shocks rippled through her fingers as they contacted his.
    “Thanks, Eric. I’m fine now.”
    His gaze moved skeptically over her, making her blush. “You should go home to bed.”
    She let her lashes flutter down over her eyes to hide the thoughts his words ignited. “I can’t. I have a date in an hour.” She glanced at her watch. “Oops, in less than an hour.”
    “Date?” Eric scowled, his dark brows drawing together.
    His stormy response surprised her. “Didn’t your brother tell you about our picnic?”
    “Nope.” He stared at Destiny but she sensed his thoughts were not of her. “Have fun,” he finally said. With a sardonic little tip of his hat, he mounted Pinto and galloped away into the desert.
    Destiny sighed, feeling that she had committed some crime, yet she was unsure of its nature. Or how to atone for it.

Chapter 5
    Martin waved at Destiny as she parked her Mustang beside his big Suburban.
    “Hi, Martin. Sorry I’m late.” She swung her legs out of the car, reading approval of her pink shorts and matching lace-trimmed tee in his green-gold eyes.
    “Get what you intend to bring and leave your car here. You don’t want to drive that pretty little thing where we’re going.”
    Her eyes widened. “Really? Where’s that?”
    “A romantic spot on the creek, down a very rough road. Hope you’re hungry. Estrella packed enough food to supply an army.”
    “Sounds delicious. I’ve been lucky enough to sample her chili.” Destiny gathered up the camera and her large canvas bag, immediately heading for the Suburban.
    “Wait,” Martin said. “You forgot your hat.”
    “I did not forget my hat.” She opened the Suburban door. “You sound just like your brother. I don’t like hats and I’m not a child to be told what to do.”
    “Touchy, touchy,” he teased, smiling.
    Moments after they turned off the highway, Destiny understood why he recommended she leave her Mustang behind. They traveled over more than just bumps and gullies. At times they plowed through deep sand, which the Suburban negotiated like a tank. It would have captured her Mustang securely. They reached their destination and Destiny got out.
    A great stone canyon framed the creek, which contained only a thin sheet of water that danced over the rugged creek bed. “Hey, Martin! Water .”
    “If it rains at all, this part will have water in it,” he told her. “Thundershowers fell in the mountains recently.” He fetched the picnic basket and placed it atop a flat boulder in the shade of an overhang. “It’s past noon. Shall we eat?”
    She agreed. Martin removed two plastic containers, napkins, forks, and paper plates from the basket. “Estrella made us taco salad with guacamole, and her homemade sopapillas for desert. If we don’t do justice to her food, she’ll be hurt.”
    “No problem.” Destiny savored every bite. When they finished, Martin gathered up their things and replaced them in the basket, then put it in the Suburban before sitting beside Destiny. She could tell he studied her as she watched the sparkling water.
    At his scrutiny, she turned and smiled at him. “Have you ever been married, Martin?” The question just popped out.
    “No.” He examined a pebble he held in his hand, sailing it out into the water. Destiny gazed at him. In repose, his expression was cool and aloof. But his smile brought the sun to his face. He turned and gave her that hundred-watt smile then. “What’re you thinking?”
    About Eric. She smothered such a reply. “Nothing really. So you’re the brother who owns the Double Bar-M. And there’s a sister?”
    “Yeah, she’s the youngest. Spoiled of course. How could she not be, with two big brothers? We both doted on her, and she certainly championed us. Eric was such a big kid, and I was small, so we looked more like twins, rather than seventeen months apart. Then he outgrew me when we reached about thirteen.”
    Another