Free Welcome to Paradise by Carol Grace Page A

he'd been rejected. But hadn't she encouraged him by inviting him to dinner? Discussed the wine with him, with every remark having a double meaning? What did she expect after a dinner like that? Oh well, it was just as well. He could not get involved with the great-granddaughter of Horatio Hudson. He could just hear old Horatio now.
    “ Hands off my great-granddaughter, boy. I want her to have the place. Want her to do what I couldn't do. Restore Paradise Springs to its former glory.”
    “But Horatio,” Zeb mumbled as he staggered toward his house, “She's a city girl. She can't even ride a horse. She's afraid of heights. She drinks coffee in a bar. She doesn't belong here. Horatio,” he called desperately, glancing up at the sky. “Did you hear me? Give me a sign that you want me to have your land.”
    The clouds raced across the sky and blocked the moon from view. But Horatio, wherever he was, was silent.
    On top of everything, Zeb was no closer to his goal than he'd been two days ago. He could only pray Chloe Hudson would run out of steam before she found out what he knew. What everybody knew. Everybody but her. That the Bureau of Reclamation was planning to build a dam downstream from the hot springs, which would flood her property. That whoever owned the property could turn a tidy profit by selling to the Bureau.
    The next morning when his head pounded in time to a distant drummer, thanks to that spicy, earthy wine he'd consumed the night before, Zeb decided to give Paradise Springs a wide berth for a few days. He was just a mite embarrassed about spilling the story of his broken engagement. Still didn't understand how it had happened. It had to be the wine. Of course it was the wine. But he'd had wine before and never been tempted to tell a total stranger how he'd been dumped. Maybe it was knowing she'd been hurt, too. Knowing they had something in common. It didn't matter. Hopefully she'd forgotten all about it by now.
    He assumed Chloe had enough supplies so that she wouldn't be likely to go to town any time soon. Which meant there was no danger of her hearing any gossip. And who would be coming out to see her? Nobody. If she didn't give up out of sheer loneliness, overwhelmed by the enormity of the job she faced, then he didn't understand city women. So all he had to do was to keep away from her and let her come to a decision on her own. The right decision. The only decision that made any sense. To sell the place and go back where she belonged.
    It wouldn't be hard to stay away from Paradise Springs. Oh, he'd miss his nightly soak in the therapeutic waters that felt so good after a hard day in the saddle. But God knew he had enough work to do on his own place. After letting most of his crew go to save money, he had to do most of the branding, roping, breeding, calving on his own. He was especially busy now, with Sam on the road.
    In the following days he occasionally thought about his neighbor, remembering, in spite of himself, how at home she'd looked at his breakfast table, scarfing down his biscuits. How delicious she'd tasted after breakfast. And how much he'd wanted to pursue her. Right up the stairs to his bedroom. How frustrated he felt every time he saw her. Frustrated that she wouldn't sell out to him. Frustrated that he hadn't gone to bed with her.
    Yet he wondered what she was up to. She was surely discouraged by now. Maybe she'd even gone home. Without saying goodbye? Why not? She didn't owe him a goodbye. She didn't owe him anything. Just the transfer of land would be sufficient. But that didn't require him to see her again. See her damp curls splayed against the edge of a white enamel tub. See her cheeks flush from the heat of the fire. Feel her snug bottom pressed against his masculinity.
    No. All future communication could be, would be and should be done by mail.
    By Friday Chloe was tired, but satisfied. She'd scrubbed, she hauled, she'd lifted and cleared and pulled. Maybe no one else would