Free Lone Star Lonely by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

too drunk to know
what she was doing. No way. The Brand boys had the market cornered
on honor. It wasn’t in him.
    Odd that the one person she trusted pretty
much unconditionally was the man she’d made into her worst enemy.
The one she was lying to with every minute that passed without her
telling him the truth.
    She closed her eyes, searched her memory.
Then they flashed wider. “My God, we did make out in the hot tub.”
She remembered it. She got hot remembering it. The feel of his
mouth devouring hers, his hands on her, his body pressing into
hers. She searched his face.
    He shook his head. “Don’t look so mortified,
Kirsty. Nothing happened. Well, nothing much. I mean, I didn’t…we
didn’t….”
    “I know.” She bit her lower lip. “Thanks. For
being a gentleman.”
    “Yeah, whatever.”
    “And for the cure.” She nodded at the empty
glass. “I think I feel a little better.”
    “Up to company?”
    She blinked fast, and her heart skipped. “The
rangers are back? Already?”
    Adam sat down on the side of the bed. There
was an edginess about him this morning. A tightness to his jaw that
hadn’t been there even when he’d been in the full throes of hating
her guts. What the hell had she said to him last night?
    “No. You’re scared to death, aren’t you?”
    She met his eyes, hated admitting to
weakness, and nodded anyway. “It’s tough wondering if they’re going
to come charging through the front door with a warrant for my
arrest at any second.”
    Adam drew a breath, sighed. “Maybe I can help
with that.”
    “How?”
    “Well, my brother is the sheriff.” He licked
his lips, studied her eyes. “Tell you what. If you’ll give me your
word that you won’t make a run for it…I’ll ask Garrett to let us
know if things progress that far.”
    She could not believe this guy. “You think he
would do that? Warn us if the rangers decide it’s time to place me
under arrest?”
    “He’s my brother,” Adam said, as if those
three words not only answered the question but explained the
answer, as well. “That way you know you’ll have some advance
warning. Time to prepare yourself. And you won’t have to worry that
they’re going to show up at any time. Unless Garrett calls, you’ll
know they aren’t going to show up at all.”
    She nodded, and another heavy weight seemed
to be lifted off her shoulders. God, why was he helping her? Why
was she letting him? Was it possible that Adam Brand still felt
something for her?
    Something besides plain old lust, which still
flowed full force between them. They’d pretty much established that
last night. But Adam couldn’t feel anything beyond that. Not after
all she’d done, and all this time. It made no sense. He hadn’t felt
that much for her to begin with. Oh, he’d said the words, walked
the walk. But there had always been a part of himself that he held
back. A part he couldn’t share. A place she couldn’t touch. She’d
believed once that, given time, she would be able to reach that
spot inside him. But she’d run out of time. And she could never get
it back.
    She blinked and brought herself back to the
present.
    “So if it isn’t Officer Friendly and his
paddy wagon, who is the company?”
    “A pair of Brands. Ben couldn’t keep Penny
away. The quicker you see her, the quicker he can get her back to
the ranch, where it’s safe.” He blinked. “If you were smart, you’d
pack a bag and let me take you back there, as well, Kirsten.”
    “Yeah, well, I never claimed to be Einstein.”
She sat up, leaned over and rubbed her temples. “Go keep an eye on
her, will you? Give them coffee or something. Buy me some time
to–”
    “Put the mask on?” he asked with a nod toward
the vanity and the makeup scattered all over it. Then he turned
back to her. “You don’t need it anymore, Kirsty. Cowan is dead.
It’s just us here now. And there’s nothing you need to hide from
me.”
    He didn’t have a clue to all the things she
had to