Free B.J. Daniels the Cardwell Ranch Collection by B. J. Daniels Page A

water glass, not looking at her. “He say what brought him back?”
    “No.” That was one of the things that bothered her. Why after so long?
    “He must think he has a chance with you.” He met her gaze.
    “Well, he doesn’t.” She picked up her menu, the words swimming in front of her. “What did Sally say was the special tonight?”
    Lanny reached overand pulled down the menu so he could see her face. “I need you to be honest with me,” he said, his voice low even though because of the weather there were only a couple of people in the restaurant and they weren’t close by.
    She nodded, her throat a desert.
    “Dana, I thought you’d gotten over Hud. I thought after he hurt you the way he did, you’d never want to see him again. Am I wrong about that or—” He looked past her, his expression telling her before she turned that Hud had come into the restaurant.
    Her heart took off at a gallop at just the sight of him. She looked to see if he was alone, afraid he wouldn’t be. He was. He stepped up to the counter and started to sit down, instantly changing his mind when he saw her and Lanny.
    “You need a table, Hud?” Sally asked him from behind the counter.
    “Nah, just wanted to get a burger,” he said, turning his back to Dana and Lanny. “Working late tonight.”
    Dana recalled now that Lanny had said Hud was working tonight. How had he known that?
    “Working huh,” Sally said, glancing toward Dana’s table. “You want fries with that?” She chuckled. “Daddy always said if I didn’t pay more attention in school I’d be saying that. He was right.”
    “No fries. Just the burger.” He sat at the counter, his shoulders hunched, head down. Dana felt her traitorous heart weaken at the sight. She’d thought she wanted to hurt him, hurt him badly, the way he’d hurt her. Seeing her on a date with Lanny was killing him. She should have taken pleasure in that.
    Sally must have seenhis discomfort. “You know I can have that sent over to you since you have work to do.”
    “I’d appreciate that,” he said, getting up quickly, his relief so apparent it made Dana hurt. He laid some money on the counter and, without looking in her direction, pulled his coat collar up around his neck as he stepped out into the snowstorm.
    A gust of winter washed through the restaurant and he was gone. Just like that. Just like five years ago. Dana felt that same emptiness, that same terrible loss.
    “We don’t have to do this,” Lanny said as she turned back to the table and him.
    Her heart ached and her eyes burned. “I’m sorry.”
    “Please, stop apologizing,” Lanny snapped, then softened his expression. “You and I have spent too long apologizing for how we feel.”
    “Can we just have dinner as friends?” she asked.
    His smile never reached his eyes. “Sure. Friends. Why not? Two friends having dinner.” The words hit her like thrown stones. Anger burned in his gaze as he picked up his menu.
    “Lanny—”
    “It’s your birthday, Dana. Let’s not say anything to spoil it.”
    She almostlaughed. Her birthday had been spoiled from the moment she’d opened her eyes this morning.
    They ordered, then sat in silence until Sally arrived with their salads.
    Dana felt terrible on so many levels. She just wanted to get through this dinner. She asked him about his work and got him talking a little.
    But by the time they left, they’d exhausted all topics of conversation. Lanny said nothing on the drive back to the ranch. He didn’t offer to walk her to her door.
    “Goodbye, Dana,” he said, and waited for her to get out of the car. He met her gaze for an instant in the yard light and she saw rage burning in his eyes.
    There was nothing she could say. She opened her door. “Thank you for dinner.”
    He nodded without looking at her and she got out, hurrying through the falling snow to the porch before she turned to watch him drive away.
    It wasn’t until she entered the house that she remembered the