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Index
Prologue
Chapter One “D r. Sanders, if you have a moment could you come to the nurse’s station? There’s—someone here who I think you need to see.” Ileana Sanders frowned slightly. It wasn’t like Renae to sound evasive. In the few years that Ileana had known her, she’d been an excellent nurse who didn’t waste time playing guessing games. “I’m working on a chart, Renae. Who is it? Do they need medical attention?” “No. He—looks pretty healthy to me.” There was a pause on the phone, and when Renae’s voice returned, Ileana could barely hear her whisper. “Get down here now, Doc. If you don’t, I’m not sure I can keep him out of Ms. Cantrell’s room!” “I’ll be right there.” Dropping the phone back in its cradle, Ileana grabbed a white lab coat from the back of her chair and left the little cubicle she used as an office while making her hospital rounds. From the internal medicine wing of the building, Ileana had to walk down a long, wide corridor, then make a left turn and walk half that distance again t
Chapter One
Chapter Two “R ipp, I must have been crazy when I told you to stay home and let me come out here,” Mac said into the cell phone. “Nothing is going right.” Two hours had passed since Mac left the hospital, and during that time, he’d continually tried to call his brother back in Texas. But Ripp, and the majority of the sheriff’s department, had been on a manhunt most of the evening for a hit-and-run driver. Subsequently, Ripp had just now found time to return his call. “What do you mean?” Ripp asked. “Did you find the ranch okay?” “I did,” Mac answered as he sat on the side of the hotel bed, his elbows resting on his knees. “A maid was the only person I talked to. She informed me that Ms. Cantrell was in the hospital in Ruidoso.” “Hospital?” The shock in Ripp’s voice mirrored Mac’s feelings. That Frankie might be in ill health or dead was something that neither brother had really wanted to consider. After all, if this Frankie were really their mother, she would only be about sixty years
Chapter Two
Chapter Three T he next evening, a few minutes before six, Ileana managed to wind up the last of her hospital rounds and hurriedly changed from her work clothes into a royal-blue sweater dress and a pair of tall, black suede boots. The dress had only been worn once, two years ago, when she’d attended a charity dinner with her parents. Ileana rarely bothered to vary her wardrobe from slacks or professional skirts and mundane blouses. No one bothered to look at her sideways. And if they did, it was because she was a doctor and they wanted to hear what she had to say about a patient or ailment. But this morning, she’d grabbed the dress from her closet and convinced herself that her mother would be pleased if she dressed for their dinner guest tonight. Shutting the door on her private workspace, Ileana hurried down the hallway toward the nearest hospital exit. She was almost past the nurse’s station, when Renae called out to her. “Dr. Sanders, is that you?” Stifling a sigh, Ileana paused a
Chapter Three
Chapter Four M ac was totally lost in the taste of Ileana’s kiss, the feel of her soft body next to his, when the faint sound of a throat being cleared suddenly jarred his senses. Like a kid being caught with his finger in the Sunday dinner dessert, he thrust himself away from Ileana and glanced across the room to see Chloe standing in an open doorway, then back to Ileana’s shocked face. Oh, hell, what had he done? He opened his mouth to try to make some sort of apology to Ileana, but before he could muster a word, she whirled and ran from him, nearly crashing into her mother along the way. The urge to run after her was about to push Mac’s boots off the hearth, when she disappeared into the foyer and then the sound of the front door slamming told him his efforts would be wasted. Ileana was leaving without a word. “It looks as though I’ve interrupted something,” Chloe said with faint surprise as she glanced at him then to the foyer where her daughter had made a quick exit. Knowing his f
Chapter Four
Chapter Five T en minutes later, as Mac drove them to the north edge of town, Ileana was still trying to convince herself that nothing about this evening was romantic. But it felt like that and more as Mac turned in to a small, rustic-looking restaurant built against a steep mountainside. “I didn’t know this place existed. How did you find it?” Ileana asked curiously as he helped her out of the cab of his truck. For tonight the wind had disappeared, leaving the night air crisp and still. Mac’s hand remained against her back as they walked across the graveled parking lot. She tried to tell herself that he was simply being a gentleman, but still the casual touch was creating havoc with her senses. “I was driving around earlier this evening,” he said, “trying to spot a nice place for us to have dinner. This one caught my eye. It’s a simple little hideaway. But from the packed parking lot, I have a feeling the food is good.” So he’d already picked out a restaurant before he’d even asked he
Chapter Five
Chapter Six T he next afternoon, Mac was exploring the Bar M racing stables when he spotted Chloe on a nearby dirt track, exercising a big, steel-gray Thoroughbred. After three circles in an easy gallop, she pulled up the horse and, after sliding to the ground, handed the reins over to a groom. “Put him on the walker for ten minutes, Manuel, then shower him,” she told the young man, who was using all his might to keep the energetic horse under control. “Yes, ma’am.” Manuel led the horse up a slight hill to a big barn with a connecting row of stables. Mac continued to stand with his forearms propped on the board railing surrounding the racetrack, until Chloe came within reach. Then he turned and tipped his hat politely. “Good mornin’, Chloe.” She was bundled in a red plaid jacket and her jeans were stuffed in the tops of her riding boots. The cold air had nipped her face with color, and the smile she wore as she walked over to him was one of exhilaration. “Good morning, yourself,” she r
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven A moment later, as the search of Mac’s lips deepened against hers, the only thought in Ileana’s head was that she was playing with fire. And if the flames got out of control, she didn’t have a clue as to how to douse them. Or if she even wanted to end the consuming heat. The warmth of Mac’s body was seeping into hers, melting her in the most delicious sort of way. His lips were setting off tiny explosions that made her head buzz and her whole body tingle. Instinctively she snuggled closer while her mouth opened to the seductive prod of his tongue. When it slipped past her teeth and began to mate with hers, a moan of surrender vibrated her throat; her hands slid upward and curved around the back of his neck. How had she lived so long without this man? Why had it taken him to wake up the woman inside her? The questions were racing wildly through Ileana’s mind when the ringing of her cell phone crashed through to her senses. Slowly, reluctantly, she broke the contact of thei
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight U tterly stunned by her comment, he took a few uncertain steps toward her. “When I drove you up here, I did it because I wanted to see you home safely. But I—well, staying here certainly hadn’t crossed my mind.” She placed the remote on the coffee table, then straightened to face him. Mac was surprised to see her gaze didn’t flinch shyly away from his when she spoke. “Why not? I have a guest room. You should find it comfortable. Much more comfortable than traipsing through the snow again.” Mac could hardly argue that point. But staying here with Ileana somehow felt indecent. Maybe he felt that way because she was so prim and proper. Or maybe it was because his mind was drifting to places that were far from appropriate. “I’m sure you’re right about that.” He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “But what about your parents? They’re going to be expecting me to show up. They’re probably already wondering why I haven’t.” Not bothering to reply, she walked over to th
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine M ac had never felt so humbled or special in his life. Nor had he ever felt anything so valuable in his arms. Groaning with misgivings, he said, “Ileana, sweet, sweet, Ileana. I don’t have the right to do this. And later, after I’m gone, you’ll have regrets—and I don’t want—” Before he could finish, she lifted her head and pressed kisses on his cheek. “Now is not the time for you to go all gentlemanly on me, Mac. The only regret I’d have is if you go without making love to me. I’m not in my twenties anymore. I’ve waited a long, long time for a special man to come along and look at me. You’re here, and I don’t intend to let you leave before we are together.” And he couldn’t leave, Mac thought. Hell, it would probably kill him if he tried to get off the bed and leave her now. Just having her sweet voice in his ear, her soft little hands stroking his face was enough to cause explosions of desire beneath his skin. Besides, she needed him almost as much as he needed her. He cou
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten B y Sunday evening it sank in on Mac that in the past twenty-four hours he’d done two things he’d not done since he and Brenna had divorced nearly fifteen years ago. He’d stayed all night in a woman’s bed. And he’d gone to church with her. Maybe to most men those things didn’t sound like life-changing events, but the more Mac chewed on it, the more he recognized that Ileana was changing him. Had changed him. Where was it all going to lead? How was he going to go back to Texas and be the Mac he used to be? Could he go back to being that man? There couldn’t be any question about that, he thought, as he sat at Ileana’s dining table, sipping at a cup of coffee that had grown cool while he waited for her to finish a few business calls. He had to go back to Bee County, and the sooner he did, the sooner he’d remember who he was, what he was. He’d get his life back to normal. “I’m sorry about that, Mac,” Ileana said a moment later as she stepped into the kitchen. “Dr. Vickers had s
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven T he next morning Mac was still sound asleep when Ileana slipped from the bed and quickly readied herself for work. Rather than wake him, she left him a note on her pillow with a promise to call him later in the day, then quietly exited the house. Throughout the dark drive to Ruidoso, their lovemaking of the night before rolled over and over in Ileana’s mind like a sweet, but haunting, refrain. In spite of all the tenderness he’d shown her, she’d felt desperation behind his kisses, a hunger in his hands that she’d not felt before. The change in him had left her heart heavy because she knew, in his own subtle way, he was saying goodbye. You knew that time would come, Ileana. You can’t be sorry about it now. You can only be glad that you’ve had this much time with the man. Ileana realized the voice inside her head was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept the idea that he would soon be gone. Through all her lonely years, she’d never dreamed or imagined that a
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve A month later, as Mac drove home from work, he glanced down at the badge on his chest and wondered why he had the urge to rip the piece of silver off his shirt and toss it out the window. This wasn’t like him. He’d always been proud of his job. He’d always felt it was his purpose in life. But ever since he’d returned from New Mexico, he’d felt little joy in anything. His father had been an admired sheriff, who’d been elected term after term. Mac had always wanted to follow in Owen’s footsteps, to be just as tough and fearless as he’d been. But finding Frankie had changed all that. Now he kept asking himself if he was too much like his father, too obstinate and selfish to ever have a lasting relationship with any woman. Who the hell was he kidding? He wasn’t thinking about a relationship with just any woman. He was thinking about Ileana. That’s all he’d been thinking about these past four weeks. Walking away from her had been like slicing off his arms, leaving him incapab
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
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