have stayed that way for the rest of her life, she realized suddenly, overwhelmed with a sense of support and protection. She felt safe, unexplainably safe. Somehow the feelings she had for this unpredictable man had been creeping up on her. And standing so close to him, so wet and cold, she realized ashamedly that she was falling in love. Her tears gradually subsided, her shivering ceased. He put his hand under her chin and raised her face. She was so afraid to meet his eyes! She was so afraid that the rush of feeling for him should show.
"Come on, Robin," he said quietly. "Let's get you home so you can dry out. I'll have the men take care of the jeep." He led her to his waiting black car and shut the door behind her.
Her face burned with shame. She had practically thrown herself into his arms a few moments ago, blindly needing him, blindly showing her feelings. And his eyes had looked right into hers, with concern, yes. But not with love.
She remembered Sara's calflike expression as she gazed longingly at Mac in town. Was she, too, as gullible and ridiculous as lovesick Sara?
Robin huddled in the dark corner of the car as the ranch came into sight. Alex let her out by the front door and then went to put the car away. Overhead, the clouds were beginning to clear. The rain had stopped. Such unruly weather they had in the West! It never seemed to do anything halfway. When it was beautiful, it was too gorgeous for words. And when it stormed, well, that was a different story.
Robin had a feeling the man she had just left was something like that. If he loved, she knew he would love wholeheartedly. But what of hate? Could his hatred be so great that his anger could bring him to violence?
She pushed the thought away and entered the low-slung house as a sliver of sunlight began to peer out from the dissipating clouds.
Dinner was late that night at the ranch. Robin bathed and washed and dried her long hair, then pulled on some dry clothes to meet the family in the dining room. She was attempting to retain her composure, trying to dismiss the vivid memory of the careening jeep plowing through the stormy prairie. She was only thankful that Alex had come along when he did.
Sara met Robin in the hallway and the two headed for the dining room.
"Dad was so furious when I came home without you this afternoon. He was sure you'd get stuck somewhere in the storm, not being used to our weather out here."
"I skidded, trying to avoid an animal on the road. Then I couldn't slow the jeep down. It kept barreling along at full speed. Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air."
"How horrible. I'll bet you were scared," Sara said. Her eyes had their strange gleam in them.
"Sure was."
The boys were seated at the table, but Alex's place at the far end was unoccupied.
"I'm going to start serving, Miss Robin," said Cook from the door. "It's late enough already, and the last time I looked out I saw Mr. Alex and he was heading for the barn. He may be quite a while yet."
"I'm sure that will be fine," Robin decided.
Gregory's eyes already looked droopy and tired, and the children all looked ravenous.
"What did you do in town after I left with Mac?" asked Sara casually, putting a little more emphasis on Mac's name than was necessary.
Robin took a deep breath. She was going to have to be open with these children. "I went to talk to Mrs. Manchester in town."
"You asked her about the accident?" exclaimed Jacob with annoyance. "You're just going to make everyone start talking about it again. Father will be furious. Absolutely furious."
And at that moment Robin saw what Alexander Ridley looked like when he was furious. For he strode into the dining room almost on top of Jacob's angry words, his face a burning angry red, his eyes flashing.
He turned to Robin. "Where did you park that jeep when you were in town?"
His question startled her.
"Why, right on the end of the main street," she stammered.
"And how long did you leave it?"
"We did
"Come on, Robin," he said quietly. "Let's get you home so you can dry out. I'll have the men take care of the jeep." He led her to his waiting black car and shut the door behind her.
Her face burned with shame. She had practically thrown herself into his arms a few moments ago, blindly needing him, blindly showing her feelings. And his eyes had looked right into hers, with concern, yes. But not with love.
She remembered Sara's calflike expression as she gazed longingly at Mac in town. Was she, too, as gullible and ridiculous as lovesick Sara?
Robin huddled in the dark corner of the car as the ranch came into sight. Alex let her out by the front door and then went to put the car away. Overhead, the clouds were beginning to clear. The rain had stopped. Such unruly weather they had in the West! It never seemed to do anything halfway. When it was beautiful, it was too gorgeous for words. And when it stormed, well, that was a different story.
Robin had a feeling the man she had just left was something like that. If he loved, she knew he would love wholeheartedly. But what of hate? Could his hatred be so great that his anger could bring him to violence?
She pushed the thought away and entered the low-slung house as a sliver of sunlight began to peer out from the dissipating clouds.
Dinner was late that night at the ranch. Robin bathed and washed and dried her long hair, then pulled on some dry clothes to meet the family in the dining room. She was attempting to retain her composure, trying to dismiss the vivid memory of the careening jeep plowing through the stormy prairie. She was only thankful that Alex had come along when he did.
Sara met Robin in the hallway and the two headed for the dining room.
"Dad was so furious when I came home without you this afternoon. He was sure you'd get stuck somewhere in the storm, not being used to our weather out here."
"I skidded, trying to avoid an animal on the road. Then I couldn't slow the jeep down. It kept barreling along at full speed. Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air."
"How horrible. I'll bet you were scared," Sara said. Her eyes had their strange gleam in them.
"Sure was."
The boys were seated at the table, but Alex's place at the far end was unoccupied.
"I'm going to start serving, Miss Robin," said Cook from the door. "It's late enough already, and the last time I looked out I saw Mr. Alex and he was heading for the barn. He may be quite a while yet."
"I'm sure that will be fine," Robin decided.
Gregory's eyes already looked droopy and tired, and the children all looked ravenous.
"What did you do in town after I left with Mac?" asked Sara casually, putting a little more emphasis on Mac's name than was necessary.
Robin took a deep breath. She was going to have to be open with these children. "I went to talk to Mrs. Manchester in town."
"You asked her about the accident?" exclaimed Jacob with annoyance. "You're just going to make everyone start talking about it again. Father will be furious. Absolutely furious."
And at that moment Robin saw what Alexander Ridley looked like when he was furious. For he strode into the dining room almost on top of Jacob's angry words, his face a burning angry red, his eyes flashing.
He turned to Robin. "Where did you park that jeep when you were in town?"
His question startled her.
"Why, right on the end of the main street," she stammered.
"And how long did you leave it?"
"We did
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