it off. “Maybe. If the price were the new suede outfit I saw today. Only four thousand three fifty.”
Dusty visibly cringed.
“But tomorrow the vendor’s having a sale,” Chelsea continued. “Twenty-eight percent off in honor of his daughter’s twenty-eighth birthday. So like a good girl, I’ll wait until then to have it.”
“I’m sure three thousand one thirty two is a fair price,” Dusty said.
“Where’d that number come from?” Chelsea asked.
“It’s twenty-eight percent off of your original price.”
Chelsea’s heavily lined eyes widened. “How’d you do that?”
“In my head.”
“Dusty’s a math whiz,” Zach said.
Dallas pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a few numbers. “Damn. She’s right.”
“Of course she is,” Zach said.
“What’s the square root of seven hundred eighty-nine?” Dallas asked.
“I don’t think…” Dusty began.
Zach watched her adorable face blush. Was she embarrassed by her ability?
“Ha,” Chelsea said. “She can’t do it.”
“Twenty-eight point zero eight nine, rounded,” Dusty said indignantly.
“Damn,” Dallas said again.
“Are you some kind of idiot savant?” Chelsea asked.
Dusty’s forehead wrinkled. “Excuse me?”
Zach gritted his teeth. “Damn, Dallas, can’t you keep a lid on her mouth?”
“Dallas!” Chelsea whined.
“Jesus Christ, Chelsea,” Dallas said. “That was just rude.”
“You’re not taking her side, are you? It was a valid question, certainly not rude. You saw Rain Man .”
“The woman’s obviously not autistic. She’s just good with numbers.”
“Well, sorry.” Chelsea flounced away, her bashful skirt rustling.
“What you see in her is beyond me.” Zach looked down at Dusty’s sad brown eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s no big deal, Zach.” Dusty looked away.
“Hell yes, it is,” Zach said.
“Please accept my apology,” Dallas said. “I know it’s no excuse, but she’s been in a mood all night.”
“Fine,” Dusty said, as she turned to Zach. “I’m exhausted, so would you mind excusing me?”
“I’ll take you to your hotel, darlin’.” Zach nodded to Dallas. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Zach wanted to take her up to his suite, but he had no intention of bedding her while she was upset about the run-in with Chelsea. And she had admitted to being tipsy. So much for his plan to make love to her tonight. He wanted to be sure she was completely sober and aware so she’d enjoy every mind-blowing minute.
Besides, he wanted her to trust him. If he took her back now, without pressuring her for more, maybe she’d stop running and tell him what was going on.
But he did give her a scalding good night kiss at her door. He was only human, after all.
----
“ W hat’d you find out ?”
Chelsea McCray licked her lips. “Not much more than you already know. Her father worked at McCray Landing a while back. And she’s some kind of weird mathematical genius.”
Angelina curled her mouth into a snarl. “What’s he see in her, anyway?”
“You’ve got me.” Chelsea fidgeted with her small pink bag. “Pretty enough. But she’s clearly nothing more than a step above common trailer trash.”
“I’ll get rid of her one way or another,” Angelina said.
“Are you sure you want to marry into this family, anyway? Laurie’s enough to make a saint swear, the way she coddles those three boys. She and I have never gotten along.”
“But Chelsea, she and my mother are like this.” Angelina held up two fingers side by side. “I’ll get along fine with her. And I’ll put in many good words for you.”
“Honey, I don’t need any good words. I couldn’t care less if the shrew likes me. I have her firstborn. And his wallet. That’s all I need.”
“And I’ll have her second born,” Angelina vowed.
Chapter Six
Z ach was leaning against the fence surrounding the practice ring when Dusty, hauling her gear bag, arrived the next morning for her
Dusty visibly cringed.
“But tomorrow the vendor’s having a sale,” Chelsea continued. “Twenty-eight percent off in honor of his daughter’s twenty-eighth birthday. So like a good girl, I’ll wait until then to have it.”
“I’m sure three thousand one thirty two is a fair price,” Dusty said.
“Where’d that number come from?” Chelsea asked.
“It’s twenty-eight percent off of your original price.”
Chelsea’s heavily lined eyes widened. “How’d you do that?”
“In my head.”
“Dusty’s a math whiz,” Zach said.
Dallas pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a few numbers. “Damn. She’s right.”
“Of course she is,” Zach said.
“What’s the square root of seven hundred eighty-nine?” Dallas asked.
“I don’t think…” Dusty began.
Zach watched her adorable face blush. Was she embarrassed by her ability?
“Ha,” Chelsea said. “She can’t do it.”
“Twenty-eight point zero eight nine, rounded,” Dusty said indignantly.
“Damn,” Dallas said again.
“Are you some kind of idiot savant?” Chelsea asked.
Dusty’s forehead wrinkled. “Excuse me?”
Zach gritted his teeth. “Damn, Dallas, can’t you keep a lid on her mouth?”
“Dallas!” Chelsea whined.
“Jesus Christ, Chelsea,” Dallas said. “That was just rude.”
“You’re not taking her side, are you? It was a valid question, certainly not rude. You saw Rain Man .”
“The woman’s obviously not autistic. She’s just good with numbers.”
“Well, sorry.” Chelsea flounced away, her bashful skirt rustling.
“What you see in her is beyond me.” Zach looked down at Dusty’s sad brown eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s no big deal, Zach.” Dusty looked away.
“Hell yes, it is,” Zach said.
“Please accept my apology,” Dallas said. “I know it’s no excuse, but she’s been in a mood all night.”
“Fine,” Dusty said, as she turned to Zach. “I’m exhausted, so would you mind excusing me?”
“I’ll take you to your hotel, darlin’.” Zach nodded to Dallas. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Zach wanted to take her up to his suite, but he had no intention of bedding her while she was upset about the run-in with Chelsea. And she had admitted to being tipsy. So much for his plan to make love to her tonight. He wanted to be sure she was completely sober and aware so she’d enjoy every mind-blowing minute.
Besides, he wanted her to trust him. If he took her back now, without pressuring her for more, maybe she’d stop running and tell him what was going on.
But he did give her a scalding good night kiss at her door. He was only human, after all.
----
“ W hat’d you find out ?”
Chelsea McCray licked her lips. “Not much more than you already know. Her father worked at McCray Landing a while back. And she’s some kind of weird mathematical genius.”
Angelina curled her mouth into a snarl. “What’s he see in her, anyway?”
“You’ve got me.” Chelsea fidgeted with her small pink bag. “Pretty enough. But she’s clearly nothing more than a step above common trailer trash.”
“I’ll get rid of her one way or another,” Angelina said.
“Are you sure you want to marry into this family, anyway? Laurie’s enough to make a saint swear, the way she coddles those three boys. She and I have never gotten along.”
“But Chelsea, she and my mother are like this.” Angelina held up two fingers side by side. “I’ll get along fine with her. And I’ll put in many good words for you.”
“Honey, I don’t need any good words. I couldn’t care less if the shrew likes me. I have her firstborn. And his wallet. That’s all I need.”
“And I’ll have her second born,” Angelina vowed.
Chapter Six
Z ach was leaning against the fence surrounding the practice ring when Dusty, hauling her gear bag, arrived the next morning for her
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