said it again. Rita . But that wasn’t her name. Rita was a lie, just as her life was a lie. She was Randi
Howell, runaway bride.
He shook her gently. “What is it?”
“I—” She swallowed as tears suddenly formed. “Nothing. I can’t—”
She broke away. She couldn’t do this to him. Not to Brady, who really was one of the good guys. He deserved something so much better.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and did what she should have done the first time he mentioned
kissing. She turned on her heel and ran to her room.
Chapter Nine
Brady paced the length of the kitchen, paused, then walked back. Once there, he glanced
at the digital clock on the microwave. It was 3:58. Rita was due downstairs any minute.
He’d already started the coffee for her, and he’d rehearsed what he planned to say
a thousand times.
At least he hadn’t had to worry about waking up on time. As it was, he’d barely slept
last night. Between reliving the powerful kiss they’d shared and wrestling with guilt,
there hadn’t been much time for dozing off.
He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned quickly to face the doorway. A shadow
moved through the darkness. There was a click and light flooded the kitchen. Rita
saw him and jumped back.
She touched a hand to her chest. “Brady! You gave me a start. What are you doing up?”
She was dressed for work, dressed as he always saw her, in jeans and T-shirt. Her
hair was neatly braided, her face freshly washed. As he gazed at her, something flickered
in her eyes. His heart sank. She was cautious because she expected him to attack her
again. How could he have done that to her?
He drew in a deep breath. “About last night,” he began, and shoved his hands in his
pockets. “Look. I’m sorry. I feel awful about what happened. You work for me, and
as your employer, I shouldn’t have put you in a position that makes you feel uncomfortable.
I’ve never done anything like that before. I’ve never said those things. I don’t know
what got into me.”
“It’s okay,” she said softly.
“No, it’s not. As I told you from the start, I wanted you to live here in the main
house so you would feel safe. And here I am, the first guy to break the rules about
leaving you alone.” He cleared his throat. “I want you to know that I was completely
in the wrong, and that it will never happen again.”
Her blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. “That was quite an apology. Thank
you. I have just one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Were you awake all night beating yourself up about our kiss?”
Embarrassment burned hot. He averted his face and tried to look casual. “Not exactly.”
“Just as I thought. One of the good guys.” She crossed to the coffeepot and poured
herself a cup. After taking a sip, she looked at him. “Okay, Brady, if you can bare
your soul, I guess I can bare mine. Don’t give this matter another moment’s thought.
You didn’t force me to do anything against my will. I liked kissing you. I don’t think
it was especially smart, or something we should pursue right now. Neither of us is
in a position to deal with the ramifications of taking things further, so it might
be better if we just backed off for a while. Sound reasonable?”
He was too shocked to speak, so he just nodded. She flashed him another smile. “Good.”
With that she walked to the back door and left. He stared after her. She wasn’t angry.
He’d convinced himself she would either be furious or incredibly hurt. Instead, she’d
calmly admitted he hadn’t forced her. She’d wanted to kiss him. She’d liked kissing him.
He felt himself grin and knew he would be grinning like a fool the whole day. She’d
liked kissing him. Hot damn.
* * *
The barn dance fulfilled every city slicker cliché Randi had expected-and she loved
it. The lodge in town was tacky and old, with dusty animal heads on the walls. The
band
Howell, runaway bride.
He shook her gently. “What is it?”
“I—” She swallowed as tears suddenly formed. “Nothing. I can’t—”
She broke away. She couldn’t do this to him. Not to Brady, who really was one of the good guys. He deserved something so much better.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and did what she should have done the first time he mentioned
kissing. She turned on her heel and ran to her room.
Chapter Nine
Brady paced the length of the kitchen, paused, then walked back. Once there, he glanced
at the digital clock on the microwave. It was 3:58. Rita was due downstairs any minute.
He’d already started the coffee for her, and he’d rehearsed what he planned to say
a thousand times.
At least he hadn’t had to worry about waking up on time. As it was, he’d barely slept
last night. Between reliving the powerful kiss they’d shared and wrestling with guilt,
there hadn’t been much time for dozing off.
He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned quickly to face the doorway. A shadow
moved through the darkness. There was a click and light flooded the kitchen. Rita
saw him and jumped back.
She touched a hand to her chest. “Brady! You gave me a start. What are you doing up?”
She was dressed for work, dressed as he always saw her, in jeans and T-shirt. Her
hair was neatly braided, her face freshly washed. As he gazed at her, something flickered
in her eyes. His heart sank. She was cautious because she expected him to attack her
again. How could he have done that to her?
He drew in a deep breath. “About last night,” he began, and shoved his hands in his
pockets. “Look. I’m sorry. I feel awful about what happened. You work for me, and
as your employer, I shouldn’t have put you in a position that makes you feel uncomfortable.
I’ve never done anything like that before. I’ve never said those things. I don’t know
what got into me.”
“It’s okay,” she said softly.
“No, it’s not. As I told you from the start, I wanted you to live here in the main
house so you would feel safe. And here I am, the first guy to break the rules about
leaving you alone.” He cleared his throat. “I want you to know that I was completely
in the wrong, and that it will never happen again.”
Her blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. “That was quite an apology. Thank
you. I have just one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Were you awake all night beating yourself up about our kiss?”
Embarrassment burned hot. He averted his face and tried to look casual. “Not exactly.”
“Just as I thought. One of the good guys.” She crossed to the coffeepot and poured
herself a cup. After taking a sip, she looked at him. “Okay, Brady, if you can bare
your soul, I guess I can bare mine. Don’t give this matter another moment’s thought.
You didn’t force me to do anything against my will. I liked kissing you. I don’t think
it was especially smart, or something we should pursue right now. Neither of us is
in a position to deal with the ramifications of taking things further, so it might
be better if we just backed off for a while. Sound reasonable?”
He was too shocked to speak, so he just nodded. She flashed him another smile. “Good.”
With that she walked to the back door and left. He stared after her. She wasn’t angry.
He’d convinced himself she would either be furious or incredibly hurt. Instead, she’d
calmly admitted he hadn’t forced her. She’d wanted to kiss him. She’d liked kissing him.
He felt himself grin and knew he would be grinning like a fool the whole day. She’d
liked kissing him. Hot damn.
* * *
The barn dance fulfilled every city slicker cliché Randi had expected-and she loved
it. The lodge in town was tacky and old, with dusty animal heads on the walls. The
band
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