Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com
Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com
RAEANNE THAYNE 175 “That, too. I promise, I wouldn’t be anywhere else tonight.” He turned east, heading up the box canyon instead of down toward town. She made a sound of surprise. The only thing in this direction was the Cold Creek. “I need to make a quick stop. Do you mind?” A muscle flexed in her jaw, and he could tell she did mind but she only shrugged again. “You’re driving.” She didn’t look very thrilled about it but she said nothing more, though her features looked increasingly baffled as they reached the ranch entrance. Cars were parked along both sides of the road, and one whole pasture was filled with more parked cars. “What’s happening? Are we crashing some kind of party?” Despite the lingering ache in his chest over the day’s events, he had to smile. “You could say that.” They drove under the arch, decorated in red, white and blue bunting. She still looked baffled until they approached the ranch house, where a huge banner Bud Watkins down at the sign shop in town had made up read in giant letters “Welcome Home Lt. Cruz. Pine Gulch Salutes You.” Under it stood just about everyone in town—men, women, children—smiling and waving at them. She stared at the crowd, her eyes wide. “Did you do this?” He searched her features but he couldn’t tell whether that tremor in her voice stemmed from shock or from anger. “I can’t take much credit, I have to admit. Or blame, if it comes to that. Your mother and mine were
176 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT behind the whole thing. I was only charged with delivering you here at the appointed hour.” He pulled up in the parking space set aside for her and walked around the SUV to help her out. When he saw the jumbled mix of emotions in her eyes, he paused in the open door of the Durango and shifted to block her from the crowd’s view. “I don’t want this, Jake.” The distress in her voice matched her eyes. “I’m not some kind of hero. I can’t go out there and pretend otherwise. I’m a mess. You know I am. Physically, emotionally, all of it.” He grabbed her hands and held them tight. “You don’t see yourself as we all do, sweetheart. This town is bursting with pride for you.” “For what? I returned a cripple! Everyone can see that. I can’t even take a damn shower without it turning into a major production!” “Maggie—” “I didn’t come home to be embraced and applauded by my hometown. I came to Pine Gulch to hide away from life, because I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” Her eyes glittered, and he hoped like hell she didn’t start to cry. He knew she would hate that more than anything, to break down in front of the whole town. A heavy weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders. He knew whatever he said was of vital importance, and he tried to choose his words with the utmost care. “You can say what you want, but I don’t believe you came home because you had nowhere else,” he said quietly. “You came home because you knew this was where you belonged, a place where you knew you
- Page 126 and 127: RAEANNE THAYNE 125 time with Maggie
- Page 128 and 129: RAEANNE THAYNE 127 my life. Bumpy s
- Page 130 and 131: RAEANNE THAYNE 129 lived with for s
- Page 132 and 133: RAEANNE THAYNE 131 Amazing how much
- Page 134 and 135: RAEANNE THAYNE 133 some dark corner
- Page 136 and 137: RAEANNE THAYNE 135 she reminded her
- Page 138 and 139: RAEANNE THAYNE 137 and she buried h
- Page 140 and 141: RAEANNE THAYNE 139 This opportunity
- Page 142 and 143: RAEANNE THAYNE 141 ment and the phy
- Page 144 and 145: RAEANNE THAYNE 143 “What time is
- Page 146 and 147: RAEANNE THAYNE 145 How could she ev
- Page 148 and 149: RAEANNE THAYNE 147 At last she slid
- Page 150 and 151: RAEANNE THAYNE 149 man—okay, Jake
- Page 152 and 153: RAEANNE THAYNE 151 sent over a ranc
- Page 154 and 155: Chapter Ten The woman was making hi
- Page 156 and 157: RAEANNE THAYNE 155 “I know everyo
- Page 158 and 159: RAEANNE THAYNE 157 “Maggie. You
- Page 160 and 161: RAEANNE THAYNE 159 She started the
- Page 162 and 163: RAEANNE THAYNE 161 pasture with one
- Page 164 and 165: RAEANNE THAYNE 163 night. I believe
- Page 166 and 167: RAEANNE THAYNE 165 He raised an eye
- Page 168 and 169: RAEANNE THAYNE 167 “Jacob. He has
- Page 170 and 171: Chapter Eleven At twenty-five minut
- Page 172 and 173: RAEANNE THAYNE 171 and refuse to go
- Page 174 and 175: RAEANNE THAYNE 173 He thought of hi
- Page 178 and 179: RAEANNE THAYNE 177 would be loved a
- Page 180 and 181: RAEANNE THAYNE 179 seen her in the
- Page 182 and 183: RAEANNE THAYNE 181 Shifting around
- Page 184 and 185: RAEANNE THAYNE 183 insisted on cele
- Page 186 and 187: RAEANNE THAYNE 185 She gazed at it
- Page 188 and 189: RAEANNE THAYNE 187 even though they
- Page 190 and 191: RAEANNE THAYNE 189 hands, her shoul
- Page 192 and 193: RAEANNE THAYNE 191 concern and supp
- Page 194 and 195: RAEANNE THAYNE 193 loan papers betw
- Page 196 and 197: RAEANNE THAYNE 195 Her mother touch
- Page 198 and 199: RAEANNE THAYNE 197 She was starting
- Page 200 and 201: Chapter Thirteen She smiled tentati
- Page 202 and 203: RAEANNE THAYNE 201 “You’re hurt
- Page 204 and 205: RAEANNE THAYNE 203 cian—and older
- Page 206 and 207: RAEANNE THAYNE 205 runoff-swollen c
- Page 208 and 209: RAEANNE THAYNE 207 Jake smiled at h
- Page 210 and 211: RAEANNE THAYNE 209 Abel would have
- Page 212 and 213: RAEANNE THAYNE 211 * * * His words
- Page 214 and 215: RAEANNE THAYNE 213 “We should get
- Page 216 and 217: RAEANNE THAYNE 215 shadow but she d
- Page 218 and 219: RAEANNE THAYNE 217 Who would want t
- Page 220 and 221: RAEANNE THAYNE 219 dangerous to her
- Page 222 and 223: RAEANNE THAYNE 221 For Jake, anyway
- Page 224 and 225: RAEANNE THAYNE 223 away, Maggie?”
RAEANNE THAYNE<br />
175<br />
“That, too. I promise, I wouldn’t be anywhere else<br />
tonight.”<br />
He turned east, head<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>the</strong> box canyon <strong>in</strong>stead<br />
of down toward town. She made a sound of surprise.<br />
The only th<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> this direction was <strong>the</strong> Cold Creek.<br />
“I need to make a quick stop. Do you m<strong>in</strong>d?”<br />
A muscle flexed <strong>in</strong> her jaw, and he could tell she did<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d but she only shrugged aga<strong>in</strong>. “You’re driv<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
She didn’t look very thrilled about it but she said<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g more, though her features looked <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
baffled as <strong>the</strong>y reached <strong>the</strong> ranch entrance. Cars were<br />
parked along both sides of <strong>the</strong> road, and one whole<br />
pasture was filled with more parked cars.<br />
“What’s happen<strong>in</strong>g? Are we crash<strong>in</strong>g some k<strong>in</strong>d of<br />
party?”<br />
Despite <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>ger<strong>in</strong>g ache <strong>in</strong> his chest over <strong>the</strong> day’s<br />
events, he had to smile. “You could say that.”<br />
They drove under <strong>the</strong> arch, decorated <strong>in</strong> red, white<br />
and blue bunt<strong>in</strong>g. She still looked baffled until <strong>the</strong>y approached<br />
<strong>the</strong> ranch house, where a huge banner Bud<br />
Watk<strong>in</strong>s down at <strong>the</strong> sign shop <strong>in</strong> town had made up read<br />
<strong>in</strong> giant letters “Wel<strong>com</strong>e Home Lt. Cruz. P<strong>in</strong>e Gulch<br />
Salutes You.”<br />
Under it stood just about everyone <strong>in</strong> town—men,<br />
women, children—smil<strong>in</strong>g and wav<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
She stared at <strong>the</strong> crowd, her eyes wide. “Did you do<br />
this?”<br />
He searched her features but he couldn’t tell whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
that tremor <strong>in</strong> her voice stemmed from shock or from<br />
anger. “I can’t take much credit, I have to admit. Or<br />
blame, if it <strong>com</strong>es to that. Your mo<strong>the</strong>r and m<strong>in</strong>e were