"Seventeenth."
"Two days before the fire.” She took a sip of her coffee and then added, “Can I look at the letter?"
He took it from his pocket and handed it to her. As she read it, he continued running the brush through her glorious hair, enjoying the soft feel of it as it slid past his fingertips, the way the silky strands gleamed like liquid gold as the overhead light caressed them. Was there anything more erotic than brushing a woman's hair? Other than caressing skin to skin? It had always gotten him fired up. But then, when it came to Vannah, just one look could push him over the edge.
"It definitely looks like Lana's writing,” she said. “The old girl was always writing us about the ‘hoodlums’ taking over her street and demanding we do something about it."
"But she never mentioned Anni Jenkins?"
"No.” She hesitated. “You know, Anni's talked about a lot of things over the last six months, but I can't actually recall her ever mentioning where she came from. Odd, really."
"I've asked Trista to do a search to see if she can come up with anything."
"Good.” She handed him the note, turned around and snagged her brush from his hand. “In the meantime, we'd better go question Ari."
He wrapped his arms around her supple body and pulled her close. Then he tried to ignore how good it felt, how swiftly his body responded to the warm press of hers. But it wasn't so easy to ignore the sudden longing to be able to do this any time he pleased, for the rest of his life. “Before we go anywhere, you need to answer that question."
She frowned. “What question?"
"Why can't you be a ranger forever?"
"Oh, that.” She screwed up her nose. “Because I want to have kids one day."
"Kids and working are not mutually exclusive."
"I know that, but I don't want to be a working mom. I want to be able to stay home and watch their every little milestone. At least until they're old enough to go to school."
Surprise ran through him. “Somehow, I can't imagine the free-spirited woman I knew at Rosehall becoming a stay-at-home mom."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his nose. The brief touch sent desire shooting through every inch of his body, and it was all he could do not to press her back against the counter and give in to it.
"As I keep reminding you,” she said softly, her lips so close they were teasing his with possibilities, “the me you knew at Rosehall was discovering and exploring my sexuality, and I'd certainly never planned on committing to just one man."
Which she hadn't. And it still hurt, still angered him, even if the sensible part of him was willing to accept her reasons now that he'd heard her side of it. He might not understand them, but he was willing to believe them.
"What about you?” she continued softly, her green eyes twinkling with what suspiciously looked like amusement.
"Never imagined myself as a stay-at-home mom,” he answered dryly. “But if my wife wants to be the bread winner, I'm more than willing to look after the kids."
"So you're a modern-thinking man?"
"I'm a lazy man who only works because he needs to support himself."
"Raising kids ain't easy, you know."
He grinned. “Don't I know it. I helped raise my brothers after my dad died and Mom was forced to work."
She raised her eyebrows. “How many brothers?"
He slid one hand down to her butt and pressed her even closer, until the heat of her mound was pressed firmly against his erection. Gently, he rubbed back and forth against her, enjoying the sensation even if it was also the ultimate form of torture since he had no intention of taking it any further. “Four."
Her pupils dilated as desire overran the amusement in her eyes. “I would have thought that having four brothers would turn you off to having kids of your own."
"Well, it did make me damn careful about getting the fertility control injection every six months, just to make sure I was shooting blanks."
She grinned. “I hope you're still shooting those blanks, because I'm not ready to have kids just yet."
"Neither am I, believe me.” Even if the thought of having kids with her made him warm inside.