Son of a Preacher Man - By Arianna Hart Page 0,29

path. Finally, she reached the clearing.

Her breath wheezed in and out of her chest like bellows, and she realized she’d run the last fifteen yards or so. She was lucky she hadn’t caught her heel on a root and fallen. Without wasting any time, she kicked her shoes off and rolled up her pants. She had a blister on her baby toe, and the cool water would feel heavenly on her overheated feet.

The log had been worn smooth from the weather and bugs and still made the perfect bench. She looked at her reflection in the pool and winced. Her hair had partially fallen out of the twist, sweat made rings under her armpits, her mascara had run and she looked like a raccoon.

She scooped some water in her hands and splashed it on her face. Trying to get the mascara out from under her eyes was almost impossible, but the coolness felt good. Her blouse was soaked by the time she was through, but it would dry quickly enough in the heat. Leaning back, she braced herself against the boulders behind her and let the breeze caress her face. With her feet in the water the heat was bearable so she closed her eyes and tried to absorb the peace of the place.

Thoughts of her father’s letter and will kept intruding. Even the magic of the grove couldn’t calm her down. She was so angry and sad and frustrated she felt like her skin couldn’t contain all her emotions.

“So I take it the meeting didn’t go well?” J.T. stood next to her, holding out a water bottle.

“Jesus,” she practically screeched in fright. “You scared the life out of me. I didn’t hear you coming. Wear a bell or something.” She couldn’t believe he’d crept up on her without her hearing the tell-tale snap of branches.

“Sorry, I hung back until I thought it was safe. You looked ready to chew iron and spit nails.”

“I am.” She took the water bottle and drank greedily.

J.T. tossed his boots by her ruined heels and rolled up his jeans before joining her on the log. His feet looked wide and masculine next to her smaller ones. She waited for him to press her about the meeting, but he didn’t. He didn’t speak at all, just sat next to her while she let the cool water run over her toes.

“I have a punching bag in the cabin if you’re interested in beating the snot out of something.”

Nadya laughed ruefully. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. I’m so furious, and I don’t know what to do with it.” Sitting wasn’t going to work, so she got up and paced in the clearing. A rock cut the bottom of her foot, and she threw the offending object as hard as she could. “That selfish, arrogant bastard! I hope he’s burning in hell right now.”

“Don’t hold back—tell me how you really feel.”

“It’s not funny. Do you know that son-of-a-bitch owns the cabin? And the land. And this spot. My spot that I went to whenever I felt overwhelmed and angry because of how I was treated because of him. That’s why my mama never had to pay rent. That was his payoff. If she didn’t put his name on my birth certificate, she would have a roof over her head to raise his child.”

“Who is he? You haven’t said.”

“Haywood Masterson. You ever hear of him?”

J.T. let out a low whistle. “I sure as hell have. He owned a horse farm that has had some Derby contenders. His place is on the other side of Canton. I didn’t realize he owned land here, but that makes sense. Bill told me there used to be a lot of hunting cabins out here, back in the day. Little by little, the state has absorbed the acreage to add to the state forest.”

“Well, now I own it. Guess I’m your new landlady.”

“Good, the refrigerator is on the fritz and I want to paint the kitchen.”

Nadya laughed and felt some of the tension loosen from her shoulders. “I’ll get right on it.” She stopped her pacing and sat on the moss. “I don’t understand it. How could a forty-five-year-old man seduce a sixteen-year-old? And then abandon her when he got her pregnant? She lost everything—everything—and he lost nothing but his hunting cabin.” The sky darkened with an approaching storm, echoing her mood.

“He lost you. He lost the chance to watch you grow into the beautiful, successful woman you are today.”

“Thanks for