Sunset Seduction - By Charlene Sands Page 0,25
he ran a hand back and forth over his forehead. “I know that, I guess.”
“Are you sorry you hired me?”
He gave her a quick, guilty look and took a long time to answer. “No.”
She didn’t quite believe him. “Then let me do my job.”
He began nodding slowly. “Okay, okay. But I want a daily report about your progress.”
“Meaning you want to check up on me.”
He grinned and then defended his reasoning. “You’re like my kid sister.”
“I’m not a kid. And I’m not your sister.”
There was force behind her words, and Luke blinked at her tone and then stared at her. “I guess I’m striking out with females today.”
Audrey let her frustration drop. She was curious about his date and took that as an opening to bring up the subject. “You had a lukewarm date with good old Katherine?”
Luke focused his gaze on the pasture. He wouldn’t look at her. “I broke it off.”
She’d been ready to do more mental backflips, but Luke sounded too miserable for her to start celebrating. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “It was never much of anything. We’re friendly. We talked tonight and I figured it was best to lay it on the line. It’s not in me to pretend something I don’t feel. She’s nice and all, but something is off…. Can’t figure out what that is. And it’s serious stuff when a baby is involved. I think mostly she’s lonely and a little worried. She’s caring for the baby’s great-aunt and her health isn’t so good.”
“How did she take you breaking it off?”
“She said she understood, but I feel like a heel.”
“You did the right thing, Luke.”
He gave his head a shake. “I couldn’t walk in there and pretend to feel something for her I didn’t feel. I don’t plan on making the same mistakes my folks made.”
“Your parents didn’t love each other?”
“They did in their own way. But it wasn’t the kind of love you build on. There were business reasons for the marriage and then Logan came along and they stuck it out. But my father wasn’t happy and when he found the woman who could make him happy, he had to let her go. I think he died regretting it.”
Audrey’s heart ached for both of his parents. It wasn’t the way a woman wanted to be loved. And it wasn’t the way a man wanted to love. Halfway. Audrey had enough halves in her own life to know she wanted it all.
This was the first time Luke had confided anything so personal to her. He was feeling low and had wanted her company.
As a friend.
She could be that to him any day of the week. She took his hand in hers. They sat there quietly together, comfortable in the silence. “I forgive you, by the way.”
Luke smiled. “I didn’t apologize.”
“Yes, you did. You just don’t know it yet.”
* * *
Audrey had promised Luke she’d be extremely careful working with Trib today. He was off for an day-long business trip to Vegas this morning and she’d seen the concern on his face and question in his eyes before he left. Giving her the freedom she needed troubled him. He felt such responsibility. That was the reason that she hadn’t spilled the truth last night. They’d been alone and sharing confidences by the pool. It would have been the perfect time, if Luke hadn’t been feeling down. But her news would have sent him over the edge.
At least that’s what she told herself.
Dressed and ready for a full day, Audrey waved to Hunter as she made her way into the barn. “Good morning,” she said.
“Hi, Audrey. I’ve got Felicia, Starlight and Melody already turned out in the corral. You want to exercise Belle and Buck and I’ll get the others?”
“Sure. I’ll do it before it gets too hot for them. You want to ride together this morning?”
“We could do that, surely.”
Audrey liked Hunter. He was genuine and good-natured if not a little bit shy. During their rides she got a chance to know him a little better. They had one thing in common, their love of horses. He’d been practically raised on Sunset Ranch; Ward Halliday, his father, had been the head wrangler here for over twenty years. Ward had been a good friend to Randall Slade and every so often Hunter would recite a story from back in the day. The Slade boys weren’t angels in their youth and Audrey loved hearing tales of their antics.
After the morning ride, she spent the better part