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stopping himself just before contact. There was too much he wanted from this woman to let his attraction subvert his plans.
Unfortunately, what he saw reflected in her eyes wasn’t the hint of fear he’d been expecting, but a want he understood too well.
Her lips, pink and lush and unpainted, parted, revealing her white top teeth. If she were his, he would kiss her for hours, make them both crazy for more. But he wouldn’t give in. Not until she was quivering in his arms.
Then again, maybe he’d do that as an encore. He doubted he’d have any self-discipline with her.
“You two need a minute?”
The intrusion made him almost knock his water glass over. Quick reflexes from the waitress saved the day, but the accident gave him time to regain his composure.
When he glanced across the table, Annie was looking anywhere but at him.
“Yes, another minute would be good,” he said, checking the waitress’s name tag. “You don’t serve alcohol here, do you?”
“Nope,” Karen said. “You’d need to go to Sadie’s down the street for drinks. But we’ve got great milk shakes. Our ice cream is awesome. Though you might wanna save that for dessert, because we’ve got fresh huckleberry pie just out of the oven.”
Tucker sniffed the air. He could smell the pie. “I might just skip dinner altogether.”
The young woman laughed. “Don’t do that.” She leaned in a little. “I’d go for the stew tonight. Or the rib eye. Can’t go wrong with either one.”
“Thanks, Karen.”
Tucker was almost afraid to meet Annie’s gaze again. Afraid of getting drawn in. He didn’t seem to have many defenses against her. The ones he’d brought with him were toppling like dominoes with every new look.
Annie put away her menu, then folded her hands on the table, gripping them tightly. She looked at him, but only in quick snatches. “I did a lot of work around stables when I was young. Never owned a horse. Wanted to. My family thought it was a passing phase, something girls go through until boys come along. Not for me.”
“None of the boys were more interesting than riding?”
“Not what I meant.” She smiled. “I was a perfectly normal girl, went on dates, even had a couple of relationships, but my passion for animals, and horses in particular, never dimmed.”
“Did you plan on running a sanctuary?”
“I wanted animals in my life. Somehow. And see? I got what I wanted. I may not have the life I’d imagined, but I’m where I need to be. Doing things that matter. I’m better here, in northern Montana. I’m the right person in the right place.”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve met a number of people who have given up a lot to run animal rescues, and you’re one of the most dedicated I’ve ever met. But―and you can tell me to mind my own business―don’t you get lonely? It doesn’t seem like you have many opportunities to meet new people.”
“I’m not lonely at all,” she said, sitting up straighter. Her jaw flexed a bit, then she exhaled and relaxed. “Alone doesn’t automatically mean lonely, you know.”
“I do.”
“So what about you?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you married?”
“No.” He laughed.
Her face lit with amusement. “Why’d you say it like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like it was an absurd notion. You don’t care for the idea?”
“I think it’s a fine institution. And when or if I meet the right person, I’ll consider it.”
Annie’s left eyebrow quirked up. “Who would fit that bill, Tucker Brennan? A Dallas socialite, perhaps? Someone with a high-class education and Texas roots?”
“Really? That’s who you think I am? That I’d be more attracted to a pedigree than a person?”
Her shoulders dropped a little, as did her head. “No. I was being a smart-ass. Pardon me. I don’t know you, but from what I’ve seen, and what I know about how you ranch and your priorities, I’d say you’d want someone you could trust and respect. Someone you could admire.”
“Don’t we all?” he asked, the conversation hitting him hard for some unknown reason.
She smiled at him, and it was about the saddest thing he’d ever seen. “I think I’m going to try that stew. And take home a slice of pie.”
He nodded, accepting the segue into safer territory. But for the rest of the meal, the conversation felt strained. They laughed too quickly at things that weren’t that funny. Pretended the sporadic silences were comfortable. Stole glances, ate quickly, tiptoed.
After he’d paid the check he realized he couldn’t have said what the food tasted like. At the door he asked, “You parked on the street?”
Annie shook her head. “Behind the diner.”
He touched the back of her elbow. It hadn’t been a planned move, and once the connection had been made they both froze for a second. But he didn’t drop his hand.
More importantly, she didn’t step away.
They walked slowly. Country music rose and fell as people opened what he imagined was the door to the neighborhood bar. He didn’t see one vehicle that wasn’t a truck of some kind, or an SUV. And he only noticed that because he forced himself to think of something other than what it would be like to touch a hell of a lot more than her elbow.
Maybe it was the mystery that made him feel this powerful pull, but he doubted that was all. He remembered sitting in his Dallas bedroom at one point, her file spread in front of him, thinking that he might have liked her if she’d been the person she appeared to be.
Now that he’d met her, she was more that woman than he could have imagined. Hardworking, dedicated, kind, strong. It didn’t hurt that she pressed all his personal preference buttons in terms of her looks, but this thing, it wasn’t just physical.
He really liked Annie. More than he should, that’s for damn sure. It was wrong to feel like this when she’d done so much damage to his brother, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. So what, was he trying to justify his reaction to her, is that why he was finding it increasingly hard to believe she was capable of such a crime? Not an easy pill to swallow. Though both scenarios were troubling.
If what his gut told him about Annie was right, he had to seriously consider that Christian hadn’t told the full truth about the embezzlement. Or flat out lied. Oh, man, that wasn’t a possibility Tucker wanted to entertain at all. His mother would crumble.
But that changed nothing, because with every conversation, his certainty that Annie’s guilt would be mitigated grew. He slid her a look that went unnoticed. With an upward tilt of her lips she was busy gazing at the clear blue sky. She loved Safe Haven, loved this small corner of Montana. Annie was doing good for the animals and the community without expectation of personal gain. It wasn’t just him―the people who worked alongside her believed that.
Dammit, he wasn’t wrong about her. And that wasn’t his lower half talking.
She stopped, and it startled him, but then he saw the beat-up green truck of hers.
He moved around to face her, reluctantly releasing his hold. “Thank you for coming to dinner with me.”
She shrugged. “As Shea would say, I really do want your money.”
“Is that it? The only reason you came tonight?”
“Not completely. I admit, I find you good company. You were helpful yesterday, and I didn’t properly