He chuckled and put the Jeep into reverse.“I did.”
Oh God.
What had she been thinking?She hadn’t been thinking.That was the only answer.She’d seen Roxie running towards the pool, and impulse had grabbed her.A familiar wanting had sucked her up, and this time she hadn’t been able to fight it.
And it had been the most thrilling, fun, impossible impulse of her life.
She bit her lip as she admitted the truth to herself.She’d loved it.She’d loved every moment from the first splash right up until that hot kiss.She’d loved everything until “the timid sort” hand had reached out and gotten her in its clutches again.
Right now, it was strangling her.
She tried to sort out her dress.Finding the hem, she opened it up and pulled the material over her head.Wiggling it downwards, she covered herself.She tied the straps behind her neck before tugging the terrycloth the rest of the way down.It took some more gyrations, but she finally got the wet towel out from under her butt.Dampness from her panties soaked into the seat beneath her as she smoothed the sundress over her legs, but she felt somewhat decent again.
When she glanced up, she caught Zac looking at her, mouth agape.
He closed it with a snap.“Now that’s a trick.”
Getting through this night was going to be the real trick.
Maxie chewed on her lower lip when he turned into her driveway.Headlights lit the cab of the Jeep as Lexie pulled her car in behind them.Almost simultaneously, the lights from both cars shut off, leaving her sitting alone in the dark with Sheriff Zac Ford, her make-believe love stud.
He watched her steadily, the lines of his face lit from the light over her back door.“Honey, we’re home.”
Chapter Six
Maxie’s brain was whirling a mile a minute, the effects of the bourbon completely gone as she opened the back door to her house.How was she supposed to carry through on this charade?Why had she invited everyone here when she needed time to contemplate all that had happened?For heaven’s sake, she’d kissed Zac like a sex-starved schoolmarm.Was he expecting her to—?
She froze on the threshold, her chaotic thoughts skidding to a stop.The kitchen.She’d forgotten how she’d left it.Her gaze swept over the table and countertops.Nearly every flat surface was strewn with photo albums, personal documents and family memorabilia.Her whole life was there, put out on display.
Anyway, life as she’d known it.
Her fingers trembled.She wanted to gather everything up and shove it into drawers and cupboards, but there wasn’t time.She could feel Zac close behind her and hear the others as they crossed the lawn.
He touched her lightly at the waist.“Show them to their rooms, and I’ll gather everything up.”
He understood.She didn’t want to hide.She just wanted privacy and time.She needed to figure out how she felt about everything.It had only been this morning when her life had been turned upside down.
With a bracing breath, she stepped aside for her guests.“Sorry about the mess.”
Lexie wrapped an arm around Maxie’s shoulders.“This isn’t a mess.These are your treasures.”
Roxie set her suitcase on the floor.The expression on her face was full of wonder, maybe even closer to yearning.Walking to the counter, she traced the edge of a photo album, careful not to let her hair drip on it.“Can we look through some of the pictures in the morning?”
Maxie realized how selfish she was being.This woman had bared her soul in an attempt to reach out and make contact.She’d handed over medical records, school records and more.Watching her face, Maxie could practically feel Roxie’s emotions.She was curious andenvious.
“Sure,” she said, changing her mind.Pictures, she could handle.Maybe.“In the morning.”
She couldn’t deal with much more now.She was tired, wet and wrung out in so many ways.A shiver went through her.The air conditioning felt too cold against her damp skin, and goose bumps popped up when a wet droplet of water trailed down her spine.
“Your rooms are this way.”She led them across the living area to the downstairs bedrooms.“There’s one here.The bathroom is there, followed by another guest bedroom.”
“Why don’t you take the front one, Lex?”Roxie said.“That way you can watch for Hatchet.”
Lexie checked for a clock, and her face brightened when she saw the time.“He shouldn’t be long.”
“Don’t you two wake me with any mushy stuff.I’m bushed.”With a grin, Roxie walked away.Zac trailed after her, carrying her suitcase.
A blush was on Lexie’s face when she peeked at Maxie.“We won’t… I mean…” She clutched her vase of flowers close to her wet dress.“I’ll make sure we’re quiet.”
