“You’re afraid.”
She pursed her lips together and refused to answer him. She was more than afraid. She was bloody terrified.
He waited a moment. When he knew he wasn’t going to get a response, his expression changed. Back was the indecipherable Mr. Hartley. “Well Tam, when you decide to practice what you’ve preached to Elaina, or anyone else, you have my number.”
“You said you don’t give second chances.”
He nodded finally letting his anger show. “You’re right.” He turned and left without another word.
She started to cry. This was a man who always got what he wanted, and she’d ended it first. Was she being stupid? Yes, she was. She needed normalcy back in her life before she lost herself. This was the best way. There was no chance for them. He would get bored. She went to the window and pulled the curtain aside. She saw Lance when he emerged from the building and he didn’t even bother looking up to see if she was watching him. He’d probably not forgive her for this.
***
“Do you want to talk?” Colt asked. Lance looked livid. That was an emotion that Lance didn’t reveal easily, well any emotion wasn’t revealed easily by his brother. Colton usually came out fists swinging if he was feeling like that.
“She’s had a pretty rough go over the past few days,” was all he said.
“Yeah, what’s that bruise from?”
“An ex-boyfriend struck her.” He should have known that Colt would see it despite her efforts to cover it up. He had to suppress a smile though. What Tammy said on the plane popped in his head; violent lovemaking. She never ceased to amaze him.
“Is he still breathing?” Colt gritted out.
“She wouldn’t let me kill him,” he answered equally angry.
“Hell, she’s just too kind hearted.”
“Yes she is. Don’t let on to Elaina about the bruise. Tammy would be humiliated.”
“Yeah like she’s not going to see it. She’s due out at the ranch this weekend.”
“Maybe it’ll be mostly faded by then.” He rubbed his chin and stared out the windshield.
“What was her family like?”
“Her father and brother were likable, the mother, well, it seemed like she was trying after a few days. She might have changed her attitude toward Tammy. In the beginning she was intolerable and her father seemed to rather stay out of it. We pretended we were engaged.”
Colt’s brows shot up but he never said anything.
“Her mother is one of those people who are more concerned about what others think of her. She was very demeaning when we accidently ran in to her on the first day back. I blurted that I was her fiancé before I could stop myself. Tammy was spectacular though.”
“Spectacular?”
“Yes, she played the part perfectly and put every other woman to shame. Jesus though Colt, she could fill out a dress like no one’s business.”
“You don’t say.”
“She was elegant, sophisticated and fetched a record quarter of a million at my auction.”
“Well shit. That’s impressive.”
“I bought her.”
“I figured.” He chuckled.
“You should have seen her up on stage. She was shy, blushing bright red and completely unpretentious. It was—irresistible. The bids were rising faster than I could count. I bought her because she was thrown into it. No time to prepare.”
“Well, she’s beautiful,” Colt said. Lance continued like he hadn’t heard him, but he knew he did. Lance never missed a thing.
