Page 127 of Spurred On

Clare stared at her, probably on account of the way she spat the words. “What are you saying?”

“It should be obvious by now.” She’d repeated it several times. In English.

“But . . . why?” For some reason, Claire seemed perturbed, offended that Sidney didn’t fancy melting into a lusty blob at her philandering brother’s feet.

“There can never be something real between us because Cody will never change. And neither will I.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Last night, when you asked me to go to his room and find him?”

“Yeah?”

“There were two naked women in his bed.”

Claire blinked. “And?”

And?“Two naked women in his bed.”

“It’s not the first time that’s happened,” Claire said with a laugh.

“That doesn’t make it all better, Claire,” she snapped.

“No. I mean, women sneak into his room all the time. He doesn’t invite them.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he told me.”

“And that makes it the truth?”

Claire frowned. “My brother is not a liar. He’s never lied about his escapades. Never tried to explain them away.”

“Can you explain why he was half naked and had a bucket of champagne?”

Claire stilled. Her mouth opened. Then closed. “I can see how that might look. But I’m telling you, Cody wouldn’t have done that. Not with the way he feels about you.”

“Of course not.” Hardly any sarcasm at all.

“He told me he loved you.”

“He told me the same thing.”

“Well, there you go,” Claire said this as though it solved everything. It solved nothing. It merely underscored the truth.

This conversation was pointless.

“I have to go.” Sidney shot Claire a quick glance and then, without waiting for a response, slipped into her Mustang, threw it into gear and peeled out.

It saddened her to leave the ranch, because she’d really felt a part of something here—and more than a too-fleeting fling with Cody. It had felt like a place she could belong.

She’d never be back, of course.

She never could.

She couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Cody again.

Because she was scared to death he might actually convince her that he was innocent, that he’d done nothing wrong, that he loved her the way she’d always yearned to be loved.

That he would suck her back in and set her up for an even greater heartbreak.

And that was the most dangerous thing of all.