I didnt find you. I didnt even know who you were.
Right, she scoffed. He had to have targeted her from minute one. She could only imagine hed been laughing at her all night long.
I didnt know your name, he insisted with remarkable sincerity. I met Doll-Face. I liked Doll-Face. He paused, and an emotion flicked through his eyes. Why wouldnt you tell me your name?
Apparently I didnt need to.
I didnt know your name, he repeated. It was only later I heard that Abigail Jacobs was the best person to help me with the water license. I put those two things together exactly two minutes ago.
You expect me to believe that? Had she come across as completely stupid and gullible? What a depressing thought.
Yes, I expect you to believe me.
I believed you were leaving town, she challenged. That was a week ago, Zach. You havent left town.
I told you I was passing through.
What kind of play on semantics is that?
I am passing through.
You set me up from the start. There was no other explanation.
He spread his legs, firming his stance. I did not know who you were that night.
Bull.
I didnt. If I had He paused. Hell, I dont know what I would have done if I had. That night was pretty great.
You dont get to talk about that night. Not now, not ever.
It doesnt matter if I talk about it or not. His gaze smoldered for a silent second, transmitting the unspoken message that he remembered it as well as she did.
Its nothing more than a blur to me, she bluffed.
He eased closer. You cant lie worth a damn.
Yes, I can. The protest was reflexive. She didnt want to be a good liar, and his opinion meant nothing to her.
I need your help, Doll-Face.
She leaned in, pointing an index finger at his chest. You cant have my help.
Oh, Im pretty sure I can. His tone was mild, but his eyes had gone hard as flint.
A cloud moved over the setting sun, cooling the air and darkening the world, while a sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
I saw your look of panic inside the house, he finished.
That wasnt panic, she lied again.
You dont want your brother to know about us, Zach stated.
As if on cue, Travis appeared in the doorway, leaning on the jamb, arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face.
Abigail didnt dare let Zach know he had the upper hand. Believe me when I tell you, you dont want my brothers to know about us.
Ill take my chances with your brothers.
Did she dare call his bluff? Was it a bluff? Was he willing to risk her brothers wrath over a water license? Her skin prickled and her heart rate doubled.
Okay, this might be the beginning of panic.
I am certain, he continued, voice lower, leaning ever so slightly toward her, that you want to keep every damn thing we said and did that night a secret.
She refused to answer.
And that gives me a whole lot of bargaining power.
Are you blackmailing me? she demanded.
Yeah, he admitted. Again, something flickered across his face. It could have been regret, but that seemed unlikely. Sorry about that. But Im in a hurry, and I need your brain.
Was that supposed to be a joke? she demanded, arms reflexively crossing over her breasts.
What joke?
That youve already had my body?
I never said that.
You thought it.
Youre paranoid.
She swallowed convulsively, attempting to moisten her throat. How can you do this to me?
I wish I had a choice.
You have a choice, she rasped. You can walk away right now and forget any of this ever happened.
He crossed his arms over his broad chest. Forget about today or forget about that night?
Go to hell.
Zach didnt flinch.
Travis stalked out onto the porch, and she knew he was about to intervene. He couldnt break this up. Not yet. Not until she convinced Zach to go away and never come back.
Follow me, she told Zach, turning for the path that led to the river.
With a glance at Travis, Zach fell into step. Is he going to let us leave?
Fifty-fifty, she allowed, wondering the same thing herself.
They cut off the edge of the driveway, moving onto the narrower path, where willows would partially screen them from Traviss view. She took a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, making sure her brother wasnt following.
Its not like Im asking you to knock over a bank, said Zach.
Youre asking me to betray my community.
Dont be melodramatic. Nobody even has to know youre helping me. Itll be a secret.
So you can blackmail me with it later? she challenged.
He gave an exaggerated eye roll. Dont be ridiculous.
How is that ridiculous? Youre blackmailing me now. Her voice came out more shrilly than shed intended.
Theres only one thing I want from you, Abby.
Dont call me Abby. That nickname was reserved for her family.
I like it.
You dont get to like it.
His gaze stayed on her, while he obviously regrouped. How can we make this work?
You can go away and never come back.
Im definitely not going away. I need a variance on my water license. Nothing more, nothing less. Hundreds of jobs depend on it. And from everything Ive learned in the last week, youre the only person who can help.
Ill email you my research, she offered out of desperation.
I need more than your research. I need to know who to ask, what to ask them, how to write the application and how to fight my way through the bureaucracy.
My brain is not for sale.
Yeah? Well, when it comes to my employees, my morals and values are open to the highest bidder. Passion and determination moved into his tone. Dont push me, Abby. Ill do anything, anything to keep them from losing their jobs.
If I help you set a precedent for varying a nonranching water license, my familys cause gets set back by miles.
Youll have to gain the ground back later.
You couldnt care less about me, could you?
He didnt answer.
Then again, maybe he did. His silence said it all.
She clamped her jaw against her anger, realizing there was nothing left to say, no argument she could make that would change his mind. Zach had given her an impossible choice. She could be secretly disloyal, or blatantly disloyal.
If she was blatantly disloyal, there was no going back. If she secretly helped Zach, maybe, just maybe, the fallout would be manageable. At least shed know the ins and outs of his strategy for getting around the water license. Maybe she could use that later, in some kind of political counterattack. Maybe.
Well? he prompted, and she knew her time was up.
Fine, she ground out, accepting that she was trapped. Ill do this for you. But if you ever dare tell my family anything- she lifted her index finger, jabbing it against his chest -and I mean anything about anything, I swear I will hunt you down and shoot you dead.
Not a word, he vowed.
She paused, shaking off the sick feeling of disloyalty. We cant talk here. And meeting in town was also a risk, with Seth and his staff all there.
Come out to the brewery, Zach suggested.
It wasnt her first choice. But at least it was out of the way.
Itll take me a couple of days to pull things together, she told him. And Ill need to come up with an excuse to leave the ranch. Shed only just returned home to help Travis. It was going to take some fast talking to get away again. And shed be leaving all the work to him. I hate this.
Im not crazy about it either. Zachs eyes unexpectedly softened. His lips parted. A breeze washed over them, rustling the leaves.
He reached out, grazing the top of her hand with his. You know, I really wish we could-
Dont, she warned him, darting away, even as her pulse leaped at his light touch. Dont you dare try anything. I am not going to sleep with the man whos blackmailing me.
He dropped his hand. Then he blinked his expression back to neutral. He gave a sharp nod of acceptance. Of course youre not. The brewery, then. Thursday morning. Be there.
Four
As she turned onto the Craig Mountain Brewery road, a Sawyer Brown tune came through the stereo speakers, and Abigail cranked up the volume, letting the beat pound its way through her brain. After shed lied to her brother Travis this morning about where she was going, shed promised herself shed give Zach one day. Shed work fast. Shed work hard. And hed have everything he needed to apply for his license.
Then shed spend the night in Lyndon, head back to the ranch and forget shed ever met the man.
Her plan to fantasize about him had come to an abrupt end when shed learned that he had no scruples. Okay, maybe the end wasnt quite so abrupt. In fact, she was still working on it. It turned out that fantasizing about Zach was a hard habit to break. Which only made her hate him more.
How dare he mess up her life like this? It was a mere one-night stand. Was she not entitled to cut loose and have fun every once in a while? Thousands of women across the country had one-night stands. She was willing to bet things like this didnt happen to them.
Then again, she supposed they hadnt slept with Zach.
It would have been easier if she could just plain hate him. But hed been such a perfect lover, she couldnt help wishing for the fantasy. If she could have Lucky back, shed be looking forward to today.
Theyd talk and joke and flirt, maybe kiss a little, maybe even cancel her reservation at Rose Cottages
Whoa. She abruptly pulled back on that thought. She wrestled her imagination into submission as she navigated a series of potholes. Then she rounded a corner, and the massive stone castle of Craig Mountain rose in front of her. She rocked to a halt in the parking lot, fingers going white as she gripped the steering wheel.
The band had changed songs, belting out one about the winner losing it all. Abigail didnt particularly feel like a winner, but the rest fit. Her pride had been battered and bruised, and if she dared let her anger slip out of place, her emotions felt a whole lot like heartache.
Zach greeted Abigail in the brewerys reception area, which was once a foyer to the massive, stone castle. She was glaring at him, displeasure palpable in her flashing golden eyes. She wore torn, faded blue jeans, a powder-blue cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up her forearms, the top button missing, and a pair of battered cowboy boots, with a gray backpack slung over one shoulder. Her face was scrubbed free of makeup, and her glossy auburn hair was pulled back in a plain ponytail. She couldnt have telegraphed dont touch me any louder if shed shouted it from the highest tower.