Chapter 29

Maddie was up first in the morning, making coffee and warming cinnamon rolls. The coffee had just finished brewing when Liza came into the kitchen butterscotch hair brushed to a sheen, a startling contrast to the black wool slacks and silky sweater she wore.
"You look more like you're going to a funeral than a meeting with an attorney," Maddie teased. But then, at the word funeral, her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, punkin." Liza enfolded her in her slim arms. "It's okay. We'll get through this and everything will settle out."
Maddie brushed away the tears that wouldn't seem to leave her and gave Liza a watery smile. "I know. I leave it all in your capable hands."
Liza's face turned serious. "Just a word to the wise, okay? It wouldn't hurt to mend your fences with Zach."
"Just like you're going to with Ty?" Maddie interrupted.
For a moment Liza had a faraway look in her eyes. "Maybe it's time for all of us to put the past where it belongs. And I mean all of us. Just a thought, okay?"
"Does that mean you plan to make up with Ty?"
As if a switch had been thrown, the corporate Liza was back. "Not necessarily. But I do intend us to get some things straight. And you should too, Maddie Mae. At least take this opportunity to tell him what a jackass he was."
Maddie was in no mood to argue so she just turned away. "We'll see. Hey, you'd better take a jacket. There's a real blue norther whipping up out there. Seems like it came up out of nowhere. And drive carefully."
"I will, I will." The door slammed behind her.
* * * * *
Zach had wrestled with his thoughts all night. Sleep hadn't even been a friend to him when it finally came, teasing him with images of Maddie naked in moonlight. In firelight. In sunlight. Laughing and joyous as she opened her arms and her body to him. Each time he rolled over in his bed he reached for someone he knew wouldn't be there and the empty space only made it worse.
His morning erection didn't seem to want to diminish and by the time he dressed he was as hard as a spike. How on earth was he going to handle this? What he really wanted was to kidnap her, lock her in his cabin with him and fuck her brains out until neither of them could think. Then tell her why he ran away all those years ago and ask her to forgive him and marry him. Otherwise, if she persisted in staying around and fighting for the ranch, he was in a world of trouble.
When he came out of his house and walked toward the barn, he saw a third car in the gravel parking area. Jenna, the sister with wanderlust, must have shown up late last night, he thought. They hadn't been expecting her. He wondered what had changed her mind. Maybe she figured out Christmas would be better with her sisters than without them.
As he stood there, noting the sudden drop in temperature and sipping his hot coffee, he saw the front door open and Liza headed for her sports car.
Okay, he told himself. She was going to see Ty. He needed to call the man himself and tell him not to be swayed. Then he needed to figure out how to get Maddie alone and talk to her.
After checking that the men were all out doing what they should be and sending two of them to check on strays just in case this weather turned wild, he pulled out his cell phone and headed for his small house. This was one call he wanted privacy for.
* * * * *
I can do this. I can totally do this. Absolutely I can do this.
Maddie talked to herself continuously as she cleared away mugs and plates from the rolls and coffee she and Liza had shared. As she rooted in the cupboards to find a large enough plastic bowl for what she wanted. As she filled it from the huge pot of leftover soup in the fridge. And as she snapped the cover on tightly.
If I just tell it like it is, surely he'll be reasonable. I can do this. I can definitely do this.
Jenna was still asleep, thank God. She didn't want to have to do a two-step to avoid all the questions she knew her sister would throw at her. Noting the rising wind outside, she grabbed her jacket from the peg in the utility room where she'd left it last time, zipped it up took a deep breath and pushed open the back door.
She searched the barn area for Zach, hoping to find him and get this out of the way at once but he wasn't any of the places she looked. Finally one of the hands measuring out feed in the stable told her he thought Zach had gone back to his house for a few minutes.
His house.
Swell.
I can do this. I'll just walk up to his door, knock, give him the soup and make my speech. That's all.
But when she climbed up on the porch of the foreman's cabin, she found her legs suddenly week and her hands shaking. She clenched one fist as she raised it to knock. Her hand was still in midair when the door opened and Zach filled the space.
Lordy, why did he have to be so gorgeous. He'd taken off his hat and obviously run his fingers through the thick, sun-streaked locks. His whiskey-brown eyes widened at the sight of her and his lips curved in a smile. She couldn't help notice the way the worn denim of his jeans clung to his lean hips and emphasized his long legs. The springy curls of his chest hair that she used to run her fingers through peeked out where his shirt was open at the neck.
She hoped she wasn't drooling. That would certainly lessen the impact of her prepared speech.