She couldn’t meet his gaze but chose to look at the ground instead. “I usually don’t act like this around people…around men. I mean, I’m not a virgin or anything, but I don’t have a lot of experience, and I guess you think that’s probably crazy…”
He pulled her back into his arms and hugged her close. “It doesn’t matter.”
Warmth spread through her but not like the heat of a moment ago. No, this was as though the sun shined down on her. It was a good feeling, not as good as kissing, but she enjoyed it.
He let go of her but kept holding her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you where the mint grows.”
She looked at the cabin. A shadow moved across one of the windows. “Can we go inside?”
“The cabin is technically rented.”
She looked at him. “I promise I won’t bother anything.”
He shrugged. “I guess so.” A slow smile curved his lips. “But I won’t guarantee you’ll see the ghost.”
“How did you know I was curious to see if there was one here?”
“I don’t know. Wild guess?”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “I bet I’m not the first girl you’ve brought here.” When his face turned a nice shade of red, Celeste had her answer and couldn’t stop her smile. “Shame on you.”
“What is it about girls and ghosts? They always want to check out the haunted houses.”
“It’s walking toward the unknown.”
He waved his arm in front of him. “Knock yourself out. I’d just as soon know where I’m going.”
“You’re not coming?” It was one thing to go in with Brian and another to go in by herself.
“This is what gets men in trouble,” he said on a sigh. “How can we say no? Okay, come on.”
They walked up the steps. The well-oiled hinges on the screened door didn’t make a sound when he opened it.
“Hello?” Brian called out.
“I thought you said no one was home,” she whispered, hugging his arm.
“There isn’t. I just wanted to see if the ghost would answer.” He laughed when she frowned.
Cold air washed over her. She squeezed his arm a little tighter.
“You don’t have to be scared. I don’t think there’s really a ghost here.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Huh?”
“I felt her.”
He scanned the room. “What do you mean, you felt her? How do you feel a ghost?”
“I felt a rush of cold air.”
“Then what you felt was cold air.”
She shook her head. “No, it was the ghost.” She was certain of it.
“What? Are you telling me you’re psychic?”
“No, but I can sense things.” She looked around the room. “Some people call it a gut instinct. Everyone has it, but most people don’t trust their feelings.”
“But you felt a ghost here?”
“I felt something.”
A window in another room crashed shut. They both jumped. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cabin. Not that Brian really had to pull very hard because she was right on his heels. This would not be a good time for her to linger.
“Enough ghosts for one day?” he asked when they were safely standing in the yard again.
“I think so.”
They looked at each other and laughed. She marveled at how much younger he looked when he was away from the business side of the ranch.
“Maybe we should grab some mint and head back.”
“That’s a good plan.” She followed him around to the back of the cabin. “A lighted path to the outhouse. You spare no expense for your guests.” It was all she could do to keep from laughing at her joke.
“Cal or Nikki must’ve put them up.”
They got the mint and went back to the pickup, but Celeste couldn’t resist one last look at the old house as they drove away. Her breath caught in her throat. Was that a woman standing at the door? If she was, it looked as though she might be crying.
“Tell me about the ghost,” she suddenly said.
“I don’t know a lot. For a long time, I thought I was imagining things, and I’m sure that’s all it was this time. The house is old and the window probably chose that moment to slip and crash shut.”
“I saw her at the door.”
His head jerked around and he stared at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “It looked as though she was crying.”
“Okay, that’s it. I’m not letting anyone else stay there. Not if it’s haunted. The ghost might hurt someone.”
“We should have a seance.”
“You mean go back up there and sit around a table and intentionally call the ghost?”
“Not scared, are you?”
“No…yes.” He frowned.
“But don’t you want the poor girl’s spirit to be set free?” She sighed. “I feel sorry for her.”
He pulled in at the stables. “I don’t. She used to scare the hell out of me.”
“Maybe you needed the hell scared out of you. I mean, you were bringing girls up there to make out with.” She laughed when his frown deepened.
“I was a teenager.”
“And I was teasing you.”
“I guess I have been spending too much time on ranch business.”
“That’s okay. I can help you relax,” she joked, then realized the way her words sounded.
He let his gaze roam over her. “I think you can.”
His implication was clear. Celeste could feel herself blushing all the way to her roots.
“That wasn’t what I…uh…meant.”
“Now who doesn’t know when someone is joking?” He grinned.
She relaxed. “You’re right. Maybe we both need help.”
They got out of the pickup.
“Hey, we had a new colt born this morning. Want to see her?”
“I love horses! I once lived with some people who had a horse. They let me take care of brushing her and I was in seventh heaven.”
“How old were you?”
“Thirteen,” she said as she stepped inside the barn. She stopped and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light.
Brian paused at the door. Why would she be living with a family that she wasn’t related to when she was only thirteen? He watched her as she walked to one of the stalls, then stopped before she peered inside and turned to look at him, a question in her eyes.
“Where were your parents?” he asked.
Her face paled.
It made him wonder what her life had been like before she came here.
Chapter 22
There was nothing sexier than a woman sliding the zipper down on a pair of cowboy-cut jeans. Cal’s hands stilled in the middle of rubbing Nikki’s feet. Her passion-filled eyes told him exactly what was on her mind. When she started to shove the jeans down over her hips, he reached up and grasped the waistband,
