Hiding Out At The Circle C

wish I had more of, believe me. But those are also some pretty tough standards to judge others by.'

'I'm not-'

'Aren't you?' Nellie sat and took her hand. 'Please, please, don't take this wrong, Haley. It's easy to underestimate that clever mind of Cam's. I know. I did it, too, at first. It's so easy to be dazzled by the looks, the voice, the overall outer package. But you'll just have to trust me on this-it'd be a shame if you made that same mistake. You really can't judge a book by its cover.'

'I know that. But Cam's not exactly a book.'

'No, he's not,' Nellie said quietly. 'But if you're thinking he's slow and lazy, you couldn't be further from the truth.'

'I wasn't thinking slow,' Haley told her, remembering exactly how quick he could be. 'Lazy? Maybe.' She thought of the lemonade he'd called out to her for, an hour ago, when he'd seen her through the window. He'd given her that indolent smile of this and looked at her with eyes that would have melted the Arctic. The crazy thing was, she'd actually done this bidding and brought him the drink. 'And definitely spoiled,' she added.

At Nellie's stricken look, Haley relented. 'I'm kidding, Nellie.'

'He's not spoiled.'

'I know. I know he's had it rough. He told me about his wife.'

'He- He told you?' Nellie sputtered. 'He never talks about Lorraine. Certainly you can't believe he's lazy now-not if you know how hard he worked.'

Haley didn't know what she believed, except that maybe it was better not to have loved at all than to have loved and been destroyed, like he had. 'I guess I don't understand how he can be happy here, doing so little, after the busy life-style he had.'

But couldn't she? Wasn't that exactly what she was doing?

Nellie looked sad, but for whom, Haley couldn't tell.

'Things aren't always as they appear, Haley. And I'm not minding my own business very well,' she said. 'Jas would tell me to shut my trap.' She took a big bite from a chicken leg.

Jason appeared in the doorway, shirtless, damp with sweat from chopping wood, and looking every bit as good as a cover model showing off his stuff. He waved his slingless arm, looking proud of himself.

'Check it out, baby,' he told Nellie, flexing his muscles. 'Everything works just fine. Healed and ready to go.' He gave her the once-over with his eyes and both women laughed.

'It's only a matter of time, cowboy,' Nellie told him. 'You'll trip over your feet, break something and be out of commission again.' She ran her gaze up and down his body from beneath coyly lowered lashes. 'Speaking of that… maybe we ought to make the most of the time we've got.'

Jason grinned broadly and wrapped his long arms around her, steering her toward the door. 'I do like the way you think, Nel. I like the way you think very much.'

'Oh, man,' Zach complained as he passed them and came into the kitchen. 'They're at it again.'

Haley laughed. 'Yes, they are.' She'd gotten past the embarrassment days ago, and now knew that what Nellie and Jason shared was very special and unbelievably good.

And honest.

She'd never had anything like that. Her gaze fell to the window again, and to Cam, still asleep. A yearning, surprisingly strong, swept through her.

'Look at that,' Zach said, shaking this head in disgust as he caught sight of his brother. 'Sleeping the day away again.'

'He worked all night,' Haley said quickly, coming to Cam's defense without thinking. 'He's exhausted.'

Zach flashed her that Reeves grin, mixed with startled wonder. 'I know that, Haley.'

'You- Oh.' Embarrassed and flustered by Zach's curious gaze, she looked away. 'I just thought… Actually, I don't know what I thought.'

'You were defending him to me.' Zach laughed. 'Oh, man. You've got it bad. Don't worry. I'm told we're pretty irresistible, but it'll pass soon enough.'

Haley managed to roll her eyes and laugh it off, but his comment stuck long after he'd filled a plate and left. Did she have it bad? She sure didn't want to. She thought of little else as she prepared a plateful of chicken and struck out for the yard, some half-baked idea in her head that she could take out these feelings on the person who'd caused them-Cameron Reeves.

Dusk settled quickly in the mountains. Locked into that short, glorious period between day and night, long shadows fell over the grass as she walked. She wouldn't mind the dark, which would hit at any moment. She'd discovered she liked the nights here, once she'd gotten past the fear of what she couldn't see. Colorado nights were like none other on earth. The smooth black sky flowed with stars so bright and clear they looked like scattered diamonds on black velvet.

But she wasn't outside now to enjoy the sights.

Miffed at herself, and thoroughly prepared to share it, she stopped before the hammock and cleared her throat. Cam didn't budge. None too gently, she set the plate on his stomach, watching with amusement as he started, then lifted the hat from this far-too-alert eyes.

'You weren't sleeping,' she accused.

'Nope. Just thinking.' He picked up the plate and smiled as he carefully sat up. 'Thanks. I'm starving.'

'Really,' she said dryly. When wasn't he? The man ate constantly, as did his brothers. She could only imagine their food bill.

'You served me.' He grinned. 'I think you're falling for me.'

'Don't bet on it.' She watched this teeth sink into the chicken, trying to remember when she last ate. His cheek muscles bunched as he chewed, and he sighed in pleasure, going for more. Her mouth watered hungrily and she suddenly wished she'd brought two plates.

He must have read her mind, because he scooted over. 'Come on, share mine.'

She eyed the narrow hammock. 'I couldn't.'

'Sure, you can. You just open your mouth and chew.'

'No,' she said, rolling her eyes. 'I mean, I couldn't. I couldn't possibly fit in there with you.'

Almost before she'd finished the sentence, he'd lifted the plate in one hand and scooped his other around her waist, heaving her up and in with him. For one horrifying second, the cotton hammock shifted wildly from side to side and Haley thought they were going down. She screeched and clutched at Cam, who just laughed.

'Have more faith, darlin'. I'm a hungry man. Do you think I'd dump my plate?' He lifted a piece of wonderful- smelling chicken to her mouth. 'Eat,' he commanded.

She shook her head, and she was so close to him that even that small movement had her hair flying in his face. They were touching everywhere; shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, thigh to thigh. It seemed incredibly intimate- certainly more than she'd bargained for when she'd brought him the plate of food.

And since when, she thought helplessly, had she been so constantly aware of another body like she was his? She saw everything: the way his shirtsleeves had been rolled back, revealing strong, tanned forearms, how his soft, faded jeans molded his long legs.

'Eat,' he repeated, gently touching the chicken to her lips.

How could she when she could hardly breathe? But somehow, she managed to take a bite. He watched her mouth intently as she chewed and when she swallowed, his lips curved. 'You're a sight, Haley Williams.'

She felt a pang as she heard the false name on his lips. Another lie for the man who hated them. But it had to be that way. 'I'm sure I am. I'm wearing clothes that don't fit me, my hair smells like the lemon I accidentally squirted all over myself while making iced tea, and I've got circles under my eyes.' She gave him a look daring him to defy her description.

'You're beautiful.'

Her heart somersaulted crazily. 'I wasn't fishing for compliments.'

'And compassionate. You have a sense of humor, too, though it's got a wicked streak-'

'No. Don't.' She struggled to get out.

Without warning, and very quickly for a man who claimed he liked to move slowly, he cupped her head, pulled her toward him and nibbled at her lips. 'Mmm, you're wearing that lip gloss. Tastes like strawberries.'

She pushed back, bracing against his chest, and tried not to spill the plate. 'Don't do that. You said you were