'The list,' she reminded him breathlessly, when he'd yanked his hand back.
'You bit me!' He sucked the finger into his own mouth and the strangest thing happened to her tummy. It got all tight and bouncy as if full of butterflies. Her thighs quivered. 'I'm sorry.' She laughed a little shakily. 'I'm not sure what happened to me.'
His stare turned from hot to thoughtful, then speculative. 'You're nervous,' he decided.
'No.'
'Yes, you are.' His voice softened so that she had to strain to hear him over the noise of the thunder and driving rain. 'I would never hurt you, Zoe.'
Feeling like a jerk because she had hurt
'No, don't go yet,' he murmured, reaching for her. 'It's still pouring.' His hands slid slowly up and down her arms, warming her. 'I've got an idea. Let's see where this attraction leads.'
She knew where it would lead, straight to bed, if they even got as far as a bedroom. 'No.' But because it sounded weak and maybe like she wanted to be convinced, she said it again, stronger. 'No.' Since she wanted to mean it, she stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest and added a glare for good measure. She had to because he was a man who attracted her in a way she hadn't been attracted before.
He sighed but let her go. And go she did, turning and running out into the storm as if an entire family of wild bears were on her heels.
It wasn't a bear. Just a man. One tough, intelligent, passionate man who had the unique ability to hurt her.
She couldn't allow it.
Chapter 8
The chores were easily divided. Zoe handled the business aspect and most outdoor duties, negligible as they were until they got stock. Maddie handled all meals and worked with Delia on the inside of the ranch house, trying to repair and clean up all the damage from neglect, which was extensive. And expensive.
Zoe reconciled the ranch's bank statements. They'd opened a new bank account to keep track of finances. Then she divided the bills into two: the pile that could wait a little bit longer, and the pile that could wait
She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
'That bad?' Delia came into the room, or rather flowed into it, looking beautiful and serene in a long silk pantsuit the color of a fresh, blooming lilac, despite how hard she'd worked all day removing ancient wallpaper, which had been rough, relentless, messy work.
Zoe could ignore the fact that her own T-shirt was wrinkled and her jeans ripped at the knee, because how often had Delia offered-begged, actually-to make her some new clothes? But it was hard to ignore how tired and discouraged she felt. 'Not too bad,' she lied, hesitant to say more.
Relations between her sisters never changed. They loved and supported one another through thick and thin, no holds barred. But Delia and Maddie didn't quite understand her obsession with being the true owner of Triple M and she knew it. She knew, too, that they would bury their hurt rather than press her about it.
It was a disgusting little truth about herself that shamed Zoe. It was wrong, this burning need to belong above all else, including her sisters' happiness. She hated that about herself.
Delia's mouth tightened, even as her eyes warmed. 'Don't lie to protect me, hon. I know how tight the money situation is. Just tell me.' Gracefully she sank onto the only other chair in the bedroom they'd converted to an office. 'Are we going to make it?'
Lying would be good here, but Zoe just couldn't look into Delia's face and do it. Instead she studied the small room and what they'd done to it. The house had been cleaned and put into amazing shape in just the short time they'd been here, but all that effort had to be credited to Delia and Maddie, since Zoe had spent most of her time and efforts outside.
Even so, the large ranch house was now clean, and because it was, the treasure of the house shone through. Rustic wooden ceilings. Terrific wooden floors. Large hallways and breezy rooms. Of course most of that loveliness needed work, badly. Windows needed replacing. The outside needed new siding, trim and painting. The plumbing was pretty much shot. And Zoe was convinced that one good wind would take the roof right off.
The overall effect was shabby but clean, and full of character. And since it was theirs, all theirs, Zoe had never loved anything more in her life.
And she didn't intend to lose it.
Still, nothing could disguise the fact that they had a lot of house, more than three thousand square feet, but they had no idea what to do with it all.
Delia leaned back and studied her latest manicure, silver nails with gold sparkles. 'I guess your silence answers my question pretty well.'
'I could lie.'
'And I'd know it,' Delia pointed out calmly. 'I always know when you're lying, I have since we were five and you dipped my hair in the red paint and tried to tell me Kenny Harkins did it.'
'Well, how was I supposed to know you had eyes in the back of your head?' But the memory brought a smile to Zoe's lips, and they sat in companionable silence a moment.
'Is it that bad?' Delia asked softly. 'Are we in that deep?'
'I don't know.' Zoe shook back her hair and sighed. 'I didn't count on spending nearly all of our nest egg on getting the buildings ready to house animals. I also thought there would
'What are we going to do?'
Zoe thought about hedging, but in the end she had to say the rest, because if she didn't unload she was going to burst. 'I don't know,' she admitted. 'Even if we had enough to stock the place with animals, not to mention hire the help to care for them, which we don't, we wouldn't have any extra for mistakes. Or even to allow for a bad season.'
Maddie came into the office bearing a tray of tea and cookies. 'You both look worried. Maybe this will help a little.'
Zoe didn't have the heart to tell her sister that food wasn't going to cut it this time. But then her nose kicked into gear, going into overdrive at the scent of vanilla and chocolate. 'Oh Lord. Are they warm?' she asked hopefully, leaning forward, her month watering, her fingers already reaching for a handful of fresh, still-hot chocolate-chip cookies.
'Of course they're warm.' With a small smile, Maddie handed Zoe a napkin. 'Help yourself. I'll pour you some tea.'
Zoe moaned at the first bite as chocolate melted down her throat. 'Okay, this will definitely help.'
She didn't try to continue her conversation with Delia until she'd put away three more cookies and an entire mug of steaming tea with tons of lemon.
Delia restrained herself to a single cookie, watching disdainfully as Zoe stuffed herself. 'God. How do you do that?'
'Easy.' Zoe eyed the tray and decided she could have just one more. 'I open my mouth and shovel. Chewing's optional.'
'And you don't gain a pound. That's disgusting.' Delia slid an elegant hand down her trim figure. 'I'd pay for that binge for weeks.'
'Well, maybe you oughta give up Oprah and bonbons and work harder,' she suggested, ducking when without losing an ounce of her cool calm Delia flung a manila file with deadly accuracy at her head.
Zoe straightened and grinned. 'Hey, don't hate me because I can pig out.'
Delia sniffed. 'Well, at least I'm beautiful. I can always diet. You on the other hand…'
Maddie sighed at the familiar bickering. 'Girls… please. Here, Zoe-' she handed her another cookie '-put this in your mouth.'
