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He pointed to a closed door. “That’s a bathroom.” “If you want you can take a hot shower.”
Holt climbed the stairs to the second floor of the large ranch house. He definitely didn’t need a hot one, he thought as he went into the master bedroom that once belonged to his father. The large sleigh bed was a dark mahogany covered in a multicolored quilt. The small print wallpaper had faded over the years. A braided rug partly covered the hardwood floor that Maria kept polished to a high gloss.
There weren’t any pictures of family and none of him, even as a boy. Holt tried to push aside the memories of a man who wanted nothing to do with his son. His only child.
There were three other bedrooms on the second floor, but Holt told himself the reason he stayed in this room was because of the connecting bath. He began stripping off his clothes and heard the water go on downstairs. Great, that was all he needed, the image of a naked Leah Keenan in his bathroom. He got in the shower and turned on the faucet to cold.
But ten minutes later, he went downstairs and found Leah in the kitchen. He swallowed hard. She was dressed only in his shirt. Her face was scrubbed clean and the blond hair pooled wet against her shoulders was beginning to curl.
“Hi,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind, I fixed some coffee.”
She’d made herself at home. “Sounds good,” he told her. “I take it you know your way around here.”
Leah sipped from her cup. “I’m sorry, it’s just that while I was in high school, I used to spend a lot of time here taking pictures.”
He tried not to look at her legs, but it was impossible not to, even for a saint and he wasn’t anywhere close to being a saint. Her smooth, shapely calves and trim thighs made his mouth water as the edge of his plaid shirt cut off any more view. He took a gulp of the hot coffee, nearly scalding his throat.
He went to the refrigerator and pulled open the door to the cool air. “How about some lunch?”
She came up beside him, too close and smelling of his soap. “Only if you’ll allow me to fix it.”
Holt stepped back. “Sure. There are cold cuts in the meat bin. I’ll get the bread.”
She touched his arm to stop him. “I can do it. Please, Holt, go and sit down.”
He nodded, went to the large oval table, pulled out a chair and sat. He couldn’t help but watch as she moved efficiently around the kitchen. She laid out the bread on the white-tiled countertop, and layered the cooked ham on top, then added lettuce and tomato. He was handling things just fine until she went to the maple cabinets and reached up for plates. That was when the shirt rose high, exposing the back of her smooth rounded thighs.
Damn. He glanced away. A man could only take so much. Suddenly the back door slammed and in seconds Zach appeared in the kitchen.
The old foreman glanced around the room. His hazel eyes sparkling as he grinned. “Well, if this doesn’t look cozy.”
CHAPTER THREE
LEAH realized what her being half naked and standing in the Rawlins’s kitchen must look like. But she pushed aside her embarrassment, put a smile on her face and went to greet Zach.
“You’re just in time for lunch,” she announced. “Do you want a ham or a turkey sandwich?”
The foreman glanced at Holt. “I don’t want to interrupt …”
“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Holt told him. “You might as well sit down. We’re just killing time until Leah’s clothes dry.”
“So you two got caught in the storm?”
“We were headed back,” Leah said. Why was she feeling guilty? “Sure you don’t want a sandwich, Zach?”
“Well…if it’s not too much trouble.” The foreman went to the table and sat down across from Holt.
Leah smiled. “Not for you.”
“I take it you didn’t have any luck finding the boy,” Zach said.
“No, but I’m not giving up,” she assured him. “He’s out there somewhere.” She turned back to her task at the counter.
“I think he’s moved on,” Holt said. “We haven’t seen any sign of him since yesterday morning.”
Leah placed the sandwiches on mismatched plates from the cupboard and carried them to the table. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t out there.” She went back and poured two glasses of milk, staying busy to keep calm. “I have some places to check tomorrow.” She sat down next to Zach, tugging her makeshift robe over her knees. “I thought I’d try the old Hutchinson mine up on the south ridge.”
“That’s a thought,” Zach said. “There’s water close by and even though the cabin is old, it’s still in good shape.” He bit into his sandwich.
“Hey, don’t I have a say in this?” Holt asked. “I can’t keep traipsing around the countryside looking for a kid who doesn’t want to be found.”
Leah tensed. “Then I’ll go by myself.”
“Not without my permission.”
She caught his determined gaze, but she wasn’t intimidated. “I’m sure the sheriff could get some volunteers together within an hour and search until nightfall.”
Holt glared. “I don’t like being threatened.”
“Not any more than I like to think about a child being left out there alone.” She got up from the table, went to the mudroom and slammed the door behind her.
“Well, you’ve done it now,” Zach said as he looked at Holt. “Maybe where you come from people don’t care about other people, but around here we take care of our own. If you won’t go with Leah, then I will.”
Holt tensed, knowing it wasn’t true that everyone in Destiny took care of, their own. His father hadn’t. Something tightened in his chest. Even Holt wasn’t so callous as to let a kid roam around the wilderness.
“Will you stop grumbling? I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.” Ignoring the gleam in the old man’s eyes, he stood and went to the mudroom. He opened the door just in time to see Leah pull her jeans over those long smooth legs.
Damn. His body suddenly stirred to life.
She jerked around and fisted the shirt edges together. “Do you mind?”
Holt leaned against the doorjamb as if the intimacy of watching her didn’t bother him at all. Like hell. He forced a smile. “Not at all.”
Leah turned her back on him and fastened the jeans. “I’m going back to town now. I’ll get your shirt back to you.”
“Keep it as long as you want. It looks a lot better on you anyway.”
She ignored him and pulled on her boots, then grabbed her blouse and bra off the dryer. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I’ll have the horses saddled about eight.”
She froze. “But I thought—”
“I only said I couldn’t keep doing this all day…every day. I do have to help Zach with chores, and we’re trying to organize the roundup.”
“I know.” Her expression softened as she came closer. “Holt, I appreciate your time and help, especially after the mishap in the mine.”
She looked young…and innocent as she flashed those big brown eyes at him. He felt the reaction deep in his gut. She drew more than protective instincts from him. “That’s why you shouldn’t go into those mines alone.”
Leah nibbled on her lower lip. “So…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” she said.
Holt nodded, not trusting himself with saying anything more.
“Goodbye,” she said, then darted out the door and down the steps. The rain had slowed to a soft drizzle, but she seemed to hardly notice it. Leah raised her face skyward and drew a deep breath before she got into her car.
From the window he watched her drive off. Had he ever been that carefree? He knew the answer to that. He’d been driven all his life. His mother, Elizabeth Pershing, had expected certain things from her only child. He had to uphold the blue-blood old Boston Pershing family’s name. And being the son of a Colorado rancher had already been a black mark against him. As hard as he tried, Holt never felt good enough to be a Pershing. He’d once overheard his grandparents say that Elizabeth had made a mistake marrying, and having a child with John Rawlins. Holt never doubted that he was the “mistake.”
The one difference between himself and his mother was he’d finally stopped trying to please the family. When he’d heard of John Rawlins’s death—and even with his Grandmother Pershing’s threats to disinherit him—Holt had quit his job and moved to Colorado to take over the ranch.
He walked away from his career and from the woman he supposedly loved. Melanie was everything a man could want. But when she wanted to settle down and start a family, he couldn’t take that step.
He wasn’t sure if he was capable of love.
“Leah, did you hear what I said?” Morgan asked.
“What?” Leah glanced at her sister, embarrassed that she’d been caught daydreaming.
“I asked if you think the church hall is big enough for Mom and Dad’s anniversary party.”
“Well, you should know better than I do. How many people will the place hold? Are we inviting the entire town?”
The always organized and composed Morgan looked anything but that today. “I’m not sure,” she said. “It’s just that we’ve got the town’s Founder’s Day celebration at the same time.”
Morgan was the only one of the Keenan sisters who had stayed in Destiny. Leah had taken off to photograph the world. Paige, with her law degree, took a job with the D.A. in Denver. Morgan’s dream had always been to teach school. But while she’d been student teaching in an inner-city school, she’d suddenly come home. To stay. She’d said that she’d changed her mind about her career, then soon after opened a gift shop in the Keenan Inn. Since then Morgan hadn’t traveled any farther away from Destiny than Durango. She’d been the one here for the family, especially her sisters.
Leah decided it was about time she and Paige helped out.
“When did you say Paige was coming home?” Leah asked.
“Not sure. The last time I talked to her she was working on a big criminal case. She’s hoping she’ll make it by the end of the month.”
Leah frowned. “That only leaves us two weeks before the party.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get.” Morgan smiled. “I’m just glad you could get so much time off. Three years is too long to be away.”
Guilt made Leah blush. “You always knew I was an eager kid with big dreams. I had to grab an opportunity when it was handed to me.”
“Are you sorry?” Morgan asked.
“Of course there are times,” Leah began, “that I missed the family.” So many nights she’d cried herself to sleep after she photographed all the pain and suffering. It was what hadn’t gone into print that truly haunted her. She sighed. “But Our World magazine gave me an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” For the last three years, she’d led Morgan to think her life was so glamorous, but the faces of the children she had to walk away from would bother her always.
Leah forced aside the memories and smiled. “I wish I’d had better accommodations. Most of the places I went didn’t even have running water, or toilets.” Or any respect for life.
“Well, we for sure can give you better living quarters. I just hope you don’t get bored.”
On the contrary, Leah welcomed the peace and quiet of her hometown. Her thoughts turned to Destiny’s new resident, Holt Rawlins. He hadn’t exactly made her feel peaceful. “I think I can stay busy enough.”
“If you’re talking about the runaway boy, maybe I should give Reed a call. As sheriff he could get together a lot of volunteers.”
“I’m just afraid that we’ll drive him deeper into the woods. Maybe it’s better if Holt and I go out tomorrow alone.”
“You’ve been in town for only a few days and you’ve seen more of our new resident than we have in the past four months.” Morgan’s eyes widened. “What’s he like?”
Leah shrugged. “I see a strong physical resemblance, but he’s nothing like John. Has he made friends with anyone in town?”
“Outside of the few times I’ve seen him at the grocery store or the trading post, he’s pretty much kept to himself. He’s cordial and polite. Maybe you should invite him to a town meeting and introduce him around.”
Leah wasn’t sure Holt wanted to make friends. “Doesn’t it seem strange that John never mentioned a son?” Leah asked. “Why he never had a relationship with Holt?”
Morgan shrugged. “Could be the divorce was a bitter one, and it’s difficult to keep a long-distance father/son relationship going.”
Leah drew a breath. “It’s still hard for me to imagine John Rawlins ignoring his own child.”
“It happens,” Morgan told her. “Look at us. Our birth mother never came back to get us.”
It was no secret that twenty-seven years ago three girls—two toddlers and an infant—were left at the inn for the childless Keenans to raise. There had never been much discussion about the girls’ biological parents. Why would a mother just leave her daughters?
Morgan looked at her sister. “Sometimes parents can’t keep their promises.”
The next morning, although the sun was shining, the weather was still chilly. It was a perfect day for a ride. Leah brought her camera this time and tucked it away in her saddlebag. She wasn’t going to waste this incredible scenery.
Riding Daisy, Leah followed behind Holt on the trail. They’d already checked out two abandoned mines. Only this time, Holt had her stay outside while he looked around. As much as she wanted to protest, she knew better than to push him anymore. So she busied herself taking pictures.
As they headed back they approached the waterfall. Holt reined his horse and turned toward her. He pushed his hat back exposing his handsome face. “How about we take a break?”
“Sure why not.”
Leah climbed down and retrieved her camera. She started toward the rushing water, feeling the temperature cool. The fresh mountain air was refreshing and a fine mist caressed her face as she climbed over the rocky base to find the best angle to shoot a picture. Poised with her camera, Leah was in her own world when she shifted and began to slip. She gasped. Suddenly a pair of strong arms circled her waist and kept her from falling in the water.
Leah regained her footing, then looked up into Holt’s green eyes. Her heart raced. “Sorry, I lost my balance.”
He gave her a hint of a smile. “Seems that’s been happening to you a lot lately.”
“I’ll try to be more careful.” She regained her footing, and climbed onto a big boulder to look around. “That’s where I first saw him.” She pointed. “At the edge of the pool.”
Holt took in the incredible sight of his own piece of Shangri-la. Crystal-clear water sheeted over the granite that protruded from the mountainside. Several large boulders circled the small pond below, its bottom covered by colorful rocks. He heard a clicking sound and glanced back at Leah. She was taking his picture.
“Surely you can find a better subject than me.”
“Maybe, but right now you’re all I’ve got.” He caught her sly smile. “Just don’t turn grumpy on me.”
He surprised himself and smiled. “You’re pretty sassy for…a kid.”
She moved and took another picture. “You need your eyes checked. I’m not a kid.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my eyesight.” He flashed back to yesterday with her in his shirt. Her long legs. “You might be full grown, but in years, you’re still a kid.”
“And you’re so old.”
