Читать книгу Your Ranch Or Mine? - Cindy Kirk, Cindy Kirk - Страница 10

For seven days after the Young Professionals meeting, Anna stalked Mitch Donavan. Okay, perhaps stalked was too strong a word. But whatever you called it, she made it her business to find out more about him. And the YP meeting was her springboard to all things Mitch.

Whenever she ran into someone who knew him, she’d bring up the YP meeting. She’d start talking about who was there and make sure she mentioned his name.

That’s how she found out he was living next door to Pastor Barbee while his log home at the foothills of the Crazy Mountains was being built. It was how she discovered he worked from home. And that he was now coaching the football team of Cassie’s thirteen-year-old.

That last bit of information had given her pause. Until she reminded herself that Mitch’s personal life was none of her concern. She was merely trying to right a wrong, not hook up with the guy.

Anna flipped open the vanity mirror of her Jeep. Since she’d been small, looking her best had given her comfort and helped still her anxiety. She studied her reflection with a critical eye. From the beauty pageants she’d competed in as a teenager, she’d learned that lips could usually benefit from more color. She pulled a small silver tube from her purse and performed a quick touch-up.

Dropping the lipstick back into the bag, Anna snapped the mirror shut. She’d been parked in the alley behind Mitch’s house for almost twenty minutes. She wasn’t sure what his plans were today. What she did know was the longer she procrastinated, the more likely it was that her visit would conflict with something on his schedule. Not to mention Alex was expecting her to open the office at eight and it was already ten minutes past seven.

Taking a deep breath, Anna opened the car door and headed up a stepping-stone path to Mitch’s house. His temporary home was a small one and a half story built shortly after WWII. The neighborhood surrounding it was filled with similar houses. The plethora of mature trees and flower gardens gave the area a warm, friendly feel.

As Anna climbed the steps of the back deck she could hear sounds of movement coming from the kitchen. While she was relieved Mitch was at home, a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Would he open his heart enough to see that her remorse was genuine? Or would this trip be in vain?

She’d almost reached the door when a beagle came barreling out of Pastor Barbee’s house. The moment the dog saw her, he skidded to a stop. Before she could say “nice doggy,” the animal began barking as if this was jolly old England and he’d spotted a fox.

While Anna loved animals, a dog acting as a neighborhood alarm clock was a complication she hadn’t envisioned. In fact, she’d parked in the alley specifically to avoid drawing attention to her early-morning visit.

She could only hope that once she got inside, the beagle would stop its incessant yapping. Anna knocked and waited for Mitch to open the door. Five seconds passed. Then ten. She knocked again, harder this time. At twenty seconds the dog put its paws on the step of the deck and began to bay.

Anna dropped her gaze. After only a momentary hesitation, she grabbed the knob. It turned easily in her hand. Her lips lifted in triumph as she pushed it open and stepped inside. The smile wavered when she found herself face-to-face with Mitch Donavan.

Yesterday’s five o’clock shadow darkened his cheeks and his hair looked enticingly disheveled. But it was his attire—or lack of—that sent adrenaline spurting through her veins. “Hello, Mitch.”

An odd breathlessness crept into her voice, a breathlessness that only intensified when her attention slipped from his bare chest to the well-worn jeans.

It was odd she’d never realized that a pair of jeans could be so sexy.

“It’s been a while since I lived in Sweet River,” Mitch said.

Anna jerked her attention to his face.

“Last I knew, when a person knocked, they waited for someone to come to the door and invite them inside.”

Though “breaking and entering” wasn’t her style, if he was trying to make her feel guilty, it wasn’t going to work. She could still hear the beagle barking, but thankfully the door muted most of the sound. Anna lifted her chin. “Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures.”

He crossed his arms, drawing attention to his muscular chest.

Anna’s heart stuttered.

“Desperate?” he asked.

“If I’d waited any longer, Barky Von Beagle would have awakened the entire neighborhood.” Anna’s heart resumed a normal rhythm. She gestured with one hand toward the back door, but Mitch didn’t even glance in that direction. Instead his gaze remained riveted on her.

“Most visitors come to the front door,” he said. “Why did you come to the back?”

A simple question. An easy answer. “I didn’t want anyone to see me.”

Mitch lived next door to Pastor Barbee. He knew how Mrs. Barbee loved to talk. He would understand Anna’s desire not to fuel the gossip mill.

But no look of understanding crossed his face. Instead his gaze turned frosty and the temperature in the room plunged twenty degrees. “Why are you here, Anna?”

Considering the way they’d parted, Anna had feared this conversation might be difficult. And from Mitch’s tone, it appeared her fears had been well-founded. Still, she was a woman on a mission. She was determined to apologize, to ease the bad blood between them. But for that to happen she had to find a way to erase the tension so he’d stop glowering and listen to her.

Anna made a great show of sniffing the air. “Coffee smells wonderful. Is there enough for me?”

Mitch hesitated for a second then gestured toward the cupboard. “Extra mugs are in there.”

When he made no move to get one for her, Anna sauntered in that direction, her heart sinking. Perhaps she shouldn’t have come. Maybe some things were better left—

“Cream is in the refrigerator,” he added.

The summer they’d been together he’d often teased her about her fondness for cream with a little bit of coffee. Anna’s steps faltered and she flushed with pleasure. “You remembered.”

His face was a mask, giving nothing away. “What did you want to discuss?”

“Coffee first.” With renewed optimism, Anna chose a mug and filled it with coffee. As she slowly added the cream, she cast surreptitious glances at Mitch. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. His bare chest with just a smattering of dark hair was turning out to be a distraction she didn’t need. Anna brought the cup to her lips and forced a casual tone. “If you want to get dressed, I can wait.”

For a second she thought he might actually do as she’d suggested. Until he glanced at his jeans and hooked a thumb in a belt loop. “I don’t understand the problem. You’ve seen me in a whole lot less.”

Anna flinched. In all these years she’d never spoken of their relationship to anyone. Though they were the only two in the room, she felt like putting a finger to her lips and telling him to shush.

“Nobody knows that.” A thought suddenly struck her. “You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“I kept my mouth shut,” he said. “That was the deal.”

The hint of bitterness underscoring the words tore at her heartstrings. Insisting they keep their relationship a secret hadn’t been fair. Not to him. Not to her.

“Sit down, Mitch.” Anna softened the request with a smile. “Please.”

She took a seat first, hoping he would follow her lead. To her surprise he did as she’d asked. Though the kitchen was an adequate size, it suddenly seemed to shrink. And the sight of his bare chest just across the table made her heart flutter.

Don’t look, Anna told herself. Focus elsewhere.

She dropped her gaze to the golden-brown coffee cake in the center of the table. “That looks good.”

“Cassie made it for me,” he said.

Anna swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in her throat and forced an equally casual tone. “Are you two seeing each other?”

“She lives down the block,” Mitch pointed out. “I see her every day.”

He’d deliberately misunderstood her question. But in a way he was right to shut her down. Who he was dating was none of her business.

When a minute passed and she still didn’t speak, Mitch cast a pointed glance at a manila folder on the counter. “I have a client coming at eight.”

She’d been warned. Just like at the YP meeting, the clock was ticking. Only this time Anna wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip away. “Over the years I thought about getting your address from Seth, but I never took that step. When I heard you were back in Sweet River, I knew the time had come.”

Puzzlement filled his eyes.

“To apologize.” She folded her hands on the table. “Showing up at the street dance with Andrew James when you and I were seeing each other was inexcusable. I’m sorry I did it and I’m sorry I hurt you. I hope you can forgive me.”

The flash of pain in Mitch’s eyes was gone so quickly Anna wondered if she’d only imagined it.

“You didn’t want to be seen with the son of the town drunk,” he said in a frank tone, his expression giving nothing away. “Understandable.”

He’d made similar comments when they’d been together, but she’d thought he was just joking around. Now she realized the pain had been real. Embarrassment mixed with a healthy dose of regret. She’d never, ever, been ashamed of him. And she wasn’t ashamed now. She just didn’t want anyone to discover they’d had a past because that might bring up other questions.

“That wasn’t how it was at all,” she protested.

“That was a long time ago.” Mitch waved a dismissive hand. “Scarcely matters now.”

“I liked you. But I wanted what was between us to, well, stay between us.” The words came out clunky and awkward and Anna nearly groaned aloud. She’d had thirteen years to plan what to say and this was the best she could come up with? No wonder Mitch looked skeptical.

“Yeah, you liked me so much that instead of going to the centennial celebration with me as you promised, you showed up with the mayor’s son,” he said.

Even now, remembering the look on Mitch’s face when he’d seen her with Andrew filled her with shame. “That was a test.”

Mitch slowly lowered his mug to the table. “Test?”

Her heart froze at the deadly calm in the word.

Mitch had never been the kind of guy a girl could wrap around her finger. And while his aloofness had been part of his appeal, it had also been extremely stressful. Anna had desperately wanted to believe he liked her, but he’d kept his feelings close and she’d needed to know for sure.

“I knew you liked making lo—er, having sex with me,” she said. “But I was never sure you really liked me.”

Looking back, Anna couldn’t believe she’d ever thought going to the celebration with Andrew was a good idea. She’d been so young. So foolish.

The muscle in Mitch’s jaw jumped. “You decided to make me jealous.”

Anna nodded. “If you reacted, I’d know you cared.”

Said aloud, the plan sounded even more childish.

“Why didn’t you simply ask me how I felt about you?”

She’d thought about doing just that. But to ask had seemed rather pathetic and needy. Besides, there was no guarantee he’d have been honest. “People don’t always tell the truth.”

Like her mother, who had insisted she’d be proud of her even if she didn’t become Miss Montana Teen. Yet when she’d taken second place, her mom had been furious. Then there were her high school “friends” who smiled to her face and talked about her behind her back. And who could forget the boys before Mitch, the ones who said whatever they thought would make her sleep with them. Luckily she’d been smart enough to see through their lies.

Mitch had been different and he’d been her first. He hadn’t pushed her to be intimate, hadn’t offered up flowery words of love or made promises he never intended to keep. He’d just been himself. And she’d found him irresistible.

“We had to keep our friendship on the down-low because of my mom.” Anna took a deep breath. “I told her I thought you were cute. She told me you were unacceptable.”

By the time Anna finished speaking the pain had returned to her heart.

Mitch rubbed a hand across his face. “You never had any intention of going with me to the celebration.”

“I wanted to go with you,” Anna said gently. “But I wasn’t willing to risk my mother’s wrath until I was sure of your feelings.”

His gaze searched hers but she had nothing to hide. Well, almost nothing to hide.

“I liked you, Mitch,” she said. “I really did. I feel incredibly bad about what happened. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I appreciate your honesty.” The tense set to Mitch’s shoulders eased. His eyes met hers and for a second she had the feeling he was seeing her for the first time. “Coming over this morning couldn’t have been easy.”

Anna brought a finger to her lips and kept her expression serious. “About as easy as eating barbed wire.”

The ring of the doorbell interrupted his chuckle. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Looks like my appointment is early.”

“Darn.” Anna snapped her fingers. “And we were having so much fun.”

For the first time since she’d walked through the door, he smiled. “I’d say the morning was definitely on the upswing.”

Anna found her own lips lifting. “True.”

“I hate to rush, but I need to answer the door.” Mitch pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. “Do you have anything else to tell me?”

Anna hesitated. Coming clean had felt so good that for a second she found herself wanting to tell him everything.

But if she told him her deepest, darkest secret, if she told him about the baby, the fragile truce they were building in this tiny kitchen would be shattered. Worse yet, he’d probably hate her. That was something she couldn’t bear.

“Like I said, I was young and immature. I made a lot of mistakes. But I’m truly sorry.” Anna met his gaze. “And that’s the truth.”