Reckonings. Cynthia Eden

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СКАЧАТЬ Scarlett McGuire had shouted the announcement as she strode past Jamie, and now she was flashing a rather wicked grin her way, as if she realized Jamie would rather walk through hell than make a grab for that bouquet. Of all the women at that wedding reception, Scarlett probably knew Jamie the best. So she knows this is when I’ll run.

      Jamie tried to inch away, but a swarm of other women and a cloud of perfume surrounded her. She was pushed forward. Pushed up closer to the bride.

      No, no, no! She threw up her hands, trying to knock the bouquet away when it actually came right at her.

      Jamie thought she heard a sharp bark of male laughter, and she realized that she’d squeezed her eyes shut. Jamie cracked open one eye just in time to see the bouquet bounce off her hand and fly toward one of the bridesmaids. The woman let out a shriek of joy and fist-pumped like a football player who’d just crossed into the end zone.

      Jamie felt a surge of relief. The crowd thinned. It was finally late enough for her to leave the party and head back to the safety of her little house and—

      “I’ve never seen anyone actually hit a bouquet away quite like that,” a deep, dark male voice drawled. “Got to say, it was impressive. I bet you would make one hell of a volleyball player.”

      Her gaze slid to the left, and she found trouble. Right there. The tall, broad-shouldered man with the thick, dark hair and the glinting green eyes... Oh, yes, he was definitely trouble.

      He was also one of the bride’s brothers.

      Davis McGuire lifted one brow as he stared at her. His hair was a bit darker than Ava’s, and while Ava was a beautiful woman... Davis was one dangerous-looking man. His face was hard angles—high cheekbones, a square jaw. In the time that she’d been in Texas, Jamie wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the guy smile. He just oozed a brooding intensity. An intensity that frightened her.

      Because I’ve seen trouble like him before. And she still had the scars from that encounter.

      But when she gazed at Davis, Jamie didn’t feel afraid. She felt oddly...good. Right. He’s here now. Such a strange thought to have. One that didn’t really make sense to her.

      The bride and groom rushed away in a hail of laughter and well wishes. Jamie waved to them, caught for a moment by the joy that she could see on Ava’s face. Ava had certainly lived through her own hell—she deserved every bit of the happiness that she had.

       Don’t we all deserve to be happy?

      And then...the bride and groom were gone. Riding off to their happy-ever-after ending.

      Some people actually got those.

      Others didn’t. Others got nightmares. Jamie shivered.

      Davis stepped closer to her. “I’m guessing it’s safe to say that you’re not real interested in getting married right now.”

      “I... It’s very safe to say that.” Her words trembled. She hated that sign of weakness. She straightened her shoulders and stretched her spine. Even in the heels, she only stood at about five feet six inches tall, so she was nowhere close to Davis’s towering height. At least six foot three. Maybe more.

      His head cocked as he studied her. “You look...very, very nice tonight, Doc.” Male appreciation lit his gaze as it swept over her blue dress, a blue that she knew matched her eyes. “But I’ve got to say—” his gaze rose back to her face “—I’ll never forget the way you handled that bouquet.” And he smiled.

      An actual, serious smile.

      In that instant, his face went from dangerous to drop-dead gorgeous. She even thought that she saw a dimple wink in his cheek.

      Davis offered his arm to her. “Want to dance?”

      She’d met Davis shortly after moving to the area. His family owned the McGuire ranch, but the ranch itself only had a few horses on it. Jamie was a veterinarian, and she’d been called out a couple of times to check on those animals. She’d spoken briefly with Davis on each visit.

      Davis didn’t have a passion for the ranch. Like his brothers, he spent most of his time working at McGuire Securities, a private investigation firm in Austin. She knew he was ex-military and she’d also heard rumors about him being an adrenaline junkie who thrived on the thrill of a dangerous hunt—

      “Jamie?” Davis murmured. “It wasn’t a hard question. Do you want to dance?”

      Her gaze cut to the crowded dance floor. “There’s...so many people out there.” She shook her head and eased back a step. “I don’t... Um, it’s probably not a good idea. Not in that crush.”

      Before she could turn and flee—and Jamie was giving a full-out run serious consideration—Davis caught her hand in his. At his touch, she stilled because she was pretty sure she felt a surge of heat snake from her fingers straight to her heart. Her breath caught, and her gaze shot up to meet his.

      He still had that faint smile on his face. “I don’t like the crowds, either. But I do know a good dance spot. Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

      She shouldn’t. Really.

      But she found herself walking with him. She hadn’t taken a starlit stroll with a man in...

      Jamie’s shoulders tensed, and she immediately shut down that thought. “I should go. I have calls in the morning and—”

      “Are you afraid of me?” He’d already led her away from the crowd. They were out at the McGuire ranch because Ava had wanted her wedding to be there. She’d wanted to turn a place of tragedy into a place of joy again.

      “Of course not.” Jamie was very good at lying. Too good, most days. But when your life was a lie, you had to learn how to adapt quickly.

      “Good.” He kept walking, and he also kept his hold on her hand. A few moments later, they’d left the party behind and were beneath the tall branches of a tree that overlooked the lake on the ranch. The decorators had really gone above and beyond out there—they’d put up twinkling lights everywhere, and they looked like little stars nestled in the tree. The music drifted in the air, easily reaching them, as Davis turned and pulled her into his arms. “How about we dance right here?”

      “I, um, don’t think my heels were made to dance out there. It’s—”

      He bent. His hand slid her shoe right off. Then his fingers were gently lifting her other ankle. Lightly rubbing the flesh. Making her breath catch. And just like that, her other high heel was gone, too.

      “Better?”

      Her brows rose. “If dancing barefoot is better, then, yes.” It was a good thing the night wasn’t cold.

      He laughed, the sound a little rusty but oddly warming. He put her shoes down and wrapped his hands around her waist.

      “Don’t expect fancy moves,” she told him. Once upon a time, she’d danced in ballrooms. She’d learned all the right steps to take. But that had been years ago, and she’d stayed as far from ballrooms as possible since then.

      “I don’t expect anything but for you to just let СКАЧАТЬ