Page 123 of Down and Dirty

Okay. Zach had been a player for too long not to recognize the message given by her particular smile. In the old days, they would have called it a “come hither” smile. He called it a “come on over here, cowboy, and let’s rodeo” smile.

He hesitated, then figured, “What the hell!” It was only a dance. He did in fact dance with her. Then he danced with her again, and again.

Sammy came over to ask him if he could stay overnight with a friend. As he stood talking to the boy, his hand wrapped around Francine’s waist, tucking her into his side. It felt good to be with a woman again. And she got along well with Sammy. Not that he was planning anything… yet. He and Francine were both laughing at Sammy’s long-winded explanation for why he really, really needed a dog.

In the midst of their laughter, he glanced across the room and saw a blonde woman dancing with a tall guy who had one arm around her waist, and her right hand held up to his chest in one of his hands. The woman matched the man in height, probably six feet tall. She was slim, but she filled out the tight jeans very well.

Then she turned.

And the blood drained from his skull.

It was Britta.

“Oh, my God!” He clutched Francine’s waist tighter.

Francine asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry. I thought I just saw… ”

“… a ghost?” She laughed.

“You could say that.” Zach’s heart was beating so fast he feared it might burst.

Then the woman, who resembled Britta, but couldn’t possibly be Britta, noticed him, and she stopped dead in her dancing shoes… boots.

He started to smile.

She bared her teeth. And then she bolted.

By the time Zach made his escape, rushing across the room and to the doorway, there was no one there. It couldn’t have been Britta. This woman had been pure Alaskan with her flannel shirt, heavy jeans, and boots. His eyes must have been playing games with him. Wishful thinking.

But he had no heart for the dance, or Francine, anymore. After going in to give permission for Sammy to stay with his friend, and saying his good-byes to a clearly disappointed Francine, he left the hall and headed for home.

He had thought before tonight that he was getting better, but he was right back to step one. He missed Britta so much he could almost cry.

And, yeah, there were tears in his eyes.

He almost hated her for how she’d ruined his life.

Almost.

Life does not always have happy endings…

Britta was so miserable and angry that she could scarce keep her balance as she stomped along the icy road, heading toward the Woolever home.

The lecherous, traitorous, slimy, fornicating maggot!

Here she was getting bigger by the day with his child, and he had his paws all over that woman’s body. A painful thought occurred to her. Oh, my gods! Mayhap he has married the wench in the months since I have been gone. That hurt.

Knuckling her eyes so that she could see better, she plodded on. She needed to get back to the Woolever home and make plans to leave as soon as possible. She could not stay within such close proximity to Zachary. She just could not.

Her heart felt as if it were being crushed.

It could have been someone else.

Hah! It was him.

Why would he leave the warm lands of California for this frigid place?