"No," she agreed, "but they don't have very much to do with reality."

A smile played along his mouth. "Oh, I don't know, I always thought they brought out the best part of reality."

Denise shrugged, too tired to argue. "So, how do I get to town?"

He didn't quite follow her. "You mean in the morning?"

She got out of the car, closing the door in her wake. "No, I mean now-if you won't drive me."

She made it sound as if he was doing it solely to annoy her. "It's not a matter of won't,' but I think since Audra's probably already asleep that it's just a good idea for you to stay here. I'll take you into town in the morning."

"Don't you have to go to work?" He didn't have time to play chauffeur.

"It's all located in the same general area," he answered patiently, "Work, carnival grounds, hospital. No extra driving. We'll just get an early start in the morning."

Why was he making things more difficult for her? "Not if I get back tonight."

Will blew out a breath. "Do you argue about everything?"

Oh, so now this was her fault? Denise thought. No way. "I wouldn't have to argue if you agreed with me."

He had to laugh at her logic. "That's rich."

She fisted her hands at her waist. "No, that's right"

The woman was one of a kind. No one else Will knew ever made him lose his temper. "You know, until I met you, I thought my sister, Morgan, was the most headstrong female G.o.d ever created. But you've got her beat by a country mile."

She sniffed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Why didn't that surprise him? "You would." He looked at her closely. "What are you afraid of?"

There went that male ego of his again, Denise thought. He probably thought it all had to do with him, with being afraid that she was growing much too vulnerable around him. Well, he was wrong.

"I'm not afraid of anything. I just don't like being in debt."

That was easily solved. "Then give us extra tickets." But he didn't really believe that was the whole reason. "Seems to me, Denny, that your life would be a whole lot more pleasant if you were."

She took offense instantly. "What?"

He had no intention of smoothing that over. "You heard me. You'd have a better time of it if you just learned to relax a little and accept a hand offered in friendship when it's extended."

"Is that what you're doing?" As if she didn't know better. Friends didn't kiss like that, didn't set out to numb your body and crack your soul.

"Yes."

Her eyes narrowed as she caught him in the lie. "And that kiss on the porch, was that friendship, too?"

"Yes." He refused to back down. "Just a special kind of friendship, that's all." He smiled, softening. Maybe she'd learn by example if he kept showing her. "Now can I tell my mother to make up an extra bed, or am I going to have to listen to her lecture me on my lack of manners because I couldn't convince you to stay?"

She wavered. If she were being honest, she really didn't relish the thought of being alone tonight. Her mind was far too active right now. And the scenarios it was going through were dreadful.

"Well, as long as I'd be doing you a favor...if you're sure your mother won't mind."

He smiled, triumphant but trying to be a good sport about it. "I'm sure. My mother would only mind if you and Audra went back to town tonight" For good measure, he reinforced his statement. "As a matter of fact, both my parents would."

Denise gave in. "All right, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to stay the night."

It was an odd choice of words, Will thought, opening the front door. He couldn't begin to understand why she'd think it might harm anything if she and Audra spent the night, or even the next few nights at the Shady Lady. Getting this woman to accept an act of kindness was like pulling teeth. Very pretty teeth he conceded, but teeth nonetheless.

6.

Some of her wariness dropped off the moment Denise entered the living room and saw her daughter sleeping on the sofa. The crocheted throw that had graced the back of the black leathered upholstery was now lightly draped over the little girl. The night was cool, despite the season.

For a moment Denise paused, letting the sight get to her. Soothe her.

Audra looked so untroubled, so peaceful, she thought A half smile curved her mouth. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she could somehow manage to keep things just that way for her daughter?

But that was just a pipe dream at best, and she didn't believe in those any longer. She knew they didn't have a prayer of coming true.

Jake and Zoe were on either side of her before Denise had taken five steps into the room.

"What did the doctor say?" Jake wanted to know.

Denise opened her mouth, but it was Will who answered the question for her. "Mr. Cavanaugh has to stay at the hospital. The treadmill test they had him take showed a blocked artery. Doc Black wants to do an angioplasty on him in the morning."

Zoe pressed her lips together, taking in a deep breath as she relived her own ordeal and uncertainty. "That's what he said would have helped you, if you'd only gone in when you should have instead of waiting."

Jake nodded, his attention devoted to Denise. He took her hand in his and noted that it was icy. Why wasn't his son doing something about this state of affairs?

"Your daddy couldn't be in better hands, honey," he a.s.sured her. "Trust me."

There wasn't a single reason for her to believe anything this man, or any of them, were saying to her. She hadn't known any of them yesterday.

And yet...

And yet she did, Denise realized. She did trust them. And there was something infinitely comforting in being able to feel that trust. Rolling it over in her mind, she examined it from all angles, as if it were an exotic seash.e.l.l she'd found in her path on the beach.

It was a strange feeling, trusting someone. One she wasn't accustomed to.

Taking charge again, Zoe slipped her arm around Denise's shoulders.

"So you'll be staying here?" Denise knew it was a rhetorical question. From the sound of her voice, Zoe had apparently made up her mind that she was having two extra people under her roof tonight. All she wanted from Denise was to have her rubberstamp it.

Will grinned at his mother over Denise's head. "I talked her into it."

Did this man think that she was so swaddled in grief and concern that she'd lost the ability to speak? Why was he constantly answering for her? Denise set her mouth hard as she turned her eyes accusingly on him.

"And talked and talked."

The clanging noise in his head was the sound of two swords, crossing. The unofficial truce hadn't lasted long, Will thought. "Now what did I do wrong?"

She squared her shoulders, reacting to his tone. "I'm perfectly capable of answering your parents' questions on my own, thank you."

He wasn't about to get into another loud discussion with her in front of his parents. For the sake of harmony, he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Sorry."

"Mama."

Audra was stumbling toward her, rubbing her eyes and dragging the throw that was now wrapped around her legs with her. Getting down on her knees, Denise immediately untangled her.

"Now look what you did," she tossed accusingly over her shoulder. "You woke her up. There, baby, it's okay."

Will could taste his temper rising. This woman really did bring out the worst in him, he thought grudgingly. "I wasn't the one who raised my voice."

Denise flushed. Rising, she dropped the throw on the sofa, then picked up a sleepy Audra. "Sorry, this is no way to repay your hospitality." The apology was directed more toward his parents than toward Will. "I'm just edgy."

Zoe slipped her arm around Denise's shoulders again, smiling at Audra in the bargain. "And you've got every reason in the world to feel that way. Your daddy's in the hospital, facing surgery and you're nervous for him. It's all perfectly natural."

Audra jerked her head up off her mother's shoulder. Her eyes were huge as she looked around the room, searching for her grandfather. "Grampa's in the hospital?"

Because it helped both of them cope, Denise stroked her daughter's head, gently pressing it back down against her shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay, baby. They're going to make Grampa all better. Fix him up just like that." She snapped her fingers for effect.

Audra solemnly nodded her head. "I know that."

She wished she had just a piece of that faith she saw now in her daughter's eyes. "Oh, and just how do you know that?"

Audra pointed a small index finger at Will. "Because Will promised."

He had no right to do that, Denise thought angrily. He had no right to get Audra to believe so strongly. What if something went wrong with the operation tomorrow? What could she possibly say to her daughter that would alleviate not only her grief at losing her beloved grandfather, but take away the pain of realizing that she'd been deceived by someone she believed in?

Denise's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at the offender. "Yes, he did, didn't he?"

Will didn't think he liked the tone of that, and he knew he didn't like the look in her eyes. But there wasn't anything he could say without getting into a row with her and now wasn't the best time. So he kept his peace and said nothing.

"Why don't I show you where you'll be staying?" Zoe suggested tactfully.

Audra let loose with an exaggerated version of a yawn. "Can Will carry me?"

Denise looked at her daughter in surprise. "But I'm already carrying you."

"I know, but Will's arms are more muscley and comfy." She smiled beguilingly at her hero.

Denise hesitated. She didn't want Audra getting attached to this man. And she definitely didn't want to do anything to encourage that attachment. They'd be gone in a matter of two weeks if the surgery was as un.o.btrusive as the doctor had made it sound. The last thing she wanted was for Audra to feel as if she'd left something behind when they went.

"Glad you noticed," Will said to Audra. "And I'd certainly love to carry you to your room." Will extended his arms to Audra. "That is, if your mother doesn't have any objections."

She had lots of objections, Denise thought vehemently. None, however, that she could voice right now, in front of witnesses who had bent over backward for her. Feeling as if she was on the spot, Denise had no choice but to surrender her daughter to Will.

Audra curled up like a contented kitten in his arms. "Okay, we can go now," she all but purred.

Denise rolled her eyes as she followed behind Zoe. She could hear Jake chuckling to himself in the background. Though she found nothing funny in the situation, she had to admit that the laugh had a comforting sound to it.

Just like the people and the house.

"Well, that didn't take very long," Will commented as he eased the guest door shut behind him.

Had he been a betting man, he would have laid odds that Audra would stay awake for hours. But she'd dropped off to sleep five minutes into the story she begged him to tell her. The excitement had gotten the better of her.

Exhausted and keyed up at the same time, Denise dragged her hand through the back of her hair, letting it fall again.

"It took her a lot less time to fall asleep than it's going to take me." She seriously doubted that she was going to sleep a wink tonight She looked at him, mildly curious. "Where did you get that story, anyway? Something your mother read to you?"

An amused glimmer entered his eyes. "No, it was actually kind of autobiographical."

She looked at him. With nowhere to go, she'd found herself listening to the whimsical tale of a boy, a boxful of freshly hatched wolf spiders and an inspired hunt for a wild pony in the canyon. And charmed by it.

"That mischievous little boy in the story was you?"

"Yes." He took her arm as naturally as if they'd always walked side by side. He sensed her tension. "Want to go outside for some air?"

"Sure." And then she shook her head as she slanted a look at Will's face. "I just can't picture you as being mischievous."

Wisps of other memories, long dimmed by time, floated through his mind. He held the front door open for her. "I was, until I realized that my parents needed help with the ranch and with my brothers and sister. Nothing like responsibility to drain the mischief right out of you."

But even as he said it, a fond smile played on his lips. If he resented any part of his youth, it wasn't evident, Denise thought.

Shouldering responsibility at too young an age. She could really relate to that. "Tell me about it."

Will turned, leaning his back against the railing. Looking at her. "I'd rather you told me about it."

She shrugged self-consciously. She shouldn't have said anything, she berated herself. Folding her hands before her, Denise looked off into the darkness straight ahead of her.

She could feel his eyes on her. "Nothing nearly as colorful as disobeying my parents-my father," she amended "and finding my own wild pony in the hills." She shrugged again, wishing she could shrug away his gaze as well. Or at least her reaction to it "It's just something that slowly happened, that's all."

She said it as if the weight of that responsibility was making her bow submissively. It didn't fit in with what he was learning about her. "It wouldn't have happened if you didn't want it to."

She straightened. The next moment he saw the by-now-familiar lift of her chin.

"I take it you're speaking from experience?" she asked coolly.