Homeward Bound. Marin Thomas

finals in May to accept his offer to spend the summer at his ranch…about the cruel way he’d rejected her, insisting that their kiss had been a big mistake.

      If not for his unexpected visit last week, Heather would never have believed that Royce might have been lying three years ago when he’d told her to get lost. But she’d caught the naked longing in his eyes when their gazes first clashed—the same longing she’d seen when they’d kissed that first time. Heather was convinced Royce felt…something for her. Why he denied his feelings was a mystery she was determined to solve.

      Her father’s death had brought Royce back into her life. This time she wasn’t letting him push her away until she understood why he’d rejected her. The fact that Royce wanted her to stay away from Nowhere was her first clue that he was hiding something from her.

      The store was the excuse she needed to return home and do a little digging into the past.

      “Listen, you can’t save the business unless you come up with a truckload of money.”

      “Sheesh, Royce. Have a little faith in me, will you?” Just like all the other good folks in Nowhere, Royce believed her nothing more than an airhead.

      “You’re not exactly the queen of capability and commitment.”

      “I’ve changed since going away to school.”

      “You haven’t changed that much.”

      Royce had just laid down the gauntlet. “Oh?”

      “You don’t really want to run the store.”

      She cringed. Unloading sacks of corn feed held as much appeal as gutting fish on a hot, humid day. But pretending to care about the business was as good an excuse to go home as any. If she could persuade her professors to allow her to take her two remaining classes by correspondence, she’d still earn her degree by the end of the summer. Then if things didn’t work out with Royce, she’d leave Nowhere, find a job and begin a new chapter in her life. “I could run the business until I get a better offer.”

      “A better offer? You’re kidding.” Yep. The hint of desperation in his voice convinced her that he was harboring a secret. “Heather…you are joking, aren’t you?”

      “I’m not ready to sell.”

      “The store isn’t a game or a toy you can toss aside when you’re tired of playing around.”

      “I never thought of the business as a toy.”

      “C’mon, Heather.”

      “Decline the offer.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to call them back. Change her mind. Run for cover. There was no guarantee she’d even find the answers she sought, and if she did…could she handle the truth?

      “Haven’t I always looked out for your best interests?”

      “Whether you approve or not, Royce, I’m coming home.”

      Returning to Nowhere might prove to be the most rash, absurd, worst decision she’d ever made in her life—so far. But once she gave voice to her plan, a sense of peace filled her.

      “You’re not dropping out of college. Christ, Heather. You’re too close to getting a degree to quit now.”

      “What makes you think I won’t get my degree?”

      “Heather—”

      “Listen up, buckaroo. I’ve managed to stay in college and not drop out. I’ve managed a B average in all my classes—and that’s a lot of classes over seven years. I’ve managed to work several different part-time jobs to help support me while in school. I’ve managed—”

      “Stop.” His shout startled Heather into silence. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he added in a quieter voice. “But managing a business, an almost bankrupt business, is a lot of responsibility.”

      She admitted that he had every right to believe she’d run when the going got tough. She’d done plenty of running in the past. Well, actions spoke louder than words. She was through running.

      Proving she could oversee the store would be the first step in earning his respect. And for some reason, she yearned for Royce’s respect. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve made up my mind.”

      A burst of pure, sweet rebellion broke free inside her, and she reveled in the exhilarating sensation. She unknotted the towel over her breasts and flung it across the room. Stark naked, chin high, she faced her adversary…through the cell phone signal. “It’s time I, not you, decide what’s best for me.”

      “Heather. Stay put.”

      “Goodbye, Royce.”

      “I’m warning you, Heather—”

      She flipped the phone shut, cutting him off in mid threat. After returning to the bathroom, she finished her shower, then shimmied into a pair of sparkling purple panties and a matching bra. She tingled with excitement and fear. Dealing with the feed store on her own terms would help her put the past to rest and determine her future—with or without Royce.

      Monday she’d visit her professors and explain about her father’s death and her wish to settle his estate. She was positive they’d allow her to complete her courses by correspondence. Tomorrow, she’d quit her job at the law library and put an ad in the paper to sublet the house. If all went well, she’d return to Nowhere by the first week of June.

      Now, if she could only figure out how to save her father’s business. An idea started to form. If she used psychological profiles to chart the wants and needs of customers…Later tonight, after returning from the graduation party, she’d sit down and draw up a business plan.

      “OH, MY! What is such a handsome devil doing in the middle of Nowhere?” The Marilyn Monroe look-alike’s sultry voice drifted over Heather’s bus seat, startling her like a slap to the back of the head.

      Leaning forward, she peered around the gray-haired granny she’d shared the trip with from College Station to Nowhere. The little old lady continued to snore, oblivious to the Greyhound’s turn into the almost-empty church lot.

      Holy cow. Heather’s thoughts echoed Marilyn Monroe’s sentiments. She stared at the lone male leaning against a black Dodge four-by-four pickup. The vehicle was big and menacing and familiar.

      So was the man.

      Eight days had passed since she’d informed Royce of her plan to return to Nowhere and run the feed store. She hadn’t expected to find him waiting for her bus in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. She’d intended to arrive in town without anyone the wiser. She swallowed back a sigh. Some things never changed—like “the mayor” knowing her every move…even before she did.

      Tall, broad and dark, he resembled a bad-boy more than a rancher. He wore scuffed cowboy boots, a black T-shirt tucked into tight, faded button-fly jeans and the same battered Stetson, with the brim tilted low over his forehead to block the late-afternoon sun.

      Good heavens, the man was a looker. The driver swung the bus in a wide arc until the front end faced the street. Her attention remained on the lone figure by the truck. His powerful physique lent him an air of authority. Not that he needed an air. He came by his demanding, bossy nature naturally.

      When the bus stopped, she slipped her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her backpack from under the seat in front of her. She was the only fool getting off in Nowhere.

      Marilyn Monroe smacked her gum. “Go get him, honey.”

      Heather’s heart thumped. But it had nothing to do with the rancher’s sex appeal and everything to do with his temper. With steady steps she made her way to the front of the bus, her fingernails sinking like talons into the cushioned seat backs.

      You shouldn’t have hung up on him.

      A tiny voice in her head insisted it wasn’t too late to turn back, reclaim