The Texas Renegade Returns. Charlene Sands

clanged in her head. Did he really still love her? Or was his work for his father not through yet? Did he have more damage to do? How could he ask her to forgive him? She still bled from the pain and humiliation he’d caused. Anyone who picked up a newspaper or watched the nightly news knew of the scandal. The headlines might as well have read Cara Windsor—Idiot for Love. “I don’t know if I can accept your apology, Alex.”

      The hopeful gleam in his eyes dimmed. He sighed and even that sound came out melodic. “Just listen to me before you decide. Will you have dinner with me?”

      “Here?”

      He nodded. “Here.”

      Her eyes narrowed. “You promised to have me back in an hour.”

      He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll honor that promise. I’ll take you back right now if you insist.”

      Insist. Insist. But Cara’s darn mouth was stuck in neutral. Nothing came out.

      “Please, Cara. I have things to say that I haven’t told another soul. You may not trust me, but I trust you. I need to explain everything to you.”

      She deserved an explanation. And he had her curious now. What kind of excuses could make up for breaking her heart and destroying their love? “Send the musicians away. There’ll be no serenading and dancing tonight.”

      His breath rushed out. “So, you’ll stay?”

      “Only for dinner. I’ll hear you out and then you’ll take me back home.”

      A beam of hope entered his eyes. He nodded. “I promise.”

      A promise from Alex del Toro?

      Maybe someone had some swampland in Florida to sell her, too.

      * * *

      Cara’s eyes closed as she took her first bite of shrimp scampi. The shrimp and the linguini were perfectly cooked. Garlic and olive oil made everything better. The evening was perfect, right down to the best pairing of wine to accompany the meal and the pink-gold blaze of light setting over the river.

      Leave it to Alex to make it all so memorable...even the second time around. But there wouldn’t be any offering of engagement rings or talk of happily-ever-afters tonight.

      “It’s delicious,” she said.

      She waited for Alex to say something pertinent. He had explaining to do. But instead, his gaze flowed over her like warm honey, shifting from her hair to her mouth. Cara squirmed in her chair, aware of his eyes on her. If only she hadn’t agreed to come here with him.

      Was he remembering the last time they’d made love? Was he remembering how she’d seduced him, practically in his sickbed, the day after he was released from hospital? Fools in love do stupid things. She’d actually thought getting naked with him in his home would rocket from his groin to his brain and he’d remember her.

      She closed her eyes and banished the memory.

      “What is it, Cara?”

      “Nothing.” Everything. “Alex, you brought me here to explain. I haven’t heard any explaining yet.”

      He set his wineglass down. “Where should I begin?”

      “You lied to everyone in Maverick County. That’s a start.”

      He began nodding. “Okay, okay. You’re right. It all started with my father.”

      “The king of Del Toro Oil.”

      “Yes, he’s the president and owner. He built his company from the ground up. When we were children, he worked long hours and there were days my sister and I never saw him. He’s a man who wanted greatness, but he always wanted to protect his family. When Gabriella and I were kids, my mother...my m-mother was kidnapped as a result of his huge success and wealth. She was held for ransom. It all went badly and she was killed.”

      “Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” How awful. Her heart ached for the little boy who’d lost his mother in such a violent way. “How old were you when it happened?”

      “Eight, and Gabriella was just four.”

      As harsh as it was, it only cemented her feelings about Alex. A fiancée should’ve known about her future husband’s hardships as a child. She should’ve known about his family, but Alex had hidden his past from her. He wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. She didn’t know this Alex at all.

      “My father was obviously distraught over my mother’s death. After that incident, he hired bodyguards for my sister and me. We went nowhere without protection. Mexico City can be a dangerous place, especially if you’re the child of a wealthy, powerful man. Finally, when I was older and working exclusively for Del Toro Oil, I convinced my father to let me keep an apartment in Mexico City. I always felt like I was being watched, though my father would deny it. Then one day, he approached me about his plan to gather information about Windsor Energy. I would live in Maverick County and become an entirely different person. To come to America and pose as Alex Santiago, a business tycoon. I saw it as an adventure and my chance to rid myself of the danger in Mexico and finally be free. No one here in the U.S. would know I was Alejandro del Toro, Rodrigo’s son.

      “To my father, loyalty is everything. He was giving me this chance to prove myself in his eyes. He was pleased when I agreed.”

      “And over two years ago, you came and settled here.”

      “Yes, I became Alex Santiago.”

      “You ingratiated yourself into West Texas society. You were embraced by your neighbors. You were invited to join the Texas Cattleman’s Club.”

      “I made friends, yes. Good friends. I made money here, on my own, and then...then I met you, Cara. And everything changed.”

      Her heart wanted to hear what he had to say, but her brain scolded her for listening.

      “How? How did it change? You knew I worked for my father. I’m the director of marketing for Windsor. The only change that I could see is that I gave you the outlet to find out more information. You dated me for months and pretended to care about me.”

      It was love at first sight. She’d never believed it possible, but the moment she’d laid eyes on this tall, brown and handsome man—the second she heard the deep, rich timbre of his voice at a function at the Texas Cattleman’s Club—Cara was done for. She’d been seeing Chance McDaniel at the time, and she broke it off instantly to be with Alex.

      “I do care about you. I always have. When I met you, yes, I’ll admit I thought it would make my task easier to get close to you. But if you think back and remember, I didn’t ask anything of you, my love. I never questioned you about the company.”

      “You didn’t have to. I was pretty good at coughing up information. I’d tell you all about my day, the ups and downs. How the company was faring against our competition and what I was doing about it. I’d tell you my strategies for marketing and get your opinion.”

      Bile rose in her throat. She hated that she’d been so naive with him. She hated that she’d been played for a sucker. Rehashing it all put a sour taste in her mouth. She pushed her plate away, fighting the burn behind her eyes. Her pride kept her tears well hidden. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Alex. His betrayal crushed her like a tiny ant under his Italian loafers.

      “I can’t make up for the past, for the decisions I’ve made. But Cara, once I realized how important you were to me, I was through with the charade. Right after we were engaged, I’d planned on convincing my father not to go after Windsor Energy.”

      Her shoulders stiffened. “Am I really supposed to believe that?”

      “Yes, you are. Because the truth comes straight from my heart.”

      Cara glanced away, over the candlelight and past the roses, out into the dusky night sky. Gurgling waters lapping over jutting rocks filled the