The Best Bride. Susan Mallery

it was just hormones, and being lonely and afraid that brought on that thinking. The second thing she learned was that even if she was ever foolish enough to get involved with a man again. Travis Haynes was absolutely the worst one she could pick. He and his brothers had reputations for being lady-killers and heartbreakers. Louise had told her story after story about the female conquests made and cast aside. Elizabeth had to admit that in most of the stories, Travis had been honest, caring and had at least tried to make the relationship work. But the reality was he made Sam Proctor look like an amateur when it came to seducing women.

      He leaned over so he could whisper in her ear. His chin rested on her shoulder, pushing aside the thin strap of her tank top. Stubble grazed her suddenly sensitized skin, making her muscles jump and her toes curl against the thick carpet.

      “Rebecca is my greatest failure.”

      “What?”

      She made the mistake of turning to look at him. He hadn’t pulled back and their faces were inches apart. Breath mingled with the heady scent of his warm body. She clutched her fingers tightly together to prevent herself from reaching out toward him and touching his arm, his chest, anything she could get her hands on.

      “Shortly after we met, I took her out on a date. It was supposed to be this great seduction. I had everything planned.”

      The pain in her midsection wasn’t from the surgery, she realized, chagrined. It was envy, pure and simple. She prayed he couldn’t see it in her eyes.

      “I picked her up at seven-thirty. By eight-ten I figured out I’d made a large error in judgment.”

      “Which was?”

      “Chemistry. It was all wrong.”

      She stared at him, at his dark eyes that suddenly seemed to be flickering with the most intriguing fire.

      “What was wrong with it?” she asked, barely able to disconnect from the flames enough to follow the conversation.

      “There wasn’t any between us. Rebecca and me. We were destined to be good friends. But it’s a secret. What would people say if they knew the truth? After all, the Haynes charm is supposed to be all-powerful.”

      It was working just fine on her, she thought as she lowered her gaze to his mouth. So close. She licked her lips. Three, maybe four inches separated them. The longing inside of her grew. She wanted to know what it would be like to be kissed, really kissed, by him.

      She closed her eyes and forced herself to turn away. Why was she doing this to herself? Hadn’t Sam taught her anything?

      “Everybody needs friends, Travis. Rebecca seems very nice.”

      “Oh, she is.”

      He stood up and stretched like a powerful cat taking a moment’s rest from stalking the mouse. That was her destiny: Elizabeth Abbott-rodent. She giggled.

      “What’s so funny?” he asked.

      “Nothing. I’m pleased that you and Rebecca are friends. Now I get the chance to spend some time with her before I start my job.” She smiled brightly, trying to banish the lingering lethargy and leftover passion, not to mention the image of herself with whiskers and a tail. “She’s going to bring some paperwork by for me, to help fill the days.” She pointed at the television. “I can only read so much, and TV is quickly losing its appeal.”

      “Just so you don’t overdo it.”

      She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, Sheriff. I’ll be careful. And I’ll keep your secret.”

      “It’s just as well it didn’t work out,” he said, walking over and picking up his Stetson. “I have two women in my life already. Even I couldn’t handle a third.”

      “Two women?”

      Her heart seemed to falter slightly. He was dating two women? She told herself the sudden dullness she felt was exhaustion. She’d probably done too much when she’d gone to the grocery store with Louise that morning. She could feel her smile fading and did her best to keep it in place. She didn’t want Travis to know she was even slightly attracted to him. In fact she wasn’t at all. He had two women. Good for him. She wished him well.

      He paused by the doorway and looked back. “Although I have to say, of the two of you, Mandy is definitely my weakness. I guess it’s those blue eyes of hers.”

      Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open. She stared at him. The teasing glint in his eyes told her she’d been had.

      She picked up the pillow beside her and tossed it at him.

      He easily ducked out of the way. “Gotcha,” he said and stepped into the hallway. Before she could finish fuming, he poked his head back into the room. His mouth straightened and those flames were still flickering in his dark eyes.

      “For what it’s worth, Elizabeth,” he said slowly, never taking his gaze from hers, “the feeling is mutual.”

      With that, he left. She heard his footsteps as he walked down the hall, then made his way up the stairs.

      Trouble. This was all very big trouble. She was willing to admit there was some kind of chemical reaction between her and Travis. Sometimes she worried that the heat between them was going to set the house on fire. But it didn’t have to mean anything. It couldn’t mean anything. She wasn’t ready to get involved. She might never be ready for a real relationship. Even if she was willing to take a chance, it wouldn’t be on Travis Haynes. The man was a walking, breathing heartbreaker. And she’d had enough heartbreak to last a lifetime. What woman would willingly give herself to someone who was destined to leave her for the next conquest?

      She stood up and walked toward her room. Although she was healing, her side still gave her a little trouble. Travis had offered to move her to an upstairs bedroom so that she could be closer to Mandy, but she preferred to stay where she was. Her daughter was safe and happy in this big house, and Elizabeth wanted as much distance between her and Travis as possible. Just because she knew she would never get involved with Travis didn’t mean she’d figured out a way to tell her body to get over its physical attraction to him.

      She undressed then stepped under the warm spray of the shower. There was still over an hour until Rebecca was due to arrive, but everything took Elizabeth longer since the surgery. She was getting her strength back, but not as quickly as she’d hoped. The doctor hadn’t been kidding about the recovery time needed. Her trip to the market with Louise had wiped her out for the entire day. She’d had to take a three-hour nap. But it had been worth it to get outside for the first time since the surgery.

      As Elizabeth washed her hair, she wondered about Louise. The older woman had mentioned she was divorced. Elizabeth wanted to ask what had happened. For the most part Louise was funny and outgoing, but at the mention of her marriage, she’d gone all quiet. What made it all the more curious was her suspicion that Travis knew exactly what had happened. A couple of things Louise had said hinted at that. But Elizabeth wouldn’t be asking anyone for the story. As much as she’d tried to hold herself back, knowing there were secrets she could never share, she and Louise were becoming friends. If Louise wanted her to know the truth, she would tell Elizabeth herself. If not…well, she certainly understood the need to keep some things private.

      After drying off, she applied a little mascara and blush, then started blow-drying her hair. It still hurt to hold the dryer up for very long, so the process was slow. As she rested, she thought about Rebecca and hoped her new boss remembered to bring over some work for her to do. She would like to get a head start on her job so that when she went back full-time, she would know what was going on.

      Elizabeth clicked the dryer back on and held it in one hand while fanning out her hair with the other. What must Rebecca think about her living arrangement? What must the whole town think? She was a virtual stranger, living with a single man, in his house. Was there talk? She shook her head and continued drying. Of course there was talk. She was living with Travis Haynes. One of the Haynes. A man with a reputation for women and trouble.

      Elizabeth