Lone Stallion's Lady by Lisa Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

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    Trent walked to the fireplace. “This guy—Jack,”he said, nodding toward the phone. “Does he know about me?”
    “He’s heard of you, yes.”
    “About Dallas?”
    She blushed and shook her head. “Nope. And I hope he never finds out.” She set her notebook aside, hesitated, and finally said, “I thought we were going to let what happened go.”
    “Can you?”
    She bit her lip. All hint of amusement left her face. “I don’t know,” she said, and it was the first statement she’d made that he believed. “But I’m going to try. Hard. It might be difficult the next couple of days since we’ll both be here, but I’m going to see if I can rise above it.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “That is, if you would quit throwing it up in my face. You know, it wasn’t as if what happened was all my fault. As the old saying goes, ‘it takes two to tango.’”
    “But one of us didn’t lie about it.”
    “So flog me with a dozen cat-o’-nine-tails, or toss me in the pillory, or blaze my shirt with a scarlet A…or, oh—” She snapped her fingers and shot to her feet. “I know something even better! Why don’t you keep bringing it up and trying to throw some guilt on me, huh? How about that?” With that she turned on a bare heel and stormed out.
    He started after her and she sent him a look over one stiff shoulder that was guaranteed to freeze mercury. “Don’t, okay? Don’t run after me, don’t say anything more, and next time I’m on the phone, don’t put a glassto the window or listen at the keyhole. It’s really none of your business.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong, darlin’,” he drawled. “You were the one who started poking into my life. Remember? Not the other way around. So I think whatever you do here just might be my business.”
    “Just stay out of my way.”
    “That might be impossible.”
    “Give it a try, okay?” She was out of the room and up the stairs like a shot.
    Trent wondered where a man kept his whiskey around this house, and cringed when he heard Suzanne Harding call, “Okay, dinner’s on. Come and get it.”
     
    Garrett had no idea what had gotten into Trent and Gina, but he didn’t like it. No, he didn’t like it one bit. All through Suzanne’s tasty meal of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, applesauce and green beans, they’d both picked at their food, tried their damnedest to ignore one another, and forced smiles onto faces that were both strained and drawn.
    Something was up.
    If he didn’t know better, he’d think they were having themselves some kind of lover’s spat. For that’s sure what it looked like. But that was impossible. They hardly knew each other.
    Trent, shoving his plate aside, finally said, “Okay, so tell me about these other ‘brothers’ that I’ve got. How’d you find out about me and them?”
    Garrett pushed his chair back from the long table and walked the few steps to the sideboard where Suzanne had left a pot of coffee. Filling three cups, he set them on the table and said, “I was going to explain all this to everyone at the same time, but being as you’re here now, I guess I may as well get down to it.” He settled into his chair again, felt a pinch of arthritis in his hip and ignored it. This was the tough part, trying to explain his only son’s irresponsible actions. “Let’s go outside, and sit on the back porch.”
    Though the two hadn’t said a civil word to each other all night, they followed Garrett through French doors to a picnic table and benches. Gina took a seat at the table with Garrett. Trent stood on the porch, bracing his back against a pillar that supported the roof.
    “Okay, so shoot,” Trent suggested.
    Garrett cradled his cup in his hands. This was the hard part. Trying to explain about his son. It pained him. When Larry had been born more than fifty years ago, Garrett had been proud enough to pop. A son. A healthy, good-looking, robust boy. But as the years had passed,