the lodge to the terrace.
He plunged into the woods, growling to himself. To have his privacy plundered this way was unacceptable. Enraging, even! Who did she think she was? And what was her plan, for Godâs sake? The tigress came barging in and started ordering him around like he was her hired hand!
âWhat does she think sheâs going to do?â
A girl like Liza got her kicks out of disrupting people, making them miserable. It was her entertainment, a sport.
âDamn her!â
Suddenly Cliff stopped short under the oaks, struck by a thought. For the first time in recent memory, he was fuming over the actions of another person.
It was weird.
Of course, heâd been alone for years. Heâd wanted it that way. Staying out of the mainstream had been a distinct choice for himâa way of avoiding the kind of emotional turmoil he hated. Life at Timberlake had been peaceful, and heâd needed peace. The silence of the forest and the tranquil lake had worked together to mend his spirit. He hadnât needed other people. Heâd avoided them for lots of reasons.
Now that bewitching Baron girl came bursting into the lodge as if she owned the place! It was a cataclysmic event, Cliff realized. She was the first to break in on his private world. The only person whoâd dared.
Grimly, he set off into the forest again. âI canât live under the same roof with her. Itâs impossible.â
She was a troublemaker. A naughty youngster bent on wreaking havoc wherever she went. She was the last thingCliff needed. Already sheâd gotten him all churned up inside. Heaven only knew what might happen if she stayed.
He walked for a couple of miles, but it did no good. Still muttering under his breath, he found himself heading for the hilltop that overlooked Tylerâa sparsely treed vantage point that had once been part of the Gerhardt farm. The Gerhardts, he knew, had been forced out of the dairy business by the crunch in farm prices, and their land had not yet been taken over by the conglomerates that were moving into the area. The top field was overgrown now, the lush grass congested by tangles of wildflowers.
Cliff stopped at the break in the trees, resting his hands on the weathered fence post, his gaze drawn by the panorama that spread out before him. It was a scene that had often calmed him. The green pastures of neighboring farms, dotted with cattle, were bordered by darker fields of alfalfa, corn and the pale green-yellow of new oats. It would have made a pretty postcardâpicturesque and serene.
But he didnât feel serene as he glared at the wide landscape that spread out majestically before him. The warm breeze that rustled in the leaves of the trees at his back did not ease Cliffâs mind. Nor did the warmth of the sun relieve the tension that tightened the muscles of his neck and shoulders.
âCliff!â
A gentle voice called to him from the field below, and a fragile woman stood up from where sheâd been plucking wildflowers. She lifted a slender hand to the brim of her straw hat and called, âIs that you?â
It was Alyssa Baron, perhaps his only friend in Tyler. Cliff waved weakly, not sure he wanted to see even Alyssa this morning. But he vaulted over the fence a moment later and went down the hillside to meet her.
She had brought her basket and was filling it with cornflowers and daisies. To ward off the morning chill, she had pulled a pair of casual but clearly expensive slacks andscalloped sweater over her slim frame. Her pruning shears swung from the worn ribbon on her belt, and bits of earth clung to her manicured hands.
Alyssaâs fair skin was flushed with sunlight and she wore no makeup to conceal her age. With her light hair pulled back into a clip under the hat, she looked ten years younger than she should have. Her blue eyes were large and expressive.
For a queer second, Cliff noted how much she looked like Liza. But