“Desperate Hearts” 

An Ellora’s Cave Electronic Publication in association with author: 

Lani Aames 

ISBN # 0-9712177-6-9 

All Rights Reserved. http://www.ellorascave.com/ 

© Copyright Lanette Curington, 2001. 

This book/e-book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by email forwarding, copying, fax, or any other mode of communication without author and publisher permission. 

Edited by Tina Engler. 

CHAPTER ONE 

Talley Robinson snatched up a towel and scrubbed at the spotless bar. Serving drinks at The Rusty Rose was a lonely way to spend Saturday night, but the pay was decent, the tips good, and at least she wasn't home alone wishing she could be with— 

The front door opened with a loud creak that cut through the jukebox music. She waited, almost breathlessly, until the customer entered. As far as she could tell, no one else noticed the door and who would come through. Her fingers clenched the towel tightly until the moment he stepped in...but it was only Henry Davis. 

Throwing the towel aside, Talley let her breath escape in a rush. This wasn't good, waiting for the creak of the door, holding her breath until someone came through, only to find it wasn't who she wanted it to be, needed it to be. 

Kim rushed up to the bar with a couple of empty mugs. “Two more,” she called out. “God, they're getting an early start tonight.” 

Talley took the empties and started filling fresh mugs with draft, tilting the glasses to keep the head as small as possible. 

“When's Jeannie coming in?” 

“A couple of hours,” Talley said after glancing at the big Bud clock on the wall behind the bar. “I can give her a call. She won't mind coming in early.” 

“Good. They're getting on my last nerve.”

Kim took the mugs away and Henry ordered a beer. After serving him, Talley phoned Jeannie who pretended to be inconvenienced by having to come in early but agreed nevertheless. Talley knew she could use the extra money. Jeannie had it tough with two kids and no husband. 

The creak of the door sounded again, but Talley refused to look in hopeless expectation. She jerked up the towel and wiped away the little drops of condensation from the can she'd served Henry. She wouldn't look as she tried to let go of the hope that settled in her breast, very close to a heart that sometimes felt it might split right in two. 

“Talley.”

Although he spoke quietly, she heard her name and turned her eyes up to see. He was part of what she wanted and needed. She smiled at him even though it was impossible to have it all. 

“Hi, Mitch,” she said loudly. Her voice didn't carry like his, wouldn't undercut the music so he could hear. He had a deep, rich speaking voice that was mesmerizing when he sang. She stepped over to him, the bar between them, and leaned across. 

He kissed her, his fingers splayed along her neck, his thumb at her ear, a familiar gesture that went along with most of his kisses ever since they were kids in high school. They were now twenty-three, their history long and varied, sometimes sweet and sometimes bitter. Now, at this particular time in their lives, it was turning sour—only Mitch didn't know it and Talley couldn't find the words to tell him. 

“When do you get off?” Mitch asked when he'd ended the kiss that was sweet and warm and held so much promise. He left his hand where it was, his fingers massaging her neck, his thumb tickling her ear.

“At midnight, when the doors close. You know that.”

“Think you can get off early?”

She shook her head. “The crowd's kind of wild tonight. I had to call Jeannie in early. Too bad you couldn't play this weekend, then you wouldn't be here pestering me.”

Mitch grinned. “You love for me to pester you.”

“Do I?” Talley smiled teasingly and kissed his full sensual lips. Mitch Holloway was a handsome man with a dark complexion, high cheekbones, and black brows arching over startling gray eyes. His thick black hair curled at the ends. A nuisance, he claimed, but it looked nice. He'd been a good-looking boy, but the past six years had given him a maturity that could take a woman's breath away.

“It really is too bad we couldn't play. We need the money and the exposure. Mike had to go out of town and Bonnie's mother is sick.”

“You never did tell me, is it serious?”

He shrugged. "I don't think so. She has these spells from time to time. Bonnie feels better staying with her.”

Although Talley hadn't seen Mrs. Cleary since her return to Randolph a year ago, she remembered her as a pale, nervous woman and always wondered how she could have produced the vivacious and vibrant Bonnie.

“I thought we might have supper at Joe's Bar and Grill.”

“Sounds nice, but I don't know. Jeannie should be here in about ten minutes. If the crowd thins out maybe—”

Someone called for a refill and Talley reluctantly left Mitch's caress. One led to another and Jeannie had arrived before Talley had time to fill a mug and set it before Mitch.

“On the house, but don't tell Dylan.”

“One day, sweetheart, you won't have to work behind a bar ever again.”

“Actually, I enjoy working at the Rose,” Talley said and took up the towel again.

“When The Cold Creek Band hits it big, you won't have to work at all.”

“Mitch—”

“I know it's a dream.” He scowled. “A pipe dream, Dad calls it, but I know we can make it. It's just gonna take some time.”

“I don't doubt you'll make it. You know I'm behind you one hundred percent. Your father is wrong, you know. You're good enough for the big time.”

“Yeah, but he doesn't see it. He won't even come and watch us perform.”

“He loves Shady Hollow.”

“That he does. More than me, I think.”

“Not true, Mitch. He wishes you had more interest in it, that's all.”

“Well, I don't. If I have to play in dives half the size of the Rose the rest of my life then I'll do it.” Mitch frowned and fingered the drops of water sliding down his glass. “I think something's wrong.”

“With your father?”

“The farm, I guess. He's been awful moody lately. Well, worse than usual. He's been back and forth to Memphis for three days now. Whatever's wrong he's not talking to me about it.”

“Why don't you talk to him?”

“And get my head snapped off? No thanks. I'll help him any way I can, he knows that, but I can't make that farm and raising cows my life. So he cuts me off from it all.”

Talley frowned and wiped the bar again.

“You know how he is. He's a tough, stubborn son of a—”

“Don't, Mitch.”

“Who thinks if it's not done his way then it's not worth doing at all. I can't turn my back on my music any more than he can turn his on Shady Hollow.”

“I know it hasn't always been easy for you, but he must be a good father. Look how you turned out. You're a good man.”

Mitch smiled bitterly and shook his head. “No thanks to him.”

“You know you don't mean that.”

“You know I do.” 

She frowned at him.

“Whatever I am is because my father isn't.”

Talley continued to wipe the bar although the drops were long gone. “Anything happening in Memphis?” 

Mitch talked but Talley only half-listened. She had lived in Memphis a while before deciding to return to Randolph. Talley's parents had divorced when she was ten. Her father was a drifter and she rarely heard from him now. Her mother had dated but never seriously until she met and married Frank Wilson. Because of Frank's job, they moved every few years. The last time Talley had talked to her mother, she had said that Frank had been transferred to Knoxville and they would be moving in the fall. 

Over the years, Talley had followed along to stay close to her mother and half-sister, but she couldn't imagine ever moving again. She wanted a more stable life. Early last year, Frank's job brought them to Memphis, near the town where she grew up, and she had decided to move back home to Randolph. Over the years, she couldn't forget Mitch and how much she had loved him. If Mitch was still free, then she had hoped they could recapture what they’d once shared. They had begun dating again six months ago, but in the last three months her life had become more complicated than she’d ever dreamed possible. 

If she had any sense at all, she'd be in Memphis now. Unfortunately, she was human, her choices made from her heart, not common sense. 

The evening was long. The crowd swelled and Jeannie arrived, giving Talley and Kim much needed help. When Talley took a break she found Mitch playing pool in the back room. They settled into a corner table and he put his arm around her, nuzzling her ear with his tongue. Talley laughed and pushed him away. It was a gesture that sent a chill down her spine and a throb through her belly, but she ignored it. He settled at her side again, kept his tongue to himself, but his fingers played along her arm. 

“What's the name of the club in Memphis you're going to play?”

Mitch told her and became lost in the talk of his music. She didn't have to respond or even really listen. Mitch did all the talking. She hated using the ploy, but sometimes she didn't feel like talking and any question in connection to his music took care of the conversation. 

A slow, romantic song came on the jukebox and Mitch jerked his head toward the dance floor. “Wanna dance?”

“Sure.” 

Before Mitch could stand, Jack Sandler caught her hand and pulled her to her feet. Talley tried to pull free of his grasp but his hand crushed hers. She could have made a scene, but Jack and his buddies were drunk and she wanted no trouble. She just shrugged at Mitch's glowering face. 

Talley was almost disappointed when Mitch didn't come to her rescue. Not that Jack was a real threat even if he held her too close, his body too rough against hers. Talley tried to draw away, but Jack held her that much tighter. Mitch's face had turned red with fury, but she shook her head at him. There really was no need for trouble. 

Talley had made the mistake of going out with Jack when she first returned to Randolph. Mitch had been involved with Bonnie and Talley had no intention of breaking them up. She took the job at The Rusty Rose to be near Mitch, but she never flirted or teased. Eventually she had decided to get on with her life, so when Jack had asked her out, she’d accepted. 

She’d only vaguely remembered him at the time since he was a few years older. He was tall, good-looking in a dark, dangerous way. He had seemed nice when he was sober. Drunk, he was snake-mean and, Talley soon learned, boring as hell. He had no personal hygiene habits to speak of and always stank of stale sweat and old beer. 

On their one and only date, she had barely escaped him and his insistent hands. The only thing that had saved her was the fact that he was drunk and could therefore accomplish nothing more than tearing her blouse.

Since then she occasionally had to fend off Jack's vulgar advances. But Jack's usual hangout was Snake's, a bar with a bad reputation. It seemed to Talley that he stopped by the Rose just to give her grief. Tonight had been the first time he'd laid a hand on her since that ill-fated date. 

When the song ended, Jack didn't want to let go. He kept one arm clamped around her.

“Ain't you through with Mitch the Snitch yet?”

“Come on, Jack, the song's over.” She tried to ease out of his arms, but he wouldn't let her go.

“Gimme another chance, baby,” he whispered, his sour liquor-laden breath filling her nostrils. She stopped breathing. “How about tonight?” 

“Let me go, Jack.”

The lull in the music brought the situation to everyone's attention since they were the only ones remaining on the dance floor. Mitch leaped to his feet and came toward them.

“Ol' Mitch the Snitch!” Jack shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. Then he bent close to Talley's ear and whispered, “When you get tired of Mitch the Snitch, remember me.” 

Jack released her suddenly and she almost fell into Mitch's arms. He laughed as he headed for the door, his buddies following.

“Oh, grow up, Jack!” Talley called after him and rubbed her aching wrist.

“You all right?” Mitch held her at arm's length as if to check her over.

“I'm fine. I'll go talk to Dylan.”

Mitch the Snitch. Why hadn't she remembered that? Jack and his buddies had called Mitch that nickname years ago over some incident from grade school. Jack Sandler had been a bully then and was a meaner bully now. How could she have forgotten?

Dylan let her go. Jack had put an uncomfortable finish to the evening for many and others were leaving any way. Talley grabbed her purse and left with Mitch's protective arm around her shoulders. 

CHAPTER TWO 

After a late supper at the Grill, Mitch drove Talley home. The blue and white mobile home stood on a small lot near the top of Morning Glory Hill. The small trailer was clean, in good condition, and the rent was cheap. Morning Glory Lane saw little traffic and Talley enjoyed the seclusion. Her small backyard was a haven. Surrounded by woods, she could almost imagine she was alone in the world. 

The night air was heavy with the heat and humidity of the day as Mitch walked her to her door. She turned to him beneath the star-sprinkled sky. Mitch wrapped her in his arms and closed his mouth over hers. She shut her eyes and let her arms slide up around his neck. Her breath deepened, her pulse quickened, and the throb in her belly became a drumbeat that echoed along her nerves.

“Is tonight the night, sweetheart?" he murmured against her lips and pushed his hips toward hers. Desperately, he scattered soft, moist kisses over her face. One hand cupped her breast, his thumb grazing her nipple. She moaned in spite of herself, hated him for stirring her desires, hating herself for the answer she had to give.

She shook her head quickly. “Mitch, I…” 

“When, Tal? It's not like we've never done it before.”

“I know—” She stopped, but he hadn't interrupted her this time. She felt foolish—foolish for saying no, foolish for being in this particular mess. She was a coward and she knew it. 

She began the process of untangling their bodies. When she pulled away, Mitch's eyes were haunted and bright. He didn't understand and at that moment neither did she. She couldn't make sense of what had happened to her in the past few months. 

They had been lovers when they were teenagers, but since she started seeing him this time, she had refused to let them make love again. She didn't think a relationship could be built on sex and little more. She wanted to make sure it worked with Mitch. She didn't want to rush into physical intimacy with him. It would break her heart again to sleep with him then have to let him go. Those had been her intentions in the beginning. Mitch had agreed but his patience was wearing thin. 

“When, Tal? When we're too old and feeble to enjoy it?” He stepped in close and kissed her again. “I want you, Talley. I want you more than that night when we were seventeen and I wanted you pretty damn bad then.” 

“Oh, Mitch, don't make it so hard.” Instead of pushing him away, she closed her eyes and let his lips trail down and settle on a spot where her neck and shoulder met. He suckled hard. 

“No!” She jerked away from him but it was too late. The lovebite stung. That was all she needed! Her hand covered the spot, felt the wetness of his saliva. “Grow up, Mitch!” 

Unconsciously, she used the same words she’d said to Jack Sandler. 

“Do you think I'm like Jack? Is that what you think, Tal, that that's all I want from you?” 

“Of course I don't think you're like Jack!” 

“Then what's wrong with you? You used to love it when I put one there, low enough so you could hide it from your mother. And when I left one here.” He lowered his mouth to her breast and tongued her nipple through her shirt. 

She pushed him away angrily and sat on the concrete steps. She rubbed the spot where he'd left his mark. “I'm not seventeen anymore. It's been six years and I've changed. That's what I mean, Mitch. We have to discover all the changes in both of us before we take such an important step. It was so hard saying good-bye the last time. I still remember what you said—” 

“Tal, I didn't mean it! I was so mad that your mother and stepfather were taking you away from me, all the way to Chattanooga. I always regretted saying it.” 

“You told me to go to hell.” 

“Because you wouldn't stay here and marry me. I was mad.” 

“We were only seventeen. We wouldn't have made it.” 

Mitch sat beside her without touching her. 

“I know that now. You were right and, hell, I knew it even then.” He moved close to her and put his arms around her. “I'm not going anywhere and neither are you this time. There won't be a good-bye.” 

“Maybe not, but I have to be sure. Please, Mitch, say good night and go home.” 

“I love you, Talley. I never stopped loving you, but I didn't realize it until I saw you again. That's all I need to know. I want to touch you and hold you and fill you up. I want you to want me.” 

“Sometimes love isn't enough and I want to find out before we get in over our heads again.” 

Mitch stared up at the sky. “You're not giving in on this, are you, Tal? Look, I didn't wait on you these last six years. Maybe I should have, but I didn't. I dated other women and I slept with them. I even thought I loved some of them. I didn't expect you to jump in bed with me on our first date, but I expected to make love to you again. I don't know how much longer I can wait.” 

“Is that a threat?” she asked quietly. 

“No, I'm not saying that! I'm saying I want it here with you. I feel like I'm gonna bust wide open.” 

It hurt to hear him beg. She loved Mitch and she wanted it to work for them...but she couldn't give in. It didn't feel right yet. 

“I'm sorry, Mitch.” 

“Dammit, Talley, let me stay the night. I'm a hell of a lot better than I was at seventeen. Not nearly as quick. I've learned how to please a woman. We'll take it slow and easy and find all the answers we were too young to find back then.” 

“Mitch, please. I love you, but I'm not ready for us yet.” 

He swore under his breath. If he was angry enough, he might go out and seek satisfaction elsewhere. She certainly had no right to blame him if he did. 

Strangely, the idea didn't distress her as much as it should have. 

“You haven't told me how your song 'Desperate Hearts' is coming along?” 

Mitch grinned proudly. “I didn't? I can't believe I forgot. Bonnie finished the lyrics last night. I was having so much trouble with the words, I just handed the whole thing over to her and told her to fix it.” 

“You two work so well together.” 

“Yeah, we do. She cleaned it up. We went straight through it once before we quit rehearsal. Took us all afternoon, but we did it. If Dylan wasn't such a jerk, you could have heard it.” 

A couple of months before Dylan had gotten it into his head that the band should be paying him for the use of his place to rehearse. He had forgotten that they provided his customers with live entertainment at no cost to him. 

The only other place they could find to rehearse was Snake's in "the bottoms". Every spring, the Mississippi River overflowed its banks and flooded the bottomland. Houses, churches, and joints like Snake's were built high on stilts to keep from being flooded out. Some families left their homes until the Mississippi decided to return to its rightful place while those who didn't leave used boats. 

Mitch and the rest of the band members didn't like Snake's reputation for trouble, but Snake Drummond agreed to let them use his joint in the afternoons. He was satisfied with the arrangement since his afternoon crowd had increased. Dylan grumbled about the falloff at the Rose, but wouldn't admit it was because the band didn't play there anymore. 

Talley had thought about quitting the Rose, but she had come to enjoy working there. Dylan was gruff, but he seemed to like her. He let her choose which afternoons or nights to work as long as she always came in Saturday nights. For the past three months his strict rule had worked in her favor...as well as being her excuse for not traveling out of town with Mitch and the band. 

“You'll get to hear it next Saturday night, Tal. We're playing the Fourth festival at the park. You will be there, won't you?” 

Held the Saturday before the Fourth of July every year, the celebration was a county tradition. Lots of food, games, and contests filled the afternoon as well as local bands taking turns to provide live entertainment throughout the day and night. After the street dance, a spectacular fireworks display would mark the end of the day's festivities. 

“I wouldn't miss hearing you, Mitch. I'm glad Dylan agreed to let me off. Otherwise, he'd have a fight on his hands.” 

“We're on early in the afternoon, but we've also been asked to play for the street dance.” 

“That's great! Some people leave early and come back for the street dance and fireworks.” 

“And some don't show up at all until just before. We're gonna save 'Desperate Hearts' for last. We'll blow 'em away!” 

“I know you will.” Talley leaned into him and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. “Will your father be there?” 

“I doubt it,” he said gruffly and scowled. “Before they died, my grandparents used to take me. Ever since we've been playing the festival, he always finds some excuse not to make it.” 

“Did you tell him you got the prime spot of the evening?” 

“Yeah. He just grunted.” 

“Did you ask him to come and see you?” Talley persisted. “Did you tell him about your song and that you want him to hear it?” 

“Wouldn't do any good.” Mitch jumped to his feet and paced. “I stopped counting the times I asked him to see us a long time ago, Tal, and then I just quit asking altogether. He always has some excuse or just flat out says no if he's drunk enough.” 

Talley's heart ached for him. 

“You can't give up.” 

“Yeah, I can. I'm tired of trying to get through his stubborn head. And I sure don't try when he's been drinking.” 

“I'm sorry, Mitch.” 

“Don't be sorry, Tal. Dad's not worth the bother.” Mitch took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I don't want to talk about him anymore. I want to talk about us.” 

He kissed her, his tongue flicking against hers. She allowed herself to enjoy the taste of him a few moments, then ended the kiss. 

Mitch breathed heavily. “I don't mean to rush you, sweetheart, but I love you!” 

“I love you, too, Mitch, but the answer is still no.” 

He hugged her tight. “I'm not giving up, Tal.” 

“Good night, Mitch.” 

He kissed her quickly one last time then walked to his truck and drove away. Talley breathed a sigh of relief. She was still overwhelmed by all the emotions that wracked her body. She wasn't immune to his kisses and caresses. She ached deep within herself. 

Inside, the trailer was stifling from the heat and humidity, and she turned on the air conditioner. She ran a bath and washed away the smoke and smell of The Rusty Rose and the fine film of perspiration that still clung to her skin. The hot water felt good as she relaxed in the tub, a folded towel behind her head. Her skin tingled from what had been as well as what was to come. She drifted off and when she woke, the water was almost cold. She dried off and dressed in a knee-length white cotton nightshirt with the words “Come and Get It” in hot pink across the front. She pulled hot pink socks over feet that always grew cold with the air conditioner running. 

In the kitchenette, she measured grounds and poured water into the coffee maker. She fixed a glass of iced tea and sipped at it while she smoked a cigarette, and finger-combed her hair in the dark. When her hair was dry enough and the last of the ice had melted in the glass, she curled up on the couch. The day had been long and tiring and she fell asleep quickly.

Sometime later, Talley woke to the sound of the door opening. She had left it unlocked on purpose. Her eyelids fluttered open and she watched her doorway fill with the silhouette of a large man. 

CHAPTER THREE 

He was a tall man, lean but not slender. He wore a denim shirt, sleeves rolled up, unbuttoned almost to the waist. His jeans, worn and faded from hours of work in the sun and many washings, fit snug on his hips and were held up by an old leather belt. His scuffed square-toed cowboy boots were rundown at the heels from years of use. 

She watched him fill the doorway then pull the door shut behind him. He came in on a wave of hot humid air, but she shivered from the anticipation of him. Every Saturday night for three months he had come to her like this in the middle of the night—every night except the first night that is.

“Mace,” she whispered. She was, as always, in awe of this man. She couldn't see his face clearly in the shadows, but she knew it by heart—every crease around his eyes and mouth, the sun-browned, soft leathery texture of his skin. Her fingers ached to touch his face.

“Come here, darlin...”

She was up and in his arms before he finished. Her eagerness and desperation for him disgusted her, but she could control neither. She lay her head against his chest. She was tall but he was taller and that worked out so well.

He tousled her hair and kissed her forehead. She reached up and lay her lips over his, slipping her arms around his neck. His mouth accepted her eagerly and his hands slid down her sides to cup her buttocks and press her up against the bulge in his jeans. She felt a quickening between her thighs, and warmth spread throughout her limbs. Her breath came in shallow gasps as he released her.

“I wasn't sure you'd come by tonight,” she said as she pulled away from him and he patted her butt. She filled a mug from the coffee maker and handed it to him.

He took it and sat in a kitchen chair, downing a large swallow. He leaned back and smiled with a wink. “You knew.”

“No, I didn't know, but I'm glad you're here.”

“So am I or I wouldn't be.” 

“How are things going?” 

He shrugged, unwilling to talk about what worried him right then. 

“The Rose was a madhouse tonight, but Dylan let me off early.” She proceeded to tell him about Jack Sandler. 

“You never should have gone out with that bottom rat in the first place.” 

“I never really knew Jack and it's been six years. I guess I thought he'd changed. He seemed nice enough sober.” 

Mace took another large swallow of coffee. 

“I don't know what you do to it, but you make the best coffee I've had in years.” 

She reached for his mug. “More?” 

His eyes were smoky and he shook his head. 

She smiled. “Me?” 

“That's what I came for, darlin.” 

Crude, but the truth. Talley stepped into the deep vee of his legs and they kissed long and hard. Mace's hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs tracing lazy circles over her nipples. Shivers ran through her body, and she threaded her fingers through the long waves of brown hair salted with gray. When the kiss ended, she trailed her fingertips over his weatherworn face. 

“Mace...” 

“Mmmm?” 

She shook her head, her honey-colored hair falling over him. “Nothing. I like saying your name. Mace.” 

His hands slipped off her breasts, meandered down and caught behind her thighs. He heaved her up and closed his legs so that she straddled him. The pressure of his warm bulge and the roughness of his jeans made her ache with the want of him. His hands moved under her nightshirt and spread over her bare bottom. 

He grinned a little, leaned forward, and placed a kiss on the pulse in her throat. “You know, don't you,” he murmured directly into her ear, “that only whores don't wear underpants.” 

She laughed at him and pushed him back. “And how would you know?” she teased, reaching for his belt buckle. His grin widened, but he admitted nothing. 

When his jeans were undone, she pulled his erection free. He was already straight up and reaching for heaven. Talley wrapped her hand around his arousal, moving up and down in the slow motion she knew Mace liked. He groaned and his head fell back against the kitchen wall with a soft thump. 

Need flowed through her and she squirmed in his lap. He pulled her forward until she was pressed against the bunch of his jeans at the base of his zipper where the rest of his bulge was hidden. He rocked her against him, and the tingle reached all the way to her toes. 

Talley stopped with a shudder and a moan when she was close to the edge. Mace moved his hands to her waist and straightened out his legs. She lifted briefly, then sank onto him with a groan, his long length filling her up. With one hand flat on the wall near Mace's head, her other hand pushed aside his denim shirt. She bent her head and swirled her tongue around one flat nipple, bringing it to a hard point, then did the same to the other. Mace's breath escaped in a rush each time. 

Her toes pushed against the floor as Mace's hips surged beneath her. She closed her eyes and her hips quickened with his. Talley tossed back her head and let the warm burst of pleasure wash over her and through her. When it was over, she rested her head on his shoulder. Mace's hands spasmed on her waist, and he grunted as he spilled himself within her. 

When he was still, she removed her hand from the wall and wrapped both arms around him. God, he felt good in her arms, under her body. Every inch of her touched him and she never wanted to let him go. 

“Darlin, that was the best," he murmured and kissed her hair, “but you're gonna break my back.” 

“Oh, Mace, don't make me move.” But she unwound her limbs from him any way, then shivered from the extra ripple of pleasure when he slithered out of her. She straightened her nightshirt and made it to the other chair at the end of the dinette table, her limbs weak and shaky. 

Mace groaned as he sat up, adjusting himself. “Damn, but I'm too old for gymnastics.” 

“Ha!” She laughed. “You did nothing but sit there.” 

“Nothing, huh?” He grinned crookedly as he zipped up. “I seem to recall having a little something to do with your pleasure.” 

She exaggerated a shrug. “Maybe...a little.” 

“Maybe? Little! You're getting awful cocky for a girl.” 

“No,” she assured him and shook her head. “Cockiness is still your territory.” 

He lifted the coffee cup to his lips and winked at her. He took a sip, grimacing. “Cold.” 

“I'll get you some more.” 

He caught her hand as she reached for the cup. His callused fingers played over hers. “You can get me some more coffee, too...in a little while.” 

“You'll be asleep in a little while because I'm going to wear you out.” 

“Is that a promise?” 

“Yes, Mace.” 

She turned out the lights as they headed back to her small bedroom. Talley sat in the center of the bed, pulled off her socks, and watched Mace undress. He pulled free what was still tucked in of his shirt, undid the buttons, and let it fall off his lean arms. Talley quickly pulled off her nightshirt and stretched out. Mace toed off his boots, then unzipped and peeled off his jeans, underwear, and socks. 

“Looks like you've done this before, cowboy,” Talley teased. 

“A few times.” 

“A few more times and you might get good at it.” 

“Might?” He pounced on her on all fours, ravishing her belly with kisses. 

“Stop, Mace!” Talley squealed, almost laughing too hard to talk. “You're good, you're very good!” 

He stopped immediately and raised his head. “And when I'm bad I'm better.” 

“No, Mace. When you're bad, you're the best.” 

He kissed her belly one more time then raised to his knees, one on each side of her. Looking down at her, his eyes glittered silvery from the moonlight pouring through the window. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” 

She writhed against him. “Mmmm, what will it get me tonight?”

“Laid. Just give me time to recover from sitting in your kitchen chair.”

“And how long will that take?”

“Forever, if you just keep staring at it.”

Talley laughed softly and stretched, drawing her arms above her head. “But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“I think,” he said and fell forward, catching his weight on his elbows on each side of her, “I can keep you busy.”

He dipped his head, his lips surrounding a nipple, his tongue raking the point mercilessly. Talley gasped as a tingle of pleasure settled between her thighs. Her legs shifted restlessly, trapped by Mace's body.

“Not yet,” he said as his head moved to the other side.

He gave the same delicious attention to her other breast, bringing it to a raw point, intensifying the tingle into a burn. Her hips raised toward him on their own, but he ignored the nudge as his hands slid down her sides and he left a wet meandering trail over ribs, detouring around her navel again and again.

Talley moaned when he moved lower, quivering where he touched. She wiggled free of his weight, but only because he was ready for her to spread for him.

She reached for him, expecting him to crawl into her arms, anxious for him to settle his body against hers and carry her away. Instead, his arms slipped behind her thighs and cocked her legs around his shoulders. His hands slid around her hips, fingers splayed across her skin between her and the bed beneath.

“Mace?” she whispered, hardly able to breathe as he dragged his tongue up along the inside of one thigh and down the other.

“Mmmm,” he murmured, his lips and tongue now busy with something else besides talking.

“Oh Mace...”

Talley lay back, closed her eyes, and let Mace have his way with her. His tongue teased her, flicking all around the spot where she wanted it most. She moved her hips a little, hoping to catch him off guard, but his hands tightened their hold, keeping her in place.

She sighed and relaxed and that's when Mace marked the spot. She thrust forward, gently at first, then faster as Mace kept time with her rhythm. A whimper started in her throat, then turned into something more primal as her back arched and her legs tightened around Mace and her fingers clenched the headboard as she came.

Mace's tongue stroked her a few more times as the last of her climax dissolved, then kissed the inside of each thigh. He waited until she had regained her senses and eased her legs from his shoulders before raising up and sitting back on his heels.

Talley hadn't wanted to move, enjoying the thought of Mace trapped between her thighs, but knew she had to let him go eventually. Let him go... 

Her eyes fluttered open and she watched him as he wiped his mouth with her nightshirt.

Touching her intimately in that way, Mace forged a bond between them Talley had never shared with another man. She didn't know if Mace felt the same way, probably not, and she didn't have the courage to ask. Instead, she held out her arms to him. He dropped the nightshirt and crawled up over her.

He surrounded her with his long, strong arms. “Did that keep you busy enough?”

Talley smiled against the rough day's growth of his beard. “Hmmm, a little.”

He groaned and shook his head, the shaggy ends of his hair tickling her nose.

“I reckon you want this, huh,” he said and slid into her.

She was still wet and soft and his hips pressed into hers firmly. He lifted enough to enfold his fingers with hers and raise them above her head. As he reared over her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and enjoyed the way he moved in and out with clean, hard strokes. Thoroughly satisfied, she wasn't caught up in the mindless act, but was aware of every place he touched her body, inside and out, where his hardness touched her softness, from his callused hands to his lean ribcage to his rigid length within her. 

“Sorry, darlin...” he said in a breathless rush, his hands gripping hers tightly.

“It's all right,” she assured him as she watched his face by moonlight, watched how the sunburned creases deepened and his eyes squinted shut as he finished up inside her. His hands loosened suddenly, and he slumped over her, planting a kiss on her shoulder. When his breaths were close to normal, he rolled to his side and gathered her in his arms, their bodies damp with sweat and seed.

Talley wished she could purr like a contented kitten just to let Mace know what he did to her. Maybe he already knew. Maybe she did the same for him.

She listened to his breathing even and then, eventually, the soft snores. She couldn't sleep. The guilt hadn't set in yet, would come soon enough, but her mind wouldn't shut down. She eased herself from the tangle of his limbs and got up. 

He stirred. “Where you going, Lee?” 

“I'll be back in a few minutes.” 

“Miss you when I'm not here.” 

She went into the bathroom and washed away the dampness of their lovemaking. She pondered his slurred words. Had he meant them as he’d said them or had he misspoke in his sleepiness? Too many questions in her mind tonight. None she would ask him. She wouldn't risk spoiling what they shared. 

At the doorway to her bedroom, she watched him for a few minutes, then walked back into the kitchen. She lit a cigarette from the pack Mace had left on the table. 

She loved two men and her heart was torn in half. One she loved openly, but gave only a part of herself. The other she loved secretly and gave her all. It couldn't go on. A choice had to be made. Whether the choice would be hers or forced upon her, it needed to be done. 

If they were two different men, she might have been able to carry if off for a while longer, but because of their relationship, it would have to be soon. 

Whom should she choose? 

Mace or Mitch. 

The father or the son. 

CHAPTER FOUR 

In the seclusion of her small back yard surrounded by dense woods draped with kudzu, Talley usually found peace. Not this morning. Her guilt had grown too large and crowded out any peace she might have left in her soul. 

She glanced at Mace's truck, hidden amongst the trees and well out of sight of the road. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to give in to them. That would come later, after Mace had left. She wiped them away, hoping her eyes wouldn't redden. Mace would be out soon. 

Talley thought about their first time together, as she often did while waiting for Mace to join her out here the morning after. She hadn't really met Mace again since returning to Randolph. He and Mitch weren't getting along and Mitch stayed away from Shady Hollow as much as possible. He hadn't taken her to the farm since they’d started dating. Mace never came to the Rose, but she had seen him in passing a few times. She had never given much thought to Mace Holloway except as a careless father who hurt his son deeply by refusing to accept his choices in life. 

That first Saturday night Talley had no idea things would turn out as they had. Mace had come into the Rose just before closing and Dylan refused him service. Talley had realized Mace was too drunk to drive. She had caught a ride to work with Kim so she told Dylan she would take him home and Mitch could bring her back. Unable to face the twenty-mile drive, she had instead driven him to her place. She helped him in and poured him on the couch. Then she went to bed. Hours later, she awoke to the sound of the shower running. A few minutes later, he filled her bedroom door asking, “Talley?” 

It was four in the morning. When she couldn't think of anything else to say to him, she asked if he was hungry. He said yes so she fixed them coffee, bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. That finished sobering him up. One thing led to another and Talley found herself in his arms, kissing him. 

No, it was much more complicated than that. 

She had refilled his cup. She had set it in front of him and Mace had reached up, caressing her arm with tender strokes. Just as suddenly, his fingers were gone and his face had turned dark red under his tan. 

If he had grabbed at her or made some vulgar comment, she would have tossed him out with no second thought. Unfortunately, his fingers had danced up under the short sleeve of her robe and lit a fire to every nerve ending in her body. The blush that crept into his cheeks was endearing and made her really look at him for the first time. Her heart had skipped a beat. But she had told him she was seeing Mitch. 

“I know,” he said, his voice unnaturally husky. 

She had never thought of Mace in that way, yet she couldn't help but touch him too. Lightly, her fingertips ran along the deep creases around his eyes and mouth, over his lips. He responded to her apparent invitation by laying his hands on her hips and pulling her to him. She had closed her eyes and kissed him. 

Wherever he touched her she felt his heat—the warmth radiating from the taut bulge in his crotch, the small patches where his hands rested on her hips, his warm whiskey and breakfast scented breath as his lips left hers and traveled downward to cover the point of one breast, then the other. 

It had been so long since she'd been with a man that she reacted to him as if she was starving and he was a picnic laid out for her alone. She gave into her need and enjoyed the sensations he aroused. Fleetingly, she thought of Mitch and that this was Mitch's father, but then her mind clouded over and her decision was made. 

Tomorrow she would face her guilt and tomorrow Mace would be gone and that would be the end of it. Tonight would be for passions aroused and the feel of another body pressed close to hers. She wouldn't have to jeopardize her relationship with Mitch over sex. 

Then he had stopped and held her at arm's length. She felt the need to explain but in the smallest amount of words as possible. “Mitch and I aren't sleeping together.” She didn't elaborate except to add, “I love Mitch.” And although the thought had never crossed her mind before, in that one point in time, she wanted Mace with all her heart and soul and every inch of her body. “I want you.” 

He had stood and released her hand—leaving it up to her, she supposed, but she had already decided. She took his hand again and they kissed. She led him to her small bedroom, into her small bed, and afterwards she felt as if one weight had been lifted from her shoulders only to be replaced by a greater one. 

At the time, it had seemed sensible to give in to her physical longings with someone other than Mitch. She didn't stop to think there wasn't anything at all sensible about sleeping with Mitch's father. 

Reason hadn't returned to her until later that morning and guilt almost drowned her. The saddest part of all was that she couldn't say she had any regrets. 

She had awakened to sunlight streaming across their close bodies and felt as if a cloud of smoke had been swept from her brain. She scrambled from the bed, getting as far away from him as possible. Grabbing her gown and robe, she’d disappeared into the bathroom without looking back even when he called out her name. 

In the shower she ran water as hot as she could stand it. She’d cried, great choking sobs that wracked her body as she scrubbed her skin over and over. Nothing could wash away what she had done. Nothing could change what had happened. If only she could go back in time a few hours... 

But would she have done it differently? 

She had emerged from the bathroom hoping Mace had gone. She didn't even glance toward the bedroom. She'd strip the bed later and burn the sheets. She went out the back door and sat on the step, numbly running her fingers through wet hair to get out the tangles. She couldn't think beyond wanting a cigarette, but she was too afraid to go back inside in case Mace was still there. She supposed she could see if his truck was gone, but what would she do if it was still in the driveway where she'd left it last night? 

If he was any kind of gentleman, he would have left while she was in the shower, pretended the night had never happened, she’d reasoned. When next she saw him, there would be no remembrance in his clear gray eyes and he would act as if he were meeting her again for the first time since her return to Randolph. 

The door had opened behind her and she was up and away before he could step outside. She couldn't look at him. She sat in one of the chairs around the table, her back to him, and closed her eyes. Why didn't he just go away? 

The silence between them grew until Mace walked to the other side of the table and sat down. She couldn't open her eyes, but she wouldn't run away again. This was her home and he was the one who didn't belong. She heard him fumble with a pack of cigarettes and light two. 

“Talley,” he murmured and then she did look at him. 

He held out a cigarette for her and she took it. His gray eyes were wide and startled, like he couldn't believe it had happened either. She had half expected to see a satisfied smirk on his face, the look of a man who knew no woman could resist him, not even his own son's girl. She was surprised to find he was as confused and embarrassed as she. The discovery eased her discomfort a little. 

“I—” he started but couldn't finish. He ran his hands through his longish hair and shook his head. 

“I think you should leave now,” she said quietly in a neutral tone. She didn't want him to think she blamed him. They were equally guilty of what had happened. 

“All right. But I just wanted to say—” 

“No. Don't say anything. We-We just need to forget this ever happened.” 

“I know. That's what I wanted to say. I want to make sure you understand I'm not looking for anything more. I…” He dragged deeply on his cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly. “I don't know what happened, but it won't happen ever again. I don't need anything, or anyone, permanent in my life. I ain't looking for—” 

“You've made that clear, Mace. Just leave.” 

He nodded again and stood. She sensed that he wanted to say more, but then he finally walked away. She heard his truck start, back out of the driveway, and leave. When she could hear it no more, she had breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. 

Until the next Saturday night when he knocked on her door. 

She just stood there and looked at him. “What are you doing here, Mace?” 

She tried to discourage him by speaking coldly, but her heart had hammered in her chest. Images of lying beneath this man flashed through her mind. She had tried not to think of him all week, but it was impossible. Now, here he was again. 

“I-I just wanted to see how you're doing, that's all. I ain't welcome at the Rose or I'd have come by there.” 

A smile tugged at her mouth, but she didn't give in to it. He seemed a little lost and afraid and she wouldn't have expected to find either in Mace Holloway. 

“You have a phone, don't you?” 

“Yeah, I do,” he said and grinned a little. “It never crossed my mind. I wanted to see you.” 

“Well, now you've seen me and I'm all right.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed but didn't make a move to leave. He stood on the front doorstep and waited. 

She waited too. While she waited she thought of all the reasons she should shut the door in his face and break this off right here and now. 

She tried. She even took a step back and tightened her hold on the doorknob. She thought of Mitch and how devastated he would be if he found out. She glanced at her driveway, but only her car sat there. 

“Where's your truck?” 

“Back there, under the trees.” 

“What do you want, Mace?” 

He shrugged helplessly. “I don't know.” 

Against her better judgment, she said, “Come on in and I'll make you a cup of coffee. Then you have to go.” 

“All right.” 

He didn't go, of course, until the next morning. They weren't quite as embarrassed as they had been the first time and they agreed it shouldn't happen again. Yet, he couldn't stay away and she couldn't say no. They never spoke of Mitch in the beginning. 

Now, one more Sunday morning she waited for him in the quiet of her back yard. Something had to be done. She was being torn in half, right down the middle, but she couldn't make the final decision she knew had to be made. Not yet. 

Mace stepped through the back door, fully dressed, with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He stood on the step, squinting into the sunlight. He ran his hand through his hair then unconsciously adjusted himself as men do without any thought to where they are or whom they're with. 

He looked at her and winked. “Twice in one night. I'm damned impressed with myself.” 

She laughed as he came toward her and she raised her head for her morning kiss. When he pulled away, an indefinable look crossed his face. He placed a callused finger at the base of her neck. 

“I didn't do that,” he said gruffly and walked away from her. 

Talley's hand flew to cover Mitch's mark. She'd completely forgotten about it in her excitement over Mace's visit. Tears burned her eyes and a guilty blush crept over her face. 

Why did she suddenly feel guilty over Mitch? 

“I'm sorry, Mace—” she began. 

“You don't owe me any explanations.” Mace smiled a little, but his eyes were filled with sadness. 

“It was Mitch—” 

“Don't explain, Lee. You have a life to live the other six days of the week.” 

Now her throat burned as well and she blurted out, “I haven't started sleeping with Mitch.” 

“Why not? Ain't my boy good enough for you?” 

“That's not funny,” she snapped. 

He sipped his coffee. “Wasn't meant to be. Are you holding out for marriage? I'd like to know if I'm going to be bedding my son's wife.” 

She sucked in a breath. “Mace, you've gone too far.” 

He nodded and set his coffee cup on the table. “I'd best leave then.” 

“No!” Talley jumped to her feet and went into his arms. He held her as tightly as she held him. “This is our time together. The only time I have you. I won't give it up.” 

“Even after you marry Mitch?” 

She shook her head against him. “We haven't talked about marriage.” 

“But, darlin, Mitch wants to marry you.” Mace eased himself from her arms and sat down in his chair. He pulled cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and lit two, handing one out to her. She took it. 

“Mitch and I don't talk much anymore without it ending in an argument, but he's talked about you a lot since you've been seeing each other again. I think he's getting me ready to be your father-in-law.” He frowned, puzzled. “He's had girlfriends before and never mentioned their names to me. I don't know if he thinks I won't approve or what—” 

“Maybe he thinks you'll sleep with them.” The words were out before Talley could stop them, but she didn't regret what she said. It was only fair that she hurt him as badly as he hurt her. She returned to her chair and when she looked at Mace again, his eyes were hard. 

“I think we're even now,” he said. 

“And you know how you made me feel.” 

“All right, Lee.” 

“Why do you call me that? No one has ever called me Lee before.” 

“You know why.” 

She shook her head. She liked that he had a special nickname for her, but she didn't know why he had come to use it. “No, I don't.” 

“Mitch calls you Tal and, since we each have a part of you, I take what's left. Lee.” 

What a bitterly sweet thing for him to say and Talley wanted to cry. She teetered on the edge of tears a lot lately, but she had mastered how to save them for when she was alone. 

“I am sorry that I hurt you. I don't know about you, but I don't like myself much these days. I think I need to go now.” He drained his cup and stood. 

Talley's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. “Is this good-bye?” 

He hesitated, then shook his head. “As long as you can live with yourself, I reckon I can too.” 

She went into his arms again and they kissed, long and slow and sweet. 

Then he was gone. 

Watching him walk away grew more difficult each time. When she could no longer hear his truck in the distance, she cried. 

CHAPTER FIVE 

Saturday always came around although Talley believed the day took longer than the other days of the week and had more hours. This Saturday was the annual celebration of the Fourth at McKenna Park. Mitch offered to pick her up, but she invented some excuse about errands to run, so she would have her own car. She didn't want to have to go through the awkwardness of turning him down again at her front door. In addition to the set just before the fireworks, The Cold Creek Band would also play early in the afternoon, so Mitch had to go on without her. 

Talley arrived as they were setting up on the second stage. 

“We won't play 'Desperate Hearts' this time, Tal. We're saving it for tonight,” Mitch told her when he took a few minutes away from the preparations to talk to her. “I'm glad you're here.” 

“Me too.” 

“But I have to help out. Don't wander too far. I want to be able to see you while we're on.” 

The festivities filled the park all the way to the wooded area at the west end. Talley kept her eye on the stage at the east end while she went from booth to booth. The traditional barbecue and fireworks had grown over the years to include vendors selling food, soft drinks, and crafts. She played games of chance and admired the handiwork of local artisans. She ate a hot dog and sipped sweet-and-sour lemonade. She was looking over a table of jewelry made of all natural materials when the hair at the back of her neck prickled. 

“Hello, darlin,” a voice whispered close to her ear. 

She whirled, spilling the lemonade. “Mace!” 

“C'mon, let's walk.” 

Talley glanced toward the stage, but they were as far as they could get from it, almost to the woods. She couldn't tell which was Mitch from this distance. She tossed her glass of lemonade into a trashcan. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Every lost soul in town is here, why shouldn't I be?” 

“Because Mitch said you haven't attended in years.” She halted suddenly and touched his arm to stop him. “Did you come to hear Mitch?” 

A muscle twitched in his jaw and he shook his head. 

“You have to, Mace. It would make him so happy.” 

He started walking again. “C'mon,” he said again. 

Talley followed him. Without glancing around, Mace strode into the dense growth of trees. Talley hurried to catch up with him. 

“Are you insane, Mace? What if someone sees us disappear into these trees?” 

He whirled on her suddenly, his gray eyes almost black in the shaded woods. “What's wrong with a father talking to his son's girl? It happens every day, Lee. Every father talks to his son's girl at some time or other.” 

She briefly hesitated. “All right.” 

He shrugged. “I didn't come to hear Mitch and I didn't come to see you. I don't know why I'm here. I thought Mitch wasn't on till tonight.” 

“They're playing two sets. One now and the other just before the fireworks. It's an honor, Mace, for them to close the evening and play for the street dance.” 

He nodded. “I saw him but I don't think he saw me. Don't tell him I was here.” 

“Just come listen to him. Then it won't matter if he knows.” 

“I just happened to see you at that booth,” he continued as if she hadn't spoken. 

Laughter echoed through the trees. They weren't the only ones seeking shade from the hot sun, or maybe a place to be alone. 

“This was damn stupid, wasn't it?” He took her hand and led her deep into the woods. When they reached the creek, he turned and they followed it north a ways. 

The trees blocked the direct sunlight, but their thick branches trapped the heat and humidity. Talley wore a sundress and had pulled her hair into a pony-tail to keep as cool as possible, but the humidity and exertion left a fine layer of sweat on her skin and almost took her breath away. 

They came to a place where a dead tree had fallen across the creek and Mace stopped. 

“I know every inch of these woods, every hidey hole. Me and Dylan and Henry Davis spent more time here than in school. When I was sixteen, I brought a girl to McKenna Lane and got laid for the first time.” He shook his head at the memory and smiled a little. “Lilith Vandemeer—blonde, built like a brick shithouse. Laid every man in Randolph before I got to her.” 

“The librarian?” Talley thought of the stout lady with graying hair who used to help her find information for the papers she had to write in high school. The same one who had tried to talk her out of reading the trashy novels in the paperback section. 

“We used to say McKenna Lane had more rubber than Goodyear. I wonder if it's still the favorite parking spot for horny teenagers.” 

“Where do you think Mitch and I first did it?” Talley asked and held her breath. 

Mace didn't say anything for a moment, then he laughed. “And in the front seat of my truck. I never thought…Damn. Time to get a new truck.” 

Talley shrugged. “Where else could we go back then?” 

Mace moved in close as the laughter left his eyes. He forced her to lean against a tree and lay his hands flat on each side of her head.

“What are you doing, Mace?”

“I want you.”

He kissed her deeply, his lips working hard over hers. Against her better judgment, she closed her eyes and let her tongue play with his. She realized then that she'd been aroused ever since he'd whispered darlin’ in her ear, and the kiss only made it worse. Or better. She wanted him too.

Her mouth felt bruised when he pulled away. “You'll have me. Later tonight. Isn't that enough?”

He didn't answer, but kissed her again, sucking gently on her tongue. She closed her eyes again and let her desire and need for him take over. She didn't consider the fact that it was broad daylight and anyone could find them. She couldn't think at all while Mace's busy tongue enflamed the fire burning in her belly, between her thighs. She was ready to spread her legs, hike up her skirt, and let him take her right there, the rough bark digging into her shoulder blades... 

But a rare breeze rustled the tops of the trees and a few stray notes of music reached them across the distance. Mitch and the band had started.

The sounds brought her back, and her eyes flew open, meeting his clear gray eyes. With one last pull on her tongue, he drew away.

“I have to go, Mace. Come with me and listen to your son.”

He shook his head. “I'll come with you later tonight...”

“Mace—”

“This evening, meet me here.”

“I can't. I'll be with Mitch.” 

“Not while he's singing.” 

“I want to hear him. We won't be able to hear him from here.” 

“I know.” 

She decided it was useless trying to convince him. 

“I have to go. Mitch will be watching for me.” 

He didn't move. She ducked under his arm and ran all the way through the trees. 

She didn't look back. 

* * * * * 

All afternoon, as she walked with Mitch around the park and back again, Talley told herself she wouldn't meet Mace. She didn't want to miss hearing Mitch perform “Desperate Hearts”. But Mace had been in a strange mood. She hadn't smelled whiskey on his breath, so she didn't know what had caused it. She hated having Mace on her mind when she was with Mitch, but she couldn't seem to think of anything else. 

As evening turned to night, they filled up on barbecue and roasted corn and glasses of lemonade. She occasionally glanced towards the woods and wondered if Mace was already there. He'd have a long wait, she kept telling herself. 

But after Mitch and the others went off to get ready for the last set of the evening, Talley found herself heading away from the stage. She told herself she was only going to the restroom. After visiting the park facilities, she located her car in the crowded parking lot and retrieved the flashlight from the glove compartment. She stopped lying to herself and made her way to the woods. 

The three-quarter moon wasn't strong enough to light her way through the trees. With the help of the flashlight, she found the creek and headed north as Mace had taken her that afternoon. 

She took her time, not wanting to tumble over the bank into the water. In the daylight with Mace, the path hadn't seemed nearly as dangerous. A fall into the muddy water was not the most pleasant way to end the evening. Besides, how would she ever explain to Mitch? 

The night was sultry and sweat covered her like a second skin. She wiped at the droplets that formed on her upper lip and felt a trickle down the small of her back. She had to be near the place where Mace had taken her. If she didn't find him soon, she would turn around and go back. 

She walked a few more yards, flashing the light around and found him perched on the end of the fallen log. He blinked in the brightness of the beam. 

“I didn't think you'd come,” he said and put a bottle to his lips, letting the dark golden liquid slide down his throat. 

“I always come with you,” she said, but he didn't smile at her joke like he usually did. He patted the spot beside him and she sat close by but not touching. She cut off the flashlight. 

“Was she any good?” Talley asked, not knowing what else to say. 

“Who?” 

“Ms. Vandemeer.” She couldn't bring herself to call the woman by her first name. It was difficult enough imagining Mace at sixteen. It was impossible to imagine him with her. She didn't think she'd ever be able to go into the library again. 

He shrugged. “I wasn't too worried about how good it was, just that I was finally doing it. When you're that age, that's all that matters.” 

What did that say about her and Mitch if that had been all that mattered to Mitch? She knew it had meant more to him. In some ways, Mitch was a kinder, gentler man than his father could ever hope to be. 

“I scored a few more times that year—” 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

“—and the next summer, at the Fourth festival, I met Mitch's mother.” 

He took another drink from the tall bottle. 

“Ellen wouldn't let me in her pants, but I wanted there so bad. I stayed away from other women.” He hung his head. “Damn but you remind me of her in some ways, Lee. Not that you look like her or act like her. The way you trust me completely with your body and your secrets. Took almost a year before she was ready to let me in and I thought it had shriveled up and quit working by then. That first time was a disaster for both of us. We got better at it, but she was so afraid of making love without being married.” 

He put the bottle to his mouth. 

She glanced at the bottle and then at him. “Don't, Mace.” 

He held the bottle out and looked at it. “I've only had a couple of swallows. Barely cleared out the neck.” But he reared back and threw it into the creek. She heard the tinkle of breaking glass, then silence. 

“You always talk drunker than you are.” 

“It keeps people away.” 

“Even Mitch?” 

“Yeah, even Mitch. He always needed me so much, then he grew up. Hell, all of a sudden I didn't know a damn thing and he had all the answers.” 

“It was nothing personal, Mace. All kids are like that. Don't you remember being a kid yourself?” 

“I thought it'd be different with us because it was just the two of us for so long.” He belched. “Damn fine whiskey you made me toss.” 

“I don't make you do anything, Mace.” 

“Yeah, you do. You just don't know you do.” 

They sat in silence for a long time. Talley watched Mace. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out the silvery glint of his eyes and the thoughtful expression on his face. Every once in a while a few strains of music floated their way. They sat so long, Talley thought Mace had decided not to finish whatever he wanted to tell her. She moved around, trying to find a more comfortable seat on the log. Maybe she should just go back and catch the last of Mitch's performance. She started to get up. 

“Don't go yet. I'm not through.” 

She sighed and settled back down. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear about Mitch's mother. 

“As soon as she turned eighteen we got married. I wasn't much older myself. Too young, of course, but she wanted it. And because she wanted it, I wanted it. I loved her, Lee, but when I look back on what little time we had together, I can't remember why.” 

His voice was hoarse and broke on the last few words. She didn't dare look at him then. She didn't think she could stand to see him with tears in his eyes. 

“We had a few months together, then she was carrying Mitch. Something went wrong and we almost lost him...and Ellen too. I kept thinking I didn't want him if it meant losing Ellen. I know it sounds bad, but I didn't know him, had never seen him. They didn't do those…those pictures back in those days.” 

“Ultrasounds.” 

“Yeah, that's it. So in a way, he wasn't real to me.” He shook his head. “It makes me sound like the worst father, but hell, I was only nineteen. What did I know?” 

“I don't think anybody ever knows how they'd feel in a situation like that until they’re in it.” 

“It wasn't that I didn't want him at all. A boy or girl, didn't matter. Having a baby was the next step. You get married, have babies, live your life the best you can, then you die. That's the way it's supposed to go, only it didn't for Ellen. She had Mitch and survived it. Doctors said she probably shouldn't try to have any more. Then a few months later she got sick all of a sudden. Didn't have anything to do with the problems she'd had with Mitch. Cancer. And a few months after that she was...gone. Mitch wasn't a year old.” 

Talley blinked back tears. She had known that Mitch's mother had died when he was young, but she had never given any thought to her as a real person, a woman who’d loved Mace. 

“It's been so long, Lee, over twenty-two years. Most of the time I can't remember what she looked like, can't remember what her hair felt like in my hands. Mitch has her hair, black as sin, and her dark skin.” 

“He has your eyes.” 

“Yeah. Ellen's were blue as the sky on a clear day, not dark and stormy like yours.” 

“Why are you telling me this, Mace?” 

“Because I need to tell someone. I can't tell Mitch, can't make him understand how much I missed his mother for so long. Then one day I didn't miss her so much and now...now I can't really remember her at all. I can't tell him that we were only together three years and it seems like a dream I had. Ellen's folks wanted to take Mitch, but I wouldn't let 'em. How could I give him away? How could I give up the only part of Ellen I had left? My folks helped raised him till they died. They were both gone by the time he was twelve.” 

Talley vaguely recalled the elderly Holloways. They must have had Mace late in life. An accident on the farm had taken Mitch's grandfather and illness had claimed his grandmother and both had happened within just a few years time. Talley hadn't thought about the fact that they had been Mace's parents as well. She tried so hard to keep Mace and Mitch separate that she sometimes blinded herself to the threads that wove them together. 

“She could sing like an angel,” he said and stopped. 

“Ellen?” 

He hesitated, then nodded. “Back in those days, the Fourth festival was a lot smaller. Sometimes local people would sing for the crowds. Ellen and her family had just moved here from Jackson. I watched her sing some old gospel songs with her family and then she did a solo. I think that's when I fell in love with her. When we got married, we lived with my folks on the farm. After Mitch was born and before she got sick, I'd sit out on the porch late in the evening and listen to her sing Mitch to sleep. I'd close my eyes and all I could hear was her sweet voice filling the night.” 

He said no more. He didn't have to. She now knew why he couldn't bear to see his son perform. She moved closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her. At that moment the patches of night sky visible amongst the leaves lit up with the first starburst of fireworks. 

“Sorry I unloaded on you.” He winked and squeezed her arm where his hand lay. “Seems like that's all I do, unload on you.” 

“It's okay, Mace. I understand now.” 

“I hoped you would.” 

“Mitch will be looking for me.” 

He nodded. “Go on, then.” 

She'd have to make some excuse to Mitch. She hated lying to him. When had she started lying? When had this gotten so complicated? 

“Will you be by later tonight?” 

He nodded again and took his arm away from her. She kissed him on the cheek, turned on the flashlight, and started back. 

CHAPTER SIX 

With Mitch in Nashville for most of the week, Talley felt a little lost without him. They were staying with another band member's relatives who lived near Nashville. Mitch had been relieved. The generous offer saved them the cost of motel rooms. 

Now it was Friday night and Talley tried to imagine Mitch and The Cold Creek Band in a bar at least three times the size of the Rose. She heard his music in her heart. Mitch and the band were good and had a realistic shot at their dreams if only the right people would hear them. They hoped to make the right connections in Nashville. 

Then her thoughts drifted to Mace and everything he'd told her nearly a week ago. Her heart ached for him. If only he would talk to Mitch and make him understand why. Talley wished she could make Mace understand that Mitch needed to know some of the things he had confided in her. It would help their troubled relationship more than he could imagine. Mitch had no idea how or why Mace hurt inside. 

She picked up a towel to keep her hands busy. She'd had to lie to Mitch about not catching his performance and not watching the fireworks with him. She’d told him the barbecue hadn't agreed with her and she'd been in the restroom throwing up then sat away from the crowd until she felt a little better. The excuse did double duty as a reason to turn Mitch away again easily. 

Later that night, Mace had come to her although she really didn't expect him to. There was none of their usual teasing, only a desperate need to find comfort with one another. Afterwards, Talley held him throughout the night, his restless stirrings keeping her awake. He cut their morning ritual in her haven short and left earlier than usual. Talley missed him beyond reason. 

The loud creak of the door caught her attention and her wide eyes looked toward it. She hoped it wouldn't be Jack Sandler. Without Mitch to help her, she was afraid Jack's increasing nastiness would explode. 

Who came through the door almost made her heart stop beating. As many times as she had watched the door open and wanted it to be him, suddenly she was afraid. Mace filled the doorway then let the old wooden door slam shut behind him. He squinted in the dim lighting until his eyes pinpointed her behind the bar. His long legs ate up the floor between them and Talley took a step backward at his determined presence. 

At the bar, Mace swung one long leg over the stool in front of her, his eyes having never left her. 

“Mace?” She asked a thousand questions in that one whispered word. 

“I'll have a beer,” he said too loudly. His eyes glittered like polished silver and bore into hers. 

With shaking hands, Talley filled a mug with draft, leaving hardly any head at all. She set it in front of Mace. 

“Howdy, Mace. Been awhile,” Dylan said from behind her, causing her to jump. Dylan gave her a questioning look. 

“We-e-ell,” Mace drawled and downed half the beer. He slammed the glass on the counter hard enough to crack it, liquid sloshing over the side. “Life's a bitch, ain't it, Dylan.” 

“Take it easy, Mace.” Dylan frowned. “Been a long time since you had a drink in this place. And you remember the reason why as well as me. I won't stand for any of your bullshit and you know it.” Dylan looked at Talley. “I don't know what's going on between you and Mitch, but I don't want no trouble.” 

“Trouble,” Mace repeated and he belched loud enough to wake the dead. “Nobody knows the trouble we're gonna see before long. But not tonight, Dylan. No trouble tonight.” 

“I'll hold you to that,” Dylan said and moved on. 

“I have work to do, Mace,” Talley said, trying to keep her voice steady. 

“Work,” he repeated in that stupid, patronizing tone. “So do I, darlin, so do I.” 

Obviously, it wasn't Mace's first drink of the evening. He was a little drunk, enough to slur his speech and give his words a razor edge, but not enough to pass out and save them from disaster. Or maybe he was pretending again. 

“What do you want, Mace?” Talley tried to keep her voice low, but she had to be heard above the music. 

Mace chugged down the last of the brew before answering. “My boy's out of town singing his heart out on some stage somewhere and I want his woman.” 

Warmth crept into her face and she shook her head. “Not like this, Mace.” 

He cocked his head to one side as if thinking hard. “Seem to recall I was a lot drunker than this the first time I took you.” 

“Don't, Mace.” 

“Then come home with me.” All the bitter sarcasm was gone and Talley could hear the need in him. 

“I—” she began and stopped. It was a mistake giving in to him when he was like this, but what could she do? She was afraid he might jump on the bar and shout to the world what was going on between then. She couldn't chance hurting Mitch. “I get off work in about half an hour. If you go on now and have a cup of coffee at the Grill, I'll meet you there.” 

“That's it, darlin.” He winked, slid off the barstool, and left the same way he came in, long decisive strides across the wooden floor. 

Talley took away the mug, checking it for cracks, and wiped down the bar. Dylan appeared at her side again. 

“What's eating him?” 

“H-He's worried about Mitch,” she improvised, but didn't think it was a lie. 

“He didn't pay,” Dylan pointed out, always the businessman. 

“It was my treat. Take it out of my check.” 

“And Talley, next time you see Mace, tell him not to start his hell-raising drunk shenanigans at the Rose. We're both too old for it.” 

At midnight, after everyone had cleared out, Talley grabbed her purse. With Mitch out of town, she had ridden to work with Jeannie. Talley's car needed a tune-up and new tires, but she hadn't gotten around to taking care of either. 

Outside, Talley saw Mace's truck still in the parking lot. She told Jeannie she had a lift home. 

“Are you sure, hon?” 

“I'm sure. Thanks again.” 

She waited for Jeannie to drive off before walking across the empty parking lot to the pickup. The white Ford was nearly twenty years old and great patches of rust covered the hood and fenders. Yes, the same truck she and Mitch had parked in on McKenna Lane. 

She found Mace on his knees, retching into the bushes. She controlled the urge to put her foot on his backside and flatten him into his vomit. 

Instead, she leaned against his truck. “I'm not going to pick you up, Mace. I'm not going to coddle you like some helpless baby. You're a grown man so why the hell don't you act like it?” 

He pushed himself to the side and sat with his back against a tire. “It's not the beer, Lee. I only had one other drink before I got here.” He ran his hand through his shaggy hair. “I'm sick of myself. And us. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.” 

Then tell me what you want ! her mind screamed and she bit her lip to keep from saying the words aloud. She had sworn she wouldn't prompt him. Whatever Mace wanted, he had to let her know without having to drag it out of him. She would not corner him nor threaten him. It had to come from his heart. 

“I think you gulped down that beer too fast.” 

With the help of his pickup, Mace stood. His whole body shook from the effort. 

“You coming home with me?” 

Going with Mace to what was also Mitch's home made her uneasy. Yet, Mace seemed to feel no extra guilt in the act. 

“Yes, but I'll drive.” 

Talley's heart tightened with each of the twenty miles she drove toward Shady Hollow. Mace huddled in the corner of the cab, snoring. Soon enough, Talley steered the truck up the long driveway to the sprawling farmhouse. She stopped, shifted into park, and turned off the lights and ignition. She sat for a while, smoking. 

Finally, Mace stirred. 

“We're here,” she announced and got out of the truck. She followed Mace to the front door and inside. It had been many years since she'd been in this house, not since she was a teenager. She remembered the last time. Mitch had pulled her through the living room where Mace sat with the Sunday paper, steamy cup of coffee, and cigarette. Shyly, she had greeted him, calling him Mr. Holloway. He'd barely glanced at them, nodded, and went back to his paper. 

She and Mitch had gone into the kitchen, packed a lunch, and spent the afternoon making up for the times they wouldn't be together once her family left for Chattanooga. 

“What did you think?” Talley asked after reminding him of that sunny Sunday afternoon. 

His brow wrinkled. “I don't remember that particular afternoon, but you were always around. I remember thinking you were a pretty girl and would be a beautiful woman one day. And I was right. I thought my boy was lucky to have you for his girl. I damn sure didn't think of you the way I do now, Lee.” 

“I know. I didn't think of you that way either. I was a little afraid of you. You were Mitch's father, the voice of authority, just as my mother was. All adults were the enemy. That afternoon was the day my mother told me she was marrying Frank Wilson and we were moving to Chattanooga. I didn't mind her seeing Frank and I didn't mind that she was getting married. Frank's a great guy and I wanted her to be happy. But I didn't want to move away and leave Mitch behind.” 

The silence was deafening. 

“It's why I came back, you know. I missed him so much.” 

“Then why—” he started to ask, but stopped himself. “C'mon, Lee. I'll take a shower while you make us some coffee. I never made it to the Grill.” 

Talley watched him leave the room. She could guess what his unasked question would have been. Then why haven't you slept with Mitch? Or maybe Why are you sleeping with me? How could she explain to him, or Mitch, when she couldn't really explain it to herself? 

She looked for coffee grounds and found a jar of unopened instant in a cabinet. Mace wouldn't drink anything but “real” coffee and Mitch rarely drank coffee at all. Why did he have a new jar of instant? Because of her? Had he expected to bring her to the house at some point? She didn't know what to think. She only wished Mace would hurry up and decide what he wanted. 

“Didn't mean to embarrass you at the Rose,” he mumbled as he entered the kitchen, his lean ranginess enhanced by not wearing a shirt. He often worked out in the sun with no shirt so his upper body was sun-browned while below the waist he was as smooth and pale as she. 

“Yes, you did. That's exactly what you were trying to do,” she accused as she poured him coffee. “I kept picturing you standing on the bar, shouting to the world about us. I was afraid you might do it or something equally stupid. I couldn't let you hurt Mitch like that.” She handed him his mug and sipped from hers. “I don't want to hurt Mitch at all.” 

“We've already done that. It can't be undone.” He sighed and lit up two cigarettes, handing one to her. “Have you noticed most of our talk is about Mitch lately? We never used to mention him at all.” 

Tears burned her eyes. “I have to go.” 

“I won't stop you.” 

“Good because you have to drive me. I don't feel up to a twenty-mile walk in the middle of the night.” 

“Don't go, Lee.” 

Was it really that simple? Stay and make love with Mace, feel good tonight and guilty tomorrow. She couldn't keep them separate anymore. Mitch overflowed into her strange relationship with his father. And Mace had already overshadowed her relationship with his son. 

“All right, I'll stay.” Yes, it was that simple, that basic. She would be consumed with guilt tomorrow, but she would also have an extra night with Mace. 

His bedroom, two doors down from Mitch's, was uncluttered. The bare necessities, but not much else, as if he were a stranger passing through this life. Mace was a man who needed little but what he did need was absolutely essential. Had that come to include her? 

She undressed and slipped into his bed, clean but unmade. He pulled off his clothes, but stood and watched her in the faint moonlight streaming through the window. 

“I don't know how many times I've imagined you lying in my bed just like that,” he murmured then crawled in beside her. She snuggled into his arm, kissed his chest, ran her hand through the sparse hair. 

If sex was the point then it was dulled by the presence of Mitch's shadow in the house. He was safely miles away but neither of them could forget him for a moment. 

“It feels right, you here beside me,” Mace said and nuzzled her hair. She turned on her side, her back against his front, and his strong arms surrounded her. A little while later, his breathing evened and he slept. Strangely, it was enough. She didn't feel frustration or annoyance at him. She agreed with him. It felt right lying beside him, drifting off to sleep. In his sleep, he nudged her backside. She smiled and closed her eyes, knowing she would see his handsomely worn face the first thing in the morning. 

CHAPTER SEVEN 

Talley didn't know how long they’d slept, but she awoke to her leg being lifted out of the way and Mace easing himself inside of her. She didn't open her eyes or say a thing but shifted a little to make it easier for him. When he was firmly in place, his leg underneath hers, he snuggled against her back and lay his free arm along her arm, his fingers folding between hers. 

They moved together slowly, and Talley drifted with the rhythm of Mace sliding in and out, in and out of her flesh. His warm breath passed over her ear and cheek, and she smiled. 

If she could freeze time, this would be the perfect moment to make last forever. She and Mace moving as one before the urgency took over and ended it. Then she cleared her mind of all thoughts. She didn't want to waste another precious second thinking. She only wanted to feel. 

“Mace,” she murmured as he buried himself inside of her over and over again, “yes, Mace.” 

He groaned, heightening her arousal. 

The perfect moment lasted longer than she'd ever imagined was possible, but it was coming to an end. Her skin tingled around her hips and belly and down her thighs, and her fingers and toes flexed on their own. Mace's thrusts now came harder and faster and he felt stiffer deep inside of her. 

The orgasm rippled through her suddenly. Caught by surprise, Talley cried out and Mace tightened his hold on her writhing body. 

“Darlin,” he rasped out. 

As it faded, her muscles throbbed with the release, and her eyes filled with tears. 

A pleasant thrum continued where he drove into her even harder. He thrust one last time and stayed there, pulsing, a low growl of satisfaction sounding deep in his throat. 

The tenseness left their bodies. 

They stayed as they were, bodies joined, their breaths evened, heartbeats slowed, and they fell back to sleep. 

* * * * * 

She didn't know how long they’d slept again. When she awoke this time, it was still dark and Mace wasn't beside her. She sat up, eyes wide, and found Mace at the gun cabinet. He had pulled out a handgun and was loading it. 

“Mace, what are—” 

“Hush, Lee. I heard something in the front of the house. I think somebody's broken in. Stay here.” 

Mace disappeared through the bedroom door. 

Talley scrambled to her feet and rummaged in the dark for clothes. She ran across his shirt smelling of sunshine and musky sweat and everything that made up Mace. She tugged it on, buttoning it as she ran to catch up with him. 

He jerked her a look and shook his head for her to stay back and keep quiet. Then she heard a noise and her heart rose in her throat. 

They passed through the dark kitchen and Mace stepped into the living room. Talley stayed in the doorway, frozen by the shadowy figure that moved at the other end of the room. 

Just as Mace lifted the gun, the lights snapped on and they all blinked in its sudden brightness. 

“Dammit, boy!” Mace shouted in fear and anger and dropped his arm. “I almost shot your fool head off.” 

Then no one said a word. 

Mitch's gaze swept from Mace to Talley and back again, then rested on Talley. The sight of Talley wearing nothing except Mace's denim shirt must have been almost as disturbing as seeing his father with a gun trained on him. His jaws worked but no sound passed through his open lips. He took a step forward then two back. 

Mace, in an eloquent if morbid summary of the situation, touched the barrel to his temple and made a soft exploding sound with his pursed lips. Then his shoulders slumped and he leaned against the back of the couch. 

“No. Mitch…” Talley started, but didn't know what to say. Nothing she said would wipe away the hurt and betrayal in Mitch's eyes. 

“Well,” Mitch said, at last able to make some sound. “Well, damn. This answers a hell of a lot of questions, doesn't it, Tal?” 

No , she wanted to scream at both of them, it doesn't answer anything! Instead, she said, “Oh, Mitch, it's not what you think.” 

Mitch swallowed hard. “Then you're not sleeping with my father?” 

“Oh.” Talley's hand flew to her mouth. She couldn't lie and deny it. Besides the fact that she didn't possess the quick imagination to invent a story to explain why she was here in the middle of the night wearing only Mace's shirt, she wouldn't outright lie to Mitch, not again. “That's not what I meant,” she mumbled behind her hand, not knowing what she had meant. She had been searching for words to ease Mitch's pain. 

Mitch's gray eyes glinted like steel. “Pardon the interruption, but I really have to get out of here.” 

Talley wanted to close her eyes and fade away. She wanted the floor to rip open and swallow her up. For a fraction of an instant she had the urge to grab Mace's gun and put her out of both their miseries, but she was too much of a coward to do it. 

“You'll understand if I don't stay tonight. Hell, the noise would probably keep me awake.” Mitch stalked toward the door. 

“Watch your mouth, boy,” Mace said. 

Mitch whirled around. “You don't have a boy anymore. Just remember, Daddy, I had her first.” 

Mitch went out the door before either of them could say anything else. 

Talley couldn't move and was unaware of Mace's movements until he spread the afghan from the couch around her shoulders. 

“Go after him, Lee. He might do something stupid and get himself killed.” 

Mace wiped away the tears she didn't know streamed down her face. 

“I'm sorry, Mace,” she whispered, “I didn't mean—” 

“Don't apologize to me. If anybody knows what you didn't mean, it's me. Apologize to him and try to explain.” Mace held up the revolver. “I think I'd best unload this and put it away.” 

Talley placed a hand on his arm. “You-You wouldn't do anything stupid with that thing, would you?” 

“Not me. I'm sorry he had to find out like this, but I have no regrets. Go to him, Lee.” 

Talley ran out of the house, surprised that Mitch's truck was still in the driveway. He sat inside like a cold statue. She opened the door and slid in, huddling into the afghan. The night wasn't cool, but she was trembling anyway. Mitch didn't say a word, stared straight ahead as if he didn't know she was there. 

“I love you, Mitch.” 

He jumped as if he'd been struck with a hot poker, then hit the steering wheel with his fist. 

“Hell of a thing to say to me after I find out you've slept with my—with Mace.” 

“I've always loved you. That first day of school, the first time I saw you, I went home and told my mother I loved you and would marry you when I grew up.” Talley laughed but it was a bitter sound. “You don't know how hard it was for me to leave you six years ago. My mother and I battled over that for the longest time. I stayed angry with her for years. Of course she had to go with Frank, but I didn't want to leave you. You're why I came back.” 

“Then why, for God's sake? You haven't let me touch you in the six months we've been seeing each other.” 

“I've been seeing Mace for about three months—” 

“You mean this isn't the first time?” Mitch's face screwed up in confusion and his voice rose in pitch. He beat both fists against the steering wheel then yanked open the door and stumbled out. His scream of anguish cut the still night and Talley flinched at the raw sound. Fleetingly, her eyes rested on the house. Mace undoubtedly heard his son's wail of unbridled grief. 

Talley almost wished she had let him think this was the first time. It would have eased Mitch's grief and he might have gotten over one night of lost reason more easily than a continuous affair. Yet she was glad she hadn't lied. At this point all she had to offer him was the truth. Or as much of it as any of them could handle for now. 

The whole truth was too fragile for any of them to face at the moment, even herself. 

Talley slid across the seat and set her bare feet on the ground. “Will you listen to me, Mitch?” 

“Will you lie to me, Talley?” 

“No. As you pointed out, I could have done that at first. You would have believed any silly story I could have come up with because you wanted to believe. Right now I want to tell you the truth. Mace and I have been sleeping together but it has nothing to do with you.” 

Mitch laughed without humor. 

“Please, Mitch, just listen. If Mace weren't your father, just another man, it wouldn't hurt nearly as bad.” 

“I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach twice by an old mule. Talley...Talley, I love you. I thought you loved me. I wanted us to make it this time.” 

“I did, too. I do want us to make it.” 

“Damn you both!” he swore. 

“Mitch, I didn't sleep with Mace to hurt you. And Mace didn't sleep with me to hurt you either. It just happened. And I know how stupid and useless that sounds. Either of us could have stopped it but we didn't because—because...” 

She faltered. She didn't know how to finish the sentence. “You can't let this come between you and Mace. You have enough problems without this.” 

“Sure, Tal. I can walk right back in that house and act like my father never slept with my girl. I can sprout wings and fly from here to McKenna Park easier than I can do that.” 

“I didn't say it would be an easy thing to do. You have to accept this or you and Mace will never have a chance. I am responsible for this and I accept that. Now I have to do what I can to make it right.” 

Mitch paced back and forth beside the truck like a caged animal. Talley drew a deep breath of the humid night air. 

“Will you take me home?” 

“At this moment, Talley, I don't ever want to see you again. You or my f—you or Mace.” 

She didn't think that was completely true. Otherwise Mitch would have been gone when she came out of the house. He wouldn't have listened to her. He wanted to find a way around this as desperately as she did. 

“I know. I don't blame you. I really want you to take me home.” 

Reluctantly, he nodded. 

“I have to-to get my things.” 

He nodded again. 

Talley returned to the house. She dropped the afghan on the couch and cautiously walked from room to room and down the hall to Mace's bedroom without seeing him. She dressed with numb fingers, fumbling with buttons and a zipper, and when she turned around, Mace filled the doorway watching her. 

“Mitch is taking me home. I'll try to talk him into staying with me. I doubt if he'd come back here anyway.” 

Mace said nothing, watched her. 

“I think he hates me,” Talley admitted. 

“And me.” 

“No! You're his father. He can't hate you. I'll make him hate me enough so he won't have any left for you.” 

“Don't do that, Lee. I'll take my share of the hate and the blame.” 

Tears filled her eyes and overflowed. She felt them track hotly down her cheeks. “No, I'll take it all. I won't come between you.” 

“You already are.” 

Mace walked toward her and Talley met him halfway. She leaned against his chest and let her tears soak into the old denim shirt he now wore. His arms enclosed her and his hands ran through her hair. She listened to Mace's heart beat its strong, steady rhythm. In truth, she didn't want to go, but she didn't know how else to repair the damage between them. 

“Good-bye, Lee,” he murmured gruffly into her hair. 

Talley thought she heard his heart breaking in two. 

She turned her face up to his and they kissed, long and sweet, what she thought would be for the last time. She couldn't say good-bye, she couldn't say anything. She forced herself out of Mace's arms and ran through the house, all the way to Mitch's truck. 

Breathless, she climbed in and Mitch turned the ignition. They didn't say a word during the long drive. 

Mitch left the motor running when he stopped in front of her place. 

“Please come in with me, Mitch.” 

Mitch shook his head. “I don't think so,” he said tiredly. 

“You can't go home tonight. Please, Mitch, we have a lot to talk about. And the couch is comfortable.” She reached over, cut off the motor, and took the keys. 

“Talley—” He reached for them but she held them back. 

“Please, Mitch,” she begged and a part of her didn't understand why she pleaded with him to stay. 

She got out of the truck and unlocked the front door. Uncomfortably, he stood just inside while she turned on the air conditioner. “Are you hungry?” 

“Give me my keys. I won't go back to Shady Hollow, but I can still find some other place to stay.” 

“You sound too tired to do any more driving tonight. Please, Mitch.” 

He removed his hat and laid it on the table. Talley sighed in relief. Perhaps the night could be salvaged after all. 

CHAPTER EIGHT 

Talley fixed two glasses of iced tea and handed one to Mitch. She looked at his hat. It looked new and unused, like all of Mitch's clothing. So unlike Mace whose clothes always looked as if he'd just come in from a hard day's work. Of course, Mitch had had a gig that evening and wanted to look his best. 

Talley frowned at the strange comparison. She had vowed to keep them separate in her life. No thoughts of one while with the other. Lately, all she and Mace had talked about was Mitch. Now all she could think of was Mace. A line had been crossed and she wished she'd been able to avoid it. 

She brought out a pillow and a quilt and set them on the couch. “Do you feel like talking tonight?” she asked uncertainly. 

“I don't feel much of anything right now.” Mitch sat in a chair and set aside his cup. “Bonnie fell while we were setting up this afternoon. She broke her arm.” 

“Oh, how awful. How is she?” 

“Well, she didn't let on at first. Said she couldn't hold a guitar, but she could still sing. We played the gig. Mike played rhythm instead of piano. Mike just can't play rhythm worth a damn, but we made do. Bonnie was hurting real bad by the time we finished. I tried to get her to let me take her to a hospital in Nashville, but she wanted to come home. She was in so much pain by the time we got here, I took her straight to the emergency room. They doped her up and they're keeping her overnight. They'll do x-rays in the morning. When I left, she was asleep.” 

“I'm sorry, Mitch.” 

“I thought I'd stay home tonight and go back to Nashville tomorrow. We have one more night at the club.” 

“We didn't expect you back until Sunday.” 

“Obviously,” he murmured. 

“I am sorry, Mitch. I can't say it enough.” 

“Actually, you haven't said it at all. I can't help but wonder if you're sorry you slept with Mace or if you're sorry you got caught.” 

“I'm sorry we hurt you. And I'm sorry Mace and I didn't have the sense to stop this before it went too far.” 

Mitch closed his eyes. 

“Everything I said about you and me is true. I didn't want us to ruin our chances this time. We moved too fast when we were teenagers.” 

“We're not kids anymore, Talley. Did you always have a thing for Mace? Was I just a way to be close to him back then…and now?" 

“No, I barely noticed him back then. He was just your father, another parent who made stupid rules. I noticed him less this time until…well, that night he came into the Rose and he was drunk. The Rose was closing and you were off playing somewhere and wouldn't be back for hours. I was going to drive him back to Shady Hollow and wait for you, but it was late and I was tired. I brought him here and put him to bed on the couch.” 

Mitch jumped to his feet. “It happened here?” 

“Tonight was the first night I'd ever been to the farm.” Talley took a deep breath. “Anyway, that night Mace woke up about four in the morning and I fixed us something to eat. We made small talk, like polite strangers. I don't think either of us took any special notice of the other until that moment. One thing just led to another and...it just happened.” 

Mitch made a sound of disgust deep in his throat. 

“You wanted the truth and this is the truth. It had been so long since I'd been with anyone. I needed to be held and touched and Mace just happened to be there. I tried to justify it, of course. I kept telling myself that sleeping with you just because I needed sex would not do our relationship any good. I wanted to be sure this time. Mace was someone I could trust even though I didn't know him well. And, I suppose, I thought he was the only person in the world who would want to keep it a secret as desperately as I did.” 

Mitch tried to speak, cleared his throat and tried again. “And Mace?” 

“I don't know, really. I think it had been a long time for him too. And I suspect he needed closeness without any attachments. Maybe he knew I was the one person in the world who wouldn't expect anything from him. I do know that he wasn't trying to hurt you.” Talley sighed. “It just happened.” 

“You keep saying that, but it kept happening.” 

“I'm sorry, Mitch. I don't know what else to say.” 

Mitch sat on the edge of the couch and pulled off his boots. “Don't mind me. I'll be gone in the morning. I'm just so damned tired right now.” 

“I'll go with you to see Bonnie.” 

“You don't have to pretend anymore.” 

“I've never pretended anything.” 

He rubbed his face with his hands. “I don't understand!” 

“It had nothing to do with you and me. I love you, Mitch, and I've been seeing you and spending time with you because I want to.” 

“And you just happen to be sleeping with my father?” 

“Yes, that's it. I don't want to stop seeing you because of Mace. If you can forgive us a little and try to get past it—” 

“And you won't see Mace again?” 

“No, not after tonight. I don't expect an answer this minute. Take as long as you need. I just don't want it to be over for us.” 

He stretched out on the couch. “Neither do I, Tal. I need to get some sleep. I want to be with Bonnie when they do the x-rays.” 

Talley went to him and spread the quilt out for him. Tentatively, she kissed his cheek. Mitch reached up for her, his fingers splayed against her neck, his thumb at her ear. He brought her to him and pressed his lips to hers. 

When he let her go, she straightened. 

“'Desperate Hearts' got a standing ovation tonight,” he told her. 

“It's a beautiful song, and you and Bonnie sing it perfectly together. I am so proud of you.” 

“I just wish...” His voice trailed off as if he thought better of finishing the sentence. 

“Mace is proud of you too. He wishes you had more interest in the farm, but he's proud of anything you do.” 

“Has he told you that?” 

“No, but I know Mace well enough to know that he couldn't wish you anything but success. He just doesn't know how to show it.” 

“I don't believe it, Tal. All he has to do is come and listen to us just once.” 

She held her tongue. Mace hadn't asked her not to say anything to Mitch, but it wasn't her place. He needed to hear it from Mace himself. Somehow she would have to convince Mace to tell him… 

Then it hit her and her stomach twisted into a hard knot. She would probably never see Mace again. For Mitch's sake, they could never allow themselves to be alone. 

“Talk to him, Mitch. Tell him it's what you want.” If she couldn't talk to Mace, maybe she could convince Mitch to open up to his father. 

“I don't think I'll be talking to Mace about anything for a long time, Tal.” Mitch said stiffly. “Now, I need to sleep.” 

“All right, Mitch. Good night.” 

“No, it hasn't been a good night at all.” 

* * * * * 

The next morning Talley went with Mitch to see Bonnie. After her arm had been put in a cast, they drove her home. Talley and Mitch spent the rest of the day together and she tried not to think of Mace. She tried not to remember it was Saturday. She tried to give her undivided attention to Mitch, but only half succeeded. 

When Mitch had left her that evening without attempting to talk her into bed, she’d almost missed it. It had become a part of their relationship and felt strange without it. After he had gone, she shut the door behind him, tears burning her eyes as she turned the lock. Mace wouldn't come to her tonight or ever again. Nothing had ever kept him away except the loss of his son, and she couldn't blame him. She could miss him and ache for him, but she couldn't blame him. She slept on the couch that night. 

The more time she spent with Mitch, when he wasn't on the road, the less she thought of Mace. She decided when she could look into Mitch's gray eyes and not see hurt or betrayal, then he would be ready to go to bed with her. But there never was a time when she looked into his eyes that she didn't see some trace of what she and Mace had done to him. 

Mitch was spending more and more time on the road. The Cold Creek Band was being booked all over the state. They played nightclubs and fairs and private parties. “Desperate Hearts” was a hit everywhere they went. 

Talley had finally heard the song and she’d realized, with a pang in her heart, it was their song—Bonnie and Mitch's, her and Mace's. Bonnie had written most of the words, but she had written them from her heart. Bonnie longed for Mitch as much as Talley missed Mace. The heart-wrenching melody of lonesome guitar riffs only emphasized the melancholy lyrics filled with lost love and empty hearts desperate to find some way to go on. 

She never should have come between Mitch and Bonnie. Both of them loved their music and their life on the road. They could spend hours deep in conversation or working on a song. Talley watched them often. She’d felt left out at first until she realized this was the way it was meant to be. She believed things happen for a purpose and her renewed relationship with Mitch had been the only way for her to find Mace. 

If she hadn't come back to Mitch, she never would have returned to Randolph in the first place. If she hadn't been seeing Mitch, she never would have felt compelled to take care of Mace when he came into the Rose that fateful night. She never would have brought him to her house. Nothing else could have brought them together like their common bond to Mitch. 

Sometimes she felt as if Mitch was on the verge of telling her it was over. She always managed to make him forget by reminding him of something that happened years ago. Talking about their past relationship helped them both. While she believed they still loved one another in the special way that first lovers do, their love hadn't grown up with them. 

And so she clung to Mitch because she couldn't have Mace and she hated herself for it. Mace had never offered her anything. He’d told her that first time he wasn't looking for anyone to be a permanent part of his life, and he had never said anything to make her think he had changed his mind. 

One day, Mitch had come to her and told her he had had a long talk with Mace and he understood his father better now. Mace had explained about Mitch's mother and why it was so difficult for him to hear his son perform. She could see the relief in Mitch's eyes now that he knew. All this time he had thought Mace was disappointed in him because he wasn't the son Mace wanted. 

Talley was happy for them both but she now knew she could never be the one to leave Mitch. If she left and tried to return to Mace, accepting him on his own terms, Mitch would never be able to forgive either of them a second time. Since father and son had reached an understanding, Talley could never come between them again. 

CHAPTER NINE 

Talley tried. It had been a few months since she'd seen Mace. He had stayed away from the Rose and hadn't come to her again on Saturday night. She had hurt badly while she and Mace were slipping behind Mitch's back, but the pain had been nothing compared to the ache she experienced now. 

Traveling with Mitch was something she didn't want to do. She went with him if the gigs were close and he could drive her home afterward. Since the band was being booked farther and farther away, Talley found herself home alone many nights. Mitch tried to convince her to come with them, but she had her job at the Rose and couldn't give it up. She had to keep her job, and Dylan wouldn't agree to her working whenever she felt like it. 

In October, her stepfather's company had sent him to Knoxville, and Talley spent Thanksgiving with her family there. Now, a week and a day later, on a cloudy Friday afternoon, Talley suddenly found herself in her car, heading for Shady Hollow. Mitch wouldn't be there. The Cold Creek Band had booked a club in Chattanooga for the weekend. He wouldn't be back until Sunday. 

Talley couldn't control this irresistible urge to see Mace. It came out of nowhere, the need to see his weatherworn face, to help ease the ache in her heart. 

The car sputtered occasionally. She’d had the car tuned up several months ago, but now something else was wrong. She didn't have the money to get it repaired or to buy new tires. She had been thinking of getting a part-time job, especially with Mitch away so much, but like so many things she let fall by the wayside, she hadn't done anything about it. Sometimes she felt as if she walked around wrapped in a gray fog and, lately, all she could think about was Mace. 

Junior, a hired hand that worked part-time at Shady Hollow, said Mace was up at the pasture near the old homeplace mending fences. He pointed, telling her how to get there. 

The dark gray sky spat icy rain at her as she drove along the back roads. She passed by several houses, but didn't see any others the farther she went. Talley wasn't familiar with this road that ran along the ridge overlooking the bluff, and hadn't realized Shady Hollow Farms was this large. She prayed the car would make it and the freezing rain wouldn't turn into the ice the weatherman had predicted until she could get back home. He had announced a winter storm advisory, but assured his listeners it was a precaution. No accumulation of ice was expected. 

A few miles before she reached the last turnoff, Talley met a bright red truck she would recognize anywhere. Jack Sandler leered and waved. In the rearview mirror, she saw his brake lights. She expected him to turn around, but then the lights went out and he moved on. Relief flooded her tense body. That one date with Jack was a mistake she'd regret as long as she lived. 

She almost missed the turnoff to the old Shady Hollow homeplace. The narrow road was paved, but not well maintained. She hit bumps and potholes and icy rain still spluttered from dark, brooding clouds. 

A few miles down the road, she started searching for signs of Mace. Then she saw the dirt track and his truck parked out in the pasture and farther away a little shack with a crooked stone chimney. Talley stopped on the side of the road, afraid she might get stuck if she drove to Mace's truck. The ground was still soft and muddy in places. 

The cold air hit her in the face when she opened the door. The temperature had dropped since her drive had begun. With luck, she'd make it home before the weather turned any worse. 

All she wanted was to see Mace. 

She should have chosen a better time and place, but the overwhelming force had hit her suddenly, without warning. She barely recalled making the decision. Her arms and legs had seemingly moved of their own accord, and she’d found herself going to him. She had never expected to have to drive to the backside of nowhere to see him. 

Just a few minutes, enough time to look at him and see how he was doing, then she would leave. 

He was stringing new barbed wire from post to post and Talley stopped and watched him awhile. He must have known she waited. He had to have heard the car and looked back to see who it was. She watched him tighten the wire then fasten it down. 

The thought crossed her mind that he might not want to see her at all. Earlier her feet had moved on their own, but now she couldn't make them go any further. Time passed and finally Mace straightened, seemed almost to brace himself, and turned. He looked at her, motioning for her to come to him. 

Only then did her body respond—in more ways than one. She walked toward him, but her knees were weak and her heart beat faster. She missed Mace with a desperation that frightened her. 

Mace walked to his truck and leaned against it, pulling off his heavy gloves. He lit two cigarettes, then drew on one as he held the other out to her. When she reached him, she took it and dragged deep. 

She missed smoking with him. And having coffee with him. And their Sunday morning ritual. And their Saturday night delight. She still wanted to find out how it would feel to wake up to his weatherworn face after a night of only sleeping in his arms. 

Talley stood very close to him, their arms touching. 

“Good to see you, Lee.” 

Thick drops of rain mixed with ice stung her face, but didn't bother her. She felt such a perfect peace standing next to Mace, listening to his dry, quiet voice. 

“Hell of a time to be mending fences,” she said, then caught the double meaning of the words. 

Mace caught it too. “Never too late to mend fences. Or burn bridges. Which is it, Talley?” 

She shrugged. The temperature seemed to be dropping by the minute. Or maybe it was Mace who caused her to feel colder. He’d called her Talley—that should tell her something. If she left right now, she might make it home before it was fully dark. 

“Junior told me you were here. I wanted to see you. It's been awhile.” 

“Twenty weeks tonight. Mitch and I talked. We made our peace.” 

“I know. He told me you explained everything about his mother. I'm so glad you did. He understands now.” When Mace didn't say anything, just stared at her, she asked, “Are you angry with me?” 

“No more angry with you than myself. No, Talley, I don't hold any of it against you. I was drunk but I knew what I was doing that first night.” 

“I don't even have the excuse of being drunk.” 

“It's not my excuse!” he snapped with a flare of anger. He tossed his cigarette and stomped it out. 

“I didn't mean—” 

“I got work to do, Talley. You set fire to this bridge and it's all burned down.” 

He strode over to the fence, pulling on his gloves. He knelt and began stringing wire again, effectively dismissing her. 

“The rain is turning to ice, Mace. You might get stuck up here.” 

He searched the sky and shook his head. “It won't accumulate on the roads.” 

“Mace?” 

“Yeah,” he grunted, tightening the wire. 

Talley walked closer to him. “Mace.” 

He didn't answer her that time. One word, any word, and she would… 

“You'd best be getting back. That car of yours ain't the most reliable. And you need new tires. Go on now.” 

“Yes, Mace.” 

Darkness had come sooner than she’d expected, so she could barely see her way to the car. The tears that filled her eyes didn't help. She ran, stumbled, fell into the car and started it. She turned up the heat. God, she was cold, so cold, and only part of it was the weather. Mace had left her frostbitten. 

She sat awhile, too shaken and cold to drive. She couldn't believe he hadn't done or said anything more personal than giving her a lit cigarette. He hadn't called her darlin’, hadn't called her Lee after that first slip. And what did she expect? He had reconciled with his son over their stupid mistake. He couldn't risk losing Mitch a second time. She knew she shouldn't have come. 

The freezing rain had turned to fine bits of ice by the time she pulled on the lights, turned the car around, and drove away. Patches of ice covered everything, no matter what the weatherman and Mace had said. 

Hypnotically, the wipers worked to scrape the slush off the windshield. Wasn't it time to face the truth yet? Wasn't it time to say to herself— 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a red truck, crossways in the road ahead. The same pickup she'd seen earlier. Jack Sandler. What was he doing out here, blocking the road, unless he had trouble…or was bent on causing trouble? 

Without hesitation, Talley swung the car to the right to go around the truck. With no room on the narrow road, she had to drive onto the soft shoulder. She hit the mud with a bump and moved along nicely for ten feet, then the front of her car bogged down, pitching her forward. 

Lock the doors ! the warning screamed in her head. As she raised up and reached for the button, the door was yanked open beneath her fingers. Rough hands grabbed her and pulled, but Talley screamed and fought him, striking out at him with her fist. 

“Stop it, bitch!” Jack Sandler yelled. It was then Talley saw the knife in his hand and she froze. He pressed the blade to her neck. “Get out of the car.” 

Mace , she thought, hurry! 

She did as Jack told her. When she was out, Jack moved the knife away and tightened his grip on her arm. Without the blade at her throat, she dug in her feet and resisted, twisting her arm to break free. Jack swung around, the knife coming toward her. Desperately, she threw all her weight backwards. His hand slipped and she tumbled into the ice-covered mud. 

Before she could scramble away and get to her feet, Jack was on top of her. He clenched a handful of hair at the top of her head and put the blade to her throat once again. 

“Mace,” she croaked. “Mace Holloway will be along any minute.” 

Jack glanced uneasily up the road. 

His grip tightened in her hair and her head throbbed. Where was Mace? He couldn't be mending his fences in the dark, in the pelting ice. Why didn't he come? 

Jack looked back at Talley and grinned wolfishly. 

“Mace?” he asked and something clicked in his mind. “You up here with Mace? Where's Mitch the Snitch?” 

“I-I” Talley faltered. She was no good at lying. “Mace is repairing the fence. Mitch is out of town and I came up here to-to give him a message from Mitch.” 

The words sounded thin to her own ears and some false tone must have set off alarms in Jack's head. “You and Mace, huh?” 

“No, you idiot. What the hell do you think you're doing, Jack? Let me go and help me get my car out of the ditch.” 

He put his face real close to hers and it was then that she smelled the heavy aroma of whiskey clinging to him like a cloud. 

“Mace can't stay much longer in the dark and the snow. He will be coming along, he will.” She didn't know if she tried to convince Jack or herself. 

“But he hasta give you a good head start, don't he?” 

“You're talking crazy, Jack.” 

“Naw, I don't think so. I heard something a while back, about you and Mace. Even told my good buddy Mitch, but you know what? He didn't act real surprised. And that shack up here, the old Holloway house'd make a good place to sneak away to.” Suddenly, he pulled her to her feet. “Come on, easy like. Don't make me use this. If you can give it away to an old fart like Mace Holloway, you can give me a piece too.” 

Jack was a bully, too cowardly to follow through on his threats. Even if he did slit her throat, it was no great loss. Mitch couldn't trust her and Mace couldn't want her. Nothing else mattered. She'd rather be dead than at Jack's mercy. “No, Jack. I'm not going with you. Use the knife if you have to, but I'm not moving.” 

Jack pressed the knife harder and she thought she felt a trickle of warmth from it, but she couldn't be sure. Too much snow and she was too cold. She didn't feel any pain. 

He growled, deep in his throat like a wild animal ready to attack, and suddenly let her go. He swung his fist and stars exploded in her head as pain burst through. She staggered back against her car and Jack hit her again and again. She wasn't aware of the cold or the snow anymore, or even when she fell to her knees. All she felt was intense pain with each of Jack's blows. There was a final impact to her side and she was only vaguely aware of the sound of a vehicle driving away. 

“Mace...” she moaned as she tried to move. 

But then darkness crept in and overcame her as she passed into unconsciousness. 

CHAPTER TEN 

Mace tucked the blankets in around her more securely then brushed a strand of hair from her face. The bruise under her eye had darkened to deep purple since he’d brought her in. He had pulled a chair close to the bed and sat there, watching for signs of discomfort or regaining consciousness. The coffee had grown cold in his cup, but he didn't want to leave her side even for a few minutes in case she woke up and needed him. 

He leaned back in the chair. He didn't know who had done this, but he suspected and the son of a bitch was as good as dead. 

When Talley had come to him this afternoon, he should have told her. But he and Mitch had found a way around what he had done and as much as he wanted and needed this woman, he couldn't risk losing his son again. He wasn't a man who shed tears except over the most sorrowful of things, but his eyes filled with them now. How could he go on without her? 

He wiped at them angrily. He'd have to. She had made her choice. The night Mitch came home unexpectedly and found them, she had gone with him. On the other hand, he hadn't asked her to stay. He'd never given her any reason to choose to stay. He knew if she had chosen him that night, Mitch would have been lost to him forever. So he’d told her to go with his son. Maybe Talley knew it, too. 

Mace needed coffee. What he really wanted was a bottle of Jack Daniels, but he had cleared the place of liquor some time ago. Here and at the house. Drinking had no answers, made his problems worse. He jumped to his feet. 

Quickly, he tossed the cold coffee, poured fresh from the pot on the stove, and returned to his chair. He wished she'd awaken. It wasn't a good sign that she’d stayed unconscious this long. 

He sipped the strong brew and thought of that first night. He had been so drunk he barely remembered going to the Rose. He and Dylan were on the outs over a brawl he'd started some months before. Tore the place up. Even though he'd paid for the damage, Dylan didn't want him around anymore. Mace still couldn't remember what the fight had been about. He had stayed away until that Saturday night. He couldn't recollect why he’d decided to stop in at the Rose on his way home. 

Talley had been tending bar. He'd seen her around a few times. He and Mitch weren't getting along. Mitch wanted to follow his dreams, but Mace had a farm to run. Neither would give an inch. Too much alike, he guessed, too damned stubborn for their own good. They were always so angry with one another. Mitch hadn't bothered bringing Talley out to Shady Hollow although he told Mace she was back and he was seeing her again. 

Dylan wouldn't let Talley serve him. She offered to take him home, saying Mitch could drive her back when he got in. Instead, she took him to her place, saying she wasn't up to the long drive. She fit perfectly under his arm as she helped him to the door. She let him fall on her couch, and he only remembered a glimpse of her as she walked back toward her bedroom before he passed out. 

He woke about four in the morning, wondering where he was and what he was doing there. He lay there in the dark and thought for a while. Gradually, bits and pieces had floated to the surface: the three-day drunk he'd been on, wandering into the Rose when he knew he wasn't welcome, Talley helping him inside. He got up slowly, still a little drunk, and went to the kitchen sink. He found a glass and drank cold water till he thought he'd bust. 

In her tiny bathroom, he didn't think he'd ever quit pissing. Then he shucked his clothes and showered until her hot water ran out. Clean, mostly sober, he’d stepped close to the door of her bedroom and called out, “Talley?” 

She’d told him she'd be out in a minute. He sat in one of her kitchen chairs, wishing for coffee, and waited. Sleepily, she came out dressed all in white, a thin cotton robe over a thin cotton gown. White cotton socks covered her feet and he found that incredibly sexy. It aroused him like nothing had in a very long time. She offered to make him breakfast and he nodded. He stared at her feet as she moved around the small kitchen. He wasn't hungry, but he wanted to watch her walk around on her sock-covered feet. 

His appetite stirred as the trailer filled with the smells of bacon, eggs, and toast. She had made him a cup of instant coffee and he grimaced as he sipped it. He liked real coffee made from coffee grounds, the stronger the better, but hers would have to do. She set their plates down and sat across from him. 

He shifted in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position for his hard-on. He couldn't very well stand and rearrange things like he needed to. Hopefully it would go down on its own and he wouldn't have to worry about it at all. 

He wolfed down the food she had prepared while she nibbled at hers. She kept her eyes on her plate and they didn't say much. He scraped up the last of the eggs with his toast and popped it in his mouth. 

“Do you want something else?” she asked, her pretty blue eyes lighting gently on his old, worn-out face. 

He shook his head, wiped his mouth and hands on the napkin she'd placed there for him. He took a long drink of coffee, trying to ignore the constriction in his pants, and wondering what to say to her. 

Mitch's girl , he reminded himself uncomfortably. No, Mitch's woman. Mitch was a grown man and Talley Robinson had grown into a beautiful woman. Beautiful in a way he couldn't describe. She'd never be in a picture ad in a magazine, but that was good. Those perfect women, while nice to look at, were a little scary in their perfection. 

Making a pass at his son's girlfriend wasn't the brightest thing he'd ever do, but the desire to do it was irresistible. It had to do with white socks and watching her make breakfast. It'd been years since he'd watched a woman cook for him, one of the little things a man missed when he didn't have a wife anymore. 

He had loved Mitch's mother with his whole heart. But Ellen's death was more than twenty-two years past and the raw ache of missing her had dulled long ago. Now he missed the little things the most. Well, he'd make the pass. She'd turn him down and that would be that. She might tell Mitch. Mace would take the blame, make some excuse that it was a misunderstanding. He'd never touch her again, but right then he wanted to touch her more than anything in the world. 

Talley stacked their plates and utensils and stood. The thin robe and gown revealed more than they could ever hope to hide. He drew in a sharp breath and she looked at him, those pretty blue eyes questioning. 

“More coffee?” was all she asked and took his cup along with the other dishes to the sink. 

Now or never, Mace decided. One shot is all you get. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly or smartly. He'd never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he had never been outright stupid either. 

Would she slap him? Or just burn his ears with what she thought of him? If she did either, he'd quietly go away and that would be the end of it. He didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of being accepted. Sometimes a man could be pretty damn stupid. 

When she walked back to him and set his filled cup in front of him, Mace held his breath and reached for her. His callused hand slid up her arm, beneath the sleeve of her robe. He wasn't surprised at the texture of her skin. It was soft as warm silk, the color of light honey where the sun reached and fresh cream where it didn't. He grew painfully hard. 

Talley froze beneath his touch, her hand on his cup. His fingers played along her skin. The blood pounded in his temples and he snatched his hand back. What a stupid, stupid thing to do! He wasn't prepared for the guilt that washed over him like spring rain. 

A hot flush of embarrassment had colored his face when she looked at him. “Mace?” 

He shook his head, afraid he might choke on his own stupidity if he tried to speak. 

“I'm seeing Mitch,” she whispered. 

As if he didn't know. As if it wasn't a thorn in his side, a thousand thorns covering every inch of his body. His skin had felt all prickly and itchy and— 

He nodded. “I know,” he croaked and cleared his throat. He felt like some awkward kid asking a girl out for the first time. He thought of Mary Louise Johnson, whom he'd had a crush on when he was fifteen. She’d turned him down flat. Mary Louise was still in Randolph, married with kids and grandbabies, and Mace was still embarrassed whenever he saw her. 

“Mace.” Talley's hand was warm against his cheek, but he nearly jumped out of his prickly skin. He almost wished she had slapped him. He couldn't believe she wasn't going to kick up a fuss. He couldn't believe her thumb was trailing over his lips. He couldn't believe she was making a pass back at him. 

Before either of them could come to their senses, Mace put his hands on her hips and pulled her close, between his legs. He might get a kiss before she saw reason. He throbbed hard where her legs touched him, and his jeans were too damn tight for comfort. 

His mouth reached just below her breasts and his face was lost in the white cotton fabric as he slid his arms around and crushed her to him. 

Both of her hands tangled in his damp hair as she tugged on him to lift his face. She bent hers close and when her lips touched his, Mace thought he must still be on the couch dreaming the sweetest of dreams. Or he'd died and gone to heaven. 

Her arms folded around him and the kiss became a desperate, hungry outpouring of physical longing for both of them. He kissed her hard and long, then trailed his lips down the side of her neck to her breasts and the hardened nipples protruding through the thin white cotton. She tilted back and he suckled one gently, then the other, and her small moans of pleasure were the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard. 

He never thought it would go this far, never thought she could actually want him. He couldn't stop the question that skittered through his mind: Didn't his boy know how to satisfy a woman? 

He knew Mitch was a man and he never wanted to go there in his thoughts, but Talley reacted to him out of desperation. He could feel her need in the tautness of her muscles, smell it in the rich musky odor of her womanhood, taste it on her lips and skin. In his experience, and he'd be the first to admit his experience was limited, a woman who had her needs met didn't react this way, unless she was the kind who was never satisfied. 

Yet Talley didn't seem the type. She hadn't openly flirted with him, hadn't come on to him. In fact, she had seemed mildly irritated that she felt obliged to take care of him when he’d swaggered into the Rose. 

Whatever the reason, she wanted him and he was confounded. Reluctantly, he removed his mouth from her breast and leaned back in his chair. It was time to take a breather and see where this was headed. Any further and he'd take her right there in the chair, have her straddle him and ride him like a bronco. 

That fantasy had come true , he thought and looked over at her sleeping form. He would have smiled at the memory, but he was too worried about her condition. One of the last times they were together, when he had come to her on a Saturday night, they hadn't waited to go to her bed. Mace reached over and tucked the blankets in again. He lit a cigarette and smoked, watching her and remembering. 

Talley had looked down at him. “Mace.” 

Her desire was as real as his, and her confusion just as bad. 

“Darlin,” he said but couldn't say any more. 

“Mace...Oh, Mace.” Her pretty blue eyes were wide as if she were surprised. Maybe she was. 

His hands slid down her arms and he folded his fingers with hers. They could only look at one another. 

“Mitch and I aren't sleeping together,” she said. 

Her confession threw a new light on the situation. She answered his questions, but brought up new ones. 

And made things a little easier. 

“I love Mitch.” 

Or harder. He nodded to say he understood. 

“I want you.” 

Then he didn't understand at all. 

“Darlin,” he began again but still couldn't finish. He wasn't going to push her into anything, but he was afraid they'd be there for hours if he didn't nudge her. One way or the other didn't matter, to her bed or to her front door. 

He stood and she stepped back giving him room. Now he could look down at her and he felt like some big bully forcing her to do it. He let go of her hands suddenly and then just stood there, wishing he was a million miles away...or a dozen feet away, in her bedroom, the decision already made. 

Talley's breath came in short shallow gasps, but he left it up to her. Drawing in a deep breath, she at last reached for his hand. He used it to pull her against him, his long hard body fitting nicely to her softly rounded curves. They kissed again, hungrily, and moved down the hall to her bedroom. 

They parted long enough to get rid of their clothing and Talley lay back on the bed and waited for him. He climbed over her, his hands framing her face. 

He hated to bring it up, didn't want to jar her back to reality, but he didn't need any more responsibilities than he already had. Didn't need any surprises nine months from tonight. He had enough trouble with the son he already had. “What about—” 

As if she read his mind, she said, “Don't worry, it's taken care of.” 

He kissed her more gently this time. He made love to her and she shuddered with the pleasure that flushed her body. Mace caught her moans with his mouth and echoed them when he poured himself into her. Her arms and legs kept him pinned to her and he rested his head on her shoulder, carrying much of his weight on his elbows. His hands still framed her face. 

With the urgent, aching need satisfied, guilt flowed over him. How could he? How could he not, when her need had been as great as his. He shifted to the side and slid his arm under her neck and lay his hand across her stomach. She snuggled into him. Never again, he vowed, but he knew better than to say never. 

He stayed away as long as he could, but the next Saturday night he was knocking on her door. She opened it, surprised to see him. She watched him, as wary as a stray cat. Finally, she let him in. They made small talk and drank coffee. By the time he kissed her, he was as hard as a rock and without another word, she led him back to the bedroom. Once again, he swore never. 

But the next Saturday night he was there. At some point she started leaving her door unlocked for him and he stopped swearing never. 

And somewhere along the way, he fell in love with her. The visits that began out of a desperate need to have sex with her had turned into a need to be with her, to see her, and talk with her. Ever since Ellen's death, he had shied away from any commitment. He hadn't wanted a woman permanently in his life. He’d slept with other women, but they usually wanted something he wasn't ready to give and so he cut them off quickly. His crude method worked, but he rarely saw the same woman more than a few times. Until Talley. 

The one woman he thought he could finally give of himself was the love of his son's life. Now he laughed bitterly at the cruel twist of fate and wished he were a better man. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN 

Talley dreamed she was swimming in a pond. Ice floes as big as cows bobbed up and down in the icy cold water although the sun was bright and the pasture was green and dotted with flowers. Mace and Mitch stood side by side on the grassy bank. They waved to her, then threw their arms around one another, turned, and walked away. 

“Help me!” she cried out and opened her eyes. 

Now she was awake but didn't know where she was. A small, primitive room, plain wood walls, beam ceiling. She was piled with blankets but she shivered so hard her teeth rattled. 

And she hurt. Her face hurt, her head and stomach hurt. Her arm. She tried to move but the pain was unbearable and she cried out. 

“Darlin,” she heard and a warm callused hand gently touched her forehead. 

“Mace? I'm so cold.” 

“I'm here, darlin. I put every blanket in the place on you and stoked the fire as high as I can get it.” 

“I'm cold,” she said again and shivered. 

Mace took off his boots, lifted the covers and slid in beside her, the old springs squealing in protest. The rusted iron twin bed wasn't made for two, but he carefully gathered her into his arms and tucked the blankets in around them. 

Every movement hurt, but she bit her lip to keep from crying out again. She was afraid he wouldn't stay if he thought he caused her discomfort. She snuggled deep into his arms, into his warmth. 

“Where are we?” 

“The old homeplace, the house my grandparents built when they first married. I fixed it up. I come here sometimes when I need to get away from everything.” He brushed her tangled hair back. “What happened, Lee? Who did this to you?” 

She told him what Jack had done. “When I refused to go with him and told him to use the knife, he started hitting me and wouldn't stop.” 

“I'll kill him,” Mace swore. 

Talley didn't try to dissuade him. 

“I hurt, Mace.” 

“I know. I couldn't find anything broken or busted. Some bruises and a black eye. I'm sorry, Lee.” 

“Hold me, Mace.” 

“I am holding you.” 

“Don't let me go.” 

“I'll hold you as long as you want me to, darlin’.” 

Talley slept for a long time and when she woke, Mace was still beside her. The chill in her bones was gone but she didn't want to tell Mace. She wanted to remain in his arms. 

“I love you, Mace,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too, Talley. Now, can I get up for a minute? I need to piss real bad.” 

Reluctantly, she let him go. She closed her eyes. He loved her too. She had never had any doubt, not really. He just didn't know how to say the words. Didn't know how to get around her involvement with Mitch. If only he had said he loved her long ago. So much of this could have been avoided. 

She drifted off again and when she woke, Mace was seated in a chair as close as he could get it to the bed, sipping coffee. 

“I heated some soup for you.” He got the cup and helped her sit up. She wore nothing but a clean denim work shirt that covered everything to her knees. 

She sipped the chicken noodle soup through swollen lips. “I need to go to the bathroom.” 

He helped her up and held her as she limped to the door. Every step was painful, jarring some muscle Jack had punched or kicked. She winced but tried not to react to the pain so Mace wouldn't know how bad it was. 

“It's not really a bathroom,” he apologized and lit a kerosene lamp. “But you'll have some privacy.” 

The room was no larger than a closet. A mirror hung on the wall with a shelf below that held the lamp, soap and shaving gear. A clean towel draped over a nail in the wall. An old bucket and dipper, washbasin, and chamber pot served their original purposes. 

It hurt to pee and her urine was dark and strong but not bloody. Maybe she hadn't suffered any major damage from Jack's beating. She dipped fresh cold water into the basin and washed her face, skipping the black and purple bruise under her eye. She cleaned away the crusted blood from the cut on her neck. She lifted the shirt and stared at the array of bruises across her skin. One huge bruise made a circle the size of her fist at her side. 

Slowly, she walked back into the other room, her hand at her side. “I think we can head back now. Have my clothes dried out?” 

“Come here, darlin,” Mace said but he went to her and helped her to the front door. He opened it and turned on a flashlight. Talley gasped. The powerful beam illuminated an entire landscape encased in a thick layer of crystal. Bits of ice slanted across the light as they fell. 

“I thought you said it wouldn't accumulate.” 

“I was wrong.” He turned off the flashlight, shut the door, and led her back to the bed. He tucked the blankets around her again and handed her the cup of soup. 

“Your car is stuck in a ditch. When I found you—” 

“What took you so long! It was dark when Jack attacked me. You couldn't have still been working.” 

“I came here. I was going to stay the night here anyway, but I kept thinking about that piece of junk you drive and your bad tires. That's the only reason I left.” His hands shook around his coffee cup. “It scares the hell out of me to think I might not have found you. I tried to get the truck here to the shack, but it got stuck and I carried you the rest of the way.” 

“Mace.” 

“I'm right here.” 

“I like saying your name. Mace.” 

He remained quiet a few moments, then, “What do you want, Lee?” 

She didn't think he meant what she wanted at this moment. What did she want for the rest of her life? 

“That's the wrong question,” she said and clamped her lips shut. She’d sworn she would never prompt him. She shouldn't have told him she loved him first, but the words spilled out before she could stop them. He had answered her with no hesitation, no indecision, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to speak of his love for her. 

His face screwed up in a frown. “Then what's the right question?” 

She shook her head and sipped the soup. 

“You're not going to tell me. I have to figure it out myself?” 

She didn't look at him. 

“Okay, Lee, you asked for it. I've known what the right questions are for a long, long time. Are you ready to hear them?” 

She shot him a look. “Are you ready to ask them and mean them?” 

“I've been ready for some time.” He stood and paced to the fireplace. “The most important question is, will you stop seeing Mitch?” 

“It's not the most important question, but I'll answer it. Mitch has to let go of us on his own. If I leave him, he'll never be able to forgive you. I don't matter, but you're his father. I know I'm the wedge that has driven you farther away from one another, but I won't be what breaks you apart.” 

He stiffened. “Then there ain't any more questions to be asked.” 

“Oh yes, there is.” Talley threw back the covers and her resolve along with them. She had to know that Mace wasn't giving anything up. Slowly she moved her legs over the edge of the bed. 

“Don't get up. I'll come to you.” He strode across the room and sat in the chair. 

“Mitch is no happier than he was the night he found us. He's tried and I've tried, but it's not working. I hate traveling with him and he needs someone to be with him on the road. All he can talk about is his music and I want more.” Talley wrapped her hands around his. “I miss you. You see, that's how I knew. I miss you when I'm with Mitch. I miss you so much I hurt. But when I'm with you, I don't miss him very much at all. That's how I knew I loved you best." 

He grinned a little and squeezed her hands. “Then what are the other questions?” 

“Eventually Mitch will get tired of this and want to call it quits. He's already hinted at it, but I keep convincing him things will get better.” 

“Did you ever think that things would be better between you if I weren't in the picture?” 

“Yeah, I've thought about that often. It's too late, though. You're already in my heart.” 

Mace pulled his hands free and fumbled with cigarettes, lit two, and handed her one. She drew deeply on it and sighed. 

“The next time he suggests it's over I can simply agree with him.” 

“Then what?” 

Talley smiled. “That's the question I need answered from you.” 

He blew out a trail of smoke. “You want to know what my intentions are.” 

She nodded. “You've never given me any reason to think you had any intentions where I was concerned, other than sex. You told me that first time, remember? You said you didn't want anything or anyone in your life permanently. I think you drink yourself into oblivion to make sure no woman will have you.” 

“You may be right.” He crushed out his cigarette. “But before I answer your question, I have one for you. Why did you let me into your bed that first night?” 

She grinned sheepishly. “For the sex. I hadn't been sleeping with Mitch and I needed a warm body next to mine, just for a little while. You were someone I could trust. And I knew you wouldn't use it against me later because you wouldn't want Mitch to find out any more than I would. It was supposed to be a one-night stand, just a way to get through the long, lonely nights until I felt it was the right time for Mitch and me.” She made a face. “That sounds so stupid when I say it out loud, but it made perfect sense that night.” 

“I know what you mean.” 

“Now it's your turn. Why did you come to my bed?” 

“To get laid. I kept coming back because it was good.” His eyes softened and he smiled crookedly. “And then I was coming back because I didn't think I could get through another week without seeing you.” He lit up another cigarette. “I know what you want to hear, Lee.” 

“Don't you dare say it just because I want to hear it! Say it because you mean it.” 

“I love you. I will come to you again and I will make love to you again and I will ask you to marry me—but not until you're free. Those are my intentions and what you do with them is up to you. Now finish your soup and get some rest.” 

“Yes, Mace,” Talley said happily. She took another swallow then handed the cup out to him. “I've had enough. Will you see if my socks are dry? My feet are cold.” 

Mace took the cup, but Talley was puzzled by his foolish grin. 

CHAPTER TWELVE 

Mace went to the stove and retrieved Talley's socks from among her clothes hanging on the ladderback chairs to dry. He brought them to her but didn't hand them over. 

“Get back in bed,” he said. 

Talley scooted back, still sitting up, and held out her hand. 

“Lie down, Lee. I'll put them on.” 

“I don't think they'll fit you.” 

He snorted. “I'll put them on you.” 

She did as she was told, straightening the shirt to keep everything covered. When she had settled, he sat on the edge of the bed, the rusty springs shrieking their disapproval, and placed one foot in his lap. His hand massaged her toes. 

“Damn, they're like ice cubes.” 

“I always have cold feet. I usually wear socks to bed.” 

He frowned. “You never wore socks when I came to your bed.” 

“I didn't need to. You warmed me all the way to my toes.” 

He lightly traced the curve of her arch. She couldn't snatch the foot away. The quick movement would hurt too much. She moved it from side to side trying to evade his fingers. 

“Don't, Mace. Don't make me laugh. It'll hurt.” 

“Sorry, darlin.” He leaned over and gently placed a kiss just under the backside of her toes. 

“What are you doing, Mace?” 

“Making out with your toes. Maybe Mitch won't mind if I stay below the ankle.” 

She had to laugh and it did hurt. She wanted to cry. 

“Well, my toes are about the only part of me that does feel like making out.” 

“I'm sorry, Lee. I forgot for a minute why you're here.” He reached for her socks. 

“Don't stop, Mace.” She wiggled her toes at him. “See how excited they are. You've got them all turned on. You can't leave them hanging now.” 

“We're asking for trouble. You know that, don't you?” 

“I know. She moved her heel closer to him, on top of the warm bulge in his jeans. 

“Hmmph,” he grunted, pushing her foot back to a safer distance. “Don't, darlin. It's hard enough as it is.” 

“Mace!” She giggled and held her side. “I said don't make me laugh. It hurts too much.” 

He winked at her then turned back to her foot. 

With tender strokes, he massaged her foot from heel to toe and finished with a kiss to the most sensitive area in her arch. Then he slipped on her sock and carefully folded down the top. Her other foot received the same treatment. When he was done, Talley sighed and wished she weren't battered. She wished it was already over between her and Mitch. 

Mace pushed back and leaned against the wall, her sock-covered feet resting in his lap. He fished out two cigarettes from the pack in his shirt pocket, lit them, and handed her one. 

“Was it good for you?” he asked, gray eyes twinkling. 

“Oh yeah. How about you?” 

“Right now, I wish I raised sheep instead of cows.” 

“Ooooo, that's awful, Mace!” 

“Trying to lighten the mood.” 

“I think you just lightened it enough to blow it out of the room.” 

He gave her feet one last squeeze and got up off the bed. He spread the blankets over her and tucked her in. 

“I don't need to be on that bed with you. Too much of a temptation.” 

She nodded. “I wonder how long we'll be trapped up here.” 

“We can find out.” He walked across the room and brought back a battery-operated radio. It took a few minutes to find a clear station. 

Waiting for a weather report, they listened to the music. 

“I'd ask you to dance, but I think you'd turn me down.” 

“I wish I could. We've never danced.” 

“We've never done a lot of things, Lee. I wish it could have been different. I wish I'd seen you first.” 

“It would have been illegal,” Talley teased. 

“Now it's just immoral.” 

That sobered them both. “Don't, Mace. We did the best we could.” 

He shrugged. “Yeah, I know.” 

After a while, they heard the weather report. The ice was expected to stop in a few hours and would be melted off in a few days. Mace turned off the radio. 

“It'll be daylight in a little while. When the ice stops, I'm going out to call for help.” 

“You can't walk that far in this weather! It's more than five miles to the nearest house.” 

“That's going back toward Randolph. Henry Davis lives up the other way about a mile, two at the most.” 

“But that's the same weatherman that predicted it wouldn't accumulate. We can't trust what he says.” 

“I've got to get you to a doctor, Lee.” 

“No, Mace. I'm fine. A few bruises, that's all. They'll heal.” 

“I want you to get checked out. Something might be messed up inside. And I need to call the sheriff, tell him what Jack did to you.” 

“Mace. If you go to the sheriff, he'll want to know exactly what happened. If I tell him where I was and who did this, then word will get out I came up here to see you. Jack said something about there being talk about us a while back.” She rubbed her eyes, careful of her bruised cheek. “There's no reason in the world why I should have come looking for you in an ice storm except the obvious one. Even though I wanted to talk to you and nothing else, no one's going to believe it. Especially Mitch.” 

“Don't you want Jack in jail?” 

“I want him hog-tied and skinned alive, but not at the risk of you losing Mitch again.” 

Mace's face was stony. “Then I can take care of Jack.” 

“Mace, you wouldn't…?” 

“No, but I'd make him wish I had.” 

“Just let it go, Mace.” 

“All right, Lee,” he agreed too quickly and Talley felt it was the first time Mace had ever lied to her. “You still need to see a doctor.” 

“Same thing, Mace. If I go to a doctor's office or the emergency room, they'll have to know what happened. People will talk.” 

Mace thought that over for a moment. “If I can get you to Doc Benson's place, it won't be a problem. Doc owes me one.” 

“He's retired.” 

“Doesn't mean he's forgot everything he learned in medical school. He can look you over, but if he says you need to go to the emergency room, then you go. No arguments, Lee. We'll just have to face whatever happens.” 

She nodded. “Mitch won't be in until tomorrow. He might have tried to call, though. He'll call me and he'll call you. And neither of us will be home.” 

“I was here mending the fence and got caught in the storm. Your phone was turned down and you didn't know until late.” 

“Okay, but Junior knows I'm up here.” 

“Junior'll keep his mouth shut. If he knows what's good for him.” 

“Good thing I didn't have to work last night, but Dylan will expect me this evening.” 

They thought a while, but neither could come up with a solution. 

“Looks like that's that,” Mace finally said. “As soon as it stops, I'll head up to Henry's.” 

“No! There has to be a way. If either of us had a cell phone, I could just call in sick tonight. You ought to have one if you've been staying here alone. Anything can happen.” 

“Damn nuisance. I don't like to answer the phone when I'm at home. Why would I haul one around with me?” 

“For emergencies. Like this.” 

“Fine. I'll get one as soon as we get back to Randolph.” 

She ignored his sarcasm. 

“There has to be a way,” she said again. “If I don't call in, Dylan will know something's wrong. I've always called him even if I'm going to be late a few minutes. He knows I live on Morning Glory Hill and he knows I don't drive in this weather. He might send somebody out to check on me. When they find me and my car gone, they might start looking for me. That will bring a whole lot of attention to where I'm found, Mace.” 

“Lee, I don't see…” Mace broke off and slapped his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Cell phone. Shit. Henry has one. All I have to do is walk up to his place, borrow his four-wheel-drive and make sure I get his cell phone too. I'll tell him I need to get back into Randolph right away. Then I'll drive you to Doc's and if he says you're okay, I'll take you home. Mitch won't be in till tomorrow. You can still call in sick. You won't be in any shape to work tonight anyway.” 

“I can tell him and anybody else I lost control of the car and ran off in a ditch because of the ice.” 

“After I take you home, I'll get Junior and we'll tow your car out to the farm. You ran off the road at Murphy's Bend and I found you on my way back home last night. That explains your car at my place.” 

“Okay, sounds good.” 

“If we're gonna play it that way, just let me take you to the emergency room.” 

“No, it's too late for that. I should have gone last night. Besides, they can tell bruises that come from a beating.” 

“All right.” He lit up a cigarette. “We're too damn good at this. It's scary.” 

“I know.” 

“Get some sleep, Lee.” 

“What about you?” 

“I'll catch a nap in this chair.” 

They didn't say anything for a while. Talley yawned and nodded toward the light coming through the window. “It's Saturday, Mace.” 

“I know, darlin, I know.” 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

Talley couldn't believe it, but it all worked out as they’d planned. A couple of hours after dawn, the ice stopped and the sun came out. The weatherman was right for once. Mace got ready to go to Henry's and kissed her chastely on the forehead. 

“I'll get dressed while you're gone.” 

He sighed. “I would have to miss that,” he said and headed out. 

Talley dressed and within an hour Mace was back with Henry's four-wheel-drive and parked it on the road. Mace put out the fire in the old woodstove. He put his arm around her and they left the cabin. She curled up on the backseat and he drove her to Doc Benson's. The going was slow and Talley dozed off and on during the ride. 

Doc took their surprise visit in stride. After he examined her he told them he couldn't find anything wrong other than contusions that would heal. He disinfected the small cut on her throat and gave her some pills for the pain. Mace did all the explaining, telling him what really happened. Doc looked at the back of Mace's hands then looked her straight in the eye and asked if it was the truth. She looked him straight in the eye and said yes. Doc believed her and told Mace he'd keep their visit to himself. 

Once again, Talley lay in the backseat and Mace drove her home. The going was faster since most of the roads near Randolph had been salted. The warming sun and stirring traffic helped too. With a running start, they barely made it up Morning Glory Hill, almost sliding into a ditch. At her place, Mace carried her inside and set her down gently. 

She couldn't let go of him just yet. She rested her head on his chest. “Stay and have coffee with me, Mace.” 

“Much as I want to, I can't. You know that.” 

“I only know—” 

“Don't say anything, Lee. It ain't time yet.” 

She nodded against his coat. “Call me when you get through with everything. I want to know you're safe.” 

“I will.” He laughed. “I feel like we've committed a murder and we're trying to cover up the evidence.” 

“It's guilt. But remember, Mace, we don't have anything to feel guilty about this time.” 

“Tell that to your toes.” 

He didn't kiss her before he left. 

Talley spent the rest of the day anxiously waiting to hear from Mace, but Mitch called first later that afternoon. 

“Tal! I've been worried about you. I tried calling last night a dozen times but there wasn't any answer.” 

“I guess I turned the ringer on low and didn't notice till sometime today. I'm sorry, Mitch.” She held her breath. She was no good at lying. Surely, he had to hear the deception in her voice. 

“I'm glad you're okay. I heard Randolph got hit with ice.” 

“It's not too bad. It stopped early this morning and the sun's been shining all day. Uh, Mitch, I was in a little accident yesterday afternoon. I'm okay, but I have a few bruises and I banged up my car.” 

“Are you sure you're all right, Tal? Do you need me to come home now?” 

“No, I'm fine. Like I said, just a few bruises. I have one on my cheek where I popped the steering wheel when I hit the ditch. I was up around Murphy's Bend and the ice caught me by surprise. I took the curve too fast. Before I could get out of the car, Mace came along.” 

“Mace?” 

“Yeah, he'd been mending a fence, by the old homeplace, I think he said.” Talley held her breath again. 

“Good thing it was Mace that found you, Tal. Jack Sandler lives up that way.” 

“Yeah, I know. Mace brought me home then he and Junior towed the car out to Shady Hollow. When the roads clear, I'll get someone out to pick it up.” 

“Are you sure you're all right, Tal? You don't sound good.” 

“I'm sure. Still a little shaky from the accident, I guess.” 

She asked how last night had gone and smiled at the excitement in his voice as he told her. “The guy from the recording company was there last night instead of tonight. He said he liked to show up early to hear how a band really sounds and how it can work a crowd. He's right. We'd have been too keyed up to play well if he'd waited till tonight. He wants us to make a demo and send it to him.” 

“That's great, Mitch!” Her enthusiasm was real. This was the break he'd been waiting for. 

“He really liked 'Desperate Hearts'. He said to make sure that song is on the demo.” 

“Oh Mitch, I'm so happy for you. Your dream is coming true.” 

“Not just yet. We checked into it, Tal. Coming up with the money to make the demo is going to be a problem. Looks like it may be a while before we get can get it together.” 

“You could ask Mace.” 

There was silence at the other end. “No. No. Mace'd probably do it, but I won't owe him anything. I have to do this on my own. Besides, he has enough financial worries with the farm.” 

“Okay, Mitch.” 

He talked more about the talent scout until Talley told him she was tired. They said good-bye and hung up. She stared at the phone a while and wondered when things had really begun to go bad between them. Neither of them had said, “I love you.” 

Talley kept the phone close to her. Mace was an excellent driver, but anything could happen. 

Mace didn't call until after dark. “Everything's taken care of.” 

She closed her eyes and imagined him in his house holding the phone. She wanted to reach through the line and touch him. It didn't seem fair that she couldn't be with him since he’d told her he loved her and what he wanted. 

“Do you realize this is the first time we've ever talked on the phone?” 

He was silent for a few seconds. “I don't think there'll be any need for it to happen again...any time soon. How are you feeling?” 

“A little better.” She drew in a deep breath. He obviously meant to keep her at arm's length even over the phone. 

“Good to hear it.” 

“Mitch called earlier.” She repeated their conversation, then gave him the good news. 

“I'm glad for him, Lee.” 

“You don't sound glad.” 

“I'm tired. It's been a hell of a day.” She heard a pouring sound in the background and hoped it was coffee. “I have to go now. If you need anything, call me.” 

“I will, Mace.” But she knew she wouldn't. 

“Good night, Lee.” 

She waited until she heard the click of his receiver, then whispered, “I love you.” 

Mitch came home the next day and was concerned over her bruises. She didn't show him the huge circular bruise on her side. She had no way to explain it and all the other places covering her body. A dive into a ditch as shallow as the one at Murphy's Bend wouldn't have produced them all. 

Mitch stayed with her all evening and she learned more about the music business than she ever wanted to know. That wasn't fair, she knew. Mitch was so excited about their shot at making it, he couldn't think of anything else. 

But Talley could. Her mind wandered most of the evening. It was, after all, Saturday night. 

Finally realizing how tired she was, he kissed her good night and went away. 

Go to Bonnie , Talley thought. She never should have come between them. She had returned to Randolph to try again with Mitch, and although she never flirted with Mitch while he was seeing Bonnie her presence had been enough. Bonnie had been angry with them both, but the band and their music were in her blood as much as Mitch's. Bonnie loved the traveling and loved to spend every waking moment talking about their music. 

It had been a mistake from the beginning, coming back to Mitch...except for one thing. 

Days passed, her bruises healed. The band was booked most nights. Talley refused to go with him. 

“You really don't like traveling with me, do you?” Mitch complained. “Don't you realize I'm going to be gone two weeks?” 

“I know, Mitch, and I'll miss you. I have a job here. Dylan won't let me off for days or weeks at a time then let me waltz back in when it pleases me. He depends on me.” 

“So get another job!” 

“I like working at the Rose!” 

It had become a constant argument. Before, she had always given in or let the subject drop. Now she argued with him. It wasn't fair to Mitch, but she was tired of having to pretend. Once, the night he found her and Mace together, she had assured him she never pretended anything. That had changed since she knew Mace waited for her. 

He swiped at his hair with angry strokes. “Where are you, Tal?” 

“Right here.” 

“No, you're not. You're always a million miles away.” 

Talley lit a cigarette and Mitch wrinkled his nose. He didn't smoke because he didn't want to ruin his voice. 

“Do you have to do that now?” 

“This is my house, Mitch. If you don't like it, you can leave.” She pressed her lips together. She hadn't meant to go so far. 

Mitch shook his head. “It's not working, is it?” 

“I'm sorry, Mitch.” She crushed out the cigarette. 

“It's not just that. It's...It's everything.” 

“I don't like the traveling. I hardly ever see my father because he can't stay long in one place. Then my mother married a man who's job takes him to a different city every couple of years.” Talley sighed. “I’d been following them around to be close to my mother and sister, but when we came back here I realized I wanted to have a home in one place. I came back to Randolph to find that as much as to find you again.” 

“When we get the record deal—” 

“When you get the record deal, it's only going to get worse, Mitch. For me.” 

They sat in silence for a while. 

“Is this it, Talley?” 

She drew in a deep breath. “It's up to you, Mitch. If you can accept that I won't be traveling with you much and stop nagging me about it.” 

“Aw, Tal—” 

“No, I mean it. I feel bad enough because I can't help the way I feel. Your nagging makes it worse.” 

He leaned close to her. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too, Mitch. I always have.” 

“But we don't have much fun anymore, do we?” 

She shook her head. 

“I'm sorry, Talley. I guess you were right all along. We have changed. We want different things.” 

She nodded and tears flooded her eyes. It hurt to lose him this way. For all the wrong reasons. 

He reached for her, his fingers spread along her neck, his thumb at her ear. He kissed her slowly and deeply. “Good-bye, Talley.” 

“Good-bye, Mitch.” 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

Talley waited. 

She didn't know what else to do except wait for Mace to come to her. Every Saturday night she put on a pot of coffee and, while she didn't leave the door unlocked, she slept on the couch waiting for him. By the third Sunday morning as she dumped out yet another full pot of coffee, she felt quite foolish. He had come to her throughout most of their relationship and she thought it would be appropriate if he came to her to start over. 

Talley spent Christmas in Knoxville with her family. While there, she’d almost decided Mace must have changed his mind. She didn't know if she could bear it if, in the end, he had decided he didn't really want her. Hadn't he promised he would come to her? Was she supposed to wait forever? 

Now it was about a month after she and Mitch had said good-bye and a few weeks into the new year and Talley found herself on the road to Shady Hollow. She had waited long enough. She had to know one way or the other. It was the perfect opportunity since Mitch was out of town. 

She pulled up the long driveway and stopped the car. Tiny snowflakes drifted lazily through the air. The same weatherman had forecasted accumulating snow at any time, but she didn't believe him. 

She got out of the car and stood a few moments. Mace had to know it was over between Mitch and her. Once again she didn't know if she was handling things the right way or the best way. She had messed up so much lately she wasn't sure of any of her actions any more. The only thing she was sure of was she had to see Mace because she was overcome by the same irresistible urge that had plagued her the day they became stranded at the old homeplace. If he made her go away, then she would. He had told her his intentions and she could only hope he still felt the same way. 

She walked up to the house and knocked several times, waiting. She knocked again, but no one answered the door. She turned and looked over the outbuildings. Maybe he was in the barn. 

The barn door opened on a creak and a swirl of snowy wind. She closed it behind her. She pushed back the hood of her coat and waited until her eyes adjusted to the dimness. 

A bright shaded bulb hung from a beam and Mace's truck sat in the pool of light. Under the open hood, Mace bent over the side, his head lost in the inner workings of the vehicle. Talley walked closer. 

“Mace?” 

He raised his head, nodded at her, then leaned back inside. She walked closer. 

“Am I interrupting?” 

“No,” he said without looking up. 

“Mace? Talk to me.” 

“No. You need to talk to me.” He grunted as he fought with a stubborn piece of metal. 

“I can't talk to you with your head down there. Should I come back later?” 

He raised up suddenly. “No.” 

She watched him as he snatched up a rag and wiped his hands. When he turned just right in the light, she saw the large bruise on his jaw. The color was more green than purple. 

“Oh, Mace, what happened?” Instinctively, she stepped closer to him and raised her hand to it. 

He tilted his head away from her touch, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. “Damnedest thing, I ran into the bathroom door during the night.” 

“Mace...” 

His voice lowered. “You won't be bothered again, Lee.” 

She had noticed Jack Sandler didn't come to the Rose anymore. She tried not to think of him at all, but when she did, she’d hoped he had been scared off by his own cowardice. She remembered Mace had threatened to take care of him, but hadn't known if he had followed through. 

“I'm sorry, Mace. Are you all right?” 

He nodded. “That door got in one good punch before I laid it out.” 

He kept his hands wadded up in the rag, but Talley reached for them and slowly pulled the rag away. His knuckles were bruised as well and cuts and scrapes had begun to scab over. Any scars that might be left would mingle with those that already marred his skin. She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them, then held them to her cheeks. 

“Thank you, Mace, for taking care of those who get attacked by doors.” 

His hands turned over and cupped her chin briefly before dropping to his sides. He didn't say anything else. He waited for her to speak. 

“It's over. Mitch and me. Has been for a while.” 

“I know.” 

“Then why—” 

“I know what we did, Talley. It wasn't right and it wasn't good. I can swear that I'll never do anything like that again. Can you?” 

“Oh yes, Mace! I swear.” 

“Are you done with Mitch?” 

“A part of me will always love Mitch. I can't lie about that. But I won't go back to him, even if I never see you again. We're too different now. We want different things.” She blinked back the tears that filled her eyes. “For a long time, I didn't want to lose you both. If I couldn't have you, then I wanted Mitch.” She shook her head. “But not anymore. If I can't have you, I'm going to Knoxville to be with my family. There'd be nothing here for me anymore.” 

“All right then.” 

He turned his back to her and ducked his head under the hood again. She waited a few minutes, then took a few steps closer. 

“Mace?” 

“I'd like to get this finished up before dark. I have somewhere to go tonight.” 

“Oh.” 

“If I don't get this truck fixed, I know a lady who's gonna be mighty displeased.” 

She couldn't breathe. The pain that ripped through her chest made her think her heart had stopped beating. If he had given up on them, then why all the questions? Just to satisfy his curiosity? Maybe if he didn't want her, he needed to know that Mitch wouldn't have her either. She stepped back a couple of paces. 

“I'm sorry, Mace. I-I didn't mean to interfere.” She turned and ran for the door. She pulled it open and didn't look back even when he called out her name. 

The weather outside had turned as severely as the atmosphere inside the barn. The lazy, fluffy flakes had turned to fine bits of snow that whipped her face as she stumbled to the car. 

“Talley, wait!” 

He’d called her Talley and she thought she'd never be able to breathe again. The tears in her eyes flooded down her cheeks. Her hand slipped off the door handle of her car again and again as she tried to open it. Then Mace was beside her, pulling up her hood against the driving snow. 

“Dammit, Talley, don't you know what today is?” 

She shook her head and tried to pull away from him. At that moment, completely overcome by the terrible hurt she felt, she didn't know what year it was. 

“It's Saturday, darlin, it's Saturday.” 

She stopped struggling as the meaning of his words made it past the pain. She blinked up at him. “Oh, Mace...” She buried her face in his cold, snow-covered jacket. 

“Let's get inside. You can't drive in this weather.” 

She grabbed his jacket in her numb fingers. “You said you'd come to me, remember? I waited, Mace, I waited as long as I could.” 

“I know, but I wanted to give us both a little time. I didn't think a few weeks would hurt us any. Talley, I'm freezing my balls off. Let's go inside.” 

She shook her head. “Why are you calling me Talley?” 

“It's your name.” 

“You know what I mean!” 

He smiled a little and brushed snow crystals from her face with shaking hands. From the cold, she supposed, but she wasn't going inside with him until he told her. 

“I can call you Talley now because I have all of you.” 

Only then did she allow him to hustle her into the house. They pulled off wet jackets and boots and huddled on the rug in front of the crackling fire. Mace took her hands in his, rubbing them briskly. His hands were cold too, but she wouldn't say or do anything to end his touch. 

“You scared the hell out of me, Mace!”

“Didn't mean to. I thought you knew what day of the week it is.”

“You sounded like you'd changed your mind,” Talley said softly. “I wasn't thinking straight after that.”

“Darlin,” he said and drew her into his arms, “I was trying not to rush it.”

“Well, you tried too hard,” she said and looped her arms around his neck. Over his shoulder, she saw the steady snowfall out of the window. Everything was already covered in a layer of white. “I don't think I'll be able to drive home, Mace, unless you want to take me.”

“Yeah, I want to take you. Right here, right now,” he murmured in her ear.

Talley smiled. She had missed their playfulness almost as much as she'd missed Mace. “I don't know, cowboy. Have you gotten any better at it?”

He snorted. “I wouldn't know. I haven't used it in so long, I think it's dried up and blowed away.”

Talley pulled back enough to look up into his gray eyes. “Then you didn't—”

“No, I didn't.”

“Neither did I. I don't think Mitch could get over what happened. He never asked again.”

Relief flooded his face. She hadn't realized it would mean so much to him to know.

He kissed her forehead. “Will you marry me?”

She frowned up at him. “You're not doing it the way you said you would. You said you'd come to me and make love to me and ask me to marry you.”

He laughed. “I meant I'd do 'em all, but not exactly in that order. Will you marry me, Talley? All I can offer you is a broken-down farm mortgaged to the hilt. And me.”

“Oh yes, I'll marry you.” 

Their lips met in a deep and binding kiss, and Talley let her aching need for him wash over her completely. She pressed as close to him as she could and felt the hard proof of his need for her. Mace responded by trailing kisses along her neck. 

“Will you take me now, Mace?”

“Right here?” he asked huskily between kisses.

“Yes...” Talley breathed and tilted her head back.

“Right now?” he teased and planted a kiss in the hollow of her throat. His hands found her buttocks and squeezed.

“Oh yes,” she murmured and helped him remove all the clothing that was in the way.

Talley lay back on the plush rug, and Mace pulled the afghan from the back of the couch to cover them. He settled between her thighs as her legs slipped around his waist. His hands, flat on the rug on each side of her, held his weight, and the tip of his arousal barely touched her. He looked into her eyes.

“I love you, Talley,” he said hoarsely as he buried himself inside of her, thrusting in as deeply as he could go.

She arched against him on a moan, accepting him as she had so many times before. But this time was different, better. She was free to love him with her heart as well as her body. She held out her arms and Mace dropped into them while he continued to thrust in and out of her, holding her close as they moved as one. 

Then they came as one. 

Trembling, she hugged him tight as he relaxed against her.

“I love you too, Mace,” she whispered.

He rolled to her side and drew the afghan closer as they snuggled together. Desperation didn't drive their need anymore. 

Only love. 

EPILOGUE: 

Two years later 

Talley Holloway shifted the baby from one arm to the other then set the porch rocker in motion again. She looked down into his angelic face, eyes closed in peaceful sleep, and saw the resemblance to both the father and the son. Strange how she'd never noticed any physical similarities between Mace and Mitch, but in her son she saw some of each. The thought made her smile. 

Autumn had colored the leaves and a brisk breeze stirred a whiff of woodsmoke past her nose. She snuggled the blanket closer to Mason—Macefield Tyrel Holloway, Jr., but they called him Mason—Mace's son. The air had a bite to it and she thought it might be time to take him inside when a new Jeep Cherokee pulled off the main road into their long driveway. 

“Mace,” she called, then louder, “Mace! They're here!” 

Her son stirred in her arms, whimpered, then settled again. 

When the Cherokee stopped, Mitch got out and hurried to the other side. He opened the door and carefully helped a very pregnant Bonnie ease from the passenger side. They slowly made their way to the house, Bonnie with one hand on the small of her back and the other holding onto Mitch securely. 

Mace stepped out on the porch and squinted at his son and daughter-in-law. “Damn, did you get that big?” he said low enough for only Talley to hear. “She looks like she could drop any second.” 

Talley grinned, but said, “Hush, Grampa.” 

“Pa,” Mace decided. “I want the little one to call me Pa.” 

“Whew, what a drive! I'm so glad it's over,” Bonnie said as Mitch helped her up the steps. “Aw, Mason's asleep. I wanted to hold him.” 

“He'll be awake in a bit,” Talley assured her. “Then he'll be raring to go.” 

“Uh-oh.” Bonnie headed for the front door. “I have to go again.” 

Mitch shook his head as she disappeared into the house. “We had to stop twice on the way from Nashville.” 

Mace tapped Talley on the shoulder. “Three times the last time we visited her folks before Mason was born. She watered every bush between here and Knoxville.” 

“Mace! We stopped at service stations and you know it. Fix me a cup of cocoa.” 

“Cocoa?” 

“Yeah, cocoa. And see if Bonnie wants some.” 

Mace shook his head. “I ain't going near her. She might pop.” 

When he had gone inside, Talley looked at Mitch. “He's nervous about your visit, but he's driving me crazy. Making cocoa should keep him busy for a while.” 

“I'm nervous too.” Mitch walked over and lightly rubbed his baby brother's cheek. “It's been so long since we've spent any time together. We talk on the phone a lot, but it's not the same. Of course, we don't argue nearly as much as we used to.” 

Talley nodded. “Want to hold him?” 

“He's asleep.” 

“It's okay. Nap time is almost over anyway.” 

Talley laid her son in Mitch's arms and stretched out her legs. Crossing her ankles, she leaned back and rocked herself slowly. 

“I can't believe how much he's grown in two months,” Mitch said quietly. 

“They grow too fast. I feel like if I blink he'll be graduating from high school.” 

“I know. Bonnie's due in a few weeks. Doesn't seem like it's been that long. She wants the baby born here in Randolph. I think she just wants to be close to her mother when the time comes.” Mason wriggled in his arms and gurgled. Mitch secured him in the crook of one arm and put his fingers into Mason's hand. Mason latched onto one. “We're going to have a little girl, you know,” he said proudly. 

“I know.” She smiled. Talley didn't remind him that he told them every time he talked to them. 

“When I get a chance, I'm going to talk to Mace.” 

“About what?” 

“Shady Hollow.” 

“We're doing fine. Mace let things get away from him for a while, but he's got it all under control now. He hasn't had a drink in over two years. And he's accepted the fact that you don't want any part of the farm.” 

Mitch laughed. “Well, he had to accept that, didn't he? 'Desperate Hearts' went gold and is bringing in more money than any of us ever dreamed of. It's been optioned by a major company to use in their ad campaign. A cable movie company wants to develop it into a movie and if the movie does well, they want to make a series out of it. Add to that the merchandising, t-shirts, caps, heart-shaped keyrings...hell, even lunchboxes.” Mitch sucked in a deep breath. “It's unreal, Tal. The projected amount of money we'll be raking in over the next few years is indecent.” 

“I'm happy for you and Bonnie and the band. You deserve it. But what does all this have to do with Shady Hollow?” 

“I want to pay off the loan. And whatever else Mace needs to get this place running right. I was never interested in taking it over one day, but it's home. I know Mace and he'll refuse. I want you to talk him into it.” 

“It might help,” Talley said quietly, “if you called him Dad again.” 

Mitch's jaw clenched. He answered with a quick shake of his head. 

“What am I supposed to tell Mason when he's old enough to wonder why you call your father Mace?” 

Mitch walked the length of the porch and back again. 

“We ended up the way we were supposed to, Tal. Bonnie and me. You and Mace. You were right and I think I knew it a long time before I admitted it. Still...” 

Talley didn't say anything and waited for Mitch to finish. 

“I tried to forgive and forget. It was easier than I thought, forgiving Mace. But I can't forget. Even though it was the best thing and the right thing, I can't forget what he did.” 

“He wasn't the only one, Mitch,” Talley reminded him. 

“I know. I've forgiven you too, Talley. What went on between us seems like another lifetime ago. Or like it happened to two other people. So it's easy to forget us.” Mason cried out and Mitch lifted him to his shoulder, swaying back and forth to quiet him. “But Mace is my father and that makes a big difference.” 

Talley nodded. If Mace had been any other man, it wouldn't have hurt nearly as bad and he'd have been able to put it behind him more easily. She guessed they were lucky Mitch could forgive. “You know better than I do how stubborn he is. I don't know if anything I say will convince him.” 

Mason squirmed and cried out lustily. Mitch handed him back to Talley, resting one hand on the arm of the rocker. “Tell him I'm doing it for the kid here,” he said and rubbed the back of Mason's head. “I don't want the farm, never did, but maybe Mason will make it his life. Tell him that, Talley, and Mace'll take what I offer.” 

The screen door opened and Mace came through with a steaming mug of cocoa and his own coffee. 

“Only two hands, Mitch. If you want coffee, you know where it is.” Mace handed the mug to Talley. “Better check on Bonnie. Hope she didn't drop the kid in the toilet.” 

“Mace!” Talley frowned and swatted at him. 

But Mitch chuckled and headed inside. 

Mace stepped to the edge of the porch and gazed into the distance. 

“Mitch wants to talk with you.” 

“I heard,” he said thickly. 

“How much did you hear?” 

“Enough.” 

Talley set the cocoa aside and went to stand beside him. He turned and looked at her with glistening eyes. 

“My boy has forgiven me,” he whispered. 

Talley nodded. Tears welled up and she blinked them back. “I thought he had. You two have been closer these past two years than any I've ever known.” 

“I hoped he had, but I didn't know. Till now.” 

“Accept his offer, Mace.” 

He nodded as he laid his hand on his younger son's head. He rested his forehead against his wife’s. “All right, but I ain't gonna make it easy for him.” 

Talley grinned. “He would expect no less,” she said and kissed him.