A Maverick's Heart. Roz Denny Fox
Lila wondered why her lights cast pretty halos in the branches of a nearby tree instead of illuminating the lane ahead of her. She tried to check on Rory, but a sharp pain in her head rendered her voiceless.
All at once her door was yanked open. The dome light illuminated the SUV’s interior, blinding Lila. Ghost, the almost-white yellow Lab that Jewell Hyatt had given Rory after his dad died, scrambled across her tense body and over into the backseat.
“Are you okay?” inquired a deep male voice.
Somewhere behind her Lila heard her son ordering his dog to stop licking him. A tiny bit of her relaxed. However, she honestly didn’t know whether she should tell the man yes, she was okay, or no, she might be dead and floating above everything amid those sparkly lights.
But she wasn’t dead. She felt the man’s arm slide across her, saw him put the Jeep in Park and turn the key to shut off the engine. Then his head appeared directly in front of her still-unfocused eyes. Blond hair, askew. Darker in spots from the rain. Gorgeous yet concerned green eyes in a chiseled, sun-bronzed face stared at her. Well-shaped lips set in a straight line above an appealing cleft in his manly chin.
It took Lila several rocketing heartbeats, but she finally managed to assemble all the attractive parts from those strong shoulders upward. The parts belonged to Seth Maxwell, Myra’s husband’s twin, who was staying on after his brother’s wedding. He’d been the groomsman who’d escorted Lila down the aisle.
He shone a small, bright light in her eyes, causing her to wince and blink, and she lost his handsomeness into blackness shot with pinpoints of pain.
Rory’s anxious voice yelling, “Mom... Mom!” right near her ear shook Lila from her stupor as nothing else had.
She tried once more to speak, but her mouth felt as if she’d swallowed cotton.
“Is my mom all right?” she heard Rory demand.
* * *
SETH MAXWELL FROWNED. “I don’t know, kid. For sure she’s dazed. I need to get her to the house so we can see. I’ll carry her if you can manage the dog—the rascal. I took him out for a run. When he spotted your car, he yanked the leash right out of my hand. I was scared witless that your car would hit him.”
“Me, too,” Rory said. “I don’t think Mom saw him or you. I yelled at her to stop. I probably made us land in the ditch.”
“If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I took your dog out in questionable weather,” Seth assured the boy as he shifted the flashlight to his left hand and with his right slowly released Lila’s seat belt. “I’m going to get your mom. We’ll take it slow back to the house, okay?”
“The lane goes straight there,” Rory said. “What were you doing with Ghost anyway?”
“Ghost?” Seth, confused, paused in lifting Lila into his arms.
“My dog. He stays in our part of the house when we’re gone.”
“Well, tonight he was in the foyer. I wanted to go for a run and your dog brought me his leash.”
Rory tightened his grip on that leash. “Oh, you’re one of the guys renting from us, huh?”
“Yes. Remember, we met at my brother’s wedding? Most of the guys in the wedding party are staying here until tomorrow. Tonight we all went to Zeke’s place for supper. He and his wife fed us so well, when I got home and realized the rain had slackened, I decided to go out for exercise.” Seth spoke calmly to the boy as he trudged toward the house with his burden. “In the middle of our run it started to drizzle, so I turned back.”
Lila spoke for the first time, a guttural sound somewhere below Seth’s chin. “I, uh, think I can walk.” She gingerly touched her left temple. “I hit my head on something. Maybe the window. Did I crack it?”
“Your head?” Seth asked, a smile in his voice.
Lila shoved at his solid shoulder. “The window, you goose. Did I break the window?”
“No, but you did a number on your vehicle. It’s stuck. We need daylight to see if you did any damage to its underpinnings. I don’t think you broke an axle,” he said, supporting her back with his hand.
“My head hurts, but stuff is starting to make sense. Rory, we carry a big flashlight in the glove box. Run back and get it for Mr. Maxwell.”
“It’s Seth, okay?” They’d all stopped in the lane, and Rory and Ghost ran back to the Cherokee, leaving Seth and Lila in the dark.
“Since I’m hanging around at your B and B a month or so to help Zeke roof his barn,” Seth said, “can’t we use first names?”
He let go of Lila to take the flashlight the boy had slogged back with. She buckled and Seth snatched her up before she fell to her knees.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “My legs don’t seem to want to hold me.”
“Probably nerves,” Seth said matter-of-factly, scooping her up. “Rory, you take the bigger light. It’s enough. Let’s go. I’ll be right behind you, carrying your mom.”
“Why can’t she walk? Does she need a doctor? Mom, you’re not gonna die, are you?” The kid froze and Seth almost bowled him over.
She gripped the front of Seth’s jacket. “I need to walk on my own,” she insisted. “This is ridiculous. I wasn’t going very fast when I made the turn. How could sliding into the ditch muddle my brain?”
“Even minor accidents can throw a person off-kilter. We’re almost at the house. Rory, walk on with the light. Once we get inside we’ll make sure your mom’s all right.”
The boy did as directed, letting Ghost bound up to the front door and shake off his wet coat. The others followed in rapid succession.
Once inside Seth headed for the dining room, where he’d spent the most time besides his rented bedroom in the big old farmhouse. For having been here almost a week since his twin’s wedding, he’d seen remarkably little of Lila Jenkins. They’d been paired up in the wedding party. His initial impression had been of an attractive, petite woman who looked exceptionally good in an old-fashioned wine-red dress. She’d hurried away right after the ceremony to appear again in a black skirt, white blouse and white apron at the reception, where she and an older woman served the meal and helped hand out cake and punch. No matter which outfit Lila’d had on, she’d gained his interest.
He’d danced with several of his new sister-in-law’s friends, but he’d only caught glimpses of Lila, who by then seemed to be part of a two-woman cleanup crew.
Even at her bed-and-breakfast, she remained elusive. Breakfast was the only meal included in the rental fee, and they always found it hot and inviting, served in covered silver dishes on a sideboard.
Zeke’s wife, Myra, had told him Lila had a son and a dog, as well as horses that were available to rent. But because Hunter Wright, another of Zeke’s army buddies, had a temporary prosthesis, they’d elected to drive around to see as much of Montana and its fishing holes as they could cram into the short time the three guys had to visit.
Seth’s pal Gavin had joked that they must be renting from elves who supplied a scrumptious breakfast, made beds and replaced used towels while the guests were out. Ben Archer, who Zeke called Sarge, said maybe the old house came with ghosts he occasionally heard padding around the lower floors. At the time none of them had known the dog’s name was Ghost. Seth couldn’t wait to tell them what they might learn if they didn’t retire so early.
With his foot he dragged out one of the padded dining chairs and started to set Lila down.
“Why are you bringing me in here?” she asked. “Never mind. I can walk into the kitchen on my own.” She levered herself up with one hand on the table and the other on Seth’s arm.
Rory had unclipped Ghost’s leash and Seth could hear the dog lapping