Deep In The Heart Of Texas. Linda Warren

it’s been…years since a woman has done that.”

      There was a warning in his voice and she didn’t miss it. She just didn’t understand it. “Are you trying to frighten me?”

      “Just telling you the truth.”

      “No,” she said. “For some reason you’re trying to scare me. You’ve been doing that ever since you carried me out of that place.”

      “Maybe,” he admitted. “This isn’t a fairy tale. It’s life and it’s not pretty. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.”

      Was he right? At the moment life had dealt her a dreadful hand, but she refused to allow that to overwhelm her. At least she’d met Jacob, and that was a good thing.

      “No,” she told him. “Life’s not all bad, and neither are you.”

      “Really?” he snorted. “You don’t know me, lady. I’m hiding in these hills for a reason.” He paused, then said, “I’m wanted for the murders of my wife and son.”

      The words should have shocked her, but somehow they didn’t. Instinctively she knew he’d never hurt anyone.

      She answered immediately. “I told you earlier that I know the person you are inside, and you could never kill anyone intentionally.”

      He blinked, astonished by her words. No one believed in him that much, not his family, his friends, not even his own brother. Everyone assumed he was guilty because he and Sheila had been having problems. Now this woman, whom he barely knew, was professing his innocence. It took him a moment to collect himself.

      Miranda saw that he was coming to grips with his emotions, and she gave him time.

      Finally she said, “Tell me about your wife.”

      He didn’t even hesitate. It seemed natural to talk to someone who had such faith in him. “Sheila was a lot like you,” he said, then stopped abruptly.

      Those were not the words she wanted to hear, but she couldn’t help wondering what it was about her that reminded him of his wife. She didn’t have to wait for the answer.

      “She was a rich man’s daughter—his only daughter—and she was used to getting anything she wanted. I was working two jobs when I met her because I was putting my brother, Lucas, through law school. Our parents died when I was twenty and he was fifteen, so I’d been taking care of him for a few years. I had a security job at nights. I worked for anyone who needed protection. Sheila’s dad hired me and several other guards for one of his big parties. I must have caught Sheila’s eye, because she kept pestering me all evening, bringing me drinks and flirting. I told her I couldn’t drink, that I was working, but Sheila never learned the meaning of the word no.”