He didnt answer.
She shrugged and sighed. I must be in demand somewhere, she told the room at large. Ill have myself paged at the airport and find out.
She gave him one long, last look, certain that it would be the last time her eyes would see that handsome face. There was some old saying about divine punishment in the form of showing paradise to a victim and then tossing him back into reality. It was like that with Maggie, having known the utter delight of Cords lovemaking only once. Despite the pain and embarrassment, and his fury afterward, shed never been able to forget the wonder of his mouth on her body for the first time. The rejection she felt now was almost palpable, and she had to hide it. It wasnt easy.
Thanks for the caring concern, he drawled.
Oh, anytime, she replied merrily. But you can phone me yourself next time you stick your face in a bomb and want tending. And just for the record, you can tell Eb his sense of humor stinks!
Tell him yourself, he shot back. You were engaged to him, werent you?
Only because I couldnt have you, she thought, and your marriage was killing me. But she didnt say another word. She smiled carelessly, dragged her eyes away from him, turned neatly on her heel and started back out the door.
Shed just gone through the doorway when he called to her suddenly, reluctantly, in a husky
tone, Maggie!
She didnt hesitate for a second. She was angry now, too, angry that shed come three thousand miles, that shed been stupid enough to care about a man whod never returned her feelings, that shed believed Eb Scott when he said Cord had asked for her.
June was in the hall, frowning. The frown deepened when she saw Maggies face, saw the hurt the woman was trying valiantly to hide.
Are you all right? she asked in a quick whisper.
Maggie couldnt manage many words at that point. June was Cords new love interest. Maggie couldnt bear to look at her. She just nodded, a curt jerk of her head. Thanks, she bit off, and kept walking.
She went out the front door and closed it behind her. Despite that faint call, Cord hadnt pursued her. Maybe he felt momentarily guilty for being so unwelcoming. His sense of hospitality was probably outraged, but she knew from the past that he didnt dwell on his conscience. Meanwhile, she wanted nothing more than to get her long fingernails into Eb Scott. He was happily married now, and she knew he hadnt phoned her to be malicious, but hed caused her untold misery by upsetting her about Cords condition. Why?
She stood on the front porch for a moment, trying to get herself together again. Houston was about twenty minutes miles away, and shed sent the cab off, expecting to stay with Cord and take care of him. She laughed out loud.
She looked toward the highway. Oh, well. As they said, walking was great exercise. She was glad that shed worn sneakers instead of high heels with her nice gray pantsuit. She could spend the time it took walking to Houston thinking about her stupidity. She noticed that Cord didnt strain his sense of hospitality offering her a ride, either.
She tugged her wheeled suitcase along with her down the steps and started down the driveway with growing amusement at the absurdity of her predicament. She glanced down at the suitcase with a whimsical smile. I dont even have a horse to ride off into the sunset on. Well, its just you and me, old paint, she said, reaching down to pat the suitcase. Lets mosey!
* * *
BACK IN THE living room, Cord Romero was standing where Maggie had left him, frozen with anger by the fireplace.
June looked in, worried. She seemed concerned about you, she began.
Sure, he said on a cold laugh. Its twenty minutes from Houston and she couldnt drive out here any sooner than this. Some concern!
But she had a! she began, about to tell him about the suitcase Maggie had left on the porch.
He held up a big, lean hand. Not another word, he said firmly. I dont want to hear one more thing about her. Bring me a cup of coffee, would you? Then send Red Davis in here.
Yes, sir, she said.
And tell your father I want to see him when hes through overseeing the loading of those cattle weve culled, he added, because her father was the livestock foreman.
Yes, sir, she said again, and left.
Cord cursed under his breath. He hadnt seen Maggie in weeks. It was as if shed vanished off the face of the earth. Hed actually gone by her apartment once, although shed refused to answer the doorbell, even after hed spent five minutes ringing it. She wouldnt answer her damned telephone, either. He didnt want to admit that hed missed her, or that it hurt like hell that shed waited four days to come and see about him.
Their lives had been entwined since he was sixteen and she was eight when theyd been taken in by Mrs. Amy Barton, a socialite whose sister was an employee at the juvenile detention center. Cords parents had died in a fire while they were all visiting Houston on a rare vacation. Maggie had been abandoned by her family about the same time, and both were held at the juvenile center. Mrs. Barton, childless and lonely, had impulsively decided to be a foster parent to the two children. Eventually shed adopted Maggie.