Jack rubbed his face. She was the one who hadnt answered, not him. Hed sent her that ticket and shed ignored it. Lets not argue about whether I answered your first letter or not. Im here because of your second letter.
She stared at him. My second
letter? You ignored the four-page letter I wrote you and came tearing back because I got mad about what some idiotic ex-girlfriend of yours did when she stopped taking her medication?
He grabbed her shoulders to keep her from moving away. You said you got an anonymous letter. That it threatened you. What did it say, exactly?
A bunch of nonsense about how Id be sorry that Id married you. For goodness sake, Jack, it wasnt important.
Did you keep it?
Of course not. She tried to shrug his hands off. I cant believe this. Is that letter the reason youre here?
Its one of the reasons. Look, Annie, weve got to get some things settled, and Id just as soon do that before your brothers get home.
The freckles that were scattered across that cute little nose stood out in stark contrast to her sudden pallor. All right. All right, I know what you mean. You want a divorce. I wont protest. I just hope we can handle itquietly.
Divorce? Anger rose, quick and hard, a thick snake wrapping its coils around him and squeezing. Im not here to ask you for a divorce, Annie. Im here to claim the wedding night we never had.
Chapter 2
Whats so hard to understand? You keep saying our marriage wasnt real. A wedding night ought to change your mind. And you owe me that much. You didnt keep your other promises.
Annie stared at the man shed thought she knew as well as she knew anyone in this world. She didnt recognize him.
Oh, she knew the face. Jack had one of those charmingly irregular faces made for crooked smiles and wicked suggestions, a collection of roughly matched features that somehow added up to be a whole thats more appealing than the static gloss of standard good looks. But the look in his dark chocolate eyes turned that familiar landscape foreign and frightening. Shed never seen them so hard. Even on the terrible night when theyd hurled words at each other like grenades, his eyes had been hot with temper.
Now that anger seemed to have aged and hardened, twisting his thoughts into alien shapes.
Oh, Jack, she said sadly. Is this what weve come to?
What do you mean? Were talking, arent we? Working things out. He moved closer. You ought to be happy. From what I can tell, women are nuts about talking and working things out.
What is there to work out? You dont even like me very much anymore. And that was her fault. Shed known better than to give in to the attraction shed always felt for Jack, because she knew Jack. He was a great friendfun, funny and loyal. But he was hell on any woman foolish enough to care about him.
The alien anger vanished in a flash of surprise. Of course I like you. Youre Annie.
You keep saying that as if my name were some sort of explanation!
Well, isnt it? Weve been friends for a long time.
We should have stayed friends. Only friends.
Theres no reason we cant be friends and be married, too.
She shook her head. You dont understand. Probably he couldnt understand, and because of that she had hurt him. She had put that calcified anger into his eyes, and that made her ache. Jack, I want more than friendship from marriage.
Its you who doesnt understand. Frustrated, he ran a hand over his hair. It was too short for his gesture to mess it up. Look, if Im willing to forgive you for running away, you ought to be willing to meet me halfway.
His gesture distracted heror maybe she just wasnt ready to get into a discussion that she knew was going to hurt.
The last time shed seen Jack, his hair had been long, shaggy, intriguingly streaked by the blistering sun of Paraguay. Shed touched those pretty streaks, tangling her fingers in his hair. But now it was too short to run her fingers through. Now the best she could do would be to pet it, stroke all that soft brown hair along the curve of his head.
Her lips tightened. She couldnt afford those kind of thoughts.
Whats wrong now?
She said the first thing that came to mind. You let the barber scalp you again.
He gave her an irritated glance. Im trying to have a serious talk, here, Annie. Do you think we could save the comments on my appearance for later?
Its not just your hair. Youre looking thin, too, and youre limping. You need to take better care of yourself, Jack.
He cocked his head to one side. I know what youre doing. The question isdo you?
Im not doing anything except offering you a little advice.
Youre trying to go back to pretending youre my sister. It wont work, Annie. Not
anymore. Not when Ive held you in my arms and felt you turn to fire.
Her face went hot and tight. She turned away. Im not going to go to bed with you.
Want to bet?
Something dark and ominous in his voice made her whirlbut as fast as she moved, he was faster. He seized her shoulders and jerked her up against him, and she almost criedat the harshness of his face, at the impossibly dear feeling of his body against hers. Her heart pounded. Let go of me.