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was his sister Libby and her small family.
Why have you never married? Rayna asked, hoping he wouldn t take
offense at the personal nature of the question.
Marriage is not an institution that appeals to me, he replied, then turned
the tables. And what of you? Why aren t you making some poor man s life a
merry hell?
She bit back a smile. My opinion is much the same as yours, Major. It s
not an institution that appeals to me, and I ve yet to encounter a man I
respected enough to make me change my mind.
You mean you ve yet to encounter someone stout enough to handle you.
I don t want to be handled, sir. If I ever marry, it will be to someone who
treats me as a partner and an equal. Frankly, I don t see that happening. I ve
worked alongside my father running Rancho Verde for as long as I can
remember, and that is all I want from the remainder of my life. Thus far, the
only men who have expressed a serious interest in me have been those who
were anxious to become Raymond Templeton s heir.
I find that hard to believe, Meade said, studying the graceful slant of her
brow and the sculpted set of her jaw. No young man could look at a woman
as beautiful as you and see only land and cattle.
The compliment momentarily robbed Rayna of the power of speech. Th-
thank you, she stuttered after a moment.
Meade cursed himself for having given voice to his thoughts. No thanks
are necessary. I was merely stating the obvious. I just meant that if you ve
failed to attract the right sort of suitor, it s because of your personality, not
your looks.
That was a subject that had become something of a joke between them,
and he was obviously trying to lighten the mood because she d taken his com-
pliment too seriously. Had Rayna not been so emotionally vulnerable, the
comment might have rolled off of her as so many of his others had, but in this
instance she felt as though he d slapped her.
Excuse me, Major, but it s time I left for the train station, she said, slip-
ping her chair back from the table.
Rayna, wait, I m sorry, he said, realizing that he d hurt her. I meant what
I said as a joke.
I know, she replied. It just didn t come out that way.
I apologize.
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No apology is necessary. She rose, and Meade stood up as well. Thank
you for supper, Major. And for all the other kindnesses you ve shown me. She
offered him her hand, but Meade refused to take it.
I had planned to see you to the train station.
You don t have to trouble yourself. You ve done too much already.
It s no trouble, Meade insisted. He couldn t possibly let her go like this.
Seeing that it was pointless to argue, Rayna waited while he settled the
bill. In the lobby he hired a porter and sent the man on up to Rayna s suite to
collect her bags while he ordered a carriage.
If you don t mind, I d like to make one more turn through my room to
make certain I haven t forgotten anything, she told him.
Of course. Meade stayed at her side as she went upstairs. They encoun-
tered the porter as he was coming out of the room, arms laden, and Meade
instructed him to deliver Rayna s things to the carriage out front.
He waited near the door as Rayna walked through her quarters, and he
noted that when she came out of the bedchamber she was carrying a book.
Did you strike gold?
She held up the volume. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I left it by my bedside.
Browning? Meade craned his neck to see the book. You re a romantic
after all, Rayna.
He was trying to be friendly and polite, but she was in no mood to be
teased. It s Skylar s favorite, she said defensively.
But not yours?
Now, what would a woman with my prickly personality and prospects
want with a book of romantic poetry?
Meade sighed heavily and looked down at the floor. It was a moment
before he looked up again. I apologized for that, Rayna. I thought we had
progressed beyond the point of contention on this issue, and I certainly didn t
mean to hurt you.
I m not hurt.
Yes, you are, and understandably so. I was callous. He took a step toward
her. Now, tell me you forgive me so that we can say good-bye at the train
station like the good friends we have become.
His absolute sincerity disarmed her. He really did view her as a good
friend. For some strange reason, that knowledge brought tears to her eyes. I
forgive you. I should never have taken offense in the first place.
That s better, Meade said with a smile, tipping her chin up so that he
could look into her eyes. I wouldn t have let you go otherwise.
Why not? It s unlikely we ll ever see each other again, she said, then felt a
stinging, bitter sense of sadness when she realized what she d said and how
true it was.
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Meade suddenly found it difficult to breathe. That s precisely why I
wouldn t let you go away angry. He lowered his head, intending to give her
a perfectly decorous, brotherly kiss on the cheek, but when Rayna tilted her
head questioningly, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, all his brotherly
thoughts faded. His lips brushed hers lightly, and he was lost. Before he fully
realized what he was doing, he had taken her into his arms.
Rayna was stunned by Meade s sudden display of affection, but nothing in
the world could have made her shy away from his kiss. There was an urgency
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