The Specialist

“What would you gain from that?”

He was so smug.

“Satisfaction?”

Rafe continued to stare at her. She shifted, uncomfortably under that hard appraisal.

“Your ego could use a pin or two,” she added.

Rafe leaned so close to her that she could see the angry flecks of color in his dark eyes.

“You don’t even know me.”

He was trying to intimidate her. Well it wasn’t going to work.

“That makes us even, so stop trying to write me off before you hear me out. All I want is a chance.”

Without warning, his hands framed her face. Her breath caught somewhere in the back of her throat while her heart began to pound wildly. His eyes went from glittery to dark and smoky. His voice deepened erotically.

“What sort of chance, Kendra? This?”

From somewhere she dredged the will to pull free before those tempting lips could settle over hers. “No!”

The corners of his lips tilted in amusement.

“No?”

She would not let him bait her. She would not!

“I see ‘no’ isn’t a common word in your vocabulary. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to hearing it.”

Was that a flash of respect she’d glimpsed in his eyes? Her glance fell on Rosa who stood across the room, watching them with a troubled frown.

“Blackmail is an ugly business,” Rafe said levelly.

“Yes, isn’t it? But I mean what I say. I want to be there when Rialto is taken down. And I can help.”

Rafe sat back thoughtfully. “You must have cared about this person he killed very much.”

Kendra forced down the nightmare.

Rafe stood abruptly. He gathered his dishes and strode to the sink. In a quiet, kindly tone he spoke to Rosa before lifting the handset on the telephone.

“This isn’t my decision to make, Kendra. Excuse me while I make a phone call.”

Kendra wondered if he was angry or just annoyed. He pushed a series of buttons and stepped into the hall. His voice drifted to where she sat.

“Hey, beautiful, how are you this morning? No, nothing like that, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our date this afternoon.”

The back door swung open with a crash that sent Kendra whirling. A little girl rushed inside, giggling in glee. An older man dressed in dusty work clothes, and a woman with golden brown hair and dark brown eyes followed on her heels.

“Rosa! Rosa!”

The child stopped calling and came to an immediate halt at the sight of Kendra sitting at the table all alone.

Rosa bustled forward saying something in rapid Spanish. The little girl responded, never once taking her pretty brown eyes from Kendra. The gnarled ranch hand and his companion came to a stop as well, but they didn’t seem surprised to see her sitting there.

“Ma’am.”

Kendra offered an uncertain smile.

“Who are you?” the child asked abruptly.

“I’m Kendra. Who are you?”

“I’m Elena. My daddy works here. That’s my mommy.”

Abby and Jake Cantrell’s little girl, Kendra realized.

“I’m Abby Cantrell,” The woman greeted her, while her dark brown eyes assessed Kendra candidly. “This patient man is Slim Dillon.”

“Hi.”

“I’m going riding,” the child announced. “Do you want to come and watch?”

“Uh,” she looked helplessly at the child’s mother, but it was the man called Slim, towering beside her, who answered.

“Can if you want. We got a training ring set up outside. She tends to show off for visitors, but that’s okay.”

“Well—”

Abby smiled. “You’d be welcome to join us. It looks like you’ve been abandoned.”

“Rafe’s on the telephone.”

“Lydia, no doubt,” she said.

The tall man harrumphed and turned to Rosa who got caught patting her hair in a purely feminine action. Kendra wanted to smile when she saw the way Slim’s features and his voice softened as he addressed her.

Abby shared a knowing smile with her and Kendra wondered if Mitchell Forbes knew he had a budding romance going on right here in his kitchen. Obviously Abby knew and approved.

Rosa beamed at the foreman and the two shared a low-voiced spate of dialogue.

“Do join us, Kendra,” Abby urged. “It will give us a chance to become acquainted while you’re waiting to talk with Mitchell.”

“Does everyone know why I’m here?”

“No secrets on the Smokin’ Barrel, girl,” Slim announced turning back to them. “You ready to ride, little one?”