Tempting Janey

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Janey said with mock severity.

As a rule, Robin never went out on school nights unless it was to a school function. But when Chad had asked her out yesterday for tonight and Robin had begged to go, Janey had caved in.

“So mind you, young lady, this is an exception. Don’t let midweek dates become habit-forming. School before play.”

“Speaking of school, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“About the break-in. Two guys practically destroyed the chemistry lab the other week.”

“Oh, dear, I hadn’t heard. Do you think they were on drugs?”

Robin lifted her shoulders. “Who knows? But I’m here to tell you that Dil—uh, Mr. Reed was hopping mad.”

“I’m sure he was.”

Robin faced the mirror again and fiddled with a piece of hair. “And since then, he and the assistant principal have been stalking the halls.”

Janey sighed. “It’s getting to where I’m afraid to even let you go to school.”

Robin rolled her eyes, her trademark gesture when things weren’t to her liking.

Just then, the doorbell chimed. Robin’s hand flew to her heart. “Oh, my God, he’s here. Are you sure I look all right?”

Janey hid a smile, then shook her head. “Calm down or you’re going to hyperventilate.”

“I’m calm. I’m calm.”

The instant Janey opened the door and Chad Burnette walked through it, something about the young man put Janey on the defensive.

As Robin had said, he was good-looking—model material, endowed with a body made to play any sport. And he was polite, too, extending his hand to Janey immediately and saying that he was pleased to meet her.

Still, there was something about him that didn’t sit well with Janey. Maybe it was the look he gave her daughter, followed by the arm he slung around her shoulders. Both actions appeared territorial, as if he were staking a claim.

Janey strove to override those feelings, but she couldn’t. She could always count on her gut instincts; so far they hadn’t failed her. At the moment, they were screaming at her. She considered telling Robin she couldn’t go. But she couldn’t embarrass her daughter that way, even if Robin would forgive her—which she wouldn’t.

She would just have to tough it out and pray that this one time her instincts were wrong.

“You kids have fun,” she said, trying to hide her anxiousness. “But be careful.”

Robin took her adoring eyes off Chad and faced Janey. “We will, Mom.”

“Be home by nine o’clock and not a minute later,” Janey added.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Mayfield. I’ll have her back.”

Chad’s words should have reassured her, but they didn’t.

Six

Dillon patted his mare on the neck. “Come on, girl, let’s head back to the barn.”

He’d been working with Dandi all Saturday morning, something he did most every weekend and on the rare afternoons when he could sneak away from his office a little early.

On this particular morning, he was really enjoying his outing. Since the unsolved break-in at the school and other teacher problems heaped on top of that, he’d been tense. Now he felt some of the stress ease out of his body, leaving him relaxed.

Dismounting at the barn a few minutes later, Dillon shoved his hat back, wiped his brow, then lifted his head heavenward. He was ready for fall. Here it was the beginning of September, but so far no cool weather or rain. Both were needed, but as far as the eye could see, there were no clouds.

Soon, though, summer would ease into fall, and the huge oaks, maples, and sundry other trees would flaunt their foliage like bright pieces of ribbon flowing gracefully in the wind. A sight to behold.

And, cooler weather went hand in hand with football, his favorite sport. The home game last weekend had gone off without a hitch. In fact, he couldn’t have asked for it to have gone smoother. On the whole, the kids had been well behaved. Only a few minor incidents had cropped up, which his assistant had taken care of. Not only had the football team done exceptionally well, but so had the cheerleaders, band and drill team.

Thinking about the drill team brought Janey Mayfield suddenly to mind.

He frowned, wondering why thoughts of her continued to sneak up and bite him on the butt. Although it disturbed him to have to acknowledge it, he’d actually thought a lot about her since their last encounter.

He’d seen her at the football game, too, though he’d made sure she hadn’t seen him. He’d told himself to look away and forget her. Instead, he’d found himself watching her every move; her slender hands as they had clapped in an exciting moment, the vulnerability of her exposed throat when she’d swallowed, and that hint of sadness in her eyes.

It was the sadness that had remained with him. Perhaps it would never leave her. After all, no one could come through such a horrible ordeal unscathed.

He certainly hadn’t, so he couldn’t very well pass judgment. But that was exactly what he’d been doing. Hell, at one time he’d been bitter, too. But the difference in them was that he’d put the past behind him and gone on. He suspected she hadn’t.

In some ways it had probably been easier for him. He hadn’t had a child to consider. Thinking of Robin made him smile. As a young adult, she was already lovely. When she really matured, watch out. She would be a knockout.

In her own way, so was Janey. Robin seemed to have some of her dad’s personality, though.

Thinking of Keith Mayfield darkened his mood again. Despite the fact that they had been friends, he’d never felt comfortable with Keith, probably because the man had a controlling nature and drank far too much. Even before the divorce, Dillon had often wondered why Janey stayed with Keith. Robin, of course.

Suddenly he shook his head to clear it. What the hell had gotten into him? Janey Mayfield and her daughter were the last people he wanted to occupy his mind.

But as long as Robin was a student in his school, he was bound to come into contact with Janey. Most likely she would become involved in her daughter’s activities, especially the drill team. Eventually all moms did their part, even the working ones.

So she’d better get off her high horse and treat him as if he belonged to the human race. Just the thought of the small-town rumor mill having any more grist sent a chill through him—though that wasn’t likely to happen. He and Janey were old news. Still, he wasn’t about to take a chance. He abhorred the idea of anyone talking about him in the past or present, except when it pertained to his job.

His personal life was off-limits.

Ah, to hell with it. What did it matter what Janey thought about him? It didn’t, not really. Besides, there wasn’t one thing he could do about it. He wasn’t about to avoid her.

If she had a problem with him, that was her concern, not his. It would all come out in the wash, anyway, as his granny used to tell him. And it usually did.

With that uppermost in his mind, Dillon concentrated on brushing down his mare, then feeding her. He was striding outside when he looked up and saw his foreman and brother-in-law, Mike Townsend.

“How’s it going?” Mike asked in his lazy drawl.

“I just finished giving Dandi a workout.”

Mike was tall and wiry, with ruddy cheeks and what looked like a beer belly, though he didn’t drink. Instead he fattened up on Allie’s cooking.