Reckless

Yes. Unfortunately she was.

She made a choking sound thatwould have to pass for confirmation as she edged nearer the front window and peered around the sheer curtains, looking for Jesse’s truck.

“Actually, I’m surprised he isn’t there yet.”

“Which site are you at?”

He told her.

“That’s only a fewminutes away.When did he leave?”

“About ten minutes ago.”

She swallowed hard. If he’d been coming here, he surely would have arrived by now.

“He hasn’t called?”

“No.”

“You’ve had your phone on?”

“Of course I’ve had my phone on. I may not like what happened, but I’m not about to hide from it.”

Or whatever happened as a result of it.

She’d worked on various explanations all morning while cooking for the Johnson barbecue, where she would be both caterer and guest…along with Jesse and probably Kyle and half of Fantasy, Michigan.

“Are you going to tell him?” Kyle asked quietly.

Heidi bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know yet. What about you?”

“I’m kind of playing this by ear.”

She heard him curse, cutting off her need to do the same.

Heidi resumed her pacing, staring at the empty driveway every time she headed in that direction.

If Kyle was right, and Jesse planned on coming to the house, she’d have to face him and make her decision about how to handle the situation sooner than she would have liked. But if given a choice between sooner or later, she supposed it was probably better to get everything out in the open now. If only so they could begin the healing process.

“You know, there’s always the option of not telling him,” Kyle said softly.

Heidi gripped the telephone receiver tightly, vivid images of his hands against her skin, the expression on his face as he’d reached climax sliding easily through her mind.

“I know,” she whispered.

She heard another voice on his end and he said, “Look, I’ve got to go.”

“Sure,” she said. “Okay.”

“Is he there yet?”

Heidi checked through the curtains again. “No. Not yet.”

“Okay.”

She wanted to ask what he was thinking, but decided she had enough to work out without adding his troubles.

“Heidi?”

“What?”

She realized her voice sounded a little impatient, but, damn it, she figured she was entitled.

So she’d experienced a weak moment. She was only human, right? Surely Kyle should have been the stronger one, stopping what should never have started after she’d kissed him.

“If you need anything…” he said.

“Yeah. I know where to find you.”

“Just call.”

Oh, trust me, she thought. I will.

Chapter 6

JESSE HAD never shown up, as Heidi had both feared and hoped would happen. And now that dusk was falling in the nicely decorated backyard of the Johnson’s house, and the townsfolk were gathering for a good old neighborhood barbecue, Heidi had never felt more drained in her life.

It was more than not getting much sleep the night before. Or the fact she’d spent the past nine hours cooking and baking for over a hundred people.

It was her conscience weighing on her like a two-ton truck.

People, both those she knew and strangers, complimented her on the spread, which was impressive by any standards. Homemade baked beans with strips of crisp bacon. Heaping bowls of potato salad, both the creamy and German varieties. Pasta salads, slabs of ribs that only needed to be placed on the grill and slathered with sauce before serving. Chicken croquettes, along with the expected hamburgers and hotdogs, made gourmet by her own seasoning blend and served in homemade cheese-and-onion buns with spicy chili.

Then there was the dessert table…

“Have you seen him yet?”

The sound of Kyle’s voice against the back of her neck as she wiped ketchup from the linen tablecloth made her jump.

“Whoa,” he said, touching her arm to steady her as she turned to face him. As he looked at her, his expression relaxed and a warm gleam entered his eyes.

Heidi swallowed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be standing so close.”

“Why?”

“Because normally you wouldn’t be caught dead within five feet of me, that’s why.” Her gaze darted around the diners. “People will get the wrong idea.”

“And what idea’s that?”