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to get a few suspicions when Helena and I left to go on holiday,” Zayne began quickly. “She wasn’t exactly excited about leaving town with me and was somewhat sulky up until my accident. After I began to slowly recover, I couldn’t dismiss the idea any longer that something was definitely amiss between us.”
    “Don’t tell me she brought up this other gentleman while you were recovering?”
    “Not right away, but she was crying more than usual, andI assumed that stemmed from the fact she felt obligated to stay by my side as I healed. Helena’s never been one to put the needs of others before hers.” He reached out and began rubbing his bad leg.
    “Once my cast was removed and it became clear I wasn’t going to regain the full use of my leg, events quickly turned dismal. Helena’s weeping intensified, and then, one day, out of the blue, she blurted out the little tidbit that she’d made a horrible mistake. She didn’t love me, and could not stay and nurse me another second because the stress of it was causing her to lose her hair. Then there was the pesky matter of her true love. She told me she couldn’t bear to be parted from her secret beau another second.”
    “And?”
    “And nothing. She raced off to join her love, and I never saw her again. Her parents did, however, visit me to profess their extreme disappointment with their daughter. They tried to convince me she’d change her mind, but by that point I’d had enough of Helena to last me a lifetime. I packed my bags and left California.”
    A sharp whistle suddenly sounded from behind them. Turning, Agatha settled her attention on Mr. Blackheart and Mrs. Swanson. They’d stopped a few yards away from Zayne’s wagon, and both of them were looking decidedly put out.
    “I do beg your pardon for interrupting,” Mr. Blackheart drawled as he, strangely enough, reached over and slapped Mrs. Swanson’s arm before he looked back at Agatha. “But Mrs. Swanson and I are getting eaten alive out here. Do you think it might be possible for us to move along?”
    Agatha winced. “Forgive me. Zayne and I were just catching up, and I’m afraid I forgot you were following us.”
    “That certainly makes me feel all fuzzy inside, but I’mgoing to suggest you catch up while you’re moving. It’s hot out here, and I think my nose is beginning to blister.”
    “You could always borrow Agatha’s hat,” Zayne called, but he turned back and flicked the reins over the mules when Mr. Blackheart sent him a glare. “Charming man, your Mr. Blackheart.”
    “He’s not my Mr. Blackheart, and charming is certainly not an adjective I’ve ever used when describing him,” Agatha retorted. “Besides, I didn’t have a choice about bringing him out west with me.”
    “Ah, wonderful. We can finally turn the conversation to you,” Zayne said. “I’ve been waiting with bated breath to discover exactly why Mr. Blackheart has been hired to guard you. You haven’t done anything crazy lately, have you?”
    “Define crazy .”
    A rusty laugh escaped Zayne’s mouth. “Strange as this may sound, I’m delighted to learn you haven’t changed a bit since we last saw each other.” He returned his attention to the road, a small grin teasing his lips.
    The sight of that grin sent another ache through Agatha’s heart. The Zayne she’d adored, even though she’d resigned herself to the idea they were only meant to be friends, was still there, albeit buried beneath layers of pain and disappointment.
    From out of nowhere, as she sat in the midst of the evergreen trees, she suddenly knew what she was meant to do—knew it as if God had leaned over and whispered explicit instructions in her ear.
    She’d been sent west to save Zayne, to bring him back to the man he’d been before he’d left New York to join Helena.
    Zayne was a social gentleman. He thrived when he was in the midst of good company, and it was going to be hernew mission in life to help him reclaim his affable