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sucked in his air, the full body of his flavour rolling over her tongue like a fine wine. He kissed her tenderly, not the white-hot passion she’d replayed over and over in her mind from the bar scene, but a worshipful caress that started and finished with their lips.
    When he pulled away his pupils were huge, his smile even wider.
    “Good night, Beth.”
    And he walked away, down the path that led into the trees.

Chapter Four
     
    Daniel took his time making his way home, stopping by the swimming hole to stare into the swirling water. His thinking place—the spot he’d retreated to when the noise and bustle of being a part of huge family grew too much.
    He’d needed to find quiet. The middle child of six, his daddy would joke, which meant he’d always had one or another of his brothers around. He’d learned to be the peacemaker, to walk the most serene path possible. At least in the public eye.
    A ripple spread from the rock he tossed, small waves carrying across the slow-moving section of creek. Beth was a widow—he hadn’t expected that. Something in her actions in the bar had struck him hard, and he wanted so badly to explore the way she had let him take control of her in that hallway before the time and place had ripped them back to reality. She hadn’t acted like a grieving widow. She’d said as much, but she must have been with the man for a number of years. Lance had to be at least eight.
    Heck, the boys were another whole issue. Daniel loved kids, but they weren’t what he was focusing on right now. It was the woman who fascinated him. Although, if he did get involved with Beth, she’d probably have all kinds of rules about not seeing the kids and keeping things secretive. He had a buddy in town who was dating a single mom, and he’d shared stories that reminded Daniel of having to crawl in the windows at two a.m. to avoid the wrath of his daddy for missing curfew.
    He stood and dragged his fingers through his hair. Ahh, shit. The vision of Beth’s eyes haunted him. Why in the hell couldn’t he just walk away? Did he want to have to hide and balance dating and dealing with kids? The ache in his belly screamed far louder than the warning in his brain.
    It wasn’t about being totally in lust, although getting to continue the adventure they’d interrupted so long ago excited him a lot. No, it was something else altogether. Something drew him and damn if he could deny the need.
    Baggage and all, he was determined to see where this thing between them could go.
    He strode through trees, twilight enough to guide his path. Before he even hit the porch, he smelled his daddy’s pipe, the aromatic tobacco lingering on the air. Daniel took the steps two at a time, dropping himself into one of the comfortable chairs on the deck.
    “Beth and the boys get home okay?” Mike puffed his pipe then blew a long slow stream of smoke into the air.
    Daniel shook his head. “You adopting more strays? They got home fine.”
    His father rocked his chair a few times, the rhythm of the porch boards creaking soft and low. “She was surprised to see you today. You want to share what that’s about?”
    Daniel coughed. Last thing he wanted was to tell the truth. “No.” His father raised a brow. “Sir.”
    Mike didn’t say a word, just lifted his pipe to his lips. He smoked in silence, and Daniel tapped his fingers against his leg.
    Damn it . His father did it to him every blessed time.
    “I met her in Calgary when we took in a shipment of furniture in July. I hoped to see her again, but we…lost touch.”
    Silence reigned. The fall noises were subtler than the spring. The crickets fell silent earlier as the temperature dropped quicker in the evening. The soft sounds of the animals in the coop and the barns carried on the air occasionally, but it was a calm night. Peace filled his soul, the motions of his father rocking, even and slow, like a familiar balm. In the distance, the sound of the guest cabin door closing rang