snapped him out of his dreamy cloud. “I’ve only been as far as the study,” he admitted. “It’s the first door on your right. Why do you want to know about Ray’s bedroom, anyway?”
Pausing in the middle of the hallway, she turned to look at him. “This is probably going to sound silly to you, but I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable about staying in Mr. Maddox’s room.”
“I don’t understand why you’d feel that way. This is your house now.”
As soon as he’d said the words, he wished he could take them back. They sounded insensitive, even rude. And she didn’t deserve that. Not unless she turned out to be a complete fraud.
Seemingly unoffended by his tart remark, she said, “That’s true. But I’m a stranger in this house. I feel it would be more proper for me to stay in a guest room.”
Even though she’d told him she hadn’t been acquainted with Ray Maddox, she seemed to want to respect him and his memory. Joseph had to admire her for that.
“Well, let’s have a look and maybe we can figure out which room was Ray’s.”
Nodding in agreement, she moved on down the passageway and opened a door on the left. Peering inside, she said, “I very much doubt a man used this bedroom. I’ll stay in this one.”
Joseph followed her into the bedroom and placed the cases at the foot of a queen-size bed. When he looked up from the task, he saw the pretty heiress standing in the middle of the room, gazing around with a look of awe on her face. Everything was in white. Even the antique-style furniture.
He said, “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but all this stuff looks new to me.”
Clearing her throat, she walked over to a long dresser with a scallop-edged mirror. Lying on the glass top was a matching brush and mirror with silver-engraved backs. The set was the fancy sort, like the one his mother kept for sentimental reasons.
Joseph watched her pick up the brush and rub her fingers across the soft bristles. “I think you might be right. Did a woman live here with Mr. Maddox?”
“Not since his wife died. And that’s been several years ago.”
Tessa shifted her gaze to the bed, which was covered with a fluffy down comforter and pillows edged with lace. “How odd to find a room like this in a widower’s house.”
“Maybe Ray had all this fixed for you,” Joseph suggested.
She looked at him, her lips parted with surprise. “That’s a crazy notion. Ray Maddox didn’t know me.”
“He had some sort of connection to you. And he obviously made plans for you to be here.”
The notion appeared to rattle her. She quickly placed the brush back on the dresser top then, bending her head, she fastened her hands around the front edge of the dresser as though she needed to support herself.
As Joseph watched her, he was assaulted with all sorts of urges, the main one being to put his arm around her shoulders and assure her that whatever was bothering her would eventually right itself. But he’d only met her a few minutes ago. Even if she did need comforting, he had no right to get that personal.
“I’m so confused. I’m not sure what to think anymore.” With her head still bent, she slanted a look at him. “That’s why I have to stay long enough to find answers.”
The notion that she might be here for an extended length of time filled Joseph with far too much pleasure. He tried to ignore the sappy reaction as he walked over to a pair of large windows and made a show of inspecting the locks.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He could feel her walking up behind him and then her lovely scent was floating around him.
“Making sure the locks are secure,” he answered.
“I thought you said this was a crime-free area.”
He allowed the curtain to fall into place before he turned to her. With only two short steps separating them, he could see little details about her face that he’d missed earlier. Like a faint dimple just to the left corner of her lips and the fine baby hairs tickling her temples. Her skin was so smooth it appeared to have no pores and he wondered how it would feel beneath his finger. Like cream on his tongue, he figured.
“A person can never be too safe,” he said. “Have you ever stayed alone before?”
That wasn’t actually his business, either. But he told himself it was his job to make sure she was capable of keeping herself safe.
“Not out like this. But I’m not the timid sort.”
He wanted to tell her only fools were not afraid but stopped himself. Compared to his thirty years, she was very young. Not to mention determined to stand on her own two feet.
“I can assure you, Ms. Parker, my mother would be more than happy for you to stay with us on Three Rivers. We have plenty of room. And she loves company.”
She looked away and Joseph couldn’t help but watch the rise and fall of her breasts as she drew in a deep breath and blew it out.
“Thank you for the invitation, Deputy Hollister, but I’ll be fine. There’s no need for you to be concerned about my safety.
“That’s my job.”
Like hell, Joseph. As a deputy of Yavapai County, you don’t go around inviting women to stay at the family ranch. You’re stepping out of line and you know it.
She said, “You must be a very conscientious lawman.”
No. At this very moment, he was being a fool. But Joseph was hoping like heck she wouldn’t notice.
“The offer has nothing to do with me being a deputy. I’m just being neighborly.”
“Oh.”
The one word caused his gaze to land on her lips. As he stared at the moist curves, something fluttered deep in his gut. In his line of work, he met up with all sorts of women, but he’d never met one who’d made him think things or feel things the way this woman did.
Clearing his throat, he fished a card from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “If you need anything, my number is on there. And if you decide to visit Three Rivers, it’s easy to find. When you leave the entrance to your property, turn right and follow the road until you reach a fork. Take a left and you’ll see the ranch sign. Someone is always at home.”
She folded her fingers around the card and bestowed him a warm smile. “Once I get settled, I might just do that. And thanks for your help.”
“Sure. So I...better get going and let you get on with unpacking.”
He forced himself to step around her and as he started out of the bedroom, she fell into step beside him.
“I’ll show you to the door,” she told him.
The polite gesture was hardly necessary, especially when he was far more familiar with the house than she was. But
