Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) Read Free Page A

the time and angry—very angry. When Amos Collins had married his mother and brought the two of them to Trinity, Tennessee, from the reservation in Arizona, Nathan had done everything in his power to fight the situation short of running away. Though he’d hated Trinity, he would never have left his mother. She was the only real family he had left.
    Then Robert Weston’s little niece came along in that frilly pink dress. Only eight years old, with pale blond hair and sky blue eyes. Like a vision in answer to his prayers and fasting. Nathan smiled as he thought of the little girl she used to be. Somehow she had made things all right for him in his new home.
    Nathan dropped into the seat of his truck and started the engine. God, how he’d loved her. They’d grown up as best friends and somewhere along the way their feelings for each other had gone deeper. Soul mates, that’s what they’d called each other. Destined to be together for all time—until she’d broken his heart. Losing Paige had left him empty. No matter how hard he had tried, he hadn’t cared about much since. Nathan went through life doing what he had to do and nothing more. He damned sure didn’t have any right to kiss Paige the way he had just done. But that had been about punishing her. Fact was, he’d only punished himself.
    Nathan shoved the gear shift into reverse and backed up enough to turn around. He spun away from the house and headed down the long drive. Living right across the road from Paige for the next two weeks wasn’t going to be easy. He had trained himself not to think about her most of the time, but it was the nights that got to him the worst. He would lay awake at night and think about how it could have been. He thought of all the years that had passed. Hundreds of nights that she should have been in his arms. Should have been bearing his children. Damn Elliott Weston, anyway. And damn her. Paige had allowed her father to come between them.
    Nathan stopped the truck and released a long breath. He looked from right to left before pulling across the dark, deserted highway. He floored the accelerator and drove like a bat out of hell down his own drive. Elliott Weston might be a blood brother to Robert Weston, but that was sure as hell all they had in common. Paige’s father was a pompous bigot. He didn’t want his lily-white daughter to marry some Apache boy right off the rez. He wanted her to be exactly like him. And of course, Elliott Weston always got what he wanted.
    Distracted by his anger, Nathan stamped the brake and skidded to a sideways stop just short of plowing through his front porch. He turned off the ignition and pressed his head against the steering wheel. He didn’t want to think about all this anymore. It hurt too much. Maybe he had scared her just bad enough that she’d go running back to daddy come morning.
    He flung the truck door open, pushed himself out and stared back toward the Weston spread. He struggled to control the rage he felt. He didn’t want to feel any of this.
    “Go back to Memphis, Paige,” he shouted into the wind. “There’s nothing in Trinity for you.”

Chapter Two
    “Everything is under control, Robert,” Paige said into the cordless handset. “No, I haven’t seen a soul,” she lied. Paige had a sneaking suspicion that Robert had planned to throw her and Nathan together as much as possible during this visit. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how well his plan had worked.
    “Yes, I feel fine,” she lied again. She hadn’t really felt fine since the surgery, but there was no point in dwelling on it.
    She gave her reflection in the bureau mirror one last look. Jeans, T-shirt, ponytail. Good enough for country life, she decided. She listened to Robert’s voice on the other end of the line as he prattled on about the redecorating. She frowned at his unnecessary concern.
    “Robert, please. You underestimate me. I spend my days battling hotshot district attorneys.