Homeward Bound Read Free

rented?"
    "No. No." He wiped a hand across the leg of his jeans before offering it to her. "Trevor Callahan."
    "Kate Costello," she replied, and shook his hand. "May I see the inside?"
    She got the impression he didn't believe her. He kept glancing around as if he expected the crew of Candid Camera to jump out from behind a tree.
    "Let me get changed first. We just had it redone, and I don't want to track dirt all over." Turning frequently, he led her in the direction of the larger house. Either he suffered from paranoia or his friends had played one too many practical jokes on him.
    As he held the door open for her, she paused on the front step. "I'll wait here."
    "It's cold out. Wait in the living room. I'll only be a couple of minutes."
    Too many years in New York had made her wary.
    He appeared neither annoyed nor surprised by her hesitation. "If you're afraid of me, ma'am, there isn't much point in showing the house. You'd make yourself sick knowing I have a key." She nodded and entered. "Have a seat. I'll be right back."
    He disappeared down a hall, leaving her alone in the large family room. None of the furnishings matched, but the well-kept room had a lived-in feeling. This wasn't a house, but a home, and it filled her with a sense of security.
    A crackling fire in the fireplace beckoned her to its warmth. The scent of burning pine tickled her nostrils. She stood in front of the hearth and curiously eyed the small knickknacks on the mantel above. An old baseball rested against a small trophy. A display of blue ribbons stood out proudly from a cork base. A framed picture of the child she'd seen earlier caught her eye, and she lifted it for closer inspection.
    "What do you think you're doing?"
    She replaced the small frame to the mantel and slid her hands into her pockets. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
    How had he returned so quickly? He couldn't have been gone more than two minutes, yet he had managed to shower and change his clothes. His wet blond hair, combed back off his forehead, drew her full attention to the angry arch of his eyebrow. What had happened to the encouraging smile he'd given her just moments ago? The man scowled at her as if she were some kind of thief robbing the family heirlooms. "I didn't expect you back so soon."
    "Apparently," he said insolently.
    "I only wanted to look at it." As if she needed to steal a small, worthless trinket!
    He took a step forward, blocking the only exit from the room. "Do you always break into people's houses just to look at their belongings?"
    Break into a house? He had told her to come inside. She would have been perfectly happy, and infinitely safer, remaining outside. "If you'll step out of my way, I'll leave, Mr. Callahan."
    As she tried to pass, he reached for her wrist. "How do you know my name?"
    Kate said a silent prayer for her safety. "You told me it less than five minutes ago." She twisted her arm in a vain attempt to free it from his hold. "Look. If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny. Just let me leave."
    "Lady, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what you're doing here."
    She tried to swallow the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. Why hadn't she followed her instincts and remained outside? "I came to ... see the house."
    That only seemed to infuriate him further. His face turned so hard, it could have been chiseled out of stone. "I was told that I had another month before you vultures started coming around."
    Vultures? He had advertised the house in the paper. The man had to be certifiably crazy!
    The drumming of her rapid heartbeat deafened her to his further comments. She yanked her hand with all her strength, pulling free. He didn't reach for her, but she didn't take any chances.
    Keeping a distrustful eye on him, she inched backwards. When she felt less threatened, she straightened. Two hands grabbed her waist as she bumped into a tall frame behind her. Her piercing shriek echoed through the house. The room began to spin. The