Something inside her froze at the sight of a slender woman with sable-dark hair. It was Tara, chicly dressed in some blue concoction that looked straight off the pages of a high-fashion magazine.
Maybe it was the old fear that made Jessy dart a look at Ty. She observed the flash of surprise on his face—and something more, something like the pull of attraction. The anger of old resentment and dislike knotted Jessy’s stomach.
Chapter Two
Like a Texas whirlwind, Tara Dyson Calder swept up Sally the instant she spied the older woman.
“Sally. Thank God, you’re here.” Relief quivered through her voice. In the next second, her dark gaze bored into Sally, a kind of frantic distress in her expression that was totally alien to her nature. “Is it true?”
Startled and confused, Sally drew back, “Is what true?”
Tara dragged in a quick breath as if trying to gather her scattered wits. “Ty. I just heard. I’ve been in Europe the past two months—in Tuscany, then the South of France.” She shook her head, realizing none of that was important. “Someone just told me there had been a kidnapping attempt, and Ty was shot. Was he?”
“Yes—”
Tara never gave her a chance to say more. “How badly was he hurt? I demand you tell me. His arm, he isn’t going to lose it, is he?”
“No. He’s fine—”
“Are you certain? I heard—”
This time Sally interrupted her. “I can imagine what you heard. But Ty has almost completely recovered. Don’t take my word for it. You can see for yourself. He’s sitting right over there.” With a wave of her hand, she gestured in the general direction of their table.
Turning, Tara went motionless for a full second, her velvety-dark gaze drinking in the sight of him, her soft lips parting in pleasure and relief. With a practiced grace that had become as natural to her as breathing, Tara glided across the room to the table, clearly blind to anyone else.
Manners, too deeply ingrained to be ignored, brought both Ty and Chase to their feet. But Tara had eyes only for Ty. She was still a stunning woman. Time hadn’t dimmed at all the allure of her dark beauty. Ty could feel the animal pull of it. In some ways, it was all too familiar and, as a result, easier to resist.
“Tara. This is a surprise.” Without thinking, Ty extended a hand in greeting, and felt the smallness and softness of the one she placed in it.
“Ty.” Her voice was all silken emotion, caressing and low, and her dark eyes were bright with promise.
She let her hand stay in his a fraction of a second longer than propriety dictated. An instant later, she noticed the sling, and her expression clouded with a concern that made Ty oddly uncomfortable. “Ty, your arm.” Tara reached a hand toward it, then hesitated as if reluctant to touch his arm in case it might cause him pain.
“The sling comes off next week; then I’ll be good as new.”
“Thank God,” she declared with feeling, a hand theatrically fluttering to her throat. Belatedly Tara noticed Chase standing there. “You are looking well, Chase,” she said in greeting then tilted her head at a coy angle, striking a provocative pose that Ty recognized all too well. “Or isn’t it proper for me to address my ex-father-in-law by his first name?”
“It was good enough in the past; it’s good enough now. How are you, Tara?” Chase inclined his head, but didn’t offer his hand.
“Much better now that I have seen for myself that Ty will be fine,” Tara replied then deigned to acknowledge Jessy’s presence with a glance of cool challenge. “As I’m sure you feel, Jessy.”
Jessy responded with a cool look of her own. “Calders have always been quick to recover.”
But Jessy might as well have been talking to the wall for all the notice Tara gave as she switched her attention back to the two men. “After spending the last two months in Europe, then coming back to hear about the kidnapping attempt—it was such a shock. And when I learned Ty had been wounded—” Tara paused, leaving the sentence dangling to slide him a chiding look. “Honestly, Ty, hasn’t anyone ever told you that ex-husbands are only supposed to be shot by their former spouses?”
Her remark attained the desired reaction as his mouth quirked in a hard, familiar smile. “I guess no one has.”
“Then you need to remember that from now on,” Tara informed him, her eyes sparkling. “Your grandson,” she said to Chase, “I understood that he was unharmed?” The lilt of her voice made it a question.
“That’s correct.” Chase nodded.
“How very fortunate. Poor Cat, she must have been in agony. Is it true that she’s married to the local sheriff? Echohawk, I believe they said his name was.”
“Acting sheriff,” Ty corrected and half waited for Tara to make some slighting comment about either his occupation or native ancestry.
But Tara was too wise to make that kind of mistake. “Well, you can tell Cat for me that my feelings are hurt that she didn’t send me a wedding announcement.”
“I’ll pass that along to her.”