Chapter One
One
Late August... Royal, Texas
Jed Farrell didn’t believe in ghosts. But being haunted?
That was another story. He looked in the mirror and straightened his crimson and navy tie, trying to ignore the sizzle of anticipation that made his hands shake.
Tonight he was going to exhume the past. He wanted answers to questions.
Answers he should have asked for long ago.
And he wanted to see the woman who had once broken his heart.
The organ in question was far tougher now; in fact, it was almost impervious to feminine manipulation. But once upon a time he had been a naive kid without defenses. Fortunately, he’d gotten over the girl. But her memory danced through his dreams now and again.
His most recent romantic relationship had crashed and burned, leaving him to ruefully acknowledge that he’d never been involved with a woman for longer than six months.
There had to be a reason for that.
He had a sinking feeling he knew what it was. Tonight’s high school reunion was the perfect setting for rehashing the past and seeking clarity. She would be there. And so would he.
His white dress shirt and dark gray suit were appropriate for his role as businessman, but he would have been just as happy in the jeans and cotton shirt he’d worn earlier today.
The ostensible reason for this trip from Dallas was to help his brother, Drew.
The two siblings owned Willowbrook Farms jointly, although Jed was mostly a silent partner.
He came home on a regular basis to visit and help make decisions about the ranch when necessary.
The high-end horse farm produced thoroughbreds for well-heeled buyers worldwide.
Jed was proud to be a part of the endeavor. By virtue of his role as co-owner, he was a member of Royal’s Texas Cattleman’s Club, the historic venue where old Texas families socialized and struck business deals. But he spent far more time at the Dallas branch.
The ranch was several miles from civilization, which suited Jed just fine.
Even during trips home, he avoided Royal proper as much as possible.
The town held a lot of good memories, but one bad one that tied a knot in his gut.
During the festivities this weekend, he planned to deal with that situation once and for all.
Class reunions were notorious for making people uncomfortable. Because this one included multiple years of graduates, Jed hoped the larger crowd would make it possible for him to look for her unnoticed.
Kimberly Fanning. The only woman who had ever seriously dented his heart. Jed wasn’t conceited. He didn’t expect every female he met to fall at his feet. But he and Kimberly had been more than mere acquaintances. A hell of a lot more.
He checked his watch and bent down to give one last buff to his black and gray cowboy boots.
He much preferred his well-broken-in everyday pair, but tonight’s event, already underway in the hotel’s ballroom downstairs, was semiformal.
Besides, when a man battled demons from the past, it seemed only logical to wear the appropriate armor.
For reasons he wasn’t prepared to examine too closely, he had booked the hotel’s one suite, a luxurious accommodation filled with priceless antiques, fresh flowers and a bed the size of a small country.
He could easily have driven back and forth to the ranch, but this setup afforded him privacy as well as the opportunity to have a few drinks if he desired. Beyond that, he had no other concrete plans. With life, though, as in business, it never hurt to be prepared.
The hotel was only four stories tall. Royal didn’t have a need for skyscrapers. The town was the hub of Maverick County’s horse and cattle operations. Land that had been handed down generation after generation through old Texas families sprawled in every direction.
As a second son, Jed would have been welcome as a full-time part of Willowbrook.
But after college, he had been unable to return home.
Instead, he’d pursued his interests in finance and now managed huge investment portfolios for a consortium of ranchers from his upscale high-rise office in Dallas.
He also bore the responsibility of growing Willowbrook’s assets.
Fortunately, he was good at what he did, which meant that Willowbrook Farms could and would expand when the time was right.
Avoiding the elevator, Jed descended the narrow staircase at the back of the hotel. As he made it down the final flight, the noise from the party spilled out into the hallway. He followed the laughter and music until he stood in the doorway of the large event space.
Someone with a crepe-paper fetish had decorated the room with miles of gold and crimson streamers.
The color scheme was repeated throughout the room in flower arrangements, tablecloths and napkins.
Alongside the familiar hues were multiple representations of the high school logo.
The mascot for the Royal Renegades was a saber-brandishing figure who fell somewhere between a pirate and a Viking.
Jed knew plenty of guys, and a smattering of girls, as well, who had tried to live up to that image. Jed had been a bit of a hell-raiser himself until he met Kimberly.
Kimberly. The reason he was here tonight. The reason he lived in Dallas. The reason a lovesick teenage boy had developed a thick vein of cynicism when it came to women.
A flash of cotton-candy pink caught his attention despite the crush and the noise. There she was. Hovering over the punch bowl amidst a crowd of people. She served on the reunion planning committee. Apparently, that included overseeing the caterer.
He examined her as dispassionately as possible, given that his heart pounded and his gut twisted. The dress she wore was strapless and fit closely from breasts to waist to thighs. It was a wonder she could walk in that thing. The skirt stopped three inches above her knees.
Her glossy black hair was caught up in a complicated knot. A curvaceous body, more filled out than it had been a decade ago, was now that of a mature woman, not a girl. Add long legs in killer heels and a smile that was open and genuine, and the whole picture was breathtaking.
The dress looked expensive. He’d kept tabs on Kimberly over the years from a distance and knew she lived on a tight budget. But she worked at a clothing store in town, so presumably she received a decent discount.
She still hadn’t noticed him. The last time they spoke to each other was on the morning Jed left for his freshman year in college. Though he had phoned her once a day for two solid weeks after that, she never took his calls. Finally, he stopped trying.
Only twice had he seen her in the intervening years. Both times at the funerals of classmates who had died far too young—one in a car accident, one from cancer. Kimberly had to have noticed him in attendance on both occasions, but by unspoken accord, they had remained on opposite sides of the room.
Now here they were.
He squared his shoulders, winding his way through the maze of bodies. Tonight was about closure. A petty man would want payback, as well, but hopefully Jed had outgrown such childish responses.
Closing the distance between them, he said her name. “Kimberly. You look stunning. I’m glad you’re here.”
* * *
Kimberly couldn’t have been any more surprised if a dancing gorilla had showed up wearing a gold tutu.
With a sickening whoosh, her heart fell somewhere down around her knees.
Jed Farrell. Dear God. She’d seen his name on the list of attendees, but she had never expected him to make deliberate contact, much less so cordially.
In one glance she took in the fact that he was as gorgeous as ever.
Six feet tall, hair that was an intriguing mix of blond and brown and bright blue eyes that should be licensed as lethal weapons.
“Jed,” she said faintly, hoping he would attribute the hot color in her throat and cheeks to the warm room. “I was surprised to see that you had registered for the get-together.”
“I graduated with you,” he said, the words even and without inflection. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”
The fact that he had missed their five-year reunion might have been one reason. But she didn’t have the nerve to press the issue.
“You forgot to pick up a name tag,” she said cheerily, not meeting his gaze. “They’re right over there. Dinner buffet starts in about fifteen minutes. Dancing after that. Enjoy yourself.”
She turned to escape, but he caught her arm, his fingers hot against her skin. “Do you have a date tonight?”
“No.” She shook her head, her pulse skittering like a frightened bird.
“You do now.” He touched her chin with his fingertips. “We have some unfinished business, Kimberly. Ten years is long enough. I decided that tonight was the night.”
“You decided?” she shot back, flustered. “I don’t get a say?”
His stare could have melted the faux stones in her earrings. “If I remember correctly, you made a decision for both of us way back when. I think it’s only fair that I get a shot.”
Beneath his silky words, she heard a hint of warning. “That’s water under the bridge,” she said. “No point in digging up old bones.”
“Do they teach you those lines in cliché school?”
“Not all of us had the luxury of a fancy college education,” she said stiffly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on the punch.”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb before releasing her slowly. The brilliant blue of his irises glowed with determination. “I wasn’t joking, Kimberly. The only reason I came tonight was to see you.”
“It’s not that difficult to find me,” she snapped. “My number is in the phone book.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d take my call.”
She took a step backward, stunned at the undertone of bitterness in those six words. Surely he wasn’t still mad about that. Her decision had been the right one. Jed had gone on to bigger and better things.