0373659458 (R) (2 page)

“Oh, don’t send them out on my account,” Dorelle said behind him, more gently than Zach would’ve expected. Yes, it was obvious she loved her daughter and grandson, but until that very moment he wouldn’t’ve pegged her as a softy.

Even so, the boys knew the rules. Or at least Jeremy did. To Liam, the concept of boundaries was still a little sketchy. So Zach detached himself from his son, then stood, trying for stern and failing miserably when those big, brown, getting-wetter-by-the-second eyes tilted up to his. So who was the softy now?

“Go with your brother,” he said, steeling himself against those eyes, so much like his mama’s Zach’s own stung. “I won’t be long. Why don’t you think about what you want on your pizza while you’re waiting?”

That did the trick. “Peesa?” Liam breathed, as if this was the most awesome suggestion ever.

“Yep. Now scoot.”

After the boys left, Zach turned to find Dorelle watching him with one of
those
expressions, God help him.

“Neither one of ’em looks much like you.”

“Truth,” Zach said with a smile. “Although I was apparently as blond as Jeremy when I was his age.”

“Which is?”

“Seven. Eight in a few months.”

“And the little one?”

“Liam’s three. He looks...” His throat caught. Damn. “He looks exactly like his mother.”

“She must be one gorgeous creature.”

Zach hesitated. “She was.”

Dorelle sucked in a short breath. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Talbot. I didn’t know.”

Somehow, he doubted that. And it was the end of what had been a very long day, one that had left Zach so tired he could barely see straight. Meaning he found himself sorely lacking patience for whatever game this woman was playing.

“Really?”

The woman’s eyes briefly widened before she released a short laugh. “I suppose I deserved that. Since I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that digging up information is a hobby of mine. Especially when I find myself in a new place and don’t know anybody. But I swear to you, this is the first I’m hearing of it.” She hesitated, then asked, “How long?”

Oh, what the hell. “Two years,” he said, and she bit her lip, shaking her head. Then she pushed out a little breath.

“Folks tend to keep to themselves around here, don’t they?”

“Pretty much.” Although Shantelle’s keeping it to
her
self was nothing short of a miracle. Town nosy-body in training, that one.

“Yeah, it was the same way back in Springerville,” Dorelle said. “There were absolutely no secrets between neighbors, but we had that circling the wagons thing
down
. And oh, dear Lord—” Her hand flew to her cheek. “You thought I had matchmaking on my mind, didn’t you?”

Zach’s mouth twitched. “I had wondered.”

“Oh, dear boy,
no
. Not that you’re not cute as a damn button, but I did think you were married. Not a whole lot to do around here. Just like Springerville. One learns,” she said with a slight, almost regal, bow, “to make one’s own entertainment. Although we really are looking for a horse. Talking about it, anyway. And I thought...”

Her eyes clouded. “My daughter Mallory’s had some challenges of her own, this last little while. And this past year or so has been particularly hard on her. Not that she’d ever admit it, God knows. But if you ask me, she didn’t buy a house out here in Nowhere, New Mexico—no offense—”

“None taken.”

Dorelle nodded. “Anyway. She didn’t buy that house except for one reason, and that was to hide.”

“From?” Zach asked before he caught himself.

“Life. Her life, anyway. And I don’t like it, not one little bit. Frankly it scares me, if you want to know the truth. Like she’s given up. And that’s not like her.” Her forehead puckered, the brunette looked down at the dog, who’d fallen back asleep. “So it occurred to me that getting her looking for a horse for Landon might...I don’t know...break whatever this is that’s got hold of her. Start to, anyway.” Softly smiling, she met Zach’s gaze again. “That’s all I was about, I swear. I wasn’t trying to fix you up.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Good.” Dorelle reached over to snap a leash on the snoozing dog before lowering him to the floor, where he blinked, yawned, then sat back down, slightly shivering. “So you’ll call me after you talk to your brother?”

“I’ll ask him later. I don’t have regular appointments on Saturday afternoons.”

“Thank you so much.”

However, as Zach herded his sons to their little blue-and-white house next door to the clinic, Dorelle’s comments about her daughter swirled inside his overworked brain like afternoon dust in the sunshine.

Clearly he needed a hobby. Or at least a nap.

* * *

“Hi, Mom!”

Seeing her son’s ginormous grin swallowing up the entire, if admittedly tiny, phone screen, Mallory Keyes felt her heart swell in her chest. If her precious boy was happy, then she was happy. Nothing else mattered.

Even though it killed her, not being able to touch him, smell him, every day. But Landon deserved a normal life. Well, as normal as the son of a shattered Hollywood power couple—God, she hated that term—could expect. And never let it be said that Mallory couldn’t roll with the punches. Or set her own druthers aside in order to do what was best for her son.

And at least they had smartphones.

“Hey, baby,” she said, steeling herself for that inevitable moment when the kid would groan and go, “Mom? Really?
Baby
?” He was eleven, after all. But that moment apparently was not today. Thank God. “How’s it going?”

“Good.” He shoved his hand through shaggy, blah-brown hair that softened what promised to be some pretty fine bone structure, heaven help them all. “Got an A on this project we had to do in science.
Without
Dad’s help, you’ll be happy to know.”

“I am. What was the project on?”

“How mold grows. I had to keep samples in the fridge, it was so cool. Except Cristina kept trying to throw them out.”

Their housekeeper. Sixty if she was a day, built like a warship, heart of gold. “Sounds about right. She making you keep your room clean?”

“You better believe it,”
Mallory heard in the background, and Landon rolled his eyes. Gray, like hers.

“This is not a bad thing, Poky.”

“So I guess I can’t pull the ‘I’m just a kid’ thing, huh?”

“Nope.”

“Too bad.” Then he grinned again, and her heart went
kaplooey
. “So when can I come see your new house?”

“We already discussed this. Over fall break.” Landon’s new school was on some weird year-round schedule, so he got two full weeks off in October. “Did you get the pictures?”

“Yeah, it looks really cool.” He frowned slightly. “Hey. You okay?”

Mallory’s chest pinched again. Five years ago, Landon had been too young to fully understand the implications of the accident that changed all their lives. But more recently he’d apparently become more sensitive to her ongoing challenges, even though she rarely gave voice to them. Partly because the less she did, the less power they had over her, partly because she’d always detested complaining. Mostly, though, because she never wanted Landon to feel sorry for her. Or more importantly, that his mother’s being in a wheelchair would have any negative impact on his life.

Sometimes, though, when the pain snuck up on her, she couldn’t hide it from him as well as she’d like. And considering everything leading up to his new living situation, trying to pretend her life didn’t affect his was probably naive. If not downright stupid.

“I’m doing okay, honey.”

“Really?”

She smiled. “Yes, really. Okay, the move wore me out some, but it was worth it. It is so gorgeous out here. Sometimes you can drive for miles without seeing another car.”

His brows crashed. “That must be weird.”

Mallory laughed. “It is, a little. But you’d be surprised, how fast you get used to it—”

“Gotta go, Cristina’s calling me to dinner. Talk tomorrow?”

“You bet, sugar.”

The calls were never long enough. And every single time, when they ended, Mallory felt as if somebody’d hollowed out her chest. Which in turn made her question, yet again, whether she’d made the right choice, leaving behind her only child.

Except the only other option would have been selfish. If not downright cruel. Granted, the kid was a toughie, but she could tell he needed a break. Not from her, but from the attention she invariably attracted every time she set foot—or wheelchair—outside—

The landline’s shrill ring made her jump. Mallory glared at the thing for a good second or so before wheeling over the tiled floor to answer it. A little testily, maybe. Why Mama’d insisted on installing the blasted thing, she’d never know, since they both had cell phones, for pity’s sake.

“Hello?”

“Oh... I’m sorry,” said a nice male voice on the other end.
Real
nice. Granted, in all likelihood it probably belonged to someone who did not match the voice, because that’s the way these things usually worked, but a girl could dream. “I was trying to reach Dorelle Keyes?”

“She’s not in right now,” Mallory said in a somewhat less pissy tone. “May I take a message?”

A pause preceded, “Is this her daughter, by any chance?”

Mallory tensed. It was highly unlikely the paparazzi would’ve sniffed her out way up here, let alone unearthed an unlisted number. But these days she wasn’t taking any chances.

“If you leave your name and number,” she said, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room, “I’ll be sure to have Mrs. Keyes get back to you.”

“It’s Dr. Talbot. Edgar’s vet? She’d asked me to check with my brother about a horse for her grandson?”

The relieved breath Mallory had been about to release snagged at the base of her throat. To hear Mama tell it, this Dr. Talbot would put Michelangelo’s David to shame. And say what you will about her mother, the woman definitely knew
hot
when she saw it.

So much for not matching the voice.

“Um...you still there?”

Mallory wrenched her gaze away from her wretched reflection. Way too many nights of lousy sleep had definitely taken its toll. “Sorry. She was supposed to run that by me first.”

“I take it you’re Mallory, then?”

Call her crazy, but she was guessing this guy had no idea who she was. Meaning either he hadn’t put two and two together, or Mama had—for once—kept her trap shut. Or maybe he was just playing it cool?

“That’s me. Only nothing’s been decided about the horse. Since we’re still getting settled in—” a half-truth, since once the renovation had been completed all they’d had to do was dump stuff in closets and drawers and they were basically done “—I hadn’t really given it much thought yet.”

“Completely understandable. But if you are interested, my brother says he has a palomino that could be perfect for your son, especially if he’s inexperienced. Not a youngster, but a lot of good years left. No health issues. Even-tempered as they come. And nobody knows horses like Josh—he wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

And neither would this man, she bet. Although how she’d deduce that from a five-minute conversation—and especially given her background—she had no idea. Something about his no-nonsense approach, maybe. But after so many years of never feeling as if she could truly trust anybody, of having to constantly watch her back—it felt...good. Even if it was only an illusion.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” she said, rearranging her long sweater over her thighs, even though her legs didn’t really register the chill in the air. “But there are...logistics to take into account. I’m still not entirely convinced this is a good idea.”

“Your mother said you grew up on a ranch, so I assume you know what goes into caring for a horse?”

His unwitting understatement made her smile. And ache, a little. An indulgence she rarely allowed herself. “I did. And I do. That’s not the issue. But I honestly don’t know how much time we’re going to spend here.” Her gaze drifted across the spacious family room opening to the flagstone patio and the pond beyond, its surface rippling gold from the reflection of the stand of yellow-leafed aspens on the other side of the property. Truthfully, the property had wrapped around her heart from the moment she’d opened the images in the Realtor’s email. “And taking on a horse is a huge commitment.”

“So this is a vacation home?”

“Something like that.”

The vet was quiet for a moment, then said, “If it eases your mind, the Vista has excellent boarding facilities.”

Mallory smiled, wondering what he’d wanted to say, but hadn’t. “And you’re an excellent salesperson.”

He might’ve laughed. “Hard to make a decision without knowing all your options. Tell you what—why don’t you and your mother meet me out there, see the horse for yourself? Make up your mind after that. You know where the ranch is, I gather?”

“I do, but...” Mallory paused. “I’ll think about it. How’s that?”

“Fine by me. But if you’re serious I wouldn’t wait too long. As great a horse as I suspect this one is? I imagine he’s gonna find a new home without too much trouble.”

“And would that be you trying to close the deal?”

“Just being up-front with you, Miss Keyes.”

Nope, he had no clue who she was. Mallory smiled—she’d loved her work, heaven knew. And she’d appreciated being appreciated, no lie. But she’d found actual fame tedious at best and nerve-racking at worst. She’d never thought she’d live for the day when she wasn’t recognized, but now that that day had arrived she felt positively buoyant.

But this business with the horse...a prod, Mallory thought this was. One initiated by her mother, perhaps, but clearly with the universe’s approval: to get up off her duff—in a manner of speaking—and actually move forward with something instead of only talking about it. A bad habit she’d slipped into over the last little while.

But the move to Whispering Pines had been Mallory’s idea, so there was that. Even though her decision had clearly flummoxed her poor Realtor. Why not Jackson Hole? Or Vail? Or even Taos, if she had her heart set on New Mexico?

Mallory hadn’t gone into details. Her reasons were her own. Not that she couldn’t see the woman’s point, that
here
was pretty much
nowhere
. Only, what no one understood, was that
nowhere
was exactly where Mallory needed to be right now. As in, somewhere where no one could find her. Watch her. Pity her.