Give Me Tonight(26)

" Adeline—"

"Don't!" She spun around, her heart leaping. "Don't touch me!"

Ben held his hands up as if she were wielding a revolver. "Okay. Okay. No one's touching you."

She put her hand up to her chest, taking an unsteady breath. "Don't walk up behind me like that again."

"From the way you were leaning, I thought you were sick.

"Well, I wasn't. But you nearly frightened me to death."

She could see the white flash of his smile in the darkness. "Sorry."

"An apology from you," she said, exhaustion rob­bing her voice of its intended tartness. "It's been one surprise after another today."

"Your mother asked me to bring you back in."

"I have a question or two to ask you first."

He inclined his head slightly. "About?"

"For starters, where did you get your education?"

He braced an arm on the fence and leaned against it comfortably, sliding a hand into his pocket. "Is it so obvious that I have one? I'm flattered."

"I'd like to know. Please."

"'Please' from you. Now, that is a surprise. I'm almost tempted to tell you. But you wouldn't believe me."

"Did you go to college?"

"Harvard."

"You're lying."

"I said you wouldn't believe me. But it's true. I even graduated. After that, my father offered to pay me to stay away for good."

"Why?"

"Why? Obviously he didn't like my company," he murmured with a half-smile, and stood up from the fence. "Time to go in."

"Is your family from the Nor—"

"No more questions. I've bared my soul enough for one night." He reached to take her arm and stopped in mid-motion as she edged away from him. "Oh, yes. No touching. Come on, Adeline."

Everything he said and did was carefully cataloged in her mind. She would have to remember it all. Maybe that was why she had found herself here. Maybe she was intended to expose the other side of him, to in­terrupt the events that would lead up to Russell's death. The fact that I'm here must change a lot of things. The fact that I'm here instead of Adeline Warner is just the beginning of it all. Everything will be different now. I'll make it different. I'll stop Russell's murder. I'll ruin Ben Hunter before it ever gets that far.

After she retired for the night, she turned fitfully as questions burned through her mind. There were things she had to know. Things she had to find out tomorrow. Addie threw off the light sheet that covered her and rolled over onto her stomach, hot and frustrated . . . frightened.

Her thoughts stilled as the clear, lovely notes of a guitar floated through the windows from a distance. Haunting, sweet music. Was that Ben? She didn't know the melody, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, soothing and faultlessly played. She could sense the entire ranch settling down to listen. Soon Addie ceased to wonder at the source of the music and relaxed. How could someone like Ben play something so beautiful? she thought drowsily, and then she thought of Leah, sleeping only a few rooms away. She wondered if Leah was listening.

3

ADDIE WAS UP AT DAWN WITH THE OTHERS, UNABLE to stay in bed while the smell of breakfast crept stealthily through the air and the sound of quiet morn­ing conversation floated up to her from the dining room. She washed and dressed quickly, feeling strangely at peace in spite of a long and restless night.

Was there any way to get back to the Sunrise she belonged in? She didn't know how to go back-she didn't know how she'd gotten here in the first place. What if she was stuck here forever? Addie shivered at the thought and pushed it aside. There was no use worrying about that. It didn't seem as if she could do anything about it. If it was all a dream, it would end sometime. And if she was crazy, it was better to pre­tend to herself and everyone else that she wasn't.

But there was something practical for her to think about. Russell Warner was still alive, and she might be the only one who could keep him that way. To the rest of the family and everyone in Sunrise, she would be Adeline. She would figure out how to be who they thought she was. From now on, no one would notice anything peculiar about her. And while he was fooling them all, she would find some way to expose Ben for what he was and stop him from killing Russell. As things stood now, Russell would be murdered just af­ter fall roundup. She had until then to change every­thing.

Addie went downstairs with a light step. As she walked into the dining room, she painted on a bright smile. "Good morning," she said airily, seating her­self by May.

"What in tarnation's got you so happy?" Russell demanded. His eyes twinkling.

"Nothing." She leaned to the side as the maid reached over to pour her coffee.

"I think it may have something to do with Jeff," May said, pleased by the thought. "Isn't that right, Adeline?"

"It might be," Addie conceded, stirring sugar into her coffee. "I have to admit, Jeff is super."

A blank silence greeted her statement.

"Super?"

Addie realized her mistake and covered it hastily. "New expression." You'll hear it about fifty years from now. "It means nice ... wonderful."