As she worked, Jesse wasn't nearly so aware of the pain as he was of the care she was taking of him. It had been years and years since there had been a woman in his life to care for him. His mother had died when his sister, Tate, was born, leaving Tate to be raised by a father and three older brothers. He had been how old? No more than eleven or twelve.

He luxuriated in the concern Honey showed with every gesture, every touch. She cared for him. He felt sure of it. Even though she denied him in words, her gentleness, her obvious distress over his injury, gave her away. He meant to have her-despite the reservations she had voiced.

It had never occurred to him that she would demand that he leave the Rangers. He relished the danger and excitement of the job. There must be a way he could have Honey and the Texas Rangers, too. He would just have to find it.

"When are you going to meet with the rustlers?" Honey asked.

"Sometime tonight."

Honey bit her lip to keep from begging him not to go. She had learned her lessons with Cale. Her pleas would be useless. Instead she said, "Promise me you'll be careful."

He took her hand from his shoulder and held it between both of his. "Don't worry about me, Honey." He flashed her a grin. "I've been doing this a long time. I know how to take care of myself. Besides, I'm not about to get myself killed when I've got you to come back to."

"Jesse…"

He reached up and caught her chin in his fingertips, drawing her lips toward his. "Honey…"

Warm. Wet. Tender. His mouth seduced her to his will. His hand curled around her nape and slid up into her hair. Suddenly she was sitting in his lap, her hands circling his neck, and his mouth was nuzzling her throat.

"I can't get enough of you," he murmured. "Come back to bed with me, Honey."

She was tempted. Lord how she was tempted!

"Forget about General. Forget about the Texas Rangers. Don't think about-"

Honey tore herself from his grasp and stood facing him. Her breasts ached. Desire spiraled in her belly. It was hard to catch her breath. But catch it she did long enough to say, "No, Jesse. This has to stop. Right now. You can stay here long enough to finish your business. Until then…just leave me alone."

Jesse was equally aroused and frustrated by the interruption of their lovemaking. "You're being foolish, Honey."

"So now I'm a fool on top of everything else," she retorted. "You're making it very easy to get you out of my life, Jesse."

He thrust a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "That came out wrong," he admitted. "You know what I mean."

He rose and paced the floor like a caged wolf. "We're meant to be together. I feel it here." He pounded his chest around the region of his heart. "You're only fighting against the inevitable. We will spend our lives together."

"Until you get shot?" she retorted. "Until I bury you like I buried Cale? No, Jesse. We aren't going to be together. I need someone I can rely on to be around for the long haul. You aren't that man."

"That remains to be seen," he said through clenched teeth.

Jesse wasn't prepared for the tears that gathered in Honey's eyes. He watched her brink hard, valiantly fighting them. It was clearly a losing battle, and they spilled from the corners of her eyes.

"It's over, Jesse. I mean it." She dashed at the tears with the back of her hand. "I won't cry for you.''

He watched her eyes begin to blaze with anger as she battled against the strong emotions that gripped her-and won. The tears stopped, and only the damp streaks on her face remained to show the pain she was suffering.

He felt her retreating from him even though she hadn't moved a step. "Don't go, Honey. I need you." He paused and added, "I love you."

"You lied to me. You used me. That's not the way people in love treat each other." She choked back the tears that threatened again and said, "You should have told me the truth. You should have trusted me. You should have given me the choice of knowing who you really are before I got involved with you. That's what I can't forgive, Jesse."

She turned and left the room, shoulders back, chin high, proud and unassailable. He had never wanted her more than he did in that moment, when he feared she was lost to him.

He sank down onto the bed and stared out through the lace-curtained window. He had to admit his excuse for keeping Honey in the dark about why he had come to the Flying Diamond had sounded feeble even to his ears. He could see why she was angry. He could see why she felt betrayed.

But there was no way he could have told her the real reason she hadn't been let in on his identity: every shred of evidence against the rustlers, every outlaw trail, led straight back to the Lazy S Ranch-and Adam Philips.

Eight

"Did you steal the bull?" Mort asked.

"Yes," Jesse replied.

"Then where is it?" the rustler demanded.

"In a safe place."

"The Boss is waiting for that bull," Mort said. "You were supposed to bring it here." Mort spat chewing tobacco toward the horse trailer he had brought to transport the bull, and which would apparently be leaving empty.

"Plans change," Jesse said.

Mort's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jesse stared right back at the grizzle-faced cowboy. "I've decided to renegotiate the terms of our agreement."

"The Boss ain't gonna like that," Mort warned ominously.

"If he doesn't like it, I can find another buyer for the bull," Jesse said.

"Now hold on a minute," Mort sputtered. "You can't-"

"Tell your boss to be here at midnight tonight," Jesse interrupted. "I'll be waiting with the bull, but I'll only deal with him in person. Tell him the price is double what we agreed on. In cash-small bills."

Mort was clearly alarmed by Jesse's ultimatum. "You're making a big mistake."

"If he wants the bull, he'll come."

It wasn't a subtle method of getting to the top man, Jesse thought, but it inevitably worked. Greed was like that. Of course he would have to watch out for the also inevitable double-cross. There was always the chance that bullets would start flying. He hoped he'd have enough backup to ensure that the guys in the white hats won.

Mort drove away grumbling, and Jesse got into his pickup and headed in the opposite direction from the Flying Diamond. He felt confident that his business for the Rangers would soon be finished. Then he could concentrate on what really mattered-his relationship with Honey. First he had to see Dallas to confirm the details of their plan to capture the brains behind the brawn tonight.

Jesse might have had second thoughts about how soon things were going to be wrapped up if he had known that his visit with Mort Barnes had been observed by another very interested party.


***

Honey was sweeping off the front porch when Adam Philips drove up later that same afternoon. She felt a momentary pang of guilt, but it was quickly followed by relief that she had ended their relationship. Considering they were no longer romantically involved, she couldn't imagine why Adam had come calling.

Honey laid the broom against the wooden wall of the house-noticing that it badly needed another coat of white paint-and stepped over to the porch rail. She held a hand over her brow to keep the sun out of her eyes. "Hello, Adam," she greeted him cautiously. "What brings you out here today?"

It wasn't anything good, Honey surmised after one look at the grim line of Adam's mouth. His features only seemed to get more strained as he left the car and headed up the porch steps toward her.

"Have a seat," Honey said, gesturing toward the wooden swing that hung from the porch rafters. She set a hip on the porch rail, facing the swing.

Adam sat down but abruptly jumped up again and marched over to stand before Honey. "How much do you really know about that man you hired to help around here?"

"Not a lot," Honey admitted with a shrug. "He has a degree in ranch management and-"

"Did it ever occur to you to wonder why a man with a degree in ranch management is content to work as a mere hired hand?'' Adam demanded.

Honey stared at him. It hadn't, of course. She hadn't questioned anything about Jesse's story. Which was why his revelation that he was a Texas Ranger had caught her so much off guard. It was clear Adam was still suspicious of Jesse's motives. But there was no reason for him to be. "You don't have to worry about Jesse," she said.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because he's a Texas Ranger."

"What?" Adam looked stunned.

Honey grinned. "He's working undercover to catch the rustlers who've been stealing cattle around here. I don't think he'll mind that I told you, but keep it under your hat, okay?"

Adam gave her a sharp look. "Did you know all along that he was a Texas Ranger?"

"I only found out myself this morning," she admitted.

Adam stuck his thumbs into the pockets of his Levi's. He pursed his lips and shook his head ruefully. "Looks like I've been a real fool. I thought that he- Never mind. I'll be going now. I've got some calls to make before dark."

"Adam," Honey called after him.

He stopped and turned back to her. "Yes, Honey?"

"Don't be a stranger."

A pained expression passed fleetingly across his face. He managed a smile and said, "All right. But don't look for me too soon, all right?"

"All right. Goodbye, Adam."

Honey worked alone the rest of the afternoon. She was grateful for Jack's absence because it gave her time to come to terms with Jesse's revelation that he was a Texas Ranger. Equally fortunate, she was spared Jesse's presence as well. He had left earlier to run some errands and hadn't returned.