She disliked Kathi because she was a sanctimonious, uppity, judgmental bitch.

And because, given those traits, she was the perfect woman to be Bishop Alexander’s wife.

Making a face, Natalie decided on a long shot and called Molly’s ex-fiancé, Adrian.

Being that Adrian ran a bar, this was normal business hours for him. His bartender answered and put her through to Adrian’s office.

Surprise sounded in his tone. “Natalie?”

God, how Natalie despised Adrian Wiseman. From the very beginning, she’d known that he wasn’t good enough for her sister. It had taken Molly a while to realize it, unfortunately. “Hello, Adrian. I’m sorry to bother you.”

Cautiously, because Adrian held out hope of getting back with Molly, he said, “It’s fine, fine. What’s up?”

“I haven’t been able to reach Molly. She’s not answering her calls, and…you know how close we are.”

Unlike Kathi, Adrian accepted that. “Yes, I do.” A new alertness entered his tone. “You’re worried?”

“Getting there, yes. Tomorrow I’m leaving for a spring-break vacation, but I hate to go without talking to Molly first.”

He cleared his throat. “Ah…you do realize that we’re no longer engaged?”

Dolt. “Like I said, Molly and I are close.” And she’d cheered for Molly during the breakup. Never, not for a single second, had she ever considered Adrian good enough for her sister. He was an opportunist who saw dollar signs when he looked at Molly, not only because of their father’s wealth but because of Molly’s fast-growing fame as a bestselling novelist.

“Right.” Annoyance sharpened Adrian’s tone. “So then you’re calling me…why?”

Natalie sighed. “Just a long shot, I guess. I didn’t know who else to ask. It’s not like her to take off without telling me first.”

A heavy pause strained her patience, and then Adrian drew all the wrong conclusions. “You think she might be having regrets?”

“What? No!”

Adrian didn’t seem to hear her. “Maybe she’s off by herself, rethinking her position, maybe…missing me.”

Oh, good grief. “Not likely, Adrian. I thought you might have talked to her, though, and since you haven’t, I’ll let you go.”

“I’ll call her too,” he rushed to say. “If I get hold of her, I’ll let her know that you’re concerned.”

Lovely. Now Molly would strangle her. “That’s okay. I’m sure Kathi’s right and Molly is just off researching something. You know her research sometimes takes her to obscure places. Maybe she doesn’t have cell reception or something.” Natalie rushed through her words, but she wanted off the phone before she said anything else to encourage Adrian. “Gotta go. Take care, Adrian. Bye-bye.”

Adrian was in midsentence when she hung up on him, and she winced in guilt. She’d ended up doing the same as Kathi!

Without her sister to talk to, Natalie accepted that she had no one.

Except Jett.

But she couldn’t do that to him. In almost every way, Jett was the ideal bachelor. He had the job he wanted, the hours he wanted, the freedom he wanted.

He was good at being single, and he was great at winning female attention. She had to remember that at all times.

So what to do?

It took a few deep breaths for her to make up her mind. Men like Adrian were a dime a dozen; she and her sister had both had their share of shrugging off the jerks, the users, the fakes and phonies. But a man like Jett?

One in a million.

And he wanted her.

She’d be a fool not to take everything he offered, and if that meant navigating the uncomfortable social scene, or even meeting his family, so be it.

With her mind made up, Natalie went to the living room where she had everything she’d need for the trip piled up by the door. One tote bag held her beauty supplies—makeup, hair brushes, lotion and the like. She had her laptop case and her camera. Another bag held a few snacks for the road. Yes, she liked to stop often on the long drive, but she also liked to munch while driving.

She dragged her sparsely packed suitcase back to her bedroom, plopped it up on the bed and opened it. Now that Jett would be joining her, she needed to exchange her warm, practical thermal pajamas for something more appealing. After she’d loaded in a thin nightgown, some sexy panties and a negligee she’d never had reason to wear, she closed up the suitcase and put it at the end of the bed.

Standing there in the dim, silent bedroom, alive with expectation for the coming week, Natalie detected the sound of an engine in the parking area.

She was ridiculously attuned to Jett, so she easily distinguished the distinct sound of his SUV. Wherever had he been?

Knowing she’d have a better view of the lot from her dining room, she left her bedroom and went to the patio doors to peek out the curtains. Sure enough, Jett parked his shiny black SUV, and his headlights went dark.

Puzzled, Natalie stood there, wondering where he’d gone and why. For her, it was late, but then she kept a school teacher’s hours. Being late March, it still got dark early, and even worse, wind whistled and tree branches bent beneath a gathering storm.

But as a bachelor, Jett often went out late. Before they’d gotten sexually involved, he’d sometimes come home in the wee hours of the morning. Natalie frowned as she watched him open the driver’s door and step out. Thanks to the well-lit parking area, she saw him heft an overflowing bag into one arm. Beneath his other arm he carried a big padded item—and she realized it was a doggy bed.

Struck by his caring, she bit her bottom lip.

The cold wind blew Jett’s dark hair into his face and parted his unzipped jacket, but he didn’t rush. He lifted Buddy from the vehicle and set him on the ground. Buddy now wore a collar attached to a leash that Jett had wrapped around his wrist.

Natalie squinted at the bags he carried. She could just make out a dog dish and a giant chew bone on the top of the stuffed bag.

He’d gone shopping for Buddy.

Ahhhhh….

She put a hand to her mouth and tried to fight back the emotions—without success. Knowing what he’d done, and that he probably thought nothing of it, left her staggered by his bighearted nature.

That damned emotion swelled even more, choking her, making her feel both hot and soft. They’d both put in a full day, the weather was turning nasty, and still Jett had gone out of his way to make Buddy comfortable.

Natalie’s quickened breathing fogged against the icy window. She rested her forehead there, but it did nothing to cool her.

She couldn’t wait to get to Tennessee tomorrow. It wouldn’t be summer-warm, but it should be milder than the brisk Ohio weather, especially now with a storm blowing in. She and Jett would be all alone together. She anticipated all the things she’d missed in life, like quiet meals together, maybe a few joint showers, walks in the woods with Buddy, talking, exploring and…growing closer.

When Jett glanced up at her window, Natalie ducked away. With her apartment dark he wouldn’t be able to see her anyway, but she didn’t want to take a chance. At the same time, she liked it that he’d glanced toward her place, because she always glanced toward his.

And sometimes she saw him in his window, as if he, too, could recognize the sound of her arrival.

It occurred to her that Buddy looked not the least traumatized by the trip in the car, which negated her need to go along with Jett in the morning. But she wanted to go anyway. He’d invited her, the dog was half hers and…she wanted to spend every minute with Jett that she could.

Not that she’d start making assumptions. No. Even if it killed her, she would make this a no-pressure relationship for him. Somehow she would adapt to the social standards of casual dating.

An hour later, despite the pep talk she’d given herself, Natalie went to bed thinking about things she shouldn’t, things like a lasting romance, a future and a happily ever after—with Jett.

Chapter six

NATALIE FUMED IN SILENCE.

For over an hour now they’d been on the road to Tennessee, and she was still rattled. After Jett had loaded all of Buddy’s new belongings into the back of his SUV, he’d carried out her bags while she did her best to urge Buddy back into the vehicle.

He may have been fine leaving the vehicle last night, but he was not so keen about getting back into it. In fact, he’d behaved as though she wanted to drag him to his death.

How Jett had managed the night before, on his own, Natalie had no idea.

Finally, after much effort, cajoling and insisting, she had gotten Buddy into the SUV and they’d arrived at Connie’s veterinarian clinic bright and early with a fractious, frightened Buddy in tow.

Jett, damn him, hadn’t seemed the least bit surprised to find all three of his sisters there. He’d merely shaken his head in fond exasperation while the women wore various expressions of curiosity and offered up differing excuses for the early morning visit, none of them viable or believable.

They were there to meet her, and Natalie knew it.

Feeling shanghaied and on display, she’d stood there, self-conscious and out of her element, watching them in awe. They were the most boisterous, outrageous, out-spoken and lovely women she’d ever met.

All laughing and talking at once, the sisters had taken turns hugging Jett, and much to Buddy’s delight, they doted on him as if he were the most special dog ever.

The family resemblance between brother and sisters was strong; the woman all had eyes as dark as Jett’s, but lighter and much longer brown hair. While they were tall, between five-eight and five-ten, they weren’t as tall as Jett. And where Jett was all man, the sisters were ultrafeminine, but no one could deny the similarities in features.