"Know what I think?" she whispered.

"What?" His voice wasn't quite steady, and he cleared his throat at the awareness shooting like electricity between them.

"I think you need us, too. You just don't even know it." God, he wanted to put his hands on her again, his mouth on hers. And he didn't want to see that flash of fear in her eyes when it happened. He didn't want to feel this way about her, but he did.

"Isn't that true?" she pressed.

Why couldn't she back off? She didn't want to show him the real Zoe hidden beneath her tough facade; she should just leave him and his feelings the hell alone. He took back his sunglasses and placed them on his nose.

"Chicken," she taunted. "Too chicken to talk to me."

"I want to do a whole hell of a lot more than talk," he assured her, watching her flush with little satisfaction.

"There you go, being a bully again."

That did it. Really did it. She gasped when he stalked toward her, backing her to the side of the truck.

"Ty. What-"

He did what his body demanded. And maybe he was being a bully, but he didn't care.

He swallowed her startled breath with his mouth.

Chapter 5

Zoe's body reacted first, with a delicious shudder as Ty's mouth ravaged hers. Her bones dissolved, but instead of falling she found herself plastered against him. She let the kiss take her, and oh, what a kiss.

The small part of her mind still functioning reminded her that she didn't do such things no matter how wonderful this mindless, floating feeling was. Reminded her she wanted a new life for herself and her sisters, and that didn't include sleeping with anyone, much less a man who wanted her land for his own.

But the sun felt good on her face, and Ty's mouth felt even better against her, so it was a long, hot moment before she found the strength to resist.

Ty tensed when she pushed at his chest. He lifted his head and stared at her warily. "You going to hit me again?"

She sighed and pushed harder. "No. Go away."

"What's the matter?"

He was too tempting, that was the matter. "I don't feel like it, that's all."

His mouth, still wet from hers, curved, but he dropped his hands from her. "You felt like it a moment ago."

"Changed my mind."

He looked as though he might have argued, but the sound of a motor revving on the dirt road stopped him. He cocked his head. "That's one of your sisters."

"How can you tell?"

"Listen to it. The engine sounds like it's on its last legs."

She listened, and he was right. The engine coughed and stuttered. Then it came into sight, and it was indeed the second of Constance's two trucks.

Zoe hadn't been able to believe the run-down condition of the vehicles. It was a silent and gut-wrenching testament to how desperate Constance must have been in the past years of her life. Too old to make a success out of the ranch without a family, and with not enough money to pay someone else, Constance had been stuck.

It was enough to break even Zoe's stoic heart, and while she waited for the truck to come closer, she stole a glance at Ty.

He remained a mystery. Tough, independent. He dodged all personal questions about himself, not to mention how his staff seemed to go out of their way to avoid him. He most definitely was a loner.

Yet he hadn't let Constance down. He might have been unable to get her trucks fixed for her, but he hadn't left her alone. He'd been there for her, until the very end.

Which gave her a funny warm feeling to think about. The ancient, beat-up old truck stopped, and Delia, Maddie and Cade McKnight stepped out into the bright sunshine.

Cade saw Zoe and waved. Even now, after Constance's death, Cade was determined to figure exactly which of them was the true heir-not because he wanted to kick two of them off the land, but because he loved a good mystery.

He was sharp, tenacious and very good at what he did. He was also tall, dark and handsome enough that Maddie's cheeks were red.

So was Delia's whole face, which made Zoe want to laugh, because for some reason Zoe didn't quite understand, Cade seemed to get under Delia's skin.

Oblivious, Cade shook hands with Ty, then smiled at Zoe. "I see you met your neighbor."

Zoe bit back her grimace. Met him and was just kissing him senseless, thank you. "Ah… yes."

Ty lifted a brow, daring her to speak her mind.

Zoe looked away. "We were just… um… fixing fences," she said lamely. "Working really hard, too." Sweat trickled between her breasts. "Hot today, don't you think?"

No one but Ty seemed to notice her discomfort. His smile spread, and with no one watching him, he winked at her conspiratorially.

If they'd been alone, she thought she might have slugged him again.

"Cade wanted to see how we were doing," Maddie said. "Yeah, well, he could have called for that." Delia ran a finger over her latest self-applied manicure. Her nails were electric blue with bolts of lightning on the thumbs. "What he really wanted, Maddie, was another home-cooked meal."

Cade grinned.

"Well, he's in luck, then." Maddie smiled. "We're having a pot roast tonight. With homemade bread."

Cade's eyes lit with hope. "You're too good to be true, Maddie."

Maddie flushed under the praise, looking pretty and cool in her fresh white jeans and a blue denim top, despite the fact she'd been working hard inside all day. Delia looked smooth and very sophisticated as well, with her black silk shell and jeans, leaving Zoe to swipe the grime on her hands down the front of her own already-dirty jeans, wishing for a hot shower.

Cade looked around the empty land with a sad frown. "I guess I also wanted to see if you'd made any plans. I know this place wasn't quite what you'd expected. I didn't know if you'd definitely stay…?"

Zoe looked at her sisters and was relieved to see the same determination on their faces as she knew was on hers. "We're staying," she told him firmly. "No question. But you could have told us, Cade."

He looked ashamed but not apologetic. "Would you have come?"

Zoe fell silent, unsure. Would they have? She didn't know and that made her sad. She would have missed out on the pull of the land, the freedom… the tall, handsome face of Ty as he watched her quietly with an intense expression.

"This land meant everything to Constance," Cade told them. "And to think of it being unoccupied and neglected, as it was before you got here, destroyed her. You three weren't the only ones who got something out of the inheritance, she did, too-the knowing that Triple M would live on." Cade paused. "So what will you do?"

"We'd like to ranch," Zoe answered. They'd stayed up late every night talking about it. "But we can't be sure until we make plans and pin down the financial side of it."

"There aren't many options on land such as this."

"No." Zoe had been worried about this as well. If they didn't raise horses or cattle or crops, which she knew nothing about, what would they do? They had expected the ranch to be running, with a full, knowledgeable crew, and that she hadn't checked it out thoroughly was a guilt she would have to live with. They couldn't live here like this for long, they had to make money. A ranch seemed the logical choice, but they knew so little. She hated to be dependent on anyone, but how else could she do this other than to get help from someone who knew what to do? She glanced at Ty and her nerves tightened. "We're not leaving, though, whatever we decide."

"Good." Cade looked at everyone. "I guess Ty has filled you in on the gaps in the story."

Zoe's stomach took a little dive. "Gaps?" She stole another glance at Ty, but suddenly his eyes, open and friendly only a second before, had completely shuttered, giving none of his thoughts away.

"This can wait" was all he said.

"No need, we're all here." Cade leaned into the truck, grabbed a container of water and took a long drink. "The sky's as blue as a crayon today, but it's sure dry out here, isn't it? Not nearly so warm in the city, let me tell you."

"Well, city boy, feel free to pack it on home, then," Delia said blandly. "You could just call when you don't have any news, you know. You certainly don't have to come out here to say nothing and complain about the weather." Daintily, she picked her way through the dirt to the truck, ignoring Cade's unperturbed grin.

"I bet the change of scenery is nice for you," Maddie said quickly, always the peacemaker. "You know you're always welcome, Cade."

"Thanks, Maddie." Cade swiped at his forehead, but in truth, he looked just as at home as they did, wearing faded jeans and a snug T-shirt revealing the city boy was well nourished and perfectly fit. "But it's kind of you, Delia," he called out. "To worry about me traveling so far to help you."

Delia rolled her eyes, and Zoe, wondering why no one else was going mad, lost her patience. "What gaps!"

Cade sighed, and his smile faded. "None of your parents have yet been successfully found, much less traced back to Constance. It doesn't matter for the inheritance."

Zoe swore softly, bitterly disappointed. Cade touched her shoulder. "Constance didn't need more proof than what she had-three women born approximately when she thought her granddaughter might have been born, and who were in the right place. She felt certain it was one of you. She knew how close you were, how much you loved one another, and that was enough for her."

Zoe nodded and fought her crushed hopes. Whether she liked to admit it or not, she would have given her right hand to know what had happened to her mother that day she'd been dropped off so many years ago.