Through the opened window came the dull clump of booted feet climbing the front steps and crossing the porch’s wooden floor. Chase listened to the familiar tread of them.
“Sounds like Ty,” he said even as the front door opened.
Almost guiltily, Sally turned and began to busily run the soft furniture cloth over the side table. Observing it, Chase smiled faintly but said nothing.
Ty poked his head into the den, one hand on the doorjamb.
“Any idea where I can find Jessy?”
Sally answered, “She went upstairs about a half hour ago to put the twins down for their afternoon nap.”
Chase glanced at the mantle clock and frowned. “Are you already back from Tara’s?”
“Just getting ready to leave,” Ty replied. “First I thought I would see if Jessy—”
“If Jessy would what?” Jessy challenged lightly, coming up behind him.
“There you are.” His gaze moved warmly over her face. “You just saved me from going all the way upstairs.”
“I’m glad, too. With my luck, the twins would have woken up when they heard you, and it would take forever to get them back to sleep,” Jessy replied, then asked, “Why did you need to see me?”
“I’m headed over to see Tara’s new house and thought you might like to ride along.”
Jessy didn’t immediately answer and looked instead at Sally. “Would you mind keeping an ear tuned for the twins?”
“I don’t mind in the least,” Sally assured her.
“Thanks. As tired as they were, they should sleep for a good two hours. Hopefully we’ll be back around then.” Jessy sought confirmation from Ty.
“Sooner, with any luck,” Ty added, then directed his attention to Chase. “Before I forget, I sent Ballard into town this morning to pick up some things. Keep an eye out for him. If he gets back before I do, make sure he gets together with Sullivan about some possible double billing problems.”
“Will do.” The corners of Chase’s mouth made a grim turn downward at the mere mention of anything connected with paperwork.
Minutes later Ty and Jessy were traveling along the ranch road, leaving a cloud of dust pluming behind them. A steady breeze danced through the grassland on either side of them, setting the stalks to swaying.
Ty skimmed Jessy’s profile, taking note of the quiet strength and easy contentment in her features. “I wasn’t sure you would want to come along.”
Her smile was slow and easy. “I’m as curious as you are about what she’s doing there. Besides”—amusement glinted in her eyes—“if I’m around, she isn’t apt to make a play for you.”
“I wouldn’t count on that.” Out of habit, Ty loosely gripped both hands on the top of the steering wheel. “I decided a long time ago that Tara learned to flirt with every man she sees when she was still in the cradle. Maybe it’s a Texas thing.”
“When you were in college, were all the girls in Fort Worth like her?” Jessy asked curiously.
“Now that you mention it, they weren’t,” he admitted. “They had their moments. But I suppose all women do.”
Except for Jessy, he thought to himself. She was too straightforward, too blunt spoken to ever attempt to practice such feminine tricks. She was a rare woman and he knew it.
Ahead, the dirt road leveled out. Automatically Ty increased the truck’s speed to take advantage of the long, smooth stretch of surface.
Suddenly the wheel jerked under his hands. Simultaneously he heard the distinctive sound of a tire blowing and the pickup began a slight sideways skid. Before Ty could straighten the truck out, another tire blew.
In the next second, he had no control as a rear wheel slipped off the shoulder.
“Look out!” Ty shouted to Jessy when he felt the truck tip in the beginnings of a roll.
He heard her yell his name. Then they were going over, seemingly in slow motion, each second stretching into something longer. The adrenaline rush of fear seemed to mute the thud and crunch of the rollover. About the time Ty managed to avoid being hurled one way, he was slammed another.
After an eternity of seconds, the pickup rocked to a stop on its side. Dust swirled in a thick cloud beyond the fractured windshield, engulfing them in a tan fog. Ty found himself sitting sideways on the seat partially wedged between the steering wheel and the door, trapped by the weight of Jessy’s body crumpled against him.