Call It Destiny

in his hand and chuckled. Then he stuck the ugly object into his belt. „Me? I come up here a lot, Heather. Your father hasn’t used this place since you were in high school.“
    „I know that.“
    „Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the old cabin.“ He reached into the jeep and yanked the keys out of the ignition. Dropping them into his pocket he started forward. „Lots of nice memories.
    What about you, Heather? Do you ever think of the plans we came up here to make?“
    „I haven’t thought of those plans since the day you ripped off my motorcycle and left me standing in the middle of the desert.“ She held her ground as long as possible in the doorway, but when he was a step away and showing every sign of pushing past her, Heather stepped back into the cabin. „Why the gun, Rick?“
    „You never know who you’re going to run into out here in the middle of nowhere,“ he said lazily, stepping inside the cabin and glancing around. Thunder cracked overhead as the sky continued to darken „Looks like we’re in for a bad one this afternoon. That stream outside is already full. A heavy shower could send it over the banks. Not a good day to pick to relive old memories, Heather.“ He swung around to face her.
    Heather looked at the man with whom she’d fled Tucson so many years ago and thanked her lucky stars that he’d left her standing alongside that desert highway. How could she have possibly once considered linking her life with this man? The dark good looks had faded now and there had been nothing of character or strength to replace them. Rick was only in his midthirties but everything about him seemed to have thickened and coarsened. It was not simply that he had put on weight, but it seemed as if the potential for earthy sensuality he once possessed had degenerated into unappealing vulgarity. As if the spirit of rebellion that had first attracted her to him had turned into something ignoble and sly. Uneasily Heather fingered the keys to the Mercedes that were in the pocket of her jeans. She found herself wanting to be well away from Rick Monroe.
    „I didn’t come up here to relive old memories, Rick. I’m here to spend a few quiet days by myself. Why are you here?“
    „Me?“ He finished circling the cabin, having stopped to glance into the small bath, and sat down on an overstuffed arm of the old sofa. „Well, Heather, I’m afraid I’m here on business.“
    „Business?“
    He grinned unpleasantly. „I’m a businessman now. Bet you never thought I’d be successful without your father’s money, did you? I still remember how you chewed me out that day we left Tucson when you found out I wanted you to call home for money. You were so set on showing everyone you could make it on your own. Personally, I never saw the need to do things the hard way.“
    „So how have you been doing things?“ she challenged tightly, not liking the tension in the atmosphere.
    „Profitably.“ He nodded as if to himself. „Profitably, thank you. Of course, I won’t be playing golf at your father’s club and I don’t take vacations in and around Tucson. I try to stay away from old acquaintances. No sense being asked a lot of stupid questions.“
    „Questions like the ones I’m asking?“
    His mouth quirked. „Yeah. Questions like those.“
    Angrily Heather moved to the window, not taking her eyes off Rick. „If you make it a point not to hang around old acquaintances, why are you hanging around this cabin?“
    „I use this place, Heather. I guess you could say it’s my corporate headquarters.“ He eyed his surroundings derisively. „I think it all has a kind of poetic justice.“
    „What does?“
    „Me using Strand property to found my own personal empire.“
    „Rick, you’re not making any sense. And I think you may be right about that stream. It is running higher than usual, even for this time of the year. If we get a lot more rain this afternoon, it could overflow and block the road. I think I’m going to change my mind about staying here.“
    Determinedly Heather walked to the door. Her instincts were clamoring, warning her to put as much distance as possible between herself and Rick Monroe. She decided to forget about the suitcase her mother had so carefully packed.
    „Enjoy yourself, Rick. I’m going to leave you alone in your ‘corporate headquarters.’“
    Her hand was on the old glass doorknob when he spoke behind her. Even before she turned around she