The beep cut her off, mid-word. I sat there for a moment on my couch, staring out the window into the night. Wila padded into the living room from her hiding spot, and jumped up next to me. We’re not normally a cuddly couple, but the cat seemed to sense I wanted company. Her warm body was a comfort beside me.

“I screwed up, Wila.’’ Whispering, I stroked her velvety coat. “It’s my fault Carlos is fooling around with Kelly. If I’d tried harder to let him know how I feel, that would have been me dancing with him tonight.’’

Wila purred. Did she agree? Was she contradicting me? Maybe she was just enjoying the massage.

The last explanation was most likely. Still, it felt good to unburden myself. I wasn’t Catholic, so the cat was the best confessor I was likely to get.

“What should I do, Wila?’’

A knock at my bedroom window put a quick end to my conversation with the cat. I jumped up; Wila leapt to the floor. As she scurried under the couch, I grabbed Paw-Paw’s shotgun from the closet.

My cottage is tiny, and I could see the window of my bedroom from the living room, just a half dozen steps away.

It was inky dark in the backyard. Whoever had knocked was outside the glow of the light from the front porch. A shiver worked its way along my spine. Could the intruder see me, while I couldn’t see him, or her? Another knock sounded, more insistent this time.

“Who’s there?’’

Taking cover behind the bedroom doorframe, I quickly loaded and racked the shotgun. That dramatic sound everyone knows from the movies ricocheted out the screened window.

“¡Dios mío! Don’t shoot! It’s me, Carlos. I didn’t want to wake you in case you were sleeping.’’

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding, pulled back the slide and ejected the shell.

“Well, I’m not sleepy now.’’ I went to the window. “What are you doing out there?’’

“I’m checking to make sure you’re safe.’’ He tapped at the glass. “I’ve told you about this. I really wish you wouldn’t leave the window open, Mace. Anybody could push through this screen.’’

His overprotectiveness was about to make me bristle, as usual. I counted to five instead. Maybe it meant he still cared about me, at least a little.

“Want to come in?’’

“I was hoping you’d ask.’’

Once he was inside, and settled on the couch, I got him a soda. I grabbed my salsa, found a couple of napkins, and transferred the chips I’d been eating straight from the bag into a glass bowl. Mama would be proud.

“What brings you way out here?’’

“I wanted to talk.’’

“Ever hear of a phone?’’

He cocked his head at me. I hoped my smile stripped the words of any sting.

“I wanted to see you in person. I was afraid if I called first, you’d say I couldn’t come.’’

“Fair enough,’’ I said. “Let’s talk.’’

I put the bowl between us on the couch and sat down. He took a long swallow from his can of Coke.

“No games?’’ he finally asked, as he looked into my eyes.

I showed him my hands, holding no tricks.

“I’m sorry about how I was acting with Kelly tonight. It was childish. I wanted to make you jealous.’’

“Mission accomplished,’’ I said.

“I’d like to give things another try, Mace. Give us another try.’’

I searched his face. His eyes held mine. I felt like I was floating in those dark chocolate pools. And then I remembered how just a couple of hours earlier, he’d been staring just that same way into Kelly’s eyes.

“I don’t know, Carlos. You seemed awfully cozy with the movie star.’’

He shrugged. “It was just one dance. The main reason I called Kelly tonight was business. I needed to ask her some questions regarding the investigation.’’

I sat up straight. “Why? Do you think Kelly’s involved?’’

He shook a finger at me. “You know I’m not going to tell you that.’’

“That means you do.’’

“No, it means I’m not going to tell you. So quit asking.’’ He leaned closer, brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “Besides, this is about us. Do you think what we have is worth working on?’’

Judging by the way my skin sizzled at his touch, I did. For once, I didn’t hesitate.

“Yes, I absolutely do,’’ I said. “Can we start working on it right now, please?’’

His eyes went all hot and liquid. I felt a shudder of desire. We moved toward each other, and kissed. His mouth tasted sweet, like cinnamon breath mints overlaid with Coke. He laced his fingers into my hair, and pulled my face roughly to his. Willingly, I went. Fingers fumbled with zippers and buttons. The bowl tumbled off the couch. We tore at one another’s clothes.

Anger. Confusion. Love. Lust. All the emotions that had been racing through my body crystallized, and then melded into one powerful urge. We became one, and the flame of hurt I’d felt when I saw him with Kelly was extinguished, right there on the couch. Just to be sure, we put the flame out again.

After we were spent, he chuckled.

“Not exactly the after-glow response I’d hoped for.’’ I gave his shoulder a playful punch.

He picked a crushed tortilla chip from my hair and showed it to me. I had to smile, because I had spotted a big glob of salsa on his bare chest. I swiped the salsa onto my finger, and then dabbed it on the chip. He popped the combination into his mouth.

“Not bad,’’ he said.

“I’ve got a leftover slice of Mama’s butterscotch pie in the fridge,’’

I said. “Want something sweet?’’

“I just had something sweet.’’ He gave me an exaggerated leer.

I was about to ask if he was ready for thirds on that particular treat, when I heard the sound of country music floating through the night air. Outside, a truck was jouncing into my yard. Carlos raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged, grabbed a long T-shirt, and went to the window to look out.

Uh-oh. The pickup was big, white, and very familiar. The engine stuttered to a stop. A door squeaked open, and then slammed.

“Mace! You home, darlin’?’’

The words were slurred. The accent was country, and also familiar.

“It’s me, sweetheart. Jeb Ennis!’’

Boots shuffled on the gravel path outside. Step. Stumble. Stumble. Step.

“I told you I could still find my way here.’’ Jeb’s shout was slurred. “I’m a little drunk, but not too drunk to get busy.’’

A knock sounded at the door. Carlos had already put on his pants and shoes. He was gathering his keys and wallet.

“Please stay,’’ I told him. “I’ll get rid of Jeb.’’

He stood in front of the mirror on the dresser in my bedroom, buttoning his shirt. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“I had no idea he was coming out here, Carlos.’’

The knocking turned into pounding at the front door.

“Open up! I reconsidered our little chat in my truck. I love you. I’m gonna change, just like you always wanted. That’s a promise.’’

Carlos slipped his wallet in his back pocket, patted it. “That sounds like a pretty good offer to me. I’d take Jeb up on it. Like he said, it’s what you’ve always wanted.’’

“I’m not interested in Jeb. I’m interested in you. I thought I’d just proved that.’’

I glanced at the couch, its pillows all askew. I hoped I wasn’t blushing.

He focused those lasers of his on me. “That was just sex, Mace.’’ His voice was ice. “Anybody can do that.’’

The knob on the front door rattled. “I’m tellin’ you, sweetheart: I love you!’’

Carlos unlocked the door and yanked it open. The surprise on Jeb’s face when he saw him standing there was almost comical. But I wasn’t in a laughing mood. As Carlos stalked past Jeb, I followed him out onto the porch.

“Please, don’t go.’’

I hated the desperate note I heard in my voice. I hated it even more when Carlos coldly shook off the hand I’d placed on his arm. He didn’t bother to answer as he hurried down the steps. I ran after him into the yard, leaving Jeb standing on the top step with his mouth hanging open.