The rambunctious wind kept plastering her clothes against her body, teasing him with reminders that the wind could touch where he dared not. Her breasts were outlined beneath her soft white blouse, revealing the top of her red swimsuit. Her legs, firm and shapely, dangled from the seat in a half-hearted effort to reach the floorboard. He also knew the bottom portion of that red suit was as snug a fit as the top, and ready to be revealed as soon as her brief black shorts were removed.

She was full of anticipation and questions. And she made him nervous as hell. There was a simmering quality to her personality today that told him he’d better beware.

The Debbie Randall that he’d first met at the Longren Ranch—the one who’d charmed every other member of his family and then ignored his existence, the one who’d lined up five Brownfield men like peas in a pod to assure Lily that her wedding would go off without a hitch, the one that had sent him running in panic from Oklahoma—was back.

He turned off the highway and headed south. Aliso Beach was just ahead. They parked. He grinned as Debbie began grabbing at all the paraphernalia she’d brought along.

“Well, this is it, girl,” he said. “We walk from here. Looks like someone besides us decided that this would be a good day to spend at the beach.”

Debbie stared. There were cars for miles, gleaming, metallic status symbols as multihued as peacocks, lining the streets and parking area. Just beyond them, she could hear voices and laughter. She grabbed her bag, slid her sunglasses down on her nose, and opened the door, her anticipation mounting as a new adventure was about to begin.

Cole sensed her excitement. It was contagious. He’d gotten a glimpse of her wonderment last night during their impromptu meal. What would today reveal of this charming bit of femininity? And more important, what would be revealed of himself? Each day, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that Debbie Randall was stuck in his craw. It would take everything he had to insure that she didn’t get a toehold on his heart. Cole, male that he was, was blind to the fact that it was already too late. He was long past help.

*  *  *

Vendors lined the boardwalk, hawking their food and souvenirs, their sun block and umbrellas, until Cole thought they’d never make it to the beach. Debbie was entranced by everything and had to see and sample all that was offered. It took them twenty minutes to get from the car to the middle of the vendors’ walkway, and during that time, she’d downed a corn dog, a lemonade, and was beginning a frozen yogurt.

“You’ll have to wait forever to get in the water,” Cole teased.

Debbie shrugged. “It’s okay,” she said. “We’ve got all day.”