“We’ve got company” were the first words past Dell’s lips when my feet hit the sweet, sweet ground. Graeson leapt from the makeshift ladder and landed in a crouch behind me. He rose and dusted his palms before placing one at the small of my back and pushing me in the general direction of the trailers.

“Why the rush?” a woman possessing a rich Southern accent called. “I only wanted to say hello.”

“Keep walking,” Graeson ordered under his breath.

“She’s following.” Dell grimaced. “You’re going to have to talk to her eventually.”

“Cord.” Petulance sat heavy in the new voice. Clearly she was one of those women used to pouting and getting her way. “You know my legs aren’t that long. Slow down. We haven’t talked since you got home. I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me.”

Graeson, who kept to my back, remained unreadable. Dell I saw clearly out of the corner of my eye, and her wrinkled nose told me what she thought of the woman dogging our heels.

A muttered curse brought his warm breath across my nape in the same instant as a hand closed over my arm. A petite woman with wide eyes and curves for days smiled up at me through straight white teeth as her magic prickled my skin.

“You must be Ellen.” She beamed. “I’m Imogen.” A bashful shrug as authentic as her white-blonde curls bounced her thin shoulders. “Cord and I dated in high school. You know how that goes. I like to keep tabs on him is all, make sure he’s being treated right.”

The jealous ex-girlfriend experience was one I had never had, and I wasn’t thrilled to be having it now. I didn’t bother correcting her about my name. She knew it. I could tell. That hard glint in her eyes some might mistake for a personable sparkle masked lethal intelligence. I bet she knew more about me than most of my coworkers ever bothered learning.

“Nice to meet you.” I stared at the point where her hand touched me, and she blushed as she released my elbow. “You two were childhood friends? How sweet that you’ve kept up for so long.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she filtered the words, searching for insult. “Well, you know how first loves are.” She gazed up at him with caked-on adoration. “You never quite get them out of your system.”

No, actually, I didn’t. I had never let a man get that close to me. I pasted on a smile and let her read agreement in it.