Kade gritted his teeth. Women. He shoved the phone into his back pocket. The last thing he needed was more woman trouble. But after the ass he had made of himself in the Elkhorn last night, he had no right to fault Ellie.

He waved at Wyatt. “I’m heading in. Keep your eyes open.” The shooter could still be out there, which all of them knew.

“Will do,” Wyatt called back, his mouth a worried line beneath his silver mustache.

Kade climbed onto the ATV he had ridden to the north pasture and started back to the house. He didn’t see any of the security men on patrol, but he was sure they were there. These guys really knew what they were doing. He felt safer knowing they were watching his back as he drove the four-wheeler down the muddy, half-frozen lane back to the ranch house.

Where Grace was waiting, he reminded himself, and silently cursed. Ellie had met one of his former lovers last night. She was perceptive enough to know Grace was another.

Kade remembered meeting the wealthy, thirty-four-year-old divorcee at the Four Season’s bar in Vail, a lady on the lookout for company. He’d gone home with her that night, and they had enjoyed each other. Kade had told her he wasn’t interested in anything permanent, and Grace had adamantly informed him that she wasn’t either.

They’d dated off and on for almost a year, whenever Grace was in Vail and lonely for male companionship. When she’d started pressing him for more than just no-strings sex, Kade had ended the affair. Now she was here.

He rode the four-wheeler up to where Grace stood next to Ellie and turned off the engine. He couldn’t help comparing the two women. One tall, sleek, and sophisticated. The other smaller, with a full-busted, sexy figure, and gorgeous dark copper hair. One so perfect she seemed synthetic. The other a real woman in every way.

He clamped down on a memory of hot sex in the Elkhorn storeroom last night. Now was definitely not the time.

He strode forward. “Grace. It’s good to see you.” He didn’t lean down and kiss her cheek as he might have done before. “How long’s it been? At least three or four months.” He flicked a glance at Ellie to be sure she got the message.

“Three and a half months, darling. Way longer that it should be. That’s why I’m here.” She linked her arm through his. “Why don’t we go inside so we can talk somewhere private?”

Ellie gave him a phony smile. “That sounds like a good idea.” She walked over and opened the door, stood waiting as the two of them approached. The door slammed solidly behind him, and Kade winced as he led Grace into the house.