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Twin Seduction Exerpt | page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | excerpts
It could have been her home. The words had formed a chant in her mind ever since she’d stepped off the plane in Santa Fe. She could have been raised here instead of Manhattan. Living in the wide open spaces that she’d been driving through for the past hour wouldn’t have been just a fantasy. It would have been her life. And she would have grown up knowing her father. Although Eva had tolerated Jordan’s love of horses, she’d never shared it. And now she’d lost out on knowing someone who would have. Why? Jordan pushed down the surge of grief. This wasn’t the time to indulge in it. While she was here, she would find answers. So far what she’d discovered was that everything—the landscape, the sky, even the air—was so different. On her drive from the airport, the rocks and sand stretched away for miles on either side of the road. Unfiltered by even a trace of a cloud, the unrelenting light had bounced off her windshield and shimmered upward in a glimmering haze. Sunglasses had offered little protection against the blinding brilliance. The hills in the distance had seemed so far away. But eventually, she’d reached them and begun the climb. The road had wound upward for several miles in a spiraling corkscrew. To her right was the brownish rock of the hillside and to her left, the land fell away sharply at times into deep gulleys. The vastness of the landscape awed her. She’d never seen anything like it except in her favorite movies. Once past the hills, the road had flattened again, and as she drew closer, she’d caught glimpses of the ranch. The only building she’d been able to identify clearly was the house—a one story sprawling expanse of stone, glass and wood. Now, thanks to the little bit of shade provided by the lean-to, she could finally get a closer look at the outbuildings. To her far right was a long building, painted red with white trim. The stables, she guessed. Maddie must have a horse. It was one of many subjects that had never come up in the short time they’d spent together. She’d neglected to tell her sister that she kept a horse in a stable just north of the city. Jordan made a mental note to tell her the next time they talked. Julius Caesar would love it if Maddie paid him a visit. Next to the stable sat a two story structure that she supposed served as a bunkhouse. Maddie’s neighbor Cash had arranged with one of his men to feed the livestock until he and Maddie’s foreman returned from the cattle drive. To her left and closer to the house was a smaller building—one story high and fashioned out of the same building materials as the main house. It had to be the place Maddie used as her design studio. Then she let her gaze move to the land beyond the buildings. It stretched far into the distance, flat for a while, then gradually lifting into more hills. Something moved through her then. Was it envy that her sister could call this place home and she couldn’t? Ridiculous. She loved her life in New York. It had to be curiosity. And while she was here, she was going to satisfy it thoroughly by exploring every aspect of Maddie’s life, starting tonight with the house. A glance at her watch told her that she was right on time—8:00 PM. And she was stalling. What in the world was she waiting for? Drawing in a deep breath, Jordan opened the door of the SUV and slid to the ground. The heat hit her like a punch, and she lost her balance as her heels sank into the sand. Slapping a hand on the side of the car, she steadied herself, slipped out of her shoes and tossed them into the car. Thank heavens she and Maddie had decided to share each other’s wardrobes because her city clothes weren’t going to serve her well in this new environment. After grabbing her briefcase, she turned and stopped short. In the distance, the hills she’d just driven over were turning a stunning shade of orange as the sun dipped closer to their peaks. Something moved through her then—something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Then she made her way, barefoot, to the trunk, muscled out her suitcase, and circled to the front of the house. The ground felt hot and gritty beneath her feet, but at least she could walk. A wide porch with a railing stretched the length of the building. Before climbing the short flight of steps, she paused to study the house more closely. The intricately carved entrance door was framed on either side by huge floor to ceiling windows that extended the length of the porch on either side. Whoever had designed the place had loved the land, Jordan decided. And who wouldn’t, she thought as she glanced over her shoulder to take another look at those brilliantly orange hills. There was a peacefulness here that appealed to her. Was it because she’d always had this secret fantasy about living on a ranch? But a fantasy was just that. She’d been born and bred in a city—with all its bustle and noise and constant excitement. Still...there was definitely something about the place that was reaching out to her, tantalizing her. Had her mother known that this would happen when she’d created that will? Think about that later. Knowing that she was stalling again, Jordan frowned and climbed the steps. It wasn’t like her to be so hesitant. The key was just where Maddie had left it—under one of the terra cotta planters. Classic location. Jordan sighed and shook her head. No self respecting Manhattanite would leave a key in such an obvious place. She’d had the foresight to give Maddie a whole ring of keys before her sister had flown back to Santa Fe the morning after the will. Very carefully, Jordan inserted the key into the lock and turned it. As she pushed the door open, she suddenly realized why an uncharacteristic caution had been dogging her ever since she’d convinced her sister to agree to the switch. Whatever she was going to discover beyond this door, whatever happened to her on this ranch was going to change her life. So be it, she thought as she strode into the room. But the feeling that moved through her was so surprising that she very nearly backed up onto the porch. The instant that she’d walked into the cavernous room with its steepled ceiling, she’d felt inexplicably at home. |
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