A Man to Rely On

Marisol shook her head at Scott’s question. “There are too many memories here.”

“So make some new memories.” He set down the roller and moved closer to her. “I’d like it if you stayed.”

Her eyes met his, calm and clear. “I meant what I said. I’m not interested in a long-term relationship. I’m not ready to let another man into my life.”

“Maybe you’ll change your mind one day, but until then, I’m here.” He took her hand in his, his large fingers laced with her slender ones. “I’ve been dying for one moment alone with you. You’ve felt it, haven’t you?”

She said nothing, though the longing in her eyes answered for her.

Dear Reader,

I’m fascinated by the way stories evolve—the process is rarely the same from one book to the next. The characters Marisol and Scott came to me long before I found the right story for them. I tried several different plots before I found the one that was a perfect fit. The result is A Man To Rely On.

I’m particularly drawn to stories of people who defy expectations or overcome tough odds. One wonderful thing about writing is that my characters get to be tougher or prettier or braver or more talented than I ever could be. I get to live their adventures in my head as I tell their stories.

I think that’s one of the great things about reading, as well. We get to live great adventures through the pages of a book, without ever leaving home or our comfortable armchair.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading about Marisol and Scott’s adventures, as well. Let me know what you think. I love to hear from readers. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or write to me in care of Harlequin Enterprises, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.

Best,

Cindi Myers

Cindi Myers grew up in a small town in Texas, but she never had the desire to jump off a highway bridge, in any state of dress or undress. She now lives in Colorado with her husband, who never plays basketball, and two spoiled dogs.

For Pam,

who loved this story in all its incarnations.

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Cedar Switch, Texas, 1988

“D ID YOU HEAR ? She’s going to do it. She’s really going to do it.”

“Do what?” Scott Redmond struggled to keep up with his friend, Sam Waite, as they splashed through the muddy shallows above the swimming hole in the Brazos River. It was after noon on a Thursday in August, and the river was the temperature of bath water. The air smelled of weeds and mud and the beachy scent of Coppertone oil.

He lunged through the thigh-high water. At fourteen, Sam was a year older and a head taller. His legs were longer too, and he moved faster in the water.

Scott scrambled for purchase on the slick river bottom. With a loud splash, he fell, and came up sputtering, muddy water filling his eyes and nose. Sam didn’t even notice, he was so intent on reaching the bridge. Around him, other kids were making their way upstream toward the bridge too. In local swimming hole hierarchy, the bridge was the territory of older kids, who took turns daring each other to leap from the creosote posts that supported the guardrail beside the highway.

“What’s going on?” Scott asked, as he stood and slicked his hair back out of his eyes.

“Marisol Luna is gonna jump off the bridge,” a boy Scott’s age said.

“So?” Kids did it all the time. He hadn’t yet, but he probably would soon. At least by the time he was in high school.

“She’s gonna do it naked! ” The other boy’s eyes lit up with a wicked gleam. “C’mon. You don’t want to miss this.”

The chance to see a female naked in broad daylight was not something that happened very often in the lives of most thirteen-year-olds in Cedar Switch, Texas. Inspired by this rare prospect, Scott floundered through the water again, determined not to miss the spectacle.

When he joined the crowd gathered beneath the high concrete span, he could see the group of older kids on the bridge. Danny Westover was the high school football team’s quarterback. His sometimes-girlfriend, Jessica Freeman, was there, along with half a dozen other high school boys and girls. And in front of them all was a girl Scott thought he had seen around town before: a Mexican girl with curly black hair that hung past her shoulders. She wore a modest one-piece tank suit, red with black roses printed on it.

“That’s her. That’s Marisol,” Sam said, pointing.

Scott nodded. “I know. What makes you think she’s gonna jump?” He couldn’t even say the part about her being naked. It was too impossible to imagine.

“Jessica dared her. She said if Marisol thought she was such hot stuff, she ought to let them all see.”