Close Proximity Read Online Free Page A

while working at Springer was put aside for the ranch. It was always my dream. And now I’m living it.”
    For an instant, the muscles of his face eased…and Libby’s breath caught in her throat. He was truly a gorgeous man.
    At that moment, he smiled, open and easy, for the very first time, and it seemed to her that all the oxygen had been sucked right out of the air.
    â€œNow that you’ve discovered that I deal in horseflesh,” he said, “I guess you’re wondering how I could possibly help your father.”
    In all honesty, Libby quietly responded, “I hadn’t, actually.” Then she added, “But I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
    â€œBecause of my extensive training all those years ago at Springer,” he told her, “I was able to qualify for a P.I. license. I’ve worked for a couple different insurance firmsin the area. You’ll be needing someone with my skills, I’m sure.”
    Coming from anyone else, that statement might have sounded cocky, overly prideful. But Libby didn’t feel that way about it at all. She admired the fact that he was confident.
    She didn’t answer, but simply lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip of coffee. For some reason, she wasn’t ready to come to any kind of arrangement with this man.
    Softly, he said, “Your father is lucky that you’re a lawyer. No one would fight harder for him than family.”
    She actually flinched when she heard him mirror the very thoughts that had passed through her mind earlier when she’d been sitting out in front of the house in the car. Luckily, coffee didn’t slosh over the rim of the cup.
    â€œYou practice in San Francisco?”
    â€œYes.” Her tone made it clear that she was surprised by his knowledge of her.
    â€œYou’ve been mentioned in the papers,” he explained. “And there’s been plenty of talk about your arrival. Prosperino is a small town. Rich soil for the old grapevine.”
    She only nodded. The sound of his voice had a lulling, mesmerizing quality.
    â€œYou look like him.”
    Libby’s gaze darted to where the pad of his thumb absently traced the gentle curve of the lip of his cup, and she was bombarded with a vision of that thumb roving over the outline of her mouth. Her throat went dry and her eyes darted from his.
    â€œYour father, I mean,” he continued. “You inherited his hair coloring. Although, if I remember correctly, his is a much darker red. But your eyes…they’re quite different from what I remember your father having. His are dark, aren’t they?”
    She nodded. “I’ve got my mother’s eyes.”
    â€œI see.”
    It seemed to her that he wanted to stop there. She could see his silent, internal battle. A battle he ultimately lost.
    â€œYour eyes are quite—” His rich tone lowered an octave as he added, “Startling.”
    Libby swallowed, her spine straightening.
    Startling. It was a word Stephen had often used when describing her gaze. And it was a description she’d come to loathe.
    This conversation was getting much too personal for her tastes. The porcelain cup clinked firmly against the tiled countertop when she set it down. “So…what makes you think my father is innocent?”
    He was very good at masking his reactions, but Libby did see his dark brows raise a fraction in surprise before he reined in his response.
    â€œI’ve already explained. Your father is a good man. His heart—his conscience—would not allow him to poison the land. Or the people living on it.”
    â€œGood people do bad things every single day,” she pointed out.
    â€œI may not know him personally, but David Corbett has a strong sense of right and wrong. He’s shown that over and over again to my people.”
    His gaze shifted, and she got the distinct impression that he wasn’t telling all he