"Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.A," she read off the screen. "Friday, 9:06 p.m. Christchurch, New Zealand, Saturday, 4:06 p.m."

Would he be working?

Scraping her fingernails along damp palms, she drew in a ragged breath and hopefully a bucket of courage. Too long had passed, about three months too long, but she could hide it no longer.

Phone, address book…her fingers raced around the desk, tidying the jar of pens, straightening papers. Should she make a drink or go to the bathroom first? If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. Who said that? she wondered, then a knock at the door cranked up her heartbeat. A welcome relief? A stay of execution? But the butterflies stayed with her as she rose, tugging her long shirt down over her sweats.

It was easy to avoid people, living in the cottage by the stables, away from the prying eyes of the main house on the estate. No one had noticed a thing, but that wasn't surprising. After all, who ever noticed Skylar? But the concern in her brother's eyes on a rare visit from Deadwood last week came back to her now.

"Coming." Skylar yanked the door open and nearly passed out on the spot.

Zack Manning opened his mouth then closed it again with an audible snap, or that might have been the sound of her knees buckling.

He stared at her, the beginnings of a smile on his handsome face fading fast.

Her worst nightmare. Adrenaline flooded her system and she could not look away. She felt her lips move in a soundless prayer, felt the tension in her fingers, balled into fists by her sides.

After