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wearing a pair of jeans, obviously new judging from their dark look, a peach colored T-shirt and that damned floral apron from last night.
    That same apron had a starring role in his dreams, covering his naked wife who fed him cupcakes while the dog watched and waited for crumbs. He sat up and scratched Clyde behind the ears in apology.
    “You’re awake.” A smile stretched across her face, and Ritt forgot to breathe. Could it be that she was even more beautiful today than she had been when she’d stomped on his heart and left town without a backward glance? Or maybe it wasn’t merely beauty, but that mature look of confidence that sucked him in like a vortex.
    That was it. Her hair was the same, dark chocolate brown, her limbs long and tanned. She still had those killer gray eyes and a smile that could launch ships, even white teeth and that slight indentation in her chin.
    But she carried herself like a woman, shoulders back, head up and eyes straight ahead. She hadn’t been like that back then. The confidence was intoxicating.
    “Oops!”
    Ritt jumped to his feet as whatever she was cooking on the stovetop burst into flames. The smoke alarm blared an ear-splitting screech as Clyde let out a howl.
    “Oh. My. God.” Shelby waved at the small fire with a dishtowel only fanning the flames.
    Ritt grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink and in seconds the fire was out, the stove, frying pan and its contents coated in frothy white foam.
    One good whack with the broom and the smoke detector was silenced.
    The hound continued his mournful song.
    “Clyde. Clyde!”
    The dog stopped yowling and studied them with his sad, basset eyes.
    “Enough.” Ritt glared at the animal.
    Clyde dropped to his belly and laid his chin on his paws.
    “Wow. Thanks, Ritt.”
    He rounded on his wife. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
    She blinked, then took a step back as if he were about to pounce on her.
    Truth was, he might. But not in a good way. It was one thing to have her barge back into his life and another to have her setting fire to his kitchen.
    “I only wanted to cook you some breakfast.”
    “Don’t.”
    “But—” Tears welled in her eyes, and Ritt immediately regretted his tone of voice. Whatever plan she had up her sleeve, fire wasn’t part of it. “Isn’t that what you wanted? A chance?”
    “What are you talking about?”
    She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand, smearing her mascara under her eyes. The look should have been ugly, but it made them appear bigger, smoky gray. “Yesterday in Craig’s office. You said I never gave us a chance.”
    So that’s what this was about. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?”
    “We can’t go back in time.”
    He snorted. If only he could…
    “Why are you so angry, Ritt?”
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    She pushed herself onto one of the barstools surrounding the kitchen island and propped her heels on the top rung. “No.”
    This was not the conversation he wanted to have at eight in the morning. Come to think of it, he didn’t want to have the conversation at all.
    He heaved a sigh and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “It was the money, Shel.”
    She blinked. Then she blinked again as if trying to process his words. “What are you talking about?”
    Did she really want to play it like this? All innocence and big eyes. “The money my parents gave your mother to take you away.”
    He had to hand it to her, the look of disbelief could have won an Oscar. But it only made him madder.
    “What money?”
    “This has gone on long enough, Shelby. I’m going to take a shower, and when I come back, I expect this mess to be cleaned up.”
    He turned on his heel and stalked down the hallway, her look of incomprehension trailing behind him.
     
    Shelby watched his tight rear disappear down the hall. The sight of it was almost enough to make her forget his words. But not quite.
    What money? There was