Probably.
No wonder she’d given him the cold shoulder on the plane. If she had thought he was flirting with her she wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with him, and he couldn’t entirely blame her. They were living in two different worlds.
“How long have you guys been using the ranch as a getaway location?” she asked.
He thanked the heavens she didn’t say “resort.” He may have given his okay that they host guests on this property but he sure as heck didn’t want to turn his home into some frou-frou spa where people spent their days sitting in steam rooms and drinking cocktails. He could grudgingly allow people to experience life on a ranch—albeit without having to do any of the real dirty work—but getting a massage while he helped birth a calf? That would not fly.
She was waiting for an answer and he found himself shifting again. It was a cut and dry question but it could lead to others, like why had they opened it up to guests in the first place? That he wasn’t nearly as willing to answer. There was no way he wanted to air his family’s dirty laundry—to anyone, but especially not this judgy little thing. There was no way she could relate to financial struggles, not like the ones he and his family faced. He didn’t have to know the brand of shoes she was wearing to know they were expensive. Everything about this lady looked classy and elegant.
Out of place, of course, but elegant. She reeked of money, just as surely as he reeked of the ranch. On any given day he smelled of horses, leather, and sweat from working his tail off on the range.
“About six months or so,” he said. And then, before she could ask more questions, he continued on in a rush. “There’s a bar up ahead. I’ll stop there so you can, ah, refresh yourself.”
She gave a little snort of amusement that had him looking over in surprise. Snorts didn’t exactly fit the uptight ladylike image he’d gotten, but then, he’d already realized that there was more to her than meets the eye.
“Refresh yourself?” she repeated. When he looked over again, she batted her eyes as she donned a silly southern accent. “Do you speak so delicately to all the ladies or just to me?”
Her teasing was so ridiculous it made him laugh. Not to mention, she was right. He’d never been anything less than blunt up until now, and apparently he shouldn’t even try. Clearly he wasn’t good at it. “All right, then,” he said with a grin. “Relieve yourself.”
She laughed. “Better.”
The roadhouse came into view and he had a brief moment of doubt about this plan. It was all locals at this place and he wasn’t worried they’d harass her, but…well, she would stand out. And the fact that she was with him? Well, that would cause the gossip to spread and the last thing he needed these days was more gossip about his love life. It had been years since he’d been at the heart of any scandal and he aimed to keep it that way.
It was that thought that had him hesitating when they came to a stop. He even thought of asking her just how badly she had to go, but that seemed the height of rudeness. And while he might hate the fact that she was here, he couldn’t help but hear his mother’s voice in his head scolding him for even thinking of being rude to a lady.
She’d passed away years ago, but not even death could dull the memory of her stern lectures. She’d intended for them to stick, and they had.
“Is there a problem?” she asked.
He shook his head, already reaching for the door. He saw her do the same. “Hang on one second and I’ll help you down.”
It was the wrong thing to say, apparently. He saw her stiffen. “I can manage on my own.”
But you don’t have to. He cut the words off before he could say them, settling for an exasperated sigh instead. He still made his way to her side to make sure she didn’t tumble in those ridiculous heels, but when he got there she was slithering down and landed with surprising steadiness on her feet.
“How on earth do you walk in those things?” he asked with honest curiosity as he led the way to the front door.
“You get used to it,” she said.
Music blared through speakers over the entrance—country music that was more pop than true country, if you asked him. But no one asked him and from the way Alice, Cole, and James teased him about being an old man in a young man’s body, he had to assume his opinions were in the minority.
If the music weren’t playing digitally from somebody’s iPhone somewhere, he was fairly certain it would have come to a screeching halt when they walked through the doors. As it was, all talking ceased, first by those by the door and then the silence spread back all the way to the pool table.
All eyes were on them and more than one mouth was hanging open. No one was even pretending to hide their interest in the new beauty in town. He glanced around at the crowd—some he recognized, some he only knew their face.
None looked sober, which probably had something to do with the complete and utter lack of subtlety in the ogling and leers that were aimed in her direction. Even the women were eyeing her—not in an unfriendly way, but in a curious one. Some of their faces were screwed up in confusion, like an ostrich had just walked into the place and not a young woman.
He looked down to see how she was holding up to the scrutiny. Perhaps not surprisingly she looked as confident and poised as ever. Her chin was tilted up and her lips were slightly pursed in a way he was starting to recognize.
Here was the ice queen he’d seen on the plane. She’d thawed gradually in the truck and seeing her go back to playing the role of stuck-up queen bee was a jolt to his senses. Where had that laughing woman with the soft, lilting voice gone? The one who’d snorted with amusement and did a terrible Southern belle impersonation?
This woman looked like she was all business. But then, she was in an awkward spot and he wasn’t helping by standing here gawking at her like all the rest. With a hand on her back, he nudged her gently toward the pool tables, making sure to stay by her side—more for her comfort than he thought anyone would actually try to approach her. Even drunk, these men would be able to see that she was out of their league.
Just like she was clearly out of his.
He’d learned his lesson on harboring hopes for a committed relationship with a woman who wanted nothing to do with small towns or living on a ranch. His ex had taught him that, though they were on good terms now.
He watched Katy disappear into the ladies’ room that had likely never seen such an expensive handbag, let alone a woman so stuck up it looked like it hurt to walk.
But maybe he was being too judgmental.
Then he thought back to her tight smile in the airplane, the way her eyes had roved over his clothes and his hat, taking in his five o’clock shadow with an ill-concealed sneer.
Or maybe he wasn’t being judgmental enough.
He shook his head, partly to shake off those thoughts but also to signal to the staring bartender that he wasn’t here for drinks. He aimed to get her out of here and back on the road as soon as possible.
After that, she’d be Alice’s problem.
He stared at the closed door, willing her to appear again. As he did, he had an unbidden image of her smile in the truck. He heard her laugh as clearly as if she was standing next to him.
Huh. He’d never known he could be haunted by someone who was alive and kicking and in the ladies’ room a few feet away. No, haunting him wasn’t quite right. She was just a mystery and he’d always loved a good riddle. She’d been terrified on the plane but acted so brave; she’d been all ice-queen cold and then so warm and sweet.
He shook his head again, this time solely for his own benefit. He had to stop thinking about her. She might be pretty—and maybe even nice underneath that prickly exterior—but she wasn’t for him.
Besides, for all he knew she was spoken for. Though he hadn’t seen a ring…not that he’d been looking. He noticed stuff, he couldn’t help that.
“Dax!” A cute redhead with curls he’d recognize anywhere came walking over to him.
Ellen. Now she looked
like she belonged. And she should, he supposed. A lifetime Lulu resident, she’d been in Cole’s class a couple grades ahead of him in high school and was still good friends with Cole’s fiancée, Claire. She was also one of the most outgoing, bubbly women he’d ever had the pleasure to meet, though after the death of her husband, her smiles were a bit more strained and her eyes held a hint of sadness that had never been there before.
She leapt up to give him a hug. “What are you doing here?” She pulled back and arched her brows. “And who was that fancy-pants lady you walked in with?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but she kept going, giving his shoulder a little shove. “Nice work, Deckland. I mean, I knew you had game because you’re a Deckland and all, and no Deckland lacks in the charm department, if you know what I mean.”
Katy started out of the bathroom door behind Ellen but she didn’t notice. “It’s not what you think, El—”
“But my goodness, you have snagged yourself one hot—”
“Katy!” He called her name far too loudly since she was right behind Ellen, but he’d wanted to stop his old friend before she could go any further. He knew exactly how hot his new houseguest was, thanks very much. He didn’t need her to say it and he certainly didn’t need to cause Katy any more awkwardness.
Something told him the fact that she was in this state at all made her deeply uncomfortable. The uncharitable thought made him smirk as he made introductions. “Ellen, this is Katy Hunter. She’s an event planner who—”
“You’re Katy!” Ellen’s eyes were wide with recognition and maybe even admiration. She reached out with both hands to envelop one of Katy’s manicured hands in her grasp. “Oh my, it is so good to meet you. Claire has told me all about you and she is just pleased as punch that you’re here. Are you sticking around for the wedding?”
Dax bit back a groan. Normally he loved Ellen’s effusiveness, but right now he wanted to stick a sock in her mouth to make it stop. “She’s only here for the long weekend, El.”
But even as he spoke, Katy surprised the life out of him by breaking out in a brilliant smile. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before, from her or anyone else, for that matter. The smile lit up her face making him hear a choir of angels…metaphorically speaking, of course. Literally he heard Blake Shelton crooning about love over the stereo.
“I wish I could make it,” she said. “I’d love to meet Claire in person. Hannah has told me so much about her and I watched her perform in Giselle a few years ago.” She clasped her hands to her chest in a surprisingly girlish display. “She was amazing,” she gushed.
“Isn’t she?” Ellen leaned closer and Dax got the distinct impression that these two women were already fast friends and he was being excluded from a girls-only conversation. Sure enough, Ellen started filling her in on how Claire was currently teaching her daughter and the other grade school girls ballet after school. If Katy was not genuinely interested in Ellen’s daughter and her friends, he would never know it. She was either genuinely interested or the best actress he’d ever known.
Granted, he didn’t know many actresses. Or any, actually.
But still, he watched mesmerized as her eyes lit up with excitement and laughter as Ellen chattered on about first June and then Claire and Cole’s wedding the next weekend.
The sound of a barstool scraping the wood floor nearby caught his attention and for the first time in several minutes he looked around, once again aware of where they were now that he wasn’t staring in fascination at this enigmatic little bundle of surprises from Hollywood.
What he noticed when he looked around made him frown. More than a few men at the bar had their eyes on Katy. It seemed he wasn’t the only one mesmerized. He caught himself before he could wrap a possessive arm around her shoulders.
It wasn’t that he was possessive, obviously. He had no claim to this woman. But she was a guest of his ranch and an important client for his sister.
His sister, whom he should inform about Katy’s arrival. She’d kill him if he caught her unawares. But first, he had to get Katy out of there before he found himself snarling at those rude men at the bar for doing exactly what he’d just done.
Hypocritical? Maybe. But he had no time to worry about that now.
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but Katy and I should get going. She’s had a long travel day and I’m sure Alice will be excited to meet her.”
Katy gave him a funny pursed-lips look that he couldn’t interpret.
“Oh, of course!” Ellen said. She cast a quick, worried glance over her shoulder toward a rancher he recognized from doing business together. A nice guy a little older than himself who was currently watching Ellen, clearly waiting for her to return to their table.
When Ellen turned back her smile had that strained look again. “You two have a good night. Get home safe.” She was already backing up.
“El, you all right? Do you need a ride home?”
She looked confused for a second but then that puzzlement cleared and she gave him a more natural smile. “No, I’m good. Keith’s a nice guy, it’s just…” She shrugged helplessly. “I thought I might be ready to date, but I guess I’m not quite there yet.”
He had no idea what to say. Katy, who could have no way of knowing about the tragedy that had befallen Ellen’s family nearly two years ago reached out without hesitation and squeezed her arm. “Is there anything we can do?”
Ellen grinned and shook her head. “Keith knew I wasn’t certain about this before we even left tonight. It won’t come as a surprise. I suppose just having come here tonight is a step in the right direction, right?”
“Definitely.” Katy sounded so certain that it made Ellen straighten a bit with confidence.
Dax was momentarily distracted by Katy’s new persona of supportive, comforting friend. For the love of Pete, she didn’t even know why she was comforting this woman but she was doing a better job of it than Dax.
He turned back to where Keith was sitting. “Do you want me to talk to him? I can give you a ride home after I drop Katy off and—”
“Dax, don’t be ridiculous,” Ellen said, squeezing his arm sweetly as she said it. “I appreciate the offer but I’m a grown woman and Keith is as harmless as they come.”
He frowned. Keith might be harmless but Ellen had been through so much, he didn’t want her to have to face any discomfort, not if he could help it. “If you change your mind and want a ride—”
Her groan cut him off but she directed her next words to Katy. “One thing about Dax here. He’s everyone’s hero.” Her voice was filled with teasing but her eyes held nothing but kindness.
“I can tell. He’s a real knight in shining armor,” Katy muttered in response.
His gaze shot to her but despite the sarcastic undertone, she was still giving Ellen an empathetic smile.
What was that all about?
Ellen went up on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaning over to pull Katy in for a hug. “If you need anything, you call, you hear?” she demanded of Katy before walking back toward Keith.
He put a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her toward the exit and away from the prying eyes. When they reached the parking lot, she let out a sigh. He supposed she’d felt that tension in there as much as he had, if not more so.
He helped her into the truck and then held up his phone. “Do you mind if I give Alice a call real quick?”
“Of course not.”
He stepped away, not wanting her to hear his side of the conversation and Alice answered on the first ring. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for ages,” she said in lieu of hello.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you all right? Is someone hurt? Did—”
“No,” she said quickly. Then she let out a sigh of exasperation. “Jeez, no one’s hurt, Mr. Paranoid. I just needed to ask you a favor.”
Oh. “Shoot.”
“I need you to hold the fort if the even planner shows up tonight—”
“What? Why? Where are you?”
“I knew you’d overreact,” she said with another huff. Sometimes Alice seemed like a mature business woman and other times it was easy to remember that she’d been a teen-ager not too long ago.
“Where are you now that you can’t be there for your guest?”
“She’s technically our guest,” Alice started, her voice taking on that irritating rationalizing tone she used when she knew she was guilty.
“Alice,” he interrupted. “Where are you?”
He heard her hiss of air and could practically see her wince through the phone. “Claire and I are stuck in Bozeman.”
He stared at the ground, trying to keep his breathing even and his voice level even though he was ready to shout with frustration. This wasn’t his job. He wasn’t supposed to have anything to do with the guests. “What do you mean you’re stuck?”
She launched into a longwinded story about Claire’s old car—her ridiculously beat-up lemon that Cole must have fixed for her a hundred times by now.
“Why doesn’t he just get her a new car?” he asked.
She sighed again, as if this question was a nuisance. “He did get her a new car but he’s doing some work on it so she’s stuck using the old one until it’s done.”
So this was Cole’s fault. Of course it was. “Well then he should have driven her to Bozeman himself.”
She paused. “He should have driven both of us on the back of his bike?”
He pressed his lips together. Man alive, he hated when she got sarcastic on him, especially when he was already annoyed. “He should get a car of his own. Why a grown man needs a motorcycle is beyond me and—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Alice sounded bored and probably rightfully so. There was a good possibility he’d given that speech before, likely numerous times, over the past few years.
It didn’t mean he wasn’t still right.
“Coulda, woulda, shoulda,” Alice said blithely. “It’s done now, and besides he couldn’t have come with us because we’re here to do last-minute bride stuff.”
Steel Toes & Stilettos (Sweet & Rugged in Montana Book 2) Page 3