by Raeann Blake
“Besides, we’d get to do this more.”
Clay laughed and said, “You’re right. You know, we haven’t ridden the fence line in a long time. Why don’t we plan to take a few days soon to do that?”
“I’ll go for that. Hey, it was great to see the kids the other day. Hailey said you invited Kathy and Gage to bring them out and stay for a while.”
“I did. She said she’d bring them out more, but I know she’s busy. And I know she hates this place. But I hope she does. They’re growin’ up so fast.”
“Why don’t you go into town and see them sometimes?”
“I tried, Laine. But it’s hard to just see them for a few minutes and then leave. I just can’t make myself stay there any longer than that. The neighbors are close enough on each side that if you spit out the window you’re gonna hit somebody. I can’t breathe there.”
He suddenly stopped talking when he saw Lynn ride up beside Hailey and Charlie. He nudged Ringo with his knees and he and Laine both rode up close enough behind them to hear them without letting them know they were there.
“Should I ask what you had to do last night to get him to race?” Lynn asked.
Hailey turned her head to her slowly. Lynn’s face was a complete mask but she hadn’t tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“I hardly think that’s what’s really on your mind. Why don’t you just spit it out?”
“You won’t last here. He doesn’t like women who make such obvious plays for him. Ask Pepper.”
“And you think that’s what I’m doing?” Hailey asked evenly.
“Everybody sees it. First you make a trashy spectacle of yourself with the Anderson boys and now you’re throwing yourself at him. He might screw you. But he won’t keep you.”
“But he will you. Right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lynn snapped.
“Of course you don’t,” Hailey said then turned a challenging gaze to her.
“You’re not right for him. He needs somebody who can conduct themselves with a little class. Not prance all over this ranch and town acting like you’re some damned princess that everybody’s supposed to love or pay the consequences,” Lynn hissed.
“Somebody like you?” Hailey asked easily. She had caught just a glimpse of Ringo from the corner of her eye when she had turned her head earlier. No matter what Lynn said, she was determined to keep her cool.
“Yes, somebody like me. I could do the job you’re doing and do it better. All I needed was a chance.”
“And why are you telling me this instead of him? There’s nothing I can do for you.”
Lynn set her teeth and tried to steady the breath that had grown short in anger. “You could leave now before he gets his head all messed up and starts letting you drag him down the way Pepper did.”
“I have no intention of doing the things Pepper did. I’m trying to fix the things she did. Why do you think that’s a bad thing?” Hailey asked.
“You’re no different than her. She just wanted Clay. But you want this ranch.”
Hailey’s jaw dropped and then she snapped her mouth closed as she turned her head to look at her fully. “What are you talking about?”
“You lost your ranch. You probably didn’t manage it well enough to keep it. And now you want Clay’s. You’re so easy to read. You marched in here and took over everything just like it was yours. It’s not yours. And it’s not going to be yours.”
Hailey studied her for several seconds then finally let her temper get the best of her. “You really have lost your fuckin’ mind. I can see you’ve spent too much time out here without a hat on because the sun has baked your brain, assuming that you have one. I came here to do the job he hired me to do. I’m a ranch hand, just like you.”
“I am nothing like you,” Lynn snapped back at her.
“And thank God Almighty for that,” Hailey shot back.
Clay had heard enough, too much probably when a couple of things Lynn said struck home. He caught Laine’s eye and nodded towards them, knowing that Laine would understand.
“If you two are through, maybe you should pick up the pace a little bit or it’s gonna be midnight before you get back to the ranch,” Laine said harshly. Hailey didn’t flinch or let her gaze waver, but Lynn did, jumping and jerking her head around to find that Clay and Laine had moved directly behind them. As soon as she met Laine’s flat gaze, she shifted her eyes back to Hailey with just a hint of smugness before she kneed her horse into a canter and rode ahead of them without speaking again. She read it easily. She’d known they were there, but she didn’t want them to think that she did. And she knew exactly what she was doing.
Hailey turned her head to them and looked at both of them before she turned back around then shot an angry look at Charlie only to be met by a wide smile.
“What? I didn’t say a word.”
Chapter Sixteen
She set the brush aside and ran her hands over Soldier’s skin. “You did good on this drive. Really good. I was so proud of you. Did it feel good to be out there again? I bet it did. I know you miss it. We’ll get to do it again. I promise.”
Laine watched her from the stall gate then took a few steps away and called out to one of the hands down the aisle.
“Go find Lynn. Tell her I want her in my office, right now.”
As he turned and started to his office, Hailey came through the stall.
“You know that’s degrading, don’t you? To send for her instead of finding her yourself?” Hailey asked as she fell in beside him.
“Yes, I do. And I intended for it to be. Go in the house, Hailey. This is my job and I’ll do it my way,” he said evenly.
She glanced up at him in surprise then nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It was a great drive, Laine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Laine took a deep breath then reached out touched her arm. “Hey. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m glad you had a good time. I enjoy the drives, too. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Laine,” Hailey said with a forced smile. She knew that some of the things Lynn had said stuck with him. And his first reaction had been to make sure that she understood she wasn’t taking over running the ranch. She couldn’t help but wonder if those same seeds of doubt had been planted in Clay’s mind as well. It hurt that either one of them would think that she wanted anything other than to do her job and get a chance to ride. And it worried her that she was more hurt than angry. It should be the other way around.
Clay was coming down the stairs as she walked in and she glanced up at him then back down.
“Hey. It’s late and I’m going to take a shower. Do you want some coffee? I’m going to get some water. I could start some.”
“No, I don’t think so. Thanks. I think I’ll take a shower and turn in.”
Clay stopped walking and watched her as she walked towards the bedroom.
“Hailey? What happened?”
She shrugged her shoulders and didn’t stop walking. “Nothing happened.”
“Stop. Come here,” he said as he walked behind her then pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. “I asked you what happened? Where’s that bright smile I thought you’d have after that drive?”
She glanced up at him then back down. “Believe it or not I don’t always feel like smiling. I’m gonna take a shower. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said and gently pulled her arm out of his hand and went through the door, closing it softly behind her.
He stayed where he was for several minutes, staring at the door, trying to figure out what was going on. He’d thought long and hard on the way back about some of the things Lynn had said. She had walked in and just taken over. He had decided that it was a good thing, that he liked the way she took charge and took on responsibility without even hesitating. Now he wasn’t so sure that he wasn’t making a mistake by letting her take on so much so soon. Maybe he shouldn’t be letting go of things quite so quickly. Hadn’t he done that with Pepper?
Hadn’t that gotten him into a real mess? What if Lynn was right about what Hailey wanted?
Of course she wanted something. All women did. Was she right about it being the ranch? According to Laine she had accused Yates of sending some of the women he’d hired out there to sabotage him. Was she working for Yates? Had he promised her the ranch? He sighed and shook his head as he turned and walked to the kitchen. He leaned back against the counter and thought back. She had been the one to find out about the overcharges. She was the one who made the decision to close the account. The conversation with him on the phone and the ‘accidental’ meeting in town, had those been pre-arranged to make sure she was overheard confronting the man? Was all of that to build his trust in her so he’d give her free rein to do whatever it was she wanted to do?
He started slowly back to the living room then went up the stairs. The woman couldn’t pull off an innocent face with even a small degree of success. Could she pull off something like that? He didn’t want any of this to be true. He liked having her in the house. And he liked having her on that drive, on the ranch. He couldn’t say that about any other woman he’d ever hired. He even liked the way she got up so bright and sunny each morning, even though he wouldn’t admit it out loud. She wasn’t bright and sunny now. Something had happened to change that. He guessed he would have to wait and see if that change was permanent or not.
* * *
“Shut the door,” Laine said evenly.
Lynn closed the door and then crossed to the desk but didn’t sit down. “I’m sorry, Laine. I know I didn’t behave the way you have every right to expect me to. I’ll do better.”
“Sit down, Lynn,” he said and then studied her thoughtfully with his fingers steepled in front of his face.
“Are you just trying to get fired?”
“No, sir. I don’t want to get fired. She just rubs me the wrong way.”
“You’d better get over it. Hailey’s good at her job. She’s the first one he’s ever hired that has been. This ranch needs her in that job. That is the truest statement I can make. And if that doesn’t mean something to you, then you’re not as much a part of this ranch as you need to be to stay here.”
“I’ll do better, Laine.”
“See that you do. But that’s not all I want to talk to you about. I’ve given you ample time to get over this crush or whatever it is, but I can see now that I made a mistake. Clay Cardell is off limits,” he said quietly. So quiet that it was a couple of seconds before she felt the sharp edge to that soft voice.
“Just because she said…”
“Stop right now. The last thing you wanna do right now is lie to me. Do you think you’re invisible? Do you think that nobody has seen you watching him all the time? We don’t need that kind of trouble here. I’m not going to tolerate this anymore. And Clay certainly isn’t. The only thing on this ranch that concerns you is the cattle, your horse, and you. Anything beyond that is absolutely none of your business.
“Get this straight. He’s not going to suddenly wake up one day and decide he can’t live without you. He’s not going to get involved with you in any way. You get over this, you get past it, or you won’t be here. Is that clear enough?”
When she nodded mutely without looking up at him he sharpened his voice slightly. “It had better be because I’m not cuttin’ you any more slack. You do your job, you mind your own business, and you leave Clay Cardell alone. Now suppose you tell me what this suddenly important thing is that you need to talk to him about.”
“Ummm…I wanted to tell him that she’s playing him. That whole thing the other night at the club with the Anderson’s…it was a set up. She knew they were doubling the shots in her drinks. The whole thing was a play to get Clay to drag her out of there, get him feeling like he had to protect her,” Lynn said evenly.
“And you know this how?” Laine asked quietly.
“I…I can’t tell you that. I promised I wouldn’t say.”
“Then you’re missing a critical piece of information that makes this important to me. And if it’s not important to me, it’s not important to Clay.”
“It’s the truth, Laine.”
“Okay. So explain how any of them knew that Clay would show up. He hadn’t planned to go in there that night.”
“She thought if he didn’t show up that one of the hands would stop her from leaving with the Anderson’s with her so drunk. And then she was going to fight them until one of them called Clay to come get her,” Laine said easily.
“Who told you this?” Laine asked again.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Then I’m gonna call you a liar. Do you think I don’t know you wanted that job? And that you wanted to be up there in the house with him? You’d do or say anything you can to get her off this ranch. I expected better from you. I’ve never hired a man or woman here that I wouldn’t trust to have my back. I have now. Get out of my office. But you’d better pay attention to every single word I said. You do your fuckin’ job and you stay away Clay and Hailey. If you don’t, you’ll be able to pick up your check on your way to the gate,” he said harshly then rose and strode to the door then jerked it open and waited for her to go out before he closed it behind her.
“Bitch,” he hissed.
* * *
“Jesus. What am I gonna have to do, sleep outside every night?” Clay muttered as he got up for the third time and pulled his jeans back on again. He’d been down to get a drink once. Outside to smoke once. He sighed and stopped long enough to roll his neck around his shoulders as he decided which way to go. Maybe he’d go down and fix a drink and go smoke, too. He opened the door quietly and had just taken two steps when he heard the glass on glass. He waited just a few seconds before he started around the side of the balcony then down the stairs. His feet wouldn’t move and his lungs wouldn’t work when he turned and saw her at the front of the bar facing away from him. He couldn’t have said what it was about an old t-shirt and pair of cut-offs that was particularly enticing, but it was something about them.
He finally forced the air back out of his lungs and walked slowly across the room.
“You couldn’t sleep, I guess,” he said. He’d spoken softly but he’d still seen her jump.
“Oh. Clay,” she breathed and then took a deep breath and shook her head. “No. I miss the stars, I guess.”
“I guess I do, too. This is my second drink tonight. I guess we could take our sleeping bags and go sleep out on the balcony.”
“I’ll be fine, Clay. But maybe you should do that,” she said quietly without looking up at him. She knew he wasn’t wearing anything but jeans and she was afraid to let her gaze lift that high.
“When are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” he asked as he poured whiskey in a glass then re-capped the bottle.
“I thought I just did. The first night back inside. That’s all.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. Somebody said something or something happened. Somewhere between the time we got here and the time you came in the house. You and Charlie and Houston were all laughing about something when we rode into the yard. And then you came in here and you’ve barely said two words. What happened?”
“Nothing happened, Clay. Maybe I’m just tired. Maybe I’m not in a good mood. I don’t remember reading anything in that ad that listed being upbeat and happy all the time as a requirement for this job,” she said evenly.
Clay flexed his jaw several times then finally drank the whiskey he had poured in one swallow and slapped the glass on the bar.
“Fine. You don’t wanna tell me, don’t tell me,” he said lowly then walked around the bar and started for the stairs. But that short-circuit in his brain was back again. The one that sent signals to parts of him to do things he didn’t want them to do. Instead of going up the stairs, his feet turned to walk back to the bar, stopping directly behind her but not touching her. He heard her breath suck in sharply when he leaned a hand against the bar on each side of her, tra
pping her between them. She didn’t turn to face him, and he still wasn’t touching her. But he still felt the same desire growing in her that was growing in him.
“Hailey,” he whispered softly.
She knew she shouldn’t do this. She had been so sure that she could help to keep this from happening again. Now all she could do was turn to face him. She set her glass down and turned slowly, letting her eyes drift up his chest until they met his eyes.