by Karen Kelley
“Damned rooster.”
He shouldn’t be waking people up this early in the morning. She crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, wondering if there was a chance raccoons ate roosters.
Probably not.
Besides, she didn’t really want anything to happen to the damned bird. Hell, she’d already done enough damage. She just wanted Romeo to crow at a decent hour—like in the afternoon. Late afternoon.
She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.
When she next opened her eyes, she groggily looked at the clock: seven. Still too damned early, but something had woke her. She lay in bed listening.
Was that a whistle? Not like when a person whistled, but more like a deep sigh or wind blowing through the house. Of course. That had to be it. The cabin was drafty. It could only be the wind.
Or a ghost.
She was certainly wide awake now.
She flung the covers away and sat on the side of the bed, raking her fingers through her hair. She flinched. How the hell could she be this sore? She flexed her fingers, then rolled her shoulders. And she had another day of milking to get through.
Damn, she needed at least a gallon of coffee.
She glanced out the window as she stood. There was a tree not far away and nothing was moving on it. Not one little bit of wind to cause the eerie noises she’d heard.
Okay, that made her feel a whole lot better—not.
Her robe was on the end of the bed so she grabbed it as she made her way to the kitchen. She really needed caffeine.
After washing her face, Nikki grabbed a diet soda she’d hidden deep in the icebox. It was supposed to have something like ten times the amount of caffeine the other ones had. A Twinkie from her stash and she was all set. It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast, but, oh well.
She took a long swallow of the drink. Oh, good Lord! The bitter, syrupy taste clung to her taste buds. She grimaced. Did people really drink this stuff? She wasn’t so sure the caffeine was worth it.
After pouring the foul-tasting drink down the sink, she dug out a normal diet soda. She could live without her regular jolt of caffeine for a few days. And she didn’t need to light the stove, which was fine by her.
Laughter bubbled out of her. Damn, she was good. So good that she ate another snack cake, then quickly disposed of any evidence.
“I am The Barracuda.”
As she went back to the bedroom to dress, she realized she’d better come up with a game plan. She was tired of the cabin, and as much as she liked Cal, she was ready to get back to Fort Worth: traffic, pollution, and people.
Ah, but she would miss him. And the sex had been pretty good, too.
She stopped at the bedroom door. The closed bedroom door. Now dammit, Nikki knew she’d left it open. This wasn’t funny. Not one little bit.
“There are no such things as ghosts!”
The door slowly opened a crack, all by itself.
She hugged her middle, then nudged the door open the rest of the way with her foot. The bedroom still looked the same. There were no mists floating around.
God, she was being so ridiculous. It had to be the wind. That was all it could be. The cabin sat on a hill and the window was open. The door had probably caught a little bit of breeze.
She quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and a top, then made her way to the outhouse. The deodorizers were doing their job. No one would get the better of her. She’d show Cal a thing or two.
Not that she wanted to linger, though. She quickly exited the structure, then went inside and washed her hands at the pump.
Thinking of Cal reminded her of something: he was in and out yesterday. She smiled at what that thought conjured, then quickly sobered. She would need to keep him more in her company today if she was going to get any information. She had to get him talking about Cynthia. That shouldn’t be too difficult. Not for The Barracuda.
She went back outside and grabbed the milk bucket off the back porch and made her way to the barn. Bessie Two let out a low moo of welcome. Nikki stopped at the fence and patted her on the neck. She had to admit she kind of liked the cow.
Oh, God, that was priceless. Her friends would laugh themselves silly if they knew she was going soft over a cow. Not that they had anything against animals, but they knew it wasn’t her thing. The closest she’d ever come to a cow was when she’d bought her leather sofa.
Oh, yeah, now she felt better. That could be Bessie Two’s mother Nikki was parking her butt on.
Bessie mooed.
On second thought, it was Italian leather, so she really doubted it was one of Bessie’s relatives.
“Hey, girl, you ready to let me milk you?” She hoped the cow was in a good mood. She started toward the barn but turned at the last second. “Go to the bathroom first or I might not give you any breakfast.”
Before she stepped inside the barn, she let her eyes adjust. No crazy roosters or a waddling raccoon that she could see. Cal had said two scoops of feed. She could do this. She wanted to do this.
Actually, wanted wasn’t exactly the word she would use, but she had a feeling Cal would show up this morning and she was ready to prove she could milk. Besides, it would make her lie about why she was here seem more plausible.
Two scoops of feed, then she would milk the damned cow if it was the last thing she did.
But after ten minutes, she began to wonder if she could buy a gallon of milk in town and fill the bucket. Would Cal notice? Yeah, probably. He’d been right when he’d said fresh milk didn’t smell the same as milk bought at the store.
Before she managed to get a quarter of the bucket, she heard the familiar sound of Cal’s pickup. She smiled when she heard the cabin’s front door slam, then slam again. And a few seconds later, his heavy tread as he walked inside the barn. Nikki bet Cal had thought she would still be in bed.
Damn, she was good.
She looked up. “Good morning.” She feigned cheerfulness. “You were so right when you said I’d enjoy my experiences on the ranch. I think I’m getting the hang of milking, but I’m still not as fast as you.”
He frowned as though he was surprised she was still there, let alone milking Bessie Two.
“I’ll finish if you’d like.”
She laughed. She was definitely the consummate actress. “I think you might have to. The cow would probably be grateful, too.”
When he sat on the stool with his back to her, she shook out her arms and fingers. She’d had no idea her fingers could ache this much. And she didn’t even want to think about churning more butter, but her smile was wide when he looked at her.
She should’ve been on the stage.
“I thought you might like to go riding today,” Cal said, not buying her smile for one minute. She hated milking and it was as plain as the nose on his face. Revenge could be sweet. And it was about to get even sweeter.
Horseback riding would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Bye-bye reporter.
“Riding?” Her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat. “On a horse?”
He chuckled. “That’s the usual way when you’re on a ranch, and you did say you wanted to experience everything.”
Her smile looked pained. “I’d love to, if you don’t mind that I’ve never been on a horse.”
He liked the way she accepted a challenge, though. “Of course. You might want to change into a pair of jeans, though. You did say you were going shopping?”
“Yes. I bought jeans.”
They took the bucket of milk to the house and strained it. “You’ll have time to gather the eggs before I get back with the horses.”
Her smile was still pasted on. Her face kind of looked like those of some of the actresses he’d dated who’d had Botox injections one too many times.
She nodded. “I’ll meet you on the front porch.”
“Great.”
Boy, did he have her number. She didn’t want to ride a horse, but she was trying hard not to let her fear
show. Not that he’d let her get hurt or anything.
He went out the door and climbed inside his pickup. He had a feeling the rest of the day was going to be as interesting as it had started.
Chapter 14
Celeste snuggled down in the bed. It felt so good to sleep on luxurious sheets and…
She pushed the cover down and glanced at the clock. Drat! It was after eight. Being late her first day on the job wasn’t good. Not that Brian had actually set a time. She was pretty sure it wouldn’t be noon, though.
After a quick shower, she pulled on a pair of white slacks and a bright yellow top. As much as she loved her robes, they had a tendency to get in her way when she was giving a massage.
There was only one more thing she needed to grab before she left the room. And what she needed was in her suitcase…somewhere.
She dug around inside until she found the herbs she was looking for. There they were. Right at the very bottom, of course. She brought out the small bag that contained other small bags. Inside, she found what she needed. Her supply was getting low and would soon need replenishing.
She left the room, closing her door, and walked back to Brian’s office, stopping at the secretary’s desk. Shelley glanced up.
Shelley smiled. “Good morning. Amazing what a good night’s sleep will do. You look radiant.”
“Thank you. I feel a lot better.”
She studied her for a moment. “You’re dressed different, too. The outfit you’re wearing is…nice.” She tapped her pencil on her desk. “I might just have to tough out this cold to see what’ll happen today. Amazing what a change of style can do.” When Shelley smiled she looked like a cat who’d just found a bowl of cream.
“Is this okay to wear?” Celeste looked down at her clothes. Maybe she would have to wear a uniform, which was okay; she didn’t mind.
“Oh, no, what you’re wearing is fine. Who would’ve thought you would have a figure like that underneath the loose robe you wore yesterday.”
Celeste had no idea what Shelley was talking about. Maybe the cold had made Shelley a little spacey. Her figure was okay, nothing spectacular in her opinion.
She decided to change the subject away from what she was wearing. “The bed was wonderful. I slept like a baby,” she said.
Shelley started to say something but her words turned into a cough. She quickly covered her mouth. “Ugh, this cold is driving me crazy. I just can’t shake it. Sorry about that. I hope no one else catches it.”
That reminded her. “I brought you some herbs.” She held up the small bag.
Shelley eyed it skeptically. “Herbs?”
Celeste nodded.
“What kind of herbs. I don’t do drugs or anything.”
Laughter bubbled out of Celeste. “Neither do I, but a…a relative taught me about them. Trust me, they’ll help with your cold.”
“What is it exactly?”
Her brow wrinkled in thought. “Elder flowers, thyme leaves and a few other herbs. Just put it into a teapot and add a couple pints of boiling water. You’ll want to let it steep for about thirty minutes then strain off the herbs and drink it. It can be bitter so sweeten it with honey. Thyme honey if you happen to have any.”
“And it will cure my cold?”
Celeste laughed. “If I could cure a cold then I’d be rich. No, it won’t cure your cold, but it’ll ease the symptoms.”
Shelley nodded. “Okay, I’ll try it.”
The door behind Celeste opened and Brian stepped out. His eyes narrowed when he saw the baggie of herbs. He looked up and their gazes collided. His mouth dropped open, and for a moment he didn’t speak as he looked at her. Really looked. She could feel herself blushing. What was it with people today?
“You’re awake, and you look different.” He waved his arm toward her. “You’re not dressed the same.”
“Oh, my clothes. I don’t wear my robes when I’m working. As much as I love the freedom of movement, they kind of get in my way.”
He frowned.
Her stomach growled. “I don’t suppose you’d have something to eat? The sandwich I shared with you last night has worn off.”
Shelley started to cough.
Brian’s frown only deepened. “I told you to stay at home if you were still sick. Take the rest of the day off, and if you’re not one hundred percent better by morning, I don’t want you to come in.”
“But…”
“I’m the boss.”
Shelley rolled her eyes. “Okay, if I’m not feeling better, then I’ll stay at home. I’ll get Beth to cover me. She’s back from vacation.” She smiled at Celeste. “It was nice meeting you, and thanks for the herbs.”
“What exactly did you give her?” Brian asked as he and Celeste walked toward the kitchen.
“I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”
He stopped and looked down on her. She suddenly realized how much he towered over her, and right now he didn’t look happy. And he was still her boss.
“Herbs—that was all. They won’t hurt her and they might help with her cold.”
“You’re trained in the use of herbs?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t give her anything that would cause her harm.”
“This is the dining room that you went through last night. Meals are provided for guests. We have one cook, one assistant, and two servers.” He walked past the tables, then through the swinging doors into the kitchen.
A woman looked up as they entered. Her gray hair peeked out from under her red cap. She wore a matching red apron that had “Kiss the Cook” emblazoned across it in black letters. When she saw that someone was with Brian, she smiled a smile that enveloped Celeste in a warmth of welcome. Celeste immediately liked her.
“This is our new massage therapist, Celeste,” Brian told the older woman. “At the moment, she’s starving.”
“Hello, Celeste. Have a seat at the bar and I’ll fix you right up with some breakfast. We can’t have you starting your first day on the job starving to death.” She continued to smile. “You can call me Betty.”
“When you finish eating, come back to my office and I’ll show you where you’ll work.” He turned and left without another word.
“He doesn’t say a lot, does he?” Celeste asked as Betty went to the counter and began to fix a plate of food. Celeste took a seat at the island, hooking her tennis shoes on the bottom rung of the stool.
The kitchen looked a lot different in the light of day—less forbidding. Maybe because Brian had left the room. It just seemed homier. And very clean. The tan granite countertops were free of clutter and complemented the creamy white cabinets.
There was an industrial-sized stainless steel stove and refrigerator. Except for the larger appliances, it could have been anyone’s kitchen.
“Brian’s got his head full of everything he has to do here at the ranch,” Betty said, and Celeste turned her attention back to the cook. “It wasn’t always making a profit like it is now. He had to put in a lot of long hours to make this place what it is today.”
“But it’s doing well now?” Her last boss not only had accused her of stealing but hadn’t paid her what she had coming. Not that she thought this would be the same situation. At least she hoped not.
Betty set a plate of food in front of Celeste, then went back for silverware. “Oh, yeah, the ranch is doing a lot of business now. We’re nearly always full. We have eight couples here this week. Two have kids. And one single woman up at the old homestead.” She shook her head. “Why anyone would want to pay good money to stay in that shack is beyond me. But Brian sees to everyone and makes sure they get what they came here for.”
She nodded as she took the fork and knife that Betty handed her. “Except I have a feeling he’s forgotten how to relax.” Darn, had she just said that aloud?
Betty laughed. “Are you going to show him how to have fun, child?”
Apparently, she had spoken aloud. She really needed to remember to think befo
re she talked. “I doubt I could show anyone much of anything.”
Betty was thoughtful as her gaze wandered over Celeste. She shifted in her seat. Why was everyone looking at her as if she’d grown two heads or something?
“There’s a sadness about you. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, though.”
“I slept a long time. I’m still not quite awake.”
Betty shook her head. “Nope, it’s more than that.” Her eyes narrowed. “Be careful. Brian always has liked to fix things whether it be a toaster or a pretty girl, but he shies away from commitments just as much as his brother, Cal. Don’t be getting more hurt piled on those pretty shoulders.”
Their conversation was getting just a little too personal. Celeste took a bite of her eggs. She didn’t need fixing, but she could certainly see how a girl could get her heart broken around here. Brian was a handsome man.
“These eggs are wonderful,” she changed the topic.
Betty beamed. “That’s because they’re fresh.”
Celeste had a feeling she was going to like it here. Aside from the fact the people were a little strange, they still seemed friendly. She only had to remember that Brian apparently wasn’t a morning person. He’d frowned an awful lot.
Brian went straight back to his office. He didn’t breathe easy until he was sitting at his desk.
What the hell had happened to the delicate, wraithlike creature he’d hired? In her place was a sexy, sensual, vibrant woman. How was he to know she would look all curvy beneath those robes?
This wasn’t going to work. She would be too much of a distraction. He’d just have to find a way to tell her that he couldn’t use her after all. He’d give her enough money to last her a few weeks, a glowing recommendation, and…and what? Buy her a car?
No, he wouldn’t do any of that. He’d seen the look in her eyes when he’d told her she could work here on a trial basis. She’d been excited.
He stood and went to the window, staring out at the past.
The first job he’d ever had was for Mr. Miller at the feed store. He’d been thirteen and Mr. Miller had told him he was too young. But Grandpa had hurt his back and couldn’t work. Cal had gotten a job in town, but it still wasn’t enough.