by Roth, Ann
He squinted at the white plume, which looked to be coming from someplace near the barn. When he’d checked in with the crew earlier, no one had mentioned burning any trash today. That left Gina.
The heifer lowed mournfully, and Zach turned his attention to her. She’d wandered onto the icy gully bed and couldn’t get across it.
He slipped and slid toward her. “Easy there,” he said. Hands on her rump, he grunted and shoved, forcing her forward until her hooves found purchase. She trotted up the slope of the gully. Panting and sweating, he followed her out. When they both reached flat ground, he gave her rump a thwack. She loped off toward the rest of the herd.
One down and hopefully zero to go.
Ready to resume his search for lost cattle, he climbed into the Jeep, pulled off his gloves and cranked up the heat. But instead of heading for the back pastures, he drove toward the barn. Toward Gina.
Though acres separated them, she was easy to spot. Her burgundy jacket added color to the gray afternoon. Zach steered toward her. He hadn’t seen her since running into her at the Pizza Palace Saturday night. They’d both been uncomfortable, and he figured they should probably talk. This was as good a time as any.
As he neared her, he noted the jeans hugging her long legs. Legs that fueled his fantasies and kept him up at night. She was hefting a fat black bag, one of a pile nearby. Hearing the Jeep, she paused and shaded her eyes against the winter sun. She wasn’t wearing a hat or a scarf. In this weather? What was she thinking?
He watched her dump the contents of the bag into the bin. The paper caught quickly, wind fanning the flames high and whipping her hair across her face.
Braking to a stop, he exited the vehicle, shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and tromped across the snow toward her. “That’s a lot of trash bags.”
“You have no idea.”
“You’re supposed to ask for help.”
“I wanted to do it myself.”
She couldn’t seem to keep still. She walked around the fire, fiddled with her gloves and pulled up her jacket collar. Her cheeks were red with cold. Zach could think of a few great ways to warm her up, all of them involving getting her naked and under the covers. He swallowed. “Where’s your hat?”
“I left it at the house. I meant to grab a scarf, but I was distracted and forgot.”
“I’ve got an extra wool cap in the Jeep. It isn’t fancy like your hat, but at least you’ll be warm.”
“Great—thanks.”
He retrieved the navy cap and handed it to her. She pulled on the cap so that her ears were covered. She looked cute.
“That’s much better. I’ll give it back later.” She held out her gloved hands to the fire.
“Keep it until you leave. We need to talk about the other night,” he said.
“You mean at the Pizza Palace?”
“I was thinking about a different night.” The night he’d kissed her until his body was on fire. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me while you’re here, and I want us to be comfortable around each other.”
“I’m okay, Zach. I wanted what happened.”
He had to ask. “Do you want it to happen again?”
“I don’t know.” She poked at the fire, stirring the flames higher. “Right now, I don’t know much of anything.”
She looked like she needed a friend. “You want to talk about it?” he asked.
“You might be sorry you asked.”
She gave a wry smile, coaxing a smile from him. He scooped up a trash bag and emptied it in the bin. Fresh flames crested the metal walls. “I’ll take that risk.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she began. “I set up a phone call with my assistant for this morning, but she’s sick with the flu. She can’t help that, but she didn’t even bother to let me know. I found out from the office receptionist. I think she’s avoiding me, and I wish I knew why.”
Zach should’ve guessed that this was about work. “Maybe she’s afraid of you.”
“The way she’s been acting since I left, she should be. I can’t get a hold of her, and we’ve been communicating mostly through texts. It’s almost as if she’s ducking me.” Gina looked indignant. “In the six months since I hired her, she’s always worked as hard as I do. She’s ambitious, too, and seemed more than eager to take over for me for a few days. I wish I knew what she’s up to.”
“Maybe she thought she was ready for the responsibility, but she isn’t. Or she’s having boyfriend or husband problems and it’s interfering with the job.”
“She’s single, and she’s always been focused, no matter what. She wants to get promoted. We’re a lot alike that way. Right now, she doesn’t even have a boyfriend. But come to think of it, Friday night she did have a date with someone new.” Gina rubbed her chin, leaving behind a smudge. “I wonder if she caught the flu from him.”
“You’ll find out when you get back next week. You’ll straighten things out then.”
“Let’s hope. I can’t afford to have anything else fall through the cracks.” Her eyes were round and shadowed. “I really need her to pull her weight.”
“What fell through the cracks?”
“Appointments with two clients—one of them a huge account. I set up phone meetings with them for tomorrow, which isn’t ideal, but it’s better than nothing. The problem is I don’t have time for that right now. There’s still so much to do with the house. I haven’t emptied Uncle Lucky’s closet and dresser or sorted through either of the guest bedrooms, and I have less than a week to get it done.” She emptied a bag into the fire.
“Sure you don’t want help?”
“You still have plenty to do. Anyway, this is something I should do on my own. Thanks for listening. There really isn’t anyone else I can talk to.”
“No problem.” To keep the fire going, he dumped another bag onto the fire. “Lots of newspapers and magazines here.”
“And old bills that go back decades. I found this stuff everywhere—stacked on shelves in the basement, in Uncle Lucky’s office and in his bedroom...” Gina shook her head. “I knew he was a pack rat, but I never guessed he was this bad.”
With a frown bracketing her mouth, she looked worn down, even more exhausted than when she’d stepped off the plane.
“Did you find anything worth saving?” he asked. “Something that might change your mind about holding on to this ranch?”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
He made a face and she laughed, which was what he’d wanted.
Zach grinned. “Seeing you crack a smile eases the pain of your decision.”
A moment later she sobered. “I wish... It’s too bad you don’t have the money to buy the Lucky A.”
Her words just about knocked him to his knees. Not even Lucky knew that he had money—a great deal of it. It sat untouched in an investment account and had since Zach had sold his company for a hefty sum. He’d given away half of the profits but wasn’t sure what to do with the rest. He didn’t intend to use the money for himself.
“Even if I did, I’d never buy this place,” he said. “Lucky willed it to you, and he meant for you to keep it.”
“Yes, I know.” Her eyes took on a stubborn glint and she set her jaw. “I’m not going to change my mind, Zach.”
As determined as she seemed, he wasn’t about to give up. “You never did say if you found anything in those papers.”
“As a matter of fact, I did.” She kicked at the snow. “Lucky kept a folder that belonged to my parents. I discovered that around the time I was born, they had declared bankruptcy. I had no idea—no one ever told me.” She frowned. “I don’t understand secrets like that.”
Zach did. Some things were best kept from others. “Every family has skeletons in their closet,” he said.
“Yes, but do they keep those secrets from their own flesh and blood?”
Thanks to the internet and the local paper, Zach’s family and anyone who read the business pages knew about his mistakes. He shrugged. “I guess that depends.”
“Maybe. At least now I know why my mother was so tightfisted.”
She angled her head a fraction, and he knew she was going to ask him something.
“Did your parents fight over money?”
As an insurance executive, Zach’s father earned more than he could ever spend, and his mother’s trust fund made her independently wealthy. “No, but they fought about everything else.” Remembering the constant volley of criticism and accusations, he winced. “They divorced and remarried each other twice before they both moved on to other partners. My father is still with his third wife, and my mother just married husband number four.”
“And I thought my childhood was rough.”
“I got used to it.”
“I always wished I had a brother or sister, especially when my parents fought. Do you have any siblings?”
“A brother, and yeah, as kids, we leaned on each other quite a bit.”
“Is he still in Texas?”
Zach nodded. “He and his wife live in Houston.”
“I’ll bet you miss him.”
“We’re not close anymore.” Not since Zach had sold his business and walked away from his life of luxury. Jim thought he was crazy. The entire family did, and except for obligatory phone calls on holidays, they rarely touched base.
Gina opened her mouth, no doubt to ask him something else.
Wary, he eyed her. “What’s with the questions?”
“I just think we should get to know each other better.”
She already knew more about him than most people in town. Zach let his eyes travel lazily over her. “After the other night, I’d say we’re starting to get to know each other pretty well.”
Her red cheeks flushed redder still. “You know what I mean.” She didn’t ask him anything else, which was what he’d intended. “I need to finish this and get to Spenser’s.” She emptied two trash bags into the bin, one on top of the other, jumping back when the flames flared up. She almost bumped into Zach.
“Careful.” He caught her in his arms.
She’d knocked the hat cockeyed. With cold fingers, he tucked her hair back and straightened the cap, tugging it gently over her ears. “There.”
His fingers lingered on her soft skin.
“Your hands are cold,” she said.
“I took off my gloves when I got you the hat.” Zach dropped his arms to his sides. He longed to kiss her—and more. But any of the ranch hands could be nearby. Already Curly suspected that something was going on between Zach and Gina, and Zach didn’t want him or the other men catching sight of anything that would cause them to talk.
The shed where Lucky stored tractors and other heavy equipment was only a few yards away. “I want to show you something.” Zach caught hold of Gina’s hand and tugged her forward. “It’s important.”
“What is it?”
“It’s important,” he repeated.
“Is it okay to leave the fire?”
With the ground covered in snow and no trees within fifty feet, there was no danger of a spread. He nodded and tugged her toward the shed.
Moments later, they stood on the far side of the building, out of view of prying eyes.
Gina looked around and frowned. “I don’t see anything here except snow. What did you want to show me?”
“It’s this way.”
Never taking his eyes from her, he backed her toward the siding. The curious look on her face quickly changed to something altogether different. Pure yearning.
When she was trapped between the shed and him, he placed his hands on either side of her head and kissed her.
She hesitated briefly, and then let out the soft little moan that drove him wild, placed her gloved hands around his neck and pulled him closer. Or tried. Thanks to their bulky coats, they barely touched.
That didn’t stop Zach from catching fire. He wanted to drag her to the nearest bed, get naked and bury himself in her warmth. But that wasn’t a good idea. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss.
“Let me know if you want help with the house,” he said.
Nodding, she stood where she was, against the wall, flushed and dreamy eyed, and watched him walk away.
Chapter Ten
One down, one to go, Gina thought as she hung up from a phone meeting Tuesday morning. The next call, to Evelyn Grant, was scheduled for an hour from now. With so much to do before leaving town, she wasn’t about to waste a minute. She decided to empty Uncle Lucky’s bedroom dresser and closet, which shouldn’t take long.
Aside from well-worn jeans and flannel shirts, he didn’t have a lot. Most of the clothing was ready for the rag bin, but a few items were in good enough condition for charity. She set those aside, along with his boots, which were in decent shape. His old Stetson sat on the shelf above the clothing rod.
At the sight of the battered hat, Gina’s eyes filled. She couldn’t part with that, so she set it aside, along with two photos. In one, she was about eight and seated on Belle, a gentle old workhorse, while a young-looking Uncle Lucky grinned by her side. The other was of her uncle and Zach on the roof of the barn, replacing the roof. Obviously mugging for the photographer, they held up tools and grinned against a cloudless blue sky.
In a white T-shirt and faded jeans, Zach looked gorgeous. A man didn’t come by those biceps and flat belly without engaging in serious physical labor.
He was pretty serious about kissing, too....
Gina went all soft inside, caught herself and raised her chin. Zach wasn’t what she wanted, and she was not going to kiss him again.
Setting the hat and photos aside, she reached for an ancient shoe box on the shelf. Men’s dress shoes—she didn’t remember her uncle ever wearing those. But the box weighed too little to contain shoes, and she heard the familiar rustle of papers inside.
“Oh, dear God, not more to sort through,” she muttered.
Dreading what she’d find, she pulled the lid off. The box was filled with letters. A whole stack of them, addressed to her uncle in neat, feminine script Gina didn’t recognize.
The top envelope showed a faded postage stamp marked Red Deer, a town about forty miles away. The date was some thirty years ago, when she’d been a newborn and Uncle Lucky was in his mid-forties.
Curious, she sat down on the floor with the box, opened the envelope and slid out a folded, multiple-page letter.
The faint scent of rose perfume filled her nostrils. That and the My Dearest Lucky greeting had her eyes opening wide.
Apparently her seemingly celibate uncle had once had a girlfriend.
“Well, well, Uncle Lucky.” Wanting to know more, she went straight to page three, where the letter ended with, I can’t wait until next Saturday night. Love, Corinne. Beside the signature was a hot-pink lipstick imprint. “Corinne with the sexy lips,” Gina murmured, smiling.
She’d never heard her uncle mention anyone by that name, but then he’d never mentioned a girlfriend, period.
According to the postage-stamp dates, her uncle had received weekly letters from Corinne for three years. Wanting to know why the letters had stopped and everything in between, Gina found the first letter and started reading.
Corinne had sent a thank-you for the birthday flowers Uncle Lucky had brought her on her twenty-seventh birthday. She’d been quite a bit younger than he.
She wasn’t a great writer, but her stories about the animals treated at the large veterinary clinic where she worked made for entertaining reading. Corinne’s insights and feelings about Uncle Lucky made the letters even more interesting, and Gi
na read them all. The last one, written shortly before Corinne’s thirtieth birthday, broke Gina’s heart. Corinne wrote that she was tired of waiting for Uncle Lucky to propose and ended the relationship.
He could’ve married and had kids. Kids that would be Gina’s age and would probably have wanted to keep the Lucky A. Instead, he’d died childless and alone.
With a heartfelt sigh, Gina set the box aside. Suddenly she remembered. The phone meeting with Evelyn Grant! She’d completely forgotten.
She grabbed her phone and called Ms. Grant’s private line. “Evelyn Grant,” said the crisp voice.
Gina swallowed. “Good morning, Ms. Grant, it’s Gina Arnett. I, uh, I’m running a little late today, and I apologize. But I’m ready now and—”
“A little late? We scheduled our meeting for nearly an hour ago.”
Having never forgotten something so important in her life and never let anything come between her and her clients—especially this one—Gina felt both terrible and embarrassed. Her face burned with humiliation. “I’m so sorry. Do you have time now?”
“Kevin and I have already spoken.”
That was not good. As if on cue, Gina’s other line buzzed impatiently. Kevin, the screen read. He would have to wait.
“Again, I am so sorry,” she said. “What can I do to make this up to you?”
“Don’t blow me off ever again.”
The phone clicked harshly in Gina’s ear.
Groaning, she buried her face in her hands. Not ready to face Kevin, she phoned her favorite Chicago florist and ordered the most expensive Thanksgiving flower bouquet available to be sent to Evelyn Grant immediately.
Then, biting the bullet, she called her boss and apologized.
Kevin’s disapproving silence screamed in her ear.
“I sent flowers,” she added lamely.
“That doesn’t make up for what you did. Grant Industries is one of our biggest clients, Gina. They represent substantial fees for us. Someone else could’ve taken over the account while you’re out, but you insisted that you and Carrie could handle it. What’s going on with her? Since you left she’s hardly been at the office. You should’ve let me know she was falling short.”