She spared a thought about how the tabloids would have turned her sudden illness into a four-page spread about her “struggle with addiction” if she’d collapsed in the hotel. Baron had saved her from that, but he still had the wrong idea about her.
“Aren’t you acting a little over-concerned?” she asked. “We shared an elevator, and then you helped me down the hall. Hitching a ride in your SUV was accidental.”
“Why did you get inside and hide under the blanket? It’s not the most comfortable place to sleep it off.”
“I wasn’t looking to sleep it off, as you call it.” Thoughts about what lies to tell him, or maybe the truth, coursed through her brain. She didn’t want to get him involved in her mess. Or see his attitude toward her change because of who the tabloids painted her to be. “I…uh…I was trying to avoid somebody. An old boyfriend,” she added, in a burst of inspiration.
“From your accent, you sound like a newcomer to the state. How would you have an old boyfriend who just happens to be at the same luxury hotel?”
“That’s the problem with old boyfriends,” she replied, daring him to disbelieve her. “They pop up in the darnedest places.”
“Right.” He shifted in his chair. “Why were you at the hotel?”
“I don’t have to tell you.”
“I’m not a cop. Why not tell me?”
“It’s not your business, that’s why.” No reason to spill about the scandal. Better give him something. “Actually, I was…I was interviewing for a position.”
“What kind of position?” From his expression, he didn’t think it was something respectable.
“Not what you’re thinking,” she said. “What gives you the right to pass judgment on me?”
When he said nothing, she threw him a bone. “As a horse trainer.”
Baron looked skeptical.
“With a visitor from out of town,” she added.
His lack of response indicated he didn’t believe her.
She sent him an exasperated look. “Forget why I was there. When can you arrange transportation for me back to Jackson Hole?”
“Do you have a job?”
“Of course I have a job,” she cried.
“Give me your boss’s phone number. I’ll inform him that you’re taking some time off.”
“You’re not in charge of my life.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
“I am not being stubborn. And don’t try that typical male thing of criticizing my behavior instead of sticking to the point,” she said.
He blinked. “Strong words from a woman who was more than half-addled all day from drugs.”
She stood. He stood, too. Somebody had taught him old-fashioned manners. Maybe that was the problem. He was old-fashioned domineering, too.
“I’m not staying here. I’m going back to Jackson,” she said.
“That’s an old song title,” he said with a half-smile. “Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. They meant Mississippi.”
She gave a woof of frustration. “Hello. We’re not playing a nostalgia game. We’re talking about me. My life.”
He leaned against the counter and watched her pace. “Why don’t you go on back to bed? You’re wearing yourself out again.”
“I’m not some frail invalid who can’t handle a little walking.”
“After seeing you almost pass out several times, I’d dispute that.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m grateful for your help when I was sick. I’m not sick anymore. I want to go home.”
“Is Jackson Hole your home?”
“What difference does it make? That’s where my Jeep is, so, yes, I want to return to Jackson Hole.” She searched his face for any sign that he was moved by her arguments. Seeing none, she took another exasperated turn around the room. “You have no right to rule my life in any way.”
“We’ll talk about this after you’ve fully recovered. Right now you’re just tiring yourself out.” His pronouncement was completely calm. His deep voice held no mirror of the emotional turmoil she felt.
“Why do I get the feeling that you do not want to cooperate and arrange to get me back north?” she cried.
“Because it’s true.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“You were in sad shape earlier today,” he said. “Would it hurt you to stay here for a while and recover fully?”
“If it was my free choice, that would be different,” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
“At this moment, I don’t believe you’re in any shape to make a rational free choice about yourself, so I’m choosing for you. For now, you stay on my ranch, where you will be safe and can recover.” His expression was adamant.
She stared at him. “You lay down the law and expect me to accept it? No way.”
His demeanor didn’t change.
She let out an exasperated breath. “We’re getting nowhere.”
“Then go back to bed. Rest.”
She glared at him. Behind him, the wall clock said 2:30 a.m. Even if he suddenly changed his mind and agreed to take her home, it couldn’t happen in the middle of the night. “I’ve had enough of this,” she said.
He’d defeated her for the moment, but only for the moment, she promised herself. She walked toward the kitchen door. “Good night.”
He moved away from the stove to intercept her. “No need to wear yourself out all over again. I’ll carry you up,” he said.
She stopped dead. Being in his arms, alone with him, in the middle of the night? That would be asking for trouble. “No, thanks. I’m good.”
“Are you?” Baron gave her whole body a comprehensive look, but lingered on her face. His eyes held an expression she understood all too well. What he wanted from her in the middle of the night was clear.
Her breath was giving her trouble again. Her limbs tingled and her breasts ached. She whirled and sped out of the kitchen, not daring to look back. It took all her energy to climb the stairs, shaky as she was now from the awareness that had suddenly spring up between them.
She locked her bedroom door, trying to keep herself in as much as keep Baron Selkirk out. This never happened to her. She could not recall ever being so sexually carried away over so little. Over a mere glance. A few seconds more, and they could have been having sex on the kitchen counter.
She sighed, throwing herself back into the bed. It would have extremely pleasurable, she was absolutely sure. She and Baron set off sparks together. If she hadn’t been so sick this morning, who knew what might have happened in the elevator?
Oh, lord. Poor Caz. No matter how sexy Baron Selkirk was, and how much Addie was attracted to the idea of getting to know him a whole bunch better, she could not let Caz down. She must return to Jackson Hole in time to testify.
***
Baron held his breath until she turned on the landing and was out of sight. Finally, he exhaled. What the hell just happened? They’d gone from arguing to sizing each other up as potential lovers. He knew the signs. What about his offer to carry her up to bed? Sheer madness. She was smart to turn him down, because he would have been in that bed with her, making love to her despite her fragile condition. From the look she’d given him, she’d considered it.
He policed the kitchen, stowing the plate and the pitcher of tea, and turning off the lights. His pulse was still jumping. Feisty Addie did that to him, turned him into a tyrant who wouldn’t hear of letting her leave. Were all men pigs? Offering to carry her to bed. Right. Genius. He was lucky she hadn’t laughed in his face. She’d gone pink instead. He’d seen the flush that rose in her cheeks. Her hands had trembled a bit, too. She’d known what he wanted. Maybe she’d wanted it, too.
The nightgown under her robe had hidden her major assets modestly, but had ended above her knees, showing off nicely shaped legs and pretty toes with pink polish. He shoved his feet into his boots, and flung on a coat. He needed to walk this off. Women knew how to make the most of their power over men. Here he was salivating ove
r Addie, a near stranger, because he’d seen her toes. Too bad Miss Betty hadn’t found Addie a granny gown that reached the floor and hid those toes. Whatever a granny gown was.
Chapter 4
Addie woke again when the sun was up. Someone was knocking. Miss Betty’s voice came from outside the bedroom door.
“Would you unlock this door, child, so I can give you your clothes and check on you?”
She dashed over and turned the bolt, swinging the door open.
“Sorry.”
Miss Betty eyed her. “You must have been awake in the middle of the night. I checked on you up to midnight.”
“I woke around two and went and had some of your cookies. They were wonderful.”
“Well, thank you. I wasn’t sure if the boss had made off with them. He does like sweet things.” As she spoke, Miss Betty bustled about the room, pulling up the shades and letting in strong sunlight, then setting the bed to rights.
“Where is he now?” Addie asked.
“Oh, over at the ranch manager’s office, givin’ orders, I expect.” Miss Betty motioned that Addie should sit on the bed. After checking her forehead and taking her pulse, the older woman nodded. “Short of a complete physical, I’d say you’re back to normal.”
“I feel fine now.”
“Good. I’ll leave you to get showered and dressed. Unless you suspect you might need help?” Miss Betty asked, cocking her head.
Addie shook her head. “I’m all better.”
“Glad to hear it. Come down when you’re ready and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
After Miss Betty left, Addie searched through the neatly folded clothes. No cell phone. She’d have to call from their land line, later. She’d forgotten to look for a kitchen phone last night. Along with a clock, an old-fashioned land line was a missing accessory to the guest room. Baron probably didn’t get many guests lacking cell phones.
***
Over a large breakfast of eggs, bacon, and waffles, Addie pumped Miss Betty for information. “How big is this ranch?” Addie was seated at the kitchen table same as the night before, but now sunlight poured in from windows and a door leading outside. The old lady had a sitcom on her wall-mounted television, but she’d muted the sound.
“Over 100,000 acres.”
“That’s huge. Did Baron grow up here?”
“All three kids. He and his little sister, Tess. They have a brother, Jesse Dwayne. Call him J.D. He was seriously wounded in the Iraq war.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Better than dying, I’d say, but not much. Just about broke their mama and papa. They decided to go live near him at the VA hospital. Over to Cheyenne. Don’t know when or if he’ll recover enough to lead a normal life. Maybe they’ll come back some day. Maybe not.”
“What about Baron? What did he do?”
“He came home, and took up running the ranch. Guess he could have persuaded his parents to sell up and be done with it, but he didn’t. Maybe he came here to heal a bit himself.”
Addie nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Mind you, I don’t know how he feels,” Miss Betty said. “I’m only guessin’.”
“You know the family well? You’ve worked here a long time?”
“Nineteen years. Came when the kids was little, and helped take care of them and give their mama a rest.”
“What’s the sister like?”
“Tess? She’s a firecracker. Always into things. Never afraid of trouble. She’s flyin’ in tomorrow.”
“Flying in?”
“We’ve got an airstrip beyond the rise. Usually, Baron travels by plane.”
“He drove to Jackson Hole.”
“He took a little time off before Tess’s visit. She’s comin’ with her friend, Paula, to stay for a while. Paula always flirts with Baron.”
“Does he like her?”
“Not the way you mean. Known her since she was just a kid friend of Tess’s from boarding school.”
“What does Tess do?”
“Lately? Run wild, is my opinion.”
“That’s not a nice thing to say about my sister, even if it is true.” Baron’s voice preceded him. He came in from outside after carefully wiping his boots on the doormat.
“Tess is solid,” Miss Betty said. “You’ll meet her day after tomorrow. And Paula.”
Baron winced. “Her, too.”
“Don’t you like this Paula?” Addie asked.
“’Course he does,” Miss Betty said. “He’s just gunshy from all the women who make a play for him. Including Paula, ever since she growed up. She wasn’t like that as a young girl.”
“Can we not talk about Paula?” Baron asked.
Miss Betty was enjoying herself. “Now, boss, you know it’s a fact that Paula chased you around the mistletoe last Christmas until you tore it all down.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s a nice girl, but she can be a pain.”
“That’s why he went to Jackson Hole, to bring a woman back to be his girlfriend.”
“To pretend to be,” Baron said, flushing a little. “Someone to take the heat off me.”
“You went to Jackson Hole looking for a woman?” Addie asked, laughing.
“Found one, didn’t I?” he said. He raised an eyebrow at her.
She stopped in mid-laugh. “Pity you dragged me back. Why don’t you just man up and tell this Paula to stop chasing you?”
“Because she’s Tess’s best friend,” he replied.
“If only you had an actress here to play the part of your girlfriend,” Addie goaded him.
“An actress,” Miss Betty repeated. “Of course. Boss, why don’t you let Paula think Addie here is your new girlfriend?”
Addie suppressed a grin. Little did they know that she had the acting chops to pull off such a masquerade.
“I’m not afraid of Paula,” Baron said. “Let’s talk about something else.”
Miss Betty was having too much fun teasing Baron in front of Addie. “Appears to me you could use a pretty gal like Addie here to run interference.”
“If you’re done embarrassing me, I’ll go to my office now.” He stalked out.
Miss Betty guffawed.
Addie chuckled. “Is he really worried about this Paula’s visit?”
Miss Betty eyed her. “Not anymore, I don’t think.”
“Because I’m here to be a decoy?”
“Yep. Appears to me he found a woman.”
“Despite his wrong ideas about me.”
“You’d know best about those,” the older woman said with a smile. “Got my own thoughts about what the boss’s ideas are.”
Time to change the subject. “You said something about Baron returning to the ranch after his brother was wounded.”
“Baron’s a geologist by trade.”
“Not a rancher?”
Miss Betty hung up her dish towel. “They all was raised to know how to run this ranch, but J.D. was most interested.”
“He left, too, to serve in the military?”
“Their papa wanted Baron to run the ranch. J.D. didn’t see a place for himself here.”
“Even though Baron wasn’t here? This is confusing.”
“Baron was all over the world.”
Not the country boy after all. That changed her view of him rather drastically. He wasn’t the insular type as she’d supposed. “Was coming back here difficult for him?”
“Made him more bossy.”
“How could you tell?” Addie asked, deadpan.
The older woman let out a laugh. “Good one. He’s always been responsible. Now he’s even more so.”
“Which reminds me,” Addie looked around for a phone. “I ought to call home. Don’t you have a phone in this kitchen?”
The old lady got an uncomfortable expression on her face. Her nervous glance at the wall revealed a phone wall plate, but no phone. “Well, uh…”
“Did Baron remove them so I couldn’t call anyone?”
/> “It sure looks that way,” the older woman muttered.
“All of them, you figure, so there’s no point me looking for one in another room?” Addie asked.
Miss Betty nodded.
“Did you find my cell phone in my jeans pocket?”
Miss Betty shook her head. “No. If I had, I would have returned it, no matter what the boss says.”
Addie sighed.
Miss Betty continued. “If I had one of those phones myself, I’d lend it to you. Never saw any need for one before now.”
Addie stood up and patted Miss Betty’s shoulder. The older woman clearly felt bad about the situation. “Point the way to his office. Guess I’ll have to confront him about whether I’m a guest here or a prisoner.”
Miss Betty took her to the back hall and pointed to the last door on the right.
“Good luck, girl.”
Addie wasn’t afraid to argue with Baron about the phone. What Addie didn’t like was being alone with Baron in a small room. Given the raging chemistry between them last night, anything could happen. Although that might have been a fluke.
She knocked on the door and, on his invitation, went in. It was a classic ranch office, all dark hardwoods. The story of the west was emblazoned on every wall. Pictures of cattle. Horses. Land. Her eyes went to the land line phone on his desk.
Baron stood up from his desk and gestured for her to have a seat. Those old-fashioned manners again. She sat. He remained standing.
She had to crane her neck to address him. “I seem to have lost my cell phone, possibly in your SUV. I’d like to use your land line to make a couple of calls.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She tamped down on her instant exasperation. “Explain to me how keeping my friends from starting a statewide police hunt for me is a bad idea?”
“Who would those friends be?”
She crossed her arms. “None of your business. I have no obligation to tell you anything about my personal life.”
“If you won’t explain, then I’ll use my own judgment. No phone calls until I’m sure you’re off the drugs.”
“I took a sinus medication. I had a bad reaction. End of story.”
“So you say.” He picked up a paper from his desk, as if dismissing her.
Captive of the Cattle Baron (Selkirk Family Ranch Book 1) Page 4