“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mocked her.
She stopped at her cabin, and he continued on to the one next to hers. Unbelievable.
“Sweet dreams, darling. Call if you need me. Remember, I’m a light sleeper. I hear everything.”
“Drop dead. Did you hear that?” she spat and entered her cabin, slamming the door and flipping him the bird.
She hoped he had x-ray vision as well.
* * *
“Why hasn’t he called me?” Monica paced around her cabin that evening, stewing. She should have been working on her presentation for the ad campaign, but she couldn’t get Cody off her mind. Nat had called, yelling because Monica had had her cell off, then Nat warned her about Wendell. Too little, too late.
But just because Nat hadn’t been able to get a hold of her earlier didn’t mean Cody could have called the cabin phone or come banging on her door if he’d really wanted to. Darn it, Monica had expected at least a call, if not a little dessert.
She’d finally gotten rid of Wendell, thanks to Cassie asking for his help with a party she was hosting at the lodge. No surprise Wendell said yes. Cassie was hot.
So where the heck was Cody? Monica dropped down onto the bed. Maybe one night with her was enough, and he was blowing her off. So much for the ‘while you’re here, you’re mine’ lecture. If one night with her was enough, well, to hell with him. She had better things to do than mope over him, like outfox Wendell and come up with a better slogan before Cody traded her in.
Faced with too much work to waste time socializing over dinner, she picked up the phone and ordered room service. And she wasn’t up to seeing Wendell’s smirking face, knowing she was failing miserably. When someone knocked a half hour later, she answered the door in pajamas and slippers.
“A Triple R pizza with everything?” the delivery boy asked.
“That’s me. Gotta have everything,” she snapped, still having a hard time putting Cody out of her mind. “All or nothing for this little filly.”
“Uh, okay, here’s the bill, ma’am.”
“Here you go, it’s all yours.” She handed him the money.
“Ma’am, your change.” The boy stuck his foot in the door.
“You keep it,” she said over her shoulder as she set the pizza in the middle of the bed.
“But y-you gave me a twenty,” the boy blurted.
She shrugged.
“If you’re sure?” When she didn’t respond right away, he added, “Thanks,” then bolted out the door.
Monica shook her head. Men. They were never satisfied unless you gave them everything you had. And where does that get you, Mo, my dear? Alone and lonely. There was a lesson to be learned here. Never trust a single one of them. Disgusted with herself, she shrugged off her self-pity and took a huge bite of gooey pizza. The phone’s shrill ring pierced the air.
“Hewwow?” She dropped her slice back in the box and took a quick gulp of soda. “Excuse me. Hello?”
“Monica?”
Clutching the phone, she closed her eyes in relief and leaned back. “Yes? Who’s this?” Like she didn’t know, but she wouldn’t let him off the hook so easy.
“It’s Cody.” He sounded annoyed, his deep voice a low sexy rumble in her ear. Lord, nothing had ever sounded better. “I just wanted to see if you needed anything,” he continued.
“Why would you think I needed anything? I’ve had a wonderful day,” she lied, trying to sound cheerful.
“Oh.” He grew quiet. “I didn’t see you at supper, and I thought after Friday night ... never mind.”
“Wait.” She bolted straight up in bed. “What do you mean, after Friday night?” She held her breath. Dead silence. “Please tell me you’re still there,” she whispered.
“I’m here,” he answered after a lengthy pause. “After what happened with Wendell, I thought you needed some space. Yesterday and today were very long days, and I ... I ... well, hell. I’m not very good with words.” The baritone of his voice fluctuated. “I missed you, plain and simple.”
“Those words will do just fine.” So he had thought about her. Good. “I missed you, too.”
“Guess I owe you an explanation.”
She cut him off. “You don’t have to answer to me.”
“After what happened between us, I’d say you deserve to know. Besides, I want you to know.”
“Oh. I’m all ears, then.”
“Basically, when I took Babe out for some exercise and checked on my breeding herd yesterday morning, I found one of my best cows ill. I hightailed it back to the ranch and called the vet, intending to have Cassie call you, but then I got distracted. It wasn’t until today that the cow showed signs of improvement. Sorry ‘bout that. I thought we’d have more time to, you know, get to know each other. Then I thought I’d have a chance to apologize at supper, but you weren’t there.”
“Oh, that. Well, I’ve been swamped avoiding Wendell and working on your campaign.” She paused, but he remained silent. “Well, I’d better go,” she said, disappointed. “It’s getting late, and you have to be up early, I’m sure.”
“Yeah? So do you. And please be on time, there, little lady.” A touch of humor laced his voice.
“On time for what?”
“What do you mean, for what? Aren’t you coming to work?”
“I didn’t think you’d want me to.”
“Why the hell not?”
She hesitated, gripping the phone. She had to know. “I know my slogans haven’t been the best, but I’m trying. And I think you’ll like the rest of the proposal. I guess I was surprised that you asked Wendell to help.”
“Like hell I did,” Cody said, making her heart soar. “He asked all sorts of questions about you, and I told him were doing fine, but since ... well, I guess I thought maybe you might have called him.”
She believed Cody. He had no reason to lie and, other than Nat, she had no one to confide in. It couldn’t hurt to fill him in, too. At least not with Wendell loitering around the ranch. Maybe Cody could help. “Wendell is out to sabotage me. He’s afraid he’ll be out of a job if I prove he’s trying to ruin everything my father has worked so hard for.”
Cody grew quiet and, for a moment, she thought he’d hung up, but then he echoed, “Wendell is out to ruin your father?”
“I can’t prove it, but if I can land a good campaign, I can stop him. And, of course, I want to help you.”
He sighed, sounding weary. “I can’t make any promises just because we’re, well ....”
“I know. I don’t expect you to. I just want you to understand where I’m coming from.” Silence filled the line, so she continued, “I’ve been working all weekend, and I think you’ll really like what I’ve come up with, if Wendell would leave me alone. I never thought he’d stoop so low.” What goes around comes around. Wendell would get his in the end.
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something great. As far as Wendell goes, he’s out of here first thing come morning.”
“No, wait. I’ve got an idea.”
“What kind of idea?” Cody’s voice sounded playful.
“Like doing to Wendell what you did to me.”
“Excuse me?” Cody coughed.
“Not that.” She giggled. “Give him the same deal you gave me. If he wants to stay, he has to work on the ranch. Then give him barn duty. It’s the perfect punishment for his deceit. God, I can’t wait to see his face when he finds out.”
“You got it.”
“See you tomorrow, boss. Sweet dreams.”
Cody cleared his throat. “Since you’ve had dinner, and all, care for a little dessert?”
“I thought you’d never ask. Hurry. But be discreet.” She hung up the phone and then picked up her discarded slice of pizza to sink her teeth in. Cold pizza wasn’t the tastiest dinner.
Cody for dessert would taste a whole lot yummier.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Monica stood in the barn doorway, watching as Wendell
somehow managed to mount Snoozer. Riding a horse wasn’t part of “barn duty”, but he didn’t know that. She’d told him he had to ride Snoozer out to the corral for some exercise, and then he had to clean out her stall.
Payback was a bitch, but she was loving every minute of it. Wendell’s head bobbed in and out of the collar of his Polo shirt like a cuckoo chiming the hour in a cuckoo clock. His arms flapped at his sides as he kept tugging and yanking on the reins, and his loafers kicked into Snoozer’s sides, looking as though he was having some kind of spell.
“Yah-yah, yeehaw, giddy up, click click, cha-cha, woohoo.”
He was having some kind of spell, all right.
Snoozer ignored him, content to munch on her oats.
“What in tarnation is he doing?” Jake joined Monica in the doorway, scratching his balding gray head and crinkling his weathered eyes.
“Danged if I know, but his crown jewels will be paying the piper come mornin’ if he don’t stop all that crazy gyratin’.” Hank winced, adjusting his fly as he came to a stop beside Jake. “It gives me the willies just watchin’ him.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Rusty joined them. “City slickers. They sure make for an entertaining afternoon.” He shot Monica a quick glance. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Not that long ago she might have been offended, but she was a different person now.
Wendell stopped jumping. Lifting himself slightly out of the saddle, he screwed up his face as though in agony. Not letting it stop him, he spied a rope, yanked it off the saddle, and fashioned the most bizarre loop Monica had ever seen. It didn’t look like any of the loops the cowboys made.
Gathering it to him, he hefted it into the air and swung it in three crazy ... circles wasn’t exactly the right word. She didn’t know what shape he was trying to make, but it wasn’t working for him. Throwing the rope, he yanked it back too soon and managed to ... now, how on earth did you rope yourself? Even she hadn’t done that.
Jake, Hank and Rusty left the barn, shaking their heads and laughing. Wendell struggled to untie himself and fell off of Snoozer for the tenth time that day.
Monica had enjoyed this past week, watching the well-dressed, smooth-talking, cunning executive fail at “barn duty.” Served him right. “What were you doing with the rope, anyway?”
“I thought if I could rope the stall gate, I could pull him outside, since I can’t get him to walk. What the devil’s wrong with the beast?” Wendell untied himself and got to his feet, wiping his hands on a towel, and then frowned at his ruined manicure. “He’s obviously broken.”
“He is a she,” Monica walked over and stroked the mare’s nose.
“Enough said.” He snorted.
She rolled her eyes as she led the mare to her stall and unsaddled her. “She’s no more broken than the pitchfork, the shovel, the water bucket, or the wheelbarrow that didn’t work for you, either.” She glared at him and folded her arms in front of her. “Ever think the problem is you? Do me a favor and go home. You’re not going to win this time.”
“Don’t be so sure about that. Word around the ranch is, you haven’t knocked Mr. Rafferty’s boots off with your slogans, and sleeping with the client isn’t going to convince your father you’re the best person for the job, darling.”
Ooh, she wanted to knock that smug grin right off his too-perfect, plastic-surgery-enhanced features. The man was a jerk, but he was right. Having a fling with Cody had taken the edge off the sexual tension between them, but her slogans had gone from sexual to sappy. Not a whole lot better. If she didn’t watch out, Wendell would win. She couldn’t give him a chance to come up with something better than her.
She had to keep Cody away from Wendell. That’s all there was to it. “I don’t have to answer to you,” Monica said as she got ready to call it a day.
“Yet,” he paused in an arrogant way, adding, “Once I’m in charge, things are going to change, darling. Unlike Daddy, I won’t stand for your bullshit.” He took a step back, turning toward the door, but her voice halted him.
“How about horseshit then? Will you stand for that? Because you’re standing in it right now.” Moron.
“What?” He looked down and jerked his foot back, shaking it. “Christ almighty. These are Italian leather riding boots. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
“If you want to be in charge, you’re going to have to learn to be flexible, find your way out of tough situations, remember? I’m sure you’ll think of something, darling.” She patted him on the shoulder, sailed out the door, and heard him curse about the awful smell and bemoan his primitive surroundings.
Please tell me I wasn’t that bad, she thought as she made her way back to her cabin to get ready for her date with Cody. She’d changed so much since she came here. Jake had taught her to ride a horse, Rusty had taught her to ride a mechanical bull, and Hank had taught her to rope a calf. She’d discovered she enjoyed country music and line dancing. Heck, she didn’t even mind the smell of manure anymore, something she’d never thought she’d admit.
What did it all mean? She still didn’t belong here, and Cody certainly didn’t belong in the city. This wild, untamed land and way of life meant everything to him, just like helping her father and paying Wendell back meant everything to her.
* * *
A couple hours later, a knock made Monica’s heart jump into her throat and her stomach quiver like a flurry of butterflies. She pushed her reservations aside and opened the door with a smile, wanting to enjoy every second she had left with Cody. He stared at her with hot eyes, turning her inside out with a single glance. “Would you like to come inside? Maybe have an appetizer before dinner?” She licked her lips.
He shot a longing glance at the bed, looking pained. “If I come in, we’ll never have that date.” He held out his arm. “Ma’am.”
She swallowed her own desire, took his arm, and closed the door behind her. “Why, thank you, sir. Tell you what. You show me a good time now, and I’ll show you a good time later.” She shot him a saucy wink.
“Now, that’s my kind of deal.”
A comfortable silence settled between them as they strolled to the lodge, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. He wore black jeans, with a black western shirt tucked inside, but what made him so handsome were the tan sport coat and tie he’d added.
Still all cowboy, with his big silver belt buckle and cowboy boots, but he’d opted to go without his Stetson. She had rarely seen him without it. He had a pale stripe across his forehead where the skin didn’t tan, and the masculine effect made her mouth water. The thick black strands of his hair were slicked back and hung below his collar in waves.
He spoke in a deep, low tone. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her cheeks warmed with pleasure. “So do you.”
“I’m hardly beautiful.”
“You are to me.” Gazing up at him, she adored him with her eyes, memorizing every detail and storing it in her brain so she’d remember him always. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t forget her cowboy if she tried.
Cody tucked her arm into the crook of his, nice and snug. “By the way, this is for you.” He pulled a single, long-stemmed red rose from inside his coat and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” Her eyes swam with tears as she took the rose, but she blinked them away. What was the matter with her tonight? She’d been so emotional for the last few days. “It smells wonderful.” Leaning her head against him, she pressed the rose to her breast.
“It sure does.” Bending down, he buried his nose in her hair, then snatched her hand and tugged her around the side of the lodge. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers. After kissing the breath out of her, he lifted his head and grinned. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait to do that.”
Before she could speak, he pulled her behind the lodge to join the party.
* * *
Monica accepted the glass of punch Cody handed her and smiled at Rusty.
“
Howdy, Rus,” Cody said and nodded in greeting.
“Cody. Mo.” Rusty looked from Cody to Monica and arched a brow at her.
She took a sip of her punch. “It’s a beautiful evening. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Absolutely. In fact, I promised a lovely woman staying at the dude ranch a dance. If you’ll excuse me.” He touched the brim of his hat and wandered off to a crowd of dudettes, held out his arm to a woman who looked at him with stars in her eyes, and led the way to the dance floor.
“Imagine that. I never would’ve pictured those two together. They’re so different,” Cody said as he watched them hold each other tight and sway to the music.
“Oh, I don’t know. Some people are just meant to be together, no matter how far apart their worlds may seem.” Monica stared off, watching them dance as she finished her punch. A minute later she felt Cody’s intense gaze bore into her. As she glanced up at him, her breath lodged in her throat at the play of emotions swirling in his smoky-gray eyes.
“It won’t last. She’ll get bored, and then she’ll leave him for another man,” Cody said, finally looking down at Monica. When she frowned, he seemed to give himself a mental shake and forced a smile. “Dance with me.”
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