“Excuse me for saying this, Ms. Drummond, but you need to get a life.”
Her laugh was bright and very controlled. “You were good. Charming and charismatic. Sometimes qualities that work well in television don’t lend themself to radio. Not so in your case. The station was inundated with calls and e-mails after your broadcast at the rodeo with Quick Draw. Ratings soared again this week on the morning of your phone interview. Our audience likes you and, it appears, will tune in to listen to you.”
“If you’re not careful, I’m going to get a swelled head.”
“You have a talent, Aaron,” she said with utmost seriousness. “Nothing wrong with knowing your abilities. Or making use of them.”
“I was joking.”
“I’m not. We have a need, and I believe you’re the right person to fill it.”
“What need is that?” he asked, intrigued in spite of his determination to remain disinterested.
“The radio stations owned by Air Waves periodically share prerecorded broadcasts. It’s a practice that’s proven to be successful and one we’d like to expand. Possibly even offer the broadcasts outside of Air Waves.”
“Syndication?”
“Of a sort. I can explain the details in our meeting,” she added.
“Where do I fit in?”
Her smile brightened considerably. “The talent, of course.”
“What kind of show?”
“We have a few ideas but would like your input before we finalize the concept.”
Including him on the decision, making it harder for him to refuse. Smart thinking on their part.
“Let me know what day works best for you, and I’ll have the producer fly out from Denver to meet you. He’s a big fan.” She mixed a fair amount of flattery with a generous portion of insistence.
His friend Garth’s remark about Aaron coming out of retirement came back to haunt him.
“How much travel would be involved?” he asked.
“Two to four days every week, depending on the location.” She raised a finely penciled brow. “Is that a problem?”
“Ma’am, I’ve done nothing but travel two to four days a week since I turned eighteen.” Except, he realized, these last seven weeks he’d spent at the ranch. He briefly wondered why he didn’t miss a way of life that had been ingrained in him for over a decade.
Could it be this place? Natalie?
His requisite annual stint on the ranch was up in another week. Making a permanent home here wasn’t something he could do. Not unless the Tuckers agreed to it, and Aaron didn’t see that happening.
He shook his head to clear it and said to Ms. Drummond, “I’m sorry. I missed that last part.”
“We want you on board, Aaron, and we’re prepared to sweeten the pot.”
People continued to parade in and out of the lobby door in a steady stream, with more parading out. Aaron glanced at his watch. The ride was starting in fifteen minutes. Most of the horses were already saddled and waiting, either tied up to their owners’ horse trailers or down at the stables. He had a lot still to take care of but had yet to talk to Natalie. Neither had he thought of what to say to her.
“I’m sorry to have to cut this short, Ms. Drummond. It’s been a real treat talking with you.”
Her smile didn’t so much as flicker. “If I could just mention this one thing before we agree on a day to meet.”
“Why don’t I call you after—”
“Air Waves is prepared to become a corporate sponsor for the Hailey Reyes Foundation. That sponsorship will include a sizable donation and free advertising. We like that a former national rodeo champion is now a champion for equestrian safety. Listeners like it, too.”
She was an expert at pushing the right buttons.
“The day after tomorrow,” Aaron said. “I’ll meet you here. Late afternoon. Can you stick around that long?”
She positively glowed. And why not? Her mission was accomplished. “I need to meet with the executives of our station in Phoenix. I’ll drive there tonight and return Monday afternoon. Is four o’clock all right?”
Alice came out the door and onto the porch. Her wandering glance lighted on Aaron. “Gary just called,” she said. “He needs you down at the stables pronto.”
“Excuse me.” Aaron tipped his hat to Ms. Drummond. “I’ll see you Monday.”
She tilted her head appealingly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
So was Aaron, which surprised him. He recalled Quick Draw’s remark about seeing him soon and chuckled. The old coot knew all along Air Waves planned to make an offer.
Instead of heading down the porch steps and to the hitching rail where he’d left Dollar tied, Aaron went inside the main lodge, passed the tables displaying the silent-auction items and headed straight for the front desk.
He waited while Natalie finished with a guest who was leaving right after the ride and wanted to check out early.
“How was your cabin?” Natalie took his credit card and ran it through.
“Very nice. The view was great. My wife and I are hoping to come back Labor Day weekend.”
“Be sure to reserve early. We’re always full over the holidays.” She handed him a pen and his receipt, which he signed.
Aaron lost himself in watching her work. Her fingers were quick and nimble at operating the computer keyboard and, he imagined, silky smooth when gliding over bare skin. His bare skin. The soft blond curls framing her face would look very appealing tousled after a night sleeping on his pillow.
“Hi.” She beamed up at him.
When had the customer left?
Aaron cleared his throat. “I only have a minute. I have to get back to the stables.”
“Actually, I think you have less than a minute. I heard Alice say my dad called.”
Gary could wait. Aaron hadn’t been this close to Natalie in nearly two weeks, and he wasn’t going anywhere until he said…what? Damn, he might be able to think better if she wasn’t staring at him with those thousand-watt baby blues.
“The ride is a spectacular success,” she said, filling in the silence. “You did an incredible job.”
“Everyone helped.”
“Yes, but it was your hard work and your connections that really enabled us to pull it off. I can’t wait for the silent auction tonight. Do you have any idea how much money you’ve raised so far?”
“Um…yes. Five thousand. No, six.” Thinking was hard with her no farther away than the other side of the counter. He decided to give his brain a rest and say what was foremost on his mind. “Do you want to go out with me tonight?”
Her eyes went wide, which only enhanced their vivid color. “Like on a date?”
“Exactly like a date.”
“Aaron.” She lowered her voice. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
The hell with Jake or anyone else who might catch them. Aaron reached across the counter for Natalie’s hand. “I’m not going to be here much longer. I want to spend every free minute I have with you.”
She started to protest, but nothing came out of her mouth.
“Yes, seeing me will make it harder when I leave. Especially if we get along well, which I personally think is a foregone conclusion.” He toyed with her fingers in the hopes of wearing down her resistance.
“I found a part-time nanny who’s watching Shiloh today.” She stared at their joined hands. “But I don’t have a babysitter for tonight.”
“We’ll take her with us.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”
“You sure?” Natalie furrowed her brow. “She’s a baby. Cries. Wets her diaper. Needs constant attention.”
“I’m sure.”
“You would have to say we could take her,” she said resignedly.
“Is that a yes?”
“How can I refuse?”
Maybe he’d learned a little something about the art of persuasion from Ms. Drummond. “I’ll come by your pl
ace after dinner to pick you up.”
“Why don’t we just leave together from the dining hall.”
Aaron had to ask. “And if Jake finds out?”
“He will. If he doesn’t see us leave together, someone will tell him eventually.”
“Gary called again,” Alice hollered from her office doorway. “He said, and I quote, ‘Aaron had better get his ass down here in the next five minutes or there’ll be seven kinds of hell to pay.’”
“You’d better hurry,” Natalie told Aaron and reclaimed her hands. “And don’t worry about Jake. If he jumps to the wrong conclusion about us, I’ll straighten him out tomorrow.”
“What’s the right conclusion?” Aaron asked.
“I guess we’ll find out tonight.”
The hint of promise in her voice filled him with the same sense of excitement bronc riding did. He hurried to where Dollar was tied up, wondering if Natalie realized the huge step she’d taken by agreeing to be seen with him.
It was only just beginning to dawn on him.
“YOU GO, GIRL.” Alice flew out of her office, impressively agile in her inappropriate three-inch heels.
“What?” Natalie asked, intentionally distracted.
Alice skidded to a halt and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Your date with Aaron.” She’d called him by his first name. Everyone did now, except Jake. It seemed her boss was the only one at Bear Creek Ranch who hadn’t accepted Aaron’s presence. A lot had changed in seven weeks. “I think I’m jealous.”
Alice’s excitement served to remind Natalie that she’d done something quite out of character. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You would if you looked in the mirror. You’ve got it bad for him.”
Natalie didn’t need a mirror. Her insides had been fluttering nonstop since Aaron suggested—no, insisted—on taking her out tonight. And Shiloh. He hadn’t hesitated one second when she’d mentioned her lack of a babysitter.
“He is good-looking,” she mused.
“He’s gorgeous. And he’s got it bad for you, too.”
“You think?”
“Quit playing dense.”
Natalie smiled. “Maybe I just like hearing you say it.”
People continued to pour into the lobby and file past the silent-auction display tables. Fortunately, no one came up to the front desk.
Alice nudged Natalie with her elbow. “I want to hear all the details tomorrow. Leave nothing out.”
Natalie stared at Alice in amazement. She’d never seen her coworker act so…normal.
“There may not be any details worth mentioning. We’re taking Shiloh with us.”
“Trust me. If you’re alone with Aaron, and you’re bound to be at some point, there’ll be details.”
A shiver of anticipation went through Natalie at the prospect of her and Aaron being alone. Alice’s next remark stopped it cold.
“Too bad he’s only going to be here another week.”
One week. Was she a fool to get involved with him? Or, a fool not to?
“I never figured you for having the guts to go against Jake,” Alice said. “Got to tell you, I’m impressed.”
“He won’t like me seeing Aaron.”
“There’s nothing he can do about it. Not legally. The employee manual stipulates we can’t fraternize with guests. Not one clause in there about owners or coworkers. I say go for it.”
Natalie immediately began to wonder what “it” was and how much trouble with Jake “it” would get her into.
Chapter Thirteen
“Where are we going?” Natalie and Aaron walked out the dining-hall door and down the steps. “Do I need to change?”
He paused while he gave her a very lengthy, very thorough once-over. “No. You look great.”
She smiled to herself. He hadn’t really said whether her casual work clothes were appropriate or not. Had he even noticed? On the stone walkway, he offered to take Shiloh. Natalie marveled at how willingly she passed the carrier to him, how much she trusted him with her baby.
“You sure you don’t mind missing the end of the auction?” she asked. When he’d invited her out, she forgot that the silent auction wouldn’t be over until later that evening.
“There’s no reason for me to be here. Alice has everything under control.” The ground dropped suddenly at a steep angle, and he reached for her hand with his free one. “And she promised to call me on my cell phone with the final proceeds,” he added.
Natalie should have guessed as much. From what she’d seen, Aaron left no stone unturned.
“Alice is quite the pistol.”
“Yeah,” Natalie agreed. She traveled this same walkway every day of her life and didn’t need his assistance. But she gladly accepted it because she liked the sensation of Aaron’s strong, sexy hand wrapped firmly around her fingers. “For a long while I wasn’t sure I liked her very much. She can be kind of…standoffish. Lately, though, she’s become a lot friendlier.”
“How long has she worked here?”
“Going on six months.”
“This ranch can have a real effect on people. Change them.”
“Has it changed you?”
“In more ways than I thought possible.”
Natalie could only guess at the meaning behind his subtle reference and wonder if it had anything to do with her.
They reached his truck in the parking lot. Natalie assumed they were heading into Payson or the family steak house down the road. He opened the passenger-side door and set Shiloh’s carrier on the seat, then started to buckle it in.
“How far are we going?” she asked. The old truck didn’t have a backseat, and she was uncomfortable with the idea of Shiloh riding in front. Even for short distances.
“Not far,” he assured her.
“Maybe we should take my car.”
Aaron snapped the seat belt in place, stepped back and unexpectedly bent to nuzzle Natalie’s cheek. “Don’t worry. We’re not even leaving the ranch.”
She resisted laying a hand over the spot where his lips had brushed her skin. Tossing the diaper bag on the truck floor, she climbed in.
Shiloh appeared content to go for a ride around the ranch. Fully awake and alert, she watched the two adults with interest. She seemed particularly fascinated by the turquoise bolo tie hanging from Aaron’s rearview mirror.
“Where’d you learn to buckle in a carrier?”
“I have ten nieces and nephews. Number eleven is due in July.”
“Wow. So many.”
“That’s what happens with six brothers and sisters.”
“Are you close with them?”
“I haven’t seen that much of them the last couple of years. I’m planning on staying a few days with my mom when I go back in a few weeks. Hopefully, everyone can come by while I’m there.”
“Did they like Hailey? Sorry,” she said a second later. “That’s none of my business and rude of me to ask.”
Aaron slung an arm over the back of the seat. His fingertips tickled the nape of Natalie’s neck, giving her a small thrill. “As a matter of fact, they adored her. We visited the family I think four times while she and I were married.”
Natalie observed Aaron from the corner of her eye. What would his many nosy siblings think of her? Would they disapprove of Aaron dating a woman with a baby by another man?
She put the questions from her mind. This was only their first date. No sense anticipating problems where there weren’t any. “So, where are we going if we’re not leaving the ranch?”
“You’ll see.”
“Ah. Being mysterious.”
“More fun that way, don’t you think?”
“Speak for yourself.” She feigned annoyance.
He laughed, clearly seeing right through her pretense. “I thought we’d enjoy one of the ranch’s more popular amenities.”
“Horseback riding!” She was not taking Shiloh on a trail ride. Certainly not at night.
“Trust me. I want
to see as much of you as I can this week. Not scare you off.” They bumped along the old road, well below the ten-miles-an-hour posted limit.
“Hiking?”
He shook his head.
“ATVs?”
“Nope.”
“That only leaves…”
He grinned.
She didn’t. “You’re not serious. Fishing with a five-month-old baby?”
“I have a plan.”
“Hmm.” She sat back and folded her arms across her waist.
“Olivia told me you like to fish.”
“I do.” She hadn’t been since she was four months pregnant, too afraid she might slip on the wet rocks and hurt herself or the baby. “But it’s not exactly an infant-friendly pastime.”
“Wait and see.” He removed his arm from behind the seat and patted her thigh.
Heat spread out from where his hand rested, warming Natalie from the inside out.
Fishing had never held such allure.
“I FOUND THIS SPOT a couple week ago when I had some free time.” Aaron pulled off the dirt road he and Natalie had taken and parked beneath the overhanging branches of a tall oak tree. “There’s a nice little pool formed by a bend in the creek.”
“Near a patch of wild blackberry bushes,” she added, pushing open the passenger-side door. “The berries won’t be ripe for another month or two.”
“Guess my secret spot’s no secret.” He went around to her side and helped her down.
“I’ve lived on this ranch my whole life. There aren’t many spots I haven’t fished.”
Her smile caused his heart to give a quick kick.
“I brought a couple of folding lawn chairs. The bank’s nice and flat.”
Natalie removed the diaper bag from the floor of the truck and used her hip to slam shut the door. “It’s a little late in the day. The trout in this creek don’t bite much after dark.”
He stopped unloading. “The great thing about fishing is that it’s not all about catching fish.” The light was too poor for him to discern her expression, but he did hear a slight intake of breath.
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