She was so focused on her plight that only the scrape of the chairs across from her had her looking up. “Candy! Beth? Lisa?” That was a surprise.
Her friends sat, and Lisa took her hand. “Oh, hon, we were worried about you. I’m still in shock.” She glanced at Beth who also nodded.
“Tell us what’s going on,” Candy said. “We want to help.”
One of Candy’s best traits was being direct.
“It’s what I said over the phone. I’m leaving Craig.” No use beating around the bush.
As expected, Candy’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. “You’re kidding, right? You have the perfect marriage.” Candy’s divorce two years ago left her bitter.
“I thought so, too, until I found out about his lies.”
She scrunched her brows together. “He’s having an affair?”
Lisa pushed back her chair. “Can you hold that thought? I so need a coffee.” She looked over at Beth. “Black iced tea, right?”
Beth’s lips pressed together. “Yes, and two brownies. This is definitely a two brownie discussion.”
Beth loved her sweets. Mandy leaned back in her seat while Lisa waited in line. “Thanks for coming. I really appreciate the support. I’ve been dying to tell you guys, but I feared you’d let it slip that I was really going to leave Craig.”
“What does he say about it? Craig must be frantic,” Candy said.
“He doesn’t believe I’ll go through with it even after he received the divorce papers three months ago.”
Candy shook her head. “He’s known three months? Yikes. He never said anything.”
Lisa returned with the drinks and dessert. “Okay, what did I miss?”
“Basically that Craig is in denial,” Candy assured her.
“Hell, I’m still in denial.” Lisa sipped her coffee, closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled. “So Craig was having an affair?”
An affair she might be able to deal with. “No. He’s running a Ponzi scheme using his spa.”
Candy worked for Craig. She decided what lotions, shampoos, polishes, and other items to sell to the clientele. Her face lost some of its color. “That’s not possible.”
If the truth got out, and the FBI investigated, Candy would lose her job. “I’m so sorry, but it is. I’ve not wanted to believe it, either.” She bit into her cookie. “You know Bill Christopher, right?”
“Sure. He’s one of Craig’s biggest investors.”
She nodded. “Was one of his biggest investors. He approached me at the club about four months ago.” She detailed how she’d spotted him on the sidelines pacing. “When I finished the set, he told me how he’d decided to cash in his investment. Craig told him he didn’t have the money.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Candy said. “A while back, Amy let it slip that Indulgent Spa cleared over two mil last year. How could he not have enough money to give back to Mr. Christopher?”
“You tell me. Bill demanded Craig call him back.”
“What did Craig say?”
“That it was a misunderstanding.” She sipped her coffee, which was finally cool enough to drink. “After the confrontation, I became curious. Over the next few weeks, I found e-mails incriminating my husband. Christopher was one of many who’d sent angry-grams.”
Candy placed a hand over her heart and shook her head. “Does Craig know you’re onto him?”
“Hell no. He thinks I’m upset with him because he works too hard. If he finds out I know anything about the Ponzi scheme, he’ll come after me.” If she divorced him, only she stood between him and jail.
“What are you going to do?”
“After I divorce him on Monday, I plan to disappear.”
Chapter Two
Monday turned out to be the worst day of her life. Not only did it represent the day she left Candy, Beth, and Lisa, but the divorce hearing turned ugly, too. Craig came to the hearing dressed in a two-thousand-dollar suit. His lawyer had the same smug look as Craig.
When they met with the judge, Craig tried to give her a hug, but she’d pulled away. His lawyer must have told him to act contrite and all lovey-dovey. She’d whispered that it wouldn’t work.
For six hours, he told lies to the judge about how happy they were. Mandy explained there were irreconcilable differences, and that she wanted absolutely nothing from the man.
In the end, the judge granted her the divorce. She had no plans to even step foot in the house again to pack or take anything.
As thrilled as Mandy had been to be free of the scheming ass, she had no doubt that Craig would come after her if and when his Ponzi scheme was exposed. He’d eventually learn that she knew all about his illegal activities and would testify if need be.
Knowing the tenacious bastard, he’d search for a way to get the divorce nullified. She prayed there wasn’t a loophole her lawyer had overlooked.
Her total focus right now was to make sure he never found her. That meant she needed to leave the state—go somewhere he’d never even think she’d end up. Then she’d find a job. It had been five years since her last employment, which would make the search hard.
Once she decided on Wyoming, she knew that without a teaching certificate, she wouldn’t be teaching. Besides, the school system would be the first place he’d look.
After she had made up her mind she liked Wyoming, she spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for jobs. Two weeks ago, she spotted one position in particular that sounded wonderful. It was a job at a ranch that catered to women. The ad said the Circle Bar was looking for a woman interested in leading other women into the wilderness. The requirements were an ability to ride and have outdoor skills. That worked for her. She grew up not only riding, but also rock climbing and camping.
The ranch was in a town called Intrigue, Wyoming, a mere two-hour drive north of Denver. While it was a little close for her, the fact it was in a different state gave her some solace.
Despite a state line between her ex and her, she made sure not to be followed. Because she didn’t have to be at the new job until Friday of that week, she was able to spend three days driving around, hoping to confuse whoever Craig might have hired to keep an eye on her.
When she was convinced no one knew where she was going—including Candy, Beth, and Lisa—she arrived in Intrigue.
Mandy met with the owner, a Samantha Callen Watson, and interviewed for the job.
To her delight, Samantha, or Sam as she asked to be called, told her the job was hers. So here she was.
Only, the job wasn’t quite as she’d expected. Sure, the first day was good. Sam introduced her to her bunkmates, Lilly and Trinity, both of whom were cool. The ladies showed her around the ranch and detailed how they handled the expeditions. Being out in the open, free of worry, helped soothed her soul.
Then came day two followed by day three. When Sam met up with her Friday morning, she explained that all of the workers started at the bottom and worked their way up.
“Bottom, my ass,” Mandy grumbled as she shoveled another pile of horse dung and placed it in the bin.
She knew she should be content she even had a job. The other three she’d applied for never materialized. But knowing she would be a stable hand for a month or so didn’t sit well with her. Her nails had already cracked.
“Need help?”
She spun at the sound of the rich male tone. Sam had explained a man went on each of the expeditions to keep everyone safe, but the women were the ones in charge.
Whoa. Mandy hadn’t seen anyone quite like this cowboy at the ranch since she’d arrived. His tight T-shirt had sweat stains between his pecs and had traveled in a V-pattern down to his low-slung jeans hugging his slim hips. As soon as her heart stopped fluttering, she lifted her gaze to his dazzling smile and then to eyes she bet every woman got lost in.
Answer him. “You’re asking if you can help clean the stall?”
“Yup.”
Men at her Denver country club would never have offered. She w
iped her hand on her pants and held it out. “I’m Mandy.” No need to state her last name. She feared she’d slip and say Clairbourne when her application used her maiden name.
“Vince. Offer still stands.”
She looked for another shovel. “There might be another one in the tack room.” There were only two stalls left to clean.
He stepped near, clasped her wrist, and lifted the shovel from her hands, brushing her fingers in what seemed like an obvious attempt to touch her. “This one will do.”
He tossed her an earth-shattering grin. From the way his eyes sparkled, she bet he was used to having women throw themselves at him. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to step back or follow the pack.
Pulse racing, she chose to step back. This was not good. In part, the job appealed to her because she wouldn’t be around men. After her experience with Craig, she never expected to have her heart race like this ever again.
Do something.
“I’ll go brush the horses.”
With his back to her, he waved a hand. “You do that.”
What was wrong with her? Craig had left a bitter taste in her mouth. Despite having the divorce papers, she wasn’t ready to walk into another relationship. Not that he was asking, but no one would mistake that pickup line.
She gathered two different brushes and moved to the next stall. “How long have you worked at the Circle Bar?” If she didn’t strike up a conversation, he’d probably consider it rude.
The scraping stopped. He stepped over to her stall and leaned against the door. “I’ve known Sam my whole life.”
He didn’t quite answer her question. Understanding her boss, though, could help her avoid a misstep. “What’s she like?”
“Tough, but fair. She used to run a cattle ranch, but a lot of the men in town gave her shit. Intrigue can be a tough place for a woman. That’s why Sam decided to have a ranch where woman can be themselves.”
“That’s what drew me here.”
“Don’t get me wrong. Sam’s all female. Her two husbands have helped her express her more feminine side.”
Mandy probably should have focused on the word feminine, but instead couldn’t get past the concept of two husbands. “She has two husbands?”
Vince laughed and leaned over the stall door, looking amazingly comfortable in his skin. “Around here, it’s common, especially in the Callen family. Women are scarce, so the men share.”
She’d never considered herself sheltered, but in Intrigue, she was out of her element. “Makes sense.” Proud she’d acted calm, she returned to the horse.
“You interested in going for a ride?”
Her shoulders sagged and turned around. “Are you kidding? I’d love to, but I’m not sure I can. I’m not done here.” She waved her hand to all ten stalls.
“Let’s ask Crystal.” The taskmaster was her immediate boss.
“Okay.” Asking wouldn’t hurt.
Playing hooky on her third day on the job might not be the smartest move, but brushing the beautiful horses had her chomping at the bit to get out. While she knew what the other workers did for the ranch, her role was still unclear.
Vince headed over to the corral. “There she is.”
Her boss sat on a beautiful Arabian that reminded her so much of Charger. Mandy inhaled and sucked in her stomach, remembering all she’d left behind.
Vince placed a warm hand on her back. “You okay, darlin’?”
The way he said darlin’ had her nerves jumping. His hand on her back had another part of her anatomy throbbing. “I’m fine.”
Vince waved and Crystal slowed the horse and dismounted. She tied off the reins and came over. “Vince. What’s up?”
“Mind if I take your charge for a little ride? Stalls are clean.”
Her boss smiled and ran a glance between the two. “Sure. Don’t tire her out too much.” She winked.
“You can count on me.” Vince turned back toward the barn.
She looked up at him. “What was that about?”
“What?”
Now he was being coy. “About tiring me out?” The image of making love with someone this easygoing altered something inside her.
“I like to ride hard. That’s all. Can you keep up?”
“This a test?” She might have given fake references about her working at a ranch, but her horsemanship was the real deal.
“Should it be?”
“No.”
The hand on her back slipped lower, and his fingers squeezed her waist. Shimmers of joy spread up her spine. Maybe she should beg off going, but then he might tell Crystal she copped out. Her boss might wonder about her ability to ride the range.
They entered the stifling barn, but the fresh smell of hay boosted her spirits.
“Have you picked out a favorite horse?” Vince hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets and looked like a man she could fall for. Don’t go there. She’d already had her heart broken.
“I kind of had my eye on this Arabian.” She pointed to the horse she just brushed. She had a finely chiseled bone structure, a delicately arched neck, and a high tail.
“Wind Song. She’s a beauty. Mine’s tied up by the house. You need help saddling her?”
She chuckled. “If I did, it would mean Mrs. Watson made a mistake hiring me.”
He grinned. “Meet you outside?”
“You bet.”
She selected a saddle from the tack room, and after tossing on a blanket she saddled the horse and cinched the straps. “Let’s go for a ride, Wind Song.”
* * * *
The moment Vince crossed the yard between the barn and the house, he kicked himself. He had no right taking her away from her job, but damn, the woman did something to him—more specifically to his cock. He hopped up on his horse and trotted over to the barn.
Mandy was saddled and waiting. She looked mighty pretty up there, all regal and proper.
“You ready to eat some dirt?” Egging her on might have been wrong given she was a new hire, but the luscious brunette intrigued him in more ways than one.
For one, women who worked with horses didn’t wear fake nails. Secondly, other than the Callen clan, the women in Intrigue didn’t pluck their eyebrows with such precision nor did they have super white, magazine-perfect teeth. It almost looked as if she wore those expensive veneers.
One thing for sure, she didn’t look like any trail guide he’d seen. Her skin was too creamy, like she didn’t go outside often, and when she did, she wore a ton of sunscreen.
But underneath all that expensive glitz, he saw a woman with a past. She was an alluring mixture of vulnerability and resolve, and one he was determined to get to know better.
Mandy nodded at his horse. “Can that old hag you’re riding beat Wind Song?”
She actually sounded like Crystal, who would challenge a guy at the drop of a hat, even if it was to a mudwrestling contest. Crystal outweighed Mandy by a good fifty pounds, making Crystal’s challenges one he might lose.
He took off his hat and slapped his thighs. “Who you calling an old hag? I’ll have you know, Collier here is faster than anything in Sam’s stable.”
She shook her head and grinned. “We’ll see. You have a course in mind?”
Yes, but he wasn’t about to give away his plan. “Let’s head on out and I’ll decide.” The wind picked up, and the breeze carried a hint of rain. Clouds passed overhead providing some relief from the heat.
“Lead the way, cowboy.”
He normally didn’t pursue a woman this fast. Hell, who was he kidding? He didn’t pursue women at all. They went after him. He was an easy catch since he put up little resistance and had the Callen luck when it came to money.
He urged his horse past the corrals and into the open land—land that might look flat from a distance, but was fraught with dips and valleys and dotted with grasses and rocks. He hoped the newcomer was up for the ride.
He halted and pointed east. “How about we race to that clump of trees
?” It was a little over a half mile.
“Works for me. On the count of three?”
“Sure.”
“One, two—”
She never got to say three, because he took off faster than a fox after a hare. Yes, he’d cheated, but he wanted to know what pushed her buttons. Teasing a woman and taking her out of her normal routine told a lot about her. He wanted to learn why she chose Wyoming, and to make sure she wasn’t trying to take advantage of his cousin or any of the Callens.
Liar. His cock made him do it.
She kicked the side of her horse, and as she leaned forward, Wind Song took off, galloping across the pasture as if the Arabian needed a good run. No way he’d let her win. Exhilaration sped through him.
“Come on, girl,” she called from behind him.
They were gaining on him, but his horsemanship was better, as was his horse. He kept low as Collier flew across the plains, but he slowed enough to let Wind Song catch up. Side by side, the two horses battled, their nostrils flaring as they huffed out their breaths. Adrenaline replaced his blood. Her face was coated with dirt from when he’d been in the lead, and she looked adorable. The trees loomed closer and while she urged her horse to go faster, his horse would never let Wind Song win.
He let Mandy pull ahead to make it seem like a fair race, but as they neared the destination, he edged ahead by a nose then sailed past the copse of trees and stopped.
As he trotted back to her, Mandy pulled on the reins and patted her horse’s flank. “Good try, girl.”
She sounded surprisingly upbeat. He had to admit the girl could ride. Vince dismounted and tied his mount to a tree branch. He strode over, reached up, and helped her down. Not that she needed any aid, but he liked touching her.
Diamonds and Spurs [The Callens 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2