Her sudden death ripped apart his world and he still wasn’t sure that he would ever recover from it. Family and friends had tried to help him, but he still wasn’t ready to welcome anyone new in his life. He was very content being a single man for right now.
Everyone acted like he should have a time limit to get over his mourning period. Who in the hell were they to tell him to move on to someone new and restart his life? If anyone else told him anything like that he’d tell them to go straight to hell.
How could they know how much he had loved coming home after a long day at work and finding Donna standing on the porch waiting for him? A huge smile would be spread across her pretty face making her green eyes and red hair even more stunning in his eyes.
God, he had never stayed late at work because unlike most of his employees he did have a loving wife to come home to each and every day. Now, all of that was gone. Currently, he worked more hours than any of his men because he didn’t want to get caught up in the memory of what was missing from his life. Without a doubt, he would have gone into the grave right behind Donna if not for the love of someone very special he had to live for.
“Daddy, where are you?”
Clayton pushed the painful thoughts of his wife to back of his mind for another time. He couldn’t let Sam see him upset or she would ask if she had done something to cause it. “I’m in the den, honey,” he called out.
A couple of minutes passed and then his little girl Samantha came walking slowly into the room with her hands behind her back. He looked at her short red hair; she wore torn jeans and dirty t-shirt. At first glance anyone would think she was a little boy instead of a little girl.
He hated that his baby girl wasn’t more feminine, but it was hard for him to teach Sam to act like a girl. Donna was supposed to be the one who took care of that while he taught her other things like how to ride a horse.
Several women in town had tried to give him advice about raising his daughter, but he wasn’t interested in opinions. In particular, his last dating disaster with Annie Wagele made him even more protective of his daughter. Sure, he was sad that Sam didn’t look more like her beautiful mother, but he didn’t love her any less. She was his only child and he loved her with everything in his heart. She was the only reason for him to get up every morning and go about his day.
“Daddy, I’ve something for you. Do you want to know what it is?” Sam asked, staring up at him with her mother’s big green eyes.
Clayton just stared at his daughter for several seconds exultant that she was a part of his world. Donna had been so thrilled when she’d found out she was pregnant with their first child and her happiness grew even more when she learned they were having a girl.
While they had been dating all Donna talked about was having a daughter and being around to watch her grow up. Donna’s own mother had died when she was only ten years old. Donna told him that she always felt like a part of her passed away on that day, too.
Clayton wondered if Sam even remembered her mother. Donna had died two months before Samantha’s fourth birthday. His little girl never asked about her mother and he battled with whether or not he should mention Donna, so he wasn’t sure what was going on in her young mind.
“Daddy, I’ve something for you.” Sam had her hands wrapped around the front of a mug as if to hide it from view. “Do you want to know what it is?”
Clayton couldn’t keep the smile off his face at the excited look on his daughter’s. This was a game that they usually played once or twice a week. Sam would make him something and then surprise him with it. He loved that the two of them had this ritual. He hoped it was something she would remember for a very long time.
“Yes, sweetheart, I want to know what it is,” he answered waiting for Sam to show him what was behind her back.
“Here you go.” Sam removed her hand from the front of the mug and handed him his favorite mug. Clayton didn’t have to guess what was in it. His little girl only fixed one thing in his black mug with World’s Best Daddy across the front.
“Sam, how did you know I was craving hot chocolate?” Clayton asked taking the hot mug from his daughter.
“You had the frown on your face that you usually get when you’re unhappy. So I went into the kitchen and made your favorite drink. Are you nervous about the new nanny coming? Is she nice? Do you think she will like me?”
Clayton didn’t know which question to answer first.
“I know the last nanny didn’t.”
“Whoa, sweetheart,” Clayton said trying to calm his nervous daughter down. Sam was only eight years old, but she acted like she had the weight of the world on her young, little shoulders. He knew Sam had overheard how some people talked about her looks.
He was pissed as hell that some ill mannered adults couldn’t keep their mouths shut. He might need to have another conversation with some of the ‘ladies’ in town the next time he went back there.
“Your Uncle Tony told me that she was a very nice lady who was looking for a job working with a pretty little girl. I don’t think there is another little girl in the world prettier than you.”
Sam shook her head. “Daddy, I’m not pretty, but you have to tell me I am because I’m your daughter. This new lady probably won’t like me either, but that’s okay. I promise not to scare her away like I did the other woman.”
“Sweetheart, the last nanny left because of me and not you. Don’t you remember me telling you that?”
Clayton had awakened during the middle of the night and found the woman naked in bed next to him with her hand wrapped around his cock. He had tossed her ass out of his bed and house in less than five minutes flat. He wouldn’t have that type of woman living under the same roof as his impressionable daughter.
He’d warned Laura about her inappropriate behavior around Sam and she’d refused to listen. Rumor was she was already sleeping with the husband of her new employer.
“Daddy, are you listening to me or are you daydreaming?” Sam asked drawing his wandering mind back to her.
“Yes, I’m listening to you.”
“Good, I’m glad you are,” her daughter grinned. “Why don’t you start drinking your hot chocolate before it gets cold? I’m going outside to play for a little while. What time do you want me to be back inside?”
Clayton hated that Sam tried to act like she was so strong, but he knew how much she was hurt by how the other children treated her in town. None of the other little girls invited her to their parties because, he presumed, she wasn’t girly enough for them.
He even had to take her out of school because of all the teasing from the other students and had hired a teacher to home school her. He lost count of how many times he would pick Sam up from school and there would be tears in her beautiful green eyes. He wanted his little girl to love her childhood and not think back on it with bad memories.
“Why don’t you just go outside and have fun? I’ll call you in when dinner is ready. I’m going to fix your favorite meal.”
“Daddy, I’ve a lot of favorite meals. Which one are you going to cook for me tonight?”
“I can’t tell you.” Clayton smiled holding the mug in his hand. “You’ll just have to wait and find out. Now go on outside and have some fun.”
“Okay, Daddy.” Sam waved at him before rushing out of the room. Seconds later, Clayton heard the front door slamming shut behind her.
He had to find a way to get his little girl around more children. She didn’t need to be around him twenty-four seven. She needed to interact with girls and boys her own age. He hated that she had gotten used to being alone all of the time. That wasn’t any way for a child to be at all. Clayton took a sip of the hot chocolate and grimaced at the tepid temperature.
“God, I need to warm this back up and maybe add a little something extra to it.” Clayton got up out of his seat and was headed for the door when the telephone on his desk rang stopping him halfway there.
Spinning around, he hurried back over to his
desk and picked up the phone before the answering machine clicked on.
“Hello?”
“Hey Clayton, I was calling to see if maybe you and Samantha wanted to join me for dinner?”
Clayton’s hand tightened around the mug at the sound of the female voice on the other end. How dare Annie call his house after the things she’d said about his dead wife and little girl? Was she out of her damn mind? He’d warned Annie about calling his house and she hadn’t listened to him.
“Why in the hell are you calling me? Don’t you recall the last conversation we had? I haven’t forgotten the insulting things you said about my family,” Clayton snapped.
“Baby, I know and I’m so sorry,” she whined on the other end of the phone. “I had too much to drink and the words just seemed to come out of nowhere. You know that I don’t think all of those horrible things I told you. Please let me make it up to you and sweet Samantha. If you don’t want to come to my house I can come over there and fix dinner for the three of us.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Clayton shouted. He was livid that Annie actually thought he would ever think about getting back with her after everything that had occurred between them.
“No, I don’t want you coming over here. Hell, I hope you forget my phone number. I promise if you call or come by here again you won’t like what will happen. Now, leave me and my daughter alone.” Clayton slammed down the phone before Annie could get another word in.
He really hoped that Annie listened to what he told her, because he would hate to have her kicked off his property, but he wouldn’t think twice about doing it. Clayton continued moving toward the door and left the room. He didn’t have any more time to waste on Annie.
Chapter Three
“Shit!” Annie screamed, throwing the phone down on the kitchen island after Clayton disconnected their phone call. What in the hell was she supposed to do now?
She knew that Clayton was pissed off at her because of the unflattering comments she had let slip about his dead wife and that ugly little girl of his, but she didn’t think he would end things between them because of it.
He had to know that Samantha wasn’t a natural beauty like her mother. Hell, she was the only person in town strong enough to say it to his face and not behind his back like everyone else. She should get his respect for it instead of his hatred.
The men in town had been fighting over Donna Candace for years, but none of them had a chance at winning her heart over once Clayton Moore moved into town. It was like those two only had eyes for each other after the first day they met at the local restaurant where Donna had been a waitress. The way those two had acted so in love still brought a bitter taste to her mouth.
No matter how many times she tried to draw Clayton’s attention over in her direction, it always seemed like he never saw her and it disturbed her to no end. She never believed in that happily ever after kind of love until those two and the saddest thing was Donna didn’t marry Clayton for his money
Without a doubt, Clayton Moore was the richest rancher in the entire state of Wyoming. Annie had been plotting how to get him for as long as she could remember and then that bitch Donna came out of nowhere and stole Clayton away from her. Clayton could have had his pick of women, but he’d decided to marry a wallflower instead.
The news of the marriage between Clayton and Donna had stunned the entire town, because Donna wasn’t classy but more of a simple girl with even simpler tastes. Sure, she was strikingly beautiful, but she never used her looks to get things.
What in the world had been wrong with her?
Anytime Annie had been out shopping and spotted Clayton with Donna, she constantly fought down the urge to rip out the younger woman’s eyes. Annie would never tell anyone this, but she had been extremely happy when Donna had died suddenly at the hospital.
She had started mapping out her plan the same night to get Clayton into her bed. Sure, it had taken a couple of years of careful ‘accidental meetings’ here and there, but Clayton’s interest in her had grown. She had even gotten lucky enough to spend a couple of nights at his house when Samantha was away with her grandparents.
Clayton wasn’t fond of her spending the night at the house when his little brat was at home. She’d wanted to complain but she’d been so good at keeping her mouth closed until she made the stupid ass mistake of opening it up two days ago.
She had gotten fed up with her schedule frequently being made around Samantha and what was going to make that little girl happy. By mistake, she had told Clayton that he should like having a woman around Sam, because his little girl looked more like a little boy.
Of course she didn’t shut her mouth there, but went on and ruined her chances of being with Clayton by telling him that if she hadn’t known that his dead wife had given birth to a daughter, she wouldn’t know it by looking at Sam and the boyish attire she constantly wore around town.
Clayton had grabbed her by the arm and tossed her out of his house so fast that she wasn’t able to stop him. He had told her that he didn’t allow anyone to talk like that about his family. Before he slammed the door in her face, he warned her to stay away from Blue Horn or she wouldn’t like the consequences.
“I can’t let him end our relationship,” Annie snapped picking up an empty glass off the table and throwing it against the wall. She was livid that she hadn’t kept her wits about her.
She was so close to getting a ring on her finger. Why did she have to lose her cool about his ugly little daughter? She should have just agreed to his schedule and then found a way to send the little brat off to boarding school after they had gotten married.
The rumor around town was Clayton had hired another nanny for Samantha since she was home schooled. He wanted someone at the house with her after the tutor had left for day. The last nanny had turned out to be a walking mattress and Clayton fired her without notice.
Clayton didn’t need to hire some stranger to watch tomboy Sam. I could have done it for free and worked my way deeper into their lives. Shit! Now I have to find a way to get rid of this new problem.
Annie didn’t want another woman around Clayton. She would make sure this new nanny left faster than the old one. She wasn’t a quitter. She learned at a very young age to go after what she wanted and Clayton Moore was in her sights with a huge bulls-eye on his forehead. She hadn’t spent all this time and not to mention energy into landing Clayton to only let him slip through her fingers again.
I’ll give it about a week maybe two and then make my plea again to him. He’s still too raw about what happened.
After Clayton had his mind focused on something else, she would reappear with a ready apology and she might even toss in a couple of tears for good measure. What red-blooded man could ignore a crying woman? Clayton may be upset with her right now, but he wasn’t a heartless person.
“Clayton, don’t worry. I’ll leave you alone for a little while, but I’ll be back. I’ll never give up on you because you’re mine and no one else’s.”
Chapter Four
Thank God. I’ve never been so happy to see a gas station in my life, Leila thought as she got off the highway and pulled up to the gas pump. Her gas gauge was almost at empty. It was a good thing that she’d noticed the motel she was staying at for the night was right across the street because she wouldn’t have made it much further without gas and she didn’t have a clue what she would have done.
The drive to the motel had taken a lot longer than Leila had counted on. Now, all she wanted to do was finish up here, check into her room, take a quick shower, find something to eat and then go to bed but not necessarily in that order. Since she was too worn out to pump her own gas she pulled into full service and waited for someone to come out and help her.
Leila didn’t have to wait too long. Two minutes later a lanky male walked out of the building and came over to her car. Stopping by the driver’s side door, he smiled at her but it didn’t reach his light green eyes which made her uneasy. Leila gla
nced down at his nametag and noticed his name was Matt.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” Matt greeted. “How can I help you today?”
“I need you to fill up my tank. I’m almost at empty,” Leila answered. “I was so happy to see your gas station was right across from the motel. At least, I don’t have to drive much further.”
“Yeah, a lot of people like the easy access to the motel when they come into town.” Matt’s gaze roamed over her body. “Let me get your gas. Would you like for me to check your tires and oil for you too?”
Leila hadn’t thought about that, but it would be a good idea since she still had about a day’s drive to Blue Horn ranch. She didn’t want anything happening while she was out on the highway. She was doing good enough to follow the directions Tony left for her in the car. She couldn’t be worrying about if she was going to get a flat tire or not.
“Sure that would be great. Thank you so much for asking.”
“Not a problem. Usually visitors have me check their tires and oil because it’s such a long drive before you’ll hit another gas station.” Matt walked away from her and started filling up the tank.
“Are you here for the convention that they’re having tomorrow night? I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last couple of days who are here for that. It’s something really big going on. I think they’re talking about bringing a new plant here.” Matt finished filling her tank. “If they do, it will help out a lot of out of unemployed people. Several of my friends have been without a job for over a year. It doesn’t look like there are a lot of good prospects in sight for any of them.”
Leila didn’t want to be rude, but she wasn’t really interested in a lot of chit chat at the moment. She was exhausted and wanted to leave, but she couldn’t pretend like she didn’t hear Matt talking her to.
Roped Into You Page 2