He hadn’t gotten around to working until yesterday, and she had found what she claimed was the perfect spot in his office to sit and work on the laptop she had brought with her. That way she was still connected to her job in Denver.
They had worked in amicable silence, although he’d been fully aware of her the entire time. Her presence had made him realize what true loneliness was because he didn’t want to think of a time when she wouldn’t be there.
Forcing that thought to the back of his mind, he moved across the room to rekindle the flames in the fireplace. While jabbing at the wood with the poker, he glanced back over his shoulder when he heard Bailey shift around. She looked small in his huge bed. She looked good. As if she belonged.
He quickly turned back to the fire, forcing his thoughts off her and onto something else. Like Morris James’s visit yesterday. The rancher had wanted to meet Bailey after hearing all about her. Word of how she’d downed that bear had spread quickly, far and wide. Morris wanted to present Bailey with the ten-thousand-dollar bounty she’d earned from killing the animal.
Bailey had refused to take it and instead told Morris she wanted to donate the money to charity, especially if there was one in town that dealt with kids. The surprised look on Morris’s face had been priceless. What person in her right mind gives up ten thousand dollars? But both Walker and Morris had watched her sign the paperwork to do just that.
As he continued to jab the poker in the fire another Bailey moment came to mind. He recalled the day he’d stepped out onto his front porch for the first time in a week. While sipping a cup of coffee he’d watched in fascination as Bailey had built a snowman. And when she’d invited him to help her, he had. He hadn’t done something like that since he was a kid and he had to admit he’d enjoyed it.
For a man who didn’t like having his privacy invaded, not only had she invaded that privacy, but for the time being she was making privacy nonexistent. Like when he’d come downstairs for breakfast this morning to find all four of his men sitting at his table. Somehow she’d discovered it was Willie’s birthday and she’d wanted to do something special. At first Walker had been a little annoyed that she’d done such a thing without confiding in him, but then he realized that was Bailey’s way—to do as she pleased. He couldn’t help but smile at that.
But then he frowned upon realizing it was also Bailey’s way to be surrounded by people. Although he was used to loneliness, she was not. She had a big family and was used to having people around all the time. He figured the loneliness of Alaska would eventually drive her crazy. What if she decided to leave before the two weeks?
Why should he give a damn if she did?
He returned the poker to the stand, not wanting to think about that. He was expecting another visit from Doc Witherspoon tomorrow. Hopefully it would be his last for a while. He couldn’t wait to take out his plane and fly over his land. And he didn’t want to question why he wanted Bailey with him to share in the experience.
“Walker?”
He glanced across the room. Bailey was sitting up in his bed. Her hair was mussed up and she had a soft, sleepy and sexy look on her face. Although she held the covers up to her chest, she looked tempting. Maybe because he knew that beneath all those bedcovers she was naked. “Yes?”
“I’m cold.”
“I just finished stoking the fire.”
“Not good enough, Alaskan. I’m sure you can do better than that.”
Oh, yes, he definitely could. He removed his robe and headed for the bed, feeling a deep ache in his groin. The moment he slid in bed and felt her thigh brush against his, the ache intensified. He pulled her into his arms, needing to hold her. He knew there would come a time when he wouldn’t be able to do that. The thought had him drawing in a deep, ragged breath.
She pulled back and ran her gaze over his face. “You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Your leg?”
“Is fine. Back to the way it used to be. Only lasting reminder is that little scar.”
“Trust me, Walker, no woman will care about that scar when you’ve got this to back things up,” she said, reaching her hand beneath the covers to cup him, then stroke him. Walker drew in another ragged breath. Bailey definitely knew how to get to the heart of the matter. And when he saw the way she licked her lips and how the darkness of her eyes shone with desire, his erection expanded in her hand.
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Okay, Walker, what’s it going to be? You ride me or I ride you? Take your pick.”
He couldn’t stop the smile that curved his lips. It was hard—damn difficult, outright impossible—not to tap into all his sexual fantasies when she was around and being so damn accommodating. And she would be around for eleven more days. He intended to make the most of what he considered the best time of his life.
“Um,” he said, pulling her back into his arms. “How about if we do both?”
* * *
Over the next several days Walker and Bailey settled into a gratifying and pleasurable routine. Now that Walker was back at 100 percent, he would get up every morning around five o’clock to work alongside his men. Then at nine, instead of hanging around and eating Willie’s cooking like he normally did, he hightailed it back to the ranch house, where Bailey would have breakfast waiting on him. No matter how often he told her that she didn’t have to go out of her way, she would wave her hand and brush off his words. After placing the most delectable-looking meal in front of him, she would go on and on about what a beautiful kitchen he had. It was one that would entice someone to cook whether they wanted to or not, she claimed.
He began to see his kitchen through her eyes and finally understood. In all the years he had lived here, he’d never thought of his kitchen, or any kitchen, as beautiful. It was a place to cook meals and eat. But she brought his attention to the space, its rustic look. But what she said she liked most was sitting at the table and looking out at the strait. On a clear day the waters looked breathtaking. Just as breathtaking as Gemma Lake, she’d told him. It was during those conversations that he knew she missed her home. Hadn’t one of her rules been to never venture far from Westmoreland Country for too long?
Garth had dropped by twice to check on Walker, and because his best friend had been calling every day to see how he was doing, Garth wasn’t surprised to find Bailey still there. Garth didn’t seem surprised at how comfortable she’d made herself in Walker’s home, either. And Walker had caught Garth staring at them with a silly-looking grin on his face more than once.
Garth had mentioned to Bailey that he’d gotten in touch with her family and had spoken to Dillon and Ramsey, and that he and his brothers would be flying to Denver in a few weeks. Bailey mentioned that she would be back home by then and that she and her family would anxiously await Garth’s visit. Her comment only made Walker realize that he didn’t have a lot of time left with her.
Lola was back on her regular housekeeping schedule and told him more than once how much she liked Bailey. He figured it was because Bailey was chattier with her than he’d ever been. And he figured since Lola had only one bed in the house to make up, the older woman had pretty much figured out that he and Bailey were sharing it. That had suited Lola since she’d hinted more than once that he needed a woman in his life and that being alone on the ranch wasn’t good for him.
Walker took a sip of his coffee while looking out at the strait. He remembered the day Bailey had gone into town with him to pick up supplies. News of her and the bear had spread further than Walker had imagined it would, and she’d become something of a legend. And if that wasn’t enough, Morris had spread the word about what she’d done with the bounty money. Her generous contribution had gone to Kodiak Way, the local orphanage. Walker hadn’t visited the place in years, not since he’d gone there on a field trip with his high school. But he’d decided on that particular day
to stop by with Bailey, so she could see where her money had gone.
It had amazed him how taken she’d been with all the children, but he really should not have been surprised. He recalled how much she adored her nieces, nephews and little cousins back in Denver and just how much they’d adored her. He and Bailey had spent longer at the orphanage than he had planned because Bailey couldn’t miss the opportunity to take a group of kids outside to build a snowman.
He then recalled the day he’d taken her up in his single-engine plane, giving her a tour of his land. She had been in awe and had told him how beautiful his property was. When she’d asked him how he’d learned to fly, he’d opened up and told her of his and Garth’s time together in the marines. She’d seemed fascinated by everything he told her and he’d gotten caught up in her interest.
It had been a beautiful day for flying. The sky had been blue and the clouds a winter white. From the air he had pointed out his favorite areas—the lakes, small coves, hidden caves and mountaintops. And he’d heard himself promising to one day cover the land with her in his Jeep.
And then there had been the day when she’d pulled him into his office, shoved him down into the chair at his desk and proceeded to sit in his lap so she could show him what she’d downloaded on his desktop computer. Jillian and Aidan had returned from their three-week honeymoon to France, Italy and Spain, and had uploaded their wedding video. Bailey thought that since he’d missed the wedding, he could watch the video.
As far as weddings went, it had been a nice one. Bailey had pointed out several cousins he hadn’t met and their wives and children. He agreed that Jillian had been a beautiful bride and he’d seen the love in Aidan’s eyes when she’d walked down the aisle on Dillon’s arm.
Watching the video made Walker recall his own wedding. Only thing, his wedding had been nothing more than a circus. His parents and Garth had tried to warn him with no luck. A few nights ago he’d dreamed about Kalyn and Connor. A dream that had turned into a nightmare, with Bailey waking him up.
The next day, even though he’d seen the probing curiosity in her eyes, she hadn’t asked him about it and he hadn’t felt the need to tell her.
Walker took another sip of his coffee and glanced down at his watch. Bailey should be coming down for breakfast any minute. He had finished his chores with the men earlier than usual and had rushed back to the ranch house. More than once he’d been tempted to go upstairs and wake her but he knew if he did they might end up staying in bed the rest of the day. He then thought about the phone call he’d received an hour ago from Charm. It seemed Charm couldn’t wait to meet her look-alike and asked that he fly Bailey to Fairbanks this weekend. He hadn’t made any promises, but he’d told her he would talk to Bailey about it.
Moments later, he heard her upstairs and felt his sex stir in anticipation. Only Bailey could put him in such a state, arousing him so easily and completely. And he would admit that her mere presence in his home brought him a kind of joy he hadn’t thought he would ever feel again.
But then he also knew it was the kind of joy he couldn’t allow himself to get attached to. Just as sure as he knew that when he got up every morning the strait would be filled with water, he knew that when Bailey’s days were up, she would be leaving.
Already he’d detected a longing in her and figured she’d become homesick. It was during those times that he was reminded of the first day they’d met. She’d told him about her rules and her love for Westmoreland Country. She’d said she never intended to leave it. And since he never intended to leave Kodiak, that meant any wishful thinking about them spending their lives together was a waste of his time.
Walker’s grip on the cup tightened. And hadn’t she told him about men getting possessive, becoming territorial and acting crazy sometimes? Sadly, he could now see himself doing all three where she was concerned.
It was nobody’s fault but his own that he was now in this state. He’d known her rules and had allowed her to get under his skin anyway. But he could handle it. He had no choice. He would store up memories of the good times, and those memories would get him through the lonely nights after she left.
He heard her moving around upstairs again and sat his coffee cup down. Temptation was ruling his senses now. Desire unlike anything he’d ever felt before took control of him, had him sliding back from the table and standing.
Walker left the kitchen and moved quickly toward the stairs, seeking the object of his craving.
Thirteen
“What am I going to do, Josette? Of all the stupid, idiotic, crazy things I could have done, why did I fall in love with Walker Rafferty?” Bailey asked. She held her mobile phone to her ear and paced Walker’s bedroom. Talk about doing something dumb.
She had woken up that morning and glanced out the window on her way to the bathroom. She’d seen Walker and his men in the distance, knee deep in snow, loading some type of farm equipment onto a truck. She had stared at him, admiring how good he looked even dressed in a heavy coat and boots with a hat on his head. All she could think about was the night before, how he had made love to her, how he’d made her scream a number of times. And how this morning before leaving the bed he had brushed a good-morning kiss across her lips.
Suddenly, while standing at the window and ogling him, it had hit her—hard—that all those emotions she’d been feeling lately weren’t lust. They were love.
She had fallen head over heels in love with Walker.
“Damn it, Josette. I should have known better.”
“Calm down, Bailey. There’s nothing stupid, idiotic or crazy about falling in love.”
“It is if the man you love has no intention of ever loving you back. Walker told me all he could ever offer is a meaningless affair. I knew that and fell in love with him anyway.”
“What makes you think he hasn’t changed his mind? Now that the two of you have spent time together at his ranch, he might have.”
“I have no reason to think he won’t be ready for me to leave when my two weeks are up. Especially after that stunt I pulled the other day. Inviting his men for breakfast without his permission. Although he didn’t say anything, I could tell he didn’t like it.”
“Are you going to tell him how you feel?”
“Of course not! Do you want me to feel even more stupid?”
“So what are you going to do?”
Bailey paused, not knowing how she intended to answer that. And also knowing there was really only one way to answer it. “Nothing. Just enjoy the time I have with him now and leave with no regrets. I believe the reason he refuses to love anyone else is because he’s still carrying a torch for his late wife. There’s nothing I can do about that and I don’t intend to try.”
Moments later, after ending her phone call with Josette, Bailey walked back over to the window. Today the weather appeared clearer than it had been the past couple of days. She missed home, but not as much as she’d figured she would. Skype had helped. She communicated regularly with her nieces and nephews and little cousins and, according to Ramsey, although several wives were expecting new babies in the family, none had been born. Everyone was expecting her home for Thanksgiving and was looking forward to her return.
She had worked out a system with Lucia where she could work remotely from Alaska. Doing so helped fill the long days when Walker was gone. In the evenings she looked forward to his return. Although they had established an amicable routine, she knew it was just temporary. Like she’d told Josette, there was no doubt in her mind Walker would expect her to leave next week. Granted, she knew he enjoyed her as his bedmate, but she also knew that, for men, sex was nothing more than sex. She had found that out while watching her then-single Westmoreland brothers and cousins. For her and Walker, there could never be anything between them other than the physical.
Even so, she could sense there was something botheri
ng Walker. More than once she’d awakened in the night to find him standing at the window or poking the fire. And then there had been the night he’d woken up screaming the words, “No, Kalyn! Don’t! Connor! Connor!”
She had snuggled closer and wrapped her arms around him, and pretty soon he had calmed down, holding her as tightly as she held him. The next day over breakfast she had expected him to bring up the incident, but he hadn’t. She could only assume he didn’t remember it or didn’t want to talk about it. But she had been curious enough to check online and she’d found out Kalyn had been his wife and Connor his son.
Bailey turned when she heard the bedroom door opening, and there Walker stood, looking more handsome than any man had a right to look. As she stood there staring, too mesmerized by the heat in his eyes to even speak, he closed the door and removed his jacket, then tossed it across the chair.
She’d seen that look in his eyes before, usually in the evenings after he’d spent the entire day on the range. It wasn’t quite nine in the morning. She swallowed. Now he was unbuttoning his shirt. “Good morning, Walker.”
“Good morning, Bailey.” He pulled the belt from his jeans before sitting in the chair to remove his boots and socks. His eyes never left hers.
“You’ve finished your chores for the day already?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Yes, no. The guys took my tractor over to the Mayeses’ place for Conley to look at it. He’s the area mechanic. Nothing much to do until they get back, which won’t be for hours.”
She nodded. “I see.”
“I came in for coffee and had a cup before hearing you move around up here, letting me know you were awake.” Now he was unzipping his pants.
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