by Denise Irwin
Nana told her, “It looks like he’s not here yet. Let’s get into the house, so I can call Garrett to send someone to collect the supplies from the truck. Then you and I will come up with a plan.”
Danny laughed, “You make it sound as though we are co-conspirators on a secret mission.”
“Don’t you dare be making fun of me; this could turn into a serious situation quickly.”
“He’s not a threat; he’s just a fucking asshole.”
“If he hurt your heart, in my opinion he’s a threat. Don’t be trying to talk me out of it. Child, please stop talking like you’re a street slut.”
Danny shook her head as she exited the truck. She grabbed the step-ladder and helped her Nana down. Nana mumbled under her breath as they walked to the front porch. Danny took her arm to ascend the porch steps. She laughed on the inside at the thought that her Nana planned to get rid of Michal with her shotgun.
She opened the front door to let Nana enter first. Danny nearly fell over Nana, when she came to a complete halt in the middle of a step. Nana looked up at Garrett who was waiting in the entry hall; and judging by the look on his face, he wasn’t pleased about something. Nana must not have noticed his unpleasant look, since without a second glance, she asked him to have someone unload the truck. When he didn’t respond, she spoke again, “Garrett, did you hear me? The truck’s ready to unload.”
“I heard you. I’ll get someone on it. Danny, you have a guest waiting to see you. He said he’s your fiancée; he’s in the living room. I believe the gentleman announced himself as Michal Bagot.”
Danny froze. She closed her eyes and reached deep inside to deal with the adulterer, who had intruded her home.
“How long has he been here?”
Garrett looked at her harshly, “I think about forty-five minutes. He was driven from the airport in a limousine.”
“Why are you speaking to me so harshly? I haven’t done a damn thing wrong. He left a message on my cell phone telling me that he was already on his way. There was nothing I could do to stop him. Where do you get off chiding me about a guest, and for the record, he is not my fiancée.”
After that statement, Danny walked into the living room where Michal waited for her. He stood when she entered the room. He then rushed to greet her, when he tried to kiss her, she pushed him away. “Why are you here? My grandfather is dying. You have invaded my home without an invitation.”
Michal stepped back and for once, was rendered speechless, giving Danny the opportunity to continue uninterrupted.
“You have humiliated me for the last time. You have lied to me, and you have cheated on me. I want nothing from you. I just want you out of this house.”
“Daniella, je t'aime. Je sais ce que je faisais était mauvais, mais je suis ici pour mendier pour votre pardon.”
“There is nothing left to beg for.”
“I have nowhere to go this evening. I humbly ask if I can stay here for the night. I promise that I will leave first thing in the morning. If you say no, then I will leave and try to find another place to stay. Perhaps, I will find a small inn that I can walk to.”
While the thought of him being in her home repulsed her, she just wasn’t the bitch who could throw him out the door.
“Let me see if there’s room in the bunkhouse.”
Danny found Garrett in the kitchen. “Garrett, is there room in the bunkhouse for Michal to stay the night? He promised to leave in the morning.”
Through clenched teeth Nana sternly told her, “Danny, he will not stay in the bunkhouse. He will stay here in the house in the guest room next to Garrett’s. While he’s here we will treat him with respect regardless of what he has done. I will not tolerate friction in this house while your grandfather lies dying in his bed.”
Daniella knew better than to rebuke Nana’s decision. There would be hell to pay for anyone who did. “Fine, he stays in the house until tomorrow morning.”
“Now, you just go get that young man and bring him into the kitchen for a proper greeting.”
Without saying a word, Danny trudged to the living room. Once Nana’s mind was set on something, there was just no talking her out of it.
Michal stood when she entered the room, “Mon amour, ce qui vous fait chercher tellement inquiets ?”
“Nana said you were to stay in the guest room. It seems that she considers you a guest.”
“I see, and I also see that you do not.”
“I do not. She wants me to bring you into the kitchen for a proper greeting.”
Danny turned and walked to the kitchen. She didn’t watch to see if Michal followed her. If he did that would be fine. If he didn’t, that would be even finer. When she entered the kitchen, he was behind her looking like a scolded puppy.
“Nana, Garrett, this is Michal Bagot from Paris, France. He is an editor for a fashion magazine.” She desperately wanted to say that he was a slimy snake and a womanizer, but she kept those thoughts to herself. They would quickly realize what a superficial asshole he was.
“Michal, this is Betty Schaffer and Garrett Ryan. Betty works for my grandfather as his,” she started to laugh. Danny had no idea what to say her job title was. There were three sets of eyes focused on her wanting to know why she was laughing. Their solemn faces looked humorous to her at the moment, and that made her roar with laughter. She was bent over guffawing so hard, she had tears running from her eyes.
Through her waves of laughter, she managed to get out, “I’m so sorry, I was trying to think of a job title for Nana.”
When she got her laughter under control, she continued with the introductions. “Michal, this is my Nana. She raised me when my parents died. Nana runs the ranch and does a damn good job of it. If it weren’t for Nana, no one would eat, or know where they needed to be and when they needed to be there.” Danny looked fondly to her Nana and smiled.
“This is Garrett Ryan. He works as the Ranch Foreman. He lives here in the house and has an office in the barn. Garrett is responsible for the ranch’s operations and staff.”
Michal stepped forward to face Betty. He took her hand in his, and kissed her fingers lightly, “Madame, c'est tel un plaisir de vous rencontrer et de vous féliciter pour le merveilleux vous l'avez fait, soulevant Daniella. Elle est une personne merveilleuse, donc je suis certain que vous êtes fiers de lui.”
Danny felt her stomach flop over, and felt as though she would end up vomiting on the kitchen floor. She then looked at Garrett’s face to see if it looked like he felt the same as her. She chuckled inside because he did. It was obvious in that one look Garrett considered Michal an asshole.
“Danny, what did he just say?”
Garrett responded. This sweet talking Frenchie wasn’t going to out talk him. “Betty, he told you that it is such a pleasure to meet you and he congratulated you on the wonderful job you did raising Daniella. He said she is a wonderful woman, so he’s sure you are very proud of her.”
Nana blushed, while Garrett and Danny exchanged guarded glances. She was happy to see that she and Garrett just might be on the same page on this issue.
Michal turned to Garrett. “C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer. Je dois avouer que j'ai été un peu surpris d'entendre que vous parlez français. Un contremaître ranch ne me paraît pas à quelqu'un qui savait français. Où vous acquérez vous leçons pour ma langue maternelle ?”
For no particular reason, Garrett immediately disliked this buffoon from Paris, France. He was standing there looking smug in his expensive custom tailored suit. He was just too high-brow for Garrett.
Garrett politely answered him, “J'ai étudié la cuisine en France.”
Michal looked shocked, “Est ce droit. Vous êtes maintenant un cowboy. Comment est-ce qu'arrivé ?”
“Je voudrais juste dire que j'étais fatigué d'écouter les parisiens appelant les noms mauvaises américains et de la laisser aller à qui.”
Nana had no idea what they were saying to one another, but she believed that the con
versation wasn’t going well by the tone of their voices.
“Garrett, tell him for me that I’m sure he’s tired and would like a nap before dinner. Also, can you please tell him where the shower is?”
Speaking perfect English, Michal answered, “Thank you, Betty. I definitely would like to shower and nap before dinner is served.”
When Garrett left with Michal in tow to show him where his room was, Nana looked at Danny. “This is the man who asked you to marry him?”
Danny nodded her head, “Yes he is. He’s a real snake charmer isn’t he?”
Nana put her hands on her hips, “I think he is a delightful young man. I honestly believe that you may have misunderstood what happened.”
Oh, my, God, he’s already convinced my Nana that I did him wrong!
Danny managed to get through dinner that evening by telling herself that he’d be on his way in the morning. Her blood was boiling as she listened to him speak loudly to the ranch hands as if they were hard of hearing. He laughed at his own jokes, since he was the only person in the room who understood them. He drank too much wine and was tipsy by the time dinner was over.
She was livid when the ranch hands took their plates to the kitchen. He actually had the audacity to hand one of them his soiled dish as if the ranch hand were there to wait on him. When everyone had left for the evening, the schmuck invited her onto the porch to join him for a drink.
“No, I need to be up early, so I’m turning in for the evening.”
He begged her, “Daniella, one small drink won’t hurt you.”
She hadn’t realized that Garrett was standing in a shadow to one side of the kitchen. “I believe the lady turned down your offer.”
Chapter Six
Franktown, Colorado
Garret walked Danny to her bedroom door. “It’s not likely that he’ll have the guts to try to get into your bedroom, but just to be on the safe side, I’d lock the door.”
“Thank you for walking me up to my room. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that he took it upon himself to show up unannounced.”
“He said the two of you were engaged. Is that true?”
Danny stared at the floor, as much as she tried, she couldn’t make eye contact with him. Ashamed, of the situation she created, she answered him with a whisper, “We were, but I don’t believe we are any longer.”
He gave her a quizzical look, but said nothing more about the engagement. “We’ll start your training tomorrow.” When he turned and walked away, Danny closed and locked her door. She leaned against the door for quite some time before she could walk. When she could stumble without falling, Danny made her way to the bed. It was 6:00 in the morning in Paris. She pulled out her cell phone to call Grant. She thanked God when he answered on the first ring.
“Daniella, Michal est arrivé ?”
“Yes, he’s here. He promised to leave in the morning.”
“Je suis tellement désolé que je lui adresse de votre grand-père.”
“I wish I could tell you that’s the worst news of the day, but I have more.”
“Daniella, a fait grand-père vous passez loin ?”
“No, he’s still with us, but I promised I would take over the ranch, which means that I will have to close the shop.”
“Pourquoi avez-vous à fermer la boutique ? Vous pouvez exécuter pas le ranch de Paris ?”
“I wish I could run the ranch from Paris, but I can’t. Please don’t tell anyone. I want to tell them myself, but if I’m not imposing on you, can you keep your ears open and hear who might be hiring?”
“Yes Mademoiselle, I can do that.”
“Before I hang up the phone, tell everyone that I miss them.”
“Do not worry about us, we will be fine. You must focus on the business that needs tending to.”
Danny cried herself to sleep that night worrying about the commitment she’d made to her grandfather. Garrett could be right that if her heart remained in Paris, she’d never be a decent ranch owner.
She woke at 4:00 in the morning and quickly dressed to help Nana with breakfast. She nearly tripped and fell to the floor, when she saw Michal making breakfast with Nana. While Danny knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, she needed to know what bullshit, he was feeding her Nana, and so she stood just outside the doorway and listened.
“Michal, don’t you worry, I’m sure that Danny will understand that there just aren’t any flights available for a week. You are welcome to stay as long you need to.”
Just as Danny was thinking, oh fuck no, he is not welcome to stay, Garrett was standing beside her. Danny pointed towards the office.
After the two were in the office and Danny locked the door, she asked, “Did you just hear what he said?”
“I did, but what do you care? If you are no longer engaged to him, may I ask just what has you all worked up?”
“Do you want to know something? I don’t why I get worked up, but I do. What should I do?”
“Humph, are you asking for my advice about a man I know nothing about other than he told me that he was your fiancée, and lived in Paris?”
Danny’s head was bobbing up and down. She looked like one of the dolls you see on car dashboards. “Garrett, believe me, I wouldn’t ask if I thought I could manage him myself, but I’m so wrapped up in this mess emotionally, I just don’t know what to do. Please don’t make me grovel for your help.”
“Before I sign on for this little gig, I need to know exactly how you feel about him.”
Wow, she had to think about that. “Well, I thought I loved him, but when I discovered that he was involved in several intimate relationships with other women, I felt stupid. After that I became angry and now? I hate him.”
“The opposite of love is not hate; it’s apathy. If he were to leave this morning, how would that make you feel?”
“While I appreciate the depth of your wisdom, I’m not looking for a psychologist; I just need a little advice on handling him while I’m here and he’s here too.”
“Kill him with kindness.”
Danny looked up at him. “Is that the best advice you can come up with?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“Can you elaborate a little? I don’t think that I understand you correctly.”
He chuckled, “You really don’t know much about men, do you?”
She put her hands on her hips as she angrily answered him, “Apparently, you don’t think I do.”
Garrett put his hands up defensively, “Whoa little doggy. Just remember you are the one who started this conversation, so don’t you dare go off getting up in my grill. What I was trying to tell you is to stop being angry with him. Show him around the ranch. Tell him about our handicap children operation. Put him on a horse and ride the ranch boundaries.”
She thought about his idea for a minute. “He knows I’m angry, so if I throw a curve ball at him, he’ll think I’m over my anger. Garrett, where are the handicapped children you told me about?”
“We haven’t opened for the season just yet, so the ranch hands are in the process of mending fences, rounding up the herd, so we can brand them, and generally doing ranch maintenance.”
Danny stood still tapping her index finger on her chin. “We could offer him the opportunity to work on the ranch, like those dude ranches people run.”
“We could do just that. I think he’ll then find a flight out in just a few days.”
“Garrett, thank you. That’s what I was looking for. I’ll casually mention it over breakfast.”
When Danny and Garrett strolled into the kitchen, the ranch hands were coming in the door. Nana gave them a stern look. She knew they had been up to something. Instead of admonishing them, she told Danny, “Michal is a wonderful cook. He helped me with this morning’s breakfast.”
“Michal, that was very nice of you to help Nana with breakfast. Garrett and I needed to talk about the ranch this morning.”
“It was nothing. I enjoyed helping Betty prepare breakfast very m
uch.”
“Well, even if you enjoyed it, I’m sure Nana was grateful for a second set of hands.”
“Danny, don’t be listening to him say it was nothing. He used his grandmother’s recipe for the sticky buns, and let me tell you child, those are the best buns I’ve ever ate.”
“Michal, Garrett and I wondered if you wanted to go out with the ranch hands after breakfast and see the ranch. I’ll join the two of you later, after I’ve met with Grandpa. That is of course if you weren’t able to get a flight reservation.”
“Danny, that’s a great idea. Michal was just telling me that the flights are booked for the entire week. Isn’t that so, Michal?”
Looking like a trapped rat, he graciously responded, “Yes, Betty that is correct. Alas, I did not bring the proper ranch closing, so I regretfully must decline your gracious offer.”
Danny was forming the words in her mind when one of the hands offered, “You and I look about the same size. I’ll give you something to wear. We always have boots available.”
“Thank you, then it looks as though we are all set. Daniella, you will be joining us?”
She smiled sweetly at him, “Yes I will. It’s been a while since I’ve joined in to check the fences after the spring rain, so I’m looking forward to it.”
When the ranch hands finished their breakfast and headed for the barn, Danny picked up Michal’s plate and handed it to him. “I’m sure you won’t mind rinsing this off in the sink and then placing it in the dishwasher.”
“Of course, I do not mind.”
When Garrett walked to the sink, he leaned over and whispered to her, “Wanna lay a wager on how long he’ll last today?”
Danny slyly looked at him, “Sure, what do I get if I win the bet?”
“Not sure yet, but I’ll come up with something worthwhile. How long do you think he’ll last?”
“Till lunch time, what about you, how long do you think he’ll make it until he cries uncle?”
“He’s got a huge ego, so that boy’s gonna go until dinner. We’re working in the back forty today. See you there.”