The Rancher Next Door
Page 7
“Well, since it’s only about one o’clock, how about I pick you up in an hour and we’ll go to Prescott and look. Your best bet would be to try Phoenix, though. We’ll see.”
“I don’t—”
“It’s no bother, Jenny Wren,” he interrupted.
Why was it that he always made the term Jenny Wren sound almost like an endearment?
“I’ll see you soon.” He hung up before she could object.
Really! The man was impossible. She still was uncertain about her feelings where he was concerned, but one thing was for certain, whether she would admit it or not, she was excited about seeing him again.
Chapter 6
Jenny watched the approaching blue vehicle somewhat apprehensively. Whatever had she gotten herself into now? And why had Mitch offered to help her select a vehicle, especially when he seemed so ambivalent toward her?
She cringed inwardly, hoping that Mitch didn’t think she had requested his help. She felt the hot color warm her cheeks when she thought that he might consider her a gold digger like his former fiancée. She would have to make it clear to him that this hadn’t been her idea.
Sliding one hand around the porch upright, she leaned against the pole and took a deep breath. Already the weather had cooled considerably since they had first moved here. Jenny loved it. Warm autumn days, chilly nights. Only the sandy terrain around her remained basically unchanged.
The Jeep came to a halt in front of her. Opening the door, Mitch removed his bulk and strode to the foot of the stairs. He removed his sunglasses and his green eyes narrowed against the sun beneath his perpetual Stetson that, however incongruous it might seem on others, seemed a natural part of him.
At the sight of him, she felt the familiar tightening in her midsection. Ever since that night in her cabin when he had held her in his arms so tenderly, she had had a serious problem erasing him from her mind.
“Hello, Jenny Wren.” The softness of his voice sent a thrill charging through her.
“Why do you persist in calling me that? You know that’s not my name.”
He shrugged his massive shoulders, his eyes raking her up and down. “I don’t know. It’s what comes to mind whenever I see you. Does it offend you?”
“No...not exactly.”
How could she possibly explain to him the conflicting feelings that his use of the term in that throaty voice engendered within her? When she didn’t say anything else, he reached for her hand and tugged her down the steps. “Come on. Time’s a wastin’.”
After stowing her in the passenger seat, he strode to the driver’s side, got in and glanced at her briefly before starting the engine. Reaching the end of the driveway, he turned left instead of the more familiar right to Prescott.
“I thought we’d save ourselves some hassle and just go to Phoenix,” he told her.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she jerked her head sideways to look at him. “But that’s at least an hour’s drive one way.”
“At least.”
“But that will take two hours’ driving, not to mention the time it will take to actually look at the cars. You’re talking at least four hours!”
“At least,” he told her again, and she nearly ground her teeth in irritation.
“I can’t be gone that long! The twins will be home in two hours.”
He glanced sideways at her. “Don’t you think they’re old enough to look out for themselves? After all, they’ll be thirteen in just a few weeks.”
How had he known that? David, probably. “No, I don’t think they’re old enough to look after themselves and I’d appreciate it if you would just take me back.”
“Relax,” he said soothingly. “Hattie said she’d watch out for them. She said they could spend the night at her place just in case we got back late.”
Why was it that she couldn’t be in his company five minutes before she was fighting mad? He absolutely rubbed her the wrong way, especially when he arrogantly took over situations to suit his own needs. It reminded her too much of when Alexander had taken over her life, deciding where they would go, when they would go. The fact that she had willingly allowed it made her cringe when she thought about it now. Never again would she put herself so much under another person’s control.
“Who died and left you in charge? I’d like to know.” She was struggling to restrain her quick temper, reminding herself that he was merely trying to be helpful. He had no personal interest in her. Surprisingly, that thought didn’t cheer her as much as it should have.
“Just because I asked for help doesn’t mean I’m helpless,” she told him paradoxically. “I don’t need anyone to run my life for me.”
Mitch’s lips twitched with amusement. “Don’t you? Do you know what you remind me of? A little, helpless brown mouse, scurrying in every direction just trying to survive. Trying to take care of your family and losing yourself in the process.”
She stared at him in utter amazement. Little brown mouse indeed! “How am I risking myself? I’m not in any danger.”
“Aren’t you, Jenny Wren?”
“Stop calling me that!” she snapped, irritated that he continually compared her to small, insignificant animals. “If I’m in danger of anything right now, it’s blowing my top.” She fidgeted nervously with the strap of her seat belt.
Reaching over, Mitch placed a restraining hand over hers.
A constriction formed in her throat and she could hardly breathe. She shook her head in frustration. He had only to touch her and sensible thinking was impossible.
“Calm down,” he told her. “I’m merely suggesting that you’re losing some of the best years of your life. I’d hate to see your identity swallowed up by worries and responsibilities.”
It irked her that he had touched on her one vulnerable point. The one thing she was truly afraid of happening. She wasn’t getting any younger. And why did he even care? Pulling her hand from beneath his, she turned to look out the window.
“This area has some very unusual names. Big Bug Creek. Bloody Basin. Do you know how they got them?”
After a moment he placed his hand back on the wheel. Accepting her change of subject, he proceeded to tell her stories of some of the more unusual names. Watching him from under lowered lids, she could see the twitch in his cheek denoting his irritation. Despite the congenial conversation, the atmosphere was decidedly chilly for the rest of the trip.
When they reached Phoenix, he went straight to a popular car dealership. The buzzard symbol they used as their logo was to Jenny inconsistent with their claim of quality merchandise. After all, didn’t buzzards eat dead things? Prey on the dying? Somehow this wasn’t very reassuring.
Finding nothing there, they went to several more dealerships and all the while Mitch kept up a constant flow of questions and monologue. Jenny felt as though she was very little help. Whenever she would suggest a vehicle she liked, Mitch would invariably have some reason for refusing it. Either it was not built for rough terrain or it was not a good year for that particular model. Some were not heat compatible, some were not mechanically sound. She began to despair that they would ever find something they could agree upon and still fit her budget.
Just when she was about to give up and call it quits, she spotted an older model Toyota Corolla sitting off to the side of the lot. It appealed to her in a curious way. It reminded her of her cabin, sitting there so forlornly just waiting for someone to claim it. She pointed it out to Mitch, not daring to hope he would agree.
He spent some time looking under the hood, checking inside the wheel wells and revving the engine. Lying down, he slid himself underneath the car. After what seemed an inordinate amount of time, he pulled himself out and sat up, shaking his blond hair free of dirt. He tucked his Stetson back on his head and turned to Jenny.
“She looks p
retty sound to me. Not too many miles. Hasn’t been in an accident.”
“How can you tell that?” she asked.
“No marks under the frame.” He pulled himself to his feet. “If you like it, it’s fine by me. I’d still rather see you in something a little bigger. More solid.”
“Bigger and more solid means more gas and more money. This is fine.” She turned to the salesman. “What about payments?”
“No problem,” he responded. “Why don’t you take a test drive and then we’ll see what we can work out.”
Less than an hour later the salesman handed Jenny the keys to her new car. Well, at least new to her. She patted it lovingly. “You get to come home with me now.”
When she looked at Mitch she could see his twitching lips. She flushed all the way to the roots of her hair. He must think her an absolute nutcase, but what did it matter? She swelled with pride. She owned her very first car for the very first time in her life. It gave her a feeling of independence, as if she were more the master of her own destiny.
It suddenly occurred to her that instead of driving back with Mitch, she would be driving back on her own. Despite her avowal of independence, she felt somewhat shaken at the thought.
“Is it all right if I follow you home? I don’t think I can remember how to get there on my own.”
“Well, of course you’ll follow me home,” Mitch told her impatiently. He glared at her. “Did you really think I’d leave you on your own?”
How was she supposed to know any different? She barely knew the man! She pressed her lips tightly together to keep venomous words from spilling forth. Really, he could be so aggravating.
Mitch turned to the salesman. “Is it all right if we leave the car here for a while?”
“Sure. As long as you want, only we close at nine.”
“We should be back by then,” Mitch told him. “If not, it should be safe here in the parking lot.”
“Where are we going?” Jenny asked.
“I thought I’d take you to supper. There’s a restaurant close by I think you might enjoy. If that’s okay with you?”
She supposed she should get home. After all, it would still take them an hour to get there. He had said that Hattie would look after the twins, but did she really want to go to dinner with Mitch? Somehow she didn’t think it would be a good idea to spend too much time in the man’s company, but he was looking at her in a way that made it seem as though he really did want to spend time with her. Her mind told her one thing, but her heart was behaving in a much sillier way.
“I’d like that,” she agreed.
Her heart reacted even sillier as a slow smile spread across his features. Placing a hand behind her back, he guided her to the Jeep and helped her inside.
He took her to an expensive restaurant at the top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where they rapidly ascended the twenty-six floors in a glass-enclosed express elevator. Her stomach was still trying to catch up when the door slid open. She and Mitch stepped off with several other people and Jenny took time to look around.
“Table for Anderson,” she heard Mitch tell the maître d’.
He glanced quickly down his list before leading them to their seat. Jenny was impressed with the elegance of the atmosphere, although it seemed tables had been crowded into every available space. The restaurant was round and it was some time before she realized that it was revolving.
They were seated next to a window and Jenny marveled at the view. Buildings spread out in all directions as far as the eye could see. The only thing that seemed to stop their sprawling expansion was the surrounding mountains visible in the distance.
The waiter brought their menus and crystal glasses of water with lemon slices floating in their depths.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he inquired.
Mitch raised an eyebrow, querying her decision.
“I’ll have a cola, please,” she answered, smiling at the waiter.
“And for you, sir?”
“The same.”
“Very good. I’ll return in a moment with your drinks and take your order.”
Jenny watched him walk away, a sudden feeling of shyness overcoming her. She glanced uncomfortably at Mitch only to find him watching her, his expression thoughtful.
“I want to thank you for helping me,” she told him, trying to relieve some of the awkwardness she was experiencing. “I wouldn’t have known anything about finding a car.”
He inclined his head slightly, a sudden grin slicing across his face. “Maybe you could have just talked to the cars. Surely one of them would have helped you.”
It reminded her that he had heard her talking to her little car. The red of her silky blouse couldn’t compete with her face. Instead of being offended, she chose to answer him lightly.
“I know it’s crazy, but growing up with Disney has a tendency to warp your vision of reality. I’ve always felt guilty whenever I thought I might be neglecting an object or an animal’s feelings.” She smiled. “I know it’s crazy, but...what can I say?”
The waiter arrived to take their orders. He set their drinks in front of them and smilingly turned to Jenny.
“Have you had time to decide?”
The menu contained a very limited selection and the prices were somewhat expensive. Knowing that Mitch could easily afford it and wouldn’t have brought her here unless he’d wanted to, she still had trouble choosing from such a costly selection. Her frugal nature rebelled at such extravagance. Knowing that this was likely to be the only time she would dine here, she decided to splurge.
“I’ll have the prime rib,” she answered, handing him back the menu. Mitch chose the same. After the waiter had left, Mitch turned back to her.
“See those mountains over there?” He pointed out the clear glass window to some peaks in the distance. “They’re called the Superstitions. And believe me there are enough superstitions about those mountains that they deserve the name. Supposedly, they contain the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.”
The deep rumble of his voice calmed her earlier apprehension. For the time being, they seemed to have put their animosity toward each other aside.
“What is the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Was it a gold mine?”
“Exactly. Supposedly in the 1800s a Dutchman named Jacob Waltz found a gold mine in those mountains. He was murdered and no one has ever been able to find the location.”
“Do people still try? I mean, do people still pan for gold today?”
“Sure thing. Mining is one of Arizona’s largest industries, in one form or another. Although copper is by far the largest product extracted.”
When their meal arrived Jenny thoroughly enjoyed it. Mitch kept up a continuous flow of conversation, drifting from one subject to another. Jenny relaxed, her pleasure making her eyes sparkle. Mitch was an amusing companion when he chose to be. In fact, he was quite charming.
By the time they left the restaurant, it was well past nine o’clock. Jenny was concerned about her new car, though Mitch assured her there would be no problem. Driving back to the dealership, Mitch was unusually quiet. She was beginning to get edgy, racking her brains for a suitable topic of conversation. Everything that occurred to her seemed rather inane.
Finally, taking his eyes off the road, he glanced briefly at her before concentrating once again on the traffic.
“You really like living here, don’t you? I mean, it doesn’t bother you to live in the desert relatively isolated from most conveniences.”
Jenny was surprised. She looked over at him, a slight frown puckering her brow. This was not just some rhetorical question thrown out for conversation’s sake. Her intuition told her that for some reason her answer was important to him.
“I love it,” she told him simply. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Watching the traffic through the windshield even at this late hour, she wondered how he could even ask such a question. Visiting Phoenix might be fun once in a while, but she could never live there. Shaking her head she told him, “I have everything I want where I’m at. What more could I ask for?”
“A job, perhaps?” he queried mildly. “Surely the money from the estate can’t last forever.”
Was he hinting at buying her property again?
For some reason she was reluctant to apprise him of her changed circumstances. As of yet she had received no money from the sale of her crafts, although Annie had informed her that everything was going well. She would receive a check once a month from the Lion’s Den for her part of the sales, but she had a couple of weeks to wait yet. It was hard for her to believe that what she sold would bring in very much money.
“Things will work out,” she told him.
Arriving at the dealership parking lot, they found the place closed. Her car, however, was sitting toward the back of the lot under a brightly shining light. Jenny got out her keys and climbed inside.
“Do you have your papers?” Mitch asked her.
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the papers and handed them to him.
“I’ll just let the security guard know so he doesn’t think we’re stealing the car.”
When Mitch returned, he leaned down and she rolled down her window.
“Be sure you stay close behind me. If for some reason we get separated, I’ll pull off the road and wait for you. Okay?”
She nodded, clutching the wheel nervously. For her part, she determined that there would be no chance of that happening. She was going to stick to him like proverbial glue.
“Stay close.”
She watched him slide into his Jeep before starting her car. Her hands were shaking slightly and she threw a fleeting prayer upward for their safety. Although she trusted Mitch completely, her driving left a lot to be desired. In fact, she had only had her driver’s license a few years. There had been no necessity living on a farm and later, living in a college dorm made it unnecessary to have transportation since everything had been within walking distance.