“Oh, I’m terribly sorry to disturb you on a Monday morning, Ms. Maxwell. I know you must be extremely busy. This is Erin with Timber Staffing Agency. May I speak to Mr. Harris?”
“Could I take a message? Mr. Harris is involved in another project at the moment.”
“Would you tell him I have two candidates to schedule for interviews?”
“Interviews?”
“Yes. For the admin position. I can assure you that they are both highly qualified. He told me how particular you are.”
Lucy took a deep breath. “I’m sure they are. I have your number on caller ID. I’ll have him check back with you as soon as he’s free.”
When the phone rang a third time, she stared at the receiver for a moment, and then began to count backward. “Really, Jack?” she fumed.
“Lucy?” Emma called out. “Is that your phone?”
“Yes. I’ve got it.”
“Maxwell speaking.”
“USA Rentals. I’ve got a sixteen-foot truck available. Do you want to schedule?”
“Truck? What truck?”
“Just a minute.” Papers rustled before the man spoke again. “Jack Harris requested a sixteen-foot truck. We’ve got one ready to go. Does he need furniture pads and a hand cart?”
“I’m not sure. May I have your name and have him call you right back?”
“Roscoe. This is Roscoe. He has my number. I talked to him yesterday. Tell him to hurry before I have to release the truck.”
Lucy grabbed the keys to the Ute. “I’ll be back,” she said when she passed Emma’s door.
Parking the Ute outside the stables, Lucy slowly walked through the building, checking stalls on either side of the large space. No Jack Harris in sight, but the stalls were clean—evidence that he’d been by recently.
Tripp was in his office, hunched over a laptop. Lucy gently knocked on the door.
“Come in,” he grunted without looking up.
“Ah, Tripp, have you seen our new volunteer, Mr. Harris?”
“Chickens.”
“Thanks.” She paused. “Everything okay?”
Tripp leaned back in his chair, and his ice-blue eyes pinned her. He absently rubbed the scar that ran down the left side of this face. “Truthfully, Lucy, I could use some help with this paperwork. We talked about hiring someone last spring. It’s only getting worse. I’m stuck in here crunching numbers and ordering supplies when I should be out there with the horses and getting ready for the ranch rodeo.”
Mouth open in surprise, Lucy simply stared. She’d never heard the taciturn cowboy string together that many sentences at once. “I, um, I’ll see what I can do. Right now we’re on hold until the budget is approved.”
“Don’t hang me out to dry.”
“I won’t forget your request, Tripp.”
She carefully closed the door and returned to the Ute, where she sat for several minutes in stunned surprise. Tripp’s words and Jack’s comments echoed in her ear. Was it possible she was being narrow-minded and inflexible with the ranch budget? Once again, she found herself rethinking her role as director and praying for guidance. “What do You want me to do, Lord?” she whispered.
Lucy buckled her seat belt and headed down the road to the coops. Rue Butterfield met her in the middle of the chicken yard. She held a basket of eggs in one hand and a mangled straw Stetson in the other.
“Rue, what are you up to?” Lucy asked.
“I came by to visit Mrs. Carmody.”
“Is there something wrong with our favorite hen?”
“Not at all. We’re friends. I like to visit on occasion. We old birds have to stick together.”
“Old is not a word I would ever use in connotation with General Rue Butterfield.”
“Well, thank you, Lucy.”
Lucy glanced around. “Have you seen Jack?”
“Yes. He was here.” Rue gestured toward the basket of eggs. “I offered to wash these and run them over to the chow hall for him.”
“Did he mention where he was headed?”
“I believe he said he had to get cleaned up for an appointment in town.”
“An appointment.” Lucy nodded absently.
“You know, dear, I think there must be something wrong with his schedule.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He has stall mucking and chicken coops. Both chores are scheduled every day for the entire summer. We never assign both of those chores together. It’s always one or the other.”
“It’s no mistake. And why not? The man’s on a mission to fill Leo’s shoes, so I’m helping the process along.”
Rue started laughing. “Oh, my,” she said, catching her breath as she carefully balanced the eggs. “So he’s been doing both all summer? Is that what you’re saying?”
She nodded.
“Oh, Lucy, I believe you may have finally met your match.”
“My match? What do you mean?”
“Anyone else would have complained about the assignment. Not Jack. He’s determined to prove he’s not simply a pretty city slicker. The man wants to pull his weight. Or Leo’s weight, in this case. You two were cut from the same cloth, if you’ll excuse the cliché. Neither of you will back down from a challenge.”
“Jack and me? Alike?”
“Yes. You’re both single-minded and stubborn.”
“Those are my best features, but I’m not so sure that makes me like Jack.”
“You might want to give it some thought,” Rue said.
“Not likely. I don’t sleep at night as it is.”
“Lucy, do you mind if I ask what the deal is with Jack?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on. He’s polished, well-educated and reeks of old money. This is a man who probably speaks three languages and went to an Ivy League college. Yet he’s running around trying his best to replace Leo and not getting paid for his efforts. I imagine Jack Harris has better things to do with his time than hang out on Big Heart Ranch in the middle of summer, shoveling horse manure.”
Lucy was speechless for a moment. Rue had certainly nailed the man. “He’s a volunteer,” she finally said.
“Yes. I’m aware. And when he’s not volunteering?”
“Rue, I’m not sure you really want to know. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to tell you, either.”
“How long have I been working at the ranch, Lucy?”
“Four years.”
“Have you ever known me to be indiscreet?”
“No,” Lucy murmured.
“The United States government handed me a top secret security clearance. If Uncle Sam trusted me not to sell them out, maybe you could, as well.”
“Jack is Meredith Brisbane’s nephew. He’s the attorney holding up the funding.” Lucy released a breath as the words came out in a rush.
Rue’s eyes widened with surprise, her mouth sagging open with a gasp. “I never saw that coming.” The general began to laugh. “You’re telling me that Jack is the jerk who hasn’t signed the donation proposal.” She laughed again and wiped her eyes. “Oh, the irony.”
“Yes, I nearly lost it when he agreed with you on the trail ride.”
“You’ve been protecting him?”
“I suppose I have. I wanted him to evaluate the ranch without bias.”
Rue paused and narrowed her eyes. “Are you threatened by Jack Harris, Lucy?”
“I’m intimidated by the fact that he’s been here three weeks and has come up with some great ideas for the ranch. Ideas that I, as the director, should have come up with.”
“So that’s why you’re questioning your role at Big Heart Ranch.”
“Rue, I’ve been running everything for five years. Maybe it’s time for me to take a back seat. To tell you the truth, as much as
I hate to admit it, he’s good at what he does. Right now he’s screening personal assistant candidates for me.”
“Marvelous. You need one.”
“Yes. So everyone feels free to tell me.”
“Is he going to approve the funding?”
“Most days I’m certain the answer is yes. The rest of the time, he skirts the issue while he explores new ideas for the ranch. We continue to butt heads because he refuses to keep me in the loop.”
“Oh, so this is all about control.”
“It’s my ranch!”
“If he felt like you’d listen to him objectively, he might not be working behind your back.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Are there sides?”
Lucy opened her mouth and closed it.
“Dear, you have to be willing to open that closed fist of yours in order to allow people to help you.”
“I’m going to have to think about this,” Lucy said. She turned to go and then stopped. “Rue, what’s a soiree?”
The general smiled and cocked her head. “I haven’t heard that term in a long while. A soiree is like a cocktail party held later in the evening, and usually with some sort of musical entertainment. They’re generally quite romantic affairs. I’ve been to many a soiree in my day,” she mused. “Why do you ask?”
“Meredith Brisbane has invited me to a soiree at her estate this weekend.”
“Oh, my, isn’t that great timing?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, she’s head of the Brisbane Foundation. She must really like you if she invited you to her soiree. That bodes well for our budget approval.”
“I pray you’re right.” Lucy frowned. “Um, Rue?”
“Yes, dear?”
“What should I wear?”
Rue glanced at Lucy’s staff T-shirt, jeans and boots. “Not your red boots.”
Lucy sighed. “I was afraid of that.”
“A lovely young woman such as yourself certainly has at least one sophisticated dress tucked into the back of her closet.”
“Rue, I have flannel shirts tucked into the back of my closet.”
“Didn’t you have some fancy events while you were in college?”
“I worked at the ranch when I wasn’t in class. There was no time for fancy anything.”
“You need to get yourself to Tulsa and find a dress and shoes.” She assessed Lucy. “A stop at a salon for a trim and manicure are not out of the question, either.”
“I don’t know the first thing about where to shop in T-town.”
“When is this soiree?”
“Saturday.”
“Nothing like waiting until the last minute.” Rue arched a brow.
“In my defense, it was a last-minute invitation.” Lucy glanced down at her daily ranch outfit and sighed. “Who am I kidding? I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. My life is spent in jeans and the occasional sundress from the Western store. I have no idea what to wear or the proper etiquette for an event at the foundation.”
“Clear your schedule and take Emma with you to the big city.”
“Is that really necessary? They have shops in Timber.”
“When was the last time you had your hair trimmed?”
“At the start of summer, at the Timber barbershop.”
Rue groaned. “Oh, Lucy. The barbershop? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that good hair covers a multitude of things?”
“I don’t see you with fancy hairdos, General.”
“That’s by choice. Not omission. There’s a difference. I’ve put in my time in dresses and heels.” Rue stopped and looked at Lucy again. “But you. No excuse. You represent the ranch, so you should be prepared to dress for this occasion and others.”
“Rue,” Lucy groaned.
“You know, Lucy, it’s bad enough your childhood was stolen. I will not allow you to go any longer without some girly fun.”
“Girly fun?”
“A salon and spa day.”
Lucy gulped and stepped back. “I don’t do salon and spa days.”
“You do now. I’ll make all the arrangements for you and your sister. Why, I’ll even babysit the twins.” She nodded. “I’ll inform Emma, so you don’t weasel out.”
“I don’t do salon and spa days,” Lucy whined under her breath. She stomped her way to the bunkhouse and pounded on the door. Her hand was raised to knock again when the door swung open and she nearly fell over.
“Whoa,” Jack said, catching her fist. “Stand down there, Madame Director.”
Freshly showered, his dark hair was combed back and his face cleanly shaven. He looked almost the way he did when she’d first met him. Powerful. In control. The man smelled good, too. For a moment, she simply stared.
“Lucy?”
“I, um...”
“Lucy? Did you need something? I’ve finished my chores early and I’m not scheduled for the rest of the day.” He glanced at his watch.
“Don’t let me bother you. Your personal time is your own. I wanted to give you your messages.” She held out the pink slips of paper.
Jack winced and pulled out his phone, which was held together by duct tape. “I apologize. This must be really annoying. My phone keeps cutting out. The new one arrives today or tomorrow. I left your number with my contacts.”
“Retreat facility coordinator?” she asked. “Really? Was King of the Mountain taken?”
He grimaced. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I have to talk the talk and walk the walk if I want people to take me seriously.” He took the papers from her and neatly folded them.
“Take you seriously. You. Not me.”
“Are you offended that I’m doing this? You did say—”
“I know what I told you, Jack. Yes, in a moment of weakness and complete exhaustion on the trail ride, I agreed that you do can the legwork and present your findings. I simply had no idea you would be moving at the speed of light.”
“It only seems like I’m moving fast because you move so slow.”
She released a soft gasp. “I can’t believe you said that. What’s that supposed to mean anyhow?”
“Lucy, it isn’t normal to leave a house abandoned for three years. To have a closet full of appliances and household gadgets you never even look at.”
“When did I say I was normal?” She gave a sad shake of her head and turned away. “Wow, I never imagined you’d use the confidence I shared with you against me. I trusted you, Jack. I shared my chocolate with you and I trusted you.”
“Lucy, wait. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
She met his gaze. “What did you mean, Jack?”
“I don’t know... I’m just sorry. That was uncalled for.”
She paused. “How sorry are you? Sorry enough to sign the proposal?”
He rolled his eyes. “The mission of the foundation is to serve the local community. If I can help the ranch become more self-sufficient, then less money will be needed at Big Heart Ranch, and other organizations will benefit from the Brisbane Foundation funding. So the answer is no. I’m not going to sign anything until my work here is done.”
She crossed her arms. “What is this obsession you have with the lodge?”
“It’s not an obsession. I’m exploring options.”
“Couldn’t you explore your options from your office at the estate? You’d even have a phone and an admin.”
“I promised my aunt and Dub I’d be at the ranch for the entire summer. I’m sort of locked into Leo’s chores, too. You might not miss me, but those chickens would.”
Miss him. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. Nor did she want to. It would be far better to simply imagine him gone and pretend he was never here rather than miss him.
“I guess this whole retreat thing is s
ort of fun for you, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ll admit I like a challenge.”
Lucy nodded, as an odd tightness squeezed her chest. What would happen when he wanted more of a challenge than Lucy and Dub, and Big Heart Ranch in Timber, Oklahoma, could offer? When he left in search of his next adventure?
“You okay, Lucy?”
“I’m fine.” She met his gaze. “What’s the rental truck for?”
“I’m helping my aunt empty out the stable loft.” He glanced at his watch again and straightened his tie. “I really have to go. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. We could talk then.”
He started down the walk and then stopped. “I finished my chores, if that’s what’s behind this. In Leo fashion, I might add. Dub and I did arts and crafts this morning.”
“I never doubted you for a minute.”
He frowned.
“What about the interviews, Jack?”
“I’ll handle them until we get down to the final candidates. No use wasting your time until the field is narrowed. I put an ad in the Timber paper, so we still have a few more candidates to review.”
“You paid for an ad? To hire an admin I said I can’t afford?”
“Utilizing the lodge would eliminate that problem.”
“Again with the lodge.” She got in the Ute, wishing there was a door she could slam.
“You might be overreacting here, Lucy,” he called.
“Who, me? The invisible director of Big Heart Ranch?”
Jack cleared his throat. “This might not be a good time to ask when you want me to shadow you.”
“Whenever works with your schedule, Jack. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
He nodded, her sarcasm clearly sailing right over his head. “What time?”
“Whenever. Stop by my office. If I’m not there, Emma will know where you can find me.”
“Okay.”
She nodded. “Jack?”
“Yes?”
“Your tie is crooked.”
“Thanks.” He glanced down, adjusted the silk material, walked over to the Lexus and got in.
Three weeks at the ranch, and the man remained exactly the same. Aggravatingly perfect and unaffected by his time with them. While she, on the other hand, had been turned upside down. She gave the man an inch and he took far, far more. It was then that Lucy realized with stark clarity that she better start guarding her heart, before he took that, too, because she certainly couldn’t handle that sort of disappointment once again.
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