“Where do we go from here?”
“You can pick him up in about an hour. They’re givin’ him a bath and he needs to dry out, but here are you instructions.”
As Clay listened, it dawned on him that fate was once again stepping in, and if he was right, Crystal would be at the ranch much sooner than he’d dared to hope.
CHAPTER NINE
Having dozed for a while, Crystal had pulled herself from Clay’s comfortable bed and taken a long hot shower. She’d retrieved her jeans from the dryer, pulled on the long-sleeved T-shirt he’d given her, and had just finished breakfast when her phone rang. When she saw it was Clay she broke into a happy smile.
“Good morning.”
“Good mornin’, babe. How are you?”
“Wonderful, and thanks for the note. I was a bit confused when I first woke up and you were gone. How’s Lucky? Have you heard anything?”
“Yep. You can pick him up any time after eleven, but I’m comin’ back into town so we can do it together.”
“I thought you were busy all day.”
“I am, but this is important, and bein’ the boss means I can skip out if I need to.”
“I see. That’s handy.”
“Let’s meet at the diner for some coffee first. It’s just down the street from the Doc’s surgery.”
“Sure. What time?”
“An hour okay?”
“Perfect. I’m going to run home and pack an overnight bag.”
“How’s your butt?”
“Clay!”
“What?”
“I can’t believe you asked me that.”
“Get used to it,” he chuckled.
“You’re wicked!”
“Wicked? I’ve never been called wicked before, but answer my question. How is it?”
“Good grief,” she said rolling her eyes.
“Come on, tell me.”
“A bit tender, if you must know.”
“Good to hear. I’m sittin’ on a horse half way up a mountain so I’m gonna go. See you at the diner in an hour.”
“You are? Good grief again. Okay, see you there.”
Crystal was elated that she’d soon be seeing her handsome cowboy, and after making sure everything in the cottage was in order, she found the house keys in the kitchen drawer and headed out. Her shirt and torn panties were stuffed into her bag, casualties of her amorous day, and while she doubted the cleaners could remove the barbecue stains, she knew she’d never throw the blouse away.
The day was chilly but glorious. Large puffy clouds dotted the sky, and as she drove down the road that paralleled the lake and looked across at the mountains, she could easily picture them covered in snow. The thought of her first white winter was now even more exciting. Her relationship with Clay had unexpectedly entered an exciting new dimension, and she could easily imagine enjoying all manner of tantalizing times in front of the fire.
It was a quick drive to her house, and pulling to a stop she climbed out and trotted up the front steps, but as she opened the door and moved into the small foyer she paused. The house felt cold and lifeless. Walking slowly forward she entered the bedroom. Clay’s bed had been so comfortable compared to the well-worn mattress she’d somehow grown accustomed to, and nestling against him as she’d dozed off had been a slice of heaven.
“I feel as if I never want to sleep here again,” she mumbled.
Pulling the smaller of her two suitcases from the closet she packed enough for three days. The house wasn’t far from the cottage and she could always return if she forgot something, but as she began to run the zipper closed she changed her mind. Opening it back up she went through her things carefully, and though it took her a while she ended up packing twice as much, including all her makeup and a dressy outfit in case they decided on a night out. Satisfied, she zipped it back up, and rolling it out to the car, she lifted it into the trunk. As she walked around to climb behind the wheel, she looked up at the rental in which she’d been happily living for a couple of months, and a shiver rippled down her spine.
“Why do I have the strangest feeling I’m not going to be here anymore?” she mumbled. “How weird is this?”
As if confirming her thought a gust of wind tumbled around her, and opening the car door she slipped behind the wheel and set off for the diner. It was only five minutes away, and seeing Clay’s truck parked outside she pulled beside it and walked quickly inside. He was seated at ‘their’ booth. It was at the end of the row in the corner, and afforded privacy and a view of the mountains.
“Hi, beautiful,” he grinned, standing up and kissing her.
“Hi, handsome,” she grinned back.
“I ordered us both a latte and a piece of apple pie.”
“Yum. This is such a great surprise. I didn’t think I’d see you until Wednesday.”
“There’s a reason I had to come back down,” he said soberly.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not exactly, but I need to talk to you about Lucky before we go get him.”
“Why? He’s going to be all right, isn’t he?”
“Doc Samuels reckons so, but he needs nursin’ for a bit.”
“I’m happy to take care of him,” she frowned. “I thought you knew that.”
“I do, but I wanna be around him as he’s gettin’ better. Sorry, I’m gettin’ ahead of myself. The doc says he needs small amounts of food at regular intervals, and he had some infected cuts on his body, probably from a dog fight, so he’ll be on antibiotics, and of course he needs to be walked.”
“What’s the problem? I’m confused.”
“I wanna be around him as he’s recuperatin’, otherwise I’m gonna be a stranger, and I can only do that if he’s at the ranch. I’ll be busy workin’. I can’t take care of him like you can, so-“
“So you want me to go there?” she said interrupting him. “You want me to take care of him at your ranch?”
“If it’s too much to ask, I understand. You can stay at the cottage as we planned and I’ll just do my best to get away as much as possible.”
They had been so engrossed in their conversation neither had seen the waitress approach, and before Crystal could answer the middle-aged woman was placing the pie and coffee in front of them.
“Thanks, Nancy,” Clay smiled.
“You’re welcome. That pie is fresh out of the oven just half-an-hour ago. I know it’ll be delicious. You need anything else?”
“No, thanks, we’re good,” he replied.
Crystal was grateful for the interruption. Clay’s request had taken her by surprise, and having a few minutes to think about it was just what she’d needed.
“You live alone, right, in your own place? It’s not like I’d be moving into your family home.”
“Yeah, I definitely live alone, babe. You can’t even see the main house from my place. Actually, that’s not strictly true. You can see it from the back, but I built it so the livin’ room and bedrooms look at the mountains, not down at the compound or the barns.”
“You really want me to go back to your ranch with you?”
“Like I said, Lucky needs babysittin’, and I wanna be there for him every day. The only way that can happen is if you’re there. I’ll be workin’, and I do have a dinner meetin’ tomorrow night, but it would be great to come home to him. You’ll have the place to yourself most of the time, at least durin’ the day, and, uh, oh, gosh darn it, who am I kiddin’?” he exclaimed. “I want you there because I want you there.”
Crystal smiled. Clay looked a little flushed, and his burst of honesty had touched her heart.
“How can I possibly say no,” she said softly. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a bit nervous, but I would love to come home with you.”
“I’m dyin’ to get you on a horse!”
“Oh, my gosh. That’s why you want me there? To get me on a horse?”
“Guilty,” he chuckled, cutting into the pie. “Man, this is good!”
“Good? That is fantastic.”
“I’m gonna get a slice to go,” he declared. “We can have it tonight.”
“What a very good idea!”
“Except it won’t be on a plate,” he said under his breath.
“What do you…wait, you don’t mean…!”
“Yep. I’m gonna smother this all over you.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” she mumbled.
“You don’t need to say a thing,” he grinned. “Your red face is doin’ all your talkin’.”
“I think we should finish this amazing pie and go and pick up Lucky,” she said, trying to ignore the excited churning in her stomach.
“Yep, we should, but now you’ve got somethin’ to think about for the rest of the day.”
“No kidding!”
A short time later they were in the waiting room of Doc Samuel’s office, staring in astonishment at the dog Crystal had rescued. He looked completely different. With his long, matted coat clipped off his body they could see how thin he really was, but to their joy, the minute he saw them he whined and hurried across the linoleum floor.
“He knows us,” Crystal exclaimed.
“You bet,” the vet declared. “You saved his life. Of course he knows you.”
While Clay took care of the bill, talked to the vet, and all gathered up all Lucky’s supplies, Crystal sat on the floor and made a huge fuss of the mutt she’d rescued, petting him and telling him how gorgeous he was. The dog responded in kind, kissing her face and wining happily.
“I’m gonna take all this out to the truck,” Clay said walking over to her with his arms full, “then I’ll help you put in him your car.”
“You don’t want to take him in your truck?”
“I think he’ll be more comfortable in your back seat. He’ll be able to stretch out more.”
Without his long coat the dog seemed to be all legs, but he was able to get into the car by himself, and he settled down immediately. Walking Crystal to the driver’s door, he put his arms around her.
“I’m so happy you’re comin’ back to the ranch with me,” he said warmly.
“Thank you for asking me,” she replied. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the place. In the pictures it looked incredible.”
“It is incredible, but I should tell you, when you drive up, it’s kinda…well…”
“It’s kind of what?”
“It’s been modernized a bit since those photos were taken. My folks are down-to-earth, but some people get a bit intimidated when they see the property up close, especially their home.”
“Why?”
“It’s a nice lookin’ house.”
“I’m not worried about a nice looking house,” she laughed, “at least, not from inside my car. I might feel a bit nervous in the first five minutes though.”
“I’ll take care of that,” he promised, kissing her lightly and opening her car door. “Let’s go.”
Taking a deep breath, Crystal watched him stride to his truck and jump in, and as she pulled out behind him and they started on their way, she suddenly felt a shard of panic.
“Shit. What am I doing?” she muttered. “I’ve never been around cows, and sheep, or whatever it is they have there. I don’t even own a plaid shirt. I’ll be a fish out of water. I do want to be with him, I really do, but…”
Gripping the steering wheel, she forced herself to take long deep breaths.
“He doesn’t care that I’m not a farm hand. Maybe he even likes that I’m not. Maybe he’s enjoying being with someone different. He wouldn’t have asked me to join him there if he wasn’t sure it would be okay. He wouldn’t do that. Right? No, of course not. I just have to remember that.”
Her heart was still pumping and her knuckles were still white when he turned off the main road and pulled up in front of two huge, white, wrought iron gates. In an arc across the top were the words, PARKER FARMS. The gates swung open and she followed him in. The driveway was flanked by white fencing and green pastures on either side, and as it continued around a bend a grey brick and redwood house came into view.
“Holy crap, that’s one hell of a house,” she mumbled, staring at the rambling homestead.
It had a portico much like she’d seen in the front of fine hotels, and though the driveway continued forward, she could see there was a lane that branched off and formed a complete circle, going under the portico and back to the driveway. Set majestically in the center was a fountain surrounded by lush landscaping.
“Wow, that is something,” she breathed.
As they passed it she could see the road disappeared around a bend, and leaving the impressive home behind her she followed his truck around the corner and saw another beautiful, but smaller home, perched on top of a gentle hill a short distance ahead. A minute later Clay started up the lane to the house, and as the slope leveled off she saw that in addition to the garage, it had a motor court. His truck stopped, and as she pulled up behind it she saw him jump from the cab.
“Okay, Lucky, we’re here,” she said looking around at him. “I wish my pulse would stop racing.”
The dog panted at her, and as she turned back she found Clay was opening her door.
“Here we are,” he grinned.
“Clay, this place is beautiful, your home is beautiful.”
“Thanks. Come on, let’s get his boy inside and let him have a sniff around. Do you have a bag?”
“My suitcase is in the trunk.”
“Once he’s in and settled I’ll come back out and get it. Come on, Lucky,” he said opening the back door. “Come and see your new home.”
The dog got up slowly, and moving to the end of the seat he peered at the ground. Clay immediately reached in, picked him up and gently put him on his feet.
“Gettin’ up in there is probably a bit easier than jumpin’, out,” he said sheepishly.
“You’re such a softie,” Crystal grinned, “and I think it’s great.”
“I’m just gonna get his supplies.”
She and Lucky followed him back to the truck, then they walked slowly up to the front door with Lucky between them.
“This is such a beautiful spot,” Crystal remarked. “You can see forever.”
“It feels like that,” he nodded. “I hope you like this place. The cottage is real modern, but this is much more traditional,” he said opening up the front door. “Go ahead, Lucky, this is your new home.”
They watched as the dog moved through the foyer, paused for a moment, then walked directly into the living room and laid down on the thick rug in front of the fireplace.
“I’ll be damned,” Clay muttered.
“What is it?”
“That’s exactly what Trooper used to do.”
“Lucky can probably smell him,” Crystal offered.
“Yeah, probably, though it’s been a while,” Clay remarked.
“Clay?”
“Yes, babe?”
“I’m feeling weird.”
“You are?”
“Totally. Sorry. I’m absolutely fine at parties, or dinners, anything social. I have no idea where this comes from.”
“Huh. It’s bein’ in a house alone with a guy?”
“Yeah. I avoid it as much as possible, as you know,” she sighed.
“You need a distraction, and I think I have just the thing,” he grinned. “Go and sit with Lucky. I’ll be right back.”
Ambling into the living room, she gazed through the windows at the mountains. They were imposing and stunning, and as she sat on the rug next to Lucky, he lifted a paw and placed it on her leg.
“Sweet dog,” she said softly. “You’re a lovely boy. You don’t have to worry about anything ever again.”
“One weirdness cure comin’ up.”
Turning around she saw Clay walking towards her carrying a paper sack.
“What’s in there?”
“Whatta ya think,” he chuckled. “Apple pie.”
CHAPTER TEN
No sooner had the words left his lips when his phone sounded. He dropped the paper sack on a nearby table, and as he answered the call Crystal saw a deep frown cross his brow.
“Damn!” he muttered glancing at his watch. “Yep, yep, I’m on my way.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a real important meetin’,” he said gravely. “I’ve gotta run, sorry, babe.”
Jumping to her feet Crystal hurried across and pecked him on the cheek.
“You go. We’ll be fine.”
“Make yourself at home. There’s an empty closet in the guest room. I’ll stop back the minute I can.”
“Hey, don’t worry, just go and do what you do, oh, one quick thing. Where can I take Lucky for a walk?”
“Ah, good question. The kitchen’s down that hall, and if you go out the door it will take you to the side of the house. There’s a trail right there. I’ll see you later,” he said hastily, and with a quick hug he hurried outside.
She watched him jog to his truck, jump in and speed away, then stared down at the supplies Clay had placed just inside the front door.
“I guess I’d better go through all this and figure it out,” she said looking across at Lucky. “You wanna help me find the kitchen or stay where you are?”
Unmoving, Lucky stared back at her, but as she picked up the bags and turned to start down the hallway, he got to his feet and followed her.
In the cab of his truck Clay was furious with himself. He never lost track of time. Never. The meeting was with Jeremy Clark, the owner of a chain of family-oriented steak houses throughout the midwest. He was opening five new restaurants, but they were going to be high-end, and his ultimate goal was to have one in every major city throughout the country. He had done business with Parker Farms for years, but he was on the hunt to find the best steak in the country, and Clay and his father suddenly found themselves having to compete for the important contract. Pulling to a stop at the back door of the house, Clay hurried to the office. He could hear his father talking as he approached, and he took a breath and slowed his pace before entering.
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