Fool Me Once

by Mona Ingram

  Olivia smiled to herself. “He’s a quarter horse, right?”

  He gave her an odd look. “That’s right. How did you know?”

  “I dreamed about you when I was in the warehouse. You were on a quarter horse.” She smiled self-consciously. “I knew you’d come for me.”

  His eyes held hers and they were full of promise. “There was never any doubt about that.”

  They pulled up at the rear of the house. The roof extended to cover a broad verandah, and on either side of the stairs hollyhocks competed for space with zinnias, petunias and bachelor’s buttons. A grey tabby cat lay curled in one of the wicker chairs on the verandah, ignoring their arrival.

  “Josh! Welcome home.” A rotund woman bustled out, the screen door slapping behind her.

  Josh greeted her with a kiss. “Maisie, I’d like you to meet Olivia MacMillan. She’ll be staying with us for a while. Olivia, this is Maisie Jackson.”

  Olivia shook hands with the smiling housekeeper. “I hope I’m not imposing, Mrs. Jackson.” She glanced at Josh. “This was a last-minute trip.”

  “Oh pish.” Maisie waved her hands dismissively and led the way into the house. “It’s a pleasure to have some company. Josh never brings anyone home. I keep telling him to get away for a while, find himself a nice girl, but he thinks them cattle can’t get along without him.” She poked Josh in the chest with a stubby finger. “He tells me to mind my own business, but it’s high time he settled down.”

  Josh rolled his eyes. “Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the house.”

  The interior of the house was simple and beautiful. The ceiling of the great room rose two stories high, with roughly hewn beams supporting the roof. Large slabs of slate formed a hearth in front of the fieldstone fireplace, and evidence of a recent fire confirmed Olivia’s suspicion that it could get cold here at night…even in the summer. A large picture window overlooked the river that meandered lazily through the property. Josh stood silently beside her as she absorbed the view in silence. The mountains in the distance appeared so perfect they might have been painted on a canvas the color of cornflowers.

  “You must feel…” she paused, looking for the right word. “You must feel claustrophobic in London. Or any city for that matter.” She walked closer to the window. “There’s something about seeing into the distance like this. I feel like I can stretch my eyes.” She laughed self-consciously. “I guess that sounds rather silly.”

  He touched her elbow. “Not at all. I know exactly what you mean. But it’s good to hear someone put my thoughts into words.”

  She smiled up at him. He looked completely disreputable, his clothes rumpled and the beginnings of a beard on his angular jaw. In spite of that, he’d never been more appealing. She placed her palm along his cheek. “Josh…”

  “There you are.” Maisie bustled into the room. “When would you like dinner? I can have it ready any time.”

  Josh shrugged and deferred to Olivia.

  “Let’s eat whenever you usually have it,” she suggested. “That may help our internal time clocks to get re-calibrated.”

  “Good idea.” Josh turned to Maisie. “Six o’clock will be fine, Maisie. I hope it’s something informal. We’re both tired.”

  “Couldn’t get much simpler. Stew, fresh rolls, and apple crisp for dessert. You can eat in the kitchen if you’d like.”

  Olivia’s eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful. It looks so cozy.”

  Maisie’s ample bosom swelled at the compliment. “I’ll leave everything set up for you then.” She shot a pointed look in Josh’s direction. “I’m sure you want to have a shower before dinner.”

  Josh placed a hand at the small of Olivia’s back, guiding her to the stairs. “Subtlety has never been Maisie’s strong suit,” he murmured as the housekeeper returned to the kitchen. “But she has a point. I can’t remember the last time I had a shower.”

  He ushered her into a spacious bedroom decorated in the soft, natural colors of the prairie. “This is the guest room. I’ll meet you downstairs in an hour.”

  Chapter Ten

  “That was delicious.” Olivia finished the last of the apple crisp. “Now all I need is a cup of tea and I’ll know I’m truly in heaven.” She gathered up the dishes and placed them in the sink. “If you show me where everything is, I’ll make the tea while you get a fire started. You promised me an explanation about the necklace.”

  Olivia placed the tray on the floor in front of the fireplace. Josh knelt on one knee, positioning logs on top of the crackling kindling. He stared into the fire, his face burnished by the reflected glow.

  Olivia poured a mug of tea and handed it to him. He cupped it in both hands, thanking her with a distracted nod. She sat on the floor, her back propped against a chair, waiting for him to speak.

  He lifted his head to look at her, eyes dark with emotion. “When I got back to the yacht, I didn’t realize that you were missing.” His voice was hollow as he related those first moments. “I thought it was a robbery and that you were still in town.”

  “I’m embarrassed that I haven’t asked about those poor crew members. Were they all right?” She shuddered. “One of them was bleeding.”

  He nodded. “Juan was fine. The blood made it look worse than it really was. Carlos too. He felt badly about not protecting you, but I reassured him it wasn’t his fault. Blazek’s men took them both by surprise.”

  “I’m glad they’re all right.” She shook her head, remembering the men lying on the deck. “So what happened next?”

  Josh had already decided on an edited version of the truth. “I called Dirk and he came to the yacht. The crew members had said that the men who took you sounded Czech, so we knew that there had to be some connection with Blazek.”

  Olivia nodded. “But how did you know where to find me?”

  “Your laptop.” He rubbed his eyes. “But that came later. Shortly after we dismissed the crew, Blazek called to tell us he had you, but of course he refused to say any more than that. He wanted us to sweat. Said he’d call back at eight the next morning. That was when the pieces started falling into place and we realized he must be one of the top suppliers. So we planned for every eventuality and then I went down for a quick shower and happened to notice that your laptop was on. It didn’t take long to find your notes.”

  Olivia leaned forward eagerly. “And you found my necklace outside the warehouse! I purposely dropped it when those two thugs dragged me out of the van. Rather Hansel and Gretel-ish, but I’m glad it worked.”

  Josh sat down on the floor across from her, a smile lighting his eyes. “It worked all right, but it wasn’t me who found it. Your little friend Rosalina found it.”

  “Rosalina? But how?” She held up a finger. “Wait a minute…that’s right. Eliska mentioned that some of the street kids live near her father’s warehouse.” She paused. “We saw her that day after we had lunch together. When was that? Yesterday? The day before? Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Eliska and I had lunch near Puerto Banus, and Rosalina came up to me to say hello.” She looked at him eagerly. “So what happened? Did she see me? What did she tell you?”

  He grinned. “The conversation was limited, as you can imagine, but she mentioned your name and pointed to the warehouse. And then she did the most remarkable thing. She showed us the security code.” He shook his head. “To most people those kids are invisible. Nobody pays them much attention, but they’re everywhere; they see everything.” His voice softened. “In her eyes you were like no tourist she’d dealt with before. You were kind to her, and look what happened.”

  “But Josh.” She tensed, suddenly concerned for the young girl. “That explosion. I hope she was safely away from there.”

  “She was. We’d made it clear that we didn’t want her around, but just to be sure Dirk checked the adjacent buildings. Shacks, really. There was no one around. He escorted Blazek’s two guards out of the area and then he put up barriers on the road to prevent anyone from driving past at th
e wrong time.” He stared into his mug. “We had that part figured out ahead of time, but we still don’t know why Blazek had you kidnapped. The guard seemed to think it was an excess of caution on Blazek’s part, but why the sudden change of attitude? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I think that was my fault.”

  “Your fault? How so?” He tried to cover a yawn. “Sorry, but I’m not following you. The lack of sleep is catching up with me.”

  A log hissed softly in the fireplace but she didn’t hear it. She was back at the Costa del Sol. “It’s all so unbelievable. Did you notice the tension in the air when we went to the villa for coffee? Both Eliska and her mother had the look of people under an immense amount of strain. But of course you’d never seen them before so you had nothing to compare…” she paused. “Sorry, I’m babbling.” Sipping her tea, she marshaled her thoughts. “Eliska told me that her mother knew about the mistress. That was bad enough as you can imagine, but when she started working for her father and discovered the true nature of his business everything changed. Her mother had been terribly unhappy in the marriage for a long time, but knowing about the illegal arms was the last straw. They were going to Paris all right, but Eliska had no intention of attending design school. They’d been working on a plan to disappear…to get away from him.” She smiled. “And I believe they’ll succeed.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s why she wanted to have lunch with you. And in the meantime her father was showing me around the estate. He had a storehouse full of arms there on the property, but of course you saw that blow up.”

  She leaned forward eagerly. “Those arms were all I could think about. I couldn’t wait to get back to the yacht to tell you that he might be the kingpin you mentioned. Do you think he was? It’s all so unbelievable.”

  Josh nodded. “He definitely appears to control the shipments out of the area. Even so, that still doesn’t explain why he had you snatched.”

  She glanced down at her left hand. It felt bare without the ring. “It was my own fault.”

  He gave her a sharp look. “How so?”

  “I’m really sorry Josh, but Eliska was making such a big deal about our engagement. I knew I wouldn’t see her again and it seemed harmless. She was leaving in a couple of hours, so I told her that we weren’t really engaged. I didn’t tell her anything other than the gambling story, but she must have told her father, because that’s what he questioned me about.” She gave a small shiver at the memory. “But when he told me that Eliska and her mother had left I wanted to cheer. It gave me a real boost.”

  He looked at her levelly. “I can have them found if you like. IATO has access to the best intelligence in the world.”

  She wrapped her arms around her legs and stared into the fire. It took her a moment to respond. “Thanks, but I don’t think so. She swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat. “If she wants me to know where she is she can contact me. I’d rather not jeopardize their freedom.”

  “I understand.” He studied her closely. “You’ve asked about the crew on the yacht, you’ve asked about Rosalina, and now you’re willing to lose contact with your friend and her mother to ensure their safety. Don’t you ever think about yourself?”

  “All the time.” She lowered her head, hoping he’d mistake her blush for the glow from the fire. “Going on this trip was a purely selfish decision. You could have done it without me.”

  “Do you think so?” Bemused eyes looked pointedly at her left hand. “I see you’re not wearing the ring any more. Does that mean the engagement is off?”

  “Of course not. I mean yes.” She tossed her head, fighting to keep her tone light. “It may have been short, but it was exciting.” She looked at him over the rim of her mug. “How was it for you?”

  A deep laugh rumbled up from his chest. “Well now, let’s see. There were parts of it I liked very much, but they were too brief.” He stared into the fire and his tone gentled. “As I mentioned before, I’d like the chance to do it all again. I suppose that’s why I brought you here without your permission.” He stood up unsteadily and offered her his hand. She came to her feet. “Am I forgiven for that?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive.” She smiled up at him. “And don’t worry, I’ll return the ring tomorrow.”

  “No need.” He still grasped her hand, and his fingers tightened. “I want you to have it. Wear it and think of me sometimes.”

  Olivia stared at him wordlessly. Did he honestly think she could ever forget him? He must be blind if he couldn’t see that she was holding her emotions in check, waiting for him to make the first move. It was as if they were starting all over again, as though he’d never kissed her with a passion that curled her toes.

  She stepped back and he swayed. The man was exhausted! She grasped him gently by the arm. “Come on, Josh. It’s time for bed.”

  He grinned crookedly. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that? Why does it have to be tonight, when I can barely stand up?”

  “It was a fact, not an invitation. Come on, I’ll help you.”

  He slid an arm around her waist and they proceeded up the stairs. She stopped in front of his door.

  “I’d walk you to your door,” he said, starting to slur his words. “But I don’t think I could make it back.”

  Olivia opened his door and pushed him inside. “As if I’d let you leave,” she murmured.

  “I heard that!” he shouted as he fell onto his bed.

  Olivia smiled. “Goodnight Cowboy,” she said to herself. “Some other night, perhaps.” She closed his door.

  * * *

  “Good morning.” Maisie was removing a tray of sticky buns from the oven. The mouth-watering aroma had spread through the house and Olivia realized she was hungry again. “Help yourself to some coffee.”

  Maisie inverted the tray, and the buns fell out onto a platter, studded with raisins and glistening with melted brown sugar. “Josh has enjoyed these since he was a young kid.”

  Olivia sipped appreciatively at the coffee. “It sounds like you’ve known him a long time.”

  “Clint and I came to this ranch thirty five years ago.” She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “The Morgan family has been good to us.”

  “From what I can see, the appreciation goes both ways.” Olivia walked to the back door and looked through the screen. “Have you seen Josh this morning?”

  “Lord, yes. He’s been up for a couple of hours.” She chuckled. “He says he fell asleep in his clothes. How about cold chicken?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “For your sandwiches. Josh asked me to put up some sandwiches for a picnic. Said the two of you were going riding.”

  “Chicken’s fine. I like chicken.” She eyed the buns. “May I have a sticky bun for my breakfast? Then I’ll go and get dressed.”

  “Of course you can, child. I don’t know what’s the matter with my memory this morning. Your suitcases arrived as well. They’re sitting by the front door.”

  * * *

  Olivia walked from the brilliance of the sun into the shadow of the stables. It smelled sweetly of hay and horses. A stall door stood open and she paused, studying the man inside. Josh was grooming a horse, talking softly to it as he used the currycomb. Faded jeans hugged his hips, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing muscled forearms.

  “Hello, Cowboy.” He raised his head and her pulse quickened. Pausing with one hand on the horse’s back he studied her, from the tip of her boots to the top of her flaming hair. Goosebumps prickled her skin. She knew she looked good. She’d chosen a tailored off-white shirt and slim khaki trousers, which she wore tucked into soft leather boots. It felt good to be back in her favorite ‘uniform’.

  Setting down the grooming tool, he took a few steps toward her, shoving his hands into his back pockets. “You know,” he said with a slow drawl, “the first time I saw you in that greenhouse I thought you were beautiful. A bit prickly, perhaps, but bea
utiful.” He continued walking, circling her. “But today I’d have to say you look perfect.” He grinned broadly. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

  She blushed, wondering if he was recalling her parting words last night. “Well enough, thanks. Maisie said you asked her to make a picnic lunch. I’d enjoy that.”

  “Good.” He seemed to be having trouble tearing his eyes away from her. Finally he gestured to the horse. “I was just about to saddle Ginger for you and we’ll be ready. Do you mind going back to the house to get the lunch?”

  “Not at all.” Striding away from the barn, she was aware of his eyes following her, and a ripple of anticipation tiptoed up her spine.

  “Here you go.” Maisie had the lunch packed and ready. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll keep the wolf from the door.” She shot a curious look at Olivia. “You know, I wasn’t sure how much to pack. He’s never brought a woman here before, and for sure he’s never taken anyone for a picnic. Kinda took me by surprise when he mentioned it this morning.”

  Olivia’s heart leaped. “Really?” She picked up the package, trying to appear nonchalant. “In that case, I’ll try to make sure he enjoys himself.”

  * * *

  Clint was in the stables when she returned with the lunch. The two men shared an easy camaraderie and Josh was laughing when he turned to greet her. Relaxed and on his home turf, his appeal was even stronger than it had been in the villa, or on the yacht. His hand brushed hers as he took the lunch and she busied herself with the horse, hiding her response. For a brief moment she considered making up an excuse to go back to London. But would that solve anything? No, she decided. Even on the other side of the world, the desire to be with him would be as strong as ever.

  “Clint would like us to check the fences to the Southwest.” He led the way out of the stable. “Nice scenery out that way.”

  They rode for an hour, crossing the river near a sand bar, stopping so the horses could drink.

  “This is who you really are, isn’t it?” She turned to him, openly studying his lean, muscular body and rugged profile. “You’re nothing like that slick talking, poker-playing man I met in Europe.”