“No, I mean is she pretty on the inside? Don’t you and Papa always say being pretty on the inside means more than being pretty on the outside?”
Ruffling his daughter’s hair, Shane grinned. Any doubts he had that he and Tuck were raising her right disappeared. They might go through some rough times in the years ahead, but they’d go through them together.
The sounds of people entering through the door from the tarmac brought Shane back to the airport. He eyed them as they walked past the TSA agents, on their way to the baggage claim or parking lot. First was a tired-looking couple, each carrying a sleeping, toddler-sized twin, followed by three men in jeans, flannel shirts, shit-kickers, and cowboy hats. The last person was the one he was waiting for. About five feet six, Paige Merritt was slender with generous curves in all the right places. Her hair was not as elegantly styled as it’d been in the society-page photos he’d seen from two years ago, but it still had him itching to see if it was as soft as it looked. He didn’t know why he was surprised to see she was dressed in comfortable jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and well-worn cowgirl boots—and not the fashion-forward kind that would never come close to a pile of cow manure. Her sapphire blue eyes searched the people standing around the terminal before settling on him. An unexpected burst of electricity shot through him as she smiled tentatively and stepped toward him.
“Hi. Are you Shane or Tucker Wilson?”
Shaking off the instant attraction he felt toward her, he reminded himself she was his employee now. Nothing more. Holding out his hand, he said, “Yes, hi. I’m Shane.”
“I’m Paige Merritt. It’s nice to meet you.”
She shook his hand, and he tried to ignore how soft hers was. “It’s nice to meet you too. Let me take your bag for you. I assume you have more luggage than this.”
After giving him her small carryon bag, she hiked her purse higher on her shoulder. “Thank you. And, yes, I have two more.”
“The baggage claim is this way.” Unlike the huge airports, it wasn’t a far walk from one end of the main terminal to the other.
They waited in uncomfortable silence for her bags to come out, and for the first time in a very long time, Shane found himself unsure what to say to a woman. Hoping to break the ice, he asked, “So . . . um . . . how were your flights?”
“Uh, a little bit of turbulence in and out of Denver, but other than that they were fine.”
Again, neither of them spoke for a few minutes, and Shane was grateful when the luggage appeared. Handing back Paige her carry-on, Shane grabbed the two large suitcases she’d pointed out to him. It didn’t escape his notice they appeared to be expensive. Hazard Falls might be in the middle of nowhere, but that didn’t mean a few of the town’s wealthier women didn’t like to flaunt the designer brands they’d gotten while traveling or ordering over the internet.
Paige followed him to his pickup truck, with the Red River Ranch logo on the doors, where he secured her bags in the small back seat, since the covered bed was filled with his purchases from Walmart. By the time he shut the door, she’d already climbed into the front passenger seat and was putting on her seat belt. Shane made sure none of her body parts or anything else would get caught before he closed her door and walked around the front of the truck. Minutes later, they were on the highway, heading north. Once they were cruising along, Paige turned slightly in her seat to face him. “So, tell me about the ranch and what my duties will include. I feel like we’re doing this backward. I got the job and now comes the knee-shaking interview part where I try to impress you without throwing up.”
Chapter Five
Shane threw his head back and belly-laughed. The last thing he’d expected from her was a sense of humor. The awkwardness between them seemed to melt as he smiled at her. “Please, don’t do that in my truck—the throwing up, not the trying to impress me part. Well, actually you don’t have to do that either—just relax and be yourself.” After changing lanes to get around a slow-moving vehicle, he glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the road, happy to see she appeared more at ease. “The Red River Ranch is on twenty-seven-hundred acres and has been in my family for five generations. We’ve got over fifteen-hundred head of cattle, seventy sheep, twenty-five horses, twenty-three chickens and two roosters, four goats, three barn cats, and two dogs.
“What, no partridge in a pear tree to finish it off?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Nope and do me a favor, don’t suggest that around Arianna, otherwise she’ll be begging for one. Apparently, all those animals aren’t enough for her.”
“No partridge, no problem.”
“Thanks. Now, let’s see. What else do you need to know?” Shane drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for a few seconds while trying to gather his thoughts again. “We have eight ranch hands who will join us for breakfast, since we usually use that time to go over everything that needs to be done during the day and any problems that need to be addressed. We have another fourteen hands who live off-ranch and usually show up after breakfast. At lunch time, one of the two diners in town comes out to the ranch with a food wagon filled with hot and cold sandwiches, salads, fruit, and anything else the hands want. They’ve been doing that for the past two years, and a few of the ranches and construction sites signed on for the service. It gave our old housekeeper a break from having to feed everyone two or three times a day and we’ll stick with that. Dinner, the hands are usually on their own. They’ll either cook in the bunk-house kitchen or head into town to eat. The only exception is Sundays. They’ll join us at the main house for that. Otherwise, you’ll just be cooking dinner for Tucker, Arianna, me, and yourself. You’re off Saturdays and Sundays too, and can do as you please, but you’re welcome to join us for breakfast and dinner. Tuck and I take turns cooking—usually cold cereal in the morning, which isn’t exactly ‘cooking,’ and barbecue for dinner.”
“Okay. That’s not bad at all—completely doable. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and used to throw dinner parties once a month for my hus—”
When Paige cut herself off, probably embarrassed about bringing up her criminal husband, Shane glanced over. He wasn’t sure if she was aware he knew of her past, but figured it was best to throw it out there and let her know he wasn’t holding it against her. “Hey, Quinn told me most of what happened, and I also read some of the news articles. You were screwed over just as much, if not more, as the investors by your husband. You’re a victim, just like the people he swindled. No one here is going to blame you for his actions. That said, you obviously loved him at some point since you married him. Don’t not bring him up because you’re embarrassed about what happened. The Red River Ranch is a no-judgement zone. Okay?”
A sweet smile spread across her face. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
Shane tried to ignore how good her expression and words made him feel. She was his employee now, so she should be off limits. Yeah, well that excuse didn’t do him any good. Tuck had been his employee for a while before they’d gotten involved with Sarah and then each other.
Shane had to get the conversation back to a more impersonal level again. “Good. All right. Let’s see . . . what else? You’ll have your own wing in the main house.”
“Wing?”
He snorted. “Um, yeah. It’s a big house with a ‘nanny’s quarters.’ I think that’s what the architect called it when he designed it for us a few years ago.”
“How old is your daughter, again? I think Quinn said she was six.”
“Mm-hmm. Arianna will be seven in a few months. She’s in school from 7:30 to 2:30. The bus picks her up at ten to seven and drops her off at ten to three at the end of the driveway. You can walk or take one of the vehicles—it’s a long driveway. My sister-in-law has been dropping her off after school the past few weeks, but now that you’re here, Arianna can come home on the bus again. Part of your duties will include watching her from the time she gets home until 4:30 when either Tuck or I come back to the house—usually me. I’m in charge of the busin
ess portion of the ranch, and he’s the foreman in charge of everything else.”
He paused. “You’re okay working for a gay couple?” Well, technically they were a bisexual couple, but that wasn’t something he was willing to throw into the conversation with a woman he’d only met twenty minutes ago. A very attractive woman, at that.
“Absolutely. I’ve had several gay friends, male and female, over the years. It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I give you credit for being openly gay and raising a child in a small town where things usually get ugly when people don’t follow the herd.”
“Quinn mentioned you were from a small town too.”
“Johnsonville , Nebraska—population 1381 when I lived there, but I think it’s closer to 1500 now.”
“When was the last time you were there?”
“Eight years ago, when I had to bury my dad. My mom had died the year before that, and I think my dad died of a broken heart. They were madly in love, and he was never the same after he lost her.”
Shane swallowed hard and glanced in his sideview mirror to change lanes. He knew all too well how the death of someone who held your heart in their hands could shatter you. If it hadn’t been for Tuck and Arianna, it was possible Shane would have died a broken man not long after losing Sarah.
Not wanting to wallow in sorrow, he pushed his loss from his mind and continued telling Paige about the ranch, the surrounding town, and what her job entailed for the rest of the ride to Hazard Falls.
Noticing the time on the dashboard clock as he drove through town, Shane decided to swing by the school and pick up his daughter. She’d be getting out in a few moments, and it would save Tuck’s sister the trip out to the ranch. Swinging into the parking lot, he stopped by the curb and left the engine running. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“No problem.”
Climbing out of the truck, he strode toward the front entrance of the school, passing several moms waiting for their kids to come out. Lila parked behind the school, so Shane had to catch her before the release bell sounded, otherwise he’d miss her and Arianna.
“Hi, Shane. What a pleasant surprise to see you today.”
Inwardly, he rolled his eyes as a woman stepped into his path ten feet from the door, stopping him in his tracks. He kept his response polite but cool. “Hello, Bridget.”
The twice-divorced blonde had been blatantly coming on to both Shane and Tuck since Sarah had become sick, clearly wanting to take her place, as if that would ever happen. And it looked like Bridget was going to take another stab at it again today. Closing the distance separating them, she ran a single finger down his forearm. “When are you and Tucker going to invite me to dinner? You both really need to get out and have a good time every now and then, you know.”
He let out an impatient sigh. Bridget came from one of the few “old money” families that lived in Hazard Falls. Her father was the mayor and her mother ran the local women’s club, which Shane usually referred to as the snob’s club. It seemed like the membership committee only accepted women who could live off their husband’s or family’s money. Work was beneath those women, unless it was for some charity, which boosted their standings in the community. Another requirement appeared to be they had to belittle anyone they deemed beneath them. He often wondered why Bridget was hitting on him and Tuck because being in a ménage relationship would most likely make her an outcast of the club. Regardless, it was time to stop pussyfooting around the subject with the woman since it clearly wasn’t sinking into her brain that they were never going to ask her out or into their bed. “Bridget, when are you going to give it a rest? Tucker and I have repeatedly told you we aren’t interested in dating anyone, and even if we were, with the ranch and Arianna, there’s not a lot of time. Now, I’m sorry, but I’m in a rush.”
Sidestepping her, he hurried inside, not the least bit sorry, despite having said so. Entering the school lobby, he made a left toward Lila’s fourth-grade classroom. While Arianna was only in the first grade, she came to Lila’s room after classes let out, so her aunt could drive her home. Shane peeked through the narrow window next to the door and waved a few times before he got her attention. Holding a finger up to her class, she opened the door, stepped out, and closed it again. “Hi, Shane. Everything okay?”
“If you don’t count getting hit on by Bridget again, yeah.”
He got the expected eye roll. “Oh, jeez. Doesn’t she get it?”
“Apparently not,” Shane responded with a shrug. “Anyway, I was passing through town and figured I’d pick up Arianna and save you the trip.”
“Great. I’ll send her out after the bell.”
“Thanks. By the way, we hired a new house manager on a trial basis. If she works out, you won’t have to bring Arianna home every day.”
Lila’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? Anyone I know?”
“Nope, she’s from out of town. A friend of my cousin’s.” A half-truth, but it was up to Paige if she wanted to give anyone the details of how she’d ended up in Hazard Falls.
“That’s great. Hope she works out—not that I minded giving Arianna a lift.” Laughter sounded from behind her classroom door. “Let me go. I have to assign them homework before the bell rings. I’ll talk to you later.”
Heading back to the front entrance, Shane prayed Bridget wasn’t waiting to ambush him again.
Chapter Six
Watching Shane stride up the walkway to the doors to the school, Paige couldn’t help but admire the way the man’s ass and muscular thighs looked in his Wrangler jeans. Not surprisingly, she wasn’t the only one. Several women’s gazes dropped to his fine derrière after he’d passed them. The rest of him wasn’t bad either, with those broad shoulders and narrow waist. Too bad he was gay. Then again, the last thing she wanted was to get involved with a man right then—especially one she was now working for.
Just before Shane reached the door, a bleached blonde, in tight jeans and an even tighter V-neck tee, stepped into his path. Even from the truck, Paige could see the lust in the woman’s eyes. Paige snorted and spoke aloud since no one could hear her. “What? Does she think she can convince him to take a walk on the wild side and try some pussy for a change? It doesn’t work that way, honey.”
Somehow, Shane managed to get past the woman, who stared after him as he entered the school. A thought crossed Paige’s mind. She wondered if Shane and Tucker had adopted their daughter or if they’d used a surrogate. Not that it mattered. She’d heard the affection in Shane’s voice whenever he’d talked about Arianna. The little girl was clearly loved.
A sharp rap on the passenger window startled Paige causing her to yelp. Her hand went to her chest as she saw a dark-haired woman with her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Paige hit the button to roll down the window.
“Oh, my God!” the woman squeaked. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Paige willed her heart and respiration rates to settle back down. “That’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to knock. It didn’t help I was daydreaming.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Nicole Mathers. You must be the Red River Ranch’s new house manager.”
It was Paige’s turn to gape. “Um . . . I am . . . but how did you—” She rolled her eyes. “Never mind. I used to live in a small town. News travels fast.”
Nicole giggled. “Yeah, it does. But in my case, my husband, Hank, and I both work at the ranch. I help out in the office part-time from 8:00 to 1:00, dealing with customers and orders. I saw Hank at lunch, and he’d said Shane had gone to the airport to pick you up. When I saw you sitting here in the Red River truck, I figured I’d introduce myself.”
Opening the passenger door, Paige hopped out and extended her hand. “Now that the butterflies have settled in my stomach again, it’s nice to meet you, Nicole. I’m Paige Merritt.”
The shorter woman shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too, Paige. My daughter, Joey, short for Joan Marie, is in Arianna’s cla
ss. They’re actually best friends. Anytime you have any questions, and Shane and Tucker are busy, feel free to call me if I’m not at the ranch. The guys have a class phone list on the refrigerator.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions—especially about the town and where everything is.” Movement out of the corner of Paige’s eye had her turning her head. Shane was on his way back, and this time he managed to get by the blonde bimbo without being stopped. But Paige didn’t miss the dirty look the scorned woman gave his back.
“That’s Bridget Kline,” Nicole murmured, conspiratorially. “Her nose is so high in the air she could drown in a rainstorm. She’s had her beady little eyes on Shane and Tucker for a while now, but they want no part of her.”
“I wouldn’t think so, considering they’re gay.”
Nicole opened her mouth to respond to Paige’s statement, but let the subject drop as Shane approached them.
“Hey, Nic.”
“Hi, Shane. Just introduced myself to Paige. I told her to call me if she had any questions when you and Tucker weren’t around.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure she knows where the class list is. How’re the rodeo plans coming along?”
“Fantastic! We’re expecting another great turnout.” Nicole’s gaze shifted to Paige. “Hazard’s big Rodeo Bonanza is coming up in about six weeks. It’s an annual thing and draws participants and fans from all over. I’ve been on the organizational committee for the past five years. If you’ve got any spare time, we could always use some help that day. No pressure, of course.”
Paige chuckled at the huge grin on Shane’s face. He winked at her, and she was surprised at the warm fuzzy feeling it gave her in her stomach and even further below. “Subtle, isn’t she?”
“Very. Well, since I haven’t even seen the ranch yet, and I’m still learning what I’ll be doing there, I’ll have to get back to you on that, Nicole. But if I can help, I will.”
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