Somebody Like You

by Lynnette Austin

  She hung up the phone and cried, her emotions all over the place. She’d been prepared for the worst. For his anger. For him to turn his back on her. Instead, he’d told her he loved her and had given his implicit approval to this venture.

  The ball was in her court.

  *

  “Annie? You here?”

  Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of Cash’s voice.

  “In the bathroom. I’ll just be a second.” She draped her towel over the side of the tub and slipped into her robe. “I was getting ready to meet Cornelia.”

  “Have you got a few minutes?”

  “I’ve got plenty of time.” She smiled at him as she stepped out of the bathroom and moved to the counter. “Want some coffee?”

  He shook his head.

  “You look awfully serious.”

  “Can I sit?” he asked.

  “Sure. Does this visit have anything to do with yesterday? When you said we needed to talk?”

  “Yeah.”

  She took the chair across from him, drawing the robe more tightly around her when he closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. “Cash? What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’d rather take a whipping than have to tell you this.” He blew out a huge sigh.

  “I’m a big girl.” Still, her palms grew damp.

  “Yeah, I know you are. But that doesn’t make it any easier.” Legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed, he told her about his conversation with his sister. What he’d found when he went online himself.

  She felt herself pale. Her stomach churned. “How could this happen?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You promised me we were safe there.”

  “I know I did, and we should have been.”

  Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what he’d said. “You saw the video?”

  “Yes.”

  “How bad was it?”

  “Shit!” He jumped up, paced the small area. “You were naked, okay? But you were in the water. You were only exposed from the waist up.”

  A small groan escaped her.

  “The footage was really bad quality. Grainy. Out of focus.”

  “But I was recognizable?”

  He nodded.

  “A professional didn’t take them.” Her chin trembled. Hurt ripped through her, a sense of violation. She met Cash’s eyes. Felt her world come apart even as she said, “You were playing with your phone that afternoon.

  “Yeah, I was. So?”

  “It has a camera.”

  His jaw set in a hard, tight line. “If you’re even hinting at what I think you are, we’re done, Annie.”

  Hot tears sprang to her eyes. “No one else was there, Cash. You said yourself we were in the middle of nowhere. Alone. That no one else was around.”

  “Yep, I did. So tell me. Exactly how stupid and lowlife would I have to be to take pictures of you—and put them out there for every sicko in the world to watch?”

  She flinched. “I don’t know.” She swallowed the huge lump in her throat. “How dumb would you have to be?”

  He swore and, picking up a book from the counter, threw it across the room.

  She jumped. “Stop it!”

  A muscle ticced in the side of his face. “Annie, you don’t want to do this. You don’t want to go where you’re headed.”

  She wouldn’t back down. “Then give me a better answer. An option.”

  “Like hell I will. It’s a question I shouldn’t have to answer. One that never should have been asked.” He reached for the door handle. “I obviously don’t know you at all nor you me.”

  “Don’t you think it’s strange?” she asked. “Two of us were there. Two of us were naked. Yet you’re not in a single frame. Why is that?”

  “I have no idea, other than you’re the big money item.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose. “The stockholders. This will be disastrous.” For the second time that morning she thought she might be sick. “My grandpa will see those pictures. My mom. My dad. Oh, God.” She put her head in her hands and dropped into a chair.

  He started toward her.

  “No. Please. Don’t touch me. Not now.” She shook her head, and he stayed where he was.

  “You asked me what my mom would think about pictures of us,” she said quietly.

  “At the fund-raiser, damn it. You know that’s what I was referring to.”

  “Do I?”

  “I don’t think your family saw them. Nobody else will, either.”

  “What?”

  “The clip’s been removed.”

  “How?”

  “I made a couple calls. It’s illegal to post stuff like that.”

  She nodded but said nothing.

  “You had my phone, Annie. You borrowed it to take a picture of Dottie. Did you see a video of yourself at the pond?”

  “I didn’t look.”

  “Would I have been stupid enough to have left it with you if there were any there?”

  “You could have downloaded them already, then deleted them from your phone.”

  “Oh, for—If you honestly think I’d have ruined that special moment by taking pictures—and then posting them on YouTube…” He spread his hands wide. “If you don’t trust me on this, there’s nothing here, darlin’.”

  She sat silently, staring at her folded hands.

  He stood unmoving for a full minute. Then he turned on his boot heels and left, slamming the door behind him so hard the window rattled.

  Annelise laid her head on the table and let the hot tears come. Hurt and shame, heartbreak and doubt raced through her.

  How many people had seen her splashing and playing naked in that pond?

  Please, God, she prayed. Let that be the only video to surface. If whoever had taken it had stayed to take another of her and Cash when they’d made love, she wouldn’t survive it.

  But then, Cash’s hands had been pretty busy at that point. He’d been way too busy to take pictures.

  Except, deep-down inside, she didn’t believe he’d done this. Even as she’d accused him, she’d known he was innocent. His mother had raised him too well. He was too much the gentleman.

  He cared for her.

  And still she’d accused him. Hurled those horrid words at him.

  He’d never forgive her for that. Nor should he. A relationship had to be built on trust. And she’d certainly shown a lack of that.

  If he didn’t do it, though, who had?

  The conversation between him and Douglas came back to her. Cash had asked him if he was a photographer. That was after Douglas’s comment that he’d seen lots of her. She’d assumed he’d meant lots of photos, but he hadn’t. He’d seen the video and rather than tell her about it, he’d taunted Cash.

  Douglas hadn’t taken the video, though, either. He’d never have subjected himself to the ride it would take to reach the pond.

  Somebody had made that ride, though.

  *

  Cash wanted to beat something. Somebody. God help the vermin when he got his hands on him.

  When Annie accused him of being the one who’d taken the video, it had hurt as badly as if someone had skewered him on a sword, then twisted it. He couldn’t believe she had so little trust in him.

  Now, as he muscled the Caddy along the two-lane back road, he fought the fury inside him, fought to get past it to reason.

  She’d been caught off-guard. He realized that. Her accusations had been knee-jerk. There was no way she’d truly think he’d do that to her. He had to believe that. Still, her words had hurt like hell.

  And Babs had asked him the same question.

  Under the circumstances, he supposed that was only natural. It sure didn’t sit well, though.

  Only sub-human slime took pictures like that.

  He remembered Mel telling him about a PI who’d been in town asking questions. Had he done more than that? The timing didn’t fit, though. He’d come into town the morning af
ter the fund-raiser. After they’d been out together in public. After the pond.

  So who, then?

  None of his ranch hands. He would swear on a stack of Bibles he didn’t have anybody on his payroll capable of doing that.

  Douglas had seen the video. The bastard. When he’d made that comment yesterday, Cash had wanted to throttle him. Wanted in the worst way to wipe that smirk off his ugly mug. Annie, thank God, hadn’t understood what he was talking about. No doubt, though, she’d put two and two together now that she had the facts.

  The idea of DeWitt sitting at his computer, drink in hand, and playing voyeur made Cash see red. Anybody who’d get a kick out of that was just plain sick.

  DeWitt hadn’t taken the pictures, though. As much as he’d like to punch the guy’s lights out, it wouldn’t be for this. He’d hadn’t been anywhere near Maverick Junction that day. A couple of calls had verified he’d been in Boston.

  Thank God Babs had been fooling around on the computer and found it. According to his contact, the clip had only been up for two hours. Even one second was too long, but it sure as hell could have been worse.

  He’d scratched the paparazzi off his list of suspects right away. With the cameras and lenses they used, the quality would have been far superior. Most telling, though? It had been on YouTube, and those guys didn’t give anything away. If one of them had taken the video, they’d have been able to retire for life.

  He thought back to that day. The ride. The picnic lunch Rosie’d packed.

  The spat he and Vivi had on the porch when he refused to take her along.

  And he knew.

  Damn her hide. This was Vivi’s style. Spiteful and childish.

  *

  It had taken every bit of courage Annelise had to leave the house. All her resolve to pull herself together. This meeting was bigger than her shame, though. Bigger than her disappointment—both in whoever had filmed her and in herself for the way she’d treated Cash.

  Yesterday had been so wonderful. She’d started to rethink her plan to go home, her need to turn tail and run. Didn’t she owe him another chance? Maybe she could travel back and forth between Boston and Texas. Split her time between Grandpa and Cash.

  Her behavior this morning, though, had destroyed all hope. She didn’t deserve another chance.

  Caught up in her thoughts, she nearly missed her turn.

  Cornelia Montjoy Whitney was sitting in a rocker on the front porch when she pulled up.

  She turned off the truck, the one Cash had lent her yesterday—before she’d been so awful, took a deep, deep breath, and climbed out. “Good morning, Ms.—”

  “Nelly, Annie. Please. Do an old woman a favor and call me what my friends do. After all, it appears we’re family.”

  She blinked back tears. With the mood she was in it wouldn’t take much to send her off on another crying jag. “Yes, Nelly, we are.” She stopped short of the porch and put her hands in the pockets of the capris she wore.

  “I spoke with my grandfather this morning.”

  “How is he feeling?”

  “Good. He’s having a good day.”

  “Did he ask how much I planned to extort from him in exchange for my bone marrow?”

  Annelise’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth but closed it without saying anything.

  Nelly surprised her by laughing. “He did. It’s all over that pretty face of yours. I hope you set him straight—and that you never try to play poker for a living.” Her smile faded. “I sincerely hope after our talk yesterday you don’t think that of me.”

  “No, ma’am, I don’t, and I told my grandpa that in no uncertain terms.”

  “I’ll bet you did.” She picked at the skirt of the simple cotton dress she wore today. “I’ve been studying Vincent’s photo. The one you gave me.”

  Nelly sat up a little straighter. “I can’t call myself a Christian woman anymore if I refuse to do this. I’ve followed your grandfather in the news. He’s done our father proud.” Her voice trembled slightly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t hold his father’s sins against him. He was no more to blame for what happened than I was.”

  Annelise held her breath. Could it be? Would Cornelia agree to help?

  “I see you didn’t drive that big bike here today.”

  “No, Cash lent me his truck.”

  “Good. Then I suppose you won’t mind driving me into town. I called Doc Wilson at his house last night.” She shot a look at Annelise. “Doc Wilson treats people, not horses. He promised to fit me in today. Let me get my purse, and you can drive me in for this blood test you’re so set on. We’ll see what happens from there.”

  Grinning, Annelise rushed up the porch stairs and grabbed the oh, so reluctant aunt of hers in a huge hug. “Thank you. Oh, thank you so, so much!”

  Driving into town, dust billowing behind them, Rufus and Silas at a discreet distance, Annelise said, “Please don’t hate my grandfather.”

  “Why would I hate him?”

  “Well…” Annelise shrugged.

  “Because he had my father?” Nelly asked. “Because he carried the Montjoy name?”

  Annie glanced at her. “Yes, I guess.”

  “I don’t hate him. I knew my father loved me. Deep down inside, he loved me.” She twisted the catch of the purse on her lap. “I think, though, that Vincent doesn’t like me very much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent my letter back.”

  “He saw you with his father, you know.” And Annelise told the older woman the story her grandfather had shared with her that morning.

  Cornelia sighed. “Driller hurt us all.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The screen door banged shut behind Cash.

  “Vivi? You here?”

  Rosie peeked her head around the kitchen door. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Why don’t you take a pitcher of iced tea over to Hank? Sit down at the picnic table behind the barn and shoot the breeze with him a bit?”

  “But I’ve got—”

  Temper, barely controlled, wrestled to escape. “Is she up there?” He jerked his chin at the second floor.

  “Yes.”

  “Great. The two of us need to have ourselves a talk. And I need you to leave the house for a bit.”

  “Cash, I’ve never seen you like this. You’re not going to do something you’ll regret?”

  “My only regret, Rosie, is that I didn’t confront her months ago.” He looked into her frightened eyes. “I won’t touch her.”

  Rosie walked down the hall to him and laid her hand on his arm. “I know you won’t. You’re a gentleman through and through.”

  “Sure wish others were as convinced of that as you are.”

  “You talking about Annie? You two have a misunderstanding?”

  “More than that. Way more than that.”

  “Fix it.”

  “I wish I could. Now skedaddle, will you?”

  “Believe I’ll just go out the front door here. Hank’s always got cold soda in the fridge over there.”

  “Thanks.”

  She patted his arm and left.

  “Vivi!”

  “Geez, Cash.” Her voice floated down from upstairs. “You could raise the dead with all that bellowing. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Come down here.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Then I’ll come up there.”

  “I’m not dressed.”

  “Really? Well, then, how about I bring my camera along? See if I can get some photos or maybe a video. You can show me how to post them on YouTube.”

  When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Cat got your tongue?”

  “You’re—you’re—”

  “I think pissed is the word you want.” He ran his hand along the old oak banister. “You messed up, Vivi. Big time.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yeah, you do. Did DeWitt help you?”

  “I repeat, I don’t—”

&n
bsp; “That’s okay. You don’t want to tell me, fine. You can take all the heat yourself. What you did was illegal.” He hesitated. Hated to ask. Had to know. “Do you have any other videos or pictures?” He held his breath.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice was petulant.

  “Damn it, Vivi. Do you have any more?” He pounded his fist on the railing.

  “No! I left right after—I mean—”

  He wet his lips, relief flooding him. “You listen, and you listen good. If anything else surfaces, I’ll see you rot in jail.”

  When she remained silent, he said, “My last offer is still on the table. You sell me your interest in the ranch at that price and go away, and I won’t have you arrested.”

  “You and Annie are used to doing that, aren’t you? Throwing your money around. Getting your own way.”

  “Vivi, you’re the one who stepped over the line here. You violated—in the worst way possible—Annie’s privacy. I don’t make a habit of throwing my weight around, but this time? I’ll make an exception. Thing is, though, this offer’s only good for five minutes, and the clock’s ticking.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  This should have been one of the happiest days of her life. She and Nelly, who’d turned out to be a near-perfect match for her grandfather, were flying back to Boston. Her wildest expectations had been met.

  Yet as the tires hummed along the pavement, Annelise stared out the window at the passing scenery and saw nothing. This ride to the airport was the longest of her life. Cash had insisted on driving them, but now he sat behind the wheel moody and silent.

  She wanted to scream and rail at the dispassionate strangers they’d become. The last real conversation they’d had had been over the phone. He’d told her Vivi had taken the video and then sent it to DeWitt, who’d uploaded it to the Internet using a hacked account.

  Cash and she had agreed that the publicity would outweigh any good that could come of pressing charges, and that had been that.

  Annelise had spoken to Rosie a few times while they’d waited for the results of her aunt’s blood test, but she’d made excuse after excuse, fabricating reasons she couldn’t see Cash. Though it had broken her heart, she’d even quit going to work at the ranch.

  She and Cash simply weren’t made for each other. It had nothing to do with her money or social status. He had all that, too. Maybe not to the extent she did, but he and his family were far from paupers. Their family name was on the Who’s Who list in Texas.