Читать книгу Fugitive Fiancee - Kristin Gabriel, Linda Randall Wisdom - Страница 9

MIMI HAD NEVER believed in miracles.

Until Garrett turned his pickup truck onto the country road where she’d left her convertible yesterday. The empty country road.

“Are you sure this is the place?” he asked, slowing the truck to a snail’s pace.

“Positive.” She pointed out the front windshield. “I recognize that mesquite tree.”

“So where is your car?”

“Someone must have stolen it.” She tried to sound forlorn, but it was hard when her prospects were suddenly looking so much better.

He snorted. “This area is hardly a hotbed for car thieves.” He braked to a stop, then cut the engine. “It’s got to be around here somewhere. A car just can’t disappear.”

Mimi climbed out of the truck and joined him in the middle of the road, telling herself not to get her hopes up. He could still refuse to hire her.

He stood with his hands on his lean hips and a disgruntled expression on his face. “What have I done to deserve this?”

She looked at him, squinting in the glare of the morning sun. “Maybe it’s a sign.”

“I don’t believe in signs.” He stalked to the truck. “I’ll just take you back to Austin myself.”

“Okay,” she said, trudging along beside him. “You can drop me off on a street corner somewhere.”

He stopped to frown at her. “I don’t think so.”

“A homeless shelter?”

A muscle flexed in his square jaw. “Stop fooling around, Mimi. Tell me your address.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I assure you I’m completely serious. You may not want me to work for you, but you can’t force me to go home, either.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re trying to make me feel guilty. It won’t work.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel anything. I’m just telling you I won’t go home. Not yet.”

“Then when?”

She gave a slight shrug. “Maybe in about four weeks.”

He looked at the sky, but she couldn’t tell if he was contemplating hiring her or leaving her out here to the coyotes. Suddenly, she wanted more than a refuge from her problems. She wanted to get to know Garrett and his life out here. A life that was so different from her own.

Mimi heard him swear softly under his breath before he turned to face her. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You really want to hire on as my ranch hand?”

Her heart leaped. “I’ve always wanted to work outdoors.”

He shook his head. “Ranching isn’t some glamour job. And it’s nothing like what you’ve seen on television. It’s hard, dirty, exhausting work.”

“I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“How about ice storms? This January is looking to be worse than usual. And we work every day, rain or shine. I mean every day, no weekends or holidays off. During calving season, we take shifts and work through the night, too.”

“You’re trying to scare me. It won’t work.”

“I’m just telling you the facts of ranching life. You’ll get kicked by cows, stung by bees and definitely break every single one of those fancy fingernails. Ranching is tough for any woman. But for a city woman, it’s downright impossible.”

She arched a brow. “You have a pretty low opinion of me, don’t you, Garrett?”

He sighed. “It’s nothing personal. I just don’t have time to waste coddling a tenderfoot. This is a working ranch, not some vacation spot for bored debutantes.”

His words stung. “I’m not looking for a vacation. I expect to earn my keep. I’m just grateful you’re willing to give me a chance.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Wait just a minute,” he began. “When did I offer to give you a chance?”

“Are you a gambling man, Garrett?”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Only when the odds are in my favor.”

She moved a step closer to him, the air crackling between them. Yesterday she’d blamed her initial attraction to him on exhaustion and nerves. But today she was drawn to him even more. His strength and vitality appealed to something primal inside her. Something that made her want to throw off the stuffy constraints of her upbringing and make him really see her. Make him believe she was a woman worthy of his respect.

She looked at him. “Let’s make a little wager. I’ll work here for three days. If I can keep up—”

“And keep out of trouble,” he interjected.

“Then you’ll let me stay.”

“But if you can’t keep up, then you’ll give me your address and let me take you home. Deal?”

Three days. She just hoped it was long enough to prove herself to him. Still, it wasn’t as if she had any options. “Deal.”

He smiled, obviously convinced he’d gotten the best of her. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re a woman. I’ll treat you like I’d treat any other ranch hand.”

She resisted the urge to do a little victory dance right in the middle of the road. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“And don’t be afraid to tell me when you’ve had enough. I can take you back at any time. You don’t have to stick it out for the whole three days.”

He was very confident. Alarmingly so. For one brief moment, Mimi wondered what exactly she’d gotten herself into. Then she shook off her qualms. Nothing could be as bad as facing her father and Paul.

Their betrayal still cut into her like a knife. A shiver ran through her when she realized how close she’d come to marrying Paul. Especially when her short time with Garrett had elicited a more intense physical reaction than she’d ever experienced with her fiancé.

“Second thoughts?” he asked, misinterpreting her silence.

“Not at all,” she replied, squaring her shoulders. “What do you want me to do first?”

He tipped up his cowboy hat. “Well, for starters, you could tell me your full name.”

“Banyon.” She improvised with only a moment’s hesitation. Her mother’s maiden name wasn’t nearly as recognizable as Casville. It also wasn’t in the Austin phone directory, just in case this was a trick and he planned to call every Banyon in Austin until he found one who would claim her.

She tilted her head at him. “And yours?”

“The name’s Lord. Garrett Lord.”

She held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to be working for you, Mr. Lord.”

He clasped her hand in his, and Mimi couldn’t ignore the warm tingle that shot up her arm. Then he smiled and said, “I think you’re in for a surprise, Miss Banyon.”

“Just remember, I get three days.”

His smile widened. “Mimi, you won’t even last one day.”

SHE BARELY LASTED one hour.

First, she stepped into a gopher hole, wrenched her ankle and landed in a fresh pile of cow manure. It only got worse after that. By dusk, her entire body ached from the arduous task of helping Garrett fix fence. It didn’t sound difficult, but it took muscle power to straighten fence posts and tighten barbed wire. Unfortunately, her one-day-a-week workouts at Austin’s trendiest fitness center hadn’t prepared her for life on the range.

“Ouch!” Mimi gasped as a razor-sharp barb on the wire fencing pricked her finger.

“There’s a pair of leather gloves in the truck cab,” Garrett informed her as he tightened the barbed wire with the wire stretchers.

“I’m fine,” she replied, feeling a little woozy as she watched blood ooze out of her thumb. She closed her eyes and hastily wiped her thumb on her jeans. No doubt it blended in well with the dirt and manure already staining them. If Garrett wasn’t yet having second thoughts about giving her free access to the clothes his sister Shelby had left here, he soon would be.

She was filthy from head to toe. He, on the other hand, looked wonderful. His faded blue denim jeans outlined his powerful legs and trim backside. Perspiration molded his white cotton shirt to his broad chest, delineating every well-defined muscle. The only dirt he’d collected was a fine layer of dust on his scuffed cowboy boots and a tiny smudge of mud on the side of his jaw.

She was staring again. When he looked up and caught her gaze, something hot and sweet uncoiled inside her. She liked his mouth and found herself wondering how it would feel against hers. If he kissed her, the dark whiskers shading his jaw would scrape against her skin. She swallowed at the imagined sensation.

“How about some water?” he asked, his voice slightly husky.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. When he brought her the jug, she took a long drink of the icy water.

“The sun’s hot today,” he said, removing his cowboy hat and wiping his forearm over his brow.

Not quite as hot as her employer, Mimi thought, handing over the jug. Then she turned her attention to the fence, where she inadvertently snagged her thumb on another razor-sharp barb. “Ouch!”

Garrett lowered the jug from his mouth, moisture glistening on his lower lip. “Our deal didn’t include you acting like a martyr. Go put those gloves on.”

“Don’t worry about me, Garrett.” She looked away from him, wiping her thumb on the back of her jeans. From now on she needed to pay more attention to her work and less to her boss. “I may be a city girl, but I’m tougher than I look.”

He shook his head, then surveyed the length of fence. “Looks as if we’re done here for today, anyway.”

With an inward sigh of relief, Mimi walked toward the pickup truck, trying her best not to limp. She climbed into the cab, every joint in her body protesting the movement. All she wanted now was a long, hot bubble bath, followed by a warm, soft bed.

Garrett opened the driver’s door, and Hubert jumped in ahead of him. The little dog pranced across the bench seat, then lay down with his head on Mimi’s thigh.

She lightly petted the dog with her sore fingers. “Where did you find Hubert?”

“Actually, he found me,” Garrett said as the pickup roared to life. “Someone decided they didn’t want him anymore and dumped him off in the country. He was skinny as a hickory stick by the time he finally wandered onto the ranch.”

“But he’s such a sweet dog. I can’t believe anyone would dump him on purpose.”

“Believe it,” he said. “Some people seem to labor under the stupid illusion that just because he’s an animal, a dog can survive in the wild. They don’t realize that he’s never learned to hunt for food and water. Or that there are predators out here, like coyotes, just waiting for an easy kill.”

“So you saved him?”

Garrett kept his eyes on the gravel road. “I fed him, and he decided to stick around. He’s not the best cow dog in Texas, but he tries hard.”

Hubert closed his eyes in canine bliss as Mimi scratched behind his ears. “How did you ever come up with the name Hubert?”

“That was the name on his fancy rhinestone collar. When he showed up on my doorstep, he still had it on, along with a frayed pink bow and pink toenails.”

“I still can’t believe someone could just dump him, then take off.” She shook her head. “How could anyone be so cruel?”

A muscle twitched in Garrett’s jaw. “Happens all the time. And not just to animals.”

Before she could ask him to explain, a loud horn sounded behind them.

“Damn.”

“What’s the problem?”

“It’s not a what, it’s a who.” He steered the pickup truck to the edge of the road, then rolled down his window as another pickup pulled up beside them.

The petite brunette in the driver’s seat smiled at him. “Hey, Garrett. I see you’ve got a tagalong today.”

“Venna Schwab, this is Mimi Banyon. She just hired on for calving season.”

Mimi was surprised to hear him sound so cheerful about it. Especially since he’d been silent and surly most of the afternoon.

Venna rested her elbow on the truck door, her gaze flicking over Mimi. “Really?”

Mimi leaned forward in the seat and waved. “Nice to meet you.”

Venna wrinkled her nose. “You’re a mess, honey.”

Mimi forced a smile. “Nothing a little hot water can’t cure.”

Venna shrugged, then turned her attention to Garrett. “I hope having an extra hand around means you won’t have to work so hard. I’ve hardly seen you lately.”

“It’s almost calving season, Venna. You’re probably as busy as I am at the Triple C.”

She laughed. “True. But I can always make time for a little fun.”

Mimi definitely felt like a third wheel. She thought about hopping out of the cab and walking the rest of the way to the house, just barely visible in the distance, but her aching body protested that idea.

Venna leaned a little further out the window. “Speaking of fun, are you going to Connor and Lacy O’Hara’s barbecue on Saturday night?”

Garrett nodded. “I planned on it.”

“Good. Do you need a date?”

Mimi wondered when she’d become invisible. Venna sure wasn’t letting the presence of Garrett’s hired help put a damper on her outrageous flirting.

“Actually, I’m taking Mimi to the barbecue.”

“You are?” Mimi exclaimed, realizing a second too late that it was the wrong thing to say.

Garrett turned to her. “Yes. I am.”

“Oh.”

Venna looked between the two of them, confusion wrinkling her brow. “You’re taking your ranch hand on a date?”

Garrett cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a date.”

“What would you call it?” Venna asked, her gaze fixed on Mimi. Perhaps she finally saw some competition behind all the dirt and manure.

Mimi leaned forward. “I’m sure Garrett’s just being polite. I might not even be here on Saturday, so he may be free after all.”

“Thanks a lot,” Garrett growled under his breath.

“I’ll be sure and give you a call, Garrett.” Venna waved as she drove away, leaving a cloud of dust lingering in the hazy twilight.

“She seems nice,” Mimi said as Garrett pulled the pickup onto the road.

“Nice enough.”

“Pretty, too.”

He glanced at her. “Pretty enough to snag two husbands.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but he kept his gaze focused on the road. She’d heard about the strong, silent type, but this was ridiculous. At least now she understood why he was avoiding Venna. She tried to ignore the tiny glimmer of satisfaction it gave her. Garrett’s love life, or lack of one, shouldn’t matter to her one bit.

Leaning back against seat, she gazed at the sun hovering on the horizon, awed by the beautiful palette of colors arcing across the sky. Was there any place more beautiful than this?

Garrett pulled the pickup truck into the driveway, then cut the engine. “We need to talk.”

Now, there was a novel idea. “What about?”

“About where you’re going to sleep tonight.”

“Oh. I forgot about that.” Her cheeks warmed as she realized she’d just taken for granted that he’d invite her to stay at the house. Did a ranch hand normally sleep in the barn? She’d enjoyed her brief interlude in the hayloft yesterday, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to sleep there for the next four weeks. Especially if it was occupied by mice, rats or other assorted rodents.

“I’ve been remodeling the second floor, so the bedrooms up there are a mess. I used to have a small cabin on my ranch that was used for a bunkhouse, but it burned down last month.”

“So that leaves?”

“My bed.”

“Your bed?” she echoed, certain she hadn’t heard him right.

He gazed at her through half-lidded eyes. “I think you’ll find my bed much more comfortable than my sofa.”

Maybe. But she doubted she’d get any sleep in his bed. For one brief moment, she allowed herself to imagine sleeping in Garrett Lord’s bed. In his arms. Kissing that hard, sullen mouth. A bolt of white-hot desire shot through her veins.

She closed her eyes, telling herself she shouldn’t be having erotic thoughts about another man already.

“I think I prefer the sofa,” she said at last.

“Sorry, that’s not an option.”

At the unyielding tone of his voice, her mouth fell open. Was this how he planned to get rid of her? Then she looked into Garrett’s green-gold eyes and knew she was overreacting. This wasn’t a man who played games. “Why not?”

“Because I’ll be sleeping on the sofa. It’s roomy, but not quite big enough for two.”

She shook her head. “I can’t kick you out of your own bed.”

He shrugged, then opened the door and climbed out of the pickup. “It will only be for a night or two.”

Her regret burned away at the arrogant confidence in his tone. The big jerk. Garrett Lord thought he’d be rid of her soon. Thought she was a spoiled city girl who would run back to Austin the first time she broke a nail.

She didn’t want to admit to herself that the thought of returning to Austin had crossed her mind a time or two in the last few hours. But Garrett’s doubts about her staying power strengthened her resolve.

“A night or two?” she muttered, following Garrett to the house and trying not to wince every painful step of the way. “Think again, cowboy.”

“Did you say something?” he asked as he held the door open for her.

“I said thanks for giving up your bed.” She smiled sweetly at him. “I’ll take it.”

GARRETT STRETCHED on the sofa and silently counted the chimes of the grandfather clock. Nine…ten…eleven…twelve. Midnight. He’d been lying here wide awake for almost two hours and wondering where he’d gone wrong. He had a beautiful woman in his bed. And he was on the sofa. Somehow, some way, he’d screwed up.

He bunched the pillow under his head and turned onto his side, the lonestar quilt slipping off his shoulder. Hubert slept soundly on the rug in front of the fireplace. No doubt Mimi slept soundly, too, after the day she’d put in. Hell, she’d dozed off over supper. He smiled into the darkness, remembering how he’d moved her plate away just in time to keep her hair from falling into the ketchup.

Then his smile faded. He was thinking about her too much. Way too damn much. She’d be gone in a day or two. Besides, she had a fiancé waiting for her out there somewhere.

Just like he had a mother out there somewhere. Only she wasn’t waiting for him or his brother or sisters to find her. In fact, she’d made it almost impossible. How could one woman disappear so easily? LeeAnn Larrimore. A name as unfamiliar to him as the woman he’d once called Mama.

The search for her had finally narrowed down to the last name on the list. A list that had started with the names of women who had given birth to fraternal triplets in Texas around the same time period and with the right sex: two girls, one boy. One by one, the other names on the list had been eliminated as possibilities. So had any other potential leads. That left only LeeAnn Larrimore.

According to his research, she’d given birth to triplets at a free clinic in a town near Austin. She’d lived in Austin for a while, working in a grocery store until she’d been fired from her job. That’s when the trail had turned ice cold.

He flipped onto his stomach and closed his eyes, willing sleep to overtake him. He didn’t want to think about the woman who had abandoned her children twenty-five years ago. And he definitely didn’t want to think about the woman sleeping in his bed. How her silky blond curls would spill over the pillow. Or the way her body would warm the white cotton sheets, imbuing them with her unique scent. He closed his eyes, imagining the soft, steady cadence of her breathing as she slept. Then he imagined waking her with a kiss. Sliding his hands under the sheets and touching her. Making her breathing quicken.