Rancher at Risk (12 page)

He’d have bristled at the words if her voice hadn’t suddenly gone low and soft.

She sighed. “If you sit behind me, I can’t participate in the conversation very well.”

Hell.
The day at the construction site all over again. She couldn’t see the kid when she’d climbed the stairs. She couldn’t hear what
he’d
said to her when he’d almost run her down. Just as he had then, he said, “I forgot.”

“You forgot.”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes glistened. And just like that day at the site, he didn’t get why.

She shook her head. “Whatever. I’m not sure I understand what you were trying to do. Why did you jump in with those questions?”

He shrugged. “I thought you were floundering, so I asked the questions.”

“To help me?”

“To do my job.”

Her eyes gleamed again. She nodded shortly and left the room.

He gripped the edge of the credenza with both hands. The woman was going to drive him to distraction. Did she honest-to-Pete think she’d catch him with that bear trap of a question?

Yeah,
he’d wanted to help her.

But that would be the last thing she’d want to know.

* * *

R
YAN
FINISHED
OUTLINING
the plans for tomorrow with the rest of the cowhands, then left the bunkhouse with Tony.

The old man began rehashing the events of his day and sharing whatever info, news and just plain gossip he had collected since their last talk.

Ryan never begrudged any of the time he spent here. But tonight, as he’d done so many times lately, he wished he didn’t have to fight to keep his mind from wandering.

The day of the interviews, the second one had gone worse than the first. Lianne hadn’t been able to read the applicant well at all, and he’d jumped in to help—damn the consequences.

He’d been dealing with the effects of his action since last week.

Their meetings ran strictly along business lines. Clipped discussions about the scouts and the school. Battles over whose job covered what responsibilities. Nothing personal. Nothing involving brownies and a cup of coffee. Nothing even close to a nice relaxed chat on the porch.

He shoved himself away from the railing. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You heading over to the house?”

“Don’t I always?” He eyed the old man. Neither of them needed to stop by the barn at the moment, which was why, as usual, they had settled against the rails. Tony didn’t jump in to respond, which wasn’t usual at all.

Maybe his leg was acting up again. There wasn’t much likelihood of the old man raising the subject in front of the cowhands. “You doing all right? Need some time off? I can get one of the boys to take over in the barn tomorrow.”

After Tony’s denial and a few more minutes on the porch, he crossed the yard and passed the barn on his way to the main house. By now his boots probably could’ve taken him there on autopilot.

This time, determination drove him. If he was ever going to prove to Caleb he could be trusted, he needed to get along with all the men—and the one woman—he supervised.

That meant getting control of this situation with Lianne, getting to know her—in a head-straight, hands-off way. Working with her, not butting heads on a regular basis. They needed to go somewhere besides the ranch, away from the triggers that kept them from having a normal conversation with each other. Away from the antagonism in that damned office.

Supper out would be the place to start. Neutral territory. A nice meal. Dessert… Something chocolate.

Inside the house, he found the office empty, the computer shut down and the desk completely cleared of paperwork.

He had no better luck in the kitchen.

That all changed when he returned to the living room and looked through the stair railing.

He saw her feet first, encased in strappy sandals with high heels. Then her legs, impossibly long and firm, going on until they finally disappeared beneath the edge of a green skirt that hugged her hips. A pale green top took care of snuggling the rest of her, and a waterfall of fresh-washed honey-blond hair tumbled around her shoulders.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs.

He reached up to loosen his tight collar…and found his work shirt already unsnapped. “Don’t you look nice.”

“Thanks.”

When she passed him, her rose-scented perfume drifted over to him. He leaned back against the stair rail and crossed his arms.

She took the chair closest to the door, easing onto the seat as if afraid of wrinkling her skirt.

He made a sweeping gesture, indicating her outfit. “Have plans for the night?”

She nodded.

Right.
He wasn’t winning any awards for originality in this conversation. That didn’t matter, as long as he got to his goal. “I’d thought we might go out for a meal.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Maybe another time.”

“Maybe that’s not such a good idea.” She dropped a satiny bag in her lap and smoothed her hands along her skirt.

“What’s wrong with having a meal?” he asked. “We spend plenty of time together on the ranch.”

“For business reasons.”

“Exactly. That’s just what I’m saying. We’ve had plenty of business meetings.”

“Oh, yes. Usually several times a day.” Her smile looked strained. He caught some additional tension beneath her words.

He’d felt plenty of stress lately, himself. “We haven’t spent much time together other than briefings in the office or going over to the construction site.”

Or hiking the trail.

She said nothing. He could sense her backing away.

“After all,” he said, “we’re working together. We ought to get to know each other. Go out to supper or for coffee once in a while, the way I go for a few beers with Tony and the guys.”

She stared back at him silently.

He heard the sound of a car driving up to the front of the house, followed by the vibration of her cell phone.

She reached into the bag on her lap and pulled out her cell phone, read the incoming message, and smiled—
smiled,
dammit—as she tapped the keys.

He held his frustration in check. He had too much riding on this to mess it up.

Done with the phone, she dropped it into her bag. She rose from the chair and smoothed her skirt. Finally, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

R
YAN
HAD
JUST
finished brewing a pot of coffee when a knock came at the back door.

Lianne.

She’d changed her mind. Canceled her date. Sent the guy—whoever he was—packing. After she’d seen the kitchen light on, she had come around to the back of the house because…she’d…forgotten her key.

Yeah, right.

Still, smiling, he went to the back door and opened it.

“Glad you’re so happy to see me.” His visitor stood on the porch, looking up at him.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He stepped back. “But what are you doing here?”

Waving a deck of cards at him, Tony made his way across the room. “The boys are playing poker. I prefer a nice game of gin rummy.”

“Since when?”

The old man sat heavily in one of the oak kitchen chairs and slapped the deck on the table. “Since I saw that car drive off.”

He eyed him. “You couldn’t have seen a car from the bunkhouse.”

Tony shrugged and began shuffling the cards.

Frowning, he closed the door. “Coffee?”

“Sounds good. Got any of Lianne’s apple cake around?”

Apple cake?

“She keeps it over in that cabinet.” Tony pointed.

Hell, he’d barely been able to find the coffee. And she hadn’t offered him anything but a cup of coffee—in the office—since the night of the brownies. He put a mug on the table and slid the sugar bowl within Tony’s reach. “Spend a lot of time here?”

“A fair amount, lately.”

Earlier, when he’d left the bunkhouse, Tony hadn’t been his usual self. “You knew Lianne was going out tonight.”
And decided to take pity on me.

He didn’t need to see the man’s nod to know he’d called it right.

Well, he didn’t need the sympathy. He was doing fine with the idea of Lianne being out with someone else. It was also fine that they never spent much time together in the evenings unless they had something to discuss—which they then discussed in the office.

He looked at Tony, who had patiently continued to shuffle the cards in his gnarled hands as he sat watching him.

“
Fine.
Let’s have some of that apple cake.”

It would be nice to play cards instead of sitting there drinking coffee by himself…in one hell of a quiet kitchen.

He found the cake and a couple of plates. “Who’s dealing?”

Tony had barely finished passing out the cards when headlamps outside lit up the driveway. The old man’s hands stilled as he said, “Who could that be?”

Maybe he could trust the man’s innocent question. Maybe not. But he sure wouldn’t make up any stories of his own again. This time when he opened the door, he didn’t bother to smile.

Two new visitors stood on the doorstep.

“Did you get the word about Lianne’s apple cake, too?” he asked.

“We did not,” said Judge Baylor. “We saw her in town, though. Is that the cake over there? Feel free to cut me a slice.”

“Me, too,” said Ellamae. “Got any extra coffee?”

“Coming right up.” He wasn’t sure how Lianne would feel about him playing host in her kitchen, especially when they hadn’t set foot in there together since they’d become housemates.

As he handed over mugs and plates, he said casually, “You saw Lianne?”

“At the Double S,” the judge confirmed. “With Jack.”

The guy she’d gotten all dressed up for.

“Jack is ranch manager over at Sam and Kayla’s,” Ellamae explained.

Lianne had mentioned her sister Kayla before.

“He sure perks right up whenever Lianne comes to visit,” Ellamae added. “And of course, now she’s living out here on the ranch…” She smiled down at the plate Ryan had set in front of her. “Well, that does look good.”

As the other three ate Lianne’s apple cake, Ryan pushed the deck of cards aside and took a long drink of coffee.

The judge sat back, thumbs under his suspenders. “How have things been going for you out here?”

“Hot enough for you, Ryan?” Ellamae asked. As with Tony’s question a few minutes ago, he had some doubts about her expression.

“Fine,” he said. “Just fine.”

“Delighted to hear it.” His cake finished, the judge took a toothpick from his pocket, stuck it in his mouth and looked Ryan over. “I thought I might’ve had a visit from you by now, but we haven’t seen you around Town Hall.”

“Or anywhere in town,” Ellamae said. “And it’s about time you got out a little, introduced yourself to folks.”

“Had a meal at the Double S,” the judge put in.

“I’ve been there,” Tony said. “They’ve got some great food and even better desserts.”

“They do,” Ellamae agreed. “Which reminds me…Dori’s doing the pastries for the party at the community center. It’s next Saturday, to celebrate Memorial Day and school letting out.” She smiled at Ryan. “It’s the perfect opportunity to meet folks.”

A kids’ party at the local community center? There was nothing he’d like less. “Well, thanks, but—”

“Practically all the folks in town will be there,” she added.

“As long as they’re over the age of twenty-one,” the judge clarified.

An adults-only party at the community center. Even that didn’t sound like something to interest him.

All three of his unexpected guests sat staring at him.

He shrugged and borrowed Lianne’s line. “I’ll think about it.”

Chapter Ten

Lianne eased the front door closed behind her and leaned back against it. She pressed her palms to the door panels as if that would keep her guilt outside. Guilt for so quickly saying good-night to Jack and leaving his car.

On her past visits to Flagman’s Folly, she had gone out with Kayla and Sam’s ranch foreman for coffee or dessert. Though she liked the man, she didn’t want to encourage him and had made it clear that she was in a committed relationship with Mark. Or so she had thought at the time.

She and Jack met casually—that was all.

Before she had left the house, Ryan had suggested they do that, too.

As if.

When Jack had driven up to the house, she had noted all the dark windows. No lights shone from the living room or from Ryan’s room upstairs. Now she could see the kitchen at the far end of the hall was dark, too.

But halfway down that hall, a light burned in her office—a lamp she had turned off before leaving the room for the day. No question about who had turned it back on and who had to be in the office now.

The question was,
why
was he in her office?

She made her way down the hall and stopped in the doorway. He stood behind her desk. Across the top, he had spread the contents of a file. Her stomach tightened as her suspicion rose.

He looked up. “You’re home early.”

She nodded. “How’s everything?”

“Fine. Have a nice night?”

“Lovely.” Moving closer to the desk, she saw the plans for phase two of the school. “Can I help you with something?”

He gestured at the drawings. “I was just taking a look. This will be an impressive project when it’s all done.”

She nodded. They had talked about the second phase, but she had never brought out the plans. There hadn’t been a need to, when those were for the future and he would only supervise the project for a few weeks.

He rolled up the drawings and returned them to the drawer with the others. “We had some company while you were gone.”

“We did? Who?”

“Tony, for one. Although I got the idea he’s a regular here.”

“I like a friendly chat once in a while.” She and Tony talked about the school, of course, but she enjoyed the break to talk about things outside the ranch, too.

That was exactly what Ryan had been pushing for—with him.

No. She wasn’t going anywhere with him, not when she still didn’t trust him to keep their conversations on neutral topics. Not when she couldn’t trust herself.