Fool Me Once (24 page)

“That’s
right. I’m flying to Helena to pick up Dirk and we’ll be back late this
afternoon.” He looked at Olivia. “Would you like to come?”

“No
thanks. I think I’ll stay right here. I might take a ride if that’s all right,
or maybe even work on my notes.”

“Feel
free. The ranch is yours.” He paused, coffee cup part way to his mouth. “I’m
glad you’re here, Olivia.” His gaze strayed to the windows, and the rolling
country beyond. “I wanted you to see how I live.” His voice was hoarse with
emotion. “This land means everything to me. I’d do anything to protect it.”

She
laid a hand over his. “I believe you, Josh.” Spoken softly, her words seemed to
bring him back from a long distance.

“I’m
counting on that,” he said, and a faint shimmer of apprehension stirred the
hair on the back of her neck.

“Here
you go,” Maisie announced proudly, setting an enormous stack of pancakes on the
table between them. A platter of fried eggs, bacon and sausage followed,
accompanied by a pitcher of warm maple syrup. “You two young people need to
keep up your energy.” She glanced pointedly at Olivia’s red cheeks.

“I
never eat this much,” said Olivia, accepting generous portions of the delicious
food. She looked across the table at a grinning Josh, and for a moment she
wondered if it were possible to be any happier than she was at this moment.
“But then, I’ve never been to Montana.”

Josh
grinned as she poured syrup on her pancakes. “That’s my girl,” he said proudly,
following her example. Maisie hummed happily in the background, beaming her
approval.

* * *

The
morning sun was high in the sky as they walked hand in hand toward the barn.
Josh lifted Olivia’s hand to his lips. “I hate to leave you.” He lowered his
voice. “Especially now that I’ve found you.”

“And
I’ll miss you. But you’ll be back.” A deep, sensual laugh bubbled up from her
throat. “You know, I’ve been thinking. Even if Dirk is here, we can still be
together. I’ll come to your room later.” Her pulse raced at the memory of their
bodies entwined in the moonlight. “That is if you still want me.”

“I’ll
always want you.” Squeezing her hand, he guided her toward the barn. “Remember
that. But are you sure?” He smiled down at her and her heart skipped a beat.
“After all, you didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Look
who’s talking,” she murmured as they walked into the comparative gloom of the
stable.

Clint
led them to a stall where the cow jealously guarded her calf. “I thought I’d
let you check everything out before I let them outside. I’ll keep them nearby
in that corral for a few days, but the vet stopped by this morning and says the
calf’s good to go.”

“That’s
great.” Josh observed the calf for a moment, his smile indulgent. “We saved
him, Clint.” Their eyes met, and Olivia sensed a deep emotional connection
between the two men. Clint looked away first. “I’ll give you a lift to the
airstrip.”
The foreman led the way to the Jeep. “I topped up the fuel this morning. Are
you going alone?”

“’Fraid
so.” His tone was gently teasing. “Olivia prefers to stay with you.”

“Well
of course she does.” He gave Olivia a conspiratorial wink.

* * *

Josh
did a thorough pre-flight check and then climbed into the cockpit. Sleek and
powerful, the aircraft lifted off halfway down the runway. Watching it grow
smaller, Olivia experienced a strange emptiness. It was remarkable how he had
become such a big part of her life in a short time. If only Dirk had stayed
away for a few more days. She gave herself a mental shake. She had no right to
entertain such thoughts. Dirk had played a key part in the success of the
mission, and it was churlish to resent his arrival. He had proven himself to be
a good friend, and she would remember that.

Olivia
turned back to the Jeep, where Clint waited patiently. “You know, I barely
remember arriving here the other day.” Her gaze darted about, studying the
windsock, and then drifting beyond it to the runway, searching for something
familiar. Nothing rang a bell.

“I’m
not surprised. You and Josh were mighty tired.” He lounged against the Jeep,
one foot on the running board. “I have an idea. How would you like to drive
back to the house? Give you a chance to get used to driving on the right side
of the road.” He walked around to the passenger side, chuckling at his play on
words.

Olivia
hesitated. “Do you think I could do it?”

“Of
course. The boys learned to drive this thing as soon as they could see through
the windshield.”

“The
boys?” She frowned.

Clint
pulled down his hat, refusing to meet her questioning eyes. “Yup. All the young
kids for miles learned to drive in this old Jeep.” He opened the driver’s side
door. “Hop in.”

It
was odd, driving on the right-hand side of the road, but by the time they
reached the main house, Olivia was handling the vehicle easily.

“Park
it over there, beside the drive-in shed,” Clint instructed. “That way, if I
have to go anywhere early in the morning the noise of the motor won’t wake
anyone.” He climbed out. “We usually just leave the keys in the ignition.”

“Aren’t
you worried about it raining?”

He
squinted and looked up into the intense blue of the sky. “Nope. No rain this
week. I should take you into town and buy you a hat. The sun is strong out
here, what with no pollution and all.”

Olivia
was beginning to appreciate this gentle man. “That’s kind of you but I won’t be
here long enough. I have to leave on Thursday.”

“That’s
too bad.” He regarded her gravely. “If you don’t mind me saying, you’re good
for Josh. He’s never brought anyone here before. It’s good to see him smile.”
He watched for her reaction.

“Thank
you.” She felt a blush creep up her neck but didn’t try to hide it. “He makes
me smile, too.”

“All
right, then.” He tipped his hat and headed for the stables. “I’ll see you
later.”

* * *

“Steaks for dinner tonight.” Maisie
greeted Olivia as she wandered into the kitchen. “And baked potatoes and green
salad. Strawberry shortcake for dessert. Would you like some lunch?”

Olivia
laughed. “Maisie, I’ve never been fed so well. I think I’ll forego the lunch.”
She spotted a map on the far wall. “Montana,” she said dreamily. “It’s every
bit as beautiful as Josh said.” Her fingers traced the outline of the state,
and zeroed in on an enlarged section. “This must be the ranch.”

Maisie
looked up and nodded. “That’s us.”

Olivia
studied the map for a moment. “You’re a fair distance from these big towns.”

“Suppose
so.” Maisie continued slicing strawberries. “Out here we think nothing of driving
a couple of hours to go shopping. We prefer it that way.”

“Are
there neighbors close by? Clint mentioned teaching young boys to drive the
Jeep.”

Maisie
looked up sharply. “He did, did he?” She sprinkled a generous amount of sugar
over the berries. “The nearest ranch is eight or ten miles down the road.
Around here, that’s close.” Turning her back, she placed the bowl in the
refrigerator.

Olivia
wasn’t sure if Maisie was being intentionally vague, but she decided not to
probe any further. “I’ll be in my room then, if you need me for anything.”

“Righto
dearie.”

Was
that relief she saw on the housekeeper’s face, or was her imagination working
overtime? Lost in thought, she went to her room.

The
eagle feather lay on the dresser and she picked it up, running her fingers over
the delicate surface. One of the beautiful predators of the world, it hunted
unobserved by most of the population.

She
fingered the feather, her thoughts drifting. She had seen the hunter in Josh,
when he raised the rocket launcher to his shoulder and fired at the ammunition
storeroom. He hadn’t hesitated; the expression on his face had been one of
cold, calculating vengeance. Wandering to the bay window, she sank down on the
cushioned seat. There had been something else as well, but it escaped her.
Closing her eyes, she searched her memory, sorting through hazy impressions of
that early morning helicopter ride.

*
* *

Sun
flooded the interior of the helicopter. Josh was down on one knee, muscles
tensing as he balanced the rocket launcher on his shoulder. His body recoiled
slightly as he launched the rocket and his lips moved. What was he saying? She
couldn’t make it out. In her memory, he turned to look at her, his face
victorious. At the time, it had been all that mattered.

With
a brief shake of her head she returned to the present. Last night, they had
taken each other to new heights of pleasure. Just thinking about it made her
body tingle, made her ache for a repeat performance. But did one night of
lovemaking mean anything to Josh? Still clutching the eagle feather, she
twirled it between her fingers, lost in thought. He made all the right moves,
said all the right things. So why did her heart tell her that he was still
free–like the eagle–while she stayed here on earth, bound by those impossible
rules?

* * *

She
awoke to the sound of voices and for a moment she didn’t know where she was.
Stretching, she grinned to herself. Was it any wonder she had fallen asleep,
after last night? She checked her appearance in the mirror and her eyes fell on
the diamond ring. Another confusing reminder of Josh. Making a snap decision,
she slipped it on her right hand and went downstairs to greet Dirk.

“Olivia!”
Dirk crossed the floor of the great room and gave her a friendly hug. “You’re
looking much better than the last time I saw you.” Pale blue eyes studied her
approvingly. “Life out here in the wide open spaces seems to agree with you.”

“It’s
good to see you, Dirk.” It was true. His breezy good humor would be welcome as
she tried to sort out her feelings about Josh. “How is everything on the Costa
del Sol?”

“I
spoke with IATO headquarters this morning, and our sources tell us that
Blazek’s organization is in a shambles. The results are even better than we
thought. The dealers are all blaming each other, and our little caper seems so
have caught Interpol’s interest. Our intelligence reports that the smaller arms
brokers in the area are scattering like seeds in the wind. It’s bloody
marvelous!” He shot a quick look at Josh. “I also spoke with Colin about Olivia’s
story idea. He didn’t turn it down, but he says he’d like to talk to her about
it.” He turned to Olivia and shrugged good-naturedly. “Sorry, love, that’s the
best I could do.”

“Thanks
for trying. It’s as much as I could have hoped for.” She brightened. “I’ll see
him next week then.”

Colin
frowned. “You’re not staying here?” His eyes darted to the ring on her finger.

She
didn’t dare look at Josh. What if she saw relief on his face? “No, a very dear
friend is getting married on the weekend, and I’ve promised to be part of the
wedding.”

“That’s
too bad.” He turned to Josh. “Well, old chap, perhaps I should stay and keep
you company. There must be something I can do around here to make myself
useful.”

Josh
clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry. We’ll find something. Now, how about a
drink?”

During
dinner, Olivia wondered why she’d been feeling uncertain about Josh. His eyes
sought hers often, and in them she read a desire so intense that she forgot to
breathe. Dirk made no comment but he must have been aware of the current that
sizzled between his two dinner companions. At the end of the meal he folded his
napkin and placed it neatly beside his plate. “I know we said we’d start
working on our mission review tonight, but if you prefer we could put it off until
tomorrow.” His expression was bland.

Josh
grinned good-naturedly. “We have to get started sometime. Tonight is fine. You
don’t mind, do you Olivia?”

“Not
at all. I’ll review my notes while you two are working.”

“All
right then. I’ll say goodnight.” Dirk kissed her on the cheek and nodded to
Josh. “I’ll be outside, having a smoke.”

Josh
slipped an arm around Olivia’s waist, guiding her up the stairs. They paused on
the landing overlooking the great room. The fire in the fireplace crackled
softly, the flames sending flickering shadows up the walls. “I’ll try to make
it quick,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “Although I don’t know how I’ll be
able to concentrate, knowing you’re up here.” His voice rumbled in his chest,
and she breathed in his familiar scent, already dreading the day when she had
to leave.

She
brushed her fingertips against his lips. “I can wait if you can, although I
must confess I’ve thought of little else all day.”

“God,
Olivia. I want you so much.” He pulled her against his chest, and then backed
away with a groan, holding her at arm’s length. “You’ll come to my room later?”
He grinned boyishly.

 
She nodded silently, knowing the hours would pass slowly. He headed down the
stairs, calling to Dirk. “All right my friend, let’s get this show on the
road.”