Open Skies (8 page)

This went a long way to explain the conversation that Jake had had with Rob Cathay just a few minutes before the meeting had started. In his six years of working with Rob, Jake had some to see him as one of the most genuinely kind men he’d ever met. Selfless and dedicated and hard-working, Rob had started on Reception, moved in to Sales, and now headed up the department. Under his leadership, Dave had done some great things. Rob had vision and smarts, he was laid-back and quiet, but he had amazing ideas.

Jake had never – not once, not ever – heard Rob say anything negative about anyone. But when he talked about Julie Everett, he couldn’t seem to help himself.

Jake had run in to him as he was leaving the sales office behind Reception. Rob was pulling on his jacket and he looked wrecked.

“How you doing, man?” Jake had asked him.

Rob shrugged. “OK, I guess.”

“I heard you pulled an all-nighter.”

A flash of anger crossed Rob’s face. “Yeah.”

“You doing OK? Maybe you want to go home, get a few hours’ sleep? I’m sure Maria and Bonnie would cover you.”

Rob shook his head. “I’d better not. I don’t want to piss off the new boss on her first full day here.”

Jake paused. “What’s she like?”

Rob looked at Jake. “We finished our meeting and I lied to her that I had some calls to make.”

“Yeah. OK. I don’t get it…”

“I did that,” Rob said deliberately, “because I didn’t want to walk over to the restaurant with her. I couldn’t stand to look at her for one second longer.”

“Jesus Christ. That bad?”

“That bad,” Rob confirmed as they reached the restaurant. “She’s made of stone, Jake, I kid you not. I’ve never met anyone so stand-offish.”

Rob was bang-on, Jake saw now. There Julie sat, like a queen holding court with her subjects. Jake knew nothing at all about women’s clothing, but it was clear that Julie’s clothes were expensive. They were tailored to fit her body perfectly, and her shoes and jewelry were both top-end. Her hair was smooth and shiny and pulled back in some kind of fancy bun. Her skin glowed. And it was all paid for by Daddy’s hard-earned money. She was a spoiled, rich little princess who had just inherited a multi-million dollar business that she was going to run in to the ground with her spending habits and immaturity.

There was a sudden burst of applause and Julie realized that Constance/Laura/Andrea had finished her little introduction. Her heart pounding painfully, her hands clammy and shaking, Julie got to her feet. She put her hands in her pockets and clenched them tight.

“I’m very happy to meet all of you. I know that this had been a sudden change for you – it’s been a shock, I imagine. We’ll get to know each other, I hope, and we’ll figure out together how to get along.” She smiled, stiffly. “For now, I have to get my feet under me a bit, and I’ll be looking to each of you to help me understand what you do here, and how the pieces all come together.” She paused. “So, thank you, and I’ll let you all get back to work.”

Everyone got to their feet, nodded at Julie, and walked out. She sat back down, her knees shaking and stared at the little red half-moons that her nails had cut in to her palms. Thank God that was over and done with.
**

Mattie stood outside the restaurant waiting for Julie to finish gathering her papers. She also strongly suspected that Julie needed some time to collect herself – she had shaken like a leaf through that whole staff meeting.

Julie was getting to her feet now. Mattie readied her smile; she was determined to be the one person at Open Skies still willing to give the new boss a chance. No matter how hard Julie was going to make it to get to know her or even like her, Mattie was going to keep trying.

Julie emerged from the restaurant looking as cool and bored as ever. She spotted Mattie. “Ready to give me that tour now?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mattie said. “Hazel’s just finished cleaning number two, and so we’ll start there.”

“Fine.”

The women walked across the parking area and Mattie glanced down at Julie’s feet. The gorgeous yellow high heels were getting covered in a pretty solid layer of dust.

“Hey, you know, I can loan you a pair of boots, if you want.”

Julie was just cursing her damn lack of appropriate footwear for hauling ass around a ranch and she turned to Mattie hopefully. “Really?”

“Sure,” Mattie said. “You want to go get them now?”

Julie looked at her shoes. That was three hundred bucks down the drain.
Damn it.
“Yes, please. I’d really appreciate that. I didn’t come as prepared as I had to be, I guess.”

“Well, it was short notice, hon.”

You got that right, lady.

Julie followed Mattie around the Reception building to a private entrance marked ‘Private. Staff Only’. She paused. “I’ll wait here.”

Mattie looked around at her in surprise. “Why?”

“Well, these are your private quarters. I don’t want to intrude.”

“I’m inviting you in, for heaven’s sake. There’s no intrusion. And may I remind you – you own all this now.” She swung the door wide, beckoned Julie in. “Come on in.”

Julie stepped in to an open space. It was incredibly warm and welcoming, and she looked around, interested. There was a fireplace, sofas and armchairs scattered around, a TV and kitchen space. “Is this all yours?”

“Oh, no. This is the common area that we all share.” She gestured to a hallway. “The rooms are down there.”

Julie followed Mattie down the hall and in to Mattie’s room. Well, ‘room’ was actually not the right word, at all. Mattie had a cute little apartment, with a sitting room, a kitchen, and huge windows with a view of the mountains. She even had a tiny patio outside, with a table and wooden deckchairs. Julie could just see Mattie out there in the mornings, drinking coffee and watching the sunrise.

“In here,” Mattie said. “This is my bedroom.”

Julie stood in the doorway, watching Mattie rummage through the massive wardrobe. She saw an attached bathroom in bright colors, a large shower and deep bath. No wonder Mattie loved living here: it was an amazing little home.

Mattie straightened up. “OK, try these.”

Julie took a tentative step in to the bedroom. She was big on boundaries – both hers and others’ – and Mattie’s casual, cavalier attitude toward Julie seeing her most intimate, private space was jarring. But she did as she was told.

“Sit on the bed hon. Try them on.”

“OK.” Julie slipped off her dusty shoes and took the boots. They were brown leather, flat, a bit of a point to the toe. They had some stitching along the ankle, but not too much. They were, actually, surprisingly lovely. And when she put them on, they were amazingly comfortable.

“Wow,” she said. “Not bad at all.”

“Yeah, I thought so,” Mattie said. “Try ‘em out, go for a walk.”

Julie strolled around the bedroom. “Perfect.”

“Good.”

“Thanks, Mattie. I’ll return them to you as soon as I can.”

Mattie waved her hand. “No rush. I got plenty.” She cocked her head at Julie. “You got any clothes? More practical clothes for running around a ranch? We will be going to the stables, you know.”

“Well, I have some jeans back in my cabin. Cardigans, too.”

“Cardigans? Nice ones?”

“Yeah. Pretty nice.”

Mattie shook her head. “OK, how about this. You go on back to your place and get in to a pair of jeans, and take these shirts for now.” She took a small folded pile of long-sleeved sweaters, t-shirts, and button-down shirts from her wardrobe. “That enough?”

“Oh, no, Mattie,” Julie protested. “I can’t take your clothes.”

“You can until you head in to town and do some shopping. OK?”

Julie looked down at the clothes in her arms. They did look more suitable. “Well – OK. But just until I go shopping. Deal?”

“Deal. So, how about I meet you at number two in ten minutes?”

“OK.”

**

Julie looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, a bit stunned at her appearance. She was wearing her tight jeans, Mattie’s white t-shirt, a long-sleeved blue pullover with a v-neck, and the boots. The clothes were a bit tight around the chest and hips, but loose enough around the waist and shoulders. She tugged at them, trying to make them a bit less clingy, but it was no good. She shrugged and took off her jewelry, then pulled her hair back in to a casual ponytail. She looked young, and fresh. Even pretty.

She headed back outside and looked around for Mattie. She spotted her over by one of the cabins and walked over.

“Well, that’s much better!” Mattie exclaimed.

“Yeah, it is. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it. Let’s go in now.”

The second cabin was quite similar to hers, except that in the bathroom it had a jacuzzi. The other three cabins were also slightly different. One had a sprawling raised balcony out back; one had a massive fireplace in the centre of the room instead of built in to the wall, like the others; the last one had a skylight over the bed. Each one was beautifully laid-out and decorated, but they all had small, individual touches. These were not cookie-cutter cabins, at all.

After they had looked at all the cabins, they walked down the long road to the stables and Julie braced herself for the stench.

“You like horses, Julie?” Mattie asked her.

“Um. Well, honestly, not really.”

“You ever ridden one?”

“No.”

“You want to try?”

“I don’t think so… I’m a bit afraid of them, actually.”

Mattie nodded. “Yeah. Lots of people are.”

“Really?”

“Sure. They’re big, they’re strong. They can rear up and kick. Lots to be afraid of.”

“So, why do you like them so much, then?”

“‘Cause there’s also lots to love. Horses can be gentle and protective, they can love you, if they know you, and be amazingly loyal. They can use their amazing strength to race, and plough fields and pull a sleigh-full of children. They can bring joy.”

Julie was just contemplating that when they got to the stable doors. They walked in, and there was that man, the one who had glared at her from across the restaurant.

He was crouching down and filling up a pail with water. His thigh muscles bulged in his well-worn jeans and his back rippled as he stood up again, in one strong movement.

Jake stared at Julie. God Almighty, she looked like a different woman in those clothes – still gorgeous as hell, but sexier, somehow. She was wearing about half the makeup that she had been just a few hours earlier, and it made her face younger and sweeter. Those jeans cupped that glorious ass and that blue sweater hugged her breasts. Every generous curve was clearly visible. Despite his deep dislike of her and everything she stood for, there was no denying her physical assets.

A vivid image flashed through his mind: Julie writhing under him, her head thrown back, eyes closed, moaning his name. With one massive hand, he held her wrists and trapped her arms above her head, forcing her to arch her back, offering those luscious breasts to his mouth. With his other hand, he stroked the hard knot between her legs as his cock rammed inside of her, driving her to the edge and beyond. He had a sneaking suspicion that she’d be hot in bed, if he could just get her to unbend and thaw. And if he could overlook the fact that she was a spoiled brat.

To his horror, Jake felt himself getting hard right in front of her. He turned away, abruptly, and headed to Healey’s stall to give him some water.

Julie watched Jake walk off, without a word to her.
What the hell is this guy’s damage?

She turned to Mattie. “Can you tell me who that is?”

“Oh, that’s Jake, honey. Jake Weston.”

Julie blinked. She thought about Tammy joking about cowboy names. “Really?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Oh, nothing.” She looked at Jake again. He had his back to them and was walking toward the enclosed area outside. Hmmm. Actually, he
did
look pretty amazing in those jeans when walking away. Tammy would be thrilled.

“OK, so. Tell me a bit about how things are done around here.” Julie looked around. “How many horses, who does what, what the horses need. How it works with the guests. Anything else you think I might need to know.”

“Sure thing. I’ve been here for ten years – Dave and me built this place up from the ground. I’ve been here from the beginning.”

“So you’re the expert. Go ahead. I’m listening.”
**
Rosie glared at Julie as she and Mattie walked around the stalls. Mattie was talking a mile a minute, showing Julie the horses, pointing things out. Julie was mostly quiet, nodding a lot. Every once in a while she seemed to ask a question.

How unfair was it that Julie looked just as stunning in jeans and a plain old shirt as she did in expensive clothes and jewels? God, life sucked sometimes.

“So, what’s she doing here?” she asked Jake.

He shrugged, his eyes stormy. “I dunno. Looking around her property, I suppose.”

“Yeah. I guess. Heads up, she’s coming.”

Julie and Mattie were in the fenced area now, and Mattie was gesturing with her arms. Julie looked around and her eyes met Rosie’s. Julie nodded and did something with her face that might have been a smile. Rosie nodded back.
Oh, God. She’s coming over to me. Urgh.

“Mornin’ Ms. Everett.”

“Hi Rosie.” She glanced up at Jake. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Julie Everett.”

“Jake Weston.”

“You know, I got a list of all staff members from the lawyers in New York, and I didn’t see your name. Are you new here?”

Jake leaned back against the fence. “No, ma’am. I’ve been here for seven years.”

“Oh. Well, it isn’t really important… I mean, you’re clearly here, so it’s all fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Julie peered up at him. Wow, his eyes were cold as they stared down at her. What had she done to get this kind of reaction from him?

Mattie cleared her throat. “Julie’s never ridden a horse before, guys. Maybe one of you can –”

“Oh, Mattie. Mattie, no.” Julie was horrified.
The only thing worse than getting up on a goddamned stampeding beast is doing so with Pollyanna Cowgirl or Glaring Cowboy Jake here. No. Way.