Somebody Like You (28 page)

“The name’s DeWitt.”

“Yep. Got that, Twitt.”

“You’re mispronouncing it deliberately to provoke me,” DeWitt said between clenched teeth.

“Is it working?”

Douglas, in his city clothes, his expensive TAG Heuer watch prominently on display, made a disgruntled sound beside her. “I don’t understand you, Annelise. You’re looking at that man like you want to crawl in bed with him.”

“That man?” Cash turned his head to the right, the left, then swiveled on his heel to look behind him. He pointed at his own chest. “Are you talking about me?”

“Why don’t you take a hike, Hardeman? Annelise and I have things to discuss.”

Cash slipped an arm around her waist. “My place is right here beside Annie.”

She could have kissed him.

“He calls you Annie?”

“Does that offend you, Douglas?” she asked.

“Offend me? That’s too mild a word for what I’m feeling right now. Have you forgotten who you are?”

“No. I haven’t. I’ve
remembered
who I am.”

He huffed. “Whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

“It means I’m following my heart. Finally.”

“With a cowboy?”

Cash stiffened beside her. “You a photographer, DeTwitt?”

A strange expression crossed Douglas’s face. “That would be beneath me, wouldn’t it?”

“Depends on the type of photos you take.” Cash nudged his hat back from his forehead. “Then again, snakes crawl pretty close to the ground.”

Annelise cocked her head. “What am I missing here?”

“Want to tell her, Douglas?”

“Tell me what?”

“Nothing. He’s crazy,” Douglas shot back. “And you’ve obviously lost your mind, too, Annelise.”

His doggedness surprised her.

“On the contrary. I think I’ve found it.”

“What about us?”

“Us?” She kept her voice down, her expression neutral. “There never was an us.”

“There were expectations.”

She almost laughed. “Oh, Douglas. Yes, those expectations. Exactly what I told Cash I was escaping from while I was here.” Her voice softened. “I don’t want to be mean, and I certainly don’t want to hurt you, but the only expectation between us was a warm body on the other’s arm at public events when either of us needed one. You know that.”

“Maybe I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I want more.”

When he reached for her, Cash made a sound, not unlike a feral growl.

Annelise shook her head at him. “You only think that, Douglas, because someone else is playing with your toy.”

He frowned.

Vivi sauntered up to them, and for once, Annelise was happy to see her. “Hello. I’m Vivi Hardeman.” She held out a hand to Douglas.

“Yes, Douglas, let me introduce Cash’s grandmother.”

Vivi’s head whipped around.

If looks could have killed, she’d have been dead on the spot. But she’d have died happy.

Annelise sat at one of the tables, listening to her family and enjoying them. Her parents liked Cash and wandered over to join him at the makeshift bar. She felt a little nervous about how well they were getting on.

It should have settled her. But it didn’t.

Douglas had followed Vivi off to God-knew-where after telling Annelise the two knew each other—sort of. Vivi had contacted him after she’d learned Annelise’s true identity, and they’d been e-mailing back and forth. Turned out it had been Vivi who’d invited him to the barbecue. She was the reason he’d come to Texas with her parents.

That made her extremely anxious. What did the two of them have in common besides her and Cash?

Vivi wanted the ranch, and no doubt she’d do whatever it took to reach her goal. Annelise didn’t envy Cash’s having to deal with her. And on top of his grandfather’s death. What a shame.

Had Vivi been afraid she and Cash were getting too close? If the objective had been to get her and Douglas back together, that plan had flopped.

Couldn’t she see Cash’s reluctance to commit? Had she wanted Douglas to remind Annelise what she’d be giving up by settling for Cash, in case marriage was on her mind?

It was. But not to Doug. Her gaze drifted back to where Cash stood at the bar.

She smiled as another thought struck her. Maybe, just maybe, she’d been looking at this all wrong. Maybe Vivi’d set Douglas up as
her
next mark. Younger than Cash’s grandfather and every bit as wealthy. And a slap at Annelise’s pride, stealing what she thought was hers.

Oh, she hoped the two would get on like gangbusters. They deserved each other.

Douglas was pompous and arrogant, his hair too styled, his outfit too—intentional, his face and hands too soft. Picking up a pencil probably constituted the most physical labor he’d ever done and ever would do.

She remembered the feel of Cash’s hands on her, the calluses, the muscles that played in his arms and back, and nearly sighed out loud.

If nothing else came from this sojourn, she’d learned a valuable lesson. She’d nearly settled for less, was worth more. Cash had shown her that.

“You’re a million miles away, Annelise.” Sophie put down her fork. “Are you okay?”

“I am. Yes. I’m so glad you came along.” She took her cousin’s hand. “We don’t get to spend enough time together now that they’re not sending us off to summer camp.”

Sophie laughed, her short blond hair catching the sunlight. “Those were the days, weren’t they?”

“Yes. A pity we didn’t realize it.”

“That cowboy of yours. I’d go to camp with him any day if he wasn’t already taken.” She shot Annelise a look. “Fill me in, cuz.”

Annelise floundered, unsure how to explain the relationship between herself and Cash. She gave a bare-bones outline of her time with him, leaving out her feelings, his feelings, the magic.

Sophie only smiled. “There’s so much more, but I can wait. You’ll talk. I have my ways.”

Annelise laughed. “I know that for a fact.”

“You do understand they brought me along to talk some sense into you. To be the voice of reason. I’m not going to, of course. Personally, I think you’re doing the right thing. It’s a shame nobody else has the courage to fight for your grandfather’s life.” She took another bite of Rosie’s potato salad. “You know, she could make a fortune on this in Chicago.”

“She could make a fortune on her cooking anywhere. But she likes it here.”

“That I don’t quite understand. I feel like a fish out of water.” She studied Annelise. “You like this whole ranch scene, don’t you? The cows freak me out. All that testosterone running around on hooves with those big horns.” She shuddered. “Not my thing.”

She grabbed Annie’s arm. “Who is that?”

Annie searched through the crowd to see who she was looking at. Then she smiled. “The scenery doesn’t get much better, does it?”

“The man is gorgeous in capital letters. Do you know him?”

“Not well. He’s Cash’s sister’s brother-in-law.”

“What?”

Annelise laughed. “I know. It’s confusing. He was married to Cash’s sister’s husband’s sister.”

“You make my head hurt.” She halted. “You said was. Did his wife leave because she couldn’t handle the ranch? Did she hate all these animals, too?”

“No.” Annelise sobered. “She died.”

“Oh, my, gosh. That’s so sad. Did they have any children?”

“Three boys. Triplets.”

“Three boys? Him?” She grinned, then shrieked as a glass of cherry soda landed in her lap. Her white silk lap.

“Oh, Jonah. Look what you’ve done!” Ty Rawlins grabbed a pile of napkins and knelt to sop up the mess on Sophie’s lap.

Sophie’s cheeks turned as red as the cherry soda. “Why don’t you give me those? I’ll do it.”

By now, Ty realized exactly where he was dabbing and the tips of his ears turned scarlet.

Annelise watched it all with horrified amusement.

“I’ll have your outfit cleaned. I promise. Or buy you new,” Ty stammered. “God, I’m so sorry.” He shot his son a dark look.

“It’s okay. Honest,” Sophie assured him. “No harm done. It’s a picnic.”

“I don’t know. Cherry soda? That’s going to leave a stain.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m hungry, Daddy.” Jonah pulled at his dad’s arm. “When can I eat?”

“Go.” Sophie laughed. “Feed him.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

While Sophie patted her lap, Ty sat the boy down and fixed him a plate of food. The other two quickly joined them.

Sophie stared at them, dumbfounded. “They all look exactly the same.”

Annelise nodded. “Triplets.”

“How do you tell them apart?”

“I don’t. But since the cherry soda kid is Jonah, one of the other two is Jesse and one is Josh.”

“Boy, does he have his hands full. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

They watched as Ty patiently filled the other two plates with exactly the right foods for each child.

“The man’s good,” Sophie whispered to Annelise.

“Yes, he is.”

Just as Ty turned back to her and Sophie, one of the boys let out a howl. Staubach sat by the table, a stolen plate at his feet. Clamping his mouth around a hot dog, he hightailed it across the field.

From the escalating tears, the missing hot dog belonged to either Jesse or Josh. Annelise hadn’t a clue which one.

Ty sighed, picked up the crying triplet in one arm, and moved back to the table to fix another dog.

“You’d have to be a plate short of a setting to get mixed up in that situation,” Sophie muttered.

Her parents and ensemble headed off to Austin for the night. They’d fly back to Boston in the morning.

So should she, but, in a stolen moment, she’d canceled her flight. The meeting with Cornelia took priority over everything else. She was afraid to let herself even hope Nelly might have changed her mind. Might help Grandpa.

As her mother hugged her good-bye, she put her mouth close to Annelise’s ear. “This one’s a keeper, honey. He’s also a man. A real man. Be careful. But don’t screw it up.”

Startled, Annelise stared at her mother.

“I mean it, dear. Cash Hardeman is a good man. You could do a hell of a lot worse.”

“I thought you liked Douglas.”

“The man has no backbone. And did you see him with that made-up blond bimbo? I mean the two practically drooled over each other.”

Annelise couldn’t help it. She laughed. “That blond bimbo is Cash’s grandmother.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a long story, Mom. One I’ll share with you in front of the fire on a cold Massachusetts evening.”

She kissed her father and Sophie and wished them a good trip. It had been fun to have them here today. Then she turned to Douglas and shook his hand. “Good-bye, Douglas.”

“Well, it’s not really good-bye, is it? I mean, it’s more like see you later.”

“No.” Annelise met his eyes. “It’s good-bye.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am. Everyone’s in the car. You’d better get in before they leave you out here in the wilds with the coyotes and rattlers.”

“This isn’t a very pretty side of you, Annelise.”

She shrugged and strolled away, straight into Cash’s chest.

He put his hands on both her arms and steadied her. “Have a good day?”

“I did. I really did. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun. I’m glad you dragged me here.”

“I’d have hog-tied you if I had to.”

“You wouldn’t have.”

Mischief danced in his green eyes, and she decided not to pursue it.

“Thank you. For me and my family. It was nice of you to make them feel so welcome.”

“I like your family. I hadn’t meant to. I was prepared to dislike them for what they’ve put you through, but they’re not what I expected.”

“They’re good people.”

“And they love you.”

“Yes, they do.”

“You know, Annie, for a city slicker, you’re okay. Your cousin Sophie? Boy.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t take more than a grasshopper to scare her.”

“She’s concerned about the testosterone levels in the bulls.”

“What about you? You afraid of a little testosterone?”

She rose on tiptoe and kissed him. “Not on your life.”

A
nnelise woke up to the ringing of the phone. Checking the caller ID, she groaned. Her grandfather. And she hadn’t even had a cup of coffee yet.

“Hello, Grandpa.”

“Annelise? Did I wake you?”

“Yes, but it’s time for me to get up anyway. You sound good.”

“I’m feeling good.”

She squinted at her clock, considered the time difference. “Why are you up so early?”

“Don’t sleep much anymore.”

“I guess not.” She staggered to the refrigerator and snagged a Coke. The caffeine in it would have to do for now. Taking a long swallow, she listened to him tell her what a great time her parents had had yesterday.

“When your dad phoned last night, he said the man who owns the ranch quite impressed him. Cash Hardeman.”

“He’s a wonderful person.” She thought of how impressive he’d been last night after he’d driven her home. No wonder she was exhausted this morning. The man had worn her out. She smiled. Unlike Sophie, she thoroughly enjoyed a good dose of testosterone.

Her smile faded. Despite all that, he still hadn’t told her he loved her, and she understood he wouldn’t.

“That’s really not what I called about though.”

Oh, oh. Here it came. She’d been expecting this.

“I understand you found, um, you found, well, my father’s other child.”

“Your half sister, yes. Her name is Cornelia Whitney.”

There was a beat of silence. “If I recall correctly, I expressly forbid you or anyone else to search for her.”

“Yes, Grandpa, you did.”

“Yet you went behind my back and tracked her down.”

She steeled herself. This was where he’d disown her. The money? Unimportant. Her grandfather’s love? Beyond price.

“Yes, I did.”

“Annelise, do you understand what you’re doing?”

“I’m trying to save your life.”

“Even if I don’t want you to?”

“Even if.”

Again, silence. “I don’t want anything to do with that part of my life. I’ve tried for over sixty years to put it out of my mind, and now here you are dredging it all back up again.”

“I’ll apologize for that.”

“But not for the rest.”

“No.” Her heart sat in her throat. She put down the Coke, afraid she might be sick.

“I haven’t ever talked to anyone about this, not even your grandmother, God bless her soul.”

“Maybe it’s time, Grandpa.” She held her breath.

“Maybe it is.” With that, he started his tale, and she took a shaky breath and listened.

The birth of Cornelia had changed her grandfather’s life. When his mother found out about Driller’s affair, she’d insisted they leave Texas, and so they’d picked up everything and moved to Boston.

He’d lost his home, all his friends.

“Grandpa, it wasn’t Cornelia’s fault. In truth, she was as much a victim as you. She grew up without a father. Grew up wearing the stigma of illegitimacy.”

Annelise realized she’d stumbled into a whole family dynamic here that she hadn’t considered. She’d been concerned for her grandfather’s health and hadn’t taken into account the emotional toll this had taken on him and Cornelia over the years.

“I saw them, you know. One day I was in town with some friends. My mother had given me a quarter. Quite a lot in those days. I think she wanted me out of her hair for a while.

“Fletch, Tommy, and I came out of the general store, eating licorice sticks, and there they were. My father and her. Holding hands.” His voice thickened. “She was holding my daddy’s hand. He’d never walked down the street like that with me. Never held my hand.”

“He hurt a lot of innocent people with his carelessness,” Annelise said quietly.

“Yes, he did. Nothing was ever the same after that, after he paraded his love child in front of the town. It didn’t take any time at all for the gossips to tell my mother.” He sounded bitter. “We moved East to get away from it, but my family never healed. I never once saw my parents touch each other after Texas, not even casually.”

“Grandpa—”

“I didn’t share this so you’d feel sorry for me,” he said gruffly.

“I understand that.” She blinked back tears. “But don’t you see? If you refuse to take a chance at this, you’re letting him hurt you and everyone who loves you all over again.”

“Humph.” After a second, he asked, “How much does this woman want? What’s it going to cost us for this blood test?”

Annelise closed her eyes, praying he was softening. “Cornelia hasn’t agreed to do it yet.”

“That’s because she’s waiting to see how much of the Montjoy fortune she can steal.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Annelise said. “To be perfectly honest, though, if she can save your life, it would be worth every penny we have.”

“Easy for you to say.”

She made a face, even though he couldn’t see it.

“Well, it is. You haven’t yet put in the hours I have. I’ve worked hard for that money. My son and granddaughter deserve it, not some girl born out of an adulterous affair. I’ve lived a good life. Maybe my time has come.”

“That’s just plain stupid, Grandpa. And you’re not stupid. That might be the line you’re feeding everyone else, but it won’t work with me.”

He made a noncommittal sound.

“I met Fletch.”

“You did? How is he?”

“His granddaughter’s the one who designed my dress for Dallas.”

They chatted about his old friend for a few more minutes before Annelise said, “I have an appointment with Cornelia this morning. I’ll call you back after I talk to her, okay?”

“I’d rather you didn’t do this, honey.”

“I’d rather I did.”

She waited out the silence.

Finally, he said, “Okay. I’ll talk to you later then. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Grandpa.”

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 after 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.