The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) (4 page)

She heard the chug of the SUV before it came into view. Garrett hopped out of the vehicle and tugged out the vacuum cleaner. “Had to steal it from Carol.” He grinned, his white teeth flashing. He carried the vacuum into the cabin, and plugged it in. “I’ll get rid of the worst of it, and then you can do the rest.”

Maddie tried to hide a smile. Garrett was definitely a solicitous employer.
She
should be doing that. After all, that’s what he'd hired her for. Or was it? Had he hired her because he’d felt sorry for her?

Even if that were true, she’d be the best cabin-cleaner in Wyoming. She didn’t know if she could ever tell him just how grateful she was to him for rescuing her yesterday, but she could definitely show him by being a hard-working employee.

Garrett’s faded denims hugged his muscular butt as he wielded the vacuum, and her mind flashed back to the moment in the kitchen when she’d joined him in her new clothes. Maybe she’d just imagined that look in his eye, she told herself. After all, she wasn’t great at picking up signals from guys. For instance, Howard’s proposal had taken her completely by surprise -
because he only wanted to marry you to make partner
, she chided herself.

But why would Garrett be interested in her?  She was only going to be here for three weeks, after all.

Maybe that’s all he wants.

Maddie shook her head. She didn’t do casual. And the last thing she wanted was to jump into another relationship, even with a man as hot and sexy as Garrett.

Garrett backed out of the cabin. “That should do it.” He gestured with satisfaction to the interior of the pine cabin. She looked inside, impressed at how much dirt and dust he’d managed to get rid of.

“I’ll get started.” She picked up the dust rags and stepped inside.

“I’ll get this back to Carol.” He picked up the vacuum. “She said lunch will be ready in about an hour.”

“Okay.” Maddie started dusting the table again, grateful that this time she didn’t sneeze.

“I’ll come and pick you up.”

Her gaze flew to his. “There’s no need, Garrett. I can walk to the house.”

“It wasn’t a question, Maddie.” There was a hint of steel in his dark brown eyes. She blinked in surprise, then nodded.

He hoisted the vacuum into the SUV. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

###

G
arrett picked her up an hour later and brought her back to the house for lunch, which consisted of salad, cold-cuts, and a loaf of fresh bread Carol had brought from town that morning. The older woman joined them for lunch, and Maddie learned that the housekeeper only came to Garrett’s one day per week and hadn’t had time to clean the cabins.

“I’ve been telling Mr. Garrett for a while now he should be doing something with those cabins,” the older woman explained during the meal, “and now I guess he is.”

Maddie wondered at the slight flush of red staining Garrett’s cheekbones at the comment, but before she could think any more about it, he turned the conversation to another topic.

After lunch, Garrett accompanied her down to the cabins and helped her finish dusting the walls and furniture. An alarm beeped on his fancy-looking silver watch and he muttered something to himself. “I’ve got a conference call in fifteen minutes.” He raked a hand through his charcoal hair, leaving a smudge of dust.

Once he’d left for the house, Maddie’s thoughts drifted. Who was Garrett Trask?  He helped her with the cleaning he'd hired her to do, had conference calls, and owned a large ranch. Maddie realized that although they slept in the same house, she knew surprisingly little about him.
Except that he’d rescued her. And was sexy as heck.

Maddie knew that some of her friends in the city would prefer a guy to be hot in bed and cold in his heart, but she wanted the complete package. She wanted a man to love her for herself, not because her father was a big-shot lawyer in Portland. She wanted a man who could stand on his own two feet, absolutely ruin her for all other men but also have regard for her thoughts and feelings.

She smiled wryly. Maybe that man was Garrett. It was just a shame the timing was wrong.

###

M
addie entered the kitchen the next morning, a smile on her face. She wore a mint-green T-shirt that Carol had bought for her and another pair of new, blue jeans. The housekeeper’s old gardening shoes were a lot more comfortable than her kitten heels, which she’d tossed in the closet. The aroma of sizzling bacon had tempted her growling stomach as soon as she’d opened her bedroom door.

“Morning,” she said cheerfully.

Garrett turned from the stove and grinned. “Morning. Coffee?” Before she could reply, he hit the button on the machine. Coffee hissed into a waiting cup.

“I could have done that,” she protested, secretly pleased at his attentiveness.

“Tomorrow,” he promised, bringing the coffee over to her. “I hope you’re hungry. Carol brought some extra eggs yesterday.”

“Carol does the grocery shopping?” Maddie took a sip of her coffee, appreciating again that Garrett had added cream and sugar to it.

“When I’m too busy to get to the store.” Garrett transferred a serving of bacon and eggs to a waiting plate. “But she always brings some eggs from her chickens. Apparently the hens are laying like crazy at the moment.”

He joined her at the table, placing a plate filled with bacon and eggs in front of her. “Dig in.”

Maddie forked up a bite of plump orange yolks and tantalizingly crispy bacon. Mmm. Her gaze flickered across the table. Garrett ate his breakfast with relish. When he caught her looking at him, he asked, “Everything okay?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded and took another bite. Although she’d known Garrett less than forty-eight hours, somehow she seemed able to relax and be herself around him.
Except when he looked at her that way.
The way he'd glanced at her yesterday when she’d worn her new T-shirt. Telling herself she was being silly, Maddie pushed the thought away and concentrated on savoring every mouthful of her bacon and eggs.

The doorbell rang when she’d carried her plate to the sink. “I’ll get it.” Garrett strode out of the kitchen. A couple of minutes later he was back with a box. “Delivery man.” He held out the package to her.

Maddie’s eyes lit up. She tore open the box, holding up her handbag. “My purse!” She unzipped the leather bag, noticing her phone nestled inside. An envelope was addressed to her, but she decided to read it later. Pulling out her wallet, she flicked through it. Her credit cards, driver's license, and small amount of cash were all there.

She looked up at Garrett and grinned. “Now I can buy those shoes from the store.”

He frowned. “Just put anything you buy today on my account. We can sort it out later.”

Maddie shook her head. She was used to being independent and paying her own way.

“I insist.” His voice was firm.

She shot him a teasing look, secretly planning on paying for her purchases herself. “We’ll see.”

###

“T
hose jeans look good on you, hon,” a short, plump woman called out as Maddie entered the clothing store
.
Garrett had dropped her off, saying he had a few things to do in town, and he’d pick her up in about half an hour. As Maddie looked around the store, she wondered if thirty minutes would be long enough.

“Thanks,” Maddie replied, unable to keep the smile off her face. “Carol bought them from here yesterday.”

“You must be Garrett’s friend.” In her forties, the woman came around the counter to greet her. “I’m Donna.“

“Maddie.” Should she tell the other woman she was actually Garrett’s employee? But, she reasoned, although she’d only met him two days ago, she did consider him her friend.

“Did everything fit okay?”

Maddie nodded. “Everything was great. In fact, I’d love to buy some more jeans. And shoes. Carol mentioned a pair she thought would be good for around the ranch.”

Donna frowned. “I might have one pair of jeans left. Let me check.” She disappeared into the back for a minute and then came out, carrying a pair of faded blue jeans. “This is all I’ve got in your size.”

“Can I try them on?” She’d always loved the color of faded blue denim
.
And the shade of these jeans reminded her of Garrett’s, and the way they molded themselves to his butt. Just thinking of him brought a touch of heat to her cheeks.

“Sure.” Donna held open the curtain to a small changing room. “Is there anything else you’d like to look at?

“Bras?” Maddie hoped she didn’t sound as reluctant as she felt. But there was no way she could keep wearing this bra that felt like she was being constricted, very slowly, all day long.

“Over here.” The older woman led her to a section tucked away from the main part of the store.

Sturdy cotton bras and delicate, lacy fripperies dangled side by side. Maddie brushed her finger over a silky, pale blue bra, edged with the softest lace. She held up the hanger and noticed it came with a matching set of panties. Smiling to herself, she realized if this was in her size, she could wear it with her new light blue T-shirt and the faded blue jeans she held in her arms. Then another, more risqué thought occurred to her. Would Garrett ever see her in this lingerie?

Finding the matching set in her size, Maddie also scooped up a couple of pairs of plain cotton bras that looked as if they might give her comfortable support without digging into her.

Entering the changing room, she swiftly took off her clothes and tried on each bra. The cotton bras fit exactly as she'd hoped, while the luxurious blue bra showcased her generous breasts, but wasn’t quite as comfortable to wear, thanks to the hard edge of underwire. But the matching panties ... The thought of Garrett seeing her dressed - or undressed like this, made her determined to buy the lingerie set.

As she tried on the pair of jeans, Maddie told herself to be sensible.
He’ll probably never see you in your underwear.
But a girl could dream, couldn’t she?

Coming out of the fitting room, she placed the clothes on the counter with a smile. “I’ll take everything.” The faded denims had fit just as well as the jeans she wore now. Why didn’t she have this much luck buying clothes in Portland?

“On Garrett’s account?” Donna started to scan the purchases.

“No.” Maddie pulled out her wallet. “On my credit card.” At the end of the counter, a box of linen hankies caught her eye. “And these.” The next time the dust in the cabins made her sneeze, she wanted to be prepared.

“Sure thing, hon.”

As Donna gave back her card, Maddie suddenly remembered Carol’s recommendation. “Shoes,” she blurted out.

Donna snapped her fingers. “That’s right.” She led her over to the footwear section. “I seem to recall Carol looking at this pair.” Donna held up a pair of brown lace-ups. Maddie turned them over. She preferred flats to heels anyway, and these shoes, although practical and sturdy, did look cute.

After discovering they fitted, she spied a pair of pretty pink slippers sporting feather trim. Although it was summer, the evenings were cold at the ranch, and wearing slippers instead of just socks at night seemed like a great idea.

She’d just taken the shoes and slippers to the counter when the bell tinkled and Garrett entered the store.

###

G
arrett looked at Maddie appreciatively as he walked toward her. He’d been right about her having a figure that wouldn’t quit. His groin tightened and he made himself focus on the fluffy slippers placed on the counter.

Picturing her in his T-shirt and just those slippers when she said goodnight to him wasn’t helping his current situation at all. He
really
needed to get a hold of himself.

“How are you going?” Her scent teased him, peaches and vanilla. Soft and silky, her rich chestnut hair practically dared him to run his fingers through it. He dropped his hand in the nick of time.

She turned around and smiled. “Great. I found the shoes Carol mentioned.”

He looked at the purchases on the counter. “Put everything on my account, Donna.” His confident tone made the older woman pause in the middle of scanning the shoes.

“Maddie’s already paid for her clothes.” Donna gestured to the two bags that contained the jeans and lingerie.

Garrett’s lips firmed but he didn’t say anything for a moment.

“And I can pay for the shoes and slippers too.” Maddie fished out her wallet and placed her credit card on the counter.

“Put the shoes and these slippers on my account.” There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he glanced at the feather-trimmed fancies.

“Sure thing, Garrett.” Donna cast Maddie an apologetic look and finished scanning the footwear.

“Garrett,” Maddie hissed, picking up her credit card and reluctantly replacing it in her wallet.

“Maddie.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We’ll talk about it later.”

###

G
arrett’s warm breath stirred her delicate nerve-endings, and her spine tingled. She didn’t know whether standing so close to him was a good idea or not.

He scooped up the purchases. “Thanks, Donna.”

The older woman nodded. “Nice to meet you, Maddie.”

“You too, Donna.”

Somehow, Garrett easily opened the door for her, although he was carrying everything.

“Let me.” Maddie reached for a bag, but he shook his head.

“I’ve got it.” The SUV was parked outside, and he placed the bags in the back. “How about a hot chocolate?”

A cool breeze laced the sunny day, making it perfect weather for a hot chocolate. And she was touched that Garrett remembered her preference. Howard on the other hand...

They entered the chain coffee shop a few stores away. Maddie experienced a slight feeling of déjà vu as they found a table and Garrett ordered their drinks at the counter. She looked down at her jeans and T-shirt. Except today, she wasn’t a runaway bride.

Maddie heard Garrett laugh and glanced over at the register. The girl making the drinks was a slim strawberry-blond in her early twenties, flirting up a storm with him. Maddie frowned, her tension easing slightly when she watched Garrett shake his head and say, "Sorry," before picking up the drinks. But why should that girl flirting with
her employer
annoy her?
Because you want him to be more than that...