To Tempt a Cowgirl (26 page)

“And is he?” Gina asked with a hint of a smile.

“As near as I can tell, no.” Serena turned her attention to the menu in front of her. “I’m starving. What’s the best thing you offer? And no fair saying everything.”

“Well,” Gina said, cocking a hip. “That depends on whether you eat like a rancher or an urbanite.”

“I see...well, if I said urbanite, what would you recommend?”

“We have an egg-white omelet or fresh melon, berry and yogurt parfait.”

“Rancher?”

“Steak and eggs, or hash and eggs.”

“Steak and eggs,” Serena said, slapping the menu shut. “Any chance of getting a Bloody Mary to go with that?”

Gina laughed. “We can’t serve alcohol.”

“And you’re driving,” Gabe muttered.

“It was a hypothetical question.”

Gina turned to Gabe, still smiling. “The usual?” she asked and he nodded.

“Which is?” Serena asked once Gina had gathered the menus and left.

“Fresh melon, berry and yogurt parfait.”

“You weenie.”

“You’re talking to your boss.”

Serena blew out a breath, then reached across the table to pat his hand. “And my friend, whom I might come to for advice someday.”

“Please tell me it won’t be about your love life.”

She lifted one shoulder in an eloquent shrug. “No promises.”

Gabe simply shook his head. “Really?”

“I can’t help it. I love him.”

“Take it slowly,” he said. It was the only thing he could think of to say that didn’t sound like a platitude.

“I’m not going to ask you if Neal has ever talked to you...”

“Neal doesn’t talk.”

She let out a short breath. “I know.”

And that, Gabe suspected, had been part of the problem in their relationship. Neal appeared to be a wide-open guy, but the things that mattered most to him, he kept to himself. Serena needed to know those things, share those things. Perceived secrets didn’t do well in a relationship.

When Gina arrived with their breakfasts five minutes later, they’d hammered out a tentative work schedule. Gabe intended to bid on two projects and wanted to do site visits and there were several client meetings that couldn’t be pushed back. Plus, he needed an answer on the Lightning Creek.

“Here’s the deal,” Serena said as they walked back to the car. “Neal is worried about Stewart’s health.”

“I know.”

“He thinks this will take his blood pressure down a few notches.”

“No guarantees there.”

“Agreed.” Gabe opened the door for her and she slid in the passenger side. “I think we’re getting close.” Dani had mentioned talking to her sisters again the last time he’d seen her. He’d smiled and told her no pressure. Yeah. No pressure.

Damn. He hated the feeling he was working her. It honestly was time to come clean. He just couldn’t tell Neal.

* * *

S
O
G
ABE HAD
had breakfast with a blonde. Good-looking one, too, according to Gina, who’d called to warn her that Kyle might be getting hold of her to spread rumors, but there was nothing to worry about because the woman was Gabe’s assistant. Kyle hadn’t called and Dani wasn’t quite sure how she felt about Gina—and Kyle—assuming that Gabe having breakfast with another woman might concern her. Especially Kyle.

Was she really that transparent?

Dani coiled the lead rope she carried and hung it in the tack room. Did it even matter if she was transparent? Other than her own feelings of caution, which were rapidly evaporating, she had no reason not to be open about her relationship with Gabe.

Except that they hadn’t exactly defined their relationship. The one thing Dani did know was that when she was with him, she was totally content to live in the moment, focus on her time with him. She didn’t need anything else.

With that thought, she grabbed a smaller halter and headed back to the horse pens. Two horses down, two to go before lunch. The Thoroughbred’s owner was picking up today and since Gabe was riding Molly exclusively, she had room for two more clients. Better yet, she had four on a waiting list. Marti had finally backed off—probably because she and Paul had a waiting list six times as long as Dani’s.

A shadow fell over her as she opened the gate and she swung around to see Gabe standing there. A goofy smile spread across her face before she caught herself.

“So...out with a blonde, I hear?”

“Did you hear that from Kyle?”

“Gina.” For a moment she simply stared at him, feeling the sexual eddies start to swirl around them. “Not that I cared,” she said lightly as he took a step forward. “Much.” She inhaled as he brought his hands up to slowly caress the sides of her neck. “You have your friends and I have mine.”

“She’s my assistant.”

“I know.”

He leaned down to take her lips. “I figured you would by now.”

“I wouldn’t have cared.”

“Much.”

“Much,” she echoed as his tongue started a slow exploration of her mouth. She pulled back after a long moment and said, “I have to keep schedule.”

He let go of her and stepped back. “I know. I thought maybe I could see you tonight.”

A rush of anticipation shot through her as it always did at the prospect of getting naked with him. “Seven?”

“Six. I’ll bring steaks over and cook for you. We can eat at seven.”

“Or maybe eight?” she asked with an innocent bat of her eyes.

“Or nine,” he said, meeting her look with a wicked smile.

“Nine it is,” she said as a truck pulling a horse trailer turned into the driveway. “I guess my new client is a little early—by the way, how’d you get here?”

“I walked.”

“Burning energy?”

“Not the way I want to, but yes...”

Again the warmth spread through her as she met his hungry look. Oh, yes. Tonight was going to be...memorable. But until then, she had work to do.

“If you want to, you can borrow the old truck to go home. Bring it back tonight.”

“Why then I’d be stranded for the evening.”

“Oh, darn,” she said before moving forward to greet the woman getting out of her truck. “The keys are in it.”

“Thanks,” Gabe said in a low voice. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Dani smiled at him, then called out a hello to her new client as Gabe headed off to where the old truck was parked next to the barn.

Tonight couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

A
FTER RETURNING HOME
, Gabe walked straight to his fridge and dug out a beer, popping the top before the fridge door was all the way shut. He drank deeply, then wandered over to his drafting table. He’d tell her the truth tonight. It wasn’t that bad. Stewart Widmeyer honestly was his friend and he honestly wanted the property.

So why did he feel so freaking guilty about not telling Dani the truth in the first place—especially when he really couldn’t have, for fear that Jeffries would get wind of it.

He’d been cautious, but not dishonest. He hadn’t told any lies—he just hadn’t been totally forthright and that would be rectified.

His only real concern was how Dani would take her family ranch being turned into a golf course. Once she sold, she had to realize that things could change. The place could be subdivided or resold at any time. She had a deep connection to the ranch, but not so deep that she hadn’t been unwilling to sell after the divorce.

He pressed the cold can to his forehead. This was going to be fine. He and Dani understood each other and she’d understand why he had to proceed as he did. He finished the beer, then sat down for a few hours’ work on the proposal package he was putting together.

Sometime in the early afternoon, the sound of tires on gravel brought his head up. Craning his neck from where he sat at the drafting table, he could just see the front of a white SUV—the sheriff’s office?

Pushing back the chair, he got to his feet and headed for the door, wondering just what good old Kyle wanted now. And he wanted something—that much was evident from the cat-with-the-canary smile he wore.

“Deputy,” Gabe said after opening the door to find Kyle already standing on his porch, ready to ring the bell. “What can I do for you?”

“It’s more like what I can do for you,” he said.

Gabe leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. “I wasn’t aware that I needed anything that I don’t already have.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“I don’t follow you,” Gabe said, allowing himself a perplexed frown, all the while thinking, what the hell does this guy know?

Kyle pressed his lips together as if carefully choosing his words. Then he looked up, his gaze sharp as he said, “I think you want the Lightning Creek Ranch and I can help you get it.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

G
ABE MADE A
conscious effort to relax the muscles in his hand before he said, “What are you talking about?”

Kyle rocked back on his heels. “You want the Lightning Creek,” he repeated. “I imagine you want it for some kind of development.”

Gabe’s insides went cold. “I’m on vacation.”

“You have a connection to the Widmeyers.”

What a great time to find out that old Kyle wasn’t as stupid as Gabe had thought he was. Gabe was no slouch at thinking on his feet, and the first thing he needed to do was to figure out how to play this to gain more information and a bit of time. Calmly he said, “Maybe you could tell me just how you came to this conclusion.”

Kyle smiled as if Gabe had just said, “You got me. I’m working for Widmeyer.”

“Well,” he said, “it’s pretty obvious, what with you being out with that Widmeyer lady this morning and telling Gina she’s your assistant.”

Now it was getting weird. How in the hell did Kyle know who Serena was? He’d seen her for all of ten or twenty seconds this morning. The smug smile grew wider. “Surprised?” he asked softly.

Gabe didn’t answer. Instead he waited for Kyle’s ego to take over, give him a bit more information, so that he had something to work with. He didn’t have to wait long.

“I know Ms. Widmeyer, you see, because I pulled her over for speeding about a year ago. She’s very memorable.”

That she was, but Gabe had no idea that Serena had even been in the area back when Timberline was still in Widmeyer hands. But he’d been working solely on independent projects back then.

“I didn’t think Montana was strict about speed.”

“She was going really fast,” Kyle said with a smirk. “But she was good—very matter-of-fact. She didn’t try to talk me out of the ticket. She just made small talk while I wrote her up. Told me how good the resort was going to be for the community.” Kyle nodded a little. “She was right. It was.”

“I heard it provided a nice shot in the economic arm,” Gabe allowed.

“So imagine what two resorts will do for the area.” Gabe gave him a polite look, because all he could do at this point was bluff. “I’ve been thinking about this ever since I saw her—Widmeyer lost that place. Now she’s back and meeting with you. You’re leasing this house that costs a shitload of money, when there are a dozen cheaper almost-as-nice places to rent. You’ve been being really
nice
to Dani... Well, I figure something’s cooking and I think you’re looking at buying the Lightning Creek, expanding your holdings.”

“You’re real good at deduction, Kyle.”

“I have my moments. Also—” he smiled with a touch of false humility “—Allie said something about cutting all ties with the place last time we talked.”

“She’s still talking to you?”

“Which is good for you,” Kyle said flatly.

“I’m not saying you’re right,” Gabe said, “but given the relationship you have with the Brody sisters, I’m kind of wondering just how you think you can help a person who wanted to buy the place.”

“Allie and I have had our differences, but I know the Brodys and I know how to work them. Pretty much, I know how to work one sister against the other. Right now you have two that want to sell, one that’s probably ambivalent and one that’ll fight to keep the place. They made an all-or-nothing pact. I think I can change your situation to all. Right now, the way things stand, it’s nothing.”

Gabe took a step closer. “If I accepted help, then what do you get?”

“Finder’s fee.”

“How much?”

“I’m not greedy. Five percent of the sale.”

“Very reasonable...if I were in the market for help. Which I am not.”

“You’ll need it. These ladies are stubborn.”

“I’m still working on how you would sway them. Is Dani going to start experiencing a lot of strange occurrences? Horses released in the night and broken water pipes?”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But his face started to go red—the curse of bad liars and the fair-skinned. Kyle was both. “And no, I wouldn’t do shit like that.”

“What would you do?” Gabe asked softly.

Kyle shook his head. “Waste my time, it looks like.”

“My reasons for being here are none of your business,” Gabe said. “And if you harass Dani or her sisters in any way, I’ll have to do something about it.”

Kyle took a half step forward, his hand on his utility belt. “Yeah? Like what?”

“To begin with, I’d contact your boss.”

“You have nothing to report to him.”

“Nothing I can prove anyway, right?”

“Look. I came here to do you a favor. Plain and simple. No skin off my nose if you don’t want my help.”

“No skin except for not getting the finder’s fee.”

“Look, asshole—”

Gabe took a quick step forward before he could stop himself, but then he unclenched his fists, flexed his fingers, reminded himself that while he could still mop up the porch with the guy, he was no longer the kid that settled things with his fists. Or he wouldn’t be unless Kyle messed with Dani.

“For the record,” he told Kyle, “Serena is no longer a Widmeyer. She’s now my assistant. I work for myself.”

“Yeah? Well, I don’t notice you saying you’re not interested in the Lightning Creek.”

Gabe folded his arms over his chest and gave the guy a stony stare. He wasn’t going to lie, but he wasn’t going to help him out, either. “I’m saying my business is none of yours and that you’d damn well better leave Dani and her sisters alone.”