He stared at the tree limbs crisscrossing above him. This was nice, and he didn’t regret anything they’d done, either. He’d told himself after he discovered Nikki was a reporter out to get a story, he didn’t have to give her one, and he wouldn’t.
“I can’t believe you don’t have a girlfriend,” she said, breaking the silence.
And the moment was destroyed. One little sentence and she’d killed it.
“I’m a free agent,” he said.
“So you’ve never been engaged?”
Damn, if he didn’t know who she really was, he’d probably be spilling his guts right now. Telling her things that would end up in an article for the world to read. Except he did know better.
“I was engaged once, but it didn’t work out,” he said. Before she could probe further, he asked a question of his own. “What about you? Ever gotten close to the altar?”
“No. Marriage is way down on the bottom of my list of things to do. So, who was she?”
“Who was who?”
“The girl you almost married.”
“I didn’t marry her and that should be all that matters.”
“I guess every woman wants to know her predecessor.”
Cal turned in a way so that she was half beneath him. His lips found hers. She moaned when he deepened the kiss, but he abruptly ended it before he could go very far and jumped up instead.
“I promised Brian I would help at the ranch this afternoon.”
She frowned. “I think most of the afternoon is already gone.”
“So I guess I’d better get back.” He pulled on his briefs, then his jeans.
She didn’t look too happy, but she stood and reached for her clothes and began to reluctantly pull them on.
Damn, she was temptation. He quickly averted his eyes and grabbed for his shirt.
As soon as they were dressed, he helped Nikki mount. He played the perfect guide on the way back to the homestead, pointing out different kinds of trees. Once a jackrabbit popped his head up, long ears straight in the air. He kept the conversation going so she wouldn’t have a chance to ask any questions about Cynthia.
She didn’t look happy when he left her at the cabin. But she also didn’t have any fodder for a story, either.
Damn, he was good. He was still smiling when he rode up to the barn at the ranch. Barracuda, yeah, well she’d just met a shark.
Chapter 17
Brian walked around the side of the swimming pool, careful not to get too close to the little Darnell boys, who were splashing wildly. Jim Darnell was lazing in one of the lounge chairs but keeping a watchful eye on his sons. The boys’ father actually looked as if he were half dead. It must have been an active day for them.
“Do you remember when we had that much energy?” Jim asked without moving from his seat.
Brian looked at the boys. For just a second he saw a pasture with trees and low hills. He saw him and Cal racing across the space until their lungs felt as though they would burst from lack of oxygen.
Yeah, he remembered.
He also remembered Cal had wanted him to go riding, and for a moment, when they’d been talking, Brian had recaptured something that had been lost between them.
But then he’d thought about canceling when something business-related came up. He’d need to go out of town on Friday. It hadn’t even been that big of a deal, and he wondered why he’d even considered leaving. Cal was right: Brian needed to relax more, and maybe he wanted to spend a little more time with Cal. They hadn’t done a lot of things together since his brother arrived.
“It would be nice to have an overabundance of energy,” Brian told the father as he returned his attention to the young family. “Did you have a good day?”
“We went on an arrowhead hunt. I think your foreman took us over nearly all of the south end of the ranch on horseback, and now swimming.” He nodded toward his sons. “They’re like that battery bunny rabbit.”
They laughed. Yeah, he had a feeling his grandparents had felt the same way about him and Cal.
Katie Darnell came out to join her husband and sons. There was something different about her. She practically glowed. She didn’t look nearly as tired as when they’d first arrived. Apparently, she’d had a good day, too.
Jim studied her. “It looks like you enjoyed your massage. You look beautiful.”
She smiled. “Celeste was wonderful. Not only did she have the most intoxicating fragrance filling the room, but after my massage, which totally relaxed me, she brewed me a cup of tea that she said was a special blend and had the cook send over some cookies. I felt very pampered.”
Tea? Cookies? Brian could feel the color drain from his face. Had she brewed one of his guests something she’d concocted from her herbs? Oh, hell. Visions of a lawsuit filled his mind.
“In fact,” Katie continued, “I’ve never felt this good ever. It’s almost as though she added something to the tea to make me feel so wonderful.” She laughed.
Great, drugs. Hell, Celeste had even looked liked a hippie when she’d first arrived. Brian gritted his teeth and drew in a deep breath.
“I’m glad you enjoyed your time at the spa,” Brian told her. “I’ll be sure to pass on your compliments to Celeste. In fact, I’ll do it right now. If you’ll excuse me.” He opened the French doors and went inside.
What if Celeste had given Ms. Darnell some kind of narcotic? Hell, it wouldn’t just be a lawsuit he’d be looking at. He could see the cops showing up in a late-night raid, all that he’d worked for destroyed. Damn it, he’d been afraid something like this would happen.
His jaw began to twitch as he strode inside the spa. For once, the tranquil atmosphere did nothing to calm him.
“Mr. Braxton, did you need something?” Rhonda asked as she looked up from behind her desk.
“Celeste?”
“In the therapy room.”
He didn’t stop but walked right toward it and went inside. Celeste was putting clean sheets on the table but looked up when he entered. He shut the door behind him, hoping whatever was said would go no further than this room. He’d give her enough money to leave and he’d make up something to explain why she’d taken off.
But first, he had to know what was in the tea. “What did you give Ms. Darnell?”
“Katie?”
“That’s the only Ms. Darnell that I know, so yes, what did you give her?”
“A massage.” She tucked in a corner of the sheet.
“After that?”
“I had Betty send over some cookies.”
He counted to five. “The tea. What was in the tea?”
She was beginning to look a little worried, and so she should. He couldn’t have an employee drugging his guests.
“I’m not sure. It was your tea.”
“My tea?” Some of his anger began to dissipate.
She nodded, then reached behind her for a box. “Spicy chai tea.” She pointed to the words on the box. “Special blend. I thought it sounded good so I brewed us a cup. Is something wrong with Katie? I feel fine, and Rhonda had a cup.”
“My tea?”
“It was in the supply closet. Apparently, Amy ordered it but never used it. I thought Katie needed extraspecial attention because she seemed so frazzled. After the massage, I had Rhonda brew the tea and Betty send over a plate of cookies. I think Katie just needed some female conversation to feel like a woman again. I thought it had worked.” She worried her bottom lip.
“That’s all you did?”
She nodded. Man, how wrong could he have been?
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For thinking…” His brow creased.
Understanding slowly dawned on her face. “You thought I’d drugged her?”
But rather than being insulted, she was smiling, then laughing at his misconceptions about her. And why shouldn’t she? He’d made a total ass out of himself.
“Again, I apologize.”
“Apology accepted. It’s not like you know that much about me, so it’s okay that you’d be a little suspicious.”