“What are you doing here, Cynthia?”
Cynthia’s lips pouted even more, if that was possible. “I missed you. I thought by now you would’ve forgotten about our little disagreement. I know I should’ve waited for you to propose before I announced our engagement, but I misunderstood your intentions. We could start over, though.”
He glanced toward Nikki. That little bit of news didn’t look as though it sat well with her.
“I thought you broke off the engagement because he was running around with other women,” Nikki said.
Cynthia raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows. “My Cal never even looked at another woman when we were dating. He didn’t have to because I was all the woman he needed.” Her gaze slid over Nikki. Cynthia curled her lip. “Who are you?”
“She doesn’t matter,” Cal broke in.
“I didn’t think she did, darling.”
Nikki planted her hands on her hips. “Now I don’t matter?”
“That’s not what I meant.” Hell, he didn’t know what he meant anymore.
“I guess the wild youth, the drinking, the steroids were all a lie, too.”
“Are you accusing Cal of taking steroids and drinking?” Cynthia asked. “He’s never done drugs and he certainly isn’t an alcoholic!”
“You lied about everything,” Nikki accused.
“Yeah, I lied.” Cal couldn’t believe Nikki was pissed off. “I told you exactly what you wanted to hear.” He glared at her. “And you accuse me of lying? What about you?”
“All you had to do was throw me off the property, but no, you had to make me pay. The milking, putting me on a horse when you knew damned well I’d never ridden one, gathering eggs, churning butter, that frigging rooster from hell.” She threw her hands in the air. “Then you seduced me!”
“I seduced you?” He glared at her. “Lady, I think you have your facts wrong. You’re the one who seduced me.”
Cynthia’s mouth dropped open as she looked from him to Nikki. “You…you slept with her?”
“No,” Nikki’s words dripped with sarcasm. “We only had sex. There was no sleeping involved.”
“But you love me, Cal.”
Cal ran a hand through his hair, grimacing when he looked at Cynthia. “No, I don’t love you. I didn’t ask you to marry me. We only went on four dates. I don’t think I even like you.”
“Oh! Oh!” Cynthia stomped her foot. “I’m telling Daddy. You’ll be so sorry for treating me like this, Cal Braxton!” She marched to her car and climbed in. She was gone in a flash and a cloud of dust.
“Just print what you want because I don’t give a damn,” he told Nikki, fed up with all women. He turned and stomped back to the front door but stopped at the last second and faced her again. “Consider yourself thrown off this ranch, and I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t come back.”
“That’s fine with me. I was leaving anyway.”
“Of course you were. You thought you had all the dirt you needed.”
She opened her mouth but snapped it shut at the last minute. He wondered what she’d been about to say but then figured it was probably another lie.
She jerked open the car door and climbed inside, following in the wake of Cynthia’s dust.
“Good riddance!” He yelled, even though she wouldn’t have heard him. He went inside, nearly tripping over Brian and Celeste. “What? Have you nothing better to do than eavesdrop?”
“It was kind of hard not to hear,” Brian said while Celeste guiltily downed her head.
“Well, it’s over.”
“You should be happy. You’ve killed two birds with one stone.” Brian laughed.
Cal had no idea what his brother found so amusing. He was certain Brian would explain.
“You slept with the reporter,” Brian said.
Cal frowned. “Yeah, so what?”
Brian grinned. “You also said she reminded you of that old nag Grandpa had. The one with the buckteeth.” He shook his head. “Either you need glasses or there was a spark of interest and you were afraid I might get in on the action.”
“I wasn’t interested,” he growled.
“I think I have a massage or something,” Celeste said, but before she could escape, Brian grabbed her hand.
“I’d say you didn’t want me to go near her, so you lied about her looks. Not getting territorial are you, brother?” Brian asked, looking smug.
“I could care less about her. Now, if the inquisition is over, I think I’ll go to my room and lie down.” He strode past Brian.
“You’re limping. What happened? Tornado finally realize she could do better?”
He sighed and turned back around. “If you must know, I took Nikki fishing and she hooked me.”
“I’d say she hooked you in more ways than one.”
“Whatever.”
His brother was losing his mind. Yeah, so he’d liked Nikki, but look where it had gotten him. He shook his head. No telling what she’d write about him, either. His short laugh held no humor. Whatever she wrote, he doubted it would be good. He hoped she was proud of herself.
He went inside his room and closed the door. Maybe he should’ve thrown her off the property when she’d first arrived and Jeff had told him who she was. His idea to teach her a lesson had backfired.
He lay down on the bed as exhaustion swept over him. But when he closed his eyes, all he saw was Nikki. Nikki milking the cow, even though he could tell she hated touching the animal, but then later, he’d caught her petting Bessie. He smiled. So she hadn’t been as fierce as she’d pretended.
She hadn’t backed down from anything, either. He liked that about her. Cynthia had been a damsel in distress. There was nothing shy and retiring about Nikki.
She hadn’t been at all shy when they’d made love, either. A shudder of regret rippled over him as he remembered how she’d felt, how she’d tasted.
Cal jerked to a sitting position, wincing when the skin pulled taut around the area where he’d been hooked.
What the hell was he going to do now? His career would more than likely be over when Cynthia told her daddy that Cal had broken her heart. Her father spoiled her and Cal didn’t really think the man would let anything slide when it concerned his little girl.
Yep, he was pretty much screwed. Add the article Nikki would write and he could see his career going down the tube.
Brian had once suggested they become partners in the ranch. His idea was starting to look like Cal’s only choice between eating and starving. God, he really hated the country.
“What are you smiling about?” Celeste asked Brian. He still held her hand. She found she was reluctant to pull hers away. It was very comforting. That, and his touch, sent little tingles of pleasure up and down her arms.
“My brother’s in love.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “With whom?” Was there a third woman in the triangle? It all sounded very confusing to her.
“Nikki.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, yeah, he’s in love.”
She looked at her feet, then back at him, chewing her bottom lip. “I told Nikki that Cal knew she was a reporter, but only because I thought he must’ve been joking with you. I mean, she certainly didn’t look like an old nag.” She took a deep breath. “And that’s what you’d told me. I’m sorry if I ruined it for him.”
“You didn’t ruin anything.” He kissed her on top of her head. “My brother is a good judge of character. His gut instinct about people is always right on the mark. I think he sensed Nikki was a good person. I also think he likes her more than he wants to admit right now.”
“But she’s gone.”
He looked down at her, his eyes filled with warmth. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”
She could feel the color drain from her face. That’s what her mother had always said.
His forehead wrinkled in worry. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that I remember my mother telling me that very same thing.”