Loe raamatut: «So Tough To Tame»

CHAPTER ONE

RAIN SNAKED DOWN the windshield of his F-150 in lazy rivers as Walker Pearce waited for the stoplight to turn green. Jackson Town Square was deserted, but the light waited for nonexistent tourists to make their way across the street. He hit the windshield wipers, wishing they could wipe the phantom trace of her fingers from his skin, as well. The cab of the truck still smelled like her perfume.

Ignoring the rain, he cracked his window, then pulled forward when the light turned.

It wasn’t that he hated her. It was just that he’d thought she’d really wanted to talk when she’d called. But, of course, that wasn’t what Nicole had wanted from him. It never was.

He knew his scruples weren’t exactly sound. He’d kissed her, yes. In fact, they would’ve had sex one night if they hadn’t gotten spooked by a near interruption. So no, he couldn’t pretend that he was above such things, exactly. But somehow, messing around with the ranch owner’s wife had felt less wrong when it had been...happenstance. An unexpected moment alone in the tack room. An accidental meeting after a summer party. He hadn’t meant it. Neither had she. Or so he’d told himself.

But now that he was no longer working at the Fletcher Guest Ranch, Nicole couldn’t leave it to chance. She’d called and asked him to meet her by Old Warm Springs. It was important, she’d said. She’d needed to see him. He’d liked that. Feeling important to a woman like her. But he’d mistaken the word.

Walker scrubbed a hand over his mouth, thinking he’d have to shave his beard if the smell of her skin wouldn’t wash off.

He hadn’t had sex with her this time, either, despite the way she’d climbed onto his lap and pressed herself against him. He wasn’t sure why he was so determined to protect her marriage. She didn’t seem to care all that much. Before he’d gotten fired from the ranch, Walker had told her they couldn’t do it because he worked for her husband, because they’d be doing it under the man’s roof, because he’d be fired if they got caught. But those things didn’t matter now, so why did he feel even less tempted?

Maybe she’d just picked the wrong meeting spot. The springs had reminded him of junior high, and swimming with girls who’d made his head spin with fascinated lust when sex had seemed unattainable and dangerously romantic.

Sex was no longer unattainable and there was nothing romantic about the danger with Nicole. She just made him sad. And he was worried that everyone at the ranch suspected. He’d been fired for yet another paperwork screwup, but being fired over paperwork wasn’t one of the most common stories told around a campfire. It had been an excuse. Walker had known that and so had his manager. Walker had no idea if that meant Nicole’s husband knew, or if it was a matter of rumors just becoming too much for management to ignore.

Whatever the reason, seeing her felt wrong now, but his refusal had seriously pissed Nicole off. Maybe she wouldn’t call again.

He felt only relief at the idea as he parked his truck in front of his apartment and got out. But instead of heading into the building, he crossed the lawn and walked toward the old saloon next door.

Truthfully, he missed the ranch. He missed his dog. He needed a drink, and fast.

“Hey!” Jenny Stone called from behind the bar as soon as he walked in. “You’re just the man I was looking for!”

Walker couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his face. Jenny was a damn cute blonde. “Oh, yeah? Is there something Nate ain’t giving you, darlin’? I’d be happy to oblige.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “You wish.”

“True enough. But I do try to steer clear of a woman whose boyfriend carries a gun. Tends to leave a mark.” He took off his hat and grabbed a stool.

“The usual?”

When he nodded, she drew a beer and shot a nervous look toward the back of the saloon. Walker turned to look, but the place was nearly empty at 3:00 p.m. on a rainy Tuesday.

She slid him his beer and leaned close. “You remember Charlie Allington?”

For a moment, Walker had no idea who Jenny was talking about. He’d worked with a damn lot of cowboys in his day, some who’d come and gone so quickly that he’d never even learned their names. “Charlie,” he repeated, looking for a memory. The one that popped into his head shocked the hell out of him. “Oh, Charlie! Of course.”

He and Charlie Allington—known as Charlotte only if you were trying to irritate her—had gone to high school together. In fact, she’d been his tutor for all of his junior year. “It’s been a long time,” he said.

“So Charlie is Nate’s cousin. Once removed or second cousin or however that works.”

“Is she doing okay?” Last he’d heard, she’d moved to Vegas for a big job.

“She’s great. She’s back in town, working at one of the Teton resorts as a security manager, and she called Nate to ask if he knew a place she could stay.”

“And you suggested my place?” he asked with an automatic wink. But he felt guilty as soon as he said it. The last time he’d seen Charlie she’d been a sweet teenage girl whose number-one interest had been the track team.

“Oh, I know your door’s always open, but I need something else.”

“What?”

She smiled and cocked her head. “A favor.”

He eyed her fluttering lashes suspiciously.

“Rayleen has been complaining about the Stud Farm being invaded by a swarm of women.”

“I’d hardly call Merry a swarm.”

“Yeah, well, she’s still pissed that Grace moved out and talked Rayleen into letting Merry stay. She was hoping to pack the place with nothing but big hotties again this winter.” She nudged his elbow. “As usual.”

He gave her another grin. Old Rayleen owned the apartment building next to the saloon. She had a long history of only renting to young men, and since the house had once been the Studd homestead before it’d been broken up into apartments and modernized, the town had started calling it the Stud Farm.

Last year, Rayleen had reluctantly broken with her lecherous tradition and let her great-niece move in. Then her niece’s best friend.

“What does this have to do with Charlie?” Walker asked.

“Um...I was hoping you might talk Rayleen into renting to your old friend Charlie. You know, just another cowboy looking for a place to crash for the winter.”

“Another— Oh, no. No way. Rayleen likes me.”

“Rayleen loves you!” Jenny interrupted. “That’s why she’ll let Charlie move in without even seeing her. And by the time she’s moved in, even Rayleen wouldn’t be mean enough to evict her. Not to mention it’d be illegal to blatantly kick out a tenant for being female.”

“What about kicking out a tenant for lying about a new renter?” he grouched.

“She’ll forgive you. You’re too big and handsome and sexy for her to hold a grudge.” She fluttered her eyelashes again.

“I like it a lot better when you don’t have an ulterior motive for calling me sexy.”

“But that’s the only time I call you sexy, so catch-22.”

He grinned. “You sure about that, Jenny?”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “Save your magic for Rayleen, cowboy.”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you trick her into renting a place to Charlie and leave me out of it?”

“No way. Rayleen’s my boss. She can fire me. She can’t fire you.” Jenny nudged his half-empty beer. “That beer’s on the house if you do it.”

“One beer? I haven’t been out of work that long. I’m not desperate.”

“One beer and the gratitude of Deputy Nate Hendricks. That could come in handy. A cop on your side. And think of your old friend Charlie!”

Yeah. Cute little Charlie. She needed a place to stay. And the Stud Farm was one of the few cheap, nice options in this tourist town. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Yea!” Jenny cried, confident she’d won him over.

Walker shook his head and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was too long and starting to curl over his collar. He’d meant to shave his beard and get a cut weeks ago, but now it was turning cold and he couldn’t bring himself to shear any of it. Still, it would’ve given Nicole less of a hold if he’d gotten rid of it.

He downed the rest of his beer. “I’m not going to lie to an old lady. But I’ll do what I can, all right?”

“All right. Thanks. You’re the best, Walker.”

“That’s what they say.”

“You’re also incorrigible. Good thing, because here comes Rayleen.”

He grimaced and nudged his glass toward Jenny. “Free refill?”

“I thought you weren’t desperate.”

“I’m not. I’m scared.”

“All right,” she laughed. “Free refill. After you pull it off.”

Walker took a deep breath and turned with a grin to meet the harmless-looking white-haired woman. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite landlord. Hey there, Miss Rayleen.”

“Turn back around, Walker,” she snapped. “I wasn’t finished looking at your ass.”

“I’d think you’d have it all mapped out by now. You look often enough.”

“There’s no such thing as enough when it comes to a fine piece of tush, fool.”

“Why, thank you, ma’am.” His smile came more easily now. He really did love this menace of a woman. “I was just asking Jenny here where you were hiding.”

Rayleen raised a silver eyebrow and settled into her normal seat at a table at the corner of the bar. “You finally decided to up your cougar game? Ten-year age difference no longer a challenge?”

Walker felt his cheeks heat a little at that. Was she talking about Nicole? Did everyone know? But he shook it off. She was kidding, and if he didn’t want to own up to his actions, then he’d do better to behave well in the first place. “Nope. I wanted to ask about the apartment across from mine. Is it still vacant?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe. Why?”

“My old friend Charlie is looking for a place.”

“Hmph. Just how old a friend is Charlie? Some dried-up cowhand?”

“Nope. My age, give or take.”

Her eyes sparked with more interest now. “Yeah? Is he a cowboy?”

“No. More of a security expert, I believe. Works at a resort.”

She stuck a cigarette between her lips and let it dangle there. He’d never actually seen her smoke one. She just liked having them on hand, apparently. Her gaze darted down his body and then back up. “How tall is he?” The cigarette bobbed.

Walker cleared his throat and shifted. “Aw, hell, Rayleen. I don’t know. Shorter than I am.”

“Hm.”

Everyone knew Rayleen liked a lot of eye candy hanging around. Walker didn’t care. He was just happy for the chance to get a decent place at a decent price. And he could use her fondness for his ass to his advantage now. “I have heard the word ‘cute’ bandied about on occasion.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, then.” She shuffled a pack of cards with a flourish and started dealing out her first solitaire game of the day. “That snowboarding instructor I’d hoped to rent to broke his damn leg or something. Won’t be here this season. A shame. He was almost as big as you. Not sure about this whole cute thing.”

Walker shot Jenny a look and she made a hurry-up motion with her hands.

“Well,” he tried again. “I’ve known Charlie a long time. Since high school.”

“Charlie who?”

Walker rolled his shoulders. This was it. “Charlie Allington. You know the Allingtons?”

She shrugged. Charlie had left town for college, so she might never have been around after reaching legal drinking age.

“Charlie’s one of Nate’s cousins,” he clarified.

Rayleen made a noncommittal noise, but she liked Nate. Maybe that would work in their favor. Rayleen flipped over another card. Jenny hovered close by, rubbing a slow circle into the bar with a rag.

Finally Rayleen shrugged. “All right. I am getting a little tired of these seasonal workers. That last one really tore up my wood floors. What the hell was he doing in there? Playing hockey?”

He shook his head sympathetically. They’d all had to listen to Rayleen complain about refinishing those floors, but he’d heard the real reason for her anger was that the kid had called Rayleen a nasty old bitch when she’d kept his security deposit. Walker shook his head at that. What kind of punk would say something like that to a woman?

She flipped another card. “How long does he want to rent the place?”

Walker met Jenny’s eyes. “Through the winter?” She nodded.

“So he’d be up for a six-month lease?” Rayleen asked.

“I’m not sure. Probably.”

“Okay. Tell him to come on by. No pets. No water beds. A month’s rent as a security deposit up front. If I like the looks of him, I’ll offer a six-month lease. If I don’t, it’ll be month to month and he can get gone before the skiing starts.”

“Thanks, Miss Rayleen.”

She shrugged. “I ain’t doing anyone any favors. I’m just looking to fill in the next couple months of dead time before the season.”

“Aw, you’re sweeter than you let on.”

She snorted. “Not hardly, boy.”

Shit. “Here’s the thing....”

The cigarette went still between her lips and her eyes rose to meet his with a hard gaze. “What?”

Walker glanced at Jenny, who shook her head, but Rayleen would find out sooner than later, and his mama hadn’t raised him to lie to old ladies. “My old friend Charlie? Charlie is actually short for Charlotte.”

“Charlotte?” She cackled. “What kind of a name is that for a...” The amusement left her face and was quickly replaced with tight anger. “No,” she said firmly. “No, sir. I don’t care how fine your behind is in those jeans, I ain’t letting one of your floozies move in here.”

“She’s not one of my floozies! I haven’t seen her since high school!” He frowned at his beer and muttered, “Not that I have floozies.”

Rayleen snorted. “I said no, and that’s that.”

“Come on. Charlie is a great girl. And she’ll take good care of the apartment, not like some twentysomething snowboarder looking for a place to party with his friends.”

“He’s right,” Jenny finally jumped in. “The last two seasonal renters were a nightmare. And you say all the time how disgusting men are.”

“Hmph.” She took up her cards again. “They are disgusting. And idiotic. That’s why I don’t keep any in my own house. But they’re nice from a distance.”

Trying not to imagine that he and the other residents were just exotic animals in a zoo, Walker ducked down and met Rayleen’s eyes above her hand of cards. “It’s just for a few months, Rayleen. Please? As a favor to me? I’ll make sure she doesn’t play hockey in there. In fact, if she does, I’ll kick her out myself.”

Rayleen scowled. “Goddamn women. They’re starting to breed like rabbits in there. Every time I look up, there’s another.”

“Please?” he repeated, folding his hand around hers, cards and all. “For me?”

She jerked her hand away. “Fine. Just cut the shit. She can move in, but she’d better not put up any pink paint. Or frilly curtains. It ain’t a damn henhouse.”

Walker leaned in and kissed her cheek before she could get away. “I owe you, Rayleen.”

Her face went pink as she shoved him away. “Oh, go on. Stand by the bar and look pretty before I change my mind.” She was grumbling as he moved away, but Walker tossed Jenny a big smile.

“Refill?” he asked, pushing his glass toward her.

“I can’t believe you pulled it off!”

“Aw, she’s just a big softie.”

Jenny laughed so hard she had to brace herself on the bar. “Yeah. Sure. You keep telling yourself that.”

But Walker knew he was right. Rayleen was harmless, and she was going to love Charlie. He was sure of it.

* * *

“OH, CHARLOTTE, there you are!”

Charlie gritted her teeth at the sound of Dawn Taggert’s voice, but she made herself smile as she turned around to greet the other woman. She’d known her boss would likely be at this baby shower. After all, the mom-to-be was one of their old friends from high school, another girl like Dawn and Charlie who’d been invited to all the after-school clubs and none of the parties.

They’d all been good girls back then, and so far, Charlie was the only one who’d fallen from grace. Dawn had yet to miss a chance to remind her.

As Dawn closed the distance across the crowded living room, Charlie realized that Dawn had the mom-to-be in tow. Charlie forced her smile wider. “Sandra! Congratulations! Thank you so much for inviting me. It’s been so long.”

“It has,” Sandra said, hugging Charlie past her hard belly.

“You look amazing.” She did. She had a smooth bob similar to Dawn’s, though several shades darker than Dawn’s blond hair. And despite the amazing bulge of her stomach, she looked as if she hadn’t gained weight anywhere else.

“You look great, too.”

“Thanks.” Charlie smoothed a self-conscious hand over the cardigan sweater she’d pulled on over her dress. She didn’t feel great. She felt dowdy and unnatural and thin as a stick in her modest clothes and ballet flats. She hadn’t dressed like this since she’d interviewed for college, but she’d been trying to change her image. Besides, Dawn had insisted her head of security couldn’t wear heels and be effective. Charlie wanted to protest that she felt much more badass in heels and a tight skirt, but unfortunately she wasn’t in a position to argue.

“Your house is beautiful,” Charlie said to Sandra.

“Thank you. Peter bought it as a surprise when I made partner.”

Partner. Right. They both cleared their throats and shifted uncomfortably, but Dawn jumped right in. “Speaking of work, Charlie, will you come in early tomorrow? You’re going to need to put in a few extra hours in the next weeks before the grand opening of the resort.”

Charlie ground her teeth together as she watched Sandra look away. Sandra was uncomfortable, yes, but she was also trying to hide a smile. “I’ve been in early every day this week. It’s not a problem.”

“I know, although I’m surprised, considering the hours you keep.” She turned to Sandra. “I thought she would’ve settled down after that mess in Tahoe, but...”

Both women turned to look at her with pity, but their pity looked suspiciously avid. Scandal was so delicious, after all. Or it was as long as you weren’t involved. Charlie had enjoyed scandals and gossip herself, up until a few months ago.

She didn’t want to be defensive, but she was under attack yet again, and it grated against her bones. At least Dawn was masking her distaste in politeness this time. “All my late nights since I moved here have been spent working,” she said slowly, carefully.

“Right,” Dawn answered with a sly smile. “That’s why the facilities manager was in your place until ten last night.”

Charlie’s smile slipped as her heart thundered. She’d been worried her suspicions had been paranoia, but this was the confirmation she’d been looking for. Dawn had been watching her. Spying on her.

“We were working,” she finally mumbled.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Dawn replied.

Sandra reached out to pat her arm. “Well, Charlie, we’re just happy to see you on the right track again.”

The right track. Sure. That was why she’d come back here, wasn’t it?

For a few months, she’d been lost. Utterly lost. Shut up in an apartment in Tahoe she could no longer afford and terrified about her future. But she was setting it right now. Working hard, toning down her life. Losing the heels. Keeping her head down. Biting her tongue and biting it hard.

“I’m doing my best with her,” Dawn said, as if Charlie was her new pet project. Considering the effort she put into spying, the idea wasn’t too far off. But Charlie couldn’t be her project anymore. Anger was boiling beneath her skin. She wanted to bolt, but she couldn’t.

She was trapped, and the urge to fight back was getting harder to suppress. But she couldn’t lose this job. She couldn’t.

Her phone vibrated just in time, providing a reason to escape. “Excuse me. I’d better get this. It might have something to do with work.”

Before she was out of earshot, she heard Dawn saying, “I just don’t know what happened to her. She had so much promise.”

Charlie closed her eyes, took a deep breath and answered her phone. It was her knight in shining armor, otherwise known as her cousin Nate, calling with exactly the news she needed.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “You really did it? I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Don’t move!”

This time when she turned back to the party, it wasn’t hard to smile. Not at all.

“Sandra!” she called out, hurrying back for one last fake hug. “I have to run, but congratulations again. You’re going to make a great mom.”

She was. Sandra seemed great at everything. Unlike Charlie, she’d actually lived up to her promise.

Before Dawn could ask where she was going, Charlie made her escape and rushed out to the valet to get her car. She pulled away with a groan of relief. Freedom. For a few hours, at least.

When she’d moved back to Jackson, she’d thought reconnecting with old friends would be good for her. After all, she really was trying to get back on the right track. At first, she’d been so beaten up, she’d thought that track had started back with high school and the girl she’d been then. Hardworking, studious and so worried about becoming her mother that she’d never even gone out on a date.

She’d obviously gone wrong somewhere, so why not start where everything had been good?

But she was realizing now that everything hadn’t been good. In fact, she’d spent all of high school scared to be herself.

Muttering a few choice curses, Charlie struggled out of the cardigan, holding the steering wheel with her knees as she yanked off the sweater and tossed it into the backseat.

“Screw this shit,” she said triumphantly as she pulled up to the resort.

Five minutes later she was back in the car in the clothes she’d worn back in Nevada. Tight jeans and heeled boots and a pretty little striped T-shirt.

Today she was going to get her groove back, damn it, and the clothes were only the first tiny step.

Charlie turned on some music and drove into town with the windows down. The breeze was too cold, but she didn’t mind. It was the first time her nipples had been hard in months. She had to take her thrills where she could get them.

When she pulled up to the address Nate had given her, she saw that the apartment building was right next to the Crooked R Saloon. Her cousin greeted her from the sidewalk with a wave.

Thank God for Nate. Charlie had a brother in town, but he never offered any help unless it could benefit him, too. Nate, on the other hand...

Charlie jumped out of her car and threw her arms around his neck to squeeze him tight. “Thank you, thank you!”

“Hey, calm down. It’s no big deal. I’m sorry the place at the resort fell through.”

“Well, you know...” She let him go and crossed her arms to hide the nervous flutter of her hands. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she didn’t know how to explain. “Construction on the hotel is behind schedule. Naturally, the last big push goes into the rooms people are actually paying for. Hopefully my apartment will be ready in a few months.”

“I think Rayleen wants to rent this place out through the winter. Six months, Jenny said.”

“Sure, I understand. Of course. I have no problem with that. It was so great of you to arrange this for me.”

“Walker was actually the one who pulled it off.”

Charlie shook her head in shock. “Walker Pearce?”

“Yeah, you remember him?”

“Of course I remember him! He’s still around?”

“Living right here at the Stud Farm, actually.”

Well, that made sense. Walker had been a hell of a stud in high school. She’d had a serious crush on him, though she’d been careful not to let him know. Half the girls in the school had had a crush on him. Any time she’d tutored him in the library during lunch, girls had made a point of sauntering by like a rotating show of blondes and brunettes and redheads. All the prettiest girls in the school. The cheerleaders and the rodeo queens. And Walker had made a point of smiling at each and every one.

Charlie followed Nate into the apartment building and up the stairs to the second floor. The two-story entryway was clean and bright, sunlight shining through the old farmhouse windows that flanked the front door.

“Here’s your key. You’ll need to go by the saloon to pick up the lease agreement.”

“Cool.”

“Just a warning. If Rayleen Kisler is there, you might want to lay low. You know Rayleen?”

“I know of her.”

“Walker talked her into letting you rent the place, but she’d much rather have had someone...” He stopped at the door to apartment C and shook his head. “Bigger and hairier.”

Charlie grinned. “She hasn’t given up her hobby, then, I guess?”

“Nope. She still likes to ogle. But she made an exception for you. Although there’s another woman living in the apartment below yours. Merry Kade. So it was a damn miracle that Walker managed to get you in here.”

“I’ll have to find a way to thank him.”

“Won’t be hard. He lives right there.” Nate tilted his head toward the apartment on the other side of the small upstairs landing.

She shot a surprised look at the other door before unlocking her own. Walker lived right there? That would be interesting. Or just irritating, if the parade of beautiful women was still marching after all these years. Maybe she could sit on the landing with a book and wave to each one. Recapture some of the fun of her youth.

Charlie let herself into the apartment and took in the simple white walls and the gorgeous shine on the wood floors. It was nothing like her studio at the resort. There were no fancy appliances in the kitchen or stained timber details. There was no hand-hewn rock fireplace. It was modest and empty and it was private.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve got a few things in storage. I’ll pull them out as soon as I’ve signed the lease.”

“Let me know,” Nate said. “I’ll help you move what you need.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Come on. I know you’re a kick-ass security specialist, but you’re not that strong.”

She punched him solidly on the shoulder, but he didn’t even wince. Yeah, she wasn’t that strong. Or kick-ass. Her specialty was really observation. Surveillance. Intelligence. Or it had been. Before.

Feeling her smile go stiff and strange, Charlie turned away from her cousin, pretending to check out the apartment a little more closely. “Okay, I’ll call you when I need a hand.”

“Perfect. You’ve got the key. Don’t forget to go see Jenny for the lease.”

“Oh, the new girlfriend, huh?”

Her cousin’s cheeks actually went a little pink. “Not so new, actually. We’ve been together since February.”

Charlie grinned. “Wow. Your mother must be over the moon. I can’t wait to meet this woman.”