“I wish this hadn’t happened. Now you feel a new obligation to help me. It’s all you do, and I don’t want to be any more of a burden than I already am.”

“If you’re a burden, then it’s news to me,” Colt replied. “Right now I’m going to kiss you, Geena. If you don’t want me to, that’s tough. ‘No quarter asked or given,’ you said. Remember? Your mouth is all I’ve been able to think about since you kissed me on the dance floor in Hulett.”

His hand spanned her tender throat, positioning her face so he could kiss her. He’d been starving for her. It was ecstasy to feel her crushed in his arms like this.

Dear Reader,

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do?

Every so often the media tells us about people who have spent time in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. The possibility of that happening is a terrifying thought. No one can know their anguish before they’re freed, or their joy when the mistake is caught and the injustice rectified.

I explored this idea in my latest novel, The Rancher’s Housekeeper. Walk in Geena’s shoes. You’ll feel chills and then thrills when she meets the owner of the Floral Valley Ranch.

Enjoy!

Rebecca Winters

About the Author

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favourite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to e-mail her, please visit her website: www.cleanromances.com

The Rancher’s Housekeeper

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

COLT Brannigan kissed his mother on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.” He turned to her caregiver. “I’m working with the nursing service in Sundance. They’ll be sending someone out in the next few days to start helping you with Mom’s care.”

“I’ll be fine. Hank’s been able to give me some free time.”

“That’s good. See you tonight, Ina.”

Colt’s sixty-year-old mother didn’t know anyone. She’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s before his father’s death sixteen months ago. It had grown much worse over the past year. She needed round-the-clock care.

“Hey, Colt?”

At the sound of his brother Hank’s voice, Colt shut the bedroom door and strode down the hallway of the ranch house’s main floor toward him.

“What’s up?”

“Phone call for you from Warden James’s office.”

Warden James? “Must be a wrong number,” he said, knowing full well it wasn’t. He walked past his brother and headed for the back door, not needing another delay when he should be in the upper pasture.

Hank followed him at a slower pace due to his walking cast. “You did advertise for a housekeeper in the Black Hills Sentinel. They want to know if you’ve already filled the position.”

Colt realized he should have indicated in the ad that they were looking for a female housekeeper. His mother would insist on it if she could express herself, but that time would never come again. “Tell them it’s too late.”

“But—”

“No buts!” He cut his brother off with a grimace. Before their father had passed away from blood clots in the lungs, he’d obliged the warden by granting him a favor, one he’d lived to regret.

The freed inmate had been taken on as a ranch hand on a provisional basis. He’d stayed only long enough for a few meals and a paycheck before he took off with the blanket from his bunk and some of the other hands’ cash. To add injury to insult, he’d stolen one of the ranch’s quarter horses.

Colt had tracked him down and recovered the stolen property. The ex-felon was once again behind bars. Unfortunately the percentage of freed inmates who ended up back in prison was high. Now that Colt ran the Floral Valley Ranch, he’d be damned if he would make the mistake his father had and invest any more time or money on an ex-con.

“I’ll be checking fences all day. Won’t be home until late. Call if there’s an emergency.” He jumped off the back porch and headed for the barn. After swinging into the saddle, he galloped away on Digger.

It took the right kind of female to run a household like theirs and manage the domestic help. In fact it took a saint, but those were in short supply since their previous housekeeper, Mary White Bird, had died. Colt realized their family could never replace her. The full-blooded Lakota had been their mother’s right hand and an institution on the ranch.

He’d advertised in various newspapers throughout Wyoming and South Dakota, but so far none of the applicants had the qualifications he was looking for. Forget a released felon. Colt was getting desperate, but not that desperate.

Floral Valley Ranch 4 miles.

Geena Williams rode past the small highway sign and had to turn around. Eight miles back an old rancher at the Cattlemen’s Stock and Feed Store in Sundance, Wyoming, had told her she might miss the turnoff if she weren’t looking for it. He’d been right. From here on out it would be dirt road.

She stopped long enough to catch her breath and take a drink from her water bottle. During the day the temperature had been sixty-nine degrees, with some wind in the afternoon, typical for early June in northeastern Wyoming. But now it had dropped into the fifties and would go lower. Her second-hand parka provided little insulation.

Though the weather had cooperated, it was sheer will and adrenaline that had gotten her this far. Now desperation would have to get her the rest of the way. Her legs would probably turn to rubber before she reached her destination, but Geena couldn’t quit now. She needed to make it to the ranch before it was too dark to see.

A half hour later she caught sight of a cluster of outbuildings, including the ranch house, but it was ten to ten and she didn’t dare approach anyone this late. She pedaled her road bike over to a stand of pines and propped it against one of the trunks.

Her backpack contained everything in the world she owned. No. That wasn’t exactly true. There were some other items precious to her, but she had no idea where they were. Not yet anyway.

She undid the straps to eat some snacks. They tasted good. After she’d pulled out her space blanket, she more or less collapsed from exhaustion onto a soft nest of needles beneath the boughs of the biggest tree.

Using her pack for a pillow, she curled on her right side and covered up, still in shock that tonight the only roof she had over her head was a canopy of stars. She picked out the Big Dipper. Venus was the bright star to the west.

Heaven.

“Come on, Titus. Time to go home.”

Colt shut the barn door. The border collie raced ahead of him with more energy than he knew what to do with. Titus led a dog’s perfect life. He was loved. He ran and worked all day, ate the food he wanted and had no worries. That’s why he went to sleep deliriously happy and woke up happy.

As for Colt, he wouldn’t describe himself happy in the delirious sense. He’d been in that state only one time. Falling in love at twenty-one had been easy when you’d been on the steer-wrestling circuit, winning prize money and dazzling your girl.

It was the happily-ever-after part he didn’t have time to work on before she wanted out because a married man had ranching duties and she wasn’t having fun anymore. Their eleven-month marriage had to have been some kind of record for the shortest one in Crook County, Wyoming.

At thirty-four years of age now, he recognized his mistake. They’d been too young and immature. It simply didn’t work. Since then he’d dated women from time to time, but unless he met one who enriched the busy life he already led, he didn’t see himself in a rush to get married again.

Suddenly the dog switched directions away from the ranch house, barking his head off. He hadn’t gone far when he made that low growling sound that let Colt know they had an intruder on the property. Whether animal or human he couldn’t tell yet.

As he hurried to catch up, he heard a woman’s voice say, “Easy, boy,” trying her best to soothe the black-and-white beast who’d hunted her down. He weighed only forty-five pounds, but in the dark his terrifying growl had clearly made her nervous.

Closer now, Colt could see why. The female on her feet beneath their granddaddy’s ponderosa was wrapped in a space blanket that covered her head. She probably couldn’t see anything. Enveloped like that, she presented a tall silhouette to Titus who couldn’t quite make her out. Any mystery caused the dog to bark with much more excitement.

Against the trunk Colt glimpsed a brand-new road bike. Next to her feet he saw a backpack. “Quiet, Titus,” he commanded the dog, who made a keening sound for having to obey and walked over to Colt.

If she was a nature lover, she was going about it the wrong way. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered. “Thank you for calling him off. He startled me.” She had an appealing voice. The fact that she didn’t sound hysterical came as another surprise.

“What in the devil do you think you’re doing sleeping out here in the dark?” The women of his acquaintance wouldn’t have dreamed of doing anything so foolhardy. “Any animal could bother you, especially a mountain lion on the prowl.”

She pulled the edges of the blanket tighter. The motion revealed her face. “I got here too late to disturb anyone, so I thought I’d rest under the tree.”

“You came to this ranch specifically?”

“Yes, but I realize I’m trespassing. I’m sorry.”

Her apology sounded genuine and she spoke in a cultured voice. What in blazes? He was taken aback by the whole situation. After a glimpse into hauntingly lovely eyes that gave him no answers, he took in a quick breath before picking up her backpack. It was unexpectedly light and had seen better days.

“For whatever reason you’ve come, I can’t allow you to stay out here. Leave the bike and follow me. It’ll be safe where it is.”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

She’d already done a good job of it and had gotten his attention in a big way, but that was beside the point. “Nevertheless, you’ll have to come with me. Let’s go.”

The three of them made an odd trio as they entered the back door of the house. He showed her through the mudroom, past the bathroom to the kitchen. Titus headed for his bowls of food and water. After that he would go to his bed in the den. Colt’s father had been gone a long time, but Colt had a hunch the loyal dog was still waiting for his return. Maybe Titus wasn’t that happy after all.

Colt put the woman’s backpack by one of the kitchen chairs. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her remove the space blanket. She was tall, probably five foot nine. He’d thought it might be the blanket above her head that had added the inches. After folding it, she laid it on the oblong wood table, then took off her insubstantial parka. He imagined she was in her mid-twenties.

Except for white sneakers, everything she wore, from her jeans to her long-sleeved navy crew neck, looked well-worn and hung off her. The clothes must have originally been bought for a larger woman. Her brunette hair had been pulled back with an elastic in an uninspiring ponytail. No makeup, no jewelry.

He thought he might have seen her before and tried to imagine her features and figure with a little more flesh on her. Had she been ill? In profile or frontal view, her mouth looked too drawn, the hollows in her cheeks too pronounced, but the fact still remained he felt an unwanted attraction.

Two physical characteristics about her were remarkable. Great bone structure and eyes of inky blue. They looked disturbingly sad as they peered at him through lashes as dark as her brows and hair. Why sad, he couldn’t begin to imagine.

If she’d been running away from a traumatic situation, she bore no bruises or wounds he could see. She stood there proud and unafraid, reminding him of an unfinished painting that needed more work before she came to full life. That in itself added an intriguing element.

“You’re welcome to use the bathroom we just passed.”

“Thank you. I’ll do that. Please excuse me.”

After she disappeared, he walked over to the counter, bemused by her femininity. She’d been endowed with more of it than most women.

Hank had made a fresh pot of coffee and had probably gone to their mother’s bedroom to sit with her for a while. As Colt reached for a couple of mugs from the shelf, his intruder returned. He told her to sit down. “I can offer coffee. Would you like some, or does tea sound better?”

“Coffee, please.”

Colt poured two cups. “Sugar? Cream?” he called over his shoulder.

“Please don’t go to any trouble. Black is fine.”

He doctored both and brought them to the table where she’d sat down at the end. “I laced yours anyway. You look like you could use a pick-me-up.”

“You’re right. Thank you, Mr….”

“Colt Brannigan.” He drank some of his coffee.

She cradled the cup. With her eyes closed, she took several sips, almost as if she were making a memory. This puzzled him. He stood looking down at her until she’d finished it. In his opinion she needed a good square meal three times a day for the foreseeable future.

“How about telling me who you are.”

Her eyelids fluttered open, still heavy from fatigue. “Geena Williams.” This time he thought he remembered that name from somewhere, too. Eventually it would come to him.

“Well, Geena—perhaps if I made you a ham sandwich, more information might be forthcoming about where you’ve come from and why you showed up on our property.”

“Please forgive me. I’m still trying to wake up.” He’d never heard anyone sound more apologetic. She got to her feet. “I was just freed from the women’s prison in Pierre, South Dakota, today and came all the way to your ranch. I’d hoped to interview for the live-in housekeeper position for a temporary period of time, but it took longer for me to get here than I’d supposed.”

With those words, Colt felt as if he’d just been kicked in the gut by a wild mustang. In an instant everything about her made sense, starting with the call from the prison warden this morning. He must have believed she was trustworthy, yet the new bike propped beneath the tree didn’t match her used clothing. Had she stolen it?

She’s an ex-felon. With the realization came an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

“Is the position still open?” The hope in that question, as if his answer meant life and death to her, almost got to him.

He had to harden himself against it. “I’m afraid not.”

All people had baggage, but anyone who spent time in prison carried a different kind. Colt was looking for a housekeeper who was like Mary White Bird. A wise woman who’d raised a family of her own, a woman who’d helped his mom run the affairs of the ranch house since he was a boy without being obtrusive. She’d had an instinct for handling the staff and guests, not to mention the hothead personalities within the immediate and extended Brannigan clan.

As for Geena Williams, she was too young. She’d done time. He had no idea what crime she’d committed, but he knew she could use counseling to rejoin the world outside prison walls. Who knew the battles going on inside her? Hiring her was out of the question.

Her eyes glazed, yet not one tear spilled from those dark lashes. “You’ve been very kind to me, but I realize I’ve made a big mistake in coming here without arranging for an appointment first.”

He frowned. “As it happens, Warden James called here this morning hoping to make one for you. I asked my brother to tell him it had already been filled. It appears the two of you had a miscommunication. For your sake, I’m sorry the warden didn’t say anything to you.”

A look of confusion marred her features. “Warden James is a woman, but I didn’t know she’d called you. After I was taken to her office yesterday morning, she informed me I’d be freed this morning. I guess she was trying to help me find work so I would have some place to stay.

“As soon as I could go to the prisoners’ lounge last evening, I scanned the classified section of the Rapid City Journal looking for work and saw your ad. I noticed it had been listed a while ago and feared it might have already been filled, but I decided to take a chance anyway and came straight here.”

Colt was astounded by everything she’d told him. His brother had said the warden had seen the ad in the Black Hills Sentinel. Even if this woman were telling the truth, it didn’t matter. There was no job on the ranch available to her or any other inmate, but he was consumed by curiosity. Shifting his weight he asked, “Don’t you have a spouse or a boyfriend who could help you?”

“I’ve never been married. One fellow I was dating before my imprisonment never came near or tried to reach me.”

Colt surmised their relationship couldn’t have been that solid in the first place. “You don’t have relatives who could help you?”

A shadow darkened her features. “None.”

None?

He raked his hair in bewilderment, unable to imagine it before he realized she could be lying about it. Maybe she was ashamed to go home. Colt hadn’t been in her shoes, so it wasn’t fair to judge.

“How did you know where to come?” The ad indicated only that the ranch was near Sundance, Wyoming. Twelve miles, in fact. He’d only listed a box number.

“I realize I was supposed to respond with an email, but I didn’t have access to a computer. By the time the bus dropped me off this afternoon in Sundance where I’d decided to start looking for work, I figured that if someone knew where you lived, I’d just come straight here.

“So after I bought my bike at the shop, I rode over to the Cattlemen’s Stock and Feed Store. Everyone working there said they knew Colt Brannigan, the head of the Floral Valley Ranch. The owner sang your praises for taking over after your father died and making it even more successful. Then this older rancher who was just leaving was kind enough to tell me where to find the turnoff for your ranch.”

Colt was dumbfounded by her explanation and her resourcefulness, especially the fact that she’d bought a bike. He could always call there to verify she’d actually made the purchase. “You rode all the way here on the highway at night?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t dark then. I need transportation to get around. Since I don’t have a driver’s license yet, I can’t buy a junker car.”

“Isn’t a new bike expensive?”

“Yes, but the bike at the shop in Sundance was on sale for $530.00. They threw in the used helmet for ten dollars. I would have bought all new clothes, but after that I only had $160 left of the money I withdrew from my prison savings account. I spent some of it on food, the space blanket and my shoes.”

He blinked. “You earned the money in prison, I presume.”

“Yes. They pay twenty-five cents an hour. That resulted in forty dollars a month for the thirteen months I was incarcerated.”

Thirteen months in hell. What crime had she committed?

Colt ran his thumb along his lower lip. “So you came out of there with $520.00?”

“Seven hundred actually. I worked some extra shifts and they also give you fifty dollars when you leave.”

He would never again begrudge his taxpayer dollars going to an ex-felon who’d paid her debt to society and had been freed from prison. “So how much money do you have on you now to live on?”

“Ninety-two dollars. That’s why I need a job so desperately. I’m a good cook. In prison I did every job from helping in the kitchen and cleaning to laundry and warehouse work, to hospital and dispensary duty and prison-ground cleanup. I’m a hard worker, Mr. Brannigan. If you called the prison, they’d tell you I put in forty-plus hours every week with no infractions. Do you know of anyone in this area who might be looking for help?”

Anyone?

She was looking at someone who needed a housekeeper and an additional caregiver for his mother as soon as yesterday!

He rubbed the back of his neck, pondering his shock that he would even consider the possibility of her working for him when he knew next to nothing about her except the worst. Though she was definitely a survivor, the culprit tugging at him was the vulnerability in those intense dark blue eyes.

Before he could formulate his thoughts, let alone give any kind of answer, Titus came flying through the kitchen to greet Hank, who’d just walked in the back door with Mandy. Their presence surprised Colt because he’d thought Hank was with their mother.

Colt had been so deep in conversation, he hadn’t heard Mandy’s car. Since Hank had broken his leg, she’d been the one chauffeuring him around.

She smiled. “Hey, Colt—”

“Hey yourself, Mandy.” She was a cute smart blonde from Sundance who’d known Hank since high school, but as usual he had eyes for someone else. This time they’d ignited with interest after swerving to the very female stranger standing in the kitchen.

Taking the initiative, Colt said, “Geena Williams? This is my brother Hank and his friend Mandy Clark.”

Everyone said hello and shook hands. Hank could see the backpack and space blanket. He was dying to ask questions, but Colt wasn’t ready to answer them and said nothing to satisfy his brother’s burning curiosity.

“We’ll be in the family room,” Hank eventually muttered before they disappeared with Titus at their heels.

Geena reached for her parka and put it on. “I know I’m intruding. If you wouldn’t mind me sleeping in the back of one of those trucks parked outside, I’ll be gone first thing in the morning.”

Colt had already come to one decision. Ignoring her comment he said, “You’ve had a long day. Take the coat off, Geena. I’m going to fix you a sandwich and some soup before you go to bed in the guest room. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

He’d heard that saying all his life and wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. However, he didn’t want to do any more thinking tonight. What he ought to do was drive her into town and fix her up at a hotel, but he was bushed. At least that was the excuse he was telling himself for keeping her here. She could sleep in Mary’s former quarters down the other hallway.

Geena had done a lot of dreaming in prison. It had been the only way to escape the bars confining her. But not even her imagination could have conjured the living reality of Colt Brannigan.

She didn’t know such a man existed outside her fantasies. By the way the men at the Cattlemen’s Store had described him, she’d thought he must have been older to be a legend already. But Geena estimated he was in his mid-thirties. There was no sign or mention of a wife.

When she’d first seen him beneath the kitchen light, the intelligence in those hazel eyes examining her came close to taking the last breath out of her. She stared back in disbelief at the ruggedly gorgeous male who was without question in total charge of his world. Tall, dark and handsome was a cliché women had used for years, but in her mind he could have been the one who’d inspired the words.

Yet, putting all of those qualities and attributes aside, it was his kindness to her that made him unique and set him above other men. Instead of throwing her off his property, he’d brought her inside and fed her, given her a beautiful room and bed to sleep in, even after she’d told him she’d just gotten out of prison.

In a daze over everything that had happened, Geena emerged from the bathroom wearing a clean bathrobe she’d found hanging on the back of the door. Smelling sweet and squeaky clean, she turned out the lights and padded over to the queen-sized bed. She’d taken a bath and a shower, luxuriating in the products he’d provided for her to use.

All day and evening she’d been doing things unassociated with prison for the first time in over a year. The taste of freedom was indescribable. No more feeling of doom. No more fear that every second of your life from now on would be lived in constant purgatory. No more prison smells, no more sounds during the night of other prisoners being sick, coughing, sobbing, raging or fighting with other inmates through the walls.

No more claustrophobic gray cell, no more clank of prison bars or guards telling you when, where and how you would live, how you would talk and answer. No more living in a enclave with women who wanted nothing to do with each other, who lived to be on the outside with a man again. If any of them could see Mr. Brannigan …

While she sat on the side of the bed to finish drying her hair with a fluffy yellow towel, she looked out the tall picture window. It took up close to a whole wall of the spacious bedroom with its cross-beamed ceiling. She’d purposely left the curtains open so she could see the full moon casting its light across the foot of the hand-carved wood bed.

The room was filled with Sioux artifacts; rugs of the Lakota tribe covered the hardwood floor. On one wall hung a Sioux tapestry in predominantly red colors. Over the bed was an authentic beaded Sioux tobacco bag.

After her host had accompanied her to the room and left, she’d walked over to study the dozen framed photographs placed on the dresser. They featured a short Lakota woman. In some she was alone, in others she stood surrounded by her native family, all of whom were in ceremonial dress. Whoever she was she held a place of great honor in this wonderful ranch house. Though modernized in parts, it had to have been built at least a hundred and fifty years ago.

When her hair was dry enough, Geena formed it into a braid that fell over one shoulder. Her last act was to set the clock-radio alarm for four in the morning. Then she was finally able to lie down on two comfy pillows and relax.

Mr. Brannigan had gone out of his way to feed her and make her comfortable for the night. Geena couldn’t help but think of the man who’d been rescued by the Good Samaritan. His gratitude couldn’t have been any greater than hers for Mr. Brannigan’s goodness. As soon as she could, she would repay him.

For now her first priority was to get some sleep before she slipped out of the house at first light and pedaled back to Sundance. She’d wanted the housekeeper job here, but since that wasn’t possible, she’d take any job that would give her a roof over her head. If nothing turned up in Sundance, she’d double back to Spearfish, South Dakota, and look there.

One way or the other she had to stay close to Rapid City, the place where she needed to begin the search for Janice Rigby, the woman who’d once lived with Geena’s brother before disappearing. Before he’d died, he’d told Geena that Janice was expecting. If she’d had the baby, it might be Geena’s only living relative. She ached for the family she’d lost. To have a little nephew or niece … Time was of the essence for Geena to find out.

Geena could probably get her old job back in Rapid City with FossilMania, but she didn’t dare. For the present she needed to remain invisible to the people who’d known her before she’d been arrested. One of them might see her and alert Janice she was out of prison. For some strange reason, Janice had never liked Geena. She didn’t want to frighten the other woman off before Geena could catch up to her.

But she’d worry about all that tomorrow. For what was left of the rest of the night she’d dream about Colt Brannigan.

CHAPTER TWO

COLT entered the den and patted Titus’s head. “I’m going to keep you company for a while.” After closing the door, he moved over to the desk and sat down at the computer. Too wired to sleep right now, he typed the name Gina Williams in the search engine. She’d been in prison. There might be something about her from some old newspaper and magazine articles.

Nothing came up but a lot of other females whose profiles were online. He tried a different spelling. More of the same. On a whim he searched for a list of different spellings. Up came Jean, Geenah, Jeenah, Jina, Jeana, Geana, Ginah, Giena, Jiena, Gienah, Geena.

He tried each one. After putting in the last name on the list, he was ready to call it quits for the night when twenty entries popped up. All of them recounted the brutal slaying of Rupert Brown, an eighty-one-year-old widower of Rapid City, South Dakota. The collector of priceless Old West and Indian artifacts had been attacked and slain by Geena Williams, twenty-six, the tenant living in the basement apartment of his house.

Colt shot out of the chair, feeling as if he’d been the one stabbed. Geena had committed murder? That murder?

He rocked back on his cowboy boots, unable to believe it. While his mind and body were reeling, he grabbed the back of the chair until he could get a grip on his emotions, but adrenaline kept him on his feet.

He remembered hearing about the sensational murder on the evening news. The killer had been a beautiful young single woman. That’s why she’d looked familiar to him.

Incredulous, he sank back down in the chair, damned if he read the rest, damned if he didn’t. Compelled to finish, he read the entire article. Robbery had been the motive. It had happened soon after Colt’s father had died and their family had been in deep mourning, but the story had been all over the media, so he had heard about it at the time.

He groaned loudly enough that Titus moved over and sat by him. Again Colt felt as though he’d been the one repeatedly bludgeoned with the Marshalltown trowel she’d plunged into the old man’s chest numerous times.

Colt knew every human had a dark side, but to imagine that the woman sleeping in Mary’s room had killed an old man in cold blood seemed beyond the realm of possibility to him.

There was a picture of her after she’d been taken into custody. She’d been fifteen to twenty pounds heavier then with hair to her shoulders. According to one of the reports, she’d been given sixty years. That was as good as a lifetime sentence.

But she’d served only thirteen months of it…. How could she be out on parole this fast? Had there been a mistrial? Some snag that had freed her because the evidence wasn’t strong enough to hold her?

There had to be a flaw in Colt that had misread the purity in her eyes. Geena had seemed like a shiny dime gleaming pure silver he’d picked up from the ground. But when he turned it over, he discovered rust had eaten the silver away.

Her situation reminded him of the freed prisoner his father had hired. His dad had felt sorry for the younger man. Everyone makes mistakes, Colt. This man deserves a second chance.

But the second chance had turned into an opportunity for the ex-felon to take advantage and rob his father.

Colt’s instincts had been right not to hire this woman, but he wanted an explanation for Geena’s release and he wanted it now!

Grabbing his phone, he called South Dakota information for the women’s prison in Pierre. In a minute he was put through to the prison’s voice mail. There was a menu. He pressed the digit for an emergency.

When a voice answered he said, “This is Colt Brannigan from the Floral Valley Ranch in Wyoming. I have to speak to Warden James tonight. She called me earlier today. I wasn’t able to return it until now. This is urgent.”

“Hold the line please.”

“Thank you.”

The blood was still surging through his veins when he heard a sound on the other end. “Mr. Brannigan? This is Warden James.”

“I appreciate your coming to the phone. I know it’s late, but this call is about one of the inmates, Geena Williams. She came to my ranch tonight looking for work, but she said she didn’t talk to you about it.”

“That’s true. She must have seen your ad in the prison newspaper. When she left our facility this morning, she indicated she’d go to a women’s shelter for the night.”

“Why was she released when she’s supposed to be serving a sixty-year sentence for murder?” Whatever answer she gave him wouldn’t help, but he still had to know.

“She didn’t tell you?”

Colt took a shuddering breath. “Tell me what?” he bit out.

“Yesterday morning I got word from the governor of South Dakota that Ms. Williams had been wrongfully imprisoned and the real killer has been caught.”

“What?”

For the second time since coming in the den, Colt was on his feet, but for an entirely different reason. With the warden’s explanation, he felt as though he’d just been freed from his own hellish prison after reading the hideous details on the Internet.

He hadn’t been wrong about Geena. After what she’d been through, no wonder he saw that vulnerable look in her eyes.

“Ms Williams has been fully exonerated. She was given her certificate.”

“Certificate?” he muttered, still in shock.

“It’s a legal document—her passport to freedom, for want of a better word.”

He realized it must have been in her backpack. “She spent a whole year in prison for nothing?” he blurted. After sustaining the shock, he was outraged for her.

“Yes. Hers was a very unusual case, very cruel. When I realized she had nowhere to go, I thought I might be able to help her find work and tried several places without success. After I learned that the position at your ranch had been filled, there was no point in telling her. I didn’t want her to get discouraged.”

Colt felt shame for having blown off the warden’s phone call so easily. If he’d bothered to speak to her himself, he would have learned the truth about Geena and would have given her a chance to apply for the position. “She took the news well,” he admitted. Hell—she’d been incredible about it!

“That sounds like Geena. I’m glad to hear she made it to your ranch safely and hope she finds work soon. She was a model prisoner in every sense of the word. It pains me that she was ever incarcerated.”

His mouth had gone so dry, he could hardly talk. “That’s all I needed to know. I’m more grateful to you than you know for coming to the phone. Goodnight, Warden.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Brannigan.”

He was so wired he knew there’d be no sleep for him tonight. After leaving a note in the kitchen that he’d be out on the range if an emergency cropped up, he headed for the back door.

Titus was right there with him and climbed in the truck before they took off. For the rest of the night he drove around thinking. He could hear his father’s voice. Everyone makes mistakes, Colt. This man deserves a second chance.

But in Geena’s case, she hadn’t made a mistake!

Shocked when it got to be four-fifteen, he turned around and headed home with his mind made up about what he wanted to do. Before he parked the truck, his headlights shone on the big ponderosa further down the drive.

Her bike was gone.

At ten to six, Geena rode into the full-service gas station in Sundance. She was glad the dog hadn’t heard her leave the ranch house. While Mr. Brannigan was still asleep, she’d been able to slip away unnoticed and get going. Her problem now was to wait it out until someone came to open the station so she could get a drink and use the restroom.

There were several piles of rubber tires stacked outside the bay doors. She propped her bike against one. Since no one was there, she pulled down two tires and sat on them while she rested against the pile. Once she’d covered herself with her space blanket, she was able to relax and plan out her day.

Her first destination would be the library. She’d scan the want ads online and find a job. If she ate only two meals a day and bought her food at the grocery store, she ought to stay afloat for a little while longer.

Tonight she’d sleep at the YWCA. She’d passed it yesterday on her way to the bike shop. In fact, en route to the library, she’d go over there and reserve a cot before they reached their quota for the day.

When it got to be seven-fifteen, she rolled off the tires and put them back, then walked her bike over to the restroom and rested it against the wall to wait. Pretty soon a man drove in and opened up the office. She said hello and followed him inside to get a soft drink. He went around and unlocked the restroom for her.

Once she’d used the facility, she opened the door, only to find her bike was gone! Geena had been in there only a minute. Frantic because of her loss, she raced around to the front, thinking she’d catch the culprit before he could get away.

“Relax, Geena.”

At the sound of the deep, familiar voice, she swung around to face a clean-shaven Colt Brannigan standing at the side of the dark blue truck she’d seen parked outside the ranch house. His hard-boned features were shadowed beneath his black cowboy hat. This morning he was wearing a blue-and-green plaid shirt that covered his well-defined chest. Hip-hugging jeans molded to his powerful thighs.

Her thighs, in fact the whole length of her legs, wobbled just looking at him.

She’d never seen a sight like him and had the conviction she never would again, no matter how long she lived. When she’d left the ranch earlier, she’d determined to put all thoughts of him out of her mind. Geena had survived prison by shutting off her feelings. Surely she could do it again while she made a new life for herself, but this man was unforgettable.

“I was afraid someone would steal your bike, so I put it in the back of my truck for safekeeping.”

Geena’s heart was still racing too fast. She knew her upset over the stolen bike wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t seem to quell its tempo. Nervousness caused her to rub damp palms against her jeans-clad hips. “What are you doing here?”

He took a step toward her. “When I saw your bike was missing, I figured I’d find you in town. We have unfinished business this morning.”

“Before I left, I put a thank-you note and a twenty-dollar bill on the kitchen table.”

“I read it.”

“I wish it were twenty times as much money. Last night I felt like a pampered princess. You could have no idea what it did for my spirits.”

“I’m gratified to hear it.” The way his gaze penetrated as he stared at her made her all fluttery inside. She folded her arms across her chest, not knowing how to contain her emotions.

“Most people wouldn’t give a person like me the time of day. Last night at your hands I was treated to a taste of heaven. I won’t forget. You’re one in a million.”

“You give me too much credit.” The truth came out in a raspy voice. “Last night I couldn’t restrain myself from looking on line to read the news articles about your imprisonment. They said you were supposed to be serving a sixty-year sentence for a capital one murder.”

Geena eyed him calmly. “In that case I’m astounded you’d let a convicted killer stay through the night. Did you think I’d taken off with some of those authentic Sioux valuables and that’s why you’re here waiting to catch me with the goods? Or is it simply a question of morbid curiosity? You’re welcome to search my backpack.” She handed it to him.

His eyes narrowed before taking it. “If I’d thought you were untrustworthy, I would have driven you to town last night and dropped you off at the nearest shelter.”

She had trouble breathing. “The housekeeping position hasn’t been filled yet, has it?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. Thanks for being honest about that.”

Colt didn’t respond to her comment. Instead he opened her backpack and eventually drew out a brown envelope. She watched him reach inside and produce the certificate she’d read over and over again during her bus ride from Pierre, unable to believe she was free.

He studied it before his head reared. “Why didn’t you show me this last night?”

“Because you told me the job had been filled. I didn’t question it. You were incredibly kind to have brought me into the ranch house to sleep. In truth I was deathly tired last night.”

“I noticed,” he murmured.

“Before I fell asleep, I couldn’t decide why you’d been so good to me. Was it out of an inborn sense of guilt and duty to one of your fellow creatures less fortunate than you? Or possibly even a modicum of faith in mankind? Whatever sentiment drove you, your mother would be proud of you. Now I’m afraid I have to get going to find a job.”

He put everything back in her pack and handed it to her. “If you’re still interested, I’m offering you the position of housekeeper. For a temporary period,” he emphasized.

A small cry escaped her throat. Maybe she was hallucinating. “When did you make that decision?”

“After you went to bed last night, I called Warden James. Before I could ask her any questions, she told me you’d been exonerated and hoped you’d be able to find a job soon.”

A tremor shook her body while she absorbed the revelation. “So—”

“So you see—” he interrupted her. “My mother wouldn’t have been proud of me. In her mind, half a loaf doesn’t cut it.”

The blood pounded in her ears. “It cut it for me, so don’t beat yourself. If I’d been in your shoes, I would have phoned the prison, too.” She bit her lip. “Even if I’m innocent, why are you willing to take a chance on me?”

He put his hands on his hips, the ultimate male stance. “Besides your work ethic in prison which the warden praised, anyone who went through all you did yesterday to get the job deserves a chance. I came close to offering it to you before you went to bed, but the niggling thought that I’d seen or heard of you before propelled me to look on the internet first.”

She paced a little, then stopped. “It was a hideous crime done to a dear friend. I spent thirteen months reliving the real killer’s treachery to him. But I will always be a persona non grata in some people’s eyes. Is that why your job offer is temporary? Because you know certain parties will refuse to believe the truth and it could cause trouble? Mind you, I’m not being ungrateful—just curious.”

Lines bracketed his mouth. “To hell with what anyone else thinks. The position would be temporary to anyone I hired—a trial period, if you prefer. Both sides have to find out if the job is a good fit. You did say you only wanted it temporarily.”

“Yes. What would you say if I work for you until the end of the summer? By then I have other plans and you’ll have had time to find someone really suitable.”

He studied her for a moment, then said, “End of summer it is. But when you’ve been with us a while, you might not want to stay that long, so your suggestion makes sense.”

Mr. Brannigan was no one’s fool. Being up front with him was the only honest thing to do. Then it wouldn’t come as a surprise when she gave her notice to leave. By then she ought to have a lead on the whereabouts of her brother’s lover. And child. If it was his …

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity. How long have you been without a housekeeper?”

“A month. We’ve been hard hit by our previous housekeeper Mary White Bird’s passing. You need to know she’s been the only housekeeper on the ranch since my brothers and I were born.”

“That long?”

He gave her a solemn nod. “Since her death, it’s been hard even to contemplate someone else taking her place.”

Geena’s thoughts reeled. “She’s the lovely Sioux woman in those pictures?”

“Yes,” he said in what sounded like a reverent tone.

“You’re right. No one could ever fill her shoes. I’m shocked that you’d let me sleep in her room among all her precious things. The tobacco bag is fabulous.”

Emotion darkened his hazel eyes. “It belonged to her husband. I see you know your native American history.”

Her throat swelled. “I learned a lot from Rupert.” She eyed him directly. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I realize Mary White Bird will never be forgotten, but for as long as I’m with you, I swear I’ll work hard and not make you regret you hired me.” Right now she felt she was the luckiest woman on the planet.

“In return I promise not to be too terrible a taskmaster, as my brothers continually remind me I am.”

“Are you going to tell them I was in prison?” She hated the throb in her voice. They were standing close enough she could feel the warmth from his hard body.

“No. You’ve been exonerated for a crime you didn’t commit, but that’s up to you if you want to tell someone. As far as I’m concerned it’s not information anyone needs to know.”

She stole an extra breath. He was like a great bulwark in a storm. “You’re a good man, Mr. Brannigan. I’m so thankful for the job I could kiss your feet. But not in front of the service-station attendant, who’s been watching us for some time.”

The tautness in his expression relaxed. “I’ll buy a tank of gas, then we’ll drive over to Tilly’s and hash out the details of your contract while we eat breakfast. I’m in the mood for a big one. I don’t know about you, but I think better on a full stomach.”

While he walked over to the gas pump, she climbed in the cab of his Dodge Ram and held her backpack on her lap. Through the back window she could see her bike. She still couldn’t believe he’d tracked her here in order to offer her the housekeeping job. She was definitely being watched over.

In a few minutes they drove through the town of 1200-plus people to a spot he had to know well. Maybe she was dreaming about the fabulous man who’d just offered her a solid job on a ranch not more than seventy miles from Rapid City. That’s where she would begin her investigation to recover her past.

The dreams just kept coming after they entered the restaurant. Geena hadn’t had waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for over a year. With some slices of ham added to the plate, she thought she’d never enjoyed a meal so much. “You don’t know how good this tastes.”

“I can only imagine.” He’d been watching her over the rim of his coffee cup. “Are you up to some more questions? Then you can fire away at me.”

She sat back in the booth, already knowing the most important thing about him. “Ask me anything you want, Mr. Brannigan.”

“Call me Colt.” When she nodded he said, “Where are you from?”

“I’ll try to answer all your questions at once. I was born in Rapid City. My parents died young. My brother Todd and I were raised by our grandmother who lived on a fixed income and rented her home. I always did waitressing. After our grandmother died, I left for college in Laramie. Todd stayed at the house and worked laying pipeline.”

“How did you manage financially when it was out-of-state tuition?”

“Through student loans and waiting on tables. I still owe $22,000. After graduation I went to work for a company in Rapid City called FossilMania.”

“I’ve heard of it. What did you do there exactly?”

“We went out in teams in vans to find fossils. When we’d get to an area the owner felt contained dinosaur remains, we’d scour a certain section of land to begin a dig with our tools. I’m afraid that doesn’t sound like a résumé for a housekeeper.”

“Don’t worry about it. Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll teach you. Emergencies crop up from time to time. You’ll be more useful in that kind of a situation if you can ride.”

Geena wondered what circumstances he had in mind, but realized he was anxious to learn about her background. The questions she had for him could come later.

“In Rapid City I found an inexpensive basement apartment to rent from Rupert Brown.”

She would have moved back to her grandmother’s small house with Todd, but by then he had a girlfriend and she was living with him. Janice had disliked Geena on sight. She was so furtive, Geena knew the other woman had something to hide.

Her brother didn’t have the best luck with women. Geena feared Janice was the wrong fit for him, but she’d never said anything to Todd because she loved her brother too much and didn’t want to hurt him.

“Rupert and I shared an interest in artifacts and Native American memorabilia. Over the year I lived there we became good friends.”

The next part sent a shudder through her. “One day when I came home from doing my field work, the police were there and arrested me for Rupert’s murder. It had happened early in the morning and my fingerprints were all over the trowel I often used.”

“You were framed!”

“Yes. A lot of his treasures had been stolen. Several of his irreplaceable books were found in my apartment along with my own small collection of fossils, all with my fingerprints.”

“Someone had to know about your relationship with the victim.”

“Definitely. It turned out to be a collector who’d come by his place when I’d been there with him. Various dealers interested in Western Americana often dropped in for a look at his things, hoping to get him to part with some of them, but his prices were too high. I think he did it purposely because he couldn’t bear to part with anything. This angered the killer.”

“If you were gone on long digs, the criminal had plenty of time to plant evidence in your apartment.”

She nodded. “It gave me chills to think someone had been in there doing whatever. When I was put on trial, I couldn’t afford an attorney, so a public defender was provided. I told him everything I could about the people who’d been to Rupert’s apartment. I came up with a few names—any clues I could remember. But nothing came of it and the jury found me guilty.”

“I don’t know how you dealt with it,” his voice grated.

“I think I was in shock the whole time. To be honest, I don’t know why I didn’t die on the spot. I wanted to. The thought of sixty years in that place, helpless to get out and do anything—”

A strange almost primitive sound came out of her new employer.

“Todd promised to find me a good attorney who could prove my innocence, but he didn’t have any extra money. A month after I’d been put in prison, I got a message he’d been killed.” Hot tears stung her eyelids.

“He was your only living relative?”

“Yes. I was notified through the warden’s office by one of the executives at the pipeline company. He said there’d been an accident during an earth-removal incident, suffocating Todd and one of his co-workers. I was listed as the next of kin on his application. I swear the tragedy was more devastating to me than learning I’d be spending the rest of my life in prison.”

Geena never knew what had happened to Janice. It was as if she’d vanished. More unconscionable, she’d never tried to get word to Geena about Todd. How anyone could be that heartless had almost destroyed her.

What made it so much worse was that the last time she’d ever spoken to Todd, he’d told her Janice was pregnant. He had hopes that a baby would settle Janice down and they could become a real family. Now that Todd was gone, Geena’s only living relative might be the baby Janice would have delivered by now. But what if it wasn’t Todd’s?

While she was deep in her own tortured thoughts, lines had marred Colt’s features until she almost didn’t recognize him. “Who was the man from the pipeline?”

“A Mr. Phelps. He was decent enough to find out from me where my parents and grandparents were buried. I heard he made arrangements for Todd to be buried next to them at the cemetery.”

Geena couldn’t stop her voice from trembling and was unable to talk for a minute. One of the first things she wanted to do was go to the cemetery. After that she’d pay Mr. Phelps a visit and personally thank him for his kindness. She finally lifted her head. “But no more looking back. A miracle has happened.”

She laid her napkin on the table. “Day before yesterday I was taken to the warden’s office. She put me on the phone with the detective who’d been working on the investigation. He told me that some of Rupert’s stolen artifacts had turned up. He found the real killer through new DNA evidence and arrested him. I almost did die right then. For joy.”

She’d also talked to the public defender who’d represented her in court. He’d told her that within the month, the state would be reimbursing her some money for the time she’d been wrongfully incarcerated. The sum would be enough to help her carry out certain longrange plans. He gave her his number and told her to call him as soon as she had an address so he’d know where to send her the check.

When she looked up at Colt, his compassion-filled eyes were a sight she would never forget. “You’ve lived through something impossible for anyone else to comprehend. No platitudes could make up for the year you lost in there.”

“That’s true, but it’s okay. It’s over. You’ve offered me the job I wanted.” It thrilled her to think that with the money she’d be receiving, she’d be able to pay Colt back for saving her life right now.

“Time will tell about that,” he murmured.

She cleared her throat. “A minute ago you told me you used the word temporary in order for both sides to be ensured of a good fit, but I already know you’re a good fit for me. That’s because you were willing to be kind to me even after you knew I’d been in prison. There’s a universe of difference between exoneration and a release for doing time.”

Without his hat on, she thought he suddenly looked paler beneath the luxuriant wavy hair he wore medium-cropped. She couldn’t decide if it was brown or black. Obviously it was a shade in between. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she murmured.

“Not even to be allowed to bury your own brother … You should never have spent one second in that prison,” he whispered in a fierce tone without acknowledging her observation.

“But I’m free now, enjoying this delicious breakfast because of you!” she cried softly, still having to pinch herself. He represented a huge blessing in her life. Knowing she might have a niece or nephew out there filled her with the desire to work so hard for him, he would never complain.

In the process she’d try to find Janice and get a good look at the baby. She’d know if it was Todd’s. If it turned out to be his, then she hoped she could arrange for visits and keep their family connection alive. But there were still a lot of what-ifs….

Colt studied her as if trying to see into her soul. Geena could read his mind. She sensed that the guilty thoughts he’d entertained at the beginning, causing him to tell her the job had been filled, were going to weigh on him. She didn’t want that for him.

“Stop running over yourself,” she teased, warming to the side of him that had a strong social conscience. “When I showed up at your stable, you didn’t tell me there was no room at the inn. That’ll win you a lot of points in the next life. It’s won them with me.” The last came out in her husky voice.

CHAPTER THREE

“THAT’S gratifying to hear.” Emotion seemed to have deepened the green flecks in Colt’s eyes. “If you’re through eating, we’ll drive over to the bank and set up an account for you. Which reminds me we haven’t discussed your salary yet. What were you making at FossilMania?”

“Fifteen hundred a month.”

“Did you have savings from that job?”

“A little. When Todd closed out my bank account for me, I told him to give it to the attorney he was going to hire, but he never got the chance.” For all Geena knew, Janice had gone off with it, too.

Colt’s lips thinned before he put some bills on the table for their meal. “For starting pay, how does twenty-five hundred a month sound? That includes room and board, two days a week off, a truck for your use and medical benefits.”

She was staggered. “I think you know how that sounds.” For one thing, she could start paying back her student loan. Any extra she could save would help her to make inquiries about Janice. “In fact, I doubt anyone else you hired would be offered as much.”

“Being the housekeeper on the Floral Valley Ranch covers a lot of territory. Mary made considerably more than that. In time you will, too, depending on how you like the work.” Geena was certain she’d like the work, but she’d be working there only three months. That was their bargain. “Let’s go.”

They left Tilly’s to walk to the bank located in the next block. By the time business had concluded, he’d arranged for an account to be opened in her name. The bank officer handed her a bank card and an envelope with a hundred dollars cash.

Colt took her elbow and ushered her out the doors. On the sidewalk he paused. “I’ve advanced you your first month’s pay. You need a wardrobe and all the extras that go with it. You ought to be able to find what you want in the stores along here, so I’ll leave you to get your shopping done. Bradford’s is on the corner over there. I’ll meet you out in front in say, two hours. If you need more time, we’ll take it.”

“I won’t need two hours. You’re too generous, Colt.”

“When you’ve been with us a month, you’ll realize you earned every penny of it and will be asking for a raise.”

Some people had difficulty accepting gratitude. He seemed to fit in that category. “What am I supposed to wear during my work day?”

His eyes swept over her, but she couldn’t read their expression. “Not a uniform. That’s for sure.”

“Thank you for that,” she half laughed, putting a hand to her throat. His lips twitched in reaction. When he did that, her heart jumped.

“Put on whatever is comfortable.”

She knew she looked pathetic in the hand-me-down clothes provided at the prison. Day before yesterday she’d been ecstatic to exchange the prison uniform for them. But today the knowledge that she could walk into a shop and pick out some new outfits made her so thrilled, she was close to being sick with excitement.

“I’ve never had the experience of buying a whole new wardrobe at once. You may regret you gave me this get-out-of-jail-free card. I might go hog wild.”

He shoved his hat back on his dark head. “Frankly, ma’am, I hope you do.”

With that remark, she knew she looked awful and didn’t feel half as guilty while she spent the next couple of hours choosing clothes to wear, starting from the skin out. She went a little crazy on cosmetics and makeup. In the last store she tried on designer jeans and a white, form fitting Western shirt with pearl snaps and extended tails.

She loved the spread collar, not to mention the brown embroidery on the sleeves and yoke. The guy waiting on her brought out cowboy boots and a white cowboy hat to match. She’d never worn Western clothes like this in her life.

Geena put everything on and stood in front of the full-length mirror. Though she needed to gain ten pounds, the gleam in the clerk’s eyes when he told her she looked fantastic made her feel better about herself and settled one matter for her. She would wear the whole outfit back home.

Yesterday she’d learned that the head of the Floral Valley Ranch was held in the highest regard in this part of Wyoming. If she was going to work for him, she needed to present herself in the best light.

Before she left the fitting room, she tossed her old clothes in the wastebasket. They’d been used by enough other women that she didn’t feel guilty about discarding them. No doubt her new boss would be happy to know she’d gotten rid of them. To her relief the clerk, who’d been chatting her up, offered to help her out of the store with her all her bags.

She’d bought a lot of things, yet she knew he didn’t normally offer to carry a client’s purchases to the car for them. It had been a long time since she’d been around men. The attention from this nice-looking guy was fun and flattering. “Thanks for your help, Steve.” It said Steve Wright on his name tag. “I really like my new clothes.”

“On you, so do I. If you’re going to be in town later, we could have dinner after I close up. How about it?”

“Afraid not” sounded a voice behind them with an underlying hint of steel. “She’ll be at work.”

Geena swung around to look at Colt. In the background she could see his truck double-parked. The piercing yellow-green of his eyes sent a tiny shiver down her spine. Was the transformation too much? She turned to the clerk. “Steve? This is my employer, Mr. Brannigan.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.”

While Colt nodded, Geena smiled at the clerk. “The next time I’m in town, I’ll come by.”

“Good. I’ll be watching for you.”

“Let me relieve you.” Colt took care of all the bags before putting them in the back of the truck.

When the clerk went inside the store, Colt walked to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her. The boots made her a little taller, putting her on a better footing with him. Before she climbed in, she eyed him beneath the brim of her hat.

“You’re probably upset about the purchase of this outfit. Tell me now if I’ve done something wrong. The only reason I decided to buy it was because you said I needed to learn how to horseback-ride. I want to look the part and fit in.”

“What you buy is your business,” he muttered.

“But there is a problem.”

“There could be” came his cryptic answer. His gaze roved over her features visible beneath her cowboy hat. “It’s not your fault,” he added, as if it cost him to admit it.

Oh. Now she got it.

“You mean that I’m a woman?” It was absurd for Colt to think she was a femme fatale. She climbed in the truck so he could close the door. When he came around and got behind the wheel she turned to him. “He was just being a guy.”

“I noticed.”

“Look, Colt. I realize you employ a small army of men on your ranch. Sometimes a woman can cause trouble without meaning to. Todd told me stories about the problems with a few women who came out to see the men while they were laying pipe.” That’s where he’d met Janice. “But you have my promise that while I work for you, I’ll keep everything professional. If there’s a problem with any of them, I’ll come to you immediately.”

“I can’t ask for more than that.” There were invisible layers to this issue, but he wasn’t willing to explain. They could be professional or personal. Maybe both. When she got to know him better, she’d find out.

He turned on the engine and joined the mainstream of traffic. “Before we head out of town, I’ll take you over to the supermarket where we do our grocery shopping and introduce you to Bart, the manager. You’ll be cooking for those of us in the ranch house. But he’s worked with Mary and knows how to fill the lists for the food prepared by the cooks feeding the stockmen out on the range. The cooks come to the house to pick up from you once a week.”

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