Page 40 of Wyoming Tough

“If it’s land you can’t run cattle on, you sure as hell can’t farm it, Gelly,” he’d replied. “Besides, it’s a family ranch and that would be a family decision. You need to have the man come and talk to us.”

She didn’t dare do that. The brothers would realize in a heartbeat that he was a businessman, not a down-on-his-luck rancher.

“Oh, he’s out of town,” she said, thinking quickly.

“Doing what?”

She thought. “Visiting his sick brother.”

He shrugged. “No problem. Have him come see us when he gets back. Now, are you hell-bent on going to this movie?” he added, indicating it on the screen of his computer. “I don’t like comedies.”

“It’s funny,” she assured him. “At least, that’s what I was told. You need a night out. You spend too much time working around here. You should hire a manager. You know, I just met a man who would do nicely. He’s college educated and…”

“I run the ranch,” he said coldly, looking up at her.

She hesitated. “Well, I was just mentioning it. About the movie,” she added, and quickly changed the subject. He was too quick for her. She’d have to be more careful.

Mallory was remembering the conversation while he was staring pointedly at Morie. She flushed under the scrutiny. He could see her heart beating wildly against her shirt. Her breasts were pointed suddenly, too, and he felt his own body reacting to her arousal. He wanted to back her into the wall and kiss her forever.

He pulled himself up short. He had to get her out of here before he did something stupid. “All right,” he said. “You can go back to work.”

“Thanks.” She didn’t look at him again. She could barely walk for the trembly feeling that went over her. He’d looked at her with pure hunger. She knew he wanted her, but he didn’t trust her. He was remembering her involuntary outburst in the woods. If only she’d kept her mouth shut! He’d never trust her again and she had only herself to blame. But she could win his trust. She knew she could. She just had to try.

HE TOLDGELLY, WITHOUTmeaning to, about Morie’s phone call to the Texas judge.

“Well, that’s not surprising,” she commented on the way to the movie.

“Why not?” he shot at her.

“They were all hugged up together when I went out to tell her to get back to work and stop disturbing your guests,” she replied, lying through her teeth. She smiled secretively when she saw his expression. “He was very rude to me. He didn’t like it that I interrupted them.”

“She said she was giving him a canapé recipe,” he scoffed.

She laughed out loud. “Oh, come on!” She glanced at him with lowered eyelids. “And you actually believed her?”

He didn’t like feeling foolish. “I suppose so. At first.”

“I’m sure there’s something going on there,” she replied easily. “They obviously knew each other all along. And he’s a judge.” She glanced at him again. “What if she’s trying to set you up for a lawsuit and he’s helping her? Some judges are dishonest, you know.”

That was what he’d thought himself. He didn’t want to agree with her.

“She looks to me the sort who’d look for an easy way,” she added. “She’s so poor, she’d probably do anything to get out of debt, to have nice clothes that were currently in fashion, to be seen at the best places, to travel first-class around the world.” She was daydreaming, not about her rival’s wishes, but her own. Her face set in hard lines. “She’s probably sick of having to do things she hates just to get ahead in life, to have the things she deserves and can’t get any other way.”

He gave her an astonished look.

She noted it, and cleared her throat. “I mean, that sort of woman obviously is hoping to make some rich man fall for her, and she’ll do whatever it takes. You’re rich. Of course she wants you. It’s obvious.”

“It is?”

“She stares at you all the time,” she muttered. “Like a kid looking at the counter in an ice-cream shop.”

“She does?” His heart jumped. He had to force himself not to react. “I hadn’t noticed,” he added in a droll tone.

“It’s disgusting the way she falls all over herself to please you. Let me tell you, she’s not like that around me,” she said grimly. “She’s all claws and teeth. She hates me. The way she talks to me…you should say something to her about it,” she added firmly. “It’s not right, to have a hired person speak that way to someone of my class.”

Of her class. Her father was a retired textile worker, he’d found that out quite accidentally in conversation with a neighbor. Her late mother had been a bank clerk, an honorable profession but not something that gave her carte blanche to high society. Gelly had aspirations. She wanted money. He felt hunted, all of a sudden. She’d been sweet and clinging and flattering at first. Now she was becoming aggressive and demanding, pushing him toward her friends who wanted cheap land and jobs and other things. It was vaguely annoying.

“You’re getting a little pushy lately yourself, Gelly,” he remarked curtly.

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