The Highest Bidder

Carter leaned back in his seat and nodded, and that awkward awareness between them was gone. “You stuck to your principles.”

“I should have never agreed to it in the first place.”

“Yeah, well. Hindsight can be a bitch. We do things we’re thinking are right at the time, only to find out later how wrong we were.”

From the regret in his voice, Macy knew he was speaking about his own situation. She lowered her tone and gave him a soft smile. “I’m sorry about what happened yesterday with your—”

“Jocelyn?” He shifted his gaze to look out the window. “Yeah, I didn’t see that coming. I’m not sure what happened there, but I guarantee you I won’t let it happen again. I’ve got my guard up now.”

Macy nibbled on her lower lip. “You know, you can throw me off your property anytime you want. If you regret inviting me to stay at your place and would rather be alone, I’d understand.”

He faced her. “Don’t worry, Macy. Like I said, I’ve got ten thousand acres. You won’t get in my way. And I won’t get in yours. I don’t live with regrets. So don’t you worry your head off about me. Is it a deal?”

Macy smiled, more assured now. “It’s a deal.”

Three

The second Carter planted his boots down on Texas soil, he felt better. He’d been gone only a few days, but he was damn grateful to be back on his own land. Coming home to Wild River never got old.

Jocelyn had bruised him, and he couldn’t quite shake the feeling. He’d never asked a woman to marry him before. He’d never had the inclination. Jocelyn had reeled him in like a sucker, and just when he thought things were going great, she’d tossed him back into the water to fish for someone else.

Macy had been bruised, too. Her circumstances were different, but when he’d spotted her outside the restaurant, he’d seen a look of pain and disbelief in her eyes. He’d felt a kinship with her that, even now, he couldn’t truly define. It was the reason he’d invited her to Wild River.

He glimpsed his fifteen-room house and breathed in the earthy scent of range and cattle before he turned from the car to reach for Macy’s hand. She slid her palm into his and climbed out of her seat, as graceful as a doe, to stand beside him. “You ready for a slice of heaven?”

Those violet eyes of hers swept the Wild River vista and a little sigh escaped her lips. Carter’s chest puffed out some at her thunderstruck look. “Oh, it’s stunning, Carter.”

Carter had worked with an architect to give his home just the right mixture of down-home comfort and modern-day style. The result, much to his satisfaction, turned out to be a wood and stone structure with bay windows and skylights. Stone pilings and wrought-iron fencing surrounded the grounds. Beyond the house lay the outer buildings that made up the ranch itself, with corrals, barns and feed shacks.

“No tall skyscrapers blocking out the sunrise here.” He glanced eastward toward the orange blast of light lifting from the land in midday splendor. “Every room at the back of the house has a big window facing east. Same goes for sunsets for the rooms facing west.”

“And I bet you make sure you see the sun rise every day.”

“I’m up at the crack of dawn.”

Macy’s eyes rolled at his clichéd response. “Just like a regular cowpoke.”

He chuckled. Damn, but it felt good being home. “I’m a businessman, but I’m a rancher first. You gotta love the land and all that goes with it.”

“I’m feeling better already. I think I’m going to like it here,” she said softly, and Carter didn’t doubt it. His land had everything.

A four-legged ball of fur shot out of the barn, wagging its tail around and around like a jet propeller, and raced straight for Macy. Her face lit up. “Oh, isn’t he cute.”

“Say hi to Rocky. He sort of runs the place.”

Carter lowered down at the same time Macy did and their hands touched as they stroked the dog’s blond coat.

“Hello, Rocky,” Macy said with reverence.

“You like dogs?” he asked.

“What’s not to like? I had a dog once.” Her eyes grew distant and she sucked in a breath, shuddering. “My, uh, dad accidentally ran Queenie over. She died. It was awful.”

“That’s rough. Rocky here had a brush with death not too long ago.”

Macy kept vigilant, stroking the top of Rocky’s head and shoulders, and the darn dog was lapping it all up. “What happened?”

“There was a fire.”

“Oh no!”

“Yeah, Rocky almost didn’t make it.”

“Oh,” Macy said, intent on the dog. “Did you rescue Rocky, too?”

Carter grunted and rose to his full height. “In more ways than one.” But he wasn’t going there today. He didn’t want to ruin his good mood thinking about Riley McCay, his alcoholic father, and the dog he couldn’t care for. He turned to Henry, his foreman, who’d been giving Carter strange stares since he’d picked them up at the airport. Henry didn’t know what to make of Macy. He’d expected to see Jocelyn standing beside Carter outside the terminal gates.

His foreman retrieved Carter’s bag and Macy’s flamingo-pink suitcases from the back end of the vehicle and set them down on the ground, with a shake of his head. Carter’s lips pulled tight to keep from chuckling at his mystified foreman’s expression. “Thanks, Henry. I’ll take Macy’s bags into the house myself. Appreciate the ride.”

Henry nodded and shot a glance to Macy.

She looked up at the same time. “Yes, thank you, Henry.”

He tipped his hat to her, got in the SUV and drove off.

“I think you’ve made a friend there,” Carter said, heaving her suitcases.

“Henry?” she quizzed, looking up.

He pointed to the golden retriever. “I was talking about the dog.”

A genuine smile lifted her lips. “I think Rocky and I are going to be good friends.”

Macy rose and followed Carter toward the house, Rocky at her heels. At least his new houseguest liked dogs. Jocelyn would hoist her nose at Rocky and claim he triggered her allergies. The two hadn’t been friends.

Not that Carter was comparing the women or anything.

After Macy gushed over the interior living area of his home, which managed to puff his chest again, he walked her down the hallway, offering her one of three bedrooms. She stuck her head inside all of them and then met him back in the hallway. “Where is your bedroom?”

Well, damn. That was right to the point. If he’d been gulping whiskey, he might have spit his liquor at that one. “The last room down the hall and to the right.” His brows knit together. “Why?”

“I appreciate you letting me hide out here, but I don’t want to invade your privacy. I’ll take the one farthest from your room.”

That made sense. “Fine.”

He set her bags down in a room with a queen-size bed, white oak furniture and a bedspread with yellow and blue flowers. Macy walked over to the window. “Looks like I get the sunsets.”

Carter sidled up next to her, and her fresh scent tickled his nose and brought memories of picking peaches on summer days. He inhaled deep and long, surprised that he hadn’t noticed her scent before. Fruit-infused soap or shampoo, or whatever the hell it was, wasn’t what he’d expected from a Hollywood actress with a legendary mother. “You won’t be disappointed. They’re mighty glorious.”

Macy sighed.

Carter’s stomach grumbled, and he didn’t apologize. He had an enormous appetite. “Ready for lunch?”

She glanced at the bed, then at him. “I, uh, I’m fine right now. You go on. I’m going to rest a little.”

“Okay, you know where the kitchen is. Henry will have made up something delicious by now. Have at it, anytime you want.”

“Henry? He’s the cook?”

Carter gave her a wry smile. Hers wasn’t an unusual reaction. Henry often surprised people. “His wife, Mara, took ill this week. Turns out, Henry’s a pretty good cook. We share duties at Wild River. But Henry doesn’t do windows, or any other cleaning. Mara does that. She’ll be back tomorrow to help clean up his mess. Oh, and feel free to use the pool, the sauna or the spa, anytime you want.”

“Thank you, Carter.”

He nodded. “Dinner’s at seven. See you then.”

Carter walked down the hallway to his room and tossed his suitcase down, then hightailed it outside to speak with Henry.

He found him in the office/tack room, just outside the barn. “Need a word with you, Henry.”

“Sure, boss. But I got some news for you, too. I didn’t want to speak in front of the lady before.”

“All right, you first.”

Henry began, “The inn over by the river got broken into while you were gone. A window was smashed and doesn’t appear that there’s any other damage. Window’s already been replaced. Thought I’d tell you. It’s not the first time it’s happened though. Bucky reported someone snooping around over there, but they’d taken off by the time he’d driven up.”

Carter rubbed at his neck. He hated the thought of anyone messing with his property. He’d been trying to decide whether to refurbish the inn or tear it down.

“I met an old guy in town the other day. He was pretty sharp and looking for work. Thought maybe he’d make a good groundskeeper. You know, someone to check the property and make sure nothing’s disturbed.”

Carter mulled it over for a second. With Macy Tarlington staying at Wild River, a little extra security wouldn’t hurt. “It’s not a bad idea, Henry. Why don’t you give him an interview and get back to me.”

“Will do. Now, what can I do for you?”

“That woman I brought here today—do you recognize her?”

Henry jerked back a bit, surprised. “Should I?”

Relieved, Carter gave a shake of the head. “Maybe not. It’s good that you don’t, actually. But Mara might.”

And Carter spent the next ten minutes explaining to his foreman about Macy and how important it was to keep her identity a secret. Carter didn’t think any of the ranch hands would recognize the daughter of a Hollywood legend since Macy had kept herself under the radar until recently, but their wives and girlfriends might. It was a chance they’d have to take. For the most part, folks kept to themselves, and for as long as he could, he’d make sure Macy got some privacy on his ranch.

Macy glanced around the room that would be her sanctuary and shook her head. “You are plum crazy, girl,” she muttered, picking up Carter’s Texas drawl. “Coming to live with the tall, tan, too-good-to-be-true Texan.”

She flopped onto the bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest. She’d been lured to Wild River by her own curiosity and a brand-new sense of adventure. But while that was all true, she hadn’t been completely honest with Carter about the diamond ring he’d bought at auction, and as a result he’d become the diamond’s latest victim. She couldn’t blame him for being bitter and cautious now about relationships. Macy felt the same way. She’d seen her mother fall in love three times, and all three times had been a disaster.

She no longer believed in love or happily-ever-afters. She didn’t know too many couples who’d sustained their marriages more than a decade. And living in Hollywood, she’d known the truth about the few long-term marriages, too. It seemed that no one was happy for long. Very few of those marriages had held firm to their commitment.

Sad but true.

Giving in to fatigue, Macy relaxed back on the bed and closed her eyes. To hell with unpacking. She wasn’t going to be pragmatic now. She was taking a break from reality. No lawyers right now. No tabloids. No worry about saying the wrong thing. No one hounding her.

A sudden movement on her bed startled her, and the scent of rawhide followed. She snapped her eyes open. She’d been wrong. She was being hounded, but she didn’t mind the nuzzling. She could get used to this. “Hello, Rocky.”

The dog curled his body next to hers and laid his head down. She looked into his big caramel eyes and smiled. Carter had been right. His ranch had everything.

An hour later, refreshed from her nap, Macy showered and changed into fresh clothes, a pair of white jeans and an indigo tank top. Her hair was still wet when she drew it back into a ponytail. Five minutes in the Texas heat would dry it.

She thought better about stepping into flip-flops and opted for her Nikes. Carter had given her half an hour to pack before the car had come for her at the hotel. As it was, she’d packed only enough clothes to last her through a short stay in New York, and not too much was suitable for ranch living.

“Guess I’m going to do some shopping while I’m here,” she muttered to Rocky.

The dog wagged his tail at the sound of her voice. He hadn’t left her side since he’d plopped onto the bed. They’d enjoyed the nap together, and he’d sat outside the shower door while she was cleaning up.

Macy grinned at him. “You want to show me around after lunch?”

Another tail wag.

Macy found the kitchen easily. It wasn’t hard to miss, and it was definitely Texas-size with wood beamed ceilings, homey tiled counters and a table big enough for a small army. She rummaged through the double-door refrigerator, coming up with brisket and swiss cheese. She was too hungry to go to any more trouble than throwing a sandwich together. She slapped mustard on sourdough bread and made quick work of eating her lunch. Every so often, she’d pull off a piece of beef and toss it to Rocky.

He gobbled it without chewing.

“No doubt he’ll be your friend for life.”

She spun around so fast, her ponytail whipped her cheek. She found Carter leaning against the kitchen doorway, staring at her. He flicked his gaze over her in one sweep and then focused on Rocky, but it was enough to freeze all movement in her chest. She cleared her throat and wondered when she’d stop reacting to him this way. “Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t be feeding him this, uh—”

Carter sauntered into the kitchen. “He eats anything.” He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and offered her one.

“No, thanks.”

“And refuses nothing. At least, I’ve never seen my father’s dog deny himself a meal of any kind.”

“Good to note.”

“Out of necessity,” he added. “He wasn’t always fed.”

“Oh.” The dog used to belong to Carter’s father. Macy connected the dots. They stood facing each other and she watched Carter’s throat work, swallowing a gulp of beer. “I’ll just clean up my mess and get out of here.”

Carter had the beer to his lips again and stopped from sipping to eye her over the bottle. “You know, we’re bound to bump into each other. You don’t have to run off. The kitchen is big enough for both of us.”

Not from where she was standing. Whenever Carter entered a room, he commanded all the space and Macy saw nothing else. “Gotcha.”

“Where are you going anyway?”

“Just exploring. I thought I’d stretch my legs and take a walk.”

He blinked and a look of concern crossed his features. “I should probably go with you the first time.” He gulped down the rest of his beer.

“You think I’ll get lost?”

“It’s a big ranch.”

“I’m a big girl.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ve got GPS.”

He clearly didn’t find her amusing. “Come with me,” he said. Thankfully, he didn’t take her hand. It was one thing to hold his hand when they were running down an alley to safety, and another altogether while alone in his big, gorgeous house. She followed him to his bedroom and waited at the doorway while he searched through a walk-in closet. He pulled a red plaid shirt off a hanger and she noted how he scrutinized it for a long few seconds. Macy noticed a few other female things hanging in his closet before he turned to her. “Here you go.”

She balked at wearing Jocelyn’s clothes and shook her head. “No, thanks.”

“You don’t want to wear it?” Carter’s voice rose in question.

“Not my style.” She didn’t want anything to remind him of the woman who’d jilted him. Why add insult to injury?

His gaze touched on the small cleavage exposed by her tank top, and silently she drew a breath. “Fair enough. Soon as I can, I’m gonna give this stuff to charity anyway. You got anything to wear besides white jeans?” He focused on her pants, and Macy’s throat nearly constricted. “Those will stick out like a sore thumb around here.”

“I wasn’t planning on ranch living when I packed for New York.”

“I’ll take you into town to get some clothes tomorrow. Maybe some boots, too.”

He reached into his closet again and came up with a tan-colored felt hat. He set it onto her head. “This is one of mine,” he said, giving her a solid look. “Pretty good disguise, too. Those long curls of yours are bound to cause attention.”

Macy tucked her hair under the hat.

He gave her a look of approval. “Put on your shades, and we’re good to go.”

Macy stood in the center of a broken-down gazebo and swirled around with her arms outstretched. A joyous smile lifted her lips. If she flung her hat into the air, it would be reminiscent of Mary Tyler Moore’s famous opening scene, and Macy would do it if Carter wasn’t standing a short distance away, watching her every move.

Yes, the gazebo was broken down, the pristine white paint chipped from age and neglect, with much of the structure unsupported. But the floor would make a good-size stage, and the grounds themselves could be amazing with a little tender loving care.

Right now, the actress in her envisioned young children sitting on the gazebo’s wooden steps, cold reading, learning techniques to perform upon the stage.

Rocky sat on dry grass, watching her, too. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, reluctant to leave, her mind spinning with possibilities. Carter waited at the back door of the inn. He’d taken her here to show her the seventy-year-old structure that was also abused by neglect. The relic sat one mile into McCay property, and before they’d gotten inside, Macy had spotted the gazebo that drew her like a magnet.

She glanced at Carter, who was waiting and watching her. “Okay, Rock. Looks like we have to go.”

When she reached Carter, he gestured toward the gazebo. “I’m thinking about tearing it down.”

“No! You can’t do that.”

Carter’s brows furrowed at her outburst. “Why not?”

“It’s wonderful, that’s why not. It could be grand again with a little work.”

“It’s dangerous. It won’t hold in a storm.”

“Can it be braced?”

Carter scoffed at that, and Macy thought he was being unreasonable. But what did it matter anyway? She wouldn’t be teaching here, or anyplace else for that matter.

Carter showed her around the six-bedroom inn that had come with the land he’d purchased as an expansion of his uncle’s original property. Macy had to give him credit for being a self-made man. He’d taken an old run-down ranch and built an empire.

Already, in the half day she’d been here, she had seen how different his life was than the flaky phoniness of Hollywood. They were worlds apart.

Carter showed her the dilapidated upstairs bedrooms. Five of the rooms were dusty, the walls a mess of stained old wallpaper and filthy warped floors. Just as he was about to lead her down the staircase again, Macy pointed to one room at the end of the hallway. “Wait, Carter. What’s in there?”

Carter hesitated, his expression closed off. Before he could answer, Macy, too curious for her own good, walked toward the door and pushed it open. She poked her head inside. “Oh wow. This is…amazing.” She turned to him in surprise. “It’s completely refurbished.”

He frowned. “I know. It’s just one room.”

Macy glanced at the freshly painted walls, the king-size bed decorated with a brown silk comforter and the polished wood floors. “It’s a picture of what the whole house could look like.”

Carter’s mouth twisted again, as if he’d bitten into a sour lemon. “Yeah, well, we’ll see.”

He turned and started for the stairs.

Macy closed the door softly and followed him downstairs, a dozen questions filling her mind.

They wound up in the kitchen. Cobwebs in the corner of the ceilings made her arms itch. Carter stood by a bay window, looking out. “Do you think it’s worth fixing up?”

“Yes, of course. It’s full of charm.”

He shrugged. “For some, it’s charming. For others, it’s old and run-down, just like a lot of places around here.”

Panic rose in her throat. “You’re not seriously thinking about destroying this place?”

“It’s an eyesore on the property.”

Macy doubted that. The house wasn’t set on the highway, but deep into Carter’s land. No one could find the place, much less see it, unless they were searching for it. “With a little time and effort, the house could really shine. You could open it to the public and rent out rooms or use it as a guesthouse.”

He contemplated for a few moments, then gave her a nod, as if her opinion mattered. “I’ll think about it.”

They left the inn and walked along the river’s edge. Macy let the peace and calm settle into her bones. The quiet surge of the water glistening under the Texas sun soothed and filled her with ease.

“This is exactly what I needed,” she whispered.

“Wild River does that.” It was a statement of fact, one that wasn’t up for interpretation. Carter truly loved this place.

Cottonwoods shaded them as they strolled on, Rocky at Carter’s heels. She felt safe here, out in the middle of nowhere, living with a stranger. Carter had hardly known her before offering up his home, and with him by her side, Macy felt protected.

“I’m glad you invited me here,” she said, holding back another round of thanks. She didn’t want to sound like a broken record.

He looked toward the river, his eyes squinting against the rays of sunlight. “Stay as long as you need, Hollywood.”

She chuckled at the nickname, not sure she liked it yet. She wasn’t the clichéd Hollywood type, but then, as she gazed at herself in the water’s reflection, she could see his point. Everything about her spoke of disguise and fraud.

In her heart, Macy knew who she really was, but she hadn’t been allowed to follow her own dreams, not when she was busy living her mother’s.

Now, she was at a crossroads, unsure where to turn.

She vowed she wouldn’t let it get her down.

Not while she was living at Wild River.

She was on vacation…from life.

After dinner, Carter left Macy to her own devices, needing to get something off his chest. Or at least, get an explanation from his cousin. At Brady’s house on the outskirts of town he climbed out of his Jeep, slamming the door closed. He glanced at the front entrance and drew a deep breath. Having to admit being rejected wasn’t easy, but under these circumstances, it really burned.

No one answered his knocking. But the scent of a fired-up grill drew him to the backyard. He found Brady on his deck cooking a steak. Smoke ruffled the heavy air as he met his cousin’s inquisitive stare.

“Hey, Carter. Didn’t expect to see you so soon. Thought maybe you’d be out making wedding plans.” He poked at his steak with a long-pronged fork and turned it over.

Carter’s mouth twisted. “That’s not happening. She turned me down.”

Brady set his barbecue fork onto the side of the grill and snapped up his head. “She did?”

Carter leveled him a direct look. “Thought maybe you’d know why.”

Brady’s brows gathered tight. “Me? How should I know? Didn’t she give you a reason?”

Carter paced behind Brady, carefully choosing his words. He’d always been close to Brady, and he trusted him. The man had scruples and had brought himself up from poverty to become quite successful in commercial real estate. Carter wasn’t accusing him of anything, but a man had a right to know what end was up. “She did. But I’d like to know what you’ve got to say about it.”

His cousin moved his steak to the side of the grill, taking it away from the heat, and turned to him. “You have dinner yet?”

“I have. And I’ll leave you in peace to eat yours once we talk about this.”

“Hey, I’m sorry Jocelyn turned you down, but I gotta say…”