Corporate Cowboy

“Didn’t anybody tell this suit that the reason the program works is because it’s a team effort? I say let him rent a car and drive out here himself,” she grumbled.

“Kacy, be reasonable.”

“Reasonable as in get in the van and go get him?” she asked dryly.

“Doesn’t it beat reciting poetry around the campfire?”

“It’s too wet for a campfire,” she reminded him.

“Then we’ll have to have poetry around the fireplace.” He grinned. “Come on. Be a sport. Other than the orientation meeting, you won’t be missed this evening.”

Kacy knew what he said was true. She was the public relations person at the Triple J which meant she usually saw to it that guests were comfortable at all times. Her other job was to give riding lessons and lead trail rides.

“Please say you’ll do it,” he begged.

She tried to give him the stubborn look the Judds were noted for, but failed. “All right. But I’m not taking that big old honkin’ van. I’ll drive my pickup.”

“You can’t pick up a CEO in that beat-up old pickup!”

Kacy didn’t appreciate anyone referring to Bertha as either “old” or “beat-up.” “Do you want me to do it or not?”

Dusty handed her a white placard with “The Triple J” written across the front in large black letters. “You probably won’t need this, but better take it anyway.”

“You’re lucky I have such a strong sense of family duty,” she mumbled as she took the placard from him.

On her way out she grabbed a slicker from the coat room. It was a good thing because before she had reached the airport, rain fell in a steady downpour. She pulled up in front of the terminal in the loading zone, looking for signs of a suit. No one waited near the entrance.

She felt her muscles tense. For three years she had made airports a regular stop on her agenda. Her clothes had spent more time in her suitcase than her closet. Buying art for the gallery, arranging for showings, traveling cross country had all sounded glamorous to her at one point in her life.

Now she knew better. She was grateful she was no longer earning frequent flyer miles. There were no more long hours spent trying to convince a temperamental artist to agree to a showing, no more frustrating conversations with fussy patrons with outrageous demands, no more dates with men whose only goal in life is to get ahead in the business world.

Instead of worsted wool and linen, she could wear denim and leather. She was done trying to be a sophisticated city woman. In her heart she was a cowgirl and there was no point in pretending to be anything else.

Not that it mattered. Her days of doing what she was supposed to do were over…except of course when it came to the ranch. To keep the Triple J in the family, she would do anything, including cater to stuffy businessmen who didn’t have a clue what it really meant to be a rancher.

Knowing she couldn’t stay in the loading zone indefinitely, she drove into the parking lot. Before getting out, she buttoned up the slicker, cursing the fact that she had to get out in the pouring down rain to go find this guy. She grabbed the square Triple J placard and made a dash to the door.

It was nearly deserted inside the airport except for a couple of airline personnel. Kacy’s eyes scanned the small waiting room and saw a man leaning up against the wall, his back to her as he spoke on the telephone. He wore a suit and carried a briefcase. Kacy figured it had to be Austin Bennett, the CEO of Bennett Industries.

As she walked toward him she could hear the heels of her boots clack against the floor. She expected the sound would cause him to turn around and look to see who was walking toward him. It didn’t. He just kept on talking, loudly enough so that anyone in the area could have heard his end of the conversation. It didn’t take Dr. Ruth to figure out that he was having a lovers’ quarrel.

When she heard him say, “Of course I care about you, Daphne.” Kacy’s boots came to a halt.

Before she could take a step backward, she heard, “It’s not a question of my feelings for you…Please don’t cry. Daphne, stop. Do you think I want to spend a week with people who say yee-haw more than they do hello? Daphne?”

He pulled the receiver away from his ear and stared into the earpiece. “Damn,” he muttered, then hung the phone up.

Without even seeing the man’s face or speaking to him Kacy knew she wasn’t going to like him. In a few phrases he seemed to have confirmed her worst feelings about men in suits. She couldn’t help but wonder if Daphne was his girlfriend or his mistress.

She glanced at his hands. No rings on any of his fingers. A flash of gold showed beneath a crisp white cuff whenever he moved those hands. Probably a Rolex watch. It would go along with the Italian leather shoes and the Armani suit. And then there was his fragrance. Kacy had walked past the men’s counter in Macy’s department store enough times to know that it was not a cheap bottle of splash-on from the drugstore.

No, this man had money. And as much as she hated to admit it, he did smell good. Damn good. A man to avoid, Kacy thought pragmatically, although she didn’t think she needed to worry about Mr. Bennett tossing his charm her way. She didn’t exactly attract the corporate type nowadays.

Suddenly aware of her presence he turned and gave her an intense stare that told her he wasn’t the least embarrassed that she had overheard his conversation. If anything, that gaze accused her of invading his privacy. Some women might have blushed or looked away. Kacy might have, had she been in New York City or Chicago or some other corporate metropolis, but not here. Not on her own turf.

“Yee-haw.” She held up the placard with the Triple J logo on it.

His eyes—deep blue and penetrating—narrowed, making a very thorough appraisal of her figure, from her head covered by her felt cowboy hat down to her booted toes. As they traveled down the rain soaked slicker, she was grateful that he couldn’t see the open slit in her skirt, for she was certain those eyes would have lingered a moment on the expanse of leg it revealed. She hadn’t reached the age of twenty-six without learning how to recognize what was in a man’s eyes. As much as she’d like to give him an icy glare, she stepped toward him, hand outstretched.

“You must be Mr. Bennett. I’m Kacy Judd. Welcome to North Dakota.”

He took her hand, his blue eyes continuing to pierce hers with an intensity that made every red curl beneath her hat want to straighten. Just as quickly as he had clasped her hand, he dropped it, causing Kacy to wonder if he had experienced the same jolt as she had when their skin had touched.

“Where’s your luggage?” she asked.

He made a sound of derision. “It’s lost. Apparently it didn’t make the connecting flight in Minneapolis.”

“Oh.” Inwardly, Kacy smiled. It served him right. “No need to worry. I’m sure someone from the airlines will bring it to the ranch when it gets here. Until then, you can pick up a few things in the Triple J’s western wear shop.”

From the look on his face she doubted that he wanted to wear anything that had the word “western” connected to it. He didn’t look happy and as they passed the baggage claim area Kacy gave the clerk a sympathetic glance. No doubt Mr. Austin Bennett had made sure she understood his predicament.

Judging by the look on the CEO’s face, Kacy thought it would be wise for anyone to avoid talking to the man if possible. Not a friendly word had dropped from his lips yet. She could only imagine what the long ride back to the ranch was going to be like. Everything about his body language told her he didn’t want to be here.

When her father and brothers had announced they wanted to convert the ranch to a conference center for professionals, Kacy had laughed out loud. Despite the fact that one of her brothers had a business degree and the other had one in psychology, neither one excelled in the public relations department.

Which was why they needed her to be a part of the family business. When it came to smoothing ruffled feathers, Kacy was a pro. After three years in New York and encountering what she thought had to be the crankiest people on the face of the earth, working with professionals hoping to find better methods of communicating was a piece of cake.

Only this piece of cake looked as if someone could break a tooth if they tried to do anything but stay out of his way. He was going to be a challenge and although it would be easy to avoid Austin Bennett, Kacy was not one to run away from a job she was supposed to do. One way or another, she’d get this city slicker saying “yee-haw” before the week was over.

Chapter Two

“I don’t suppose you have an umbrella in that, do you?” Kacy pointed to his briefcase. “It’s coming down pretty good out there.”

Austin thought pretty good was an understatement. The road out front looked like a river. “It wasn’t raining when I left Chicago.”

“I take it that’s a no.”

“Considering the prices your facility charges, Ms. Judd, one would expect that umbrellas would be provided for guests by the Triple J.” Austin didn’t mean to snap at the woman, but he didn’t care for the censure in her tone. After his conversation with Daphne, he wasn’t in the mood to be defending himself to any woman.

And especially not this one. His gaze slid over her again, wondering just what kind of a place would send a woman wearing cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a yellow rain slicker better suited to a two-hundred-pound firefighter.

“Oh, but we do provide umbrellas, Mr. Bennett. All of your employees who came on time were greeted with an umbrella escort. We carry them in the vans.”

“But you didn’t come in a van?”

“Uh-uh. I drive that orange pickup that’s in the front row of the parking lot.”

He glanced outside and noticed an orangish blur which he knew had to be the truck. Running even a short distance would leave him with a drenched suit. Not a pleasant thought especially since he had no change of clothes.

“I think it would be more prudent to wait a few minutes,” he advised.

“Don’t want to get your fancy suit wet, eh?” She gave him an understanding grin. “All right. You wait here. I’ll bring the truck to the door.”

“That won’t be necessary. I can walk out with you, although I don’t see why we can’t wait until it isn’t raining quite so hard.” He could feel his patience slipping away.

She shrugged. “It’s only water, but if you want to wait, that’s fine with me. I should tell you, though, that the way it’s been raining here lately, who knows when it’ll clear. And the longer we stay here, the less time you’ll have to spend with your employees when we get back.”

“I’m sure my employees can get along without me this evening,” he retorted smoothly.

“That may be true, but it is a long drive back to the ranch, Mr. Bennett, and it’s already late.” She reached for the door. “You’re the guest, I’m the driver. You wait here. I’ll get the truck.”

“I’m not having you pick me up at the door!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not.” He unzipped his briefcase to get a section of the newspaper to use as protection from the rain.

“Is that a laptop?” Kacy asked, peering over his shoulder.

“Yes.” He pulled out the business section of the Chicago Sunday Times, aware of her eyes watching him closely.

“Now that’s a shame.”

“What is?”

“That you brought your PC in that carry-on. You could have packed a change of clothes. Most people do that—pack an extra set of clothes just in case the luggage goes astray.”

Austin wondered if she was deliberately trying to annoy him or if he was simply in a bad mood because number one, he didn’t want to be here and number two, he had just argued with Daphne. “I’m not most people and I happen to need my laptop.”

“Not at the ranch you don’t. You’re going to be unplugged while you’re there.”

“Unplugged?”

“Yes. No telephones, no faxes, no PCs. This isn’t a working vacation, Mr. Bennett. It’s a team-building workshop that requires all of your attention and concentration.”

He sighed impatiently. “Ms. Judd, I am the CEO of Bennett Industries. I have responsibilities. It would be not only foolish, but inconsiderate, for me to lose my connection with my office.”

“Well, that may be, Mr. Bennett, but I think it would be even more foolish and inconsiderate of you to waste company money—which is what you will be doing if you don’t give your one hundred percent to the program.”

“Excuse me?” Did she honestly think that running around playing cowboy was more important than running one of the country’s most successful manufacturing industries?

“This whole concept is based on teamwork. You and your fellow employees are going to have to rely on each other. You’re not their CEO while you’re here, just another member of the team. And as a member of the team you need to work hard so that the others will know that they can count on you. Your attention needs to be with them, not with a bunch of suits in Chicago.”

Austin could only stare at her in disbelief. He ran one of the most successful manufacturing companies in the country and he was being given a lecture on management by a woman wearing cowboy boots, a yellow rubber slicker and a ten-gallon hat. What had his father gotten him into?

She peeked her nose out the door, then turned back to him and said, “I think there’s a slight lull in the rainfall. We’d better leave while we can.”

If this was a lull, he shuddered to think what a downpour would be. By the time Austin reached the pickup he was soaked. His hair, his face, his hands—everything dripped with water, including his briefcase. The section of the Times that had acted as an umbrella was a soggy mess and had done little to shield him from the driving rain. Now it fell apart, clinging to his wet fingers as he tried to shake them free.

“Do you want me to put the heat on so you can dry off a bit?” she asked as she climbed in beside him.

“I’m not cold. I’m wet,” he said stiffly.

Again she shrugged. “Very well.” She stuck the key in the ignition and started up the engine. “Fasten your seat belt. Next stop the Triple J.”

As she let out the clutch, the truck lunged forward.

“Sorry. Sometimes the pedal sticks,” she explained with a sly grin which only raised Austin’s suspicions about the sincerity of her apology. “You ever been to North Dakota before Mr. Bennett?” she asked once they were out of the parking lot and on their way.

“Once.”

“And?”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Well, what did you think?”

“That there’s a lot of flat land,” he said dully.

She chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who think the two best things about North Dakota are the east and west ends of Interstate 94?”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?”

“Of course it’s a joke. Interstate 94 runs smack dab through the middle of the state from Minnesota to Montana. It implies there’s nothing in between the borders, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s true that much of the state is flat farmland, but if you haven’t been to the northeast corner, you’re in for a treat. There’s the Pembina Gorge which is a beautiful river valley and there’s even a ski resort. Most people…”

He quickly cut her off. “You can save yourself the bother of giving me the guided tour, Ms. Judd.”

“You don’t want to hear what your colleagues already heard?” she asked in an annoying innocent tone.

“I’m sure North Dakota has an abundance of natural wonders, but right now I’m wet, I have no change of clothing and I don’t feel up to hearing a travelogue of your state,” he snapped.

“You should have let me pick you up at the door.” She had the audacity to scold him cheerfully.

Before he could utter another word his cellular phone rang. As he pulled it out of his pocket, he heard Kacy click her tongue in admonition. He shot her a nasty look before answering the call. “Yes?”

It was Daphne, hoping to continue the phone conversation he had started at the airport.

“I can’t believe you hung up on me like that!” Her voice was so loud Austin had to wonder if Kacy didn’t hear it, too.

“This isn’t a good time for me to talk. Go to bed. I’ll call you in the morning,” he said quietly into the pocket-sized phone.

“I’m not going to let you cast me aside like some used piece of furniture,” Daphne continued to shout into the phone.

“I’m not doing that. All I’m saying is this is not a good time to talk.”

“But we need to discuss our feelings.”

Feelings were something Austin rarely discussed with anyone. And certainly not in the presence of a cowgirl.

“Daphne, please,” he pleaded, but she refused to be deterred. Fortunately, they were driving out of range of the transmission and her voice became weaker. Finally he said, “I can’t hear you, Daphne. I’m going to have to hang up and talk to you when I’m not in transit.” He said goodbye and tucked the phone back into his pocket.

A glance told him Kacy sat with a smug smile of satisfaction—as if she knew he wasn’t going to be able to get any reception on the phone and was pleased about it.

“Satisfied?” he asked churlishly, wondering what it was about the woman sitting next to him that made him want to reach across and kiss that smile right off her pretty little face.

And it was a pretty face. At least what he could see of it. Cute bow lips highlighted with just the faintest of red lipstick, a pert little nose, a dainty but determined chin. And green eyes that he swore sparkled with mischief. She didn’t have the kind of looks that made the runway models famous, but she was pretty.

Of course he couldn’t see her forehead. Maybe she had one of those apelike brows that would erase the beauty of the rest of her face. That could be why she wore the hat—to cover up a bad hairline.

He chuckled. Who was he kidding? She was cute, in a country sort of way. Not that it mattered to him. He hadn’t come to North Dakota looking for Daphne’s replacement. At the thought of the model he sighed. He should have broken it off with her weeks ago. The relationship was going nowhere. Kacy Judd must have mistaken the meaning of his sigh.

“If you need to make emergency calls, we do have phones at the ranch,” she said politely.

“Do I have to be bleeding to use one?” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.

“We don’t want to completely isolate you, Mr. Bennett,” she continued in her annoying calm voice, “but the team approach is much more effective if there are no phone interruptions. Of course we understand that there are times when you may need to touch base with your family.”

Family? What he needed to keep in touch with was work, not family. Although in his case, the two were unfortunately connected. If there was anything positive to be said about the trip to North Dakota it was that he would get a break from people who seemed hellbent upon making his life stressful.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He really was tired. Maybe a week at a ranch wouldn’t be so bad after all. He could get some much needed rest as well as work without any interruptions. Mentally he prepared the upcoming week, assessing the pending reports, letting the sounds of the tires rotating over the pavement lull him into a state of relaxation.

How long they traveled in silence he wasn’t sure. His peace was shattered at the sound of tires squealing on pavement and a horn blaring. Austin’s eyes flew open to discover they had come to a stop only inches in front of the biggest moose he had ever seen. Actually, it might have been the only moose he had ever seen.

The creature seemed to be in no hurry to move from the highway. It was almost as if it took a wicked pleasure in blocking the road.

Kacy leaned her head on her steering wheel and let out a long gasp of air. “That was too close for comfort.”

Much too close thought Austin, watching the moose sniff the hood of the pickup, as if expecting to find dinner. It snorted, causing Austin to sit back as far as possible in the truck.

Kacy again tooted the horn, but the animal seemed oblivious to the noise.

“It’s not moving,” Austin stated inanely.

“No foolin’.”

“Why isn’t it moving?”

“Because moose don’t move for anyone or anything. They don’t have to.”

He hoped she was joking, but he could see by the caution on her face that she wasn’t. “Now what?”

“Now we wait until it moves out of our way.”

“You can’t just back up and drive around it?”

“It’s best not to try to outsmart a moose.”

“You’re pulling my leg, right?”

She shot him a sideways glance. “Messing with a moose is no joking matter, Mr. Bennett and it’s something you should remember should you find yourself face to face with one while you’re here. Bullwinkle may be sweet and lovable, but the moose out here can be mean, nasty creatures.”

As if to prove her point, the large animal nudged the front end of the truck with his rack, causing Kacy to cuss. “Damn! I hope he doesn’t dent my front end.”

Austin wasn’t so much worried about the truck as he was about the two of them inside. He wasn’t sure if humans could outrun moose.

Finally, after what seemed to Austin to be an eternity, the animal backed away from the pickup and sauntered over to the shoulder of the highway where he paused to give them another look before ambling away. Kacy put the truck in gear and her foot on the gas pedal. As they sped down the highway she hummed as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

After a few minutes, Austin asked, “Does that happen often?”

“What? Moose blocking the road? Every now and then. It’s a good thing we weren’t talking, otherwise I might not have noticed it when I did.”

Austin decided it would better not to engage her in conversation and went silent. She, however, didn’t seem to be as concerned.

“You ever see the damage a deer can do when it hits a car?” She didn’t wait for him to respond but continued on, “Well, that animal weighs about twice as much as any deer, maybe even three times. And moose have longer legs which means a higher center of gravity so they often come right through the windshield. Did you ever see that movie with Geena Davis where that deer came crashing right through the windshield? It’s not a pretty sight.”

And one Austin didn’t care to visualize. He wondered where help would come from if they were to have an accident or even break down. In the entire time they’d been driving, they hadn’t passed a single car. “Is it always this dark along this highway?”

“You’re not in Chicago, Mr. Bennett. This is North Dakota. You’re lucky we have a paved road…and that’s coming to an end before long.” Was that pleasure he heard in her voice?

Austin wasn’t sure which was worse—riding with his eyes wide open and watching for a critter to leap out of the darkness or sitting with his eyes shut and waiting for her to slam on her brakes. In the beam of the headlights he could see all sorts of flying insects and occasionally one would plop against the windshield.

What was he doing here? he asked himself, growing more restless by the minute. He wasn’t a nature lover and he certainly had no affinity for the wide open spaces. He was a city boy, born and bred, and while other people complained of the congestion and noise, he thrived on it.

“You know, you look awfully tense sitting there clutching your briefcase. You can lean back and close your eyes. I won’t run us off the road.”

Easier said than done, Austin thought. “How much farther is it?”

“We’re almost there.”

A short while later Austin realized that almost in North Dakota was not the same as almost in Chicago. Just as she predicted, the pavement gave way to a gravel road which she drove across at an alarming speed. He could hear rocks hit the underside of the pickup and was tempted to plead with her to slow down. Instead he gritted his teeth and sucked on his horehound drops.

By the time they reached the ranch the rain finally stopped. As she drove through an iron gate arched with the words “The Triple J,” Austin could see a smattering of lights in the distance.