The Rancher's Housekeeper

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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