Читать онлайн книгу «Too Hot to Handle» автора Victoria Dahl
Too Hot to Handle
Victoria Dahl
Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and its time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, shell supervise someok, a lotof restoration work. Luckily, shes found the perfect contractor for the job, and even better, he lives right next door.Shane Harcourt cant believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. Hell work on the project, if only to hasten its failureuntil the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shanes ulterior motives come out, hell need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but its impossible to resist.
Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and its time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, shell supervise someokay, a lot ofrestoration work. Luckily shes found the perfect contractor for the job, and even better, he lives right next door.
Shane Harcourt cant believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. Hell work on the project, if only to hasten its failureuntil the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.
For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shanes ulterior motives come out, hell need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but its impossible to resist.
Praise for the novels of
USA TODAY bestselling author
Victoria Dahl
Hits the emotional high notes. Rising romance star Dahl delivers with this sizzling contemporary romance.
Kirkus Reviews on Close Enough to Touch
A delightful romance between two people who struggle to discover their own self-worth.
RT Book Reviews on Bad Boys Do
This is one hot romance.
RT Book Reviews on Good Girls Dont
A hot and funny story about a woman many of us can relate to.
Salon.com on Crazy for Love
[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters.
Booklist on Start Me Up
Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale full of endearing oddballs, light mystery and plenty of innuendo and passion.
Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down
Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down is one delicious joyride of a book.
New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway
Sparkling, special and oh so sexyVictoria Dahl is a special treat!
New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips on Talk Me Down
Too Hot to Handle
Victoria Dahl
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This book is for my girlfriends.
Jif, Jodi, Jami and Jess, to name a few. Thank you.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE (#u00dd8aa1-b8c1-5c0d-a444-bb3e61d7a37d)
CHAPTER TWO (#udf15b179-eebf-56e8-a5ef-a90f76e62ed8)
CHAPTER THREE (#u296a6c72-671f-5d70-bd98-3241abd4a5c5)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u3471e2af-e9cf-557e-93bc-cac01ecbb9ee)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u605d653d-75a2-5368-b0d9-48562f7caac2)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
THE NOW FAMILIAR sound of the toaster popping up woke Merry from a dead sleep. She opened her eyes and immediately flinched from the brutal sunlight spearing between a gap in the curtains of the living room window.
Are you sick of me yet? she groaned, her voice muffled by the pillow. It was the same question she asked every morning. At some point the answer would be yes. But not today, thank God.
Are you kidding? Grace called from the kitchen. If I kick you out, I lose more than half of the furniture in this place.
And one very intrusive sofa bed.
Not to mention my best friend. Grace appeared next to the fold-out couch and held out a mug. Coffee?
God, I love you, Merry groaned.
Youre using me for my coffee.
And your apartment.
Would you drop that? Grace complained. Anyway, youre supposed to say youre using me for my hot bod. It makes me feel beautiful.
Merry sat up and dared a sip from the steaming mug before she shook her head. No way. I dont take sloppy seconds. And from what I can tell, Coles been using you up.
Grace snorted. Maybe. Or maybe Ive been using him up.
Here I thought that limp of his was still left over from surgery.
Grace had turned to walk away, but she spun back and leaned down to kiss Merrys head. All kidding aside, Im glad youre here. I mean that. Ive missed you. Stay as long as you want. Six months. A year. It doesnt matter.
Yeah, I want to sleep in your living room for a year, Merry scoffed. But it was just a front. Shed happily sleep on the floor, just to have her friend back. Theyd lived fifteen hundred miles apart for three years, and Merry had missed having her near. The living room was fine by her. She had no need for a big bed and a locking door. There were no men hanging around waiting for a shot at her. Hell, shed given up masturbating half a year ago. Even her imagination had gone celibate, completely defeated by the unending dry spell. So shed given in with a sigh and moved on to solving crossword puzzles on her phone.
Ill make breakfast, she volunteered once shed gotten a few more sips of coffee in her.
Ive got it already. Hand-toasted bagels. My specialty.
Half an hour later, they were out the door. Merry dropped Grace off at the photography studio where she worked setting up location shoots and scouting for film companies. Then Merry drove out of Jackson and into the valley beyond.
Shed been here a week now, but the mountains still surprised her. No, surprised wasnt the word. They overwhelmed her. Awed her. They made her feel tiny, and she liked that. Though she wasnt model tall at five-seven, she felt too noticeable all the time. She wished she were little like Grace. Wished she could hide in a crowd instead of feeling big and awkward all the time. Mostly awkward. Her body was fine, but she didnt know anything about clothes. She didnt wear heels. Didnt know what to do with makeup unless Grace was there to help. She was just the girl in jeans and a funny T-shirt who was hyperaware of the easy cuteness of the other women around her.
But none of that mattered anymore. This wasnt Texas, where girls were born with perfectly coiffed hair and polished nails and the ability to walk in heels before they could crawl. This was Wyoming. And she worked in a ghost town.
Smiling, she turned her old sedan onto a ranch road and gravel pinged against the undercarriage. She couldnt wear anything but jeans and T-shirts out here. Maybe that would change when she got the actual museum up and running, but for now her workplace was a ghost town. Literally. Her personal collection of broken-down, graying wood houses, waiting for her like an adventure every day.
Okay, the town didnt belong to her, per se, but she still grinned when she briefly spotted the peak of the church steeple rising above a hill far ahead. The car dipped down into a valley again and the steeple disappeared.
The town didnt belong to her, and shed only been working there for a week, but she already loved it like mad. It was lonely. Some people might even call it sad. Just a scattered little group of eighteen buildings, half of them collapsing in on themselves, but Merry breathed a sigh of relief as she rounded the final curve and the town came into sight.
Providence, it had been called. And it was that and more for Merry.
It was providence that shed found this job, here in this part of Wyoming when her best friend had moved here not nine months before. And it was amazing luck that shed been hired after only a year of experience working in a small-town museum. She was a newbie, but the Providence Historical Trust had believed in her, and Merry was going to make them proud. She was going to make herself proud.
She pulled into one of the patches of bare, hardened ground at the edge of the narrow dirt road and stepped out of her car. The sound of her car door closing echoed across the meadow that stretched behind her. In front of her stood Providence, the buildings spaced along either side of a wide road that had been overtaken by grass and the occasional clump of sagebrush. Beyond the town, the hills rose up into patches of rustling green aspen.
Merry took a deep breath, inhaling air that was cleaner than any shed ever breathed before. This was a good place to make a life for herself. She couldnt fail here. She knew it. This tiny little dot of land in the middle of Wyoming was the most beautiful spot shed ever seen. How could it be anything but good?
She shifted the bag shed slung over her shoulder and started along the trail that cut through the grass.
Regardless of how much she loved Providence, failure wasnt an option at this point, anyway. She was thirty years old. Shed been floating through life like a bit of dandelion fluff on the wind. Oh, shed touched down occasionally. Held jobs for a year or two. Bank teller, sales support, blackjack dealer, dog walker. Shed even gone to school to learn to do hair, but the only thing good that had come out of that had been her friendship with Grace.
She was a jack of all trades, and while she hadnt mastered anything, she was a hard worker. She wasnt lazy. She wasnt dumb. Even if her cousins had given her the nickname The Merry Slacker a few years before. Even if, when her mom had bought a new condo, shed cautiously explained to Merry that it only had one bedroom, so she wouldnt be able to take Merry in again.
That had hurt. Merry had moved in with her mom for a few months once, but that had been four years before. What are you talking about? shed huffed, trying to hide her injury with irritation. Why would you even say that?
I just thought you should know, sweetie. I wont be much of a safety net anymore. A safety net. As if Merry were a circus performer with a terrible track record.
Okay, maybe shed also moved home a few times after college, but those had been short stays. And yes, she lived life one day at a time, unlike her cousins who were both attractive, driven and financially successful. Family gatherings were a little painful, but Merry could deal with it. What she couldnt deal with was her newly hatched self-doubt. Hell, her mom had always been a free spirit, and now it seemed even she was expressing concern.
Squinting against the bright morning sun, Merry stepped over a tall purple wildflower she could never bring herself to step on, despite that it was smack in the middle of the trail.
Over the past year, what had started as a niggling worry had steadily grown into an irritation. A grain of sand beneath her skin. Slowly the minerals of anxiety and fear had begun to accumulate around it, just above her breastbone. Pressing. Displacing. Now it was like a stone she could feel every time she swallowed.
Shed always been happy. And shed always assumed that someday shed stumble onto that one good thing. The job that made work into a passion. The love that transformed her single life into something bursting with joy.
It hadnt happened. Because things like that didnt happen. Shed decided that attitude would only buy her more years of floating over life, mindless and untethered, tossed about, content to be lost.
Not anymore. Not this time. Not in Providence.
Merry walked confidently up the wooden steps that led to the surprisingly sturdy porch of the first little house. She opened the door and pretended she wasnt doing a quick scan of the doorway for spiders before she stepped in.
Providence might look like eighteen dying buildings surrounded by weeds and harsh mountains, but she was going to make it into a destination. A fascinating tourist stop. A quaint little museum. She would do that. This town would be her triumph.
* * *
THIS TOWN WAS going to be her Waterloo.
Another week had passed, and Merry was losing her mind. The board of the Providence Historical Trust was made up of five lovely people who all happened to be over sixty years old. And two of them had been married to the benefactor of the trust, Gideon Bishop. Not at the same time, of course. One woman had been married to him for forty years, though there was a first wife before her somewhere. The third wife had only spent five years with him, but shed been his wife when hed died, which seemed to give her pride of place at the table. At least in her mind. The other three were men who each claimed to have been Gideons best friend at some point.
It could have been like a lovely family reunion when they met every other week. Instead it was like an episode of Passive Aggressive Theater. None of them could agree on anything, or even seem to remember the same event the same way.
Please, Merry begged for the third time that day. I need to do something. Anything.
Ex-Wife Jeanine nodded. Well, there are those files.
Yes, I finished organizing them a week ago.
Ah, Harry said, You know what could be helpful? The Jackson Historical Society. I bet theyd have all sorts of pictures and stories and
Yes, Merry ground out, feeling guilty for cutting the old man off even before he finished his sentence. I mean, of course. You pointed me in that direction last week. I already spent hours there, but it seems Gideon had finished up there. I couldnt find anything new.
The library? Third Wife Kristen suggested.
That, too. Merry tried to smile. Im working through all the books I could find on the history of the area, but
Levi Cannon slapped his hand down on the table so hard that Merry squeaked. Ive got it! Teton County Historical Society!
Merry felt a little twinge of excitement. That was one place she hadnt visited. But the excitement died like an ember swept up into the cool sky. Ill check it out. Butyou brought me here to start a museum. To draw people to Providence. Thats what Gideon wanted, right? And thats what I want, too. I can make copies of pictures and gather more information about the founders of the town and the flood that led to its destruction, but thats not going to get people out there. I need to get the buildings restored. Grade the road. Build a parking area. We need to come up with plans. Hire workers. Do something.
Third Wife Kristen cleared her throat and shot a look at Harry who looked at Levi.
Well Levi said, then paused to pull a handkerchief from his pocket to swipe over his nape. You see, theres a bit of a problem.
Problem? Merry felt a quick crawl of anxiety over her skin. It slipped down her arms and made her fingers tingle with the guilty suspicion that she wasnt good enough. What problem? she asked. Is it my rsum? I know Ive only got two years of experience, but I promise you wont find anyone more dedicated. I already love Providence like it was my own. If
No, no, Jeanine interrupted. You were quite the bargain. We couldnt possibly have afforded someone with more experience, what with the Ouch! Jeanine jumped and glared at Third Wife Kristen. Did you kick me?
Youre being rude!
But Merry didnt mind. She was a bargain. Or a cheap knockoff of someone who really knew what they were doing. But she was too damn happy about being here to care.
It was Levis idea! Jeanine said on a rush.
What was? Merry asked as the others tried to shush the woman.
But Levi just sighed and scrubbed at his neck again before tucking the handkerchief away. Theres a bit of a lawsuit.
A bit of one?
Well. He folded his hands on the table. Aside from the Providence town plot, Gideon left all the land to his grandson. The boy doesnt want the town, but hes fighting the trust, so the money is a littletied up for a time.
How long of a time? she asked, narrowing her eyes.
They all shifted in their seats and traded looks again. Were not exactly sure, Jeanine finally admitted.
But I dont understand! You brought me out here to work!
Well, yes Jeanine offered a sympathetic smile. Of course, but We decided to hire you as more of a strategic move.
Kristen snorted. You decided!
Jeanine glared at her. The judge freed up a small amount of the trust for administrative costs. We decided our best move would be to go forward with Gideons plans, or at least give the appearance of doing so. It gives us a position of power. Possession is nine-tenths of the law and all that.
The appearance, Merry murmured, too shocked to say more. The appearance. They hadnt wanted her at all. This wasnt her big chance to succeed. This was just a move in a legal battle.
Marvin, who up to this point hadnt said a word to Merry, sat forward and cleared his throat. None of this nonsense is your concern. Youre being paid. Let these idiots spin their wheels and you keep your head down and do what you can.
With what? she snapped. Tumbleweeds?
Youre the idiot, Marvin Black! Kristen screeched. Youre the one who planted this whole damn nonsense in Gideons head in the first place. All your big ideas about history and heritage!
Bah! If you cant live on what he left you, then youre nothing but a spendthrift floozy, anyway. Gideon wanted to build a legacy.
A legacy, she scoffed. More like a fools errand.
Well, if thats the way you feel about it, what are you even doing here?
Merry listened to them snipe at each other, but she didnt really hear them. She was reeling. What am I supposed to do? she asked no one.
Levi answered. Well try to get more funds released for you next month. In the meantime, you should definitely visit the county historical society. See what you find. He patted her hand in dismissal, and Merry let herself be dismissed.
She stood and wandered out onto the front porch of the home where Gideon Bishop had lived his whole life. Hed died here, in Kristens loving arms, according to her, and hed left behind a legacy that nobody much cared about. Gideon had only had one child. A son from his first marriage who had run off decades before. And then two grandsons he hadnt spoken to in years. Gideon had ended up with more money than any one person could need, and hed sunk everything into a stupid ghost town. Just like Merry.
But shed misunderstood. Shed thought the trust had brought her here because theyd believed in her. Shed been surprised at the call. Overwhelmed, actually. And overjoyed. But in that moment shed known that her passion had shown through and eclipsed the wild inconsistencies in her rsum. The letter shed written had moved them, and theyd chosen her to bring Providence to life.
Ortheyd chosen her because she was the cheapest clearance item they could get away with passing off as legitimate in court. They hadnt believed in her at all. She was a placeholder. And this would be another failure in her life.
Merry raced down the steps of the wide front porch and jumped into her car, wanting to escape before the tears fell. She almost made it, but the first fat drops slipped off her cheeks before shed slammed the car door.
They hadnt meant for her to succeed here. They hadnt meant for her to do anything. Those shitty oldcoots. God, she couldnt even bring herself to call them something they really deserved. She wasnt tough that way. She wasnt hard enough. She was dandelion fluff, floating in the wind.
Angry at her own self-assessment, Merry threw the car into Reverse and hit the gas pedal. This was a good place to get her emotions out with a wild ride. After all, she was out in the middle of nowhere at the end of the dirt road. There was nothing out here except sagebrush and
A hard clunk interrupted her daring thoughts and sent her stomach tumbling. She slammed on the brakes as her mind raced through all the possibilities. That hadnt been sagebrush, but it had been solid. Not a sweet sheepdog or a barn cat or She pulled forward a few feet and then scrambled out, her eyes flying over the dried-out grass at the edge of the yard.
The mailbox. The mailbox. Oh, shit. It was a white wooden number with the name Bishop spelled out in custom black letters across the top of the box. And now it was lying on the ground like the victim of an assassination.
Oh, God. She glanced toward the house. She couldnt just leave it there. It would look as if shed done it deliberately because theyd insulted her. And she couldnt go back in and confess, because shed left in a huff and their only apparent attachment to her was her cheap price tag.
Oh, God! The tears flowed freely now, inspired by panic and anger and the awful knowledge that she could feel as humiliated as she wanted but she couldnt lose this job. She couldnt.
Merry looked helplessly down at the mailbox, feeling as if shed murdered some precious icon. The thick white post wasnt broken. Maybe she could just stick it back in the ground. A glance at the house confirmed that no one else had left yet. They were probably still bickering over whether it had been dishonest to hire her for a job that didnt exist.
A job that didnt exist. The perfect job for a bit of fluff like her.
Rage pushed her past her guilt over the mailbox, and Merry bent down and wrapped her arms around the box, lifting it with a grunt of impatience. She slid it a few inches and fit the tip of the post into the hole. It dropped right in.
Thank God. After pressing down a little, she let it goand watched the mailbox tilt toward the left. Crap. Merry wrapped her arms around it and straightened it again, then pulled down as hard as she could. She lifted her feet and let her body weight hang for just a second. This time, when she stepped back, it only tipped a tiny bit. Like the erection of a man just registering that youd made a Star Wars joke in the middle of foreplay.
Not that that had ever happened to her.
Merry took a few more steps back, hands raised as if she could catch the mailbox if it fell. But it held steady, and with one last look at the house, she darted to her car and drove away.
But as she drove down the gravel road, watching dust billow behind her like a plume of guilt, Merry set her jaw and steeled her heart.
It didnt matter why theyd hired her. It didnt matter who they thought she was. Shed come here to make a place for herself, and that was what she was going to do.
* * *
SHANE HARCOURT WAS so damn tired he wasnt sure he could make it up the front steps of the Stud Farm. Two weeks of carpentry work on a ranch in Lander, followed up by a week of fencing on the high plateau outside Big Piney, and he was dead on his feet and nearly weaving side to side as he opened the door and headed for his apartment.
Not for the first time, he thanked God that Cole had finally gotten back on his feet and out of Shanes ground floor place. Shane couldnt have trudged up to the second floor today. Not in this state. He watched his key disappear into the lock like he was watching the perfect porn movie. A beer. A hot shower. Bed. Then he planned to sleep for two days straight. Sheer pleasure.
He turned the key.
Shane!
Shane blinked at the idea of his neighbor Grace greeting him with such unbridled excitement. Frowning, he slowly turned around, hand still hopefully clasped to the doorknob.
Hi! a woman who was definitely not Grace said.
He took in the tall brunette in the Oscar the Grouch T-shirt and automatically touched the brim of his hat in greeting. Morning, he said.
Its afternoon now, she answered.
Is it? He realized he was just standing there staring while she grinned at him. Her long dark hair framed a harmless round face and an open smile. Do I know you?
Seriously? Wow. Im kind of insulted.
Shanes brain scanned quickly through the past few sexual encounters hed had, just in case. But there werent that many, and he was almost immediately sure he hadnt slept with this girl. Sorry?
Shane, Im Merry.
Mary? He stared.
Merry Kade. Graces friend?
Oh, he said. Then Oh! Merry. Right. Hi.
Her wide smile had faltered at some point, so Shane tried again. Its good to see you. Are you visiting?
No, I moved here. Im living with Grace for a little while.
Oh, thats nice. Good. His eyes nearly crossed with exhaustion.
Anyway, Im glad youre finally back. Youre a carpenter cowboy, right?
Im just a carpenter, not a cowboy.
Sure you are. She waved a hand up and down his body. Look at those boots. And the hat.
Being a cowboy is a job. Its got nothing to do with the boots.
She looked pointedly at his Stetson.
Or the hat, he said wearily.
Okay, but you are a carpenter. When he nodded, her smile returned, lighting up her fresh face. Youre just what I need!
Too tired to bother with a sly reply, Shane just nodded. Need some help with a bookshelf or something?
She laughed so loudly that her voice rang through the entry. Sure, something like that.
He forced a smile. Okay, Ill come by later. Right now He held up a hand to stop the words forming on her lips. Listen, Ive been working twelve-hour days for two weeks. I would normally come over straightaway and assemble your shelf, but Im swaying on my feet and my eyes cant focus. All I can even consider is a microwave burrito, a quick shower and then ten hours of sleep. Actually scratch the shower. Thatll wait.
Her eyes flickered down before she blinked a few times. Sure. Its no problem. The shelf can wait. You sleep. And eat. And shower.
Thanks, umMerry. Ill come over later. He pushed through the door and nearly stumbled over a thick envelope that must have been slipped through the old mail slot that no one used anymore. When he spotted his lawyers name printed across the top, Shane picked it up and set it on a table to open later. He didnt need to think about that bullshit right now. The only thing worse would be trying to navigate a conversation with his mother. He couldnt think coherently about even the simplest thing, such as being polite to an acquaintance.
He turned, meaning to apologize to Merry before he closed the door, but she was gone, the only evidence shed been there the sound of Graces door clicking shut.
Shit. Hed go over to Graces as soon as hed showered tonight. But first He locked the door, shucked off his boots, forgot about lunch and headed for bed to collapse.
CHAPTER TWO
GRACE FROZE IN THE ACT of sliding a perfect smudge of black liner across her lash line and aimed a hot glare in Merrys direction. What do you mean Shanes coming over?
Merry stared in wonder. How do you do that? she asked for the hundredth time since shed met her best friend. I dont get it. When I put eyeliner on, I look like a five-year-old playing dress up. Or an eighty-year-old alcoholic trying to recapture her glory days.
Close your eyes. Grace scooted Merry around and swiped the pencil quickly over her lids. There. Ive shown you a million times. Now tell me why Shanes coming over.
When she opened her eyes, Merry sighed at the sight that greeted her. Her plain brown irises now looked large and whiskey-colored. At least she was living with Grace right now. She could use her friend like a personal makeup artist whenever she wanted. Of course, that didnt change the fact that Merrys liner would be smudged and smeared within an hour. Her body rejected any transplants of prettiness.
I need a carpenter, she said as she fluttered her lashes at herself. Then she looked from Graces hairgorgeous, choppy and recently brightened with chunks of Crayola red colorto her own. Plain brown and slightly dented from the ponytail shed worn that morning. God.
So? Grace asked.
Shanes a carpenter. Im hoping hell give me the Stud Farm discount.
The Stud Farm discount, Grace muttered. I dont like the sound of that at all. I think I should hang around.
Thanks, Mom, but I promise not to get into your vodka stash.
Ill call Cole and tell him to pick me up later.
You will not. First of all, Coles going to die when he sees that red in your hair. And by die, I mean hes going to jump on you like a cowboy riding a stubborn bronco.
Nice.
Secondly, whats your problem with Shane?
Grace shrugged and leaned forward to finish her makeup. I dont know. Hes slick. Too removed. I cant read him.
I think hes nice.
Yeah, thats why Im hanging around. You think everyone is nice.
I do not, Merry denied. And even if I did, you have nothing to worry about. He didnt even remember who I was. I doubt hes currently concocting a plan to seduce me and steal my virginity as a trophy.
Grace snorted. What virginity?
The one I regrew after two years of celibacy.
A good sex toy should take care of that.
I dont want to talk about it, Merry groaned. Im pitiful.
No, youre not. Youre safe and picky which is exactly how I want you to be.
Im not picky. Im just not on the radar. Anyones radar. Im the governments top-secret stealth snatch project.
Grace burst into an uncharacteristically hearty laugh. Merry just stuck her tongue out and flounced out of the bathroom.
Im serious about Shane, Grace said, following her to the living room. She pulled on a pair of black boots that would have looked clunky and mannish on Merry, but somehow looked both tough and adorable on Grace. Watch out for him. He can be charming. She drew the word out like it was a smear. And take off that eyeliner. You look too cute.
You can scrub this liner off my cold, dead body. Actually that wont be necessary, because itll melt off within the hour.
Use that primer I gave you.
Sure, Merry said, instead of telling her friend that shed tried the primer and somehow she couldnt get it blended right and ended up looking like she was wearing sparkly white goggles.
Dont get charmed, Grace warned, pointing a finger at Merrys chest. Im serious. I dont want to have to murder my boyfriends best friend. Okay?
A knock interrupted their conversation. Merry went out to say hello to Cole, but for a moment he was overwhelmingly distracted by Graces hair.
Hi, Merry, he said, his gaze locked on his girlfriend with an intensity no man had ever had for Merry.
Hi, Cole. Graces hair looks great, huh?
Hell, yeah, it does. Grace kicked him, and for a moment his gaze only got more intense. Then he blinked and visibly shook it off. His easy smile appeared and he turned to Merry. Hows the ghost town, darlin? he asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek. I still dont like you out there on your own.
I studied all the wildlife guides you gave me. If a rattlesnake comes near, I can identify it in less than two seconds, I swear.
He winked. Good.
You know, you two are actually worse than having parents. My mom was never this overprotective.
Cole patted her arm. Ive never had a little sister.
Im not your sister! Jeez. Now go show your girlfriend how much you like the new red hair. Ill see you later.
Cole dragged his woman out the door, but Grace leaned back in for one last warning. Watch out for that guy.
I promise it wont be a problem! she huffed.
It never was. Men were always disappointingly respectful of her. She locked the door behind Grace and then wandered back to the bathroom to put on some lip gloss and brush out her hair. Thanks to Graces professional skills with the eye makeup, Merry looked almost nice. And the Oscar the Grouch T-shirt really set off her complexion.
Just as she was thinking of changing, there was another knock on the door, which helpfully saved her from the decision of which Darth Vader T-shirt she was going to choose.
She opened the door with a wide smile that she felt freeze on her face when she saw Shane Harcourt.
Hed definitely taken that shower. The thick stubble that had shadowed his face had been shaved off to reveal his hard jaw, and his dark hair was still pressed to his nape in damp strands.
Hi, Merry, he said, and she had the distinct feeling he was proving that he remembered her name this time. Not very flattering. When shed visited Jackson last fall, theyd spent three hours together at Graces birthday party. Not enough time to make an impression on him, apparently.
You look like youre feeling a lot better, she said, waving him in.
I am, thanks. And sorry about earlier. He flashed that charming smile shed heard about. I was dead on my feet.
Yeah, you looked like a cattle rustler whod been on the run for weeks.
His smile wavered. She had a way of doing that to men. So wheres the bookshelf?
Ha. There is no bookshelf.
What? He turned in a slow circle, looking over the apartment. You said you wanted help with a bookshelf.
She let her eyes wander down to his ass while he wasnt looking. Cowboys were so sweet, the way they never wore those awful baggy jeans. And Shane was especially sweet, generously showing off his tight, muscular ass in a dark pair of Levis.
She cleared her throat. No, you said I wanted help with a bookshelf.
All right. So whats going on? He sounded suspicious, probably worried she was going to try to make a move. It was so uncomfortable when you had to fight off the girl next door.
Why dont we sit down?
Still looking wary, he took a seat on the couch. Hed look even warier if he knew he was sitting on her bed. Merry smothered a grin as she sat next to him. I need a carpenter for a bigger job than a few shelves.
Yeah? You might want to rethink any remodeling. I doubt Rayleen would approve. Shes a pretty strict landlord.
I wouldnt dare cross Rayleen, Merry answered, shuddering a little at the idea of pissing off Graces crazy great-aunt. I actually do need you to remodel something, but its not an apartment. Its a ghost town.
A ghost town? Shane sat straight and blinked several times. Excuse me?
She couldnt help but laugh at the disbelief on his face. I know it sounds crazy. But it really is a ghost town. Its called Providence. Have you heard of it?
II think so.
Its north of the Gros Ventre. I was hired to get it ready to be a public exhibit.
You?
Was the whole town conspiring to destroy her confidence? Yes, me. Listen, its going to be spectacular! Really. It may sound strange to say a ghost town is exciting, but Im so excited!
Yeah, I see that.
Merry realized shed clasped her hands together and leaned closer to him. Its an amazing place. Truly. The most beautiful place youve ever seen. If you take the job, youll see
Take what job?
I want to hire you to start the restoration.
Shane sat back. He stared at her for a long moment before he let his head fall to rest on the couch. His gaze bore into the ceiling. You want to hire me.
Well, I dont know a lot of carpenters in Jackson. Or anywhere else. And! She rushed on, not wanting to offend him, Youre Coles best friend, so thats all the recommendation I need.
Merry His eyes squeezed shut for a moment, and she wondered if he was still too tired to think. Im sorry, but Im a little lost here. What exactly are you doing here and why are you working in Providence?
Oh! Right. You missed the first few weeks of this. Well, Ive been keeping an eye on jobs in Jackson for a while now. I loved it when I came out to visit Grace, and I wanted to be closer to her, of course. And my mom bought a one-bedroom condo and hung out a Do Not Disturb sign. Unfortunately I dont ski. Or know anything about skiing. Or even know enough to pretend to know something about skiing. So that career route was closed.
Okay. Got it.
But when I saw this job pop up It was serendipity. Id been working at a local historical museum for a year, remember? Of course he didnt remember, but he made an affirmative sound. So I applied and She didnt want to finish the story this time. It no longer made her happy. Her pulse still sped, but it wasnt with excitement and pride. It was anger fueling her now. And embarrassment. And just a tiny pinch of desperation. She hoped he couldnt hear that part of it. Here I am! she finished with a bright smile.
Here you are. And you want me to help get your ghost town ready for display.
He didnt sound excited. In fact, he looked downright weary. His eyes were closed again, and she was sure she could already see stubble forming beneath the skin of his jaw. Are you okay, Shane? She reached out to put her palm to his forehead, only registering that she might be invading his personal space when he jumped and looked at her with wide eyes.
Sorry. You just seem out of sorts.
Im fine, he said in a clipped voice that made her wonder about this slick charm Grace was worried about. Apparently Merry didnt merit charm. Or slickness. But that wasnt what she needed. What she needed was a man with a hammer.
So will you do it?
He shook his head. You have no idea what youre asking. Before she could figure out what he meant, he cleared his throat and leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees. Summer is my busy season. I only have a few months to get all the outdoor work in, and theres a lot of it.
Oh. Right. I didnt think of that. Her heart sank. Shed had a very clever idea to pay a carpenter out of her own salary, only it suddenly didnt seem quite so clever. Shane was booked up for the summer. That was why hed looked like hed been riding the trail for a month. Everybody else was probably overworked, too. Which meant theyd have no reason to go for her half now/half later payment proposal. Shit, she whispered, falling back to collapse into the fat cushions of the couch.
Plus, I dont know anything about restoration. That sounds like a specialty job.
This part is pretty straightforward, she murmured. I need the porch on the saloon fixed. Its not safe right now, and its my favorite building. I think itll be a real draw. There werent a lot of saloons around here back then, since a lot of the settlers were Mormon. Ive read some great stories about that place.
Youve got a saloon right next door, he said, waving his hand toward the Crooked R, where old Rayleen reigned like a not-quite-benevolent queen.
She shrugged. Its not the same.
Look, you just started. Its the busy season for everyone in construction. Youre going to have to be content with taking your time. Nothing is going to happen this year. My advice is to sit tight and plan for next year.
Oh, God. The idea of spending months like this Shed run out of things to do during the winter. She could start building a website, maybe, but that wouldnt take more than a month, and she couldnt even make it live, because Providence was currently too dangerous to have curious visitors poking around.
Maybe she could design the signs that would eventually be posted on each building. Yes, that would be fun. Then she could put them in storage for two years until the first of the buildings was restored. Maybe in five years they could have a ribbon cutting ceremony, assuming the whole thing hadnt been shut down due to a lawsuit.
No, she had to make this work, starting right now. She had to make this a success before the board realized their ploy wasnt having an effect on the lawsuit and they let her go. Or until the lawsuit was dropped and they decided to bring a real curator in.
I have to move forward, she said. Do you know anyone who could help, even if its just for a few hours a week? Please?
What exactly are your plans? Just to nail a few boards up and start charging tourists?
No! Its not like that. There wont even be a charge, just a donation box. I just need Affirmation. Progress. Proof that Im not a loser. Its a wonderful place and people dont even know its there. I want to start sharing it with the community. Well, that was true, too. It had been even more true yesterday. Its an important part of the history of this place, she finished feebly.
She glanced over, hoping to see sympathy on his handsome face. What she found instead was frustration. Or anger. But no, it had to be frustration. He was just a littleintimidating. And still not the least bit charming about it. Cole was so damn laid-back she couldnt imagine him being close with Shane, but maybe that was what drew them together.
Shane hadnt been quite so gruff at Graces birthday party, though. Shed thought he was cute then. Really cute. Oh, hell, he was still really cute; he just made her nervous as hell. Same as every other cute guy.
Maybe I could stop by on a few evenings, he finally said, pronouncing each word slowly, carefully.
Really? Merry squealed. When he nodded, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He seemed too startled to hug her back. Thank you! Thank you! Do you want to check it out? We can go right now.
Right now?
Sure. Weve still got two hours of daylight left. Lets scoot out there so you know what youre working with.
His gaze drifted toward the right as if he were looking through the wall toward the Crooked R and its cold pitchers of beer.
Ill buy you a beer when we get back, she offered in her most flirtatiously tempting voice.
Im fine, he said flatly. Lets just get this over with.
Her triumph tasted strangely like burnt pride, but she just smiled wider. Great. Ill grab my keys.
* * *
HED INSISTED ON FOLLOWING Merry in his own truck. Or rather, she thought he was following, but he knew exactly where the Providence ghost town was. His dad had brought him out here dozens of times when Shane had been a kid. Theyd spent whole days in the area, and sometimes nights in a tent next to the narrow creek that snuck through the piles of boulders at the mouth of the canyon.
As a kid, hed thought of Providence as desolate and a little spooky. A place that people had abandoned. Walked away from. But that desolation had lent it a bit of reverence in his mind. To a kid, it had felt sacred and deliciously forgotten. Not a place to be turned into another tourist playground. Jesus, werent there enough of those around here?
Now, as the town came into view, with its familiar graying roof peaks and crumbling walls, he didnt feel reverence. He feltnothing. Nothing except irritation that it was causing him inconvenience.
He watched Merry glance in her rearview mirror as he followed her around the last curve of the dirt road. Shed looked into her mirror a lot on the drive, as if making sure he hadnt ditched her.
Shit. Hed been gruff. He knew that. But shed blindsided him with her news. Merry was just the out-of-town friend of Grace. She was a nice girl who smiled too much and wore goofy T-shirts and didnt seem to fit with her wild, tough friend from L.A. How had she suddenly become a next-door neighbor who was asking him to help her ruin his childhood haunt?
When she stopped, he pulled in behind her on a wide patch of dirt and got out. She was nearly bouncing on her toes when he joined her. Isnt it amazing? she squealed.
It looks like a bunch of falling down shacks.
Thats because you dont know the history! What people went through to build this place, the lives they dug out from the dirt, the tragedies that drove them away. This place is alive, Shane. Its justsleeping.
More like mummifying, he muttered, but she ignored him and grabbed his arm.
Come on. Ill show you the saloon. Its really in pretty good shape, aside from the porch.
Shane let her pull him along and tried to ignore a sense of dj? vu as he got closer to the first buildings. Her excitement was contagious, in the sense that it dispersed through the air like an infection that coated his skin, contaminating him with the phantom touch of the excitement he used to feel here. The mystery of the place. The snakes and lizards that would dart out from underneath foundations. The wonder of whod walked here before, lawmen and outlaws and all sorts of people whod never actually set foot in Providence. Of course, hed been a child. He wasnt sure what Merrys excuse was, but he didnt like the feel of it, and he rolled his shoulders to shake it off.
Here it is, she said. Her words werent necessary. Even if he hadnt known it was the saloon, there was an ancient sign propped on the porch.
So this is pretty good shape? he asked.
Yeah. Look at the mercantile next door.
He moved closer to the porch and shook his head. I cant just fix it with new wood, Merry. This is a big deal. Youll want to use old wood. Wood thats been reclaimed and
I know all that! Im not a complete amateur. I can take care of everything. I just need your help.
Shane turned and looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time since shed asked him for help. He looked past the smile, past the sweet round face and slightly tanned cheeks flushed with pink. Her brown eyes were unremarkableexcept that if you took the time to look, they showed everything she was feeling. And right now, she was feeling worried.
Whats going on here, Merry?
What do you mean? Im hiring a carpenter. You. Im doing my job.
So you own this place? You can do whatever you want? He knew damn well that wasnt the situation, but he needed to find out her angle.
Instead of answering his question, Merry shifted, then crossed her arms and walked farther down the road. Interesting. Shane followed. When she stopped and turned around, all traces of worry were gone and she looked cool as a cucumber.
I think we should approach this in tiers. First, I need to know if the building is safe. The floors. The ceilings. If its not safe, I need to know how much it would cost to make it safe. Thats step one. Second, Id like to see the most obvious repairs made. The sagging porch. Holes in the ceiling. That sort of thing. Lastly, I need to know how much a restoration would cost.
A restoration? Merry, I dont have time for
I get that. But were not talking a full restoration. It would still need to be ghost-towny. No one wants to come to a ghost town and see a shiny saloon.
Ghost-towny, he repeated wearily. That an official term?
It is now. Theres a shed at the east end of the town thats full of wood already reclaimed from collapsed buildings. No new wood, right? Just watch out for spiders. She shivered. I try not to go into the shed. Its pretty chock full of spiders. Its likea spider anthill.
A? Realizing he was only going to be drawn deeper into her strange mind if he said any more, Shane shook his head and dropped the subject. Okay. I guess you have thought this through.
Yes. Its my job. Her chin rose a little, as if daring him to dispute it. She wasnt smiling now. Strangely her mouth looked wider in repose. More full and mysterious.
Shane rocked back on his heels, put his hands in his pockets, taking a little time to look over the ragged buildings around him. When are you planning on opening this place, Merry?
Next year, she answered, her chin edging higher.
Next year. Shane couldnt let that happen. He had to stop this. All right, then, he offered with a smile. Ill do what I can.
All her false bravado disappeared and she was hopping up and down like a kid again. You will? Really?
Yes.
Thank you, Shane! She threw herself at his chest, and Shane automatically put his arms around her. He also automatically registered how nice and feminine she smelled, a stark change from the men hed worked with on his two weeks of ranch work. Then he very carefully set her back.
Im going to take a look at that spare wood. Do you want to walk over with me?
No! The spider anthill, remember?
Right. God, she was a piece of work. But she had information he needed, so Shane touched his hat brim and nodded. Ill deal with the spiders on my own. And then Ill take a look at your saloon.
Thank you! she squealed, and he tried not to feel guilty as he walked away. Merry had stepped into something that she couldnt understand, and that wasnt Shanes fault. He set his jaw and walked on.
CHAPTER THREE
WHERE WERE you last night?
Merry sat up from a dead sleep, throwing her arms out to defend against the snarling monster crouched above her. The monster jumped back, quick as a hellbeast, its flame-tipped mane framing apale and pretty face?
Oh! Grace. You scared me. Merry flopped back down onto the mattress, wincing when a spring poked her back. What are you growling about?
Where were you last night? I called eight times! I tried to make Cole get up and drive me home.
Yeah? What did he say?
Hedistracted me.
Merry snorted and pulled the covers over her head, but Grace yanked them back.
Merry! What did you do? Did you sleep with Shane? I meanits okay. You can tell me. I wont be mad.
The not-quite-suppressed violence beneath Graces words sounded like static in her voice. Merry grinned at her. You promise you wont be mad?
Yes, she said past clenched teeth and a painfully pleasant smile.
Oh, my God. Merry laughed. Youre the worst liar ever. No, I did not use my super-sexy wiles to lure Shane onto my fold-out sofa bed for a night of uncomfortable passion.
I wasnt worried about you doing the luring!
Okay. No, Shane did not butter me up with Star Wars trivia and then accidentally fall on me with his penis out.
Merry, be serious! Where were you?
Finally accepting that she wasnt going to get any more sleep, Merry crawled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to start coffee. I went out to Providence. My phone must have been searching for a signal for an hour or two and it ran out of power. Sometimes I get four bars out there, and sometimes I get zero. Im not sure how that works. Is it the wind? The clouds? What
Okay, what about later?
Grace, what is your deal? First of all, why do you hate Shane so much? SecondI havent had sex in two years. Two years. If I miraculously talked a man into wanting to have sex, wouldnt you be thrilled for me? I have needs, you know.
Actually she didnt. Not anymore. Those needs had finally dried up and died six months ago, at the exact moment that her cheap, knock-off vibrator had buzzed into a slow death. Shed replaced it with an even cheaper knock-off model but hadnt even bought batteries for that one. Shed just put it away, still in its tacky packaging, and never thought about it again.
Grace seemed to have deflated to her normal petite size. She always seemed four inches taller when she was pissed, but apparently shed gotten past it, because she sighed and opened a cupboard door to take out coffee mugs. Why havent you been having sex?
You know why.
I dont want to hear it, Merry. Youve got an amazing body, youre funny as hell and youre cute.
Im not like you, Grace.
What? Slutty?
You know thats not what I mean! I justI dont know what to do with men. I get nervous. I make too many jokes. I act like a kid sister instead of their fantasy sex machine.
Come on, Merry. Men dont want a fantasy. They want something real.
Merry frowned but tried to hide it by turning back to the coffeepot, which was trickling out that last little bit of caffeine. That was easy for Grace to say. Grace, in all her reality, was a fantasy. She was edgy and strong and striking. She intimidated men in a way that turned them on.
Merry, on the other hand, was a friend. A perpetual friend. The girl who always had a good joke and a smile.
She didnt know how to be sexy. And it didnt seem to be something she could learn, damn it.
Whatever, she finally said. It doesnt matter. My point is you dont have to worry about Shane. Shit, I wish you did.
Okay, Ill drop it. Im sorry, I just You came here because of me. I feel like I need to watch out for you.
Bullshit, Grace. You always say the same thing.
Grace shrugged and pushed the mugs forward for coffee. None of those guys have been good enough for you. You know thats true.
Good Lord, Im not the Virgin Mary. If hes got a job and a penis, hes already halfway up my scale. And I dont really care about the job.
Grace choked on laughter. Shut up. Thats not true. Itd better not be true or youre grounded, young lady.
Merry just shook her head. Youre the one who let me move into a place called the Stud Farm.
Grace rolled her eyes, but Merry laughed as hard as she ever did at the joke.
The apartment building was really the two-story house of the old Studd farmstead, converted into four identical apartments, two on the ground floor, and two upstairs. She didnt know if it had an official name, but everyone called it the Stud Farm after Aunt Rayleens tendency to fill it with single young men. Young compared to her, anyway.
When Grace had blown into town last year, even Rayleen hadnt had the heart to send her away. Shed let Grace stay for a few weeks, and even though the old battleax tried to hide it, Merry could tell the woman loved her niece. Shed let Grace keep the apartment, and shed let Merry move in, too, but the Stud Farm name would probably never go away.
Merry elbowed Grace. Go take a shower while I fold up the bed. Youre probably filthy from last night. Which really pisses me off. Im leaving in an hour, whether youre ready or not.
* * *
SHANE WALKED DOWN the hard-packed dirt road that ran through the center of Providence. Merry was sitting on the porch of one of the few buildings that still looked relatively safe. The porch beams werent canting off toward the east. The stairs were still intact. He hoped shed chosen well. Hed hate for her to fall through the floorboards into the spider nests that undoubtedly filled the space beneath. Hed better check out that porch just to be sure.
She didnt seem to have noticed him yet, so Shane took the chance to study her while she was so untypically still. Her dark hair looked black but he knew it was lighter than that. A deep brown like stained walnut. Hed never really had a preference in womens looks, as far as blond versus brunette, but he couldnt help noticing how striking she looked sitting there. Her tan skin looked pale in contrast to the curve of hair that fell over her cheek as she read, and her wide mouth was rosy-pink and tipped up in a small smile even in solitude. Merry was the perfect name for this strange girl.
At least she was smart enough to stay out of the sun. Even with her coloring, at this altitude shed burn like hell, and her shoulders were totally exposed in the pink tank top she was wearing. So Merry was smart enough to stay out of the sun, but not smart enough to pay any attention to her surroundings. She had earbuds in her ears. Like every city person hed ever met, she put more value on her electronics than the beauty that surrounded her.
He glanced toward the looming peaks of the Tetons, then back to Merry, her head bent over some sort of device. She couldnt hear the crunch of his boots against the patches of gravel and dried grass, but he could hear the tinny echo of the music that leaked from her ears.
Shane sighed as he drew within five feet of the porch. She didnt react. He stopped two feet from her and cleared his throat.
When she didnt notice, he coughed.
Still nothing. Was she this vulnerable every day? Did she think there werent creeps and rapists in Wyoming? Hell, in addition to the residents, some of whom were pretty damn rough and mysterious, the place was crawling with strangers from all over the world.
Irritated by his own concern, Shane stepped forward and knocked on the porch rail. Hello?
Merry finally glanced up, and her whole body jerked in shock. Ah! she screeched, an iPad flying from her hands as if it were a bird startled into flight.
Her wide eyes left him to watch the thing tumble through the air and right over the railing. Ah! she screamed again.
She surged to her feet to stare in dismay at the cloud of dust rising up around her iPad. Oh, my God! Oh, no!
Sorry. I tried to let you know I was here.
The cord of her earbuds dangled impotently against the railing. What? she breathed.
I didnt mean to startle you. I thought Id come out this morning and get a head start on
She leaped into motion so quickly that he bit back his words in shock as she took the three porch steps in one quick leap and swooped up the dropped iPad.
Sorry, she breathed. Its the only thing keeping me sane out here. When she cradled it like an injured baby, Shane doubted her claim of sanity. I think its okay, she breathed as she swiped one finger over the screen. I think its okay.
Great, he said dryly.
Yes, it is great, isnt it? She finally looked directly at him and a wide smile spread over her face. Hey, Shane! I didnt expect to see you here this early!
So I gathered.
She hugged her iPad tighter, and Shane tried not to notice the way her breasts pressed up, revealing a beautiful amount of cleavage above the thin cotton of her tank. He tried not to notice, but he failed miserably. He was a man, and there were breasts right there. Her skin wasnt quite so tan where the shirt dipped down. It was pale and soft and gently rising, like
Youre all cowboyed up again, she said.
He frowned a little at the delight in her voice. Did she think this was Disneyland, where people played dress-up and tried on a drawl?
The hat, she clarified.
The hat is for shade. Im not a cowboy.
Yeah, yeah, she said, waving a hand as her earbud cord bounced.
What are we going to do today?
What are we going to do? This is so exciting!
Oh, God. Fine. Shane took a deep breath and tried to let his grumpiness go as he followed Merry toward the saloon. He couldnt put a finger on when it had sunk so deeply into his flesh. He used to be able to let a bad mood go. He used to be able to forget his family and the years of betrayals and stress. He could work to forget. Or hang out with friends. And if that didnt work, there were always women. But the past year had made forgetting damned difficult.
You should get some spurs! she said, walking backward now. A little jingling would really liven this place up.
He opened his mouth to respond, then realized he had no idea what to say to that. Right, he finally said in defeat before closing his mouth again.
She nodded solemnly. Yeah.
Shane suddenly had to consider that Providence might be a ghost town in an old episode of the Twilight Zone. It had to be. There was no other explanation for this odd woman plunked down in the middle of the dustiest part of Jackson Hole. There was no way to explain why shed stumbled into his problems this way.
I brought the estimates, he said, then jumped forward to grab Merry as she tripped over her own feet and almost went down on her ass. Hey. You okay?
Sure! Her laugh tripped over itself like a broken toy.
Shane frowned, sensing there was something more there, but if her reaction was simple embarrassment at her clumsiness, he didnt want to press further. When the warmth of her waist soaked into his fingers, Shane realized he was still holding her and stood back with an awkward pat of her ribs. So
He slipped the envelope from his back pocket and handed it over. Theres the estimate. Why dont you take a look at that while I sort through the spare wood, then well make a plan.
Even as he spoke, Merry tore open the envelope and unfolded the papers. True fear twisted her brow into lines of tension.
Why? It wasnt her money. Hell, hed expect that spending the money of a trust would be damn fun, especially when you were irritatingly excited about the project in the first place. Not what you expected? he asked. He was experienced, and not cheap, but he didnt think his hourly wage was exorbitant.
Oh, she breathed, her eyes darting over the page before she flipped to the next. No, of course not. Itsjust
He kept his mouth shut, waiting for a clue as to what was going on. As he expected, Merry couldnt bear the silence, and she jumped to fill it.
Its just Wed better start with the first one. Just the porch. Then hopefully
Shane cocked his head.
The thing is, can I pay you half now and half next month? Im sorry. I dont know how you normally do it, but Im having a little trouble getting funds, uh, released.
Whoa. Very interesting. So interesting that Shane finally found the strength to shove down his grumpiness and turn on the charm. This was exactly the kind of information he needed, and he needed it before Merry turned in an invoice. Shane would be fired quicker than he could say legal espionage.
So he smiled. And shifted a little closer. And turned on the Western charm that had worked before on cute tourist girls. Whats wrong, darlin?
Nothing! I can pay you! Its not that. Its just The envelope slipped from her fingers, and Shane knelt to pick it up.
When he rose, he let his eyes drag over her body. There was nothing wrong with her body, after all. She wasnt stick-thin like the rich women who rolled through town with skis and fur boots. She was strong and tall and curvy. As his gaze dragged over the curve of her hip, he was struck with the sudden thought of what she might look like naked, and got lost in that for a moment before he remembered his charm and turned his smile up.
Its just what? he pressed.
Merry was watching him with slightly parted lips, as if shed sensed his thoughts. Its just The board members are
He tipped his head a little closer, holding her gaze as he slid the envelope back into her grasp. His fingers brushed over hers. He let them rest there, just beneath the angle of her knuckles.
And then there was her mouth. Those slightly parted lips. A little too wide for beauty, maybe, but suddenly so soft. And inviting. And
Merry edged back, her eyes narrowing. Its nothing, she said firmly, the words wedging distance between them.
Shane found himself standing there alone, blinking in surprise. Huh?
Its nothing. If youre okay with half now and half later, youve got a deal.
Okay, he said. Sure.
Merry smiled. Perfect. Then get to work. What are you waiting for?
Shane, charming smile still in place, found himself treated to the sight of Merrys ass as she walked away from him. Her hips swung. Her ass tipped side to side. He watched. By the time she disappeared around the corner of the little house shed claimed, Shane found himself shaking his head and wondering what had just happened.
CHAPTER FOUR
MS. KADE, THIS is Levi Cannon. We have a bit of a situation.
Merry stood so quickly that her hair blew back. Phone clenched in a suddenly sweaty fist, she looked toward the makeshift parking area of Providence, then toward the saloon. How could they have found out so quickly? Maybe she could
Ms. Kade?
Yes. Hi, Mr. Cannon. What seems to be the problem? The distant sound of boards being dropped filled up Merrys ears. She ducked inside the little house she used as a base, so panicked she didnt even look for spiderwebs first. One of them clung to her arm. She shook it like mad, swallowing her panicked cries.
Mrs. BishopKristen Bishopcame outside this morning to find that her mailbox had been destroyed.
Merry sucked in air so quickly that she choked on it and started coughing. The mailbox mustve tipped over in last nights wind.
Oh, dont worry. Destroyed was her word. A little further investigation revealed that it had only been pulled from the ground and left in the dirt. Not exactly mayhem.
Right. I That isMr. Cannon, I
Kristen thinks its an act of retaliation.
Merry snapped her mouth shut. Retaliation? She hadnt been that mad. And shed tried not to convey any anger at all to the arguing seniors.
Personally I think a drunk cowboy ran into it, but the Bishop house is damned isolated, so she might have a point. She thinks its a warning.
Merrys throat finally unlocked. They didnt know it was her.
She drew in a deep breath. I cant imagine that, she managed to say. Maybe it was bored teenagers. Mailboxes. Baseball bats. It happens.
Its a ways out of town for joyriding. And nothing like this ever happened before we hired you. I cant discount her suspicions.
Right. Nothing like that had happened before they hired Merry. That was for damn sure. She cringed and chewed her thumbnail. But why retaliation? Im sure its nothing. I started two weeks ago, so the timing
Oh, we just filed a new motion with the judge, letting her know that Providence is now actively being managed as a historic site. That was about a week ago, but its possible the other side just found out about it. You cant think of anything else, can you? Maybe your work put you on their radar.
Merry cleared her throat and darted a look at Shanes truck. Had he told someone he was working for her? Just how pissed would the board be if she admitted that? Wait a minute. She was buying into the conspiracy theory about mailbox destruction shed committed.
I cant think of anything. But listen, Mr. Cannon, if hiring me improves the visuals of this case, wouldnt moving forward with some of the renovations be even better?
Well Yes, in theory. But we really hadnt planned for you toum. His words, which had started out awkward and hesitant, died into pregnant silence. Her skin crawled with humiliation, but she forced herself to ignore that.
I understand now that you may have hired me as more of a figurehead than a curator. Im not saying Im okay with that, and well have to have a different conversation about it later, but I can do this, Mr. Cannon. I may have only been at my previous position for a year, but I was a workhorse, and my superior was As old as you. She was easing into retirement, so I carried a lot of responsibility. She took a breath.
Ive already sorted through the wood we have on hand here. Im not going to go wild and head out to a lumber store for new pine and woodscrews. Well use the original wood, and I even found a bucket of handmade nails. Theyre rusty, but Ill be sure that Shumany contractor is up-to-date with tetanus shots, and Im sure they use gloves, anyway, right? And when we run out of those nails, I found a place online that forges them.
When she finally stopped to catch her breath, Mr. Cannon sighed. Merry, listen. I can tell how much you want to work, and I admire that, especially in someone your age, but we
I just want a chance. Please. I need a chance. We could get this place up and running faster than you think. The house I use as a base of operations is totally safe. And the saloon only needs a little work. And the church! The church is beautiful. Im brainstorming a brochure now and
Work on the brochure, he interrupted, latching onto that idea with a sigh of relief. Work on that, and IllIll talk to the others about freeing up a little money. A little.
Oh, my God. Thank you. Thank you!
Im not promising anything! You just sit tight, okay?
Sure, she said, her face flushing with guilt.
And work on a brochure. Holding something like that in their hands could help the board loosen up the purse strings a little.
Thank you, Mr. Cannon. Ill get right on it.
Merry dragged her chair inside and sat at the beat-up old table Mr. Bishop must have moved in at some point. Shed found little clues like that all over the house, proof that Gideon Bishop had been using the house as an office, gathering up ideas for the ghost town. Shed only poked around gingerly before, too afraid of spiders to settle in, but the sunlight was too bright to do this kind of work outside, so Merry set her iPad on its stand, fired up her portable keyboard and got to work.
She worked so hard she nearly forgot entirely about Shane. She noticed when he stopped in that night to say he was leaving. And she vaguely noticed the next day when he came by around 5:00 p.m. to do a couple of hours of work. She even wandered out once or twice to be sure he was doing only the work theyd agreed on.
But she didnt go out to watch him hammer, or to marvel at the wide stretch of cloth across his shoulders or the tight wonder of his jeans. She didnt notice the way hair glinted on his strong forearms when he moved. She didnt notice any of that until he stopped by on the second night and delivered a moment of grace that hit her like a wave of lust.
Dont worry about paying me for this now, all right? Catch me next month.
What? she asked, visions of the brochure fading from her eyes like a clearing fog. She repeated, What? in a breathless voice.
Its okay. You seemed stressed out, and I dont want my bill to add to your stress.
Oh, I can pay it. You dont have to
Really, Merry. Its no problem.
Well, that was embarrassing. Just the sound of his mouth forming her name gave her goose bumps. Or maybe it was the effect of looking up at him as he stood so close to her. Those shoulders loomed above her. Those forearms flexed as he slipped off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. And this late in the day, his jaw was rough with stubble again. As he moved, she could actually smell him. The laundry detergent on his clothes, and another more intriguing scent: his skin, hot from the sun, a touch of sweat.
Shane cocked his head in question, and she realized shed been staring up at him as if he was a work of art she wanted to study.
Youre really sweet, Shane.
Ah. Not so much. His cheekbones flushed a little as his eyes shifted past her. Is that for Providence?
Yes! But dont look yet. She covered the screen with her hand. Ill finish the layout tonight and then Ill show you. Okay?
He smiled. Sure. Are you going to be here long? I hate to leave you out here alone this late.
Merry looked out the window to see startlingly long shadows stretching across the sagebrush.
Id feel better if you let me walk you out.
Now Merry was the one flushing. Thank you, Shane. And thanks for coming out here at all. I know you already put in a full day. It means a lot that youre doing this for me.
He picked up the computer stuff as she turned it off. Its nothing. No need to thank me.
God, he was so cute. No matter what he said about not being a real cowboy, he had that modest chivalry she associated with movie cowboys. And that steadiness. That self-possessed silence.
She snuck a look at him as they walked toward her car, noting how much taller he was than her. Four or five inches, maybe. Shed never been with a guy as tall as Shane was, but, then again, shed never been with most types of guys. Two men did not make a control group.
Regardless, she was intrigued by him. His height and strength, the scarred hands and blunt fingers. What would it feel like to be held by him, to be taken? What would it feel like to be up against a wall with this mans body pressed against her? With those rough, strong hands sliding up her shirt? Would he?
When he glanced at her, Merry almost melted in sheer embarrassment. They were friends. Maybe just acquaintances. If he knew she was having those kinds of thoughts about him, hed likely recoil in horror and find a way to never be alone with her again.
Everything all right? he asked.
Sure! she chirped. Im excited. Excited. Right. I meanI cant wait to finish the brochure layout tonight!
Well, I cant wait to see it.
Great!
She was excited about the brochure. But she was also excited about something very different. Something she hadnt felt in a very long time. Hopefully the layout wouldnt be her best work of the night.
CHAPTER FIVE
OH, GOD, YES! she gasped, holding the vibrator up in triumph.
Shed decided she needed it thirty minutes ago. Those thoughts of Shane hadnt gone away on the drive home. They hadnt even gone away when shed tried to work on the brochure. Shed finally decided she needed to indulge her rediscovered lust and go for it while she was still in the mood.
So shed texted Grace to be sure she was gone for the night. Then Merry had taken a quick shower. Poured a glass of wine. Gulped the wine down and poured herself another. The last step had been finding the vibrator. Three boxes later, and she had that little sucker in her hand.
Thank God. She sighed before heading to the kitchen to dig for batteries. And finally, she was ready.
Amazingly she felt almost nervous. Had it really been that long since shed touched herself? So long that she felt fucking nervous?
Well, now she was determined.
Merry unfolded her sofa bed, piled on the covers and slid beneath crisp sheets.
Shane was right next door. Shed heard his shower earlier, so Merry imagined him there, naked and wet. God, he must be beautiful. Long and lean and hard. Hard everywhere. Shed love to touch him. Run her hands down his slick back. Dig her nail into his naked, taut ass. Press herself into him and stretch like a cat in heat while he
Merry started and shook her head. No, even if the man were naked and in her shower right now, she could never just climb in there and start manhandling him. Not even in a fantasy. Because what shed really do is screw up the courage to slip into the shower naked, and then shed stand there awkwardly while he soaped himself. Shed probably crack a joke. Then make an excuse about how crowded it was and just slip away.
Stop it, she muttered to herself, then slid deeper under the covers and shifted the fantasy around.
Hed been in the shower, yes. All soapy and wet and hard for her. But now he was out and drying off, and when he heard her knock, he slipped on a pair of jeans and answered the door in nothing but half-buttoned Levis.
I was just thinking about you, he said, giving her that dark, unreadable look he did so well.
Merrys heart sped just as it would have if her fantasy were real. She slipped her hands over her breasts and down her body, feeling nerves shiver to life as she imagined Shane pulling her into his apartment and pressing her to the wall. He put his mouth to her neck and whispered how much hed been wanting her, how often hed thought of her. His impatient hands slid beneath her clothes, inspiring nervous gasps that he took as agreement. His skin felt so good that she let herself fall into it. She let him touch her, kiss her, but when he started to push her shirt up and off her body, Merry hesitated.
Shane, wait. I hardly know you. How can
Please, he rasped. I need this. I need you. Just once. Please, Merry. Youve been driving me mad. I need to taste you.
Merry turned on the vibrator and gave herself up to the story, just as she gave herself up to his hands in her mind. His hands and mouth and fingers. Oh, God. Yes. His fingers teasing her, then slipping inside her. Driving her crazy until she felt just as mad as he did. Until she was murmuring yes, yes when he unbuttoned his jeans and freed his erection. He eased a hand beneath her knee and pulled her leg high as he positioned himself between her thighs.
Please, Merry whispered into the empty room. Please. She wanted that. Needed it. She slipped the toy farther along her body, sending delicious shivers racing to branches of nerves that hadnt stirred in so long. Oh, God, yes. This was going to feel so good, a need shed ignored so long it had seemed extinct. But it was back now, and her hips strained forward as she eased the vibrator inside her body with a whimper of relief.
And then her world came crashing down. Or at the very least, her door sounded like it was about to crash in. Not that the knock was especially loud, but her senses were a little heightened. And the door was only three feet from her head. And she was lying there with her legs spread and a vibrator buzzing.
Merry froze, eyes wide in panic, hoping that if she didnt move, the wolf wouldnt spot her through the tall grass.
When the knock came again, she eased her finger over to turn off the vibrator, alarmed by how loud the silence was afterward. Had that buzzing sound filled the whole room? Had it been audible from the hallway? What if it had been
Merry, its Shane. Are you home?
Shane?
No. Yes! she yelped in complete panic, trying to bite back the word even as her body volunteered it. Her eyes slid over the blankets, noting the shape of her body beneath the covers, knees parted wide, arm disappearing beneath the cozy bedspread at a suspicious angle. Then her gaze moved to the door.
Oh, God.
I was hoping to see the brochure. Can I come in?
Uh Merry finally forced her body to let go of its frozen panic and move. She pulled the vibrator out of herself with a wince of shock, snapped her legs closed and sat straight. Uh, sure. Just give me a second. Why had she spoken? Why hadnt she just kept her mouth shut and let him leave?
Stupid blind panic. Merry shoved the vibrator under the covers and leaped out of bed to race to the bathroom where shed left her clothes. Idiot, she cursed herself at another misstep. She should have just said no. No, Im not dressed, Ill see you tomorrow. Except not being dressed had been way too close to the truth: Im not dressed and Im frigging myself three feet away from you. Sorry!
She frantically pulled on her jeans and the yellow Doctor Who T-shirt shed been wearing earlier, then raced back to the living room to yank the covers tight across the bed.
She took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face and unlocked the door. Hey! she chirped as she opened it just enough to wedge herself between him and the room. Whats going on?
Hey. His answering smile tipped down a little at the edges. Are you okay?
Sure! Yes. Absolutely. Why?
You just Were you working out?
Yes, I was working out! It was the perfect answer for the sweat prickling her hairline and her rapid breathing. But then his eyes traveled down her body to the jeans and bare feet. Anyway! She waved a hand.
WellI was thinking about you.
Merry flashed back to her fantasy so quickly that she felt dizzy. Was he about to grab her? Ravish her? Push her against the wall and slip off her shirt? Would she let him? Me? she finally breathed.
All this work youre doing for Providence. Ill admit, it seemed silly at first. I cant say I understand it or even approve. But now that Im working out there with you, Im curious. May I?
He gestured toward the door, and Merry automatically opened it, cursing her natural Texas friendliness for digging her even deeper. She watched his gaze focus on the unfolded bed.
Early night?
Guilty embarrassment leached from wherever it was the body stored itspleen? Appendix?and suffused every cell in her body. I like to work in bed. She ignored the fact that her pile of work stuff was still on the kitchen table and grabbed the end of the fold-out bed to flip it back into a couch.
Shane reached out to help, but she gave a mighty heave and it folded with a wretched groan of springsfollowed immediately by an ominous rubbery thunk when she tipped the bed up for its last fold.
Oh, shit. Oh, no. She glanced into the shadowy hollow of the couch and saw her pink vibrator lying there on the hardwood like a giant finger of accusation pointing at her. You were jerking off to naked thoughts of an innocent friend. You secretly violated your nice neighbor!
A noise of horror squeaked through her throat, and she shoved the mattress down with so much force that the couch slid two inches. Even though the mattress obediently folded up, it wouldnt quite close all the way. She remembered the blankets shed piled on and gave another desperate shove.
I think its stuck, Shane volunteered as she put all her weight on it. Here, lets pull it out again and
No! Why the hell had she picked out a fluorescent pink toy? Why hadnt she gone with a nice tastefulbeige? Or translucent! A vibrator that could blend into its wild surroundings no matter where she was!
Its fine, she grunted, bouncing her weight up on her toes.
Shanes gaze went to her breasts and then away.
This always happens, she finally said, and grabbed one of the couch cushions. Shane grabbed the other, then eyed the crooked hill theyd made with suspicion as she picked up her iPad and plopped into an uncomfortable seat.
Luckily Shanes old-fashioned chivalry must have kicked in, because he just offered a puzzled smile and took a seat next to her, probably thinking that she was one of those stereotypically unhandy women. Fine. Shed perpetuate that prejudice, as long as he didnt realize just how handy shed been a minute ago.
Her hands froze over the iPad screen just as he leaned closer to watch. The brochure bloomed to life in full color beneath her fingers, but all she could do was stare at her hands. Her guilty hands. The glowing screen drew Shanes attention like a spotlight to every digit that had acted out her dirtiest thoughts about him.
Would you like a beer? she squeaked, jumping up and dropping the iPad to the couch where it slid down the slope of the cushion before getting caught in the corner.
She didnt hear his answer; her heart was pounding too hard as she rushed to the sink and turned on the hot water. She tried to imagine how shed feel if she went to a near strangers house and found out hed just been masturbating to dirty thoughts of her. Shuddering, Merry scrubbed her hands and regretted even considering getting her groove back.
This was the last straw. It was going to be the nunnery for her. Maybe she could find one in commuting distance.
* * *
SHANE KNEW THAT Merry was acting strangely. She was up to something, maybe something underhanded concerning Providence. He knew that, but he kept getting distracted by her breasts.
Shed always had breasts, obviously, but this time she wasnt wearing a bra under her T-shirt, and unfettered breasts were an entirely different distraction.
They looked fucking perfect. So perfect he had the urge to blurt it out to her, just because it needed to be said. Her yellow T-shirt was so pale he thought he could see the faint darkness of her nipples beneath the fabric, but he was left wondering because the picture of a weird telephone booth on it interfered with the play of shadow and light. It teased him with the possibility. He kept watching in hopes of being more sure.
When she brought a bottle of beer he downed half of it quickly and told himself to stop being a creep. Not that that was possible. After all, hed come over here with the sole intent of gathering information about the ghost town. That ridiculous ghost town. He felt bad that she was so damn enthusiastic about it, but what business was it of hers? Shed come here from Texas. The town was a lark for her. For him, it was a bad memory and now a serious nuisance. His grandfather had left him the burden of the Bishop land and none of the damned money. How was he supposed to pay tens of thousands of dollars of property tax every year? Shit, he could charge grazing fees to neighboring ranches, but the federal land higher up was a hell of a deal compared to what hed need to charge.
All he really wanted to do was build a house on the land that had been passed to him. And he wanted to preserve that land. Not in a way that brought tourists to it, but in a way that kept them out.
Jesus, his ancestors hadnt founded Providence to attract strangers. Theyd built a town in the middle of nowhere because theyd wanted it to be their own.
Not that he gave a damn about that. It was just another reminder that the men of his family ran. First, theyd run to Wyoming Territory, leaving behind whatever complications they hadnt wanted to deal with in Missouri. Then, after a little trouble with water, theyd left Providence behind, too, and moved on to greener pastures.
The habit hadnt died with the early twentieth century. His grandfather had been married three times. And Shanes father had taken running to a new level. One day, when Shane had been ten, his dad had kissed his wife goodbye, bought a trailer and disappeared with his girlfriend. Neither of them had ever been seen again, though the rumor was that theyd gone to Mexico to live on a beach. Shane suspected his dad had probably started a cattle ranch. He couldnt picture his dad on the beach, and ranch land had been cheap in those days.
Shanes younger brother had followed the pattern on the day hed turned eighteen. He hadnt gone to Mexico, though. Hed gone east somewhere, though he hadnt been specific about his destination. Hed justdisappeared. After that betrayal, Shane had never bothered looking for him. If Alex wanted to be gone, he could stay gone.
Shane had stayed, but it had felt like a fragile truce with his life, even before all this.
When Merry said, Okay, under her breath, he looked over to see that shed drained half her beer, too. Her shoulders rose on a deep breath, and then she smiled at him and grabbed the iPad. The brochure! You have to be honest, all right?
Ill be happy to be honest, but I dont know anything about this kind of stuff.
The front of the brochure appeared on the screen, the background a black-and-white shot of the long street, buildings marching down on either side of it. The Town of Providence, the title read. Established 1884. Abandoned 1901.
Even to him, the words were powerful, promising angst and drama, but it was nothing romantic to him.
Still, it was nicely done, and he told her so.
The next page was titled The History of Providence. He skimmed it, not needing to know more than he already did. On the third page was a picture of the saloon.
Obviously Ill take a new picture when youre done with the work. Its going to be amazing, Shane. That building is so perfect. People love a saloon! Look how popular the Crooked R is.
To be fair, that saloon still serves liquor.
I know, but its the possibility. The strangers that came through. The adventurers and outlaws.
Shane smiled, remembering his own childhood imaginings.
And people are fascinated that their great-great-great-grandparents hung out in bars. They drank beer and whiskey. Maybe there were even prostitutes!
He looked at the small, inset photograph of the saloon that was taken at the turn of the century. A man in an apron stood on the porch, a towel clutched in his hand. I dont think my I dont think the women of Providence were the prostitute type.
I dont know. She stared at the far wall. Id bet there might have been a lonely widow or two who got tired of sleeping alone. Women have needs, too. And there were all those lonely cowboys.
We still talking about Providence, Merry? he asked.
She choked on laughter and smacked his arm. He tried not to look at the bounce of her breasts under the T-shirt. She wasnt that kind of girl. She was goofy friend Merry Kade, who didnt even realize that the press of her hard nipples against cotton could drive a man to distraction or shed go put on a damn sweater.
So you started this job when I wasnt in Jackson. When did they bring you in?
Id been watching job listings for the area. Ive missed being near Grace and its so beautiful here. It just felt right when I visited, you know?
Hed heard so many compliments about Jackson Hole over the years that he just nodded absently. It was beautiful, yes, but beneath the surface, it was no different than any other place, as far as he could tell.
When I found this ad, I thought it was perfect. I had a little experience, and I thought I could really make a difference. I thought
You thought what?
Her brow tightened. I thought Id truly be needed.
But you are, arent you?
I dont know, Shane. I mean, I feel like Im needed. But it turns out
Shane leaned forward, his eyes never leaving her face, even though she didnt look at him. What is it?
I dont want to tell you.
Come on. What is it?
She finished her beer and set it so carefully on the table next to her that it didnt make even the tiniest clink against the stone coaster. Apparently theres some sort of probate fight. Something to do with Gideon Bishops heir. I think they only brought me in as a symbol. Something to help fight the case. They dont actually want me doing the work.
Shane didnt say a word. He didnt even dare to breathe. On one hand, this was crucial information. Important news he could take to his attorney. Merry was only being used to weaken Shanes case.
On the other hand, she looked devastated, and he wasnt a monster. She blinked hard, as if she were holding back tears. Hey, he whispered. Its okay. Im sure thats not true.
Im pretty sure it is.
But He couldnt think of anything to comfort her. There certainly werent any honest words he could give. After all, his future lay in the promise that Providence wouldnt happen. That it would continue to be nothing more than dead wood and tumbleweeds. But Merry had something to prove now.
Shit.
Im sorry they brought you here under false circumstances, but youre doing a good job, regardless. The brochure looks great.
Right. And I was smart enough to hire you.
The watery smile she aimed in his direction was like a twisting knife in his gut. Hiring him could, in fact, get her fired. But only if the board found out.
Look, I admire your enthusiasm for this. And whatever is going on with the board isnt your fault. Why dont you consider my work on the saloon a gift.
No! I didnt tell you that to make you feel sorry for me. You deserve to be paid. Ill win them over.
Not by tossing his name around, she wouldnt. Ill call it pro bono work. Giving something back to the community. Or just helping himself.
I cant ask you to do that.
You didnt ask.
Now there were definitely tears in her eyes. I cant
Come on, Merry. Were neighbors. Its no big deal.
But apparently it was a big deal to her. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Shane felt schizophrenic; half of his brain registering the soft, warm press of her breasts to his chest, the other half telling him he was a selfish, lying asshole and she was going to regret any kind feelings she had for him.
But when he settled his hands on her back, the more noble thoughts disappeared, because damn, she was warm and nice under his touch. The cotton was a smooth expanse of heat, reinforcing his knowledge that she was naked beneath this thin fabric. And fuck, she smelled delicious. Like fresh soap and some spicy, feminine scent that made him feel a little dizzy. Dizzy andhard.
Damn.
He pulled back and cleared his throat, hoping like hell she wouldnt notice the uncomfortable tightness of his jeans.
Thank you, Shane, she said, sniffing back tears while he tried to keep his eyes off her breasts.
Youre welcome.
Want another beer?
He said yes in the hopes that his dick would give up its vigil by the time she came back, but he took the beer happily enough when she returned with it.
Did you grow up here? she asked as she plopped back into her crooked seat. He forced his eyes to stay on her face.
I did. Did you grow up in Texas? he asked, changing the focus. He never liked talking about his family, but especially in this case, it was a topic best left alone.
Kind of. My mom is a bit of a hippie. She was raised in a tiny town in Northern California. I was born there, and we lived in a few different places while I was growing up. But I spent the last ten years of my childhood in Texas.
And your dad?
Never met him, she said cheerfully. It was just me and my mom.
Im sorry.
Oh, no big deal. I think I was better off than my friends who had asshole fathers, you know? I was scared of dads when I was young. They always seemed to be yelling about something.
Shane considered her theory. His dad had been pretty decent, though obviously flawed, but maybe he and Alex wouldve been better off if their father had never even been around. Maybe it wouldve been better than thinking your dad loved you until you woke up one day to realize he didnt give a shit after all. At least Merry could tell herself her dads disappearance had nothing to do with her. But Shane had been left to wonder.
So your mom was a hippie. Thats how you got the name Merry?
Of course. When I was born, she looked into my eyes and said she could tell I was a happy soul.
You are.
I suppose I am, she said so cheerfully that Shane chuckled. It wouldve been so awkward if I wasnt.
Shane thought of Grace and the way she fought hard against her moniker, but he didnt point that out to Merry. So you had a happy life.
Oh, you know. You make the best of things.
What things?
She waved her beer dismissively. Tough times. Bad neighborhoods. But you learn to make friends with everyone, and any place can be a home. My mom is great, though. She worked so hard to make our life better.
Suddenly Shane had a completely different take on this girl. She seemed carefree and goofy and sheltered. But now he couldnt help but read between the lines. No dad around. A single mom who probably had to work one or two jobs at a time to put food on the table. And Merry trying to find her way.
Ive never lived anywhere but here, he said. I cant imagine.
Its different, living in a big city. I cant deny that. But people are all the same, really. Theres good and bad everywhere. But considering that people are all the same, I have to say that the scenery is pretty damn awesome here. Theres really no reason for you to go anywhere else.
Thats a relief. I cant say Im inclined to.
How did you become a carpenter? Was your dad a carpenter?
No, my uncle was. I started working with him when I was twelve. His dad had been a horse trainer and rancher, but Shane left that off.
Hey, I got my first job at twelve, too! A taco joint.
You can work in a restaurant at twelve?
You can if youve just hit a growth spurt and they pay you cash under the table. I was so excited to have spending money, I dont even think I kept track of how much they paid me. Three dollars an hour, probably. One of the perks of hiring child laborers.
Well, you were smarter than I was. My uncle figured I was earning an education. I didnt get paid anything. But thats typical for rural kids. You work the farm or ranch for the privilege of learning the life.
Thats so cool.
Shane smiled. Its pretty damn boring, actually. Hanging around leathery old men all day. It can be torturous when youre a teenager and there are never any girls around. The ones that are nearby are all mooning for the guys on the junior rodeo circuit.
Merry gasped. You did that, didnt you?
Did what?
She pointed a finger at his chest. You did rodeo stuff. You saw all the girls paying attention to those boys and you joined the rodeo, didnt you?
Shane laughed. Hard. First off, you dont join the rodeo like you join the circus. Butyes, I may have tried a little calf roping in my day.
See, you are a cowboy! She poked him, then her gaze drifted down to his chest, and she poked him one more time as if she were testing his give. She drew her hand back slowly.
You wouldnt say that if you saw how badly I lost to the real cowhands. And I discovered that it wasnt just being a rodeo cowboy that got you attention from girls, but actually doing well at it. Rodeo losers are no different than other losers. Althoughif you get injured, there are some girls who like playing nurse.
Oh, my God! Dirty!
Something about her saying the word dirty was sexy as all hell. It didnt help that his brain had flashed through a quick and happy dance down memory lane of his first kisses and teenage groping. Now he imagined making out with her, right here on her uncomfortable couch. Daring to move closer. Hoping she wouldnt stop him.
He was staring at her, tempted as all hell to taste her, when he heard the faint trill of his phone ringing across the hall. He knew immediately who it was: his mother. Only one person called there. Everyone else called on his cell, but Shane had refused to give her that number. When she got a bug up her ass, shed call incessantly, and she must have one now, because this was the third call since this afternoon.
Merry was watching him. He liked her eyes, always slightly turned up at the edges in a smile. And her mouth, wide and pink and tempting even when he shouldnt be tempted.
He leaned back into the sofa and finished his beer.
He didnt want to go home. He didnt want to leave. But he shouldnt want to kiss her, regardless. Merry was a nice girl. And he was a man no one needed to be around. Not for longer than a night. Hed learned that lesson. He knew who he was.
Merry Kade was not the kind of girl he could sleep with and then make a polite and permanent exit from her life. First of all, because she very obviously wasnt the one-night-stand type. In fact, she seemed inclined to make friends with anyone who came within earshot, as far as he could tell. Second, because Grace would likely castrate him if he used her friend for sex, and Cole might happily hold him down to help his girlfriend out. Third, and perhaps most important, was the fact that she lived next door. Not exactly a comfortable situation even with the most open-minded of women. Hed had long-term friends who were happy with nothing more than casual sex, but neither he nor they had ever flaunted other lovers in each others faces. Not cool.
Close proximity had never come up as a problem in the past, since no women had lived in the building. He was going to have to add it to his off-limit list.
So are you saying you never did anything stupid to get attention from boys? he finally asked.
Merry yelped with laughter. Me? Boys never noticed me! I was tall and awkward and into Star Wars and video games.
But boys love Star Wars.
Strangely, that love isnt transferrable. Unless youre the kind of girl who likes to dress up as the Jabba the Hut slave version of Princess Leia.
Oh, yeah. Hed never been that into Star Wars, but he sure remembered that scene.
Sojust to be clearyou never dressed up like that?
Shane!
Maybe just once? For a Halloween party when you were eighteen? Work with me here.
Good God, it even infected cowboys in the wilds of Wyoming.
Hey, we had satellite dishes and VCRs. And active fantasy lives.
Merry groaned. No, I only dressed up as Princess Leia once, and that was the kick-ass rebel fighter Leia.
I have no idea what youre talking about.
Figures, she sighed, then shook her head in disgust. Wait a minute. Have you ever seen Firefly?
No. Is that a Star Trek thing?
Star Wars, she muttered. And no. Its a completely awesome sci-fi series thats like an epic space Western. You have to watch it. Have to!
Okay.
Seriously. Well rent the first episode one night, okay? Please?
Shane found himself grinning wildly at her, but told himself it was probably just the beer. Lets do that.
He liked this girl. Really liked her, which settled the issue. He couldnt touch her. And he definitely couldnt sleep with her. Not unless he wanted to live with the sure chance that at some point in the future shed hate his guts. Even without the complication of the lawsuit, it always ended the same for him.
He couldnt commit. Women tried to accept that, but eventually they left and made clear that he was an asshole and an immature prick. He was. There was no denying his genes.
Shane dropped his head. Next time, lets do that.
Reluctantly he stood and set his empty beer bottle down. Id better go. Ive got an early start tomorrow, but Ill try to get to Providence in the evening.
Dont wear yourself out. I feel guilty enough as it is.
Its not a problem, he said. And the strange thing wasit wasnt. His goal was to make sure that Providence was never anything more than its current state: a forgotten ghost town remembered only by a few old-timers. But somehow being out there with Merry was the most relaxing thing he did all day. Knowing she was close by, even when he couldnt see herhe liked that. Hed like it even more if she came by and bothered him as much as hed expected her to.
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, (https://www.litres.ru/victoria-dahl/too-hot-to-handle/) .
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Victoria Dahl
Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and its time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, shell supervise someok, a lotof restoration work. Luckily, shes found the perfect contractor for the job, and even better, he lives right next door.Shane Harcourt cant believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. Hell work on the project, if only to hasten its failureuntil the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shanes ulterior motives come out, hell need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but its impossible to resist.
Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and its time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, shell supervise someokay, a lot ofrestoration work. Luckily shes found the perfect contractor for the job, and even better, he lives right next door.
Shane Harcourt cant believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. Hell work on the project, if only to hasten its failureuntil the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.
For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shanes ulterior motives come out, hell need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but its impossible to resist.
Praise for the novels of
USA TODAY bestselling author
Victoria Dahl
Hits the emotional high notes. Rising romance star Dahl delivers with this sizzling contemporary romance.
Kirkus Reviews on Close Enough to Touch
A delightful romance between two people who struggle to discover their own self-worth.
RT Book Reviews on Bad Boys Do
This is one hot romance.
RT Book Reviews on Good Girls Dont
A hot and funny story about a woman many of us can relate to.
Salon.com on Crazy for Love
[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters.
Booklist on Start Me Up
Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale full of endearing oddballs, light mystery and plenty of innuendo and passion.
Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down
Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down is one delicious joyride of a book.
New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway
Sparkling, special and oh so sexyVictoria Dahl is a special treat!
New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips on Talk Me Down
Too Hot to Handle
Victoria Dahl
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This book is for my girlfriends.
Jif, Jodi, Jami and Jess, to name a few. Thank you.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE (#u00dd8aa1-b8c1-5c0d-a444-bb3e61d7a37d)
CHAPTER TWO (#udf15b179-eebf-56e8-a5ef-a90f76e62ed8)
CHAPTER THREE (#u296a6c72-671f-5d70-bd98-3241abd4a5c5)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u3471e2af-e9cf-557e-93bc-cac01ecbb9ee)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u605d653d-75a2-5368-b0d9-48562f7caac2)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
THE NOW FAMILIAR sound of the toaster popping up woke Merry from a dead sleep. She opened her eyes and immediately flinched from the brutal sunlight spearing between a gap in the curtains of the living room window.
Are you sick of me yet? she groaned, her voice muffled by the pillow. It was the same question she asked every morning. At some point the answer would be yes. But not today, thank God.
Are you kidding? Grace called from the kitchen. If I kick you out, I lose more than half of the furniture in this place.
And one very intrusive sofa bed.
Not to mention my best friend. Grace appeared next to the fold-out couch and held out a mug. Coffee?
God, I love you, Merry groaned.
Youre using me for my coffee.
And your apartment.
Would you drop that? Grace complained. Anyway, youre supposed to say youre using me for my hot bod. It makes me feel beautiful.
Merry sat up and dared a sip from the steaming mug before she shook her head. No way. I dont take sloppy seconds. And from what I can tell, Coles been using you up.
Grace snorted. Maybe. Or maybe Ive been using him up.
Here I thought that limp of his was still left over from surgery.
Grace had turned to walk away, but she spun back and leaned down to kiss Merrys head. All kidding aside, Im glad youre here. I mean that. Ive missed you. Stay as long as you want. Six months. A year. It doesnt matter.
Yeah, I want to sleep in your living room for a year, Merry scoffed. But it was just a front. Shed happily sleep on the floor, just to have her friend back. Theyd lived fifteen hundred miles apart for three years, and Merry had missed having her near. The living room was fine by her. She had no need for a big bed and a locking door. There were no men hanging around waiting for a shot at her. Hell, shed given up masturbating half a year ago. Even her imagination had gone celibate, completely defeated by the unending dry spell. So shed given in with a sigh and moved on to solving crossword puzzles on her phone.
Ill make breakfast, she volunteered once shed gotten a few more sips of coffee in her.
Ive got it already. Hand-toasted bagels. My specialty.
Half an hour later, they were out the door. Merry dropped Grace off at the photography studio where she worked setting up location shoots and scouting for film companies. Then Merry drove out of Jackson and into the valley beyond.
Shed been here a week now, but the mountains still surprised her. No, surprised wasnt the word. They overwhelmed her. Awed her. They made her feel tiny, and she liked that. Though she wasnt model tall at five-seven, she felt too noticeable all the time. She wished she were little like Grace. Wished she could hide in a crowd instead of feeling big and awkward all the time. Mostly awkward. Her body was fine, but she didnt know anything about clothes. She didnt wear heels. Didnt know what to do with makeup unless Grace was there to help. She was just the girl in jeans and a funny T-shirt who was hyperaware of the easy cuteness of the other women around her.
But none of that mattered anymore. This wasnt Texas, where girls were born with perfectly coiffed hair and polished nails and the ability to walk in heels before they could crawl. This was Wyoming. And she worked in a ghost town.
Smiling, she turned her old sedan onto a ranch road and gravel pinged against the undercarriage. She couldnt wear anything but jeans and T-shirts out here. Maybe that would change when she got the actual museum up and running, but for now her workplace was a ghost town. Literally. Her personal collection of broken-down, graying wood houses, waiting for her like an adventure every day.
Okay, the town didnt belong to her, per se, but she still grinned when she briefly spotted the peak of the church steeple rising above a hill far ahead. The car dipped down into a valley again and the steeple disappeared.
The town didnt belong to her, and shed only been working there for a week, but she already loved it like mad. It was lonely. Some people might even call it sad. Just a scattered little group of eighteen buildings, half of them collapsing in on themselves, but Merry breathed a sigh of relief as she rounded the final curve and the town came into sight.
Providence, it had been called. And it was that and more for Merry.
It was providence that shed found this job, here in this part of Wyoming when her best friend had moved here not nine months before. And it was amazing luck that shed been hired after only a year of experience working in a small-town museum. She was a newbie, but the Providence Historical Trust had believed in her, and Merry was going to make them proud. She was going to make herself proud.
She pulled into one of the patches of bare, hardened ground at the edge of the narrow dirt road and stepped out of her car. The sound of her car door closing echoed across the meadow that stretched behind her. In front of her stood Providence, the buildings spaced along either side of a wide road that had been overtaken by grass and the occasional clump of sagebrush. Beyond the town, the hills rose up into patches of rustling green aspen.
Merry took a deep breath, inhaling air that was cleaner than any shed ever breathed before. This was a good place to make a life for herself. She couldnt fail here. She knew it. This tiny little dot of land in the middle of Wyoming was the most beautiful spot shed ever seen. How could it be anything but good?
She shifted the bag shed slung over her shoulder and started along the trail that cut through the grass.
Regardless of how much she loved Providence, failure wasnt an option at this point, anyway. She was thirty years old. Shed been floating through life like a bit of dandelion fluff on the wind. Oh, shed touched down occasionally. Held jobs for a year or two. Bank teller, sales support, blackjack dealer, dog walker. Shed even gone to school to learn to do hair, but the only thing good that had come out of that had been her friendship with Grace.
She was a jack of all trades, and while she hadnt mastered anything, she was a hard worker. She wasnt lazy. She wasnt dumb. Even if her cousins had given her the nickname The Merry Slacker a few years before. Even if, when her mom had bought a new condo, shed cautiously explained to Merry that it only had one bedroom, so she wouldnt be able to take Merry in again.
That had hurt. Merry had moved in with her mom for a few months once, but that had been four years before. What are you talking about? shed huffed, trying to hide her injury with irritation. Why would you even say that?
I just thought you should know, sweetie. I wont be much of a safety net anymore. A safety net. As if Merry were a circus performer with a terrible track record.
Okay, maybe shed also moved home a few times after college, but those had been short stays. And yes, she lived life one day at a time, unlike her cousins who were both attractive, driven and financially successful. Family gatherings were a little painful, but Merry could deal with it. What she couldnt deal with was her newly hatched self-doubt. Hell, her mom had always been a free spirit, and now it seemed even she was expressing concern.
Squinting against the bright morning sun, Merry stepped over a tall purple wildflower she could never bring herself to step on, despite that it was smack in the middle of the trail.
Over the past year, what had started as a niggling worry had steadily grown into an irritation. A grain of sand beneath her skin. Slowly the minerals of anxiety and fear had begun to accumulate around it, just above her breastbone. Pressing. Displacing. Now it was like a stone she could feel every time she swallowed.
Shed always been happy. And shed always assumed that someday shed stumble onto that one good thing. The job that made work into a passion. The love that transformed her single life into something bursting with joy.
It hadnt happened. Because things like that didnt happen. Shed decided that attitude would only buy her more years of floating over life, mindless and untethered, tossed about, content to be lost.
Not anymore. Not this time. Not in Providence.
Merry walked confidently up the wooden steps that led to the surprisingly sturdy porch of the first little house. She opened the door and pretended she wasnt doing a quick scan of the doorway for spiders before she stepped in.
Providence might look like eighteen dying buildings surrounded by weeds and harsh mountains, but she was going to make it into a destination. A fascinating tourist stop. A quaint little museum. She would do that. This town would be her triumph.
* * *
THIS TOWN WAS going to be her Waterloo.
Another week had passed, and Merry was losing her mind. The board of the Providence Historical Trust was made up of five lovely people who all happened to be over sixty years old. And two of them had been married to the benefactor of the trust, Gideon Bishop. Not at the same time, of course. One woman had been married to him for forty years, though there was a first wife before her somewhere. The third wife had only spent five years with him, but shed been his wife when hed died, which seemed to give her pride of place at the table. At least in her mind. The other three were men who each claimed to have been Gideons best friend at some point.
It could have been like a lovely family reunion when they met every other week. Instead it was like an episode of Passive Aggressive Theater. None of them could agree on anything, or even seem to remember the same event the same way.
Please, Merry begged for the third time that day. I need to do something. Anything.
Ex-Wife Jeanine nodded. Well, there are those files.
Yes, I finished organizing them a week ago.
Ah, Harry said, You know what could be helpful? The Jackson Historical Society. I bet theyd have all sorts of pictures and stories and
Yes, Merry ground out, feeling guilty for cutting the old man off even before he finished his sentence. I mean, of course. You pointed me in that direction last week. I already spent hours there, but it seems Gideon had finished up there. I couldnt find anything new.
The library? Third Wife Kristen suggested.
That, too. Merry tried to smile. Im working through all the books I could find on the history of the area, but
Levi Cannon slapped his hand down on the table so hard that Merry squeaked. Ive got it! Teton County Historical Society!
Merry felt a little twinge of excitement. That was one place she hadnt visited. But the excitement died like an ember swept up into the cool sky. Ill check it out. Butyou brought me here to start a museum. To draw people to Providence. Thats what Gideon wanted, right? And thats what I want, too. I can make copies of pictures and gather more information about the founders of the town and the flood that led to its destruction, but thats not going to get people out there. I need to get the buildings restored. Grade the road. Build a parking area. We need to come up with plans. Hire workers. Do something.
Third Wife Kristen cleared her throat and shot a look at Harry who looked at Levi.
Well Levi said, then paused to pull a handkerchief from his pocket to swipe over his nape. You see, theres a bit of a problem.
Problem? Merry felt a quick crawl of anxiety over her skin. It slipped down her arms and made her fingers tingle with the guilty suspicion that she wasnt good enough. What problem? she asked. Is it my rsum? I know Ive only got two years of experience, but I promise you wont find anyone more dedicated. I already love Providence like it was my own. If
No, no, Jeanine interrupted. You were quite the bargain. We couldnt possibly have afforded someone with more experience, what with the Ouch! Jeanine jumped and glared at Third Wife Kristen. Did you kick me?
Youre being rude!
But Merry didnt mind. She was a bargain. Or a cheap knockoff of someone who really knew what they were doing. But she was too damn happy about being here to care.
It was Levis idea! Jeanine said on a rush.
What was? Merry asked as the others tried to shush the woman.
But Levi just sighed and scrubbed at his neck again before tucking the handkerchief away. Theres a bit of a lawsuit.
A bit of one?
Well. He folded his hands on the table. Aside from the Providence town plot, Gideon left all the land to his grandson. The boy doesnt want the town, but hes fighting the trust, so the money is a littletied up for a time.
How long of a time? she asked, narrowing her eyes.
They all shifted in their seats and traded looks again. Were not exactly sure, Jeanine finally admitted.
But I dont understand! You brought me out here to work!
Well, yes Jeanine offered a sympathetic smile. Of course, but We decided to hire you as more of a strategic move.
Kristen snorted. You decided!
Jeanine glared at her. The judge freed up a small amount of the trust for administrative costs. We decided our best move would be to go forward with Gideons plans, or at least give the appearance of doing so. It gives us a position of power. Possession is nine-tenths of the law and all that.
The appearance, Merry murmured, too shocked to say more. The appearance. They hadnt wanted her at all. This wasnt her big chance to succeed. This was just a move in a legal battle.
Marvin, who up to this point hadnt said a word to Merry, sat forward and cleared his throat. None of this nonsense is your concern. Youre being paid. Let these idiots spin their wheels and you keep your head down and do what you can.
With what? she snapped. Tumbleweeds?
Youre the idiot, Marvin Black! Kristen screeched. Youre the one who planted this whole damn nonsense in Gideons head in the first place. All your big ideas about history and heritage!
Bah! If you cant live on what he left you, then youre nothing but a spendthrift floozy, anyway. Gideon wanted to build a legacy.
A legacy, she scoffed. More like a fools errand.
Well, if thats the way you feel about it, what are you even doing here?
Merry listened to them snipe at each other, but she didnt really hear them. She was reeling. What am I supposed to do? she asked no one.
Levi answered. Well try to get more funds released for you next month. In the meantime, you should definitely visit the county historical society. See what you find. He patted her hand in dismissal, and Merry let herself be dismissed.
She stood and wandered out onto the front porch of the home where Gideon Bishop had lived his whole life. Hed died here, in Kristens loving arms, according to her, and hed left behind a legacy that nobody much cared about. Gideon had only had one child. A son from his first marriage who had run off decades before. And then two grandsons he hadnt spoken to in years. Gideon had ended up with more money than any one person could need, and hed sunk everything into a stupid ghost town. Just like Merry.
But shed misunderstood. Shed thought the trust had brought her here because theyd believed in her. Shed been surprised at the call. Overwhelmed, actually. And overjoyed. But in that moment shed known that her passion had shown through and eclipsed the wild inconsistencies in her rsum. The letter shed written had moved them, and theyd chosen her to bring Providence to life.
Ortheyd chosen her because she was the cheapest clearance item they could get away with passing off as legitimate in court. They hadnt believed in her at all. She was a placeholder. And this would be another failure in her life.
Merry raced down the steps of the wide front porch and jumped into her car, wanting to escape before the tears fell. She almost made it, but the first fat drops slipped off her cheeks before shed slammed the car door.
They hadnt meant for her to succeed here. They hadnt meant for her to do anything. Those shitty oldcoots. God, she couldnt even bring herself to call them something they really deserved. She wasnt tough that way. She wasnt hard enough. She was dandelion fluff, floating in the wind.
Angry at her own self-assessment, Merry threw the car into Reverse and hit the gas pedal. This was a good place to get her emotions out with a wild ride. After all, she was out in the middle of nowhere at the end of the dirt road. There was nothing out here except sagebrush and
A hard clunk interrupted her daring thoughts and sent her stomach tumbling. She slammed on the brakes as her mind raced through all the possibilities. That hadnt been sagebrush, but it had been solid. Not a sweet sheepdog or a barn cat or She pulled forward a few feet and then scrambled out, her eyes flying over the dried-out grass at the edge of the yard.
The mailbox. The mailbox. Oh, shit. It was a white wooden number with the name Bishop spelled out in custom black letters across the top of the box. And now it was lying on the ground like the victim of an assassination.
Oh, God. She glanced toward the house. She couldnt just leave it there. It would look as if shed done it deliberately because theyd insulted her. And she couldnt go back in and confess, because shed left in a huff and their only apparent attachment to her was her cheap price tag.
Oh, God! The tears flowed freely now, inspired by panic and anger and the awful knowledge that she could feel as humiliated as she wanted but she couldnt lose this job. She couldnt.
Merry looked helplessly down at the mailbox, feeling as if shed murdered some precious icon. The thick white post wasnt broken. Maybe she could just stick it back in the ground. A glance at the house confirmed that no one else had left yet. They were probably still bickering over whether it had been dishonest to hire her for a job that didnt exist.
A job that didnt exist. The perfect job for a bit of fluff like her.
Rage pushed her past her guilt over the mailbox, and Merry bent down and wrapped her arms around the box, lifting it with a grunt of impatience. She slid it a few inches and fit the tip of the post into the hole. It dropped right in.
Thank God. After pressing down a little, she let it goand watched the mailbox tilt toward the left. Crap. Merry wrapped her arms around it and straightened it again, then pulled down as hard as she could. She lifted her feet and let her body weight hang for just a second. This time, when she stepped back, it only tipped a tiny bit. Like the erection of a man just registering that youd made a Star Wars joke in the middle of foreplay.
Not that that had ever happened to her.
Merry took a few more steps back, hands raised as if she could catch the mailbox if it fell. But it held steady, and with one last look at the house, she darted to her car and drove away.
But as she drove down the gravel road, watching dust billow behind her like a plume of guilt, Merry set her jaw and steeled her heart.
It didnt matter why theyd hired her. It didnt matter who they thought she was. Shed come here to make a place for herself, and that was what she was going to do.
* * *
SHANE HARCOURT WAS so damn tired he wasnt sure he could make it up the front steps of the Stud Farm. Two weeks of carpentry work on a ranch in Lander, followed up by a week of fencing on the high plateau outside Big Piney, and he was dead on his feet and nearly weaving side to side as he opened the door and headed for his apartment.
Not for the first time, he thanked God that Cole had finally gotten back on his feet and out of Shanes ground floor place. Shane couldnt have trudged up to the second floor today. Not in this state. He watched his key disappear into the lock like he was watching the perfect porn movie. A beer. A hot shower. Bed. Then he planned to sleep for two days straight. Sheer pleasure.
He turned the key.
Shane!
Shane blinked at the idea of his neighbor Grace greeting him with such unbridled excitement. Frowning, he slowly turned around, hand still hopefully clasped to the doorknob.
Hi! a woman who was definitely not Grace said.
He took in the tall brunette in the Oscar the Grouch T-shirt and automatically touched the brim of his hat in greeting. Morning, he said.
Its afternoon now, she answered.
Is it? He realized he was just standing there staring while she grinned at him. Her long dark hair framed a harmless round face and an open smile. Do I know you?
Seriously? Wow. Im kind of insulted.
Shanes brain scanned quickly through the past few sexual encounters hed had, just in case. But there werent that many, and he was almost immediately sure he hadnt slept with this girl. Sorry?
Shane, Im Merry.
Mary? He stared.
Merry Kade. Graces friend?
Oh, he said. Then Oh! Merry. Right. Hi.
Her wide smile had faltered at some point, so Shane tried again. Its good to see you. Are you visiting?
No, I moved here. Im living with Grace for a little while.
Oh, thats nice. Good. His eyes nearly crossed with exhaustion.
Anyway, Im glad youre finally back. Youre a carpenter cowboy, right?
Im just a carpenter, not a cowboy.
Sure you are. She waved a hand up and down his body. Look at those boots. And the hat.
Being a cowboy is a job. Its got nothing to do with the boots.
She looked pointedly at his Stetson.
Or the hat, he said wearily.
Okay, but you are a carpenter. When he nodded, her smile returned, lighting up her fresh face. Youre just what I need!
Too tired to bother with a sly reply, Shane just nodded. Need some help with a bookshelf or something?
She laughed so loudly that her voice rang through the entry. Sure, something like that.
He forced a smile. Okay, Ill come by later. Right now He held up a hand to stop the words forming on her lips. Listen, Ive been working twelve-hour days for two weeks. I would normally come over straightaway and assemble your shelf, but Im swaying on my feet and my eyes cant focus. All I can even consider is a microwave burrito, a quick shower and then ten hours of sleep. Actually scratch the shower. Thatll wait.
Her eyes flickered down before she blinked a few times. Sure. Its no problem. The shelf can wait. You sleep. And eat. And shower.
Thanks, umMerry. Ill come over later. He pushed through the door and nearly stumbled over a thick envelope that must have been slipped through the old mail slot that no one used anymore. When he spotted his lawyers name printed across the top, Shane picked it up and set it on a table to open later. He didnt need to think about that bullshit right now. The only thing worse would be trying to navigate a conversation with his mother. He couldnt think coherently about even the simplest thing, such as being polite to an acquaintance.
He turned, meaning to apologize to Merry before he closed the door, but she was gone, the only evidence shed been there the sound of Graces door clicking shut.
Shit. Hed go over to Graces as soon as hed showered tonight. But first He locked the door, shucked off his boots, forgot about lunch and headed for bed to collapse.
CHAPTER TWO
GRACE FROZE IN THE ACT of sliding a perfect smudge of black liner across her lash line and aimed a hot glare in Merrys direction. What do you mean Shanes coming over?
Merry stared in wonder. How do you do that? she asked for the hundredth time since shed met her best friend. I dont get it. When I put eyeliner on, I look like a five-year-old playing dress up. Or an eighty-year-old alcoholic trying to recapture her glory days.
Close your eyes. Grace scooted Merry around and swiped the pencil quickly over her lids. There. Ive shown you a million times. Now tell me why Shanes coming over.
When she opened her eyes, Merry sighed at the sight that greeted her. Her plain brown irises now looked large and whiskey-colored. At least she was living with Grace right now. She could use her friend like a personal makeup artist whenever she wanted. Of course, that didnt change the fact that Merrys liner would be smudged and smeared within an hour. Her body rejected any transplants of prettiness.
I need a carpenter, she said as she fluttered her lashes at herself. Then she looked from Graces hairgorgeous, choppy and recently brightened with chunks of Crayola red colorto her own. Plain brown and slightly dented from the ponytail shed worn that morning. God.
So? Grace asked.
Shanes a carpenter. Im hoping hell give me the Stud Farm discount.
The Stud Farm discount, Grace muttered. I dont like the sound of that at all. I think I should hang around.
Thanks, Mom, but I promise not to get into your vodka stash.
Ill call Cole and tell him to pick me up later.
You will not. First of all, Coles going to die when he sees that red in your hair. And by die, I mean hes going to jump on you like a cowboy riding a stubborn bronco.
Nice.
Secondly, whats your problem with Shane?
Grace shrugged and leaned forward to finish her makeup. I dont know. Hes slick. Too removed. I cant read him.
I think hes nice.
Yeah, thats why Im hanging around. You think everyone is nice.
I do not, Merry denied. And even if I did, you have nothing to worry about. He didnt even remember who I was. I doubt hes currently concocting a plan to seduce me and steal my virginity as a trophy.
Grace snorted. What virginity?
The one I regrew after two years of celibacy.
A good sex toy should take care of that.
I dont want to talk about it, Merry groaned. Im pitiful.
No, youre not. Youre safe and picky which is exactly how I want you to be.
Im not picky. Im just not on the radar. Anyones radar. Im the governments top-secret stealth snatch project.
Grace burst into an uncharacteristically hearty laugh. Merry just stuck her tongue out and flounced out of the bathroom.
Im serious about Shane, Grace said, following her to the living room. She pulled on a pair of black boots that would have looked clunky and mannish on Merry, but somehow looked both tough and adorable on Grace. Watch out for him. He can be charming. She drew the word out like it was a smear. And take off that eyeliner. You look too cute.
You can scrub this liner off my cold, dead body. Actually that wont be necessary, because itll melt off within the hour.
Use that primer I gave you.
Sure, Merry said, instead of telling her friend that shed tried the primer and somehow she couldnt get it blended right and ended up looking like she was wearing sparkly white goggles.
Dont get charmed, Grace warned, pointing a finger at Merrys chest. Im serious. I dont want to have to murder my boyfriends best friend. Okay?
A knock interrupted their conversation. Merry went out to say hello to Cole, but for a moment he was overwhelmingly distracted by Graces hair.
Hi, Merry, he said, his gaze locked on his girlfriend with an intensity no man had ever had for Merry.
Hi, Cole. Graces hair looks great, huh?
Hell, yeah, it does. Grace kicked him, and for a moment his gaze only got more intense. Then he blinked and visibly shook it off. His easy smile appeared and he turned to Merry. Hows the ghost town, darlin? he asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek. I still dont like you out there on your own.
I studied all the wildlife guides you gave me. If a rattlesnake comes near, I can identify it in less than two seconds, I swear.
He winked. Good.
You know, you two are actually worse than having parents. My mom was never this overprotective.
Cole patted her arm. Ive never had a little sister.
Im not your sister! Jeez. Now go show your girlfriend how much you like the new red hair. Ill see you later.
Cole dragged his woman out the door, but Grace leaned back in for one last warning. Watch out for that guy.
I promise it wont be a problem! she huffed.
It never was. Men were always disappointingly respectful of her. She locked the door behind Grace and then wandered back to the bathroom to put on some lip gloss and brush out her hair. Thanks to Graces professional skills with the eye makeup, Merry looked almost nice. And the Oscar the Grouch T-shirt really set off her complexion.
Just as she was thinking of changing, there was another knock on the door, which helpfully saved her from the decision of which Darth Vader T-shirt she was going to choose.
She opened the door with a wide smile that she felt freeze on her face when she saw Shane Harcourt.
Hed definitely taken that shower. The thick stubble that had shadowed his face had been shaved off to reveal his hard jaw, and his dark hair was still pressed to his nape in damp strands.
Hi, Merry, he said, and she had the distinct feeling he was proving that he remembered her name this time. Not very flattering. When shed visited Jackson last fall, theyd spent three hours together at Graces birthday party. Not enough time to make an impression on him, apparently.
You look like youre feeling a lot better, she said, waving him in.
I am, thanks. And sorry about earlier. He flashed that charming smile shed heard about. I was dead on my feet.
Yeah, you looked like a cattle rustler whod been on the run for weeks.
His smile wavered. She had a way of doing that to men. So wheres the bookshelf?
Ha. There is no bookshelf.
What? He turned in a slow circle, looking over the apartment. You said you wanted help with a bookshelf.
She let her eyes wander down to his ass while he wasnt looking. Cowboys were so sweet, the way they never wore those awful baggy jeans. And Shane was especially sweet, generously showing off his tight, muscular ass in a dark pair of Levis.
She cleared her throat. No, you said I wanted help with a bookshelf.
All right. So whats going on? He sounded suspicious, probably worried she was going to try to make a move. It was so uncomfortable when you had to fight off the girl next door.
Why dont we sit down?
Still looking wary, he took a seat on the couch. Hed look even warier if he knew he was sitting on her bed. Merry smothered a grin as she sat next to him. I need a carpenter for a bigger job than a few shelves.
Yeah? You might want to rethink any remodeling. I doubt Rayleen would approve. Shes a pretty strict landlord.
I wouldnt dare cross Rayleen, Merry answered, shuddering a little at the idea of pissing off Graces crazy great-aunt. I actually do need you to remodel something, but its not an apartment. Its a ghost town.
A ghost town? Shane sat straight and blinked several times. Excuse me?
She couldnt help but laugh at the disbelief on his face. I know it sounds crazy. But it really is a ghost town. Its called Providence. Have you heard of it?
II think so.
Its north of the Gros Ventre. I was hired to get it ready to be a public exhibit.
You?
Was the whole town conspiring to destroy her confidence? Yes, me. Listen, its going to be spectacular! Really. It may sound strange to say a ghost town is exciting, but Im so excited!
Yeah, I see that.
Merry realized shed clasped her hands together and leaned closer to him. Its an amazing place. Truly. The most beautiful place youve ever seen. If you take the job, youll see
Take what job?
I want to hire you to start the restoration.
Shane sat back. He stared at her for a long moment before he let his head fall to rest on the couch. His gaze bore into the ceiling. You want to hire me.
Well, I dont know a lot of carpenters in Jackson. Or anywhere else. And! She rushed on, not wanting to offend him, Youre Coles best friend, so thats all the recommendation I need.
Merry His eyes squeezed shut for a moment, and she wondered if he was still too tired to think. Im sorry, but Im a little lost here. What exactly are you doing here and why are you working in Providence?
Oh! Right. You missed the first few weeks of this. Well, Ive been keeping an eye on jobs in Jackson for a while now. I loved it when I came out to visit Grace, and I wanted to be closer to her, of course. And my mom bought a one-bedroom condo and hung out a Do Not Disturb sign. Unfortunately I dont ski. Or know anything about skiing. Or even know enough to pretend to know something about skiing. So that career route was closed.
Okay. Got it.
But when I saw this job pop up It was serendipity. Id been working at a local historical museum for a year, remember? Of course he didnt remember, but he made an affirmative sound. So I applied and She didnt want to finish the story this time. It no longer made her happy. Her pulse still sped, but it wasnt with excitement and pride. It was anger fueling her now. And embarrassment. And just a tiny pinch of desperation. She hoped he couldnt hear that part of it. Here I am! she finished with a bright smile.
Here you are. And you want me to help get your ghost town ready for display.
He didnt sound excited. In fact, he looked downright weary. His eyes were closed again, and she was sure she could already see stubble forming beneath the skin of his jaw. Are you okay, Shane? She reached out to put her palm to his forehead, only registering that she might be invading his personal space when he jumped and looked at her with wide eyes.
Sorry. You just seem out of sorts.
Im fine, he said in a clipped voice that made her wonder about this slick charm Grace was worried about. Apparently Merry didnt merit charm. Or slickness. But that wasnt what she needed. What she needed was a man with a hammer.
So will you do it?
He shook his head. You have no idea what youre asking. Before she could figure out what he meant, he cleared his throat and leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees. Summer is my busy season. I only have a few months to get all the outdoor work in, and theres a lot of it.
Oh. Right. I didnt think of that. Her heart sank. Shed had a very clever idea to pay a carpenter out of her own salary, only it suddenly didnt seem quite so clever. Shane was booked up for the summer. That was why hed looked like hed been riding the trail for a month. Everybody else was probably overworked, too. Which meant theyd have no reason to go for her half now/half later payment proposal. Shit, she whispered, falling back to collapse into the fat cushions of the couch.
Plus, I dont know anything about restoration. That sounds like a specialty job.
This part is pretty straightforward, she murmured. I need the porch on the saloon fixed. Its not safe right now, and its my favorite building. I think itll be a real draw. There werent a lot of saloons around here back then, since a lot of the settlers were Mormon. Ive read some great stories about that place.
Youve got a saloon right next door, he said, waving his hand toward the Crooked R, where old Rayleen reigned like a not-quite-benevolent queen.
She shrugged. Its not the same.
Look, you just started. Its the busy season for everyone in construction. Youre going to have to be content with taking your time. Nothing is going to happen this year. My advice is to sit tight and plan for next year.
Oh, God. The idea of spending months like this Shed run out of things to do during the winter. She could start building a website, maybe, but that wouldnt take more than a month, and she couldnt even make it live, because Providence was currently too dangerous to have curious visitors poking around.
Maybe she could design the signs that would eventually be posted on each building. Yes, that would be fun. Then she could put them in storage for two years until the first of the buildings was restored. Maybe in five years they could have a ribbon cutting ceremony, assuming the whole thing hadnt been shut down due to a lawsuit.
No, she had to make this work, starting right now. She had to make this a success before the board realized their ploy wasnt having an effect on the lawsuit and they let her go. Or until the lawsuit was dropped and they decided to bring a real curator in.
I have to move forward, she said. Do you know anyone who could help, even if its just for a few hours a week? Please?
What exactly are your plans? Just to nail a few boards up and start charging tourists?
No! Its not like that. There wont even be a charge, just a donation box. I just need Affirmation. Progress. Proof that Im not a loser. Its a wonderful place and people dont even know its there. I want to start sharing it with the community. Well, that was true, too. It had been even more true yesterday. Its an important part of the history of this place, she finished feebly.
She glanced over, hoping to see sympathy on his handsome face. What she found instead was frustration. Or anger. But no, it had to be frustration. He was just a littleintimidating. And still not the least bit charming about it. Cole was so damn laid-back she couldnt imagine him being close with Shane, but maybe that was what drew them together.
Shane hadnt been quite so gruff at Graces birthday party, though. Shed thought he was cute then. Really cute. Oh, hell, he was still really cute; he just made her nervous as hell. Same as every other cute guy.
Maybe I could stop by on a few evenings, he finally said, pronouncing each word slowly, carefully.
Really? Merry squealed. When he nodded, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He seemed too startled to hug her back. Thank you! Thank you! Do you want to check it out? We can go right now.
Right now?
Sure. Weve still got two hours of daylight left. Lets scoot out there so you know what youre working with.
His gaze drifted toward the right as if he were looking through the wall toward the Crooked R and its cold pitchers of beer.
Ill buy you a beer when we get back, she offered in her most flirtatiously tempting voice.
Im fine, he said flatly. Lets just get this over with.
Her triumph tasted strangely like burnt pride, but she just smiled wider. Great. Ill grab my keys.
* * *
HED INSISTED ON FOLLOWING Merry in his own truck. Or rather, she thought he was following, but he knew exactly where the Providence ghost town was. His dad had brought him out here dozens of times when Shane had been a kid. Theyd spent whole days in the area, and sometimes nights in a tent next to the narrow creek that snuck through the piles of boulders at the mouth of the canyon.
As a kid, hed thought of Providence as desolate and a little spooky. A place that people had abandoned. Walked away from. But that desolation had lent it a bit of reverence in his mind. To a kid, it had felt sacred and deliciously forgotten. Not a place to be turned into another tourist playground. Jesus, werent there enough of those around here?
Now, as the town came into view, with its familiar graying roof peaks and crumbling walls, he didnt feel reverence. He feltnothing. Nothing except irritation that it was causing him inconvenience.
He watched Merry glance in her rearview mirror as he followed her around the last curve of the dirt road. Shed looked into her mirror a lot on the drive, as if making sure he hadnt ditched her.
Shit. Hed been gruff. He knew that. But shed blindsided him with her news. Merry was just the out-of-town friend of Grace. She was a nice girl who smiled too much and wore goofy T-shirts and didnt seem to fit with her wild, tough friend from L.A. How had she suddenly become a next-door neighbor who was asking him to help her ruin his childhood haunt?
When she stopped, he pulled in behind her on a wide patch of dirt and got out. She was nearly bouncing on her toes when he joined her. Isnt it amazing? she squealed.
It looks like a bunch of falling down shacks.
Thats because you dont know the history! What people went through to build this place, the lives they dug out from the dirt, the tragedies that drove them away. This place is alive, Shane. Its justsleeping.
More like mummifying, he muttered, but she ignored him and grabbed his arm.
Come on. Ill show you the saloon. Its really in pretty good shape, aside from the porch.
Shane let her pull him along and tried to ignore a sense of dj? vu as he got closer to the first buildings. Her excitement was contagious, in the sense that it dispersed through the air like an infection that coated his skin, contaminating him with the phantom touch of the excitement he used to feel here. The mystery of the place. The snakes and lizards that would dart out from underneath foundations. The wonder of whod walked here before, lawmen and outlaws and all sorts of people whod never actually set foot in Providence. Of course, hed been a child. He wasnt sure what Merrys excuse was, but he didnt like the feel of it, and he rolled his shoulders to shake it off.
Here it is, she said. Her words werent necessary. Even if he hadnt known it was the saloon, there was an ancient sign propped on the porch.
So this is pretty good shape? he asked.
Yeah. Look at the mercantile next door.
He moved closer to the porch and shook his head. I cant just fix it with new wood, Merry. This is a big deal. Youll want to use old wood. Wood thats been reclaimed and
I know all that! Im not a complete amateur. I can take care of everything. I just need your help.
Shane turned and looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time since shed asked him for help. He looked past the smile, past the sweet round face and slightly tanned cheeks flushed with pink. Her brown eyes were unremarkableexcept that if you took the time to look, they showed everything she was feeling. And right now, she was feeling worried.
Whats going on here, Merry?
What do you mean? Im hiring a carpenter. You. Im doing my job.
So you own this place? You can do whatever you want? He knew damn well that wasnt the situation, but he needed to find out her angle.
Instead of answering his question, Merry shifted, then crossed her arms and walked farther down the road. Interesting. Shane followed. When she stopped and turned around, all traces of worry were gone and she looked cool as a cucumber.
I think we should approach this in tiers. First, I need to know if the building is safe. The floors. The ceilings. If its not safe, I need to know how much it would cost to make it safe. Thats step one. Second, Id like to see the most obvious repairs made. The sagging porch. Holes in the ceiling. That sort of thing. Lastly, I need to know how much a restoration would cost.
A restoration? Merry, I dont have time for
I get that. But were not talking a full restoration. It would still need to be ghost-towny. No one wants to come to a ghost town and see a shiny saloon.
Ghost-towny, he repeated wearily. That an official term?
It is now. Theres a shed at the east end of the town thats full of wood already reclaimed from collapsed buildings. No new wood, right? Just watch out for spiders. She shivered. I try not to go into the shed. Its pretty chock full of spiders. Its likea spider anthill.
A? Realizing he was only going to be drawn deeper into her strange mind if he said any more, Shane shook his head and dropped the subject. Okay. I guess you have thought this through.
Yes. Its my job. Her chin rose a little, as if daring him to dispute it. She wasnt smiling now. Strangely her mouth looked wider in repose. More full and mysterious.
Shane rocked back on his heels, put his hands in his pockets, taking a little time to look over the ragged buildings around him. When are you planning on opening this place, Merry?
Next year, she answered, her chin edging higher.
Next year. Shane couldnt let that happen. He had to stop this. All right, then, he offered with a smile. Ill do what I can.
All her false bravado disappeared and she was hopping up and down like a kid again. You will? Really?
Yes.
Thank you, Shane! She threw herself at his chest, and Shane automatically put his arms around her. He also automatically registered how nice and feminine she smelled, a stark change from the men hed worked with on his two weeks of ranch work. Then he very carefully set her back.
Im going to take a look at that spare wood. Do you want to walk over with me?
No! The spider anthill, remember?
Right. God, she was a piece of work. But she had information he needed, so Shane touched his hat brim and nodded. Ill deal with the spiders on my own. And then Ill take a look at your saloon.
Thank you! she squealed, and he tried not to feel guilty as he walked away. Merry had stepped into something that she couldnt understand, and that wasnt Shanes fault. He set his jaw and walked on.
CHAPTER THREE
WHERE WERE you last night?
Merry sat up from a dead sleep, throwing her arms out to defend against the snarling monster crouched above her. The monster jumped back, quick as a hellbeast, its flame-tipped mane framing apale and pretty face?
Oh! Grace. You scared me. Merry flopped back down onto the mattress, wincing when a spring poked her back. What are you growling about?
Where were you last night? I called eight times! I tried to make Cole get up and drive me home.
Yeah? What did he say?
Hedistracted me.
Merry snorted and pulled the covers over her head, but Grace yanked them back.
Merry! What did you do? Did you sleep with Shane? I meanits okay. You can tell me. I wont be mad.
The not-quite-suppressed violence beneath Graces words sounded like static in her voice. Merry grinned at her. You promise you wont be mad?
Yes, she said past clenched teeth and a painfully pleasant smile.
Oh, my God. Merry laughed. Youre the worst liar ever. No, I did not use my super-sexy wiles to lure Shane onto my fold-out sofa bed for a night of uncomfortable passion.
I wasnt worried about you doing the luring!
Okay. No, Shane did not butter me up with Star Wars trivia and then accidentally fall on me with his penis out.
Merry, be serious! Where were you?
Finally accepting that she wasnt going to get any more sleep, Merry crawled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to start coffee. I went out to Providence. My phone must have been searching for a signal for an hour or two and it ran out of power. Sometimes I get four bars out there, and sometimes I get zero. Im not sure how that works. Is it the wind? The clouds? What
Okay, what about later?
Grace, what is your deal? First of all, why do you hate Shane so much? SecondI havent had sex in two years. Two years. If I miraculously talked a man into wanting to have sex, wouldnt you be thrilled for me? I have needs, you know.
Actually she didnt. Not anymore. Those needs had finally dried up and died six months ago, at the exact moment that her cheap, knock-off vibrator had buzzed into a slow death. Shed replaced it with an even cheaper knock-off model but hadnt even bought batteries for that one. Shed just put it away, still in its tacky packaging, and never thought about it again.
Grace seemed to have deflated to her normal petite size. She always seemed four inches taller when she was pissed, but apparently shed gotten past it, because she sighed and opened a cupboard door to take out coffee mugs. Why havent you been having sex?
You know why.
I dont want to hear it, Merry. Youve got an amazing body, youre funny as hell and youre cute.
Im not like you, Grace.
What? Slutty?
You know thats not what I mean! I justI dont know what to do with men. I get nervous. I make too many jokes. I act like a kid sister instead of their fantasy sex machine.
Come on, Merry. Men dont want a fantasy. They want something real.
Merry frowned but tried to hide it by turning back to the coffeepot, which was trickling out that last little bit of caffeine. That was easy for Grace to say. Grace, in all her reality, was a fantasy. She was edgy and strong and striking. She intimidated men in a way that turned them on.
Merry, on the other hand, was a friend. A perpetual friend. The girl who always had a good joke and a smile.
She didnt know how to be sexy. And it didnt seem to be something she could learn, damn it.
Whatever, she finally said. It doesnt matter. My point is you dont have to worry about Shane. Shit, I wish you did.
Okay, Ill drop it. Im sorry, I just You came here because of me. I feel like I need to watch out for you.
Bullshit, Grace. You always say the same thing.
Grace shrugged and pushed the mugs forward for coffee. None of those guys have been good enough for you. You know thats true.
Good Lord, Im not the Virgin Mary. If hes got a job and a penis, hes already halfway up my scale. And I dont really care about the job.
Grace choked on laughter. Shut up. Thats not true. Itd better not be true or youre grounded, young lady.
Merry just shook her head. Youre the one who let me move into a place called the Stud Farm.
Grace rolled her eyes, but Merry laughed as hard as she ever did at the joke.
The apartment building was really the two-story house of the old Studd farmstead, converted into four identical apartments, two on the ground floor, and two upstairs. She didnt know if it had an official name, but everyone called it the Stud Farm after Aunt Rayleens tendency to fill it with single young men. Young compared to her, anyway.
When Grace had blown into town last year, even Rayleen hadnt had the heart to send her away. Shed let Grace stay for a few weeks, and even though the old battleax tried to hide it, Merry could tell the woman loved her niece. Shed let Grace keep the apartment, and shed let Merry move in, too, but the Stud Farm name would probably never go away.
Merry elbowed Grace. Go take a shower while I fold up the bed. Youre probably filthy from last night. Which really pisses me off. Im leaving in an hour, whether youre ready or not.
* * *
SHANE WALKED DOWN the hard-packed dirt road that ran through the center of Providence. Merry was sitting on the porch of one of the few buildings that still looked relatively safe. The porch beams werent canting off toward the east. The stairs were still intact. He hoped shed chosen well. Hed hate for her to fall through the floorboards into the spider nests that undoubtedly filled the space beneath. Hed better check out that porch just to be sure.
She didnt seem to have noticed him yet, so Shane took the chance to study her while she was so untypically still. Her dark hair looked black but he knew it was lighter than that. A deep brown like stained walnut. Hed never really had a preference in womens looks, as far as blond versus brunette, but he couldnt help noticing how striking she looked sitting there. Her tan skin looked pale in contrast to the curve of hair that fell over her cheek as she read, and her wide mouth was rosy-pink and tipped up in a small smile even in solitude. Merry was the perfect name for this strange girl.
At least she was smart enough to stay out of the sun. Even with her coloring, at this altitude shed burn like hell, and her shoulders were totally exposed in the pink tank top she was wearing. So Merry was smart enough to stay out of the sun, but not smart enough to pay any attention to her surroundings. She had earbuds in her ears. Like every city person hed ever met, she put more value on her electronics than the beauty that surrounded her.
He glanced toward the looming peaks of the Tetons, then back to Merry, her head bent over some sort of device. She couldnt hear the crunch of his boots against the patches of gravel and dried grass, but he could hear the tinny echo of the music that leaked from her ears.
Shane sighed as he drew within five feet of the porch. She didnt react. He stopped two feet from her and cleared his throat.
When she didnt notice, he coughed.
Still nothing. Was she this vulnerable every day? Did she think there werent creeps and rapists in Wyoming? Hell, in addition to the residents, some of whom were pretty damn rough and mysterious, the place was crawling with strangers from all over the world.
Irritated by his own concern, Shane stepped forward and knocked on the porch rail. Hello?
Merry finally glanced up, and her whole body jerked in shock. Ah! she screeched, an iPad flying from her hands as if it were a bird startled into flight.
Her wide eyes left him to watch the thing tumble through the air and right over the railing. Ah! she screamed again.
She surged to her feet to stare in dismay at the cloud of dust rising up around her iPad. Oh, my God! Oh, no!
Sorry. I tried to let you know I was here.
The cord of her earbuds dangled impotently against the railing. What? she breathed.
I didnt mean to startle you. I thought Id come out this morning and get a head start on
She leaped into motion so quickly that he bit back his words in shock as she took the three porch steps in one quick leap and swooped up the dropped iPad.
Sorry, she breathed. Its the only thing keeping me sane out here. When she cradled it like an injured baby, Shane doubted her claim of sanity. I think its okay, she breathed as she swiped one finger over the screen. I think its okay.
Great, he said dryly.
Yes, it is great, isnt it? She finally looked directly at him and a wide smile spread over her face. Hey, Shane! I didnt expect to see you here this early!
So I gathered.
She hugged her iPad tighter, and Shane tried not to notice the way her breasts pressed up, revealing a beautiful amount of cleavage above the thin cotton of her tank. He tried not to notice, but he failed miserably. He was a man, and there were breasts right there. Her skin wasnt quite so tan where the shirt dipped down. It was pale and soft and gently rising, like
Youre all cowboyed up again, she said.
He frowned a little at the delight in her voice. Did she think this was Disneyland, where people played dress-up and tried on a drawl?
The hat, she clarified.
The hat is for shade. Im not a cowboy.
Yeah, yeah, she said, waving a hand as her earbud cord bounced.
What are we going to do today?
What are we going to do? This is so exciting!
Oh, God. Fine. Shane took a deep breath and tried to let his grumpiness go as he followed Merry toward the saloon. He couldnt put a finger on when it had sunk so deeply into his flesh. He used to be able to let a bad mood go. He used to be able to forget his family and the years of betrayals and stress. He could work to forget. Or hang out with friends. And if that didnt work, there were always women. But the past year had made forgetting damned difficult.
You should get some spurs! she said, walking backward now. A little jingling would really liven this place up.
He opened his mouth to respond, then realized he had no idea what to say to that. Right, he finally said in defeat before closing his mouth again.
She nodded solemnly. Yeah.
Shane suddenly had to consider that Providence might be a ghost town in an old episode of the Twilight Zone. It had to be. There was no other explanation for this odd woman plunked down in the middle of the dustiest part of Jackson Hole. There was no way to explain why shed stumbled into his problems this way.
I brought the estimates, he said, then jumped forward to grab Merry as she tripped over her own feet and almost went down on her ass. Hey. You okay?
Sure! Her laugh tripped over itself like a broken toy.
Shane frowned, sensing there was something more there, but if her reaction was simple embarrassment at her clumsiness, he didnt want to press further. When the warmth of her waist soaked into his fingers, Shane realized he was still holding her and stood back with an awkward pat of her ribs. So
He slipped the envelope from his back pocket and handed it over. Theres the estimate. Why dont you take a look at that while I sort through the spare wood, then well make a plan.
Even as he spoke, Merry tore open the envelope and unfolded the papers. True fear twisted her brow into lines of tension.
Why? It wasnt her money. Hell, hed expect that spending the money of a trust would be damn fun, especially when you were irritatingly excited about the project in the first place. Not what you expected? he asked. He was experienced, and not cheap, but he didnt think his hourly wage was exorbitant.
Oh, she breathed, her eyes darting over the page before she flipped to the next. No, of course not. Itsjust
He kept his mouth shut, waiting for a clue as to what was going on. As he expected, Merry couldnt bear the silence, and she jumped to fill it.
Its just Wed better start with the first one. Just the porch. Then hopefully
Shane cocked his head.
The thing is, can I pay you half now and half next month? Im sorry. I dont know how you normally do it, but Im having a little trouble getting funds, uh, released.
Whoa. Very interesting. So interesting that Shane finally found the strength to shove down his grumpiness and turn on the charm. This was exactly the kind of information he needed, and he needed it before Merry turned in an invoice. Shane would be fired quicker than he could say legal espionage.
So he smiled. And shifted a little closer. And turned on the Western charm that had worked before on cute tourist girls. Whats wrong, darlin?
Nothing! I can pay you! Its not that. Its just The envelope slipped from her fingers, and Shane knelt to pick it up.
When he rose, he let his eyes drag over her body. There was nothing wrong with her body, after all. She wasnt stick-thin like the rich women who rolled through town with skis and fur boots. She was strong and tall and curvy. As his gaze dragged over the curve of her hip, he was struck with the sudden thought of what she might look like naked, and got lost in that for a moment before he remembered his charm and turned his smile up.
Its just what? he pressed.
Merry was watching him with slightly parted lips, as if shed sensed his thoughts. Its just The board members are
He tipped his head a little closer, holding her gaze as he slid the envelope back into her grasp. His fingers brushed over hers. He let them rest there, just beneath the angle of her knuckles.
And then there was her mouth. Those slightly parted lips. A little too wide for beauty, maybe, but suddenly so soft. And inviting. And
Merry edged back, her eyes narrowing. Its nothing, she said firmly, the words wedging distance between them.
Shane found himself standing there alone, blinking in surprise. Huh?
Its nothing. If youre okay with half now and half later, youve got a deal.
Okay, he said. Sure.
Merry smiled. Perfect. Then get to work. What are you waiting for?
Shane, charming smile still in place, found himself treated to the sight of Merrys ass as she walked away from him. Her hips swung. Her ass tipped side to side. He watched. By the time she disappeared around the corner of the little house shed claimed, Shane found himself shaking his head and wondering what had just happened.
CHAPTER FOUR
MS. KADE, THIS is Levi Cannon. We have a bit of a situation.
Merry stood so quickly that her hair blew back. Phone clenched in a suddenly sweaty fist, she looked toward the makeshift parking area of Providence, then toward the saloon. How could they have found out so quickly? Maybe she could
Ms. Kade?
Yes. Hi, Mr. Cannon. What seems to be the problem? The distant sound of boards being dropped filled up Merrys ears. She ducked inside the little house she used as a base, so panicked she didnt even look for spiderwebs first. One of them clung to her arm. She shook it like mad, swallowing her panicked cries.
Mrs. BishopKristen Bishopcame outside this morning to find that her mailbox had been destroyed.
Merry sucked in air so quickly that she choked on it and started coughing. The mailbox mustve tipped over in last nights wind.
Oh, dont worry. Destroyed was her word. A little further investigation revealed that it had only been pulled from the ground and left in the dirt. Not exactly mayhem.
Right. I That isMr. Cannon, I
Kristen thinks its an act of retaliation.
Merry snapped her mouth shut. Retaliation? She hadnt been that mad. And shed tried not to convey any anger at all to the arguing seniors.
Personally I think a drunk cowboy ran into it, but the Bishop house is damned isolated, so she might have a point. She thinks its a warning.
Merrys throat finally unlocked. They didnt know it was her.
She drew in a deep breath. I cant imagine that, she managed to say. Maybe it was bored teenagers. Mailboxes. Baseball bats. It happens.
Its a ways out of town for joyriding. And nothing like this ever happened before we hired you. I cant discount her suspicions.
Right. Nothing like that had happened before they hired Merry. That was for damn sure. She cringed and chewed her thumbnail. But why retaliation? Im sure its nothing. I started two weeks ago, so the timing
Oh, we just filed a new motion with the judge, letting her know that Providence is now actively being managed as a historic site. That was about a week ago, but its possible the other side just found out about it. You cant think of anything else, can you? Maybe your work put you on their radar.
Merry cleared her throat and darted a look at Shanes truck. Had he told someone he was working for her? Just how pissed would the board be if she admitted that? Wait a minute. She was buying into the conspiracy theory about mailbox destruction shed committed.
I cant think of anything. But listen, Mr. Cannon, if hiring me improves the visuals of this case, wouldnt moving forward with some of the renovations be even better?
Well Yes, in theory. But we really hadnt planned for you toum. His words, which had started out awkward and hesitant, died into pregnant silence. Her skin crawled with humiliation, but she forced herself to ignore that.
I understand now that you may have hired me as more of a figurehead than a curator. Im not saying Im okay with that, and well have to have a different conversation about it later, but I can do this, Mr. Cannon. I may have only been at my previous position for a year, but I was a workhorse, and my superior was As old as you. She was easing into retirement, so I carried a lot of responsibility. She took a breath.
Ive already sorted through the wood we have on hand here. Im not going to go wild and head out to a lumber store for new pine and woodscrews. Well use the original wood, and I even found a bucket of handmade nails. Theyre rusty, but Ill be sure that Shumany contractor is up-to-date with tetanus shots, and Im sure they use gloves, anyway, right? And when we run out of those nails, I found a place online that forges them.
When she finally stopped to catch her breath, Mr. Cannon sighed. Merry, listen. I can tell how much you want to work, and I admire that, especially in someone your age, but we
I just want a chance. Please. I need a chance. We could get this place up and running faster than you think. The house I use as a base of operations is totally safe. And the saloon only needs a little work. And the church! The church is beautiful. Im brainstorming a brochure now and
Work on the brochure, he interrupted, latching onto that idea with a sigh of relief. Work on that, and IllIll talk to the others about freeing up a little money. A little.
Oh, my God. Thank you. Thank you!
Im not promising anything! You just sit tight, okay?
Sure, she said, her face flushing with guilt.
And work on a brochure. Holding something like that in their hands could help the board loosen up the purse strings a little.
Thank you, Mr. Cannon. Ill get right on it.
Merry dragged her chair inside and sat at the beat-up old table Mr. Bishop must have moved in at some point. Shed found little clues like that all over the house, proof that Gideon Bishop had been using the house as an office, gathering up ideas for the ghost town. Shed only poked around gingerly before, too afraid of spiders to settle in, but the sunlight was too bright to do this kind of work outside, so Merry set her iPad on its stand, fired up her portable keyboard and got to work.
She worked so hard she nearly forgot entirely about Shane. She noticed when he stopped in that night to say he was leaving. And she vaguely noticed the next day when he came by around 5:00 p.m. to do a couple of hours of work. She even wandered out once or twice to be sure he was doing only the work theyd agreed on.
But she didnt go out to watch him hammer, or to marvel at the wide stretch of cloth across his shoulders or the tight wonder of his jeans. She didnt notice the way hair glinted on his strong forearms when he moved. She didnt notice any of that until he stopped by on the second night and delivered a moment of grace that hit her like a wave of lust.
Dont worry about paying me for this now, all right? Catch me next month.
What? she asked, visions of the brochure fading from her eyes like a clearing fog. She repeated, What? in a breathless voice.
Its okay. You seemed stressed out, and I dont want my bill to add to your stress.
Oh, I can pay it. You dont have to
Really, Merry. Its no problem.
Well, that was embarrassing. Just the sound of his mouth forming her name gave her goose bumps. Or maybe it was the effect of looking up at him as he stood so close to her. Those shoulders loomed above her. Those forearms flexed as he slipped off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. And this late in the day, his jaw was rough with stubble again. As he moved, she could actually smell him. The laundry detergent on his clothes, and another more intriguing scent: his skin, hot from the sun, a touch of sweat.
Shane cocked his head in question, and she realized shed been staring up at him as if he was a work of art she wanted to study.
Youre really sweet, Shane.
Ah. Not so much. His cheekbones flushed a little as his eyes shifted past her. Is that for Providence?
Yes! But dont look yet. She covered the screen with her hand. Ill finish the layout tonight and then Ill show you. Okay?
He smiled. Sure. Are you going to be here long? I hate to leave you out here alone this late.
Merry looked out the window to see startlingly long shadows stretching across the sagebrush.
Id feel better if you let me walk you out.
Now Merry was the one flushing. Thank you, Shane. And thanks for coming out here at all. I know you already put in a full day. It means a lot that youre doing this for me.
He picked up the computer stuff as she turned it off. Its nothing. No need to thank me.
God, he was so cute. No matter what he said about not being a real cowboy, he had that modest chivalry she associated with movie cowboys. And that steadiness. That self-possessed silence.
She snuck a look at him as they walked toward her car, noting how much taller he was than her. Four or five inches, maybe. Shed never been with a guy as tall as Shane was, but, then again, shed never been with most types of guys. Two men did not make a control group.
Regardless, she was intrigued by him. His height and strength, the scarred hands and blunt fingers. What would it feel like to be held by him, to be taken? What would it feel like to be up against a wall with this mans body pressed against her? With those rough, strong hands sliding up her shirt? Would he?
When he glanced at her, Merry almost melted in sheer embarrassment. They were friends. Maybe just acquaintances. If he knew she was having those kinds of thoughts about him, hed likely recoil in horror and find a way to never be alone with her again.
Everything all right? he asked.
Sure! she chirped. Im excited. Excited. Right. I meanI cant wait to finish the brochure layout tonight!
Well, I cant wait to see it.
Great!
She was excited about the brochure. But she was also excited about something very different. Something she hadnt felt in a very long time. Hopefully the layout wouldnt be her best work of the night.
CHAPTER FIVE
OH, GOD, YES! she gasped, holding the vibrator up in triumph.
Shed decided she needed it thirty minutes ago. Those thoughts of Shane hadnt gone away on the drive home. They hadnt even gone away when shed tried to work on the brochure. Shed finally decided she needed to indulge her rediscovered lust and go for it while she was still in the mood.
So shed texted Grace to be sure she was gone for the night. Then Merry had taken a quick shower. Poured a glass of wine. Gulped the wine down and poured herself another. The last step had been finding the vibrator. Three boxes later, and she had that little sucker in her hand.
Thank God. She sighed before heading to the kitchen to dig for batteries. And finally, she was ready.
Amazingly she felt almost nervous. Had it really been that long since shed touched herself? So long that she felt fucking nervous?
Well, now she was determined.
Merry unfolded her sofa bed, piled on the covers and slid beneath crisp sheets.
Shane was right next door. Shed heard his shower earlier, so Merry imagined him there, naked and wet. God, he must be beautiful. Long and lean and hard. Hard everywhere. Shed love to touch him. Run her hands down his slick back. Dig her nail into his naked, taut ass. Press herself into him and stretch like a cat in heat while he
Merry started and shook her head. No, even if the man were naked and in her shower right now, she could never just climb in there and start manhandling him. Not even in a fantasy. Because what shed really do is screw up the courage to slip into the shower naked, and then shed stand there awkwardly while he soaped himself. Shed probably crack a joke. Then make an excuse about how crowded it was and just slip away.
Stop it, she muttered to herself, then slid deeper under the covers and shifted the fantasy around.
Hed been in the shower, yes. All soapy and wet and hard for her. But now he was out and drying off, and when he heard her knock, he slipped on a pair of jeans and answered the door in nothing but half-buttoned Levis.
I was just thinking about you, he said, giving her that dark, unreadable look he did so well.
Merrys heart sped just as it would have if her fantasy were real. She slipped her hands over her breasts and down her body, feeling nerves shiver to life as she imagined Shane pulling her into his apartment and pressing her to the wall. He put his mouth to her neck and whispered how much hed been wanting her, how often hed thought of her. His impatient hands slid beneath her clothes, inspiring nervous gasps that he took as agreement. His skin felt so good that she let herself fall into it. She let him touch her, kiss her, but when he started to push her shirt up and off her body, Merry hesitated.
Shane, wait. I hardly know you. How can
Please, he rasped. I need this. I need you. Just once. Please, Merry. Youve been driving me mad. I need to taste you.
Merry turned on the vibrator and gave herself up to the story, just as she gave herself up to his hands in her mind. His hands and mouth and fingers. Oh, God. Yes. His fingers teasing her, then slipping inside her. Driving her crazy until she felt just as mad as he did. Until she was murmuring yes, yes when he unbuttoned his jeans and freed his erection. He eased a hand beneath her knee and pulled her leg high as he positioned himself between her thighs.
Please, Merry whispered into the empty room. Please. She wanted that. Needed it. She slipped the toy farther along her body, sending delicious shivers racing to branches of nerves that hadnt stirred in so long. Oh, God, yes. This was going to feel so good, a need shed ignored so long it had seemed extinct. But it was back now, and her hips strained forward as she eased the vibrator inside her body with a whimper of relief.
And then her world came crashing down. Or at the very least, her door sounded like it was about to crash in. Not that the knock was especially loud, but her senses were a little heightened. And the door was only three feet from her head. And she was lying there with her legs spread and a vibrator buzzing.
Merry froze, eyes wide in panic, hoping that if she didnt move, the wolf wouldnt spot her through the tall grass.
When the knock came again, she eased her finger over to turn off the vibrator, alarmed by how loud the silence was afterward. Had that buzzing sound filled the whole room? Had it been audible from the hallway? What if it had been
Merry, its Shane. Are you home?
Shane?
No. Yes! she yelped in complete panic, trying to bite back the word even as her body volunteered it. Her eyes slid over the blankets, noting the shape of her body beneath the covers, knees parted wide, arm disappearing beneath the cozy bedspread at a suspicious angle. Then her gaze moved to the door.
Oh, God.
I was hoping to see the brochure. Can I come in?
Uh Merry finally forced her body to let go of its frozen panic and move. She pulled the vibrator out of herself with a wince of shock, snapped her legs closed and sat straight. Uh, sure. Just give me a second. Why had she spoken? Why hadnt she just kept her mouth shut and let him leave?
Stupid blind panic. Merry shoved the vibrator under the covers and leaped out of bed to race to the bathroom where shed left her clothes. Idiot, she cursed herself at another misstep. She should have just said no. No, Im not dressed, Ill see you tomorrow. Except not being dressed had been way too close to the truth: Im not dressed and Im frigging myself three feet away from you. Sorry!
She frantically pulled on her jeans and the yellow Doctor Who T-shirt shed been wearing earlier, then raced back to the living room to yank the covers tight across the bed.
She took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face and unlocked the door. Hey! she chirped as she opened it just enough to wedge herself between him and the room. Whats going on?
Hey. His answering smile tipped down a little at the edges. Are you okay?
Sure! Yes. Absolutely. Why?
You just Were you working out?
Yes, I was working out! It was the perfect answer for the sweat prickling her hairline and her rapid breathing. But then his eyes traveled down her body to the jeans and bare feet. Anyway! She waved a hand.
WellI was thinking about you.
Merry flashed back to her fantasy so quickly that she felt dizzy. Was he about to grab her? Ravish her? Push her against the wall and slip off her shirt? Would she let him? Me? she finally breathed.
All this work youre doing for Providence. Ill admit, it seemed silly at first. I cant say I understand it or even approve. But now that Im working out there with you, Im curious. May I?
He gestured toward the door, and Merry automatically opened it, cursing her natural Texas friendliness for digging her even deeper. She watched his gaze focus on the unfolded bed.
Early night?
Guilty embarrassment leached from wherever it was the body stored itspleen? Appendix?and suffused every cell in her body. I like to work in bed. She ignored the fact that her pile of work stuff was still on the kitchen table and grabbed the end of the fold-out bed to flip it back into a couch.
Shane reached out to help, but she gave a mighty heave and it folded with a wretched groan of springsfollowed immediately by an ominous rubbery thunk when she tipped the bed up for its last fold.
Oh, shit. Oh, no. She glanced into the shadowy hollow of the couch and saw her pink vibrator lying there on the hardwood like a giant finger of accusation pointing at her. You were jerking off to naked thoughts of an innocent friend. You secretly violated your nice neighbor!
A noise of horror squeaked through her throat, and she shoved the mattress down with so much force that the couch slid two inches. Even though the mattress obediently folded up, it wouldnt quite close all the way. She remembered the blankets shed piled on and gave another desperate shove.
I think its stuck, Shane volunteered as she put all her weight on it. Here, lets pull it out again and
No! Why the hell had she picked out a fluorescent pink toy? Why hadnt she gone with a nice tastefulbeige? Or translucent! A vibrator that could blend into its wild surroundings no matter where she was!
Its fine, she grunted, bouncing her weight up on her toes.
Shanes gaze went to her breasts and then away.
This always happens, she finally said, and grabbed one of the couch cushions. Shane grabbed the other, then eyed the crooked hill theyd made with suspicion as she picked up her iPad and plopped into an uncomfortable seat.
Luckily Shanes old-fashioned chivalry must have kicked in, because he just offered a puzzled smile and took a seat next to her, probably thinking that she was one of those stereotypically unhandy women. Fine. Shed perpetuate that prejudice, as long as he didnt realize just how handy shed been a minute ago.
Her hands froze over the iPad screen just as he leaned closer to watch. The brochure bloomed to life in full color beneath her fingers, but all she could do was stare at her hands. Her guilty hands. The glowing screen drew Shanes attention like a spotlight to every digit that had acted out her dirtiest thoughts about him.
Would you like a beer? she squeaked, jumping up and dropping the iPad to the couch where it slid down the slope of the cushion before getting caught in the corner.
She didnt hear his answer; her heart was pounding too hard as she rushed to the sink and turned on the hot water. She tried to imagine how shed feel if she went to a near strangers house and found out hed just been masturbating to dirty thoughts of her. Shuddering, Merry scrubbed her hands and regretted even considering getting her groove back.
This was the last straw. It was going to be the nunnery for her. Maybe she could find one in commuting distance.
* * *
SHANE KNEW THAT Merry was acting strangely. She was up to something, maybe something underhanded concerning Providence. He knew that, but he kept getting distracted by her breasts.
Shed always had breasts, obviously, but this time she wasnt wearing a bra under her T-shirt, and unfettered breasts were an entirely different distraction.
They looked fucking perfect. So perfect he had the urge to blurt it out to her, just because it needed to be said. Her yellow T-shirt was so pale he thought he could see the faint darkness of her nipples beneath the fabric, but he was left wondering because the picture of a weird telephone booth on it interfered with the play of shadow and light. It teased him with the possibility. He kept watching in hopes of being more sure.
When she brought a bottle of beer he downed half of it quickly and told himself to stop being a creep. Not that that was possible. After all, hed come over here with the sole intent of gathering information about the ghost town. That ridiculous ghost town. He felt bad that she was so damn enthusiastic about it, but what business was it of hers? Shed come here from Texas. The town was a lark for her. For him, it was a bad memory and now a serious nuisance. His grandfather had left him the burden of the Bishop land and none of the damned money. How was he supposed to pay tens of thousands of dollars of property tax every year? Shit, he could charge grazing fees to neighboring ranches, but the federal land higher up was a hell of a deal compared to what hed need to charge.
All he really wanted to do was build a house on the land that had been passed to him. And he wanted to preserve that land. Not in a way that brought tourists to it, but in a way that kept them out.
Jesus, his ancestors hadnt founded Providence to attract strangers. Theyd built a town in the middle of nowhere because theyd wanted it to be their own.
Not that he gave a damn about that. It was just another reminder that the men of his family ran. First, theyd run to Wyoming Territory, leaving behind whatever complications they hadnt wanted to deal with in Missouri. Then, after a little trouble with water, theyd left Providence behind, too, and moved on to greener pastures.
The habit hadnt died with the early twentieth century. His grandfather had been married three times. And Shanes father had taken running to a new level. One day, when Shane had been ten, his dad had kissed his wife goodbye, bought a trailer and disappeared with his girlfriend. Neither of them had ever been seen again, though the rumor was that theyd gone to Mexico to live on a beach. Shane suspected his dad had probably started a cattle ranch. He couldnt picture his dad on the beach, and ranch land had been cheap in those days.
Shanes younger brother had followed the pattern on the day hed turned eighteen. He hadnt gone to Mexico, though. Hed gone east somewhere, though he hadnt been specific about his destination. Hed justdisappeared. After that betrayal, Shane had never bothered looking for him. If Alex wanted to be gone, he could stay gone.
Shane had stayed, but it had felt like a fragile truce with his life, even before all this.
When Merry said, Okay, under her breath, he looked over to see that shed drained half her beer, too. Her shoulders rose on a deep breath, and then she smiled at him and grabbed the iPad. The brochure! You have to be honest, all right?
Ill be happy to be honest, but I dont know anything about this kind of stuff.
The front of the brochure appeared on the screen, the background a black-and-white shot of the long street, buildings marching down on either side of it. The Town of Providence, the title read. Established 1884. Abandoned 1901.
Even to him, the words were powerful, promising angst and drama, but it was nothing romantic to him.
Still, it was nicely done, and he told her so.
The next page was titled The History of Providence. He skimmed it, not needing to know more than he already did. On the third page was a picture of the saloon.
Obviously Ill take a new picture when youre done with the work. Its going to be amazing, Shane. That building is so perfect. People love a saloon! Look how popular the Crooked R is.
To be fair, that saloon still serves liquor.
I know, but its the possibility. The strangers that came through. The adventurers and outlaws.
Shane smiled, remembering his own childhood imaginings.
And people are fascinated that their great-great-great-grandparents hung out in bars. They drank beer and whiskey. Maybe there were even prostitutes!
He looked at the small, inset photograph of the saloon that was taken at the turn of the century. A man in an apron stood on the porch, a towel clutched in his hand. I dont think my I dont think the women of Providence were the prostitute type.
I dont know. She stared at the far wall. Id bet there might have been a lonely widow or two who got tired of sleeping alone. Women have needs, too. And there were all those lonely cowboys.
We still talking about Providence, Merry? he asked.
She choked on laughter and smacked his arm. He tried not to look at the bounce of her breasts under the T-shirt. She wasnt that kind of girl. She was goofy friend Merry Kade, who didnt even realize that the press of her hard nipples against cotton could drive a man to distraction or shed go put on a damn sweater.
So you started this job when I wasnt in Jackson. When did they bring you in?
Id been watching job listings for the area. Ive missed being near Grace and its so beautiful here. It just felt right when I visited, you know?
Hed heard so many compliments about Jackson Hole over the years that he just nodded absently. It was beautiful, yes, but beneath the surface, it was no different than any other place, as far as he could tell.
When I found this ad, I thought it was perfect. I had a little experience, and I thought I could really make a difference. I thought
You thought what?
Her brow tightened. I thought Id truly be needed.
But you are, arent you?
I dont know, Shane. I mean, I feel like Im needed. But it turns out
Shane leaned forward, his eyes never leaving her face, even though she didnt look at him. What is it?
I dont want to tell you.
Come on. What is it?
She finished her beer and set it so carefully on the table next to her that it didnt make even the tiniest clink against the stone coaster. Apparently theres some sort of probate fight. Something to do with Gideon Bishops heir. I think they only brought me in as a symbol. Something to help fight the case. They dont actually want me doing the work.
Shane didnt say a word. He didnt even dare to breathe. On one hand, this was crucial information. Important news he could take to his attorney. Merry was only being used to weaken Shanes case.
On the other hand, she looked devastated, and he wasnt a monster. She blinked hard, as if she were holding back tears. Hey, he whispered. Its okay. Im sure thats not true.
Im pretty sure it is.
But He couldnt think of anything to comfort her. There certainly werent any honest words he could give. After all, his future lay in the promise that Providence wouldnt happen. That it would continue to be nothing more than dead wood and tumbleweeds. But Merry had something to prove now.
Shit.
Im sorry they brought you here under false circumstances, but youre doing a good job, regardless. The brochure looks great.
Right. And I was smart enough to hire you.
The watery smile she aimed in his direction was like a twisting knife in his gut. Hiring him could, in fact, get her fired. But only if the board found out.
Look, I admire your enthusiasm for this. And whatever is going on with the board isnt your fault. Why dont you consider my work on the saloon a gift.
No! I didnt tell you that to make you feel sorry for me. You deserve to be paid. Ill win them over.
Not by tossing his name around, she wouldnt. Ill call it pro bono work. Giving something back to the community. Or just helping himself.
I cant ask you to do that.
You didnt ask.
Now there were definitely tears in her eyes. I cant
Come on, Merry. Were neighbors. Its no big deal.
But apparently it was a big deal to her. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Shane felt schizophrenic; half of his brain registering the soft, warm press of her breasts to his chest, the other half telling him he was a selfish, lying asshole and she was going to regret any kind feelings she had for him.
But when he settled his hands on her back, the more noble thoughts disappeared, because damn, she was warm and nice under his touch. The cotton was a smooth expanse of heat, reinforcing his knowledge that she was naked beneath this thin fabric. And fuck, she smelled delicious. Like fresh soap and some spicy, feminine scent that made him feel a little dizzy. Dizzy andhard.
Damn.
He pulled back and cleared his throat, hoping like hell she wouldnt notice the uncomfortable tightness of his jeans.
Thank you, Shane, she said, sniffing back tears while he tried to keep his eyes off her breasts.
Youre welcome.
Want another beer?
He said yes in the hopes that his dick would give up its vigil by the time she came back, but he took the beer happily enough when she returned with it.
Did you grow up here? she asked as she plopped back into her crooked seat. He forced his eyes to stay on her face.
I did. Did you grow up in Texas? he asked, changing the focus. He never liked talking about his family, but especially in this case, it was a topic best left alone.
Kind of. My mom is a bit of a hippie. She was raised in a tiny town in Northern California. I was born there, and we lived in a few different places while I was growing up. But I spent the last ten years of my childhood in Texas.
And your dad?
Never met him, she said cheerfully. It was just me and my mom.
Im sorry.
Oh, no big deal. I think I was better off than my friends who had asshole fathers, you know? I was scared of dads when I was young. They always seemed to be yelling about something.
Shane considered her theory. His dad had been pretty decent, though obviously flawed, but maybe he and Alex wouldve been better off if their father had never even been around. Maybe it wouldve been better than thinking your dad loved you until you woke up one day to realize he didnt give a shit after all. At least Merry could tell herself her dads disappearance had nothing to do with her. But Shane had been left to wonder.
So your mom was a hippie. Thats how you got the name Merry?
Of course. When I was born, she looked into my eyes and said she could tell I was a happy soul.
You are.
I suppose I am, she said so cheerfully that Shane chuckled. It wouldve been so awkward if I wasnt.
Shane thought of Grace and the way she fought hard against her moniker, but he didnt point that out to Merry. So you had a happy life.
Oh, you know. You make the best of things.
What things?
She waved her beer dismissively. Tough times. Bad neighborhoods. But you learn to make friends with everyone, and any place can be a home. My mom is great, though. She worked so hard to make our life better.
Suddenly Shane had a completely different take on this girl. She seemed carefree and goofy and sheltered. But now he couldnt help but read between the lines. No dad around. A single mom who probably had to work one or two jobs at a time to put food on the table. And Merry trying to find her way.
Ive never lived anywhere but here, he said. I cant imagine.
Its different, living in a big city. I cant deny that. But people are all the same, really. Theres good and bad everywhere. But considering that people are all the same, I have to say that the scenery is pretty damn awesome here. Theres really no reason for you to go anywhere else.
Thats a relief. I cant say Im inclined to.
How did you become a carpenter? Was your dad a carpenter?
No, my uncle was. I started working with him when I was twelve. His dad had been a horse trainer and rancher, but Shane left that off.
Hey, I got my first job at twelve, too! A taco joint.
You can work in a restaurant at twelve?
You can if youve just hit a growth spurt and they pay you cash under the table. I was so excited to have spending money, I dont even think I kept track of how much they paid me. Three dollars an hour, probably. One of the perks of hiring child laborers.
Well, you were smarter than I was. My uncle figured I was earning an education. I didnt get paid anything. But thats typical for rural kids. You work the farm or ranch for the privilege of learning the life.
Thats so cool.
Shane smiled. Its pretty damn boring, actually. Hanging around leathery old men all day. It can be torturous when youre a teenager and there are never any girls around. The ones that are nearby are all mooning for the guys on the junior rodeo circuit.
Merry gasped. You did that, didnt you?
Did what?
She pointed a finger at his chest. You did rodeo stuff. You saw all the girls paying attention to those boys and you joined the rodeo, didnt you?
Shane laughed. Hard. First off, you dont join the rodeo like you join the circus. Butyes, I may have tried a little calf roping in my day.
See, you are a cowboy! She poked him, then her gaze drifted down to his chest, and she poked him one more time as if she were testing his give. She drew her hand back slowly.
You wouldnt say that if you saw how badly I lost to the real cowhands. And I discovered that it wasnt just being a rodeo cowboy that got you attention from girls, but actually doing well at it. Rodeo losers are no different than other losers. Althoughif you get injured, there are some girls who like playing nurse.
Oh, my God! Dirty!
Something about her saying the word dirty was sexy as all hell. It didnt help that his brain had flashed through a quick and happy dance down memory lane of his first kisses and teenage groping. Now he imagined making out with her, right here on her uncomfortable couch. Daring to move closer. Hoping she wouldnt stop him.
He was staring at her, tempted as all hell to taste her, when he heard the faint trill of his phone ringing across the hall. He knew immediately who it was: his mother. Only one person called there. Everyone else called on his cell, but Shane had refused to give her that number. When she got a bug up her ass, shed call incessantly, and she must have one now, because this was the third call since this afternoon.
Merry was watching him. He liked her eyes, always slightly turned up at the edges in a smile. And her mouth, wide and pink and tempting even when he shouldnt be tempted.
He leaned back into the sofa and finished his beer.
He didnt want to go home. He didnt want to leave. But he shouldnt want to kiss her, regardless. Merry was a nice girl. And he was a man no one needed to be around. Not for longer than a night. Hed learned that lesson. He knew who he was.
Merry Kade was not the kind of girl he could sleep with and then make a polite and permanent exit from her life. First of all, because she very obviously wasnt the one-night-stand type. In fact, she seemed inclined to make friends with anyone who came within earshot, as far as he could tell. Second, because Grace would likely castrate him if he used her friend for sex, and Cole might happily hold him down to help his girlfriend out. Third, and perhaps most important, was the fact that she lived next door. Not exactly a comfortable situation even with the most open-minded of women. Hed had long-term friends who were happy with nothing more than casual sex, but neither he nor they had ever flaunted other lovers in each others faces. Not cool.
Close proximity had never come up as a problem in the past, since no women had lived in the building. He was going to have to add it to his off-limit list.
So are you saying you never did anything stupid to get attention from boys? he finally asked.
Merry yelped with laughter. Me? Boys never noticed me! I was tall and awkward and into Star Wars and video games.
But boys love Star Wars.
Strangely, that love isnt transferrable. Unless youre the kind of girl who likes to dress up as the Jabba the Hut slave version of Princess Leia.
Oh, yeah. Hed never been that into Star Wars, but he sure remembered that scene.
Sojust to be clearyou never dressed up like that?
Shane!
Maybe just once? For a Halloween party when you were eighteen? Work with me here.
Good God, it even infected cowboys in the wilds of Wyoming.
Hey, we had satellite dishes and VCRs. And active fantasy lives.
Merry groaned. No, I only dressed up as Princess Leia once, and that was the kick-ass rebel fighter Leia.
I have no idea what youre talking about.
Figures, she sighed, then shook her head in disgust. Wait a minute. Have you ever seen Firefly?
No. Is that a Star Trek thing?
Star Wars, she muttered. And no. Its a completely awesome sci-fi series thats like an epic space Western. You have to watch it. Have to!
Okay.
Seriously. Well rent the first episode one night, okay? Please?
Shane found himself grinning wildly at her, but told himself it was probably just the beer. Lets do that.
He liked this girl. Really liked her, which settled the issue. He couldnt touch her. And he definitely couldnt sleep with her. Not unless he wanted to live with the sure chance that at some point in the future shed hate his guts. Even without the complication of the lawsuit, it always ended the same for him.
He couldnt commit. Women tried to accept that, but eventually they left and made clear that he was an asshole and an immature prick. He was. There was no denying his genes.
Shane dropped his head. Next time, lets do that.
Reluctantly he stood and set his empty beer bottle down. Id better go. Ive got an early start tomorrow, but Ill try to get to Providence in the evening.
Dont wear yourself out. I feel guilty enough as it is.
Its not a problem, he said. And the strange thing wasit wasnt. His goal was to make sure that Providence was never anything more than its current state: a forgotten ghost town remembered only by a few old-timers. But somehow being out there with Merry was the most relaxing thing he did all day. Knowing she was close by, even when he couldnt see herhe liked that. Hed like it even more if she came by and bothered him as much as hed expected her to.
.
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