Cowboy 12 Pack
Page 171
“But she’ll fire you.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I guess we’ll see because I’m not quitting.”
Powell stuffed the underwear back in his pocket. “Okay, but remember I warned you.”
Wade studied the young man. He was nervous and there was a desperate air about him. “Consider me warned.”
“Fine, if that’s the way you want it.” Opening the door to leave, Powell hesitated, then stalked out into the dark.
Wade picked up the battery-powered lantern in his kitchen and strolled into his bedroom. Setting the light on the nightstand, he unbuttoned his shirt. He’d actually been surprised Powell had shown up to blackmail him. He’d written the man off as a suspect. Powell just didn’t have the guts for it. And if he was loyal like Kendra said, then why undermine her with blackmailing the stable managers? Unless he thought the stable managers were a threat to her. Something didn’t add up. What was he missing?
Shucking his jeans and underwear, Wade lay down in his bed. As much as he wanted to go to Kendra’s office and tell her what happened, he didn’t want to risk Powell coming by to tell her the “panty news.”
She could come by his place and they could make love in a bed for a change. He grinned. A bed might be too boring for his Kendra. His Kendra? Yeah, he liked thinking of her as belonging to him or rather as his partner. There was very little in her personality that would have her thinking she belonged to anyone. One of the reasons he loved her.
Yeah, he loved her.
He glanced toward the dark windows, almost expecting Dale to jump in and tell him he was nuts for feeling so strongly. Maybe he was nuts, but what he felt was a far cry from his pathetic infatuation with his college girl.
Kendra was a woman, full grown and well able to handle herself. Not to mention handle him. The image of her riding him in the stagecoach had him growing hard.
“Shit.” He had to stop thinking about her all together or he’d never fall asleep. Tonight he had a chance for a good night’s sleep and he planned on doing so. He had a dozen things to do tomorrow, including setting up some ridiculous saddle covers Kendra had someone make so her guests could ride nude with no danger to their bare skin. Part of him had hoped the naked horseback riding thing wouldn’t fly.
But even as he imagined the material fitted on a saddle, he visualized Kendra riding, in all her naked glory except her cowboy boots, her breasts jiggling, her pussy moving back and forth on the new cover.
Ugh. He rolled over. He doubted very much a “good” night’s sleep was in store for him.
*
THROWING HER HAT on her table, Kendra sank into her desk chair. The first eight guests of Poker Flat Nudist Resort were now settled in and seemed very impressed. Her staff were giddy with excitement and her own heart still raced. Wade had been a perfect gentleman, not batting an eyelash when he helped one lady out of the wagon who had stripped between the carport and the main building.
Her dream had become a reality.
At the knock on her office door, Kendra stood and smoothed her studded shirt down over her new brown skirt. Admittedly, she was nervous about making the right impression on her first guests. They were all so friendly and not demanding at all, but their views on the resort would weigh a lot. From what she’d read, it was a tight community. “Come in.”
Lucinda Richards, a seventy-two-year-old woman with bright white hair and a smile to match peeked her head in. “May I come in?”
“Of course, please, have a seat.”
Lucinda walked in naked and set her towel on the wingback chair. She was of average build, a little short, and every wrinkle, blemish, and roll was visible, but she was completely comfortable in her own skin. “I know you have a lot of things on your plate with opening and having no power and such, and you really have thought of everything…”
Kendra smiled. “But…”
“We’ve been talking, and everyone feels the same way, so I thought I should let you know in case you were unaware.”
“Please, Mrs. Richards, tell me. Your feedback will help me make this place everything you want it to be. I built it for you.”
“Very well.” Lucinda leaned forward as if she were sharing an important secret. “It was strange for us that both you and your manager greeted us with clothes on. All the nudist places we’ve gone to, either the owner or the manager is nude as well.”
“But I was of the understanding employees were to be clothed.” A fact Kendra had researched very thoroughly. That’s what kept her stomach from sinking at Lucinda’s observation.
“Well, that’s true, but that only applies to the regular employees. If the owner is on premises then he or she enjoys the naturist lifestyle and that’s usually why they open the place. If the owner is an absentee, then the manager gets to enjoy the lifestyle. I’ve never been to a place that has both until now.”
It was all Kendra could do to keep her poker face from taking over. She steepled her hands, bringing her index fingers over her lips, hopefully conveying a thoughtful pose as opposed to revealing the panic racing through her limbs. She was pretty sure if she stood, her knees would shake. She was so sure she’d researched everything. “Do you know why this is how it is?”
Lucinda slapped her hand down on the arm of the chair. “Oh my, yes. It’s because only nudists understand nudists. If someone is opening a resort and not comfortable being nude, then they are in it only for the money. Also, how can we trust the owner not to post photos on the website or to keep our privacy if he or she doesn’t believe in the lifestyle?”
Kendra did believe in the lifestyle, just not for herself. Dammit, she was in big trouble. “I see your point. I must thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
“My pleasure, sweetie.” Lucinda rose. “You’ve created such a beautiful haven for us here. We want you to succeed.” She walked over and patted Kendra on the shoulder. “So many of these places go out of business, but we can tell this one is special. See you at the slumber party tonight?”
Kendra forced a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Lovely. See you then.” Lucinda picked up her towel and left, her naked butt wiggling with her stride.
“Shit.” Kendra pulled the clip out of her hair and ran her hands through it. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Chapter Ten
‡
THERE WAS NO way Kendra was getting naked. Quickly, she searched the internet, trying to find facts about owners being nude at nudist resorts, but nothing was mentioned.
She very much doubted Lucinda made it up. It was probably one of those unwritten expectations. It did make sense and that’s what really bothered her.
For years the idea of owning a nudist resort had simmered in the back of her brain. Ever since Buddy and Ginger had been evicted from the trailer park and then later when they’d been made unwelcome by the home owners’ association in their neighborhood and left their dream home for who knows where. They had been the only people in her life to not treat her like trailer trash. They always said it wasn’t where a person was born but the size of their heart and what they did with their life that counted. Though nudists, her two friends had the biggest hearts she’d ever encountered.
For her, having a nudist resort wasn’t just a niche market, it was about providing a top notch place for a group of people who were not treated fairly. She’d always been a champion of the other side of the tracks, for those not considered mainstream, so she wanted to make a safe haven for nudists. The day she’d gone to visit her friends and found out from their nasty neighbor that “those deviants had been walking around their walled-in backyard naked” and the association “wouldn’t put up with their kind living in the community” had been the day she’d begun to dream.
But she never dreamed she’d have to bare all. She couldn’t. How would her patrons look at her if they saw her leg? They’d probably vomit up Selma’s wonderful food.
She was screwed.
Wade. She needed to talk to h
im. Sometime in the last couple weeks, she’d come to value his opinion, even though he was perfect. Maybe that’s why he fit into her life. The “perfect person” slot in her life had never been filled before. She grinned, despite her anxiousness. Between them, they were bound to find a solution.
She grabbed her hat and headed for the front lobby.
“Kendra.”
She halted at Lacey’s voice. “Yes.”
“You aren’t going to believe this.”
“What?” She moved around the front desk to view Lacey’s computer. “Are those reservations?”
“Yes!” Lacey’s squeal of delight was followed by a bear hug, or rather a little bear hug, the petite girl’s joy beyond sweet.
“Where did they come from?”
Lacey enlarged a window on her screen. “Here. Some of our guests are raving about Poker Flat already in this forum. If we can keep them happy, I think we will make it.”
Kendra took a deep breath. If this was the result from just a few people’s opinions, what would be the consequences if those same people thought she was only in it for the money? “I have to go.”
“Where are you going?”
Kendra couldn’t look at Lacey. There was no way she could give her a smile of encouragement right now. “I have to talk to Wade about an issue one of our guests brought up. I’ll be right back.”
Pushing her way through the glass doors, she tried to calm her racing heart. How did this happen? How did she not know?
She jumped into her golf cart and drove to the stables. When she peeked around the barn door, she found Wade working on a horse, his naked back to her as he swore up a storm. Just seeing him helped her get control over her nerves. “Wade?”
“What!” He turned around. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to snap.”
Her curiosity demanded she ask. “What’s wrong?”
He moved to his work table and lifted a bottle of water. After taking a few swallows, he wiped his mouth with his arm. “You have your hair down.”
“That’s a problem? You weren’t even looking at me.”
“No, I mean—could you put it up? I can’t think when you look that delicious.”
The fact that he wasn’t teasing and completely serious had her heart skipping a beat. Quickly, she wrapped it around itself and pushed it under her hat. “Better?”
He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. The problem is these damn saddle covers you had made. They aren’t tight enough. The minute a person gets on them, they will slip and the rider could fall off.”
Her heart sank. She’d thought her design would work. If it didn’t, she’d have to disappoint these guests. There had to be something they could do. “Which horse is this?”
“That’s Ace. You can’t tell them apart?”
She scowled. “It’s not as if I’m with them every day like you.”
“Whoa, now who’s testy?”
She ignored him. “Hello, Ace. I’m just going to check on your saddle, okay?” Gingerly, she moved closer and looked at the cover. It had elastic so it could slip over the saddle easily. At the back it had a drawstring to keep it tight. She found the back hadn’t been tied. “Ah, here’s the issue. This has to be cinched and knotted. I’d do it, but my knots don’t come out as easily as yours.”
He stood next to her and pulled the strings. In a heartbeat, he had them secure. Then he looked at her. “I like tying knots.”
Her cheeks heated.
“Here, let me lift you up so we can test it.”
“Me?” She backed up a step.
“You’ve never been on a horse, have you?”
She shook her head. “No, but I will eventually.”
He stood silent, staring expectantly at her. He wanted to make her feel guilty for not mounting the horse. She didn’t guilt easily. “Don’t even think about it. Right now we have a big issue to deal with…Mr. Manager.”
“Okay. Okay. Let me test this first then as my grandmother says, I’m all ears.” Wade put his booted foot in the cushioned stirrup and threw his other leg over.
She backed up to allow him room to maneuver the horse. God, he looked great up there.
He walked the horse out into the parking area and back. When he dismounted, he examined the cover. “I have to admit, it’s going to work as long as I keep these beauties down to a walk. But I can’t make any guarantees if a horse gets spooked.”
“Is that likely?”
“The odds are against it since all of these are dead broke, but even the mellowest horse is going to balk if a rattlesnake crosses its path.”
“What is ‘dead broke’?”
He took another swallow of water. “It means they are so well trained and mellow they won’t start at loud noises or other sudden happenings and are perfect for novice riders. But a horse’s instinct regarding dangerous reptiles is a whole other matter.”
Another possible problem for her operation she couldn’t handle right now. “There’s not much I can do about the desert life.”
“No, there isn’t.” He tied Ace to the wall and walked back to her. He didn’t stop when he reached her. Instead, he cupped her face and brought his lips to hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with every feeling she had for him. When he broke away, she wanted to pull him back. Kissing him made all her troubles disappear. Unfortunately, they still existed when she came back to earth.
Putting a little space between them, Wade leaned back against the barn wall. “Okay. So what new issue do we need to tackle besides Powell trying to blackmail me?”
“What?” Despite the hurt in her heart, somewhere in her brain was a little voice saying, I told you so.
Wade nodded. “Yeah, he came to my casita last night. So now we know. Is our problem something worse than deciding how to deal with a traitorous security guard?”
She sighed. “Yes, I think it is. According to my guests, if I want nudists to continue to patronize Poker Flat, one of us must go nude.”
“Not a chance.” Wade pushed himself away from the wall and strode over to Ace.
That wasn’t helpful. “No kidding. I don’t want to go nude either. There is a particular part of my body that is completely missing, remember?”
He turned. “That should have nothing to do with it. Your body is perfect just the way it is, but that doesn’t mean you should be showing it to every man and woman who comes on the resort. Why is this suddenly a requirement? I thought employees aren’t supposed to be nude.”
She moved her weight to her right hip. “They aren’t, but as it turns out, something that isn’t mentioned on the internet is that it’s all about the naturist lifestyle. If the owner or manager doesn’t participate in it, then the nudists won’t come. For them, it is about a life choice, not a financial decision.”
Wade untied the saddle cover and pulled it off. “So change your clientele.”
“I don’t want to change them.” She moved around to the other side of Ace so she could see Wade’s face. “These people deserve a nice place to vacation like everyone else. For some reason we have family resorts and couples resorts and gay resorts that are all beautiful and first class, but there are very few top-of-the-line places for nudists to go and none with naked horseback riding. Nudists deserve that as much as anyone else.”
Wade unbuckled the saddle and pulled it from the horse, his biceps showing her exactly how strong he was. “I don’t disagree with you, but someone else can provide that. You have a great destination resort here for anyone.”
Something in her gut nudged at her brain. “You said everyone, with the exception of Powell, wanted this resort to succeed.”
“They do and it can.”
“But you don’t want it to succeed as a nudist resort, do you?”
Wade didn’t look at her as he pulled some kind of pad off the horse. “I want you to succeed as much as the others. I just can’t relate to nudists.”
She felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach by her own
horse. “Then what the hell are you doing working here?”
When he didn’t answer immediately, it all clicked into place. “Oh, that’s right. You are only here as Dale’s spy to make sure his business remains successful, not to make sure mine is.”
“That’s not fair, Kendra.”
“Isn’t it? Will you get naked for the guests so I can keep my resort the way it is?”
He finally looked at her. “No. I’m not going to be a piece of meat to be judged.”
“What? You just stood there and told me my deformity shouldn’t matter, but now you’re saying your perfect body doesn’t deserve scrutiny?”
He raised a brow. “Perfect?”
“Don’t change the subject.” Her stomach rounded on itself like a desert tumbleweed. “Fine. If you won’t go nude then the only way I’m going to keep Poker Flat Nudist Resort open is if I do.”
“No.” Wade moved around the horse so fast, she had no time to back away. He gripped her shoulders. “No. I don’t want anyone seeing you.”
Her head spun. “Why?”
“I don’t want anyone making advances. Shit, my gut tightens up at the thought of another man just looking at you in the nude.”
She looked up at the barn roof and counted to five. “It’s not about sex, Wade. It’s about being natural.” Damn, now she sounded like them. “If you won’t do it then I have to or I’ll lose all I’ve worked for.”
“Don’t.”
“I have no choice. I told you. The success or failure of this resort depends on me. I should never have asked you.”
His hands gripped her harder. “I can’t let you.”
“You have no say in the matter.”
A shadow came across the barn door. “Take your hands off her.” Sheriff Harper stood with his hand resting on the gun at his hip.
Wade’s hands loosened but he didn’t let go. “This is none of your concern.”
“If it has to do with you then it is my concern. I’m here to take you in for questioning.”
Wade dropped his hands. “What?”
She stepped in front of him. “He can’t go. I have guests. I need my resort manager.”