The Rancher's Housekeeper

by Rebecca Winters

  Geena’s wet midnight-blue eyes looked haunted. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect baby.”

  There was someone else Colt had never seen anyone more perfect than. She was within touching distance. Unable to help himself, he picked up the baby and settled her in the carrycot, then he stretched out on the bed next to Geena. When she would have gotten up, he put out his arm and rolled her back into him.

  He buried his face in her hair. “I’ve just come from police headquarters in Rapid City and know about

  Janice’s pregnancy. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She eased away enough so she could look at him. “I thought you were in Casper.”

  “I left there this morning and took a detour before coming home. I know you wanted to hunt for Janice on your own, but it’s too late for that. After seeing her rap sheet, we’re in this together from now on. There are some things you need to know about her.”

  “Besides her being involved with another man?”

  He sucked in his breath. There was only one way to say it. “She spent a year in prison five years ago for possession of marijuana. Since then she’s been in and out of jail several times for petty theft. If you think I’m going to let you go without me to look for her, then you don’t know me at all.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said on a moan, clutching him to her. “Only too well. That’s why I hoped you’d never find out. When you hired me, you didn’t know you’d be taking on so much responsibility. It isn’t fair to you.”

  “Stop talking about fair, Geena. I want to help you, and the detective’s going to do what he can to locate her. He’ll be phoning me by the end of the week.”

  She shook her head. “I wish this hadn’t happened. Now you feel a new obligation to help me. It’s all you do and I don’t want to be any more of a burden than I already am.”

  “If you’re a burden, then it’s news to me. Right now I’m going to kiss you, Geena. If you don’t want me to, that’s tough. No quarter asked or given you said. Remember? Your mouth is all I’ve been able to think about since you kissed me on the dance floor in Hulett.”

  His hand spanned her tender throat, positioning her face so he could plunder her mouth. He’d been starving for her. It was ecstasy to feel her crushed in his arms like this. He tangled her long gorgeous legs with his and kissed her over and over again. They rolled from side to side on the bed, finding new ways to bring pleasure to each other.

  Ages later he pulled her on top of him. “I want to make love to you, Geena, and I know you want it, too.”

  “I don’t deny it,” she cried softly, kissing him back with a passion he’d never known in his life. This woman didn’t have a selfish bone in her body. When she gave, she did it so completely he felt transformed.

  Colt traced the voluptuous line of her lips with his finger. “Maybe some Friday night we could ride up into the mountains and camp out where we can be alone and look at the stars. We wouldn’t come back till Monday morning.”

  She kissed every centimeter of his face. “Who would look after your mother and Ina?”

  “Travis.”

  “How easily you say that when we know I was hired for that very job and more.”

  He bit her earlobe gently. “Your job is what I decide it is,” he growled. “If that shocks you, I can’t help it. You bring out the primitive in me. It’s your fault. Ben White Eagle calls it ‘woman magic,’ sent down from the gods when a man is searching for his vision. According to him such magic can make him whole and guide his path.”

  She kissed his hair where she’d been running her hands through it. “Do the Lakota women have visions of ‘man magic’?”

  Her question delighted him. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Alice?” he asked against her lips before feasting from her mouth once more.

  “I think I will. She’s going to help me clean the pantry shelves on Friday.”

  “After that you’ll need a nap. I can help you out with that, too.” Once again he was lost in euphoria and forgot everything else. “You smell and taste divine, Geena. Did you know that? I think I’m never going to let you leave this bed.”

  “Not even to return Abby to her mommy? In case you didn’t notice, she woke up a minute ago and wants to be fed.”

  If Colt had heard the baby, he’d been too entranced by Geena to think about anything else. But Abby’s cries were growing louder, bringing an end to rapture he couldn’t get enough of.

  The tap on the door brought Geena to her feet. Colt was slower to respond and didn’t get off the bed fast enough before Travis popped his head inside the room. Their eyes met in an unspoken message while Geena ran around the end of the bed. “Abby’s been asleep until just now. I’ll change her first.”

  “There’s no need,” Travis said. “I’ll do it. We really appreciated the help. Lindsey was able to take a little nap.” He lifted the carrycot from the floor.

  A blush had swept up Geena’s face. Travis wasn’t blind and would see she’d been kissed senseless. Her blouse was no longer tucked into the slim waist of her jeans. It was all Colt’s doing, but he didn’t care. Slowly he got to his feet. “Looks like it’s your shift, bro.”

  “Yup,” Travis answered with a grin. “Thanks. You make a great babysitter, bro.” He left, pulling the door shut.

  Geena glanced at her watch. “I-I can’t believe it’s almost five,” she stammered. “The baby slept for such a long time.”

  “She’s a Brannigan and knows when to keep quiet for her uncle.”

  “Colt—” She laughed, but he knew she was embarrassed.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, just remember Travis knows I came looking for you and will realize I’m the one who took advantage. Your reputation is still impeccable.”

  The animation left her eyes. “As long as he knows we don’t make a habit of this.”

  “Now, there’s a thought.” Colt didn’t like being brought back to reality so fast. “What are we having for dinner?”

  “Barbecued ribs and scalloped potatoes.”

  “In that case, I’ll be back in two hours.” He forced himself to walk to the door without grabbing her in the process. “After we eat, I’d like to spend time with Mom. I picked up some clay in Casper and thought we’d try out your idea.”

  “I’d love to see what she does with it. Yesterday I put her to work shucking corn.”

  There was no one like Geena. “Did she do it?”

  “Oh yes. Perfectly. I gave her eight ears. I think she got upset when there weren’t any more to do. Tomorrow I’m going to see how she does shelling peas.”

  Colt knew he had to get out of her room before he threw Geena over his shoulder and took off to the mountains with her.

  * * *

  Geena went into the bathroom to freshen up. Abby had made the perfect chaperone. Her cry had brought Geena to her senses barely in time before Travis was at the door. Her tiny presence had prevented Geena from making the biggest mistake of her life. If she slept with Colt, she would be the one who ended up with a heartache that would never go away.

  Colt had married the woman who’d stolen his heart. When it didn’t work out, he’d retired it. There was no plan for another marriage in his future, but since he had a housekeeper who was madly in love with him, they could indulge in lovemaking whenever the opportunity presented itself.

  Nope. That wasn’t the way it was going to happen while she worked for him. She was the temporary help and didn’t want him in the role of rescuer-lover. Her white woman’s vision was more spectacular than that.

  If by some miracle she caught up with Janice and found out she’d had the baby, Geena would go from there. No matter the outcome, she couldn’t stay at Colt’s and live off his generosity. Hopefully by the time her first month was up, she would have received the money from the state and would be
able to leave his employ having fulfilled her contract. For now she’d make certain he didn’t regret hiring her.

  After she’d served dinner, Colt said, “Ina? I’ll take care of Mom and put her to bed. Feel free to do whatever you want.”

  The other woman looked thrilled. “Thanks, Colt. I’ll be on the phone with my sister in Gillette if you need me.”

  Once she left the kitchen, he brought the modeling clay to the table for his mother and rolled out the red color with a glass. Once Geena had done the dishes, he asked her to sit down and play with them. She got three cookie cutters out of the drawer and put them in front of Laura. When his mom picked up her favorite and kept making hearts, he lifted eyes full of gratitude to Geena. She knew what he was trying to tell her.

  Still trembling from the look he’d given her, Geena rolled out the blue dough. Without missing a heartbeat, Laura started in on it. Colt quickly rolled out the yellow. “I don’t think Mom has had this much fun since the onset of her disease.”

  “She does it all with such perfection. What a wonderful woman she must have been to raise such devoted sons.”

  “Mom was the best.” His husky tone spoke volumes.

  They worked on until ten o’clock. He finally put his hands over his mother’s. “Come on, Mom. I’m sure you’re tired. Let’s go to bed.”

  “I’ll clean this up,” Geena volunteered. “Goodnight, Laura.”

  He flashed her a penetrating glance. “Thanks for making this a memorable evening for her and me. The ribs were fabulous, by the way.” With a kiss to Geena’s unsuspecting lips, he took hold of his mother’s hand. She got up from the table and he walked her out of the kitchen, taking Geena’s heart with him.

  Over the next two days she saw little of Colt and felt the loss. To handle it, she kept busy with her normal routine and spelled Ina off by taking Laura for walks around the ranch house. The new assistant, named Joyce, came on Thursday. Geena liked her upbeat disposition. She would work two days a week, plus one weekend a month. This would be a huge help to Ina.

  On Friday morning Alice arrived and they went into the pantry to get to work. Halfway through their project Alice smiled at Geena. “You work hard like Laura used to.”

  “I do?”

  “Yes. Colt’s the same way. He’s a great spirit.”

  “I agree,” Geena said in a quiet voice. “I’m very lucky to work for such a generous man.”

  “That’s because he has the soul of a Lakota inside him. He walks in harmony with Mother Earth where all things are related. Colt respects nature and is in balance with it.”

  “Those are beautiful words, Alice.” For a beautiful man.

  After they’d finished their work, Geena thanked Alice and then left for town. On the drive she thought about Colt’s ex-wife. How little she’d understood him. You couldn’t uproot Colt. It would be unthinkable. This was a man who matched his mountains—solid and forever. Her whole body ached with love for him. That was why she needed to leave his employ soon.

  Once she’d done the grocery shopping, she stopped to pick up the mail. There was an envelope for her in the pile! Her hands shook as she opened the letter sent to her from the state of South Dakota. Inside was a check for $75,000.

  The letter said, “This is reimbursement for your thirteen months of false imprisonment. It could never replace what you’ve lost, but it’s my hope it will bring you some solace. Good luck to you in the future, Ms. Williams.” It was signed by the governor.

  She hugged it to her chest. This money would help her begin a new life independent of Colt, who’d saved her life up to now. After depositing it in the bank, she drove back to the ranch full of plans. Tomorrow she’d ride her bike to Sundance and catch the bus for Rapid City. There were people she needed to see.

  For one thing she could pay Todd’s back rent to the landlord. For another, she wanted to talk to her waitress friend Kellie. Maybe she knew someone who’d known Janice and could help track her down. Colt had told her the detective was looking into it, but Geena could do it too now that she had the means.

  She returned in time to fix lunch for Laura and Ina. Dinner came and went, but there was no sign of Colt. They were moving the herd to the higher pasture. He probably wouldn’t be home until time for bed.

  Geena had just settled down for the night under her covers when the phone rang. “Colt?” she said after seeing the caller ID. “If you’re hungry, I put your dinner on a plate in the fridge wrapped in foil.”

  “That’s music to this starving man’s ears. I’m on my way back to the house, but wanted to catch you before you went to sleep. Tomorrow morning I’m driving us to Rapid City. We have two appointments. Mr. Phelps is going to meet us at ten in his office. Afterwards Detective Crowther is expecting us to come to police headquarters.”

  Her heart raced. “Then he must have news about Janice—”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “But he didn’t say if it was good or bad?”

  “No. Since we’re going that far, why don’t you pack an overnight bag? We’ll stay at a hotel so that we can have dinner and take in a film tomorrow night.”

  She moaned at the dangerous thought of being alone with him like that. “Colt—I—”

  “I’ll book separate bedrooms if that’s what’s bothering you.”

  “It’s not!” she cried, but that wasn’t entirely true. “I happen to know you have other things to do with your time and—”

  “Goodnight, Geena. I’ll see you out at my truck at eight o’clock. Don’t take off early on your bike and force me to track you down like I had to do last time.” He clicked off.

  She bit her lip. He read her mind with frightening ease.

  * * *

  After breakfast at the hotel restaurant in Rapid City where Colt had checked them in to adjoining suites, they drove to the pipeline company. Mr. Phelps, who looked to be in his fifties, greeted them at the door of his office. Geena caught his hand in both of hers.

  “Thank you for meeting with us when I know you don’t have office hours today.”

  “I’m happy to do it, Ms. Williams. Won’t you and Mr. Brannigan be seated?”

  “Thank you.”

  The other man eyed her kindly from behind his desk. “When I heard you’d been exonerated, nothing could have made me happier. A great wrong was committed at a time when you were grieving for your brother.”

  Her throat almost closed with tears. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to visit you. There aren’t enough thanks in this world for what you did for him. To know you gave him a decent burial next to my family—” Moisture glazed her eyes. “It was the only thing that helped me through that dark time. You’re a wonderful person, Mr. Phelps, and I’m going to pay you back every penny.”

  He shook his graying head. “I wouldn’t accept it. Todd’s accident happened on the job he was doing for us. Of course we paid for his burial. It was the least we could do. He was one of the hardest workers in our company and a very fine man, totally dependable and reliable.”

  “That was Todd.”

  “Everyone liked him and has missed him.”

  “I’ve missed him too.” She felt Colt’s hand grasp hers.

  “In his file you were listed as the next of kin.”

  “One who was in prison,” she whispered, “but you found me and made everything right. I’m very grateful.”

  “I wish I could have done more. Mr. Brannigan told me all your possessions are gone, even mementos and pictures. In light of that, I had this made up for you.” He handed her a file folder from the top of his desk. “It’s the picture he gave us when he made out his application for work. It’s been blown up in color.”

  Geena opened the folder. A small cry escaped to see her smiling brother the way he’d looked a few years ago. “Oh—this i
s a wonderful picture of him!”

  “He was a very handsome man. Obviously good looks abound in the Williams family.”

  She smiled, but could hardly see Mr. Phelps through the tears. “I’ll treasure this forever. Bless you, Mr. Phelps.” She cleared her throat. “We won’t take up any more of your time.”

  As she got to her feet, he came around and gave her a fatherly hug. “I hope you can put this behind you now and get on with your life.”

  Geena looked at Colt. “With Mr. Brannigan’s help, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m finding out there are many Good Samaritans in this world.”

  Colt gave her arm a squeeze before escorting her out to the truck. The second they were inside, he leaned across the seat and put his arms around her. For a few minutes she had a good cry. “Sorry. I’ve gotten your shirt all wet.”

  “Do you really think I care?” He kissed her cheek, then with seeming reluctance he let her go before starting the engine. “Would you like to head back to the hotel before we drive to the police station?”

  “No, but thank you for offering. This picture of Todd has made everything so real again. I have to know about Janice one way or the other.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  NO ONE was more aware of Geena’s need to find out about the baby than Colt. He drove over the speed limit to reach police headquarters. The tall, rangy detective was waiting for them. Geena’s eyes fastened on him. “You’re the one responsible for my freedom, Lieutenant Crowther. Do you mind if I give you a hug?”

  Colt saw the male admiration in the man’s eyes before he said, “Not at all.” He hugged Geena back. “I only wish the DNA evidence had turned up sooner to spare you more grief.”

  “Looking at it from my perspective now, thirteen months compared to sixty years doesn’t sound like much.”

  “Only enough to change your life,” he added on a perceptive note.

  Geena eased away and sat down in front of his desk. “Colt says you have news for me about Janice.”

  His expression didn’t reveal anything. “That’s right.”