Kiki chose a leather chair to sit in and waited for him to approach. Her fingers nervously played with the belt from her robe as she twisted its ends without thinking. The cowboy ambled to the kitchen table and picked up A Collector's Guide to Chinese and Japanese Antiques, one of the heavy tomes she'd packed for the trip. He flipped through some pages before setting it back down. Then he pointed to the other reference books, all large, weighty volumes.
"This why your bags were so heavy?" he asked in a softer tone than she'd heard from him before.
"I suppose."
He nodded. She continued twisting her sash. She wondered how long this was going to take. Finally, he took a seat on the sofa opposite her. He acted like he owned the place.
"Look, Miss Tam. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry about that, but we've got rules around here and we've got 'em for a reason."
Kiki's jaw dropped. What was this guy talking about?
He continued, "You can't just run off in the middle of a work day, taking half the ranch hands with you, and keep them out all night. Everyone has to be up and ready for work by six a.m."
"I didn't just—"
"Eh!" he interrupted her, raising his palm in her direction as a signal to keep quiet.
The nerve!
"I wasted most of the afternoon and all of the evening waiting for you. I didn't know where you were, or if something had happened to you."
Kiki rose to her full five foot height and moved towards the cowboy. Exhausted, she'd had enough.
"And why, pray tell, would you be waiting around for me?" she demanded, the disdain clear in her voice.
Her hands on her hips, she now towered over the cowboy, who remained seated and leaned back on the sofa, a smug expression spreading across his face.
Is he mocking me?
"Because I wanted to know how you'd progressed with the collection."
"And what business is it of yours?"
"Well, not much, except for the fact that it's mine," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin.
Kiki didn't move. She couldn’t have heard that right.
"What?"
"I said, I own the collection, and I hired Tsang to catalogue and appraise everything. Is there something wrong with your hearing, Miss Tam?"
She removed her hands from her hips and crossed her arms over her chest, still in disbelief.
"Are you claiming to be Mr. Liu, the man who inherited everything in that barn over there" — she shook her hand in the direction of the metal building— "and owns this ranch?" She sounded exasperated.
"No."
Kiki slapped her hands against her thighs.
"Now we're getting somewhere," she crooned with mock excitement.
The cowboy raised his eyebrows and flashed her a devilish smile.
"We are?" he said. The twinkle in his eye insinuated something naughty.
The man was enjoying himself at her expense.
"Now see here. Who are you?" she fumed, coming to the end of her rope.
In one quick move, he drew up to his full height and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. She tried to wriggle away, but he was too strong and forced her to stay put. Only a few inches from her face, his muscular chest couldn't be avoided. In order to keep from inspecting his rock hard abs or staring at his pectorals, she raised her head and met his gaze. Suddenly, everything felt different. The way he looked at her sent electricity through her body, and her skin sizzled under his touch. He dipped his chin, and for a second, she thought he might kiss her. The idea didn't seem unappealing.
Instead, he put his lips to her ear and whispered, "I realize this may come as a shock, but I am Louis Harden, and I own the Bar H, this house, the bed you've been sleeping in, and the art collection you've been examining."
He let his lips linger near her ear for another moment before pulling away. The man's breath on Kiki's neck and his scent swirling about her made it almost impossible to follow what he said. She stood on the same spot, gawking after him like a fool.
When he reached the front door, he looked back and said, "I expect you at the big house at six a.m. for breakfast. Don't be late."
She was sure he ran his eyes over her again before leaving.
Chapter 4
-A Long Day On the Ranch-
She arrived at the big house at six a.m. sharp Saturday morning, too tired to question why she had to report for breakfast on a weekend, let alone at all. Upon entering the kitchen, a cacophony of wooden chair legs scraping the floor and bumping into each other met Kiki as the men all rose from their seats to greet her. She still wasn't used to this much attention. She noticed that her friends from last night kept their eyes down, as if embarrassed about something. She glanced around, looking for an empty seat.
"There's a chair for ya right here, Miss Kiki," Peg called out from the other end of the room.
Of course, the only place available proved right next to Louis Harden. He pulled the ladder back chair from the table and smiled in her direction. The Hawaiian straightened her spine and walked behind the waiting cowboys, still standing, to take her seat. Once she sat, Mr. Harden pushed her chair in and a moment of shuffling, scuffing, and scraping ensued as the men settled back in around the table.
The mood proved somber as Mrs. Briggs and Peggy served up oatmeal, eggs, bacon, and toast. She guessed the younger hands, those whom they met at the Silver Spur, might be a little hung over since so few hours had passed since they all said good night. Nash seemed oblivious to the atmosphere, downing his bowl of oats in no time and chomping on extra slices of toast.
"So, did you all have a good time last night?" the ranch manager asked after gulping down half a cup of coffee.
Sam shot Nash a look that told Kiki everything she needed to know. Harden had obviously scolded the boys about their evening out, just as he had her. She wanted to say something in defense of her new friends but bit her lip instead. The thought of getting pulled from her first big job by Ronald Jen kept her up most of the night. Louis had probably already complained to her boss.
"Would you mind passing the cream and sugar?" Kiki whispered to Bobby, the cowboy to her right.
The young man gave her a sweet smile before handing over the items. It almost broke her. At least he didn't blame her for the dressing down they surely received from Harden. Appreciative of the kindness, she patted his hand in way of thanks, then poured copious amounts of sugar into her piping hot coffee. Next, she stirred in enough cream to almost create a latte.
Mrs. Briggs circled the table with what looked like an old-fashioned metal percolator, refilling and topping off cups for the men. Harden placed his calloused hand over his mug, and the cook moved on. He nudged Kiki softly with his elbow, hitting her shoulder.
Honestly, the man must be six foot five or more.
"Pass the cream and sugar, please," he whispered, lowering his lips to her ear.
Oh, brother!
She felt all the eyes in the room drilling into her. She could have heard a pin drop. Her hand trembled as she handed the small porcelain pitcher to her client. Thick cream sloshed noticeably against the sides of the vessel. She opted to push the sugar towards him, avoiding a display of the shakes. Kiki noticed the rust colored symbol of the ranch, an H hovering over a straight line, emblazoned on the old ironstone bowl.
"Thank you," he added.
His breath caressed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. Anger flared inside the girl, but she forced herself to smile, then focused on her oatmeal. Everyone still stared in her direction.
Louis added heaping spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee, then poured enough cream to bring the hot liquid level with the top of his cup, stirring carefully. He took one sip, then gulped the rest of the drink down, wiping his mouth with his plaid sleeve.
"Not bad," he said with lifted eyebrows and a nod. He directed his comment at Kiki.
She couldn't imagine the cowboy enjoyed the sweet drink. He was probably just mocking her.
Louis placed both his massive paws on the table and shoved his chair back, signaling to his workers that breakfast was over. He stood, towering over the seated consultant, and the others followed suit.
"I want the north herd brought to their barn today," he announced. "Sam, you and Will take a small crew out there and get it done, quick as possible. Bill, we've got some stragglers in the canyon past the west pond. Bring them in. Cody, take a pickup and make sure all the shelters have water available. Nash, you'll need to get the rest of the boys organized to check on the southern herd."
The cowhands started to leave the kitchen once they'd received their marching orders.
"Everyone," Harden added in a raised voice, "take your winter gear with you. Storm's predicted for this evening, and I don't want anyone getting stuck in a bad way out there."
She looked at Peg, whose mouth twitched, then formed a frown. The young girl's eyes trailed after Billy as he left the kitchen. Then Mrs. Briggs nodded towards a doorway that Kiki knew led to a small room where they washed dishes in an industrial machine. The cook and housekeeper stacked plates, cups and silverware into plastic bins and left the kitchen.
She sensed the ranch owner remained behind her, but she chose to ignore his presence. She took a slow sip of coffee and sighed, keeping her hands around the mug in front of her. Outside, the heavens had just begun to lighten. Through the window and beyond the roof's veranda, she could see stars fading from sight in the west. Since coming to this land of clear air and no city lights, she had spotted all sorts of objects in the night sky.
A large hand grazed her own as Louis placed both palms down on the table and leaned over her.
"Different from Los Angeles, huh?" he said, turning his face towards her.
Duh!
"Yes."
Having him practically leaning over her again reminded her of last night and how he'd caught her at the door. The man unnerved her, and she clasped her coffee cup tighter to keep from trembling. She could feel his eyes examining her features at close range.
"Well, when you finish up your breakfast, come on by my study," he said, straightening to his full height. "I'll be waiting for you," he added over his shoulder as he strolled from the room.
She watched his long, powerful legs cover the length of the large kitchen in a few steps. She noticed he rubbed his right ribs on his way out, wincing. He had some sort of injury. She had to admit, she found the man attractive, but she still smarted from her recent breakup with James. It had been love at first sight when she'd finally met her best friend's brother. She'd heard about him from Katrina for several years, and he did not disappoint. Gorgeous, with blonde hair and blue eyes, Jim was a naval officer who had graduated from the Academy in Annapolis. He had everything a girl could want, except for a dangerous military career. He'd led her to believe he'd be out of the service in a few months, but instead decided to re-enlist for another tour of duty. Kiki didn't want a long distance relationship and felt that if he were truly serious, he would have come back to the States to spend time with her. James wouldn't budge and felt she should be happy to wait for him.
Kiki took her time finishing her coffee, a sadness growing inside. What if James Crimshaw had been the one for her and she'd blown it by not accommodating his career? Dawn had arrived when she had the last sip. Footsteps to her right drew her attention as Nash entered the kitchen.
"Hey there, Miss Kiki! Still enjoying that coffee?"
"As it happens, I just finished. Uh, Nash, have you got a moment?"
"Sure thing, Miss," he said as he drew up a chair opposite her.
This was going to be a little awkward.
"Your boss and I kind of got off on the wrong foot," she volunteered.
"I gathered as much." Nash beamed an enormous smile at her, then continued, "Try not to let it bother you. He'll come around. If he'd have tracked me down yesterday, I could have explained about how you'd already worked extra hours to make up for your afternoon off. As it was, I told him this morning. No worries."
The ranch manager started to get up, thinking that was all that concerned her.
"How did he injure himself?" she asked hastily.
He settled back down in his chair.
"It's a long story. About two weeks before you got here, one of our older hands made a mistake and found himself cornered by one of our nastier bulls. Lou jumped in the corral and distracted the animal while Henry climbed over the fence. Henry's in his late fifties, so it took him a minute to scramble away. Unfortunately, the big critter got a lick in before Lou could escape. Bruised his rib cage."
"Oh." The idea of a large, angry bull injuring someone terrified Kiki.
"It could have been much worse. The pain's got Lou a little cranky though. I'm sure he was in a foul mood when you arrived in Amarillo. He didn't think to call the airline to see if your flight was on time and ended up waiting around for hours. Try to overlook all that. Mr. Harden's a fair, generous man, and I'm sure everything will shake out just fine. He insisted on giving up his place when he found out you were a lady, in spite of the house staff complaining. Let me tell you, it's a lot nicer than the old bunk houses. Anything else you'd like to know?"
Yeah, you got about two hours?
"No," she said, smiling. "Thanks for the info, Nash. Oh, wait, where is Mr. Harden's study?" she added.
"First door down the hall to the left of the great room when you're facing the fireplace," he called over his shoulder.
Kiki carried her mug, bowl and silverware to the sink near the dishwasher. Peg, covered in sweat, still scowled. Mrs. Briggs was no where to be seen.
"What's wrong, Peggy?" she asked over the machine's swishing sound.
"I'm just worried about Billy. That canyon the boss sent him out to is quite a ways away. I don't want him stuck out there in a storm."
"Maybe it's a false alarm, like the last one," Kiki suggested.
"Naw, I checked the Doppler radar on KFDA's weather report before breakfast. It's going to be bad. Most of the boys won't even come in for lunch. They'll want to get the cattle put up and make it home before it hits. Ya best stay close to the house by the end of the day."
"Thanks, Peg. I hope to see you around later," she said, heading for the meeting with her client.
She followed Nash's instructions and knocked on a heavily carved oak door. She heard Harden say, Come in, before entering.
The study impressed. A rustic chandelier made of animal horns hung from a high stucco textured ceiling. Tall bookshelves lined each wall, chock full of leather bound volumes. Lou sat behind a large desk in the middle of the area, facing two distressed leather wing chairs. At the end of the room, floor to ceiling windows provided light and a stunning scene to the west. The sun lit the terrain, drawing Kiki to the window. At this time of day, she had a perfect view of the river, a canyon, and even several rock formations straight out of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. She caught her breath at the natural beauty stretching before her.
"It's sure not Los Angeles."
His words caught her off guard, and she replied, "No, it isn't," realizing her voice sounded harsh.
"Well, take a load off and tell me what you've found in the shed," he said, a note of command in his voice.
She moved to a chair and sank into its cushy seat. She had no idea leather could be so comfortable. She noticed what looked like a smirk on Harden's face and lifted one of her perfectly tweezed eyebrows in his direction.
He shook his head and coughed to keep from laughing.
"It's just that you look so tiny in that chair," he admitted after clearing his throat.
Kiki looked at the seat's arms, rising high above her elbows. This wing back was made for a large man, a rancher, she guessed.
"Well, they do say everything's bigger in Texas," she said, a nervous giggle escaping her lips.
She'd always been self-conscious about her small build. When she drove her father's jaguar, she insisted on sliding the passenger seat as far forward as
possible to conceal that her own seat was up so far. Someone once told her she looked like a grade schooler tooling about Oahu.
"Have you heard the one about the Texan who died?" She continued without much pause. "They couldn't find a coffin big enough for his burial. Then, the mortician got an idea. They gave him an enema and buried him in a matchbox!"
She regretted the words as soon as she spoke them. Her nerves got the best of her and caused her filter to falter. It wasn't even in her character to make a crude joke, and insinuating that Texans were full of it was no way to get in her new client's good graces. Actually, everyone she'd met here had been wonderful. Everyone except Lou Harden.
A shocked look passed quickly from his face, replaced by a subtle grin.
"I'll have to remember that one," he said in a cool tone. "Now, please bring me up to speed on my inheritance," he added, glancing at an open notebook on his desk, all business.
Kiki took a deep breath.
"Your great uncle knew what he was about, and with the recent surge in China's economy, you've got quite a valuable collection."
He said nothing, so she continued, forgetting the speech she'd planned on giving.
"You have many items from the late Ming period, as well as the Ching Dynasty. There are a few bronze pieces among all the porcelain and clay, and, of course, lots of jade as one would expect in an important group like this. There's a fabulous pair of sculptures from the Tang Dynasty going all the way back to the seventh century." Her eyes grew wide, communicating the importance of that find. She added, "You've got these amazing Japanese decorative vases from the Meiji Dynasty that together are worth about $300,000!" Kiki exclaimed, her excitement evident.
She paused to take a breath before continuing. "I only just scanned the collection. It took a week to get it all organized in a logical fashion and ensure that we had every item in the your uncle's estate inventory. I'm curious, how did he become so knowledgeable about Oriental arts?"
A Lone Star Romance: Book 2 in The Only Love Series Page 4
