by Sara Orwig
When they reached the hospital, Jeff hugged his mother, who turned to hug Holly. “Thank you for coming with Jeff, Holly. This is so awful,” she said, dabbing at her eyes. Noah greeted her and then turned to talk to Jeff and she stepped away.
It was dawn when Jeff finally joined her. “The prognosis looks good. Dad is being monitored. We have a private nurse with him so he has constant attention. Let’s get out of here. I’ve told Mom I’ll see her later. She has a room near here. Noah is going to take her there. I offered to, but he told me to take you and get some sleep. I can relieve him later today. Let’s go to your condo.”
Holly left with him to go to her condo. While Jeff went to the hospital the next day, she went to the Dallas office.
That night she met Jeff for dinner. “I’ve missed you today,” he said after walking up to her to kiss her cheek. “Dad’s better,” he said as soon as the waiter had their drink order and they were alone. “They think he can go home by the end of the week, so we can go back to the ranch.”
She hoped she hid her disappointment over leaving Dallas, though she was happy to hear Mr. Brand was improving. She had enjoyed the day at the office, feeling as if she had gotten more accomplished than she ever did at Jeff’s ranch.
“I’m glad he’s better, Jeff.”
“His doctor told him to step down as chairman of the board. He has to cut all ties with the office and retire totally. I don’t know how that will sit with him, but Noah and Mom are urging him to follow the doctor’s orders. I’m sure Uncle Shel has talked to him about it, too.”
“They’ll probably make Noah chairman of the board.”
“I’m sure and he can handle it. He’s still got to fill the COO spot.” Their waiter poured ice water and then opened a bottle of wine and offered it to Jeff for his approval.
As soon as they were alone again, she sipped her wine. His cell beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer. He spoke softly and she didn’t listen to his conversation, but noticed his frown. “Your dad?” she asked when he replaced the phone in his pocket.
“No. That was Deke at the ranch. We’ve got something killing livestock. If they haven’t found it by the time I get home, I’ll help look.”
“What do you mean something?”
“Could be a big cat passing through. I can’t imagine a coyote getting anything big. They haven’t been able to tell from the tracks yet.”
“I’ll never understand the life you love. Are we returning to the ranch tonight?”
“No. It’s late. We’ll stay and I’ll see how things are tomorrow. Go ahead and go to the office if you want. We can leave after work unless there’s a reason to stay longer.”
“That’s great,” she replied and he smiled.
“You’re always happier here, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Just as you are always happier at the ranch,” she answered and he nodded. “I catch up on everything happening at the office, keep my contacts. I just feel I get twice as much accomplished.”
“At the moment, I’m just enjoying tonight and being alone with you. I don’t care where we are, although I’m glad I don’t have to drive back to the ranch tonight. I have other plans and I don’t want to wait.”
Her heartbeat quickened because she knew he wanted to make love and she was ready, losing all interest in dinner. “Maybe we could get these dinners to go.”
Something flickered in the depths of his eyes as he smiled at her. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all week.”
Shortly, dinners were brought to them boxed and in a sack. Jeff paid their bill, tipped the waiter and they left, heading for their cars to meet at her condo.
When they stepped inside, she took the sack from him. “These go into the refrigerator first. We’re not letting two delicious dinners spoil because we left them out.” She carried them to the kitchen to unpack them. As she did, Jeff came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist while he nuzzled her neck.
“Jeff, just wait!” she said, but her words were breathless. She inhaled deeply and tried to concentrate on putting the boxes in the refrigerator, struggled to ignore Jeff and, unable to at all, finally jammed everything into the fridge and slammed the door, turning into Jeff’s arms.
“You’re terrible. You wouldn’t let me get that done in peace.”
“I barely did anything,” he whispered, kissing her throat and moving up to her ear.
She wrapped her arms around him, stood on tiptoe and kissed him. His arms banded her waist tightly and he leaned over to kiss her. “I’ve missed you all day,” he said gruffly.
Her heart pounded as she held him tightly. In minutes he picked her up to carry her to bed.
She returned to the office the next day while Jeff went to the hospital. If only he liked Dallas and working in the city.
If all went well at the hospital, she expected to see Noah later today. She thought about the COO opening and felt certain Noah would at least offer it to Jeff. Jeff’s record so far would justify it if Noah did offer. Would he be able to turn it down? She couldn’t see how anyone could turn down the chance for COO at Brand Enterprises.
She thought about Jeff and their lovemaking the night before, getting lost in daydreams until one realization brought her back to sharp focus. She was in love with Jeff. How deeply she didn’t know, suspecting each day together forged stronger bonds.
She couldn’t imagine that he felt anything serious in return. He was too wrapped up in his own world with far too many women waiting in the wings. Women who were like him and loved his boots and big hats and cowboy lifestyle. Women who’d love the gift of a horse from him and would ride with him whenever possible.
In spite of the differences, she was in love. How could she do this twice? It would be another ill-fated relationship with Jeff.
She couldn’t imagine ever forgetting Jeff. He was larger than life, forceful and dynamic in spite of his easygoing manner. He was the negotiator and closer that Noah had promised. Now she understood why Noah had fought to get Jeff on board and why Noah had made so many concessions for him. It had been worth it to the company. As great as Jeff was in business, she couldn’t fathom his dislike of it. But then she understood little about him. She simply had fallen in love with him. She closed her eyes, remembering the night before, recalling each kiss, each caress.
The phone rang, ending her reverie.
Midafternoon when Noah arrived at the office, she learned that his father would be released to go home Friday. Noah didn’t mention any official changes and she didn’t want to ask.
Jeff and she flew home the next morning.
At the ranch, she watched him load a rifle and a pistol. “How many of you will hunt that cat?”
“Probably three of us.”
“Three? That’s not enough. You won’t get out of the truck, will you?” She knew she was quizzing him too much.
He looked at her, pausing in what he was doing. “I won’t be in a truck,” he said. “A truck will make too much noise. I’ll be on a horse. That’s a natural sound to a cat.”
“A horse won’t give you any protection,” she blurted, more worried than ever. “Jeff, you’ll be vulnerable on a horse.”
He waved a rifle at her. “That’s what this is for. Stop worrying. I won’t take unnecessary chances.”
“Why do you always have to do all these dangerous things?”
He looked up again, narrowing his eyes, and she blushed, realizing how she sounded. She was twisting her fingers together and she put her hands behind her back quickly.
He tilted his head to one side. “You care. A month ago you wouldn’t have cared if I’d gone out on foot to hunt down three cats and a grizzly. You would have cheerfully waved goodbye.” He placed his rifle carefully on a nearby table alongside his pistol. Her heart drummed as he turned to approach her, his gray eyes unreadable.
“I guess I do care, but we’ve had some intimate moments. That changes a relationship that was as remote as could be to something c
lose.” Her face was hot, she was nervous, and growing more so by the second.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t need to explain. I’m flattered and glad we’re not at swords’ points, which we almost were in the beginning.”
“We’re married, Jeff. It may be a fake marriage, but it throws us together constantly and in many different ways. That alone engenders some caring. I can’t imagine you feel about me the way you did that first afternoon.”
“No, I don’t,” he replied somberly. He ran his hands back and forth on her shoulders. “I’m glad there’s caring between us. It makes life together easier. I know we won’t fall in love, but caring is good, Holly.”
“I’ll worry about you out there on a horse. What protection will that be? And you’ll split up, so you’ll be on your own. You’ll just be a big target.”
He tilted up her chin. “Stop worrying. I won’t take unnecessary chances. I’ve done this before. I’ll be careful and the critter will be scared of me. I’m not going to get attacked.”
“You don’t know that. You live the most primitive life.”
He smiled. “Hardly,” he remarked, pulling her close to kiss her. She held him tightly, kissing him, frustrated that he would shrug off any danger. He released her slightly to look down at her. “You make me want to chuck going and do something else.”
“Go on,” she snapped, her anger growing. “I don’t understand your lifestyle, your love of risk and danger. How we have this wild chemistry between us, I’ll never know,” she blurted and then wished she could take back her words.
“I’ll never know, either,” he replied in a solemn tone. “But we sure as hell have it, something I’ve never had before,” he added, rubbing her jaw lightly with his finger. “The old saying is right, opposites attract. We couldn’t be more opposite.”
“No, we couldn’t. Go on, kill your critter before he eats you,” she said, pulling away from Jeff before he saw too much or she said something to reveal more of her feelings for him.
She heard his chuckle as she left. She hurried to her room to shut herself away from him, but in minutes she left to walk across the hall to an empty suite. She walked to the window where she could see the corral. Four men milled around minding horses with rifles in holsters. She watched Jeff mount a black horse that pranced nervously while Jeff talked to the men. One cowboy climbed into a truck and she hoped he would be close at hand wherever the others went.
Why, oh, why had she fallen in love with him? He was too many things she didn’t like. She knew he had a lot of qualities she did like, though, enough to outweigh the others easily. She loved him and was afraid for him and knew it was ridiculous to worry. No one could stop him from doing anything he was set on doing. He didn’t view danger in the same manner she did. He thrived on it and was a daredevil risk-taker deluxe.
She had to shrug away her fear for him. Either that or worry herself sick and make a fool of herself with him. He would soon realize she was in love with him in that case.
She tried to keep busy and go on with a normal workday and live life as if Jeff’s absence didn’t matter.
Knowing she was failing to forget about him just annoyed her more. She glanced often at the clock and caught herself repeatedly worrying about what he was doing.
At nightfall when she returned to his mansion, Holly was glad to see Marc still there until she discovered Jeff had asked him to stay because she was unhappy with him for tracking the cat that had been killing livestock.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Brand. Mr. Jeff knows how to take care of himself. He’ll come home with that cat, you can bank on it. And he’ll be all right. He’s a clever man and sure of what he’s doing. He’s also a crack shot,” the tall, dark-haired cook said.
“He could be all of that and something could still happen to surprise him,” Holly said, finding it a relief to say it aloud.
“He knows what he is doing. I can assure you of that. I’ve worked for him eight years now. He knows how to take care of himself.”
“It’s hard not to worry. I’m a city person and I just can’t imagine any of this—it’ll be dark soon. The worst thing I’ve had to get off my property were little ants. I’m accustomed to dealing with city problems, work problems, but not something that might want to kill me.”
“As I said, he can take care of himself. He’ll come home with the carcass. Don’t you worry.”
Holly shuddered and left the kitchen.
The night turned out to be one of the longest of her life. She watched the clock, and with each passing hour, she grew edgier and more afraid for him. She realized she was as frightened for him as she had been at the rodeo.
When the phone rang, she pounced on it, holding her breath and then letting it out in relief as Jeff’s voice came over the line.
“Hi, love,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“I’m worrying about you. Thank goodness you called. When will you be home?” She couldn’t keep from asking, knowing she should sound blasé. She didn’t want him to realize she was in love with him. She had done that once before with her ex-fiancé and he trampled her feelings. Here she was doing the same thing all over again.
“Probably not tonight. Go on to sleep. And don’t worry. We’ll get that cat if he’s still in the area. I miss being with you,” Jeff said, his voice becoming husky.
“I’m glad you do,” she replied. “I’m in bed, missing you, wanting your arms around me.”
He groaned. “That’s torment, Holly,” he said.
“Then come home to me. Sleep here tonight.”
“I can’t, but don’t think I wouldn’t prefer to. I’ll call if anything changes. ’Night, love,” he said softly and then he was gone.
“Jeff Brand, you’re a barbaric cowboy. I hate your wild lifestyle,” she said to the empty room, knowing it was going to hurt to leave him. What would happen when Noah offered him the COO position? She was certain Noah would.
It was four in the morning when the phone disturbed her. She stirred and answered, coming awake swiftly when she glanced at the time. She held her breath and then let it out when she heard Jeff’s exuberant voice. “We got him and we’re home, Holly. I wanted to call before I walked in on you. We’re at the barn and you can see the cat tomorrow.”
“I think I can wait forever to see it,” she replied, her pulse racing because he was home safe and would soon be in her arms.
She replaced the phone, sitting up in bed and turning on one small lamp on a table.
She heard his boots on the hardwood floor before he even opened her door and entered. He crossed the room to her as she dashed to meet him. He caught her up and spun her around. He smelled of sweat and leather and aftershave. She was overjoyed to be in his arms and to have him safely home.
“Heavens, Jeff, you do worry one,” she whispered before kissing him and ending his reply.
Much later, she lay in his arms while he talked about the events of the night. “It’s a mountain lion. I’ll show it to you later.”
She didn’t want to see the animal, but thought she should look to please Jeff. “The main thing is, you’re back home.”
He rolled her over to kiss her, causing her to forget about the night.
Later, standing at the corral, she watched the men take pictures, and her dismay returned. It was an enormous cat—as big as lions she had seen in zoos. From what the men were saying, Jeff had killed it—one more accomplishment that he would relish and that was appalling to her.
When she entered Brand headquarters Monday morning, relief filled her to be back in Dallas, even if only for the day. The orderliness and civilization of the office, the people around her, the bustle of the city, all of it was more welcome than usual.
Knowing Jeff’s penchant for doing what he wanted to do with stubborn tenacity and that particular Brand drive he shared with Noah, she wondered whether Knox would step down and fully retire, or continue to risk his life and stay on as chairman of the board. She suspected
he might well just stay. She glanced at the calendar on her desk. If she was already in love with Jeff, after a year in this marriage how strongly would she care about him?
Relieved to be out of Dallas, Jeff entered his office at the ranch Tuesday. He saw he had a call from Noah and he returned it, listening to Noah tell him he was on the way to the ranch and should arrive in another half hour.
Trepidation filled Jeff as he went to Holly’s office. She looked up from her desk. They’d had breakfast together and made love earlier this morning, but he wanted to close the office door and go take her in his arms and kiss her right now. He suspected she wouldn’t allow any such thing at the office with the secretaries due to arrive at any minute.
She looked up expectantly. “You don’t look happy. What’s going on?”
“Noah just called. He’ll be here in about half an hour. He wants to talk to me about business.”
“I can make a guess.”
“No telling and no need guessing. I’ll know before the hour is up.”
The secretaries arrived and Jeff told them about Noah. Shortly afterward, Noah was ushered into Jeff’s office. Looking as professional as ever, he was in a navy suit with a matching tie.
“To what do I owe this visit? When you come to the ranch, you’re always on a mission.”
“You’re right,” Noah said, smiling. “Jeff, Dad wanted to see me last night. Faith, Erin and I went for dinner and afterward, Dad got me off alone. He’s agreed to retire completely.”
“That’s good news because it’s what he should do.”
“Uncle Shelby is at the house now to see him, probably congratulating him and making Dad mad that he stepped down.”
Jeff chuckled, a small laugh that faded quickly because he knew Noah hadn’t touched on the reason for his visit. Jeff dreaded hearing what it might be. “I suspect I better wait for the other shoe to drop. And…”
“The board will have to approve, but I’ll be offered CEO.”
“Congratulations, Noah. It’s coming earlier than you expected. You’ll be great in that position.”
