by Marla Monroe
The Woods men would be along soon. Helen had taken a call from them after lunch that they would arrive at three to talk to Angela. She glanced over at the cheap windup clock on the bedside table as she returned to the bedroom. With less than five minutes left, she worried that she was getting her hopes up over the job possibility for nothing. After all, the only real job she’d had, she’d essentially walked away from after only giving a week’s notice. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly to help calm her racing heart.
Stepping out of her temporary room, Angela closed the door and walked downstairs to wait in the office with Helen. Just as she knocked on the woman’s open door, the front door opened and Travis walked in with another man right behind him who looked so much like him that he had to be his brother. She froze as Helen walked out beside her.
“Well, come on in, you two. It’s always a pleasure for you to stop by. Go on into the front room and make yourselves at home.” Helen ushered them into a common room of sorts that held a TV and a multitude of chairs and couches scattered around the room. “I’ll run to get the coffee then leave you alone to talk.”
Angela felt as if she had been thrown to the lions for some reason. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt nervous and shy. She and Travis had gotten along fine the day before. She glanced around at the various places to sit and was relieved when Travis led them over to where two love seats sat across from each other with a coffee table between them. She sat down on one of them and they took the other.
“Angela, this is my brother, Randy.” He indicated the other man sitting next to him.
He looked a lot like Travis except his hair was a shade lighter and his eyes were hazel instead of his brother’s warm brown. He wasn’t as tall as Travis either, but he had the same muscular build with a trim waist and juicy butt she would love to…
“This is Angela Carter.” Travis’s voice cut into her wayward thoughts.
She nodded her head at the other man and tried to school her features to be calm. It wouldn’t help her cause if she appeared to be flighty and unorganized. She pasted a smile on as well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The other man held out his hand expectantly.
“Likewise, Ms. Carter.” She allowed him to clasp her hand in his giant paw and nearly jerked it back when a spark ran up her arm from the brief contact.
Randy nodded but seemed a little distracted.
“Angela. Please call me Angela,” she managed after an awkward second.
“Angela, then. Travis told me about how you ended up on the side of the road yesterday. I’m glad he found you. It can be real dangerous out there on your own like that.”
She felt her smile drop a little. She wasn’t quite sure Randy was as happy about it as he said he was. There was something in his voice that worried her. It wasn’t that he scared her or even that he sounded disapproving. She didn’t feel like he was a threat at all, but his expression seemed guarded, like he expected her to disappoint him somehow.
“I’ve talked with Randy about the job that we have taking care of the office on the ranch and he agrees that you would be perfect for it. Your employer in Belzoni was pleased with your work. He just wasn’t very happy that you left so suddenly.” Travis smiled across the coffee table at her. “We’d like to offer you the job with a three-month probation period where we see how you are able to handle the job. If at the end of that time you’re doing well, we’d like to offer you a full-time position complete with a benefits package like the rest of our employees have.” Travis quoted a salary to start her first three months that sounded quite fair to her.
She was just about to agree to the terms when he continued talking.
“Since you don’t have transportation, you will need to live on the ranch where you can walk to and from work. There’s a small cabin that you can use for as long as you wish. It’s not much and is by no means fancy, but it’s clean and sturdy and comes furnished.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. This was far more than she would have ever believed. Why would they offer her a fair salary and a place to live without even really knowing her? It didn’t make sense. Unease flitted at the edge of her thoughts that they might expect more from her than she was willing to give. Surely not. Travis had been so nice and careful around her.
“Well? What do you think, Angela?” Travis rubbed his hands up and down his thighs as if he was as nervous as she was.
“I–I don’t know what to think. It’s too generous. Surely you must want rent for the cabin.”
“No rent. Too much trouble to deal with,” Randy spoke up abruptly. “The office job can be stressful, so you’ll more than earn your salary plus the rent.”
She looked from Randy to Travis, trying to figure out their angle. Did they expect her to sleep with them for the job and place to live? Again the thought of how Travis had been so nice to her soothed her worries. She needed the job and Travis was right. She didn’t have any way to get to and from work. She would accept the position and if they turned out to be smarmy she could always quit.
“I really appreciate the chance at the job. I’ll take it, and I promise to do my best.”
Before she’d even finished talking, Travis jumped up and, leaning over the coffee table, grabbed her hand in his. He shook it, a giant smile on his face. When he let go, Randy stood up and did the same minus the giant smile. His was more reserved, but she wasn’t going to let it bother her. Everyone was different, and more than likely Randy just wasn’t as outgoing as his brother Travis seemed to be.
“Can you start on Monday? You can move in today so you can get comfortable with your new home. We can wait while you pack up and take you on back with us.” Travis’s enthusiasm boiled over, infecting her as well.
Suddenly she was anxious to start her new life. She didn’t have much to pack, so it wouldn’t take her more than fifteen minutes to gather it and to say good-bye to Helen.
“That would be fine. It will only take me a few minutes to pack.” She stood up just as Helen walked in with coffee and cake.
“Goodness, have you already finished your meeting? Don’t hurry away just yet.” She let Randy take the tray from her hands then set about pouring coffee and cutting the small loaf.
“I’ll run pack and then be right back down.” Angela beamed at Helen before slipping from the room.
She hurried up the stairs to her room. She quickly packed up the clothes Helen had found for her in a small duffle bag she’d added to the pile as well. Angela was going to make sure that once she was on her feet she returned the favor with some donated clothes and funds. The shelter had been a godsend to her, as had Travis.
When she walked back into the front room, the men were sipping coffee and listening to Helen talk about the latest gossip around town. Both men stood up when she entered the room. She wasn’t used to such manners. While Mississippi was known for being the hospitality state, she had never warranted special behavior before. If she wasn’t careful, it would turn her head. She didn’t need to start anything with her new bosses. That was a sure way to lose the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.
“Are you ready?” Randy asked.
“Let her sit and have some coffee and a piece of this delicious cake Helen made, Randy.” Travis shoved his brother with his shoulder.
Both men returned to their seats once she had settled back on the couch across from them. Helen handed her a plate with a piece of the wonderful-smelling cake. She could tell that Randy was ready to go, so she ate quickly, not wanting to hold him up.
“Helen, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me,” she began.
“Nonsense. You’ve barely been here a full day. I’m going to miss having you around. I don’t get many women to talk to here. Be sure and come see me when you’re in town for anything. We’ll have a nice visit.” Helen took her hand as they stood up.
“I’ll carry this to the kitchen for you.” Travis picked up the tray with their cups a
nd saucers and followed the kind woman into the kitchen, leaving Angela alone with Randy.
Tension stretched between them as Travis seemed to be taking his time returning. She felt as if she should say something, but nothing came to mind. She didn’t know Randy well enough to make small talk. His eyes remained on her the entire time they waited, making Angela uncomfortable. She was just about to say something about it when Travis finally emerged from the back.
“Ready?” he asked, oblivious to the stress focused between Angela and Randy.
“Yes,” she quickly answered then wished she could take it back. She had sounded so pathetic.
Travis looked from Randy over to her and then back at Randy but didn’t comment. Maybe he wasn’t as immune to the tension as she’d first thought. Without commenting, he took her small satchel and led the way toward the door.
* * * *
Randy wanted to kick himself for acting so unfriendly. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, because he did—so far. It was that Travis was already smitten with her. They had no idea if she could do the job or not, and he had a feeling that Travis wanted her to be more than just an office manager and bookkeeper for them. From the way he was acting, Randy was almost positive that he saw her as a potential girlfriend for both of them. He wasn’t about to get caught in that mess again. His brother might still be looking for that elusive woman to be their shared wife, but Randy had already given up on that pipe dream.
Just because their parents had found each other and everything had worked out didn’t mean that it would for them. It was time to grow up and realize that the real world just didn’t work that way. Sure, there were a few ménage relationships in Riverbend, but he couldn’t see it working for them.
The last time they’d tried that route, Belinda, their girlfriend, had just about put them both in the ground. She had planned to marry one of them, sure, but not both of them. She didn’t want a permanent ménage relationship. She thought she could choose one over the other with the losing brother backing away. What had been so bad about it was that both he and Travis had fallen for her. She’d never once let on that she wasn’t completely on board with their plans. They had been honest with her up front, but she had foolishly thought she could convince the one she had chosen to follow her plans instead. The fact that she’d chosen Randy had almost caused a rift between them that wouldn’t heal.
No, he wanted no part of another ménage marriage attempt. He would be sure and stress that to his brother the first chance he got. The fact that they had talked about her the night before wasn’t lost on Randy. Travis hadn’t bothered to say anything about his ulterior motive. Or had he? Maybe there had been some hints that he just hadn’t picked up on. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to pick up on them.
Randy rubbed his hands over his face before climbing into the cab of his truck. He closed the door, waiting on Travis to stow Angela’s bag in the backseat before helping her into the front. He noted with a smile that she had expected to ride in the back with her bag. Yeah, Travis was knee deep in plans that Randy intended to put a stop to.
“Randy, head on over to the grocery store,” his brother said as he climbed up to sit next to Angela. “She’s going to need groceries to get her through until she gets her first paycheck.”
Nodding, he waited for them both to get settled and buckled in before he backed out of the parking spot and turned toward the other side of town.
“Um, I’ll pay you back with my first check or you can just deduct it. I appreciate the loan.” She frowned as she clasped her hands together in a tight grasp.
“Got to eat to work,” he said in a gruff voice.
Travis glared at him, but Angela seemed oblivious to the tension in the truck. He hadn’t meant it to come out sounding so sarcastic. What the hell was wrong with him? He liked her even though he didn’t know her very well. Why did everything that came out of his mouth around her sound like an insult?
He pulled into a parking spot in front of the store. When they walked inside, Angela grabbed a buggy. Travis grabbed his arm and stopped him from following her.
“What the fuck is your problem? I thought you agreed on giving her a try?”
“I did. I do, but you’re treating her more like a girlfriend, and we don’t know anything about her really. What’s up with that?”
His brother sighed and let his head drop back for a second. Randy had been right. Travis did fancy her as a possible girlfriend for them. He had never known his brother to jump into something so fast before.
“She’s different, Randy. Give her a chance. There’s just something about her that I can’t describe.” Travis hurried to catch up with Angela, who’d moved ahead of them.
Randy followed a few steps behind and watched them. Her shining red hair nearly glowed under the florescent lights in the store. It hung down her back in gentle ringlets. She moved with the grace of a dancer, though she was barely tall enough to come to his chin. He couldn’t help but notice her well-rounded ass or the curve of her breasts. He was sure they would fit comfortably in his hands.
He almost stumbled as he realized that he was thinking about her as a woman and not as their new employee. He needed to stop that right now. He lengthened his stride to catch up with them and forced himself to relax. She shopped quickly, seeming to know what she wanted without needing to browse to make up her mind. He liked that.
Something else he noticed was that she didn’t buy a lot either. In fact, she hadn’t really bought enough to keep her healthy. He frowned as he took in the contents of her basket, ramen noodles, cheese, crackers, bread, peanut butter, and juice. He looked over at Travis. He was frowning as well. She was buying cheap stuff as if she didn’t expect to be able to buy decent food in the first place.
“Angela. Why are you picking out all that crap? You can’t live on that stuff,” he said with a frown.
She looked up at him and smiled. It lit up her face and the sparkle in those bright blue eyes nearly sent him to his knees.
“It’s what I always eat. I like it fine.”
“Well that stops now. You need healthy food if you’re going to be working for us. Do you know how to cook?”
She frowned at him and lifted her chin. “I’m a good cook. My momma taught me how from the time I could stand on a chair and help her.”
“Good. Let’s start over. Travis, go and get another buggy and we’ll leave this one here.” Randy took Angela’s hand without thinking about it and headed back across the store to the produce section.
“Hey! Wait a minute. What is going on?” Angela pulled at her hand when they stopped in front of the fresh vegetables.
“Angela, you’ve been eating like a starving college student. You can afford to eat things you like and that are good for you.” Randy looked over her head impatiently for Travis to hurry up.
When he looked back down, he could tell he’d hurt her feelings, her mouth tight in a stubborn line. Hell, he hadn’t meant to insult her. He just didn’t like the idea that she hadn’t been able to eat good food. He sighed and was relieved when Travis joined, them pushing an empty cart. Travis looked from Angela to him and his scowl grew deeper before he changed it to an easy smile for Angela.
“Let’s pick out something else. Hey. Maybe you could cook for us one night. Neither one of us can cook worth a damn,” Travis said.
Randy watched her expression lighten at the thought. He wished he’d been the one to put the smile on her face since he’d been the one to make her frown. He decided to try and keep his mouth shut for now. It could only be an improvement where she was concerned.
“I’d love to cook something for you. I owe you both so much for helping me and taking a chance on me like this.”
“You don’t owe us anything. You’re the one who is going to be helping us out of a mess. We’ve needed an office manager and bookkeeper for a long time now. Wait until you see the mess we’ve made of things.”
Randy followed along behind them as they picked out fresh fruit
and vegetables. It was obvious that she knew how to choose them by the way she picked them up and smelled or squeezed them. She actually appeared to be picky. When they moved on to the meats, she was just as choosey. Since they raised cattle, they did know how to pick out meat, so he was impressed with her choices. He felt even more like a fool.
After checking out, he and Travis loaded the groceries into the backseat of the truck while Angela climbed into the front. Once they were all buckled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and started home. Travis and Angela chatted like old friends the entire way. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at their easy way with each other. He felt left out, but it was his own damn fault. Travis had been right, she was special. He’d been too caught up in making sure his brother wasn’t getting them into something he was sure would never work to notice at first.
As they turned onto the road leading to their house, they drove under the sign announcing their ranch, Wood’s Wilderness. Their brand was two intertwined W’s and it was displayed on the sign. Angela gasped at the sight.
“Wow! I guess I didn’t realize how big this would be. You have your own road and sign and everything.”
“We’ll take you on a tour one day soon. We’ve slowly added to it since we bought the original spread. It’s one of the larger ranches in the area. Jared and Quade own a larger one on the other side of town,” Travis told her.
“I can’t wait to get started in the office.” Angela’s face beamed with excitement.
Randy smiled at her enthusiasm. He couldn’t help but be affected by it. He hoped once she saw the mess they had that she wouldn’t turn and hightail it out of there.
“Well, Monday will be soon enough. You need time to get settled into the cabin and rest up after everything you’ve been through.” Randy spoke up before he realized it.
“Oh, but that’s three days away. Are you sure you don’t want me to start tomorrow?” She turned to look at him as he pulled up in front of the little cabin she would be living in.
