by Regina Duke
Then she noticed that a glop of mud had landed on the tip of his nose, and she burst out laughing. When he crossed his eyes, trying to focus on the mud, she laughed harder. A moment later, he was laughing, too. Soon they were both gasping for air, overcome by the hilarity of the situation. Pausing to breathe, Taylor realized that her lips were mere inches from Axel’s. He seemed to notice at the same moment. They froze.
Brady’s voice startled them both. “Mud wrestling, eh? That’s one way to pass the time while you wait for a tow.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
With Brady's help, Axel and Taylor managed to get to their feet. The two men then assisted Taylor, whose shoes had become one with the mud. Axel opened the tailgate of his Expedition and boosted Taylor onto it.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for you to get all muddy. I was trying to reach you before you fell. I sure didn’t mean to kick you.”
Taylor gave him a grim smile. “I know. It’s okay. I deserved it. When you came up to my car window, I was faking. I wasn’t really knocked out.”
“Even Steven? We can start over?”
“Even Steven,” said Taylor. She sighed as she surveyed the mud that covered her. “I think I should go back to the hotel and get cleaned up. Would you retrieve my computer and my purse?”
“Sure. You wait here. I’m going to help Brady load the rental car onto the truck.” He fetched her things, then assisted Brady.
As the rental car was being hoisted onto the truck bed, Brady said, “Why is her hair blue?”
Axel grinned. “Fashion. She’s from New York.”
“That’s where you’re from, right?”
“Correct. And that’s why I know about blue hair. Say, would you mind giving her a lift back to the the Cattleman’s? She needs to get cleaned up, and so do I. I’m afraid if I wait until after I drive her back down, I’ll have dried mud in places I shouldn’t.”
“No problem. I’ll throw a blanket over my front seat. Glad to do it.” He lifted a brow. “She’s a real cutie. You’re lucky I’m a married man.”
Axel shrugged but had to smile. “Yes, and she’s even more attractive without the mud. But she doesn’t like me very much. Especially after this morning.”
Brady gave him a knowing look. “Oh, she likes you all right. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Axel grinned and shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that. Thanks a lot, Brady. I’ll go tell her she can hitch a ride back to the hotel with you.”
Taylor had found a towel in the back of the SUV and was wiping mud off her feet. She’d already done the best she could with her face. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said, holding up the towel.
“Not at all. That’s what it’s there for. Say, we both need to clean up, so I asked Brady to give you a ride back to the hotel. If it’s all right with you , we can start over tomorrow.”
“Great idea. We can work in my suite, if you like. It would save you some gas.”
“I have animals to tend to,” said Axel, “so I prefer working at my place. But we’ll play it by ear. How’s that?” He extended a hand. To his relief, Taylor took it without hesitation. Then Axel had an idea. “If you walk to the tow truck, your feet will be covered with mud again. Let me help you.” He swooped her up into his arms before she could refuse.
Taylor cried out in surprise, then wrapped her arms around Axel’s neck. He grinned like an idiot all the way to the tow truck.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Taylor ignored the stares as she walked through the lobby of the Cattleman’s. The mud that covered her had begun to dry, and when she paused to wait for the elevator, she was mortified to see that she’d left a trail of mud on the marble floors. Her computer and her purse bounced against her hip, and every time they did, they knocked off more dried mud. She carried her ruined shoes in one hand. After she took them off to towel her feet, she couldn’t get them back on again. Nor did she want to.
The elevator opened, and the couple inside looked startled at the sight of her.
“Mud wrestling,” she said with a straight face. “It’s all the rage.”
They sidled out, and she had the elevator to herself, all the way up to her suite.
She tried to maintain her anger at Axel, but instead, she kept flashing back to the two of them on the ground and him with a Hershey’s Kiss of mud on the end of his nose. Torsos pressed together. Those abs. Those biceps. Those shoulders. And the easy way he’d swooped her up into his arms. Those thoughts kept her warm as she disrobed and stood under the shower.
Once she got out, she put on a casual outfit—her favorite jeans, a lacy tee, and a pale blue zip-up fleece. She’d packed plenty of clothes, but she’d only brought three pairs of shoes. It never occurred to her that she’d be tromping through mud. She selected athletic socks and running shoes for the moment, and resolved to go out and look for some footwear more suitable to the terrain.
But first, she wanted to take a jab at her father. She spread her muddy garb on the bathroom floor, including the computer bag, and snapped a few pictures, which she immediately texted to Daddy’s secretary. “Please show these to my father and tell him I want a Van Gogh for my office wall when I’m done.”
Maybelle was a sweet lady who’d been her father’s secretary for twenty years. She was used to getting Taylor’s texts and passing them on, since her old-fashioned father claimed he didn’t know how to do such things.
She was just about to leave the suite in search of a shoe store when she received a reply from Maybelle. “He asked if you’re hurt?”
She texted back, “No. I’ll call him later.” She thought about telling them the car was totaled, but she’d do that on the phone. Too much drama in a text. Besides, Maybelle would worry. She tucked her phone away and headed out.
The morning sun was hiding, but even with low clouds threatening precipitation and everyone saying, “It smells like snow,” Taylor enjoyed her exploration of the historic district of Eagle’s Toe. The brick buildings, the old-fashioned signage, and the cleanliness of the place made her feel as though she were walking through a well-kept amusement park. The ice cream shop was doing a brisk business. The bookstore was full of people. Across the street, there was a line of people at the door of a little restaurant called the Itty Bitty. And the bakery on the corner was also packed with the early lunch crowd.
She kept walking east, toward the corner with the sign that read “Mina’s Boutique.” The girl behind the hotel registration desk had told her she would find everything she needed at Mina’s.
Taylor was doubtful. But her quest today wasn’t for quality. It was for expendable footwear that would keep her feet dry when she slogged through mud. She could hear classical music as she approached the entrance. Inside, she was surprised to see a woman at an old piano. The music was live, and the piano alcove was full of ladies at tables, lingering over coffee, tea, and pastries. The girls behind the registers were busily ringing up sales. Taylor stood for a few moments, inhaling the aroma of fresh coffee and looking for a sign that would direct her to a shoe department.
A cheerful middle-aged woman with a big smile and a twinkle in her eye greeted her. “Hello! Welcome to my boutique. I’m Mina. Can I help you find something? Or did you come for the music hour?”
Taylor couldn’t help but smile back. The woman was wearing a long plaid skirt, black boots, and a lightweight blue sweater. It wasn’t an outfit Taylor would have picked out, but it worked for the other woman. “I need some sturdy boots or hiking shoes. Something that won’t fall apart in the mud.”
“Oh, I’ve got just what you need. This way.” Mina turned and led her toward a door at the far end of the shop. “We’ve just received our spring stock,” she said, “and in Eagle’s Toe, that means shoes for every kind of weather.”
Taylor had expected the place to be stocked with inexpensive merchandise, but the quality of the clothes she passed was surprisingly good. “I hope you have my size. I have very small feet.”
“I’m sure I’ve got something that will fit.” Mina seemed certain she’d be able to meet Taylor’s needs. Taylor followed her through the door and was surprised to find herself in an expansive shoe store.
“Your shop is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.”
“I’ve recently expanded,” said Mina, as if that explained everything. “Here we are. Hiking boots and rubbers. You know, to wear over your dressy shoes?” She eyed Taylor’s feet. “I’m guessing you wear a size five?”
“You have a practiced eye,” said Taylor. She picked out three different styles. “I’ll try these.”
“Excellent. I’ll be right back.”
Taylor found a Victorian love seat and perched on the edge of it. She’d expected plastic benches and ugly racks holding cheap products. Instead, the room itself was a delight, richly decorated with period furniture, including the shoe racks. Before she had time to take it all in, Mina was back, carrying six boxes in her arms.
“I brought a few extras, just in case,” she said cheerfully. She pulled up a bench with a slanted ruler on the front, the only piece of furniture that belonged in a shoe store. “May I help you get these on?”
Taylor settled back on the love seat and allowed herself to be pampered. Mina was a talker, and she had a nonstop patter going as she gently shoe-horned a pair of hiking boots onto Taylor’s feet.
“You’re new in town. Will you be staying long?”
“I’m not sure. These feel a bit loose.”
“That’s because you’d be wearing thicker socks, but we can try this other style if you’d rather.” She opened a second box. “I heard you were working for Axel Garrison.”
Taylor was surprised. “Where on Earth did you hear that?”
“Small town,” said Mina. “And my cousin is married to the owner of the Cattleman’s. We talk every day.”
“Oh, I see.” Taylor hated the idea of working for Axel. She chose her words carefully. “Actually, I’m here to collaborate with him on a project.”
“He’s fallen in love with Colorado,” said Mina. “It’s nice to have a Garrison in town who’s interested in the rural way of life.”
“There are other Garrisons in town?” Taylor asked innocently.
Mina nodded. “Thor Security across the street? That’s Thor Garrison. And Thor’s brother, Ulysses, does fundraising for the hospital.” She leaned back and eyed the hiking boots on Taylor’s feet. “Those look perfect. Do you want to walk around in them?”
Taylor did so. They were comfortable and warm. “Will they fend off the mud?”
Mina’s eyes widened. “Oh, you must be working up at his cabin. Springtime is mud season.” She grinned. “These are treated with a water-repellent chemical, and they do a good job of shedding mud and moisture. But you may want to include a pair of these overshoes. You can pull them on over your normal shoes, or wear them alone and change into your shoes when you get where you’re going.”
Mina pulled rubbers out of a box and eye-balled them to see if they would work for Taylor. She continued to babble as she handled the shoes. “Thor is trying to get the town to approve a luxury housing development. And in addition to him pestering the city council, there’s all the buzz going around among the ranchers about oil and gas and freaking,” she said.
Taylor hid her smile. “You mean fracking?”
Mina laughed. “Yes, that’s it. Horrible stuff. Some new people came into town and wanted to talk to the town council about how much money everyone would be making. They told us that modern oil wells can be unobtrusive. That was their word. Well, we may be rural, but we have TV like everyone else. We know what’s going on. The council turned them down flat.”
“Good for them,” said Taylor, slipping her foot into one of the rubber boots.
“Of course, there’s always a couple with a greedy gleam in their eye, you know. But they were outvoted.” She pulled out a different pair of boots. “Sad thing is, there’s a few families around that are barely making it. The Pattersons and the Shanes might benefit from the offers, but from what I’ve read about that stuff, the whole community would suffer.” She shook her head. “Glad I don’t have to make those big decisions.” She sat back and admired the rubber boots on Taylor’s tiny feet. “What do you think? I believe you may need both.”
Taylor took Mina’s advice and selected overshoes along with the hiking boots. “So Axel’s cousins aren’t interested in the rural life?”
Mina looked surprised. “Did I say that? Well, to tell the truth, they love it here, but they keep trying to turn it into something it’s not. Thor and his father are planning to build luxury homes on the land they’ve already acquired, and they’ve been working with the town council to get zoning changes and all those details taken care of so they can start building.” Mina rang up Taylor’s purchases as she chatted. “As long as they were just talking about what they wanted to do, everyone sort of let it slide off. Pipe dreams. That sort of thing. But when they began asking for zoning changes? Well, there have been a number of heated exchanges at the town council meetings. Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea.”
Taylor handed Mina her charge card. “And Axel moved here to reinforce their efforts?”
“Oh, no. On the contrary. He bought eighty acres from the Lazy B Ranch, and the first thing he did was have the old barn rebuilt. Then he took on some of the reindeer the Lazy B had brought in as an experiment. And when Sunny Finch—she’s married to Brady Felton over at the Garage—when Sunny rescued some neglected alpacas, Axel offered to take care of them, since she doesn’t have much space for grazing animals.” She handed Taylor a pen and a charge slip to sign. “Poor Axel. His cousin Thor was furious because he and his father wanted to buy that land. They were holding off until the Lazy B lowered the price, but Axel jumped in and paid what Lucy was asking. Lucy Baxter owns the Lazy B.”
Taylor’s mind was reeling from information overload. She signed the charge slip. “Whose side are you on?” she asked. “Axel’s or Thor’s?”
Mina hemmed and hawed, then confessed in a whisper, “Let’s just say Axel kept Lucy from losing her ranch, so most of us around here are pleased as punch to have him move in. Not that we don’t love all the Garrisons. Lovely people. Especially Thor’s wife, Ashley. She and I own a gallery together. But Axel? It’s as if he should have been born here.” She walked Taylor back through the front of the boutique. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” She handed Taylor a business card before turning away to tend to another customer.
Taylor strolled along the street. She picked up a local paper in the bookstore. Then she crossed to The Muffin Man bakery and treated herself to cookies. The woman behind the counter wore a name tag that said “Karen” and she had friendly eyes and a smile as warm as fresh bread. Taylor chatted with her for a few minutes and ended up buying twice as many cookies as she’d intended.
Out of curiosity, she ambled east again, past the Itty Bitty restaurant. She paused in front of the art gallery next door—she was sure it must be the one that Mina co-owned—before moving on to peer through the plate glass window of Thor Security. A large Doberman pinscher lunged at the window, barking loudly. A handsome blond Adonis commanded, “Quiet, Rocky!” and the dog fell silent and returned to a bed in the corner. The man glanced at her and waved, then turned back to his conversation with a customer. Taylor realized he must be Thor Garrison.
Axel was much better looking than his cousin, but she reminded herself that it didn’t matter. After all, she was here to do her father a favor and earn a vice presidency and a fat paycheck, not moon over Axel Garrison.
She decided it was time to head back to the Cattleman’s. She wanted to type up some notes on the information she’d gathered from Mina before she forgot the details. This whole small town thing might work to her advantage. Any and all information would be welcome. Anything to get her out of here and back to Manhattan.
Back in her suite, she settled on her favorite sofa and
selected a cookie from the bakery sack. She unfolded the town paper and gaped at the headline.
“Garrisons at War Over Zoning Changes.”
CHAPTER NINE
Friday, April 8
Axel rushed through his morning chores so he could head into Eagle’s Toe and fetch Taylor. He had a feeling their working relationship was doomed. She was too prissy for outdoor living, and she was way too absorbed in her wardrobe. He had to admit that she was cute as a button, trying to walk in the mud in her expensive heels. And the jolt of electricity that coursed through him when he picked her up and carried her to the tow truck was real enough. That energy was still singing through his veins. Oh, yes, she was easy on the eyes, all right. He couldn’t wait to chew his father out over this development. What was Lester thinking? He wanted this biography written in half the time it should take—no, strike that, a third of the time it should take—and then he sent a so-called assistant who was so gorgeous, it made thinking about the project nearly impossible.
On top of that, Axel had stayed up until two a.m. working on his novel. Biography or no biography, he needed to finish his book if he was going to have a chance of making it as a writer. He couldn’t just let it languish. He would have to work on both projects simultaneously. That’s all there was to it.
He managed to make it to the Cattleman’s by eight-thirty. Taylor was waiting for him. She was much more sensibly dressed, wearing jeans and mud boots and a blue hoodie that matched her hair color. Well, they were designer jeans, but all in all, she looked ready for a work session at the cabin, and she might even be able to walk through the spring mud to get from the SUV to the front door.
“Good morning.” Taylor was all business. She laid the local newspaper on the seat between them. “It looks like your cousins are gearing up for a big argument over the local zoning laws. There’s a line in there somewhere about how you threw a wrench into their development plans by buying the Baxter acreage.”
