by Judy Duarte
“And doing a great job,” Jason added. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Your mother told me that you’d been laid off at the art gallery in Wexler,” Shannon said. “I was sorry to hear that. I know how much you liked your job.”
Not as much as she’d wanted to continue her education, but that would have to wait until the baby was older. “I’ll be moving to Houston soon and will find something similar to do there.”
“You don’t have anything lined up yet?” Shannon clasped both hands around her mug. “Shouldn’t you wait until you have a job before you leave your friends and family behind?”
“I have something in the works,” Juliana said, although that wasn’t quite true. She hoped Jason would put in a good word for her at Rayburn Energy. But if not, she’d find something else. How hard could it be?
But just in case, she probably should start an online job search when she got back to the ranch.
“Thanks for the coffee,” Shannon said as she slid out from the booth. “I really enjoyed our chat, Jason. I hope you’ll stop by the ranch while you’re in town. You’re always welcome.”
“I’ll do that.”
She went to the cash register, where Margie rang up an order she’d boxed for her.
“I meant what I told Shannon,” Jason said. “You’ve been a huge help to me, Juliana. I know you said you think it’s best if you moved on, but I’m going to tempt you to stay.”
The temptation was what made her want to leave. As their gazes met and locked, there was no reason to explain because whatever buzzed between them kicked up again, making conversation unnecessary.
A grin tugged at one side of his lips. “I guess that wasn’t the right word. What I meant to say is that I’d like to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m almost afraid to ask what it is.”
“The way I see it, we only have another week or two of packing left. I’d like to offer you a bonus if you’ll stick it out and finish.”
“You’re paying me enough as it is, so you don’t need to do that.”
“I know. But I want to.”
She’d prefer a position at one of his businesses in Houston. Would she be out of line if she asked?
“I’m going to provide a nursery for you,” he said.
She glanced to her right and left, hoping no one in the diner had heard him. Had he forgotten that she hadn’t wanted word of her pregnancy to get out?
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
The diner was empty, which he apparently knew. And Margie was nowhere in sight. But still, her secret was too precious to risk.
She leaned forward, narrowed her eyes and whispered, “Would you please lower your voice?”
“No one heard me. And that’s all I plan to say.”
“I heard you.”
“I’ve been watching the door and can assure you no one is within twenty feet of us.”
She blew out a sigh, not appeased. “To answer your question, I’ll consider staying. But the bonus you offered is out of the question.”
“Why not? The stuff you’re going to need will be expensive, and—”
“That’s enough! We’ll talk about that later.”
Now it was his turn to look around the diner and check for eavesdropping waitresses or townspeople, although the place was still empty and Margie had yet to return from the kitchen.
He didn’t say anything more, and she was finally able to mull around his offer. His generosity was touching—and unexpected. Yet she couldn’t help but be offended by it, too. It felt as if he was trying to buy her.
But the move was going to be costly. And so was preparing for a baby. Why couldn’t she just accept it as a bonus and go on?
“Do you want to eat?” he asked.
“Not unless we can change the subject.”
“Deal.”
Good. A temporary reprieve from the problem at hand. She could think about the dilemma as well as both temptations—the man and his over-the-top financial offer—later.
With the issue temporarily tabled, another cropped up when Margie approached with two menus.
“Well, what a nice surprise,” the waitress said. “Looks like that new job turned into an unexpected...friendship.”
Her wink suggested that the town rumor mill was already cranked up and ready for action.
Chapter Eight
They’d no more than started back to the ranch in Juliana’s white Honda Civic when Jason addressed the elephant in the room—or rather, seated on the console between them. “I wouldn’t have mentioned the word nursery if I hadn’t been absolutely sure there was no one around who could hear me.”
“I realize that now,” Juliana said as she drove down the tree-shaded main drag of town. “And I’m sorry for freaking out, but it threw me into panic mode. I wasn’t sure why you brought it up in the diner—or how much more you were going to say.”
“That’s all I was going to bring up. And I realize you want to tell your mother and grandmother first. But the baby isn’t going to get any smaller. How long are you going to keep this a secret?”
“Until I’m settled in Houston and can assure them that I’m doing well.”
Jason studied her stiff form as she gripped the wheel and stared straight ahead. It really wasn’t any of his business when she told people, but it seemed to him that she was afraid to tell.
“Will they be angry with you?” he asked.
“They’ll be...disappointed.”
“Because you’re not married?” In this day and age, he’d think that people would be more accepting of that sort of thing.
“Yes, but the details behind it are so...embarrassing. I never would have gotten involved with a married man. Or a liar, for that matter. But Alex led me to believe... Well, I could blame him for being a jerk, but I fell for it. I should have been more skeptical.”
“I’d think that most people assume they can trust their partner. And that may not always be the case.”
He wondered whom she was really trying to protect—her mother? Or herself? But he didn’t think it was up to him to assume the role of her shrink.
“Maybe someday I’ll find a man I can trust.”
“I’m sure you will.” At least, he hoped she would. She deserved the white-picket-fence dream and everything that came with it. “And that brings me back to my offer. Buying a crib and setting up a nursery will be expensive. And I can afford to help.”
“I have a little money put away, so it won’t break me. Besides, I plan to go to a thrift shop and pick up a secondhand crib.”
He reached across the seat and trailed his fingers along her arm, felt her tremble at the touch. Yet she didn’t pull away.
Did she realize he’d come to care about her, to want the very best for her and her baby? That he’d...be the friend she needed in her corner?
Right. Because friendship makes your blood heat every damn time she walks into a room.
Shrugging off the unbidden thought, he insisted, “I have faith in you. I know you can handle anything life throws your way. But you’ll have to do it on your own, and it’ll be a struggle—no matter how capable you are. So why not accept help when you can?”
She merely stared at the road ahead. After a couple of beats, she glanced across the seat. When their eyes met, tears had gathered in hers, making them glossy.
“Did Braden’s mom have anything to do with you making that offer?” she asked.
The question caught him by surprise. “Does Shannon know you’re pregnant?”
Juliana, who’d turned back to watch the road, shot another glance his way, her eyes wide, all signs of tears gone. “No! You’re the only one who knows about that. And now I wish I hadn’t said anything at all.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
She veered slightly to the right to correct their course, then shook her head. “You still didn’t answer my question about Braden’s mom.”<
br />
“Why would she have anything to do with my offer?” He paused, realizing what Juliana might be implying.
Both women had gotten pregnant by married men. And while Shannon had gone through her childbirth and motherhood with the support of her parents and was able to live out on the ranch, away from town, Juliana was heading to the city—on her own.
Of course, Juliana had a widowed mother and grandmother in her corner, if she ever told them she was expecting, but he doubted either of them had the financial resources to allow her to stay at home and take care of her baby. She’d have to get a job and find reliable day care.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “it’s just that I’m having a difficult time sorting through the motive of such an overwhelmingly generous offer. Do you really want me as an employee that badly?”
“Yes, I do. But it’s more than that.”
“What is it, then? Are you a white knight determined to help unwed, pregnant damsels in distress?”
As the accusation tore into his conscience, he turned in his seat and faced her profile. So he’d been right. That’s what she’d meant about Braden’s mother having something to do with his offer.
Shannon had told him he couldn’t make up for his father’s shortcomings, something he already knew. Now Juliana seemed to be suggesting the same thing. “Can’t I just be a nice guy?” he asked.
“Yes, and I’m sorry for sounding so skeptical. I’m afraid my experience with Alex has left me with a bit of scar tissue. Besides, I’m vulnerable right now, and it would be easy to mislabel any feelings I might have.”
“I can understand that.” He supposed, in some ways, they were both damaged goods. But this was one subject he’d rather let drop, at least if it was going to poke at any excess baggage he might have.
“By the way,” he said, “Shannon’s father isn’t doing well. Apparently, it’s serious enough that she’s thinking about asking Braden to come home from Mexico.”
“Hopefully she can get a hold of him if she needs him.”
Jason thought on that for a moment. “I’d like to do something for her, although I’m not sure what. Do you think they need money?”
“Probably, but Braden has access to his trust fund, doesn’t he? So they should be okay financially. Besides, just telling Braden that you’re sorry and letting him know that he can call on you if he needs anything would go a long way.”
She had a point. Their father had set up separate trust funds for each of his children years ago, money they could use to attend college, purchase a house or spend as they saw fit. And as trustee to the family trust, Jason had added more to those trusts according to the instructions in the document.
But Jason felt compelled to offer to help anyway. And while throwing cash at the first sign of a problem was the kind of thing their father might do, it really didn’t sit right with him. Some people needed a pat on the back, a hug or a heartfelt word.
Jason had been one of them, especially when he was a kid.
So why did it seem easier to offer money than a kind word? Had he been too emotionally damaged to see the forest for the trees? As much as he liked to think he’d grown up to be different from his father, it certainly seemed that way.
Rather than stir up any more deep-rooted memories, he kept quiet for the rest of the ride back to the ranch.
After Juliana parked near the barn, they climbed from the Honda. Instead of heading to the house with her, he turned toward the barn. “Thanks for the ride home. I need to talk to Ian and check on the boys.”
“I’ll be working in the guest room where your father stayed. That’s what I was doing when you called. There wasn’t much to inventory or pack, so I expect to be finished soon. It’s nice to move on to a new room. It makes me feel as though I’m making progress.”
Did that mean she planned to stick around until the job was done? He hoped so.
The truth was, he could find a qualified replacement fairly soon, especially if he called the home office and asked Doug to send someone out from Houston.
But when all was said and done, he didn’t want to work with anyone else. He and Juliana had become a team. And he liked having her around—more than he cared to admit.
* * *
Juliana’s talk with Jason left her just as unsettled as ever about staying on the ranch and completing her job assignment. Not only was her cowboy boss gorgeous, she could imagine him in a business suit heading an executive board meeting with grace and style. And his generosity was making it impossible to think of him as the type of man she needed to avoid.
Still, as she proceeded to the guest room to finish the packing she’d started earlier today, she couldn’t make sense of it. He was already paying her far more than that type of temporary position called for. Why?
Was it because he felt sorry for his sister’s down-and-out friend and this was a way of doling out charity and having her think she had somehow earned it?
Or was there a trust factor involved? She was handling the family heirlooms and personal possessions, which held sentimental value, which could make the job worth more to him than an hourly wage.
Of course, there was another possibility, something she hadn’t considered. He’d said he was too busy to do the inventory himself. And that certainly appeared to be true. But what if it was more than that? What if the task was too difficult, emotionally speaking, for him to tackle on his own?
No, that couldn’t be it. Unlike Braden and Carly, selling the ranch didn’t seem to bother Jason at all. So maybe he didn’t have a sensitive streak.
Then again, he wanted to do something for Braden’s mother, which was sweet. Maybe, like he’d said, he was just a nice guy and wanted to do something kind for her and the baby.
That being the case, it had been rude of her to turn him down—at least, after she’d implied that he had ulterior motives for making such a generous offer.
She blew out a sigh. But hadn’t she thought the best of Alex? Hadn’t she believed his lies and reasons for keeping their relationship a secret?
We don’t want anyone thinking that I’m using you to cinch the deal to purchase half the gallery. And once I’m a co-owner, we don’t want anyone to think you’re vying for extra perks. Let’s keep things special and private—just between the two of us.
Yeah, right. He hadn’t wanted his wife to get wind of his shenanigans. And he hadn’t wanted anyone to tell Juliana about his marital status. She should have seen a red flag then, but she hadn’t.
She snatched the packing tape from the top of the bed, then sealed the cardboard box she’d filled right before Jason had called asking for a ride home from town.
With the closet and dresser drawers empty, she moved on to the nightstands. There wasn’t much to enter on her spreadsheet—a book by James Patterson, two business magazines, a travel guide of Mexico... Now, that was interesting, especially since this was the room Charles had stayed in last.
She set the reading material aside and reached for a red flashlight, which was missing a piece in back. As she pulled it from the drawer, one of the batteries fell out on the floor and rolled under the bed. She laid the other parts on top of the comforter, then dropped to her knees and peered under the ruffled bed skirt to retrieve the runaway battery.
Instead, she spotted a blue plastic container the size of a shoebox. She slid it out and studied it, wondering what it was doing there.
Since her job was to go through every nook and cranny in the house to determine which items should be kept and which should be thrown out, she popped open the lid. Inside she found several invoices, a letter and copies of an agreement for the lease of a storage unit in San Antonio, as well as the key.
It didn’t take long to realize she’d uncovered a clue to the mystery Jason and Braden were trying to solve.
The invoices were in both Spanish and English. It appeared that they were from a Mexican art dealer to Charles Rayburn for the delivery of several paintings and statues.
The storage
locker in San Antonio belonged to Charles, too, and he’d paid for it a year in advance.
At the sound of the front door opening and closing, Juliana called out, “Jason? Can you please come here? I found something you need to see.”
Moments later, he entered the guest room, tall and lean—a Texas cowboy on the outside, but a wealthy businessman to the bone. “What’s up?”
“Look what someone stashed under the bed.” She got to her feet and handed him the box.
“What’s this?”
“Your father was involved with an art dealer in Mexico and apparently took possession of some paintings and statues. He also seems to have a storage unit in San Antonio. From the size of it, he must have planned to buy and sell those pieces in the States.”
“I don’t understand. He never said a word about it to me. And we usually met for lunch on Wednesdays.” As Jason riffled through the box, his brow furrowed, Juliana inhaled his woodsy scent. She watched his expression morph from confusion to disbelief to...disappointment?
“Do you think Braden knows about this?” he asked.
“I have no idea, but he must have stumbled onto something. I wonder if Camilla Cruz has anything to do with it.”
“She must—if my dad was looking for her.” Jason set the box on the bed, then crossed his arms and gazed at Juliana. “Do you think they could have been involved in anything illegal?”
“Anything is possible, but those invoices appear legitimate to me. They talk about art sales and shipments, so I think it’s on the up-and-up.”
“Braden has to know something. Could he and my dad have been involved in an import business? It doesn’t seem likely, but he knew Reuben, Camilla’s father. So he must know her, too. And if he has a stake in it, he might be down there trying to tie up loose ends.”
An expression crossed his face, like a boy who’d found out all his friends had been invited to a campout and he’d been excluded.
She placed her hand on his back, felt the heat of his body, the bulk of his muscle as it quickened and tightened with her touch. “There’s only one way to find out. You’ll have to ask Braden when he gets home.”
“There’s a faster way than that.” He tossed her an impish grin. “We can drive to EZ Storage in San Antonio, find unit number four-twenty-two, use this key and have a look ourselves.”
