As far as she knew, their father didn’t date, and she certainly couldn’t define what Mitch did with Lizzie as dating. Sean’s good ’ole boy attitude and charm made him a favorite of the ladies, but he dodged every bullet shot his way. And even though Skye had an on-again, off-again relationship with a college friend, both knew it would never go anywhere. They were buds with benefits…nothing more. As Rhett said, it seemed none of them had figured anything out.
Chapter Eight
Mitch pulled to a stop in the parking area at the front of the house. Turning off the engine, he continued to sit, the aroma of the Chinese takeout he’d purchased filling his truck’s cab. The car they’d loaned Dana sat a few feet away, as did Samantha’s Jeep. He figured Rhett would be home any minute, starving as always.
He’d met Lizzie at the bar, fully intending to follow her home as he had several times since they’d hooked up again. Intelligent, funny, undemanding, with a knockout body, he figured they’d continue the same as always until she met someone or got one of the jobs she continued to apply for in Bozeman or Missoula. She’d been honest with him about her desire to snag some rich attorney or businessman. He figured it wouldn’t take long before she’d be gone. It never occurred to him he might be the one to get crossways over a woman before Lizzie met her sugar daddy.
His meeting with Dana stirred up feelings he wanted to avoid. She rattled him in ways he couldn’t begin to understand or defend against. The moment she walked into his office he wanted to drag her to the long leather sofa, strip off her clothes, and claim her. Instead, he’d made a major mistake by kissing her until they were both breathless. The action only fueled his body’s already intense reaction to her. Not once in all his years had he felt anything similar for another woman. He couldn’t get away fast enough when the phone call came about checking on a new bull.
After two drinks with Lizzie, and without explanation, he’d tossed enough money on the bar to cover their tab and left. Nothing about going home with her felt right, yet nothing about being in the house with Dana gave him comfort.
Clutching the sack of food, he opened the front door, noting the dark kitchen and light coming from under Sam’s door down the hall.
“Hey,” he knocked. “I’ve got Chinese out here.”
The door burst open. Sam greeted him with a smile. “That’s great. I was just trying to decide between making a salad or calling for pizza.”
“Do you know if Dana’s eaten?”
“It’s doubtful. She’s been tucked away in the bedroom since I got home. I’ll go get her.”
Mitch couldn’t explain the relief he felt at Sam volunteering to get Dana. He hoped to stay as far away from her as possible, which would be hard living in the same house with her for a few days. If he could get her to leave, he’d be able to find some peace.
Pulling four plates and glasses from the cupboard, he set them on the table, along with the various containers of food and a bottle of wine. Once again the aroma assaulted him as he opened each one, squelching the temptation to dig in. The sound of laughter stopped him, and his gaze swung to Sam and Dana who stopped inside the kitchen, both staring at the food.
“Smells great. Maybe we’ll luck out and Rhett won’t get here in time.” Sam turned to Dana, a devious grin on her face. “He’s a huge eater, so it’s important you load up before he gets his hands on the food.”
Dana nodded, although she hadn’t taken her eyes off Mitch since entering the kitchen. She hadn’t expected to see him tonight, thinking a man in his position would have meetings or a social function to attend, the same as Heath. A few minutes before Sam knocked on her door, she’d made the decision to drive into Crooked Tree, find a family café and have dinner. The unexpected announcement of Chinese food had her mouth watering. Now, letting her gaze settle on Mitch, she didn’t feel even the slightest hunger pang. At least not for food.
“Take a seat and we’ll start. No use waiting for Rhett and letting it all get cold.” Mitch shifted his stare from Dana, taking a seat on one side of the table, across from where she pulled out a chair. As before, in his office, he needed to put a barrier between them, reduce the chance he’d again do something foolish.
They’d started passing the containers when the front door creaked open then closed.
“Hey, is that Chinese food I smell?” Rhett set his hat on a table as he entered the kitchen.
Sam groaned, putting an extra helping of noodles on her plate before handing the container to Dana, giving her a conspiratorial wink. “Remember what I said.”
“You started without me?” Rhett picked up a carton and dished out a healthy portion of orange chicken.
“We’re making sure we each get our share, little brother.” Sam arranged her chopsticks, then snagged a piece of beef with broccoli.
Minutes passed in silence before Rhett grabbed a carton of milk from the refrigerator and filled his glass. “I thought you had a hot date with Lizzie tonight.”
Mitch looked up, glancing at Dana, then shifted his hard gaze at Rhett. “I don’t believe I mentioned it to anyone.”
Rhett sat down, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to remember where he’d heard about Mitch’s plans. “Sean overheard your conversation with her. I know it’s none of my business.”
“Damn straight it isn’t. But to enlighten you, Lizzie is just a friend.”
“Right,” Rhett snorted. “Like Skye’s buddy is just a friend.”
“I don’t think Dana has any interest in learning about either Mitch’s or Skye’s friends. Right?” Sam asked, looking at Dana.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m finding the discussion pretty informative.” Dana picked up her glass of wine and took a sip, glancing over the rim at Mitch, noting his tight expression.
“Well, in that case, Mitch and Lizzie have this understanding—” Rhett started.
“That’s enough.” Although Mitch kept his voice low, controlled, there was no mistaking the rebuke in the tone.
Rhett looked away, realizing what he thought of as messing with his oldest brother had gone too far. “Sorry, Mitch. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“Good idea.”
******
For the rest of the meal the conversation centered on work topics, all mention of Lizzie halted. Still, Dana couldn’t help wondering about the woman and Mitch’s relationship with her. She’d had the impression there were no women in his life, at least no one important. Thinking about it now, she realized a man like him—single, handsome, smart, and wealthy—would have a string of women vying for his attentions. It would be complete folly for her to feel something for a man who had so many options. Especially one with the demeanor of a porcupine. She smiled to herself, speculating there might be another side to the man, one she’d never seen.
“What are you grinning at?”
Mitch’s question startled her. “I…uh…” She swallowed a sip of wine as his gaze bore into her, making her want to squirm in her chair. “I was wondering what Crooked Tree is like. Perhaps I’ll go out tomorrow night and do some exploring.”
“I’m sure Skye would love to take you out with her friends. They know all the great spots for meeting eligible men...” Sam’s voice trailed away. “I still have a couple years before I’ll be able to go with her.”
“Thanks, Sam, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want me tagging along.”
“Are you kidding? She loves showing people around.” Sam pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I’ll call her and ask.”
“Dana has plans with me.”
Dana turned toward Mitch, who now leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his face a mask.
“I don’t recall you asking?”
“Well, I am now, and I’m taking you out on Wednesday.”
Dana opened her mouth to respond, then snapped it shut, deciding there were worse ways to spend a night than being escorted around town by a prominent local.
Rhett and Sam exchanged glances before Rhett spoke up.
&nbs
p; “I’m bushed and I know Skye has a big day planned for me tomorrow.” He picked up empty containers and dumped them in the trash. “I’ll see you folks tomorrow. You coming, Sam?”
“Um, yeah. See you guys in the morning.”
Mitch scarcely noticed the two walk down the hall to their rooms, all his attention fixed on Dana. The thought of her going out with Skye, meeting other men, possibly going home with one, set off warnings he didn’t want to explore—at least not yet. The impulsive invitation surprised him, but it felt right in a way he couldn’t describe.
Dana stood, picking up her plate and rinsing it before turning toward Mitch, emotions warring inside her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.
“You know, this probably isn’t a good idea.”
“Don’t know why not. We both have to eat.” He took a step toward her, keeping his hands at his sides.
“Don’t be thick. You know what I mean.” She held her ground, even though the butterflies in her stomach threatened to distort her good sense.
“The way I figure it, you’ve decided to stick around, see if you can find a way to sway me toward your position. Dinner seems to be a reasonable first step.” He reached up and slid a strand of hair behind her ear, noticing a tremor at his touch.
She licked her dry lips, then looked away in an attempt to avoid the intensity in his eyes at the same time a warning voice whispered in her head. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away, giving her body space from the heat radiating off his.
“You’re saying the dinner is a chance for me to argue my case, get you to change your mind and approve the changes. Nothing more?”
His gaze leveled on hers. “It can be whatever you want, Dana. Business or pleasure. Or both.”
Clearing her throat, she moved around him before turning and shooting him a playful grin. “Definitely business, big guy. I’ll look forward to it.” She turned away without another word, heading for the solitude and safety of her room.
******
“I can’t believe we lost another bid.” Skye turned her laptop around so Mitch could see the email announcing the rodeo committee had selected Double Ace. “Damn that group. There’s no way we can undercut them.”
“All we can hope is they don’t perform.” Sean sat next to Mitch, glancing over at the message.
“We have to do more than that.” Mitch agreed with Skye about the money. They’d trimmed as much as they could to still make a profit. There wasn’t any fat left. “We need to find out what they’re offering. We’re losing bids to rodeos we’ve supplied stock to for years. There must be more to this.”
“And how do we do that? They turn me down flat when I ask about Double Ace. Even people I consider friends offer nothing. It’s all so frustrating.” Skye opened her refrigerator, taking out waters for each of them.
“There must be one person who’s willing to speak with you off the record.” Sean hadn’t worked with the rodeo committee since Skye came on after college. Even though it had been just a few years, the way the groups operated had tightened considerably, not allowing members to discuss the terms of competing proposals.
“Most committees have policies about not sharing bid information. They’re getting pretty strict about it, especially the big name venues.” Skye pulled a list from the top drawer of her desk and scanned the columns. “That makes five we’ve lost for next season. We’ve picked up two, so we’re down three and all are smaller rodeos. So far, we haven’t lost any of the big ones.” Picking up a red pen, she put check marks next to certain names on the list then looked up. “There are five people who might talk to me. All have committed to us for the upcoming year, but I know they reviewed bids from Double Ace before making a decision.”
“The good news is we’re still delivering to a good many rodeos through this summer, including partnering with some bid winners.” Sean took the list Skye held out to him. “How accurate is this list?”
“Good, except I haven’t had much time to check for new venues over the last year. Updating the list might be a good job for Rhett.”
Skye looked up as the door opened and Rhett walked in. “Hey, I have a new project for you.”
“Sounds good. Mitch, Emilio says he needs to speak with you and Sean right away. He’s next to the pens with Fritz.”
“Let’s talk about this again after lunch. I want to know what we can do and how soon.” Mitch walked out, followed by Sean, Rhett staring after them.
“What’s that about?” he asked Skye.
“Have a seat and I’ll explain.”
******
“Do you know where Emilio is?” Mitch asked one of the stock hands after not spotting either Emilio or Fritz outside.
“The last I saw, he was on the phone in his office.” The man nodded toward the portable building used by the stock manager and his assistant.
Mitch and Sean climbed the steps then walked inside, getting a blast of cold air from the wall unit. “Rhett said you need to talk to us.”
“I’ve got some bad news. Seems three of our bulls tested positive for steroids.”
“Dammit,” Mitch roared the same time his fist hit the desk. “That’s not possible.”
“That’s what I told them, but they did two tests on the ones who tested positive. All the others tested clean. This came by email.” Emilio handed Mitch the test results. “As you can see, they’re fining us and not letting the bulls compete until they test clean. They’ve notified the association.”
Both Mitch and Sean cursed at the news, knowing there had either been a major mistake in the testing or someone had injected the bulls without their knowledge. Either way, something was terribly wrong.
Mitch stood, pacing back and forth in the small space, then raking a hand through his hair. “Pop and the partners used steroids for a brief time, but that had to be at least fifteen years ago, long before it was banned. As I recall, they did it one year and stopped, figuring any risks to the bulls weren’t worth it.”
“Have we ever had a bull test positive?” Sean asked.
“Not one, until now. Hell, first some of our best bulls contract food poisoning, now this. I’ve never heard of three bulls from the same contractor testing positive. Hell…” Mitch glanced at Sean, remembering his suspicions that someone had tampered with the stock. “Emilio, we need to post men around the stockyard 24/7. I don’t know how, but someone’s getting to the bulls. I’ll take the tests results to the office and call the rodeo chairman, explain our position and see what can be done. Sean, you and Fritz search the medical supplies and log. See who signed in and out, then contact Doc Wheaton, ask Gayle to come out here and check every bull scheduled to compete within the next month. I can’t believe she wouldn’t have spotted something before the last group went out.”
“It’s not the doc’s fault she didn’t find it. One injection given just before loading could’ve been enough to taint an animal and disqualify him. Injections could even have been administered at the rodeo grounds.” Sean pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll see if she can come out this afternoon to start.”
“From now on, we’re extra vigilant, even if we have to post a man to each damn bull.” Mitch slammed the door as he disappeared outside, taking long strides toward the stairs to his office.
“Mitch? Did you still have time to look at the updated logo?” Dana walked toward him, approaching from the parking lot, her smile hitting him like a punch to the gut.
She’d chosen to work at the house on a couple projects Amber sent, plus the redesign he requested. Anyone else and he would’ve blown them off, told them to reschedule. Something about Dana haunted him, making him want to keep her close while at the same time push her away. The conflicting emotions exasperated him more each time they were together.
“I have a phone call to make, then we’ll talk. Follow me upstairs.” He took them two at a time, holding the door open for Dana. “Grab whatever you want to drink. This shouldn’t take long.”
Dan
a took a soda from his small refrigerator, holding it toward Mitch to see if he wanted something. He waved her off as he made his call, sitting forward to study the paper he’d laid on the desk.
“Jack Zahn, please.”
Dana sat across from him, noticing the deep lines between his brows as he waited for Jack to answer.
“Jack, Mitch MacLaren at RTC. Do you have a minute?”
She stayed silent, hearing Mitch’s side of the conversation and guessing at Jack’s response from the changing expressions on Mitch’s face. Dana knew from listening to Rafe and Mitch that bulls were randomly tested for steroid use with positive tests resulting in fines, loss of prize money, and other sanctions. She also understood there were still some contractors who used the drug, even though it could cause infertility in bulls. A big risk when the contractors stood to make good money in breeding fees after the bull retired from competing.
Mitch stood, pacing around the desk, staring out at the stockyards, all the while continuing the conversation. By the sound of it, he’d be able to make his point but it wouldn’t eliminate the fine or potential stigma of the bulls testing positive.
“Yeah. I’ll get back to you when I learn anything more.” He looked at Dana, then set the receiver down, letting out a deep breath. “You heard.”
“Didn’t sound too good. How could something like that happen? Three bulls being injected without someone here knowing?”
“That’s what I want to find out. But I’ll tell you one thing, no one associated with RTC would ever do this.”
“Are you sure?”
He lowered himself into a chair as his mind ticked off all the employees, eliminating them one-by-one. “There’d be nothing to gain.”
“Unless they’re working for someone else. A competitor might gain from your bulls violating the regulations and being eliminated.”
He opened his laptop, punched a few keys, then turned it toward her. “See this? It’s a listing of all the stock contractors in the United States.”
She blinked at the sheer length of the list. “I didn’t realize there were so many. The sources I pulled up showed less.”
Hearts Don't Lie Page 8
