“Yeah, now she does, but not when she’s at work.”
“Maybe that’s the required uniform,” Joe reasoned.
“No. There are two other women in her unit, and they don’t dress like that. I just wondered if something happened in Whitney’s life that made her... I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s like she doesn’t want anyone to know how pretty she is.”
“Except you.” Joe grinned.
“I think she really wants to go back to that plain woman I met at the airport.”
Joe unhooked his canteen and sipped the water. “I think she’s the way she is because of her mother. Deborah was a beautiful woman with an ego problem. She always had to be the prettiest woman wherever we went. She had to be the one all the men looked at when she entered a room.” He screwed on the lid the canteen and hooked it back on the saddle. “When Whitney reached her tenth birthday, people were starting to notice how lovely she was. She has always had the most amazing hazel eyes I’ve ever seen.”
Zack nodded. He’d thought the same thing about her.
“Anyway,” Joe removed his hat and wiped the moisture off his forehead before placing the hat back on his head, “Deborah didn’t like that her daughter was receiving more attention. Whitney has wavy hair and sparkling eyes, and at the age of ten, she was noticed for being the adorable child.”
Zack scrunched his forehead. “Her own mother was jealous?”
Joe nodded. “Yes. After Deborah divorced me and took Whitney away from the ranch, I’d heard that Deborah dressed her daughter in plain clothes and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Deborah did everything she could so that her daughter didn’t stand out.” He sighed. “Whitney didn’t date much, but in the last five years, the guys she’d dated have been idiots. They left her feeling worthless.”
Zack’s gut twisted, and anger built inside of him. He was ashamed of his own gender at this moment. Why did men think it was okay to treat women so badly? “That just breaks my heart. She really doesn’t know that she’s pretty.”
“But all of that is over now. She has you.” Joe leaned toward him and glowered. “Don’t you dare break her heart.”
Zack’s gut twisted even harder. How could he break her heart when he didn’t own it? He just hoped she didn’t break his. “I’ll hold onto her as tight as I can.”
The conversation ended when Joe kicked his horse into a run and headed toward a cow that wandered off in the wrong direction. Zack stayed behind, watching the rest of the herd. Of course, if something were to happen, he wouldn’t know what do to anyway. But this gave him a moment to think. Now that he knew why Whitney acted the way she did, what was he going to do about it?
THE SCENT OF HOMEMADE bread filled the kitchen, and Whitney didn’t want to leave. Gladys had talked Whitney into helping her in the kitchen this morning, and at the moment, she realized what a great decision that had been. As she rolled the kneaded dough and set it in the loaf pans, nostalgic memories returned. There were no bad memories of living at the ranch. Between Joe and Gladys, Whitney was treated like the perfect child... a child that was loved unconditionally and completely accepted. It was the years afterward that she’d like to forget about.
Gladys wasn’t the only cook in the house, but when the ranch hands were not around, the other cooks were sent home. Today, however, there was Gladys and a middle-aged woman with blonde hair named Karen. Between the two older women being silly and cracking jokes, Whitney hadn’t laughed so much in her life. Well, at least since her mother divorced Joe.
Once the kitchen was cleaned, Gladys shooed Whitney out so that the two other women could start preparing dinner. Although she wanted to help, she decided she’d probably only get in their way.
She wandered through the house, one room at a time, recalling those wonderful years as a child. Some memories brought tears to her eyes, and others made her laugh. She finally made it upstairs to the attic. It surprised her that Joe had kept this room clean. It also surprised her that he hadn’t thrown out some of her childhood toys. Whenever her mother and Joe would get into a heated argument, Whitney would come up to the attic to stay in her make-believe world.
She moved to the dollhouse Joe had built just for her Barbies. Gingerly, she touched the roof of the house, which served as a cubby that held all the doll clothes and accessories. She glanced across the room to the corner by the window...
Whitney took a step closer and stopped. Her heart softened, and tears clouded her eyes. She’d learned to paint when she was eight years old, and by the time she was ten, she was pretty good at it. But once she and her mother left this house, her mother refused to allow Whitney to paint.
She smiled and walked to the canvas and easel. As she ran her hand over the white canvas, her mind pictured the few paintings she’d done. No wonder she’d fallen in love with the historic painters when she was in college. They shared the same love for art as she had.
The floor behind her creaked, and she jumped around. How long had Zack been here? Her heart pounded crazily, and the closer he walked toward her, the faster the rhythm accelerated.
The lighting wasn’t very good up here, but there was something in his eyes that tugged at her heart and made her throat turn dry. Why was he looking at her with so much emotion?
“Let me guess,” he said in a sweet voice that didn’t sound fake at all. “You painted when you were a little girl?”
“Yes.”
He stopped beside her and glanced at the canvas. “I think you should paint something while we’re here. It will take your mind off things.”
Whitney couldn’t take her eyes off him. He looked so much better with short hair and a trimmed beard than he had before. But it was his eyes that were hypnotizing her. Why did he gaze at her as if he really cared?
She tried to mentally shake herself awake. This must be some kind of dream. Maybe there was a chemical up here in the attic that made her mind play tricks on her.
“I... um...” And why couldn’t she think of anything to say?
He stepped closer and cupped her face with both of his hands. His gaze dropped to her mouth. Slowly, his mouth stretched into a smile. His fingers traced her lips before his thumbs brushed her chin.
“You had flour on your face,” he said.
She snapped out of the daze she’d been in and shook her head. “I was helping Gladys in the kitchen.”
He nodded and let his hands drop to his sides. “That’s what she told me. I’m glad I found you. This is a large house.” He looked around the room. “And this is the cleanest attic I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes. That’s Joe for you. Always precise.” She headed toward the stairs and he followed. “How was your day? Did you learn a lot of things about the ranch?”
“I sure did.”
He moved ahead of her quickly to open the attic door for her. Curiosity tugged on her conscience. Why was he acting so nice? There wasn’t anyone around for them to pretend with up here.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” She walked out of the attic.
“And I’ve decided, I’m going to buy me a ranch somewhere. I’ve always liked Montana. What do you think about having my ranch there?” He closed the door behind him.
“I’m sure there are lots of ranches for sale in Montana. I think you’ll like it there, but...” She stopped, facing him. “I think they have more wild animals than just bears and moose. Whatever would you do if your vehicle were stuck in the mud? Montana might actually have some of the horror movies’ villains, too.”
When he grinned, one side of his mouth lifted higher than the other. “Ha, ha. You’re very funny. But I would never drive a car on my ranch. I’d have a nice truck with large tires and four-wheel-drive. Then I’d be able to get out of any predicament.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” She nodded. “But remember one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“If you’re going to protect a woman from an unknown monster,” she arched an eyebrow, “make sure yo
u have some kind of gun on you.” She touched his chest, lightly. “I thought it was sweet that you tried to protect me last night right before Joe showed himself. But I had already reached for my gun to protect us.”
He leaned into her, but it wasn’t until her back bumped against something solid when she realized how close she’d been to the wall. He bracketed his hands on the wall, trapping her with his body. But she wasn’t scared. If she wanted to get away, she could show him some self-defense moves. The problem was, she didn’t want to get away from him. His penetrating gaze made her wonder if he wanted to kiss her passionately.
She’d stop him, of course...
“And I appreciate that you tried to protect me,” he said in a gentle voice, “but next time, let me try and be the hero. I might not be a trained agent like you, but I’m a man who enjoys impressing a woman.”
She wanted to laugh. Really, she did. But his words were so sincere. He couldn’t possibly mean what he’d said. Why would he want to impress her? Why would any man want to do that?
But the way his gaze was locked with hers, and the steady increase of his breaths, made her wonder if he was telling the truth. The attraction between them was confusing, yet at this moment, she didn’t want to try and figure him out.
He leaned closer. She held her breath and closed her eyes, waiting for his kiss. After a few second without a kiss, she peeked at him. A smile touched his mouth as he withdrew and stepped away from her.
Without a word, he turned and headed back down the stairs toward the main level. She expelled a heavy breath as her body relaxed. What was that all about? Perhaps it was time to figure out what he wanted from her. She couldn’t go on pretending she loathed him any longer, especially when she was feeling the complete opposite.
TEN
“Ouch!” Zack snapped back and blocked Whitney from dabbing anymore lotion on his face. “That stings.”
“Well of course, it stings, silly.” She poured more ointment on the cotton ball. “That’s what happens when you get a really bad sunburn. Now let me get your nose...”
She dabbed again, but as much as she tried to be careful, it still hurt. Since he didn’t want her to think he was a baby, he gritted his teeth against the pain. Joe had warned him to wear a cowboy hat. Now he knew why. His forehead and nose were burned, along with the tops of his ears.
Not only was his face sore, his legs ached since he’d used different muscles while riding a horse. Apparently, he didn’t take to riding as exceptionally well as he’d thought yesterday. He could hardly walk today.
Taking pity on him, Joe had instructed Zack to use the recliner chair with an ice pack on his thighs. This was the position he was in when Whitney found him this morning. She chuckled for a moment, but then turned into the caring woman he’d seen only a few times. Although he liked that side of her, at this particular moment, he wished she’d stop torturing him with this lotion.
He jerked his head away from her touch. She sighed heavily and frowned.
“Zack, this ointment will take away the burn.”
“I don’t see how,” he whined. “Especially when all it is doing is causing my skin to sting.”
“Well, if you don’t let me rub this on you, you’re going to look like you have a skin disease in a few days when your face dries up and your skin starts peeling. Now, the question is, do you want people to see your handsome face or a dry, scaly one that looks like you’re from zombie land?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You think I’m handsome?”
“Seriously? You really need to ask that?”
He chuckled. “Fine. Administer the ointment, Dr. Whitney.” He held his breath and stayed still as she finished rubbing the lotion on his face. It lasted only a few torturous minutes and then she left his side to dispose of the evidence she’d used to punish him.
As he watched her walk away, his body relaxed. She was pretty today. Instead of wearing one of his mother’s western outfits, the pair of old jeans she wore fit her legs much better, and her blue and green flannel shirt made her look more comfortable. Instead of cowboy boots, she wore white sneakers. He was glad she didn’t pull her hair back into a ponytail, but she didn’t fluff it up, either. Still, she looked sexy with it long and wavy around her shoulders.
When she returned to the living room with a glass of water in one hand and pills in the other, she stopped and gave him a questionable look.
“Why are your eyes glazed over? Have you already taken some pain pills?”
He chuckled. “No. My eyes are probably glazed over because of the pain you just put me through.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and came closer, handing him the glass and pills. “Take these. You’ll feel a little better soon.”
“A little better? That’s not very comforting, you know.”
She knelt beside the chair again, leaning on the armrest of the recliner. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her as he swallowed the pills with the water. He handed her the empty glass.
“I’m sorry that I’m whiney today,” he said sincerely. “I just didn’t expect this to happen to me.”
“The others know you’ve never been on a ranch. It’s understandable.”
“Yeah, but do you understand? You don’t think badly of me, do you?”
“No.” She chuckled softly. “I had done the same thing as you. After I graduated high school and moved away from my mother, I decided to visit Joe for a month before starting college. I hadn’t been on a horse since I was ten. So,” she sighed, “needless to say, I was sunburned and had stiff muscles for a few days, too.”
He smiled. “Did Gladys take care of you like you’re taking care of me?”
“Of course.”
“What else did Gladys do for you?”
“She made me my favorite soup.”
His eyebrows lifted. “My favorite soup is clam chowder.”
She laughed out loud. “I knew that would be coming.”
He placed his hand on her arm and stroked it gently. “What else did she do?”
“She found my favorite movies and I sat in this chair and watched movies all day.”
He shrugged. “I suppose I could do that, as long as you are with me.”
Whitney’s expression softened, and her eyes were greener than before. He couldn’t resist caressing her cheek, even though the muscles in his arms were sore just from the movement.
“That does sound like a stress-free day,” she said quietly.
He studied every inch of her face, starting from her forehead over her cute little nose, to her smooth pink cheeks that grew darker by the second, and lastly to her heart-shaped lips. As he drew his thumb across her bottom lip, his mind replayed their kiss at the airport. Nothing about that first kiss had been serious, but he remembered it had been enjoyable. Since then, he’d thought about kissing her again. He didn’t want to kiss her due to their playacting in front of her family. He wanted her to kiss him because she wanted to.
“Zack? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
He smiled. “Forgive me, but I usually like to stare at beautiful women.” He winked. “And I think you look gorgeous today.”
Her cheeks flared a darker pink. “Your pain pills must be kicking in. That’s the only excuse for your fuzzy vision.”
“No. The pills haven’t taken effect yet. I can see just fine.” He cupped her face. Her skin was hot against his palm. “You are really very pretty today.”
Whitney’s breaths came faster, but she stayed by his chair, staring at him with stars in her eyes. “Zack,” she whispered, “you can be yourself when it’s just the two of us. There’s no reason to pretend now. Gladys is in the kitchen and Joe and the other ranchers are outside.”
“I know.” He nodded. “I’m being honest with you. I really think you’re pretty.”
She chuckled and started to pull away, but he grasped her arm, keeping her from leaving. When her gaze locked on his again, there was a little moisture in her eyes.
<
br /> “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Zack,” she sighed, “I’m not used to men – or anyone – telling me I’m beautiful, so forgive me if I don’t believe you. I’m old enough to know that I’m not a pretty woman, and I’m okay with that.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. You are a pretty woman.”
“You’re a flirt, Zack, so it’s hard for me to believe you.”
“Is there anything I can say or do to make you believe?”
“Probably not.”
She stood this time, but he held onto her arm loosely, waiting for the right moment to make his move. As she started to turn, he pulled on her arm hard enough to make her stumble toward him. Although it strained his already sore muscles, he reached out and grasped her hips, pulling her down to his lap. When her bottom landed on his sore thighs, he gritted his teeth against the pain as he wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her in place.
“Zack!” she gasped. Her eyes were wide with surprise. “What are you doing?”
“I thought it would be better to show you that I’m being sincere.”
“Seriously, Zack. Let me up. I’m sure my weight on your achy legs is killing you right now.”
“You’re as light as a feather.”
Huffing, she scowled. “What do you want?” she whispered. “Why are you acting this way? I told you that it’s okay to be yourself when we’re alone.”
“I heard you the first time. And this is my true self.”
“Then why are you being so cuddly?”
He grinned. “I love cuddling, and I’m going to show you how much fun it can be.”
She snorted a laugh. “Zack, what has come over you?”
“You have come over me, love.” He winked.
“I’m really not comfortable like this.”
“Then do what you can to make yourself comfortable.” He cupped her cheek. “Because Whitney, I know you enjoy being in my arms. I’ve held you enough times already to realize how much you melt when you’re in my embrace.”
The Missing Billionaire (The Tycoons #2) Page 7
