"He's such a trooper." Harmony smiled down at the baby. "This all started a little while after he got home. He'd just come in from a twelve hour surgery trying to put someone back together after a car accident. He's been up for almost two days."
"I wondered why he looked so tired." Levi held out a hand in Mariah's direction. "We'll let you rest."
"Thanks for coming," Harmony said again. "And thanks again, Mariah, for helping with Melody. She's a handful even on her best day."
"It was nothing, she's sweet." Mariah smiled at his sister then at him. Together they left his sister's room and went back out to the waiting are to send in his brother-in-law.
Chapter 24
They were back in the truck, driving through a small, well-kept little town, Mariah pulled out her phone and checked for new messages, but found none. She wondered what her friends were up to and if they even missed her when Mariah's stomach rumbled.
"Crap, it's almost dinner time, why didn't you say something about being hungry?" Levi asked.
"I wasn't that hungry and I didn't realize how late it is." She'd been busy entertaining the little girl, who'd been bright and sweet, if a bit bossy. The girl had eaten several times, snacks from the bag her grandmother kept for her, but it hadn't even occurred to Mariah that they might be missing a meal. The family had enough on their minds without worrying about feeding her.
"We'll eat here." He pulled into the small parking lot next to a diner and parked. "Slide over here. I'll help you down."
He must have noticed her limping as they made their way out to the truck at the hospital. She'd mostly stayed off her ankle today but it still ached and throbbed. He angled out of the truck, turned and waited while she slid across the seat to him.
"Ready?"
She nodded and he put his hands around her waist and lifted her down, setting her gently on her feet.
"Come on, let's go eat."
She stayed quiet, not wanting to be any more trouble than she already was but looked around, curious about the little town she hadn't even known was here when she'd gotten to the ranch.
MAGGIE'S was painted on a large picture window near the door. At least now she knew the name of the place. Levi pushed the door open and held it for her to go in first, then followed her in.
"Over there." He pointed to a table under a window not quite as large as the one with Maggie's painted on it. She led the way. "Here." Levi pulled out a chair before she had a chance and held it for her.
"Thank you." Mariah sat, then watched as he sat across from her. A middle aged waitress wearing jeans and a comfortable looking t-shirt under her apron appeared with two glasses of water and a pair of menus.
"What can I get for you to drink tonight?"
"Water's fine for me," Mariah said.
"I'll take a Pepsi," Levi smiled at the waitress then to Mariah. "There are a couple places in town, but this is my favorite. I hope you like it." He sipped the water. "Put your foot up here." He patted the empty seat beside him. "It's not what I'd wanted for you today, but you've been a trooper. Thank you."
Mariah lifted her foot and rested it in the chair beside him, thankful the seat was padded. She'd spent a lot of time on the floor today, which had been good for her ankle, at least as long as she remembered not to cross her legs.
"It was nothing. You and your family had enough to worry about without me being difficult."
"You were great with Melody. You have much experience with kids?"
"I babysat my way through high school and college. The income wasn't as reliable as some, but I'd saved all through high school and if you find the right people, the pay can be really good."
"Good enough to pay for college?"
"I got some scholarships too, but yes."
"I'm impressed. What did you get your degree in?"
"Business marketing. What about you? Did you go to college?"
"I did," he looked out the window, "I have a degree, not that it does me much good out here."
"What was your major?"
"Geology."
She frowned. She wouldn't have guessed he'd go for a science degree, but oddly, it seemed to fit.
"Were you planning to go somewhere else? Away from the ranch?"
"I didn't know what I wanted to do." He turned back to her. "I wanted to get out of here, at least for a while. Dad pushed for a degree in agriculture, but I felt like I'd lived that business my entire life, why would I want to study it for another four years?" The ghost of a smile curved his lips. "I'll never admit it to him, but he was right. Though now that I've started hosting people at the ranch, I've started to think a degree like yours would be helpful."
"How so?"
"I can run the ranch, no problem. Managing the cattle and the land is something I've been trained to do since I could walk, but getting a new business off the ground? I'm lost. How to find customers for that business? I don't even know where to start. I've gotten some advice from Harmony, and it's helped, but it's like she's speaking Greek."
"Did she get a degree in marketing?"
"No, but she's partner in that little artsy fartsy shop over there." He pointed out the window. "It does pretty well for being in the middle of nowhere, though, we do have the advantage of being the only town for about eighty miles in either direction on I25."
Mariah twisted around until she could see the small shop he'd pointed at. It was a small store front in an old strip-mall the sign out front said Just Your Cup of Tea, with the U in cup being a teacup pouring out liquid and several other letters made of what seemed like random objects. From the large picture windows on either side of the door, Mariah guessed it was some kind of second hand shop.
"What is it? A thrift shop? Antiques?"
"A little of both, plus a coffee shop and a section for used books. She serves all those foofy coffee drinks that are more sugar than coffee."
She turned back to look at him, being twisted around like that made her back hurt. "It sounds like she's got a lot to offer. Several things to bring people in and at least get them looking around. I'd be interested in going in and seeing what she has. I'm curious how she advertises too."
"I'm sure she'd welcome a chance to talk, though probably not for a couple weeks, you'll be home by then."
"I'm not sure I have a way home." Mariah looked down at the table in front of her. "I need to call and see if my ticket back is still any good or if Mr. Sheppard has canceled it. Even if I do have a way home, I don't know if I have anything to go back to." She couldn't believe she was telling him all this. It was like the worries that had circled her head through the night were now spilling out her mouth.
"What do you mean? Are you afraid he'll fire you?"
"Are you two ready to order?" The waitress was back, a ticket book in her hand as she looked back and forth from Levi to Mariah and back.
"I'm sorry, I haven't even looked at the menu. Can we have a few minutes?"
"No problem, Hun. I'll check in with some folks then come back." She hurried away as Mariah picked up the menu and looked it over, glad she had something to think about.
"What's good here?"
"Everything."
Mariah looked over the menu at Levi, not certain if he was serious.
"No, seriously. I like it all."
"That's really no help." She turned her attention back to the menu.
"What do you like? Chicken? Beef? Mexican food?"
"Yes."
Levi chuckled. "And you talk about my not being helpful."
Mariah smiled. She skimmed the menu again. There was only one thing that sounded really good, so she closed the menu and set it aside. Looking up at Levi she found that he hadn't even picked his up.
"Not going to look?"
"No need. I know everything on it."
"I guess you do like this place."
The waitress came back and they placed their orders, once she was gone Levi straightened in his seat.
"You never answered. Are you afraid Sheppa
rd will fire you?"
"No. I mean it crossed my mind, how could it not?" It was her turn to stare out the window beside them, not that she cared what she was looking at, as long as she didn't have to watch his face or his reactions. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I don't want to work for someone who would do that. Whether he planned the whole thing or not, whether he's done it before or not, I don't care." She looked back across the table at him. "I like my job, I like the challenge of coming up with new campaigns, figuring out what works and what doesn't, but the people I have to work with? Sometimes I wish I'd chosen another field."
"Not so fond of entertainment?"
Mariah sighed. "Entertainment wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the entertainment people. Ninety eight percent of them have inflated egos, an exaggerated sense of their own self-worth or a general concept that the world should cater to them because they starred in this movie or that tv series. I'm sick of it all."
"Let's say you had a chance to leave. To walk away and start over, what would you want to do?"
"I don't know. Something more personal." She fell quiet a moment, thinking about what she would really like to do. "Something like that, I guess." She motioned to Harmony's store out the window and a little behind her. "I think I'd like to work on advertising for small businesses, for people instead of huge corporations." Why not dream big? It was all a pipe dream anyway, she couldn't afford to quit or start over. Her rent, even on the tiny apartment she lived in, was astronomical and there was no way she could pay it without her job.
"So why don't you?"
"I have commitments. I can't pay the rent, much less buy food, if I don't have a job." She shook her head and forced a smile on her face as she pushed thoughts about having to go back to Los Angeles out of her mind. "Enough about me and my problems though. Tell me more about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"I don't know." She thought for a minute, trying to come up with something other than stupid first date questions. "How long have you run the X-bar-Z?"
"I've been in sole control for a little over two years."
"And before that?"
"Mom and Dad still lived out on the ranch, I did a lot of the day to day work, but Dad handled the financial side of things."
"Do you consider yourself more a rancher or a cowboy?"
"Hmm." He tilted his head to one side. "I never thought about that. I'd have to say that at heart I'm a cowboy. I'd rather be out on the range, dealing with the cattle, the pastures, the fences, but I guess my job title right now would be rancher."
"If you could hand over the day to day management, the finances, the ordering of supplies, that kind of thing, to someone else and just deal with the hands on part, would you?"
"In a heartbeat." The wistfulness of his tone caught her by surprise. "I hate the office part of the job, and since I decided to start taking guests, that part has tripled, eating up the part I love."
"So why don't you? Why don't you hire someone to take over the office stuff so you can go back to the part you love?"
"Right now I just don't have the capital. I sank every bit of available funding into building the cabins and getting things ready to host guests. Until I can get that venture to bring in at least a little profit, I'm stuck doing the office work myself."
The waitress came with their meals and they turned to lighter topics while they ate, music, tv and movies.
Chapter 25
Levi pulled into the driveway in front of his home and stared at the house for several seconds thinking. He couldn't regret having spent the day at the hospital. He would never have forgiven himself if things had gone wrong and he hadn't been there, on top of that he was over the moon thrilled with his new name-sake. But it meant nothing had been done today. Levi had no doubt Tyler had cared for the animals, he might be only nineteen, but he was responsible and knew the horses were relying on him for their dinners.
He needed to check with Billy and see how the trip to Casper had gone, and maybe he could get some of what waited on him done tonight.
"Are we waiting on something specific?" Mariah's voice startled him. She'd been focused on her phone most of the trip home and after he'd pulled in, he'd forgotten she was there.
"No, just thinking."
"About?"
"How much work is waiting to be done and lost time." With a sigh, he opened the door and climbed out, turning to help Mariah down after she slid across to his side. He stood for a moment after setting her on the ground, his hands still on her waist as he looked down at her upturned face. Her full lips were tempting and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and forget about all the paperwork waiting for him.
No. That wasn't why she was here and holding her here, forcing a kiss on her would make him no better than the men he'd run off his ranch. Reluctantly he released her and stepped back. She blink then turned and headed inside the house.
"Why don't you make yourself at home? Turn on the tv and find something to watch. I'm going to see if I can get through some of this paperwork tonight."
"All right." She didn't turn as she headed to the back of the house and the bedroom he'd put given her. He watched her go, then made his way into the office. He stepped into the room and was flooded with memories of when this had been his father's office. Dad had used the same desk Levi did now, and Levi remembered many times when he'd be here with him, not going over paperwork, but doing his own thing. He stepped over the large rug where he'd once driven his hot wheels and built card houses wishing he had the time to do those things again. Or maybe not. He couldn't see himself sitting on the floor driving hot wheels, not unless he was doing it with a kid, maybe Little Levi or one of his own children one day.
Thoughts of children made him wonder what Mariah's kids might look like. Would they have her blonde hair? Her cute, upturned nose? Would they have her fiery personality? Just the thought was enough to make him smile to himself as he settled into the padded wheeled chair behind the desk.
Settling in he turned on the laptop, scrubbed his hands over his face and forced himself to turn his mind toward work. Fanciful thoughts about his guest, no matter how entertaining they might be, wouldn't keep this place afloat.
Chapter 26
Mariah wandered through the house, wondering at the man who lived here. He was in the office, she heard the awkward clack of the computer keyboard as, from the sound of it, he hunted and pecked for each key.
The cabin she'd been given when she first arrived had been new and professionally decorated, meant for function and serviceability but impersonal. This place though was different. It gave her a sensation of welcome, of home. Nearly everything was older, in fact the only thing she spotted that were obviously bought in the last five years was the tv in the front room. It was a flat panel model, but not an expensive one, not even as expensive as the one in her apartment.
From the moment she'd first walked into this house she'd felt it, now she was trying to figure out exactly what it was. It wasn't that the cabins were spotless while the house was a little cluttered, both were clean, cleaner than she'd expect from a man living alone and she wondered if the person who cleaned the cabins cleaned the house for him too. Not that it really mattered, that wasn't what she couldn't place.
After half an hour she gave up, at least for now, and went to get her e-reader. Sitting and watching tv, the world she didn't want to have to go back to, didn't appeal to her, so she might as well read. She lay for a few minutes on the bed, trying to get comfortable, but oddly, felt lonely. With a sigh, she went in search of Levi.
Mariah followed the click of the keyboard and the muttered curses.
"Knock, knock," she said as she stopped in the open doorway. She was a little surprised to find the room was not just an office, but also had one wall with floor to ceiling built in book shelves almost completely filled with books of every size and color. Some looked like they were fairly new, but there were more than a few with the cloth covers that had be
en popular earlier in the last century. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all." Levi looked up and smiled as if he was grateful for an excuse to take a break, even for only a couple minutes.
"I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I hung out in here and read a while." She held up her e-reader. "I know you've hardly had any time to yourself today, but I'm a little lonely. I promise to stay quiet."
"You're more than welcome." He motioned to a sofa and overstuffed chair along the wall opposite the wall of books. "And don't worry about being quiet. I'll make enough noise you won't bother me."
Mariah eyed first the sofa then the chair and decided the couch would be more welcoming if she had someone to sit with, so she settled into the chair, kicked off her shoes and curled her feet up into the seat beside her as she turned on the reader and reestablished her mind in the world of the romantic comedy she was in the middle of.
Chapter 27
Levi struggled with the spreadsheet that kept track of expenses. It wasn't just that he hated doing the paperwork, he hated dealing with computers, and being trapped in this room. Though tonight, the being in the room part wasn't so bad, because Mariah was just a few feet away, curled in a chair reading. While her presence helped with the being trapped in the room, it didn't help his concentration as every few minute he would find himself watching her, thinking about her.
Forcing his mind back on what needed to get done, he went back to writing checks to pay bills that had come in and inputting them into the system. He was putting in yet another check when suddenly the form went blank.
"Shit." He jerked his hands away from the keyboard, certain he'd done something wrong. After a moment he got enough nerve to scroll back, he needed to see how bad the damage was. "Son of a bitch." It was all gone. Months of income and expenses. It would take him hours to find all the information and recreate the sheet.
"What's wrong?"
"I screwed up and lost months of information. I don't know what I did, but it will take hours to fix it." He contemplated picking the whole thing up, throwing it across the room and going back to paper ledgers. The only reason he was using the computer was because his mother had convinced him it would be easier. At the end of the year he could e-mail everything to the accountant who did their taxes instead of hauling the year's ledger into Casper. This wouldn't have happened with an account book.
The Cowboy Way Page 10
