He knew the instant he was safe from the blonde but not from his sister.
Rachel lost her smile and glared at him. “You have to start being nicer to these women,” she said in an angry murmur.
“I don’t have to do anything.” He’d given in enough, even helped freshen up the porch with a coat of redwood stain, scraped up enough money to spruce up the barn and kept his mouth shut when Rachel had ordered a wagonload of flowers for the rock beds. “If I wasn’t pleasant enough for you, then don’t drag me back in the middle of the damn afternoon. What did you want, anyway?”
“Do you know how much money we’ve taken in for deposits?”
Yeah, it had barely covered the cost to ready the place. Grunting, he helped himself to a glass and the pitcher of lemonade.
“No, that’s for our guests.” She snatched both out of his hands. “We have six arrivals in the next hour.”
Cole looked up at the ceiling in disgust, noticed a spot he’d missed in his all-fired hurry for the opening day. “Lord, give me patience.”
“You’d do well to pray a little harder.” Rachel offered him a cookie on a small, fancy pink napkin and gave him one of those sneaky smiles that said she wanted something.
He put up his hands, backed away from her. “No.”
“You love oatmeal raisin.”
“No to whatever it is you’re gonna ask me.”
She grabbed his forearm and slapped the cookie onto his palm. “Jamie Daniels is arriving any minute. She’s a very popular travel blogger and we’re damn lucky to have her. If she likes this place, business will boom. I want you here with me to greet her.”
Cole barked out a laugh, shook his head and glanced toward the driveway. No dust coming from the road. He was still safe. Maybe even had enough time to run in for a drink of water and grab a sandwich before he lit out for the north pasture.
“Don’t you dare.”
“What?”
“I know that look. You’re planning your escape.” Rachel’s lower lip jutted out in that annoying sulk. She was his baby sister and sometimes it was hard saying no to her. “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into making this dude ranch work. Can I get a little help here?”
He stared at her, not sure if he was disappointed, surprised or just plain angry. Sighing, he removed his hat and used the back of his sleeve to wipe his forehead.
“Oh, Cole.” Rachel briefly covered her mouth. “What a horrible thing for me to say. You’ve given your whole life to this place. No one has worked harder than you, not even Jesse, and certainly not me or Trace.”
“Enough.” He squinted toward the midafternoon sun. “I’m going inside to wash up a bit, get something to eat. Maybe I’ll still be around when your guest arrives.”
JAMIE HAD OBVIOUSLY made a wrong turn. Odd, because she was good with maps, but she should’ve gotten to the Sundance by now. With a surge of gratitude, she steered the rental car into the gas station that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Wow, did she have to pee. After that she’d get directions. She had to be close to the ranch but after miles and miles of nothing but blue sky and distant mountains, she wasn’t willing to trust herself, the map or the car’s useless navigation system.
As much as she despised gas-station restrooms—and this one looked like something out of the 1930s—she was in no position to be picky, so she coasted around to the side until she spotted a sign. She hurriedly got out of the car, grabbing her purse and keys.
The bathroom door was locked.
“Dammit.” What the hell … Were they afraid someone would break in and clean it?
She tried not even to breathe as she went around to the front. No sign of life. Two parked trucks, though. Someone had to be around. She couldn’t see through the window or past the ads for jerky and different soft drinks plastered to the glass. The doorknob looked grimy, but she was saved from having to touch it when the door abruptly flew open.
“Looking for this?” A young man, late teens, grinning, held up a hoop with a key dangling from it.
“Thank you,” she said, unceremoniously grabbing it and hurrying back to the restroom.
One stall, unisex, could be cleaner, but she didn’t care at this point. With the tissues she kept in her purse, she covered the seat, did her business, then, while she washed her hands, stared glumly into the cloudy wall mirror barely larger than an index card. She was a mess. Too little sleep the past few nights and then today … getting here had been a nightmare. Two flights, an hour-and-a-half layover, then another hour-plus of driving.
She shook out her wet hands, deciding to use the car mirror to touch up her eye makeup and lip gloss. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a thin older man wearing dirty coveralls circling the rental car, and appearing far too interested in the luggage she’d thrown on the backseat.
“May I help you?” she asked, hitching her purse strap up securely on her shoulder.
He raised his piercing gaze to her face, his dark brows pulled together in a suspicious frown. “Where you headed?”
She hesitated, tempted to say something about his bad manners. But the lanky young man who’d given her the key rounded the corner of the building just in time.
“Thank you,” she said, returning the key. “Are the pumps self-serve?”
“Pull your car up and I’ll take care of it for you, ma’am.” He smiled, then studiously eyed the other man. “Got your tires ordered, Avery. They should be in next Friday.”
The older man ignored him, his interest still firmly planted on her. “Didn’t catch where you’re headed.”
Jamie sighed and opened the car door. She was going to ask for directions anyway. Besides, the kid knew him. “The Sundance. Do you know where it is?”
He moved his head to the side and spat on the pavement.
She just smiled. If he’d intended to gross her out she had news for him. There were still restaurants on the other side of the world where men used spittoons. “Was that a no?”
“Don’t mind him. I’m Billy,” the teenager said, grinning. “You’re looking for the McAllisters’ new dude ranch.”
“I am.”
“Stay on the road for another five miles. You’ll see a sign for Blackfoot Falls. Take the next left after that. The road’s not so good but you’ll do fine.”
Billy had already started backing toward the pumps so she closed her door, then pulled the compact around the building. She ignored Avery except for a brief glance in the rearview mirror. He followed close behind, but she wasn’t so much afraid as annoyed. The old-timer probably didn’t like tourists. Nothing new there, either. There was always someone fighting the idea of strangers poking around.
She parked and lowered her window. Billy confirmed
