Forbidden Passions
Cover
Books by India Masters
Forbidden Passions
Nothing Left to Lose
Title Page
Copyright
Beyond the Page Books
are published by
Beyond the Page Publishing
First published under the title
Yellowstone Wild
in 2009 by Loose ID, copyright © 2009 by India Masters
Beyond the Page edition copyright © 2013 by India Masters
Cover design and illustration by Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs
ISBN: 978-1-937349-60-8
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Contents
Prologue
June
Elizabeth Wild brushed away an imaginary piece of lint from her expensive silk-blend trousers and folded her hands in her lap. She leveled her gaze at her boss, Marcus Levine.
“You want me to do what?” Her perfectly composed expression hid the sudden rush of white noise in her head, the heavy thud of her heart, as she struggled to believe she’d misunderstood what Marcus was telling her.
“Now, Libby,” he said, using the nickname her father had given her. He interlocked his fingers and leaned forward on his elbows, his usual lecture pose. “You know times are tough. People simply aren’t spending the money on exotic-location travel. We’ve received thousands of requests for more moderately priced travel options within the United States, and since you’re from the West, the team thought you’d bring a unique perspective to the piece. Besides, Yellowstone is close to your home. You could spend some time with your sister. Think of it as a paid vacation.”
“If Alex and I wanted to spend time together, I would have gone home on vacation a long time ago. Besides, my entire job is a paid vacation. Why would I want to go and spend time in a place I couldn’t wait to escape from?”
Her boss frowned and uttered a long-suffering sigh.
“How about because that’s what you’ve been assigned to do?”
Home? He wanted her to go back to a place where her primary life experiences had been grueling labor and unrelenting mockery? Was he nuts? “What happens if I decide not to take the assignment?”
Marcus’s frown was genuine this time. “Then you’re back to freelancing status, and with times as tough as they are, I don’t have to tell you what that could mean to your career. Of course, you could always dust off your press credentials and go to Afghanistan.”
“Very funny.”
“I’m not kidding, Elizabeth. Times are tough; the magazine is talking about laying people off. The only reason you and Thom aren’t on the chopping block is because people buy the magazine to see your photography and read his witty commentary.”
“Then why not send Thom to Yellowstone and let me go to Rio?”
Of course, she knew the answer before the question completely passed her lips. Thom was gay, and not the is-he-metrosexual-or-gay kind of gay, but flamboyantly, unashamedly gay. And that was the kind of gay that could get a man in trouble in rural, Republican Wyoming, where men were men, no one spoke Gucci, and gay still meant happy.
Libby held up her hand to keep him from speaking. “All right. Say no more. I’ll go, but if I’m scarred for life from the horror of my childhood memories, you’re picking up my therapy tab.”
Marcus chuckled. “You got it, kiddo.” He slid an envelope across the desk. “Here’s your itinerary and your plane ticket. You’ll be happy to know it’s first class, and a rental will be waiting for you in Jackson Hole.”
Libby plucked the envelope off the desk and held it between her fingers as if it were filled with tarantulas. She took a deep, cleansing breath and let it out. “You owe me, Marcus. You have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
Chapter One
July
The Snake River Lodge was a welcome relief after her flight. After eating an expensive room-service dinner, she filled the large tub and dumped in a handful of citrus bath crystals before settling in for a good, long soak. She knew she should call her sister, but she could almost hear the disapproval in Alex’s voice when she told her where she was staying. Alex didn’t approve of wasting money, even if it was someone else’s.
“Best rip the Band-Aid off, Lib, rather than prolong the agony.”
Libby smiled, recalling the sage advice from her father’s foreman. He’d said the same thing to her every time she’d tried to hide out in the horse barn to avoid the punishment she had coming. “You’re right, Carl,” she said aloud and reached for her cell phone.
“Wild Horse Ranch.”
Libby’s heart stuttered in her chest, the words catching in her throat.
“You might as well say something, Lib. We got caller ID out here now, ya know.”
Libby couldn’t help herself; she laughed. “Little old Lovell’s hit the big time, huh?”
Her sister chuckled. “Nope. Finally broke down and got myself a cell phone. I forward the house phone when I’m in the barn. One more leash around my neck.”
“I hear that.”
A sad sigh floated across the line. “So, to what do I owe the honor, Lib? It’s not my birthday.”
Tears stung Libby’s eyes. It hadn’t taken long for the old disapproval to raise its ugly head. God, how did her sister always manage to make her feel like she was twelve years old, sneaking around to catch her making out with Ralph Harris on the front porch swing?
“I’m in the neighborhood. Jackson Hole, actually, at the Snake River Lodge.”
“Libby—”
Libby cut her off. “I’m on assignment; the company’s paying for it.”
“So that makes it okay to pay a hundred and fifty bucks a night when you have a perfectly good bedroom here at the ranch?”
“Alex, can you not lecture me, just this once, please? You know how hard it is for me to come back here. I didn’t want this assignment, but Marcus didn’t give me any choice.”
“Yeah, I’m well aware of your hatred for everything to do with hearth and home.” Libby tried not to sigh at her sister’s pause. “What assignment? It’s not ski season. Why would the magazine care about Wyoming in the summer?”
Libby lifted one toe out of the water to catch a drip from the faucet. “Yellowstone. We’re doing a whole series on American national parks and vacationing in your own backyard. Marcus has hired an outfitter to take me into the backcountry to do the photo spread.”
Libby ignored her sister’s laughter. She probably had it coming. After all, hadn’t she sworn she’d never come back?
“Well, that must have been a kick in the pants,” Alex said. “I thought you were going to do a whole spread on the beaches of Brazil.”
Alex had been reading the magazine? “I . . . Well, I was, but . . . How did you know that?”
“Oh, come on, little sister, half the people in this town subscribe to that rag you work for, including me. It’s not every day a ranch girl from little Lovell, Wyoming, makes it big. So, what’s the story, are you being demoted?”
Typical. She always imagines the worst. Libby did sigh this time. “Hardly. But the only other person available was Thom Park, and he’s as flamboyantly gay as a gay man can be. We . . . er . . . thought it safer if I did the spread. Besides, Thom would scream the second his Prada penny loafers got fouled by bear scat.”
“Hmm, I guess I see your point. I don’t expect he’d be too welcome outside of Jackson Hole. So, are you coming home for a few days, or do you have to start right away?”
Libby wanted to sink beneath the hot water and never come up again. “I have a week before we leave. I just have to confirm with my outfitter; then I’m free to shovel horse poop for a week.”
Alex chuckled. “You still remember how to muck out a stall?”
“Oh, please, as if I could ever forget.”
“All right, then, guess I’ll see you tomorrow sometime.”
“Yes, late afternoon or early evening. I’ll take you to Bubba’s for dinner.”
“What for, or did you forget I cook?”
Libby winced at the thought. “Um, no, I haven’t forgotten; that’s why I suggested Bubba’s.”
“All right, smart-ass, give me a call and I’ll meet you at Bubba’s; that way you only have to make the trip up to Lovell once.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her voice cracked a bit. “And Alex? Just because I don’t come home doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
“Yeah,” her sister answered. “I know, baby sister, and just because I criticize doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
* * *
Libby kept her Chanel sunglasses in place as she pushed through the door to Bubba’s. How had she forgotten how crowded the place could get on a weeknight? She stood patiently and waited, hoping Alex would arrive before she had to take a seat by herself. She didn’t mind sitting alone in a café in Paris, but here, where constant teasing about her looks and behavior marred her adolescence, she felt as though everyone was staring at her.
“Hi, honey, just you?” the hostess asked, a toothy smile curving her lips.
“No, my sister will be joining me.”
The woman grabbed another menu and led her into the main dining room. And of course, all her fears came true. People stopped eating and stared as she followed the server, some whispering her name.
“Here ya go, honey. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”
Libby ordered an iced tea with lemon and pulled her BlackBerry out of her black Coach satchel to check her e-mail. She hadn’t missed the visage of Archer Cade, Bodie and Ty’s older brother, sitting at a table by himself, but since he gave no indication of recognizing her, she took it as a sign to be grateful that the change in her appearance was radical enough to avoid the attention of some of the locals.
Her BlackBerry revealed several messages from Marcus, extolling her virtues as a team player, reminding her whom to contact about the pack trip, and to “for God’s sake, don’t get eaten by a bear.” Another, this one from Thom, thanked her for saving him and his Pradas from a fate worse than death. She was still chuckling when her sister surprised her by leaning down to kiss the corner of her mouth.
“What’s so funny?” Alex asked, taking a seat across from her.
“Marcus doesn’t want me to get eaten by a bear.”
Alex grinned. “No self-respecting bear would get near a city girl like you.”
“Oh, please! You, my dear sister, would be tough and stringy from all that ranch work. I, on the other hand, would be tender and delicious, from dining on gourmet cuisine and having my ass pounded into shape at the best spas Europe has to offer.”
“I’ll be sure to pass the word to the bear population.” Alex looked around the room and quickly snatched up her menu to hide behind. “Crowded in here tonight.”
“Too late, sis; he’s seen you.”
Libby hadn’t missed Archer’s sharp gaze when Alex walked in and headed for the table. Her peripheral vision had always been excellent. She could practically see the jolt of jealousy shoot through the man when Alex had leaned down and kissed her. His clenched fingers were wrapped so tightly around the heavy glass he was holding, it was a miracle he hadn’t broken it. What the hell was that about? Was something going on between her sister and Arch Cade? She smothered a smile as he stood up and tossed a few bills on the table. That grimace sure looked like something was eating at him.
“Trouble at three o’clock,” Libby warned her sister as Arch grabbed his Stetson off the seat beside him and made a beeline toward them. Alex had just enough time to murmur, “Shit,” before the tall, handsome cowboy stopped at their table.
“Evening, Alex.” He stared pointedly at Libby.
Alex stared at him for a moment, and Lib could see a muscle in her jaw flex before she answered. “Evening, Arch.” She nodded toward Libby. “You remember my sister.”
“Libby?” His jaw dropped in astonishment. “Knobby-kneed Libby with the three cameras sprouting from her neck?”
“That would be me,” Libby said, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “How are you, Mr. Cade?”
Arch chuckled. “Mr. Cade was my daddy, buttercup; call me Arch.” He stood there and stared as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, then nodded. “You grew up fine, Libby. You look like a real elegant lady. Bodie and Ty will be surprised to hear you’ve come back. They feel real bad about the way they treated you.”
She stiffened, hesitating before she looked him in the eye. Her mouth was suddenly dry as a desert as she tried to find her words. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t mention I was back. I’m only here for a short time, to do a photo spread on Yellowstone, and I’d just as soon avoid any . . . unpleasantness.”
“Can’t say I blame you. I generally try to do that myself.” A challenging look passed between him and Alex; then he jammed his hat on his head with a nod. “Ladies.”
Libby practically pressed her nose against the window to watch Archer climb into his truck. His phone was in his hand, and she’d bet her left tit he was calling his brothers. She couldn’t suppress a groan.
“Oh God, he’s already on the phone. Do you think he’s calling them?”
“The twins? Probably. They’ve been making a lot of noise the last few years about how bad they feel for what they did to you in school.”
“What is it with this town? Why the hell would anybody care now?”
Alex rolled her eyes heavenward. “You are not that naive, Libby. You’re a local celebrity, a small-town girl hitting the big time. Of course people are interested.”
Libby picked up her menu and opened it with a snap of her wrist. “Well, folks need to mind their own business.” She shook her head. “I told Marcus this was a bad idea. I told him I didn’t want to do this.”
“Well, it’s too late now, little sis. You’re just gonna have to cowgirl up and do what you came here to do. Nobody says you have to make nice with those Cade boys. They might have cleaned up their act, but they’re still trouble in my mind. All three of them.”
Libby set her menu down and plucked Alex’s out of her hand. “You’ve been eating here all your life, Alex. I don’t reckon you need a menu this late in the game. You’re hiding behind the damn thing. Tell me what’s going on with you and Archer Cade.”
Alex closed her eyes for a minute, her usual give-me-strength ploy. “There’s nothing going on between me and Arch. We dated awhile is all. Now we don’t. End of story.”
There was pain in Alex’s eyes, and Libby felt as though they’d come to a crossroads of sorts. She reached over and twined her fingers with her sister’s in a gesture of solidarity. “Looks like we both have our issues with the Cade brand. Want to tell me what happened?”
“No. Not now, anyway, and especially not in a place where the second most popular activity is . . .
eavesdropping
.” She shouted the last word at the older couple sitting behind them.
Libby covered her mouth with her hand to keep from spraying iced tea all over her sister, then choked it down. “Still a spark plug, I see.”
“Damn straight,” Alex said. “Now, how does a body get some service in this place?”
* * *
Libby hadn’t been back to the ranch for a full twenty-four hours before the phone started ringing. Suddenly she was everyone’s best friend. People who had ignored her when she’d lived here now wanted to get together and talk about old times. She had just settled into the old claw-foot tub when her cell rang.
“Libby Wild.” She recognized the terse tone in her voice and took a deep breath to temper her frustration.
“Hey, Lib,” a female voice said. “It’s Glory. I hope you don’t mind, but I got your cell number from Jake.”
“Glory Campbell? Oh my God, the queen of black-and-white photography! It’s been forever! How are you? When can we get together and catch up on old times?”
“Well, I’m glad you remember me, but it’s Glory Striker now, even though Jake and I are separated and heading for divorce court. And as for getting together, that’s part of the reason I called.”
“Jake Striker, huh?” Libby clucked in sympathy. “He always was a wild one, Glory. Did you hear I hired him to take me into the backcountry for my photo shoot?”
There was a long moment of silence and then, “Yeah, about that. I still work for Jake, and he . . . um . . . he overbooked that time slot. He’s got a Lamar Valley group scheduled and forgot to let me know. They booked first, Lib, so he can’t take you.”
It was a bald-faced lie, and Libby knew it. She closed her eyes and prayed for strength. “Oh no, what am I going to do? Everyone else is all booked up except for some of the larger outfits, and all they’ve got are spaces for a single person to fill a group slot. I can’t very well take the kind of pictures I need with a group of people around.”
“Well . . . God, I really hate to tell you this, but Jake called Cade Brothers Excursions and—”
Libby’s eyes widened in horror. “No! Absolutely not, Glory. I’ll pack myself in before I go anywhere near the Cade twins.” She pulled the drain plug on the tub and hauled herself out of the steaming water, her relaxing bath a mere memory.
“Really, Libby, they’ve changed in the last five years. They’re not like they were in high school, and they feel really bad about the way they treated you.”
“Tough shit. I didn’t come here to salve their consciences. I came here to work.”
“But you’re not going to be able to do that if you don’t go with them. You said it yourself; everyone else is all booked up for the summer. The only reason Bodie and Ty are available is because their booking canceled.”
Sure it was. Did the people here think she’d just fallen off the turnip truck? It would be just like Bodie and Ty Cade to convince Jake Striker to cancel on her. He’d always done their bidding. She snatched a towel off the bar, yanking so hard that one end of it came loose from the wall.
“You still there, Lib? What’s that noise?”
Her jaw clenched in anger. “That was me, tearing the towel bar off the wall.”
“You’re pretty pissed, huh?” Glory hesitated, then plowed forward. “Damn, I wish I hadn’t had to deliver bad news, because I really wanted to ask you a big favor.”