So Not a Cowgirl (11 page)

He remained silent on the drive back to the ranch. Tanya, too, had issues to think about. She fully intended to get a firm handle on the ranch’s audit. And she needed to think about Peter’s offer, seriously think about it. The offer and working with Peter held very little appeal, almost as little appeal as moving halfway across the country from Drew. Her gruff boss had come to mean a lot to her in the short time she’d worked for him. She also liked the ranch…okay, maybe not the horses. Why couldn’t his business be raising dogs or cats, or something else smaller than a mammoth beast like a horse?

They parted ways as he dropped her off at the little house. His final words to her being, “You’d better be here when I get back.”

She’d started to say, “Where else would I be, you goofy man?” but he’d already driven away. Still, she treasured his disgruntled comment.

Drew had been gone three days and he was more than ready to get home to the ranch. Wichita wasn’t bad for a city, nothing crazy like LA or Dallas, both cities he’d be happy to never set foot in again in his lifetime. The meetings with some of the money men helping to finance this foundation he’d started, and with three too many lawyers, had about driven him to the point of abandoning the whole idea. But he’d ended up talking out some of the frustrations over the phone with Tanya that first night, although he’d never intended to do that when he’d called to check on the ranch. Somehow she’d got him to talking, to venting. He’d been impressed by her ability to sift through the legalese lingo he’d repeated and by her skill in understanding the financial puzzle they were all trying to piece together. He’d found himself calling her the next night, too, bouncing around more problems, more of the lawyers’ suggestions. Their suggestions hadn’t been worth beans, in his opinion. In her opinion either, as it turned out. She’d come up with completely better solutions. And the fancy, high-dollar team had jumped all over her suggestions. She’d saved the day. He owed her, big time.

He’d left Wichita right at sunrise and would be home before noon. He couldn’t wait to share the good news with Greg, who wanted this animal rescue business to be successful almost as much as Drew did. He looked forward to passing on the news to Tanya. She’d been right about making him back down and to go get these important meetings done. Maybe he’d take her out to eat later in Dodge for a celebration of sorts. Yeah, he liked that idea. He’d missed her, way more than he liked to admit.

Thinking about the idea, he picked up his cell phone and punched in the number to the ranch, hoping she’d answer. Instead Greg answered. Drew attempted to cover his disappointment as he asked, “Is Tanya around? I need to talk to her about something.”

Greg was quiet a second longer than made Drew comfortable. Finally his friend said, “Actually, she’s in town with that Peter guy. He showed up at the ranch yesterday afternoon.”

Drew’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Do you think she’s taking up his job offer?” He’d been thinking about that a lot. Hated the idea, even though it wasn’t really any of his business.

Again, Greg was silent too long for comfort. “I honestly don’t know. He’s a smooth talker, that’s for sure. Came over and introduced himself to me and the guys. Looked pretty out of place in his high-dollar suit, shiny dress shoes, and perfectly groomed hair. But he seemed to be trying to impress our Tanya.”

“
Was she? Impressed?”

“
Couldn’t really tell. They’re comfortable together. And he sure seems to want her working with him. At least that’s my thinking, since he came all the way here to see her.”

Drew knew he had no business asking this, didn’t want to ask this, but then did. “Do you think he’s interested in her as more than just an accounting partner?”

“
Romantically interested, you mean?” Greg hesitated. “’Well, he brought her roses. My guess is yes. Or it’s part of his over-all smooth package.”

Drew’s stomach knotted.
Roses
. The man had brought her roses! Shit! Drew had
never
given a woman roses. In fact, he couldn’t even remember giving a woman any kind of romantic gift. Mr. Romantic he was not. “Did she seem to like the roses?” He was holding his breath, and wondering why this even mattered to him.

“
Her eyes lit up, if that’s what you mean. Even from where I was standing by the corral watching the little scene on her porch, I could see they pleased her.” He stopped to yell out something to another of the ranch hands. “Gotta go, buddy. That new mare is still giving us fits.”

Drew ended the call and frowned. His good mood had been shot to hell.

Tanya waited for Peter to finish his cell phone call and looked out the diner window, wishing she’d not agreed to eat here with him. When they’d first walked in, every eye in the place had seemed to zero in on them. Annie had raised an eyebrow so high it nearly reached her hairline when he led her to the far corner of the small restaurant. To the same booth she’d sat in only days ago with Drew. Although it was ridiculous, she felt like she was cheating on him somehow.

“
Oatmeal and fruit?” Annie asked, disapproval clear in her tone as she stopped next to the table.

“
Yes, and coffee, please,” Tanya said, as she faced the older woman. She smiled, but the genuine feeling behind it wasn’t there. She didn’t want to feel like she was being judged by everyone in the place, and she didn’t want to be here with Peter.

“
You, Sir?” Annie asked, annoyed that he continued ignoring both her and Tanya. She blew out a breath of irritation. “I’ll just bring him coffee. He can order later.” She walked off.

“
What’s her problem?” Peter questioned finally ending his call several seconds later.

She considered lecturing him on the rudeness of carrying on phone calls when you were supposed to be with someone. But that was his style of life, he’d never understand. And she could remember when it had been
her
style of life, too. So she just said, “I don’t think it would work, Peter.”

Instead of looking disappointed with her obvious decision about the proposed partnership, he flashed yet another of his well-practiced smiles. “Of course it would. We’d be a great team. You’re a rock steady performer. There’s no one in that office back in Sacramento who puts out half the work you do. And I’m a social beast, a client getter. It’s a perfect team.”

“
In your opinion, sure.” When he looked like she was changing her mind, she explained, “You’d be having all the fun wining and dining clients, making them promises of work we’d do for them. I’d be in the background slaving away to fulfill those promises. I see teams actually working
together
.” Like the way she worked with Drew. Especially these last few days when he’d actually sought out her opinion and they’d worked through some of the foundation’s problems together.

Peter waved to Annie and called out, “How about some coffee?”

She pursed her lips in his direction, annoyed because she was helping seat some new customers.

Tanya gave her an apologetic glance. “She’s busy, have a little patience.” When he looked ready to protest, she cut him off, “We really wouldn’t get along for more than a week or two. Trust me.”

“
I think you’re wrong. Besides, it wouldn’t be just the two of us.” His cell phone buzzed, and he automatically reached for it.

She snatched it away. “Whoever it is can call back.”

“
Don’t be silly. Give me the phone.” He was a handsome man, nowhere as handsome as Drew, but good-looking in a citified way. But not so much when he was angry. When Drew was angry, he still had a strong sensual appeal. Peter just looked like a pouting child.

Tanya slapped the phone into his palm and stood, grabbing her purse. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

He called out to her, but she walked away not even the least bit irritated when he gave up and took the phone call. She stopped next to Annie. “Charge him double for everything.”

Annie chuckled. “With pleasure.”

Tanya had no sooner set foot out of the diner than she remembered she’d driven into town with Peter. No way was she going back to ask him for a ride back to the ranch.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Drew pulled up in front of the diner. She was both relieved to see him and concerned. She’d witnessed his scowls before, but this was worse than ever. What was his problem now? Then he rolled down the passenger window and snapped, “Aren’t you supposed to be working for me today?”

Okay. He believed she should be back at the ranch working, which was actually true. But she’d planned to make up her time by working late. Plus, he wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.

“
Happy to see you, too,” she snapped right back. Why had she been looking forward to his return?

Peter chose that moment to walk out of the diner and stop next to her. She stiffened, even more when Peter touched her arm in a possessive manner.

Still watching Drew she saw his jaw harden and then his eyes narrowed. “You’re fired.” The window went back up and Drew tore out of the parking lot, gravel flying up behind him.

It took her a second to recover from the shock, the pain his announcement caused her. Then she rounded angrily on Peter. “Now see what you’ve done!
That
is
not
a man you want to upset. And he’s definitely upset with me now. Thanks soooo much.”

“
Don’t tell me you’re interested in that cowboy!” He shook his head and laughed. “Talk about impossible matches. The man is obviously all country, and you… you’re so not a cowgirl.” He laughed again.

“
I’m
not
interested in Drew Weatherford.” She shoved by him, heading back into the diner, seeing Annie standing just inside the doorway no doubt having witnessed it all. “Just go away. Go. Away.”

To her relief, he didn’t come after her. To her frustration, she felt tears trickling down her cheeks. And then Annie swept her warm, comforting arms around her, leading her to the kitchen and away from prying eyes.

“
Men are such jerks,” Tanya mumbled, embarrassed at not being able to stop the tears. She’d lied to Peter; she was all too interested in Drew Weatherford. But he was extremely mad at her at the moment, and it wasn’t even really her fault. Stupid Peter!

Annie patted her back. “Some are bigger jerks than others. Some dumber than doorknobs.”

“
H-he fired me.”

“
Didn’t mean it.” Annie gave her one last reassuring hug and stepped back. “That was ego talking. Jealous ego. You gonna let him get away with such nonsense?”

Chapter Six

A bear had a better temperament than Drew did the rest of the day. He knew it and his men had told him so several times before he’d finally left them to finish the chores and went to sulk in his house. His damn big, all too empty-feeling house. And what really knotted his shorts was that he had absolutely
no
time for worrying about some woman who didn’t even belong anywhere on his ranch or in his life. After two failed marriages, he’d thought he’d already given up on the idea of ever having a woman permanently around the ranch. So this whole missing Tanya was ridiculous.

Finally, after he’d been sitting at his desk for a couple of hours, attempting to do some foundation paperwork and trying desperately to ignore the scent of Tanya that lingered in the room, he glanced at the clock. After midnight. He should be in bed. His workday started at five in the morning. But he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight and he knew it. This whole thing was his sister’s fault.

He grabbed for the phone on the desk and dialed Mandy’s number. She was in New York City this week so it would be after two in the morning there. Tough! He let the line ring and ring and ring. When she eventually answered sleepily, he snapped, “Next time I see you I’m burning your butt so you won’t sit for a month, maybe longer.”

Obviously comfortable in the fact that she was half-way across the country away from him and safe, she said, “What did you do now to upset Tanya?”

“
I’m
the one who is upset,” he barked.

“
Earlier this evening I listened to my best friend for nearly two hours on the phone.
She
was upset! She switched back and forth from listing every irritating thing about you—and there were a lot of things—to sobbing her heart out.”

“
Shit.” He slumped in the desk chair and ran a hand through his hair. Mandy might as well have socked him in the gut. Tanya crying. He’d been in such a snit after seeing that slick city boy with his arm around Tanya that he’d blown her off in a snap decision—which he still stood behind—and he’d left her to make her own way back to the ranch. He’d happened to look out the office window and saw Annie bringing her home.
Not home
! Back to the ranch, he reminded himself.

Mandy broke into his troubled thoughts. “Tanya never would tell me exactly what happened. I just got pieces about that sleaze Peter Townsend having come to see her. Something about roses that she fed into the garbage disposal.” Mandy sucked in air before continuing. “Something about
you
firing her. And, oh yes, about her swearing off
all
men forever.”

In his state of weariness and confusion all Drew could come up with in response was, “But she liked those roses. Greg said so.”

Mandy snorted. “You are soooo dumb.” Then she hung up on him.

It took him a few seconds to realize he was listening to dead air. Stunned, he put the phone back in its cradle and just sat there shaking his head. What the hell had happened to his sane life? The peace? Okay, he didn’t have many peaceful moments in his life, especially now with all of the chaos involving the foundation business. Still…