So Right With You (4 page)

She would need the running shoes for moving day. She hated to put the boots back, but she was trying to be practical. She touched them one last time and released a sigh before she let the clerk take them.

It was already going to take her a long time to pay this much back.

Spotting Garrett sitting in one of the paisley-print armchairs, his long legs stretched out in front of him and his eyes closed, Chloe headed over to him. He should look out of place surrounded by all this femininity, but somehow he looked more masculine and surprisingly comfortable. She wondered if he had fallen asleep. The man was truly a glorious specimen of all that was fine with the male physique. “Garrett,” she said timidly.

*~*

Stretching, he opened his eyes and looked at her. “Oh, I forgot how long it takes women to shop. You’re finished? But you forgot something.”

“What else could I possibly need?” She looked flustered.

Garrett pointed at the selection of intimate apparel. “I think you’ll need something to wear underneath unless you’re planning on going commando, which might prove interesting.” He smiled at her wickedly, causing color to rush to her face. “Don’t forget something to sleep in. I’m kind of partial to that one.” He pointed to a sheer pink nightie. He rose and headed for the cashier.

“Yeah, dream on,” she said as she veered toward the printed flannel pj’s with cartoon characters on them. “Somehow, I thought you might say that.” When he reached the counter, he turned back to watch her. She, of course, chose a nightie with Betty Boop on it.

“It figures. Such a tease.”

Next, she started to pick her undergarments. He was pleased to see she wasn’t as practical with those choices, not that he would ever see them up close and personal or anything.

Turning back to the cashier, he pulled out his wallet to remove his credit card. “It’s nice to see you shopping with your wife. My husband Phil hates shopping with me. He’d rather have teeth pulled than be caught in a place like this,” the clerk remarked.

He smiled but didn’t correct her. The clerk was dark haired with a hint of gray. She was probably in her mid-fifties. With her conservative gray dress and the pinched look on her face, she looked like the type who would frown upon two people living together or a boss buying personal gifts for his employee, especially if the employee was a female. He didn’t think Chloe would appreciate the salesclerk thinking something more personal was going on between them.

Looking for the woman’s name tag, he said, “Karen, I think she wanted those black boots but she won’t tell me. Says I spend too much on her as it is. Could you please put them aside so I can come back for them later? Tomorrow, if that’s all right?” Through shuttered lids, he had seen Chloe’s wistful look before she let the clerk cart them away.

The clerk smiled at him, happy to be part of the conspiracy. “Sure thing. That’s so nice of you.” She looked beyond him, indicating Chloe was approaching.

Chloe put her choices on the counter with the rest of her things. He noted she had included thigh-high stockings and a couple of pairs of socks. He liked the thigh-highs. Reaching over, he attempted to touch a pair of silky black boy-cut underwear. Chloe naturally slapped his hand away.

“Okay, I think that’s everything I need.”

The clerk smiled at her and said, “I was just telling your husband how nice it is that he shops with you.”

“Oh, he’s not my husband,” she said distractedly, as she busily tried to readjust a few items to keep them from sliding off the counter.

“I’m sorry. I thought…,” she said. “Boyfriend, then?” the clerk asked, her curiosity now aroused.

“No, he’s helping me out. He’s my boss.”

The clerk gave her a funny look. So much for thinking of her reputation; he was pretty sure the clerk had just leaped to the wrong conclusion.

The clerk was now giving him a different kind of look, too, one that said he wasn’t fit to be the scum on the bottom of her shoes.

“If I could have your credit card,” the clerk said stiffly. He handed her his card. She looked at the name. “Oh, Mr. Nolan. I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you.”

Practically everybody in the Houston area and beyond knew of Nolan Enterprises. She started to warm up to him again. However, she still gave Chloe a questioning look.

This whole keeping it a secret thing might be harder than he thought. Blocking Chloe’s view of the receipt, Garrett signed it. When the clerk gave him his copy, he quickly inserted both the receipt and his credit card into his wallet. He didn’t want Chloe to see the amount.

Picking up her merchandise, he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, “Come on, Madame Chloe. Let’s go.”

As Chloe was leaving the store, she noticed a discreet sign that read “No Returns.” She knew why that was there. It would be too tempting for a woman to wear an item once and then return it.

When they were back on the street, Garrett turned to her and asked, “Did you have to tell her I was your boss? That woman now thinks you’re some kind of gold digger, and I’m your sleazy boss who’s sleeping with you.”

“Why would she think that?” she asked, outraged.

“Perhaps because there
are
sleazy bosses who buy gifts for their gold-digging secretaries with whom they’re sleeping,” he said.

Chloe looked miffed. “Not everybody is like that. I told you I would pay you back.”

“I know, but not everybody thinks like you.”

Chloe waited on the sidewalk while Garrett opened the hatch and stashed her purchases. Shutting it, he walked over to her and opened the passenger door. She climbed in to sit. He closed the door, making sure her dress was out of the way. When he was inside the vehicle, Chloe asked the very question he had been hoping to avoid.

“Can I see the receipt?”

“Now, Red, I told you I’d take care of it.”

“And I told you I couldn’t let you do that. Give me the receipt,” she said, not giving an inch.

“Darlin’, don’t worry your pretty little head. It’s no big deal.”

“Garrett, cut the bull.”

“You know you really don’t want to see it. You have enough on your plate without worrying about that little bill.”

“Give me the receipt. I need to know how much I owe you.”

“All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He pulled out his wallet and removed the receipt. He hesitated before handing it to her.

She looked at it. She took a second glance as if her eyes had deceived her. “It can’t be that much. It has to be a mistake, right?” She looked to him for reassurance.

He flinched. He wasn’t sure if she was going to hit him or start crying. He felt like an ass. Glancing over, he saw her skin turn ashen and her eyes moisten, but she sucked it in and somehow didn’t cry. It made him feel worse.

“Ah, honey, just let me pay for it. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“No!”

It was the loudest silence he had ever experienced in his life as he drove to the next stop. At first, he tried to reason with her to let him pay for the clothes. She didn’t say a word. It made him nervous. He began to wonder if having her stay with him was such a good idea. He knew he was being ridiculous, but the thought still crossed his mind. She wouldn’t kill him in his sleep, would she? He glanced over at her. She stared straight ahead.

*~*

When Garrett pulled up to the shopping center, she finally spoke, slowly enunciating each word. “Garrett Nolan, I have more than enough clothes. Please tell me that’s not why we’re here. I can’t afford another shopping spree, probably ever again.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Please let me pay for it.”

“Nope! It was my mistake. I should have known better.”

“I’m an idiot.”

“You’ll get no argument here.”

Garrett jumped out and walked around to open her door. “I promise we’re not here to buy anything else. I need to get something done. Please, get out of the car. They’re going to close any minute. We’re going to have to hustle if we’re going to make it. It’s already five minutes to five, and the place closes at five.”

Curiosity was the only reason she got out of the SUV. She wanted to know what he was up to now. Of course, she reminded herself, curiosity did kill the rat—or was it the cat? It didn’t matter. She was going to make Garrett wish he were dead if he pulled anything else.

Once she was out, he grabbed her hand to pull her after him. With her shorter stature, she had to practically run in her heels to keep up. She collided with him when he suddenly stopped by one of the store fronts. She looked up to see the sign that read Lloyd’s Locks.

“Damn,” he said when he saw a man was already pulling down the security gate to the store. “Hey, mister, can we get keys made?”

The gray-haired man turned and rose slowly from his stooped position. He nodded. “Another minute and you would have missed me. This is your lucky day.” The man’s body trembled as he moved. He was obviously afflicted with Parkinson’s or some other kind of neurological disorder. The man reached down again to lift the gate up.

Garrett automatically reached to help. “Thanks, I really appreciate this.” Once inside, he took out his key ring and removed his two house keys, handing them to the locksmith.

“It’s going to take a minute to get the machine warmed up.” He hit the switch. “You two getting married or something?”

“Something like that,” Garrett answered.

“That’s good. Congratulations. I don’t get these people who go around cohabitating. Now, you take me and my Noreen. Been together going on, let me see, forty-six years last July. We have five kids, fifteen grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and there’s another great on the way. Some people don’t take their vows seriously. You know, for better or for worse and all that. They want everything to be easy. Nothing worth it in this world comes easy. You have to work at it. Oh, lookie there. I think it’s warm enough. We’ll have you on your way in a jiffy.” The man looked at Chloe and asked, “You two planning on having kids?”

She nodded, not about to disillusion the man.

“Good. That’s what life is all about. Family.”

They watched in amazement at the precision the locksmith was able to exhibit while making both keys. When he finished, the man examined his handiwork before handing both keys to Garrett. “Here you go.”

“Let me have your key ring, Chloe, so I can put these on for you,” Garrett said, turning toward her. She reached into her purse and extracted her keys. As she handed them to him, she felt a spark where their fingers met. She gazed into Garrett’s eyes and saw he was experiencing it, too.

Garrett easily attached both keys. “Here,” he said gruffly.

The locksmith said, “I think you two should exchange a kiss to celebrate.”

It was the moment of truth. They could laugh it off or admit to the elderly man they hadn’t exactly been honest with him. After all, they’d never see him again. She was surprised when Garrett turned to her and winked.

Oh, my God. He’s going to do it.

A sudden heat engulfed her at the thought. She was about to find out what it would be like to be kissed by Garrett. Her breath caught nervously as she looked at him. Their eyes met and held. He bent toward her. His gaze was too intense, and she closed her eyes. He inched closer and she felt his warm breath. Her skin tingled where he placed his hand on her arm. His lips made contact with her forehead. He had given her a platonic kiss.

Her eyes shot open. She gazed into his beaming face. Of course, he would do that. Chloe blushed. Had she really thought he meant to kiss her? He released her arm. She exhaled and turned to examine a display of key chains, embarrassed by her reaction.

Garrett glanced at her before turning to pay the man.

The locksmith said, “I have a good feeling about you two.” He glanced at the clock. “Time to go. Tonight’s Tuesday, meatloaf night.”

Garrett and Chloe smiled at the man. Garrett could see Chloe was forcing hers. Damn. He had to fix this. Working and now living with Chloe would be impossible if there was tension between them.

They followed the locksmith out. Garrett once again helped with the gate. Garrett thanked the man and said good-bye. During the exchange, Chloe remained silent. Together, they watched the old man walk away.

Garrett rubbed the nape of his neck and let out a breath. “I hope you were okay with what happened. I couldn’t help indulging the man.” He smiled a half smile.

Plus, he had to admit that he had wanted to. There was something about the look on Chloe’s face in that moment that drew him. At the last second, he’d changed his mind and kissed her on the forehead. He now wondered if he had made a mistake in kissing her at all. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it. I’m fine.” She stared at the ground.

“Chloe, please look at me.”

She raised her head and saw that his expression was serious. “I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. I just thought it would be harmless, maybe even a little fun. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry. About the boutique, I was really just trying to do something nice for you.”

“I know.”

“Can’t you just let me pay for it?” His eyes pleaded with her to give in.

“I’m sorry. It wouldn’t feel right. It may take me some time, but I plan to pay you back.”

“Okay. Are we still all right?”

“Yes. We’re still all right.” Chloe nudged him with her shoulder and he nudged her back. Things were right back on track, friends like always, or were they? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something had changed between the two of them.

It was nearly seven. Chloe was in her car, following Garrett’s SUV to his house. They had left the Houston area approximately thirty minutes ago. After retrieving her car and her laptop from the office, they had stopped at a grocery store to pick up a toothbrush and other necessary hygiene products for her. They had also bought some groceries to tide them over for the next few days.

They were now in the community of Millstone, Texas, home of 1,569 people. She had read the sign when they first entered the town.

As they drove past gated mansions, she figured they would be stopping soon, but Garrett continued on. The terrain became rural. They were now passing open pastures. She was glad she had almost a full tank of gas. Garrett had made sure of it before they had left. He had also bought a gallon of water in case her car overheated. One could never be too careful in dry territory. She wondered how much farther away their final destination was.

At last, he turned onto a narrow road with a wooden arch marking the entrance. The arch read “Rainbow Star Ranch.” The name seemed familiar. Garrett must have pushed a remote in his car, because the metal gate blocking the entrance swung open.

She’d never imagined him living on a ranch. She was aware of the high-rise penthouse apartment he kept in downtown Houston. Somehow she had envisioned him as more of an urban playboy. The whole cowboy scene didn’t seem to fit him. When he’d mentioned the house, she’d assumed it was like one of the mansions they had passed earlier.

His SUV came to a stop in front of a large but modest ranch-style house. She parked next to him. He exited his vehicle, headed toward hers, and opened her door. “Welcome to Rainbow Star Ranch. I take it from your expression this is not what you were expecting.”

“Not exactly. I suppose those times you said you weren’t to be reached because you were going fishing, you really were?”

He tilted his head and frowned at her, confused. “Yeah.”

“Oh.” She felt stupid. She had always thought he was off with one of his current girlfriends.

“I inherited the ranch from my grandparents. I like it. It’s always been home to me.” Opening her car door, he said, “Come on. I’ll show you around.” He reached for her hand.

“Okay.” The man continued to confound her. He was such a mixture of contradictions. That was for sure. Putting her hand in his, she again experienced a heightened sense of awareness. He enclosed her hand tighter in his to assist her out of her car. His hand felt warm and slightly callused. Looking at him, she found him watching her. He grinned at her widely, breaking the spell.

“I hope you’re not allergic to animals. I guess I should have asked you that before bringing you all the way out here. Lack of foresight on my part if you are.” He looked amused at his own expense as he swung her car door closed.

“No. I actually like animals very much. My family grew up with quite a menagerie of pets. My younger brothers once brought home a field mouse. I think that was the only time my mother put her foot down. She was afraid it might have rabies or something.” She smiled at the memory.

“Good. I promise you all I have are a couple of rescue cats and an old golden retriever mix who share the residence with me. Can’t guarantee you won’t find any mice in the barn, though the cats generally keep them away. You’ll probably not even see the cats tonight. They still tend to be skittish around strangers. So, are you ready?”

He kept a grip on her hand and led her to the front porch. It held two black rockers, sitting side by side with a green mosaic tiled table in between. She noticed a book turned upside down on the table. From the cover, she judged it to be some sort of thriller. Garrett must have left it there the last time he was out here. There was a rocker swing for two in the corner. It made a welcome-home scene perfect for anyone lucky enough to live here.

Noticing her looking at the table with the book, he responded, “I’ve been searching for it everywhere. I forgot I brought it out here.” He dropped her hand to pick it up. He opened the door and hit a light switch, bathing the room in a warm, yellow light.

“Come on in,” he added, indicating with his free hand for her to precede him. The entryway was small but homey with a console and mirror on one wall. She noticed a room off to the side that was in complete darkness. She guessed it was the parlor.

“Patches, where are you? Come welcome our new guest.”

“Oh, here he comes,” she said, spotting the reddish-tan dog turning the corner. She dropped to her knees to pet him. Patches wasn’t exactly a purebred but more of a mix of golden and possibly Labrador retriever, judging from his snout; basically, a mutt.

The dog was well trained. It greeted its master first. He looked from Garrett back to Chloe for permission. When Garrett said, “Go ahead, boy,” Patches went over and put his head under her hand to be petted.

“He’s beautiful,” she said enthusiastically.

It was an overstatement. Patches was many things, but beautiful was not one of them. His hair grew unevenly in what could be described as patches. He had one brown eye and one blue.

“Is he blind in the one eye?”

“Yes, it happened about two years ago. He got cataracts. We were able to save one but not the other.”

“It’s okay. You’re still handsome.” She dropped her head to the top of the dog’s head. Patches took the opportunity to swipe her face with his large, flat tongue. Chloe laughed.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been around a dog. I think he could use a mint.”

“Okay, Patches. That’s enough. Be a good boy. Sit,” Garrett ordered firmly, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. The dog sat immediately. “How about we bring in your stuff, get you settled, and then have a late dinner? I can grill a couple of steaks and make a salad if you want.”

“That’s fine. Except, I’m supposed to start cooking for you,” she reminded him.

“Let’s agree that for tonight, you’re my guest. Tomorrow’s soon enough. By the way, I’m kind of partial to fried chicken and chocolate cake if you’re taking any suggestions. So how about it, you up to a steak and some salad? Let’s say in forty-five minutes. It might give you enough time to take a shower and change your clothes into something more comfortable.”

That sounded good to her. She could definitely do with some freshening up. “Okay, but I think I’ll pass on the steak.”

“Suit yourself, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I know, but I ate so much at Rosie’s, I don’t think I could eat more.”

Garrett went out to the SUV to get their purchases. Then he showed her a room done in periwinkle blue. He hung her new clothes in the closet but left the rest on the dresser for her to take care of herself. While he was helping, she took note of the intricately designed brass bed with the cobalt-blue patchwork quilt on it. Focusing on the quilt rather than the bed, she commented, “The quilt is beautiful. Did your grandmother make it?”

His eyes shifted to the comforter. “My grandmother did many of the quilts and needlepoint pieces you’ll see around. She also liked to dabble in oil-based paintings. Many of the framed pictures you see were done by her. That must be where I get some of my talent.”

She thought about the cartoon figure he had done that day of Trevor and smiled. “Must be.”

“The bathroom is through that door. You’re lucky. I had the place remodeled to include its own bath. Most of these old farmhouses don’t have that luxury. There are towels in the linen closet. You’ll also find clean sheets there for the bed.” He indicated an antique chest. “I guess that’s it. I’ll leave you to it unless you’d like help…” She thought he was going to say making the bed. He surprised her. “…scrubbing your back,” he teased.

“Get.” She pointed to the exit. She knew he was teasing as he grinned from ear to ear.

He responded, “Now, Red, you are really hard on a man’s ego.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that. You seem to have plenty left.”

“Well.” He leaned against the doorjamb. “I think I’ll jump in the shower myself before fixing dinner. I’m down the hall at the other end if you need something.”

She smiled and closed the door in his face.

Once the door shut, she leaned against it for a moment. Although the kiss had been innocent, it had rattled her. Today, he had crossed into teasing in a sexual manner. Before, it had always been just friendly joking. Now, it seemed like something more.

Garrett was her only true male friend and her boss. She didn’t want to confuse things by taking it to another level. But her reaction to him today could be a problem. For a moment at the locksmith’s shop, she actually wanted him to kiss her. That was not good.

Wiping her sweaty palms down the side of her skirt, she blew out a cleansing breath. The last thing she needed was to muddy the waters between her and Garrett. She had enough to deal with, getting her life back on track. Finding herself attracted to her boss could definitely screw things up.

*~*

Leaning against the door, Garrett shook his head and smiled. Only Red seemed to be immune to his teasing, which made her so much more fun to tease. He wanted to see how far he could push her. He had to admit kissing her earlier today had made him curious, but he would never do anything to jeopardize their friendship, much less their working relationship.

Shifting away from the door, he headed down the hall for the shower.

*~*

Chloe walked over to the window to look at the view. Making out the barn, she wondered if the ranch was fully operational. She wanted to do some exploring when there was more time.

She let the curtain fall back and crossed over to the closet to get clean clothes. She placed the jeans and pink T-shirt Garrett had bought her on the bed. She also set out a pair of pink cotton panties and matching silk bra. Going into the bathroom, she found it was compact but more than adequate. There was a shower-tub combo, a pedestal sink, and a commode. Pulling back the shower curtain, she found it did indeed have a Jacuzzi tub. It just happened to be the smallest one she had ever seen. Leave it to Garrett.

She turned on the water to warm the jets spray, dropped the navy dress and her undergarments to the floor, and climbed into the shower.

Within thirty minutes, she was showered and dressed. She had hoped to find a blow-dryer for her hair, but alas, Garrett hadn’t thought of everything. She knew that without it her hair would dry curly and frizzy.

Perhaps Garrett had one in his room. She would have to ask him. She put on a little bit of foundation, lip gloss, and her glasses, and was ready to go. She decided to go barefoot. The hardwood floors felt surprisingly warm beneath her feet.

Chloe could hear country music coming from downstairs. Garrett had turned on the stereo. She recognized a favorite group. She followed the sound until she came to a cozy family room with a large farm kitchen off of it. The kitchen contained every imaginable modern convenience, including an indoor grill. Garrett stood comfortably in the center, manning the grill while cutting vegetables for their salads with Patches at his feet.

He had changed out of his suit and now wore faded jeans and a gray T-shirt that matched his eyes. He was also barefoot. Water glistened on the ends of his hair, indicating he had taken a shower. He was breathtaking.

He must have sensed her presence because he looked up and smiled. Reaching for the remote to turn down the surround-sound stereo, he said, “I see I forgot to provide you with a blow-dryer. I have one in my room. I’ll get it for you after dinner. Can you set the table? Everything you need is in the buffet. We should be able to eat in about ten minutes.”

“Ah, sure!” How did he manage to do that? With one look, he had reduced her to a fumbling ball of nerves. He, on the other hand, seemed to be in complete control. Somehow it didn’t seem fair. “When you finish, why don’t you sit at the counter and keep me company until the food’s ready? By the way, I like your toes.”

Chloe saw he was looking at her polished toenails. Each nail was painted cherry red and had a mini candy-cane decal on it. “Thanks. Ree did them for me for the holiday season.”

She pulled out place settings for two. As she approached the table, two golden orbs glowed at her from one of the chairs underneath it. When she got closer, she saw it was a yellow tabby. It was probably one of the cats Garrett had mentioned.

“Hi, baby, what’s your name?” The cat stared at her a moment before jumping off the chair to scurry away.

“Oh, I see you found Ginger. Sorry. I got her a few months ago from a rescue shelter. She’s still not used to other people. She is starting to come to me and let me pet her. It’ll take time, but she’ll come around to you, too. Marianne is around here somewhere. She’s friendlier.”

Chloe smiled. It amused her that he had named the cats after characters from
Gilligan’s Island
. “It’s nice that you took them in.”

“There are a lot of animals in need of a good home. I figured with the ranch here, I should do my part.”

Having set the table, she sat at the counter and watched him finish dinner preparations.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked. She noticed he had pulled out two crystal wineglasses and a bottle of zinfandel.

“Sure.” It might help settle her nerves. This was beginning to feel a little too cozy, like a real first date. It would be best if she kept in mind that he was her boss and this was temporary.

He poured them each a glass and passed her one. Their fingers met as he did. Glancing up, she found him watching her. She looked away. “Thanks.”

“I know this is hard for you, but try to relax. Think of me as an older brother or something.”

Like that was going to happen. “You have a very nice place here. Is it a working ranch?” she asked, effectively changing the subject.

“Yes, but not all of it. A few years ago, I decided to turn part of it over to help children and their families deal with the hardship of having a special-needs child or one who is sick. We often work closely with the Dreams Made Possible Foundation. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of the Rainbow Star Ranch before.”