Southern Spice (Southern Desires Series Book 1) (5 page)

It rang several times before someone picked up. “Good morning, it’s Casey Collins, from FEMA. May I please speak with the sheriff?”

“He’s on the road right now, ma’am, but if you hold a minute, I’ll try to patch you through.”

The line beeped several times before the transfer went through. “Sheriff Bullard here.”

“Good morning, Sheriff. It’s Casey Collins from FEMA. I’m the one staying at Mr. Nash’s ranch.”

“Yes, ma’am. I remember who you are. Don’t tell me Derrick has already kicked you out.”

Not yet, but that might be coming shortly.
“No, not at all. I was hoping you could do me a favor. Since I am unable to go into town with my injured leg and lack of transportation, I was hoping you could spread the word to everyone who might be without electricity today that I’m sitting here in this nice cool, comfortable house and would love to spend the day answering any questions they might have.”

There was a brief pause before he continued. “Derrick Nash agreed to this?”

Casey cleared her throat. “He agreed I could stay here for a week. I can only assume that meant for me to continue my work as well. Which of course would mean having people from town come to see me here.”

Jack laughed. “You so ain’t from these parts are you, girl?”

Casey knew it was a statement, not a question, as her accent was far from Texan. She held her head up high even though he couldn’t see her. “No, sir. But I plan on doing everything I can to help Honeywell.”
Within my power, of course.

“If you think the damage from the tornado is bad, wait till Derrick finds out you just invited the town to the ranch. He is a man who likes his privacy. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Not really, but how bad can he be?
“I do. And one more favor if you don’t mind.”

“I’m afraid to ask. What else can I do for you, ma’am?”

“Can you put me in contact with someone who can do a bit of grocery shopping for me? I want to make sure there is food for anyone who decides to show up.”

Jack replied. “Yep, you ain’t from here. We got lucky. The store in town wasn’t affected by the tornado, so food is a commodity we have plenty of. But folks here ain’t gonna show up empty-handed. No matter how rough times get, you get invited somewhere, you bring food.”

Hanging up the phone, she debated hopping back to the couch to rest her leg or freshening up with a shower.
The folks will probably appreciate me showering so much more.

Casey limped her way to the bathroom she had used the night before. When she entered she saw a clean T-shirt and pair of folded jeans on the counter.
Why didn’t he tell me? Being nice is normally considered a good thing
.

A smile crossed her face; Mr. Nash might try to be a tyrant, but there was something good inside him, begging to come out.
Maybe if I’m here long enough, I’ll get to see what that is.

She quickly went back and grabbed her undergarments, which were still rolled up in a ball in the other room with her other clothes. Pulling out her panties and bra she went back to the bathroom and washed them out in the sink the best she could.

Searching in the cupboard she found a hair dryer and began to dry them. It was going to feel good not going commando today.
Not the ideal first impression I wanted to give the people from Honeywell.

Once she was showered and dressed she hobbled back to the couch to rest her leg while she could. Once people arrived, she might not get another opportunity until they left. Closing her eyes she thought about what Sheriff Bullard said. The town may have been hit with a natural disaster, but it sounded like their spirit wasn’t broken by any means. She was here to help, but when people came together and took care of each other, especially in times like this, she knew they would be okay no matter what.
I haven’t met them, but I like them already.

“D
errick, why don’t you go back to New York and let us do the job you pay us to do?” McLean asked.

“Is there a reason why you don’t want me here?” Derrick asked.

McLean laughed. “A list of them but none you want to hear.”

Texas might be Derrick’s home, but he was far from a cowboy. One thing he knew was how to choose the right person to do the job. He had hit his mark when he’d hired McLean as his foreman. When it came to the ranch, McLean didn’t care who you were; he said it as it was.

“Any damage from the storm last night?”

“Some fencing came down on the east side. Got men repairing it now. Know anything about the truck in the ravine?”

More than I want to.
“It belongs to the person from FEMA.”

“FEMA. Good. The folks here need their help. But you don’t, so what were they doing on your ranch?”

“Wrong turn,” Derrick replied.

“I saw the sheriff heading for the house earlier. Must have come by to pick up the guy,” Mclean stated.

“They need the rep to stay on the ranch for a week since the hotel in town is filled already.”

McLean shrugged. “No problem. I know how you like your privacy. We have an extra room. Send him over.”

If it only was that easy.
“Can’t do that.”

“Why? He don’t like the smell of horses?” McLean joked.

“No. He is a she,” Derrick said flatly.

McLean was laughing so hard Derrick thought he would fall off his damn horse.

“Something funny in that?” he barked.

“Nope. But that explains what you’re doing out here with me. Don’t even need to ask if she’s pretty,” McLean teased. “I might just need to stop at the house to ask something. Don’t know what, but I’ll come up with something real good.”

“Don’t pretend to be incompetent, McLean. I might just believe you and find a replacement,” Derrick warned as he turned his horse and headed back to the house.

If McLean showed up at the house to check out Casey, they were going to have words. He didn’t care what his employees did on their own time, but he wasn’t going to tolerate a bunch of guys panting around her at his house.

This was just another reason why she shouldn’t be on the ranch. A woman alone with all these men was only asking for trouble. Now he not only needed to provide a roof over her head for a week, but he also needed to keep her safe. They were good guys, but they had their wild side, and one look at her and he knew they’d lose their minds.

Who wouldn’t? She was beautiful.
Derrick rode his horse hard as to not let his own frustration build. It had been a long time since he’d felt anything, never mind the need for anyone. The life he had known—
and wanted
—had been ripped from him. There had been opportunities to move on, start again, but he had chosen to be alone. No matter how attracted he was, he was
not
going to do anything about it. She was here for a week, and that was all. Then he could go back to living his life the way he liked it.
Alone.

As he came up over the hill, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. It was odd enough to have Jack stop by, but there must have been twenty vehicles parked in front of his house.
What the hell is going on here? Can’t anyone read the damn “No Trespassing” sign?

The last thing he wanted was more people invading his privacy. He was tempted to turn his horse and head back out with McLean, but he needed to know
why
they were there. He hadn’t invited them, and everyone should know after all these years he didn’t want them there either. They were here to see him.
Why now?

Oh, hell no.

Only one thing had changed on the ranch in the last twenty-four hours. Surely one pint-sized woman couldn’t have managed this within a few hours. There was only one way to get the answer, and that was go inside and find out for himself.

He normally would have taken the time to unsaddle Spirit and put him in the barn. Instead, he hopped off and tied him to the post by the porch. What he needed to say wasn’t going to take long, and he didn’t plan on standing around watching them all leave either.
She
invited them here;
she
can see them out.

He vividly remembered the last time he’d been this angry. After Penny and Kim were killed, a business acquaintance had the gall to say during a meeting, “Some things are out of your control, and you just have to accept them.” Derrick had reacted wildly that day. All he had been able to hear was his colleague yelling at him to stop. Some of the men around the table had pulled at his arms, trying to hold him back. There had only been one thought in his mind as his fist came in contact with the man’s jaw several times.
Shut his mouth forever.

If they had been in the US during that meeting, Derrick would have been charged with assault. Fortunately, not all countries view such behavior as a crime, and since they were both US citizens, they hadn’t cared if they’d killed each other.

That day unleashed a side of him that had always hovered below the surface. It was one he’d kept in check as a family man, but with them gone, it hadn’t taken much for him to lose his temper. The last few years he seemed to have it back under control. He was no fool. Derrick had made it a point to stay as far away from people as he could, at least when it came to dealing with them on a personal level. If he was correct in his assumption, what Casey had done was going to make that impossible, and whatever happened next was going to be her responsibility.

A large part of him said stop, turn around, and go blow off steam somewhere else. But he wasn’t one to sit back and let anyone pull control out from beneath him.
Not even if you are sexy as hell. This is my ranch, my rules.

Storming up the steps, he practically ripped the front door off its hinges as he swung it open. Even though the cool air conditioning felt refreshing after being out in such unbearable heat, it wasn’t going to stop him from giving her a piece of his mind. Derrick had agreed to let her stay for a week, but she had no right to extend that offer to anyone else. This was his property, and he decided who was allowed on it.
And right now I don’t even want her here.

Although the house seemed to be overflowing with people from town, no one even turned to acknowledge his entrance. That probably was a good thing, or they might all have hightailed it out of there in a hurry. Instead, they were focused on the only voice in the room.

Casey, being so short, stood on the staircase so everyone could see her as she spoke. Her voice stood out. Not only because of the sweet tone, but her accent was cute as hell. He listened for a moment, and she rattled off information in a professional business manner. He was impressed, yet there was something else he heard when she spoke. Nothing like he was used to hearing in his meetings. What was it?
Compassion?

No. I’ve dealt with FEMA before. People are just a case number, nothing more.

His initial reaction faded away as he closed the door and began listening to what she was telling them. Derrick was far from happy with her, but watching her in action had a strange calming effect on him.
What the hell are you doing to me?

The first time he dealt with FEMA was in a meeting hall to hear all about forms and procedures, much like Casey was talking about now. This discussion seemed to hold something different. Maybe it was because he wasn’t personally involved. The tornado had hit part of Honeywell and several other ranches, yet his had remained untouched. Even with that major difference, this didn’t sound anything like the discussion he had attended years ago. Casey was giving information but not as though she had rehearsed it a million times over. Was it possible she was new? Even her face changed, her eyes became expressive as she talked about the entire process. She laid it out in a realistic manner as though speaking to friends, not complete strangers. This wasn’t what he expected from a seasoned representative.
You’re not sugarcoating their loss with promises you know very well the agency won’t keep. Darlin’, where were you five years ago when I needed you?

That thought snapped him right back to reality. She wasn’t here as a friend
or
a volunteer. Casey Collins was being paid to do a job. That’s all. No matter how sweetly she smiled or acted, it was a job. Derrick had to give her credit, she was better at selling the bullshit line than her coworkers had been.
That just makes you more dangerous, Casey. And these people haven’t got a clue, do they?

Derrick found himself exactly where he didn’t want to be: between caring and not. Being indecisive was worse than making a decision. It was a sign of weakness, and he was known for being anything but weak.

There was only one place he wanted to be right now, and it wasn’t Texas. In the last five years, he’d only come to tend to an issue. Seeing the second tornado had missed his property entirely he should already be on a plane heading back to New York. But with what he just witnessed, there was no way he could even think about leaving Casey alone here. If he did, she would probably open up the place to the public and start running it like it was a bed and breakfast.

His stomach rumbled from the aroma coming from the long buffet-style table set up. It appeared to have enough food to feed everyone for days.
Typical Texans. No power outage was going to stop them from preparing a shitload of food.
Derrick shot Casey a warning look over the crowd.
They better be gone when I get back.

Their eyes met briefly, but he could tell by her expression she got the message. He could only hope she’d heed the warning or there’d be hell to pay when he got back. Placing his hat on his head, he opened the door and left the townsfolk to make up their own minds. What they chose to do had nothing to do with him. His only tie to Texas was this ranch. If he could, he would leave and never return. Standing on the porch, he looked to the hill on the far right. On a clear day like today, he could see the two crosses under the jacaranda tree. It was just starting to bloom, and the purple flowers seemed to glow. It never flowered till spring, but with the drastic climate change, even the plants were confused and blooming early. The last few years he had missed it all together. He remembered the day Penny had fallen in love with the tree when they’d traveled to Jamaica on spring break together. As soon as they had returned, he had ordered one to be delivered to her.

That had been their first year of college. How could all that time have gone by so quickly? Why, then, did the last five feel like one hundred?

Derrick climbed back up on Spirit. Before he nudged him back to work, he turned one last time to the direction of that hill and tipped his hat. Since their deaths, this was still as close as he could bring himself to going there. It was all too final if he did.
It’s a brutal reminder of why I’m alone.

When Casey saw Derrick enter the house, she had prepared herself for the reprimand that should have accompanied the look on his face. Mad was an understatement. The man was pissed off, and daggers had flown from his eyes in her direction.

But instead of voicing his opposition, he’d simply stood there without uttering a word. She barely knew the man, but from the brief time they’d been together, he’d had no problem voicing whatever came to mind. So, what was it about this situation that caused him to clam up? Sheriff Bullard had warned her he’d be furious, and his wrath wasn’t something to take lightly. Could he have seen how desperate many people from town were and decided she was doing the right thing?
That would be an ordinary reaction and you, Derrick Nash, appear to be anything but ordinary.

With everyone gone, she still couldn’t shake the feelings he evoked. His presence couldn’t go unnoticed. He was powerful and arrogant, two things she hated in a man, but somehow, on him, they were sexy as hell. Derrick didn’t make her tremble in fright, but trembling she was.
Maybe it’s this southern heat that has me burning up. Surely it’s not desire . . . I hardly know him.

What she needed was a cold shower, but first Casey needed to put Derrick’s home back in order. She knew she’d overstepped her authority by inviting everyone here. What else could she do? The day was stiflingly hot, how could she enjoy the AC knowing they were not?
It’s not how I do things.