Thoroughbreds and Trailer Trash (11 page)

Dammit. Burke Industries didn’t tolerate sexual harassment.

He charged from his office, not even bothering to lock the door. Strode down the long aisle, around the corner and rammed open the heavy door.
Bump
.

Hot liquid splashed his fingers. “Damn!” It hurt like hell and he swore again, watching uncomprehendingly as Jenna’s blue eyes darkened with pain, then lowered to stare at her arm, now soaked with scalding liquid.

Aw, shit
. He scooped her up and rushed to the bathroom. A nameless girl leaned against the sink, carefully applying mascara. “Out,” he snapped. Leaned past and jerked on the tap, tugging Jenna’s arm beneath a cold spray of water. She whimpered, struggled for a second but soon stopped resisting.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured, pressing his face against her hair, trying to absorb her trembles. “Don’t move. Ten minutes and then we’ll see, okay?”

Her face was pale in the mirror, her teeth gritted. He clamped his eyes shut, overwhelmed with regret. “I’m so sorry, Jenna,” he repeated, keeping his arms wrapped around her.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

But he knew it was, knew he wouldn’t have reacted like that for anyone else. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, staring at her arm, trying to assess the burn through the flowing water. Christ, his skin hurt and only a few drops had reached him. That idiot must have had boiling water in his thermos. And lemons? He remembered seeing a wizened slice of lemon on the ground at her feet.

She shifted and he loosened his hold, surprised at her tiny wrists. She acted so tough, so confident, had sauntered up the walkway like she owned it and now she was fighting not to cry. Fresh remorse tore at his gut.

The door opened and the receptionist stuck a cautious head in. “Anything I can do?”

“Grab our first aid kit,” he said. “I’m taking her to the hospital.”

She nodded and the door swung shut. He moved his hand over Jenna’s elbow, tilting her arm. “We better get that ring off, in case there’s swelling.” He managed to turn her hand, saw the reddened skin on the inside of her fingers and paused. “Maybe they should take it off at the hospital.”

“No.” She jerked in protest. “They’ll cut it off. And it was my mom’s.”

He gulped, studying her skin beneath the flowing water. The inside of her hand and fingers were damaged along with her wrist. Pulling off the ring would hurt like hell. No way could he inflict that kind of pain.

“Please.” Her eyes gripped his through the mirror and he saw the shimmer of tears, recognized their stark plea. “Please, Burke. Just pull it off.”

He swallowed again. “Shut your eyes,” he said gruffly. He reached for her hand, not wanting to see her expression. The ring twisted beneath his fingers and he tugged, felt her wince and paused.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Not bad at all.”

But she squeezed his arm with her left hand, her grip tightening as he worked the ring over her damaged skin. Round and round he tugged, seemed an endless number of times until finally it passed over her knuckle. He checked her pinched face in the mirror, but her eyes remained tightly closed and for that he was grateful.

“Got it,” he finally said, his voice husky. “I’m going to turn this water off now. We’ll wrap your hand and go to the hospital.”

The door opened and the receptionist tiptoed in, gauze in both hands as she craned to see Jenna’s injuries. “I couldn’t find a first aid kit but here’s some sterile horse wrap.”

Damn incompetent Wally
. Burke’s mouth tightened. “Well, that gives you something to do today.”

The receptionist stared, her round face blank with confusion.

“Order some first aid kits,” he snapped.

Jenna squeezed his wrist, forcing a wan smile. “Thanks for bringing the gauze, Frances. That was smart of you…to check the horse supplies.”

Real genius, Burke thought. But Jenna was shivering and for her sake, he tempered his sarcasm. “Thank you, Francis. Go and call the hospital. Tell them we’re coming.”

He ripped open a gauze sheet and wrapped the burn, noting Jenna’s eyes, the wide irises stark against the vivid blue. Scooped her up and carried her from the bathroom.

“I can walk,” she said. But her voice was reedy and she didn’t protest again, silent even as he deposited her in the passenger seat and clipped her belt.

The hospital was nineteen miles away on a hilly country road. He made it in fifteen minutes, relieved it was next to the Hunt Club, one of the few landmarks he knew.

He gently lifted Jenna and rushed into the lobby, stopping in front of a nurse brandishing a clipboard. “She needs to see a doctor,” he said. “Which way?”

“Sorry, sir. She has to go through triage first.” Her eyes flickered to a swinging door with the word ‘Emergency’ in red letters.

Ignoring her protest, he barged through the restricted doors with a silent Jenna cradled in his arms.

“Is that the burn patient?” A doctor with a long face and grave eyes stepped forward. He pulled back a green curtain. “Just put her on the bed here and I’ll take a look.” He gently removed the gauze. “Cold water treatment?”

“Fifteen minutes,” Burke said.

“Good. We’ll be about an hour. You can wait outside or leave your number with the desk.” The doctor gestured at a bald orderly, and Jenna and the bed were rolled away, seemingly in competent hands.

“Sir?” The nurse with the clipboard had followed him, quivering with disapproval. “We have some paperwork that needs completing. It should have been done first.”

“Just call the receptionist at Three Brooks. It was a work injury.” He pressed a business card into her hand. “And give me a call when she’s ready to be picked up. I gotta go.”

He stalked outside, desperate to escape the cloying smells, the strained faces, the way Jenna had looked, helpless and alone on that rolling white bed. Damn, he needed a strong coffee.

He wiped the back of his sweaty neck, feeling oddly unbalanced and desperate to regroup. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said it was a work injury. That would create more paperwork, maybe impact the Center when the town’s good will was critical.

He walked up the walkway to the Hunt Club’s wooden door where a tasteful brass sign proclaimed: Members & Guests Only. Three Brooks, of course, had a charter membership, and it was apparent from Wally’s expense statements that the man frequented the place. Burke suspected Wally also used it as a meeting place to stir up the townsfolk.

The hay man yesterday wouldn’t even meet Burke’s eyes when asked to justify the abrupt price jump, but the gold Hunt Club decal on his windshield revealed plenty. Fortunately the type of people that frequented ostentatious places like this were usually swayed by power and money. And Burke had both.

A willowy brunette with dark eyes and a white smile rushed forward. “Glad to see you again. Will you be joining Mr. Winfield’s breakfast meeting?”

“No, just a coffee and I’d like a window table.” Burke guessed Leo Winfield would spot him soon enough. On the two previous occasions Burke had visited the club, Leo had made it clear any owner of Three Brooks was welcome in the town clique, despite Wally’s negative politicking.

But it was best to make Leo come to him. And Burke definitely didn’t want to be dragged into any ritual breakfast meetings, no matter how big an honor it was considered. He settled at the gleaming table and pulled out his phone.

A plate of smoked salmon and some sort of waffle wraps were placed in front of him, and he hid his irritation. What part of ‘just a coffee’ had been unclear?

He pressed Edward’s number and stared out the window, glad it overlooked a pristine garden rather than the ugly hospital. He didn’t want to think of Jenna and her scalded arm. Jesus Christ.

“Hello, Derek.” Edward sounded preoccupied when he finally answered. “What’s up? You finish evaluating those companies?”

“Not yet, and I’d like to shove back that Derby horse’s visit.”

“Why? Thought the Center was ready to go?”

“Just lost my only masseuse, for a few weeks at least.”

“So, hire another. They must be a dime a dozen. Don’t all girls learn a little massage on the side?”

A coffee magically appeared, and Burke swallowed his annoyance along with a gulp of delicious black coffee. “I’ve never seen a girl get results like she does,” he said mildly. “It’s weird, almost a cross between massage and chiro.”

“Damn, I want her.”

“Too bad. She’s mine.” Burke glanced over his shoulder, somewhat surprised Leo Winfield hadn’t accosted him yet. He’d deliberately picked a visible table and didn’t want to hang around here all morning.

“Fine for you,” Edward said. “When you want a woman, you just give her that look and she takes off her clothes. Some of us have to work much harder.”

Burke sipped his coffee, already bored and only half listening. Leo rushed across the floor with his tweed jacket, silk hunt tie and fawning smile. Perfect. Burke cut off Edward’s rant about women; his cousin was on his third wife and understandably bitter. “I’ll finish up my portion of the evaluations by the weekend,” he said. “But find out if the Ridgeman horse can be postponed. It’s better to wait.”

“Can’t you find another masseuse?” Edward asked. “We worked hard for that contact. They’re desperate to get their big boy covering mares again. Stud fee is a hundred thousand bucks. Imagine how many bookings they’ll lose if word leaks the stud’s a dud?”

Burke crunched some quick calculations and blew out a sigh. “All right. I’ll hire some more staff.” He cut the connection and nodded at Leo, trying not to stiffen as the man touched him on the shoulder with a too-familiar hand.

“Glad to see you back, Derek,” Leo said. “We come here every morning, talk about the town’s problems, hash over business. More deals are made in this club than in my office.”

“Good to know,” Burke said. “Because I’m looking for a new hay supplier.”

“Oh? Wally’s friend can’t help? He grows the best horse hay around.”

“Apparently he doesn’t grow it for me.” Burke watched Leo’s face, noting the lack of surprise, the complacency in the man’s grey eyes. Leo already knew. “Luckily I have your support,” Burke added smoothly. “You did say you more or less ran this town?”

“Yes, but unofficially, of course.” Leo pursed his lips in thought. “I might be able to put in a good word. However, folks around here are a mite standoffish. They haven’t seen much of you. Might be a good idea if you attended some community functions. Let everyone know you’re not an ogre.”

Burke raised an eyebrow.

“Not that you’re an ogre, of course, but they know and respect Wally. He didn’t lay off anyone in ten years. Helps the town in a lot of ways. Even sponsors the local steeplechase. Since you pulled the Center’s support for that, the entire valley is crushed.”

“I don’t recall pulling any specific sponsorships.” Burke took a thoughtful sip of coffee remembering he
had
slapped a moratorium on all unnecessary spending.

“A lot of folks are also disappointed they can’t take their animals to Jenna Murphy,” Leo continued. “But I guess having the clinic off limits isn’t a big problem since she’ll see them on weekends.”

“Jenna treats horses on weekends?”

“Sure. Her mother did the same. Horses, hounds, whatever. Everyone loves her.” Leo gave a suggestive leer. “Damn good looking woman. Fine ass but no smarts on the business end.”

Burke leaned back, crossing his arms and scowling.

Leo gave a nervous cough. “Of course, not everyone can make money, not like us. That’s what I’m talking about here, business minds. And I’ll take care of your hay situation. Heard you hired a local construction company. At least that’s beneficial for industry.” Leo was almost babbling now. “My daughter said the new building was almost finished.”

Burke glanced at his watch. Soon be time to pick up Jenna. Maybe he wouldn’t wait for a call from the hospital. Leo showed no inclination to quit talking, and they’d already discussed everything on Burke’s agenda. Leo’s support—if he really had it—along with a little more community work might be enough to nullify Wally’s backstabbing.

“Who’s your daughter?” Burke asked absently, draining his cup.

“Kathryn,” Leo said. “Remember? I said she was coming by. Dropped off her resume last week. Has a degree from the new facility in Kentucky.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Burke nodded, remembering the girl. Exactly what he needed right now, especially if she were Leo’s daughter. “Impressive credentials,” he added. “I’ve actually been planning to give her a call. We’d love to have Kathryn join our staff. I’d like her to start on Monday.”

Leo grinned and pumped Burke’s hand. “Well, that’s excellent. Exactly the kind of support this town recognizes.” He beamed and gestured for more coffee.

Burke rose quickly and initialed the bill. “I have to go. See you at the next community event. Appreciate your help with the hay.” He left Leo puffing out his chest and strode from the club, more than satisfied with events.

Always leave the other guys believing they had negotiated the better deal. And let them feel their support was essential. Leo might sort out the Center’s hay glitch, and in the process Burke would find out how much influence the man really had.

Having Leo’s daughter on staff should cement the man’s support. Besides Jenna needed some time off, and this new masseuse would fill that gap nicely. A public relations appearance at the next community function should smooth out any remaining bumps.

Wally was digging himself a very deep hole.

Burke shoved open the hospital door and approached the desk, still thinking of Wally, still frowning. “Is Jenna Murphy ready yet?” he asked.

The nurse’s face darkened with disapproval. She shot a pointed glance at the score of people crammed in the waiting room. Leo’s ogre comment flashed in Burke’s mind, and he forced a smile.

“I know you’re very busy,” he added, “and I appreciate your work with Jenna’s file. Can you tell me if she’s ready…” He scanned the nurse’s nametag. “Anna?”

“Well, um,” Anna straightened, clutching the clipboard against her chest and a red stain crept up her neck. “I…I’ll certainly check for you.”