Randall Riches. Judy Christenberry
could be difficult. But she was on her best behavior today.
No wonder. Sam was petting and stroking her, using that sexy voice. He recognized envy in his thoughts. Ridiculous! All he was interested in was getting home.
Inside, he paid for Bella’s stay and then went out to help Sam put her in a corral and toss her some hay.
“We can get rooms next door,” he pointed out as they left Bella.
“She’ll be safe?”
“Yeah. There’s someone on duty all night.”
She got behind the wheel of the truck and drove the few yards to the hotel. There was a café attached that had decent food. After dinner, Rich was looking forward to stretching out on a soft bed that didn’t move.
“After we get the rooms, we can eat in the café.” He was sure she was tired, too. She’d driven over ten hours without many breaks.
“I don’t need a room.”
He frowned. “Of course you need a room.”
“I don’t want to spend my money on a room.”
“It’s my money you’ll be spending,” he pointed out.
“No, I won’t. I pay my own way.”
“Consider it pay for doing your job,” he said, sure that would settle the matter.
“No.”
“What’s wrong with you, woman? You expect to camp out?”
“No. I’ll sleep in the cab of the truck.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” He was becoming perturbed. “You’ll be uncomfortable.”
“I wasn’t the past two nights.” She slung her shoulder bag onto her shoulder and got out of the truck. “I’ll save you a seat in the café.” Then she closed the truck door and walked toward the restaurant.
He sat there with his mouth open. The last two nights? He’d assumed she had an apartment somewhere. Why hadn’t she used it? When he realized he was wasting time, he marched inside the hotel and got a room. He checked to be sure they had more rooms in case Miss Hardhead changed her mind.
Then he strode toward the café next door. He was glad it was close. Even though he had a walking cast, his ankle still hurt every time he put weight on his right side. But he walked quickly.
Sam was sitting in a booth, the hair around her face damp. When he appeared at the table, she asked. “Is decaf coffee all right?”
“Yeah, fine. I’m going to wash up.”
When he got back, the waitress was chatting with Sam. He slid in the booth.
“Do you need some time, honey, to check the menu?” she asked.
“Nope. I’ll take a cheeseburger with fries, and a big piece of apple pie afterward. They have good pie, Sam.”
“I’ve already ordered,” she said calmly.
“Did you order pie?”
“No.”
“Bring her a piece of pie, too,” he said to the waitress. The woman looked at Sam, and she shook her head, still smiling.
Then she looked at Rich. “I can order for myself, thank you.”
He considered fighting that battle. Then he decided she was right. She had the right to order for herself. Besides, he wanted some answers to his questions.
When the waitress left, he asked, “What do you mean you slept in the truck the last two nights? Why? Didn’t you have your own place in Flagstaff?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you sleep in your own bed.”
She took a drink of water. He noticed she hadn’t ordered a soda or coffee. “I couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Brad was there.”
His stomach clinched. She had a boyfriend? Or a husband? “Who’s Brad?”
“The owner of The Hot Skillet.”
“The one who fired you?” he asked, frowning. “You lived with him?”
“No.”
“Then why was he there?”
“He was parked outside.”
The waitress returned with his cheeseburger and a chef’s salad for Sam.
“That’s all you ordered?”
She looked surprised. “Yes.”
“You and Brad had a thing going?”
“No. His wife died last month.”
“His wife? I don’t get it. Why was he there? And why did that mean you couldn’t go home?”
“He’d decided I should be wife number five.”
“His wife died a month ago and he’s already looking for his next wife?”
“Yes. And I didn’t cotton to the idea especially since it seems his wife died under suspicious circumstances. I slept in the truck so he wouldn’t find me.” She took a bite of salad. “He stayed until eleven the next morning, so I couldn’t get to my things until he left.”
“Why didn’t you call the police?”
“It was easier to wait.”
She continued eating as if they’d been discussing the weather. He sat silently, thinking about what she’d faced alone. Did it happen often? She was certainly attractive.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said.
“For what?” she asked in surprise.
“I was rude about you taking so long to pack. Where is your luggage, by the way?”
“I put it in your storage trunk in the back of the truck when I loaded your gear. I hope you don’t mind.”
“There was enough room?”
She nodded, but it was the smile on her lips that fascinated Rich.
“What’s funny?”
“Nothing.”
“So Brad is the reason you decided to leave town?”
She nodded again.
“But your friends—”
“I’d only been there since the last of February, Rich. It’s no big deal.”
“But what if you can’t find a job in Rawhide?”
She smiled again. “Don’t panic. I take care of myself. If I can’t find a job, I’ll move on.”
Once, when he’d been irritated with his parents, and even his twin, Russ, he’d wished he didn’t have a family, that he could be all alone. In his juvenile imagination, he’d thought that would be a good thing. Now, he ached for the woman across from him. No family. No friends. Totally alone, no one to rely on.
“That’s a tough life.”
She shook her head, still calm. “It was worse when my father was alive.”
“Worse? How?”
She sighed, then nodded at his plate. “You’d better eat your cheeseburger before it gets cold. Besides, I think you’re going to need another pill tonight.”
“No, I don’t. Two in one day is enough.”
“I’m not sure.”
He realized she’d distracted him from her strange answer. He couldn’t imagine