Kiss Me (Fool's Gold series) (8 page)

As he spoke, the boy looked a little worried, but his sister got a stubborn expression he recognized from dealing with Maya. The foster parents shifted uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything.

That seed planted, he turned to the next issue. Trying to appear apologetic, he smiled at Andrea and Martin.

“We weren’t aware we were going to have vegetarians on the cattle drive. At this point, we can’t offer you a special menu plan. Meals will be served family style, so you can take as much or as little as you want of any one dish, but there won’t be any vegetarian entrees.”

Martin seemed okay with the information, but Andrea—who Zane suspected wore the pants in the family—appeared outraged.

She took a step toward him. “Are you aware of the havoc your steers cause the environment? And what about pigs? Ninety percent of the corn grown in this country goes to feed pigs. If Americans cut down on their pork consumption by as little as fifty percent, we could send almost half our corn crop to other countries—”

Andrea stopped suddenly when her husband lightly touched her arm. She glanced around. Everyone was staring at her.

She pressed her lips together. “I’m not a meat eater.”

“I understand,” Zane told her. “But we’re not equipped to provide you with vegetarian meals. I’m more than willing to refund you the price of the vacation, including your airline tickets, and arrange for you to fly home in the morning.” He turned to the couple in charge of the children. “I would be happy to do the same for the four of you.”

He was hoping that with more than half the group gone, the old ladies would feel strange about staying by themselves. Not that they were known for a sense of appropriate behavior.

Maya stretched her legs out in front of her and swirled her glass. “Zane, how generous. And here I thought you were committed to the cattle drive.”

He ignored her. “Just let me know.”

Eddie stood up. “Now hold on, Zane,” she said with a smile. “There’s no reason to get all fired up because Andrea here won’t eat meat. I’m sure your cook can make some extra vegetable dishes for her and Martin. As for the kids—” She smiled at them fondly. “Gladys and I are happy to help out. We love kids.”

She crouched down in front of Lucy and Tommy. “You two live in the city, don’t you?”

Tommy still looked worried, but he nodded.

“Ever been on a horse?”

The boy shook his head.

“Ever want to be a cowboy?”

A slight smile pulled at the boy’s mouth.

Eddie rose and faced Zane. “See there? He wants to be a cowboy. This young man and his pretty sister need to spend a little time in the outdoors.”

Gladys slapped Zane on the back. “You’re a good man to be so concerned about everyone, but I say let’s have at it. We’re all here for an adventure, and you’re just the man to provide it.”

Andrea looked mollified. “We have wanted to try something new,” she said to her husband. “I guess we could work around the food choices.”

“I’d like to try,” Martin told her.

Even the temporary foster parents looked less apprehensive than they had.

Zane knew when he’d been bested, and he didn’t try to argue. He’d given it his best shot.

“We’ll meet again after supper, and Frank will explain what you should bring and what should be left behind at the house. Then you can turn in early. We’ll head out just after dawn.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Y
OU
DON
’
T
MIND
SHARING
?”
Phoebe asked when she and Maya retreated to their room after dinner.

“Of course not.” Maya sank down on the bed by the window, then looked around the room. “It’s so weird to be back. Maybe that’s why I don’t come home very often. It’s too strange.”

Phoebe thought about her own lack of roots and how she would love to have a home to go back to. She settled on her bed. “If it were me, I’d come back every chance I got.”

“I believe that.” Maya flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Looking back, I was so young. I thought I was mature and together, but I was a kid.” She looked at Phoebe. “This was the first house where I felt safe.”

Phoebe knew her friend had grown up in Las Vegas. Maya’s mother had been a stripper who had constantly been on the lookout for a man to rescue her. Then Zane’s father had come along. After a whirlwind courtship, they’d married, and Maya and her mother had moved to Fool’s Gold and the Nicholson Ranch.

“Safe is nice,” Phoebe said.

“It is.” Maya sighed. “I liked seeing Elaine. She’s the lady who drove us in today. Elaine Mitchell. I knew her when I lived here before. I worked for her the summer before college. We’ve always kept in touch.”

“Mitchell Adventure Tours,” Phoebe said, then tilted her head. “Wait a minute. Mitchell, as in Del Mitchell?”

Maya groaned. “Don’t say that name. Yes, Del. My one true love.” She wrinkled her nose. “At least that’s what I thought back then. The first time I saw him, I swear I heard sound-track music. We were convinced it was going to last forever.”

It hadn’t, Phoebe knew. And these days Maya rarely got involved with a guy for very long. Giving her heart wasn’t an option. Phoebe knew most of the reasons. While they made sense, she still felt badly for her friend. At least one of them should be feeling the buzz on falling in love.

“When was the last time you saw Del?” she asked.

Maya sat up. “It’s been close to ten years. He travels all the time. Elaine rarely mentions him in her emails. I make sure I see her when I visit, but I’ve never run into him.”

“Maybe he’s not hot anymore.”

Maya laughed. “That would be nice, but I suspect he’s still just as attractive. Not for me, of course.”

“Of course,” Phoebe murmured, wondering if any of those sound-track feelings were still lingering for her friend. Not that Maya would ever admit it.

Phoebe glanced at the clock and groaned. “We have to pack.”

Maya picked up the small duffels and saddlebags that had been left on the foot of the bed and tossed one of each over.

Phoebe shook her head. “I brought way too much stuff.”

Maya pointed to her open suitcase and the pile of makeup bags, jeans and shirts next to it. “You and me both. Looks like I’m going to have to settle on sunscreen and mascara. And eye makeup remover, or I’ll look like a raccoon.” She glanced at Phoebe. “You, of course, don’t have to worry about your eyelashes fading into nothing. They’re thick and dark all on their own. If you weren’t such a good friend, I’d have to hate you.”

As Phoebe collected her own clothes and toiletries, she didn’t bother pointing out that she would gladly give up her eyelashes for about two inches in height, along with blond hair. Or big boobs. They would be nice, too.

“Poor Zane,” Maya said as she folded a T-shirt. “I almost feel sorry for him. Eddie and Gladys are a handful at the best of times, and what’s with those kids?”

Phoebe stacked the clothes she knew she had to take in one pile and the ones she would leave behind in another. The problem was all the things she wasn’t sure she would need. They made up the largest pile.

“What about the kids?” she asked. “I thought they were cute.”

“Agreed, but out of their element.”

“Count me in with them.”

Phoebe felt as unsure as little Tommy had looked at the prospect of six days in the great outdoors. She already liked the ranch and had enjoyed looking out at the expansive view, but she had a feeling she was wildly unprepared to ride the range.

“Why are those people with them?” Maya asked. “C.J. and Thad seemed the most unlikely parents.”

“I don’t get it, either,” Phoebe admitted. “They’re not their regular foster parents. C.J. said that the people who were supposed to accompany the kids had a family emergency. C.J. and Thad were called in for backup.” She thought about the time she’d spent going from foster family to foster family. “I hope Lucy and Tommy have a good time.”

“They will. Eddie and Gladys seem ready to adopt them, if only for the week. But enough about munchkins. I’m surprised Zane gave in so graciously about the cattle drive. His last-minute attempt to get the thing canceled was impressive. I guess he decided the pain wasn’t worth whatever lesson Chase might learn.”

“Can you blame him?” Phoebe asked. “He’s taking on a lot.”

Her friend raised her eyebrows. “Are you defending him? Ooh, I like that.” Maya pushed her clothes aside and flopped onto her stomach. “So big, bad Zane is getting to you, huh? Tell me everything that’s happened.”

Phoebe busied herself with a choice between a bulky sweater and a flannel shirt she could fit into her bag. “He’s not getting to me. I just don’t think he’s the devil incarnate, which is how you’ve described him.”

“I have not.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes. “You said he was heartless and lacking normal emotions. From what I’ve seen, he really cares about Chase, and even you.”

Maya hooted. “Me? He loathes me, when he bothers to think of me at all. I drive him crazy.”

Phoebe didn’t agree, but there was no point in arguing.

“At least tell me you think he’s good-looking,” Maya said.

Phoebe grinned. “Pure Adam Levine, just like you promised.”

“I guess that’s something. I suppose my plan to get the two of you into bed was just wishful thinking on my part.”

“Not gonna happen.”

Phoebe was pleased that her voice sounded normal. There was no way she was going to let Maya know about the sizzling kisses she and Zane had shared. Not only did she not want them analyzed, she had a feeling it had been a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Well, twice in a lifetime. Sort of like the planets aligning, or winning the lotto. There was no point in mentioning that Maya’s fantasy had also become her own.

“I just know if he would cut loose, he could be a really fun guy,” Maya said as she sat back up and reached for another T-shirt. “Okay, maybe fun is too strong, but he could be less of a stick-in-the-mud. He needs a woman. Of course when he had one, it’s not like he knew what to do with her.”

Phoebe nearly dropped the jeans she’d been folding. “What are you talking about?”

“Zane was married before. Didn’t I tell you?”

Zane? Married? Why did the thought surprise her so much, and why did she suddenly feel stricken?

“No. You forgot to mention that.”

“Probably because it didn’t mean anything.”

“I’m sure it did to Zane.” And it certainly did to her, although she couldn’t say why.

“Maybe.” Maya shook out the contents of her makeup bag and began sorting through the items on her bed. “But it’s not as if he loved her. Zane married Sally to provide Chase with a mother. He’s such an idiot. He actually told her that about a year into the marriage.”

“Chase?” Phoebe asked with a frown.

“No, Zane. I never got all the details, but I think Sally was pushing for kids of her own. Zane refused and finally explained that he’d married her so Chase would grow up with some stability. Hardly the romantic declaration designed to get a wife’s heart to fluttering. Especially when she thought they’d married for love. She split. Zane got worried about losing the ranch, but all Sally wanted was compensation for duties performed. I heard that she calculated a salary equivalent for the time she’d been married to Zane and presented him with a bill.”

Maya laughed, as if she found the whole situation amusing, but Phoebe couldn’t help thinking how sad it all sounded. Zane marrying someone he didn’t love to provide his brother with a mother. He’d done the wrong thing with the best of intentions. How many times had she done exactly the same thing...and gotten burned?

“I guess it’s not completely his fault,” Maya said reluctantly. “I know he had a tough time after his dad died.”

“Meaning?”

“My former stepfather loved Zane’s mother so much, he never recovered from her death. From what I could tell, he barely noticed Zane. The old man married a few times to try and forget, but it never worked. Instead he made everyone’s life hell.”

Phoebe’s tender heart clenched at the thought of Zane’s pain. “He’s had to deal with a lot,” she murmured.

“I guess. But he still acts like he’s got something stuck up his ass. Look at how he is with Chase.”

“You always talk about him as if he doesn’t care about anything, but didn’t marrying Sally prove that he worries about his brother?” she asked. “And what about the cattle drive? He’s doing it to teach Chase an important lesson. You love Chase. You should be pleased that Zane’s willing to show him how to be a good man.”

Maya’s green eyes widened. “Oh, my. Someone has it bad.”

Phoebe shook her head. “You’re wrong.”

“Am I?”

“Absolutely.”

Maya didn’t look convinced, and who could blame her? Phoebe didn’t have it bad...but she did have it.

* * *

I
T
WAS
CLOSE
to midnight when Phoebe realized she wasn’t going to be able to sleep. Maya had crashed shortly after ten—no doubt the result of working twenty-hour days all week so that she could take time off. Phoebe should have been tired, but instead she felt restless.

She pulled jeans on over her pj bottoms and grabbed her jacket, then walked barefoot along the hall and down the stairs.

The house was still, with that hushed quality that comes when everyone is asleep. Phoebe noticed that a few lamps had been left burning, probably for the safety of any guest who felt compelled to wander in the night.

As it had the first afternoon she’d arrived, the house impressed her with its high ceilings and open floor plan. While the furniture in place worked, she could easily imagine other styles fitting well with the moldings and hardwood floors. In the least expensive neighborhoods of Beverly Hills this place would get at least three million. On the exclusive streets, the price would come close to doubling.

At the front door she paused to check for an alarm system, then remembered where she was and laughed quietly. She doubted Zane went in much for motion sensors or perimeter alarms.

She opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. The night was even more still out here, and cold. She was surprised she couldn’t see her breath. It would be warmer down in Fool’s Gold, but the ranch was at a higher elevation. Her toes curled against the freezing temperature of the painted wood, but she didn’t retreat. Instead she walked to the railing and looked down at the storybook town nestled on the shore of the little lake. Then she stared up at the inky, black night.

There were thousands of stars. Even on the clearest night in Los Angeles, she’d never seen half this many.

“I should have paid attention in astronomy class,” she murmured, then smiled. “Okay, I should have taken astronomy in the first place.”

She tilted her head in an effort to find something easy like the Big Dipper and the North Star. She found the former, but couldn’t remember if the North Star was off its handle or did she need to look for the Little Dipper first. Then, as she took in the endless sea of twinkling lights, she became aware of a...presence.

Milliseconds before she turned, she heard a footfall. Had she been anywhere but Zane’s ranch, she would have panicked. Strange footsteps at night in the city were never good news. But this was different. Despite her unfamiliarity with her surroundings, she felt safe. Besides, the odds were good that she knew who was out here with her.

She turned and saw Zane approaching. In the dim light of the porch, he was little more than a shadowy silhouette, but that only added to his appeal. He wore a thick, leather jacket that hung open. Unlike her, he still wore the clothes he’d been in that day. He was imposing and more than a little out of her league. She probably should have run for the hills, or at least her room. Instead she hugged her arms to her chest and wondered if she’d been in bed long enough to make her hair stick up in weird places.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked as he approached, then stopped by the railing next to her.

She shook her head. “I guess I’m too excited about the cattle drive.”

“It’s keeping me up, too, but not from excitement.”

The simple statement caught her unaware. With a few words, he expressed a vulnerability that made her heart squeeze, even as her hormones hummed a Dixie Chicks song about cowboys and being taken away.

It was the night, she told herself. Or maybe it was just the man. Regardless, wouldn’t this be a good time to suddenly be witty and charming? Or even gorgeous. She would settle for gorgeous and not funny, as long as she didn’t have to talk too much.