LITMIR.BIZ

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tell by the quickened sound of her breathing that she had rushed to the phone.

      “Where were you?” he demanded to know in a raised voice.

      An intense frown covered Diamond’s face, and her back stiffened. Jake’s question brought back memories of when Samuel used to ask her that same question in a very accusing tone. “I was in the shower. Is something wrong?” she snapped defensively.

      “No.”

      “Then why are you yelling?”

      Jake scowled at the sudden realization that he had indeed raised his voice. “For no reason,” he said, lowering it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. Sterling called tonight and was concerned when he couldn’t reach you earlier. So I thought I’d check on you to make sure you were okay. You had me worried when it took so long for you to answer the phone.”

      Diamond’s anger deflated somewhat upon hearing that he’d been worried about her. She wrapped a huge towel securely around her body. “I’m fine. I had planned to take my shower earlier, before the storm hit, but things didn’t work out that way. I had to wait until now. I was just stepping out of the shower when I heard the phone. I barely had time to completely dry off.”

      Jake’s heart began to thump erratically, and his hand holding the phone began to shake when a heated image of a half-naked Diamond rushing from the shower filled his mind. He hadn’t had to look twice at the way she had filled a pair of jeans to know that her body was a real work of art, especially her perfectly rounded backside.

      “Jacob, was there anything else you wanted?”

      Her innocent question hung in the air. Yeah, there was something else he wanted but he wouldn’t dare tell her what that something else was. He immediately squashed the thought. He and Diamond were as different as night and day. He was a rancher, and she was a Hollywood superstar, and that was far worse than her being just a sophisticated city woman. One sophisticated city woman had already taught him a lesson that he would never forget. Ranchers and sophisticates didn’t mix. What he’d gone through with Jessie had helped to mold him into the man he was today, especially when it came to women. His strictest rule was to never get tangled up with another sophisticate again. Diamond was not only a sophisticate, she was a celebrity. That spelled double trouble.

      “No, there’s nothing else. Sorry I bothered you.”

      “You didn’t bother me, Jacob.”

      Jake nodded, glad that he hadn’t. He moved to the window again and looked out at the roses. They were a constant reminder of what a fool he’d been at one time. He had no intention of repeating it.

      “Do you think you’ll need a car while you’re here? If so, you can use mine. Maybe it’s not a good idea for you to be so far out from the ranch without some sort of transportation,” he said.

      “A car won’t be necessary. But what are my chances of getting a horse sometime later this week? I’d like to go riding. Would that be okay?”

      “Sure, just as long as you don’t mind the risk of running into one of my men. This is roundup time and although the location of the cabin is pretty secluded, they’ll be out working all over the place if they ever have to look for strays.”

      Diamond nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go riding.” There was a pause, then she said, “Sterling told me that the people who work for you can be trusted to keep my presence here a secret.”

      Jake leaned back against a kitchen counter. He couldn’t help but smile when he remembered the meeting he’d held with his men yesterday morning to announce Diamond’s visit to the ranch. At first all of them had simply stared at him, then one by one their mouths had dropped open. They had walked around the rest of the day tongue-tied. The thought of someone like Diamond Swain at Whispering Pines had some of them acting downright ridiculous. A few of them had even shown up for work this morning in what he considered as their Sunday best. He had sent them back home to change. No one in their right mind wore a suit to roundup and brand cows.

      “Yes, they can be trusted. In fact, they’ve taken a solemn oath to make sure your privacy is protected at all costs.”

      “That’s very nice of them. I’d like to meet them while I’m here.”

      Jake lifted a brow. It surprised him that she would bother to take the time to do that. “I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of it.” He knew that was putting it mildly. His men would be overjoyed at the chance to meet her. Some of them were really big fans of hers.

      After a somewhat lengthy pause, she asked, “How do you do that?”

      Jake lifted his brow. “Do what?”

      “Get your men to be so loyal to you.”

      Jake shrugged before answering. “Loyalty, like respect, is earned. A lot of the men have worked for me for years. I believe if you give people respect and loyalty, they’ll give it back to you. There are three things my daddy always told me that have stuck over the years. The first thing is to watch older cowboys work; they know the simplest and least expensive ways to get things done, and they’ll appreciate you for taking the time to show interest in what they do. The second thing is to always hire cowboys who are smarter and more skilled than you are. And lastly, never hire a cowboy who won’t tell you when you’re wrong. I have that kind of relationship with my men. I’m the boss, and they know it. But they also know their thoughts and ideas count. I didn’t make Whispering Pines into what it is today by myself. I give my men just as much credit.”

      Silence fell, and Jake knew it was time to withdraw. He had shared more about himself with her than he had intended to. “Look, I know you’re pretty tired, so I’ll let you go.”

      “Thanks for calling, Jacob. Will I see you tomorrow?”

      “Probably not, unless you need something. I’ll be out on the range most of the day. Blaylock, my housekeeper and cook, will be here, and he’ll be glad to help you anyway he can. Just pick up the phone.”

      “All right. Is there any particular day that you might be expecting visitors to the ranch?”

      Jake knew the reason she was asking. That would be the day she would want to stay out of sight. “My veterinarian comes by every Thursday morning between ten and twelve to check on the cows. And then there’s my family. They may drop by anytime. But most of them know that this time of year is a busy one for me here at the ranch and they usually limit their visits.” Jake let out a deep chuckle. “Except for my mother. She thinks anytime is the right time for her visits. Usually one of my brothers will let me know in advance of her visits since one of them has to bring her. I’m her youngest son, and she won’t let me forget it.”

      “Sounds like the Madaris family is a rather close one.”

      “We are.” He couldn’t help but grin when he thought about his brother and the nieces and nephews that he was close to. “It’s been nice talking to you, Diamond. Good night.”

      “Good night, Jacob, and thanks again for calling.”

      After hanging up the phone, Jake closed his eyes to visualize Diamond’s features, as he had last seen them that day. The darkness of her eyes, the full lushness of her lips and a mouth that had definitely been ripe for kissing had held him captive.

      “Is there any reason you’re standing in the middle of my kitchen with your eyes closed and looking downright silly?”

      Jake’s eyes snapped open. Blaylock, the elderly man who had worked for him more years than he cared to count, stood in the doorway staring at him.

      “Uhh, no reason. Well…I guess I’d better finish up with this,” Jake said, holding up the book that contained the cows’ breeding records.

      Before Blaylock could ask him any more questions, he quickly moved out of the kitchen, went into his study and closed the door behind him.

      Diamond placed the mystery

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