LITMIR.BIZ

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get that. I’m telling you I want nothing to do with your new cologne, and the second my contract expires I’m done. So why waste everyone’s time?”

      She shrugged. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

      His lips moved, and though she couldn’t hear him, she could well imagine what he was muttering to himself. He tugged the hem of his jeans over his boots and stood.

      A glance at her watch made her breath catch. “I brought a copy of your contract in case you had questions.” They couldn’t afford to miss their flight. Staying over a night translated to expenses her credit card couldn’t cover. “If you have trouble with the legalese, your attorney will verify what I’m saying.”

      Every time she mentioned his attorney Tanner looked as if he wanted to strangle her. She didn’t understand what that was about but she kept quiet, pulled the folder out of her purse and passed it to him.

      He stared at it. “I remember one thing. You people agreed not to interfere with my riding schedule. I have two events coming up. No way I can make it to Houston and back in time.”

      “Where are you scheduled to ride?”

      “Iowa.”

      Tempted as she was to ask him the date, she already knew he was playing loose with the truth and making him more defensive wouldn’t help her cause. “That’s a month from now.”

      “Yeah, but there’s Wyoming before that.”

      “No.” She shook her head. “I already checked.”

      “How?”

      She held up her phone. “Online.”

      “But...” He looked confused, angry and maybe even embarrassed because she’d caught him lying. “You couldn’t have checked every rodeo lineup.”

      “I didn’t. I looked up your name on Google. If you’d like, I’ll show you what comes up.”

      “Jesus.” He glared at her phone as if it were the enemy. And then looked at her the same way. “A man can’t have privacy anymore.” He tossed the folder on the couch and then picked up a magazine off the side table and looked underneath. Next he dug into a plastic bin filled with packaged cookies and crackers.

      He found his phone, an older model that she doubted had internet capability. She watched him hit speed dial and hoped he was calling his attorney. Maybe then Tanner would understand that he had no choice, and they could still make the flight paid for out of the corporate account. Same thing for the car. Anything that deviated from the plan would cost her money she didn’t have.

      She went to the window and glanced at the parking lot across the street. Finding the rental wouldn’t be a problem, but she wanted to give him some privacy. Or at least the illusion of privacy. “Doug, call me as soon as you get this,” Tanner said. “It’s important.”

      Dammit. He’d obviously had to leave a message. If he stubbornly waited to talk to the attorney, she’d be screwed. “I’m assuming that’s your lawyer. Does he return calls promptly?”

      Ignoring her, Tanner hit another number. He drummed his long, tanned fingers on the counter while he waited, not once sparing her a glance. “Helen,” he said, his tone more pleasant. “You’re right, darlin’. I can smell that cherry pie clear up to Montana.” He paused. “You know where Doug is?” Squeezing his eyes shut, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “How long?” Tanner sighed and stared past her toward the window. “I already left one, but if you hear from him, tell him he’s gotta call me ASAP.”

      By the way he fidgeted, it was obvious he was impatient to get off the phone, but his voice never gave him away. Lexy assumed Helen was the attorney’s assistant, and Tanner exchanged several more pleasantries with her before he disconnected the call and flung the phone on the couch.

      While Lexy waited for the temper in his eyes to settle, she moved to look at the pictures he had taped to his fridge. She suspected it might take a while. He kept rubbing the back of his neck and for a second glanced at the contract copy she’d brought but he made no move to pick it up.

      Reminding herself patience was her only ally at the moment, she leaned in for a closer look at the pictures. The more faded photo was of a mountain lake, the other was taken on a beach with a fishing pole stuck in the white sand. That was it. No people were in either photo.

      “Give me your number,” he said finally. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear from Doug.”

      “When do you expect that to be?”

      “No idea. He’s on vacation in the Bahamas.”

      She nearly choked. “Oh, no. No. Uh-uh.” She shook her head, paused, told herself to breathe. “No. We can’t wait around.”

      “Take it easy.” Curiosity flickered in his eyes. “He’ll call me back.”

      “But we have a flight to catch.”

      “Look, no matter what happens, I’m not getting on a plane. So get that out of your head.”

      She took another deep breath to counter the panic tightening her chest. “You really can’t fly? It’s not just a ploy?”

      “Nope.”

      God help her, he was telling the truth. Her brain’s mad scramble in search of a solution made her dizzy again. More likely it was her empty stomach. She hurried to the couch and fished in her purse for a mint or hard candy.

      “You okay?”

      “I will be.”

      “You look kinda pale.”

      “I haven’t eaten since early this morning. I need a sugar boost.” She found a peppermint disc that she tried to unwrap but her hands shook.

      “How about orange juice?” He didn’t wait for an answer but brought a jug out of the fridge.

      “This is so stupid. Dammit.” Why couldn’t she get the dumb wrapper off?

      “Here.” He swapped the candy for a glass of juice.

      She accepted it with both hands, afraid the tumbler might slip. If the tremor wasn’t bad enough, now her palms were clammy.

      Tanner sat next to her on the couch. He wrapped a hand around hers and helped guide the juice to her mouth.

      Embarrassed, she took a tiny sip, then tried to break away from him. “I’m okay. Thanks.”

      “Can you take a bigger one?” he asked, his roughened fingertips gentle on her skin as he urged the glass back to her lips.

      She could smell him again, the same mysterious mix of leather and spice with the added hint of soap. It must be his shampoo that smelled so good. The heat from his body warmed her, making her drowsy and stirring the impulse to lay her head on his shoulder. It seemed like a lifetime ago since she’d had a decent night’s sleep. Always worrying about money and bills. He waited patiently for her to drink more of the juice before he slackened his hand and let her lower the glass.

      “You could be coming down with something.” He pressed the back of his fingers to her cheek much like a mother would do to her feverish child.

      “I’m not.” Lexy laughed, leaning away from him. “I’m really not.”

      He lowered his hand and stood. “I didn’t mean to get in your face. Old habit. Sorry.”

      “Do you have kids?” she asked, the sudden thought oddly disturbing.

      “Nah, a younger brother. He kept me up more than a few nights. You feeling better yet?”

      She nodded, then chugged down more of the juice . “No flying, huh?”

      Tanner folded his arms across his chest. “You can ask me a hundred times but it won’t change my answer.”

      Lexy swept a gaze toward

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