An Intimate Bargain

Four

As she turned onto the Craig Mountain Brewery road, a Sawyer Brown tune came through the stereo speakers, and Abigail cranked up the volume, letting the beat pound its way through her brain. After she’d lied to her brother Travis this morning about where she was going, she’d promised herself she’d give Zach one day. She’d work fast. She’d work hard. And he’d have everything he needed to apply for his license.

Then she’d spend the night in Lyndon, head back to the ranch and forget she’d ever met the man.

Her plan to fantasize about him had come to an abrupt end when she’d learned that he had no scruples. Okay, maybe the end wasn’t quite so abrupt. In fact, she was still working on it. It turned out that fantasizing about Zach was a hard habit to break. Which only made her hate him more.

How dare he mess up her life like this? It was a mere one-night stand. Was she not entitled to cut loose and have fun every once in a while? Thousands of women across the country had one-night stands. She was willing to bet things like this didn’t happen to them.

Then again, she supposed they hadn’t slept with Zach.

It would have been easier if she could just plain hate him. But he’d been such a perfect lover, she couldn’t help wishing for the fantasy. If she could have Lucky back, she’d be looking forward to today.

They’d talk and joke and flirt, maybe kiss a little, maybe even cancel her reservation at Rose Cottages…

Whoa. She abruptly pulled back on that thought. She wrestled her imagination into submission as she navigated a series of potholes. Then she rounded a corner, and the massive stone castle of Craig Mountain rose in front of her. She rocked to a halt in the parking lot, fingers going white as she gripped the steering wheel.

The band had changed songs, belting out one about the winner losing it all. Abigail didn’t particularly feel like a winner, but the rest fit. Her pride had been battered and bruised, and if she dared let her anger slip out of place, her emotions felt a whole lot like heartache.

Zach greeted Abigail in the brewery’s reception area, which was once a foyer to the massive, stone castle. She was glaring at him, displeasure palpable in her flashing golden eyes. She wore torn, faded blue jeans, a powder-blue cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up her forearms, the top button missing, and a pair of battered cowboy boots, with a gray backpack slung over one shoulder. Her face was scrubbed free of makeup, and her glossy auburn hair was pulled back in a plain ponytail. She couldn’t have telegraphed “don’t touch me” any louder if she’d shouted it from the highest tower.

He knew she thought he’d set her up. He hadn’t. But there was no way to make her believe it. Too bad. Because whatever it was that had attracted him that night wasn’t going away anytime soon. She could dress down all she liked. She was still off-the-charts sexy in his eyes.

“Good morning,” he offered.

“Morning,” she returned, stony faced.

“Thanks for coming.”

She scoffed and shrugged her shoulders. “Like I had a choice. Tell me what you need, and let’s get this over with.”

Zach couldn’t help a surreptitious glance at the receptionist stationed at the counter across the room, trying to gauge if she was within earshot. It seemed unlikely, but there was no point in taking chances.

“You want the tour first?” he asked Abigail, using an outstretched arm to direct her toward the main door.

Craig Mountain Brewery offered tours of the castle, the facilities and the grounds. According to Lucas, there were quite a few tourists willing to make the hour-long, scenic drive to visit a historic castle and sample Craig Mountain beer. At the last managers’ meeting in Houston, Zach and Alex had turned down Lucas’s proposal to put in a small restaurant. But Zach was now rethinking that decision.

“Why would I want a tour?” Abigail asked without moving.

“Because it’s interesting.”

She crossed her arms mulishly over her chest. “I’m not here to see the sights.”

In his peripheral vision, he saw the receptionist move to the far side of the cavernous room. Nice to know the staff were courteous.

“I need you to understand how we operate here. How else are you going to argue our case?”

“I’m not arguing your case. I’m giving you some information. What you do with it is entirely up to you.”

“That wasn’t our deal.”

“We don’t have a deal. We have a blackmail scheme.”

True enough. “You’re being melodramatic again.”

She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. “Then I can walk back out that door and not worry about any negative repercussions?”

“No, you can’t,” he admitted.

“I rest my case.”

“See, you’re good at this.”

She frowned. “You expect me to laugh?”

“I expect you to let me show you around Craig Mountain Brewery.” He gestured toward the door again.

She gave a hard, exaggerated sigh and hiked up the backpack. “If that’s what’ll get this over and done with.”

“That’s what’ll get this over and done with,” he confirmed.

She lifted her nose in the air, pivoted on those scuffed boots and marched for the door.

He couldn’t help watching her rear end as she walked away. The woman had the sexiest body he’d ever seen. He supposed that’s what happened when you combined natural beauty, fresh air and healthy living. The hot got hotter.

Abigail was scorching.

He followed her outside to where semicircular, stone steps led to a gravel parking lot. They were bordered by the castle lawns on the lake side and by forests of maples, aspens and evergreen trees stretching up the hill on the other. As August wound to a close, the barest hint of changing leaves had appeared. Beyond the tree line, the mountains turned to scrub and then craggy rock.

The expanse of green lawn stretched toward a rocky cliff that dropped to Lake Patricia. At the cliff’s edge was a massive statue of Lord Ashton, chest puffed out, sword drawn, perched on a magnificent charger that seemed to gallop toward the water.

Zach had to admit, if it wasn’t for the worry about DFB’s future and the discord with Abigail, he would have enjoyed his stay here. He’d taken a small but very comfortable suite on the third floor of the castle. He’d even poked his head up to the small, dusty, rotund turrets. Lucas was right, the castle was a treasure trove of memorabilia.

“That’s the statue of Lord Ashton,” Zach offered as an opening.

“Is he currently brewing beer?” Abigail tartly inquired.

“He is not.”

“Then I don’t need to know about him.” She rounded on Zach. “Can we move it along? Let’s stick to the things I need to know.”

Zach couldn’t really blame her for being testy. And blackmailing her wasn’t exactly his most admirable undertaking. But life was tough. You took your advantages where you could. And in a few days, she’d be finished with him, and she’d be back in the bosom of her family, doing the ranch job she hated, none the worse for wear.

Come to think of it. She should be grateful to him for giving her a reprieve from roping and riding and branding. He wondered if he’d be able to make her see it that way, or at least get her to admit that he wasn’t dragging her to the gallows. Helping Craig Mountain get a few thousand more gallons of water each day wasn’t going to fundamentally change anything, except the lives of Zach’s employees. And that would be for the good.

“The brewery’s down this path,” he offered, nodding the way.

She reluctantly fell into step beside him. “And I need to see it why?”

“We brew C Mountain Ale up here,” Zach began. “It’s Craig Mountain’s signature product, and its unique taste comes, in part, from the local, underground springwater.” They rounded a corner of the path, and the gray, industrial complex came into view. “Nationwide and worldwide, hundreds of microbreweries are going under in today’s economy. We’re in danger of joining them, except that we have one product that’s taking our national and international markets by storm. Our Red, White and Brew six-pack.”

“Red, White and Brew?”

“Very patriotic packaging. Consumers love it. It contains one beer from each of our breweries. They’re in six different states. All the other facilities can keep up with the increased demand. But we need to triple production of C Mountain Ale.”

“Why not replace C Mountain Ale with another beer?” she reasoned.

“Because it’s one of the most popular in the pack. When you find the X factor in the beer business, in any business, you don’t mess with it.”

“Find another water source. It’s water, Lucky. Water.”

“From where?” He stopped and gestured around them. “From the lake? The river? Surface water is vastly different in chemical composition. It would need a different treatment. The taste would change. And-and this is the most important point-I’d have to get the bloody water license to do that anyway.”

She didn’t seem to have an answer for that.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to hit on the exact formula for a popular beer?” he continued.

“Do you know how hard it is to lie to your family?”

“No,” he stated flatly. “I don’t.”

They stared at each other in charged silence.

“Then why are you making me do it?”

Zach’s heart contracted, and he was forced to push down an unfamiliar feeling of guilt. “I’m not. You can tell your family anything you want.”

“If I’d told them the truth, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And your secret’s safe with me.”

“My conscience isn’t.”

“Your conscience will get over it.” People had to do what they had to do in this life. It was a tiny bit of white lie, one of omission really. Zach had done far worse, and his conscience was perfectly clear.

“I’m going to hate you, Zach,” she warned.

“I guess I’m going to have to find a way to live with that.”

“You couldn’t care less, could you?”

“No. I could care a whole lot less than I do.” Truth was, he cared far more than he should. But his duty was to Alex and to his employees. He had to stay tough. He couldn’t let his personal feelings for Abigail get in the way.

Abigail tried very hard not to show an interest in the inner workings of the brewery. But the manager made the tour quite fascinating, and she found herself impressed by the scope of the operation.

“The bottling plant-” wearing a hat and safety glasses, Lucas projected his voice over the rumble of the motors, the whir of the conveyors and the clatter of the bottles running past them toward the filling station “-is the one place we won’t need any kind of upgrade. It’s currently only operating at eighteen percent capacity, so there’s plenty of room for growth. Good call on that when you bought it.” He tipped his head to Zach.

Zach nodded an acknowledgment of the compliment but didn’t offer a response over the din. They bypassed the labeling conveyor to go through a swinging doorway, shutting out much of the noise. Then they headed down a short hallway that seemed to be leading them back to the warehouse.

Halfway down the hall, Lucas opened a door to a large, dimly lit room. It was lined with banks of computers, monitors and electrical panels that featured a host of blinking lights. “This is the nerve center of the operation.”

Just then, Zach’s cell phone rang. He peeled off the hat and safety glasses they’d been issued for the brewery leg of the tour, excusing himself to move farther down the hall.

Abigail removed her own hat and glasses, handing them to Lucas as they moved farther into the control room. Two staff members were walking from station to station, noting numbers and turning dials.

“We can monitor temperature, humidity, production, supplies and shipping,” said Lucas. “You name it.”

“Are all of the DFB breweries this big?” Abigail found herself asking.

“Craig Mountain is the smallest,” Lucas replied. “But we’ve had some of the most recent upgrades, so we like to think we can hold our own.”

“I’m sure you can. I have to say, I’m very impressed.” The place seemed high-tech and very well run.

Lucas rested his butt against the edge of one of the long, black-topped counters. “And I have to say it’s nice of you to help us out with this.”

She retied her ponytail, compressing her lips. She had no intention of discussing the sordid details, but she wasn’t willing to tell an outright lie. “Helping Craig Mountain wasn’t my choice,” she admitted.

He cocked his head. “I have to admit, I was surprised to hear that you’d said yes.”

She tried to guess how much he knew about the blackmail. He seemed to be seeking information.

“Was it out of pity?” he probed.

“I’d call it insanity,” she responded. “If Seth or Travis find out I’m doing this-”

Lucas came upright. “Wait a minute. Your brothers don’t know you’re here?”

Abigail stilled, a sinking feeling creeping into her stomach. “Zach didn’t tell you to keep this a secret?”

“You helping us is a secret?”

“Yes.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Abigail shook her head. Then she swallowed. Oh, no.

Lucas slipped an arm through hers. With a surreptitious glance at the two employees over his shoulder, he propelled her out the door and into the hallway. There, they all but ran into Zach.

“Please tell me there’s more to this plan,” Lucas opened, staring accusingly at his boss.

Zach moved his confused gaze from Lucas to Abigail and back again. “What plan?”

“She’s known, Zach. She’s recognizable.”

Zach didn’t respond, taking a moment to tuck his phone back into his pocket.

Lucas wasn’t finished. “How in the hell is she going to explain being here?”

Zach’s jaw went tight in obvious annoyance at Lucas’s manner. “The details are none of your business.”

“This brewery is my business,” Lucas returned.

“Let’s discuss this in private,” Zach ground out.

But Lucas shook his head. “Fire me if you want to, but this isn’t Houston or Denver. She’s the mayor’s sister. She has no anonymity. We need to get her out of here before people start asking questions.”

Abigail knew with a sickening certainty that Lucas was right. When she agreed to meet Zach up here, she hadn’t realized so many people worked at Craig Mountain. Most of them probably lived in Lyndon. She could only hope her hat and glasses had kept her from being recognized on the tour. But she was playing with fire, and she needed to get out of here.

“Everything we need to work with is in the offices,” Zach pointed out. “She has to do it here.”

“Well, it can’t be during business hours. Bring her back later, preferably in the middle of the night. And put her in a disguise of some kind.”

“I’m standing right here,” Abigail couldn’t help interjecting.

Both men glanced at her.

“You’re talking about me as if I’m not,” she pointed out, feeling miffed.

“Sorry,” said Lucas.

“You don’t think a disguise is overkill?” Zach asked Lucas.

Lucas raised a brow to Abigail. “What do you think?”

“I think I was stupid to come here.” She glanced from one to the other. “And so, having enjoyed a nice brewery tour, I’ll take my leave.”

“You still have work to do,” Zach insisted.

“She needs to leave.” Lucas backed her up.

“Then be here tonight,” said Zach. “The second shift ends at ten. After that, nobody’ll be here but security.”

“Maybe wear a blond wig,” Lucas put in.

“I’ll phone you later,” she told Zach, anxious to make herself scarce. She should have realized the danger. She definitely wasn’t cut out for covert operations.

“You’ll come back later,” he insisted.

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Nobody will see you.”

“You can’t guarantee that.”

“I’ll make sure nobody sees you.”

“Zach-”

“Abigail.”

They gazed at each other for a long minute. Abigail knew a stubborn man when she saw one, and Zach was surely one of them.

“Tonight,” he repeated. “The sooner we get our water license, the sooner you’re off the hook.”

She hated to admit he was right. But he was. The faster she learned about his business and showed him how to do his research and fill out the application form, the sooner he’d leave her alone. There wasn’t a single chance they’d succeed, but he’d be forced to admit she tried.

Annoyed by the delay, but knowing she had no choice, Abigail headed into Lyndon for the afternoon. There, she took pity on herself and decided to go for a manicure at the Crystal Pool spa. Discovering they were having a three-treatments-for-the-price-of-two sale, she also had a facial and a wax job. Then she stopped by her favorite clothing store and picked up a pair of black jeans and a sleeveless, shimmering, royal-blue blouse with lace insets and a mandarin collar. The jeans were too long to go with her cowboy boots, and she found a kicky pair of rhinestone-decorated, high-heeled sandals to complete the look.

Afterward, she felt better, confident, more like herself. She checked into the picturesque Rose Cottages down by the river. She’d made the reservation thinking she’d be finished with Zach tonight. Instead, she’d asked for a late checkout, planning to get some sleep there tomorrow before she drove back to the ranch. There was no way she was spending even half the night at the Caspian Hotel, not with the memories of Lucky flitting at the edges of her brain.

Then finally, since she couldn’t tell Travis she was spending a couple of days in Lyndon without making a point of visiting her brother Seth, she drove to the mayor’s residence on Bainbridge Avenue, pulling the truck up to the historic, white, pillar-fronted three-story house. She truly missed the sleek, shiny Audi she’d leased over the course of the campaign.

Hopping out, she settled her sandals on the concrete driveway, smoothed her blouse, fluffed her hair and strode up the wide steps to the over-height double doors. It was nearly eight o’clock, so she knew she wouldn’t disturb dinner.

It was Lisa Thompson who answered.

“Hey, Abigail,” she greeted with a beaming smile. “Nice blouse. You look great!”

“Thanks.” A warm feeling settled in Abigail’s stomach. She liked being pretty. She really did.

“So, how’re things at the ranch?” Lisa stepped to one side so that Abigail could enter the formal, octagonal foyer. The house had been built in 1902 and kept lovingly restored by the Lyndon Historical Society. The huge, overhead chandelier sparkled with light, while the marble floor gleamed, and notable, historical Lyndon City figures peered stoically down from gilt-framed oil paintings.

Male voices rose and fell from the depths of the house, something to do with land zoning and property tax. It didn’t surprise Abigail in the least that her brother was conducting business into the evening.

“It’s all good at the ranch,” she answered Lisa’s question.

“I didn’t know you were coming to town.” Lisa closed the door behind them, her black ballet flats whispering as she moved.

“Just picking up a few things,” Abigail made the excuse.

“Spurs and saddle soap?” Lisa teased.

Apart from Zach, Abigail hadn’t confessed to Lisa or anyone else her trepidation about going back to the ranch. She pasted on a smile. “A new pocketknife and some baling wire.”

Lisa laughed. “Around you, I feel so useless.”

“You are anything but useless. I don’t know how my brother got by without you.”

“I think he had a whole lot more fun before I showed up. Hey, Seth,” Lisa called. “Your sister’s here.”

Conversation stopped in the back room. It had once been the original kitchen and dining area, but years ago it was converted into a large gathering room where many of the mayor’s formal parties took place. A new kitchen had been added to the house sometime in the fifties and updated every decade since.

“Which one?” Seth called.

“It’s me,” Abigail called. “But you don’t need to-”

Seth headed through the curved archway that led into the living room adjacent to the foyer. “Hey, Abby.” He strode across the big room and pulled her into his usual hug. “What are you doing in town?”

“A little shopping,” she told him cheerfully. “What’s up with the zoning?”

He pulled back and waved a dismissive hand. “The usual. The chamber of commerce wants the town boundaries extended past the river bend, and the ranching community is up in arms over the grazing leases. You staying over?”

“I already checked into Rose Cottages.”

He frowned. “Why would you do that? You know we’ve got plenty of room here.”

“I plan on sleeping in tomorrow,” Abigail lied.

“So what?”

“So, you’re here. And you’ll be up early. Not everybody wants to keep your manic schedule,” she added.

“You’ve never minded my schedule. In fact, I think you liked it.”

“Well, I’m not working for you anymore. And I feel like being self-indulgent.”

“And so you should,” Lisa stoically defended, linking an arm through Abigail’s in blatant solidarity. “Give the girl a break. She’ll be up slopping the hogs at the crack of dawn soon enough.”

“We don’t have hogs,” said Seth. He turned, calling out, “Benjamin?”

“Yes?” a young man’s voice answered from the gathering room.

“Do you mind running over to Rose Cottages and grabbing Abigail’s suitcase?”

“Seth!” Abigail protested, reflexively moving to block the door. She was not going to let herself get shanghaied.

“I’m not letting my sister stay in a hotel.”

“And I’m not letting my brother order me around.”

Benjamin, a local teenager who was doing a part-time internship with Seth, appeared in the doorway. A bedraggled, black-and-white puppy limped in at his heels, sniffing its way around the legs of a colonial side table.

“Which cottage are you in?” Seth asked Abigail.

She jerked her attention back to her brother. “None of your business.”

“Don’t start, Abby,” Seth warned.

“Back off,” she responded. She was usually quite amiable when it came to her family’s desires, but she couldn’t give in this time.

“I just opened a bottle of ninety-six St. Germain,” he cajoled.

“I’m not thirsty.”

“Come on.”

“Boss,” Lisa put in, in a warning tone. “Didn’t we talk about this?”

Abigail was a little surprised that Lisa was willing to come to her defense. Lisa was brash and bossy at the best of times, but she was usually quite deferential to Seth.

“This is an entirely different circumstance,” he intoned.

“It’s exactly the same circumstance.”

“What?” Abigail couldn’t help asking.

“Problem solved,” said Lisa, propelling Abigail from the room. “She’ll stay at Rose Cottages, but join us for a drink now. Bring some glasses, Seth.” Then she lowered her voice, leaning toward Abigail’s ear. “So, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Abigail whispered in reply.

“Like hell,” Lisa harrumphed as they made their way toward the gathering room. “You’ve got something going on tonight, or you wouldn’t be fighting with Seth over where you slept.” Then she raised her voice as they switched rooms. “Luis, Harlan, you remember Seth’s sister Abigail.”

Both men came to their feet from a sofa grouping where they were going over some kind of report.

“Nice to see you again.” Luis nodded.

“Hi, Abigail,” Harlan echoed.

She barely had a chance to say hello because Lisa kept her moving toward an alcove with a bay window. Tucked into the corner of the L-shaped room, it was furnished with a low, round table, several broad-leaf plants and a half-round, floral-print bench seat.

“Are you okay?” Lisa asked with obvious concern as they plunked down on the soft cushions.

“I’m fine,” Abigail assured her, putting on a smile.

Lisa’s eyes narrowed. “Something’s off.”

“No, it’s not,” Abigail lied.

The quick denial seemed to pique Lisa’s curiosity. “It’s just us girls…”

“There’s nothing going on.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Lisa tsk-tsked. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to lie for a living.”

“I’m not lying. Why would I be lying?” Abigail glanced to where her brother had followed them into the room. She wondered if he’d take Lisa to task or pick up his argument with Abigail. But, instead, he paused to joke with Luis and Harlan while he poured the wine.

“Because you’re embarrassed, or you’re up to no good. Or, hey, here’s one, you’re going to see that guy again. Making it a two-night stand.”

Abigail felt her face heat up. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

The men’s voices rumbled and glasses clinked. The puppy scampered its awkward way over the patterned carpet toward them.

Lisa’s eyes went wide, and her mouth formed an O. “No way.”

“Exactly,” Abigail told her firmly. “No way.”

“You are planning a two-night stand.”

“I’m not. No. Definitely not.”

“You do realize you’re protesting way too much.”

“I’m protesting exactly the right amount because you’re dead wrong.” Dead wrong. The very last thing in the world Abigail was about to do was sleep with Zach again.

“Ladies,” Seth’s voice preceded him. He strode forward, offering each of them a crystal goblet of merlot.

“Thanks,” Abigail managed to say, scanning his expression to gauge if he’d overhead anything.

“You’re a very good mayor,” Lisa told him approvingly as she accepted the other glass of wine.

“You might want to remember that,” Seth retorted.

“How could I forget? It’s in every other speech. Now go away.” She shooed him with the back of her hand. “We’re having girl talk.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He backed off with good humor.

Lisa returned her attention to Abigail. “You’ve got me worried here. You’re acting weird.”

Abigail heaved a sigh. If she was acting weird, she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t any good at this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

“Fine.” She took a bracing drink of her wine. “I am meeting someone tonight. But it’s not what you think.”

Lisa leaned in. “A man someone?”

“Yes, a man. But it’s not like that. I’m helping him-” She stopped herself, searching for the right words. “It’s a research project.”

“A research project? At night? What is this, freshman year?”

“It really is a research project.”

“Uh-huh.” Lisa slipped off her flats and curled one leg beneath her simple, sky-blue dress. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m envious of your private life.”

“You really ought to focus on your own,” Abigail advised.

“It’s not the same. There’s nothing going on in mine.”

“I don’t believe you,” Abigail challenged, seizing on the opportunity to change the topic from herself to Lisa.

But Lisa wasn’t so easily swayed. “You’re the one with the hot guys on speed dial.”

“Nobody’s on speed dial.”

“Then how’re you contacting him?”

“He’s not a hot guy.”

“You’re blushing again.”

“Okay, he is a hot guy.” Abigail regretted admitting there was a guy involved. “But it’s not about sex.”

Lisa chuckled. “It’s always about sex.”

“Do tell.” Abigail raised her brows meaningfully, trying again to switch the focus to Lisa.

“I wish,” Lisa scoffed.

“There must be somebody. You’ve been in Lyndon for three months now.”

“I’ve been busy. Working hard. As you well know.”

“What about the guys on the campaign?” Abigail glanced at Luis and Harlan. She caught Seth looking at Lisa, a funny expression on his face.

Lisa’s earlier challenging and teasing of Seth came rushing back.

“What about Seth?” she blurted out.

Lisa’s jaw dropped, and her cheeks flamed.

“Ah-ha!” said Abigail. “I knew there was something-”

“Not Seth.” Lisa adamantly shook her head.

“Hey, I know he’s your boss, but-”

“Not Seth,” Lisa repeated, the flush turning to pallor as her gaze flicked across the room.

Abigail reached out. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“What’s going on?”

Lisa mutely shook her head.

Abigail couldn’t help another glance to her brother. His brow furrowed as he watched their exchange. She pasted a smile on her face and rose to her feet, reaching for Lisa’s arm. “Let’s step outside.”

Obviously upset, Lisa complied, and the two moved through an open set of French doors to a wide veranda that overlooked the mansion’s extensive gardens. The scent of roses permeated the air, and crickets chirped over the backdrop of the light traffic on the distant interstate.

They stopped beside the far railing.

“Dish,” Abigail ordered.

Lisa pushed back her blond hair and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I won’t give you up,” Abigail promised in a quieter tone, knowing Lisa had to have fallen for Seth. “You’re not the only one who can keep a secret.”

Lisa blinked open her blue eyes. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

Lisa downed her remaining wine. “Oh, man. I can’t-” She closed her eyes for another long second. “Okay. Fine. It’s better than you thinking I’ve got the hots for Seth.”

“Okay…” Abigail waited, not exactly sure what would be so terrible about being attracted to Seth.

Lisa looked directly into Abigail’s eyes. “You know about Nicole, right?”

“Who’s Nicole?”

“Nicole Aldrich. Your mother’s younger sister.”

Abigail drew back in surprise. She hadn’t heard that name in years. “I know she died young,” Abigail allowed. “I never met her, of course. And nobody really talks about her.”

“She died at eighteen, right after I was born.”

Abigail stilled. Then a tingle rushed over her skin. Her heart expanded in her chest. Could Lisa be saying…? “And…?” Abigail prompted impatiently.

“And I’m definitely not attracted to Seth,” Lisa stated with a toss of her head. “As it happens, I’m his cousin.”

Abigail gave a muted squeal, every muscle in her body contracting in delight. “And my cousin. Our cousin.” She wrapped Lisa in a tight hug. “Why on earth wouldn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t know how you’d feel.”

Abigail drew back. “I feel great. How could you not know we’d be thrilled?”

Lisa gave a self-conscious laugh. “Because I didn’t know you. That first day, I was just going to check you out. And you all assumed I was a campaign volunteer, and it seemed easier to go along with that. And then I found out about your dad, and that your mom was away. And then Seth hired me, and I loved the job, and I started to get scared that if he knew…”

“You thought Seth might fire you for being our cousin?”

“I thought he might fire me for secretly spying on him.”

Seth’s dry voice interrupted. “He might fire you for lying to him.”

Lisa jerked back, her attention shifting to where Seth had silently appeared on the deck. “I never lied.”

“You never told the truth.”

“I was working up to it.”

Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “And you pumped me for information.”

“I did,” Lisa admitted. “Your mother wasn’t around, and you were the only one old enough to remember Nicole.”

“I was six when she ran away.”

Abigail glanced from one to the other. “I don’t understand. When she died, why didn’t they bring you to us?”

“About a week before the car accident, she left me with the Sisters of Charity-anonymously.”

“You were abandoned? Raised by nuns?” Abigail couldn’t help asking, her brain scrambling about a hundred miles an hour as she cataloged the revelations.

Lisa shook her head. “I was adopted by a wonderful family. It was only two years ago when I started looking for you. Records were sketchy, so it took a while-”

“And you’re positive it’s us?” Seth challenged.

Abigail socked her brother in the arm. “This is good news, Seth.”

“I’m not after your money,” Lisa protested.

“But you were after a job.”

“Go away, Seth,” Abigail ordered tartly, grasping Lisa’s hand. “If you can’t play nice with our new cousin, you can go do something else.”

“I’m not going away.”

“I’m sorry,” Lisa offered to Seth. “I was scared.”

Seth’s expression seemed to soften. But there was a moment of meaningful silence before he spoke. “I do get it.” Then he sighed and his arms dropped back to his sides, while the corners of his mouth turned up. “I knew there was something I liked about you.”

A tremulous smile grew on Lisa’s face, and she blinked rapidly. “Yeah?”

“It must be the stellar genes.”

“It must be.”

Seth’s hand went to his chin. “I’m not sure how I feel about Travis and me being outnumbered four to two.”

Abigail laughed in relief. “I can’t wait to tell my sisters Mandy and Katrina.”

Just then, the puppy scampered out the open door, skidding on the deck as it clumsily rounded the corner.

“So, you’re heading back to the ranch tomorrow?” Seth asked Abigail.

“Yes.” Abigail’s own complex life came back to her in a rush. She hoped it was true. She hoped she could map something out for Zach in one night, catch a nap at Rose Cottages then head home. If not, well, she’d have to make up a new excuse for tomorrow night.

“Good,” said Seth, reaching down to scoop the gawky puppy up in one hand. “Take this guy with you, will you?” He rubbed his chin on the top of the puppy’s head. “He’s the last of the litter, and they were going to put him down. He has a gimpy leg, blind in one eye, and he’s got one ear up and one ear down. Nobody wanted him.”

“Uh…” Abigail didn’t know how to refuse. What the heck was she going to do with the puppy between now and when she went back to the ranch?

But Seth dropped the puppy into her arms. “Butch and Zulu will make a man out of him.”

“He is a bit skittish,” Lisa put in as she reached out to pet the pup.

Abigail tried to protest. “I’m not sure I can-”

“We named him Ozzy,” said Seth.

“Now, that’s just mean.” Abigail felt a sudden rush of protectiveness for the pathetic puppy.

“No, I like it,” Lisa interjected. “It’s not like we could name him Spike or Killer.”

“I guess not,” Abigail slowly agreed. She had to admit, Ozzy would probably be happy at the ranch. As long as he learned to stay away from the horses and the cattle, it was pretty much doggie heaven. And Butch and Zulu were good with smaller animals. They didn’t even bother the cats.

But she wasn’t going back there for at least twenty-four hours. “Can I pick him up tomorrow?”

Lisa gave her a curious look, and she could see the wheels turning inside her newly discovered cousin’s head. The last thing Abigail wanted to do was reprise their conversation about her plans.

“Never mind,” Abigail quickly said. “He can sleep in my cottage tonight.”

She hoped Zach liked dogs. And she hoped Ozzy liked road trips. They had a ways to drive before she could settle him in his new home.