How to Seduce a Texan

Chapter 12

Celeste opened her eyes. It was dark. Confusion settled over her like a cold and unwelcome blanket. She reached out and felt the bedside table and the small lamp, then the switch that turned it on.

The low-wattage bulb cast a warm glow in the room. At least she was no longer in the dark.

Where was she this time?

The room was unfamiliar, but that was a normal occurrence with her. She’d traveled a lot over the years-different towns, different states, never staying long in any of them. She didn’t regret not having a permanent home. The adventures she’d had were amazing. Nothing else mattered.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and waited for the fog to go away. Then she remembered where she was-Crystal Creek Dude Ranch-and she was the new massage therapist, even if it was on a trial basis. That was okay, too. She had a good feeling about this job.

She glanced at the clock: just after midnight. Her nap had lasted a long time. All day and into the night. Her forehead wrinkled. That’s what she got for going so long without sleep. Brian probably thought she was lazy. Not a good way to start her employment.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she’d missed lunch and dinner. God, she was so hungry, too. What had she eaten yesterday morning? A package of crackers and washed it down with a soda that had been only lukewarm. Her eating habits weren’t the best even in good times. Much like everything else she did in her life, she ate on the go.

She stretched her arms above her head as she glanced around. This was a nice room, comfortable, and it had a bathroom. No tub, but it did have a shower. She’d rather soak in scented bathwater inhaling her relaxing herbs.

Beggars couldn’t be choosers, though.

And hopefully she wouldn’t have to resort to begging Brian to let her keep this job. No, she wouldn’t think like that. She was a good massage therapist. Fate had brought her here, so why in the world would fate have Brian fire her?

It would be a trial basis only until Brian felt more comfortable. Then he would see what she could do, and the job would be permanent. At least, as permanent as she wanted it to be. It would always be her choice.

She needed to settle in one place for a while. Her money had run low. So low that she had less than a hundred dollars, and even she knew her car was on its last tires. She doubted it would take her another five miles. It was time to trade it in, and that was okay, because she was beginning to dislike the car tremendously, especially when it backfired and belched out black smoke. Lord, how embarrassing was that?

She would just have to prove to Brian that she was great at what she did and only hope it didn’t turn out like her last job. A shudder swept over her. No, she didn’t even want to go there right now.

Instead, she grabbed her robe. Would Brian care if she wandered the ranch at this time of night? Her stomach rumbled again. It seemed her body was making the decision for her. Surely he wouldn’t mind if she went to the kitchen and found something to eat.

She eased out of her room and quietly shut the door. She’d passed the kitchen, so she knew the direction it was in.

The ranch was quiet as she wandered the halls, only the dim light from wall sconces lighting her way. The dining room was eerily empty, but there was a light from beneath the swinging doors that led to the kitchen area.

There was a sign on one of the doors: EMPLOYEES ONLY. She was an employee, even if she was here on a trial basis. A very hungry employee. Maybe there were some crackers or something she could munch on. That should hold her until morning.

But when she pushed through the double doors, she wished she’d stayed in her room. Brian sat on a stool at the long counter. He had a sandwich in front of him but it didn’t look as though he’d eaten any of it yet.

Something fluttered inside her chest and she knew it wasn’t hunger pains. The same feeling had happened earlier, when she’d first laid eyes on Brian. Not that anyone would blame her. He was a nice-looking man.

Before she could ease back out of the room, he looked up.

“Don’t go,” he said as though he’d read her thoughts and knew she was going to flee.

“I was hungry.” That sounded so lame.

“Me, too.” He stood and went to the cabinet, took down another plate. “Sit.”

She moved to one of the stools, keeping one between them.

“Do you like sandwiches?”

She nodded when he looked at her.

“Good, because that’s all I could find without having to heat anything up.”

“Right now I think I could eat a horse. I missed lunch and dinner.”

“I know.”

Of course he would. He probably knew everything that went on at the ranch.

He cut his sandwich in half, then slid one portion onto the empty plate and set it in front of her.

She took a bite. A steak couldn’t have tasted any better than the slice of ham. She barely restrained herself from cramming the whole sandwich into her mouth. Brian didn’t say anything until she’d almost finished the sandwich.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said.

“What do you want to know?” she hedged, picking at the crust on her bread. Then she took another bite of the sandwich. She didn’t want to answer questions. She hated questions.

“What was your last job?”

Okay, she could skirt around that one. “My last job was in a hair salon.”

“As a massage therapist?”

“Not exactly.”

He raised his eyebrows.

She shrugged. “There wasn’t an opening, so I worked as a receptionist.”

“I’ll need references.”

She cringed. She’d known it was coming. Just not this soon. “I was fired from my last job.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his back stiffen. That didn’t bode well for her.

Please let me get through this and still have a job.

“Some money came up missing,” she hesitantly continued. “I didn’t take it, but I was the new employee and I made a good scapegoat. The charges were dropped because of lack of evidence. I doubt the owner will give me a reference.” She pushed her plate away, suddenly losing her appetite.

Brian tapped his fingers on the counter as though he was thinking about everything she’d said, then stood and took their plates to the sink.

“I really didn’t take it. The owner’s son did.” Which was the last thing she should’ve told Giselle. No mother wants to know her sixteen-year-old son is a thief. But Celeste had seen him shutting the cash register. He’d only looked at her with a snide grin on his face. Her sinking feeling had been a premonition of what was to happen next.

“You’d better get some sleep,” Brian said. “First day on a new job is usually stressful.”

She jerked her head up. “Then you’ll still give me a chance?”

Brian had to be losing his mind, but she looked pretty broke to have stolen money. And she looked innocent. Probably because she still had that sleepy look about her. Her blond hair hung down her back in a tumble of soft waves.

He still wasn’t sure she hadn’t lied about her age, though. Right now, he’d guess her to be closer to twenty than thirty. The way she was all tucked inside her heavy terry cloth robe reminded him of a little pixie. Sweet, adorable.

He cleared his throat and his mind. He wouldn’t get caught up in feeling sorry for her. “A trial basis is what I told you and I meant it.”

“Thank you.” She hurried from the room. Had her eyes sparkled because of unshed tears? Or the way the light had hit them?

He had to be crazy to keep her after her confession. He was usually a good judge of character, though, and she just didn’t look like a thief. He only hoped that he wasn’t making a huge mistake.

He turned off the light a few minutes later and walked out of the kitchen. He was tired all the way to his bones, but there had been things that still needed doing before he could go to bed. It seemed his days were getting longer and longer.

Cal was right: he needed a break, but he didn’t think he’d take his brother up on his offer to run the place so he could take a vacation.

He glanced down the hall and caught a glimpse of Celeste right before she turned the corner.

No, Brian had a feeling Cal had made more trouble when he’d hired the girl. There was something about her. Not that he thought she was a criminal, but then people became desperate when they needed money. No, there was something else about her. A feeling that she might be lost.

A completely ridiculous notion, of course. She’d found her way here, hadn’t she?

But as he made his way to his room and his bed, he had a gut feeling that he’d done the right thing by hiring her. He only hoped his gut was right.