Smiling back, Sam says in her almost
forgotten southern drawl, "I'm looking for Jim Bradley. I
understand he is the proprietor of this establishment. Jeffrey sent
me." Samantha grew up in southern Alabama and has spent years
trying to overcome her southern drawl. It's one of the many things
the girls teased her about in college. Now, considering this
undercover assignment, it seems appropriate.
Smiling the man says, "I'm Jim Bradley. And
you are?"
Smiling again, her heart pounding with
apprehension, Sam winks and says, "Why, you can call me Susie.
Everybody does." This is so exciting. Sam can't believe she is
actually working undercover!
Samantha is usually very shy and reserved
because her grandparents raised her that way. She has decided to
pattern her pseudo self after one of the girls that was really
popular in college.
Grinning now Jim Bradley says, "Perfect. Come
with me Susie and I'll get you set up." They walk through a
swinging door to the back room and Jim says, "Samantha Wells I
presume."
Nodding Sam says, "I hope you're not
disappointed, Mr. Bradley." She is very nervous because she has
never acted so brash.
Shaking his head Jim says, "Not at all.
You'll be perfect. Please, call me Jim. Have you ever been a
cocktail waitress before Susie?" He hands her an apron with the
bar's logo and an order pad and pen.
Sam replies nervously, "Not exactly. I worked
my way through college waiting tables at a chain restaurant in
Mobile, Alabama. They did serve alcohol so I am familiar with the
names of most beers and mixed drinks. Other than that is there
anything in particular I need to know to work here?"
Jim says, "Well, I'll give you the menu to
study. There's really not that much to it so it shouldn't be a
problem. You might consider wearing shorts. They might get you
better tips and more information. Men like looking at long
legs."
Sam shakes her head, "I'm sorry but jeans are
going to have to do. I have a really bad scar on my leg that is
still not completely healed. It would be a dead giveaway to anybody
that knows me. Is there anything else?"
"No, not really, the lower cut the blouse,
the better the tips," he suggests.
Smiling Sam says, "I'll remember that." She
walks out into the bar and begins to acquaint herself with the
bar's regular customers.
Scoot, Dylan Drake, the head of Drake
Security, calls Stump, Rance Kincaid, into the office and says,
"Well, Stump, are you ready for your next assignment?"
Eager to get back to work after his long
recovery, Stump replies, "Yes, I am past ready to get back to
work."
Scoot continues, "Good, I have your next
assignment and it's perfect. It will allow you to continue working
on improving your strength while you get back into the swing of
things. You're going undercover for a while at Yellowstone."
Stump, Rance Kincaid, has been on medical
leave for the past several months after being stabbed in the back
by a man that wanted to murder all of Drake Security's team members
because they killed Darren Calloway, head of an anti-government
militia group. Drake Security was protecting Melanie Brentwood who
escaped from the militia's compound with Calloway's son, Eric.
The man that stabbed Stump was the same FBI's
ten most wanted man that grazed Samantha Wells with a bullet. Stump
spent weeks in the hospital in Cody, Wyoming recovering from a
punctured lung, extensive blood loss, and taking the rabies series.
The man was exposed when a rabid wolf attacked him. Then Stump
spent several more weeks recuperating and regaining his strength at
the Rock Springs Ranch where he lives with the other members of the
Drake Security team. He was released by his doctor to go back to
work just last week.
Stump freezes when Scoot says the location of
his assignment, Yellowstone. That's where Samantha Wells is working
and he can't stand the woman. A shiver of disgust slides down his
spine. He and Samantha can't spend two minutes together without
getting into an argument. A frown crosses his face and he asks
Scoot, "Why me? You know Samantha and I can't get along for two
seconds."
Scoot was expecting Stump's reluctance and
patiently replies, "Well, I have a couple of reasons. One, this
assignment may mean being away from the ranch for several months.
You are the only one of us that is still single. The rest of us
have families now and that makes you the logical choice. Two, it's
a construction job and you have the most experience of any of us.
Besides, you won't have any reason to run into Samantha. You're
going to be working construction and hanging out with the
construction workers, not the park rangers. Now, go and pack your
bags. You leave tomorrow and will meet with Jeffry Whitmore at the
ranger station at nine o'clock sharp. Don't be late!"
Stump nods his acceptance and heads to his
bedroom to pack his things. While he is very anxious to work again,
he is nervous about being anywhere close to Samantha Wells,
especially if he's undercover. She is sure to expose him if they
run into each other. Even if she doesn't expose him, they are sure
to have one of their usual fights. Damn! He is already dreading
this assignment.
******
The following morning at nine o'clock sharp
Stump is sitting in the outer office of the ranger station at
Yellowstone National Park waiting to meet with Jeffrey Whitmore,
the head park ranger. He is really nervous. In fact, he is scared
to death he might run into Samantha Wells. He doesn't want to let
the other guys down by causing a scene with Samantha and he's not
sure he can bite his tongue hard enough to prevent one if they run
into each other. The woman sets him off faster than a bottle
rocket. He has never met another woman that can get on his nerves
as quickly or as thoroughly as Samantha Wells.
He looks up when he hears his name and is
escorted into the office by a very tall black man. Once inside the
man says, "Hello Mr. Kincaid, I'm Jeffrey Whitmore. I really
appreciate your willingness to help us with our problem. The reason
you are here is that we are having an exceptionally large number of
construction thefts. We believe whoever is stealing the building
materials is using them to shore up a mine shaft that is located
somewhere in one of the off limit areas of the park. We haven't
been able to find the mine yet and we're hoping you'll be able to
pick up enough information for us to locate it.
Stump replies, "Please call me Stump or
Rance, whichever you prefer. What kind of mine sir?"
Smiling Mr. Whitmore says, "Thank you, you
can call me Jeffrey. Gold, Rance, gold. I have arranged for you to
be a temporary employee of the park, not the construction company,
and you'll be helping out at the construction site of the new hotel
being built down the road. You will have to take orders from the
construction company superintendent. We don't have any idea who is
involved in these thefts so be very careful Rance. Don't trust
anyone. Here are your park credentials and the directions and key
to your apartment. It is located on Main Street. When you get to
the construction site, ask for Jack Dempsey. He's the construction
superintendent."
When Stump walks out of the ranger station he
breathes a sigh of relief. He didn't see any sign of Samantha
Wells. Maybe he'll be able to pull this off after all.
When he arrives at the construction site he
is assigned to a team with a couple of rough looking guys named
Zeke Marshall and Jeb Jennings. After spending a full eight hours
swinging a hammer, Stump is ready for a cold beer and a hot meal.
When Zeke and Jeb invite him to join them at a bar called Mel's
right across from the apartment complex where he will be living, he
gladly accepts.
After a quick shower at his tiny apartment,
he walks across the parking lot into the bar and is immediately
hailed by Zeke, "Hey Rance, over here."
Stump strides across the bar looking around.
This is nice little place and the food smells really good. It looks
like a lot of park employees hang around in here so it should be a
good place to pick up information. He is curious about why he
doesn't see too many of the guys from the construction site in the
bar. That seems a little unusual to him. In fact, Zeke and Jeb are
the only two in the bar that he recognizes.
When the waitress walks up to the table she
says in her best southern drawl, "Hello boys, what can I get ya'll
this evening?"
Zeke puts his arm around the woman's waist
deliberately brushing it across her buttocks and says
flirtatiously, "Hey Susie, you sure look pretty tonight. Are you
going to let me take you home after work?
Laughing Susie says as she moves out of his
reach, "Now Zeke, you know I can't do that. What will you have?
Disappointed, Zeke says, "Another time, then.
I'll have a draft and a double cheeseburger and fries. This is our
new guy, Rance Kincaid."
Samantha smiles at Zeke then looks at the
third man at the table for the first time and nearly faints. She's
glad it dark in the bar because she knows she just lost all of the
color out of her face. It's Stump. Oh God, how is she going to
manage this? Why didn't she realize Rance Kincaid is Stump? What if
he recognizes her? What if they have one of their usual knock down
drag out fights?
She takes a deep calming breath and forces a
smile to her face then drawls, "Well, hello there, Rance. I'm
mighty pleased to meet you." Her heart is pounding with dread as
she waits for his reaction.
Ever since the waitress walked up to the
table, Stump has been entranced by her luscious breasts nearly
spilling out of the top of her low cut t-shirt. He shakes his head
to break the spell. He obviously has been without the company of a
woman for way too long.
He forces his gaze up to her face and nearly
swallows his tongue, she is absolutely gorgeous! She has long pale
blonde hair falling in curls around her shoulders and sparkling
pale blue eyes. When he sees her smile his stomach does a flip
flop. He takes a deep calming breath, smiles warmly, and says, "The
pleasure is all mine, Susie. I'll have a draft and one of those
double cheeseburgers with fries too." Stump's heart is pounding,
his breathing shallow, and he feels his male member standing at
full attention. Wow! He has never had such an instantaneous
reaction to a woman! It is definitely way past time to pay a visit
to one of his regular companions. He'll make a trip to visit one on
his first day off.
Stump sips his beer and watches Susie as she
goes about her duties. Damn, but she's gorgeous. He wonders if
she's single. Maybe he'll ask her out. A roll in the sack with her
is about the only thing that's going to relieve his discomfort.
Stump has a strict rule when he's working
about not drinking more than two beers so when he finishes off his
second draft he reluctantly stands and says goodbye to his friends
from work. He says, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm going to turn
in."
Zeke sneers, "You a wimp Rance, can't stay up
past nine o'clock or you turn into a pumpkin?"
Grinning, Stump says, "Naw, I just need this
job and don't want to take the chance of oversleeping. I'll see you
tomorrow." He turns and heads for the door.
Susie calls to him, "You're not leaving are
you Rance?"
Turning back to her he smiles warmly and
says, "I am unless you want to come home with me after your
shift?"
Smiling Samantha says, "Not tonight, Sugar,
maybe another time?"
Grinning, Stump says, "Sure, I'll hold you to
it."
Samantha grins to herself as she watches
Stump walk out of the bar. The pig doesn't have the slightest clue
about who she is. If she can fool him, she can fool anybody! This
is definitely going to be fun.
When Stump gets back to his apartment, he
takes an ice cold shower. Standing under the icy spray he thinks
about the gorgeous waitress at Mel's. Yes, he definitely wants to
get to know her better. Maybe this job isn't going to be so bad
after all.
******
Every night after work Stump goes to Mel's to
enjoy a cold beer and a double cheeseburger and fries with Zeke and
Jeb. He makes an effort to mingle and chat with as many of the
bar's customers as he can. Of course, he also goes to watch Susie
as she goes about her duties. He has admitted to himself that he is
obsessed with the woman. He also realizes he's not the only one
obsessed with Susie, Zeke Marshall is too. He watches her
constantly and Stump has noticed that Susie very skillfully avoids
giving him any encouragement.
Stump had tried paying a visit to one of his
regular companions and for the first time in his life, hadn't been
able to perform. It was extremely embarrassing because he has never
had that problem before and it's puzzling too since all he has to
do is think about Susie and his member springs to attention. No
woman has ever affected him in quite the same way.
During each visit to Mel's he takes every
opportunity that arises to talk to Susie and ask her questions and
as a result has learned a lot about her. He has been surprised to
find that he enjoys talking to her almost as much as he enjoys
watching her. She is very smart with a warm, sweet personality and
a quick wit.
He learned that she grew up in southern
Alabama and was raised by her grandparents who were very strict. He
knows she recently moved to Wyoming because she really loves it out
here, especially the area around Yellowstone National Park. She
told him she followed in her grandfather's footsteps and got a
degree in archeology and now she wants to study the Native American
history of the area. He learned her grandparents are deceased and
she doesn't have any family left leaving her all alone in the
world. He even knows that she has a slight limp late at night
toward the end of her shift and he wonders what causes it.