The stilted tone in his voice should have put her off, but Sassy had never been one to contain her curiosity. Besides, she’d already told him so much about herself, it would hardly hurt him to reveal a few facts about his personal life.
“So, he doesn’t live around here?”
The road crested over a hill and took a steep dive straight down into a narrow gully. Jett shifted the truck into a lower gear to slow their descent.
After a moment, he answered, “No one in the family has seen Gary Sundell in several years. He and Mom divorced about fifteen years ago, when I graduated from high school. After that, he left the area.”
“And doesn’t keep in touch.” She murmured her thoughts out loud. “That’s odd.”
A mocking expression twisted his features. “Not for my dad. He’s one of those free spirits who don’t believe in ties of any kind. Looking back, I’m surprised Mom and us kids kept him around as long as we did.”
“Do you hate him for leaving?”
He shrugged. “Hate him? No. What’s the good of having someone hang around out of obligation? I’m a realist, Sassy. I don’t need that.”
“Hmm. I guess my parents, whoever they were, didn’t want to hang around for me, either. But so far I’ve survived. And so have you.”
“Yeah,” he replied. “So have I.”
At the bottom of the gully, the road curved around a high bank, then climbed to another flat range. When they reached the crest, Sassy spotted a large herd of mixed-breed cows gathered around several wooden feed troughs. Upon seeing the truck, the red and brown animals began to run and buck with excitement.
“They must be very hungry,” Sassy observed. “On the Chaparral the winter feeding starts early. We have so much snow in the mountains it buries the grass.”
“Winter has put a hold on most of the grasses here, too. My cattle depend on me for a nice meal.”
“There the cowboys put molasses licks out to supplement the alfalfa. Do you do that, too?”
“No. But I’ve considered it.” He cast a curious glance at her. “I thought you were a maid. How do you know about feeding cattle?”
“I’ve worked on the Chaparral for seven years. On my time off I watch and learn. I love the animals and being outdoors. It’s a dream of mine to be able to ranch for myself one day. That probably sounds far-fetched to you. But a person has to have dreams. And I want to raise my child in a country setting—with those basic values.”
“You surprise me, Sassy. I would’ve taken you for a girl who liked the lights of town.”
She shrugged. “Visiting town is fun. But a person can’t play all the time.”
He braked to a stop. “Speaking of town, since Bella is gone I’ve decided you and I are going out to eat later on.”
“Out? But why? As far as I’m concerned, another salami sandwich would be just dandy.”
About to open the door, he paused to look at her. “Forget the salami. Even though it’s Saturday, I managed to snag reservations at my favorite restaurant. Only because I’m friends with the owner. We might be sitting in the broom closet, but I promise the food will be delicious. Then, after we eat, we’ll drive on over to the Silver Horn.”
“There’s no need for you to go to all this trouble just for my benefit.”
As he jerked open the door, he said, “Sassy, you’re giving me an excuse to do something I’ve not done in a long time. So don’t spoil it for me.”
She hardly knew what he meant by that, but it didn’t matter. Spending time with this man was starting to feel very good and there was no harm in enjoying herself before she flew back to New Mexico.
Smiling, she said, “Okay, then, I’m looking forward to it.”
* * *
Later that evening, Sassy stood in front of the dresser mirror in her bedroom and wondered if she was making a giant mistake. Living on a maid’s wages didn’t exactly give her the opportunity to buy dressy clothing, but out of the generous gift that Frankie had given her for this trip, she’d purchased a few pieces from a nice boutique in Ruidoso. This evening she’d chosen an emerald-green jersey dress that wrapped across her curves and tied at the waist. The low V neck exposed a hint of cleavage, but a string of crystal beads around her neck would hopefully draw attention away. But she wasn’t exactly fashion savvy. For all she knew, the whole outfit was too much and Jett would be too nice to laugh and tell her so.
Full of nervous doubts, she finally entered the living room to find Jett in one of the armchairs. He appeared to be reading some sort of ranching magazine while Walter, the cat with the red collar, sat curled in his lap. The moment he heard her footsteps, he put the paper aside and turned his head in her direction.
“Sassy! Wow!”
She’d had men compliment her before, but something about Jett’s positive reaction made her feel acutely self-conscious. Hot color swept over her face and one hand fluttered to her chest.
“Do I...look okay? I mean, am I overdone?” she asked quickly. The blush on her face grew warmer as he set Walter on the floor and rose to his feet. “To be honest, Jett, I’m not accustomed to going to a restaurant where you need to make reservations. And since we’ll be seeing the Calhouns afterward...”
“You look beautiful, Sassy. Really lovely.”
She sighed with relief. “Well, my employer and her daughter are very classy ladies, so I’ve tried to learn a few pointers from them. But if anything looks wrong, I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me.”
He strode over while his gaze was sweeping her from head to toe. “The only thing I see that’s missing is a smile on your face. Put on one of those and you’ll be perfect.”
She forced the corners of her lips to turn upward. “I’ll do my best.”
He must have noticed just how nervous and out of place she felt, because he smiled and touched his fingertips to her cheek. Sassy was suddenly consumed with the warmth of his touch, the enticing scent of his body. And suddenly she wished she had the right to slip her arms around his waist, to press her cheek, if only for a moment, to his broad, strong chest.
“I’m going to be very proud to introduce you to the Calhouns. And very proud to share dinner with you.”
Was he always this kind with women, she wondered, or was he treating her in a special way?
You’ll never be special to this man, Sassy. You’re wholesome and hayseed, while he’s a well-to-do lawyer. Just get through this evening without sticking your foot in your mouth or falling flat on your face and you’ll be doing good.
“Thank you, Jett.” Swallowing the emotions jamming her throat, she turned away from him and murmured, “I’ll get my coat and bag.”
* * *
By the time Sassy and Jett finished their meal and began driving toward the Silver Horn Ranch, the clouds had turned even darker and flakes of snow began to splatter against the windshield.
“Looks like we’re in for nasty weather. I hope my meeting with the Calhouns won’t be as cold,” she spoke her thoughts aloud.
Glancing over at her, he smiled, and Sassy was reminded all over again just how handsome he looked in his white shirt, jacket and creased jeans. He wore the clothes with ease. The same way he smiled at her. As if being with her was as natural as the Nevada snowfall. And as their destination grew closer, Sassy decided that no matter what happened with the Calhoun family, meeting Jett and getting to know him was more than she’d ever expected to get from this trip.
“Are you always such a worrier?” he asked.
Shaking her head briefly, she said, “Actually, I’ve always been the happy-go-lucky sort. Probably too much so, at times. Losing my adoptive parents made me see just how short life can be. Why ruin what time you have by worrying? That was my motto. But Barry’s accident changed me in a lot of ways. Now I appreciate my friends and the people I love so much more.”
“Did you love him—Barry?”
His question jerked her head around just in time to see him shaking his head.
“Forget I asked that,” he said gruffly. “What you felt for the guy is none of my business.”
Confusion, guilt and regret swirled through her, and she stared down at her clenched hands cradled in her lap. “I’m going to have the man’s baby. It would’ve been better if I’d loved him. But—” Lifting her head, she sighed with regret. “To be totally honest, our relationship hadn’t gotten that far. We’d only known each other a few weeks and I’d become very fond of him. We were growing closer. But the baby happened because—well, that one night Barry was persuasive and I was feeling...”
“Like a human being—a woman,” he finished for her.
A pent-up breath eased out on a sigh. “That’s pretty close to what I was trying to say.”
What was he thinking of her now? she wondered. That she was the type of woman who didn’t take men seriously? Or that she was incapable of having a meaningful relationship with one special man? That idea bothered her far more than it should have. She wanted Jett to think highly of her, to see her as a smart, responsible woman, not as a flighty airhead who took impulsive risks.
“So, now that you’ve had a little while to think about things, how do you feel about the baby?”
Feeling his glance sliding over her, she forced herself to look his way. “The circumstances could be better,” she admitted. “But in spite of that, I’m happy. And I’m going to be the best mother I can possibly be to this child.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, Sassy. Real glad.”
The sincerity in his voice caressed her like a soft hand and filled her with warmth. Clearing away the tightness in her voice, she said, “And I’m glad you’re going to be with me when I step into the Calhouns’ home.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I’ll stick to your side.”
She was wondering about the connotation of that remark when they rounded a curve in the narrow road and entered a long lane lined with tall pines and poplar trees. At the end of it, she caught a glimpse of a huge three-story redbrick house nestled against the foothill of a mountain.
This was the Silver Horn ranch house. The Calhoun home. It was even more majestic than she’d imagined, and suddenly the idea that an orphaned maid could be related to this family was completely comical.
Jett parked to one side of the circular drive then took her arm as they walked up a long concrete walkway lined with low-growing evergreens.
At the double-door entry, a young maid, with brown hair slicked tightly back from her face and fastened in a ballerina knot, promptly answered the ring of the doorbell and ushered the two of them down a long foyer.
After giving Sassy a curious look, she took their coats, and said, “You’ll find everybody in the family room, Jett.”
“Thanks, Tessa,” he told the woman. “We’ll find our way.”
The maid nodded, then disappeared through a nearby doorway. Watching her go, Sassy suddenly clutched his arm. “I’d feel better if I was going with the maid.”
With a shake of his head, he urged her forward. “No backing out on this now.”
They passed through what seemed like an endless maze of halls and doorways, then finally stepped downward into a long carpeted room with one glass wall that looked over a wide yard and a sky full of falling snow. The space was occupied with several people, all of them men, and it seemed to Sassy that the whole group turned at the same time to stare directly at her.
“Jett! You’re finally here!”
The owner of the voice emerged from somewhere in the back of the room, and as he grew closer Sassy was astounded to see a male version of herself walking up to them.
Jett wasted no time in introducing the tall, auburn-haired man. “Sassy, this is Finn Calhoun, the man who wrote you the letter. He’s the second youngest of the Calhoun boys.”
Dazed, Sassy managed to offer her hand to him. “Hello, Finn. I’m— I don’t know what to say. Do I look like you or do you look like me?”
The man, who appeared to be near her own age, threw back his head and laughed, then beamed a grin at Jett. “This is awesome! Just awesome!” Whirling around to the rest of his family, he motioned them closer. “Come on you guys. Come meet Sassy!”
The group of men surged forward, all of them talking in an excited rush. Except for one. The older, silver-haired man was standing a few steps away from the rest of the group, his expression grim as his narrowed eyes burned a hole in her.
As the younger men reached to shake her hand and offer their greetings, Sassy tried to ignore the daunting figure and focus on each name and face. But after a moment, the outsider plowed his way through the men and fixed an angry glare at Jett.
“Get this woman out of here! Now!”
The outburst caused a hush to come over the group, and feeling as though a knife had been rammed into her chest, Sassy turned to Jett and clutched his arm.
Before she could beg him to take her away, Orin walked over to the older man and latched tightly on to his arm. “What the hell are you doing, Dad? You’re behaving like a rude bastard!”
Turning into Jett, she muttered close to his ear, “I don’t want to stay here. We’d better go.”
Overhearing her reaction, Finn quickly protested, “You’re not going anywhere, Sassy.” He stabbed his grandfather with a burning glare, then turned toward his father and three brothers. “Is she, guys?”
“Not by a long shot,” the one named Clancy replied. He stepped forward and reached for her hand. “Come along, Sassy, and have a drink with us. It’s really nice to have a woman in the house again. I think I can say that for all my brothers.”
“Absolutely!” the brother named Rafe exclaimed. “Bowie, the baby of the bunch, isn’t here. He’s in the Marines and down in southern California now, but I can safely say he’d be happy to meet you.”
Evan, the one with chestnut-colored hair and broad shoulders, rubbed his hands together with gleeful anticipation. “This is a treat. Let’s break out the best brandy and have Tessa bring in the cake that Greta made for our special guest!”
Seeing that his order was being totally ignored, Bart Calhoun jerked away from Orin’s grasp, then turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. At the same time, Clancy was pulling Sassy deeper into the room and she glanced helplessly up at Jett, who was staying close by her side.
“What am I supposed to do now?” she asked.