Worth the Risk

The next few days flew by. Sammie was busier than she’d been in her entire life. She’d made calls to her private boot venders and haggled over prices, set up a whole new Excel spreadsheet for taking inventory, ordered window dressings for the shop and interviewed for part-time help. At night she’d unpack her belongings at her apartment, do laundry and make herself a salad before collapsing into bed.

She’d been in touch with Jackson every day. He didn’t disappoint on the business end of things. He wasn’t lying about helping her get the new enterprise off the ground. What they needed was a good start and Jackson knew some tricks of the trade. He’d stopped by her apartment once to check on her progress, and this morning he’d beaten her in getting to the shop. She saw his king-cab Ford truck as she pulled into the small parking lot behind Boot Barrage.

She opened the back door and walked in on him as he measured a wall with a thick chrome tape measure. His back was to her and he didn’t bother turning around. “Mornin’,” he said over his shoulder. “The crew will be here in a few minutes. Thought I’d speak with the contractor before he gets started in here.”

“Good morning,” she said quietly. She closed the door behind her and tried not to gape at Jackson. He wore a snug cotton T-shirt that hugged his shoulders and a pair of faded blue jeans tight enough for images to flash through her mind of how good he’d looked in the raw.

He also had a leather tool belt wrapped around his waist.

A tool belt.Really?

Sammie held back a sigh. Every time she saw him, she fell a little more in lust with him. But that was only because he was beautiful. Eye candy. A hunk.

“Okay, that’s great. I can’t wait until they get started on this place.”

Jackson grunted in agreement and then went back to jotting down figures on a clipboard. He had arranged for a desk and chair from one of his offices to be delivered the other day. She’d set up her laptop on it and had worked here whenever she could.

“You coming to Callie and Tagg’s for dinner tonight?” he asked, still concentrating on the figures he jotted down.

Her dear friend Callie had been patient with her. She’d invited her over every night this week, but Sammie had been too busy. She’d promised her that tonight would be the night—she’d missed her friend and they were both anxious to spend time together—but Sammie hadn’t known that Jackson was invited, too.

“Yes, I’m going.”

“No sense in both of us driving out there in separate cars,” he said, studying another wall he was measuring. “I’ll drive you to Red Ridge.”

“Oh, no. That’s not nec—”

Jackson turned to her and a jolt of new desire paraded through her stomach. He was every woman’s fantasy, a blond-haired, blue-eyed tool-belt-wearing hunk of a man. Sammie had always prided herself on not being a shallow female until she’d met Jackson Worth. He was in a class all by himself as far as she was concerned. But she’d reminded herself a hundred times that business and pleasure didn’t mix. Especially not for her.

Her creep of an ex-boyfriend, Allen Marksom, had driven that point home.

“Oh,” she said, quickly realizing her mistake. “Callie asked you to drive me there.”

“Carpooling saves the environment.”

“Callie worries about me too much.”

“She’s your friend.”

“But still, if you were only going on my account, you don’t—”

“Two things, Sammie,” he said in a serious tone. “I like spending time with my family. And I don’t argue with pregnant ladies.” He sent her a quick nod. “Just so you know.”

She nodded back. “Got it.”

When the crew showed up for work, she and Jackson went over the plans to make sure they were all on the same page. Excited, Sammie’s mental picture of Boot Barrage was finally coming to fruition.

Her boot boutique would be unique, not only because of the exquisite boots she’d be selling, but also because she’d give them her personal touch and a guarantee of repair, restoration and quality. She’d been given a lifetime’s worth of instruction by a high-end designer as to how to properly maintain and treat the boots to give them the longest life.

Each and every boot would come with the Gold Guarantee and that would be her selling point. Her own boots were testimony to personal care and longevity. She’d make sure her customers got the same level of quality.

“Once we get started you won’t be able to come in here,” the head contractor, Justin Cervantes, said. “Safety reasons.”

Jackson nodded. “We figured as much. Not a problem.”

“How long before we’ll be able to get back in, exactly?” Sammie asked.

Mr. Cervantes scanned the space, doing mental calculations. “We’ve got to texture the walls, build the shelving, put in the counters and paint. Mr. Worth wants it done quickly. If we work steady through the weekend, I’d say not until midweek. That’s as quick as we can do it.” He sent a solid look to Jackson. “I’ll be in touch every day.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jackson said.

His cell phone rang. He took a quick look at the screen and then excused himself to deal with the call.

Sammie finished the conversation with the contractor, thanking him and giving him her phone number also in case he had any questions about design. Exhilaration stirred in her belly. This was really happening. She’d have a new place, one that was infused with enough cash to give the establishment a good start. She was getting a second chance, doing something she loved to do. Back in Boston she’d had a little hole-in-the-wall boutique, hardly any space at all, yet she’d made a decent living and enjoyed some success. This space was three times the size. It would be luxurious and comfortable for her and her clients. She planned on spending most of her time here. Diving into her work with guns blazing would never be an issue.

When Jackson finished with his call, he motioned for Sammie to meet him in the back room. The space would serve as her office and a lounge for her employees, and behind that area a stockroom would be built to house the inventory.

“What’s up?” she said.

“That was my brother Clay. He’s inviting us to a little show they’re having at Penny’s Song tomorrow night. Since we’re both coming out to the ranch, he suggested that we stay with them for the weekend.”

Penny’s Song was a dude ranch on the Worth property designed for children recovering from illness. Sammie had been there once, when Callie had married Tagg. The charity helped provide children an easy way to acclimate back into society. Young Penny Martin, a local Red Ridge resident, had been the inspiration, and upon her death, all three Worth brothers had helped in starting up the foundation. The charity had touched the heart and soul of the entire town.

But the invitation to stay out at the ranch with Jackson brought a wave of fear to her heart. She’d hoped to keep as much distance from him as possible and it appeared that she was losing that battle.

A wealth of guilt glided through her mind. She hadn’t out and out lied to Callie about her time spent with Jackson in Las Vegas, but when they’d talked, she’d skirted the issue and hid the truth from her. Something she’d never done before. Just being in the same room with Jackson and Callie would fray her nerves. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I’m sure you’ve got plans for Saturday night.” Sammie could only hope.

Jackson shook his head and gave a nonchalant shrug. “Actually, I’m open.”

Great.

Why in heaven’s name didn’t he have a date or something?

Her cell phone rang this time. And she didn’t have to look at the screen to know it was Callie. Small-town life was like that, she was finding out, and news traveled fast, especially in a close-knit family. Sammie knew exactly what Callie would say.

“You’ll stay with us,” Callie said a few seconds into the conversation, proving Sammie right. “At our house, and Jackson will stay with Clay.”

“Callie, I love you dearly, but I don’t want to impose on you and Tagg.”

“You’re not. I’d love some female company up here.”

Tagg and Callie’s house was set at the base of the Red Ridge mountains on the site of the original Worth house built in the 1800s. Clay and his family lived on a bigger piece of land that supported the cattle, corrals and outer buildings. All of it was considered Worth property. Tagg raised horses, and Clay raised cattle. And Jackson was the dealmaker and entrepreneur of the family.

“You’ll stay the weekend. Come on … say you will. Please.”

“Okay,” Sammie said without pause. She couldn’t disappoint her best friend. She’d just have to find a way to deal with being around Jackson twenty-four-seven.