Expecting The Rancher's Child

For a fleeting moment she wondered what she had gotten herself into. What would it be like working with him daily, staying in his home, having him constantly close at hand? The questions made her pulse race...but then common sense said he would turn supervision of the job over to someone and go on with his life.

In a languid manner, he stood. “If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Here’s my business card and another number that’s private. If you’ll let me know your preference for what time of day you’d like to leave Kansas City, I’ll let you know about the flight arrangements.”

“Thanks. I can tell you right now, I’ll be ready to leave after twelve Sunday.”

“How should I contact you?”

She took a card off her desk and held it out to him. “My cell number is there, and you can always get me that way.” As their fingers brushed, she had another flash of physical awareness of him.

She shrugged away the feeling as ridiculous. She couldn’t understand the tingly reaction she had to him—that had never happened with any other man, but it was meaningless at this point in her life. She wasn’t dating because she was focused on her work. This was a business arrangement, and she intended to keep her relationship with Blake Callahan professional.

She walked him to the door where he turned. This time she avoided offering her hand. Even so, as she stood looking up at him, dark eyes searched hers for a few seconds as they stood in silence. “This should be good for both of us,” he said in a husky voice that heated her.

“I hope so,” she said faintly.

He opened the door and stepped out before turning again.

“I’ll text the flight arrangements and have a limo take you to the plane. The chauffeur will pick you up wherever you want.”

“Thank you. That’s a huge convenience. Until then, thank you for the donation, and the job and for having so much faith in me.”

“I’ve seen the results of your work,” he answered. He turned to leave and paused at her assistant’s scarred desk, which had one leg missing and was propped up with bricks. He told Nan that he was glad to have met her, and then, smiling at Sierra and her assistant, he left.

When he had disappeared from sight, she turned to her assistant. “I’m going to take some time off. He’s hired me to do a decorating job at his ranch.”

“Mercy! I’d take that job, too. That’s the most handsome man to ever walk through this office. Don’t tell Bert I said that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Sierra said with a smile, thinking about her assistant director, Bert Hollingsworth, who was six years older than she was, with sandy hair he never could get totally under control and gray eyes that held a perpetual worried look. She had been friends with him since the moment they were introduced. Unlike her response to Blake Callahan, Bert had never once evoked any physical reaction in her.

Reassuring herself once again that she would see little of Blake once she was on the job, she tried to shove him out of mind.

“Will you please call Bert and then both of you come to my office? We have some things to discuss.”

Giving her a quizzical look, Nan nodded and picked up a phone, repeating Sierra’s instructions to Bert.

Sierra left her door open as she hurried to her desk and sat, taking the checks in hand to stare at them again in amazement. All that money—her head spun at the thought. She had promised her grandfather she would continue his hard work and help people when they needed help.

She had been raised to believe in the good in people, and every week she had proof of that goodness from one person or another. Blake Callahan couldn’t understand why she’d left interior design, but her career in nonprofit work was about what really counted in life. She had great faith in the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity.

Shortly, Nan and Bert entered her office, Bert with his usual smile. “How’d the meeting go?”

“That’s the reason I wanted to talk to you. He’s hired me to do the interior design for a wing he’s built onto his ranch house. I’ll have to take a leave of absence.”

“I thought you gave up that career,” Bert said, frowning slightly.

“I thought so, too, but he gave me two payments—one for my work, and one as a donation to this agency. Here are the identical checks—each one for half a million.” She passed the checks to Bert, who shared them with Nan. Bert stared open-mouthed while Nan read the amounts again. Nan’s eyes were wide as she looked at Sierra.

“All that money to our agency,” she whispered.

“Saints above.” Bert shook his head, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “I knew the man was wealthy, but this—I never dreamed we’d get this kind of donation.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t faint,” Nan said. “You don’t even have to share that with your old design firm.”

“No, but I’ll share my personal check with Brigmore Charities. I’m also going to share with Dad and his church. Just think what good we can do with all this money.”

“I may faint,” Bert said. “No wonder you took the job. How could he want you that badly?”

“He thought I did a good job on his hotel. I turned him down at first, but I don’t think the man is accustomed to hearing no. And there’s more. If I do a good job, he will make an annual contribution of this amount to Brigmore Charities for the next three years.”

Bert shook his head as if in denial.

“Is he single?” Nan asked.

Sierra bit back a smile. “Very. When I worked for him before, I heard gossip that he doesn’t have serious relationships.”

“I think you ought to use a little of that money for a background check on him. He wants you too badly,” Bert said.

Sierra smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think a background check is necessary. Look him up on the internet and look up his business. He can afford this check without thinking about it. His father is a billionaire, and Blake Callahan is wealthy on his own. There are a lot of women in his life. He has no need of me, except as a decorator.”

“Want me to come with you?” Bert asked, a frown creasing his brow. Sierra held back another smile.

“Thanks, Bert. I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“If for any reason it becomes necessary, you call me and I’ll be right there.”

“I will,” she said, appreciating his offer, though it seemed ridiculous. “I won’t be alone. I’m hiring two people to help me. He’ll pay their salaries, and they’ll live on the ranch with me part of the time.”

“That’s good,” Bert said.

“If you need a secretary, don’t forget me,” Nan said, smiling.

For the next half hour they talked about depositing the check and presenting the donation to the Brigmore Charities’ board of directors.

Finally, Nan rose to go back to her desk. Bert came to his feet, he closed the door and returned.

“I want to talk to you.”

She sat behind her desk and waited.

“I don’t think you should take the job or accept the check.”

“You have got to be kidding,” she said, staring intently at him. “Why on earth not?”

“He’s up to something. That’s too much money.”

She held back a laugh. “I’ll repeat—Blake Callahan will never miss this money.”

“Why didn’t he go to the New York agency he hired when you first worked for him?”