Forever After (Montana Brides) (21 page)

Before he could think of a suitably impressive, roundabout way to ask, his mouth blurted out, “Who are they from?” Another lick of heat scorched his cheeks. Holy hell, at this rate he’d have a serious case of sunburn by the end of the day.

Nicky gazed at him with a stunned expression on her face. She hadn’t thought he’d ask the one question that had been gnawing a hole in his heart since the courier arrived at work. He could see her weigh up what she was about to say.

She swallowed. “A friend sent them.”

It was his turn to frown. Nicky couldn’t lie, even if her life depended on it. She wasn’t telling the entire truth, he knew that much. His gut twisted tight, imagining just how much involvement this ‘friend’ had in her life. ‘Friends’ didn’t send each other roses. ‘Friends’ didn’t bring a guilty flush to a woman’s cheeks. ‘Friends’ didn’t dress up for a date in a tight red sheath that stirred a man’s blood to boiling.
 

Nicky backed out of his office, colliding with the doorframe. “Oops. Gotta go. Bye.” With a tight smile she turned on her four inch heels and bolted down the corridor.

So much for his apology. He doubted whether Nicky even remembered last week’s conversation about marriage and commitment. If the radiant smile on her face meant anything, it meant she’d found someone else to whisper sweet nothings to.

Nicky gripped her flowers in one hand as she rushed out of Sam’s office. She closed her office door and sank into her chair.
 

Emily was bad. Really bad. She looked so sweet and innocent. All red hair and freckles wrapped up in designer chic. But even Pippi Longstocking couldn’t have triggered the same amount of mayhem that Emily managed to create in other people’s lives. Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed her sister’s number and waited.

“You’ll have to make it quick,” Emily said. “My class starts in three minutes.”

“I only have one word for you. Flowers.”
 

“Positively inspired last minute addition to our plan,” Emily gushed.
 

Nicky dropped her head into her hands. “You’re nuts. Sam nearly fired me on the spot for…well, something…I really don’t know what. But he wasn’t happy.”

“Awesome,” she squealed. “I’ve got to go, the lecturer’s arrived. I’ll ring you tonight.”

Nicky looked down at her phone, hoping she’d made the right choice in asking her sister for help.
 

A light tap on her door dragged her wandering mind back to work. “Come in.”

Amanda stood in the doorway, a vase full of water clutched in her hands. “I thought this might come in handy.” She walked across the room. “Where do you want it?”

Nicky’s gaze moved around the room, settling on a low table in front of the sofa. She grabbed a pair of scissors and walked over to Amanda. “We’ll put them on the table.”

Nicky snipped the ribbon holding the bouquet together, and placed them in the vase. Amanda jiggled them around until they looked just right. They both stood back to admire the flowers.
 

“I wish someone would send me roses,” Amanda laughed. “The most affectionate thing I get in the post is a discount off my utility bill for paying by automatic draft.”

Nicky pulled a rose from the bouquet. “Now your wish has come true,” she smiled.

 
“I knew today was my lucky day. And talking about today, Sam wanted me to remind you about your meeting with him in an hour.”

“I’ll be there.”

Amanda sniffed the rose, smiling at the sweet fragrance. “In that case, my work here is done. Thanks for the rose.”

Nicky started her computer. The day that had begun with a hiss and a roar was quickly turning into a fizzer. She had a disturbing feeling that she might be heading back to Denver just to get away from one stubborn male and a psycho sister.

CHAPTER TEN

Sam ran across the footbridge, feet pounding against the wood. He breathed deeply, the cold morning air hitting his lungs, shaking his brain cells awake. This was the Bozeman he loved. A sky so blue that it hurt his eyes, mountains that reached into forever and only a handful of people in sight.
 

The three mile circuit around the Village had become an addiction, a chance to clear his head, plan for the day and vent his frustrations. This morning it left him feeling restless and edgy. Nicky would be presenting her recommendations to the board of directors this morning. In another week she’d be heading back to Denver. Out of his life.
 

He waved to Mrs. Moody, one of the oldest residents in the subdivision. Each morning she bustled out of her townhouse dressed in her baggy sweatpants and sneakers, collecting her newspaper as he ran past her driveway. He was sure she had a radar attached to her mailbox, telling her when he was within striking distance.
 

It was a pity he didn’t have a radar of his own, attached to a cattle prod to zap some common sense into him. Nicky complicated his life.
 
She short-circuited his intelligence. Drove him insane with frilly outfits that had no place in a construction company.
 

Hell, half the male population must have oogled her legs at some point over the last few days. A woman didn’t go from wearing black pants to miniskirts without a reason. Especially a woman like Nicky. Flirty little numbers didn’t go too well with the professional image she’d created. No matter which way he looked at it there was only one explanation.
 

She’d met a man. Not just any man. A man that brought out her feminine side. A man who sent her roses, and cards, and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. He probably wrote poetry too.
 

Mr. Wilkin’s dog yapped from behind the gate on his owner’s front porch. Sam ignored the black Labrador and kept running, digging deep for the final sprint home.

All week he’d treated Nicky like any other employee. He’d ignored Amanda’s glowing reference to Nicky’s secret admirer and kept his coffee breaks to a minimum. He’d even started using the stairs so he didn’t bump into her in the elevator. Fat lot of good it had done him. She had him so tongue-tied that whenever he was around her he couldn’t string two words together.
 

And he loved her. Or maybe he realized he’d loved her two years ago, only he’d been too thick to realize it.
 

He slowed down, shortened his stride until he came to a stop outside the Lofts. Whatever he felt about Nicky wouldn’t make any difference. She wanted stability, permanence, marriage. Everything he couldn’t promise.
 

Meeting with the company’s lawyers yesterday had brought him crashing back to earth quicker than forked lightning. The date of Patrick’s court appearance had been set, and Sam felt sick at the thought of what lay ahead for Patrick’s wife and family.

 
“Sam?”

He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see Cody jogging toward him. “What are you doing here?”

“Emily’s getting her apartment photographed for the realtor today. She needed someone to hang a door and fix a leaky pipe in the bathroom. Guess who drew the short straw last night?”

“That’s what you get for living close to town.”

Cody shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not all that bad. She promised me food. I wanted to see you before I head out to the ranch.”

“Sounds serious.”

Cody stuck his hands in his pockets. “It could be.”

 
“Has Jacinta finally realized the grass is greener in someone else’s paddock?” Sam joked, knowing Jacinta wouldn’t be going anywhere. Cody’s latest girlfriend had lasted longer than most of the other women in his life. Longer than any of Sam’s girlfriends ever had.

“It’s not Jacinta that’s giving me sleepless nights; it’s that pesky sister of mine.”

“Nicky?” Holy hell. That would make two of them.

“No,” Cody muttered. “The other pesky one. Emily’s been trying to get me to hook…” His voice disappeared to nothing. Cody glanced over Sam’s shoulder, a hunted expression on his face. “How’s your week gone?”

“Fine.”
 

“You’re sure?” Cody asked. “You haven’t been…you know…harassed?”

Sam stared at Cody, wandering what was going on. If Emily was involved, anything could be on the agenda. “Why would I be harassed?”

“Thank God.” Cody braced his hands on his hips, breathing a sigh of relief. “Emily had this crazy idea of making you jealous by inventing a boyfriend for Nicky. They wanted me to corner someone to be a stand in Romeo. How dumb can two women get?” He looked at Sam. “Oh, shit. You didn’t know, did you?”

“You’re joking.”

Cody shook his head.

Sam couldn’t believe it. Nicky wanted happily-ever-after. She’d lectured him about honesty, integrity and respect. And here she was trying to manipulate him into turning into a green-eyed fool. And the worst thing was that he’d fallen for their games without needing another man in sight. How stupid could he be?

Cody pushed his hands through his hair. “I feel like an idiot now. Look Sam, Nicky really likes you. My two sisters are totally nuts, and I’m not saying I agree with their methods, but they had good intentions.” He folded his hands across his chest. “You like her, don’t you.”

Sam shook his head. “Who?”
 

“Nicky, you blockhead. What’s going on between the two of you?”

“Nothing,” Sam muttered. “And when I get my hands on her, there’ll be a whole lot more than nothing going on. Thanks for the warning.” He turned around and stormed into the foyer of the Loft, intent on teaching a blue-eyed blonde a lesson she’d never forget.

Nicky stared at her reflection in the metal elevator doors. A blur of cream lace and silk wavered in front of her, disappearing completely when she pushed the button to take her to the third floor.
 

She looked back at the doors. If she took a small step to the right, the ripple of steel made her shadow look three feet tall and four foot wide. Perfect. At least Sam might pay attention to a rectangle walking into his office. She moved to the left and turned into an albino worm. Even better.
 

Emily must have realized that by Friday she’d need to play the damsel in distress card. Today’s outfit made her look young, innocent and available. She didn’t feel young, her innocence was a thing of the past, and she was still working on the available scenario. She had a feeling that today’s outfit would be another fizzer.
 

Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s ensembles hadn’t gone much better. Sam had barely noticed the low necklines, tight bodices and flash of tanned legs in high heels. Call her desperate, but she’d been hoping for a better reaction than the cool, assessing glances he’d sent her way.
 

The best part of each day had been Emily’s ‘daily inspirations.’ Today’s little gem said, ‘I’m not a bad girl…I’m a good girl with attitude.’ Attitude that had been taking a serious pounding.

The elevator doors peeled back to reveal the same view she’d seen each morning for the past five weeks. The polished maple floor gleamed in the morning sun. Chairs in various shapes and sizes sat like a fruit basket of crisp colors around the open plan meeting area. Nicky waved at a group of staff already sitting down with coffee, ready to thrash out a project needing their input. Amanda sat at her desk, half way down the long, wide corridor, standing guard over her cranky boss’s office.

Nicky’s high heels clicked across the room, heading straight toward Amanda. “Good morning. Is the board of directors meeting still scheduled for ten o’clock?”

“Hi, Nicky. Yes, ten it is. They’ve moved the meeting to room three. I’ve put copies of your report on your desk. If you want me to distribute them at the meeting, just let me know.”

“Thanks.” Her phone chirped in her bag. “Gotta go, I’ll see you later.” The caller display showed her Denver work number. She headed toward her office, answering the call as she opened her door.
 

“Carolyn? Is everything okay?” Nicky had left Carolyn Brenner in charge of her consultancy firm while she was in Montana. With over fifteen years experience as a change management specialist, she was in her element making sure everything ran like clockwork.
 

“Sorry to bother you so early,” Carolyn said, “but I need to talk with you. Toby’s been involved in a car accident and he’s not going to be back at work for a few weeks.”

Nicky dropped her bag on her desk. “How badly is he hurt?”
 

“He crushed his right leg. The surgeon operated on it last night, but he’s still going to need lots of therapy to get it working properly. He’s got stitches in his face and two black eyes from the airbag. He assures me his status as a heart throb will only get better with a few scars to bring out the Action Man factor.”

Toby Daniels was five-foot-six, blonde haired, green eyed, and had the least amount of muscles Nicky had ever seen. “Tell Toby he’s right. A little bit of rough and tumble is bound to draw the ladies in.” Nicky sat at her desk. “Does he need anything?”

“His family is with him and he’s doing okay. He’s worried about work though, so I told him I’d give you a call.”
 

Logging her computer on, Nicky looked at their work schedule back in Denver. “Toby’s due to start on the McDonald project next week. Do you need any help?”

Nicky could hear the hesitation in Carolyn’s voice. “I hate to do this to you, but we’re really stretched for staff. Is there any way you could come back a little earlier? I might be able to postpone Toby’s contract for a couple of days, but I know they want him to start as soon as possible.”

Tapping her fingers on the edge of her desk, Nicky’s mind raced over what was left to do in Bozeman. “I’ll call you back in thirty minutes. Can you organize some flowers for Toby?”

“Already done.” Carolyn’s rich laugh floated down the phone. “His status as an Action Man hero may be in jeopardy though. He nearly leapt out of his bed when a little spider crawled out of the box.”

“Did he make you take them home?”

“No. He made me squirt the whole bouquet with fly spray. The poor flowers will probably be dead by tomorrow.”