Part 10 (1/2)

”I didn't hit her, did I?” he asked mockingly. ”I hit the window. That reminds me, you'd better call Jack Harper and get him over here tomorrow to put in another windowpane.” He looked uncomfortable. ”And, uh, you don't need to go into details about how it got broken. Do you?”

”I'll tell him an eagle flew through it,” she agreed.

He glared and stomped off toward his car.

Shelby started toward where she usually parked her car when it dawned on her that she didn't have a car.

”Oh, Mr. Holman,” she called without thinking, ”could you drop me off at the feedlot? I haven't been able to get Justin, and he won't be here for another hour to pick me up.”

”Sure. Come on.”

He helped her into the black Mercedes and shot off down the road toward the Ballenger feedlot. ”What happened to your new car?” he asked. ”Engine trouble?”

She smiled wistfully. She hadn't told him about the sports car, even though he knew she had been driving Justin's car the day before. ”Justin gave it to Mr. Doyle.”

”He runs a junkyard,” Mr. Holman reminded her.

”That's right, he does, and he has a brand-new car crusher.” She sighed. ”Justin said if I liked, he could have my sports car made into a nice wall decoration. It's about five inches thick...”

”What did he do that for?” the lawyer asked.

”He thinks I'm reckless,” Shelby said. ”I think he's planning to buy me something sedate. Like a Sherman tank.”

Mr. Holman smiled. ”I hope I didn't get you into any trouble this morning,” he said belatedly as he turned off on the long road that led to the feedlot. ”I wasn't thinking. I was glad to see you because I knew that you could talk her out of the office if the firemen didn't work.”

”Tammy's really a nice woman,” she said.

He glowered. ”She's a pain.”

”If you'd give her half a chance, she might surprise you. She's very efficient.”

He s.h.i.+fted against the seat. ”I did notice that you're pretty rushed. I didn't mean to rob you of her help.”

She glanced at him. ”You might consider asking Tammy to come back. Maybe she's sorry, too.”

He pursed his lips. ”Maybe she is. I suppose I could drop by her dad's house and just mention that she could come to work tomorrow.”

”It might be a better idea to call first,” Shelby said, remembering Tammy's temper.

”I'll do that.” He pulled up at the feedlot office and grinned. ”Thanks for being so understanding.”

”My pleasure. No, don't get out. I can open the door all by myself.” She laughed. She got out, smiling at him, and waved him away.

Behind her, Justin stood watching, a cigarette smoking in his lean fingers, his height emphasized by the jeans and chambray s.h.i.+rt and boots he wore around the feedlot. His hat was pulled low over his black eyes and he looked dangerous.

Shelby turned and saw him and stopped suddenly. ”Uh, hi.”

He lifted the cigarette to his mouth. ”You're an hour early.”

”We had a problem at the office.” She flushed, and that made it worse. ”I need a ride to the house.”

”Calhoun's going that way,” he returned. ”He can drop you off.”

He went inside the building, leaving her standing in the sun with the sound of the cattle lowing and moving in the sprawling complex ringing in her ears.

Calhoun came out in a beige suit, scowling. ”Justin is sitting behind his desk with his feet crossed, not doing a d.a.m.ned thing, and he dragged me out of a meeting to run you home,” he said, stunned. ”Not that I mind, Shelby. I'm just curious. Is he at you again?”

”When isn't he?” she said curtly. ”Mr. Holman brought me out here. I guess Justin thinks I seduced him on the highway!”

”Shhh!” Calhoun put his finger to his lips and pulled her toward his white Jaguar. ”Don't make him any worse than he already is. His secretary's already threatened to walk out!”

”He has that effect on so many people,” she said with venom in her tone. ”Overbearing, unfeeling, insensitive, insufferable...!”

”Now, now,” he soothed. ”You'll just work yourself into a lather, and it won't solve anything. He's only jealous. You're a woman. You ought to know exactly what to do about that.”

She flushed and averted her face as he helped her into the front seat and got in beside her.

He glanced in her direction curiously, noting her scarlet blush. It amazed him how much alike Justin and Shelby were; both old-fas.h.i.+oned and full of hang-ups.

He started the car and cleared his throat. ”Do you mind if I say something pretty personal, Shelby? Since we're related these days and all?”

She couldn't look at him. ”That depends on what it is.”

”Yes, I can imagine. You react just like Justin does,” he mused. He pulled out onto the road and pressed down on the accelerator. ”Well, it's this. My brother isn't exactly a lily, but in recent years he's been a hermit. He hasn't dated anybody. He's sort of rusty with women, is what I'm driving at.”

”I could tell you what he is, if you weren't his brother,” she muttered, clutching her purse.

”Shelby,” he said patiently, ”the best way to get a man's attention and knock the fire off his temper is just to hug him as hard as you can and let nature take care of the details.”

She went scarlet. She knew that Calhoun was pretty much like her boss, a man who knew women well. But if she couldn't talk to Justin about intimacy, she certainly couldn't talk to Calhoun about it.

”He wouldn't like it,” she said in a husky voice.

”He'd like it,” he returned. He reached over and patted her shoulder gently. ”He's so crazy about you that he can't see straight. You take my word for it, honey, he'll fold up like an accordion if you use the right approach. And that's all I'll say. How are you and the sports car getting along?”

She gaped at him. He didn't know? ”Justin didn't tell you?”

”Justin doesn't talk much when he's at the office,” he said pleasantly. ”Mostly he works, and when he doesn't, he broods.”

”I had a near-miss in the car, actually,” she mumbled. ”I spun out and almost hit a truck.” She felt his stunned glance. ”Justin took the car away and had it crushed.”

”Good for Justin,” he said unexpectedly. ”That car was dangerous.” He stared at her. ”And you know better than most how dangerous.”

She cleared her throat. ”Switzerland was years ago.”

”All the same, Justin was right. He wouldn't want to have to bury you so shortly after your wedding, you know.”