Chapter Two
Angelica Glory exited the private plane, which had just landed at Mission Field Airport, and strode toward the private limo as if knowing her luggage would be handled, food and water would be provided, and her every whim catered to. As was usual when she traveled.
Lucy hurried along behind, clutching three bags and the extra pair of sunglasses Angelica had dropped, which had rolled under the seat. Angelica was wearing the other pair Lucy had handed her before she had crawled on her hands and knees to retrieve the spare pair. So far, this trip hadn’t started out well, and Lucy was feeling tired and sticky. The July Montana heat wasn’t helping. One hundred and one today and not much of a breeze to cool it.
Seeing that Angelica and her luggage had been loaded into the air-conditioned limo, Lucy climbed in and sighed as she sank into the cool leather seat.
The Bozeman airport was located eight miles west of the actual city. Angelica and Lucy watched out the windows, taking in the scenery. Thirty miles to go before reaching Eagle Rock.
“There’s nothing here,” Angelica said with a frown. “Not a damn thing. He’s sent me to the middle of nowhere. Phone,” she barked, holding her hand out.
Lucy handed her the phone.
Angelica dialed Monroe, and it went to voice mail. Angelica screeched into the phone, “Answer the phone, damn it! Monroe, I know you are there, you son of a bitch. You answer this phone! You sent me to the middle of nowhere! There is nothing f-ing here! The stalker won’t find me. No one will find me because there is no one here to find me! Damn you, Monroe, answer this phone!”
For Angelica, who had to be the center of attention at all times, this was the worst thing that could happen to her – to be sent somewhere where no one would see her. Where she had no stage and worse, no audience of adoring fans.
This was not going to make Lucy’s job any easier.
Still getting no answer, Angelica clenched her jaw and lowered her voice to a scary, calmer tone and said, “You call me back right this minute, you son of a bitch. I want you to catch him and get me out of here. Now.”
Lucy immediately reached into the large bag she’d purchased for the trip and searched for the first of the big three, the three things she’d learned never to run out of if she wanted to prevent a dramatic tirade or melt down.
Finding the travel sized bottle of Bacardi, Lucy pulled it out and sat ready to hand it to Angelica the minute she was off the phone, which was none to soon as Angelica slammed the phone down on the seat and snarled, “You see how he treats me?”
Lucy silently handed her the bottle. Angelica took it, then handed it back and said, “There’s a bar in this limo. Use it.”
Lucy found a glass and a Cola and mixed a rum and Cola for her employer using the limo’s supply of rum. She handed it to Angelica, who drank it down faster than usual.
Uh oh. Time for number two as number one had only gone so far to settle Angelica down. At least she’d stopped screaming. For now.
Lucy reached for the pack of peanut butter cups, and Angelica had her hand out before Lucy had even pulled her hand back out of the bag holding it. Placing the candy into Angelica’s hand, Lucy held her breath hoping this would appease the woman for now.
It’s going to be a long stay in Montana if this is the way of it.
She hoped she had enough peanut butter cups to last until she could have more delivered to the house where they would be staying.
Number three was a spare tube of Precarious Pink lipstick, Angelica’s signature color. It was imperative that Lucy never ran out of one of the big three.
Lucy’s thoughts wandered to the house Monroe had described as a large lodge-style home, big enough for parties if Angelica chose to throw one. Given the setting, Lucy suspected it would be more rustic than anyplace Angelica had been and not really her style.
This was going to be interesting. Hopefully, the pool would be nice and the setting relaxing. Angelica did enjoy lounging by the pool and working on her tan.
As they drew closer, it became clear there wasn’t a neighbor within miles. There were large stretches of land and plenty of tall evergreen trees. The limo passed beneath two wooden poles, which held a wooden sign that said “The Rise and Shine Ranch.” Angelica saw the sign and groaned, “You have got to be kidding me.”
Lucy just eyed her, thinking rise and shine was not Angelica’s way. Not with the way she liked to stay up late and party.
They passed beneath the sign and headed toward the ranch house along a long and winding drive with a border of trees on each side. In between the trees, Lucy caught glimpses of Black Angus cattle grazing in a field on the right and on the left side, a man riding a horse toward the ranch house. Then at the end of the drive, past the trees, was the main ranch house, a two-story house made of huge logs with a roof that rose to an A framed peak in the middle. The house took Lucy’s breath away. “What a beautiful lodge,” she said.
“Overgrown cabin.” Angelica sniffed. “In the middle of nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t think your stalker will find you here, and that’s the whole idea. The pool is supposed to be very nice and there’s a hot tub.”
“A hot tub? It’s far too hot for that.”
Then the limo stopped and the driver was getting out to open the door. When he came around to open Angelica’s door, she made her usual elegant exit from the vehicle though there was no one else there to see it.
Oh, there should have been someone here to meet her, Lucy thought. This is not off to a good start.
She got out and hurried around to catch up with Angelica, who was moving toward the front steps.
Not one person came to greet them. Lucy knocked on the front door and then rang the doorbell.
They waited.
Nothing.
“I don’t know what’s taking them so long,” Lucy said. “I’ll ring again.”
“Never mind,” Angelica said. She put her hand on the door handle and turned. The door opened and she walked right in.
Lucy frowned and followed her. Where is everyone? It’s so quiet. Where is the security Angelica was supposed to have, and what about the people running this place?
Lucy felt strange after knocking on a door no one answered, and then the door being unlocked and easy to walk on in. She just wasn’t sure about this.
The ranch house itself didn’t disappoint Lucy. It was huge. Large, round timbers had been used to build what looked more like a lodge for hunting or fishing parties than a party house. The large, stone fireplace in the main room was one of the most beautiful pieces of stone craftsmanship Lucy had ever seen. Dark red leather furniture to lounge on filled the room and paintings of cowboys hung on the walls, along with a large, mounted moose head, which hung over the fireplace.
It was this, which had made Angelica speechless as she stood before it looking up; her mouth open in what was not awe, but some sort of shock. She closed her mouth and turned to Lucy. “I cannot stay in a house with that animal looking at me. It will have to go.”
“Well, I, I am not sure how to…”
“Just take care of it. Tell the caretaker.”
“Okay. Once I find him, I’ll tell him.”
Having no one there to greet them hadn’t pleased Angelica. Now she was likely going to find fault with everything.
They’d walked right in to what seemed to be an empty house, which made Lucy nervous, as if they weren’t supposed to be there. Something that didn’t seem to have crossed Angelica’s mind.
And where’s the security detail that’s supposed to be here? Shouldn’t they have been on hand, on site, right away?
The limo driver finished carrying their bags into the house and then said, “Well, if there’s nothing else…”
Angelica waved her hand at him and Lucy went over to give him his tip. “Thank you,” she said as she handed it over.
He took the money, and with a look at Angelica, who stood with her back to him, her attention on the bar in the corner, said in a low voice, “Good luck.” With that, he turned and was gone.
Lucy turned and hurried to the bar, glad Angelica hadn’t heard him and feeling bolstered by his comment. “Your usual?” she asked.
“Yes.” Angelica sniffed. “Can you smell that? Is it that dead animal?”
Lucy moved to make the drink and shook her head. “No, it’s the scent of cedar and something else, I’m not sure what. Not an animal, though. Maybe another wood. This whole house is wood. But isn’t that fireplace stunning?”
“It’s July. Who needs a fireplace in July? Ridiculous.” Angelica snorted, then changed the subject. “I’m hungry.”
“Well, I’ll look for the kitchen and see what we have. Monroe said it would be fully stocked.”
“After you take my bags to my room. I want to freshen up.”
“Okay.” Lucy moved to the bags and took hold of the largest one, wondering where the staff was. Surely, someone should’ve been here to welcome them.
Apparently, she was going to have to be bellman, cook, and bartender tonight. For the first time, she too felt like giving Monroe a piece of her mind. She really needed a raise if she was going to have to do everything. Her salary wasn’t enough, nor was the bonus she’d earn for this stay in Montana, where she’d be at Angelica’s beck and call.
She’d made it halfway up the steps when an older man rushed up behind her and said, “Here, pretty lady, let me help you with that.”
Turning, she saw a man of about fifty or sixty, maybe, with graying hair and sharp blue eyes brightening up a tanned and weathered face. This was a man who worked outdoors and kept fit, she thought as she noticed the fine physique beneath his denim shirt and the worn jeans held up by a brown leather belt and a large silver buckle. Cowboy was her first thought, and she liked the kindness in his voice.
“I’m Branch Masters, the caretaker here. Let me get that for you.” His hand took over the suitcase and he started to walk up the stairs with it. “Sorry I wasn’t here to greet you. One of our horses just had a foal and she came earlier than we’d expected.”
“Oh, there are horses?” Lucy’s face lit up at the surprise news. “I’d love to see them.”
“I can take you out later once you’re both settled in. You must be Lucy.”
“Oh yes. Sorry. Yes, I am Lucy.” She would have shaken his hand, but he was busy carrying the suitcase. “Lucy Woods.”
“Nice to meet you, Lucy. I’ll show you where everything is and then we’ll get you some grub. You must be hungry.”
“Yes, we both are. Miss Glory is downstairs having a drink.”
“Or two, it looks like. She was fixin’ to pour herself another.”
“Oh dear.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get some food into her. Katie has made a nice pot of chili and baked cornbread and her double chocolate brownies for dessert.”
“Oh, that sounds good.”
They reached the top of the stairs and he headed down the hall. “Now, the biggest room is where Miss Glory will likely want to stay and I’m guessin’ this is her bag.”
“Yes it is, and yes, she’ll want the largest room.”
She followed him into a room that was the size of a hotel suite and had a sitting room type area. This room had another beautiful fireplace, one that would be totally lost on Angelica, as well as a view of the mountains out the window. The room was red, white, and blue with a beautiful quilt on the bed. It was too bad Angelica couldn’t enjoy such things. But at least there was no dead animal head over this fireplace.
“This is lovely. The fireplaces here are stunning.”
“Thank you. We’re right proud of them.”
She turned to him and hesitated before speaking. “I have a small problem and I’m not sure if you can help me solve it.”
He gave her a smile. “Hand it to me and we’ll see what I can do.”
“Well, Angelica, Miss Glory, she does not like that moose head downstairs. Says she can’t stay in a house with it.”
He took a deep breath and sighed. “She one of those vegan folks that can’t eat nothin’?”
“No, she’s not vegan. I’ve seen her eat a T-bone steak, and she likes them pink.”
“Well now, she’s just a mite squeamish with dead things then. Some women are. I can have the moose removed and put away for her while she’s staying here. Good thing she ain’t vegan. That chili is made with beef. I’ll see the moose is gone before she goes to bed so it doesn’t trouble her none.” He gave Lucy a warm smile. “Now, don’t you worry. If you have any problems, you just tell me and I’ll handle ‘em.”
“Thank you.”
“And there’s been two security men from the Brotherhood Protectors Agency out walking the grounds, checking things out. I reckon they’ll be back here later. They don’t talk much and are mighty quiet, so you might not pick ‘em out right away. But they’re around. I’m a crack shot too with a rifle or shotgun.”
“Thank you.” Relieved to know security was already in place, quietly out of sight and out of mind, she remembered the appointment with the lead bodyguard assigned to Miss Glory tomorrow morning after breakfast. She relaxed, feeling safer.
“A crack shot.” She grinned at him. “Did you shoot that moose?”
“No. The wealthy man who built this place before he moved to Europe shipped that moose in. Ended up selling the house to a man from Hollywood who only stayed here once. He rented it out after that. Now there’s me, a young fellow named Ben, who’s still in high school and works here in the summer and on weekends, and Katie Wells, who does the cooking and the cleaning. She’s run to Bozeman tonight because her son was in an accident.”
“Oh no. I hope he’s all right.”
“She says he’s got a concussion and lacerations, but once he’s patched up, they’re sending him home with her.”
“Oh good. I’m glad.”
“Ordinarily, one or both of us would’ve been here to greet you. She’ll be fussing, of course, and likely to make it up to you tomorrow by cooking up a storm.”
“Well, she needn’t do that. Things happen. I understand.”
“I’ll show you to your room and then see to the rest of your bags. I guess you’ll both be wanting to freshen up.”
“Yes, and I’d better check on Miss Glory.”
“Well now, let me show you your room and then you can do that.” He led her to a room two doors down from Angelica’s.
Thankfully, it wasn’t next door. Maybe it would be a sanctuary of a sort when she wasn’t on call. Though, with no one else here to show the attention Angelica craved, that might be rare.
Lucy’s room was the soft blue of a mountain stream with a picture over the bed of just that scene. The rocks forming the fireplace in her room were a soft gray, and she would have loved to linger here. “It’s lovely,” she said.
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled.
“Well, I’d best be getting back to her.” She headed back downstairs and he went for the rest of the luggage.
Angelica was standing by the window, one hand on her hip and the other holding the drink she was sipping.
Lucy walked over to her. “I’ll show you to your room and start laying out your things. Will you want a bath or a shower before dinner, or would you rather eat first? Dinner is ready whenever you want it.”
“I’ll take a quick shower. I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?”
“Homemade chili with fresh cornbread and double chocolate brownies.”
Angelica wrinkled her nose. “I really am in the sticks. This is cattle country, isn’t it? Where’s the steak?”
“I’ll request that for tomorrow night. I’m sure they can rustle us up some steaks.”
“Don’t you start talking like that. I can’t stand it.”
“Okay. Sorry.”
Angelica set her glass on a nearby table. “Show me the room. I want a shower.”
Silently, Lucy led the way over to the stairs, wishing Angelica had some food in her before she’d finished a second drink. A third before dinner would not bring out the best in her. She needed to get the woman fed whether she liked chili or not. Lucy had no idea if she did or didn’t, but she’d never known Angelica to order chili.
Angelica stepped into the room, looked around, and Lucy knew she was not pleased. The beautiful quilt on the bed that was likely hand made carried the red, white, and blue theme of the room. “Feels like walking into a Fourth of July party,” Angelica complained. “I suppose your room has a theme too.”
“No, it’s just blue,” she said. “Yours is more colorful than mine and much larger.”
That seemed to satisfy Angelica, who always had to have better things than other women did.
“I talked to the caretaker and he said he’d remove the moose head tonight so you won’t have to look at it during your stay. The cook is in town at the hospital, but she’ll be here for breakfast.”
“Good. Now go lay out my pink pajamas and the white robe for tonight and I’ll wear my red and black workout clothes to dinner tonight since there’s no one else here.”
“The two of us can spend a quiet night resting from the trip and catch up on beauty sleep tonight.”
“Yes,” Angelica yawned. “I’m tired.”
Lucy laid out the things and barely had time to do more than hurry to her room and wash her hands and face before Angelica showed up and said, “I’m hungry. Hurry up.”
They went downstairs and found the large, commercially equipped kitchen. “The fridge is fully stocked,” Lucy said as she opened the door and peered in. “Do you want milk? Or something else?”
“Have you ever known me to drink milk?” Angelica laughed. “No, find me red wine. That ought to go with chili.”
Lucy got the milk out for herself, and then located the wines and selected a red she knew Angelica would like. Pouring her a glass, she said, “Do you want to eat in here or in the other room?”
“Here is fine. Large dining rooms are too lonely unless it’s a date with a sexy man.”
“I agree.” Lucy dished out the chili from the pan on the stove into two bowls and then carried them over to the table. Then she opened the oven and took out the cornbread, which was wrapped in an insulated pan, keeping it somewhat warm. “Wow, this cornbread is still warm.”
She took some pieces off and set them on a plate, which sat by the stove. Carrying the plate over to the table, she set it down. “I’ll get the butter.” She went back to the fridge and got the butter out.
Angelica had already begun to eat without waiting for her.
“Here you go.” She placed the butter on the table. “Is it good?”
Angelica nodded and then mumbled with her mouth full, “Anything is good when you’re this hungry.”
“True. Well, it smells delicious,” Lucy said.
Angelica didn’t notice Lucy had sat down.
As Lucy began to eat, she thought it might be a good thing there were double chocolate brownies for dessert the way Angelica was drinking her wine down. But maybe that too was a good thing, as she’d be ready to sleep sooner, which meant Lucy could take a nice, relaxing bath and finally have some time to herself. If she weren’t so tired, she’d work on her jewelry tonight. Working on jewelry always relaxed her.
“What time do you want to get up tomorrow?” she asked.
“I want to sleep in. No alarms or wake up calls.”
That meant Lucy had to push back the meeting with the bodyguard. She’d make that call after dinner and let the bodyguard company know to push the time back. “Okay. I’ll leave a note for you not to be disturbed.”
“There’s no schedule to stick to and there’s nothing here to do. I’ll have cocktails by the pool tomorrow.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
And actually, it really did. This getaway might not be so bad after all.
Lucy had packed the new swimsuit she never got a chance to wear out in L.A. It was a soft blue bikini that matched her eyes and went well with her black hair and paler skin. Luckily, her pale skin didn’t burn but turned to tan. And she could use some sun. She’d sit by the pool and work on her jewelry. Angelica wouldn’t mind as long as Lucy paid attention to her.
Angelica could meet with the security guy by the pool just as well as she could in the house and she’d likely be more pleasant, which would make things easier for everyone.