Chapter 15

“This is the mechanism that makes everything flow smoothly. There is a mini silo installed in a nearby stall and you just flip a switch to deliver a pre-measured amount of the specially blended feed at intervals set by a timer. It is controlled remotely from the ranch office here, but it could be set up at any remote computer the user chooses. The next feeding is at five in the morning, so you’ll have to get up early if you want to see it in action. After that, I can call you a driver to take you back to the city if you wish.”

“It really does look simple.” They were both just going through the motions. The sting of the earlier conversation still tainted their demeanor.

“It is. Look, I have some things that I need to take care of. If you want, you can head back to the cottage and take a breather.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Claire wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t just make it worse. Instead, she turned and left the barn, making her way toward the cottage, where she collapsed across the sofa and mentally kicked herself over and over. After a bit, she drifted off into a fitful nap.

“Claire?”

The female voice coming from outside the door was accompanied by knocking. Claire struggled to her feet and made her way toward it.

“Hold on. I’m coming.” Claire had slept in an awkward position on the couch and was moving slowly, but finally made it to the door. She opened it to find Alexandria standing there.

“Hey, Claire. I came to see if you wanted to come to dinner in about an hour. We have the closing dinner with the other guests tonight. It’s a Texas style barbecue with all the fixins.”

“Oh, I appreciate it Alexandria, but I fell asleep on the couch and now I’m aching all over. I think I’ll just take a hot shower and work on the feeder campaign for a while.”

“Yikes! How about you come up to the house instead? You can use that hellacious tub in Taylor’s room to take a nice long soak. I have an Epson salt soak that will cure whatever hurts.”

The mere mention of Taylor’s name sent off alarms to steer clear. The only person on this farm Claire needed to avoid more than him was Harper. Just the thought of him reminded her of the melancholy that had preceded her nap and now enveloped her like a well-worn glove. How could she find herself so attached to him so quickly?

“Oh, no. I don’t want to impose on Taylor.” She didn’t, for many reasons.

“You won’t be. He had to go into town to pick up some things. It’s just me and the caretakers right now.”

It almost sounded like she was desperate for the company of another woman, even if that woman was soaking in a tub somewhere. Claire supposed that being surrounded by a bunch of cowboys wasn’t every woman’s dream.

“Okay. Thanks. Let me grab some clean clothes and I’ll be right over.”

“Great. Just come on in the back door. I’ll go ahead and start the tub for you.” She nodded and Alexandria headed off toward the house.

It felt a little weird to Claire to step into someone else’s home and even stranger standing in the middle of Taylor’s bedroom again as she arrived at the house. She smiled forlornly at the huge, inviting bed as Alexandria came bouncing out of the bathroom, the sound of running water behind her.

“Oh, great. I lit some candles, poured you a glass of wine and the water should be about ready. I’ll close the door to the bedroom so the staff won’t bother you.”

“Thank you.”

Claire walked into the bathroom and closed the door, getting undressed and slipping into the hot, steamy bath. Although she had felt a little uneasy about this, the glass of wine and the soothing heat of the bath soon erased all her concerns. The nice long soak was just what she had needed. Once the water began to cool, she stepped out and dried off, fighting the urge to snoop in the medicine cabinet and drying off, instead.

Walking into the bedroom, she began getting dressed by the bed. While putting on her panties, curiosity got the better of her. She pulled back the duvet and ran her hand across the sheets. Pushing her clothes to one side, she lay across it and enjoyed the soft feel of the covers against her skin. By the time she registered the door opening, it was too late.

“Well, this is certainly unexpected after the not so gentle letdown I got earlier.”

“Oh, God!”

Claire bolted from the bed and grabbed her clothes, running into the bathroom and closing the door. “I’m so sorry. Alexandria let her take a bath in here and I… I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I know what I’m thinking.”

If smirks made an actual noise, she was pretty sure she’d be able to hear his through the door. She finished getting dressed, hoping he would be gone when she emerged. No such luck.

“You’re still here.” Claire looked everywhere but directly at him.

“Well, it is my bedroom, after all. Though you seemed pretty at home in here and I can’t deny that you made a great little addition to my bed.”

This had to stop. Once and for all, it had to be dealt with.

“Listen, Taylor. I won’t deny that I find you attractive, but what happened earlier was a mistake. You are a client and we need to keep this professional.”

“Fair enough, Claire. I’ll lay off the attempts to woo you. Now, do you think we can be friends?”

“Yes. I would like that.”

“Good, now if you will excuse me, I need to get ready for the barbecue. Unless, of course, you want to stay and watch me get undressed. I don’t mind.”

“Oh. Of course. Let me get my things.”

Claire retrieved her dirty clothes and made a hasty exit downstairs and out the backdoor to her cottage, where she sat debating whether to attend the barbecue. In the end, she decided to enjoy herself while she was here. After pulling her hair into a low ponytail, she put on a little powder to even out her skin tone and topped it off with a hint of mascara and lip balm before heading outside.