Mira ran blindly through the hotel lobby and down the long hallway that led out the back of the hotel. She pushed through the door and burst into the parking lot, suddenly remembering she had no vehicle and no way to get home.

Dammit, her pick-up was still at Tory’s.

She needed out of there, and fast. No way was she going to stick around for a scene with Heath. Or with Jake, for that matter. She needed to go.

Frantic, her gaze skittered about. The only people who parked in back lot were staff, and obviously, they were all working. Plenty of cars. No freaking people. She stood in the parking lot alone.

Dammit. She needed to go and now. “Where is everyone?”

All at once, her eyelids stung and tears rushed down her face. She sobbed, sucked in a ragged breath, fisted her hands, and stomped her feet. “Dammit!”

But a tantrum right there in the parking lot was not going to do her a damn bit of good. She needed to get a grip. Covering her face, she sat on the curb, feeling a bit defeated. A few seconds later, she uncovered her eyes to see a pickup truck rounding the corner of the hotel and parking abruptly in front of her, screeching tires and all. The window slowly rolled down.

She swiped at her eyes and looked at Jake staring back at her.

“Mira, it’s not what you think. Please, just get in the truck. Okay? Let’s talk.”

She glanced away. “I don’t want to talk to you, Jake Remington.”

“I know you don’t,” he said, “but you need to talk to me. C’mon Mira. I’ll take you home.”

“I’ll find my own fucking ride home.”

“You already have one. I’m right here, right now.”

She stood, fists perched on each hip. “If you think for one minute I’m getting in that truck with you, then you have another think coming. I’m not.” She could be stubborn as an old damn mule when she wanted to be.

Jake switched off the truck and threw open the door. He got out, took a couple of steps, and stood before her, his feet spread wide. Blowing out a quick breath, he said, “Mira, look. We need to talk. What you heard—”

“What I heard is all I need to hear. Now go. I don’t want to see you or go anywhere with you. Ever.” She tilted her chin. “I don’t need it spelled out to me that I’m beneath you.”

“Ah, shit. You know that’s not true.”

“I don’t know anything. I’m just a lowly maid, and a chunky one at that.”

“Stop it.”

“Just go, Jake. I’m not leaving here with you.”

He studied her. “All right.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I guess we are at a stand-off. I’m not going anywhere until you agree to talk with me. And it looks like you’re not budging either, so here we are.”

Mira crossed her arms too, mirroring his stance. Except, she tapped the toe of her shoe on the hard pavement. Antsy. She was too antsy. She couldn’t stand here like this for long without blasting him and telling him exactly what she thought.

And she really and truly didn’t want to do that, because she wasn’t entirely sure what she had heard. Maybe she’d misunderstood? No. He’d dissed her big time.

The maid.

Fucker.

She glared at him. They stood that way for what seemed a small eternity. Finally, she threw up her hands and stomped off around the tailgate of the truck. “Get in the goddamned truck, Jake. Do it before I change my fucking mind!”

She ignored the slight smile she saw crack across his face as she pulled open the passenger side door. “Fucking the chunky maid my foot,” she whispered to herself.

****

Jake cleared his throat and shut the driver’s side door. Looking straight at Mira, he said, “You have a bit of a potty mouth.”

“I do when I’m angry.” She stared straight ahead. “So get used to it.”

Inwardly, Jake smiled. “So that means you’re not ditching me for some rude and crude Neanderthal cowboy?”

“No. It doesn’t mean that. It means… Hell. Just drive.”

“I will. Calm down, Mira. We’re going to work this out.”

She twisted to look at him. “Don’t fucking tell me to calm down, Jake Remington. No one tells me to fucking calm down.”

Jake took a deep breath and started the truck. “Sorry. Look. I’m trying to make amends here.”

“Well, you have a funny way of doing that.”

“Obviously. Let’s just not talk for a few minutes and think this through before speaking. I think that’s my only defense at this point.”

He accelerated and rounded the back of the hotel. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Mira sit back and look out the passenger side window. “Damned straight,” she said.

Jake smiled again and drove toward the main road. He stopped before pulling out onto the highway. “Right or left?”

Mira didn’t blink an eye. “Left. And stop smiling.”

He tried like hell to do just that but it was difficult. She was softening and that was a good thing. “All right.” He turned left and drove for several miles before either of them broke the silence.

“You’ll have to tell me where to go,” he told her.

She looked at him. “Hell? Hm. Somehow I figured you already knew the directions there.”

“Very funny, Mira.”

“I’m not laughing.”

He took a deep breath. “Neither am I because none of this is funny.”

“That’s right, it isn’t.”

“So you’re Heath McCoy’s goddaughter?”

She shrugged. “He calls me that. His dad was really my godfather but Heath has taken it upon himself to play that role. I don’t even go to church so I’m not entirely sure what that means.” She glanced off, out the window. “He’s my boss. That’s about it.”

“I see. Usually someone who steps up to take care of you at baptism is a pretty big deal. You’re sure you aren’t more to him than that?”

“Humpht.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

She glanced his way. “That means that I know him. I’ve…well, I’ve known him all my life. My dad and Heath’s dad had…connections.”

The truck cab fell silent for a while. He had to wonder what that meant—that Mira’s dad and the old man McCoy had connections. Probably rodeo. Or the ranch. Sounded like there was more to the story but he wasn’t about to touch that unless she opened the door a little farther.

They rode for several more miles without talking. Jake hoped to hell she was leading him in the right direction. On all counts.

“So you you’re close with the McCoys, then,” he queried, wondering if it was crossing the line.

“Not really.”

“Doesn’t sound like that to me.”

She looked back. “My dad worked for the McCoys, okay? No big deal. We’re hired help. Nothing special.”

Jake cringed at that. “I don’t know why you put yourself down so much, Mira. I think you’re pretty damn special.”

“Right.” She laughed. “Fuck the chunky maid special, huh?”

Jake braked in the middle of the road and threw the gearshift into park. He turned to face her directly. Her denigrating herself really pissed him off. He sure wished she wouldn’t do that. “Look, Mira. Honey... I didn’t want to get into this while driving, but…”

“But you did when you started asking questions, Jake. Believe me, I wouldn’t have gone there.”

He reached for a tendril of her hair. “I loved fucking you Mira. That wasn’t a lie.”

“So you like fucking the chunky maid type after all, huh?”

“Would you stop it? I like fucking you. I love your curves. Your rosy plump lips. How your hips fit into my hands. How your breasts feel when I…”

Sighing, he dropped the curl and added, “I care about you, Mira. I know it’s only been hours but I do. And yes, I lied. I didn’t want to let on to Heath that I’d been with you. I heard loud and clear earlier in the night that you didn’t want anyone to know you were with me.”

“Or rather, that I was with you in your room.”

“I get that.”

“You could have just said no to him. You didn’t have to over-exaggerate with the chunky maid shit. That was insulting.” She sat a little straighter and taller in her seat. “I mean, I am the way I am. I like my curves. And I’ve not always been a maid, you know. I just…”

She clamped her mouth shut.

“You just what?”

“Nothing.” She faced ahead. “Let’s go. Turn left right up there.” She pointed.

Jake didn’t move. She shot a look his way. “Let’s go.”

“In a minute.” He tucked a finger under her chin. “Mira, look at me and listen to what I’m about to say. I didn’t want you to get into trouble so I lied and yes, I over did it. But make no mistake about it, honey. I love your curves. All of them.”

His gaze dropped to her open-collared dress and the cleavage beyond. “In fact, I adore every delicious inch…” He leaned in and was tempted to take a lick but thought better of it. He pulled back.

Jake watched Mira’s mouth twitch, as if she wanted to smile but wouldn’t let herself.

“I’m not chunky,” she said.

“No, you’re not. You’re beautiful.”

“But I am a maid.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“You hire maids.”

“I just said that. It didn’t mean a damn thing.”

“I wasn’t always a maid. I used to be a journalist. I’m a writer.”

“See? That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

“What?”

“Talking about yourself.”

Mira sighed. “You seem to bring things out in me.”

Jake smiled and lowered his voice. “I’d like to hear more about that.” A horn sounded abruptly down the road behind them. Jake glanced into the rearview mirror and put the truck back into drive. “But later. So, we turn left up here?”

“Yeah.”

As they drew closer to the ranch gate where he was supposed to turn left, Jake grew more puzzled. “You live at Highlands Ranch?” Jake turned off the main highway onto the ranch road.

“Not at the main house, of course.” Mira sucked in a breath and exhaled long. “We’ll turn before you get there. We’re ranch hands, like I told you. My daddy works for the McCoys. Or worked. Right now he’s not doing much of anything. Turn there.”

Jake did. He’d not traveled this road before, even with all of the times he’d been on the McCoy’s Highlands Ranch. The dirt road curved wide around the main house and buildings and headed toward the hillier part of the ranch. He glanced sideways at Mira. “I want you to know, just in case there is some crazy notion rolling around in your head, that I don’t care one iota about you being a hotel maid or that your father was a ranch hand. Hard work is respectable, no matter what it is.”

Mira cocked her head to the side and smiled. “So what you are trying to tell me, Jake Remington, is that I’m good enough for you?”

He nodded. “Yes. I am definitely saying that.” Then he frowned. “Thing is, Heath was probably right. It’s entirely likely that I am not good enough for you.”

The look on Mira’s face surprised him. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.

He looked ahead and parked the truck, ignoring her statement and the fact that he’d brought up a subject he didn’t want to explore any further. “This must be your house?”

Mira nodded, looking out the windshield. “Yes. And there is my Poppy sitting on the porch.” Her hand went to the door latch. “I better go. Thanks for the ride.”

“Wait.” Jake touched her arm. “Mira, with your permission, I’d like to meet your dad. And I’d like to stay for a while so that we can talk more later. May I?”

He watched her chest rise and fall with her even breaths while she studied his face. Finally, she said, “All right, Jake. All right. Come meet my Pop.”

****

Mira smiled at her father as she neared the porch. She climbed the three rickety steps and crossed the rough wooden floor to where he sat in an old rocker. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Hi Poppy,” she said. “I’m home early.”

He smirked and nodded. “Heath called. Said you flew out of there a few hours early and wondered if you were okay. Said you were to call him when I saw you.”

Mira straightened. “All right. I’ll give him a call.”

Her Poppy narrowed his gaze. “You okay girl? I worried about you all night.”

“I called you as soon as I could, Pop. I told you that this morning. I was with the girls and we stayed out too late. My phone went dead.”

Her father harrumphed then cocked his head toward Jake. “Who’s this?”

“Ah, Poppy. This is Jake. He offered me a ride home. He was…”

Jake stepped forward. “Nice to meet you, sir. I had some business with the McCoy’s and told Mira I would be happy to drop her off.”

Mira watched her father eyeball Jake’s hand and then finally shake it. “Name?”

“I’m Jake Remington, sir.”

Mira’s dad tipped his head back. “Ah. Now I know the reason for the smooth hand. No calluses. You’re not a rancher.”

Jake shook his head. “No, sir. I’m a lawyer. I have a practice in Kentucky.”

Mira sucked in a sharp breath. Lawyer? Shit.

She glanced to her dad, whose face held a slight smirk. “You’re that Remington. I remember. Left out of here, what? Six years or so ago? I read the papers.”

Mira watched Jake’s face turn a little pale—but then he squared his shoulders and stood a little taller. “Yes, sir. I did leave about six years ago. My parents still live on the ranch and I’m here visiting for a few days. Had some business in the area.”

Her Pop gave Jake a narrow-eyed glare. “That right. Well keep your business up the road there, son. And keep your damn hands off my little girl. You hear me?”

Mira’s chest exploded. “Poppy! That was uncalled for.” She turned to Jake. “I’m sorry. He’s on medication and…”

Her father rose slowly, pushing up to a standing position by anchoring his hands on the chair arms. “That has nothing to damn do with it, Mira. I might not have my legs but I still have my brain. This man is bad news. You stay the hell away from him.”

Her heart cracked. She looked toward Jake, who just stood there with his eyes locked on her father. Finally, after a long silent moment, he turned to Mira and said. “He’s right. Listen to your Pop, Mira. I’m bad news and I’ll be on my way.”

He turned on his heel and left. Mira didn’t move. She simply watched him walk out of her life.