A Cowboy Comes Home

Mandy’s lashes swept briefly down over her eyes, and the tip of her tongue moistened her lower lip. He didn’t dare glance Travis’s way.

Three

Mandy couldn’t help but stare at the tall, elegant, brunette woman standing on the porch of the Terrell ranch house. She wore a chic, textured, taupe jacket, with black piping along the neck, lapels and faux pockets. It had a matching, straight skirt, and the ensemble was layered over a black, lace camisole. Her black, leather pumps were high heeled, closed toed with an open weave along the outsides.

Her earrings were large-a woven, copper geometric pattern that dangled beneath short, stylishly cut hair. Her makeup was subtle, coral lips, soft thick lashes, sculpted brows and dusky shadow that set off her dark, hazel eyes. She held a black, rhinestone purse tucked under one arm, and a leather briefcase in the opposite hand.

How she’d made it to the porch dust-free was beyond Mandy.

“Can I help you with something?” Mandy belatedly asked.

“I’m looking for Caleb Terrell.” The woman’s voice was crisp and businesslike.

“I’m afraid he’s not here at the moment.”

The woman’s lips compressed in obvious impatience.

“Was he expecting you?” Mandy asked, confused and curious in equal measure.

“ I was expecting him. Two days ago in Chicago.” The woman clearly had a close enough relationship with Caleb that she had expectations, and she was free to express frustration if he didn’t meet them.

A girlfriend? A lover? He’d said he had none, but evidence to the contrary was standing right here in front of Mandy.

“Would you like to come in?” she offered, remembering her manners, telling herself Caleb’s personal life was none of her business. “He should be back anytime.”

Sure, he’d made a couple of flirtatious allusions in their conversations. But they were harmless. He hadn’t even kissed her. She certainly hadn’t taken any of it seriously.

The woman smiled, transforming her face, and she held out a slim, perfectly manicured hand. “Forgive me. I’m Danielle Marin.”

Mandy hesitated only a brief second before holding out her own, blunt-nailed, tanned and slightly callused hand.

She couldn’t help but wish she was wearing something other than a plain, blue cotton blouse and faded jeans. There was some eyelet detail on the collar, and at least she didn’t have manure on her boots. Then again, she’d been sweating in the barn all morning, and her casual ponytail was certainly the worse for wear.

“Mandy Jacobs,” she introduced herself. “I’m, uh. I’ve been helping out on the ranch.”

“I’m sure Caleb appreciates that.” Danielle waved a hand in the air as she stepped into the house. “I have to say, this whole situation borders on the ridiculous.”

Mandy closed the door behind them. She couldn’t disagree. “Once we find Reed, things will smooth out.”

“Any progress on that?” Danielle asked, setting her purse on the side table in the entryway and parking her briefcase beneath. “Caleb told me you were spearheading the effort.”

Mandy didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t want to share details with a stranger, but she couldn’t very well ask about Danielle’s relationship with Caleb without being rude.

Danielle strolled her way into the great room, gazing at the high ceiling and the banks of windows overlooking the river. “I assume you’ve already checked his usual hotels.”

Mandy followed. “Reed never traveled much. But I have checked hotels, hospitals and with the police as far away as Fort Collins.”

“Car-rental agencies?”

“He took a ranch truck.”

Danielle nodded. “Have you tried checking his credit-card activity?”

Mandy tried to figure out if Danielle was joking. Judging by her expression, she was serious.

“I wouldn’t know how to do that,” Mandy said slowly. Was she even allowed to do that? It sounded like it might be illegal.

“It’s not a service we could provide, but I do have some contacts…” Danielle let the offer hang.

Mandy didn’t know what to say. Was Danielle suggesting she could help Mandy break the law?

The front door opened, and a pair of boots sounded in the entryway. Mandy took a couple of steps back and crooked her head to confirm it was Caleb. Thank goodness.

He gazed quizzically at her expression as he strode down the short hall. Then, at the living-room entrance, he halted in his tracks. “Danielle?”

“Yes,” Danielle answered shortly as she moved in on him.

“What on earth are you doing in Colorado?”

“What on earth are you still doing in Colorado?”

“I told you it was going to take a few days.”

“That was a few days ago.”

“ Two days ago.”

“Do you want this to work or not?”

Mandy scooted toward the kitchen, determined to get away from the private conversation. One thing was sure, if Caleb kept flirting with other women, his relationship with Danielle was definitely not going to work out.

“We have to be in Sao Paulo by the sixteenth,” Danielle’s voice carried to the kitchen. “We’ve made a commitment. There’s no cancellation insurance on this kind of deal, Caleb.”

“Have I done something to make you think I’m stupid?” Caleb asked.

Mandy wasn’t proud of it, but her feet came to a halt the moment she was around the corner in the kitchen, intense curiosity keeping her tuned to what was happening in the living room.

“You mean, other than moving to Colorado?” Danielle asked.

“I haven’t moved to Colorado.”

There was a moment of silence, and Mandy found herself straining to hear.

“You have to come back, Caleb.”

“I can’t leave yet.”

“You said you were going to sell.”

“I am going to sell.”

Mandy was forced to bite back a protest. For years, she’d fantasized about the two brothers reconciling, and they were so close right now. Whatever hard feelings were between them, she was confident they loved each other. And they were the only family each of them had.

“You can look at offers just as easily from Chicago,” said Danielle.

“And who runs the ranch until then?”

“What about that Mandy woman?”

“She’s doing me a favor just by being here.” There was another pause. “Mandy?” Caleb called. “Where did you go?”

“Kitchen,” she responded, quickly busying herself at the counter. “You two want coffee?”

“You don’t need to make us coffee,” Caleb called back.

“It’s no problem.”

She heard him approach.

Then his footfalls crossed the kitchen, his voice lowering as he arrived behind her. “You don’t need to make us coffee.”

She didn’t turn around. “You and your girlfriend should sit down and-”

“My girlfriend?