Hiding Out At The Circle C

God, he loved that voice instantly, all deep and husky as if she'd just woken up. A man could lose himself in a voice like that. But while her vocal cords screamed sex, nothing else about this woman did. Her shadowed eyes barely hid her exhaustion and something else that might have been fear. She hugged her purse close to her, and for the first time, he noticed that she didn't seem to be dressed properly for autumn in the Rockies. Her thin blouse tucked into trim-but-also-thin slacks wouldn't protect her once they went outside the terminal.

And since when did a homeless, down-on-her-luck housekeeper wear clothes that looked like they came from Saks Fifth Avenue?

'Let's go get our luggage,' Nellie said.

'I have none,' Haley said quietly, though her eyes were anything but calm.

Cam watched a hardness come into that electric-blue gaze. His mild curiosity leaped to avid stage. 'Well, then,' he said lightly, giving Nellie a look when she opened her mouth to express sympathy he instinctively knew Haley wouldn't appreciate, 'we'll just get Nellie's then. Ladies? Shall we go?' He offered them each an arm, amused when Haley refused to take it. When he had Nellie's suitcase, he directed the women toward the exit.

'Wait,' she said. 'This position… It's for room and board?'

The position offered whatever she needed, but he didn't say that. 'Yes.'

'I'd have my own room?'

She needed a place to stay, that much was obvious. As well, she'd need some more clothes and personal things. But at the moment, he was more concerned with soothing her obvious mistrust of him, and wariness of any implied 'duties,' than anything else. 'Yes, of course. Our ranch house is large, but we also have a guesthouse. It'll be all yours, if you want it. You'd eat with us since you'll be cooking. And we can come up with an agreeable salary, I'm sure.'

She'd gone from fragile and frail to downright beautiful as pride and anger sparked color into her pale cheeks.

'I won't do any… anything except cook and clean.' She lifted her chin.

Damn, but her dignity had his blood humming. And her haughty indignation tickled him, though he struggled not to show it. He appreciated the glory of a woman's temper, but didn't like to cause it. No, that was something he steered clear of-except for Nellie because it was so much fun to goad her. And because he didn't have to sleep with her at night; Jason did. 'I wouldn't expect anything else from you.'

Haley stared at him, weighing his words for honesty.

Nellie smiled gently at her. 'Believe me, Haley, no one will bother you. You'll be safe.'

Haley turned away, needing to think for a moment. Running for her life, she realized this job was her only choice. Her credit cards were useless. She could be traced as far as L.A., she knew that. That was why she'd used a cash machine at LAX to withdraw money for the flight with Nellie. From L.A. International she could have gone anywhere, and since she hadn't used her real name when buying her ticket, there would be no way to figure out her location-unless she used her cards or withdrew more cash.

Thank God Nellie had come along when she did. After her brief spell of panic and self-pity on arriving at LAX, Haley had turned her pager on again out of morbid curiosity. She'd immediately gotten another grim message from South America.

'You can run, but you can't hide. I'll find you.'

That was when she'd met Nellie. Haley chose to believe it had been fate, for she'd needed to get safely away and think. She could have tried to find her mother. Last she knew, Isabella Whitfield had been in Manhattan, but Haley knew she'd have been far from welcome there. And wouldn't this mess she'd gotten herself into just prove to her mother once and for all what a failure she was?

But to go with this stranger and his wife simply because she'd liked the woman on sight? Because she'd looked into Nellie's eyes and felt a kinship she couldn't explain?

'Haley? You ready?' Nellie asked.

It seemed too easy. Too good to be true. To just disappear for a while in the Colorado Rockies and pretend to be a housekeeper. Suspicion was second nature to her. 'That's it? Let's go? Just like that, you're going to take me to your home?'

Cam looked at the kind, warm Nellie, exchanged an indecipherable glance, then turned back to Haley with an easy shrug. 'Yep.'

The man wasn't harmless, despite his light and easy manner and smooth, charming voice. No man with eyes that full of blatant sexuality could be harmless. And Haley didn't need a seismograph to register that smile as ground-shaking. 'Aren't you going to ask me for my references?' she questioned, expecting it all to be a trick, or a trap. 'Or if I can even cook for God's sake?'

His smile was slow, wide and devastating. 'Darlin', if you don't burn water, you can cook better than Nellie, here. And we'll be mighty grateful for that, believe me.' He chuckled when Nellie jammed an elbow into his stomach. He rubbed the spot with his hand.

'What if I'm a mass murderer, or on the run?' Perverse of her to push her luck, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

'Are you?' he asked, his thumbs hooked through his belt loops. He didn't look overly concerned.

'No. Not a mass murderer, that is.' She gave an involuntary shudder as the bloody image of her team flashed through her mind. God, would she ever be able to forget? Or sleep again? At that moment, she doubted it, but the first and foremost thing had become survival. Even a couple of hours ago, she'd been ready to give up, to let them catch her. But no longer.

She wanted to live.

She wanted to catch them.

Cameron looked at her, and though he could have no idea what was going on in her head, she saw a rush of compassion in his eyes.

'As long as you're not wanted by the law,' he said easily, 'I don't have a problem. Nellie doesn't, either.'

Well, she was wanted, but evasion of that statement came shamefully easy. Anything would have, to protect her neck. Literally. 'You trust your wife's judgment, then.'

He nearly choked with laughter and her eyes narrowed as she took a step backward. With a small giggle, Nellie hurried to explain. 'No, Haley, this isn't the husband I told you about. Cam's my brother-in-law. Jason couldn't come. He… well, he fell off a roof,' she finished lamely, watching as Haley took another step away. 'It's really not as crazy as you think.'

'No, it's not,' Cameron said, that insufferable grin in place. 'Besides, everyone knows Zach is the crazy one, not me or Jason.'

'Cam!' Nellie sighed and shook her head as she took Haley's hand, pulling her forward. 'Please, don't misunderstand. We all live together on the ranch, and we need a housekeeper, just like I told you. Desperately.'

What were her choices? She couldn't call the police, not while she was the main suspect in the EVS bombing. They'd send her back and she'd face trial- The thought made her stomach flop. She needed a place to hide, a place where she'd be safe until she could figure out what to do without getting herself killed. 'Why me?'

'Because I like you,' Nellie said, lightly squeezing her hand.

Just that easy gesture nearly undid Haley. When was the last time she'd been offered unconditional friendship? Affection? Been accepted for a reason other than her brain?

Nellie, still holding her hand, added, 'And because I'm living in a houseful of men who don't know squat about what it's like to be female. Something between us clicked from that first moment, Haley. I felt it, and I know you did, too, or you wouldn't even be considering this. It you don't come, I'll worry about you. You don't want that.'

'You don't even know me.' How in the world could these people be so trusting? Didn't they know what kind of world they lived in? Of course not, they lived in Colorado. On some little ranch where nothing penetrated. It sounded… lovely, irresistible. Safe. And when it came right down to it, what other choices did she have? None. 'Okay,' she breathed.

'Okay?' Nellie repeated, rubbing her belly, looking tired. 'You'll come, then?'

'I'll come.'

Nellie laughed once, then hugged her tightly. Feeling awkward, uncertain, Haley patted her back, meeting Cam's eyes over Nellie's shoulder. They were warm, easy and friendly. Relieved. Haley didn't want to think about