room, with what looked
like every high-tech gadget known to man residing on top of it. On the other
wall, below a modern art poster, sat a copy machine the size of a Buick. A
plush carpet in pastel pink covered the floor. “Good Lord, Frannie, how much
did you spend?”
“Isn’t it great? You haven’t seen anything
yet! Come on, you got new stuff, too.”
“I did? But I liked my stuff!”
“You’ll like this even better. Once you get
used to it.” Frannie dragged her down the hall and pushed her office door open,
standing back so Charley could see. “Voilà!”
“Oh. My. God.” She took a step into the
room. Her office had vanished. In its place was one that made Frannie’s look
like a poor relation. The carpet was dove gray, and the scenic painting that
spanned most of the wall was done in shades of silver, pink and pastel blues.
The desk, a massive thing that took up the center of the room, appeared to be
solid oak. “You did this?”
“Well, I had some help from Cole,” Frannie
said modestly. “The color scheme was his idea, too. I was thinking more like
red and black.”
“Look at this!” Charley gestured at the
electronic equipment in dismay. “I don’t even know what half of it is! How am I
supposed to use it?”
“I’ll show you.” The voice was deep, male
and deadly familiar. Her stomach tightened.
Cole. Charley spun around to face him. His
arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned casually in the doorway.
Instantly, her gaze dropped to his mouth and her cheeks flushed red.
“Well, back to work!” With a grin, Frannie
left them alone.
“If you don’t like it, we can change it.”
“No, I love it. It’s just…I don’t know. It
must have cost a fortune.”
“It will pay for itself.” His gaze ran over
her. “Feeling better today?”
Charley felt her face getting hotter.
“About that phone call. I usually don’t drink. Did I make a total idiot out of
myself?”
“You don’t remember?”
“Not really, no. Just a kind of blurry
impression.”
“Well, other than telling me I was a pig,
you didn’t disgrace yourself. And I actually got the impression that you pretty
much thought all men were pigs, not just me.”
“What were you calling about?”
“To find out who does your legal work. My
lawyer needs to know.”
“Oh. I use Hilary Payne. She has an office
in Canyon Bend.”
“Okay.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to
meet the contractor at the hotel site in a few minutes. I’ll show you how to
use the computer Monday. Have a good weekend.”
“Thanks, you too.”
As soon as he left, she collapsed into the
chair, and immediately had the urge to jump back up. In an office like this,
she should be wearing a three-piece, double-breasted suit with pin stripes, not
jeans and a T-shirt with the Red Dog logo emblazoned on the front. Her gaze
moved around the office in disbelief and settled on the shiny new computer.
The computer. That he was going to teach
her to use. She groaned. Pinned up with him, alone, practically shoulder to
shoulder for hours. Or worse, leaning over her, breathing against her neck.
That’s all she needed. But at least she had a few days’ grace to get a grip on
herself.
“Frannie!” Her voice echoed down the hall.
“Yes, ma’am?” Her cousin’s voice came from
directly in front of her, and Charley almost jumped out of the chair. What the
heck?
As though she could see her, Frannie’s
voice came again. “It’s that black box on your desk. Just hold down the button
and you can talk.”
Tentatively, Charley pushed it down. “This
one?”
“That’s it. What did you want?”
“I want you to get your butt in here. Now!”
Two seconds later Frannie came through the
door, both hands full. “I forgot to give you this last night.” She handed
Charley a black cell phone. “Mine is hot pink, but I didn’t figure you’d go for
that. The numbers are in your Rolodex.”
Charley clutched her head. “I have a
Rolodex?
like every high-tech gadget known to man residing on top of it. On the other
wall, below a modern art poster, sat a copy machine the size of a Buick. A
plush carpet in pastel pink covered the floor. “Good Lord, Frannie, how much
did you spend?”
“Isn’t it great? You haven’t seen anything
yet! Come on, you got new stuff, too.”
“I did? But I liked my stuff!”
“You’ll like this even better. Once you get
used to it.” Frannie dragged her down the hall and pushed her office door open,
standing back so Charley could see. “Voilà!”
“Oh. My. God.” She took a step into the
room. Her office had vanished. In its place was one that made Frannie’s look
like a poor relation. The carpet was dove gray, and the scenic painting that
spanned most of the wall was done in shades of silver, pink and pastel blues.
The desk, a massive thing that took up the center of the room, appeared to be
solid oak. “You did this?”
“Well, I had some help from Cole,” Frannie
said modestly. “The color scheme was his idea, too. I was thinking more like
red and black.”
“Look at this!” Charley gestured at the
electronic equipment in dismay. “I don’t even know what half of it is! How am I
supposed to use it?”
“I’ll show you.” The voice was deep, male
and deadly familiar. Her stomach tightened.
Cole. Charley spun around to face him. His
arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned casually in the doorway.
Instantly, her gaze dropped to his mouth and her cheeks flushed red.
“Well, back to work!” With a grin, Frannie
left them alone.
“If you don’t like it, we can change it.”
“No, I love it. It’s just…I don’t know. It
must have cost a fortune.”
“It will pay for itself.” His gaze ran over
her. “Feeling better today?”
Charley felt her face getting hotter.
“About that phone call. I usually don’t drink. Did I make a total idiot out of
myself?”
“You don’t remember?”
“Not really, no. Just a kind of blurry
impression.”
“Well, other than telling me I was a pig,
you didn’t disgrace yourself. And I actually got the impression that you pretty
much thought all men were pigs, not just me.”
“What were you calling about?”
“To find out who does your legal work. My
lawyer needs to know.”
“Oh. I use Hilary Payne. She has an office
in Canyon Bend.”
“Okay.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to
meet the contractor at the hotel site in a few minutes. I’ll show you how to
use the computer Monday. Have a good weekend.”
“Thanks, you too.”
As soon as he left, she collapsed into the
chair, and immediately had the urge to jump back up. In an office like this,
she should be wearing a three-piece, double-breasted suit with pin stripes, not
jeans and a T-shirt with the Red Dog logo emblazoned on the front. Her gaze
moved around the office in disbelief and settled on the shiny new computer.
The computer. That he was going to teach
her to use. She groaned. Pinned up with him, alone, practically shoulder to
shoulder for hours. Or worse, leaning over her, breathing against her neck.
That’s all she needed. But at least she had a few days’ grace to get a grip on
herself.
“Frannie!” Her voice echoed down the hall.
“Yes, ma’am?” Her cousin’s voice came from
directly in front of her, and Charley almost jumped out of the chair. What the
heck?
As though she could see her, Frannie’s
voice came again. “It’s that black box on your desk. Just hold down the button
and you can talk.”
Tentatively, Charley pushed it down. “This
one?”
“That’s it. What did you want?”
“I want you to get your butt in here. Now!”
Two seconds later Frannie came through the
door, both hands full. “I forgot to give you this last night.” She handed
Charley a black cell phone. “Mine is hot pink, but I didn’t figure you’d go for
that. The numbers are in your Rolodex.”
Charley clutched her head. “I have a
Rolodex?
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