him. He reached the threshold of the living room and froze. “Lisa?” he asked with disbelief.
His former wife was stretched out on the sofa as if posed for a photo, showing her cleavage to best advantage, her long black hair draped perfectly as if to draw attention to her most notable feature.
The only good thing he could say about her arrival was that he felt no response whatever to her blatant sexuality. At least that part was dead for good. But his dislike of her lived on. He wanted to roar at her to get out of his house.
“Hi, Cliff,” she said, her voice sultry. “I’ve been thinking a lot about you and missing you. You don’t mind, do you?”
Did he mind? Hell, yeah. He was already trying to figure out ways to make her leave. But he needed a minute to put a lid on his temper, too. She couldn’t have called to ask first? “I’ve gotta get some breakfast. You wait here.”
In the kitchen, Jean simply frowned at him.
“You should have sent her away,” he said.
“Not my place. But if she stays, I go.”
Back to that. Lisa had almost cost him Jean six years ago, and Jean was part of the family—she’d been here his entire life. “She’s not staying.”
“Ha!”
“I mean it.”
“She already brought in her suitcases.”
“Then I’ll take them out.”
“Good luck.”
He opened a cupboard. “Breakfast?”
“Find your own. I’m not cooking for that woman.”
Cliff closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if life could get any more complicated. Well, of course it could. Lisa was here.
He settled for a bowl of cold cereal and headed back to the living room. He took the chair farthest from Lisa.
“So what’s going on?” he asked bluntly.
“I told you. I missed you.”
“You haven’t missed me in six years.”
She pouted. “That’s not true.”
“Just spit it out, Lisa. Spare me the drama.”
“Oh, all right then,” she said, sitting up, but leaning forward so her cleavage remained on display. He wondered why he had ever found that attractive. Right now he felt repelled.
“I’m between jobs,” she said.
“Really? Between marriages, too, I guess.” He knew she had married some guy up near Gillette, because once she had he’d no longer owed her alimony.
“Well, yes.”
“Sorry. What am I supposed to do about any of this?”
“Like I said, I’m between jobs. I just need a few weeks.”
“A few weeks?” His entire household would fall apart, and even some of his hired hands might desert him in that time. Lisa was nothing if not imperious.
“Yes.”
“And how are you going to find a job out here?”
She frowned. “I already have a job. Damn it, Cliff, don’t be a jerk. I start my new job in two weeks. I just need a place to stay until then.”
He was finding this hard to believe. Something about this smelled to high heaven. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.” Her dark eyes flashed. “You’re still a jerk, aren’t you.”
“I don’t like being lied to.”
“Well, I’m not lying. I have a job in Glenwood Springs, but I have no way of getting a place to stay until then. If I spend money renting a place now, I won’t make it until I get my first paycheck. That is all there is to it.”
It was almost believable. Maybe it was even the truth. But he sat there wondering whether she really wanted to stay here for two weeks, or if she wanted him to front her some money. Either one looked impossible right now. It was late spring, he hadn’t yet gotten the money for his wool, he had vet bills, especially for the new lambs and kids, he needed to... Well, he just wasn’t flush at the moment.
He looked at his bowl of cereal and realized that while he might need to eat, he couldn’t swallow a thing right now.
“I want you out of here,” he said flatly. “Try your sob story on someone else. Jean is already threatening to leave.”
“Jean always mattered more than I did,” she pouted.
“Unfortunately, I made the mistake of
His former wife was stretched out on the sofa as if posed for a photo, showing her cleavage to best advantage, her long black hair draped perfectly as if to draw attention to her most notable feature.
The only good thing he could say about her arrival was that he felt no response whatever to her blatant sexuality. At least that part was dead for good. But his dislike of her lived on. He wanted to roar at her to get out of his house.
“Hi, Cliff,” she said, her voice sultry. “I’ve been thinking a lot about you and missing you. You don’t mind, do you?”
Did he mind? Hell, yeah. He was already trying to figure out ways to make her leave. But he needed a minute to put a lid on his temper, too. She couldn’t have called to ask first? “I’ve gotta get some breakfast. You wait here.”
In the kitchen, Jean simply frowned at him.
“You should have sent her away,” he said.
“Not my place. But if she stays, I go.”
Back to that. Lisa had almost cost him Jean six years ago, and Jean was part of the family—she’d been here his entire life. “She’s not staying.”
“Ha!”
“I mean it.”
“She already brought in her suitcases.”
“Then I’ll take them out.”
“Good luck.”
He opened a cupboard. “Breakfast?”
“Find your own. I’m not cooking for that woman.”
Cliff closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if life could get any more complicated. Well, of course it could. Lisa was here.
He settled for a bowl of cold cereal and headed back to the living room. He took the chair farthest from Lisa.
“So what’s going on?” he asked bluntly.
“I told you. I missed you.”
“You haven’t missed me in six years.”
She pouted. “That’s not true.”
“Just spit it out, Lisa. Spare me the drama.”
“Oh, all right then,” she said, sitting up, but leaning forward so her cleavage remained on display. He wondered why he had ever found that attractive. Right now he felt repelled.
“I’m between jobs,” she said.
“Really? Between marriages, too, I guess.” He knew she had married some guy up near Gillette, because once she had he’d no longer owed her alimony.
“Well, yes.”
“Sorry. What am I supposed to do about any of this?”
“Like I said, I’m between jobs. I just need a few weeks.”
“A few weeks?” His entire household would fall apart, and even some of his hired hands might desert him in that time. Lisa was nothing if not imperious.
“Yes.”
“And how are you going to find a job out here?”
She frowned. “I already have a job. Damn it, Cliff, don’t be a jerk. I start my new job in two weeks. I just need a place to stay until then.”
He was finding this hard to believe. Something about this smelled to high heaven. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.” Her dark eyes flashed. “You’re still a jerk, aren’t you.”
“I don’t like being lied to.”
“Well, I’m not lying. I have a job in Glenwood Springs, but I have no way of getting a place to stay until then. If I spend money renting a place now, I won’t make it until I get my first paycheck. That is all there is to it.”
It was almost believable. Maybe it was even the truth. But he sat there wondering whether she really wanted to stay here for two weeks, or if she wanted him to front her some money. Either one looked impossible right now. It was late spring, he hadn’t yet gotten the money for his wool, he had vet bills, especially for the new lambs and kids, he needed to... Well, he just wasn’t flush at the moment.
He looked at his bowl of cereal and realized that while he might need to eat, he couldn’t swallow a thing right now.
“I want you out of here,” he said flatly. “Try your sob story on someone else. Jean is already threatening to leave.”
“Jean always mattered more than I did,” she pouted.
“Unfortunately, I made the mistake of
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