“He’s coming here? Now?”
“Yeah. He’s being overbearing as usual. He’ll be here soon. Time to go home.”
Her stomach dropped with dread. Home. Right. Only problem was, she was pretty certain home wasn’t Aunt Rose’s house.
That home was with Bear.
8
Ellie didn’t quite know what to make of Clinton Jensen. Bear’s boss was a hard-looking man. He had a rugged face, not what you’d call handsome but interesting all the same. But it was his manner that caught your attention and held it. She thought Bear was a gruff man. But he had nothing on this guy. Jensen had looked her over once and then dismissed her.
He stood in the center of the cabin which had seemed cozy with just the two of them, but now felt small and claustrophobic.
Bear was already moving around, tidying things up. She guessed she should be packing up her luggage, but she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay here and pretend the real world didn’t exist.
She wanted to stay with Bear. But she couldn’t say that. He’d given her no indication he wanted anything beyond this short-term arrangement. She wished she could have a few minutes to talk to him alone. But she could hardly ask his boss to go wait in his truck. It was his cabin, after all.
She guessed at least she’d have the drive into town to talk to him. If she could just figure out what to say.
Clinton had taken his hat off after entering and now he tapped it against his thigh. He wore dark jeans, worn cowboy boots and a big, thick jacket. He didn’t look like the owner of a huge ranch. For some reason she’d imagined him to be an older man. Maybe with a potbelly and a double chin. It was obvious that he didn’t just sit around and direct others.
He had an air of authority about him. He wasn’t the man you want to mess with, she got that straight away. Bear was wider across the shoulders and at least half a head taller and she wasn’t nearly as intimidated by him as she was by Clinton Jensen.
“I brought Ike with me. Thought he could drive your truck back to the ranch and I’ll take you both into town. Got to get some supplies.” Jensen looked her up and down. “Unless you want me to take her on my own.”
She sucked in a breath. Bear wouldn’t just leave her with this stranger, would he?
“I’ll go with you.”
Oh, thank God. She looked at Bear, worried by how distant he was being.
“She okay to travel out in the cold?” Jensen asked Bear.
Bear looked over at her, studying her. “She should be all right if we bundle her up, she hasn’t got much clothing that’s suitable for this weather, though.”
Clinton looked her over and she thought he probably found her lacking. “She came
to Montana in winter without suitable clothing?”
“Yep,” Bear answered.
Clinton just grunted. “Car’s a piece of shit, too. Surprised she got as far as she did without crashing.”
“It’s not a piece of shit,” she protested. She was getting tired of them talking about her like she wasn’t even there.
“Language,” both men reprimanded her.
“I was just repeating his words,” she said to Bear. She didn’t think it was fair she was getting told off when he was talking about her car like that.
“We’re taking her to Wishingbone?” the big rancher asked.
“Russell,” Bear told him. “Her aunt left her a house there.” He turned to look at her for the first time in ages. “You said you had to meet the lawyer to get the key?”
“Ahh, yes, I’m meant to call her when I’m close and she’ll meet me there. She was getting all the utilities turned on for me.”
“All right, time’s a wasting. Let’s get going,” Clint said brusquely.
They started moving, gathering everything up. She quickly packed up her stuff and lifted her suitcase. Clinton was walking back in as she grabbed it.