I quickly realize that the things I packed were all wrong for this trip. Nothing I can really do about it now. Hopefully, the rest of my stuff is coming. I do the best I can with what I’ve got, turning a pair of jeans into shorts and turning a short glitter dress I have into a top with a few cuts of my scissors. I use part of the leftover dress to make a tie for the end of my hair after I braid it. I pull some boots on and grab my cell phone.
Slowly I open the door and peek out. I’m not ready to run into my mother yet. I spot a door across the way that is cracked open. The woman inside is unloading boxes. I watch her for a few moments, realizing that they are my things. I rush over to tell her I can unpack. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Miss Rodgers. I didn’t know you were awake. Would you like your breakfast now?”
“I’m fine, but thank you. Let me take these.” I take the shoes out of her hands. “You don’t have to do all this. I’ve got it.”
“It’s my job.” She takes the shoes back from me. “Now, breakfast. What would you like?”
“I’m not really hungry.” I try to take the shoes back, but she turns, heading into a closet to put them away for me. I’m surprised Calder has put me into the room across from his. I’m sure from the glimpse I got of the house as the helicopter flew over it that he has his own wing.
“You need to eat.” Calder's voice has me spinning around to face him. Yep, he’s as handsome as I remember. My body reacts on its own to him, heat rushing to my face and other places. The memory of how his body felt pressed up against mine last night doesn’t help.
“Hi,” I get out. Gah. I bet I sound like a dork. I’m sure he’s used to girls falling all over him. Calder is different from a lot of the men that run in his kind of circles. While he is no doubt a trust fund baby, there is nothing about him that screams that. I can tell he’s no stranger to hard work.
Any other man in this world would have called for someone else to have taken care of me last night. He’s been so sweet to me. I hadn't seen it coming. It’s not helping this crush I have on him, which is a really bad idea. I’m sure he thinks he knows who I am already. Most people do.
“How are you feeling?” He steps into the room, coming over toward me. His hand goes to my chin, tilting my face back to get a better look at me.
“I think I’m all better.”
“Then you can eat and I’ll show you around after.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I’m sure he’s busy. “You’ve already had to do so much. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“A bother?” He keeps his hold on my chin. “Who would ever find you to be a bother?” I suck in a breath. Is he flirting with me or only being nice?
“She needs some meat on her bones,” the woman attacking more of my boxes says.
“What?” I try to look down at myself, but Calder still hasn’t released his hold on me. In fact, his thumb is now brushing the side of my jaw back and forth.
“I’ve got her, Mary.” He drops his hand but only to move it to my back. “It’s best to stay out of Mary’s way,” he says as he guides me out of the bedroom.
“Are you putting me across from your room?” I ask.
“I have a feeling I’m going to have to keep my eyes on you.” His eyes flick over me, going to my bare legs. His fingers on my back flex. “We have a lot of men around here. This is a working ranch.”
“I’ll stay out of the way.” Trust me. I learned to do that growing up. I might seek the spotlight when I’m out. Being a socialite is how I try to show my work. It’s also why I try to stay on the thinner side.
“You couldn’t stay out of the way if you tried,” he says. I’m not sure if that’s a back-handed compliment or not. Lucky for me, years of dealing with my mother taught me how to brush those off. Or at least I thought it did.
Yet this one lingers with me like Calder’s touch.
Chapter Seven
Calder
Widow Justice doesn’t show for dinner, not the night that we brought Birdie here and not the next night either. Cane glowers at the empty chair while Birdie stares at her napkin.
“You settling in nice?” Tucker asks. He’s my right-hand man and the one I rely on the most. Smarter than everyone else, Tucker can see things ordinary folks can’t. He’s got real vision, and right now, he’s not asking Birdie if she’s comfortable. He’s fishing to see if she’s going to be a problem. Will she take the money and leave us or is she going to try to milk the estate for more?