Lydia's Twin Temptation (14 page)

Feeling a little unfriendly all of a sudden, she wanted to call out an apology. “I’m—” But he was already gone.

The men halted their horses beside her and climbed down. Clayton asked, “Lydi, you okay?”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay? Chance said you sounded tense earlier. Did Parker say anything to you?”

“Well, um.” Had he? Really? She second-guessed herself. No, he hadn’t really said or done anything, beyond seeming overly friendly.

“Baby?” Chance asked as he came to her and peered down at her. “Did he do something?”

“Um—no. Just a little too friendly for my tastes. Does he know about us?”

“Yes. He was there last night. Actually he was the reason Clayton said anything at all. He questioned who you belonged to.”

Lydia’s lip curled at the term, and she cast a glance to the dimly lit barn. Originating with Kade Parker, the term had a hint of ownership to it, but looking at these two men before her, she couldn’t bring herself to mind if they saw it that way. Earlier that morning she’d wanted to belong to them very badly. She’d have to remember to steer clear of Parker in the future and avoid any further private meetings if she could.

“We told him you’re ours,” Clayton said with concern in his eyes. “You’d tell us if there was more to it, wouldn’t you? We don’t want anyone harassing you.”

“Of course I would, Clayton. No, I don’t guess he was harassing me. He was just…forward, I guess.” The last thing she wanted was for a man’s job to be in jeopardy because she’d overreacted to his remarks.

The men shared a glance but said nothing else. Changing the subject, Lydia said, “I brought you a snack.”

Clayton chuckled and said, “I’ll eat whatever you bring me.” Then he gave her a kiss, right there in the open where everyone could see.

Heat rose even higher in her cheeks when Chance leaned in a kissed her as well. “I hope there’s more where that came from.” The power of speech nearly deserted her when the sparkle in his eyes left no doubt what he was referring to.

“No, I mean something to
actually
eat.”

“So did I, Lydi,” Clayton said quietly.

Lydia felt a little twitter pated as his innuendo sank in. Her thong was soaked for the second time that day. Clayton whistled loudly, and ranch hands came from all points.

Chance chuckled and said, “You okay, Lydia? You’re flushed. Is the heat getting to you?”

She bit her lip and wanted to kick them both for turning her on and then calling all the hands over. “Oh, yeah,” she murmured suggestively in a quiet tone as the men approached. Both men had already helped themselves to a
kolache
and had just taken a bite. “Now I’m all hot…and
wet
.”

Chapter Thirteen

She smiled with satisfaction when Clayton choked on his bite. Chance did a double take, and his eyes bugged a little. She thought she heard a needy little moan come from him before the men joined them. If those men thought they were going to get her all hot, teasing her like that, they needed to know she could give as good as she got.

The men greeted her and thanked her for the snack. She had a chance to meet the other ranch hands who didn’t actually live there and reintroduced herself to Boone and Richard Warner, whom she’d met once when they’d visited the café with Chance, Clayton, and some of the other men, including Gil. Both men remembered her and welcomed her to the ranch.

Lydia said, “Chance and Clayton tell me that you’re engaged.”

Richard, the taller of the two, nodded and replied, “Yes ma’am.” His pale-blue eyes were gorgeous, and his quiet demeanor was a big contrast to his brother who was darker in eye color and seemed to have a much more intense personality. She wished she could meet the woman who’d captured the hearts of these men and their brother who she hadn’t met yet.

“When is the wedding planned for?”

“The end of next month. We just proposed a few days ago.”

“Would you let her know I’m a chef? I’d love to help out if they need food prepared or the cake made.”

Richard nodded and his smile lit his handsome face, “Yes, ma’am, I will. Maya would love to meet you. We told her last night you’d arrived on the ranch. She’ll probably be looking for an excuse to pay a visit.”

Lydia smiled and said, “That would be terrific. I’m the only female on the ranch. I’d love to have another woman’s company.”

Chance said, “You can visit Discretion with her sometime. I’m sure the girls would all love—” Chance sounded like his words got cut off.

Clayton said, “We can also take you into town if you want to shop at Stigall’s. Any word on the car, Chance?”

Chance eyed his brother as he rubbed a rib and said, “Nope, not a word, but it hasn’t been that long. I’m sure we’ll know something soon.”

Lydia thought they were both acting a little peculiar but smiled at the men as they all complimented her on her cooking skills and thanked her for bringing them such a nice treat.

Checking her watch, she said, “Well, I’d better get back to the house. My help should be arriving soon.”

The men all wished her a good day and then went back to work. Chance lifted Lydia onto his horse, and the three of them rode back to the house. She hadn’t been on a horse in a while but felt perfectly safe with Chance holding her in front of him. They stopped at the gate, and Clayton leaned over to give her a kiss then said, “Don’t work too hard today, Lydi. We want to spend time with you this evening. Okay?”

“All right.” That was good because she was ready to spend time with them, too.

She turned to Chance and hugged him and then kissed him as well. He grinned and said, “It helped this morning, didn’t it?”

“Yes. You both broke the ice really well.” She giggled as Chance helped her down then Clayton handed her the empty basket. She patted their finely matched quarter horses and blew both men kisses.

“Thanks for the ride, cowboys.” They both groaned at her suggestive tone.

Clayton chuckled in an equally provocative tone and replied, “If you think that was a ride, Lydi, we’ve got a surprise in store for you.”

She watched those handsome cowboys as they trotted away, thinking about what a ride with them might entail.

Excited and ready to get started, she waited for her help to arrive. She cleared the floors to make it easy to go from room to room both upstairs and downstairs. She checked her watch at nine o’clock and looked out her bedroom window. There was no sign of anybody on the long winding driveway. On her way down she checked the men’s rooms and brought their laundry baskets downstairs.

By nine fifteen she was getting a little hacked off but wanted to give her helper the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps there had been some miscommunication about the time. She’d give it a little longer and then call the employment agency to ask if there was a problem. She’d already pulled the furniture away from the walls in the family room and turned the chairs onto the table in the dining room when the doorbell finally rang at nine forty-five. Blowing hair off her brow, Lydia answered the door. She hid her shock at what stood before her.

Lydia thought about calling Clayton and asking him if he might be able to get a refund from House Bunnies “R” Us. There was the distinct possibility this gal was going to break a nail.

Lydia’s greeting came out sounding like a gasp. “Hi.”

The beautiful young woman blinded her with brilliantly white teeth when she smiled. “Hey!” The way she drew out the word made it sound like it had three or four high-pitched syllables. “I’m Presley Ann Woodworth. I’m here to help out.” Lydia backed up, and Presley Ann stepped in, looking around appreciatively. “So this is the Rockin’ C Ranch.”

Presley Ann walked in as if she were assessing the interior for a new design. “Please come with me, Presley Ann, so we can talk about what I’ll need for you to do.”

“Sure.”

Presley Ann followed Lydia into the kitchen, her five-inch Jimmy Choos clicking daintily with each step. “Have a seat.”

The young woman took a seat at the table in the breakfast nook and crossed her legs so her four-hundred-dollar shoes were displayed advantageously.

Lydia made eye contact with Presley Ann and said, “Tell me how you came to be involved with the agency that sent you here.”

“My aunt owns it.”

Great.

“Do you have any experience as a maid or housekeeper?”

“Um, no.” The way she said it, as if that fact should be obvious, made Lydia’s heart sink. “But I can handle anything you can throw at me. I guarantee it.”

Lydia doubted that. She needed the help though, and Presley Ann needed to know what was expected of her if she was going to stay on.

Lydia slid a list across the table. Presley Ann held the list in her freshly manicured fingers. She scanned the first page quickly, almost dismissively. She flipped to the next page and looked it over even quicker, and barely glanced at the third page at all.

Lydia said, “I’ve written up a schedule for us. We will be working in different areas of the house each day. I’ll need you to start work promptly every day at seven thirty—”

“Seven thirty! I was told I could start at nine-ish, like I did today.”

Lydia shook her head firmly. “I’m sorry. I need you to start every day at seven thirty.”

Presley Ann’s bottom lip pouted out a little, but Lydia said nothing and waited for her response. The lip must have worked for Presley Ann because she held out for a good fifteen seconds before caving in. “Oh, all right. Seven thirtyish.”

Lydia smiled and said, “If you want the job, you start every day
on time
at seven thirty. I’m sorry, this is not a party you can arrive to fashionably late. I need help that is reliable. If you can’t—”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll start at seven thirty every day. I want the job.”

Lydia didn’t understand why. Everything about Presley Ann reeked of entitlement and money. She looked as though she’d just come from a salon. She was wearing a tan silk top and matching linen pants. Her shoes looked pristine.

Lydia shook her head as though to clear it. “Let me just make sure that you and I are on the same page.”
Because I feel like someone just yelled “action” on the set of The Twilight Zone.
“Clayton Carlisle contacted an employment agency in Divine to send someone to help me. I need help cleaning and maintaining the house. They would dust, vacuum, do laundry, sweep floors, help with meal prep. Things like that.”

Presley Ann nodded. “Yes. That’s me. I’m your girl.”

Oh, Lord. Have mercy on me.
“Okay. We’re running a bit late now, so let’s get started.”

“Can you show me my room so I can bring my things in? My car will get hot and I don’t want my cosmetics and things exposed to the heat.”

Lydia couldn’t help it when her eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry?”

Presley Ann smiled, and Lydia detected the barest hint of a condescending tone when Presley Ann said, “My room. The room I will be sleeping in.”

“I’m sorry Miss—”

“Woodworth.”

“Miss Woodworth. I think there has been a misunderstanding. I was led to believe you live in Divine.”

“I do.”

“No room has been prepared for you. We do not need live-in help. That was the understanding. You are to arrive every morning at seven thirty and leave at the time that you and I mutually agree on. You would not be living here.”

“No?” Presley Ann looked disappointed, and her tone was a little whiny. She sighed and slumped. “That’s not what I—all right. I’ll stay at my house and arrive here every morning at seven thirty.”

Lydia was impressed that the tenacious young woman had not given up already. Lydia could only assume she was doing her best to get some kind of toehold on the Rockin’ C Ranch. What her ultimate goal might be was of great concern to Lydia. There was no doubt she was tall, thin, and very beautiful. With no ring on her finger, Lydia suspected she was there prospecting for a husband.

“If you’re concerned about your luggage, you can put it in the entryway and then take it with you when you leave this evening.”

Presley Ann’s eyebrows arched. She glanced at her watch and did the math. “Evening?”

Lydia ignored the comment and forged ahead, figuring today’s workload would make or break her. Either way, stuff had to get done.

“Can you work in those shoes?”

“I sure can.”

Lydia remembered her first day at the Oasis Café, twelve grueling hours in flat heels, and actually felt sorry for Presley Ann for a moment. “Okay. Tomorrow, you may want to wear something a little lower. Your feet will probably hurt by the time you leave today. Go barefoot if you want.” Presley Ann bit her lip daintily and nodded.

Lydia took a straightforward tone with her and explained everything that was needed as clearly as possible, taking her from room to room and waiting for her as she negotiated the stairs. She didn’t want to be accused of talking down to the society girl and so explained all the chores and gave her ample time to ask questions. She didn’t ask any.

“All right. Go ahead and get started. I’ll check with you in a few minutes. I have to start lunch. You are welcome to join us for the meal.”

“Why, thank you—” Presley Ann replied, ending on a questioning note.

“Sorry. I’m Lydia.”

“Thank you, Lydia.” For the first time in thirty minutes Presley Ann looked excited about something, namely the prospect of having lunch with the Carlisle brothers.

Great. Just wait until I get my hands on Clayton.

The vacuum cleaner switched on in the family room where she’d directed Presley Ann to start, and she went into the kitchen to start lunch. After a few minutes, it sounded like the vacuum wasn’t moving, so she walked over to the family room to check on Presley Ann. She was moving the furniture back in place. Lydia nodded as she wiggled and scooted the couch back to its original spot. Efficient. Get those areas done first and then vacuum the rest.

Lunch was started when Presley Ann came in the kitchen and said, “The vacuuming is all done.”

“Downstairs? Good, then go vacuum upstairs.”

“Oh…okay.”

Because she paused, Lydia decided to verify the work. “Did you vacuum in all the rooms downstairs, besides the family room? The office, the dining room, the front living room?”

Presley Ann’s shoulders drooped, and she picked at the corner of a nail. “No.”

“We need to do it all, including the baseboards.”

Presley Ann’s mouth popped open to argue, but then she snapped it closed. “All right. Can you please show me how the attachment
thingy
works for the baseboards?”

“Sure.” At least she was asking nicely. Lydia showed her how to disassemble and reassemble the vacuum cleaner attachments then went back to work in the kitchen preparing a dessert.

The vacuum cleaner whirred and ran for half an hour, and Lydia felt like Presley Ann had to have accomplished something in that amount of time. She walked in the dining room and could still plainly see the layer of dust accumulated under the table, though the chairs were now back in their original spots.

There were tracks from the vacuum only in the main walking areas of the plush carpeting in there and in the living room. Feeling a little more put out with each room she visited, Lydia finally entered the family room, where she found Presley Ann looking at a family photo album.

Lydia marched to the couch she’d seen Presley Ann pushing back into place and moved it out of the way with one mighty tug. She stared at the tile floor underneath and then looked at Presley Ann, who appeared slightly worried.

Lydia squatted down and ran her fingers through the thick layer of dust and then held them up for Presley Ann to see.

“I took time out of my morning to move all this furniture to make your first day a little easier. You moved it all back without vacuuming under any of it, didn’t you?”

“It’s not really that big a deal, is it?”

Lydia dusted her hands off and said, “Yes. It is a very big deal. It is the reason I asked for a helper. I need
help
. I’m sorry, Presley Ann. You seem very nice but I don’t think—” Lydia removed her phone from her pocket.