Rough Riders: Gone Country Part 5

"Noon?" she repeated. "That's..."

Gavin couldn't hold back a laugh. "Gotcha."

She lightly smacked his arm. "Gavin Daniels, that's just plain mean. As if I'd believe you'd lounge around all d.a.m.n day playing video games. Aren't you buying up squares of land and putting houses and hotels on them, monopolizing the market?"

"But you did believe it, Miss Up-at-the-b.u.t.tcrack-of-Dawn-Every-Morning. I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do. You've blabbed all your secrets to me, remember? Since you're constantly underfoot pestering me."

"No, I've withheld a few secrets. It adds to my manly mystique."

Rielle laughed. "As Sierra would say...you're a dork."

"You laughing at my jokes proves you're equally dorky." He reached over and brushed his fingers beneath her jawline. Her skin was so soft right there.

Rielle's pale green eyes were enormous as his fingers moved across her jaw. "What are you doing?"

"Umm...you had flour left from this morning's bake-a-thon," he lied to cover up his strange compulsion to touch her.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." He tried really hard not to stare at her a.s.s as she retreated and busied herself refilling their mugs with the last dregs of coffee.

"What are you really doing today?"

"Chet and Remy West are coming by this morning to show me the tentative plans for the four-car garage they're building."

"Ha ha. You almost got me twice today."

"I'm not kidding."

A moment pa.s.sed and then she demanded, "When did you decide that?"

"Last week. They've promised to get it done before the snow flies."

"Where on earth are you going to put a four-car garage?"

Gavin sipped his coffee, hating that their easy banter was about to end. "On the right side of the drive. The structure will be attached to the house and be accessible-"

"Through the mudroom in the bas.e.m.e.nt." Rielle looked as if she wanted to say something else but she didn't.

"As long as they'll already be doing dirt work, we're revamping the front. Since this isn't a B&B, there's no need for a full-sized parking lot. Adding a garage will fill the s.p.a.ce and close it off, giving it a more residential feel, as well as adding symmetry."

"So the barn?"

"What about it?"

"Just wondering if you were making changes to it too."

Not just p.r.i.c.kly, but p.i.s.sy. Not that he was surprised. "The barn is new, and from what you've told me and what I've seen, largely unused."

"You sure aren't letting gra.s.s grow under your feet when it comes to making changes, are you?" She slapped her hands on the counter. "Speaking of gra.s.s...please tell me you don't intend to lay sod across the entire length of the former parking lot? That'd be a serious waste of natural resources. Water is as scarce here as it is in the desert. No one has groomed lawns in the country, Gavin, not to mention the deer and turkeys will rip it up-"

He placed his fingers over her mouth. "Don't go off half-c.o.c.ked on environmental self-righteousness, hippie chick."

"Hippie chick?" she mumbled beneath his fingers.

"I figured you'd prefer that to granola head or tree hugger."

Rielle's eyes darkened.

He grinned. "Ree. I was trying for levity to make this easier on both of us. Yes, I'm making changes, but not without help. I intended to ask if you had time to talk to a landscaper. You know everything about this chunk of land and I don't. I prefer the natural look. Maintaining a manicured lawn is the last thing I'd ever do."

She turned her head, dislodging his fingers. "I'm glad to hear you aren't completely an urban idiot with visions of becoming a hobby farmer, calling your riding lawnmower a tractor tractor."

He murmured, "Touche."

"If you're serious about hiring a landscaper, I know a local guy in Spearfish who is excellent and specializes in xeriscaping."

"I'd appreciate it. I'll tell the West brothers we have that part handled." He crossed his arms over his chest. "See? That wasn't so hard."

"Doesn't change the fact that now I wish you had been telling the truth about being locked away inside playing video games."

Gavin had no response for that as she walked away.

Dirt therapy worked better than scream therapy. Good thing because she wanted to scream her fool head off at Gavin.

The man drove her insane. Always so even-keeled. Matter of fact. Not to mention he was thoughtful, surprisingly funny and so unconsciously sweet that she just wanted to hug him.

And that annoyed the p.i.s.s out of her.

The earth made a loud ching ching as the shovel blade connected with the crust. She put muscle into it, turning the soil over until dark chunks appeared. Rielle dropped to her knees and brushed the dirt from the clumps of blue fingerling potatoes. These were in high demand in recent years, so she'd filled one entire bed with just this variety. Restaurants in Casper, Cheyenne and Jackson Hole had already placed orders. The entire crop was sold before she'd harvested. That was a good feeling. as the shovel blade connected with the crust. She put muscle into it, turning the soil over until dark chunks appeared. Rielle dropped to her knees and brushed the dirt from the clumps of blue fingerling potatoes. These were in high demand in recent years, so she'd filled one entire bed with just this variety. Restaurants in Casper, Cheyenne and Jackson Hole had already placed orders. The entire crop was sold before she'd harvested. That was a good feeling.

She stood and wiped her brow with the back of her glove. It was unseasonably warm for September-not that she was complaining. The longer the sun kept s.h.i.+ning, the better the chances were the last crop of heirloom tomatoes could ripen on the vine.

This year she might actually get to harvest everything before the first frost. Over the past three years she'd tripled the size of her gardens. Specializing in organic vegetables had tripled her income. But she was too cheap to hire extra help, so she'd rigged up a generator and the light allowed her to harvest at night.

Gavin constantly commented about her working too hard, but the irony was he ran two businesses and she knew he worked late into the night. He wasn't exactly a stuffed s.h.i.+rt either; he acted more relaxed now than he had when she first met him. But he was very matter of fact. Very methodical.

Isn't that what you like about him? He doesn't p.u.s.s.yfoot around an issue? He comes right out and tells you what he thinks and then gives you a chance to agree or disagree?

That was a refres.h.i.+ng trait. Most men tried to charm or cajole her, acting offended when their bravado didn't have the desired effect, either in business or personally. Which is probably why she didn't date. Too much bulls.h.i.+t.

How had the subject of dating and Gavin come up together?

Because face it, you're attracted to him.

Yes, they flirted constantly. But it didn't mean anything because they were... What exactly were they?

Roommates. Friends. Tied together by a business deal that each of them regretted on some level. The potential for more was there. The question was: Would either of them act on it? Or would they just keep it comfortable and remain at the friendly, teasing stage?

Pus.h.i.+ng those thoughts aside, she got back to work.

Sometime later, she heard, "Hey, Rielle."

She glanced up to see Chet and Remy West hanging over the fence on the far side of the tomato garden.

"What can I do for the West boys today?"

"Gavin suggested we come talk to you," Chet said.

She dropped her gloves by the tomato plant so she'd remember where to pick up. "There are benches down here." She could use a break. Standing slowly, she set her hands on her lower back, then arched back to ease the strain.

Since her hands were full with two baskets of tomatoes, Remy opened the gate for her. He wasn't a tall man, but his bulked-up body made him seem bigger. With his curly dark brown hair, warm hazel-colored eyes and sweet smile, Rielle wondered why she'd always turned him down whenever he'd asked her out over the years.

"Plants look great, Ree."

"No blight this year, thank heaven."

Chet peered in the basket of tomatoes. "Ma wants to know if you'll be at the farmer's market or if you'll be selling directly from here."

"Some of both. Next Sat.u.r.day I'll be at Spearfish Park. She can always call me or stop by. I'm here most days." Rielle sat on the slate bench. "Why does Gavin think I need to talk to you guys? The house and the front section of property are his now and he can do whatever he wants with it." Including building a big d.a.m.n garage. Would he fill it with boy's toys? A sports car? She tried to picture it, but Gavin didn't seem the flashy type.

Chet stared off into the distance. His height topped his brother's by an inch or two, but his physique was identical to Remy's-brawny and muscle bound. His gaze met hers. His eyes were deep brown, almost black. His blond hair also held a hint of curl. If their eye color and hair color weren't complete opposites, Rielle would swear the men were twins. "Everything is finalized on the addition and we'll start next week since we had a three-week hole in our schedule."

"Seems...coincidental the opening just happens to be the same time Gavin needs a project finished."

Remy shrugged. "Sometimes things just work out like they're supposed to. But that's not why we're here."

Rielle twisted the top off the gallon jug of water and took a long drink before she answered. "What's up?"

"After we got the phone call from Gavin, we revisited the building plans for your place since we hadn't looked at them in a while."

"And?"

"And the design is solid. We're able to design all the eco features you've asked for. However..."

Chet and Remy exchanged a look, then Chet said, "It'll be very labor intensive, which we all knew going into this project. So we updated materials costs and reworked our original estimate..."

She held her breath because this wouldn't be good news.

"The cost has gone up twenty percent."

"s.h.i.+t."

"We refigured it a couple different ways," Remy said, almost apologetically, "but the price didn't change."

Due to her miserly ways, she could afford to pay additional costs, but she was kicking herself for putting this off. "Thank you guys. The cost of everything has gone up." She offered a wan smile. "Not happy, but not surprised. So that's the worst of it?"

Chet leaned forward. "Nope. With the building site location, and the time of year, and what's already on our plate, there's no way we can get to the project until next spring."

"And that doesn't have anything to do with us takin' on Gavin's garage," Remy added. "Colby and Channing hafta wait for spring for the addition on their house too."

"I should've set a firm date for the start date."

"Well, we don't blame ya for waiting. You were already taking care of a house, even if technically it wasn't yours."

"Did you tell Gavin about my building delay?"

"Nope. It's between us, Ree, you have our word," Chet said. "And no matter what you decide, whether or not to proceed in the spring, and why or why not, it'll stay strictly between us."

Her sharp gaze moved between the brothers. "Why would you think I'd back out?" She bristled. "I a.s.sure you, I may have had some rough times in the past, but I do have the money now-"

"Whoa, there, that wasn't what I was insinuating at all." Chet blushed and looked at Remy.

"You're insinuating something...worse?"

"Let's just back up," Remy said. "One of Gavin's main stipulations for hiring us was to keep this project in line with your original plans for the B&B outbuildings you didn't get to implement due to your financial situation at the time."

"Gavin respects you. It's there every time your name comes up," Chet a.s.sured her. "And we're to defer all the dirt work changes and landscaping to you. You have total control."

"Our whole point is...even before we talked to Gavin, we believed you'd be better off waiting until after calving season to break ground. A lot of things could change between now and then."

"What kind of things could change?" she asked Remy suspiciously.

Remy gave an embarra.s.sed laugh. "Now, Rielle, darlin', don't take this the wrong way. You are a d.a.m.n attractive woman, but you don't date. We know you've said no to all guys who've asked you out, not just us. Now you're living with a man who saved your bacon a few years back?"

"You think I'm interested in Gavin because he's rich?" G.o.ddammit. Was that what everyone in the area would think? She'd a.s.sured Gavin it wouldn't bother her...but faced with a.s.sumptions, she wasn't so sure.

Both Chet and Remy burst out laughing.

"No, but the man sure is interested in you."

She stared at them blankly.

Remy nudged Chet. "Told ya she hadn't even freakin' noticed."

She had noticed how Gavin acted around her-she'd have to be blind not to see how he looked at her sometimes, stupid not to recognize the familiar way he touched her and a complete idiot to pretend to be unaffected by his attention. It just surprised her that Chet and Remy West had picked up on the undercurrent so quickly.

Or had Gavin said something to them?

No. Gavin wasn't like that. But as far as she was concerned, that topic was off limits. "The only thing I'm interested in is you guys taking some of these tomatoes off my hands. You can swing by your mama's house and earn major brownie points."

"That'd be great. You're a doll," Remy said.