Riding High Page 14

  “It’s her property now and no, I don’t.” Why mention that he was at the ranch nearly every day and that he would know? It only added fuel to the gossip fires about him and Gia.

  “Is it true the scoundrel also stole her money?” Owen asked.

  Didn’t the old guy read newspapers? “You’d have to ask her.”

  Owen spent the next twenty minutes focusing on Flynn’s hair, occasionally throwing in a piece of town gossip. Flynn didn’t know most of the people involved but pretended to anyway, figuring it would get him out of the barbershop quicker.

  The door jingled open and Donna came in. “Here you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. Trevor saw your truck parked on the square.”

  “Let me finish with him before you jaw his head off.” Owen waved his clippers at her.

  She made a face at him, helped herself to coffee, and spit a mouthful back into her Styrofoam cup. “This is disgusting. Griffin has better coffee at the Gas and Go and that stuff is one notch above swill.”

  “Then why don’t you drink your own?”

  “We stop serving coffee at the Bun Boy after one.” She walked back to the bathroom and came back empty-handed.

  “No one asked you to come over here.” Owen brushed Flynn’s neck, removed the cape, handed him a hand mirror, and spun the chair around for a view of the back of his head.

  “Looks good,” Flynn said and got up to pay at the cash register.

  “My turn now.” Donna said and shot Owen a dirty look. “I need a lawyer.”

  Owen suddenly perked up, interested.

  Flynn took Donna by the arm. “What do you say we do this somewhere in private?”

  “You need an office here is what you need,” Donna replied but let Flynn lead her across the square to one of the empty picnic tables at the Bun Boy.

  “Are you in trouble with the law again, Donna?” Flynn winked.

  “Trevor and I want you to do our wills. We don’t plan on dying anytime soon, but last week Sally May Jordan over in Graeagle found two lumps in her breast. When the good Lord says it’s time to go, you want to be packed and ready.”

  “Okay.” As far as Flynn knew, the Thurstons didn’t have any children. Regardless, good estate planning was important. “Depending on how you want to divide your assets, you may want to consider a living trust. But you and Trevor and I can sit down and talk about the options. In the meantime, I’ll send you some literature explaining the process and a worksheet to fill out.”

  “Do we have to come to your office . . . to Sacramento?”

  “Nah, I could come to your house one of the days I’m up to deal with the cattle. Just make sure you fill out that worksheet; it’ll save us time.” Flynn took down her email address so he could have Doris send her the paperwork.

  “What’s going on with you and that Treadwell girl? From what I hear you’re up there every night.”

  “It’s calving season, Donna.”

  “Spring ain’t just for calving.” She jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “And if you want to hear my ten cents”—he didn’t—“the poor woman got taken for a ride by that oily, albeit fine-looking Evan Laughlin. My guess is one look at him and Gia dropped her panties and handed over the goods.”

  The comment rubbed Flynn the wrong way. He knew that was the way Donna talked—no filter on that one—and meant no harm. If anything, she was standing up for Gia. But the idea of Gia “dropping her panties” for Laughlin made him want to rip the guy’s throat out. The idea of her with Laughlin at all . . . well, it put him in a foul mood.

  “Donna, Gia’s been through enough,” he said. “Don’t make the situation worse by spreading rumors about the two of us. There’s nothing going on.”

  “Maybe there should be. You two would make beautiful children and your mother wants more grandbabies.”

  He inwardly groaned. Nugget was worse than Quincy. “Let’s focus on your will.”

  The last vision he wanted in his head was him and Gia making babies. He had enough trouble keeping his hands off her.

  Chapter 12

  Flynn had been missing in action for a week and all Gia could think about was seeing him again. The ranch was too big to rattle around alone. Although no snoopy FBI agents or pushy reporters had shown up, she felt safer with him there. And despite his overall bossiness—“Don’t talk to anyone without me present”—and his flagrant disapproval of her day trading, he was great company.

  And she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like looking at him. Flynn could be the poster child for the perfect male specimen. Not too pretty but beautifully masculine. Rough, chiseled face, lean, muscled body, and a cool confidence that she’d first mistaken for arrogance. She suspected a lot of his self-assurance came from his law enforcement background.

  But what she liked most about him was that he was a good communicator. No game playing. Flynn spoke his mind. Some of the back and forth between them was as good as sex, which made her wonder what the actual sex would be like. Flynn had made it perfectly clear that he wanted her, but unlike most of the men she’d known he could show restraint when the occasion called for it. He was a grown-up.

  Evan, six years older than Flynn, had been an overgrown child. Impetuous, self-centered, and prone to fits. When they’d first started dating Gia had been nominated for an Emmy. CNBC bought a table for the event, but there were only enough seats for members of her staff and network executives. Quite frankly, she hadn’t known Evan long enough to have him sit through the disappointment of her losing. That year the award for economic and financial reporting had gone to Frontline. And it wasn’t as if the ceremony was that exciting. Not like the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes. No glitz, no glamor, just a lot of TV industry people talking shop.

  Still, Evan had practically thrown a temper tantrum at not being asked. She suspected that if Flynn had been in the same position, he would’ve understood and supported her from home. But more than likely she would’ve invited Flynn.

  Stop thinking about the man, she chided herself.

  Instead, Gia occupied herself by staring out the window. The day couldn’t be any more gorgeous. It had started out overcast, but the sun had come out and the temperature had risen to somewhere in the seventies. Too nice to stay inside. Gia considered saddling up Rory, but Annie was on her way. She’d found dormant Christmas tree seedlings from a good nursery and Gia had decided they should plant regardless of whether Nugget agreed to her residential program or not. Today they planned to pick the best spot for the tree farm and to take soil samples because Reynolds’s had come back inconclusive. As much as Gia hated to admit it, Flynn had been right about him. The so-called farmer was a poseur.

  She grabbed her hat from the mudroom and started to head for the door when the phone rang. Checking caller ID, she picked up.

  “Mom, everything okay?”

  “I’m fine, dear. I’m calling to check on you.”

  “It’s been quiet. The FBI and SEC have to go through Flynn now. And since the episode with the camera guy, no one has bothered me. How about you?”

  “Nothing,” Iris said. “Whatever your lawyer friend did worked.”

  Gia knew Flynn had called the FBI’s Boca Raton office. He must’ve had enough clout to get the agents off her mother’s back.

  “I’m glad, Mom. But if you’d feel better coming here I’d love to have you.”

  Silence from the other end, as if her mother was thinking about it. “You know how I feel about flying. But if the agents show up again I’ll come. Last time they made me so nervous.”

  “There’s nothing to be nervous about. You didn’t have anything to do with Evan.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to say anything wrong . . . anything that could make this any worse for you. I loathed that man.”

  Gia didn’t want a lecture about her bad choice in mates. Her mother usually tried to keep out of Gia’s love life. But Iris had despised Evan from the start; it had been visceral.

  “Mom,
I’m expecting someone any second and have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She hung up, fastened her hat on her head, and went outside. The fresh air immediately made her feel better. Starting for the barn, she heard the sound of a loud engine. Not Flynn’s. The purr of his pickup made her heart race like a locomotive.

  Annie’s old turquoise Ford crested the hill, kicking up a cloud of dust. Gia had given Annie the code to the gate, which she almost always kept locked now. Waving to Annie, Gia turned around and started back for the house.

  The brakes squealed as Annie came to a stop. She hopped out of the driver’s seat in a pair of overalls that had been patched in so many places the denim was nearly invisible, a kerchief around her head, and the combat boots. Somehow the look worked on her.

  “Howdy,” Annie said and shielded her eyes with her hand before grabbing her hat from the bench seat.

  Gia moved closer and peeked into the back of the Ford “What’s all that stuff?” Large zip-tied plastic bags, cardboard boxes, and wooden crates filled the bed. It looked like Annie planned to make a dump run.

  “All my worldly possessions,” Annie said. “I’m moving.”

  “You came all the way here on moving day?” Gia knew Annie lived in Davis, a college town outside of Sacramento that was at least a three-hour drive away.

  “I don’t know where I’m moving yet, so no biggie.”

  “But you have a place to live in the meantime, right?” Gia couldn’t help but be baffled. Why lug all that stuff around if you didn’t have a place to put it?

  “Nope. But I’ll find something.”

  Gia nudged her head at the sacks and cartons. It looked like Annie had thrown things into the first container she could find, very haphazard. “Aren’t you afraid it’ll get stolen?”

  “Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I have a friend in vet school who has a garage. He might let me store some of it there.”

  “I’ve got plenty of room, Annie. You can stash it here for as long as you like.” But clearly Annie had a bigger problem than temporary storage. She needed housing. “Is everything all right?”

  “Everything’s great.” Annie smiled so sunnily that Gia didn’t know what to make of the situation. She didn’t want to pry.

  “You want a drink or something to eat before we go scouting?”

  Annie thought about it a second. “Something to eat might be good.”

  “Come inside. I’ve got cold cuts; I’ll make you a sandwich.” Hopefully during lunch Annie would open up. Something was going on and Gia would like to help if she could.

  She pulled all the sliced meats out of the fridge and grabbed an avocado from one of her hanging baskets. “So how long do we have to plant the seedlings?”

  “Not long,” Annie said and snagged one of the pieces of avocado Gia had sliced. “I’d like to get started planting no later than two weeks, which means we have our work cut out for us.”

  “I’ll have to show the spot we pick to Flynn to make sure it doesn’t violate the deal he made with Rosser.”

  Annie nodded and eyed all the ingredients Gia had piled on the sandwich bread. “You don’t mess around.”

  “In New York we take our deli sandwiches seriously.” She laughed.

  “Do you miss it?”

  Gia thought about it. Even before her problems started, she’d grown tired of living in Manhattan. The traffic, the noise, the throngs of people; a person could never feel peaceful. “Not really. There’s something to be said for country life.”

  Annie’s lips curved up. “I visited once. It was exciting for about twenty-four hours; then I wanted to come home.”

  Gia finished making Annie’s sandwich and garnished the plate with a pile of chips and a sour pickle. She made herself a smaller one so Annie wouldn’t have to eat alone. The two munched in companionable silence.

  “What made you decide to move so suddenly?” Gia finally asked.

  Annie sucked in a breath. “I lived with my boyfriend and I’m not interested in living with him anymore.”

  Ah, now they were getting somewhere. “Why not ask him to leave?”

  “It was his place originally. I never cared for it much. And it’s easier this way. He’s a procrastinator. If I ask him to leave . . . well, it would be months before he got his shit together. And I’m ready for it to be over, like really ready.”

  “I can understand that.” But Gia thought Annie may have jumped the gun. She should’ve found a place before she left the old one. “Was it a terrible situation that you needed to get out so soon?”

  “Define terrible.” Annie laughed. “It wasn’t abusive, if that’s what you mean. Zeke’s a good person in his own way; he’s just immature, self-centered, and unrealistic about life. I was tired of carrying him . .. emotionally and financially. I’ll find a place. When school lets out for summer break there will be plenty of vacancies.”

  Gia nodded and then blurted out, “You could live here, at least until school starts again. Flynn has been using the guest apartment, but I could give it to you and give him one of the rooms in the house when he stays over. Lord knows I have enough of them. The apartment is private and you could come and go as you please. I’d throw it in as part of your wages for getting the tree farm and the hay fields going. I’m overwhelmed by the whole thing and you seem to know so much about it that it makes sense to have you on the property in the beginning.”

  The offer was impetuous, but Gia had a good feeling about Annie. She didn’t seem to judge Gia or question her innocence. And if her proposal for Rosser Ranch went as planned, Gia would be opening her home to all manner of strangers. Why not start with someone who could eventually become a friend and an asset to the project?

  “Seriously? But you hardly know me.”

  “I’ll ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement,” Gia said. “Even though I’m no longer on TV or writing columns, I’d like to preserve my privacy. Unfortunately, as long as my ex is at large there’s still media interest in me.”

  “I don’t have a problem signing an agreement. I did a farming project for Francis Ford Coppola a year ago and he had me sign one too. Only the rich and famous can afford to own vineyards and wineries these days so nondisclosure forms are fairly common. You sure it’ll be okay with Flynn? I don’t want to displace him.”

  No one used the entire second floor of her house and the accommodations were a hundred times posher than the guest apartment, not that Flynn struck her as fussy. “He’s only here a few nights a week, and if he wants his own digs we could tidy up one of the bunkhouses. There’s always the pool house too.”

  It wasn’t like the ranch was short of sleeping quarters. There was a foreman’s house and a few run-down cottages where permanent ranch hands had lived before Ray had been carted off to jail. She planned to fix them up for the program anyway.

  “As long as he doesn’t mind . . .” Annie washed down the rest of her sandwich with lemonade.

  Gia took her and Annie’s plate to the sink. “You want to see it?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  She led Annie outside to the bank of garages and climbed the stairs. Flynn had been the last person to use the apartment and she had no idea what state it was in. She hadn’t hired housekeepers yet, fearful that they might squawk to the paparazzi. But the place was too much upkeep for one person.

  “I can’t promise Flynn didn’t leave it messy,” she said and used her key to open the door.

  Other than a denim jacket he’d left on the back of a dining room chair, the place looked immaculate.

  “My goodness, it’s so big,” Annie said, walking from room to room.

  It had a spacious living room, a small kitchen, an eating nook, a master suite, and a laundry room closet. There were lots of windows—light galore. It gave the space a warm glow.

  Annie stood to one side of the front room, checking out the view of the swimming pool.

  “You can swim whenever you want,” Gia said.

  �
�Wow. This is amazingly generous of you. You sure you don’t want to take a few days to think about it?”

  “Why? I’d be thrilled to have you on site . . . in case anything goes wrong with the trees.” And because the place was lonely with just her. At least in New York there were other people in her building.

  Annie chuckled. “Once they’re planted it’s pretty much up to Mother Nature. But I’d love to live here. I’m thinking I might bum a room off my vet-school friend on the days I’m in class until summer break and spend the rest of the time here . . . if that’s okay?”

  “Perfectly fine with me. You can leave your stuff now if you want.” Gia took Flynn’s jacket and folded it over her arm, then discreetly raised it to her nose. It smelled like his aftershave and a number of other scents she couldn’t identify but were purely Flynn’s.

  She wondered how he would feel about sleeping under the same roof as her. The house was big enough that they would never have to see each other on the few nights he stayed over, except when he used the kitchen. For her part, the idea of having him there was exceedingly tempting. Hey, it had been Flynn who’d set the rules, not her. The whole town was talking about them anyway. If everyone assumed they were doing the nasty, they may as well do it.

  “You want to stay here tonight?” she asked Annie.

  “I’ve got class tomorrow. But if I could leave my stuff that would be great, and I’ll come back Saturday to set up.”

  “You have furniture?” Gia supposed they could store it in one of the outbuildings; the guesthouse was already furnished.

  “It’s junk I’m leaving behind. Zeke can have it.”

  “Where will you stay tonight?”

  “One of my friend’s. Goodness knows they’ve slept on my couch enough times.”

  Gia couldn’t live like that. Even in college she’d had to have absolute structure. Being without a permanent place to live would’ve driven her over the edge. Probably because she’d grown up not knowing where her next bed would be.

  “Zeke won’t give you any trouble, will he?”