"what the hell?"
The woman turned, a wooden spoon in her hand "Oh, you're awake" she said greeting him with a warm smile as if there wasn't anything unusual about her ebing in his kitchen. "I hope you're hungry. I didn't know what you liked, but since you're a rancher, I thought beef would be a safe bet. And, of course, Stew is so nourishing, but if you'd rather-"
"Who the hell are you?" He demanded, entering the room on a long legged, angry stride. "And what do you think you're doing in my house?"
She'd been right, Amethyst though as she was forced to tilt her head a long way back to look up at the man hovering over her. Kai was definately tall.
"You don't remember?" Amethyst never enjoyed lying. However since most people tended to disbelive in the concept of fairy godmothers she'd learned to hedge.
"If I remembered, I wouldn't of asked"
"true" She gave him her sweetest, most reassuring smile "I came here earlier today. In answer to your ad"
"What ad? I didn't place any damn ad"
His low growl reminded her of a timber wolf. For a man who'd been unconcious only hours ago, he was definately radiating an excess of dangerous energy.
"Of course you did" When forced to lie, Amethyst did so blithely. "Let me get you a copy of the paper"
She went into the next room and blinked. An oversize leather handbag appeared on the dining room table.
"I know it's in here somewhere" She assured him as she began digging through the handbag.
"It not there because it doesn't exist"
"Of course it does"
Frustrated and wishing she'd chosen a smaller bag, she dumped the contents on the table and began digging through lipsticks, a compact, credit card receipts and...tampax? oh dear. That's what she got for wishing for the contents of a normal mortal woman's purse. Feeling the flush rising in her cheeks, she glanced over at the man who followed her into the dining room. But unlike her, he didn't seem perturbed by the female product.
"You were saying?" He asked arching a knowing brow at her.
"It's here" She insisted as she continued to sort through the , she decided as she put aside a roll of masking tape and two packs of chewing gum, if this is what the average woman had to lug around, she was definately grateful she wasn't mortal.
"Aha!" She held up the paper "eureka"
He took the piece of newsprint which appeared to have been torn from the Rim Rock Record's classified advertisment section.
"It's circled" She said helpfully "In red ink" Personally, she thought that was a nice touch, especially for such a quick effort.
Kai still had a bit of a buzz going on, but it didn't hamper his ability to focus on the ad in question "Wanted" He read out loud, "Housekeeper-Cook. Five days a week. Room and board furnished, salary negotiable" And then, right there in black and white was his name. And directions to the ranch outside Whisky River.
He looked down at her "Theres been a mix-up. I didn't place this"
"It's your name" Shesaid. As she leaned over to point it out to him he caught the scent of wildflowers and fresh spring rains. "And your address"
She had him there "I didn't place it" He insisted.
Once again Amethyst realised this wasn't going to be easy. She's foolishly hoped that he'd be so pleased with his clean house and home-cooked meal, he'd beg her to stay on. So much for that plan. Having always prided herself on her ability to improvise, Amethyst tried another tact.
"Oh dear" Amethyst felt a bit guilty as her eyes filled with moisture, but she felt the situation called for dramatic measures "If you're telling the truth..."
"I don't have any reason to lie damnnit"
"Well then" She twisted her hands together in front of her "If you honestly didn't place the ad..." Her voice drifted off. In what she thought was a very nice touch, a tear trailed down her cheek. "I don't know what I'm going to do"
Reminding himself that he wasn't responsible for her dilemma, Kai stelled himself against her tears
"I'd suggest you go back to town. Or whereever it is you came from. And try the next ad on your list"
"But you were my only hope" Since this was absolutely true, it wasn't necessary for Amethyst to fake the distress in her voice. "And I don't have any way to get back into town"
"How did you get all the way out her in the first place?"
"A nice man in a pick up gave me a lift" She figured that was safely vague enough.
He thought about giving her a lectureabout the dangers of hitch hiking, then decided she wasn't any of his damned business. "All right. I'll drive you back into Whiskey River"
"You don't understand" She persisted "I don't have anywhere else to since ou're obviously in desperate need of a housekeeper-"
"Look" His voice was sharp as a bull whip, stung. "Get this straight. I don't need anyone"
"That's not true"
"Are you calling me a liar?" That was definately the dumbest approach to winning a job he'd ever witnessed. But then again Kai reminded himself, he wasn't interviewing her for any damn job.
"I'm saying that someone with your name, who lives at this address placed a ad for a housekeeper" She lifted her chin and met his challenging gaze straight on.
"And high time" She continuted scathingly "Since I've never, in all my life, seen such a mess as yoru house was. And then, after I spent all day cleaningand scurbbing, not to mention fixing you a lovely dinner, you have the nerve to tell me it's all a mistake?"
He appeared unmoved by her irritation as much as he'd been by her tears "Where did you get the food?"
"What?"
"I Asked where, exactly, di you get the food to cook this lovely dinner?"
Amethyst wasn't at all pleased with the way he heaped extra scorn onto the word lovely. Instead of pressuring her in this way, He should be grateful she'd gone tot he trouble. She was, after all, next to Hollyhock, the very bext cook at Godmother central.
"Oh. Why, At the market of course"
"In Whisky River"
"Yes"
"Want to tell me how you got there? OR did some other friendly man give you a ride and back?"
For someone whose mind should have been dulled by drink, he was certainly being picky, Amethyst thought. Still extemporizing, she said "I brought some basics with me. You did say in the advertisement you wanted someone who could cook."
He stared at her for a long time "I Still don't remember placing any damn ad"
She could hear the beginning hint of doubt in his voice and realised her was about to give in. At least on this.
"I don't want to insult you" She said carefully "But it's obvious from all theempty bottles I picked up, that you've been doing a bit of drinking lately"
"Gee, and here I thought no one would notice" He drawled back.
He was not a pleasant man. Even after she him cleaned up, Amethyst feared it would not be easy to find him a wide. If she didn't posess such a trusting nature she might of suspected she'd been given this assignment in the hope she's wash out of the romance programme.
Determined that that not happen, she decided to try reason. "Obviously theres been some sort of mix up"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you"
"YEs. Well... Why don't we discuss it over dinner?"
As he opened his mouth to tel her that the only one with the problem around here was her, she went back over to the pot and lifted the lid, allowing a mouthwatering steam to escape. Then she took a loaf of fresh baked, golden topped bread out of the ove.
Hell. He could resist her apparent distress about not getting a job that didn't exist. He could turn his back on her sweet scent. He wondered for only a second if those wild, springly, purple curls were as soft as they looked and was able to tamp down the hunger stirred by the sight of her bending over the oven door in her short, plaid shirt.
Unfortunately, the first real food he's seen -or smelled- in weeks was irresistible.
"I'm not going to change my mind" He warned, suspecting a snare the way a wolf senses a trap buried in the forest.
"That's certainly your choice" She began spooning the stew into deep bowls he hadn't seen for days. Not since he ran out of cornflakes.
"BUt I will pay for the work you've already done"
That was only fair he decided, wondering how she could have made such in roads into the mess his house had beenin such a short amount of time.
She threw him a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "That's very kind of you. Why don't we discuss it after dinner?"
"Fine" He knew was she was doing and wasn't going to let it happen. He opened the refrigerator, found it stocked with food that hadn't been there earlier and pulled out a beer. "we'll settle it while I drive you back to Whiskey River"
"Whatever you like" She agreed without missing a beat.
It wasn't really a lie, Amethyst assured herself. Well perhaps, it was a little white one. But since it was for his own good, she conviently decided it didn't count