CHAPTER ELEVEN

C AIN WAS WAITING WHEN J ENNY ARRIVED AT THE G RANDVIEW THE following morning. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt, her sun-touched curls freshly washed and gleaming around her shoulders.

How a woman in jeans and flannel could make him think of the night she had spent in his room—in his bed—and make him hard, he had no idea. Cain forced his mind in a safer direction, for the first time noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the pallor of her usually robust complexion.

He thought of Ryder and frowned. "You all right?"

"Bad night," she said.

"Tell me it had nothing to do with Ryder Vance."

She gave him a faint smile. "Would you believe me if I told you it was ghosts?"

"Let's get some coffee, and you can tell me what happened." He took her arm and started guiding her toward the dining room instead of the kitchen.

"Shouldn't I be getting to work? That's what you're paying me for."

"Let's talk first." As they walked along, he noticed her discreetly glancing around the lobby. Pure male instinct told him she was searching for Anna. Cain swore a silent oath.

"In case you're wondering, Anna Hobbs isn't here. I have no interest in Anna."

She paused to look up at him, one of her brown eyebrows arching. "Are you sure? The two of you looked awfully friendly yesterday."

"Anna's old news. I ran into her in Prescott a few months back. Dated her in Scottsdale a couple of times. That was it."

"By dated, you mean slept with."

He shrugged. "I'm a man, Jenny. Whatever else she is, Anna is an attractive woman."

Jenny glanced away. "Yes, she is."

Cain reached out and caught her chin, turning her to face him. "Don't underestimate yourself. I find you far more attractive than Anna Hobbs."

Her pretty green eyes widened. "You do?"

Cain bent his head and very lightly brushed his mouth over hers, settled in for a quick taste of her. When Jenny's lips softened and trembled under his, Cain lingered. Jenny relaxed against him, and Cain felt a rush of desire he hadn't been prepared for.

He forced himself to move away. Arousal throbbed in his groin, and he could still taste her on his lips. "That's just so you know I'm telling you the truth."

The color had returned to Jenny's pale cheeks, so the kiss had accomplished something. Now he also knew the attraction he felt for her wasn't one-sided.

He took a steadying breath. "Now . . . let's get down to business."

Jenny's composure returned, both of them focused again.

Unfortunately.

"Where would you like me to start?" she asked.

"First, let's have that coffee." He led her into the dining room instead of the kitchen. A few of the new wooden tables were set up, along with half a dozen high-backed chairs, more on the way. Opal brought them a tray with two china mugs of freshly brewed coffee, cream and sugar, a basket of warm biscuits and house-made jam.

"That looks delicious," Jenny said. "Thank you, Opal."

The cook smiled and returned to the kitchen.

Cain took a drink of his coffee. "So tell me about last night."

Between sips of coffee and consuming a fluffy, golden-brown biscuit, Jenny told him about seeing an orb in her bedroom, then hearing music and laugher coming from downstairs. "I have no idea if any of it was real, but that's what happened."

Nell would have believed her. Cain was a lot more skeptical.

"Maybe you were dreaming," he said.

"It's possible. I thought of that on my way down to the saloon, but after seeing the orb, I was wide awake. When I went down to check it out, the bar was empty. No piano, no people. Nothing. I went back up to my room, but I didn't hear the music or see the light again."

"Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to have been a threat. Real or not, maybe eventually you'll be able to figure it out."

Jenny smiled. "Thanks for not laughing." She looked him straight in the eye. "As for the kiss . . . it probably wasn't a good idea."

His arousal returned just thinking about it. "Maybe so, but that's what makes life interesting."

"You're my employer. Aren't you afraid of being sued for some kind of harassment?"

He almost smiled. There wasn't a whole lot Cain was afraid of, not after the life he had led.

"You're too independent to play the victim card." He smiled. "Besides, the kiss was worth the risk."

And if things went his way, the kiss would only be the beginning.

The color heightened a little more in Jenny's cheeks. She finished her coffee, said good-bye, and headed into the kitchen, as good a place as any to start. Cain could think of a lot of other things he would rather have her doing, but this was business. For both of them.

* * *

Jenny headed into the kitchen to talk to Opal and discuss making the kitchen run as smoothly as possible. She refused to think of Cain. She didn't have time for a man in her life. Even if she did, after Richard, she was too wary of men to get involved in a relationship.

Not that Cain would be interested. According to the tabloids, the man had dated a legion of women, though his brief affairs hadn't lasted long. Jenny didn't want to be included among them.

She found Opal at the big stainless sink in the huge, modern kitchen.

"Are you ready to get started?" Jenny asked.

"I am," Opal said, wiping her plump hands on a clean, white dishtowel. She was a tidy woman, her short, salt-and-pepper hair neatly trimmed and held back with clips on each side of her round, pink-cheeked face. Jenny liked her.

"How do you want to do this?" Opal asked.

"Let's just take a walk around. You can give me a rundown of how things are progressing."

"All right."

The tour started with the large pieces of equipment. Jenny liked the handy way the spices were laid out for ready access, the cookware and utensils, pots and pans in easy reach above the counter. But when she saw the flatware and dishes to be used in the dining room, she frowned.

"Those pottery plates are gorgeous," she said, picking one up and judging the weight. "But good Lord, they're heavy. The servers won't be able to carry them, or at least they'll have to carry them one or two at a time. That means multiple trips to the same table, and that costs time and money, plus it slows down the service."

Opal was nodding. "That's what I told Ms. Beauchamp, but she said the bold design statement was worth it."

"Ms. Beauchamp? You mean Millicent?"

"The decorator, yes."

A noise sounded in the doorway. Cain stood in the opening, his gaze fixed on Opal. "Millie's here to decorate the place, not tell you how to run your kitchen."

Opal said nothing. Cain's presence was definitely intimidating.

"The heavy plates are going to be difficult for the staff to handle," Jenny explained.

"So I gathered," Cain said. He walked over, picked up one of the gorgeous black pottery dishes, and frowned. "Jenny's right. Beautiful but not practical. Get rid of them, and get something more functional."

"Ms. Millicent is gonna be real unhappy if we change the stuff she picked," Opal warned.

"Then she'll just have to be unhappy. From now on, you and Jenny have the final word in the kitchen. That goes for the service in the dining room, as well."

Opal glanced at Jenny, then back to Cain. Her smile was almost a grin. "Whatever you say, Mr. Barrett."

"It's just Cain, Opal. We're all working together here."

Opal's smile widened even more. She was younger than she first appeared, probably mid-forties. If the biscuits and jam were any indication, the lady knew how to cook.

Jenny worked through the day, sticking with the kitchen and dining area, making some inventory lists, checking equipment and ease of access.

A little before five, she left to return to the Copper Star. The after-work crowd, along with a day's worth of tired shoppers, started drifting in around five p.m. She walked into the saloon, saw that it was just beginning to fill, ducked in to check on preparations in the kitchen, then went back to spell Barb, who was overdue for a break.

Twenty minutes later, Dylan pushed through the swinging doors. He spotted Jenny in an instant and walked straight toward her, pulled her in for a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked as the warm hug ended. "You're supposed to be at work."

"I just heard what happened Saturday night. Why the hell didn't you call me?"

Jenny sighed. There were few secrets in Jerome. The attempted rape, ensuing fistfight, and arrest would be the top gossip for days, maybe weeks. "Cain showed up in time to take care of the problem. I didn't want you to worry."

" Cain. So you two are on a first-name basis now?"

Jenny stiffened. "Cain fought the guy who attacked me. He could have been seriously injured. If he hadn't shown up when he did . . ." She thought of the attack, and a lump formed in her throat.

Dylan pulled her back in for another quick hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. If something bad had happened to you, I would never forgive myself."

Jenny reached up and touched his lean cheek. "I love you, Dylan. You're the best brother anyone could ever have. But I'm a grown woman. I own my own business, and I learned how to take care of myself a long time ago." When I dumped my cheating, abusive husband.

But Jenny didn't say that. Very few people knew how awful her marriage had actually been, what a vicious, lying snake in the grass Richard was.

Not even her brother.

"It was sweet of you to take time off from work and drive all this way, Dylan, but I really am okay." Jenny glanced around. "The bar is filling up, Barb worked all day, and tonight's Troy's night off. I don't have much time. I'm bartending and closing up."

One of his dark eyebrows went up. "By yourself?"

She laughed. "I've been closing up since I took over running the place. Don't worry, I won't be driving home late. I'm not even living in Cottonwood anymore. I moved out a few days ago. I'm staying in a room upstairs."

"What about the house?"

"I rented it. Once I get the Star back on track, after the lease is up, I can move back in. Or we can sell it and split the money."

Dylan ran a hand over his jaw. "All right, I get it. Sometimes I still think of you as my kid sister, and I worry."

She smiled. "I'm still your kid sister. Now go sit down at the bar, and I'll feed you. Burger, okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"We may have an empty room upstairs. You wanna stay over?"

Jenny glanced up as Summer walked into the saloon. Her gaze found Jenny, lit on Dylan, and her cheeks flushed. Summer faltered, but kept walking.

"Hi, Jenny," she said. She looked pretty tonight, in a soft peach sweater, flowing, ankle-length skirt, and low heels, her silvery hair loose around her shoulders. She liked to dress nicely when she worked in the boutique. "Hi, Dylan."

Dylan smiled. "Hi, Summer." He was looking at her as if he had never seen her before.

Jenny wondered if maybe he really hadn't.

"You here for supper?" he asked.

"I just dropped by to hear how Jenny's new job is going," Summer said.

Dylan's head swiveled in Jenny's direction. "What new job?"

Summer kept talking. "She didn't tell you? She's working for Cain Barrett over at the Grandview. She's helping him get the place in order."

Jenny's eyebrows went up. "How did you know that?"

"You're working for Barrett?" Dylan asked, the frown back on his face.

"Only part-time," Jenny said. "I get to set my own hours, so it shouldn't be too hard."

Summer smiled. "Cain told me about the job when he came looking for you on Monday. That's why I gave him your home address."

Life in Jerome. No privacy whatsoever. Jenny just sighed, but Dylan was still frowning.

"Do either of you have any idea of Cain Barrett's reputation?" he said. "The man's screwed women from coast to coast. I've seen pictures of him with cover models and movie stars." He turned to Jenny. "You're in way over your head, sis. You need to watch yourself."

Irritation bubbled through her. Cain's love life was hardly a secret. No matter how much money he had, he was still just a man. She could handle Cain Barrett. The kiss they'd shared meant nothing, and she intended to keep it that way.

"I've seen the stories about him, Dylan. The job is interesting, and I need a fresh challenge. You should be able to understand that since your job is different and interesting every day. The job at the Grandview pays well, and I think I'm going to be good at it. Other than that, I'm not involved with the man in any way."

She gave him a hard stare. "Even if I were, it wouldn't be any of your business."

Dylan glanced away. He was wrong to interfere, and he knew it. "Fine."

Jenny smiled. "Now, how about that dinner? Summer, why don't you and Dylan sit down at one of the empty tables, and I'll get you some menus."