if giving her the opportunity. “It’ll be a pleasure to clean this place.”
“We’ll see about that.” Letting her off the hook, he gestured through a wide archway into what looked like a kitchen.
She wandered that way and stopped cold. The kitchen was beautiful, with counters made of rock-brown granite that had silver and gold winding through it, stainless steel appliances, and soft buttercream walls. But every drawer and cupboard was open, with the contents scattered throughout the entire room, over the bar, and on the table in the breakfast nook. “What happened?”
His sigh was exaggerated but kind of cute, like a mountain lion’s if it sighed. “In the middle of spring cleaning, my housekeeper had to go see her sister in Arizona. Some sort of family emergency, I guess.” He rubbed a hand through his mussed-up hair. “She left a text that my room and the laundry room are even worse.”
Hallie turned to study him. His expression was blank and carefully innocent, which put her instincts on alert. But why else would his housekeeper make a mess and leave if not for an emergency? As strong as the attraction was between them, it was nuts to think he’d sent off his housekeeper just so Hallie could have a job to do and a place to stay. It made no sense that the fleeing and happily honking woman from the road was involved. Hallie’s ego would never be that big. “I hope your housekeeper is all right and the emergency isn’t too bad.”
He lifted a powerful shoulder. “She’ll check in. I’m sure it’s all okay.” Then he looked around. “I don’t suppose you know how to cook?”
She loved cooking, and this kitchen was sublime. “Yeah, I can cook.”
His eyebrows rose and his eyes softened. “I’ll double your pay if you cook for the week. Like really cook.”
She didn’t know the difference between cook and really cook, but she’d take double the pay. “Does your housekeeper cook?”
He grimaced. “Kind of?”
Ah. Okay. “Well, we haven’t eaten yet, and I’m sure you have to go do ranch stuff. Why don’t I clear a couple of spaces here and make breakfast? I mean, if there’s food in the fridge.” Her stomach rumbled right on time. She turned, stretched over a bunch of plastic bowls on the floor, and opened the fridge. Yep. Eggs, bacon, cheese, and some decent salsa. Humming, she pulled out the lower freezer and found hash browns. “I can do a country breakfast.” Seemed fitting.
He leaned against the thick wood trim of the entryway, his thumbs tucked into his worn jeans. With his green tee stretched tight across his chest beneath a brown jacket, he looked every inch the hungry cowboy. “It’s a deal. I’ll take your suitcase to your room.”
She jumped over a bunch of mismatched pots and pans, already removing her jacket. “I can take my own suitcase.”
“Right.” He turned and strode to the front door, fetching both her case and her purse. “Follow me.”
The cowboy was a gentleman. Guilt flushed through her as she followed him, her steps more hesitant. He was a nice guy just trying to help her, and she might’ve brought danger to his door. The people after her wouldn’t care who else got hurt, and they had found her twice already.
The guest room was peaceful, with a homemade white quilt on the queen-size bed. The furniture was a soft white with a matching thick rug over the wood floor. A wide sliding glass door led out to a quiet alcove with two chairs surrounded by what looked like hydrangea bushes.
He set her suitcase on the floor and her purse on the bed. Her other phone rolled out.
His head tilted and he studied the phone. “Is that a burner phone, darlin’?”
Panic tightened her throat. “Just a prepaid one. Since I’m moving, I thought I’d get a new phone and plan once I figure out where I want to live.”
He turned, his gaze piercing. “I thought you were going to visit friends for a girls’ weekend.”
She gulped, her mind spinning. “Yeah, I am. Girls’ weekend and we were going to find a fun place for me to live. I need a change. I think I told you that?”
“You’ve told me a lot of things.” His voice was deep with an edge anybody with a brain would heed. “Hallie, you’re safe here. You have time to realize that fact, but time is never endless.”
She blinked. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m a reasonable man, but you’re coming