“Obviously,” Paula said a bit snidely. “Will you be able to complete the Barker project by Friday? I recall you assured him it would be done.”
“And it will be. I’ll make sure the problem gets fixed right away.”
“See that you do. I would hate to have to pull the account from you and give it to Mason.”
She frowned. Mason Reddick had been a thorn in her side since she began working for the company, and he would just love it if he had to swoop in and finish her work. He was forever looking for ways to score brownie points with Paula.
“There won’t be any need for you to do that. The internet should be back up in no time.”
“I hope for your sake that it is.” Paula then clicked the phone in her ear.
Dani drew in a deep, annoying breath. She was getting sick and tired of Paula’s bitchy attitude. She had long since figured out that the woman enjoyed playing her and Mason against each other.
Leaving her brother-in-law’s office, she went into the kitchen and snatched the Post-it note off the refrigerator and dialed the number Richard had left her. She made an unladylike growl when she got a voicemail asking her to leave a message.
“Mr. Filmore, this is Danielle Manchester, Libby’s sister. I am house-sitting for her and Richard for a few weeks. My internet went down, and Richard told me to call you if that happened. I would appreciate it if you would contact the person who can get it back up and running for me. I have a job project deadline to meet. Thanks.”
Danielle glanced at her watch. It was a little past ten. Hopefully, the internet would be back up soon.
Wade Harrison glanced around the Mercer homestead before walking up the steps. He would always have fond memories of the times he’d come here to play with Rich andhis brother Cal, when Wade was a kid. Since Rich was the oldest, he had inherited the ranch upon his parents’ deaths. Cal had inherited the one that had once belonged to their maternal grandparents, fifty miles from here.
Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the front door and was about to knock when it was snatched open. A woman who looked madder than hell stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him. He was tempted to glare back, but decided against it, especially when he looked closer at the woman. She was definitely a beauty with curly black hair flowing down her shoulders, a pair of gorgeous brown eyes, and a too-luscious-looking mouth.
According to Mr. Filmore, Rich and Libby were out of town on a three-week cruise, and Libby’s sister, Danielle, was house-sitting. Hell, a woman who looked like her could house-sit for him anytime. He shouldn’t be surprised by her good looks. After all, she was Libby’s sister, and every man in these parts thought Rich had been the luckiest man in the world when he had convinced the beautiful former model and etiquette coach to marry him. Two years later, she was now one hot cowgirl.
Looking at Danielle now, he could definitely see the resemblance between her and her sister. They had the same striking looks, especially those stunning brown eyes. Unfortunately, at the moment, those eyes were shooting daggers at him. He wondered what her problem was. Ignoring whatever bee she had in her bonnet, he tipped his Stetson, smiled, and said, “Howdy, ma’am. I’m Wade Harrison. Mr. Filmore said you were having problems with your internet.”
“I called Mr. Filmore five hours ago. Why did it take so long for you to get here? You got a lot of nerve, just wandering up here, as if you haven’t left me in the lurch all day.”
Wadedidhave a lot of nerve. He’d been told that many times, mainly, from the guys on the rodeo circuit with him. Because he had nerve, he could perform stunts other cowboys wouldn’t dare try. Nothing fazed him. And this gorgeous woman wasn’t going to, either. He crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking her stance. “Yes, I guess you can say I do have a lot of nerve, miss.”
“Well, I hope you know I intend to file a complaint with whatever company you work for. What lousy service!”
He frowned. Did she assume he was Jerry Alloman, the man who usually handled any internet problems for Rich? “First of all, you’re right. I do have a lot of nerve, but not for the reason you think. I stopped by the Filmore’s place to see how they were doing, and he mentioned Jerry Alloman, who usually repairs Rich and the Filmore’s internet tower, is out of town. His father took ill in Houston, and he drove there this morning and probably won’t be back until next week. Since I’m a childhood friend of Rich, I thought I’d be neighborly and drop by to see if there’s something I could do.”
Wade paused for a moment. Seeing her confusion, he added, “So, in other words, I am not the internet guy. Just another neighbor who’s willing to lend a hand. But frankly, I don’t like your attitude, so figure out the problem yourself.”
Then he turned and walked back down the steps.
Dani blinked. She’d definitely been put in her place.
She had been standing by the kitchen window when she had seen Wade Harrison drive up and had assumed, quite erroneously, that he’d been the repairman she’d been waiting onfor five hours. Instead, he was a childhood friend of Richard’s and had come to help. Now he was royally pissed, and he had every reason to be.
“Please wait, Mr. Harrison!” she called out, stepping out on the porch and hoping like hell that he wouldn’t get into his truck and leave.
She let out a relieved breath when he stopped and turned back to her. Dang, her eyes had not been playing tricks on her. Wade Harrison was one fine-looking cowboy. From the top of his Stetson to the soles of his well-worn boots, and all those make-a-woman-drool parts in between, he was the stuff of fantasies. Jeez. She’d thought Richard was good-looking, but this man was something else.
“You have something to say to me, miss?” he asked.
His voice, deep and husky, made her want to do more than just talk to him. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else,” she said.
“That’s no excuse. Even if I had been Jerry, you had no reason to be outright rude. He doesn’t work for a company. He’s a full-time rancher like most people in these parts and isn’t at anyone’s beck and call. He installed Rich’s and Mr. Filmore’s tower as a favor and makes himself available to repair it whenever it goes down. Jerry is a good guy and would not have appreciated you talking to him that way.”
Dani couldn’t help but lower her head in shame. He was right. She’d been rude. Her only defense was that during those five hours she had waited, all she could think about was Paula taking the Barker project away from her and giving it to Mason.
Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “You’re right. I was rude, and I apologize. I am truly sorry. Is there any way we can start over?”
He leaned against his truck and stared at her, and for a heartfelt moment, she thought he could see right into her soul. In a way, she hoped he could. Then he would know that Thea Manchester Montgomery had raised her better than that, and that ninety-nine percent of the time, she was a decent person.
