And then one corner of his mouth lifted. Was that supposed to be a smile? “I’m good.” And then she held her hand out towards him for the second time today. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parker. I’m Stella Fairchild.”
“Sorry ’bout the oil.” He took her hand again. “And the pleasure’s all mine. None of that Mister business around here. Call me Peyton.”
“Peyton.” Stella smiled. He might not be so very bad after all. She’d allow that circumstances couldn’t be worse. They needed to stay strong and work together, for there was a very sick woman and an innocent child depending on them.
Before either could say another word, a vehicle drove up behind them and stopped.
“Speak of the devil.” Peyton spoke the words slowly as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
“Corinne?” At the thought of seeing her friend, a gamut of emotions scuttled through Stella. Fear, joy, sorrow… She fumbled with the door handle and then, forgetting for the moment how high up this truck was, stepped right out into… nothing.
The rocky, dusty road rose up to meet her rudely. As pain from the jolt quickly receded, all she could think to do was laugh. Peyton had rushed around already, this time to kneel on the ground beside her.
“That step’s a doozie.” He chuckled. “We’ve got to get you out of that ridiculous skirt.”
Stella’s eyes opened wide but Peyton just shook his head.
“Stella! Oh, my God! What are you doing?” Corinne had climbed out of her vehicle and run over to join them. It took all of Stella’s self-control not to burst into tears at the wasted figure in front of her.
Corinne had always been sturdy looking, slim and fit, but the woman standing over her barely weighed one hundred pounds, if that. Dark circles stood out beneath her normally sparkling blue eyes. Corinne looked as though she’d aged ten years.
Stella allowed Peyton to pull her to her feet before pushing him out of the way to throw her arms around her friend.
“Oh Corrinne!” And then they both burst into tears. After a minute or two of that, Corinne pulled away and wiped her thumb under Stella’s eyes. “Enough of this nonsense. Look now! You’ve gone and ruined your make up! What’s Misty gonna think if her Aunty Stella isn’t rocking the fashion world?”
“God, I’m sorry. I know. It’s just, you scared me.” Stella tried to sound normal.
“You forgot your phone again, Cor.” Peyton handed it over casually. He might have been uncomfortable with all of this but he wasn’t showing it. “I wish you wouldn’t do that. I worry.” He held up one hand. “Even if you weren’t sick, I’d worry so don’t give me any crap for getting on your case.”
“Bite me.” Corinne grinned cheekily at her brother.
Stella was an only child. This kind of banter surprised her. And then she glanced around. “Where’s Misty?”
“She’s at the neighbor’s. Lucky girl. Her best friend doesn’t live on the other side of the state. She punched Stella on the upper arm, weakly.
Stella pretended to flinch. “Hey, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
And then another hug. “You are. And I couldn’t be happier.” Corinne took her by the arm and started walking back towards her truck. “Meet you at the house, Peyton!” She hollered over her shoulder. “She’s all mine now!”
CHAPTER THREE
Peyton felt likea piece of shit.
He’d never treated a woman like that before, just been outright rude. Stella Fairchild had driven all the way from Denver, was giving up time to help a friend, and he’d gone off and yelled at her for wearing that Goddamn skirt. Remembering what she’d looked like trying to climb into the truck stopped him short. That tiny piece of denim fabric had ridden to where it just barely covered her. Not only had she been giving him a free-for-all peep show at those legs, but anybody else who might come by. Likely as not, Jake had been watching from inside the garage.
Corinne had raved about Stella for years and he’d ignored her for the most part. Now, though, he wondered how he would have felt if they’d met under different circumstances. She was probably one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met.– so purely feminine.
But she was a different species almost. Almost like she’d stepped out of some fashion magazine with the sole purpose of disrupting his world.
City girls knew squat about ranch life. If she hoped to help out he’d have to teach her an awful lot. And she’d have to get over her fear of Red.
He had to admit, though, she exhibited more than a little grit. Not grit like Corinne, but something less tangible. She hadn’t turned and run home when he snapped. She hadn’t started bickering with him either. In fact, she’d turned up pretty reasonable about the whole thing.
Glancing in his mirror, he couldn’t help but notice that the two women were chatting up a storm while Corinne drove. Stella hadn’t expected Corinne’s condition. In fact, when she first laid eyes on his sister, she’d visibly blanched.
Peyton slammed a fist on the steering wheel. He’d misread all the signs. At first, he thought she was dieting, but then she’d started going to bed earlier, taking naps. Why the hell hadn’t he made her see a doctor sooner?
Too much to do. Fixing equipment, hauling feed, putting in the new culvert… the list never ended.
