“That man is engaged to be married.”
Presley Ann shrugged nonchalantly. “So will I be, soon.”
In a calm voice, Lydia said, “I think we’re done.”
Presley Ann rolled her eyes in relief and said, “Thank God! I’m so glad you understand! My feet are killing me and my nails are positively ruined. I could hardly get my ass out of bed this morning. I thought I might cry if I had to do any more housework around here. Of course I’ll help you keep the pretense up if you’ll help me. They never have to know.”
Lydia shook her head. “No. You don’t understand, Miss Woodworth. We’re done. We’re through. Finito! I can’t believe you would treat them as interchangeable. Chance and Clayton are separate, unique, wonderful individuals!”
Presley Ann flapped her hands to shush Lydia and said, “Relax, honey! I only need one.”
“Well that’s a shame because they are both already mine!”
Now it was Presley Ann’s eyebrows that shot up as she gasped and said, “Oh, Lord have mercy. Are you one of those women?”
“As a matter of fact I am. If by that you mean one of those women who’s about to whip your gold-digging ass before I kick you off this ranch! I’ll deliver your paycheck to the employment agency this afternoon. You can pick it up there. Now get your ass off this ranch before I have you escorted off of it.”
Lydia flung a finger toward the bedroom door and waited. Presley Ann stood there gawking for a moment while everything sank in and then slowly crossed her arms over her surgically altered chest and adopted an uppity stance.
“I wonder what Chance and Clayton will think when they find out how you’ve treated me and that you fired me even though I did my best. I wonder what they’ll think when they find out that you plan to—”
A male chuckle was heard from the hallway, and both women turned to find both Carlisle brothers standing there. Clayton murmured something to Chance and walked back down the hall. Chance said, “Miss Woodworth, it’s been pretty obvious from the get-go what your plan was. We have eyes and ears. Lydia has been more than patient and fair to you. Clayton is writing out your paycheck downstairs and he’ll personally inform your aunt that your services are no longer required here.” Chance held up a paper bag and added, “Baby, I got the part to fix your shower.”
“If you think my aunt will be sending anyone else out to work on this godforsaken ranch you’ve got another think coming, mister,” Presley Ann said as she stepped toward the door.
“Trust me, Miss Woodworth. We won’t be contacting your aunt for more workers in the future. We’re better off on our own. Could I give you one piece of advice?” Apparently surprised, Presley Ann stopped before him and actually waited to hear what he had to say. He held up a single finger. “One, men don’t like hearing that they are interchangeable. Two, you should take that job your daddy is offering you. He’ll probably put up with more of your shenanigans than any other employer would. Good-bye, Miss Woodworth.”
“Hmph!” Presley Ann Woodworth turned her nose up and strutted away proudly in her five-inch stiletto heels. She wobbled awkwardly on the first stair step but continued down the stairs.
Lydia stood there watching Chance. Based on his comments, she knew they’d both heard almost the entire exchange, including Lydia’s declaration. He opened his arms, and her cheeks were suffused with heat as she ran to him.
The front door banged shut, and Presley Ann Woodworth’s BMW ripped a black stripe on the circular, concrete driveway outside.
“Sorry about your helper, baby,” Chance murmured as she stood still in the circle of his arms. She closed her eyes in relief and breathed in his clean, crisp scent, like laundry that had been dried in the sun. Chance squeezed her tight and said, “I missed not being able to hug and kiss on you anytime I wanted to, the last couple of days.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Me, too, handsome. I couldn’t listen to her for one more minute, especially when she came right out and told me her plan. To be so cold and calculating about snaring one of you, and the fact that it didn’t matter which one she got, made me see red. I’m sorry you heard us. I imagine I sounded awful, yelling like that.”
“Why would we think that?”
“Because I basically claimed you both,” she replied as Clayton came back down the hallway. Chance released her, and she turned to his brother.
With a chuckle, Clayton encompassed her in his arms and said, “Yes, we heard. That’s awful news. We’re terribly vexed. Let me show you how much.” Clayton chuckled as he dipped her back over his arm, making her squeal, and laid a kiss on her that she was sure would curl her hair to the roots.