looked over at him, a wide smile still on her face.
“That’s right,” he said, remembering her own tests and how determined she had been to win.
“And maybe,” Daisy said to Harry, “your wife wouldn’t complain as much if she felt more support.”
Chagrined, Harry just shrugged off the comment and Jericho had to hand it to her. She’d very nicely defended a woman she’d never met.
“When you’re finished there, we’ll clean up and sack out,” Jericho said. “We’ll be getting an early start in the morning.”
“Slave driver,” Max muttered good-naturedly.
“You have no idea,” Daisy said with a laugh. Then she picked up a few things and carried them down to the water’s edge.
Jericho followed after her and when he stopped by her side, she said, “I think it’s going well, don’t you?”
“Yeah, it is. How are you doing?”
“Great!” When he just looked at her, though, she shrugged and said, “Okay, I admit, I don’t love the trail as much as you do, but I can do this.”
“You don’t have to, you know. You can work at the lodge without making these trips.”
She scrubbed at one of the plates and when it was clean to her satisfaction, she set it on a towel and picked up the next one. “I want to show you that I can do this.”
“You don’t have anything left to prove, Daisy.”
“Maybe,” she said, “but it’s important to me to carry my own weight.”
“You treat these guys any better and they’re going to be trying to hire you away.”
She laughed a little. “Max already offered to back me in opening my own restaurant. But I think he was kidding.”
Frowning, Jericho glanced back at the men sitting beside the fire. “I’m not so sure.”
Daisy stood up and laid one hand on his forearm. “No worries, Jericho. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
She picked up the clean dishes and walked toward camp, leaving Jericho staring after her. The problem here was, Daisy was exactly where he wanted to be, too.
Only two weeks had passed, and Jericho was a man possessed. He spent most days doing everything he could to avoid being around Daisy. But it seemed that no matter what, she found a way to be near him. Her scent clung to the air of the main house. Every breath he drew reminded him of her.
Her laughter rang out and his ears were attuned for the sound, even from rooms away. The meals she prepared were raved about and even their clients, the fussy lawyers and busy bureaucrats, were charmed by her.
He couldn’t even escape her at night. His dreams werefull of her. And the knowledge that her room was only three doors down the hall from his plagued his mind constantly.
Her dog wasn’t helping the situation any, either. Ever since he’d found the little thing that last night in the forest, the poodle had officially adopted him. He could hardly take a step without watching first where he set his boot, afraid he’d crush the damn thing. He’d taken plenty of ribbing about his newfound friend from the other guys, too. Hell, he’d often thought about getting a dog himself, but his plans hadn’t included a dog so small it could sit on the palm of his hand.
“Is there a reason you look like you want to bite through a brick?”
Jericho came up out of his dark thoughts with a fierce scowl on his face. He turned on his old friend and said, “This is all your fault, you know.”
“What’d I do?” Sam argued, his own features twisting up into a frown.
“You brought Daisy here. You’re the one who offered her the damn job.” Of course Jericho was the one who had hired her, but that was beside the point. “She doesn’t belong and she never will and pretending otherwise is just making a bad situation worse.”
Sam’s features cleared up and a smile tugged at his mouth. “She’s getting to you, isn’t she?”
“Hell, no, she’s not,” he lied. Damned if he’d admit to Sam what he couldn’t admit to himself. “She’s just a distraction is
“That’s right,” he said, remembering her own tests and how determined she had been to win.
“And maybe,” Daisy said to Harry, “your wife wouldn’t complain as much if she felt more support.”
Chagrined, Harry just shrugged off the comment and Jericho had to hand it to her. She’d very nicely defended a woman she’d never met.
“When you’re finished there, we’ll clean up and sack out,” Jericho said. “We’ll be getting an early start in the morning.”
“Slave driver,” Max muttered good-naturedly.
“You have no idea,” Daisy said with a laugh. Then she picked up a few things and carried them down to the water’s edge.
Jericho followed after her and when he stopped by her side, she said, “I think it’s going well, don’t you?”
“Yeah, it is. How are you doing?”
“Great!” When he just looked at her, though, she shrugged and said, “Okay, I admit, I don’t love the trail as much as you do, but I can do this.”
“You don’t have to, you know. You can work at the lodge without making these trips.”
She scrubbed at one of the plates and when it was clean to her satisfaction, she set it on a towel and picked up the next one. “I want to show you that I can do this.”
“You don’t have anything left to prove, Daisy.”
“Maybe,” she said, “but it’s important to me to carry my own weight.”
“You treat these guys any better and they’re going to be trying to hire you away.”
She laughed a little. “Max already offered to back me in opening my own restaurant. But I think he was kidding.”
Frowning, Jericho glanced back at the men sitting beside the fire. “I’m not so sure.”
Daisy stood up and laid one hand on his forearm. “No worries, Jericho. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
She picked up the clean dishes and walked toward camp, leaving Jericho staring after her. The problem here was, Daisy was exactly where he wanted to be, too.
Only two weeks had passed, and Jericho was a man possessed. He spent most days doing everything he could to avoid being around Daisy. But it seemed that no matter what, she found a way to be near him. Her scent clung to the air of the main house. Every breath he drew reminded him of her.
Her laughter rang out and his ears were attuned for the sound, even from rooms away. The meals she prepared were raved about and even their clients, the fussy lawyers and busy bureaucrats, were charmed by her.
He couldn’t even escape her at night. His dreams werefull of her. And the knowledge that her room was only three doors down the hall from his plagued his mind constantly.
Her dog wasn’t helping the situation any, either. Ever since he’d found the little thing that last night in the forest, the poodle had officially adopted him. He could hardly take a step without watching first where he set his boot, afraid he’d crush the damn thing. He’d taken plenty of ribbing about his newfound friend from the other guys, too. Hell, he’d often thought about getting a dog himself, but his plans hadn’t included a dog so small it could sit on the palm of his hand.
“Is there a reason you look like you want to bite through a brick?”
Jericho came up out of his dark thoughts with a fierce scowl on his face. He turned on his old friend and said, “This is all your fault, you know.”
“What’d I do?” Sam argued, his own features twisting up into a frown.
“You brought Daisy here. You’re the one who offered her the damn job.” Of course Jericho was the one who had hired her, but that was beside the point. “She doesn’t belong and she never will and pretending otherwise is just making a bad situation worse.”
Sam’s features cleared up and a smile tugged at his mouth. “She’s getting to you, isn’t she?”
“Hell, no, she’s not,” he lied. Damned if he’d admit to Sam what he couldn’t admit to himself. “She’s just a distraction is
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