Read Online A Cowboy in Disguise by Victoria Ashe - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Ashe
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impression than boxes of takeout.
One of Duncan’s companions, a short man named Roger with dark hair and a ruddy complexion, broke the ice. “I suppose this is consorting with the enemy.” He lifted his glass in a toast. “Here’s to a clean fight.”
Scott refilled his glass and joined in the toast. “So tell me, Roger. How long have you been with Zellez ?”
“Oh, going on five years now. The company has been really good to us. Mike here has been there seven years, and Duncan started about three years ago. Is that right, Duncan? Three years, isn’t it?”
Duncan bobbed his head in affirmation, brought his glass back to his lips and drained the contents. “Three years ago. I can hardly remember what I was doing before that.” He ran the back of his hand crudely across his mouth and plunked the empty glass down on the table.
Not missing the jibe, Alexandra sawed into her steak with renewed determination. “Oh, I’m sure it was something rewarding. You’ve built quite the career, or so it seems.” She smiled the type of perfectly polite, icy smile that made Scott glad he was no longer on the receiving end.
The man Roger had referred to as Mike picked up the conversation. “It must have been pretty alarming to be caught in an avalanche like that. What exactly happened anyway?”
Scott swallowed a bite and said, “Apparently they were supposed to set off a controlled avalanche before we got there, just as a safety precaution. Guess they got the dates wrong, if you can believe that.”
“Sounds like a pretty big mix-up to me. Could you even get out of the cabin?” Mike asked.
Alexandra nodded. “We dug out the next morning.”
Duncan’s eyes were red-rimmed as he refilled his glass. “What did you do that night, I wonder?” He snickered into his drink.
Roger cleared his throat and his face turned even redder than usual. “I’m sure he means what did you do for food and heat? Was there a fireplace?” He shot his colleague a bewildered look.
Alexandra felt Scott grow tense beside her and calmly placed her foot on top of his for just a moment to signal she was all right.
“Yes, Roger, there was a wonderful fireplace and we were fortunate enough to find food stocked in the cupboards.” Still the picture of politeness, she turned back to Duncan. “Duncan, I hope this isn’t too personal, but I’ve been meaning to ask you all night about that little scar on your forehead. Is there a fascinating story behind it?”
So Duncan wanted to play games, did he? He was about to meet his match.
Duncan sat silent, looking sullen for a moment before setting down his glass again. “I hit my head on the edge of a coffee table a few years back.”
“Oh my,” Alexandra declared in wide-eyed innocence. “Why on earth were you under a coffee table?”
Duncan leaned forward. “I wasn’t. I turned to see something flying at my head and ducked to avoid it.”
Alexandra’s insides leapt with victory as the image of Japanese takeout cartons flying through the air at him came to mind. She bet she’d hit him after all. Good.
“Must have been painful.”
“No, it was a good evening for me,” he said. “I look at this scar and it reminds me of a time when I got rid of a lot of excess baggage and achieved exactly what I’d planned.”
Alexandra’s hand clenched her fork until her knuckles turned white. The man was admitting he’d conned her and she couldn’t do a thing about it. The others at the table looked back and forth between her and Duncan, not understanding what was happening.
•
An uneasy feeling crept over Scott. This conversation was too personal, too vindictive to just be about stolen company secrets. After what they’d shared in the cabin and the conversation they’d had, she would have told him otherwise, wouldn’t she?
Duncan pressed on, “I’ve been noticing something all night, too. When we last met, I could have sworn you had a lovely diamond ring on your finger. No
One of Duncan’s companions, a short man named Roger with dark hair and a ruddy complexion, broke the ice. “I suppose this is consorting with the enemy.” He lifted his glass in a toast. “Here’s to a clean fight.”
Scott refilled his glass and joined in the toast. “So tell me, Roger. How long have you been with Zellez ?”
“Oh, going on five years now. The company has been really good to us. Mike here has been there seven years, and Duncan started about three years ago. Is that right, Duncan? Three years, isn’t it?”
Duncan bobbed his head in affirmation, brought his glass back to his lips and drained the contents. “Three years ago. I can hardly remember what I was doing before that.” He ran the back of his hand crudely across his mouth and plunked the empty glass down on the table.
Not missing the jibe, Alexandra sawed into her steak with renewed determination. “Oh, I’m sure it was something rewarding. You’ve built quite the career, or so it seems.” She smiled the type of perfectly polite, icy smile that made Scott glad he was no longer on the receiving end.
The man Roger had referred to as Mike picked up the conversation. “It must have been pretty alarming to be caught in an avalanche like that. What exactly happened anyway?”
Scott swallowed a bite and said, “Apparently they were supposed to set off a controlled avalanche before we got there, just as a safety precaution. Guess they got the dates wrong, if you can believe that.”
“Sounds like a pretty big mix-up to me. Could you even get out of the cabin?” Mike asked.
Alexandra nodded. “We dug out the next morning.”
Duncan’s eyes were red-rimmed as he refilled his glass. “What did you do that night, I wonder?” He snickered into his drink.
Roger cleared his throat and his face turned even redder than usual. “I’m sure he means what did you do for food and heat? Was there a fireplace?” He shot his colleague a bewildered look.
Alexandra felt Scott grow tense beside her and calmly placed her foot on top of his for just a moment to signal she was all right.
“Yes, Roger, there was a wonderful fireplace and we were fortunate enough to find food stocked in the cupboards.” Still the picture of politeness, she turned back to Duncan. “Duncan, I hope this isn’t too personal, but I’ve been meaning to ask you all night about that little scar on your forehead. Is there a fascinating story behind it?”
So Duncan wanted to play games, did he? He was about to meet his match.
Duncan sat silent, looking sullen for a moment before setting down his glass again. “I hit my head on the edge of a coffee table a few years back.”
“Oh my,” Alexandra declared in wide-eyed innocence. “Why on earth were you under a coffee table?”
Duncan leaned forward. “I wasn’t. I turned to see something flying at my head and ducked to avoid it.”
Alexandra’s insides leapt with victory as the image of Japanese takeout cartons flying through the air at him came to mind. She bet she’d hit him after all. Good.
“Must have been painful.”
“No, it was a good evening for me,” he said. “I look at this scar and it reminds me of a time when I got rid of a lot of excess baggage and achieved exactly what I’d planned.”
Alexandra’s hand clenched her fork until her knuckles turned white. The man was admitting he’d conned her and she couldn’t do a thing about it. The others at the table looked back and forth between her and Duncan, not understanding what was happening.
•
An uneasy feeling crept over Scott. This conversation was too personal, too vindictive to just be about stolen company secrets. After what they’d shared in the cabin and the conversation they’d had, she would have told him otherwise, wouldn’t she?
Duncan pressed on, “I’ve been noticing something all night, too. When we last met, I could have sworn you had a lovely diamond ring on your finger. No
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