royal huff. It seemed to doubt that she had permission to be in there and followed when she crossed to the small walnut desk. When she picked up the telephone, the cat hopped onto the desk top and laid down, wrapping its long tail across its feet like a red-gold cloak.
Its slow-blinking eyes watched Layne as she put the call to her parents through the operator. Her mother answered the phone, and Layne waited until the reversed charges were accepted and the operator put her through.
“Hi, Mom,” she said and settled into an old-fashioned wooden and leather-cushioned office chair behind the desk.
“Hello, Layne. I wondered when we were going to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been meaning to write, but with onething and another, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time.”
“How’s it going? Were you able to find out anything new?” The questions sounded forced.
“Better than that.” Layne wrapped her fingers around the coiling telephone cord, glancing briefly at the orange cat when it hopped off the desk. “I’ve found her.”
“You have?” There was a certain vagueness in the reply. “Have you seen her? Talked to her?”
“Yes. I don’t know how to describe her. She’s so natural and down to earth that I …” Layne paused, sensing the hurt silence on the other end of the line. She immediately regretted letting so much of her enthusiasm and excitement creep through. “Mom … I love you and Dad. Please don’t let any of this upset you.”
“We won’t, darling,” came the quick assurance, but there was an underlying thread of nervousness and anxiety in her mother’s voice. “What did she say when she found out about you? Was she happy to see you or—”
“I haven’t told her,” Layne admitted. “I thought it would be better to wait until later … after I’ve had a chance to see how things work out. By the way, if you need to reach me, I’m staying at the Ox-Yoke Ranch. You’d better write down the number.” She read it off to her mother.
“Is this her home?” her mother asked.
“Yes. I’m working here as a hired hand. Can you imagine that?” Layne joked.
Conversation was awkward. Layne almost wished she had written instead of calling, but she knew her parents needed to hear that she still cared about them as much as before. She kept the conversation brief by promising to write a long letter, telling her mother all about everything. After she put the telephone receiver in its cradle, she stared at it for a long moment without moving.
“What didn’t you tell her?” The sound of Creed’s voice startled her.
Her gaze jerked to the doorway in dismay. His long shape was propped against the frame, his stance giving every indication that he’d been there for some time. The big tomcat was rubbing against his legs, a smugly smiling expression on its face when it opened its green eyes to look at Layne.
Her heart was hammering in her throat as she tried to think of some way to get out of this. She decided to bluff her innocence and uncrossed her legs to stand up.
“I’m sorry, did you want to use the phone? I had to call my parents so they wouldn’t start worrying about me,” she stated, sounding very nonchalant as she moved unhurriedly across the room to him, although her destination was actually the doorway he was blocking. “And I reversed the charges, so the call shouldn’t appear on your billing.”
With a negligent push of his shoulder, Creed straightened to his full height. “You still haven’t said what it is that you haven’t told Mattie.” His hat was pushed to the back of his head and his dark eyes were narrowed with suspicion.
“Did I say Mattie?” Layne stalled for time as she tried to recall. She was almost sure she hadn’t mentioned Mattie’s name in the conversation. “You must have misunderstood something. It’s easy to do when you only hear one side of a conversation. It’s hard to be sure what someone’s talking
Its slow-blinking eyes watched Layne as she put the call to her parents through the operator. Her mother answered the phone, and Layne waited until the reversed charges were accepted and the operator put her through.
“Hi, Mom,” she said and settled into an old-fashioned wooden and leather-cushioned office chair behind the desk.
“Hello, Layne. I wondered when we were going to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been meaning to write, but with onething and another, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time.”
“How’s it going? Were you able to find out anything new?” The questions sounded forced.
“Better than that.” Layne wrapped her fingers around the coiling telephone cord, glancing briefly at the orange cat when it hopped off the desk. “I’ve found her.”
“You have?” There was a certain vagueness in the reply. “Have you seen her? Talked to her?”
“Yes. I don’t know how to describe her. She’s so natural and down to earth that I …” Layne paused, sensing the hurt silence on the other end of the line. She immediately regretted letting so much of her enthusiasm and excitement creep through. “Mom … I love you and Dad. Please don’t let any of this upset you.”
“We won’t, darling,” came the quick assurance, but there was an underlying thread of nervousness and anxiety in her mother’s voice. “What did she say when she found out about you? Was she happy to see you or—”
“I haven’t told her,” Layne admitted. “I thought it would be better to wait until later … after I’ve had a chance to see how things work out. By the way, if you need to reach me, I’m staying at the Ox-Yoke Ranch. You’d better write down the number.” She read it off to her mother.
“Is this her home?” her mother asked.
“Yes. I’m working here as a hired hand. Can you imagine that?” Layne joked.
Conversation was awkward. Layne almost wished she had written instead of calling, but she knew her parents needed to hear that she still cared about them as much as before. She kept the conversation brief by promising to write a long letter, telling her mother all about everything. After she put the telephone receiver in its cradle, she stared at it for a long moment without moving.
“What didn’t you tell her?” The sound of Creed’s voice startled her.
Her gaze jerked to the doorway in dismay. His long shape was propped against the frame, his stance giving every indication that he’d been there for some time. The big tomcat was rubbing against his legs, a smugly smiling expression on its face when it opened its green eyes to look at Layne.
Her heart was hammering in her throat as she tried to think of some way to get out of this. She decided to bluff her innocence and uncrossed her legs to stand up.
“I’m sorry, did you want to use the phone? I had to call my parents so they wouldn’t start worrying about me,” she stated, sounding very nonchalant as she moved unhurriedly across the room to him, although her destination was actually the doorway he was blocking. “And I reversed the charges, so the call shouldn’t appear on your billing.”
With a negligent push of his shoulder, Creed straightened to his full height. “You still haven’t said what it is that you haven’t told Mattie.” His hat was pushed to the back of his head and his dark eyes were narrowed with suspicion.
“Did I say Mattie?” Layne stalled for time as she tried to recall. She was almost sure she hadn’t mentioned Mattie’s name in the conversation. “You must have misunderstood something. It’s easy to do when you only hear one side of a conversation. It’s hard to be sure what someone’s talking
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