deliberately glanced down at the books spread out before him on the desktop before looking up at her again. It was then that he spotted Millie rushing down the steps out in the hall.
“The only thing anyone’s getting robbed of to night is sleep,” he growled, nodding toward the door.
Emmie turned to see Millie hurrying toward her, wide-eyed with fear.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Millie demanded as she entered the study. She was shocked to find that Emmie was holding a gun.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Emmie quickly assured her. “I didn’t know Josh was here working, so when a noise downstairs woke me up, I came down to see what was going on.”
“Did you really need to carry a gun?” Millie asked, unnerved.
“You never know.”
“Well, thank heaven it was only Josh,” Millie said, relieved, giving him a quick smile. Then she realized Emmie’s state of undress. “Emmie! Fasten your robe!”
Emmie glanced down at herself and was mortified. She quickly turned away, setting the gun aside so she could retie the belt to her robe.
“Ladies?” Miss Harriet’s call from the top of the staircase drew their attention. “Is everything all right?”
Millie stepped out into the hallway to reassure her.
“Very well,” the chaperone said, sounding calmer once she’d heard the explanation. “Good night, then.” She turned away from the railing and went back to her room, murmuring, “I suppose this kind of thing goes on often around here.”
“Well, now that I know you’re all right, I’m going back to bed, too,” Millie declared. “Good night, Josh.”
“Good night,” he told her.
“Are you coming?” she asked Emmie as she started from the study.
“I’ll be along.”
Millie could sense the tension between Josh and Emmie, but she said nothing more as she left them alone.
Once Millie had disappeared upstairs, Emmie glanced back at Josh to find him still watching her, his expression unreadable. She felt more thana little awkward. They hadn’t gotten off to the best start. First she’d discovered he was the partner she never knew she had, and just now, in her haste to be vigilant, she could have taken a shot at him.
It was all very hard for her, and finding him at her father’s desk—working on the books, a job that her father always spent so much time on—just made it that much more difficult. This room had always been Hank’s sanctuary. His presence there reminded her once again that her father truly was gone.
“I’m sorry I came barging in on you the way I did,” Emmie said, swallowing her pride.
For the first time, Josh managed a wry half smile at her. “You’re definitely Hank’s daughter.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re not afraid of a fight—and I’d say you know how to handle a gun.”
“He thought it was important I learn how in case I needed to defend myself.”
“He was right. You never know what you’re going to run into in these parts.”
“Yeah—like you in the study in the middle of the night,” she said, finally relaxing a bit and managing a smile. “Do you do this often?”
“Work on the books this late?” he asked. At her nod, he explained, “I’ve been trying to get caught up, but it’s been so busy, I haven’t had a lot of time to devote to the paperwork. From now on, I’ll let you know before I come up to the house. I didn’t meanto scare you to night.” He was glad she’d covered herself again. He didn’t need such a potent distraction.
“I know, and I appreciate what you’re doing. When you get time, I want to learn how to handle the book-work, too. I think it’s important I learn everything there is to know about the ranch.”
“Your father never went over any of this with you?”
“No. I’m sure he thought we had plenty of time to worry about that later.” Pain flared within her. “And he did like to be in control of all the finances.”
“I understand,” he said sympathetically. “As soon as things calm
“The only thing anyone’s getting robbed of to night is sleep,” he growled, nodding toward the door.
Emmie turned to see Millie hurrying toward her, wide-eyed with fear.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Millie demanded as she entered the study. She was shocked to find that Emmie was holding a gun.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Emmie quickly assured her. “I didn’t know Josh was here working, so when a noise downstairs woke me up, I came down to see what was going on.”
“Did you really need to carry a gun?” Millie asked, unnerved.
“You never know.”
“Well, thank heaven it was only Josh,” Millie said, relieved, giving him a quick smile. Then she realized Emmie’s state of undress. “Emmie! Fasten your robe!”
Emmie glanced down at herself and was mortified. She quickly turned away, setting the gun aside so she could retie the belt to her robe.
“Ladies?” Miss Harriet’s call from the top of the staircase drew their attention. “Is everything all right?”
Millie stepped out into the hallway to reassure her.
“Very well,” the chaperone said, sounding calmer once she’d heard the explanation. “Good night, then.” She turned away from the railing and went back to her room, murmuring, “I suppose this kind of thing goes on often around here.”
“Well, now that I know you’re all right, I’m going back to bed, too,” Millie declared. “Good night, Josh.”
“Good night,” he told her.
“Are you coming?” she asked Emmie as she started from the study.
“I’ll be along.”
Millie could sense the tension between Josh and Emmie, but she said nothing more as she left them alone.
Once Millie had disappeared upstairs, Emmie glanced back at Josh to find him still watching her, his expression unreadable. She felt more thana little awkward. They hadn’t gotten off to the best start. First she’d discovered he was the partner she never knew she had, and just now, in her haste to be vigilant, she could have taken a shot at him.
It was all very hard for her, and finding him at her father’s desk—working on the books, a job that her father always spent so much time on—just made it that much more difficult. This room had always been Hank’s sanctuary. His presence there reminded her once again that her father truly was gone.
“I’m sorry I came barging in on you the way I did,” Emmie said, swallowing her pride.
For the first time, Josh managed a wry half smile at her. “You’re definitely Hank’s daughter.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re not afraid of a fight—and I’d say you know how to handle a gun.”
“He thought it was important I learn how in case I needed to defend myself.”
“He was right. You never know what you’re going to run into in these parts.”
“Yeah—like you in the study in the middle of the night,” she said, finally relaxing a bit and managing a smile. “Do you do this often?”
“Work on the books this late?” he asked. At her nod, he explained, “I’ve been trying to get caught up, but it’s been so busy, I haven’t had a lot of time to devote to the paperwork. From now on, I’ll let you know before I come up to the house. I didn’t meanto scare you to night.” He was glad she’d covered herself again. He didn’t need such a potent distraction.
“I know, and I appreciate what you’re doing. When you get time, I want to learn how to handle the book-work, too. I think it’s important I learn everything there is to know about the ranch.”
“Your father never went over any of this with you?”
“No. I’m sure he thought we had plenty of time to worry about that later.” Pain flared within her. “And he did like to be in control of all the finances.”
“I understand,” he said sympathetically. “As soon as things calm
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