Seth in his Jeep. Playing elk slalom, he navigated the vehicle with skill and precision through the dark rural night.
âYou drive like a native,â she commented.
He chuckled. âIâm no native. I grew up in East Hampton in New York.â
âWell, somethingâs clicking with you and Mystery. The tourists are terrified of the roads at night.â
âMy parents had a ski lodge in Big Sky, Montana. I decided early on that I like the nature of the mountains more than the skiing. Camping made me learn to drive the winding roads.â
âThat explains it.â
He looked sideways at her, studying her.
âYou know,â he interjected into the quiet automobile, âHazel told me that next week I have to host the Mystery BBQ Sizzle. I hope you know what has to be done, because I donât have a clue how to go about something like that.â
It was her turn to chuckle. âHazelâs so tricky. She loves handing that over to the greenhorns. Itâs like a test.â
âWell, I expect you as my personal assistant to make sure I pass the test.â
She nodded. âI know what has to be done. No problem. Consider it a finished deal.â
âIâll want to invite some New Yorkers.â
âCertainly.â
âIâll leave the list for you in the morning. You can find all their numbers in my files.â
âOf course.â
âIâll want the plane sent for Nikki.â
Her heart went thump. She knew who Nikki Butler was. The tabloids loved to photograph the willowy model with her billionaire boyfriends.
Kirsten denied any pangs of jealousy.
The kiss she and Seth had experienced that afternoon was at best an inconvenience, at worst a threat to the job she dearly needed. The emotions that roiled inside her upon hearing this could only be disappointmentâdisappointment to find out her boss was so shallow as to date an airhead model with an IQ less than her daily calorie intake.
âIâll make sure she has everything she wants.â
Including you, Kirsten thought with more bitterness than even she had expected.
âSee that she comes in on Thursday so we have some time alone before the big event.â
Woodenly Kirsten responded, âIâll take care of it.â
âIf you have any questions as to her preferences, Mary can help you with them. She knows everything about Ms. Butler.â
She nodded, wondering if her face looked as green in the dashboard light as she felt.
âDo you feel all right, Kirsten?â
Her head snapped around to face him. âI feel great. Why wouldnât I? Why would you ask?â
He paused. âWell, weâve been parked at the ranch for almost a minute now. You seem preoccupied.â
Kirsten felt as if she was waking from a nightmare.
Suddenly she looked out of the Jeep window and realized they had indeed stopped at the front of Sethâs house. She couldnât remember coming to a halt at all.
âNo, no. Iâm fine. Just a little tired from the long day,â she blathered, getting out of the jeep.
âWell, good night, then.â
Like an idiot, she kept on blathering. âIâll take care of everything. Donât worry. In two days every preparation will be made.â
âGood night, Miss Meadows.â
She paused, suddenly hating the formality when before there had been none.
âGood night, Mr. Morgan.â
Â
The Mystery BBQ Sizzle was the event of the summer. Tourists and locals alike attended. It was a tradition of Hazel McCallumâs that went back decades. Hazel always said you could find out more about a person at a barbecue than you could at a five-star hotel.
Kirsten, watching supermodel Nikki Butler sunning her long svelte self at the ranchâs pool, had the sickening feeling Hazel was right. She was going to get a load of Nikki Butlerâs character that weekend whether she wanted to or not.
âCould you stock the