Chapter 7: Stetson

Jennifer crashed into him just as he was heading to the guest bathroom to clean up. Instinctively, he reached out to steady her, and then his hand dropped like he'd been burned.

Don't touch the enemy!

He'd never felt so off balance in his life and he hated the feeling with a passion. He wasn't about to show weakness in front of this woman though, so just as instinctive as steadying her had been, he now looked down at his watch theatrically. "It's 5:05," he informed the stupidly beautiful thief in front of him, who was sadly not in possession of a single mole, hairy or otherwise, on her nose. Damn the bad luck. "Didn't I tell you to be gone by 5:00?"

Even as the words were leaving his mouth, he knew he shouldn't. He knew he was being an ass. But today seemed to be the day for saying things that he knew he shouldn't, and regretting them even as the words were coming out.

Well, at least the one thing he had going for him was consistency.

Her brilliant green eyes snapped open in shock and just as she opened her mouth to tell him her thoughts – in great detail, no doubt – Carmelita's voice thundered through the house. "Stetson Byron Miller!" she yelled, advancing towards them in the already crowded hallway. He tried shrinking up against the wall, but his cowboy-turned-chameleon act didn't work any better the second time.

"Your parents would be ashamed of you!" She poked him in the arm, glaring up at him, eyes flashing. He gulped. "You apologize to Ms. Jennifer - " She stopped and turned towards the thief in front of him. "What is your last name, dear?" she asked kindly, at total odds with the tone of voice she'd just been using with him.

Stetson wanted to thump his head back against the wall. Didn't Carmelita know that this woman was trying to ruin five generations of Miller farmers? Whose side was she on, anyway?!

"Kendall," the petite woman said politely, as if they were in a drawing room and being introduced over tea. Stetson glared down at her. She smiled angelically up at him.

"You apologize to Ms. Jennifer Kendall right now!" the housekeeper bellowed, not missing a beat as she turned back towards him, arms akimbo.

Stetson tried hard to stifle his groan. Voicing it would not help his case. "I apologize, Ms. Kendall, for my rudeness." He wanted so badly to end that with, "I should be kind to those who are trying to destroy my life," but somehow, through an inhuman act of self-restraint, he managed to swallow those words instead. He was rather proud of himself, really.

Jennifer seemed to be waiting for him to finish, as if she could sense there was more that he wanted to say, but when he stayed quiet, she nodded once in acceptance. "I will be here at 8 a.m. sharp tomorrow morning," she informed him cooly.

With that, she turned sideways and shuffled past him, heading for the front door. Stetson flattened himself against the wall again, but still, her body traced a sizzling hot line across his where they brushed against each other.