Raye Morgan - A Gift For Baby

“Come on,” Jen was saying impatiently, gesturing for her to come along into the lively room. “I’ll show you around this place. It’s so neat.”

Neat, was it? Hailey hid a smile as she followed her friend. The difference in their ages was a stark reality at times. Jen’s eyes were wide with the excitement of being here, and Hailey was wondering why she’d come. She’d been to places like this before—maybe too often.

“The bar is around that way,” Jen said, pointing out a long area where cocktail waitresses in tiny cowgirl outfits held trays high above the crowd. “The restaurant is in through that doorway, and then, out here in back…” She led Hailey through an opening into a courtyard where an arbor of tangled red roses circled a wishing well. “Lovers’ walk,” she said, gazing with wistful admiration at the romantic setting, lights muted, roses blooming around a shimmering wishing well. “Isn’t it adorable?”

“I suppose so,” Hailey said doubtfully. “If you go in for that sort of thing.”

“Oh, you.” Jen scoffed at her playfully. “You put on this big old front, but if the right guy came along, you’d give him a tumble, just like any of us. Wouldn’t you?”

Hailey smiled at her. She wanted to say no, because that was what the answer was, but she hated to be so cynical when Jen was so full of joyful wonder. “Sure,” she said instead. “You’re probably right.”

“Of course I am.” It was evident Jen couldn’t conceive of a woman who didn’t need a man in her life. “Well, I doubt if you’re going to find your kind of male in this place. It’s full of cowboys and guys like that. But you can have some fun.”

Hailey nodded brightly. “That’s what I came for.”

“Good.” Her face grew more serious. “Just remember, if we see anyone from the ranch, we have to leave right away. Okay? We can’t risk them recognizing us.”

Hailey frowned. They hadn’t really explored the possibility of being found out before. “Jen, what would happen if we get caught? To you, I mean.”

The younger woman shrugged. “I’d probably get fired.” Reaching out, she grabbed Hailey’s hand as she saw the horrified expression spreading across her face. “Oh, don’t worry. Please don’t. Don’t even think about it. We’re here to have fun.”

Hailey had questioned her own judgment in coming here from the beginning, and now she was absolutely disgusted with herself. Why hadn’t she thought this thing through and realized the jeopardy she was putting Jen in? “You’re the generic rich girl,” her unhelpful cowboy had accused her that very afternoon, and she’d denied it. But here she was, acting as though that were exactly the case.

“Jen, let’s get out of here right now,” she said earnestly. “I hadn’t realized-”

“Are you kidding?” Jen pulled back and turned toward the music. “Not on your life. I’m going to dance! Come on.”

Hailey shook her head ruefully. “You go ahead,” she said. “I’ll be along in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Jen responded happily. “But if I get lucky right away, you’ll find me on the dance floor.”

“Okay.” She watched Jen hurry toward the crowd and sighed. Well, here she was, having fun. Funny. It didn’t feel very different from being bored.

“You’re just a spoiled rich girl,” she chided herself, thinking of the cowboy again. “Never satisfied.” And for just a moment, she had to wonder if the man wasn’t right.

Mitch pulled the truck into a parking place and got out. Pauly was already out of sight. Striding quickly, he found his way inside the roadhouse. The room was a kaleidoscope of lights and sound. The music provided the beat, the dancers provided the swirling skirts and stomping boots. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a real good time.

Pushing his Stetson down as low as he could without blocking off vision altogether, he scanned the room for Pauly and found him lingering in the fringes, glancing at something in his hand.

That was all the information Mitch needed to make a quick diagnosis of the situation. Pauly was very possibly looking for Hailey. And the last thing Mitch wanted was for the sleazy detective to find her.

At least he was using a photograph for identification. That meant he’d never seen her face-to-face. It also meant he might not recognize her in the disguise. But he didn’t like to count on luck.

Moving quickly, he searched through the crowd, glancing at each feminine face. Where the heck was she? And, for that matter, what was he going to do when he found her? Bundle her up and carry her back to the ranch?

Hardly that. He didn’t want to come face-to-face with her, in fact. If he did, it would blow his cover. No, he had to think of some way to keep her out of Pauly’s clutches without revealing himself. This was going to be tricky.

He scanned the length of the bar, but she wasn’t there. Looking back, he saw Pauly coming in behind him, and he melted into the crowd. He’d never spoken to the man and he didn’t think he would be recognized, but he couldn’t be too careful.

Making his way among the dancers, he gazed at each face but didn’t find what he was looking for. He saw Jen, but Hailey wasn’t with her. Where had she gone? The rest room was a possibility, but he couldn’t follow her in there. Still he could get close.

He turned down the hall to the telephones, and suddenly there she was, coming toward him. Adrenaline pumped as he turned, looking for an escape, but a crowd of laughing women had come into the hallway behind him and were about to carry him along in their wave of raucous celebration. He glanced back down the hall. Hailey was headed straight at him. No time to duck out. Her eyes met his and widened.

Yes, he thought to himself, resignedly. We have recognition. Now what? She’d seen him. They were going to have to speak. He was going to have to think fast, find a cover story, something….

Working on pure instinct, he stopped, looked down at her and smiled as the laughing women swarmed around them and moved on. Meanwhile, he was thinking to himself, Here goes nothing—playboy act number one, sticking to basics.

“Hi,” he said aloud, letting his eyes do his flirting for him, as though she were the cutest thing he’d ever seen, and what’s more, someone he’d never seen before. This had to have all the earmarks of a spontaneous pick up. And it had to be very convincing. He tilted his chin and gave her a rakish look from beneath the brim of his hat. “Where’ve you been all my life?”

Her mouth dropped open and she merely stared. She’d seen him too late to make her own getaway, and her heart had fallen. Her first thought was that she’d been caught, and not only was she going to be in big trouble, so was Jen. But now he was acting as though he didn’t realize who she was. Could it be? No. She couldn’t be that lucky. “Uh…” She could manage no more on such short notice.

“You from around here?” he asked, still in flirt mode, his blue eyes holding her gaze. “Because if you are, and we haven’t met before, something is definitely wrong with the system.”

Her pretty brows drew together and she searched his eyes. Was it possible that he really didn’t recognize her? And if so, how could she make sure she didn’t do anything to set him off?

“Uh…” she murmured again, afraid to speak for fear of giving herself away. She blinked at him, feeling like a halfwit, and then looked down at where her fingers were twisting together painfully. He knew who she was, surely. How could he not? They’d just been talking together that afternoon. Though as she remembered it, he hadn’t smiled at her once. Now he was all smiles. She swallowed hard. He was waiting for an answer.