The moment he left the room tension drained from her shoulders, torso and legs as if leaking through her soles. She sagged against the work table, bowing her head and taking a moment to collect her composure.
Damn the man. How was she going to work with him when she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with him? He made her uncomfortable with his long, intense examinations and he was clearly searching for a reason—any reason—to fire her.
She’d barely gotten back into the groove when the door opened again. She snapped upright. Her stomach sank as Wyatt strolled in carrying one of the farm’s many photo albums and ending her short-lived reprieve. He parked himself on the stool directly across the table from her microscope.
No. “I thought you were going to let me work.”
“I’m not stopping you. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can get on with business.” He directed his attention to the book in front of him.
Irritation sputtered through her. If he didn’t quit distracting her, he’d never get his tour, and he acted as if the delay was her fault.
Determined to ignore him, she gritted her teeth and returned to the job at hand. Every time she looked up from the microscope her gaze slammed straight into his, and each time she felt those dark eyes on her or his body shifted her pulse skipped.
She wanted him gone. From her lab. From her farm. From her life. Daddy, what have you done?
Forcing herself to concentrate, she powered through her work with sheer determination. When she finally sealed the last tube in the shipping package, relief coursed through her. Dread trotted close behind. Finishing meant she’d have to spend time alone with her new boss.
Resigned to the torture, she sighed. “Where do you want to start?”
He closed the portfolio and slowly rose, unfolding one smooth muscle after the other. As much as she hated to admit it, Wyatt Jacobs had great conformation and grace in motion, like one of Sutherland’s prized dressage champions. “Anywhere.”
She swallowed her impatience. She wanted to make this as quick and painless as possible. He wasn’t helping. “Narrow that down. We have two thousand acres. Which parts of the property have you not seen?”
“Except for the house, this barn and the office building, I haven’t seen any of the farm.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You spent millions of dollars without seeing what you were getting for your money?”
“I had pictures, topography maps and the video package the real estate appraiser prepared. Sutherland Farm suits my needs.”
She remembered the videographer’s visit several months ago. Her father had told her the film would be used for promotional purposes and she’d had no reason not to believe him because they often had photographers on the premises. That meant not only had her father lied, but he’d been scheming to tear her world apart for months. That hurt.
But the past was over. She had to deal with the present, and the present included the testosterone-packed problem in front of her.
“And what exactly are your needs?” She winced when she heard the double entendre of her words.
As if a door slammed shut, Wyatt’s face instantly turned inscrutable. “To own a horse farm. What else?”
Wyatt Jacobs was lying through his perfect white teeth. Hannah would swear to it. But she couldn’t prove it. And even if she could, what could she do about it? Right now she was nothing but a puppet. And he held her strings.
Hannah didn’t believe him, and frankly, Wyatt didn’t care. He wasn’t here to make friends. In fact, it would suit him better if she got ticked off and quit her job.
Playing chaperone to a spoiled princess had never been part of his plan. He’d bought the farm for Sam and had intended spending as little time here as possible. But Hannah would require more supervision than his planned sporadic visits.
The door to the lab burst open, shattering the standoff between him and the bothersome brunette. A lanky redheaded guy rushed in. “Doc Will’s got another one.”
Hannah’s body language changed instantly from resentful and reluctant to alert and attentive. Wyatt found the switch quite intriguing. She didn’t snap at the new guy for keeping the door open, dripping on the floor or tracking in mud. Instead, she wiggled her fingers in a give-me-more gesture.
“He got a call to euthanize, but he decided to give you a look first. He’s down at the barn.”
Those big blue eyes rounded. “He’s here instead of calling for a consult?”
“Yep. It’s that critical. He hightailed it off the property as soon as the authorities gave him the okay. He says this one will be a real test of your skills.”
“He’s assuming I’ll say yes.”
The redhead chuckled. “Hannah, you never say no.”
Wyatt tried to make sense of their conversation and couldn’t, but he seriously doubted the twentysomething guy meant the words in a sexual context—which was exactly where Wyatt’s brain headed when he heard a woman couldn’t say no.
He shut down that mental detour and cursed his traitorous libido. Hannah Sutherland might have a rockin’ body and a damned sexy pout, but there would be nothing remotely intimate between him and his temporary employee.
“I’m Wyatt Jacobs. And you are?” His question brought both sets of eyes in his direction.
Hannah grimaced. “I’m sorry. Jeb Jones, our veterinary assistant. Wyatt is the new owner.”
Wyatt shook Jeb’s hand. “Who is Doc Will?”
Hannah ripped off her lab coat and hung it on the hook by the door. “Will is one of our county veterinarians. Your tour will have to wait.”
“Are you willing to risk the consequences of refusing my request?” He didn’t need to elaborate that she’d be fired, but her quick gasp told him she received his unspoken message loud and clear.
Her defiant gaze drilled him. “You didn’t request, Mr. Jacobs. You ordered. And I’m not refusing. I’m postponing your tour until after I’ve handled this emergency.”
Her exasperation came across loud and clear despite the pretty-please smile punctuating her sentence. No doubt that smile worked on most men. Not him.
“Let’s go, Jeb.” Hannah rushed from the lab.
The kid hesitated, as if trying to decide who was in charge, but then he mistakenly fell in behind his cohort. Taken aback by Hannah’s insubordination and the kid’s loyalty, Wyatt rocked on his heels. Then he reconsidered. This wasn’t the case of a woman standing up for her convictions. Hannah was a spoiled daddy’s girl who believed the rules didn’t apply to her. He’d teach her and her flunky differently.
He followed the pair, intent on firing Hannah, giving her follower a warning and informing the veterinarian that Sutherland Farm was no longer a dumping ground for unwanted animals of any kind. Hannah might not be able to say no, but Wyatt had no such problem.
Ahead of him Hannah and Jeb raced down the driveway heedless of the rain. They veered off the paved surface and onto a gravel track leading to a building set behind a copse of trees several hundred yards from the main barn. Wyatt climbed into his Mercedes and drove the distance rather than get soaked.
Once he pulled off the asphalt, the uneven ground tested his car’s suspension. Considering the pristine condition of the rest of the property, the neglect surprised him. He made a mental note to speak to the manager about ordering a load of gravel to fill the potholes.
A pickup truck with a horse trailer attached had backed through the barn’s open doors. He parked beside it and surveyed the stone building through the rain streaming down his windshield. The smaller barn had the same architecturally attractive design as the other barns, but the structure, like the driveway hadn’t been as well-maintained as the rest of the farm. Odd.
He climbed from his car, then squeezed between the trailer and doorjamb. While the outside of the building lacked sparkle, the interior was as spotless as a barn could be. The combined scents of fresh shavings, hay and oats ambushed him with memories of happier times with Sam.
