“You sure about that?”
Where was she going with this? “Excuse me?”
“I remember the kinds of things you like...”
The suggestion in her voice made him uncomfortable. “I hope you’re not referring to—”
“It’s not like you’re getting laid anywhere else,” she interrupted. “A visit here and there could be our little secret, a temporary solution, so you don’t have to go without. I mean, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any of that,” he said and hung up.
Morgan, who’d changed her position to stand with her arms folded, fingers drumming her biceps, raised her eyebrows. “What’s she after now?”
“Nothing.”
“You look thoroughly disgusted,” she said and laughed at him when he growled at her to get out and shut the door.
Kyle was wrapping up his conversation with the client from Los Angeles when Morgan came in again. This time she sat in the chair across from his desk while waiting for him to finish.
“Don’t tell me Noelle’s already here,” he said when he’d disconnected.
“No. I’m hoping to be gone by then. This is good news.”
He sat up taller. After having his ex-wife, of all people, make an issue of his dismal love life, he could use some good news. “What is it?”
“I received a call from that dude who wants to rent the farmhouse.”
“I hope he’s not canceling,” Kyle said. “Noelle keeps asking if she can move in. I’ll be relieved when it’s occupied and she can’t bug me about it anymore.”
“Can’t she just move out of town instead?” Morgan responded. “No one would miss her.”
Yet another reason Kyle forced himself to be decent to her. Despite all the terrible things she’d done—especially to him—he felt sorry for her. She couldn’t seem to avoid screwing up her own life. “She’s trying to launch a modeling career. Maybe she’ll be discovered and relocate to New York or LA.”
“She’s delusional if she thinks anyone’s going to pay her to model! She—”
“What’s your news?”
She scowled in apparent frustration. She was all revved up, and he’d removed her target. “Fine,” she said, shifting gears. “Meade’s no longer coming, but—” she held up a hand so he wouldn’t react too soon “—he wasn’t looking at the house for himself, anyway.”
“Who’s it for?”
“A client he manages.” She grinned. “Are you ready for this?”
“You have my full attention,” he said drily. He liked his assistant, but she got on his nerves occasionally. After dealing with Noelle, he preferred to be left alone right now so he could get some work done. He didn’t want to stay late tonight. He didn’t live far, but he’d rather not get caught in the storm they were expecting. It was supposed to be the worst they’d had in twenty years.
“Lourdes Bennett,” she announced.
The way she’d said the name sounded like ta-da!
“Bennett? Is she related to our police chief?”
“No! There’s no connection. You don’t recognize the name Lourdes Bennett?”
“Should I?”
“She’s a country-western singer!”
“Am I supposed to be familiar with every country-western singer?”
“Not necessarily, but she has several hit songs—and she was born and raised less than an hour away.”
Now that she’d jogged his memory, Kyle realized he had heard of Lourdes. He just hadn’t expected the person who might be renting his farmhouse to be someone truly famous. “In Angel’s Camp, right? This is the Lourdes Bennett who sings ‘Stone Cold Lover’?”
“That’s the one.”
“Why would she have any interest in coming here?” he asked.
“I have no clue,” Morgan replied. “But you’re about to find out. She flew into Sacramento Airport this morning and rented a car. She’s on her way, should be here any minute.”
“Is she coming by herself?”
“Sounded like it.”
Kyle scratched his head. “That seems odd.”