The thought sent a quiet thrill of pleasure racing through me, and I resisted the urge to grin, to throw my hands up in the air and rub Sam’s face in it. Truthfully, I knew I’d been giving Gwen a hard time since she started looking after me, and we hadn’t gotten off on the right foot, but I liked her.
A lot.
And that was saying something considering I always kept myself busy, never letting anyone get close enough to form any kind of meaningful attachment. With the kind of life I led, it worked better this way.
For everyone involved.
Besides, I doubted anyone wanted to deal with my baggage – or at least that’s what I thought until I met Gwen. I know I sounded like a cliché, like those old Disney movies wrapped up in a neat bow and presented on a big old platter of happy endings, but this was different.
This was the most genuine thing I had ever felt. And being around Sam, with his sandy blond hair, clear gray eyes and cowboy charm, I couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
After all, it was clear from a glance that they had a lot of history, whereas Gwen and I had nothing in comparison, a fledgling relationship. And it wasn’t even founded on solid ground; the foundation was shaky at best.
Sam frowned and inched closer, like was approaching a scared kitten. “Come on now. Don’t be shy. It’s just me and old Nick here.”
Old Nick?
If my leg wasn’t sprained, I’d show that guy a thing or two about old. I shot the man a murderous look, glaring daggers at the back of his head, but he didn’t seem to notice, his eyes focused on Gwen’s and hers alone.
To her credit, her lips twitched at his comment, sliding over to me before they went back to him. Reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around him, her entire body stiffening before it relaxed, recognizing the old pattern.
I sat there on the couch, unable to move or make a single sound as I watched her hug him, taking in the way she fit against him seamlessly and how his arms came up around her, folding her against him.
Yes, it was quite obvious they had quite the connection.
Jealousy burned in the pit of my stomach, rearing its ugly head and leaving a bad taste in the back of my mouth. I swallowed past the bile and cleared my throat to remind them that I was there.
Slowly, Sam pulled away, an arrogant smirk plastered onto his features and his touch lingering a little longer than necessary. I resisted the urge to launch myself across the couch and swat his hand away.
Gwen was a grown ass woman, after all. I doubted she’d want me stepping in and fighting her fights for her. Whatever issues they had, she deserved the space to figure it out on her own.
Much to my surprise, she brushed his hand off, trying to make it seem casual as she took a step in my direction. My heart leaped inside my chest, and I uncrossed my arms, resisting the urge to grin from ear to ear.
“How have ya been, Gwenie?” Sam asked, allowing his eyes to roam over her.
“I’m good, Sam. How’s the ranch out in Colorado?”
“Oh, ya know. It’s a lot of work, but I reckon it’s doing well.” Sam ran his fingers through his hair and offered a bright smile, showing off a row of pearly white teeth. “It ain’t the same without you, though.”
Her expression flickered, her mouth pressing into a thin line. “Let’s not start that again, Sam.” Her tone held a hint of warning, a beware sign flashing in bold neon lights above her head.
“Do what? I’m just expressing a sentiment. You don’t have to keep working for the Parkers, you know, and certainly not this city slicker here.
“No offense,” Sam added, as an afterthought.
My eyes narrowed, and my hands clenched into fists at my side. “Don’t worry.”
Asshole.
What the hell did she ever see in him anyway?
“Sam, you’re the one who left, remember?” Gwen pointed out. “So, you can’t waltz back in here after all this time and just....”
“Just?” he prompted.
“Expect to pick up where we left off,” she stuttered, frustration seeping into her tone. “It doesn’t work like that.”
I wanted to get up and walk out, give them the privacy they needed to hash it out, but I couldn’t do that without Gwen’s help. And as much as I wanted to ask, I knew she wouldn’t appreciate the interruption.
“But I’m here now,” Sam responded, gesturing around him. “Doesn’t that count for something, darlin’?”
Gwen gritted her teeth. “I don’t think so. And, I asked you to stop calling me that.”
“You used to like it,” he reminded her.
“I used to like a lot of things,” she retorted. “You should leave.”
Sam gave her a long look before he picked up his hat and left. “I’ll be back.”
BOOK THREE: SECRET AFFAIR
Chapter 1
Nick.
Ignoring Sam proved to be hard, especially when he was around all the damn time. Granted, he used to work on the ranch, and everyone loved him, but he was still an annoying piece of shit. I couldn’t figure out why Gwen liked him.
There was something about him that didn’t quite sit well with me, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted Gwen all to myself. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was paying him much attention.
Between regular ranch work and nursing me back to health, she had her hands full as it was. I figured Sam would get the hint, maybe take a long hike back to Colorado, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care.
My gut said the latter, rather than the former.
Sitting upstairs in my room most of the day was starting to get to me, even when Gwen was nice enough to carry the TV upstairs for me. She even got Netflix to work, which was a feat in and of itself considering how hard it was to get a decent signal out there.
Yet, Gwen managed to work wonders, remaining steadfast and true, even when I was being difficult – and I could admit that I was the biggest wuss when it came to injuries.
I had zero to no tolerance for pain, and I didn’t mind one bit. But I did feel sorry for Gwen who had to come to tend to me after a long day; with her room being only a few feet away from mine, she slept with the door open, sporadically checking in on me during the night.
All because I tried to help and ended up making things worse. The sprain had swollen up my leg, turning it purple from the bruises. It pulsed as Gwen tied a wrap around it tightly to keep it in place.
I yelped, nearly kicking her in the face in my haste to get away. “That hurts.”
“Good. It means it’s working,” Gwen pointed out. “Now stop moving.”
I exhaled and clutched both my legs, sweat breaking out across my face. “You’re really good at this.”
She shrugged. “I like helping people. I guess it’s something Lorraine taught me.”
I sometimes forgot that she grew up there, too, that my grandparents were her foster family, taking her in when she had nowhere else to go. An image of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl popped into my head before it flitted away, and I was left staring at Gwen, trying to imagine her as a kid.
“Grandma was a hell of a woman,” I agreed, quietly. “I miss her.”
“I miss her, too. She was more like a mom to me than a grandma, though,” Gwen pointed out.
“What about your own mom?” I asked, curiosity lacing my tone.
Gwen bent forward and drew her bottom lip between her teeth, frowning in concentration. “I don’t know my parents. They left me when I was really little, so I have few memories of them.”
Shit.
“I’m sorry,” I offered. “I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
“I got the Parkers, so I’d say I got pretty lucky,” Gwen pointed out, a hit of nostalgia creeping into her tone. “This is my home, and I wouldn’t trade that, or my memories with the Parkers for the world.”
I sank back into the pillows, trying my best to avoid looking at my leg. “I get it. I liked growing up here, too, you know.”
Gwen sat up and rolled the rest of
the wrap into a neat ball, setting it atop the desk in the corner. She organized it and turned around to face me, one eyebrow raised.
“Maybe you should try thinking about that then,” she suggested. “The will suggested someone who cared about the ranch, but it’s probably because your grandpa thought you didn’t.”
“I don’t,” I replied.
“You do,” she disagreed. “Or else you wouldn’t be fighting so hard to get it.”
“It’s a business venture,” I reminded her. “I have no time for sentimentality.”
“Tomorrow, if you’re up to it, we can sit outside and watch the sunset,” she offered. “I think it’ll be good for you.”
I coughed. “Yeah, I’d actually like that.”
She stepped closer and pressed her cool hand to my forehead, a faint line appearing between her brows. “I hope your temperature goes down, though, because you’re kind of hot.”
“I’m all hot, baby,” I joked, weakly.
She rolled her eyes. “Alright, hot stuff. Get some rest, okay? I’m down the hall if you need anything.”
“GWEN, WAIT UP.” I CUPPED my hands over my mouth and yelled, hoping my voice was carried across. She sat atop the pony, shrieking in delight with her hair billowing behind her.
“Come on. You have to try riding Star,” Gwen said, drawing back with her own horse. “Or how else are we going to play?”
“Why can’t we play hide and seek?” I complained, crossing my arms over my chest.
“This is more fun,” she declared.
“Nuh-uh.”
“Yuh-huh.”
“Says who?” I demanded, sticking my tongue out at her. “You ain’t the boss of me.”
“And, you ain’t the boss of me, either,” she teased, flicking her hair behind her ear, blue eyes sparkling with warmth and mischief. “Come on, Nicky. Let’s go and have some fun.”
I paused. “I don’t know...”
Before I knew it, a clump of mud hit me squarely in the face, and I staggered backward, a choking noise of surprise escaping my lips. “You didn’t just throw mud in my face.”
“I did,” Gwen boasted, clucking under her tongue as she took off, and I chased after her, laughing as I caught up.
I gasped as I sat up in bed, coughing and spluttering, drenched in my own sweat. I waited for my breathing to even out before I lay back down, my heart thudding anxiously against my chest.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the memory was real – it certainly felt vivid enough – but it was probably the fever acting up.
Chapter 2
GWEN.
I didn’t want Sam around.
Having him on the ranch just like old times wasn’t helping things. If anything, it made me more confused because of the slight stir in my stomach when he hugged me. It was why I’d hesitated – and why I insisted he should leave.
God, I’d loved Sam, more than I’d ever loved anyone, and it killed me when he left. I cried myself to sleep for months, my hands curled around the sheets, clamping my mouth shut so one would wake up because of the sound of my sobs.
Even the Parkers treated me differently, allowing me extra time to carry out my chores and overlooking a lot of ridiculous rookie mistakes all because they sympathized with my broken heart.
After all, Sam had come into my life at a time when I hadn’t even known I’d needed someone like him. Confident, kind, and sweet, he was everything I’d ever wanted and then some.
So, I fell hard and fast, tumbling forward like I was on some kind of roller coaster, and he wrapped me securely in his arms. There, I felt safe, like nothing could ever go wrong as long as I had him.
Together, we were going to open up our own ranch someday, close to the Parkers, so I could still come by and say hello. In fact, we’d stayed up late many nights envisioning our future together, and I’d even allowed myself to picture a simple band resting on my left hand in a never-ending circle.
Back then, I’d assumed we were on the same page, and for two years, we stayed in our bubble, deliriously happy, until Sam got an offer to work on a ranch in Colorado. That day was ingrained into my memory – the cautiously hopeful look on his face as he hung up, the way his face fell when I said I couldn’t go with him.
Of course, I couldn’t; they offered Sam the job, not me. We hadn’t been high school kids with no grasp of the outside world. No, at that time, we were both adults with responsibilities and reality creeping in.
Truthfully, I had considered going away with him, throwing away everything I’d worked for at the Parker ranch, packing my bags, and following him to the ends of the world, just as long as I got to be with him. But in the end, common sense settled in.
Needless to say, Sam hadn’t taken it well. He left, never once looking back as he got up into his beat-up old Chevy and drove off, a trail of dust in his wake, taking a big chunk of my heart with him.
If I were honest, I would’ve taken Sam back in a heartbeat if the timing were different. Just a month earlier, and I wouldn’t even have had to consider it. I would’ve happily run back into his arms if I’d never met Nick.
But Nick was different.
With Nick, I didn’t feel the need to be sheltered and protected, a bird with a broken wing who needed nursing. On the contrary, I felt invincible, like I could take on anything with a smile and no one could stand in my way.
It was a new feeling, one I could get drunk off, and I couldn’t help but look at Sam and compare the two. I had no idea why I was even doing that, considering they had virtually nothing in common, except that both of them were good looking in different ways.
Sam had a more American, clean-cut wholesome kind of look, whereas Nick was devilishly handsome in a brooding kind of way. Honestly, there was nothing else for me to be able to tell what the right choice was.
Realistically speaking, there wasn’t even a choice to make. Sam was here on business, and he seemed to want a second chance. Nick, on the other hand, only wanted a fake girlfriend to help him seal the deal.
There was no contest, really.
I didn’t want a fake relationship, not for long, or to keep pretending just so someone else could analyze the relationship and proclaim it worthy. Of course, I wanted to help Nick, but it didn’t mean I should confuse my feelings for the truth.
Besides, with Sam it was simple, like returning home after a long journey. He was familiar and safe, an old back road I’d taken a million times before, and aside from his departure, we had no real issues to speak of.
Nick was a wild card, unpredictable and annoying. Plus, there was the fact that he didn’t see me that way. As far as he was concerned, I was nothing more than a means to an end. And, I had no one but myself to blame for that.
At the end of the day, no one had forced me to take him up on his offer.
No, I’d agreed to that all on my own, and I would stick to my end of the bargain, come hell or high water, simply because I was a woman of my word. Plus, the last month with Nick, he’d started to change his attitude.
I could see something in him, a spark, a glimmer really, yearning for the past. All I needed to do was remind him of all the beautiful things about the ranch, and everything else would sort itself out.
Granted, it wasn’t that simple. But I was going to try. And in the meantime, I had to keep my heart completely out of it before it messed things up.
As if on cue, Sam passed by the barn, poking his head in through the open door and giving me a quick wave.
Awkwardly, I waved back, unsure of what exactly I thought I was doing. Sam’s face transformed into a grin before he walked away, and I sagged against the horse, muttering under my breath.
Maybe I should give Sam another chance.
Chapter 3
NICK.
I was happy, and it had nothing to do with money. In fact, it had nothing to do with business at all. It was such a strange feeling, bubbling in the center of my chest, that I’d almost forgotten what it was like.
Here I was on a rundown ranch in the middle of nowhere, with a leg that wasn’t healing as quickly as I’d like and competitors flocking in droves like crows, waiting to peck my eyes out, and yet I didn’t feel burning anger course through me.
Sure, I was mildly annoyed, and I wanted the whole thing to be over and done with, saving me the time and energy of having to be out here, but any businessman worth his salt knew that a good deal was one worth waiting for.
And, it seemed to me that everyone else was just getting started.
As long as Gwen kept up her side of the bargain, I couldn’t foresee any problems; while the executor had initially expressed doubt over the authenticity over our relationship, he slowly seemed to be singing a different tune.
I guess Gwen and I were better actors than we thought.
Truthfully, there were moments when it felt real... When I laughed a little too long, or Gwen smiled a little wide, and I was caught off guard, wondering if I was just reading too much into it.
After all, in reality, there was no way it could ever work between us. I was a big city businessman, and she was a country girl who lived on a ranch. Granted, it sounded like the plot to one of those romcoms women fawned over, but this wasn’t one of those times.
This was real life, and I couldn’t pretend otherwise. Besides, Gwen didn’t strike me as some doe-eyed schoolgirl. Quite the opposite. She was actually far more mature and responsible than anyone I’d ever met – frustratingly so.
Yet, in my time with her, I’d seen snippets of the woman inside, the little girl delighting at the world around her, and it made an odd feeling stir in the pit of my belly, warming my heart.
Yes, it was hard not to like Gwen, even harder to admit to myself that it was simply platonic, the result of spending far too much time together to make our love seem believable.
Underneath it all, happiness pulsed, increasing with each passing day.
I swore under my breath as I fumbled for my phone, the shrill sound echoing in the living room, and I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. I winced slightly as a small pinprick of pain shot up my leg. For the most part, it was healing nicely, but it wasn’t completely there yet, so I needed to remember to take it easy.
Secret Series: A Stealthy Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 7