For Always (A Donovan Friends Novel)

by AC Arthur

  “If we sell,” Tyler added.

  He’d taken a seat beside Gabriella, so that Dessie was to her right and he was to her left. Dessie’s husband, Clyde, sat on Dessie’s other side. Gabriella had met him last night when she’d returned to the resort from her dinner with Tyler.

  “The will said to sell the property. So that’s what we should be doing.” Jagger announced.

  Brooke slowly placed her hand on top of Jagger’s. She had a smile pasted in place and tilted her head toward Tyler and Gabriella before saying, “The purpose of a Last Will in Testament is to alert the living to the deceased’s wishes so that those wishes might be carried out. From the way I heard it, George and Verna West wanted their sons to sell the Westwind Resort and Ranch.”

  They were a perfect couple. Almost too perfect, Gabriella thought. Brooke was as beautiful as Jagger was handsome. Each of them educated, no doubt, and ambitious.

  Clyde nodded. “Yes, that is what George and Verna’s will stated. And since neither of you boys have been here in a working capacity for almost twenty years, Dessie and I thought it was best to get things started for you. So Dessie contacted a company known for selling ranches and receiving the best price for them.”

  “That’s where Gabriella comes in,” Dessie said while patting Gabriella’s hand. “Go on, tell them what you’ve come up with so far.”

  All eyes fell on her and she was ready. Clearing her throat Gabriella reached into the bag she’d hung on the back of her chair and pulled out her tablet.

  But before she could speak, Tyler did.

  “I met with Gabriella last night,” he said. “She’s going to give us options.”

  “Options?” Brooke asked. “Like blue curtains or black ones?”

  The chuckle that followed was stilted and reached no one but Jagger, who grinned in response.

  “Your options are to have the resort, main house and employee living spaces professionally staged to appeal to the buyers’ market and thus, generating prime offers to purchase,” Gabriella said.

  She turned her tablet to face Clyde, Dessie and the two doubters sitting across from her. On the screen were preliminary staging designs she’d compiled for the resort. She’d only done a few hand sketches for the main house based off the pictures of the property that were on the Westwind website. But after her meeting with Tyler last night, she hadn’t bothered to do anything more formal. And she had not seen the employee residences as of yet.

  “Or, if the plan is to live on the ranch and make design updates to suit the new owners, I can compile information on style tastes and visions for the property and we can proceed from there. Whether you choose to stage or re-decorate, I am trained to handle both. I can provide references, but the stellar reputation of The Proctor Group speaks for itself. I am here in Hobbs Creek to complete this job and with your approval, could be ready to start first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “What type of profit do you and your company guarantee for a property such as this?” Brooke asked.

  Gabriella noted the woman had barely looked at the tablet, but instead had kept her gaze focused on Gabriella. That was fine, Gabriella was used to being stared at. Her half Brazilian and half African American heritage gave her an exotic look that could be construed as different to those who looked for something to distinguish another person from themselves. She and Adriana had both endured a measure of bullying from girls in school as they grew up, and women in the social circles her parents traveled because they looked “different.” Adriana had gone on to carve out a very successful career based on her “different” looks, and while Gabriella didn’t base her business success on her appearance, she was proud of every part of her heritage. Even if it made others uncomfortable.

  “We cannot guarantee a specific dollar amount. Our job is to create the best looking property possible and to present that property to the top buyers in the market,” she replied.

  “What’s your success rate? Do you have a portfolio of satisfied customers? Statistical reports for cattle ranches in the Texas Panhandle? What makes you so sure we need you here to garner a good sale price?”

  This barrage of questions came from Jagger and when Gabriella opened her mouth to respond, Tyler touched her arm.

  After Tyler’s invitation to dinner, Gabriella had gone to her room and quickly changed out of her bathing suit into a navy blue dress and tan sandals. She’d pulled her still wet hair back into a neat and professional bun and clasped tan and gold earrings to her ears. As it was so warm here in Texas, she hadn’t bothered with the jacket that she normally wore with the dress, which left her arms bare. Tyler’s hand—even if for just a moment—was warm and sent tendrils of something unexplainable up her arm.

  “I think we need to be clear on a few points before we decide what should be done with the property,” Tyler stated.

  “What points? We’re selling,” Jagger interrupted. “Like Clyde just said, neither of us have been here working on the ranch since we were kids. We didn’t like it then and I suspect we won’t like it now. So, it’s clear. We do what Mom and Dad wanted and sell the place. If she’s going to help us do that for the best price, then we have a right to question her abilities or we can find another decorator for the job.”

  “You’re being rude, Jagger, and that’s not necessary,” Dessie said, in what Gabriella thought might be the woman’s most delicate disciplinary voice.

  Jagger had the decency to at least look dutifully reproached.

  “We own Westwind now,” Tyler continued. “Fifty percent is yours and fifty percent is mine. As for my half, I want to take the time to decide what I think is best. So, while we’re in limbo, I’d like to hire Gabriella to present her ideas for both options.”

  Jagger was shaking his head before Tyler finished. “That’s a waste of time in my opinion because I already know I want to sell.”

  “Then I’ll buy you out,” Tyler added quickly. “Name your price.”

  There was a momentary stare-off as the West brothers traded intense glares across the table.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” a man dressed in a police officer’s uniform said as he approached the table.

  Gabriella wasn’t sure if the man realized he’d just interrupted a very tense moment, but she used the time to close her tablet and quietly slide it back into her bag.

  “Sheriff Alvarez,” Clyde said and turned to shake the man’s hand.

  “Hey Clyde. Dessie,” he added with a tip of his wide brimmed dark brown cowboy hat.

  The color of the hat coordinated with the beige uniform shirt and chocolate brown pants. His badge was a brightly shined gold pinned to the left pocket of his shirt while the salt and peppered hair of his goatee could stand to be trimmed.

  “I called out to the ranch and Clarice answered. She said she thought you were in town,” the sheriff said to Tyler. “But I thought I’d stop by here first.”

  “What’s going on?” Tyler asked.

  Gabriella could hear the concern in his voice, but she wasn’t sure what was happening.

  “Just wanted to confirm with you that we’re looking into things. After our meeting this morning, I went out and took another look at the crime scene where your parents were found,” he told them.

  Dessie waved her hand as if fanning herself. Gabriella could see tears forming in the woman’s eyes and picked up the glass of water in front of her. She handed Dessie the water and kept a hand on the woman’s shoulder while she took a slow sip.

  “Do you have new leads on the murder investigation?” Clyde asked.

  “None. At the moment. But we’re still going through those lists of creditors, clients and suppliers. I don’t want to intrude on your dinner,” the Sheriff said with an eye toward Dessie. “But I just wanted you to know that I’m on top of this. George and Verna were like family to everyone around here. Somebody targeted them and I’m gonna find out why.”

  Tyler nodded. “Thanks, Sheriff. Please keep me posted.”

  �
��Will a murder investigation hold up the sale of the property?” Brooke asked the moment the sheriff walked away.

  Nobody answered, but, in Gabriella’s opinion, the look Dessie shot her way was a bit on the murderous side.

  * * *

  “I want to apologize,” Tyler said as they walked down the stairs outside the resort.

  Gabriella was walking quietly beside him after they’d finally finished the dinner from hell.

  “For what? The crème brulee was fabulous,” she replied. “And Dessie and Clyde remind me a lot of my parents.”

  She was being polite. He appreciated that, but would rather she just be honest with him. But he understood. She’d been tossed into this situation with people she’d just met, for the sake of a job. He definitely owed her an apology for dragging her into that dinner and his family’s dysfunction.

  “I’m sure this isn’t how your jobs usually start off,” he told her.

  The steps had taken them away from the pool area and now they were crossing the grassy stretch that led to the corral where pony rides, weekly rodeo and riding lessons were conducted.

  “I’m sure this isn’t how your dinner meetings usually go,” she replied.

  He looked over to her and she stared at him. Her features were dim in the dark of night but it didn’t matter, he’d already committed them to memory. She had a slim nose and pert lips that made him think of strawberries and kisses. Her high cheekbones didn’t overwhelm her face, but highlighted the slightest slant of her eyes and her long eyelashes. With her hair pulled back so tightly, everything about her face seemed more poignant. While that had been like a punch in the gut when she’d stepped off the elevator just before they moved to the restaurant, now, the sight of her had simmered to a slow burn in the pit of his stomach.

  “I try not to have meetings over meals. I know that’s hard to believe considering that’s all I’ve done since meeting you,” he said with a wry chuckle.

  “Do that again,” she said.

  “Do what?”

  “Laugh. It has a nice ring to it.”

  Of course he didn’t, but he didn’t stop smiling either.

  “I apologize for that too. I’m not normally so, ah—”

  She nodded and added, “Moody?”

  Tyler waited a beat and then shrugged. “Yeah, I guess that’s the word for it.”

  “No need to apologize. My brother Alex is like that sometimes. Mostly he’s bossy and overprotective, but when something really bothers him, he can be pretty moody about it,” she said.

  So she was comparing him to her brother. Tyler didn’t know if that was good or bad. What he knew for certain was that he was glad he’d asked her to join him tonight.

  “I really appreciate you joining me and my family for dinner. I know it’s not part of your job description.”

  “Well, if I end up redesigning and decorating I’ll need to spend some time talking to each of you to hear about your ideas for the new style. But I understand what you’re trying to say, so I’ll just say, apology accepted.”

  Looking forward as they grew closer to the corral, he wondered if he should say something about his parents, or their murders, or that someone had come onto his private property and vandalized the premises. None of which was good date conversation. But this wasn’t a date. If it was, he would have been more on his game. Because he did date periodically, and when he did, it turned out well and he wasn’t ashamed to admit that. He could adequately romance a woman. He could also maintain a relationship—for as much as a person in his position could have a relationship—for a relatively good amount of time. About two months. After that it was on the road to serious and Tyler had done that before and never wanted to try it again.

  “So tomorrow I’d like to give you a complete tour of the house and the employee living quarters,” he said. “Then I promise not to rope you into anymore dinner meetings. I’ll let you settle in and work on the proposals.”

  “It was no problem, really. I come from a big family and they married into bigger families, so I’m used to differences of opinion.”

  “Are you used to murder investigations too?”

  He had no idea why he’d asked that question. Well, yes, he did. There was no one else for him to talk to about this. Jagger didn’t seem as interested in what had really happened to their parents as Tyler was and Brooke, well, Tyler didn’t give a damn what she was interested in. Dessie and Clyde had been his parents’ friends so they were far too emotional to look at things objectively. Tyler, on the other hand…where did he fit in all of this? The son who still carried around a ton of guilt because he was never good enough for his father, and the brother who, in Jagger’s eyes, was always too good.

  “Actually, yes,” she replied to his surprise.

  “What? Are you serious?”

  Gabriella nodded.

  “Years ago my family was targeted by a jealous man and his daughter. That ended in a shoot-out which involved my sister-in-law and her brother. My other sister-in-law’s brother was shot and killed by a police officer. And my brother-in-law’s family had a stalking, murdering woman terrorizing their family for the last two years.”

  Tyler stopped and turned to stare at her. “Okay, well in that case, I guess you can relate.”

  She nodded. “You want answers. You want to know who killed your parents. I’m assuming it’s the murder investigation that the sheriff was talking about earlier.”

  “It was,” he said and continued to stare at her.

  He should say something, but words weren’t coming. He found himself simply wanting to look at her. This woman that walked into his life yesterday afternoon wearing perhaps the sexiest pair of shoes he’d ever seen. Or maybe it was the white polish on her petite toes. He wasn’t sure. All Tyler knew was that he had been intrigued by Gabriella Bennett from that moment on. And now he was standing here, beneath a starless night sky, wanting to…what?

  “It makes sense,” she continued. “And I hope you find the answers you’re searching for. I hope—”

  Her words were cut short as Tyler had already closed the space between them. With one hand clasping the back of her neck, he leaned in and took her mouth in one quick motion.

  His tongue moved over hers in a warm duel that immediately sent heat spiraling throughout his body. She hurriedly clasped his arms before tilting her head and joining in the kiss. There were no sounds, not the crickets or any other animal in the vicinity. There was no breeze. No movement, except the dance of tongues. He couldn’t think of anything else, didn’t want to actually. He thought he needed to get closer, to touch more, and to taste more. Tyler just wanted more.

  And then she pulled away.

  “Sorry,” he said the moment he looked at her face.

  Her fingers were shaking as she lifted her hand and touched her now swollen lips. She backed away and Tyler felt like a complete jerk.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said and took a step toward her.

  But she moved back another step, and then another.

  “I should go,” she said, her voice low and shaky.

  “Gabriella. I apologize. It won’t happen again. I won’t overstep. I—”

  She held up a hand and shook her head. “I’m going to go back to my room. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tyler.”

  He wanted to say something else. He wanted to go to her and walk her to her room. Assure her that he wasn’t a jackass. Not normally. Something. Instead, he did nothing.

  “Fine,” he replied with a quick nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And then she was gone.

  Tyler stood there watching her walk toward the resort. He stared until he could vaguely see her silhouette going through the glass doors of the facility. And then he sighed. He was messing up everything.

  * * *

  It was dark and starting to rain.

  Gloved hands shook as they hovered over the door knob. It would be locked. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t time anyway. When it was tim
e everything would fall into place. When it was time there would be pain. That was inevitable. Lessons that needed to be learned were hard and thus pain was a given. Stopping everything else to see this through was also inevitable.

  It was destiny.

  * * *

  Gabriella stepped out of the shower and froze.

  She’d left the bathroom door open because she was in the room alone and she’d started leaving doors open before she left Connecticut. She didn’t like closed doors or tight spaces, or being alone. But she was an adult and she’d refused to be beat by another person’s nonsense. Still, with her bravado firmly in place, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself before heading out to the bedroom area.

  And she heard it again. That same sound from just a moment ago.

  Was someone at the door?

  She stood there waiting for them to knock or maybe call out to here. She didn’t know. She was being foolish. And so she moved, walking across the room to the bed where she’d set her nightgown and a bottle of lotion.

  Dropping the towel, Gabriella sat on the bed and picked up the bottle. She poured jasmine scented lotion into her hands and began to rub it over her legs and thighs. The moment she touched her sensitive skin, thoughts of Tyler and the kiss they’d shared came rushing to her mind.

  What had she been thinking?

  It hadn’t been of kissing him, she was sure. She didn’t think like that, not anymore. Not in the last six months. Any type of sexual or intimate contact with a man had been the last thing on her mind as she’d gone through the most difficult time in her life. Yet tonight, she’d willingly kissed Tyler back.

  Again, what had she been thinking? He was her client. A very big client whose project could take her career to the next level. Gabriella had so much riding on this job and already the brother and his fiancé didn’t care for her. The last thing she needed was to let some physical attraction interfere with her last lifeline to this job. Because even though Dessie had been responsible for bringing her here, Tyler was clearly the one calling the shots at this point. Which was an even better reason she had for regretting that kiss.