Showdown

by Amy Elizabeth

  “Now, where were we?”

  She sighed and bowed her head. “Alli will kill me if she finds out–”

  “I’m not going to say anything to Alli,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “I’m actually curious.”

  Rebecca folded her hands on the bar. “Well, she said that she’d just finished high school and you were her first real boyfriend. She hated the fact that you were a better rider than she was, since she of course has to be the best at everything. But she loved the fact that you knew how to dance, since none of the guys in her hometown did. And she thought your Southern accent was the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.”

  At that, Tommy laughed. “What else?”

  She shrugged. “She said that by the end of the summer, she’d decided that she was going to sleep with you. But when the time came, she realized that she wasn’t ready yet.”

  He was too startled to respond right away. “Wow,” he finally said. “Is there nothing women don’t talk about?”

  “Apparently not,” she replied, giving him an affectionate nudge. “She said you were really great about it, by the way. She’s always thought the world of you for not trying to pressure her. And she’s constantly saying how lucky Liz is to be with you.”

  Tommy hadn’t thought about that summer in ages; nor had he realized how much any of it meant to Allison. “Well, Jeff’s lucky to have her, too. She’s a great girl.”

  “Yeah, she is.” Rebecca paused. “Jeff doesn’t know, does he?”

  “I never told him, unless Alli did.” He met her gaze. “Liz definitely doesn’t know, though. I’d like to keep it that way.”

  She gave a sideways grin. “Is she the jealous type?”

  “A little bit, yeah.”

  “Does she ever get jealous of me?”

  Her question caught Tommy off-guard. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, all the time we spend together on the ranch.”

  “Oh.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “I don’t think it bothers her, no. I mean, we’re just working, right? What is there to be jealous of?”

  “Exactly.”

  He lifted his water glass and took a long sip, racking his brain for a way to change the subject. “So what would you say is the hardest thing about being married?”

  Rebecca blinked several times. “Wow. From your teenaged fling with Alli to the hardest thing about being married,” she replied, also reaching for her water glass. “Give me a minute to switch gears.”

  Tommy chuckled. “I’m just open to advice, that’s all. I’ve been asking everybody this weekend.”

  “Including Alec?”

  He nodded.

  “And what did he say was the hardest thing about being married to me?”

  “Your incessant snoring.”

  She gasped in mock outrage and swatted his arm. “Dakota’s the one who snores, not me!”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re too easy, Bec. I love it.”

  She giggled, too, before she drained the rest of her water. Only when she set her glass down and pushed her hair off her shoulder did he realize how long he’d been staring at her.

  “Seriously, though,” he said. “You’ve been married for a couple years now. What should I know going into it? What is it that a woman wants from her husband?”

  Rebecca leaned forward and rested her elbow beside his. “Well, every marriage is going to be different, so I can’t speak for Liz. But if you’re looking for advice, mine would be to always make sure that she knows how important she is to you. Make her a priority. And make sure that you make time for her, no matter how busy you are.”

  She shrugged and dropped her gaze. “Men think that women are so complicated, but we’re really not. At the end of the day, all we need to know is that we’re valued and we’re loved.”

  Tommy frowned. “Alec doesn’t do that?”

  When her head snapped up, he knew instantly that he’d gone too far. “Bec, I’m sorry,” he added. “That was totally out of line.”

  “It’s a fair question,” she replied. “And it’s difficult to answer. I mean, I know that he loves me. It’s not something I doubt. He’s just…not always the best at showing it. Or maybe he just shows it differently than most men would. He’s always been about the grand gestures, you know? He flew out to Boston to bring me home, then he gave me the wedding of my dreams. The life of my dreams, really.”

  She paused, tracing a fingertip around the rim of her glass. “I think he equates love with how much he’s able to give somebody. Look at everything he did for Walter when he was alive. He does the same thing with me. The reason he works as hard as he does is to give me all these things he thinks I want. But what he doesn’t realize is that I don’t care how much money we have in the bank. I don’t care about driving a new truck or being able to go out in town whenever we want. I don’t even care about moving closer to a city so I can finish my degree, at least not as much as he thinks I do.”

  When her voice trailed off, Tommy cleared his throat. “So what do you care about?”

  “The little things,” she admitted. “The everyday things that remind me of why we’re together in the first place. All of those little gestures have just…fallen by the wayside since his father died. And I miss them. I miss him. I know that he has a lot on his mind right now, and I’m trying to be understanding, but sometimes I wish he’d just forget about everything else for two seconds and actually live in the present. Even if it was just for a night. Even if it was just–”

  She stopped short and shook her head. “I’m sorry. You asked me for advice and all I’m doing is sitting here whining.”

  “You’re not whining,” he assured her. “You’re being honest.”

  “Well, there is such a thing as too much honesty.” Rebecca released a deep breath and met his gaze. “Anyway, I have a feeling that Liz won’t have to worry about any of that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “You strike me as the kind of man who’s going to make your wife the center of your world.”

  Her response surprised him–startled him, even. She gave a halfhearted smile and turned her attention to the band, but Tommy couldn’t move. He studied her profile for a minute, admiring the shape of her lips and the graceful line of her neck, until he felt that familiar, unwelcome ache in his chest.

  You’re right. And it could have been you.

  Before he could open his mouth, Rebecca spoke again. “I like this song.”

  He wasn’t listening to the music. In the midst of their conversation, he’d all but forgotten they were in a bar.

  “I like it, too,” he agreed.

  She raised a brow. “You know Norah Jones?”

  “Sure.” He chuckled at her doubtful expression. “What? You think the only type of music I listen to is country?”

  Rebecca echoed his laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”

  Tommy was glad that she was laughing again; he wanted to keep it that way. “Well, Mrs. Westin,” he said, pushing himself to his feet. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in Vegas all weekend and I have yet to set foot on a dance floor.”

  She mirrored his grin as he pulled her up from her stool. “I’m a terrible dancer.”

  “You say that every time. And you still don’t have anybody convinced.”

  He lifted his hand and spun her in a graceful circle before he touched her waist and pulled her closer. She surprised him when she eased her arms around his neck, but he wasn’t about to argue. He slid his arms around her and leaned his cheek against hers, privately relishing the feel of her skin.

  “You know,” he said quietly, “you’re the only girl I can actually dance cheek-to-cheek with.”

  “Well, we’ll have to find Liz a box to stand on.”

  Tommy stifled a laugh. “I don’t think that’d go over too well.”

  “Wait,” she added, pulling back to look at him. “What about Shania?”

  “Shania?” he echoed. “You’d have t
o get me a box.”

  Rebecca buried her face in his neck, giggling like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. He knew the tequila was hitting her now, and not just because she was cracking jokes about Alec’s ex-girlfriend.

  He could feel the effects of the tequila himself; each of his senses seemed blurred and heightened, if that was possible. He’d danced with Rebecca countless times, but never like this, close enough to feel the gentle contours of her body. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair and her perfume until he was utterly intoxicated.

  Tommy had been struggling to control his thoughts all weekend, but the more he tried to rein them in, the more they seemed to get away from him. He was in no way dissatisfied with Liz…so why was he still yearning for Rebecca?

  As much as he knew that his desire was wrong, he was equally powerless to stop it. The potent atmosphere of Vegas certainly didn’t help, nor did the mishap at Sabrosa. He’d been trying to take a full breath ever since he’d removed his blindfold and found himself only inches from Rebecca’s face. Even now, he could still taste the salt he’d licked from her skin and the lime he’d pulled from her mouth.

  If he’d known it was her…

  He sighed and rejoined the present, only to realize that his hands had slid below the small of her back. He expected her to pull away as he repositioned his arms, but she didn’t. Rebecca seemed perfectly content leaning into him, resting her face against his neck. With each exhale, he could feel the heat of her mouth against his skin, and he decided right then and there that it was the most erotic sensation he’d ever felt.

  Tommy tilted his head back and drew in a silent breath, again trying to redirect his thoughts. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?

  The song seemed to end abruptly, reconnecting his feet to the ground. Rebecca lifted her face to look at him and would have stumbled backwards if he didn’t tighten his arms around her.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I think you’re going to have to carry me upstairs.”

  Tommy mirrored her grin. “We’re at the Bellagio, Bec. They have elevators.”

  When she broke into a fresh round of giggling, he knew it was time to call it a night. He secured an arm around her waist and she leaned against him for support as they began the long walk through the resort. People gazed at them as they walked past, probably assuming they were a couple, which thrilled and saddened him at the same time.

  By the time they reached the elevators, his buzz had more than worn off while Rebecca was only getting tipsier. “You got me hammered,” she informed him.

  “I thought you said you could keep up with me.”

  “I think I lied.”

  He chuckled as she clutched his arm and leaned her face against his shoulder. Rebecca was fun with a few drinks in her–dangerously fun. He made a quick mental note never to drink alone with her again.

  When the doors opened on the ninth floor, Rebecca started to take a step forward and nearly tripped over his foot. Tommy steadied her mid-fall, but at this point she was swaying in her heels.

  “Aw, Bec,” he said, sighing as he slid his arm behind her knees. “When did you become such a lightweight?”

  She gave a surprised laugh when he scooped her up and started down the long corridor. “Is this your idea of sweeping me off my feet?”

  “It’s my idea of you not passing out inside the elevator.”

  She narrowed her eyes in a failed attempt to look mad. “It’s all your fault, you know.”

  “And I feel terrible about it,” he replied without a hint of remorse.

  By the time they reached her room, Rebecca was laughing again. Tommy set her down but continued to steady her, reaching out with his free hand to knock. A moment later Alec opened the door, squinting against the light from the hallway.

  “Thought you might want this one back,” Tommy said.

  Rebecca finally seemed to realize where she was and gave a gigantic gasp when she saw her husband. “Hi, honey.”

  Alec grinned in amusement. “Well, hi,” he echoed, opening the door wider. “Did you have a good time?”

  “I did,” she replied, taking a wobbly step towards him. “But I’m not sure if I remembered where our room was, so I’m really glad Tommy brought me back.”

  “I’m really glad he did, too.” Alec secured an arm around her before he turned back to Tommy. “Thanks.”

  Tommy nodded. “No problem.”

  The door closed behind them, bringing the whirlwind evening to an abrupt end. Tommy remained there for several seconds, listening to Rebecca’s laughter from the other side of the door, until there was nothing but silence and the sharp, stabbing reminder that she would never be his.

  Chapter 19

  As luck would have it, the biggest snowstorm of the season hit Wyoming during their getaway weekend.

  Totals for the two-day storm topped three feet, blanketing Jackson in a shroud of white. The main roads had been plowed, but Alec’s truck nearly got stuck twice on the half-mile access road between the highway and the ranch. Only the top railing of the paddock fence was visible on either side as he carefully maneuvered through the snow.

  By the time he, Rebecca, and Tommy reached the parking lot, the only thing Alec could do was groan. He didn’t stand a chance of making it up the driveway, and chances of reaching the barns didn’t look much better. Even with a snow blower, they had a hell of a lot of work ahead of them.

  Welcome home, he thought, feeling his spirits plummet as he stepped into the snow.

  Dakota’s reaction was quite the opposite. After three days of being cooped up in town with Susan and Stacey, the puppy was all too eager to leap from the bed of the truck. In spite of himself, Alec chuckled when the dog bounded into a snow bank and disappeared, leaving only her ears and the tip of her tail exposed.

  While Rebecca laughed and went to help unbury the puppy, Tommy waded over to Alec’s side of the truck. “How long is it gonna take us to clear all this out?”

  Alec gave a weary sigh. “Better get some sleep tonight. We’re going to need it.”

  He’d slept so well in Las Vegas, but now that they were home his sleep was fitful at best. Finally he pushed himself out of bed around four-thirty and brewed a pot of coffee, figuring he’d get the day started. Tommy soon joined him with two shovels, which they used to create a path to the equipment shed so they could retrieve the snow blower. By the time the sun came up, they’d managed to clear a narrow walkway to each of the barns.

  Alec cursed under his breath when he saw that Onyx’s water bucket was frozen solid. “Again?” he muttered, yanking out the heater part he’d replaced a month earlier.

  Tommy frowned. “I’ll order another part for it today.”

  “Don’t bother. I’ll just replace the damn thing.”

  They started clearing the driveway next, inching up the hillside to the mound of snow that concealed Rebecca’s truck. By noon, Alec realized that it was going to be more than a single-day project.

  “I made lunch,” Rebecca called from the porch. “Why don’t you guys take a break?”

  Eagerly Alec and Tommy set their equipment aside and followed her into the farmhouse. Alec kicked the snow off his boots and winced as he reached up to remove his hat. He hadn’t cleared this much snow in ages, and the repetitive motion was doing a number on his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut and arched his back, grimacing again as his muscles protested the movement.

  Only when he opened his eyes did he notice his wife and best friend staring at him in concern. “You okay?” Rebecca asked.

  Alec forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

  After lunch, Tommy headed back outside while Alec helped Rebecca clean the kitchen. Then he strode down the hallway to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. He dumped three painkillers into his hand and shut the cabinet door, only to jump when he saw Rebecca’s reflection in the mirror.

  “You scare
d me,” he said.

  She didn’t respond right away. Instead she stepped closer and pressed her lips to his shoulder–after this long, she knew exactly where he hurt–before she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “Stay in and rest,” she whispered against his back. “I’ll help Tommy finish the driveway.”

  “It’s back-breaking work, Bec. I’m not going to let you do it.”

  “I’m not asking for your permission.” She pulled him around to face her. “I’m really worried about you.”

  Out of nowhere, a solid lump formed in Alec’s throat. He didn’t trust his voice, so he gave a silent nod and gathered her in his embrace. They stood that way for a long time, simply holding one another, before Alec drew in a shaky breath.

  “I don’t want to do this anymore,” he confessed. “Does that make me a terrible person?”

  Rebecca shook her head. “It just makes you human.”

  Alec cupped her face in his hands and gave her a soft kiss. “I’m going to put some ice on it and take a hot shower. I’ll be back out to help you guys in a little while.”

  To his relief, she didn’t fight him this time. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and settled onto the couch, watching as Rebecca wrapped a scarf around her neck and headed into the cold. She never seemed to mind working around the ranch, but that didn’t mean he didn’t hate seeing her do it.

  He must have dozed, because the next thing he heard was the telephone ringing. Groggily he pushed himself to a sitting position and reached for the end table to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello. May I speak with Alec, please?”

  He frowned at the vaguely familiar voice. “This is him.”

  “Hi, Alec. This is Bonnie from Alpine Realty.”

  *

  It didn’t take Rebecca long to realize why Alec didn’t want her shoveling the driveway. Even her perfectly healthy shoulders were screaming for mercy after half an hour. Clearing a few inches of snow off the ground was one thing; clearing several feet of it was another.

  At some point Tommy glanced over his shoulder, only to grin when he saw Rebecca’s expression. “I’ve got it, Bec.”