Claiming the Cowboy's Heart

by Brenda Harlen

  Though Liam was facing the front door, she read the tension in the line of his shoulders, heard it in his clipped tone. Obviously his brother had not called to share good news.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, when he finally disconnected the call.

  “I have to go. My dad—” He cleared his throat. “The ambulance is taking him to the hospital in Elko.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Give me your keys,” Macy said.

  Liam looked at her blankly. “What? Why?”

  “So I can drive you to the hospital.”

  He immediately shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I can drive.”

  Maybe he could, but she wasn’t sure that he should. It was obvious that his brother’s phone call had rocked him to the core. And understandable, considering that he’d already lost one parent and just learned that the other was in some kind of medical distress.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” she suggested as an alternative.

  “No,” he said again.

  “Okay.” She understood that he was distracted and worried about his father, but she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that he’d so quickly disregarded her offers to help. Maybe he didn’t need her, but she thought that he’d appreciate having someone to lean on during a time of crisis.

  “I need you here,” he said now.

  Which made sense and took a little bit of the sting out of his earlier rejection.

  “Will you call me?” she asked, walking with him toward the door. “To tell me how he’s doing. To let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

  He looked at her, his gaze unfocused. “What? Oh. Yeah. Okay.”

  She gave him a quick hug. “He’s going to be okay,” she said, and fervently prayed that it was true.

  While Liam was on his way to Elko, Macy called Rose to cover the desk at the inn. Then she went home to wait for Liam’s call.

  “You should go to the hospital,” Bev urged, when Macy told her mother as much as she herself knew.

  “He doesn’t want me there,” she reluctantly admitted.

  “What are you talking about?” her mother demanded. “Why wouldn’t he want you there?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe because our relationship doesn’t really mean anything to him?”

  Beverly scowled. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it?” Macy wondered. Though she wouldn’t put it in such blunt terms to her mother, she had to wonder if Liam preferred to keep her on the periphery of his world, as his inn manager and bed buddy, rather than let her be part of his life.

  Thankfully her phone rang before her mother could question her further, and Macy immediately snatched it up.

  “It was a heart attack,” Liam said without preamble. “He had emergency bypass surgery and is in recovery now.”

  “So, he’s going to be okay?” she prompted hesitantly.

  “Apparently. We don’t yet know how long he’s going to be in the hospital, but the doctor made it clear that he’s going to need time to rest and recuperate.”

  “Of course,” she agreed.

  “Which means that extra hands are going to be needed at the Circle G.”

  His hands, she realized.

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about the inn. Rose has already agreed to take additional and extended shifts, so the two of us can cover things for the short term. You might want to hire someone else for the longer term, but we can talk about that later.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “My mind is spinning in circles right now.”

  “Understandable,” she assured him. “You focus on your dad and let me know what you need.”

  “Thanks.”

  She’d hoped he might want to talk a little bit longer, and maybe open up about some of what he was feeling, but he told her that he had other calls to make, then said goodbye and disconnected.

  The following night, she gave in to her mother’s urging—and her own desire to see that Liam was holding up okay—and made a trip to the hospital. Anticipating that his grandparents and siblings would all be there, too, she took a couple of extra-large pizzas. Jo might still be mad at Liam, but when she realized who the pizzas were for, she refused to accept any payment for the pies.

  Macy was greeted warmly by the family members gathered in the waiting room, and she felt confident that she’d made the right decision in coming. But while she was in the middle of a conversation with Jack and Evelyn, Liam drew her away from his grandparents.

  “Let’s take a walk,” he said.

  It was more a command than a request, but understanding how worried he’d been about his father, she decided to cut him some slack.

  He fell silent again as they made their way down the brightly lit corridor, so she ventured to ask, “Did you have enough pizza? Because I think there were a couple of slices left.”

  He turned to face her then. “What are you really doing here, Macy?”

  She blinked, startled by not just the question but the coldness of his tone. “I know hospital food isn’t the best, and I thought you’d appreciate something different.”

  His expression was dubious. “You came all this way to deliver pizza?”

  “And to be here for you,” she said, wondering if he was really so thickheaded that he didn’t know how much she cared about him.

  “I didn’t ask you to come.”

  “No, you didn’t,” she said, silently acknowledging that maybe she was the obtuse one. She’d assumed he hadn’t asked because he didn’t want to seem weak and needy. Apparently she’d been wrong.

  “Because I can’t let myself be distracted right now,” he told her. “I need to focus on what matters.”

  Which clearly meant that she did not.

  “You’re right,” she said, fighting against the tears that burned her eyes. “I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry.”

  She turned toward the elevators, but she could hardly see through the sheen of moisture that blurred her vision. As a result, she nearly walked into someone approaching from the other direction.

  “Macy?” It was Skylar. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I was a little distracted—not really watching where I was going.”

  “Why are you going? You only just got here.”

  “It’s been a long day, and my babies are at home,” she said.

  “I don’t doubt both of those statements are true,” Sky said. “But I’m guessing my brother also said or did something to upset you.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What matters is your dad and his recovery.”

  “So stick around a little while. They only let two visitors in at a time, but we could slot you into the rotation. I know he’d be happy to see you.”

  “I really need to get back,” Macy said. “But please give your dad my best.”

  “And my brother a smack upside the head?” Sky prompted.

  She shook her head. “Not necessary.”

  “Even when it’s not, it’s fun.”

  Macy managed a small smile at that.

  “Seriously, though,” Liam’s sister said. “He doesn’t mean to be an idiot. He just can’t help himself sometimes.”

  “He’s got a lot on his mind right now.”

  “I’m not sure he does, considering that he dumped all of the inn responsibilities on you.”

  “I’m happy to help,” Macy assured her.

  “I know you are.” Sky gave her a quick hug. “And in case my brother didn’t say it, thanks for the pizza.”

  * * *

  “Ow.” Liam frowned at his younger sister and rubbed the back of his head. “What was that for?”

  She stood in front of him, her hands fisted on her hips. “I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “But I know you’re an idiot, so that was for Macy.”
<
br />   “Macy told you to hit me?”

  “Of course not. She’s far too sweet and compassionate to express her feelings through physical violence. She’s also far too good for you.”

  He didn’t doubt that was true.

  But before he could respond, he saw someone exit his father’s room and turn quickly to walk in the opposite direction.

  “Did you see—”

  “What?” she asked.

  But Sky was facing him, so she wouldn’t have seen anything.

  “Someone just walked out of Dad’s room.”

  “A doctor? A nurse?” she prompted, clearly unimpressed by his observation.

  “A woman. She looked like—” He shook his head. “But it couldn’t have been.”

  “Couldn’t have been who?” his sister pressed.

  “Valerie Blake,” he finally confided.

  Sky snorted. “I didn’t hear any reports that hell has frozen over, so no, it couldn’t have been Valerie Blake.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed. “Stress and fatigue must be playing tricks on my eyes.”

  “Obviously something is,” his sister agreed.

  “Well, let’s go find out if the doctors have a plan for when they’re going to release him,” he decided.

  Sky held up a hand, holding him in place. “You know that even when they do let him go home, he’s not going to be able to step right back into working the ranch.”

  “You think?” Liam asked dryly.

  His sister’s gaze narrowed. “I’m just saying, I know Caleb would appreciate it if you stepped up to help out.”

  “Six weeks ago, Caleb made it clear that they didn’t need my help at the Circle G.”

  “Six weeks ago, Dad wasn’t in the hospital and Wade wasn’t on his way to Billings for his son’s wedding.”

  He nodded. “You know I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  “What about the inn?”

  “Macy can handle the inn,” he said, because it was undoubtedly true.

  It was equally true that he hadn’t done a very good job handling Macy—or his growing feelings for her.

  * * *

  Macy didn’t go back to the hospital, and Liam didn’t come to the inn, so the next three days passed with only a handful of brief text messages exchanged between them. David Gilmore was sent home from the hospital on Sunday, which she knew had to be a relief to his family, but she was a little disappointed that she heard the news from Frieda Zimmerman who had run into the Circle G housekeeper at The Trading Post earlier that morning.

  Monday came and went, again with no communication from him. Obviously he trusted her to do whatever needed doing at the inn. It was just as obvious to Macy that he didn’t trust her as someone with whom to share his thoughts and feelings about what was going on with his father and, as a result, his own future.

  She tried to be patient and understanding. His father’s heart attack had been a shock to all of them; it was natural that Liam would be reeling. But it worried her that he seemed to be withdrawing from her. And she suspected that he didn’t see any purpose in talking to her about his future because he didn’t see her as part of that future.

  “That looks good,” Macy said, when she got home from work Wednesday afternoon and tracked her mother down in the kitchen.

  “It’s a teriyaki chicken casserole. This one’s for us, for dinner tonight, but there’s another one in the fridge for David Gilmore.”

  It didn’t matter that the man had a housekeeper to prepare his meals; sending food was what the residents of Haven did when someone was sick or injured. It was their way of showing that they cared.

  “Can you drop it off at the Circle G on your way home after work tomorrow?” Bev asked.

  “The Circle G is hardly on my way home,” she pointed out.

  “Thank you,” her mother said.

  Macy didn’t object to making the detour, but she was a little apprehensive about crossing paths with Liam.

  Maybe he hadn’t meant anything when he sent her away from the hospital, but she wanted to mean something to him, and it was becoming more and more apparent that she didn’t. At least not beyond the limited section of his life that he’d opted to share with her.

  Martina took the glass dish that Macy offered, then ushered her into the living room, where the family patriarch was reclined in his La-Z-Boy and scrolling through channels on the enormous television.

  He pressed the power button to blank the screen and give his full attention to his visitor. “A pretty face beats repeats on the Game Show Network any day,” he told her.

  “Yours looks pretty good, too, considering your recent ordeal.”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “Much ado about nothing—and now I’ve got all the neighbors sending casseroles and stews and whatnot.”

  “My mom sent a teriyaki chicken casserole,” she told him.

  He smiled again. “Your folks are good people.”

  “I think so,” she said.

  His smile faded and his gaze moved past her, as if looking for something—or someone—else. “You come by yourself?”

  “I did,” she confirmed, wondering who he expected would have accompanied her.

  His next question answered her unspoken query. “Where are those babies of yours?”

  “At home with the good people.”

  He chuckled at that, then grimaced and pressed a hand to his chest.

  “Are you okay?” Macy asked worriedly.

  “Yeah. I just forget sometimes that they had to crack my chest open to get at my ornery heart.”

  She winced sympathetically. “I can’t imagine that was much fun.”

  “Not much,” he agreed. “And now the doctor wants me to cut down on red meat.” He shook his head, as if baffled that someone with a medical degree could offer such outrageous advice. Especially to a cattle rancher.

  “I think that’s standard protocol after a cardiac event,” she noted. “Less red meat, salt and sugar. More fruits and vegetables. And exercise.” Of course, she knew that Liam’s father—like most other ranchers—did not lead a sedentary lifestyle.

  “That’s exactly what he said,” David grumbled.

  “My dad had a heart attack—” she paused to do a quick mental calculation “—eighteen years ago.”

  “Norm would have been quite young then,” Liam’s father noted.

  “He was young,” she confirmed. “And a smoker. But he followed the doctor’s advice. He gave up the cigarettes, made some dietary changes to control his blood pressure and cholesterol, and started to take a walk after dinner every night.”

  “Maybe the doctor isn’t completely full of crap, then,” he mused. “And there is one good thing that came out of all of this.”

  “You’re still alive?” she suggested.

  “Besides that,” he said. “My eldest son is back on the ranch, where he belongs.”

  Macy bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to pick a fight with a man who was recovering from major surgery, but she was worried that David might take advantage of his condition to manipulate his son. She understood why Liam had abandoned his responsibilities at the inn to help out at the ranch, but she couldn’t help but worry that this temporary solution would turn into a permanent arrangement.

  And if it did, what would that mean for her and her future?

  She pushed that admittedly selfish thought aside. Whatever happened with Liam and the inn, she knew she had the support of her family. She wished Liam could trust that he’d receive the same unconditional support from her.

  “He’s out in the east paddock supervising the calving, but I can call him in, if you wanted to see him,” David offered.

  She did want to see him, but she was apprehensive, too. And she knew that pulling calves—if assistance was required—was hard and messy wo
rk, and the crew on-site had likely settled into a rhythm that she was loathe to disrupt. Not to mention that she wasn’t sure of the reception she’d get if she did.

  “No, I don’t want to disturb him,” she said. “And I should be getting home, anyway. My mom and dad have had the kids all day.”

  “Sky tells me that you’ve been putting in extra hours at the inn so that Liam can be here.”

  “Lucky for me, I love my job,” she told him sincerely.

  “And you don’t think Liam feels the same way about the ranch?” he guessed.

  “I honestly don’t know anything about his feelings.” She was responding to his question about the Circle G, but realized the answer was equally applicable to Liam’s feelings for her.

  And perhaps that came through in subtext, because David shook his head. “In that case, my son’s a damn fool.”

  “Don’t worry about your son,” Macy said. “You just concentrate on your recovery.”

  “I promise I will if you promise to bring those babies of yours to visit me soon. There’s nothing like the laughter of young ones to soothe an old and aching heart.”

  She kissed his pale, weathered cheek. “I’ll do that.”

  * * *

  She was almost at her car when Liam came out of the barn, heading toward the house. Her heart bumped against her ribs when he spotted her and, after lifting a hand to wave, abruptly changed direction.

  “Why didn’t you call or text to let me know you were coming?” he asked, as he drew nearer.

  “Because I didn’t come to see you.”

  “Your mom sent food, didn’t she?” he guessed.

  “It’s what people do in this town.”

  “Apparently,” he noted. “Did you see my dad?”

  Macy nodded. “He seems to be in pretty good spirits, considering.”

  “Considering,” he agreed.