Back to Texas

by Renee, Amanda

  “So do I.” Shane stood.

  One by one the entire family rose. Lexi stood last, which Adam understood in view of her relationship with Bridgett.

  “I’m at a loss here. Thank you.”

  Kay waved for everyone to slide down one seat and pulled out a chair for Adam. “Now, let’s eat before the rest of this food gets cold.”

  Adam took his place at the table and watched the entire Langtry family continue to chat and pass the serving dishes as if the entire conversation had never happened. He only wished he could have this kind of relationship with his own family. Tonight he needed them more than ever.

  * * *

  BRIDGETT WAS ABLE to get in and out of the Bed & Biscuit without any questions from Mazie. News hadn’t traveled that far yet and Bridgett knew she only had a matter of minutes to shower and change before Mazie found out.

  Pulling up in front of Clay’s parents’ house, Bridgett vowed not to let what had happened with Adam ruin everyone else’s Thanksgiving. Inhaling deeply, she pushed her shoulders back and strutted up the front walk as if she walked a fashion runway. I can do this.

  Abby swung the door open before Bridgett had a chance to knock.

  “Bridgett, you look amazing. I love your dress. Where’s Adam?”

  “He couldn’t make it.” Bridgett didn’t offer any further explanation, but she was certain Abby sensed she wasn’t telling her the whole story. She didn’t push for more information and Bridgett didn’t offer. By the end of the night, the entire town would hear about her humiliation once again. For a few short hours, she wanted to forget she’d ever heard the name Adam Steele.

  “Come meet my parents.”

  Bridgett had thought she’d be nervous meeting Abby’s parents, but she hadn’t taken into account how they would feel. It must be hard for them meeting Abby’s biological family, especially since their daughter had given up her entire life and moved to Texas to be closer to them. Her adoptive parents appeared painfully awkward and out of place despite Abby’s constant physical reassurance of a hand touch here and a hug there.

  And Bridgett’s poor mother...she had never seen Ruby so quiet unless she was sleeping. Knowing her mother, she was mentally comparing herself to Abby’s parents. Seeing how much wealthier they were than Ruby, Bridgett knew her mother once again felt as if she had failed her. It broke Bridgett’s heart.

  Dinner went relatively well. Bridgett was grateful Hannah was home from college. Hearing about college sororities and exams over turkey and pumpkin pie was a fun distraction from her own thoughts and feelings. Slipping out the back after dinner, Bridgett sat on one of the porch’s wooden rocking chairs and enjoyed the cool night air and solitude.

  “Mind if I join you?” Abby asked.

  “Be my guest.” Bridgett pointed to the other chair. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I just needed some fresh air. It’s been a very long day.”

  “You and me both,” Abby agreed. “Be glad you’re outside. My brother just told my parents he wants to move here. They’re not happy. The only reason he moved to Charleston in the first place was because I was there and the city had a decent university for him to attend. It doesn’t make sense for him to stay there now that he’s graduating. Plus he can’t afford the expenses on the house we shared. And after living in the south for four years, he doesn’t want to return to Pennsylvania’s frigid winters. He’s always wanted to be a police officer or a private investigator. Now that Wyatt will have his criminal justice degree, Clay’s been talking to him about his options, including working for him at the detective agency. Ramblewood does make sense. But it’s his decision, not theirs.”

  “Abby, I don’t think that’s why they have a problem with it.” As intuitive as Abby was, Bridgett was surprised she hadn’t realized why her parents were opposed to her brother’s move. “Look at it from their point of view. They adopted you, gave you a home and raised you as if you were their own. Then you tracked down your long-lost sister and moved here to be near your biological parents and me. Then your brother follows. Your parents probably feel left out and possibly even cut out of your lives. I’m willing to bet they already feel as if you’re replacing them with your new family.”

  “That’s not at all what I’m doing.”

  Bridgett leaned over and squeezed Abby’s hand. “I know you’re not, although I can’t help but feel like you’re invading my territory, and I need to work on that. Wyatt needs to be a little more sympathetic to the situation. I’m not saying he shouldn’t move here, but he needs to be aware of how his actions are affecting your mom and dad. Because at the end of the day, despite all of this biological crap, they are still your parents.”

  “You’re right.”

  Abby sat in silence for the next few minutes. Bridgett felt her eyelids getting heavier with every rock of her chair. The L-tryptophan from the turkey didn’t help matters much. After the little sleep she’d had last night—no—she refused to spend one second remembering her night with Adam after what he’d told her today.

  “If you want to talk about it, I can be a good listener—contrary to popular belief.”

  Bridgett let out a long breath. “I don’t know if you would believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  Bridgett opened her eyes and regarded Abby for who she was, her sister. If you can’t trust your sister, who can you trust?

  By the time Bridgett finished with her story, Abby’s mouth gaped open in shock.

  “There’s only one surefire way to find out the truth,” Abby finally said when she regained the use of her vocal chords. “We’ll have Clay run a full background check on him. You deserve to get all the facts and find out if his whole explanation is true.”

  As much as Bridgett hated to involve Clay and Abby, she did want the truth...and whatever harsh realities came with it.

  * * *

  ADAM HADN’T FELT comfortable sleeping in the bunkhouse last night, or accepting Kay’s invitation to stay in the main house. He opted to spend the night in a hotel, and booked a round-trip flight to Los Angeles so he could sign off on whatever paperwork remained to sever all ties with his old life.

  Shane had agreed to keep Adam’s truck at the ranch until he returned. By the time he made it down to the hotel lobby, airport car service was waiting. As they drove out of town, Adam realized he was carrying more baggage than he’d arrived with. He’d be flying home to California with a broken heart.

  * * *

  TAKING A BREAK from her shift at The Magpie the next day, Bridgett ducked outside to call Lexi and find out what had happened when Adam arrived last night.

  “He explained what he did and joined us for dinner,” Lexi said matter-of-factly.

  “Awfully bold of him, don’t you think.” Adam definitely wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. She hadn’t imagined he’d be that brazen after revealing he had lied to her for almost two months.

  “It didn’t quite happen the way you think. Everyone asked him to stay.”

  “Including you?” Lexi’s betrayal pierced what was left of Bridgett’s heart, almost causing her to hang up the phone. “How could you?” she whispered.

  “It wasn’t easy,” Lexi said. “How do I explain it?” She exhaled into the phone. “I believe him. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but I don’t think he lied to you. He did leave out some very crucial details and you have every right to be mad at him for that.”

  Bridgett couldn’t fathom what she was hearing. “Let me guess, he’s working as a ranch hand and everything is wonderful in Adam’s world.”

  “Um, no. I thought he would have told you,” Lexi said. “He left for California this morning. He’s gone, Bridgett.”

  Bridgett’s stomach churned and her heart began to thud a slow, heavy beat. “He told me Ramblewood was his home now.”

 
“If it’s any consolation, Shane has his truck and Adam claims he’s going to be back, although we do have our doubts about it. There’s no comparison between LA and Ramblewood. I’m sorry, sweetie. I shouldn’t have said that. Do you even know if you still want him around?”

  “I don’t know. He told me everything was finished in California...that he’d sold his house and had already shipped his furniture to some warehouse. But I don’t know if there’s more he’s not saying, either.”

  “First I’ve heard about any of that stuff, but I would think the dissolution of a platinum-selling band would require signing mountains of paperwork. Have you checked out his net worth? Bridgett, there’s a lot of money at stake and I’m not sure how much of it could be handled long-distance.”

  “He did say he had to go back to wrap things up. How much of its true is anyone’s guess.” Bridgett ended the conversation with Lexi feeling worse than she had before. She had tried calling Adam, but it had gone straight to voice mail. Not bothering to leave a message, she disconnected.

  After work, Bridgett decided to drive out to Bridle Dance and talk to Kay personally. If Adam had confided in anyone, she suspected it would have been Kay.

  * * *

  “YOU’RE OKAY WITH Adam’s lies, too?” Bridgett asked Kay as they walked along the main ranch road.

  “I know you’re hurting and I can only imagine how betrayed you must feel. But from what I can reckon, the man told the truth the entire time he was here.” Kay stilled Bridgett from walking farther. “When it really comes down to it, what lies did he tell you, or any of us? He’s a horseman from Katy, Texas, who had a bad falling out with his family. He’s a cowboy who lost his way. Not unlike any of my boys at some point in their lives. Yes, he did it with much more dramatic flair than any of them, but it still doesn’t change the facts, Bridgett. Adam told us the truth from day one. It’s the rest of the world he lied to. I know this is a lot to ask, but I think he deserves a second chance.”

  “He lied by omission.”

  “Who hasn’t?” Kay threw back her head and laughed. “Don’t even begin to tell me you haven’t done the exact same things. We all do. We purposely leave something out because it might hurt someone or because we’re afraid of losing their love or respect. Does Ruby have any idea you used to sneak out here for riding lessons?”

  Bridgett shook her head. “No.”

  “Why not? Why keep it from her?” Kay goaded.

  “Because she would have felt like a charity case if she’d found out Joe wasn’t charging me for the lessons.”

  “And what about all those crazy things you used to do when it came to boys? Does Adam know about the time you fell and broke your arm because you had such a crush on Aaron Bradley you chased him up a tree? No, because it’s not who you are today. Adam left things out because it’s not who he is today. And yes, hiding his identity was much bigger than falling out of a tree, but Adam was trying to move forward with his life. Nothing he hid was threatening or physically harmful to anyone. I know you were hurt by it, and you have a right to be upset. But it isn’t always black and white. You have to allow for gray, too. He’s a good man, Bridgett. I shouldn’t tell you this, but he made a large anonymous donation to Dance of Hope the first few days he was here.”

  “He did what?”

  “I’m not going to give you the amount,” Kay smiled. “But he added lots of zeros to the check.”

  Bridgett thanked Kay and sought out her sister at Dance of Hope. She needed Clay to locate Adam for her so she could talk to the man who’d come to mean so much to her before he’d broken her heart. If it meant flying to California, she’d be on the next plane out. She refused to let things end this way.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Days passed and Bridgett was no closer to finding Adam. Where the stares and whispers had once begun to wane, they were now in full swing again. She’d moved home with her mother after Thanksgiving, and while it was a start, they still had a long ways to go before they repaired their relationship.

  Clay had run a detailed background check on Adam. It turned out everything he’d told them was true. By the week’s end, Adam’s face was plastered across every trashy tabloid at the grocery store checkout. He had done exactly what he’d said he would. He’d told the world the truth. While he had refused interviews, Bridgett had read every one of his press releases.

  Despite Clay’s various connections in Los Angeles, Adam had the money to hide and stay hidden. For all she knew, he might actually be trekking the Australian outback this time. It was the last place anyone would check now.

  She had been able to contact Adam’s sister, Lizzy. Clay had located her phone number and Bridgett had listened while his sister told her the extent of Adam’s deception. Lizzy loved her brother, but she hadn’t sugarcoated any of it. She gave Bridgett the facts and told her to come to her own conclusions. Bridgett just wanted Adam to return one phone call. That was all she needed.

  * * *

  ADAM LANDED AT the San Antonio airport exactly two weeks after he’d left. With all ties severed in California, he finally felt free. During his time away, he had researched every available property in Ramblewood.

  Eager to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams, he found a storefront for his music school. He also found a large house near the center of town on a few acres with a commercially zoned separate building he’d love to convert into a restaurant for Bridgett, if she’d have him back. She had at least left him a few voice mails, asking him to call her back. It had given him a glimmer of hope, but he hadn’t felt right returning her calls yet. He’d wanted to ensure he’d wrapped up everything before he spoke with her again.

  Adam had an appointment to meet with Bond Gallo, a Ramblewood real estate agent, in a little over an hour. If the properties he’d looked at online were as good in person, Bond would have one hell of a commission check this month.

  As much as he wanted to see Bridgett, there were a few minor details he needed to tie up first. He knew Bridgett would never want to be the wife of a rock star, but the wife of a music school owner was altogether different.

  When airport car service pulled up to the first property, Adam was pleasantly surprised.

  The main house was magnificent, needing very little updating. The old farmhouse that stood on the property was the perfect size for a restaurant and he’d be willing to pay for whatever modifications Bridgett wanted. It needed to be completely gutted and outfitted for an industrial kitchen, but he was confident it would maintain much of its charm.

  “It’s perfect,” Adam said to Bond.

  The commercial property Bond had shown Adam for his music school had far exceeded his expectations in size. It was an abandoned ammunitions factory. The inside was a blank slate and could be configured any way he wanted. Adam made two full price offers that afternoon, setting his final plan in motion.

  Adam asked his driver to take him to the back entrance of the Bridle Dance ranch, closest to Shane and Lexi’s house. He wasn’t ready for anyone to spot him just yet. He wanted to be the one to tell Bridgett he was back in town.

  Adam dialed Shane’s number and was grateful Shane didn’t give away who he was talking to when he answered the phone.

  “How are you doing?” Shane asked.

  “You’re about to find out, because I’m almost to the ranch. Is there any way you can get me my truck without anyone seeing you?”

  “Come on up to the house. Lexi’s not home.”

  By nightfall, with Shane’s seal of approval, Adam headed toward Ruby’s house to see Bridgett. He was surprised to hear she’d moved back home. He wondered what had changed her mind, but was glad she had finally resolved her family differences. Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite say the same for himself. Things still hadn’t improved with his parents, although his relationship with Lizzy was growing stronger every time the
y spoke.

  Adam’s Texas cell phone rang and he was surprised to see Bridgett’s name and photo on the screen. He wondered if Shane had told Lexi and she had tipped Bridgett off that he was in town. It didn’t matter anyway: he was almost to her house.

  “Hello.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d answer.” Bridgett said on the other end. “Hear me out before you hang up on me.”

  “I have no intention on hanging up on you, Bridgett.”

  “That’s good because I have a lot to say.”

  “Can it wait a minute?” Adam asked.

  “No, it can’t. I’ve waited two weeks for you to pick up the phone. I’ve done a lot of soul-searching and I know in my heart you are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. You said you wanted a second chance, and I’m ready to give you one, even if it means going to California.”

  Adam heard the words, but his brain had a hard time keeping up with her. “Are you sure, because if you are, I have something to ask you first.”

  “Okay.” Adam could hear the anxiety in Bridgett’s voice. He had debated telling her about his plans in person, but he didn’t think he’d be able to endure the rejection if she were standing in front of him.

  “How would you feel if I bought a house in Ramblewood and opened up a music school nearby?”

  “A music school?”

  Adam pulled up in front of Bridgett’s house and parked. “I wanted to tell you the night you asked me what my hopes and dreams were. But I couldn’t. Not then, I couldn’t. It had been my plan from the beginning. I’ve designed and redesigned it many times over the years and I’m ready.”

  “Is that what you really want?” Bridgett asked. “To leave Hollywood and the standard of living you’ve grown so accustomed to.”

  He opened the truck door and stepped onto the sidewalk. “I’ve never been happy or comfortable in California. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a beautiful place, but it can also be very ugly at times. I got caught up in that lifestyle years ago.” Standing outside her front door, Adam inhaled deeply. “I know I still have a lot of work to do when it comes to my family, but I love you, Bridgett. With you by my side, I know I can accomplish anything.”