Some Like It Ruthless (A Temporary Engagement)

by Bryce, Megan

  Earned money, good money.

  Tanner wanted to celebrate, to drink. He pulled into the liquor store and sat and stared.

  He’d tried to quit going cold turkey. And it had scared him. Because he’d seen how all his wanting had turned into needing.

  And one day he might try again, but for now he was working on reducing. To cut back and to think of alcohol as medicine. To take it when he needed it, only when he needed it. Only as much as he needed.

  But what was he supposed to do when he wanted it?

  He dialed his cell, dialed the one person he couldn’t fail again.

  When Ginny picked up, he said, “I think. . . I think I need a distraction.”

  “Where are you?”

  He didn’t want to tell her but he’d promised not to hide anymore. “. . . At the liquor store. I wanted to celebrate tonight.”

  “Come home, Tanner. We’ll celebrate by having a delicious dinner, we’ll celebrate by taking off all our clothes. And then we’ll celebrate by planning what to do with our future. What to do next.”

  He sighed deeply, watching people go in and out. Some smiling, happy. Some gripping their brown paper bags, hurrying to get home. Not happy; needing.

  He didn’t know why some could take a drink and then stop. He didn’t know why he couldn’t.

  Ginny said, “Why do you need a drink to celebrate, Tanner?”

  When he was happy, it made him happier. When he was sad, it made him less sad. He just felt better with alcohol. He just felt like more.

  “I guess I don’t need it. But I want it.”

  “Do you want it, really? Want everything that comes with it? I think you’re only remembering the good parts and forgetting the bad parts. The part where it turns from one drink to two to three. The part where you end up alone, pushing me away because you don’t want me to see.”

  At her words, he looked away from the store. He hadn’t been thinking of that. He’d been thinking of that first sip. The warmth that would spread through his body, making him feel so good. Making him feel even colder and more alone after it went away.

  “Come home, Tanner. Today has been a good day. We’ll have enough bad days, let’s keep the good days good to the end.”

  He turned on the car without looking at the store. Pictured himself sitting out by the pool alone, sliding a bottle under his chair.

  He said, “I’ll be home in a few minutes.”

  Ginny said, “I’ll be naked.”

  He choked out a laugh. “I’ll be home even quicker than I was planning.”

  “I love you, Tanner.”

  He smiled, knowing it was the truth even if she was still trying to get him home sans bottle.

  “I love you, Ginny. I’ll be home as fast as I can.”

  He hung up, keeping his eyes averted from the store. He sped out of the parking lot, getting away before he changed his mind. Before it won. Before it could ruin his evening with his wife.

  Maggie and Cole had left Midland late Friday afternoon. They hadn’t got back to Dallas until after eight. Hadn’t left Cole’s until after nine. He’d needed a change of clothes, a toothbrush.

  Maggie had watched him gather his things and had tried to keep a pleasant look on her face. Tried not to look like a deer caught in the headlights.

  Cole was moving in with her?

  Okay, yes, she already lived with him out in Midland. But that was different. That was temporary, in a trailer. Or had been until he’d bought a house.

  With a white and yellow kitchen. With pink tile in the bathroom.

  He’d dragged them to Walmart at midnight, getting supplies. Towels, a toothbrush holder. A coffee maker.

  She’d followed him around, pushing the cart, trying not to smile at him like a ninny. But he was just so cute.

  Cole Montgomery was cute.

  She was obviously suffering from sleep deprivation.

  There would be naps taken this weekend. Maggie understood now why he needed them.

  Maggie and Cole sat in the truck, looking at the lights that had been left on for them in the ranch house.

  He said, “Okay?”

  She put on her poker face. “Yes. I’ve just never lived with anyone before.”

  “You live with me.”

  “I can’t tell you why it’s different when it’s you living with me.”

  He took her hand in the dark and squeezed. “I know it’s different, Maggie. For one thing, you’re not going to be able to sleep in the middle of your bed.”

  “And I’m going to have to give you a drawer.”

  “It’s hurting you, isn’t it?”

  She laughed, dropping his hand to get out of the truck. He took her hand again before they reached the door and when they walked in together Maggie realized he’d been right. She was much more comfortable with him sneaking in the window than walking through the front door.

  “I need to speak with Rosa. Do you want to wait in the bedroom? Kitchen?”

  “I’ll make myself at home.”

  She turned to him, gripping his arms, wishing she was taller and she could look right into his eyes. Why didn’t they make three-inch boots?

  She said, “I’m not ashamed of you, Cole. I’m not nervous because it’s you. It’s just that it’s complicated because it’s you. I’m nervous because I’ve never brought a man home before.”

  When he grinned at her, she said, “Openly.”

  He dropped his travel bag and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I know you’re not ashamed of me, Empress. I’ve never thought you were, even when you should have been.”

  He kissed her and whispered against her lips, “And I think it’s cute that you’re nervous.”

  She pulled back from him. “Cute? Ugh.”

  She waved to the kitchen. “You’re welcome to anything. Except if it has a blue dot on it. That means Rosa has plans for it.”

  He pushed her down the hall. “Go take care of your business. I’ll see what’s in the kitchen.”

  She knocked softly, hoping Rosa was asleep. But she answered with a smile, her glasses perched on her head. “You’re home, mija. You need dinner?”

  Maggie shook her head, looking down the hall, and Rosa narrowed her eyes. She said, “He’s here.”

  “Rosa. He’s not what he did. Will you give him a chance?”

  “Why should I?”

  “Because he’ll be here all weekend. Every weekend.”

  Rosa closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You are not una chica estúpida. Why do you fall for the bad boy again?”

  Because the bad boy made her heart race, made life so much fun. He out-plotted her, outmaneuvered her. She had to work to get him where she wanted him to go.

  She just wasn’t quite sure where she wanted him.

  Maggie said, “He’s not a boy. He’s a man. And I’ve welcomed him here.” She took Rosa’s hand. “Please don’t spit in his food.”

  Rosa let out a string of Spanish. How dare Maggie insult her! She would never! To the food she made!

  Maggie laughed, hugging her. She whispered, “I know, Rosa. Don’t threaten him with a knife, okay?”

  Rosa harumphed, pushing Maggie away.

  Rosa put her glasses on and looked up at Maggie carefully. “He’ll be here every weekend?”

  Maggie nodded and Rosa said, “For how long?”

  Until this ended, until they ended.

  So. . . for always.

  Maggie took a deep breath, telling Rosa with her eyes. Telling the one person who would hate it the most. Telling the one person who’d seen what he did last time. Maybe warning her.

  Because Cole had snuck back in, crawled through her walls when no one else could. She didn’t ever want to let that go. No matter what he wanted in return. She didn’t want to be alone again.

  She didn’t want to be without Cole again.

  Rosa let out a long sigh. “At least he is pretty to look at.”

  Maggie smiled. “Thank you.”

  “T
ell him to stay out of my kitchen. And to keep his pantalones on.”

  “I’m not telling him that.”

  Rosa muttered, “I don’t want to hear this.”

  Maggie turned to go and Rosa grabbed her hand, saying softly, “Mija. You’re not going to be careful. You’re not going to be smart. So I’ll be here.”

  Maggie squeezed her hand and nodded. Then she went to go find Cole.

  Maggie walked by her father’s room, stopped inside and looked at him lying there, held his hand for a minute.

  She said softly, “Cole is going to stay here tonight. He’ll be staying here a lot.”

  She half expected his eyes to open, half expected him to wake up and ask her just what in the hell she thought she was doing.

  She said, “I don’t know. But you don’t need to worry. I know how to keep a wild man tamed. I learned at Mother’s feet, didn’t I?”

  She closed her eyes and remembered the hundred times her father had stood proudly before her mother, the hundred times he’d said, “Never tamed. Only caged.” The hundred times her mother had feathered kisses across his lips, the hundred times she’d said, “You’d like to think so.”

  Maggie put his hand down. “She’s waiting for you, Daddy. She’s been waiting a long time.”

  Cole was in the kitchen, sitting at the counter. A glass of milk, a plate of cookies in front of him.

  He said, “I didn’t hear any screaming.”

  “No screaming.”

  He held a cookie up for her to take a bite. She took a step forward and he pulled her into his lap. He fed her bites of cookie and held her. They didn’t speak, just sat there together.

  Cole took a long drink of milk, sighing happily, and she leaned back into him, listening to the quiet house, listening to her father’s machine.

  Cole said, “Okay?”

  She smiled at him. Everything was okay.

  She stood, taking his hand, and led him to her bedroom while the lights were still on.

  Cole lay between Maggie legs, his head pillowed between her breasts, and he murmured against her skin, “Marry me.”

  “Is that how you’re going to ask me?”

  “No. I’m not going to ask you. I’m in your bed, you’re wearing my ring. You’re going to marry me.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at him, couldn’t help but be amused at how high handed he was.

  He pushed himself up enough to see her face. He said, “I make you laugh, I make you come. You’re going to marry me.”

  “Is that all there is to marriage?”

  “What else could there possibly be?”

  She didn’t know, she’d never found anyone who’d made her think of marriage.

  She said, “Trust?”

  “You can trust me.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  He leaned down to lick her nipple. “Only when I can see you.”

  She ran her hands through his hair and smiled at the ceiling.

  He said, “But does any man trust his wife when she’s out of sight?”

  “Probably in a good marriage he would.”

  “We just wouldn’t have a good marriage. We’d have a volatile, knockdown-dragout, kiss and make up, see who has the upper hand today, always keep you in my sight marriage.”

  It did not sound that bad, actually.

  She said, “Who has the upper hand today?”

  “I do. You’re going to marry me.”

  “Not today I’m not.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  When she laughed, he rolled off her, off the bed. He went to his knees beside the bed and she rolled to her side to face him.

  He took her hand, looked at the ring, and said, “I knew. As soon as you waltzed into my office, I knew what I’d been missing the last few years. Knew what I’d thrown away.”

  She shook her head and he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. He said, “I did. And I won’t do it again.”

  She said, “What about love?”

  He stared at her. “Would you ever marry someone just because you loved him? Because I can’t see it.”

  She wouldn’t. What was love? And how could something that burned so bright last for fifty years?

  Marriage was a merger. You had to want to the same things, want to go the same direction. Be willing to compromise.

  She said, “I’m not sure about marriage in general. I don’t think we’d be any good at it.”

  “Why not?”

  “We don’t know how to compromise.”

  “We might not be any good at compromise but we get there eventually. We know how to deal.”

  She rolled back over to stare at the ceiling and Cole said, “Do you want the words, Maggie?”

  Her heart contracted and she froze. Did she want the words? Did she want Cole to love her?

  Did she want to say the words back?

  She shook her head ever so slightly.

  Cole climbed back in bed, leaning over her and saying, “I’ll have Paul write up a proposal.”

  Maggie let out her breath and let Cole pull her back from the edge.

  “What’s going to be in it?”

  “All of you to me. All of me to you. Forever.”

  She whispered, “Forever is a long time.”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, I’ll think about it. I’ll look for the proposal from Paul.”

  He smiled at her. “I can probably write this one up myself.”

  He rolled back out of bed, reaching for his bag and digging out a pen and paper. He scribbled on it and handed it to her.

  All of you to me. All of me to you. Forever.

  He’d signed and dated it, and Maggie looked down at it, her heart squeezed so tight, her throat closed.

  She looked back up at him watching, waiting. Still.

  The thought ran through her mind that you don’t make a deal with the devil and survive it. She’d barely survived the first one. It was safe to say she wouldn’t survive this one.

  But Maggie wasn’t going to be careful. She wasn’t going to be smart.

  She’d never been careful or smart with him.

  Maggie signed and dated it still looking at him.

  He smiled slowly and waited. Waited for her to come to him because she couldn’t stay away.

  She dropped the pen and paper on the floor and lay down with him on the bed.

  He pulled her close and whispered so softly she could pretend she couldn’t hear him. “I’ll give you the words, Maggie. When you’re ready. When you want them.”

  When she was ready to believe them. When she wanted to say them back.

  She closed her eyes and tried not to be afraid because Cole Montgomery loved her. Tried not to be afraid because she loved him back.

  Fourteen

  Cole was sitting at the counter when Tanner came in the kitchen Saturday morning. Rosa was cooking, ignoring him.

  Tanner stopped and looked between them, debating whether he really wanted to be here. Cole turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. Waiting, taunting.

  Tanner sighed and took the stool next to Cole.

  Rosa’s shoulders hunched and she banged her spatula against the skillet where pancakes were cooking. Tanner looked at the coffee maker sitting next to her and decided he’d just wait. For as long as it took.

  She finally whipped open the cupboard door and poured two cups, setting them in front of the men with a glare. She pulled out the cream, handing it to Tanner and muttering something in Spanish. Tanner didn’t know what, he’d never learned, but Cole answered her. In Spanish.

  Rosa froze, then turned back to the pancakes, flipping them. She said something else over her shoulder. Cole answered.

  Tanner sipped at his coffee, watching them, watching Rosa’s shoulders slowly relax as they talked.

  Rosa filled a plate and turned around. She watched Cole, her face closed. She said something and when Cole nodded, she put the plate in front of him.

  Cole glanced at Tanner and said, �
�She was reading me the riot act.”

  Tanner snorted. “No, she wasn’t.”

  “You speak Spanish?”

  “No. But I know what Rosa looks like when she’s mad. How do you know Spanish?”

  “I grew up speaking Spanish, half my employees are Hispanic.”

  Tanner nodded, digging into his plate when Rosa set it in front of him.

  They ate in silence. When they’d finished, Tanner sat back and said, “Going to be around today?”

  “For the weekend.”

  Rosa muttered to the stove, “Every weekend.”

  Cole smiled at her back and Tanner nodded again and thought, Cole Montgomery’s brother-in-law. Get in there, Tanner.

  But it was Saturday and all Tanner wanted to do was relax. Try to figure out how to spend the weekend without drinking. Without wanting to drink.

  Cole pulled a check out of his pocket, setting it on the counter in front of Tanner.

  Tanner looked at it, smiling, and Cole said, “You did better than I was expecting.”

  “It was Ginny.”

  Cole nodded. “I’ve negotiated with her before. I don’t really want to do it again.”

  Tanner laughed. “Those Caldwell girls.”

  “What are you going to do with it?”

  Ginny pushed open the kitchen door and Tanner looked at her when he said, “I’m going to rehab and then we’re moving into a little apartment.”

  Ginny wrapped her arms around his shoulders and said, “I think it’s enough to keep the cockroaches away.”

  Tanner chuckled. It was enough for now to keep the cockroaches away. And they would make it into more. Maybe not the fortune he’d lost but enough. Enough for them.

  Ginny said, “I’m leaving Caldwell. Tanner and I are starting our own business. If you need a negotiator, give us a call.”

  Cole said, “I may take you up on that. I have recently realized how much I hate Dallas. Does Maggie know?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  Tanner looked up at Ginny, at the determination on her face. She’d told him last night she was going to quit, that she wanted to start their own company.

  He hadn’t known what to give her in return except that if she was going to give up everything for him, he could do the same for her. He’d chosen rehab, had called last night and had scheduled it.