Lights, Cowboy, Action

by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  He stopped brushing and raised his head.

  Swallowing her trepidation, she rallied her courage. “I’m really sorry I had to lose my chance with you in order to gain Him back, but I can accept it if I have to. He always knows what’s best for us.”

  Her heart ached. If Adam would just look at her, she would know there was hope, but he gave her nothing. It was no use. She had hurt him too deeply. Lowering her chin, she turned to go.

  “It’s just that I’m so angry.”

  The force of his voice yanked her back around. She stared at his muscular form, afraid of saying something that would render him mute again.

  He spoke over his shoulder. “You made me think you were interested in me.”

  Her heart threatened to gallop right out of her. “But I was...am!” She gripped the top of the gate. “We had a terrible misunderstanding, but what you thought I meant, I really did mean, even though that wasn’t what I was saying.” Pinching her eyes shut, she shook away the illogic of it all. “You misunderstood my words but you understood my heart. So...please don’t be mad.”

  His head moved deliberately from side to side. “That’s not why I’m mad.”

  Her thoughts jumbled. “Then...why?”

  Letting out a long breath, he stepped halfway around. “You are smart and funny and ambitious and you love the Lord.”

  Confusion washed over her. “And...that makes you mad?”

  “No.” Slowly, he turned, eyes cast downward. “See, God let my dad die. I was just a kid—fifteen—and He took away the most important man in my life.”

  A cold, helpless weight filled her soul. He was still hurting from that loss. That made sense.

  “I never felt anything serious for any woman, maybe because I was in too much pain to let myself love anyone like that.” He stared at the brush in his hand. “Then you came along, and this thing happened with Angela.” Finally meeting her gaze, he moved to the gate opposite her. “I knew God wanted me to forgive you, but I realized I was carrying unforgiveness toward Him for letting my dad go too soon.”

  The moment stretched. She kept her focus on him, willing him to continue.

  Closing his eyes, he spoke slowly. “So I finally forgave Him.” He regarded her wistfully. “I forgive you, too.”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding.

  He looked away again, tossing the brush onto a hay bale. “And now I’m madder than ever.”

  Her brow pinched. “But...why...?”

  “Because I love you.”

  Her pulse thrummed against her eardrums so loudly she could barely hear herself think. He loved her? Everything in her wanted to scream, but she fought just to find her voice. “Well, if you’re mad—” she leaned on the gate “—then I should be furious.”

  “Really?” His eyes filled with anticipation.

  She nodded. “Because I love you, too.”

  In one perfect movement, he stepped around the gate and cupped her face in his hands. “Well now, that’s a relief.”

  She giggled, emotion swelling in her chest. “So, why does this make us mad?”

  Dropping his hands, his face turned solemn. “Because in a few hours you’re going back to your life in the city, which I can never be a part of. This is my home.” He spanned their surroundings with a wave of his hand. “Believe me, there’s nothing I want more than to figure out a way to combine our two worlds, but I just can’t see how.”

  Her joy faded as a cold heaviness settled inside her. He was right. It wasn’t like either of them was prepared to take a chance on an entirely different life. He would hate L.A. She might as well ask him to move to Mars. And if she abandoned her career, she might wind up resenting him. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  She stared through welling tears at the straw-strewn floor. If there was a way to make this work, only the Lord knew.

  A rumble of voices brought her bleary-eyed gaze up and over her shoulder.

  Mr. Bloom appeared at the door to the barn with Mrs. Greene on his arm. “We were hoping we’d find the two of you in here.”

  Seeming cheerfully oblivious to the sorrowfulness of the scene they’d walked in on, the older pair approached the stall.

  Patting Mrs. Greene’s hand, Mr. Bloom spoke to Adam and Courtney. “I have a piece of news that concerns both of you.”

  Looking down so he wouldn’t see her blinking back tears, Courtney clutched her elbows. Whatever he had to say, she couldn’t imagine it seeming very important right now.

  “I bought the Circle-O ranch.” Mr. Bloom radiated excitement. “Adam, we’re going to be neighbors.”

  Adam reached around Courtney to shake his hand. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” His brow creased. “Now all I need is a personal assistant who understands the movie business and won’t mind spending a good deal of time in Montana.” He gave Courtney a wink. “Know anybody?”

  Sputtering out an incredulous laugh, she resisted the urge to give Mr. Bloom a huge hug. Instead, she reached for Adam’s hand and grinned. “I can get you my résumé ASAP.”

  Chapter 24

  “Quiet, everyone!” Cal’s voice crackled over the speakers, which had been strategically positioned around the backyard of the ranch house. “Time to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Adam Greene.”

  A wild burst of cheering and applause greeted Courtney and Adam as they stepped out into the golden June afternoon. She felt just like Angela Bijou exiting her limo for the North to Montana premiere the month before, except this was about a million times better.

  She allowed her contented gaze to span the spacious yard, where their friends, families and most of the town had gathered to help them celebrate.

  “You know...” She fingered Adam’s black bolo tie, the one detail that had convinced him that wearing a tux wouldn’t be entirely terrible. “This could get confusing.”

  “What could?” He placed a soft kiss on her temple.

  “Your mom and I are both Mrs. Greene and we’ll be living in the same house.”

  His focus turned far off. “I have a feeling that could change soon.”

  She quirked him an upward glance. “What, the name or the house?”

  “Maybe both.”

  Her gaze followed his to the white-tent-covered dance floor where Travis Bloom lowered Adam’s mother in a theatrical dip.

  “Oh. I see.” She chuckled. “She might be transformed into Mrs. Bloom, First Lady of the Circle-O.”

  “I wouldn’t be too surprised.”

  Courtney smiled. She had grown to respect Mr. Bloom more and more over her first ten months as his assistant. His transitioning into the role of father-in-law wouldn’t seem like much of a leap.

  As she watched her brother Ben attempting the cowboy waltz with her best friend, Sheila, a whirring sound caught the periphery of her awareness. Searching the perfect clear blue sky, she saw nothing unusual. She leaned in toward Adam. “Do you hear that?”

  He inclined his head, looking as perplexed as she felt. “What do you think it is?”

  She shrugged as several of their guests stopped what they were doing and pointed to the sky above the house with hands shading their eyes. All of a sudden, a large helicopter roared into view directly above.

  Playful accusation glinted in Adam’s eyes. “Paparazzi?”

  “Well—” she held back a laugh “—we’re not exactly Angela and Jeffrey, but you never know.”

  As it became evident that the copter intended to land in the big pasture behind the barn, the majority of their guests began scampering over to greet it. Adam took Courtney’s hand and they hurried to join them.

  By the time they made it to the pasture, the copter had touched down and the engine had been cut. A man in a blue jumpsuit climbed out, carrying a cli
pboard and a large manila envelope.

  He approached Adam and Courtney. “You the newlyweds?”

  With an isn’t-it-obvious glance at Courtney’s Angela Bijou–gifted Vera Wang gown, the couple nodded.

  The man held out the clipboard. “Sign here.”

  Adam obliged. The man exchanged the clipboard for the envelope and called some instructions to his crewmen as Adam tore at the flap. Pulling out a sheet of stationery, he announced to the onlookers, “It’s from Angela and Jeffrey.”

  An excited murmur passed through the throng as Adam spoke softly to Courtney. “The note’s from Jeffrey.” He read. “‘To commemorate your wedding, I want to free up some time for you two to dedicate to each other by paying the wages for an extra hand at your ranch.’” Wrapping an arm around Courtney’s shoulder, he read on. “‘This offer will be extended for as long as you want, since the gift you’ve given me—see the enclosed documentation—will last a lifetime.’”

  Courtney reached into the envelope and took out an article from Cinema Update magazine. She read the headline. “‘Jeffrey Mark Caulfield Takes on the Role of a Lifetime, Playing a Man who Rescues Elephants in Africa.’” Below was a photo of Jeffrey riding an elephant, looking the very epitome of an action hero.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Adam went back to the letter. “‘In gratitude to the people of your lovely backwoods town—’” he crooked a half smile “‘—Angela and I have wired a sizable donation in your name to the town council, authorizing them to use it as they see fit. We hope this will provide Thornton Springs with a boost until we return to shoot N2M2—already in negotiations with Keith. And one more thing—’”

  Their heads snapped up as a ramp clanked from the rear of the helicopter.

  Adam returned to the page. “‘Angela thought your guests might get thirsty, hence the dramatic airmail delivery. Like the lady herself, her gift had to make an entrance.’”

  Deciphering the words stamped across the sides of the crates that were now being rolled down the ramp, Courtney let out a horselaugh. “It’s our own lifetime supply of D’eau Douce. We’ll never be thirsty again.”

  Adam gave her shoulder a squeeze, then crossed to the men. “Excuse me. Could you open a few of those? He shouted out to their guests. “Everybody grab a bottle. We’re drinking a toast.”

  A moment later, he walked back to Courtney with a couple of blue bottles in hand. Placing a palm on her waist, he caught her upturned gaze. She felt like the luckiest woman between Heaven and Tinseltown.

  Glancing around to see that the water had been distributed, he raised his own bottle. “To my beautiful bride. God knew what He was doing when He sent her to Thornton Springs.”

  Emotion choked her words. “And to my handsome cowboy groom, who has promised to put up with me occasionally going Hollywood.”

  As the cool water trickled down her throat, her spirit soared. She had never imagined that their two worlds could blend so perfectly.

  Firming his grip on her, he leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss that stole her breath. She pressed into his arms, practically oblivious to the catcalls from their party guests.

  As they melted into a bear hug, Courtney thanked God for His wisdom and grace. She hadn’t come to Thornton Springs searching for love, but the Lord had other plans.

  Now, as she turned her attention to the deepest brown eyes she had ever seen, she couldn’t wait to start their new life at the Bar-G Ranch—their happy home together.

  * * * * *

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  ISBN: 9781460314166

  Copyright © 2013 by Lesley Ann McDaniel

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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