“Oh, it does.” I pulled the drink list from his grasp and checked to see who was behind the bar. It was busy enough that Stan and Meg were both there. They waved. “I’ll take a scotch. Stan knows what I like.” I held out my credit card. “It’s on me.”
Sam smirked. “Yes, ma’am. One mystery scotch coming right up.”
While he was gone, I checked my phone again to respond to the eight thousand text messages Hailey, Zane, and Daniel had left for me. Hailey was the only one who came close to understanding what I was experiencing. Your mom would be soooo proud of you.
I’d expected to have so many emotions. Instead, I was numb to it all. Is this what Will had meant about trying to fill a void in all the wrong ways? Now that I was irrevocably tied to the ranch, Will was permanently out of my reach. And if I stepped a single toe of out of line, Dad had left himself the wiggle room to dethrone me.
I tracked Gus as he followed a young woman around the side of the pool table. She rebuffed him, her face reddening as she shouted something I couldn’t hear. Gus slunk off, his head low as his buddies jeered at him.
In spite of how much he’d tormented me, I wished that I could be more like Gus sometimes. I wanted to move on from Will, but wanting wasn’t the same as doing. I couldn’t just go out and flirt, not with another man heavy on my heart. It wasn’t fair to a potential suitor.
“They are getting swarmed tonight,” Sam said as he handed over my scotch. “But Stan and Meg are making out like bandits on those tips.” He followed my gaze to where Gus was attempting his luck with a second woman. “Watching Gus in his natural habitat?”
“It isn’t pretty.”
Sam sipped at his beer. “I promised him I wouldn’t tell, but I was about seventeen at the time, so I’m not sure it really counts anymore. But Gus used to have a heck of a crush on you.”
I almost spit three dollars’ worth of scotch into his face. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m dead serious. How could he not?” Sam grinned. “You’re the most beautiful woman most of us have ever seen around Bellfield.”
“He was always horrible to me!” There were so many examples that I couldn’t even settle on the worst one. “Absolutely horrible.”
“Gus just gives women a hard time because he thinks they give him a hard time. He doesn’t know how to be… not a jerk. He’d be able to meet someone if he accepted that and changed a little.”
I relaxed a fraction. “I’m not excusing his behavior because he’s a pig, but I guess I do know what it’s like to be stubborn and shoot yourself in the foot.” I drained the rest of my drink and was already craving a second. “And then just keep shooting.”
“Are you saying that because of Will?”
“Kind of? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter anyway because we broke it off again. I got the ranch. I can’t have my cake and eat it, too.” Sam had said he wanted to come here to unwind, but I wondered if he was actually looking for a place to talk away from Beth and Dad. It was his last night here, after all. “I’m sorry that you have to leave.”
“I wasn’t lying about the demo,” he said. “I do need to go home. But I also thought if I put a deadline on it, maybe your dad would make up his mind sooner.”
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Not like you are.” Sam tipped the neck of his beer bottle at me. “You’re literally a lifesaver. That’s what Lowell and Gus kept harping on when they said they wanted you to take over. I think Remy wanted to, but you know how he is around your dad.”
“Gus stood up for me?”
“You saving Crystal really changed his tune.”
I drummed my fingers on the table. “You know, Will and his friends helped out there. And he hates his dad more than any of us do. Whatever happened to ‘enemy of my enemy,’ huh?”
Sam sighed. “Despite my own feelings, I remember how you used to light up whenever Will was around. I see that same light now. And, hell, Sky, if that’s who you want, don’t give up on it because of your parents. They’re not living your life.”
“But what about the ranch? Dad could take it back.”
“You just have to decide what’s more important to you. Are you willing—oh, that’s a terrible pun—to call your dad’s bluff? Because from what I saw, he puts a lot of stock—another pun, I’m awful—on keeping this ranch in the family for the sake of the grandkids.”
I remembered how even Beth had once urged me to let Dad sell the ranch so that I could be with Will. It felt like everyone was pushing us together and only one person was standing in our way—my father. But when I was truly honest about the situation, the person blocking that path was me. “Do you think I could really keep the ranch and be with Will?”
“Isn’t it worth it to at least try?” Sam chuckled. “If not, I’m sure I could set you up with Gus.”
“Don’t you even start with me, Sam Davis.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “You’re the boss.”
Chapter 22
It was harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye to Sam. He dropped by the house early the next morning, a hired driver idling in the driveway for the longer trip to the airport. Dad wasn’t much for goodbyes, so his was as gruff and brief as I’d come to expect. Beth opted for a hug and a very unoriginal joke about how Sam was too tall for her arms to reach.
When it was my turn, I didn’t know what to say. “If I just stand here like a dolt, does that mean you won’t leave?” I laughed. “I’m going to miss you around here.”
“I’m not that far.” He pointed west. “Just a stone’s throw that away, if your stone is traveling by aircraft.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” I ordered, giving him a much longer hug than Beth’s had been. “Seriously. We hardly talked when I was in New York. I don’t want that to happen again.”
His chin quivered as he nodded. “It won’t. See you later, Sky.”
I watched him go, waving from the porch as the silver sedan zig-zagged up the driveway in an attempt to stay on the thin strip of asphalt without running onto the decorative pea gravel on either side. My phone buzzed. It was Sam. Is it possible to get seasick inside of a car?
You’ll have to report back later.
Over the next few days, I felt Sam’s absence acutely. Perhaps moving to a hotel had been a mercy, an incremental step towards his final departure. Still, I found myself wanting to ask his opinion on just about everything as I sorted through emails and got up to speed on the legalities that I’d been excluded from before.
Several of the attorneys expressed their relief at being able to speak to someone with a law degree. It was a feeling I knew well from dealing with mergers and overzealous managers who wanted to bend a rule that couldn’t be bent without facing jail time. The ranch was in a mostly neutral standing, meaning that my father had either learned his lesson about taking unnecessary risks or the legal team had done a much better job of getting him under control.
I naturally assumed the latter.
On Monday the following week, Remy and Crystal returned on a part-time basis. My father and Beth were busy with follow-up appointments, so I met them at one of the barns by the house to welcome them back. “I thought you were going to stay out longer,” I admonished, giving them each a hug. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Very,” Remy responded, somewhat sheepishly.
Crystal cleared her throat with exaggeration. “What Daddy means is that we’re going to murder each other if we stay penned up together much longer.”
“I might be familiar with that feeling.”
Remy gestured to the barn and the ranch itself. “Congratulations, by the way. It’s all yours. Is this the part where I ask for a raise?”
I wasn’t sure what Remy made, but he absolutely deserved whatever it was. “You know I’d give you one.” I smacked my forehead. “Crap. I never answered those texts from either of you. I’m sorry. It’s been so busy. I haven’t had time to think.” Which maybe wasn’t
a bad thing, since whenever I did, my thoughts strayed to Will.
“Did you pay my medical bills?” Crystal asked, her jaw tight. “All I’ve gotten is a $250 bill from a nurse anesthetist. Seems like I should owe more than that.”
“Nope. Didn’t give them a dime.” I didn’t mention that I’d donated a quarter million dollars to the ICU for a new waiting room and had mentioned in no uncertain terms how nice it would be if they could reconsider my dear friend Crystal’s medical expenses in light of it.
Remy eyed me suspiciously. “If you did happen to be involved, we’re very grateful.”
I smirked. Not all of Dad’s habits were bad, and I’d always loved him for taking such good care of our cowboys. “If I did happen to be involved, you’re very welcome.”
“We thought you might want to tour around with us,” Crystal offered, indicating one of the larger pickups with two-row seating parked outside. “We’re just going to make some rounds and catch up on what we missed.”
I needed to do a deep dive into the supply chain, but it wasn’t every day that one of my best friends returned to work after being shot. “Sure. Can’t hurt to see what’s going on today.”
We piled into the truck and rumbled down one of the thoroughfares that spanned this segment of the ranch. Smaller dirt or gravel roads spanned off of it like tributaries. I wasn’t sure that any Wentworth alive knew the land as well as Remy. I would have trusted him to drive it with his eyes closed.
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning forward as he hooked a left and drove up the slight hill towards one of the barns. There was a rectangular shape on the ground and something jutting up in front of it. I pressed a hand above my eyes and peered through the tinted glass.
It was a stage.
And that was Dad.
And a news van.
The people crowded nearby came into focus next. It was most of the ranch, judging by the sight of Kenny, who hardly ever left his remote trailer on the far northern end, and Lowell, whose experience with my father’s secret meetings had only made him more anti-social.
“Oh no. Oh no. You are not bringing me to a press conference!” I fumbled for the door handle just as Remy pushed the child locks. “No!” I moaned, sinking lower in the seat. “I’m not even dressed for this!”
“Smile!” Crystal chirped as we came to a stop. “It’s not really a press conference. More like a party… with speeches… and reporters.”
I reluctantly stepped outside as the assembled crowd applauded. Dad grabbed a microphone and drew attention to the makeshift stage. “Skyler, we thought we’d surprise you with a little celebration today to commemorate the change in leadership at Black Gold Creek. This is a huge moment for our family, our employees, and the community as a whole.”
He spoke for a few minutes, then forced me into giving a short speech. This wasn’t really about me as much as it was putting together a unified front for the public. We didn’t want to advertise our internal power struggle or look like I was the candidate of last resort. Plus, investors loved this kind of garbage.
“How’d I do?” I asked Crystal as I retreated from the stage, drops of sweat dripping down my face. “Could you see my knees shaking?” Despite the numerous courses I’d taken in law school on the subject, I still despised public speaking in any venue, including a courtroom.
She slapped me on the back, then scowled at it when she noticed how sweaty I was. “You did fine. But it’s a good thing you’re wearing a thick shirt. Gross.”
We burst out laughing and threw an arm around each other as the cameraman approached to snap a photo. I was wearing a button-up embroidered ranch shirt and jeans, which I supposed was business attire in these parts. I would have brushed my hair a little better had I known, though.
“We have one more surprise for you,” Remy said, jerking his head towards the barn.
I followed him through to the rear, where Stan, Meg, and Gayle were hard at work on a buffet. I squealed and rushed over to hug Stan’s father. “I haven’t seen you in ages!” I exclaimed. “How are you?”
“Not too shabby,” he said, lifting me almost off the ground with the force of his hug. “Oof. You’ve grown up so fast. Already taking over for your dad.”
Stan scoffed. “I took over for you years ago!”
“Oh, shush.”
The adjacent horse paddock had been cleared out to accommodate a mix of picnic and banquet tables. Someone had even raked the sand to be as level as possible. “This is so sweet. I had no idea anyone was planning this.”
Remy put on some music and pulled the coolers of beer around as the cowboys started migrating into the area from out front. They milled about, socializing and examining the trays of pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and veggies that Stan’s family was setting out in metal trays.
I caught Dad watching me and moved within earshot. “Public relations?” I mumbled.
“We needed to make a formal announcement. Beth suggested making it a party to celebrate you as well.”
I couldn’t discern his feelings from his tone, but I doubted that he would have gone through with an event if he didn’t see at least a little value in it. “Thanks, Dad.” It almost made up for the subpar birthdays of my childhood. At a minimum, he was trying to meet me halfway.
Crystal whooped and started dancing, prompting a few of the other cowboys to join in. It warmed my heart to see her so carefree after what she’d suffered. I had no illusions that she’d ever forget the ordeal, but it was reassuring to recognize that she was surrounded by friends here.
My gaze flitted from one ranch leader to the next. My father. Remy. Lowell. They weren’t young anymore. Dad had already taken a step back. Remy and Lowell would follow eventually. There would be a changing of the guard, and it would be up to me to choose the right team for our generation.
That impermanence rattled me. When my mentors were retired and others like Gus or Crystal stepped into those roles, what would I have to anchor me? While everyone else got married and started families, I’d have no one. Hailey had already gotten a head start with Zane. Is this what Will had meant, that the ranch wouldn’t be able to fill the loneliness inside of me?
The worst part is that I didn’t have a proper confidant. Sam had been the perfectly neutral party, but that was before he’d confessed his feelings for me. I couldn’t subject him to that now, forcing him to listen to my relationship problems with Will. It was cruel. The only alternatives were Hailey, Crystal, and Stan, all of whom also had either some connection to my family or to Will.
Trying to explain my life to anyone outside of Bellfield was similarly impossible. I’d told Maggie bits and pieces, but she couldn’t fathom the depth of the hatred between my family and Will’s. I’d been steeped in it since birth.
Suddenly, the party didn’t seem quite so festive. I could see already that I was separate now, the boss instead of the boss’s daughter. By taking over, I’d guaranteed that I would never be “one of the cowboys.” I had no peers at the top.
While Dad and Beth had each other, the only way I could connect with anyone would be to cross a line or make an exception like I already knew I would do with Crystal. But there was a certain familiarity that came with being childhood friends. I couldn’t replicate that out of the blue with just anyone.
I felt alone in a crowd, resenting my inability to be satisfied with the fulfillment of my dream. I was like Goldilocks pouring out a bowl of porridge because it was a little too hot instead of just accepting that things couldn’t always be perfect.
“You don’t look too happy,” Crystal observed, gulping down a glass of lemonade. “What’s wrong?”
“Just thinking.”
“About Will?”
I sighed. “Get out of my head.”
“He told me what happened. It’s not fair to either of you.” She vanished for a minute and returned with a heaping plate. “Have something to eat. You’ll feel better.”
She was right. I did feel better after mingling
with the cowboys and catching up with Stan. A couple of hours into the party, Dad cut the music and turned on the microphone. “Alright. Fun’s over. Get the heck back to work.”
Everyone laughed. Gus shouted, “Do we have to?”
“If you want your paycheck!” I hollered back.
I tried to clean up some of the trash, but Beth insisted that she’d handle it with some of the other staff. I was tired from the stress of the speech and the general mayhem that had been my life lately. “Would it be un-boss-like if I went and took a nap?” I asked Crystal when we were alone.
“That’s the best part of being the boss,” she said, smiling. “You can do whatever you want. You go enjoy that nap. Me? I’ve got a date with a cranky palomino. See ya.”
Remy dropped her off at another one of the ubiquitous horse barns before driving me to the house. “Thanks for the lift. You coming inside?”
“Nah. I’ve got to meet Gus to go over what he’s been doing while I’ve been out.” Remy shook his head. “Let’s hope it’s not too much of a disaster.”
I waved goodbye, then turned and slogged up the front steps. I nearly tripped and died as my foot cleared the final stair. There was a young man, maybe even a teenager, seated on the decorative bench, his face obscured by an arrangement of gold flowers. He stood with great care. “Miss Skyler Wentworth?” he asked, his voice so quiet that I leaned forward involuntarily.
“That’s me.” I scanned the driveway again and spotted the florist’s van by the old house. He must have tried that first before realizing that it was obviously empty.
“I have a delivery for you, ma’am. Would you like me to bring it inside?”
I twisted the knob and nudged the door open. “I can take it.” I held out my hands and he carefully passed the vase over. “Thank you so much! Would you mind waiting one moment?”
He immediately stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “No problem, ma’am.”
The Cowboy's Promise: Love Triangle Billionaire Romance (The Wentworth Cowboy Billionaire Series) Page 19