Rather than eat breakfast in the dining hall, Aaron’s bunkmates decided to stick around to try to talk some sense into him. Though no one said they were hungry, Skunk and Teresa toasted bread and poured glasses of juice.
Aaron would, he decided, have one last meal with his friends. He’d miss them. He’d miss Natalie a whole lot more.
When his bunkmates could no longer postpone heading to work, Aaron carried his duffel bag to his truck. Teresa would ride with him down to the stables.
“Goodbye.” Skunk gave Aaron a hug. For a man of few words, he managed to say an awful lot.
Rick hugged Aaron next while Teresa sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. He’d said farewell to a lot of close friends during the years he rodeoed. It wasn’t something he’d ever grow used to.
Natalie must have told her parents something of what went on yesterday. When Aaron arrived at the stables, Gary kept his distance, busying himself with one chore after another. Only when Aaron was ready to load Dollar did Gary say anything.
“I’d’ve quit the ranch.”
“Now you don’t have to.” Aaron had backed his truck up to his horse trailer and was securing the hitch.
Gary stood beside him, watching. “Natalie’s having a tough go of it now, but eventually she’ll see that everything worked out for the best.”
If everything worked out for the best, why did it seem to Aaron that he was making the biggest mistake of his life?
“Don’t worry, son,” Gary said. “Natalie’s mother and I will help her get through this.”
Like they had the last time? Aaron wished Gary would be less agreeable and maybe punch his lights out instead. He deserved it for becoming just what Natalie had before and didn’t need again: a good-for-nothing cowboy afraid of commitment.
Grabbing a halter, Aaron lead Dollar from his stall to the trailer. Apparently, the horse didn’t want to leave either, because he refused the first few times Aaron tried to load him.
Gary shook Aaron’s hand when he’d finished latching the trailer door behind Dollar. “See you next year.”
Everyone kept saying the same thing. See you next year. Aaron wasn’t so sure he wanted to return. Not if he couldn’t be with Natalie. The long separation might mellow Jake, though Aaron doubted it. His ex-brother-in-law had a memory like a steel trap.
If it weren’t for the foundation and the money from the trust…Wait. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t need the trust to fund the foundation. Air Waves Communications had promised a sizable annual donation as part of their job offer, and with his connections, he could easily solicit more.
It occurred to him as he passed Natalie’s cabin that there might be something else he could do with his share of the trust. Something that would atone for the hurt he’d caused her.
Stopping in the parking lot where the signal was better, he took out his cell phone and called Howard, the family trust attorney. He wasn’t in his office yet so Aaron left a lengthy voice-mail message, outlining his instructions in detail.
He placed a second call to Trinkets and Treasures. Millie had been his one friend among the Tuckers, and he hated to leave without saying goodbye to her. The store didn’t open for two more hours, so he left word saying he’d stop by then.
Putting the truck in gear, he rolled through the main gate and left Bear Creek Ranch, for what would be the last time if all went as planned. His one consolation was the knowledge he’d done the right thing.
“NATALIE, GET IN HERE,” Jake called from his office.
“Coming.” She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
Why she bothered she didn’t know. Jake would take one look at her and know she’d spent the night crying. She’d contemplated calling in sick this morning, but the prospect of being alone and miserable appealed to her less than being at work. Here, at least, she’d be occupied and only think of Aaron every other second instead of continuously.
She’d hoped Jake wouldn’t be in the office today, preferring not to see him until after she’d reconciled her feelings. He might have meant well by what he did yesterday, but that didn’t excuse his actions. Later, when she was up to it emotionally, they’d have to talk.
“Howard’s on the speakerphone,” Jake said the instant she entered his office and indicated for her to take a seat. “He says he has a matter to discuss with us.”
“Both of us?” That made no sense. What could the family trust attorney want with her? With her and Jake?
“Hello, Natalie,” Howard said from the speakerphone.
“Good morning.” She looked questioningly from Jake to the phone.
“What’s going on, Howard?” Jake stood behind his desk, occasionally pacing back and forth. The lines of fatigue on his face evidenced he, too, had slept poorly the previous night.
“Aaron left a message on my phone this morning regarding his shares in the trust. Do either of you know anything about this or where he is? I’ve tried calling his cell, and he’s not answering.”
“No,” Jake answered and resumed pacing.
“Me neither,” Natalie said, more confused than ever. “Other than he’s going back to Phoenix.”
“What’s this all about?” Jake paused long enough to take a sip of coffee from the mug on his desk.
“Aaron left instructions for me to draw up the paperwork necessary for him to transfer his share of the family trust to another individual. Which is why I asked to speak with you, Natalie.”
“He’s assigning his shares to me?”
“No, your daughter, Shiloh.”
“You’re not serious!” Her total and complete shock was mirrored on Jake’s face.
“Can he do that?” Jake yanked his chair out and sat down.
“Shares in the trust can only be transferred to a parent, sibling, spouse or child. Legal child. Aaron would have to adopt Shiloh.”
“Has he ever discussed adoption with you?” Jake asked Natalie.
“Absolutely not!” They’d never even discussed marriage.
“Well, it’s a grand gesture for sure,” Howard said. “But not possible.”
Natalie was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to hear the rest of Jake’s conversation with Howard. She still couldn’t believe it. Aaron wanted to give Shiloh his share of the Tucker Family Trust. Nobody gave away something worth…oh my God…hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“He must really care about Shiloh.” Jake had hung up with Howard and was studying Natalie intently. “And you.”
“He must.”
Maybe he even loved her. It would explain why he’d left and why he’d tried to make amends. And why, if she was the least bit smart, she wouldn’t let him get away.
She sprang from the chair, her heart hammering. “I have to go.”
“Where?” Jake asked.
Her decision was instantaneous. “Laveen.” If Aaron wasn’t at his mother’s home, she might know where Natalie could find him.
“I’ll have Alice pull his address for you. How much time do you need off?”
She stood, her hand on the back of the chair. “You’re not mad?”
He exhaled a long breath. “Before Howard phoned, I’d intended to apologize to you. I was wrong to come between you and Aaron and wrong to threaten you with your job.”
“You were wrong.”
“It wasn’t a conclusion I came to until about three this morning after a great deal of soul-searching.”
“I had one of those nights myself.” Natalie appreciated Jake’s confession. He didn’t often admit he was wrong.
“I’ve been blaming Aaron for my own mistakes, my own shortcomings. Where Hailey was concerned and this ranch. In the last three weeks, he’s affected a change that I haven’t been able to accomplish in the last three years. That’s a hard pill for me to swallow.”
“You two would make far better partners than adversaries.”
“I’m not quite ready for that,” Jake said on a derisive chuckle, then continued more thoughtfully
. “What he did this morning for Shiloh, or tried to do, that was nice. Not what I expected of him.”
“Me neither.”
“It has me doubting my convictions. If I was wrong about blaming him for my mistakes, I might have been wrong about one or two other things where he’s concerned.”
“Like?” Natalie could see the changes in Jake, a softening in his demeanor. He looked more like the old Jake, the one she enjoyed working for and had been friends with her whole life.
“Like his feelings for you. Nobody gives away something as valuable as part ownership in this ranch to someone they don’t love.”
Natalie smiled, her spirits suddenly soaring. “I was just thinking the same thing myself.”
Alice burst into the office. “Millie’s on the line. She said Aaron’s at the store and that he doesn’t know she called us.”
“Tell her to do whatever it takes to keep him there for the next thirty minutes.” Jake returned Natalie’s smile. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get going.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Five minutes later, she was in her car and speeding to Payson.
NATALIE PULLED into an empty parking space in front of Trinkets and Treasures. She caught a glimpse of Aaron’s truck and trailer parked in the back of the store. Jumping from her car, she tore through the front entrance.
“Aaron,” she called. “Where are you?” Walking on tiptoe, she peered over the tops of tall bookcases and shelving units. “Aaron. Millie. Anybody home?”
“Here.”
Natalie followed the sound of Millie’s voice.
She met up with Natalie at the rear door to the store. “I have him moving some furniture in and out of the storage room. I didn’t want him to see you until you arrived.”
“Thanks.” She gave Millie a quick hug and dashed outside.
The storage room was actually a portable aluminum shed sitting against the rear wall of the building. Several pieces of small furniture sat on the ground outside the open door. Aaron must be inside.
Every nerve in Natalie’s body vibrated with anticipation, yet she slowed her steps. What would he say when he saw her? What would he do?
Seconds later he emerged from the shed, and she had her answers.
“Natalie!” He came to an abrupt standstill. First shock and then relief registered on his face. No, joy.
She needed no other incentive.
“What in the world were you thinking, transferring your share of the trust to Shiloh?” She tried her best to sound mad. Grinning from ear to ear probably minimized the effect. “Are you insane? That’s worth a ton of money.”
“It seemed like the right thing to do.” He inched toward her.
She did the same. “You can’t, you know. Not that I would have let you. Howard called. He said shares can only be transferred to parents, siblings, spouses or legal children.”
“Guess I should have read the fine print first. Or…”
“Or what?” They were only a few feet apart.
He removed his cowboy hat and tossed it onto a nearby antique step stool. “Proposed.”
“Really?” The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, and he was hugging her as if he couldn’t bear to let her go.
“I’ve been here for over an hour. Not because Millie needs help but because I can’t make myself leave without you.”
“All you had to do was ask.”
“I wanted to. Thought a lot about it. But then Jake threatened to fire you. Leaving your job is a choice. Losing it, something else altogether.”
“Maybe it took almost losing my job for me to realize there was something else I wanted a whole lot more.”
“So, is that a yes? Or should I get down on one knee?”
“I don’t want you anywhere but right here.” She pressed her cheek to his chest and listened to his heart. Its accelerated rhythm matched her own. “Don’t leave. Stay at Bear Creek Ranch and marry me.”
He groaned in frustration. “The foundation board meeting is next week. I can’t postpone it again.”
“I’ll come with you. As long as I get to meet your family.”
“My mother would disown me if I didn’t bring you by for a long visit.” He drew back to look at her. “What about Jake? If he tries to—”
“He won’t do anything. Believe me. He’s had a change of heart. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he talked with you about another event like the breakfast ride.”
Aaron laughed. “This I have to see.” He tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “There’s still the matter of the trust to settle.”
“How so?”
“I want to adopt Shiloh so that I can legally transfer my share when the time is right.”
“Oh, Aaron.” He really did always know the right thing to say. “I don’t care about the trust or your money.”
“I know that, querida. If you did care, I wouldn’t love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” She angled her head and brought her mouth to his.
He pulled back just out of reach. “There’s one more thing.”
“What?” She sifted her fingers through the hair at his temple.
“Two tickets for a cruise to Hawaii. Think your boss will give you the time off work?”
“A cruise?”
“A honeymoon. We can take Shiloh?”
“Do you mean it?”
“After the board meeting next week, I don’t ever want to be apart from either of you again.”
“Aaron.” Enough waiting. She pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss. Only last night, her life had looked so bleak. Today, everything she’d ever wanted, ever dreamed of, was coming true. One impossibly grand, completely impossible, gesture had changed everything.
They might have continued kissing if not for Millie. Her loud throat clearing let them know they were no longer alone.
“Looks like I’m going to be pretty busy the next few months.” She stood by the back door, a huge sunny smile on her face.
“Doing what?” Natalie asked, unable to contain the laughter bubbling up inside her.
Millie came toward them, her arms outstretched and ready to embrace the both of them. “Planning the biggest wedding Bear Creek Ranch has ever seen.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2083-0
COWBOY DAD
Copyright © 2008 by Cathy McDavid.
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