“I’m fine. Let’s give it another try.”
A few takes later Maggie claimed she had what she was looking for, but she wanted to try a different spin on the scene before she called it good. She wanted one more take with Brandon upping the emotion a little and showing more anger. Stacy sat on Bess watching the actor approach in the three-wheeler. As he came closer she waited for him to slow down. He didn’t. If anything he accelerated. Her stomach tightened. Bess shifted nervously under her, as if the animal also sensed something was wrong.
“Get out of the way!” Brandon shouted. “The accelerator’s stuck.”
Stacy tugged on Bess’s reins, trying to turn the horse away from the fence. They had to get out of the way. Voices screaming orders created an indiscernible chaos pounding in her head. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t remember anything Colt told her about controlling a horse.
“Toss me the reins and grab the saddle horn.”
Colt.
The death grip on her heart loosened as she followed his instructions. He grabbed the reins and led her and Bess away.
Brandon jumped off the three-wheeler, but the vehicle barreled forward, crashing into the fence near where she and Bess had been. The sound of metal colliding with wood and concerned voices echoed in Stacy’s ears.
She glanced at Colt, and started shaking. The situation could have gone so differently if he hadn’t been there. Bless that take-charge attitude of his. He’d known she needed help before she could even call out to him.
His hands slipped around her waist, strong and warm, comforting her as he helped her off Bess. “I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t remember anything you told me about how to tell a horse where to go.”
She leaned into him, her head resting on his strong chest. The hammering of his heart pounded against her cheek. “You’re safe now.”
“Thanks to you.”
The crew rushed forward to help Brandon, who was unhurt except for a few scrapes to his arms. Slowly the noises quieted, and then Stacy heard Ryan’s screams.
Brandon’s mishap triggered Ryan’s memories of his accident. Her gaze searched for Ryan, finding him huddled against the barn. When Jess approached him, he shoved away from his friend almost knocking her down. Stacy raced toward him, but the closer she got, the more he looked as if he would bolt. “Ryan, it’s me, Stacy.”
She wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him and still his shaking, but he broke free. His eyes glazed over, he looked like a cornered animal. She moved toward him, but he backed away.
“Watch out!”
“Ryan, look at me,” Stacy begged.
She thought he’d gotten past this. His nightmares had subsided. He’d been so happy lately, almost back to his old self, but here they were with him lost inside his head, reliving the tormenting images of his accident.
Stacy glanced over her shoulder to find Colt. Her gaze locked with his, pleading with him to help her. “He won’t let me touch him. What can I do?”
“Nothing.” Colt inched forward. “Hey, buddy. I’m here.” He moved forward another step. “Talk to me, Ryan.”
“No! Get out of the way!”
The vacant look in his gaze told Stacy he wasn’t really seeing anyone or anything around him, only the past.
“Ryan, look at me. Talk to me. It’s Colt.”
Colt continued to inch closer until he stood in front of Ryan. The pain and guilt etched on her brother’s face broke her heart. “Officer, I didn’t see him. I swear.”
Touching Ryan’s shoulder, Colt said, “It’s okay, Ryan.”
Colt encircled her brother in his strong embrace. Ryan shoved against him, but couldn’t break free. “It was so awful. He came out of nowhere. I didn’t mean to hit him.”
“I know.”
“It was so awful. He almost died.” Sobs erupted from Ryan. His head rested on Colt’s broad chest. “I heard from him the other day. He’ll never walk again. I’m getting better. I might even walk on my own again. I don’t have any right to be doing this well while he’s in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”
“I get it. I feel the same way a lot of days. Some of my buddies didn’t come home. Some lost arms or legs, but not me. I came home in one piece. Why did I when they didn’t?”
“How do you live with it?”
She hadn’t realized Ryan kept in contact with the man he hit, or that he carried enough blame for a lifetime. No matter how much she sympathized or wanted to understand, she couldn’t comprehend how he felt over what happened. But Colt understood because a similar survivor’s guilt gnawed at him.
“I try to live my life in a way that honors them. I try to make a difference.”
Stacy stared at the two men in front of her as emotions crashed over her, almost bringing her to her knees with their force.
Two men capable of such incredible compassion yet forged of iron.
And she loved both of them more than she dreamed possible.
Her knees threatened to buckle under her as the realization slammed into her. How had she let this happen? Andrea fell in love every five minutes, but Stacy knew better than to give her heart away.
Over the years she’d wondered if she ever loved any of her boyfriends. Now she knew that she hadn’t.
A cowboy who lived in Colorado? Why did it have to be a man like that when she finally fell in love? She thought her mother picked the wrong men? Like mother, like daughter.
Maggie joined her. “Colt’s amazing. He seems good with Ryan.”
Too bad he was so wrong for her in so many ways because Maggie was right. “He understands Ryan and what he’s going through in a way I never could.”
“After this afternoon’s events, I’ve decided to use the last take of the scene with you and Brandon. We’ll call it a day and pick up tomorrow.”
“You had a full day scheduled. Stopping now will cost you a lot of money.” Stacy glanced at Ryan. He appeared much calmer. His fidgeting had ceased, and his face looked more relaxed as he and Colt stood near the barn talking. That’s what Ryan needed right now—time with a man who understood what he was going through. She told Maggie to hold off on letting everyone go until she talked to Colt and Ryan.
“How about you two get out of here?” Stacy said when she joined them by the barn.
“You need Colt here for the scene,” Ryan said, his eyes clearer than when she’d spoken with him before.
“We’re calling that scene good, so I’ll be fine. Get out of here. Do some guy stuff.”
As she stared at Colt, she prayed he received her silent message. Get Ryan out of here. Talk to him. Help him cope with what he’s feeling.
He caught her gaze over her brother’s shoulder, and nodded in understanding. How could he know her better in such a short time than friends she’d known for years?
“Ryan, I could use your help sorting through the equipment in the barn to see what’s salvageable and what needs to be replaced.”
“That sounds a lot better than being an extra in the movie. I only agreed to it because Jess asked me to.”
They talked to Jess and decided since she still wanted to be in the movie that Stacy would bring her home later. Once the guys left, the rest of the Stacy’s day proved uneventful. They filmed another scene around the ranch, a get-together with the area ranchers with Jess as an extra. With that done, Maggie wrapped up early for the day.
When Stacy dropped Jess off, she found Colt in the rocking chair on the porch. “What’re you doing out here?”
“Enjoying the quiet and the sunset.” He stood. “Ryan is playing video games and the noise was getting to me.”
She glanced over her shoulder and gasped at the beauty before her. The setting sun was just dipping behind the mountains, darkening them. A fiery glow spread across the sky. “It
’s beautiful. I could sit here for hours.”
“I do some of my best thinking in this chair.”
“I can see why. Something about being here has cleared my head in a lot of ways.” Since coming here she’d taken a long, hard look at her life and found it lacking, except for her relationship with her brother. The thought reminded her of why she’d come. “Thanks for all you did for Ryan today. How’s he doing?”
As she followed Colt inside he asked her to stay for dinner and then said, “He’s doing better. We took inventory here to see what we could salvage. After that we went to Twin Creeks to check on the horses. There’s something about working with a horse that calms a person. That kid’s been holding a lot in. He knows how much your mother dumps on you and he doesn’t want to do the same thing.”
Once in the kitchen she sat at the table and tried to process what he’d said. “I had no idea he was thinking that.”
This was the kind of kitchen she’d dreamed of having, cozy and warm. The kind of room a family congregated in at the end of the day to reconnect and share their lives. Truly share. Where everyone listened because they cared about each other.
“We spent a lot of time talking about the accident. He’s beating himself up for not anticipating someone could walk out from between the parked cars. He thinks if he’d been a better driver, he could’ve avoided hitting the man. He keeps replaying the scene in his mind trying to figure out what he could’ve done differently.”
“He’s being too hard on himself. The police investigated and saw no reason to charge him. They determined he’d done nothing wrong.”
“He knows that, but it doesn’t make him feel any less guilty because he’s walking and the guy he hit isn’t.”
“Like you feel guilty because you came home and friends you served with didn’t?” He nodded, and pain flickered in his gaze. “How do I help him deal with what he’s feeling?”
“You can’t. He’s got to come to terms with it.”
“Have you?”
“Some days, I think so. Then others I’m sure I haven’t even started. That’s how it’ll be for Ryan. It would help if he didn’t spend so much time alone. That gives him too much time to think. He says you’ve been putting in long hours on the set.”
“I can’t help it. Filming is behind and Maggie’s worried about money. She says we’ve got to wrap up on time.”
“Don’t get your dander up. I wasn’t criticizing, merely stating facts, and I’ve got a solution. He can come here after school.”
“This isn’t your problem. I’ll figure something out. I could ask Maggie if Ryan could come to the set after school.”
“Why do that when I’ve offered a better solution? Let me help.”
His words, said with a good amount of irritation in his voice, made her think. Why hadn’t she just been thankful for his offer instead of insisting she could take care of everything on her own?
In her experience whenever anyone offered help there were strings attached. They wanted something from her. Either that or they failed to follow through. Look at Andrea. How many times had she promised to be there for her children only to have “something come up?”
But Colt was different. “I guess I’m a little out of practice accepting help. Thank you.”
How could she ever repay him for everything he’d done for her? Worse yet, how would she ever be able to walk away from him?
* * *
A FEW DAYS later as Colt stood inside the front door of Halligan’s with Stacy beside him, greeting people as they arrived for the fund-raiser to help Healing Horses cover the insurance deductible, he marveled at the changes in his life. Ryan and Jess had settled into a routine. Their friendship seemed to be a stabilizing force in both their lives. After he picked them up from school, they sat in the kitchen doing homework. Then they either worked with the horses or played video games until dinner. If Stacy finished shooting in time, she joined them and the four of them sat together, ate and discussed the day’s events.
Like countless other families.
After dinner he and Stacy either snuggled on the couch to watch TV or sat on the porch in their rocking chairs. He smiled thinking of how Stacy had hugged him when she showed up to find the chair he’d bought her next to his on the porch.
He was happier than he’d been in years. Stacy had slipped into his life and turned it upside down, but in a good way. He enjoyed being with her, even though he spent the majority of his time trying to figure out a way to get her alone. Not that it had gotten him anything other than a few minutes here and there to share a few kisses and some heated necking.
Lord help him. How was he ever going to let her walk out of his life?
She’d helped him in so many ways. This fund-raiser was another perfect example. Without him even asking, Stacy organized the event with Nannette’s help. The pair met with Nannette’s daughter-in-law Elizabeth, a former New York City advertising executive who now ran a local ad agency, to design posters and put them up around town. Then Stacy talked to Avery’s friend Emma and asked Maroon Peak Pass to play for the event.
“Thanks for doing all this. I’m surprised Mick agreed to let me in the place. He’s still mad at me for the fight with Carpenter.”
“You’ll have to thank Nannette for that. She’s the one who sweet-talked him and promised there wouldn’t be any trouble. She even talked to Travis and told him if he came within fifty feet of Halligan’s tonight, he’d answer to her.”
Colt laughed. “That would put the fear of God into any man. Even Carpenter isn’t foolish enough to cross Nannette.”
“No kidding. I think we should send her to Washington. She’d have the nation’s problems fixed in a week.”
“Now that would shake things up.”
He shifted his stance, their conversation oddly trivial and awkward after everything they’d been through.
“Great idea, having this fund-raiser,” Brian, an old friend of Reed’s and one of the city’s Board of Trustees, said when he walked through the front door. “What you do for the disabled in the area is so important to the community.”
Colt introduced Stacy. “This was her idea. She did all the work. I just showed up.”
“I heard you helped Colt get the horses out when the barn caught fire.”
“I did what anyone would have done,” Stacy replied.
Not every woman would’ve charged in. Would Lynn have risked her life to save his? More than likely she’d have called 911, and told him to forget about the horses and save himself.
Not Stacy. She dived in and helped. She stood by his side.
“She did more than that.” Colt explained how the horse had kicked him and Stacy had calmed the animal enough for him to cover its eyes and lead him out. “Without her, I might have died in that fire.”
“Who would’ve thought a fancy city-girl actress like you had that much gumption in her?” Brian’s voice pulled Colt away from his thoughts.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Stacy said with a huge grin on her face.
“Why wouldn’t you since that’s what it was?” Brian glanced at her, confusion clouding his plain features. “You’re all right.”
“She certainly is,” Colt said.
And he’d fallen for her. He hadn’t even known Cupid was in town, much less seen the arrow heading his way.
Chapter Thirteen
Brian’s simple statement and the admiration shining in Colt’s gaze set off a ripple of pride in Stacy. Tonight was different than the last time she’d been in Halligan’s. No whispers and pointed glances shot her way. No questions about her time on Finding Mrs. Right and how she felt being tossed over on national TV. Instead she’d received compliments for her quick thinking and bravery. She felt as if she belonged.
Even when Griffin and Maggie walked in that
feeling didn’t change. How could she be uncomfortable around them when her heart had never been involved? Her pride? Sure, but never her heart. When he’d proposed to Maggie at the finale she’d been more worried about her career and upset over looking like a fool. Never once during their dates did her heart flutter when Griffin looked at her. He never made her want more out of life. Like Colt did.
“Thanks for coming out tonight to support Healing Horses,” Colt said.
“We’re family. Where else would we be?” Griffin replied and slapped his friend on the back.
They have no idea how lucky they are. What a gift having a family like theirs is.
Maggie turned to her. “How’s your brother doing? I feel so awful about what happened.”
“I think him melting down was a blessing in disguise. I didn’t know that Ryan had been in contact with the man from the accident. Now that’s out in the open, and we can deal with what he’s feeling. He had a session with a psychologist and that’s helped, too.”
“Two more days of shooting. Can you believe it?”
She flinched at Maggie’s statement. Not tonight. She didn’t want to think about leaving.
“I didn’t know you were that close to being done with the movie.” Beside her she swore Colt stiffened.
“All we’ve got is one more scene to film, and based on how great yesterday’s rushes were, we should breeze right through that,” Maggie continued.
Colt’s hawklike gaze zeroed in on Stacy and she resisted the urge to squirm. “Do you know when you’re leaving?”
Ask me to stay. Tell me you can’t bear the thought of me leaving you.
“Originally Ryan and I thought we’d fly back next week, but I don’t have to be back in L.A. until I start shooting my next movie in six weeks.”
“You could stick around for a while.”
Colt’s comment wasn’t exactly what she hoped to hear, but it was something. What harm would there be in staying a few weeks longer? She could take some time for herself and unwind. When was the last time she’d done that? Plus, the extra break from Andrea would be another benefit, but more importantly she would have more time with Colt to see what developed between them. “I could use a vacation. I could take time to do all the touristy type things I keep hearing everyone talk about before I head back.”
Roping the Rancher (Harlequin American Romance) Page 16