His father shrugged. “Your mother said you were upset and walking. She said you needed me to walk with you so you could get your head on straight.”
“Mom is the right woman for you. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
“There isn’t in mine either. I knew the moment I met her I was meant to marry her, just like I know you’re meant to marry Tiffani.”
Adam sighed. “If I marry, Tiffani should be the one. Maybe I’m the McClain who needs to stay single.”
“Why would that be true? You’ve heard all the family lore about how we are stronger when we’re with the woman who completes us. It’s true for you, just like it’s true for every other man in our family.” When Adam said nothing, his father continued. “What exactly happened yesterday that you’re feeling so guilty about?”
Adam frowned, stopping and looking at the ground for a moment before he continued walking. “I had the best day of my life. I spent the day with the woman I care about most. I went to San Antonio with her, and we had lunch with her mother, who liked me. It was such a wonderful day. I don’t think I thought of the boys more than once or twice.”
“So what you’re feeling guilty for is not really being gone when Nick was ready to have his breakdown, but that you weren’t thinking about the boys while you were gone? That’s ridiculous. When I started dating your mother, there was a new boy here on the ranch as well. You know as well as I do that there will always be a new boy on the ranch. It’s the nature of what we do here. But I chose to leave that boy, who was in my house, and I went to San Antonio with your mom. We walked on the River Walk, took the boat tour of the river, and we even went to the mall there. It was truly a glorious day for me, because it’s the day I realized she loved me.”
“I don’t know what’s bad about that. You and Mom are meant to be together.”
“That’s right. But what I didn’t tell you is that while I was gone, the new boy—his name was James—got ahold of a bottle of Tylenol. That was before we locked up the over-the-counter drugs. And he took every single pill in the bottle. By the time I got home, he was already home from the hospital. They’d had to pump his stomach. He was all right, but it could have been so much worse. We didn’t have a staff psychiatrist then, just a counselor.” His father shook his head. “I felt like it was my fault. I was the one James had always connected with best. If I’d only been there to keep an eye on him. If I’d only realized that he was having suicidal thoughts. If only I’d not been so wrapped up in your mother that I abandoned him for a whole day…”
“What did you do?”
“I went to James and apologized. I told him no woman would ever come before my responsibilities again. I told him that from then on I would put him before any woman.”
“So you stopped dating Mom?”
His dad shrugged. “For a week or two while I got my head back on straight. James came and saw me a year or two ago. He’s got a wife and four kids now. He’s as happy as a clam. He told me that realizing that I would give up the woman who I was obviously meant to be with made him know he was important to someone in the world. He thought I was dumb as dirt for doing it, and he was thrilled when we started seeing each other again. But he never blamed me for what he did. As much as I thought he should have, he didn’t. I don’t think you should blame yourself, either.”
“I don’t know. Nick looked at me when I walked in there like I’d slapped him in the face. I was the one he connected with when he first got here. I’m still the one he connects the best with. I need to wait until he’s more acclimated before I try to start a relationship.”
“Son, there’s always going to be another boy with problems. That’s what this ranch is all about. If you give up the only woman you’ll ever have a chance of being truly happy with for your job, you’re a fool. Give Nick a week or two to settle in, and then let your lady know you love her.”
“How do you know I love her?” Adam was surprised. He’d only realized himself the day before.
“Because you feel it would be a sacrifice. You’re punishing yourself for not being here by giving her up. That means that you love her. I know you.”
Adam sighed. “You’re right. I do love her. I never thought I’d meet a woman I would want to spend the rest of my life with, and I met her, and haven’t been able to think of anyone or anything. I almost couldn’t figure out what to say when I got to the house last night. I let my training take over. I used my empathy. But for a minute there, I couldn’t remember what to do. I felt like the worst man alive.”
“I know. I felt the same way when I was in your position. Make sure Nick is good, but know that you’ll never again be happy without Tiffani at your side. You might as well cut off your right arm as let her go.” Patting Adam on the shoulder, his dad turned back toward the house, walking in his slow methodical way.
Adam watched him go for a moment before he resumed his walk. He wasn’t ready to go back to Tiffani and beg her forgiveness, but he knew it needed to happen for them to get past this. He was in the wrong, not her. And he’d blamed her for distracting him. He had no right.
He sighed heavily. Apologizing had never been his favorite thing to do. Maybe, though, he could give it a few days before he went crawling on his knees with an engagement ring in his hand. He loved her, and he couldn’t let her go.
As he kept walking, a plan began to form in his mind. He could give her time to get over the way he’d treated her as he put the plan in place. Maybe he could get his act together and make it happen. If he couldn’t, he wasn’t worthy of her anyway.
He had a spring in his step as he turned and headed back toward the main house. The weekend had been an eye-opening one, and he was determined that he would keep his eyes open rather than closing them again.
He showered and got ready for bed, determined he was going to treat her as any other employee for a few days until he was ready to declare his love and ask her to spend the rest of her life with him.
Once he was in bed, he folded his hands behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling. He had too much planning to do to be able to sleep. He was in love, and it was about time his lady knew about it.
Chapter Ten
At work on Monday morning, Tiffani did her best to avoid Adam. He nodded to her as he would any co-worker and went into his office, doing paperwork. She held back the tears she wanted to cry when he didn’t seek her out, understanding then that it was over between them—for good.
By the time lunch rolled around, she had gotten a firm commitment from a taco truck, talked to several other vendors, and met with Lillian about the quilts she wanted to raffle off at the event. She was just hanging up the phone from talking to Kevin Roberts, a former boy from the ranch who was now a pastor. His story was different than the other boys of the ranch, but he was still a success story.
Tiffani had brought her own lunch, so she decided to just slip into the kitchen, nuke it, and get right back to work. Working lunches were nothing new to her, and they sometimes kept her from dealing with difficult things in real life. Work was good for more things than just making money.
In the kitchen, she saw Adam whispering with Brittany, and she wanted to run away and cry. The idea of him even speaking to another woman when he was angry with her broke her heart into a million tiny pieces.
When he spotted her, he nodded, then took Brittany’s arm, pulling her from the kitchen to finish their conversation.
Tiffany tried not to let it bother her as she microwaved the casserole she’d made for her lunch before slipping back into her office. She needed to stay in her office or walk on the grounds of the ranch. Anywhere she couldn’t see Adam and Brittany cozying up to one another.
She worked while she ate, trying to come up with new ideas to make the next year’s fundraiser one that would knock people’s socks off. Pony rides were a must, and they had what they needed for that. She shot off an email to Ephraim to ask if they could do hayrides every night for five dollars a head. Anything she could do to
get a little extra money into the boys’ pockets, she would do.
Seeing Tiffany enter the kitchen, Adam grabbed Brittany’s arm and pulled her out so they could continue their conversation. Brittany had felt very much like a little sister to him since she’d started working at the ranch.
“Do you think you can have that all in place for the cookout Friday night?”
Brittany nodded, a grin splitting her face. “I love that you trust me enough to help with this. I couldn’t be happier to do it!”
Adam grinned, patting her on the shoulder. “Good. I’ll get her there, but you need to have everything ready for me.”
Brittany saluted cheekily. “I’m here to do your bidding, boss man!”
He shook his head at her as he hurried back to his office. If Tiffany saw him whispering with Brittany, she was sure to figure out what was going on. He wanted it to be a surprise.
Tiffany walked home from work that afternoon, breathing deeply as she remembered what it was she’d loved about the ranch. Somehow Adam’s new attitude colored how she felt about it, and she couldn’t continue to let that happen. When she got home, she opened the door for Bob to join her, and she held him on her lap as she sat on the front porch, stroking his fur. Since coming to the ranch, she’d felt like she was a part of something huge and special. Suddenly, she felt completely alone instead. At least she had Bob beside her.
When she went back inside for the night, she ate a simple supper and read for a while. She needed to find a girlfriend to hang out with there on the ranch, but the only female she’d really met was Brittany…and that was a no for now. Last week, she’d thought they’d make great friends. This week? Not so much.
As she fell asleep with Bob curled around her head, she felt a tear drip down her face and onto her pillow. She definitely felt like her world was ending. How did women go through multiple relationships and breakups?
During breakfast Tuesday morning, Adam asked his dad for Tiffani’s job application. He found Sharon’s number and put it into his phone so he could call her from work.
“Mom, would you be willing to drive to San Antonio on Friday? There’s someone I want here for the cookout.”
“How am I going to get the food ready for the cookout if I’m driving an hour and a half each way? You should go.”
“If I can get Brittany to help make food, will you go yourself?” Adam really wanted their two mothers to get together so they could learn about each other.
She frowned at him. “Why can’t Brittany go?”
He sighed. “I guess she can. Will you accept help from Tiffani’s mom with cooking if I can get her here on Thursday evening?”
She looked at him for a moment. “Tiffani’s mom? Why are you bringing her here?”
“So she’s here when I propose to Tiffani.”
She squealed and clapped her hands. “This Friday? She thinks you hate her, you know.”
“I know.” He frowned. “I should probably talk to her and let her know everything is okay, but I want the proposal to be a huge surprise.”
“Son, she’s not going to say yes if she thinks you hate her. Sit her down and tell her that you’re sorry for the way you acted, and then things will be better.”
“Are you sure that’s the right thing to do?”
“Trust me on this! Leave now so you can walk her to work and talk to her. Tell her you were a big buffoon, and that if she’ll forgive you, you’ll never act stupid again.”
Adam nodded, drank down the last dregs of his coffee, and hurried out the front door. He all but ran across the ranch to her cabin, knocking on the door after catching his breath.
Tiffani opened the door and stood looking at him for a moment. “How can I help you, Mr. McClain?”
“It’s Adam, and you know it. May I walk you to work? I want to explain.”
She nodded briskly, going inside to get her lunch and meeting him on the front steps. “What do you want to talk about?” She fell into step beside him, making sure to keep a foot or two between them. When he touched her, her heart lost its resolve to keep him at arm’s length. Her head had to stay in control.
“My entire life I’ve known it would be my job to help run this ranch one day. I knew I was going to be someone who counseled the boys and helped them every day. I knew it would be my whole world.” He looked over at her to see how she was reacting, but she was staring straight ahead. “When my dad told me a little over a month ago that I would be meeting the woman I was destined to marry, I didn’t believe him at first. And then I met you, and I knew he was right. You are my ideal woman. You care about the things I care about. You’re a good person through and through.” He sucked in a breath. “And then I had a boy in crisis while I was out with you, and I blew it. I knew I was hurting you and I did it anyway, telling myself I was doing what was right for the boys, who had to be my first priority.”
“And now?” Was he saying he was wrong? Please let him admit he’d been wrong.
“Well, I acted like a big buffoon, and I promise, if you’ll forgive me, I’ll never act stupid again. Well, I’ll try not to act stupid, but sometimes it’s hard not to, because I have no experience with relationships. None at all.” He could feel the hope radiating off of her, when before all he’d felt was pain and sadness. Was she going to forgive him?
“And what do I get to do to you if you do act like a big buffoon again?” she asked, trying not to grin. That was some apology.
“You get to…umm…I don’t know!”
“Can I make you wear a baboon suit and sing and dance for the boys?”
He groaned. “You just want me to agree because you know eventually, I’m going to be stupid again.”
“Well, yeah!” She closed the distance between them and slipped her hand into his. “Does this mean we’re dating again?”
“If you’ll forgive me and take me back.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. My own mother has been angry with me about this whole thing.”
“I knew I liked your mother.” They reached the office and she smiled. “I can’t go through this often, but if it’s a one-time thing, I can forgive and forget.”
“I promise you, it’s not going to happen again. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, because that’s not possible, but this will not happen again.” He opened the door for the office and let her precede him inside. “Lunch?”
She nodded. “I brought my own, though.”
“Then I’ll pick something up and eat with you in the kitchen.” He’d get her a taco while he was out, too. He knew her well enough to know that tacos were a necessary part of her life.
On Wednesday afternoon, Tiffani stepped out into the admin assistant’s area of the office and looked around for Brittany. She had a couple of calls she needed the other woman to make for her. When she didn’t see her, she walked back to Adam’s office, standing in the doorway and just watching him work for a moment.
When he glanced up, his face softened as he looked at her. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Looking for Brittany, but since I didn’t find her, I thought I’d just watch you work.”
“Brittany had an errand to run. She’ll be back in the morning.”
Tiffani frowned. “A four-hour errand? What kind of errand takes four hours?”
He shrugged. “There were several things she needed to do.”
She didn’t like how evasive he was being, but she trusted him, so she needed to let it go. “All right. I’ll have her make these calls in the morning then.”
“May I walk you home after work?” he asked, knowing that he would be able to hide her mother better if he was with her that night. She didn’t ever just walk over to the main house, but the day her mother was staying there would be the day it happened.
“I’d like that.” She disappeared into her office and got back to work. There was too much to do for her to stand around watching Adam work—no matter how much fun it was.
On Friday evening, she dressed
in jeans, boots, and a checked button-up shirt. She was ready for the cookout early and sat down to wait for Adam to come and get her. They were starting to be seen as a couple all over the ranch, and as much as she loved it, it was still weird because he was her boss.
When he knocked, she hurried to the door. “Hey you!”
“Hi.” He held his hand out for hers.
When she stepped outside, she saw Ephraim and Nick sitting in the front of a two-seater horse-drawn buggy. “We’re not taking your truck?” she asked, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Not tonight. I want you to have a special time.”
She frowned, but let him help her up into the buggy. She couldn’t imagine having to climb up in a skirt, but she knew women had done it for hundreds of years. Once she was settled, Nick flicked the lines and drove them to the cookout.
It seemed to be an even bigger crowd than last week, though she knew it was just her perception. Arriving in a buggy made her feel out of place. She wished she knew what Adam was thinking, picking her up that way.
“What are you up to?” she finally asked, whispering the words.
“Me? I’m just taking my girl to dinner with lots of other people. Why?”
She didn’t believe him, but she wasn’t the one who was empathic.
Once they were stopped, he helped her down and she went over to mingle with others already there. Brittany was standing with Gideon again, and the two of them were laughing. Tiffani couldn’t help but wonder if they were just friends, or if there was something more between them.
After the prayer, which was given by Adam’s father, they followed the crowd to get in line for their food. She was walking through the line, accepting potato salad and baked beans, when she stopped short.
“Mom?”
Her mother laughed. “Yup. I wanted to see where you live, so Adam sent someone to come and get me.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me about it? That would have made more sense!”
Adam (Seven Sons Book 1) Page 9