Forever After (Montana Brides, Book 3)

by Leeanna Morgan

  “Remember what we talked about at your father’s house. Don’t ignore the obvious, Nicky. We all come with a few rough edges. It’s amazing what a little tender loving care can do. Sometimes those edges are part of the charm of a person and not the problem.”

  Her grandfather had absolutely no idea just how rough Sam’s edges were. Her heart had already been cut to shreds and she wasn’t inclined to go back for another try. “I didn’t know you were a philosopher, granddad.”

  “Honey, you get to my age and there’s nothing much left but philosophy. I can see when a man’s hurting, and Sam needs you. If I know anything, I know the gleam in your eye whenever he was around meant something. Do this one thing for your granddad. If you still think he’s a hopeless case then I won’t pester you again.”

  “Fine,” Nicky growled. “I’ll do it. Consider it my early birthday present to you.”

  Her grandfather chuckled down the phone. “The grandbabies can be my birthday present.”

  Nicky cringed. He was going senile. “This conversation has just taken a sudden nosedive. What time is the interview?”

  “How should I know? I may be wise, but I’m not a mind reader. Call him and find out.” He disconnected the phone.

  Nicky stared into space. Mind reading might not be his specialty, but manipulation was. What on earth was she going to do now?

  ***

  “Sam Delaney speaking.”

  Nicky’s heart stuck halfway up her throat. Her pulse throbbed in her neck. She needed to get a grip fast otherwise this call would be shorter than a sneeze.

  “Hello?”

  “Sam, it’s me. Nicky.”

  “Nicky?”

  “Scotson.”

  “I know who you are,” he growled.

  Nicky nearly put the phone down. Her palms had gone all hot and sweaty. “Granddad asked me to be on Monday’s interview panel for the new project manager.”

  “It’s not a formal interview. I’m going to see if Bill’s interested in joining the company. If he says yes, I’ll get everything organized after that.”

  “I promised granddad I’d be there.” And boy, did she regret that promise. “I know it’s not how things are usually done. If you don’t want me there, you’ll have to deal with my grandfather yourself. He’s not listening to me.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Sam?”

  “I’ve planned another meeting after I see Bill.”

  “That’s okay.” Nicky picked up a pen and started doodling on the edge of her open notebook. Three droopy flowers stared back at her.

  “By the time I’ve finished my meeting with Bill, it’ll be a three hour round trip out to Aurora. Are you sure you want to spend that much time with me?”

  Nicky ignored the edge to Sam’s voice. She didn’t want to spend any time with him, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Granddad wants me to spend the day with you until your flight leaves.”

  “You’re joking?”

  “I wish I was.”

  A heavy sigh floated down the phone. “It’s a waste of your time. If Bill’s interested, Dianne will organize a formal interview in Bozeman.”

  “Try telling that to my grandfather.”

  “You’re willing to spend the day with someone you think is a self-centered bastard just because your grandfather asked you to?”

  Nicky cringed. “Pretty much.” She hadn’t called him a bastard, but she’d thought it. Even if his attitude to life was dismal, there was nothing wrong with his powers of deduction.

  “Fine. The meeting is scheduled for eleven o’clock.”

  “Thanks. Well I guess I’ll see you on Monday morning.”

  “I guess you will.”

  She gripped the phone tight. “Bye, Sam.”

  “Nicky?”

  “Yes?”

  “You can always stay for the meeting and then leave. Your grandfather will never know.”

  “Are you serious? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got spies planted around Denver to make sure I keep my end of the bargain. I’ll see you Monday.” Nicky ended the call. Too much of a good thing was bad for you and her four minute conversation with Sam had given her a stomach ache.

  ***

  Sam walked through the crowd of people heading toward the luggage collection area. The only good thing about being in Denver for the day was not having a suitcase to worry about. Nicky on the other hand, was a huge worry that he hadn’t stopped thinking about.

  As soon as he’d finished the call with her, he’d rung her grandfather. Michael had been unrepentant. After the heated discussion they’d had about butting into people’s personal lives, Sam had left the office in a worse mood than he’d arrived.

  Swinging the strap of his laptop over his shoulder, he headed through a set of white frosted glass doors. Nicky stood against the far wall of the room, her blonde hair pushed back from her face by a pair of sunglasses anchored on the top of her head. Her black skirt and red shirt didn’t look out of place with the other people milling around. But the scowl on her face definitely wasn’t an accessory anyone else wore.

  His gaze never left her face as he moved across the room. She looked tired. Tired and grumpy. “It’s not too late to change your mind,” he said. “I can get a rental.”

  “Do I look that bad?”

  Sam took a closer look at her face. “Not bad exactly. But not happy to be here.”

  “It’s not you…well, sort of not you,” she sighed. “A friend brought around some wine last night and I drunk a couple of extra glasses more than I should have. I had some tablets before I left home, but the pain relief hasn’t kicked in yet.”

  “I thought you’d sworn off alcohol for life.” Just like she’d sworn off him.

  Tilting her nose in the air, she said, “I forgot.”

  He raised his eyebrows and she blushed. He glanced out of the terminal windows, determined to change the subject. A few rays of half-hearted sunshine streaked between the clouds. If he didn’t know better he’d swear it was about to rain. “I’m all ready to go. Do you want to head somewhere for breakfast before we make our way to the retirement village?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Pulling her sunglasses over her eyes, Nicky led the way out. “I’m parked over here.”

  He followed her long-legged stride out of the terminal, dodged a lineup of taxis, and headed toward a bright pink Toyota Hybrid. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Totally.” She smiled. “Sam, meet Harriet, my state of the art, environmentally conscious vehicle that chews through more electricity than gasoline.”

  “But what about the color,” he scowled.

  “It’s pink.” She unlocked the trunk, smiling at him. “I can stop a block away from the retirement village if you’re worried about anyone seeing you get out of Harriet.”

  He straightened his shoulders and nearly choked on a ball of laughter when he spotted her seat covers. “Frogs too?”

  “Goes with the environmental theme I’ve got going.” She slammed the trunk closed and stared at him over Harriet’s roof. “What’s it going to be? Harriet or an uninspired rental that’s guaranteed to kill a few more ozone layers?”

  Sam pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and slipped them on his face. Harriet turned raspberry. He moved across to the passenger door. “It looks as though Harriet and I are going to get to know each other a little better today.”

  “Don’t worry, Sam. We’ll take good care of you.”

  That’s what worried him. After three weeks of second guessing his entire life, he’d come to some uncomfortable conclusions about himself. He didn’t blame Nicky for running away. He’d been doing the same thing his entire life; running away from anything that involved trusting another person. But that was about to change.

  It was just as well his sunglasses covered his eyes, otherwise Nicky would leave him at the airport. He was determined to find out if she still cared about him before he left for Montana tonight. If he could salvage even a small
part of their friendship he’d be happy. If he could salvage more than that, he’d be booking another flight to Denver within the week.

  ***

  Nicky turned the page in her book, enjoying the cool breeze drifting through Harriet’s open doors. Murder and mayhem in eighteenth century England kept her mind occupied while Sam met with a building contractor at Cherry Creek.

  When they’d left the airport she’d driven them across to Market Street and found a café on Larimer Square. Over pancakes, fresh fruit and yoghurt they’d watched tourists walk in and out of the boutiques and galleries lining the street, and joggers enjoy the morning air.

  More than once Nicky had taken a deep breath, pushing Sam a little further away from her heart. This was new territory for both of them. She was determined not to get lost in the easy banter that brought a smile to her face and a catch to her heart. It would have been all too easy to fall back into old habits. And she wouldn’t be falling for Sam again.

  After breakfast they’d driven out to Aurora, meeting Bill Jenkins, the project manager that Sam wanted to hire for Scotson Construction. They’d toured the half-finished retirement village in fluorescent yellow hard hats and borrowed steel capped boots. Every conceivable sports activity, housing requirement and service had been taken into consideration when the architects had planned the stress-free lifestyle for over two hundred and fifty residents. If she hadn’t been too young to join, she would have signed on the dotted line for a townhouse.

  She’d liked Bill. He knew what he was talking about and had a good reputation in the building industry. After the issues they’d had with Patrick, Nicky had called in a few favors and done some research of her own. She’d talked with people Bill had worked with. All of the projects he’d managed had been completed without any major dramas. Bill was a straight-shooter and someone even her grandfather couldn’t find fault with.

  The sound of voices drifted across the parking lot. Sam was heading back toward Harriet, deep in discussion with another contractor he’d wanted to meet. His yellow hard hat bobbed on top of his head and he’d wound the sleeves of his navy shirt up to his elbows. She smiled at the scuffed boots on his feet. He looked happier than he’d been this morning. And a whole lot more dangerous.

  He disappeared inside a temporary office and reappeared a few minutes later with no hard hat.

  “All finished?” she asked.

  “Nope.” He opened the passenger door, folding his long frame into the seat. “I’ve got to head back into the city. We had an issue with one of our contractors. I want to meet the manager of the new company working for us.”

  “As long as it wasn’t a kitchen supplier, then I’m happy.”

  Sam smiled.

  Nicky’s mouth dropped open. “You’re joking.”

  The smile turned into a full throttle grin. “No, I’m not joking. The original kitchen company that won the tendering process pulled out, so we’ve got a new firm working on our plans. They’ve got some options for us to look at. We need to approve the final concepts today.”

  “We? As in you and me?”

  “Unless you want to include Harriet in the process, I guess it’s just you and me, babe.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Babe?”

  “As in woman, not the little pig variety.”

  “Well that makes me feel marginally better. You do realize I’m still on training wheels when it comes to color?”

  “You’ve forgotten that I’ve seen your home. Anyone that can renovate a bungalow as well as you have isn’t a beginner.”

  Nicky’s eyes widened. “How did you find out that I did all of the decorating?”

  “And knocking out walls, and rewiring, and building a deck…do you want me to keep going?”

  “Was it Cody or Emily?” Her pick was Cody. He’d already kept Sam informed of her stepmom’s attempts to introduce her to Mr. Perfect. Her renovation exploits would give her brother another excuse to delve deeper into her nonexistent social life.

  “Neither,” Sam answered. “Your granddad showed me your before and after photos. If you were a man you’d be Chief Executive of Scotson Construction by now.” A teasing smile slipped across his face.

  Nicky stared at him. “You’re really treading on thin ice now, Samuel Delaney. Do you know how long and hard I fought to start my management internship with the company?”

  “About two years or so,” he grinned. “Cody told me all about it.”

  “Did Cody also tell you that granddad refused to let me set foot in the company as a paid employee?”

  “Yep. And I’ll be forever grateful to him.”

  Nicky ground her teeth together. Sam was every bit as impossible as her grandfather. “And why would that be?”

  “Because if you’d completed your internship before I arrived, I wouldn’t have met you.”

  “Oh.” Nicky swallowed, trying to control her pulse, jumping like a jackrabbit through her body.

  “Yes…oh.” Reaching across the front seat, Sam tapped her gently on the end of her nose. “And do you know what else I’m profoundly grateful for?”

  He could have been grateful for honey sandwiches and she would have melted on the spot. His hand cradled her chin and his fingers stroked her overheated skin.

  “I’m profoundly grateful you came back to Bozeman to work out who was stealing from our company. After the way I treated you, I didn’t think you’d help us. And that was before I knew about our baby.” The corner of his mouth tilted into a slow smile. “I misjudged how deeply you care about our company and your family. Thank you.”

  With a final nudge of his fingers he sat back in his seat, taking a part of her heart with him. Nicky gripped the steering wheel, hoping she didn’t look as tongue-tied as she felt. She needed to toughen up, not get all giddy over a man who wasn’t any good for her.

  “Let’s head into town.” He smiled. “The design team has organized lunch and Jacob’s waiting to impress us with his kitchen concepts.”

  Nicky shook her head, trying to knock a bit of intelligence into her cotton wool brain. “Do you do this often?”

  “What?” he asked softly.

  “Dazzle a woman senseless and then tell her you need food.”

  His rough bark of laughter swept the last fluffy clouds in her brain away. “Not often enough it seems.”

  ***

  At five minutes past six, Nicky waved goodbye to Sam at Denver Airport and headed back to Harriet. She sunk into the driver’s seat, feeling like she’d just been through an emotional roller-coaster. The first nail biting drop had left her breathless, the speed had left her disorientated, and she’d spun in so many circles that she felt sick. She patted Harriet, glad to at least have her little pink buddy to keep her steady.

  Reaching for her cell phone, she hit speed dial and called Erin. “It’s me. I’m heading back to my place now.”

  “How did it go?”

  “Better than I thought. Worse than I thought,” she sighed.

  “Well,” Erin said with a hopeful note in her voice. “Sounds like an eventful day.”

  “Sam’s interviewing a project manager in Bozeman next week. He wants me to be on the selection panel.”

  “You’re joking? After all that’s happened Sam wants you back in Bozeman for more work? The man hasn’t got a romantic bone in his body.”

  Nicky stared across the airport parking lot, watching people load bulging suitcases into their trunks. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I miss him already.”

  “What happened to the invincible woman that wasn’t going to let a certain male derail her life?” Erin asked.

  “She got washed down the drain in the middle of a faucet discussion.” So much for her vow to stay clear of Sam and his disastrous track record with commitment. She’d leaped hard and fast back into his life and didn’t know how it had happened.

  “You lost me as soon as you got to the drain bit,” Erin said. “How long before you get home?”

  Nicky gla
nced down at Harriet’s clock. “About thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll give you a call then. I’ve got to drop something off to my neighbor and then I’m all yours.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Erin.”

  “No problems, drain girl. See you soon.”

  Nicky put the phone down and started Harriet. Her granddad had been right. Sam’s rough edges had charmed the socks off her.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Erin stared at the pile of clothes on Nicky’s bed. “It’s just as well Maureen didn’t send your old clothes down to Denver when she redecorated. There must be something in this lot that you could wear on a date with Sam.”

  A pair of shoes flew through the air, landing with a soft thud on the end of the bed. Nicky’s head poked out from behind the closet door. “I’ve got a ‘maybe pile’ on the chair over there.” She pointed to a wooden chair draped in blue, red and black outfits. “Sam’s going to be here in thirty minutes and I’m still dithering about what to wear,” she groaned.

  “That’s what you get for spending most of the day in interviews and traipsing around construction sites. What about this combo.” Erin held up a burnt orange blouse with a black chiffon skirt. “You could wear the black necklace that’s sitting on your dresser and a pair of black high heels.”

  “Sam’s seen the blouse before. He’s seen most of my clothes before.”

  “He’s a man,” Erin scoffed. “Men don’t take much notice of what a woman wears.”

  “Put it in the maybe pile.”

  Erin gazed around the room and then looked back at Nicky. “We could be here all night and we don’t have all night. You need the Erin Reynolds no nonsense system to fashion perfection.”

  “Don’t tell me. Black pants and a white silk blouse?”

  “No, not that one.” Erin grinned. “Watch and learn from a fashion disaster waiting to happen. Now close your eyes.”

  “This doesn’t sound like a sensible plan.”

  Erin’s face glowed with mischief. “We’re beyond sensible; we’re on prelaunch time. Now close your eyes.”

  Nicky squeezed her eyes tight. She could hear the swish of fabric and felt a gentle breeze as Erin moved clothes around the room.