Perfecting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Doctors Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #3)

by Naomi Niles

  "Okay. I'll talk to your dad, but you know he hates me."

  "Well, what did you expect when you stole the church wine to get drunk?" she giggled, while wagging finger at him admonishingly.

  "I was a dumb kid then. I'm a whole new man now, and I'll prove it to him." Brett said with a cocky grin.

  "Well, you better do it quick. I'm leaving in a month."

  "Where are you going?"

  "My missionary trip to Africa. I'll be gone an entire year. Did you forget? I've been preparing for it all year."

  "I didn't realize you were going so soon." He sounded panicked.

  "Well, I am. Unless, of course, you talk to my father."

  "You'd skip going to Africa and stay here if I were your boyfriend? That's quite a sacrifice." Brett sounded in awe, and I was, too. Everyone in town knew how much time and effort Emma had put into going on this mission trip. Her whole life had been dedicated to that one goal, and for her to give it up just to date my brother was a real testament of her feelings for him.

  "Of course, I would. What kind of courtship would it be if left for year? Planning our engagement would be nearly impossible long distance like that."

  "Whoa! I just want you to be my girlfriend. I'm not ready for marriage, and you shouldn't be, either. Christ, you're just eighteen."

  "Well, what's the point of dating someone if you don't expect the relationship to grow into something serious? I'm not the kind of girl you can just fool around with for a few months and then move on to the next. If you want to date me, I need to know you have plans for things to move in a serious direction one day – like marriage."

  "Take it easy. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun now and then. Don't you think God put us this earth to enjoy life? Loosen up a little. Let yourself get to know the pleasures life has to offer before you lock yourself down to one person."

  "You know how much my moral values mean to me. It's a sin to divulge in pleasures of the flesh until a man and a woman are married in the eyes of God. If you expect to have any kind of a relationship with me, I expect to be courted properly. Otherwise why should I waste my time with you?"

  Emma turned on her heal and stormed out of the barn, with Brett chasing after her and Maggie right behind.

  Chapter Thirteen: Bethany

  I stared breathlessly at the dramatic scene unfolding in the barn below me, clutching Colton's hand. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and my heart went out to Emma.

  Her dilemma was very similar to my own. She'd been working towards a goal that meant a lot to her, and just on the cusp of reaching it, she fell in love with a Hutchinson man. Just like her, I had to choose between leaving to complete my lifelong ambitions or staying to be with the man I loved.

  Just like Emma wanted to be a missionary, I'd wanted to be an artist for as long as could remember. I used to sit in my bedroom for hours, sketching drawings. When I'd been able to take art as an elective in school, I was introduced to painting, and my passion grew from there. The paintbrush came alive in my hand, giving me purpose, and an outlet for all the emotions I'd kept trapped inside for all my life.

  Unlike Emma, I'd never had a home where I felt safe and loved, but when I painted landscapes, homes, and villages, it was like I had. All my pain and sorrow disappeared, and as long as I was painting, I was happy.

  Then, I discovered that other people appreciated my art, too, and would be willing to hang my paintings on their walls. Not only did it mean something I had done had value to others, but that the love and emotion I had put into each brush stroke was immortal and would live on for as long as that painting hung on their wall.

  The internship I had won at the museum was an opportunity to have my own art show, which would expand my career as an artist and possibly lead to more people buying my paintings and having them hang on more walls. It was too great a goal for me to sacrifice and throw away on a whim.

  I hadn't been able to see it that way until I heard Emma Fields promising Brett Hutchinson that she would sacrifice her dream of going to Africa and serving as a missionary if he would be her boyfriend.

  I'd first heard Emma talking about going to Africa when I went to church with Margie on Sunday. She had been so excited about it, and when she talked about sharing God's word with the villagers and helping them to dig a new water well, her entire face had lit up like a candle. I could see what it meant to her, and I'd been excited for her.

  When I heard her offer to give all that up to be Brett's girlfriend, my stomach actually churned, and I thought I might be sick. I loved Brett like the ornery little brother I never had, but I'd seen him chase after every girl he laid his eyes on. He'd even hit on me when I first drove up to the ranch a little over a month ago.

  He went out with a different girl every Friday night, and another one on Saturdays. He was as much a player as any bachelor in the city, and I couldn't begin to calculate how many hearts he'd broken.

  Emma was smart, sweet, and dedicated to doing God's work. She didn't need to settle for a man who would treat her badly, cheat, or abandon her like Frank had done to me and my mother. I wasn't certain Brett would do any of those things, but there was no guarantee that he wouldn't, either. She was risking throwing away all her goals and dreams for something as uncertain as love.

  In a jarring moment of clarity, I realized I was doing the same thing. Just like Jillian and Emma, I was ready to throw away my career as an artist for Colton. Sure, we loved each other, but what kind of guarantee was that? We'd only known each other a month. How did that compare to a lifetime of wanting to be an artist?

  As I watched Emma stride from the barn and Brett chase after her, it all became so terrifyingly clear. My father was right: I was at risk of throwing away my whole life for a man I barely knew.

  Just then Colton turned to look at me with his hazel-green eyes flashing with merriment.

  "That was something." He gave a little whistle before turning to me with a playful grin.

  "It sure was," I had to agree.

  "What do you say we finish what we started?" He gave me a sexy wink and then leaned in to kiss me.

  I rolled over in the hay, dodging his embrace. "No thanks."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. I'm just not in the mood any longer."

  "Maybe I can put you back in the mood." He leered at me playfully, but I didn't laugh.

  I just buttoned up my blouse and crossed my arm over my chest like a barrier. "I don't think you can. I'm tired. I'm going to take a bath and go to bed early."

  "I'll walk you back to the house."

  "No, don't. I'd rather be alone." I climbed down the ladder and walked away without even looking back. It would have been easy to stay there with him and let him make love me like he did so well, but I needed to get some space. I needed to be alone to gain some perspective and figure out what was really going to make me happy.

  Chapter Fourteen: Colton

  I felt completely baffled as I watched Bethany climb down the ladder from the loft and stride back to the ranch house.

  What the hell had just happened? One moment we were making out in the barn, and the next thing I knew, she's cold as ice. The emotional scene between Brett and Emma must have gotten to her in some way, but why?

  I walked slowly from the barn, in no hurry to show back up home all alone and have to endure the certain onslaught of questions from Mama.

  I saw Maggie running across the grounds, chasing after a stick that went flying through the air. She caught it easily and carried it back to Brett, who sat slumped on the edge of the fence.

  Emma was nowhere to be seen, and it was easy to guess how things went after they exited the barn. I walked up to him and sat in the fence beside him. Clasping him on the shoulder with brotherly affection, I said to him "Hey, how are things going?"

  "Fine," he lied. I couldn't say I knew the truth, so I had find a way to work it into the conversation.

  "Good. The cattle are gaining weight nicely. We should be
able to take them to the slaughterhouse as soon as they're done clearing the east pasture. I expect that will be sometime towards the end of the week."

  "Sounds good." He said without enthusiasm.

  "I can't believe it's almost the end of summer. Soon Tom will be starting up the school year, and something else was happening. Oh yeah, wasn't a group from the church going to take a mission trip to Africa?"

  "You were spying on me." Brett turned on me angrily. I should have known I couldn't fool him

  "What are you talking about?" My response sounded fake, even to me.

  "You heard me talking with Emma about her leaving for Africa next month. You son-of-a-bitch! I thought you were out walking around the grounds with Bethany. I thought we'd have the barn to ourselves. Were the two of you just hiding outside the barn listening in on us? Did you follow us from the beginning for some kind of sick thrill?"

  "It wasn't like that," I hurried to explain before my baby brother tried to punch me and then I'd be forced to kick his ass. "Bethany and I sometimes go to the barn during our walks. Tonight was no exception. When we heard voices, we were going to leave, but it was obvious you two were having a serious conversation. We didn't want to embarrass anyone, so we just stayed hidden up in the hayloft."

  "That was mighty noble of you." Brett's sarcasm was clear, but then his expression changed to an ornery grin, and he jibed me with his elbow. "So, Bethany's one of those chicks who likes to play up in the hayloft. Way to go, you dog."

  "Bethany is not just some chick, and I don't treat women like playthings. What we have is special, and I won't have you speak about her like that."

  "Hey, no offense." He held up his hands apologetically. "I'm just kidding you. After all, I was hoping to do the same thing with Emma if she wasn't such a prude."

  "I thought Emma really meant something to you," I said. "You were pretty busted up when you two broke up. If I recall, that's when you started this whole dating every girl you meet thing."

  "Hey, I can't help it that the chicks all want me. You're just jealous," Brett covered his insecurities with false bravado.

  "What do I have to be jealous about? Bethany and I have something real."

  "Yeah, until next week. Then you'll be in the same boat as me. We'll be two lonely bachelors together. Hey, you can hit the bar with me."

  "No thanks. I did that scene when I was your age, and it gets old quick. Besides, you don't have to be a lonely bachelor. Emma really cares about you, and I know you like her, too. She's willing to stay here for you, but only if you're willing to stop goofing around with every girl you meet and have a real relationship with her."

  "I'm too young to get serious. If you want to find a way to keep the artist here, suit yourself, but I'm letting Emma go to Africa. I'm not letting some chick tie me down," he said, but he sounded scared. I knew better than to try to talk him out of being an idiot. It would just cause him to dig his heels in deeper.

  "All right, suit yourself," I said. He'd have to come to the realization that Emma was worth settling down for on his own, and that life was much better when you had real love and not just empty one-night stands.

  I'd been so much happier since I'd met Bethany. Brett was right, though: in just one week's time, she'd be gone, back to Chicago, and I'd be all alone again. If only I were lucky enough to have her stay with me like Emma offered to do with Brett, I'd grab hold of her and never let her go. Brett was a damn fool for throwing away the one good thing he had in his life. I'd never make that mistake, only I didn't have his same luck. Bethany wasn't able to stay here like Emma could – or was she?

  Did Bethany really have to go back to Chicago? Was it possible for her stay in Riverbend on the Hutchinson Ranch? There had to be a way. I just had to figure it out.

  "Thanks, little brother!" I suddenly grabbed Brett and hugged him with both arms, squeezing him tight. Feeling invigorated, I kissed him on the cheek before I let him go.

  "Hey, what the hell was that for?" He wiped his cheek angrily with the back of his hand.

  "I'm going to do what you said. I'm going to find a way to keep Bethany here. You may not be ready to get serious, but I am."

  Chapter Fifteen: Bethany

  The next morning, I stayed hidden in my room until I heard all the Hutchinsons leave the house to go to their jobs. They were a noisy bunch, with heavy bootsteps and resonating voices. With the slam of the door, I peered out my bedroom window and watched as Tom and William drove away in their trucks. Brett and Travis headed out to the fields, and Colton strode across the grounds to his office by the stable.

  Certain I was safe, I finally crept out of my room and into the barn, stopping in the kitchen to grab one of Margie's homemade biscuits for breakfast. In the barn, I took my stack of completed paintings and lined them up in a long row along the wall so the images faced me like a gallery.

  I stared at each painting one by one, soaking in the images, comparing and contrasting them as I tried to decide what to do for the last one. It was bittersweet to think about.

  I took great pride in the work I had done. This was my first commissioned job as a professional artist, and I'd managed to create four unique paintings that realistically portrayed the ranch where my customer's sons had been raised. It was easy to understand why they loved this place so much, and now they would each have a painting of home, no matter the future held. It was a good feeling, and I was glad to have been a part of it. I just wished it didn't have to come to an end.

  "Why so melancholy?" a familiar voice asked, and I looked over to see Frank Hill standing in the doorway of the barn holding a shovel.

  "Dad, come on in," I called to him with a smile. He set down his shovel and entered the barn, where we hugged each other awkwardly.

  "Everything okay? You look blue."

  "I was just thinking how much I was going to miss this place."

  "Oh sure, what city girl wouldn't miss the manure, the mud, and the flies," Frank joked light heartedly.

  "I'm serious. I may have grown up on the cement sidewalks, but I much prefer the feel of soil under my feet. The skies here are so blue, and the air is so clean," I said, and I meant it. Looking at Frank thoughtfully, I asked him "What made you move out here?"

  "Well, you know I was just a coward hiding from life, but this place did have a lot of appeal. The cooking beats the hell out of fast food in the city. And, I like the animals, riding horses and driving herds. It comes natural to me. I guess I'm better with animals than people."

  "I guess I am, too," I said with a wry smile. "I was always lonely in the city. Even though I was surrounded by people, I always felt isolated. It's why I turned to art as a way to express my emotions, since I couldn't talk to anybody. When I got out here, for some reason I just fit right in."

  He nodded like he understood exactly what I meant. Speaking in a soft voice, I asked him "Do you think I could stay here?"

  "In the barn?" Frank misunderstood. I stifled a laugh.

  "No, in Riverbend. I love it out here so much. I'm so comfortable, not like living in the city."

  "We talked about this. If you give up your career as an artist just to be with Colton, eventually you'll end up resenting him for it. Believe me, you love each other now, but that can't last if you give up being who you really are. You're meant to be an artist."

  "I know, but who's to say I have to live in the city to that? After all, I got this job making paintings for the Hutchinsons. Surely there's more work around here that I could do. Maybe even enough to rent a small place in Riverbend. Colton and I could see each other in the evenings and on weekends, and I could still have a career as an artist."

  "Not unless you plan on painting barns and chicken coops. Even then, you might have to live in them, ‘cause that kind of work ain't gonna last you through the winter." Frank chuckled, and I knew he was right.

  "Well, maybe I could do something else, like teach art," I said hopefully. "Tom teaches at the middle school. Maybe they have a job opening there, or a
t another school. Or maybe I could give private lessons."

  "I don't think a lot of folks out here are looking to hire a private art tutor, but you may be able to get a regular job working as a cashier at the market or something and just paint on the side. If you think you could be happy that way, but I doubt it."

  I knew Frank was right. I didn't work my ass off to get an art degree just to be a cashier. I wanted to be an artist, and I was talented enough to get an internship, which meant I was talented enough to sell my work. I just had to be patient enough to find jobs like the one I'd gotten working for Margie – and they might be few and far between. Perhaps the secret was to have a cheaper cost of living that would allow me get by between jobs.

  Looking at Frank, I thrust my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see them shaking, and asked, "Could I stay with you?"

  "You mean live with me in my cabin?"

  "Sure. I know it's small, but I don't take up much room. I just need a trundle bed that I could fold away each morning. I'll do all your cooking and cleaning, and we could really get to know each other as father and daughter. It could be great."

  "It could be a disaster. Two adults crammed into a cabin that small, we'd drive each other crazy in under a week," he said, and I felt tears of disappointment well up in my eyes.

  Stubbornly, I refused to let them fall. But it was too late, Frank had already seen the emotion in my eyes. Taking my hand in his rough ones, he looked me deep in the eyes and said, "He really means that much to you?"

  "He does," I said.

  "Well, I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you can't stay with me. I'm leaving at the end of the summer."

  "You never told me that." I was stunned.

  "Well, I didn't see any point. You were leaving first. I was going to finish out the season and then move on to a farm down south, where there's more work in the winter. If I get there in the fall, I can get onto a ranch before all the slots fill up and be set for the off season."