Dane frowned and gave her an exactly-what-I-thought look.
“I have employees and responsibilities.” That didn’t seem to appease Dane, who continued to frown at her. “As much as I want to be with Gabe, it’s a massive undertaking to run an entire company, but I owe it to my sister.”
“Gabe will help you.”
“It isn’t for Gabe to do. He’ll have his work here. The work he loves in the place he wants to be with his family. I can’t ask him to leave all that for me.”
“What if you’re what he wants?”
“He might say that, and even believe it, but I know he’ll never be happy anywhere but here.”
“The choices you face aren’t fair or easy. I’m sorry about that, but I’m looking out for my brother.”
“That makes two of us. I know him, Dane. I can’t change who he is. I don’t want to.”
Dane gave her a hug and stepped back. “Blake was right. You’re nothing like that woman in the pictures and on the TV. I hope you two figure this out. You’re not what I expected, but you might be perfect for him.”
“Blake said something very similar.”
“We’re brothers, and obviously brilliant.” Dane shrugged and headed for his truck. “I’ll take care of Gabe’s place and yours until you get back. Don’t forget, Mom wants to have you over for dinner. She told me to remind you.”
Ella shook her head, turned, and went into the house to get the keys to Gabe’s truck, his cell phone, and her purse. She made a quick call to the new lawyers she hired right after she spoke to Sam this morning, telling them to meet her at the sheriff’s office in Crystal Creek. Who knew she’d have to use them so soon? She packed up all the papers and files she had strewn everywhere, tucked them and her laptop back into her tote, and carried them out to the truck. She went into the bedroom and packed all her clothes. She rummaged through Gabe’s closet, finding a suitcase and packing him enough clothes for a week.
She loaded everything into the backseat of the truck and turned the key. The engine hummed, but she didn’t back out of the drive. She sat staring at the house, wondering if everything would ever be like it was last night with Gabe when he made love to her. She hoped it would be for both their sakes.
Instead of turning right out of the drive, she went left, up the road to her ranch. The trucks unloaded the cattle into the pastureland on the east side of the property. Dane saw her coming and waved for her to stop.
“Where you goin’, honey? Town’s the other way.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I need to get something from the house.”
“Need help?”
“No, I’ve got it covered. How’s everything going here?”
“Travis should be shot.”
“Yeah, well, short of that I’ve got two lawyers ready to put him in his place.”
“Go get ’em, honey. I’ll see you at dinner at Mom’s.”
With that, Dane went back to directing cattle traffic with the men up on horseback, driving the cattle further along into the pastures.
It didn’t take her long to retrieve the boxes of files and the black box from the airplane crash. She waved to Dane on her way back down the pass to town. On her way, she called to have the plane ready and spoke with Sam to make sure everything was in order.
Time to finish this. But first, she had to get her man.
Chapter 28
Ella walked into the sheriff’s office, feeling more like her old self. Confident. In control. Ready to take on the job ahead. She scanned the room, noting she’d beat the lawyers to the office. Not surprising since they were coming in from Bozeman.
“Thanks for coming down, Miss Wolf,” the officer who handcuffed Gabe said from his desk behind a short wall that separated him from the entry area.
“I’m here to press charges against Travis Dorsche and get any charges against Gabe Bowden dropped. Travis deserved the broken nose and a lot more, but we’ll get to Gabe as soon as my lawyers arrive. For now, what do you need me to do to press charges against Travis for attempted sexual assault and attempted murder to go along with the animal abuse and neglect he’s already facing?”
“Those are big accusations.”
“Those are the facts. Let me tell you all about it and you can write up the report. My lawyers will have a discussion with Travis about the way he treated me and whether or not Gabe was protecting me when Travis grabbed me and shoved me to the ground.”
“I’m starting to get a clearer picture of what happened,” the officer said.
“I thought you would, but that is what happened, so we’ll just play this out and see how far Travis wants to take this.”
“Travis really made an enemy of you. I’d hate to be in his shoes.”
“Damn right.” Her uncle thought he could go up against her. Well, he’d discover, just like Travis was about to find out, that she wasn’t an easy target. She’d stand her ground and use everything at her disposal to do what was right and see them behind bars.
Filled with the confidence she hadn’t felt since her sister’s murder and her spiral into depression, she dictated her statement about what happened with Travis. By the time she finished, the officer was frowning and shaking his head. She hadn’t even gotten into the animal neglect and abuse she’d witnessed. She had the documentation and the sick animals to prove it.
Gabe sat on the cot with his back to the wall, legs stretched out. He’d replayed last night in his mind all morning, and let the scene play out again. Ella and him together in bed, making love, completely connected in a way he’d never been with any other woman. God, the way she made him feel. Then he woke up this morning, knowing that their time in seclusion together was up. They needed to go to New York, and she needed to avenge her sister and take down that bastard once and for all.
The thing was, playing house was one thing, but Gabe couldn’t shake the fear that Ella would get justice, and then discover how much she missed her familiar life. The country might be good for grief, healing, and hiding out, but was it an existence she could ever truly lead. Not a weekend here or there, but days that stretched into weeks that encompassed a lifetime. God, he wanted a lifetime. But she had responsibilities to her company and the people she employed. If he knew one thing about Ella it was that she looked out for her own. What chance did this fantasy of her living in Montana have in the face of her reality?
The days they’d spent together would go down as the best time of his life. He’d spend the rest of his days loving this woman. As much as he wanted to ask her to stay with him on the ranch, he hoped she wanted just as much to ask him to stay with her in New York. Yet neither of them would be happy living the other’s life. So how could he ask her to do something he couldn’t do for her? It would end in disaster. He’d rather let her go now, his sweet memories of their time together happy moments he’d pull out every time he missed her. Which would be every second of every day.
Look at that. He finally fell in love and lost her before he ever really had her. From the moment he’d met her, she’d always been passing through his life.
“Hey, cowboy, I came to bust you out of this joint. I’ve got two horses saddled out back. Let’s make a quick getaway and ride off into the sunset together.”
He wanted to smile, but couldn’t find one to give her. “Where are we off to, city girl? The Big Apple?”
“I’ve got the jet waiting on the tarmac.”
He slid from the cot and stood in front of her next to the bars. “It’s very strange that you mean that.”
“I’m sorry, Gabe.”
“For what? Being who you are? I like who you are.”
She averted her face, her expression covered by a curtain of light brown hair. “It gets in the way sometimes.”
He shrugged that away. Ever since she found the evidence, things between them had gotten weird.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the cattle and the ranch. I wanted to surprise you.”
“You surprised me,
all right. I left you alone to do what you needed to do. I never realized how much you can get done in a short amount of time with nothing more than a phone and a computer.”
“I’m a resourceful girl.” She turned her head away to glance at the two men in suits who walked into the holding cell area. “I couldn’t leave those cattle with Travis. The man has no regard for decency. They need to be taken care of properly. It’s a good business that makes a lot of money. You wanted the ranch. You paid my uncle to buy the place. I told you I’d make it right.”
“I never thought you meant to hire me as an employee to run your ranch.”
“Not my ranch. Our ranch.”
Too much to hope she meant she’d live there with him and be a rancher’s wife. Yet, for a brief moment, he let the wave of anticipation wash over him before becoming more practical. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m a businesswoman, and I’m making you a business proposition.”
Of course. “Is that why you brought the suits?”
“I couldn’t trust the lawyers at the company or the family attorney, so I hired Mr. Crawford and Mr. White out of Bozeman.”
“You’re serious?”
“They are here to get you out of this trouble with Travis and facilitate our new business arrangement.”
So this is how it would end. He’d get the land, but not the woman. If he thought it hurt the first time, it was nothing compared to the crushing grip around his heart now.
He leaned his shoulder against the bars and studied her. The woman he knew, but didn’t quite get at the moment. “Explain this arrangement?”
“Okay. Well. You paid my uncle one-point-five million for the whole ranch. As you discovered, the current market value of the ranch is about sixteen-point-nine million.”
“So, what are you offering me? A job?” The anger simmered in his gut.
“A partnership. Your million and a half buys you a twenty percent interest in Wolf Ranch. Still, an amazing deal. You will live in the house, oversee the cattle business, grow it as you planned, and run it as you see fit. I’ve hired some men temporarily to help you get started, including Dane to oversee things until you get back.”
“You hired my brother?”
“He’s the only man I knew you’d approve to look after the cattle and your horses.”
“So I do all the work and get twenty percent.”
“You own twenty percent. We’ll split the profits twenty-five, seventy-five.”
“So I do all the work and you get the lion’s share of the profits too?”
“No. You do. You do the work. You build the business, and you’ll earn the profits. I’m just supplying the land and the initial startup with the cattle. What you do with it is up to you.”
“You once warned me about taking deals that are too good to be true.”
“Take this one. You won’t find anything better. Besides, I’ve already moved the cattle. The contents of the house will be moved back in tomorrow.”
“So I get the ranch and a furnished house. What’s the catch?”
“Angel and Belle.”
“Your horses.”
“Blake is on his way to get them and bring them here. It’s not right to leave them at the New York estate all alone.”
There it was. Once she returned to the city and took over the business, she’d have no time for her beloved horses. No time for him.
“Jeez, Ella. What else have you done with your spare time?”
“Learned that when something really terrible happens, something even better can show you the way back to happiness. Thank you isn’t enough for all you’ve done,” she said.
“So you practically gave me your house and turned everything we had into a business deal?” He couldn’t help the anger in his voice.
“You know that’s not true. What we have is special, but it doesn’t change what I have to do. I promised I’d make things right, and I have. Now I’ll always know where you are and that you’re happy.”
That sounded too close to goodbye. It tore his heart to shreds. He wanted to ask her how he’d ever be happy again without her, but he couldn’t put her on the spot like that. Not with the suits standing there discreetly acting like they weren’t seeing and hearing everything he and Ella said.
“This isn’t over.” He’d stay by her side until her uncle was behind bars no matter what. The business deal pissed him off, because he wanted a hell of a lot more. He wasn’t stupid enough to turn it down. Not when it kept him connected to her—even if only in this small way.
“I hope not.”
“Bust me out of here, city girl.”
She reached up and touched her hand to his face, giving him a soft smile. “Mr. Crawford has some papers for you to sign on the ranch stuff. Mr. White has brokered a deal with Travis. He won’t press charges for the assault—”
“Mostly because you were clearly defending Ms. Wolf from further attack and she had every reason to believe Travis would harm her due to their previous encounter where he attempted to sexually assault her and left her for dead on the side of the road, in freezing temperatures, with no means of reaching safety before she succumbed to the cold.”
“Thank you, Mr. White.” She rolled her eyes at Gabe, which made him even more crazy for her, because although she’d called in the cavalry, she still found the stuffed shirts irritating.
“Travis drops the charges against you in exchange for lesser charges for what he did to me.”
“That sucks. You almost died out there.”
“Yes, well, I may have to thank Travis for leaving me out there.”
“Why the hell would you do that?”
“If not for him, I might not have met you.”
Those words went right to Gabe’s heart. He squeezed Ella’s hand, drew her close, and whispered, “Get me out of here.” His voice came out gruff. He needed her in his arms. Right now.
“Crawford, the papers.” She held out her hand for the contract. “Sign these.”
“You aren’t letting me out of here without signing those?”
“It’s a great deal. Take it.”
“What if I want more?” He didn’t want twenty percent of this and seventy-five percent of that. He wanted it all. Her. Even if it did seem impossible.
“I want to give it to you, but I can’t. Not yet.” Her gaze fell to the floor. “My uncle.”
She needed to finish things. Put it behind her and stand on her own for the first time without her twin backing her up. She needed to know she could. A woman of integrity, she wouldn’t make him promises now when her world was still in chaos and she might not be able to keep those promises. She’d never hurt him on purpose and refused to open the door to even the possibility she might.
He wanted to build a life with her. A simple plan, complicated by geography, lifestyles, and circumstances beyond their control.
“Is Sam ready?”
“Everything is in place. I need to bring what I have and finish it.”
Gabe narrowed his gaze. “We will finish it. I’m going with you.”
“I hoped you’d say that.”
He smiled. “You knew I’d say that.”
“I packed you a bag. We’re leaving now.”
“I hope your digs in New York are better than this.”
“I think you’ll like the penthouse.”
“Ah, well, if that’s the best you can do.”
That earned him a dazzling smile. One that squeezed his heart and refused to let go. He took the papers and signed them, trusting in her completely that they said what she outlined and with no hidden tricks.
The lawyers had disappeared moments ago and returned with an officer. The minute the cell door opened, he reached for Ella and pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her off her feet.
“Are you okay?”
“Right now, I’m perfect.”
He hugged her tighter. Yeah, right now, this second, when they were in each other’s arms, everything was
perfect. But would it last?
His doubts grew when they reached the Bozeman airport and they drove to the hangar and the private plane she’d chartered to take them to New York. Far beyond anything he could imagine or afford. They barely spoke during the flight. The stewardess served them the meal Ella ordered, including his favorite amber beer. She sat beside him, her head on his shoulder, hand in his, lost in her own thoughts of what was to come.
When the pilot announced they’d land in twenty minutes, she pointed out the window, and he stared at the New York City lights. He’d never seen anything like it.
“So many people.”
“Welcome to New York.”
Chapter 29
Touchdown made all of Gabe’s protective instincts kick in. This was Phillip’s home turf. He had people in his pocket, including the police, but Gabe swore he wouldn’t let anything happen to Ella. He didn’t make promises he didn’t intend to keep.
The pilots opened the plane door. He helped Ella gather their stuff. They exited and Gabe gaped at the black SUV, complete with driver, waiting for them. The back door opened, and Sam got out.
“Is that him?” Ella asked.
“Sam,” Gabe called, setting down his bag and Ella’s to take Sam’s outstretched hand. They’d met only a few months ago at Caleb and Summer’s wedding, but he liked Sam and accepted the hug and slap on the back like he greeted one of his brothers. “This is Ella Wolf.”
“Nice to meet you in person, Ms. Wolf.”
“I told you on the phone, it’s just Ella. Nice to see you too. How are we on time?”
“If you’d been any later, we’d have had to do this without you.”
“Sorry. I had to bail Gabe out of jail.”
Sam eyed Gabe with a cocky grin. “Really? What happened?”
“I clocked the asshole who nearly killed Ella.”
“Travis,” Sam guessed. “Ella told me all about him. We’re up to speed on this end. I’ve got agents on all the key players. We’ll start rounding them up about the same time we get your uncle.”
“Great. Let’s do that now and get this over with.”
At Wolf Ranch Page 24